A New Day Rising (27 page)

"Good that you could do that." Hjelmer felt a bit more at ease. "I understood they needed a man to work the fields. That is why I came as soon as I could." He caught the look exchanged between Ingeborg and Haakan. What else was there he didn't know?

"Lars has been working Kaaren's fields since last fall," Ingeborg said. "They were married after harvest."

Hjelmer sat down, feeling like he'd just been gut-punched. Why hadn't Mor told him this bit of news?

hat is the matter with the boy? Ingeborg could not yet think of Hjelmer as a man, no matter that he stood nearly as tall as Roald had. Breadth of shoulder ranked somewhere between Carl and Roald, but the boy promised to resemble Roald more. He still had some growing to do. She tried to study him without his knowledge. The two men conversed politely while she settled the children and remembered to bring the jam for their bread.

If she hadn't known Roald so well, the tightening of lips and deepening furrow between the younger man's eyes would have gone unnoticed. Something was definitely bothering him. She seated herself and clasped her hands for grace. After a moment of silence, she nodded to Thorliff, who began, "E Yesu naven ..." Hjelmer joined in, as did she. And when she glanced up from under her eyelashes, she could see Haakan with his head bowed. Although he wasn't saying anything, she could feel a difference about him, too. Something wonderful, beyond mortal man's understanding, had happened at that bedside three nights before.

As soon as the meal was dished up, they fell to with a vengeance. Hjelmer asked for seconds and accepted the third helping that Ingeborg encouraged him to take.

"I ... I'm sorry," he finally said, pushing his plate away. "I didn't know I was so hungry. I don't always eat that much."

"Mor likes us to eat a lot." Thorliff gazed up at his newfound uncle. "Sometimes she makes cookies, too, but Tante Kaaren makes the best."

"Do you think Tante Kaaren would let me taste her cookies sometime?" Hjelmer asked.

Thorliff nodded. "We can go over to her house after dinner and ask."

"I thought we would go over as soon as we are finished. She will be so pleased to see you again." Ingeborg took away the spoon that Andrew banged on the table.

"Onkel Lars got frostbite, so we cut off part of his foot."

"Thorliff!"

"Well, he did." He looked back at Hjelmer. "But he is lots better now. Metiz is making him get better."

"Along with God's help." Ingeborg stood to clear away the dishes. "You help me with this, young man." She glanced over at Haakan to catch a glint of amusement dancing in his eyes. She could feel the answering smile curve her own lips. What was he seeing that made him laugh inside like that? A wink sent her way made the familiar warmth pool around her middle.

Haakan stretched his hands above his head. "Much as I'd like to accompany you, I think I'll head back to the field instead. From the looks of those clouds, we'll get rain before dark, so I need to put in every minute I can. Perhaps tomorrow you can work with the other team, Hjelmer. With the bad weather and all, we're late getting out on the fields. We're plowing now, working the soil that's already been busted so we can get it seeded."

`Ja, that will be good."

"I could drive the oxen to disc what you've plowed," Ingeborg said to the stove.

Silence, thicker than sheep's wool and heavier than rain-soaked soil fell on the room.

A man cleared his throat. It had to be Haakan. She turned around. Hjelmer stared at her like she'd just sprouted horns. Haakan shook his head, but the smile hadn't left his face.

Andrew took that moment to let out a shriek, disgruntled at the lack of attention.

"But ... but your children." Hjelmer blinked once and then again.

Who do you think did the work here the last months? Ingeborg felt like yelling in his shocked face. Didn't you read the letters I've written to your mother? She thought a moment, remembering how much of the last year she had carefully neglected to mention.

"Come, let's go now before Andrew falls asleep or gets any crankier." Without waiting for a reply, she set the child on her hip and strode out the door, closely followed by Thorliff.

"Down, Mor, down," Andrew pleaded.

"Mor, are you angry?" Thorliff asked softly from by her side. Paws whined and danced in front of her.

"Nei!" The sharpness of her voice made the dog's ears go down.

Andrew whimpered in her arms, his weight pulling her off center. Any other time she would have let him walk, but now she was in a hurry. She hitched him higher and continued the pace. She could hear Hjelmer coming up behind her.

"I could carry him for you."

"He don't take too good to strangers," Thorliff answered for her.

"Mange takk, but we have done this many times before." And will continue to do so long after you are gone. She kept the thought to herself. Who does he think he is, coming here and making judgments about what I can and cannot do?

"Thorliff!" Baptiste's voice came from the sod barn.

"Coming." Thorliff looked up to his mother for permission, and at her nod he scampered across the grassy expanse.

Baptiste stepped into the sunshine from the barn door.

"Why ... why, he's Indian!" The shock in Hjelmer's voice needled Ingeborg again.

"Partly. He's from the Lakota tribe, part of the Chippewa Nation, and he's also French Canadian."

"He's a half-breed?"

"No, he's Metiz." Ingeborg spoke from between clenched teeth. Why was she letting this young man get to her like this?

"Metiz? Isn't that the name of the woman who is helping Lars?"

"Ja, it is." Ingeborg knocked on the doorframe and stepped into the Soddy. "I have brought you company, Lars, Kaaren. Hjelmer has finally made it to Dakota Territory."

"Oh, Hjelmer, little brother, how wonderful to see you." Kaaren made him blush by throwing her arms around him. She stepped back after the hug and looked into his eyes. "I've spent many hours praying for your safe arrival, and now you are finally here, safe and sound. The Lord be praised."

Ingeborg set Andrew down and rubbed the crick in her back with her fists. "You look like a new man, Lars."

"Thanks, I am a new man." For the first time since the amputation, Lars was sitting in the rocking chair, his foot propped up on pillows on a stool. He reached out a hand to greet the newcomer. "Welcome, I've heard so much about you."

Kaaren took Hjelmer by the arm. "I want you to meet my hus band, Lars Knutson. We were beginning to think you had fallen into the drink and never come out."

"Well, I didn't fall, I dove. But you are not far off." Hjelmer shook hands with Lars. "It is a long story, but I am glad to finally be here."

"Sit down, sit down. I could use a good story. Kaaren, is the coffee hot?" He leaned over to pick up Andrew. "And this young one here would like a cookie. I know he would." He settled the little boy on his lap. Andrew wriggled himself into a comfortable position and beamed up at Kaaren when she handed him a cookie.

"Takk."

"You're welcome, little one." Kaaren smiled over at Ingeborg, who had taken a chair at the table. "He's getting more words every day."

Ingeborg nodded her head. "Thanks to Thorliff."

"Takk." Andrew said it again and waved his cookie in the air, scattering crumbs all over Lars.

"And he even used it in the right place." Lars gently pinched Andrew's foot, drawing a giggle. Another pinch and the baby's deep belly laugh filled the room. At that same moment, Thorliff and Baptiste came through the door, laughing along with the little one.

"I know, I know. You smelled the cookies." Kaaren passed them the crock she had set in the middle of the table.

"Baptiste is finished cleaning out the stalls. Can we go fishing?"

"Where.do you fish?" Hjelmer asked, then nodded his thanks when Kaaren placed a cup of coffee in front of him.

Thorliff looked at him, a question mark all over his face. "Didn't you see the river?"

"Ja, the one that's more mud than water?"

"We catch fish from it."

"We used to drink from it before we dug the wells," Ingeborg added, and saw the surprise register on Hjelmer's face. This was certainly a day of shocks for him, she mused, noticing how careful he was to ignore Baptiste after that first stunned appraisal. Doesn't he realize how precious water is here on the prairie? It isn't like Norway, that's for certain.

"Ja, you have earned some time off, and a mess of fish would taste mighty good for supper. Have you kept any worms?" Ingeborg sipped her coffee and watched Hjelmer try to corral his thoughts.

"No, I'll get them from the edge of the manure pile." He grabbed two more cookies from the jar. "Come on, Baptiste, before they change their minds."

"Thank you for cleaning the barn," Lars called after them.

"You are welcome" floated back on the breeze they left behind.

Hjelmer sat like he had a steel rod up his back.

Ingeborg left Hjelmer visiting with Lars and Kaaren, saying she needed to put Andrew down for a nap. When Kaaren nodded toward the bed, Ingeborg shook her head. Kaaren followed her out the door.

"What is it, Inge? Something is bothering you."

"He has a lot of set ideas for so young a man." Ingeborg cuddled Andrew close and swayed back and forth as he snuggled into her shoulder. She kept her voice low so the men wouldn't hear her.

"Sounds like Roald all over again, if you ask me." Kaaren shaded her eyes with her hand to watch the two boys laughing their way to the river.

"He doesn't like Indians."

"Why should he not? He's never met one before." Kaaren shook her head.

"Probably heard too many stories." Andrew snuffled, so Ingeborg swayed some more. "Who does he think he is, anyway?"

"Probably thinks he came to save the Bjorklund women from the perils of the prairie." Kaaren took in a deep breath of the pure air. "Since tomorrow is Sunday, why don't we send the boys over to the Baards and invite them for dinner? They can meet Hjelmer, and he'll get a better idea of what life is like out here. Lars wants to talk to Joseph about borrowing his nephew to help out until he can get back on his feet."

Ingeborg continued to sway so Andrew wouldn't wake. "Work is what Hjelmer came for, so let him do it. We don't want our young savior to feel less than wanted."

"Inge." Kaaren cautioned with a smile.

"I know, I know. I just get tired of these men thinking they know it all and we have heads stuffed with cotton wool." She shook her head, setting her straw hat to bobbing.

"You want to work in the fields."

la.,,

"I see. And you just happened to mention it at dinner?" Kaaren rolled her lips together to keep from laughing out loud.

"Ja. Sometimes things just slip out." Ingeborg laid her cheek against the downy hair of her child. She chuckled along with Kaaren when their gazes met.

"Oh, Inge, what will we do with you? If working in the field is so important, you bring the boys over, and I will do the cooking again. I know we are getting behind, and Lars feels just terrible about it. He'll huff about you donning britches again, but a little huffing never hurt anyone."

Ingeborg reached out a hand and clasped Kaaren's. "Mange takk, sister mine. Now you get that young man to tell you all his traveling stories. I have a feeling there is more there than we have any idea. Monday morning I'll head for the fields, also. Right now I better go set some beans to soaking so we can have baked beans tomorrow. You know Agnes will bring plenty of food, too."