AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“That’s an offer I won’t refuse,” Josh said with a grin. He slapped Theo’s shoulder, then tipped his head to Rena as she plunged her hands into the hot water. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss Burke. If I don’t see you before, I’ll look forward to seeing you Sunday.”
Before she could explain all the reasons she would not attend the church service, Josh picked up a sleepy Gabi and carried her outside. Rena listened to the jingle of the harness as he left, heading back toward the road that would take him to Holiday.
“Do Josh and Gabi live in town?” she asked Theo as he took a clean dish towel from a drawer and began drying the dishes.
“Almost. They have a place just beyond the outskirts of town to the east. It’s close enough Gabi can walk to school if needed, but Josh drops her off. She’s still so young, he’s afraid she’ll get hit by a runaway wagon or abducted by nefarious mountain men or eaten by bears running loose through town.”
Rena’s eyes widened, then she realized Theo was teasing. “An abundance of nefarious mountain men and bears to contend with in Holiday, are there?”
Theo shrugged with feigned innocence. “You just never know.”
Rena elbowed his side, and they both laughed, falling into the easy camaraderie she’d always shared with her two Marshall cousins. Well, they were her only cousins, but she’d adored them both as long as she could remember.
Laura, a milliner by trade, had moved to Caldwell, Texas, where she’d made friends and settled in like the town had always been her home.
Theo had left Texas a handful of years ago, working on ranches and in mines, learning a variety of trades as he’d made his way west. Last year, he’d arrived in Holiday, bought the land, and gone to work at the mine.
Rena had missed them both but was grateful they’d continued to keep in touch through letters.
“Do you really like it here in Holiday?” Rena asked, as she rinsed the last dish and handed it to Theo.
“I do, Rena. Holiday is a newer, growing place, but the majority of the people here are caring and kind. It’s not just a town. Holiday is a community full of people you can count on.”
“Like Josh?” Despite herself, Rena couldn’t keep her thoughts from dwelling on the saddle shop owner. She’d learned he’d been in Holiday for nine years, that he and Gabi both loved fried chicken, and that he had intellect as well as wit.
She knew she could be friends with Josh, just as Theo had found a good friend in him. But to consider the possibility of anything more was ludicrous. Ridiculous. Painfully preposterous.
A handsome man like Josh Gatlin wouldn’t want a thing to do with a woman like Rena. It was all for the best if she locked that idea in her head and didn’t let it tumble out.
The past was far too painful to consider, and she hoped that by coming to Holiday, she’d finally free herself of the memories that haunted her. Holiday was her opportunity to begin anew, and there was nothing in her plans that included romance.
Rena would have scoffed at herself and her meaningless musings if Theo hadn’t been standing right next to her.
“Tell me more about your job,” she said, and he launched into describing his mine blasting work, and the men with whom he worked.
She listened to him as she packed clean dishes into the picnic basket that had come from the restaurant. Josh had said they could drop it off at the hotel the next time they were in town. From the sound of things, that would be Sunday, unless she ventured into Holiday sooner.
“So, what do you think?” Theo asked.
Rena yanked her wandering thoughts back to the present. “I’m sorry, Theo, I wasn’t paying attention. What did you ask?”
“I said there’s an immediate opening at the mine working with me. In your last letter, you mentioned your interest in gaining employment at the mine. The office and cookshack positions have been filled, but they need a new blaster. I already spoke with the manager and the mine owner. They are willing to give you a chance if you can do the work.”
“What?” Rena gaped at her cousin and nearly dropped the bowl in her hand. She set it on the table and stared at him. “Please repeat what you just said.”
Theo grinned, set the bowl into the basket, and closed the lid. “I said there’s a job at the mine if you want it. The work is hard and dirty, but it pays well. The added bonus is that I’ll be right there, working beside you. It is dangerous, and you have to be careful, but you’re smart, and you’ve always caught on quickly to learning something new. If you want to come with me on Monday, you can give the job a try. If you aren’t interested, that’s fine too. I just wanted you to have that option.”
Although her mind whirled with questions, she threw her arms around Theo and gave him a hug. “Thank you, Theo. Thank you so much. Are you sure you want me to work at the mine with you? People will talk.”
“That’s a bunch of twaddle. If anyone says something to upset you, just tell me. They’ll only say it once. Besides, I don’t care what people say, and I didn’t think you did either.”
“I don’t care what they say about me, but I don’t want that to flow onto you. This is your home. The mine is where you’ve worked for nearly a year. I don’t want to make anything difficult for you by …”
When she hesitated to say more, Theo placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. “By what?” he questioned.
Rena dropped her gaze to her fingers as she worried a loose thread on her shirt. “By being me,” she said softly.
“I happen to like you, cousin. It makes no difference to me if you wear trousers or skirts, if you attend tea parties or blast holes up in the hills in a mining camp. None of that makes a whit of difference as to who you are.”
