Chapter Twenty
Aidan followed behind the seeder along the furrows in the dirt. It was his job to make certain the precious wheat grains fell into the narrow ruts and not on top of the soil where it wouldn't grow. Willow followed two steps behind him. He reached down and rubbed her ears. "Look at us, Willow. It won't be long now until all our worries are behind us."
His dad joined him at the back of the seeder. "You look happy this morning? Things improving on the home front?”
Levi drove the tractor, pulling the machine slow enough to allow him and his dad to have a conversation and still do their jobs.
Aidan grinned at his dad. "Maybe."
"Anything I should know about?"
"No. Well, yes. Maybe." Aidan hesitated a bit before telling his dad. He didn't want him to get his hopes up, but Aidan admitted to himself, his hopes were rising.
"Son?" They were still walking behind the seeder, monitoring the casting of the seeds, but the engine of the tractor out front didn't interfere with conversation.
"Maura and I talked last night after I said—you know, all that stupid stuff yesterday. I told her it was just a misunderstanding. She was really mad at first, but then she listened. We realized we didn't find each other so repulsive and would like to give this marriage thing another try."
His dad laughed. "Son, a woman doesn't want to hear she's less repulsive. She wants to hear she's beautiful."
He grinned. "You know what I mean. We want to start over. Leave the past, where it can’t hurt us.”
His dad was silent for a long moment. They walked along in companionable silence for a bit. Aidan was curious what his dad was thinking, but he filled the silence with more good news. "And the best part is that Maura thinks you and Mom are good people. That was important to me, to know she didn't think my dad was capable of murder, even if it was a horse."
Now his dad was looking at him in an odd way. "I hadn't realized the past was destroying your future, Aidan. That's not something your mom and I wanted for you." His dad's gaze turned misty. He looked so sad. "You are our only child. We continue to build on this," his dad swept his arm around the landscape to include everything Langley, “for you and your family—the next generation.” His dad hesitated. "I think it might be time to sit down and talk about some things—decisions I made in the past that might affect you and your family—someday. Things you should know about."
"Sure, Dad." Aidan had no idea what his dad was talking about, but if there were things his dad wanted him to know, he would listen.
"Do you think you can handle this job alone? I gotta go help Nola round up the goats for milking. Mr. Whittaker, who owns the grocery store, says some of the farmers are refusing to sell their milk to him. Says he’s not paying them enough so they are hauling it over to Vista Butte where Silas Matthews is paying three cents a gallon more. But in these times, it ain't all about the money. We have to take care of each other. Those mommas who can't afford to buy milk for their babies need our help. We’ve had a run of good luck. I want to pass our good fortune on to others who need it."
Aidan watched his dad walk toward the house. As much as this family needed cash, his dad was always willing to barter and trade to help someone in need. Yep, his dad was a good man. He wanted to be just like him. A good, decent husband and father.
He saw Maura coming toward him when his dad and Maura met in the field. They talked and then hugged.
Aidan wanted to stop and watch his wife, especially after the visions of her last night under him, on top of him, and everywhere in between. But he had to keep up with the seeder, so he waved her in.
He had never known anyone like her, and he was thankful the good Lord and his parents were wise enough to point his stubborn head in the right direction.
"Hey." He greeted her when she was close enough to hear him over the tractor ahead.
"Hey," she called back. "Hi, Willow." Willow trotted to Maura and allowed her to pet her behind the ears. Aidan was amazed at how Willow warmed up to Maura. Hell, she still wouldn't let Tommy pet her, and she had known him since Aidan first got her as a puppy seven years ago.
"She likes you." Aidan pointed out the obvious.
"I like her, too. She's a lot like me. We are kindred spirits." Maura fell into step with him and helped him watch the seed cast. The machinery was working perfectly, so it made it easy to walk and talk.
"How's that?" Aidan realized he wanted to know the connection between his two best girls.
"We don't trust easily. And there's a part of us we hold back until we are sure we won't get hurt. Even then, we watch and listen, cautious to the very end."
Aidan looked at Maura and perhaps for the first time saw the woman beneath all the fire and bluster. Maura was a brave, bold woman, but she was also unsure of herself at times. He felt ashamed he had contributed to her fears. From now on, he vowed to do a better job of being her husband.
Aidan worked the rest of the day behind the seeder while Maura helped her mother cultivate more herbs. Aidan was quite impressed with his wife’s business sense. He was proud of her accomplishments. If everything held together, it looked like the Langleys were gonna overcome this insidious financial downturn after all.
Morning turned into afternoon. He was all but done with the seeding in the last pasture when he spotted Tommy pecking his way across the field. Aidan whistled for Levi that it was time to stop for the day.
"Ugh. Why are you always knee-deep in dirt?" Tommy wrinkled his nose in distaste.
Aidan laughed at his friend's refined ways. “It’s the way we make money, Tommy. It’s an honest living, my friend. You should try it some time.”
Tommy wrinkled his nose in disgust. “No thanks. I prefer making my living behind a nice tidy desk in a nice clean office. This stuff is disgusting."
Aidan didn't fault Tommy for not wanting to work on a farm. It wasn't for everybody. But these days, people had to learn to be resourceful. He was afraid Tommy hadn't learned that lesson yet.
"If you know you are coming to visit, why do you insist on wearing those fancy shoes out here?" Aidan laughed at Tommy's discomfort.
"I have an image to maintain. Who knows when the next big opportunity comes along?"
Aidan felt sorry for his friend. Everyone knew it was going to be a long time before business opportunities reappeared. The stock market crash had eviscerated everything associated with money. His family was among the fortunate ones.
Aidan chose to keep his thoughts to himself. No point in dampening Tommy's dreams. Time would do that on its own.
"Why are you out here anyway? Did we have plans?"
"No, but I ran into Mike and Jerry in town. They are in town to check on their grandma and wanted to get together later this evening.”
Aidan liked the sound of that. He'd been working non-stop for the last month, and he was ready for a break.
"Sounds like fun. I'll bring Maura."
"Probably wouldn't be a good idea. All guys. Maybe they will still be here at the end of the week for your birthday party. We can ask them when we see them. Whatta ya say?"
Aidan didn't feel comfortable going off and leaving Maura. But it wasn't as if they were tied at the hip. And she was working in the herb garden today.
"What's the matter, Aidan? The old ball and chain got you under lock and key? Do you need to get her permission before you go?" Tommy's words taunted him.
"Of course not. I was trying to be considerate. But if there are only going to be guys there—?"
"That's right. Only guys. Now get your stuff and let’s go. They are going to meet us at Gino’s Bar."
Aidan nodded in agreement. "I'm in. Let me clean up. And, I need to leave Maura a note, so she'll know where I went."
Tommy rolled his eyes at him. He didn’t care. He wasn't hen-pecked, and Maura wasn’t a clinging vine either. But he had grown up watching the respect between his parents. They had done alright by each other. He intended to follow their example.
"I'll go with you in case you are sideswiped by the permission cops and can't go."
Aidan laughed at Tommy. His friend didn't understand what it meant to be part of a team. A couple. But he would. Someday he would meet someone special, and then it would be Aidan's turn to tease.
Aidan went upstairs to his bedroom in the big house and showered. He quickly dressed in clean jeans and a shirt and headed for the homestead cabin out back.
Maura wasn’t home, so he flipped a clean page from the notebook sitting on the table and scribbled his note to let his wife know where he was going.
Maura, Went to town with Tommy. Meeting Mike and Jerry, friends from college you met at the wedding. Be back before you go to bed. Don’t go without me. A.
"Okay, let's go." Aidan led the way. He and Tommy were halfway to Tommy's beat-up roadster when Tommy stopped. "I left my hat on your table. I'll be right back."
Aidan nodded and headed on to the car. He knew Tommy wouldn't be far behind.
Tommy was gone less than a minute, but he didn't have his hat. Aidan waited until he was closer to ask what happened to it.
"I guess I left it at home." Tommy shrugged and jumped in the car, cranking the engine to life. He grinned in Aidan's direction. "Now, let's go blow off some steam."
Aidan grinned. "Yeah, I'm ready to have some fun." He sat back and watched the landscape roll by as Tommy steered them into town. He used to have a lot of fun with Tommy and his friends in college. But something was different now. Something had changed.
And he knew exactly what that something was. Maura.