handy so if you ever need anything
fixed. I'd be glad to help out,” Chris said.
“Isn't that nice,” gushed
Henie.
“Thank you, Mr. Sorensen. We'll
keep that in mind,” Karen said evenly.
“Young man, it's a warm evening.
Could I get you a glass of ice tea?” Henie asked.
“Aw, no need to bother on my
account, ma'am,” Chris drawled shyly.
“No bother. I was just going to go
in and get us tea. I'll bring you a glass while I'm at it. You look
dry,” Henie said, getting up.
“Guess I am dry. It warmed up nice
today and got dusty out in the field,” he said.
Karen agreed, “Really nice day
though. I guess we can safely say this is spring for sure. Do you
farm many acres, Mr. Sorensen?”
“Stick with Chris. Mr. Sorensen
was my dad. I rent farm land a mile away, and I have three hundred
acres on my farm. I just finished planting the last field of beans.
Glad to get done before a rain comes.”
Henie came out carrying three
glasses. One in each hand and her arm wrapped around one. She
handed one to Chris then gave Karen hers.
“Much obliged, ma'am,” the farmer
said politely.
Henie sit down and rested her glass
on the rocker arm before she asked, “Are the cattle in the pasture
yours?”
“They are. I've got forty three
head of black Angus,” he told her. Karen noted Henie's see I was
right look as Chris asked, “What do you do for a living,
Karen?”
“I'm an author. It makes me a nice
living so I don't have to join the rat race in town,” she replied.
“I'm a city girl so Henie is acquainting me with country life, and
I find I like living here very much.”
Chris nodded. “That's mighty nice.
I've always liked living on my farm, but then this is the only life
I've ever known.”
“Your mother, Gracie, still
living?” Henie asked, holding tightly to the sweating tea glass on
the arm of her rocker.
Chris said, “She's in a nursing
home now. You know my mom?”
Karen gave her a somber look. How
was Henie going to answer?
“No, I just remembered hearing the
name somewhere,” Henie said offhandedly.
Chris set his empty glass on the
porch floor. “I best keep moving. I still have to fix me some
supper. You ladies have a nice evening now.” He put his cap on as
he headed for the pickup.
“What a nice young man?” Henie
purred.
“I suppose. He seemed polite
enough. Hope he doesn't make a nuisance out of himself,” Karen
stated.
Henie frowned. “It wouldn't hurt to
find something that needs fixing once in awhile so you could
invited that nice young man over. I repeat there is more to life
than work.”
“I'm not about to call that farmer
for help. We can handle anything that needs done around here,”
Karen declared.
“Sure we can,” quipped Henie.
“That isn't the point. You need to give that cute farmer a reason
to come visit.”
“What did you bring that glass of
tea out here for? It's sweating all over your rocker arm,” Karen
said to change the subject.
“I couldn't very well not have a
glass in my hand while the farmer was here. How would that have
looked?”
“Oh.” Karen started her rocker
squeaking again as she stared into the dusk. “Oh, look! The
fireflies are out. Isn't that a pretty sight?”
“Sure is. That's always a fun
thing to do for kids in the country. Remember when you used to
catch lightning bugs when you were a kid?” Henie asked.
Karen shook her head. “No, Mom
wouldn't let me.”
Henie slapped her rocker arm with
her free hand. “Just like her mother. I knew it. Why wouldn't Helen
let you catch lightning bugs?”
“She said the next thing I'd do
was bring the nasty things in the house and let the lid get off the
jar. She'd find insects crawling on everything. She couldn't have
that,” Karen related as she stared into the darkness.
Henie stood up. “Stay put while I
put this glass of tea in the refrigerator. I'll be right
back.”
Chapter 9
“In a few minutes, Henie was back.
She handed Karen a jelly jar.
“What is
fixed. I'd be glad to help out,” Chris said.
“Isn't that nice,” gushed
Henie.
“Thank you, Mr. Sorensen. We'll
keep that in mind,” Karen said evenly.
“Young man, it's a warm evening.
Could I get you a glass of ice tea?” Henie asked.
“Aw, no need to bother on my
account, ma'am,” Chris drawled shyly.
“No bother. I was just going to go
in and get us tea. I'll bring you a glass while I'm at it. You look
dry,” Henie said, getting up.
“Guess I am dry. It warmed up nice
today and got dusty out in the field,” he said.
Karen agreed, “Really nice day
though. I guess we can safely say this is spring for sure. Do you
farm many acres, Mr. Sorensen?”
“Stick with Chris. Mr. Sorensen
was my dad. I rent farm land a mile away, and I have three hundred
acres on my farm. I just finished planting the last field of beans.
Glad to get done before a rain comes.”
Henie came out carrying three
glasses. One in each hand and her arm wrapped around one. She
handed one to Chris then gave Karen hers.
“Much obliged, ma'am,” the farmer
said politely.
Henie sit down and rested her glass
on the rocker arm before she asked, “Are the cattle in the pasture
yours?”
“They are. I've got forty three
head of black Angus,” he told her. Karen noted Henie's see I was
right look as Chris asked, “What do you do for a living,
Karen?”
“I'm an author. It makes me a nice
living so I don't have to join the rat race in town,” she replied.
“I'm a city girl so Henie is acquainting me with country life, and
I find I like living here very much.”
Chris nodded. “That's mighty nice.
I've always liked living on my farm, but then this is the only life
I've ever known.”
“Your mother, Gracie, still
living?” Henie asked, holding tightly to the sweating tea glass on
the arm of her rocker.
Chris said, “She's in a nursing
home now. You know my mom?”
Karen gave her a somber look. How
was Henie going to answer?
“No, I just remembered hearing the
name somewhere,” Henie said offhandedly.
Chris set his empty glass on the
porch floor. “I best keep moving. I still have to fix me some
supper. You ladies have a nice evening now.” He put his cap on as
he headed for the pickup.
“What a nice young man?” Henie
purred.
“I suppose. He seemed polite
enough. Hope he doesn't make a nuisance out of himself,” Karen
stated.
Henie frowned. “It wouldn't hurt to
find something that needs fixing once in awhile so you could
invited that nice young man over. I repeat there is more to life
than work.”
“I'm not about to call that farmer
for help. We can handle anything that needs done around here,”
Karen declared.
“Sure we can,” quipped Henie.
“That isn't the point. You need to give that cute farmer a reason
to come visit.”
“What did you bring that glass of
tea out here for? It's sweating all over your rocker arm,” Karen
said to change the subject.
“I couldn't very well not have a
glass in my hand while the farmer was here. How would that have
looked?”
“Oh.” Karen started her rocker
squeaking again as she stared into the dusk. “Oh, look! The
fireflies are out. Isn't that a pretty sight?”
“Sure is. That's always a fun
thing to do for kids in the country. Remember when you used to
catch lightning bugs when you were a kid?” Henie asked.
Karen shook her head. “No, Mom
wouldn't let me.”
Henie slapped her rocker arm with
her free hand. “Just like her mother. I knew it. Why wouldn't Helen
let you catch lightning bugs?”
“She said the next thing I'd do
was bring the nasty things in the house and let the lid get off the
jar. She'd find insects crawling on everything. She couldn't have
that,” Karen related as she stared into the darkness.
Henie stood up. “Stay put while I
put this glass of tea in the refrigerator. I'll be right
back.”
Chapter 9
“In a few minutes, Henie was back.
She handed Karen a jelly jar.
“What is
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