Saving His City Girl

chapter six

Feeling fresh and well-rested Kat went downstairs following the delicious aroma of food that was calling to her now hungry stomach. She found Harriet on the stove cooking and a middle-aged man standing near her leaning on the counter watching her cook.

He looked just like how Kat had envisioned a cowboy would look like. Well minus the hat that lay on the table in the middle of the kitchen. He looked rough but relaxed in his worn-out checkered shirt, jeans, and boots.

"Howdy, there Darlin, "the man said when he noticed Kat standing by the kitchen doorway.

Harriet scoffed a laugh" Since when do you greet anyone by saying howdy Sam," she asked.

"Hey, now I'm just greeting the city girl country style," the man, Sam said with a chuckle. "Names Sam, this beautiful girl's husband. Welcome to little old Lambertville darling," he said giving Kat a smile and a wink.

Kat was amused by the couple's friendly banter. It was heartwarming to have company and not be alone as she had gotten used to. The kitchen felt warm and homey. Delicious smelling food cooking and people around her. Unlike the quick microwave meals she usually had in the dead silence of her apartment back in New York.

"Nice to meet you, Sam. Thank you for the warm country-style welcome and for taking care of the house and my grandpa," Kat said as she went to sit by the kitchen table.

"Oh, it was a pleasure. Your grandpa and I go way back. We were friends for years, " Sam informed her with a smile, joining her at the table

That got Kat's attention she was keen to know anything possibly about her grandfather. Even if it was bits and pieces.

"Really? How did you two meet?" She asked.

"We met in college and shared some classes but went our separate ways after. Then one day I bumped into him at Mable's a few years back. He was looking to buy a farm here, said something about wanting a quiet place to settle down. I was working at the farm next door at the time as the foreman. We reconnected and he hired me to help with this place when I retired."

"What was he like?" Kat asked her curiosity piqued.

"Stubborn as a mule, arrogant, sometimes rude but he was a very good man. Folks around here adored him." Sam replied with a sad smile.

"I wish I had an opportunity to meet him. He sounded like he was a great man." kat said wistfully.

"Aye, he was although I don't know why your half-siblings always had to cause him grief." It was Harriet who spoke this time.

"Siblings? Mama didn't tell me much. Can you tell me about them," Kat asked as she turned to Harriet.

"You mean the devil's incarnation and Medusa. " Sam grumbled. Harriet slapped him at the back of his head as she passed him going to the cupboard to get plates.

"Be nice!." She scolded

"What? You know it's true. "Sam grumbled back. "Anyway your father, James married a gold-digging which named Nicole White and had those two spawns of the devil. He and Nicole were neglectful to their children and your grandpa had to step intake in the kids while the parents focused on enjoying the pecks of being a Mason. That nasty attitude was somehow planted in your siblings Justin and Brittany."

"They can't be that bad. I would love to meet them one day," Kat told them. She was never one for hearsay, she always chose to make her own opinion of people.

"Ohh you will darling very soon" Sam concluded. " I bet my last dollar they will appear any day from now. I have come to learn that anytime I say their names they pop up from nowhere like blackheads," Sam joked.

"Honey tomorrow we will be moving back to our cottage now that you are here," Harriet announced to Kat who panicked at the thought of being alone in the big house.

"Huh! Why are you moving?" Kat asked. She liked the feeling of having company after being alone for so long.

"To give you privacy love. Our home has always been the cottage we only moved in when your grandpa got sick." Harriet replied.

"Please don't move this house is big enough for an army and I don't need that much privacy," Kat said. "Please, please don't move out I have been alone for so long, and seeing you here I finally felt at home and now you want to leave me."Kat practically begged as a stray tear escaped her right eye and rolled down her cheek.

"Oh, honey don't cry we thought you would want privacy. We won't leave if you don't want us to." Harriet replied her heart going out to the poor girl. She gathered her in her arms and held her close.

"I'm sorry for crying I think the emotions are finally catching up to me. You know mum and grandpa's death then the move. And all this is just overwhelming," Kat sniffled hugging back.

"We completely understand dear. And don't worry you stuck with us for now." Sam interjected trying to lighten up the mood.

"Thank you so much," Kat replied as she moved to hug Sam too.

"OK, now everything is settled let's eat before we die of starvation. I hope you like chicken Kat," Harriet announced.

"I can never say no to chicken," Kat replied giving the older woman a teary smile as she sat back down.

"So tell us all about the big city. Is it as loud as everyone complains about?" Sam asked changing the subject and cheering Kat.

"My first days there I had to sleep with earplugs. It felt like no one ever went to sleep there," Kat replied smiling at the memory of her first days as a college student in the city.

And that's how the evening went with them talking and getting to know each other.