A Dream Unfolding (53 page)

She smiled.
 
“Glad to hear he’s doing well.
 
I have been well.
 
Working with Betty is very uplifting, most days.”

He spoke of other news before the silence stretched between them.
 
If his men were not sitting nearby, he would ask to visit on his next day off, whenever that might be.
 
As it was, he may just settle for surprising her instead.
 
Joshua hated to leave so soon.

“It was good seeing you again, Hannah,” he said.
 
“Sadly, I must take my leave.
 
I am scheduled to report back to the major soon and we need to be on our way.”

“Take care, Joshua,” she said as he stood.

“You as well, Hannah,” he replied before leaving the dining hall.
 
If nothing else, he hoped to see her for the Fourth of July celebration.

At the end of the day, Hannah settled her weary body down on her soft bed.
 
As she turned down the light, she thought back on the day.
 
Such unexpected encounters—one with the mysterious rancher, one with the sleazy saloon owner, and one with Joshua.

Her temper rose as she thought back to Trent Montgomery’s suggestion that she work at his saloon.
 
The only way she would need that kind of money was if she decided to move back to Ohio.

Move back to Ohio.
 
She had never once even considered it.
 
But now that Drew was gone and she was on her own, she could move back.
 
How would she get money for such a trip—for there was no way she would do what Trent Montgomery proposed.
 
Then there would be the long months of traveling again.
 
And she would have to take some sort of job on the wagon train back.
 
What would she go back to?
 
Working for Francis at the mercantile?

No.
 
Going back to Ohio was not really an option.
 
She was here.
 
She had a good job with Betty, a roof over her head, food on her plate.
 
She had friends; Betty, Martha, Joshua.
 
Perhaps even Will
Colter
.

Heat rushed to her face at the thought of him and how she threw laundry on him this morning.
 
And how warm his hands felt as he held her steady.
 
She tried to ignore the fluttering of her heart.
 
She had been affected by the tall rancher—more than she cared to admit—and the prospect of seeing him again soon at the upcoming celebration caused a smile to stretch across her lips.

Chapter
28

Hannah greeted Martha as Paul helped her into the wagon.

“Thank you for coming on such short notice,” Hannah said, truly grateful Martha had not minded the last minute request for help.
 
First thing this morning, Betty asked Hannah what she thought about making pies for tomorrow’s celebration.
 
Hannah heartily agreed and suggested they bring Martha to help.

“I welcome any chance to get together with you and Betty—even if you are putting me to work,” Martha said, her laughter floating on the breeze.

They covered the distance from the fort to the creek in a matter of minutes.
 
Paul set the brake on the wagon, then helped Martha and Hannah down.
 
Each took a basket from the back of the wagon.
 
Paul grabbed the rifle, balancing it against his shoulder, heading for the pecan trees first.
 
Hannah and Martha stayed closer to the wagon, picking blackberries from the bushes.

The shuffling sound of miners sifting through the dirt carried downstream, accompanied by the occasional muffled voice.
 
The breeze rustled the branches of the pecan, mulberry, and pine trees shading the banks of the gurgling creek.
 
She and Martha worked alongside each other in companionable silence.

Plucking a plump blackberry from the bush, she popped it into her mouth.
 
The sweetness slid over her tongue sparking anticipation for the pies these berries would become.

Hannah spent many of her morning devotional times recently contemplating what God might have planned for her future.
 
Though circumstances forced that future to be without Drew, Hannah’s heart still struggled with understanding what that really meant.
 
Would she remain unmarried, working at the boardinghouse forever?
 
Was there some other plan for her?
 
If so, what did it look like?
 
She still longed to be a wife and mother.
 
But, how would that dream look without Drew?
 
Was it wrong to still want those things?

She had no answers for her many questions, yet each day she felt like a little part of her became more prepared to hear those answers—whatever they may be.

Then, there were the unbidden thoughts of Will
Colter
adding confusion to her heart.
 
Since his delivery a few weeks ago, Hannah caught herself often wondering what he was doing.
 
She admitted, with some excitement, that he was part of the reason she spent hours in the evening working on a new brown calico dress for tomorrow’s festivities.
 
She wanted to impress him.
 
Yet, she wondered if being drawn to him was somehow being unfaithful to Drew.

“I think your basket is as full as mine,” Martha said, pulling Hannah from her thoughts.

Hannah glanced down at both baskets of blackberries.
 
There would be plenty for several pies.
 
Smiling at Martha, she tried to hide her inner conflict.
 
She turned and walked the few feet back to the wagon, depositing her basket in the back.
 
Paul returned with a full basket of pecans as Martha slid hers into the wagon.
 
Deciding they had plenty of both, the three returned to the boardinghouse.

Betty greeted them at the front door.
 
“I decided to make dinner self-service.
 
Anyone who wants to stop by today can grab some of the bread, cheese, and jerky from the table.
 
All we have to do is check on the coffee.”

Hannah carried her basket to the kitchen, where crusts covered the bottom of several pie tins.
 
“I see you’ve got a head start,” she teased Betty.

“Of course, dear.
 
I don’t want to be up till the wee hours of the morning baking.”

Hannah doubted they would be baking that late, especially with Betty’s time saving dinner plan.

As she set out the ingredients for the berry pie filling, Betty and Martha started shelling the pecans.

“Looks like Mr. Barnard’s hotel will finish in time for tomorrow,” Betty said.
 
“I walked over there briefly after you left, Hannah.
 
He said he still plans on providing all the food tomorrow as part of his grand opening.”

“What’s he serving?” Martha asked.

“Venison, chili, biscuits, and the like.
 
Though he said he forgot about dessert.
 
He was glad to hear of our plan,” Betty said.

“His place is the one with the sign ‘Juniper House’, right?” Martha asked.

Hannah replied, “Yes, it is.
 
When he stopped in for supper last week, he seemed concerned about whether or not everything would come together, but it sounds like it has.”

“Mr.
Lount’s
and Mr.
Noyles
’ saw mill made it possible for Mr. Barnard to build that hotel,” Betty said.
 
“Can you even image how long it would have taken without that steam powered machine spitting out planks so quickly?”

“I noticed on the way in to town how much has changed since I last visited,” Martha said.

“Last week several new settlers arrived from California,” Hannah said.
 
“Most of them were related.
 
Part of a big family.”

“One man is going to build a boot and shoe store,” Betty said.
 
“Imagine new shoes readily available!”

“We barely even noticed the new restaurant that opened a few weeks ago,” Hannah said.
 
“With so many new settlers arriving, we still serve a packed dining hall, despite the competition of Jackson’s Boardinghouse and the restaurant.”

“I’m sure all of the eligible men have ulterior motives,” Martha teased.

Hannah looked up from the pie she was filling.
 
“Whatever do you mean?”

“Just that a beautiful, available woman does not go unnoticed.”

Hannah rolled her eyes, drawing a smile from both Betty and Martha.
 
Walking to the oven to check on her berry pie, she hoped the conversation would turn away from her.
 
At least then she could put off her thoughts of this morning.
 
Seeing the pie was done, she grabbed a towel and removed it from the oven.

The small kitchen workspace overflowed with their tasty creations, so Hannah picked up one of the cooled pies, to make room for the hot one.
 
Taking a cooled pie in each hand, she entered the dining hall and set the pies on the far table.
 
Martha and Betty followed Hannah’s lead, clearing more space in the kitchen.

As supper time drew near, Paul took Martha back to the fort, so he could return in time to help serve the boarders.
 
Once the boarders were served, Hannah pulled the last of the pies from the oven, setting them in the kitchen to cool.
 
The aroma of pecan and berry pies overwhelmed any other scent, causing many of their customers to comment.
 
Some tried to sneak a piece tonight, but Paul stood guard, ensuring them they would get a piece during the holiday festivities.

After finishing the supper dishes, Hannah went to her room and laid out the new brown calico dress for tomorrow.
 
How fun it would be to have a day off to enjoy celebrating the country’s birth and spending time with friends.
 
It had been a long time since she celebrated anything.