My Wife Is Missing(73)
Addie nodded a bit tentatively, while Bryce looked quite eager.
“I like doughnuts,” Bryce said with an earnest grin.
Kate smiled back warmly and brushed bits of hay onto the floor of her pickup as she helped the kids get settled into the backseat.
“Well then, you’ll really like these.”
Natalie tried to reconcile the Kate she’d known back when they were young urban professionals living in Boston with this solidly built, square-shouldered woman. Natalie guessed her friend’s ruddy complexion was a byproduct of working outdoors under the Missouri sun, something Kate had sworn she’d never do. “My dad wants me to quit this damn job and get back to the farm,” Kate would lament at least once a week. Then one day Kate didn’t show up for work, and the next Natalie heard she was gone, back home to run the family dairy farm after her father had suffered a near-fatal heart attack.
For a time, she and Kate stayed in touch. Natalie would share anecdotes of the office life Kate had left behind—who was dating whom, who got fired, who should get fired—while Kate regaled her with tales from the farm, everything from early morning milkings to details on how to inseminate cattle, which included a picture of Kate with her gloved arm buried deep in the vagina of a cow.
Kate’s father died nine months later from a second coronary. Natalie sent a condolence card, but by then their emails were sporadic, and communication trailed off from there. Back in those days, Natalie was consumed with Michael, building a life with her future husband. Even friends who lived close by had drifted into the background of her life, while acquaintances like Kate faded almost entirely out of the picture.
It was a short drive to the doughnut shop. The four inhaled their purchases, which lived up to the hype, and then did a drive-by viewing of the Gateway Arch, which failed to inspire the children.
“I’m sorry I haven’t been in touch,” Natalie said, compelled to offer her apology. “I should have reached out. I mean, I didn’t think to look you up on Facebook until I needed your help, and that’s just shameful.”
Kate gave Natalie’s leg a few gentle, placating pats.
“You’ve got nothing to apologize for. I was thrilled to hear from you, and I’m happy to help. When we get to the farm, we’ll get you all settled in your rooms and then you can tell me what’s really going on.”
The drive to Elsberry passed with a scattering of conversation, mostly from Kate, who, despite having no children of her own, proved quite adept at engaging with Bryce and Addie. She asked about their respective schools, favorite subjects, and what foods they liked to eat.
“You’re gonna have to try my toasted ravioli,” she said. “And of course I’ll fix you up some St. Louis–style barbecue.”
The landscape grew wider the farther from the city they drove. If Natalie had tried on her own to follow the directions Kate provided, she most certainly would have missed the turnoff to the farm, which was hidden by an overgrowth of shrubs and weeds. The pickup turned onto a road that wasn’t much more than a wood-lined rutted path and went jouncing over rocks and potholes before entering a clearing, which revealed a wide green pasture. Wire fencing tacked to rustic posts ran in all directions, stretching out beyond Natalie’s line of sight.
“Welcome to Hildonen Farms,” Kate announced proudly.
With a flourish, she gestured with one hand toward a rectangular building that Natalie presumed housed a number of dairy cows. Off to her right stood a large, white clapboard farmhouse built atop a gently sloping hill. The home featured a wide wraparound porch on which hung a swing that was so folksy it made Natalie thirst for a lemonade. It was an idyllic setting, Natalie thought, and the rustic home reminded her of the one in Field of Dreams, a movie Michael watched anytime it came on cable.
Kate was more interested in talking about her cows than her home.
“There are six hundred and fifty Holstein milk cows on the farm, and that gives us around six thousand gallons of milk each day. We milk twenty-four hours a day in three-hour shifts, and then we ship off to a plant in St. Louis. It’s always a thrill when we get to see our friends and neighbors using our product.”
She beamed a smile back to the kids who now looked to be in awe, far more so than the famed arch had rendered them.
“After you get settled in your rooms we’ll walk the fence together so you get a sense of things, see how our lives really revolve around these fine animals. We have a simple motto here on Hildonen Farms: the more we take care of our cows, the more our cows take care of us.”
“Do they ever get away? The cows, I mean,” Addie asked.
Kate returned a hearty chuckle.
“Well, I assumed you didn’t mean Chuck—that’s my husband. Though I reckon there are times he’d like to make a break for it.” The sound of Kate’s wholehearted laugh made Natalie remember how easily her friend always cracked herself up.
Every minute in Kate’s company made it possible for Natalie to breathe easier. She embraced the feeling of sunshine streaming in through her open window. Along with that warming sensation came a breeze carrying the scent of grass and farm life. The strange blend of smells reminded Natalie that the world was larger than her troubles. It was a vibrant place full of hope and possibilities.
A sense of peace enveloped Natalie like a comforting hug. Kate’s farm was a gourmet feast for the senses, easing Natalie’s perpetual stress and fatigue, and at last she could relax.