The same thing happened to my father when I was born. Mrs. Davis looked sad for a moment. She was striking and exotic, with her olive complexion and dark brown, almost-black eyes. Ruby thought shed never seen anyone more beautiful. The older woman set her cup on her saucer with a tiny clink. He raised me the best he could. In our home there were maids to do the work and a nanny to help, but nothing can replace the hole left behind when someone is lost. You prepare meals, then?
Yes. Her anxiety ebbed. Shed seen the great lady in town and, of course, at church, and Mrs. Davis had always seemed so regal and distant. Ruby hadnt expected to feel welcome in her presence. Hopeful, she found herself smiling. Im not sure what you are looking for, but I know how to clean, I know how to do what Im told, and I follow directions very well.
Thats exactly what Scarlet told me. Mrs. Davis smiled. Whomever I hire will be expected to assist the cook, to help do all the cleaning of the pots and pans and the entire kitchen. Do you know how to serve?
No. She wilted. Ive never done anything as fancy as that.
I see. Mrs. Davis paused a moment, studying her carefully from head to toe. It was an assessing look and not an unkind one, but Ruby felt every inch of the inspection.
What did the lady see? The gap in her shoe buttons? The made-over, handed-down dress?
What about your schooling? The older lady broke the silence.
Ruby hung her head. She tried not to, but her chin bobbed downward of its own accord. I am still attending this year. I had hoped to catch up and be able to graduate in the spring, but my home circumstances have changed.
And you need to work, Mrs. Davis said with understanding.
Yes. She was not the best candidate for the job. She was probably not the type of young woman right for the position. It hurt, and she tried not to let it show. A blur of color caught the corner of her eye. She turned just an inch to see beyond the wide windows. Outside, a man made his way through the thick curtains of snow, a familiar man.
Lorenzo.
Dont look, Ruby. But did her eyes obey?
Not a chance.
He lifted a leather-gloved hand in a brief wave, and the snap of connection roared through her like the crackling and cozy heat from the fireplace. Hard not to remember his kind advice to her.
I am very reliable, Mrs. Davis. She was content with who she was, and she let the fine lady see it. I have good values, I know the importance of keeping promises, and I will do my best never to let you down. If you hire me, I will arrive early, I will stay late, and I will work harder than anyone else. I would never leave you in a lurch by not showing up when expected.
Thats nice to hear, dear. Mrs. Davis smiled fully, and it was Lorenzos smile she saw, honest and good-hearted and kind. Now, tell me a little more about your background.
Hed timed it perfectly, he thought, grateful as he seized Ponchos reins, thanked the horse for standing so long in his traces and gave the leather lines a snap. His heart twisted hard at the sight of Ruby slipping out of the front door and into the snow. Was he in love with her? He feared love was too small a word.
He loved a woman who hardly knew he existed. Hed pined after her whenever hed seen her in town and long before that, during their final year of school together. Not once had she ever looked his way. Until today. Shed accepted a ride from him, shed smiled at him, shed given him the faintest ghost of a hope.
Time to put his heart on the line and see if the lady rejected him or if he had a chance with her.
That was one chance he wanted more than anything on this earth. The marrow of his bones ached with it, the depth of his soul longed for it. He snapped the reins, sending Poncho out of the shelter of the barn and into the fierce beat of snow and wind. But did he feel the cold? Not a bit. Not when he kept Ruby in sight, slim, petite, as sweet as those snowflakes falling.
Cmon, Poncho, he urged. Dont lose her.
She walked at a good clip, bent into the wind. Her blue dress flashed beneath the hem of her coat and twisted around her ankles, trying to hamper her. But she kept on going without looking back. He saw nothing more of her as the gusts shifted, stealing her from his sight. The storm couldnt stop the longing in his soul to see her again.
This was his chance to be with her. To try to get past her shyness and see if she could like him. His stomach knotted up with nerves as he snapped Ponchos reins, urging him to hurry, although he could barely see his horses rump in the whiteout conditions. Surely Ruby couldnt have gotten far.
Poncho seemed to understand the importance of the mission, for the mighty gelding pushed into the storm, parting the thickly falling snow. He walked right up to Ruby and stopped of his own accord. Lorenzo grinned. It was nice having his horses support.
Poncho? Is that you? Rubys whimsical alto drifted to him through the storm. He could see the faint outline of her, already flocked white. It is you. So that means She hesitated. Lorenzo? What are you doing out in this weather again?
Her words may be muffled from the wind and snow, but they carried a note of surprise. As if she truly had no idea what he was up to.
I have an errand, which will take me by your place. He pulled aside the buffalo robe hed taken from the tack room. Would you like a ride?
Well She wavered, considering.
It will be an awfully difficult walk with this drifting snow. Hed tried over and over to stop his feelings for Ruby. An impossible endeavor. He braced himself for her refusal and tried one more time. You may as well let Poncho do the hard work.
She edged closer, debating, her bottom lip caught beneath her front teeth.
I appreciate Ponchos offer. The hint of a smile tucked in the corners of her mouth deepened. I suppose his feelings would be hurt if I turned him down?
Very. Hes the one who insisted on stopping. Apparently hes taken a shine to you.
Well, I think hes a very nice horse. Hes as gentlemanly as my Solomon. She disappeared, perhaps believing it was the horse who cared for her and not the driver. Although he could no longer see her, the faint murmur of her voice as she spoke with the gelding carried on the wind. Just a syllable and a scrap of a sentence, and then she reappeared at his side. Poncho talked me into accepting.
He can be persuasive. Lorenzo held out his hand to help her settle onto the seat beside him. Her hand felt small against his own, and the bolt of awareness that rushed through him went straight to his soul. He wasnt used to feeling anything this strongly. Besides, a storm like this can turn into a blizzard, something you dont want to be out walking in.
It would be no less dangerous to a horse and sleigh. She settled against the cushioned seat back. I wonder why you would venture out. Surely there isnt much ranching work this time of year?
I never said it was ranch work. He tucked the buffalo robe around her, leaning close enough to catch the scent of honeysuckle. The vulnerable places within him tugged, defenseless against her nearness. He didnt know why his heart moved so fast, determined to pull him along. He could not stop it as he gathered the reins, sending Poncho forward.
In my worry over my shoe and my interview, I forgot to ask you. I heard your father was injured a while back. How is he?
In my worry over my shoe and my interview, I forgot to ask you. I heard your father was injured a while back. How is he?
Hes still recovering. Lorenzo did his best not to let his anger take hold at the outlaws who had taken up residence west of town last summer and stolen a hundred head of cattle in a gun battle. My father wasnt as fortunate as the others the outlaw gang shot. He was hit in the leg bone and the back. Hes still struggling to walk with a cane.
Im so sorry. Sympathy polished her, making her inner beauty shine. Her outer beauty became breathtaking, so compelling he could not look away. Soft platinum locks breezed against the curving slope of her cheeks and the dainty cut of her jaw. I noticed he wasnt coming to church, but I didnt know he was still struggling with his injuries. I dont get to town much.
Its not something Pa wants everyone to know. Hes a private man. He adored his father. Gerard Davis was a proud and stubborn Welshman who could have lived leisurely on his inherited wealth but chose to put his life to good use by ranching on the Montana frontier. Lorenzo hoped he took after his pa.
I wont mention it, but I do intend to pray for him. Her hands clasped together within the rather lumpy mittens made of uneven stitches. They looked twisted somehow, as if they had not faired well through a washing. But her earnest concern shone in her voice. I hope he has a full recovery. I know how difficult it is for a man used to providing for his family when he is too injured to work.
It is tough on a mans pride.
When I was little, Pa had an accident on our farm. A hay wagon overturned on him, and he was crushed. He was working alone and no one found him until my brother came with the mid-afternoon water jug. Rupert was too young to help free him. All he could do was run to the neighbors over a mile away.
I didnt know. Im sorry. Interesting that they had this in common. He thought of the humble, quiet man who had begged him for a job. He obviously recovered.
It took many years. We feared losing him at first. The doctor didnt know how he survived. A true proof of grace, she added, staring down at her misshapen mittens. God was very good in letting us keep our pa. I dont know what Rupert and I would have done if wed lost him, too, so I understand what you might have gone through.
Worry, mostly. For a while we feared Pa might not walk again. Doc Frost said it was grace, too, that hes up on his feet.
Grace is everywhere, when you look for it.
And when you need it most. It was so easy to talk to her about what really mattered. Did she feel the same way? How long ago was your pa injured?
I was five years old. The sleigh bounced in a rut as Poncho turned onto the country road. She lifted a mittened hand to swipe snow out of her eyes. She felt closer somehow. Like they were no longer strangers.
You were five? That must have been hard on your family.
Yes. Pa was laid up so long, we lost our crop. We couldnt pay the doctor bills. Then we lost our land and our house, and we couldnt pay any of the other bills, either. The bank took everything but Solomon. Rupert worked long days in a neighbors field to earn the money to keep him.
Did you have any other family to help?
My uncle and his wife finally took us in. It was a long spell until Pa was able to work again, and he was determined to pay back every cent of his debts still outstanding.
Most folks would have walked away. So your family was never able to get ahead?
It was a hardship paying off the debts, but it was the right thing.
Doing the right thing matters. His dark blue eyes deepened with understanding. Its worth whatever the cost.
Exactly. When her gaze met his, her heart beat as fast as a hummingbirds wings. It mattered that he understood honor. So many hadnt. Probably because he had honor of his own. She blushed, because it would be so easy to like him, to really like him. Just as it would be to read more into his act of kindness in offering her this ride.
Your family owns land now, so your father must have paid off his debts. He broke his gaze away to rein Poncho to keep him on the hard-to-see road. Even speckled with snow, Lorenzos handsomeness shone through.
Not that she should be noticing.
Yes. Pa managed to save up enough for a mortgage, although we had to pay a lot of money down. She picked at a too-tight stitch in her right mitten to keep from looking at him again. Not looking at him was for the best. It is good to have our own land, but its only a hundred acres.
A hundred acres of untilled land. Let me guess. Your first harvest wasnt as good as it could have been. A first crop on new land is always a small one.
And on top of that, most of our crop was damaged by a summer storm. She blushed, still picking at the stitch. She could feel the tug of his gaze, the gentle insistence of his presence, and she wanted to look at him. But she was afraid of coming to care too much.
Next harvest will be better, he promised. As long as there isnt a drought or a twister or a flash flood.
Or another hailstorm, she chimed in lightly. Farming doesnt come with a guarantee, but it would be a great blessing to have a good harvest, if we manage to stay on. My pa and brother work so hard. It would be a comfort for them.
Then Ill put it in my prayers.
His smile drew her gaze. Unable to resist, her eyes met his, and the world faded. The jarring of the sleigh ceased. The cold vanished, and there was only his sincerity, his caring and the quiet wish in her soul.
Dont give in to it, Ruby. Dont start dreaming.
Here we are. He tugged on the reins, Poncho drew to a stop. How had three miles passed so quickly?
Why, young Mr. Davis. Pas voice came from far away, stupefied. He gripped a pitchfork in one gloved hand, emerging from the small barn. Ruby, is that you?
Yes, Pa. Reality set in. She pushed off the buffalo robe and grabbed up her reticule. Snow slapped her cheeks as she tried to scramble out of the sleigh.
Allow me. Lorenzo caught her hand. His warmth, his size, his presence overwhelmed her. Her breath caught. She forgot every word of the English langage. Her knees wobbled when she tried to stand on them. Little flashes of wishes filled her, but she tamped them down as he withdrew his hand.
What are you doing on this side of the county? Pa asked, curiously. Looking at the property for sale down the way?
Not in this weather. Lorenzo released her hand. I wanted to make sure Ruby got home safe in this storm. I hear you have a horse with a shoe problem. I happen to have my tools in the back of the sleigh. If you wouldnt mind, I can take care of that problem for you.
Her jaw dropped. She stared, stunned, as Pa led the way to the barn, taking Poncho by the bridle bits. All she could see was the straight strong line of Lorenzos wide shoulders through the storm until the thick curtain of snow closed around him, leaving her standing alone on the rickety, front doorstep of their lopsided shanty. That Lorenzo Davis. He was being charitable, that was all, but her heart would never forget.
Chapter Three
And he went into the barn with your father? Kate peered through dark lashes, astonished as she sorted through her embroidery floss.