Christmas With Hover Hill (8 page)

Elizabeth paused.
Do I
look like a Lizzy?
She thought better of making that
cryptic comment out loud. She gave this farmer a hard enough time
yesterday. While he was still speaking to her, she needed to get
the wood billing explained to him. His overly friendly nature might
stop if they got into an argument over her name. “I think I'd like
that. I've never ridden in a tractor before,” she said as she put
her foot on the step. Bud grabbed her by the waist and hoisted her
inside. She perched on a narrow ledge beside the seat.

When he came through the driver's door, Bud grinned.
“Glad I'm your first time.” His breath came in rhythmic white
plumes as he talked.

The way he said it made her blush, but she couldn't
tell from his friendly grin if he'd meant to embarrass her or not.
She hated feeling uneasy around this man, but she didn't know how
to take him. She looked out the window, hoping her face would
quickly lose its flushed color.

The cab and the farmer smelled faintly of an
unpleasant mixture of scents, diesel fumes from the tractor
exhaust, manure on his boots, and a whiff of wood smoke. Though
maybe the wood smoke was coming off her from walking in the
downdraft from the fireplace.

“
Where's the big dog this morning?” She
asked.

“
I don't usually let him ride in the tractor.
He doesn't mind me well enough. Makes it hard for me to drive while
I'm trying to keep him out of my way. Buster does better in the
back of the pickup when he has the whole area to
himself.”

The cab's heater worked well. Sitting that close to
the farmer, heat radiated off Bud's heavy coat. Elizabeth
unbuttoned her coat. “It's warmer in here than I thought it would
be.”

“
Most tractors have cabs with heaters and air
conditioners now. Modern farming equipment has come a long way.
Years ago, farmers had to freeze all winter while they did chores
in the elements.”

“
Chores?”

“
Like feeding the cattle hay. I come every
morning if you ever want another ride home,” Bud
offered.

“
Oh, of course. I've never lived in a place
where people did chores. Since I've been on my own, I've had an
apartment and a career in the city. I do like to take walks all
year long. I just might take you up on a warm ride home while the
temperature is this cold.”

“
There's a difference between city and country
living all right,” Bud agreed.

“
By the way,” Elizabeth said. “Since I will be
here a while, you should charge me for the wood you bring. I don't
want to impose on my host since he's been kind enough to allow me
to use his house for free.”

“
All right.” Bud eyed her intently.

Suddenly, Elizabeth worried her father might already
know she was staying in his house. “I've been wondering since I – I
mean we just got here, how did you know to bring the wood over so
fast?”

“
Mr. Winston said if Susie ever gave anyone the
key during the winter she should call me. I'm supposed to keep the
wood pile stocked for them,” Bud said. “Susie called me right away
to let me know you moved in. We know how cold that old house can be
in the winter even with heat.”

Elizabeth was afraid of what he might be thinking now
that she had asked so many questions so she didn't say anything
else. When they reached the house, he slowed the tractor to a stop,
climbed out and came around to help her down the step to the
ground. Without another word, he drove off in his massive
tractor.

The minute Elizabeth drove into the Wickenburg city
limits that morning, she wondered how she'd missed all the
Christmas decorations in yards and on the light poles the day
before. Life size nativity scenes, large balloon Santas and red
nose reindeer that had movements similar to robots decorated most
of the yards. On Main Street, a canopy of colored Christmas lights
were strung crisscrossed over the street. This town certainly went
all out for the holidays.

She was surprised Hover didn't point out the festive
look to her as a way he'd like to decorate at the farm house. He
probably hated taking her decorations back down right after he put
them up. Since they would be in her father's house for Christmas,
he'd be delighted if he was allowed to fill the yard and house with
decorations. That is, if she'd buy them which she wasn't about to
do.

It didn't seem like a good idea to spend too much
time in town. Elizabeth made the gas station and grocery store her
only stops. At the grocery store, she noted an elderly woman
walking toward a car. Behind her, the carry out boy pushed a cart
filled with sacks. The woman stared at Elizabeth, trying to figure
out if she knew her or if Elizabeth was a stranger.

When Elizabeth went through the checkout counter, the
checker greeted her. “Good morning.”

Elizabeth nodded.

The woman asked, “New in town?”

“
Yes,” Elizabeth said.

The checker slid a gallon milk jug over the scanner.
“I didn't think I'd seen you before. Oh, wait! Are you the one
that's staying in the old Carter house?”

“
I don't know who owned the house where I'm
staying,” Elizabeth said.

“
I'm thinking that's the one all right from
what I've heard. Not many strangers show up in town in the winter.
The Carter house owner lives off somewhere. Just comes for a spell
in the summer. Susie from the Maidrite Diner said a newcomer just
moved in there. Welcome to Wickenburg.”

“
Thank you.”

“
Plan on staying long?”

“
No.”

Sliding the last item down to the bagger, the checker
said, “Well, enjoy your stay. Have a Merry Christmas.”

“
Thank you. Merry Christmas to you, too,”
Elizabeth returned politely as she grabbed the handles on the four
sacks.

The bagger stopped her. “Let me carry those sacks out
for you. They're heavy.”

“
Thank you.” Elizabeth said. She handed the
sacks over and led the way to her car.

“
Must be new in town, huh?”

Elizabeth sighed. “Yes, just here for the holidays,
and maybe a little longer.”

“
Well, come back again to shop with us any
time. Have a good visit while you're here,” the boy said as he set
the sacks on the back seat and slammed the car door.

When she pulled up by the house, Elizabeth spotted an
electric candle with a lit bulb shining in the front window. She
gasped. Hover had done it again, but where did he find the candle?
Her father didn't spend Christmas at this house. There shouldn't
have been any decorations hidden in a closet for Hover to rummage
through. She carried part of the grocery sacks through the front
door and nudged it shut behind her with her foot.

“
Could I have a little help in here?” She
called.

By the time Hover walked from the kitchen, she was
turning in circles, surveying the living room recently ornamented
with her Christmas decorations. Her angels, holly wreaths and
garland were scattered everywhere. “How did my Christmas
decorations get here?” Elizabeth demanded.

“
I accidentally packed the box with the other
boxes and suitcases in the trunk,” Hover said
innocently.

“
Accidentally? Right. Of course you
did!”

“
I dislike your not trusting my words. Anyway,
since the decorations traveled here, I thought I might as well make
use of them. They give the house a festive feel in case you have
any company,” Hover suggested.

Elizabeth headed for the kitchen, talking as she
placed her bags on the table. “If you say so, but no one will come
here I'm telling you. At least, I hope they don't. You better hope
so, too. The only possible people to come here would be the very
men I don't want to see. My brother, Steven Mitchell or God forbid
my father.

If they do, we have to go back to Cedar Falls where
Steven can pester me. Now do you have time to come to the door and
carry in some of the grocery sacks still in the car, or do you have
more decorating to do? I'd hate to interrupt you if you're too busy
to help me.”

“
I can help right now, but I do not appreciate
your sarcastic tone of voice. For your information, I had just
finished my Christmas decorating.”

“
Ooh,” Elizabeth groaned as she went out the
door. “Just remember the rule hasn't changed. You put the
decorations up by yourself. You take them down the same
way.”

Once the sacks were on the table, she left the
grocery put away to Hover. Since he did the cooking, he needed to
know where the food was stored. The coffee pot was still plugged
in. Elizabeth poured a cup and sat down at the table.

“
You were only gone forty minutes and thirty
seconds,” Hover surmised, stacking cans in the cupboard.

“
Well, I mistakenly thought I shouldn't hang
out in town long. I only went to the grocery store and the gas
station. I thought if Scott and Steven were to show up, they would
be more likely to run into a dead end if they asked about
strangers, and no one remembered seeing me.”

Hover folded up the empty sack. “Why was that a
mistake?”

“
Because the town is small enough that everyone
in it knows everyone else. I stuck out like a sore thumb. Susie
from the Maidrite Diner alerted the checker at the grocery store I
was living here. The checker called this house the old Carter
house. All the shoppers took a turn staring at me to size up what
they call a newcomer in town. I sure hope my brother or father
doesn't think to look here. All they have to do is ask anyone in
town to find out I moved in.”

“
Would they come here this time of
year?”

“
I hoped they wouldn't think to look here since
I didn't particularly like it here in the sticks any time of year.
They know that. I thought this was the last place they would look,
but I could be wrong.

Say, Wickenburg is decorated big time for Christmas.
One night after dark would you like to ride around town with me so
you can see the Christmas lights?” Elizabeth asked.

“
I would.”

“
I thought you might. I have a feeling you
might appreciate the decorations better than I do.”

“
Yes, I can always use some new creative
decorating ideas.”

Elizabeth stared at the robot, trying to figure out
if that was Hover's idea of a joke. She couldn't tell if he had a
sense of humor or not.

The next morning, Elizabeth stepped out the back door
and took a deep breath of fresh air. The sun shone brightly which
mistakenly gave the birds the idea that spring was close. The trees
were alive with bird conversations. Sparrows flitted back and forth
from the ground to the trees when they saw Elizabeth coming toward
them. Crows flapped their wings noisily and cawed in quarrelsome
tones. Even a squirrel chattered when he saw her coming. So much
activity always going on that made her walks enjoyable.

Elizabeth was looking over the fence at the cattle in
the pasture when she heard the tractor. The cows perked up. They
knew what that sound meant. Food! They bellowed to each other to
get a move on as they made their way toward the gate hole.

The farmer waved at her as he climbed out of the
tractor. “Morning, Lizzy. Want to hop in and ride along while I
feed the cattle this hay bale?”

“
Sure.”

As Bud drove slowly into the pasture, Elizabeth
looked behind them at the open gate. “Shouldn't you shut the gate
so your cows don't get out?”

“
No need. The cows would rather follow me to
get the hay,” he said.

Lizzy watched Bud lower the bale to the ground and
drive the tractor forward to pull the tine out. Cows mingled all
around the tractor, only moving out of its way when they had to so
the tractor didn't bump them.

“
Well, how's your stay in the country going so
far?” Bud asked.

“
Fine. I went to Wickenburg to get groceries.
The checker asked me if where I was staying is the old Carter
house. I told her I didn't know. Would that be relatives of
yours?”

“
That's my family. I and my sister grew up in
the Winston house. I built a new ranch home on the back side of
this timber. My sister married and moved to Wickenburg. After our
folks died, we sold the acreage to Mr. Winston. Folks tend to stick
with the name of people who lived on a place the longest so this is
still the old Carter place.”

“
Thank you for clearing that up. Now next time
someone asks, I'll know what to tell them,” Elizabeth
replied.

Chapter 7

By the next morning, it was snowing. After breakfast,
Elizabeth decided not to get out in the snowstorm for a walk. There
would be better days ahead. Instead from the window, she watched
the winter scene. Tumbling flakes the size of geese down made her
feel like she was on the inside of a snow globe looking out. She
heard the tractor rumble. As Bud drove past the house, he spotted
her watching from the window. He waved at her, and she waved
back.

By late afternoon, the snow stopped falling. The
country looked so peaceful from the snowed in house. A uniformed
blanket covered the surrounding area, disturbed only by Bud's
tractor tires. The indentions in the snow were deep. It didn't look
like Elizabeth would be able to get out with her car any time soon.
That was all right with her. She reasoned that it worked both ways.
If Steven or Scott came looking for her, they couldn't get down the
road in their cars to where she was at.