Honoring Anna by Douglas Hoff

Author:Douglas Hoff [Hoff, Douglas]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781532041969
Publisher: iUniverse
Published: 2018-03-26T04:00:00+00:00

11

Destiny

Reidun ran over to Anna, and Anna jumped off Blue. “I’ve been so anxious to meet you, Reidun,” Anna shouted. “I can’t believe you took the time to come all the way to town to meet me. I’m so excited to be here!”

“You sure aren’t what we were expecting, Anna! So nice to finally meet you, too! Nils has said so much about you that we feel like we’re already friends. Odd couldn’t come as he is tending to the cattle, so he sends his apologies. We figured that you would need all the help you could get, but it looks like you came prepared to do it all on your own. Where did you find that beautiful blue roan?”

“This horse was a complete surprise, Reidun. I’ll explain all of it to you on our way back to the ranch. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that you came to town to help me.”

“It was no trouble, Anna. We needed some supplies anyway, and I was bursting at the seams to meet you. Odd isn’t always the best of company and having another female around for a while will suit me fine. It gets kind of lonely out there sometimes. Come on; let’s go see the new general store. We can hitch your horse behind the buggy and let him tag along.”

Anna and Reidun went to the store after loading Anna’s trunk and tying Blue to the wagon. Hettinger wasn’t much more than a store, a few houses, a railroad station, and some corrals with a blacksmith shop all connected with dirt paths. If it hadn’t been for the railroad, it wouldn’t even be here, Anna thought. Reidun mostly needed groceries, which Anna offered to buy. Reidun was surprised and thankful. “Our account is getting behind here and I didn’t know if they’d extend our credit, so I’m mighty grateful, Anna. Where did you come across that much money? I heard that you even helped Nils and his family with Tove’s ticket.”

“I get along as good as I can,” Anna replied, “And I am glad to help out. It’s the least I can do for you guys. I would probably never have made this trip if it hadn’t been for your hospitality and generous offer to keep me until I can get my feet on the ground and find my own place.”

“You’re something, Anna. A pretty young girl like you striking out on her own and traveling across the world. Most girls would be trying to trap a big rancher or some rich doctor or lawyer rather than making their own way. Let’s head south toward the ranch while we still have daylight.”

As they traveled along, Anna remarked, “It is beautiful here, Reidun. It looks like the prairie stretches into forever. You could run a million head of cows here, and they would all be fat as butter. I don’t think that all this grass could ever run out.”

“Wait until you see one of our bison herds. They go through a swath of grass and leave it bare as a baby’s butt.

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