A Dream Unfolding (52 page)

He chuckled.
 
“Probably more cow.”

Hannah directed him to put the crates on the table so she could unload them.
 
Once they were empty, she found herself wishing for an excuse to keep him there.

“Would you care for some coffee?” she asked, directing him to sit at the table.

“Love some.”
 
Will answered, his smile lighting up his face.
 
As she turned to warm the coffee, he asked, “How do you like working for Betty?”

“Oh, I like it a great deal.
 
Betty and I became friends on the Santa Fe Trail, that’s the route we took to get here.
 
We traveled the entire length of the journey in the wagon in front of hers.
 
She’s the one who taught me how to cook over an open fire.
 
I had never been without the luxury of a stove before, nor would I want to be again.”

Pulling two mugs from the shelf, she filled them with coffee.
 
“Sugar?”

Will shook his head.
 
Drew had liked his coffee black, too.

Handing him the mug, she continued, “Betty is a real sweet woman.
 
Almost like a mother.”

“Was it hard to leave your mother?”

So many questions from the quiet man she met last month.
 
Seems he could carry a conversation after all.
 
She debated for a brief moment, under the guise of sipping her coffee, whether or not to tell him about her childhood.
 
Last time she had so little to say that was not gloomy.
 
This topic was no better.

Plunging ahead, she said, “My mother died in child birth when I was twelve.
 
We lived on a farm and after she died, my pa sent me to live with my aunt for a few years.
 
I was almost fifteen before he brought me back to the farm.
 
I never was sure why he sent me away for so long.
 
Then, when I was eighteen my pa died.
 
The doctor said it was his heart.”
 
Shaking away the sad memories, she finished, “Anyway, Betty is what I wished for in a mother and I love working with her.”

Will’s eyes were full of compassion as he listened to her story. “What did you do after your pa died?”

“I don’t have any brothers or sisters, so the whole farm was left to me.
 
I certainly couldn’t run a farm by myself and there were crops in the field waiting to be harvested.
 
My uncle advised me to sell the farm and with his help I got a good price.
 
Then I moved into the city and worked at the mercantile until I married Drew.
 
We never spent any of the money from the sale of the farm until we left for Arizona.
 
It made the trip much easier.”

She looked up from her coffee mug into his warm golden brown eyes.
 
Suddenly feeling self-conscious about how much she was talking, she mumbled, “I’m sorry to go on so.”

His smile lit up his face, sending waves of warmth over her.

Before he could respond, Betty bounded in through the back door.
 
“Dear me, we better get started on dinner.”

Hannah asked him, “Will you be staying for dinner?”

“I wouldn’t miss it,” he said as Betty rushed him out of the kitchen with a stern look and shake of her arm.

Mixing up the biscuit dough, Betty commented, “You two sure did talk for awhile.”

Hannah’s cheeks flushed as she turned to grab items for the meal.
 
One thing was for certain, she did enjoy talking to the man now that he found words to contribute.

---

After being kicked out of the kitchen, Will decided to take a stroll around town.
 
He stopped by the Arizona
Miner
and picked up the latest edition from just a few days ago.
 
Tucking it under his arm, he looked around the booming town.
 
Paul Lancaster drew water from the well at the center of town.
 
The well sat next to a large grassy section that was rumored to be reserved for a government building and town square.
 
Odd how such a new town thought to reserve space for social gatherings.

Taking a seat in the shade, Will read the newspaper.
 
An advertisement for Jackson’s Boardinghouse on Montezuma Street caught his attention.
 
The man was offering lower rates than Betty.
 
Apparently, the establishment opened today.
 
Seeing how busy Lancaster’s was the last time he was in town, Will doubted the competition would hurt Betty’s business.

The newspaper also made mention of holiday celebrations planned for the fourth of July.
 
He assumed the town would not have a celebration since it was so new.
 
But, after today’s visit, he saw the town had grown considerably and understood the desire for the festivities.
 
He would plan to corral the cattle for the day, so he would only have to leave a few men at the ranch.
 
They could use something fun to look forward to.

A shadow fell across the ground in front of him.
 
When he looked up he saw Whitten and Owens shifting from foot to foot.

“Are we
gonna
get some grub before we go, boss?” Owens asked.
 
The man was always thinking about food.

Nodding his head, they walked to the dining hall at Lancaster’s.
 
The place was busier than he expected, since most of the miners usually ate their packed lunch at whatever creek they were mining.
 
Will recognized several men from the town meeting last month including the journalist for the newspaper.
  
Owens found a spot for the three of them to sit.

Hannah came around with coffee, and paused, looking at Will.
 
“Who do we have here?”

“This is Daniel Owens and Sam Whitten.
 
Boys, this is Mrs. Anderson.”

“Pleased to meet you,” she said smiling.

As she continued on to the next group of men, Owens jabbed Will in the ribs.
 
He said, rather loudly, “I can see why you’ve been insisting on making the deliveries, boss.”

Both Whitten and Owens chuckled heartily, having fun at Will’s expense.
 
Hannah glanced back over at them, her flushed face indicating she heard the teasing.
 
Will just gave her a sheepish smile and shrugged.
 
He wasn’t sure but he thought she smiled back before going to the kitchen.

Arms loaded with plates of food, Hannah made the rounds.
 
“Mr. Hand, I was excited to read your article about the upcoming holiday.
 
Mr.
Binks
, how is the Governor’s Mansion coming along?
 
Mr. Smith, in town for the day?”

Will watched amazed that she appeared to know everyone in the town by name and what business they pursued.
 
No wonder Lancaster’s was so busy.
 
Then another thought occurred to him, one that he didn’t like at all.
 
With all of this attention, she would not remain unattached for long.

“Mr.
Colter
, Mr. Owens, Mr. Whitten.
 
How long are you gentlemen in town for?” she asked, making direct eye contact with Will.

Whitten beat him to the punch. “We’ll be heading back after the meal, although we’d rather stay and chat with you, pretty lady,” his teasing meant for Will.

“So soon?” Hannah questioned, her expression giving away her disappointment.

“I’m afraid so,” Will answered.

“Will we be seeing you on the Fourth?”

“Wouldn’t miss it for anything,” Will replied with a broad smile.

A few more men entered the dining hall, drawing Hannah’s attention.
 
As they took their seats, Hannah quickly fetched them coffee and a meal.
 
As she set a plate down in front of one man dressed in a rather expensive looking suit, he grabbed her wrist.

“You know, you are lovely,” the man said, his eyes undisguised as they traveled her body.
 
Will tensed at the man’s disrespectful appraisal.

“If you ever get tired of just chatting with these men, you could make much more money in my saloon,” the sleazy man said, letting his hand travel up her arm.

Will bolted to his feet, along with several other men.

“You know these men would much rather bed you than talk to you, as pretty as you are.”

Will scrambled over the bench, moving towards the man.
 
The sound of a rifle cocking stopped him from moving forward.
 
Following the sound led him to the kitchen.
 
Betty Lancaster stood, rifle braced against her shoulder and pointed at the repulsive saloon owner’s chest.

“Trent Montgomery!
 
You get your slimy hands off her!” Betty’s voice silenced the room.
 
“Or I’m
gonna
blow a hole through you.”

“Now, now, Mrs. Lancaster, I didn’t mean nothing by it,” Trent said, lightly running his hand down Hannah’s arm before placing it on the table.
 
“Just want to make sure the girl knows she has options.”

Paul entered from the kitchen.
 
Quickly assessing the situation, he took the few steps towards Trent at a rapid pace.
 
“She doesn’t need options,” Paul’s deep voice boomed.
 
“She’s with family.”

Then with no warning, the brawny Paul grabbed Trent by his shirt collar and hauled him to his feet.
 
Shuffling him out the door, he shouted after him, “You and your kind are not welcome here!”

Turning back towards Hannah, Paul spoke with her softly for a few moments, leading her back to the kitchen.
 
As Will took his seat to finish his meal, he heard many echoed murmurs about “that scum” Trent treating a decent woman that way.
 
He agreed with many of the complaints and thought of several of his own.

Just as Will was getting his temper under control, several military men entered the establishment.
 
One in particular looked familiar.

“Lieutenant Harrison!”
 
Hannah exclaimed when he turned her way.

That’s what Will thought.
 
This was the lieutenant rumored to have taken care of her following her husband’s death.

“Hannah,” the young lieutenant greeted, taking her hand and placing a kiss on top of it.

Though the man treated her with the utmost respect, Will’s jaw tightened in jealousy.
 
He was far too friendly for Will’s taste.
 
The last bite of his food turned to lead as he tried to swallow it down.

The young lieutenant certainly captured her attention, for she hurried to serve him and his men.
 
Passing their empty plates down to the end, Will expected Hannah would carry them to kitchen.
 
Instead, she still stood near that Harrison fellow, deep in conversation.
 
It was Paul who came to clear away the plates.
 
The room was clearing out and Will knew his men wanted to be on their way, so he stood and headed out the door.

“Mr.
Colter
,” Hannah called from the doorway as he untied his horse.
 
“Thank you for the supplies.”

“Ma’am,” he acknowledged.

“We’ll see you on the Fourth then,” she shouted as they pulled away, giving Will a little hope that he might have made a lasting impression.

---

Joshua was pleased when Hannah lingered near the table he and his men occupied in the dining hall.
 
In truth, he was hoping to steal a few minutes of her time, for that was all he had.
 
As the other diners dispersed, Hannah surprisingly took a seat across from him.

“How have you been, Lieutenant?” she asked.
 
“It has been quite some time since you have been by.”

Was that disappointment in her voice?
 
He dared only hope.
 
“Please, Hannah, will you call me Joshua?”

She smiled as she nodded.
 
“Joshua, then.
 
How have you been?”

“Well,” he answered.
 
“We have been out patrolling the forests and rivers lately, making our protection known.
 
I am pleased that our presence has provided safer conditions for many of the miners in the outlying areas.”

“And you are staying safe?” concern edged her voice.

“Of course,” Joshua replied.
 
“And you, Hannah, how have you been?”

She laughed, such a light feminine sound.
 
Joshua smiled as she answered, “Oh, you mean other than removing bullets from your soldiers in my free time?”

“I heard the tale.
 
Jensen has recovered nicely and speaks of you with admiration,” he replied.