Before the Larkspur Blooms (17 page)

Thom smiled and held her gaze until she had to look away. “You know I do,
Mrs. Brown
. Would you like my opinion on the Christmas gown? Or something else?” He took a step toward the women. Seemed the shopkeeper was stunned speechless over what had just transpired in her mercantile. She just stood there fanning herself with a piece of paper. “Because I’m more than happy to oblige you.”

Roberta gave a loud sniff and then looked to Maude. “I better be going. I want to see what this nonsense with Hannah is all about. Silly girl. Probably making a mountain out of a robin’s egg. Can you please put this bolt in the back, at least for a day or two?”

Thom swore under his breath.

Maude looked at the expensive fabric for a long time. “I don’t know, Roberta. I can’t be carrying lavish inventory. First rule of business is sell what you’ve got.”

Mrs. Brown squirmed in humiliation. Thom knew she hated him to be witnessing such an embarrassing moment. “It’s only
until tomorrow, Maude.
Please
,” she hissed softly. “That’s only a few more hours. I promise to let you know by morning if I’m taking it.”

“Well, all right. But only if you think that you will indeed be buying it.”

Thom gave Roberta a secretive nod of triumph, and her face flamed red.

The shop door opened and Deputy Dwight Hoskins came in. He held the door for Markus, who followed behind, struggling with two long fishing poles and a canvas bag.

Dwight went behind the counter, took down the peppermint jar, and lifted the lid. He took a handful and handed some to Markus, who struggled to take them and not drop what he was carrying.

“I thought I told you not to come into my store for a week, Deputy Hoskins,” Maude said. “You forget already?”

He laughed and shrugged. “Put these on my tab.” He nodded to Roberta, who looked fortified with the arrival of reinforcements. The instant Dwight saw Thom, his expression hardened.

Silence encompassed the room. Thom smiled at Markus, ignoring everyone else. “Markus, did you catch anything?”

Markus opened his mouth to respond, but his eyes darted over to his grandmother standing a few feet away and then back to him. His little shoulders straightened. “Yeah,” he said softly.

“Markus. What did I tell you?”

At his grandmother’s domineering voice, everything fell from the boy’s arms and clattered to the floor. The canvas bag opened and two fish, some live wriggling worms caked in mud, and a chicken leg wrapped in a cloth napkin all rolled in different directions across Maude’s clean floor. Markus took a small step back. His eyes grew round in fear as if he knew he was in big trouble now.

“Here, lad,” Thom said, stepping forward. He picked up the poles and set them against the counter before going for the mess.

Roberta hurried to the door, using the distraction to escape. “I’ll be going now, Maude. Deputy.”

“Don’t you want to take Markus with you, Roberta?” Dwight asked. “We’re finished for the day.”

She stopped only for a moment, glancing back. “You said you’d have him until three today, Dwight. I still have some things to do.” The door closed to an uncomfortable hush in the room.

Maude went behind the counter and replaced the lid on the candy jar Dwight had left tottering on the edge of the shelf. “Don’t worry about the mess, Markus. Three sweeps of my broom will fix it up fine.”

Dwight just watched, too lazy to help and not concerned in the least that Markus looked like he was going to cry. “Come on,” he finally said when Thom had most of the disarray put back in the bag. “We have fish to clean.”

Dwight took the poles in one hand and Markus’s hand in the other. Thom didn’t miss the look of interest Markus gave him as the door closed.

“Sorry to have kept you waiting, Thomas,” Maude said, turning to him. “Never a dull moment in Miller’s Mercantile.” She laughed. “You’re here to work, I presume?”

He nodded. “Just for the hour over my lunch break. The extra shingles arrive?”

“They did. They’re in the back. You know the way?”

A
s the buggy rolled into town, Sarah, squished between Gabe and Jessie, chatted away like a chipmunk. She oohed and aahed over every little thing she saw. Shane, overcome with all the wonderful sights, sat quietly on Jessie’s lap, his head resting against her breast.

“First, we’ll go to the mercantile. I’ll say hello to Maude and pick up a few things.”
And check the mail.
Jessie pushed away her anxiety, refusing to let anything spoil the day. “Then we need to run by Dr. Thorn and have him take a look at Sarah’s throat, just to be sure she’s totally healed. From time to time, she tells me it still hurts. I want to know if that’s common for a three-month-old tonsillectomy. From there, we’ll peek in on Hannah at the restaurant, and if the children aren’t totally worn out by then, stay and have a cup of tea. The last stop will be the Red Rooster to invite Thom Donovan and Violet out to the ranch.”

Gabe nodded. “That’s a full day of visiting.”

“Oh, I almost forgot. I also need to go by the bank. Chase has some papers he wants me to drop off.” Chase, dreaming about expanding the ranch, had written a business proposal he hoped Frank would consider financing, contingent on the railroad coming through Logan Meadows. She worried he was wearing himself too thin. The rustlers were always in the back of her mind, a threat to everyone.

To change her train of thought, Jessie glanced behind the seat, checking on the baked goods she was bringing along as gifts. “I haven’t been to town for two weeks, and I’m seeing so many new faces.” They passed a wagon with an unknown man at the reins. He smiled and politely doffed his hat. “See what I mean?” she said, glancing at Gabe. “Where did our sleepy little settlement go?”

“It’s growing, Jess. It sure is. Whoa.” At the mercantile Gabe hopped out and tied the lead to the hitching rail, then went around to help Jessie and the children.

Maude rushed forward, leaving two ladies to their own devices. “About time you came to town, Jessie,” she exclaimed. “And you’ve brought Sarah and Shane with you. It’s been a month of Sundays since I’ve seen either.” She chucked Shane under the chin after giving Sarah a hug.

Bang, bang, bang.

At the sudden noise overhead, Sarah latched on to Jessie’s skirt and Shane wrapped his arms around his mother, burying his face in her neck. “What’s that?” Jessie asked, alarmed.

Maude chuckled. “Don’t be scared, honey,” the older woman said to Sarah, and then to Jessie, “That’s just my old leaky roof getting dressed up a bit.”

The other ladies rushed out the door, holding their hands over their ears. “We’ll be back another time!” one called over her shoulder.

“You do that. Thank you for coming in.” Maude shouted to be heard over more pounding. She gave a friendly wave. She turned back to Jessie. “I’ll be so happy when the rain doesn’t come gushing in anymore.”

“Gushing?”

Maude seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood.

Bang, bang, bang.

“Well, maybe not gushing, it’s more like drip, drip, drip. Still.” She laughed and then went on, “It’ll be a sight better when everything stays dry. Thom Donovan is doing the repairs.”

Jessie filed that fact away. “I haven’t yet had the pleasure of meeting our newest citizen.”

Maude sidled up close. “He’s as handsome as they come—and then some.” She glanced down as if to make sure Sarah wasn’t listening. “It’s his Irish blood, to be sure.”

“Maude?” Jessie giggled.

The shopkeeper shrugged. “I may be old, Jessie, but I’m not dead.”

Remembering the bread she still held in her arms, Jessie thought it a good diversion. “I’ve brought you some buffalo berry nut bread.”

Maude’s eyes went wide. “Oh, you needn’t go to all that trouble for me, honey. I have all this at my fingertips.” She swept her arm to the side.

“That may be true, but you deserve some home baking, too, now and then. I know how hard you work.” She gave Sarah a little nudge on her back. “Why don’t you go look through the fabric in the snippets bin? We’ll make that new nightgown for Dolly McFolly we’ve been thinking about.”

Sarah ran off, and Maude gave her a knowing look. “You need to talk in private?”

Jessie nodded, bouncing Shane in her arms. “Sarah’s birthday is coming up in three weeks and I’d like to order something special. Maybe a play tea set. I hope I didn’t wait too long.”

Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang.

Every time the banging sounded, Shane clapped his hands.

Smiling, Maude leaned in close, keeping her voice at a whisper. “Not at all. I know of just the one. Made of real china but not expensive. I should be able to get it in by next week if I send a telegram.”

“That’s wonderful. She’ll be turning seven this year, and Chase and I want it to be special. She’s growing up so fast.”

Bang, bang, bang.

“Mommy, I found the perfect one. It’ll even match her other dress.” Sarah ran back, emerald material with little yellow flowers
clutched in her hand. “See,” she cried, holding up her prize. Shane reached out and tried to snag it, but Sarah danced out of his reach, laughing.

“Sweetie, that’s perfect. We’ll take this, Maude,” Jessie said, smiling at the conspiratorial look in Maude’s eyes.

Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang.

Jessie squashed the urge to cover her ears and pointed up to the ceiling. “How long is that going to go on?”

Maude shrugged as if it was of no consequence and moved to the counter. She jotted down the purchase in a ledger and then quickly wrapped the small square of fabric in brown paper. She handed it to Sarah. “Here you go.”

Jessie waited by the door. Had the mail arrived today? Was there anything new for them? She glanced at the mail counter, but from this distance it was impossible to tell.
That’s one of the reasons you’re here
, she chided herself.

Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang.

Ask!

“Well, we best be going.” She glanced out the window. Gabe leaned against a post, people watching. “Come on, silly girl.”

Maude gave her a hug. “Thanks for the nice gift. I’ll enjoy it.”

“You’re welcome.” She glanced again to the back of the store. “Er, Maude, have we gotten anything in the mail lately? Chase wanted me to check.”

Her face lit up. “I’m glad you asked. Yesterday. I meant to tell you when you first walked in, but we got to talking.” She went and retrieved the envelope. “From the orphanage in New Mexico again. This is the third post this year.”

A rocklike ball of dread dropped in Jessie’s stomach. A quick glance at Sarah showed her darling girl clutching her prize to her chest and smiling sweetly up at Maude. Jessie wouldn’t let
anything
break up her family. Sarah belonged to her and Chase. The child had brought them together. They were a family. Jessie pushed away her panic and put the post into her satchel. “Thank
you, Maude,” she said and smiled. She stepped out into the sunlight. “I just hope you still have some clientele by the time Mr. Donovan is finished.”

On the boardwalk, Sarah unwrapped her purchase and held it out to show Gabe. When he saw Jessie, he went over and took Shane from her arms.

“Thank you. He’s getting so big, sometimes I forget how heavy he is.”

“Why don’t I keep him while you take Sarah to the doctor’s, the bank, and then to the restaurant?” Gabe said. “Shane and I will meander around town and pet the horses.”

“Oh, Gabe, that would be a blessing. Are you sure you don’t mind?”

“I got the day off to help you. I’m enjoying some time away from the cattle and flies.”

She rubbed Shane on the head. “I can’t pass up such a generous offer. You be a good boy for Gabe, you hear?” Shane was already smiling from ear to ear. “In case he needs anything, his duffel is in the buggy.”

Gabe took a step back, shaking his head. “I’ll find you if he needs a change.”

Jessie laughed. “Oh, all right. But you can’t blame a girl for trying.”

T
hom rolled his shoulders and stretched his worn muscles as he wandered slowly through the small cemetery. He’d finished at Maude’s, his lunch hour gone, then headed back to the livery, only to ask Win if he could have a few more minutes. Setting Maude’s shingles had brought on a storm of memories. Working side by side with his pa and Roland, swinging fast on their slippery barn roof, trying to beat the coming rain. They’d just set the last row as a bolt of lightning lit the sky. Scrambling off, they’d found a big stew ready and his ma waiting for them all.