City Girl (8 page)

“Someone is in the little house, Papa,” Jonah announced to his father.

“Mama told me,” Russell said. “Did you meet her?”

“No, she's not home now, so we can't meet her.”

“I think I might have met her earlier today,” Russell told his children. “A woman asked me to watch her traveling case, and I think it might be the same one.”

Having said this, Russell found his wife's eyes on him.

“What's the matter?”

“Is that the only bag she has—the one you watched for her?”

“I don't know.”

Holly worried her lower lip for a time.

“Russell, she probably doesn't have sheets or blankets or anything. I left a lantern, but would she find it and the matches if she didn't return until dark?”

Husband and wife finished eating as soon as they could, and leaving Elly in charge of her siblings, took their own lantern to the rear of the lot toward the little house. Even from a distance they could see a light burning. Holly knocked on the door but still called out so as not to frighten their new tenant.

“Reagan, it's Holly.”

The door opened.

“We're sorry to disturb you, but we thought you might need some things.”

Reagan didn't answer. She was too busy staring at the large man behind Holly. When he smiled, she recalled her manners.

“Come in,” Reagan invited and stepped back. Even so, Reagan took a moment to recover, especially since the room shrank visibly with the blacksmith inside.

“We wanted to make sure you had everything you need, Reagan,” Holly said again, having already taken in the things laid on the dresser, but also seeing absolutely nothing on the bed. The room was warm from the fire Reagan had lit in the stove, but Holly was not comforted.

“I'm doing fine,” Reagan assured her landlady. “But if I could impose upon you for one thing, I would be very grateful.”

“Just name it.”

“A pillow. I don't think I'll sleep well without it.”

“But you do think you'll sleep well without blankets and sheets?” This came from Russell before he realized they'd never been introduced. “I'm Russell, Holly's husband.”

“I'm Reagan,” that lady told him. “Did you put this little house together?”

“Yes, ma'am.”

Reagan took in the way his head almost touched the ceiling.

“How did you manage that?”

“It wasn't easy,” he replied, smiling in a way that belied the words.

Reagan and Holly laughed a little just before both of them heard a small voice.

“Papa?”

It was Elly. Russell opened the door for them, and Reagan smiled as Elly entered with Alisa in her arms and Jonah coming just behind.

“It looks like the whole family is going to welcome you, Reagan. I hope you don't mind.”

“Not at all.”

“This is Elly, and next to her is Jonah, and the baby is Alisa. Children, this is Miss Sullivan.”

Holly plucked Alisa from Elly's arms as the two older children came over to shake Reagan's hand.

“You're the first one to live here,” Jonah informed her. “I wanted to live here, but my room is in the house.”

“Well, you'll just have to come and visit me. Will you do that?”

Jonah was only too happy to nod in agreement, and he might have had more to say, but Russell was ready to bring the party to an end.

“All right, children, let's give Miss Sullivan a little privacy now. We'll head back to the house and leave the ladies alone.”

“Thank you,” Reagan said when they all turned to tell her goodnight. In just a moment she was alone with Holly.

“Reagan, do you have pots or pans or even anything to eat?”

“I don't, Holly, but I'll be doing most of my eating at the hotel, so that's not really much of a concern. I guess it would be nice to have a blanket, but I've got plenty of clothes and the stove is going to keep me nice and warm.”

Holly didn't comment on that particular remark but did say, “I'll head back to the house and gather some things for you. We have plenty to spare, so there's no need for you to be going without.”

“Are you certain, Holly? I mean, you have three children.”

The other woman was already shaking her head.

“It's not a problem.”

Reagan stood in a mix of emotions when her landlady left, so pleased to have a place to live and a job, but also feeling the effects of a long day. She was tempted to sit down but knew it would be too hard to get back up. It was with relief that she heard Holly returning.

“Okay,” Holly said when she was back inside, a basket overflowing with a pillow, a quilt, one blanket, a set of sheets, and several sizes of towels. “I took you at your word about the food, but you can't sleep on a bare bed.”

Reagan smiled at her adamancy.

“Oh!” Holly suddenly remembered, her hand going to the pocket of her apron. “Russell sent this out to you.”

Reagan looked at the money in Holly's hand but didn't take it.

“What is it?”

“Russ has lowered the rent, and this is the difference.”

“Why is he doing that?”

“I told him it was a bit steep for you, and he doesn't want you to struggle.”

Reagan didn't speak, but she was thinking,
Could these people be real?

“Take it, Reagan.” Holly pushed the money toward her.

“He won't want it back.”

Reagan took the offered money, not sure what she thought.

“Can I help you with anything, Reagan? We could have this bed done in no time.”

Reagan looked into her kind face and thought she really had landed on her feet in this town. Almost all the people in Kinkade had been kind, and her landlady was especially so.

“Thank you, Holly, but it's no trouble. You've been very kind, and before it's over I'll probably need something else, but for right now, I'm doing fine.”

“I'm glad, Reagan. Just come right to the back door if you find you do need something, even if it's in the middle of the night.”

Holly took her leave, and Reagan found herself alone once again. Not until that moment did she remember the money in her hand. She looked down at it, her brow furrowed in thought. Had the blacksmith asked where she'd found a place to live only out of curiosity and kindness, or was there something more?

“His wife is beautiful,” Reagan said quietly, “but more than one man has wandered in spite of that.”

She hoped she had read the situation all wrong, but why would he return about a quarter of her money in exchange for nothing?

Reagan had a sudden need to check the already locked door. She went to each window and found them secured as well. Not liking the thought in her mind, Reagan nevertheless faced the fact that Russell Bennett might not be as respectable as she first thought.

“Is she settled, Holly?” Russell asked once the children were in bed. He'd taken his bath and gone to the bedroom to find Holly changing into a nightie and starting on her hair.

“I think so. She looked tired to me, but she didn't want help with the bed.” A huge yawn escaped her. “If she's like me tonight, she'll sleep hard.”

“What did she say about the returned rent?”

“Not much, but I'm not sure she liked it.”

Russell was quiet over this. He had debated what to do about the rent, and in the end was glad he'd given some back, but there was a chance he could have given the wrong impression, or even that they would find themselves taken advantage of. He wasn't all that keen about being a landlord in the first place, and he and Holly had both decided that if it didn't work out, they would not rent “the shack,” as they called it, to strangers again.

“Of all the people I tried to imagine would be our first tenant, Holly, I don't think Reagan fit the bill.”

“What type of person did you expect?”

Russell's smile was lopsided. “Some homeless man with a drinking problem, maybe. I don't know.”

Holly only watched him climb into bed.

“Did you get to know anything about her?” he asked as he lay down on his back.

“Not before I let her rent the place. I mean, she mentioned that she couldn't afford it, and just now she told me she's working at the hotel, but you had already mentioned that.” Holly chewed on her lip, a sure sign she was worrying. “Did I mess things up, Russell?”

“No,” he said quietly. “But when I'm feeling tired, like I am tonight, having someone else in my life to take care of makes me weary.”

Holly was now ready for bed and joined her husband.

“Well, you might have emotions involved simply because she's the type of person who causes that, but something tells me that Reagan is used to taking care of herself.”

“You're probably right.”

Both husband and wife had run out of steam. Neither one moved to kiss the other goodnight. Russell simply reached for Holly's hand to squeeze it, and Holly mumbled a goodnight. Russell was thinking that he loved her and should say so, but sleep was rushing in fast.

“Have you got those biscuits in?” Sally asked a little before five the next morning.

“In and almost done,” Reagan informed her, her arm still mixing the batter for two cakes.

“How much longer?”

“Only about five minutes. The bread is rising nicely.”

Sally stood back in approval, thinking Reagan was going to work out fine. Sally had all but taken the morning off, since the baking had to be done first, and for the first time in a month, she wasn't tense before she started to cook.

Even if Cousin Leslie shows up, I might just keep Reagan too.

“We have customers,” Pierce put his head in the door to announce.

“Well, where is Missy?” Sally demanded.

“I haven't seen her.”

Sally's face went red very quickly as she whipped her apron off and went out to the dining area to do someone else's job. Her peaceful thoughts about Reagan's hard work evaporated.

Reagan noticed the exchange but kept her thoughts to herself. She wondered at people these days who didn't have enough pride in their work to show up on time and do a good job but then remembered that it was none of her business. The event lingered on her mind, however, so when she finished her work in the kitchen, she removed her own apron and went out front to see if she could help. Sally was still taking orders, so Reagan started around with the coffeepot and a tray of mugs.

“Well, now,” one cowboy spoke amid a table full of cowboys, straightening when she got to his table. “You must be new.”

“I might be.” Reagan was noncommittal. “Do you want coffee?”

“I do, ma'am, yes, but only after you tell me if you're on today's menu.”

“Do you want the coffee on your head or in your cup?” was Reagan's only reply as she counted heads, set mugs on the table, and began to pour. The men at the table had a good laugh over her words, but to a man they tried to catch her eye.

“You have flour on your cheek,” the man alone at the next table told her.

Again Reagan was nonchalant.

“Do I?”

“Yes.”

“Would you like coffee?”

“Here, let me get the flour off for you.”

Reagan was two arms' lengths away from the table before the man saw her move. He sat with his handkerchief
in hand, just staring at her.

“All I'm offering is the coffee,” she clarified. “Do you want some?”

Not able to get anything more than an impassive stare from her, the man gave in. He nodded and watched as she poured but wasn't able to miss that she left his table without a backward glance.

“They seem to like you,” Sally commented when Reagan came back to the kitchen to help dish up eggs and bacon.

“I'm the new girl, that's all.”

Sally took in that head of dark wavy hair, the dark sparkling eyes, and the small but shapely figure, and wasn't convinced. And she was right. Two weeks passed, and the men still watched for Reagan. She had a way of lighting up the dining room with her candor, her quick smile, and her no-nonsense service. Sally had been smart enough to offer her a little more money, so each morning when she was finished with the baking, she moved to the dining room to wait tables. She was already used to being proposed to and took it in stride, but she didn't tolerate unwelcome caresses. More than one mess had to be cleaned up because Reagan had been forced to discourage a suitor by dumping his food on top of him.