Linda Ford (15 page)

Ruby went very still as the little bubble of joy inside her burst. He was being nice because he thought he
owed
her. Not because he actually wanted to befriend her. Truth was, she’d probably never have seen him again if she hadn’t had to help him get
home. Was that also the same reason Inez and Red and all the rest of them were being so nice?

Of course it was. She’d been silly to read anything else into their friendliness.

Something of what she was feeling must have shown on her face because he was looking at her with a puzzled expression. She pulled herself together and offered a big smile. “Now, I think I’ve lollygagged in here long enough. I should go and see if Inez needs any help.”

“Inez will be just fine. She likes having her kitchen to herself.” He moved to a table near the window where an inlaid checkerboard was displayed. “How about a game of checkers?”

She needed to find a quiet place to gather her thoughts, to start laying plans to leave. “I don’t think—”

“You do know how to play, don’t you?”

The challenge in his tone snagged her attention. “Of course. When I lived with the McCaulys, Mr. McCauly and his son George used to play every night and sometimes I’d watch them.”

“So you’ve never actually played?” he pressed.

“No,” she admitted, “but it looks simple enough.”

He laughed. “I believe you were the one who said appearances can be deceiving. Have a seat and we’ll see how much you learned.” He pulled out a chair for her. “And don’t worry, I’ll go easy on you the first game or two.”

That got her back up. Go easy on her, would he? She marched to the table and sat down. “Very well.
But please, don’t feel you have to do less than your best on my account.” She gave him a sweetly challenging smile. “Because I certainly won’t.”

A
s he set up the game, Griff pondered her shift in mood. It was as if she’d pulled back and that bothered him, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on what had caused it. Going back over their conversation in his mind, they’d been discussing her taking the books with her when she moved to Tyler. Could it be that the mention of Tyler had reminded her of her plans for a fresh start, for adventure and new experiences? Was she chafing at this unexpected delay in her plans?

He’d expected her to be less eager now that she’d spent some time here at Hawk’s Creek. But perhaps he’d been wrong.

He forcibly pushed his disappointment away and focused on the game. Ruby proved to be an adept player. He won the first two games, but not as easily as he’d expected. And she managed to surprise him by claiming victory in the third round.

Griff was glad to see she had a competitive streak in her. It demonstrated that there were a few thorns
beneath the roses and sunshine facade she projected. And she’d need those thorns if she was going to make it on her own.

They were halfway through the fourth game when Inez interrupted them. “Here you two are. Lunch is ready.”

Griff met Ruby’s gaze. “Shall we continue this later? Or do you want to concede now?”

That won him an indignant glare. “From where I’m sitting, this game is still anybody’s.”

“Then continue later it is.” He pushed his chair back, put his hands on his thighs and pushed himself up. “Inez, lead the way.”

Inez didn’t move immediately. “I know you usually take your meals in the dining room when we have guests, but Ruby and I have been taking our meals in the kitchen the past few days.”

Griff waved Ruby on ahead of him. “If Ruby doesn’t mind, then the kitchen is fine with me.”

As he escorted the two women to the kitchen, Griff was surprised by how natural it felt.

A few minutes later they’d taken their seats, grace had been said and they began serving their plates.

Inez passed Ruby the bowl of butter beans. “Hard to believe that Thanksgiving is just a week from tomorrow. Are you planning to do anything special to mark the day?”

“I’m looking forward to being settled in my new living quarters in Tyler by then. I imagine there’ll be a church service I can go to, and maybe there’ll be some kind of community celebration.”

Inez shook her head. “Sounds a mite lonely if you ask me.”

“I’ll have Patience and I hope to have made some friends in town by then.” Ruby tried for a reassuring tone. “Besides, I’m a fairly self-sufficient person.”

Griff wondered about that. Did she really think she could make it alone? A girl like her should have someone to look out for her, to ease, or even share, her burdens.

Ruby looked from one to the other of them. “How do you all celebrate Thanksgiving?”

Griff paused, not quite sure how to answer that.

Luckily, Inez chimed in first. “I always fix a nice meal, but other than that, we haven’t really done much of anything to mark the day in years, not since Griff’s mother died.”

Ruby turned to him. “How did you celebrate when your mother was around?

He leaned back in his chair, remembering. “She and Inez used to plan a big celebration. They’d clean and decorate the house from top to bottom and recruit us kids to help.”

“Not that they were very much real help,” Inez interjected.

Griff flashed her an unrepentant grin before continuing. “The meal was a fabulous feast. Inez would cook for days. There’d be a pit-roasted calf and a turkey stuffed the way only Inez can. Mother would have my grandfather from Philadelphia send fresh oysters and cranberries and oranges and lots of other
things we don’t see around here. And there’d be more pies and sweets than people.”

“You make it sound like the day was all about the food,” Inez said.

Griff grinned. “For a young boy, that was the main attraction.” He turned back to Ruby. “But of course it was about much more than that. We’d invite all the hands and the folks from the neighboring ranches. If the weather was nice we’d set up tables outdoors and eat under the sky. If it was too cold or wet, we’d clear all of the wagons and tools out of the barn and set up in there. After the meal, Red would play his fiddle and there’d be singing and dancing and storytelling late into the evening.”

“It sounds wonderful.”

The dreaminess in Ruby’s voice and expression had him giving her a long look. What was with her? One minute she seemed dead set on setting out on her own and the next she seemed to have a hankering for roots.

Inez interrupted his thoughts. “You know,” she said slowly, “I’m thinking it’s high time we started treating Thanksgiving as a special day again.”

Griff felt his brow furrow. Now what in the world had brought that on? “First time I heard you mention it.”

“Oh, I’ve been thinking on it awhile. We don’t have to do it up as fancy as we used to, at least not this year. Keep it to just Hawk’s Creek folk, and of course we wouldn’t need to worry about the oysters and such. After all, we don’t have a lot of time to plan.”

“Aren’t you getting a little ahead of yourself?” Griff asked. “After all, I haven’t agreed to—”

“Your mother was a fine lady and it would likely break her heart to know you and your family let the old traditions die.”

She had a point. But why bring it up now, after all these years? “I suppose. Maybe we can talk to Sadie and Ry about doing something next year.”

“Nonsense. Why wait an entire year when we’ve got seven and a half days to prepare? Besides, I wouldn’t mind having an excuse to cook a fancy feast again.”

Griff shook his head. “Seems like a lot of trouble for just one day.”

“Griffith Michael Lassiter, just listen to yourself. Are you saying you don’t have enough blessings in your life to set aside a full day to give thanks? Besides, it’ll give the men something to look forward to.”

Griff glanced at Ruby’s face and saw a touch of longing there. And suddenly he realized Inez was right. He wasn’t even sure why he’d protested in the first place. “Okay, I concede. If you want to have a big shindig, I won’t stand in the way. In fact, tell me what I can do to help.” And he’d find a way to get Ruby to spend it with them.

“You can invite Ry and Sadie to bring their families to join us—make it a true Lassiter Thanksgiving. It would do us all good to have this house full of young’uns again for a bit.”

Ruby listened to the two of them plan their family gathering and felt another stab of jealousy. She’d prayed nightly for as long as she could remember that
someday she’d have a home and a family of her own. That was another reason she’d been so eager to leave Cleebit Springs—she just couldn’t see ever finding a husband there.

“What about you, Ruby?” Inez’s question brought her back to the present. “You’ll join us for Thanksgiving, won’t you?”

Another invitation offered out of a sense of obligation? “That’s very kind of you, but it sounds like this is going to be a family event and I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

“Nonsense, you already said you don’t have anyone else to spend it with. And we’d love to have you join us, wouldn’t we, Griff?”

Griff met Ruby’s gaze head-on. “Of course.”

“See?” Inez’s voice held a that-settles-it tone. “We’d love to have you here. And I’ll be insulted if you say you’d rather spend the day alone than with us.”

Ruby noticed it was Inez doing all the asking. Griff only added his voice when prompted. But she’d seen something in his gaze, something that confused her. What was he truly feeling? With an effort she moved her gaze from Griff to Inez. “Really it’s very kind of you, and I enjoy spending time here, but I’m eager to get started in my new life.”

Inez waved a hand dismissively. “Oh, there’ll be plenty of time for that after Thanksgiving.”

“Might as well listen to her,” Griff said with a drawl. “When Inez sets her mind to something she’s
like a hound who’s treed a possum—she won’t stop baying until you say yes.”

Ruby tried to read his expression again—did he really want her to stay? Or was he just humoring Inez?

“Not a very flattering description,” Inez said drily. “But accurate enough. Besides,” she added, “I truly could use your help getting things ready. Lots to be done in a short amount of time.”

Ruby wavered. She wouldn’t want to leave Inez in the lurch if she really needed help. And the idea of meeting the other Lassiter siblings was tempting.

“You’ve already agreed to stay long enough for me to show you around the place,” Griff added casually. “What’s another few days?”

He was right. And now that she understood they were just trying to repay an imagined debt of honor, she wouldn’t be in danger of mistaking it for something else. Why not take the opportunity to enjoy herself? “All right. But only if you really do let me help.”

“It’s a deal.” Inez stabbed a chunk of carrot with her fork. “I’ll send Frank to town with a telegram for Sadie and Ry.”

Griff reclaimed Ruby’s attention. “Is there a particular Thanksgiving tradition of yours that you’d like to include in our planning?”

She didn’t have to stop and think about that one. She hadn’t stayed in one place long enough to establish traditions. “Nothing special. Perhaps I can start making my own traditions once I’m truly on my own.”

He looked as if he was going to question her further, but Inez spoke up first.

“If you don’t mind my asking, why did you pick Tyler as your new home?”

“Like I told Griff, I don’t have any family left and I wanted to start over fresh somewhere new. A big city like Tyler just seems likely to offer more opportunities for me.”

Inez frowned. “But aren’t you nervous about moving someplace where you don’t know anyone?”

Why did everyone think this was a bad idea? “Yes, but in an excited, can’t-wait-to-start kind of way. I’m not afraid, if that’s what you’re asking. And even if I don’t know a soul there, I figure the good Lord will be watching over me and that’s all I need.”

Inez reached over and patted her hand. “You’re right, of course. Sorry for being such an old busy-body.”

“Oh, I don’t mind. I guess it
is
kind of unusual for a woman to strike out on her own like this.”

“Actually, I did much the same when Griff’s grand-daddy hired me to work here. And I’ve never regretted it for even one minute.”

Those words provided a lift to Ruby’s spirit, an affirmation that she would be all right. She glanced at Griff to find him studying her, a slight frown on his face.

Inez stood. “Looks like we’re all done. I’ll start clearing away the dishes.”

Ruby stood, as well. “I’ll wash.”

Griff pushed his chair back. “Since the weather’s
too wet for me to do anything outdoors, I suppose I could dry.”

Inez raised a brow. “Well now, those are words I never thought to hear.”

Ruby looked quickly from Inez to Griff before turning to the sink. So he normally
didn’t
help clean up after meals? Was he just bored today? Or did he have another reason for staying with them?

The three of them worked in companionable silence for a while. It felt nice, actually. As if they’d worked together like this for years.

Griff finally looked over his shoulder at Inez. “Since I’m back on my feet I figured I’d move back into my own room tonight. I’ll get a couple of the guys to help me put mother’s sitting room back to rights.”

Inez tsked. “I think it might be best if you stay right where you are for now. Best not to put more strain on that foot of yours than necessary.”

Griff frowned dismissively. “I can handle the stairs.”

Ruby hid a smile. She could have told Inez he wasn’t going to react well to that approach.

Inez, however, didn’t seem willing to let the subject drop. “I’m not so sure.” She cleared her throat. “By the way, did I mention that Ruby is in the guest chamber next to Sadie’s old room upstairs?”

Ruby saw Griff’s expression change just a few seconds before she herself realized what Inez had been trying to convey. The heat immediately climbed into her cheeks and she fumbled with the bowl she was
washing. Though she trusted Griff to act honorably, and she knew Inez did as well, there were some who wouldn’t think it proper for them to be the only two with bedchambers on the second floor.

“You’re right,” Griff said as he took the bowl from Ruby. “I think it might be best after all if I stay put for the time being. My foot is better, but there’s no point pushing it too soon.”

Ruby shook her head. “No, really, I can’t let you give up your room for me.” Her cheeks heated even more as she realized how that sounded. “I mean, I can move into the sitting room after you move upstairs. It won’t be any problem at all, and I’ve slept in far more meager accommodations.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. No point shuffling everyone around.” He set the drying cloth down. “Now, if you ladies can finish up in here, I need to look over some ledgers.”

The rest of the day passed quietly enough. Griff stayed holed up in his office for most of the afternoon while Ruby helped Inez plan the menu and shopping list for the elaborate Thanksgiving meal. At supper they came back together and, to Ruby’s relief, their interaction was relaxed and easy, just as if that earlier conversation had never happened.

Griff was pleased to see the sun shining from a clear sky the next morning. He’d had enough of being cooped up inside and not even Inez’s mother-henning would deter him from riding out.

As soon as breakfast was over he turned to Ruby. “What do you say I give you that tour we discussed?”

Ruby smiled and then bit her lip. “I promised Inez I would help—”

To Griff’s surprise, Inez seemed to be on his side. “Nonsense. Getting out in the fresh air will do you both a world of good.”

“But—”

“No buts, young lady. I need you to keep an eye on Griff for me. If he goes gallivanting off by himself, there’s no telling how he might overexert himself.”

Griff spread his arms. “She’s right you know. I’m not to be trusted out there on my own.”

That won him a smile. “In that case,” Ruby said in martyred tones, “my duty seems clear. I accept your offer.”