Carol Cox (17 page)

Melanie shook her head. “I can’t imagine what that might be . . . especially in the middle of the night. Perhaps he didn’t intend to come here at all. Maybe he was being pursued by whomever it was who killed him, and he was simply trying to hide.”

Marshal Hooper regarded her thoughtfully. “Maybe. Whatever the case, it happened in my town, and I’m going to keep on digging until I find the answers I’m looking for.”

Melanie nodded solemnly, then she brightened. “Look what I found.” She held the paper out to Caleb. “It’s Cousin George’s will.”

Caleb’s jaw sagged. Feeling as if he’d just been kicked in the gut, he reached out to take the document, a single sheet of paper with the words
Last Will and Testament
across the top. He scanned the writing below, letting his eyes skim past
several mentions of debts to be settled from his estate down to the only words that mattered.

I leave all my worldly possessions, including my share in the Ross-Nelson Mercantile, to my cousin, Melanie Esther Ross.

With a sense of disbelief, Caleb went over the will a second time, giving it a more thorough scrutiny. He recognized the handwriting as George’s, having already seen it on paperwork pertaining to the store. And if the writing belonged to George Ross, that meant the will was truly his—which meant . . .

He looked up and into Melanie’s eyes. “I guess this makes it official.”

Her face fairly glowed, and she bounced up and down on her toes, looking as if she wanted to break into a joyous dance. “That’s right. We’re partners. You can’t run me off now.”

The marshal raised his eyebrows and looked at Caleb.

Caleb squirmed under the man’s sharp scrutiny and tried to keep from looking as if he’d just had his legs kicked out from under him. Melanie was right. There was no way he could ease her out of the store now. George’s will made it clear—she had as much right to be there as he did.

M
elanie hummed while she bent over the wooden crate lid she had sanded smooth that morning and wielded her paintbrush with care as she put the finishing touches on a new sign. She took her time cleaning her brush and putting the paint jar away in the back room. Returning to her newly painted sign, she touched the bright crimson letters with her fingertips to make sure they were dry before carrying the placard to the window and angling it so it would be visible from the street.

Caleb looked up from the back shelves, where he stood atop the stepladder, restocking cans of vegetables. “What are you doing?”

“Putting up a sign.”

“I can see that.” Caleb climbed down from the stepladder and walked over to the window. “What’s it for?”

Melanie favored him with a placid smile. “I’m going to run a special on those chamber pots.”

“You’re
what
?” Caleb’s look of horror would have been comical if not for the scowl that accompanied it.

Melanie clasped her hands in front of her. “We haven’t sold a one of these in the time I’ve been here. It’s far better to move the existing inventory so we can make room for new stock, even if we have to sell it at a discount. Don’t you agree?”

He didn’t. Melanie could tell by the way his chin jutted out. She continued to smile sweetly, all the while bracing herself for the argument she knew would ensue. Instead, Caleb returned to the stepladder and went back to restocking, setting the cans of peas on the shelf with more force than necessary.

Melanie checked the position of her sign again, singing softly under her breath. Finding Cousin George’s will had made things infinitely easier for her . . . if not for Caleb. With her position finally established, she no longer had to prove herself. The discovery of the will made her a bona fide partner, and the two of them would have to learn to get along . . . whether Caleb liked it or not.

Which he didn’t. He had, however, accepted defeat. Although the glowering looks he sent her way made his feelings plain enough.
Too bad.
Melanie chuckled under her breath.

She looked up every time someone passed by the window, half expecting Will Blake to stop by. Her lips curved at the memory of the visits he’d made to the store over the past few days, sometimes making some small purchase as an excuse, other times merely to stop and pass the time with her. Obviously her tirade last week hadn’t been enough to deter his interest. And she was glad of that. The better she got to know Will, the more she valued his friendship.

Shooting a quick glance at her unwilling partner, she ducked into the storeroom and headed straight for the intricately inlaid music box. She found her way blocked by a large crate she hadn’t seen before.

Melanie bent over and peered at the label. Her pulse quickened when she saw her name and the word
Fragile
stenciled on the top. It must be the set of china she’d ordered. Reaching for a small crowbar, she pried the crate lid open and worked her hand down through the excelsior until her fingers encountered a smooth, curved object.

She pushed the excelsior away, lifted her find from its nest of wood shavings, and held the teacup up to the light. A smile curved her lips. The china’s Blush pattern was even more beautiful than she had imagined.

And Caleb hadn’t said a word about its arrival.

Fine.
Melanie’s smile broadened as she straightened and brushed off her skirt with her free hand. She wouldn’t say anything to him about her discovery. She would take her time to plan the perfect display, then set it out and surprise him.

She bent to return the cup to the crate, but then thought better of it and dug through the excelsior again until she located a delicate saucer. Wiping both cup and saucer free of dust, she set them on a shelf in plain view. Caleb couldn’t help but see them next time he came into the storeroom.

Melanie chuckled as she leaned across the crate and reached for the music box. Her fingers traced the scrolled pattern of inlaid wood on the top. Even if they didn’t offer it for sale, such a beautiful piece deserved to be out on display, not hidden away where no one could appreciate it. Lifting it with care, she carried it into the mercantile and set it in a place she had already cleared on a shelf that held crockery and other breakable items.

She stepped back to admire the effect and felt something roll under her foot. Looking down, she saw she had stepped on one of Levi’s tin soldiers. Scooping up the toy, she bent to
peer under the counter and beckoned to Levi. “You mustn’t line your men up on the floor like that. One of the customers might trip over them. Why don’t you set them up on one of the shelves, where they’ll be out of the way?”

Levi pushed his lower lip out but complied with her request, and was soon intent on arranging his troops on one of the shelves under the fabric table.

Melanie smiled. In addition to feeling more like a part of the store, she was beginning to feel more confident about using the skills learned during her time as a governess in dealing with Levi. The boy just needed more attention than he had been getting.

Caleb wasn’t an uncaring father, she mused while she ran the feather duster across a display of bar soap. The poor man was just overwhelmed. She could only imagine the pressure he’d been under, trying to keep a business afloat and to corral his rambunctious son, all at the same time.

Here was another way she could add to their partnership. By helping with Levi, she could ease the strain Caleb had been under. She had already implemented several changes in that area, making it a practice to check on Levi’s whereabouts at frequent intervals instead of assuming that silence meant he was staying in his fort and out of trouble. Experience had taught her that silence was not always golden. Knowing where he was and what he was doing at all times had proven remarkably effective in keeping the boy in line.

The bell tinkled, and a man dressed in dusty miner’s garb stepped inside, holding the door open to admit the mayor’s wife, as well.

Levi scooted across to Melanie and tugged at her skirt. “It’s the
S
lady,” he whispered.

Melanie shooed him back to play with his soldiers, smothering a smile at the boy’s fascination with Ophelia Pike’s exaggerated curves.

Mrs. Pike eyed Levi playing quietly and gave Melanie an approving nod.

“Good morning, Mrs. Pike. May I help you?” Melanie asked.

“Thank you,” the other woman replied, “but I think I’d like to browse awhile.”

The miner wandered to the other end of the store and began sorting through a selection of pick handles. A moment later, Caleb joined him, and the two were soon deep in discussion.

Melanie picked up the feather duster and continued cleaning the displays.

“Miss Ross, I need your advice.” Mrs. Pike’s voice carried clearly from near the shelves where bolts of fabric were stored.

Melanie set the feather duster aside and turned toward the fabric table to check on Levi. He wasn’t there.

She shot a frantic glance around the rest of the store, but the boy was nowhere to be seen. But he’d been busy lining up his soldiers only a moment before. Where could he have gone in such a short time?

Mrs. Pike unrolled a length of calico and held it up. “I’m trying to decide if this would be suitable for a morning dress.” She raised the cloth for Melanie to see. She turned slightly as she did so, revealing Levi standing directly behind her.

Melanie gasped, and her throat went dry. She now had a clear view of Levi, his little face screwed up in a mask of concentration. The tip of his tongue protruded from one corner of his mouth as he focused on setting up a skirmish
line of soldiers ever so neatly . . . on the shelf created by Ophelia Pike’s bustle.

Melanie watched in fascinated horror, wondering what she should do. She discarded her first impulse to leap across the intervening space and snatch the soldiers up in her hand. But the mayor’s wife was certain to discover the battalion on her backside any moment, and Melanie cringed at the thought of her reaction.

Caleb left the miner looking through a stack of canvas-duck work trousers and strolled her way, unaware of the little drama playing out before him.

Melanie waved, trying to send him a silent signal without catching Mrs. Pike’s attention.

The lady in question reached for a different bolt of fabric. “Or perhaps this shade of blue would suit my complexion better. What do you think?”

“That would be lovely, too, Mrs. Pike.”

Melanie recognized the exact moment Caleb realized what was going on from the terrified expression on his face. He shot a questioning look at Melanie, who could only shrug a response and gesture at him. He was closer, and Levi was his son. It was up to him to do something to save the situation.

Inching up behind the unsuspecting Mrs. Pike, Caleb stretched out one hand and picked up a soldier between his thumb and forefinger, removing it from its perch with infinite care.

Levi opened his mouth to voice a protest, but Caleb quelled him with a warning look.

“Or perhaps this would be better?” Mrs. Pike swung around to face Melanie. Her movement also brought her face-to-face with Caleb, who stood with his hand hovering over the spot where her derriere had been a moment before.

Mrs. Pike’s mouth formed an
O
, and her eyes grew round. “I
beg
your pardon!”

Caleb stood as though he’d been turned to stone, his hand still reaching into open air. “I . . . I was just . . .”

Mrs. Pike backed away from him a step. As she did so, Melanie saw the soldiers teeter, then slide off the bustle and down the back of the voluminous skirts to hit the floor with a muffled clatter. Melanie held her breath, but Mrs. Pike was so caught up in her indignation she didn’t notice.

She held Caleb in place with an icy stare. “May I ask what you think you are doing?”

Caleb continued to stammer. “I thought I saw . . . something . . . on the back of your . . . um . . .” His voice trailed off, and his face turned dark red.

“Well, I never! A gentleman doesn’t accost a lady like that, regardless of what he thinks he may have seen.” Holding her head high, Mrs. Pike pushed the bolt of fabric into his hands and swept out of the store.

Levi ran to Melanie and buried his face in her skirt. Melanie couldn’t blame him. From the look on his father’s face, she could only imagine the dire consequences he was planning for the boy for putting him in that predicament.

Caleb looked over his shoulder at the miner, who didn’t seem to be paying them the least bit of attention. When he turned back around, he crossed the floor to where Levi cowered next to Melanie and spoke in a fierce whisper. “What do you think you were doing?”

Levi flinched. “I was just lining up my soldiers.”

Caleb ran his finger around the edge of his collar. “But why on . . . ? Why there?”

Levi pointed at Melanie. “She told me to.”

Melanie gasped and stared at Levi in shock. “What? I did no such thing!”

The little boy bobbed his head up and down. “You did. You told me to set them up on a shelf.”

Caleb shifted his smoldering glare to Melanie. At that moment, she wished she had someone to hide behind. Judging by Caleb’s expression, Levi wasn’t the only one in hot water.

Melanie watched Levi scamper ahead of her along the boardwalk, reveling in the freedom of being outside, in the open air.
As he should be
, she thought. Children needed to be outdoors instead of spending their days cooped up inside. Perhaps she should suggest to Caleb that he take his son out for some time together every day. If he felt uneasy about leaving her to her own devices in the store while he was gone, she could offer to take the boy herself.

Today, though, she had simply taken Levi by the hand and left. Outdoors was the best place for both of them to be at the moment, on the far side of Lincoln Street, away from Caleb’s steely glare.

Not that he didn’t have some justification for his anger, she thought, remembering Ophelia Pike’s face when she saw his hand hovering near her backside.

Melanie glanced over her shoulder and saw Caleb watching them from the doorway. She let out a sigh of relief when a pair of customers arrived and Caleb went back inside to help them.