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“Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to be here, Mr. Andrews.” Rena shook his hand.
“Of course, and call me Cade.” He motioned to the two chairs placed in front of a hulking desk. “Let’s discuss specifics.”
Cade told her what her duties would entail as a blaster, the wage she would earn, and the hours he expected her to work.
“Don’t think because you’re a woman I’ll give you any special treatment or favors,” Cade cautioned as he had her fill out a form that listed her name, the position she intended to work, and next of kin in case of an emergency. She wrote Theo’s name, dated the form, and signed her name with a flourish.
“I wouldn’t expect any, sir, but I do expect to be treated fairly and with respect from all the men here.”
“I’d like to say no one will bother you, but they will. You have my permission to punch them in the nose, or somewhere more painful if you like if anyone says or does anything they shouldn’t. Mostly, the people working for me just want to do the work, receive the money they are due, and kick up their heels on Saturday night when they venture into town. Our cook is a woman, as is my bookkeeper. They also happen to be sisters and watch out for each other. They’ll likely watch over you. I’ll give you this week to try out the work and see if it suits you or not, and if you fit in at the Gilded Pine. If, by Friday, you want to leave or I feel it best you not return, I’ll pay you for the work done this week, and you’ll be free to seek employment elsewhere. Sound fair?”
Rena stood and held out her hand to her new employer. “Yes, sir. Thank you for giving me a chance.”
He rose from his seat and gave her hand a hearty shake. “Don’t thank me yet. It’s dirty, hard, nerve-wracking work you’ll be doing, but if you do it according to my standards, you’ll be adequately compensated for your labor. Truthfully, Miss Burke, I don’t rightly care if a man, woman, or baboon does the job as long as they do it well and use the sense the good Lord gave them while they work.” The mine owner grinned at her. “Now, I’ll let Theo show you around and introduce you to the fellows you’ll be working with. If you have any questions or suggestions, you’re always welcome to come talk to me.”
“Thank you, sir.” Rena started toward the door with Theo, but it opened, and an older man walked inside. He maintained a neutral expression as he eyed her from the cap on top of her head to the toes of her worn boots.
“This her?” he asked, glancing at Theo and then at Cade.
“If you can’t tell she’s a woman, Ike, you got bigger problems than any of us can help.” Cade smirked at the man. “Miss Burke, meet my manager, Ike Hilson. He’s a bit on the crotchety side, but don’t let it bother you. He generally hates everybody just the same.”
Rena met the man’s cool glare with one of her own. He could have been thirty or sixty, based on the lines carved into his face and the hard look about him, but when she didn’t cower or back away from him, he reached out a hand and smiled.
“Welcome, Miss Burke. Theo said you don’t have any experience but are a fast learner. We’ll see how fast you can catch onto what this job requires. There isn’t room for error, so you best decide now if you even want to give it a go.”
She took the offered hand and shook it. “I do, Mr. Hilson. I don’t have anything to lose by trying, and if I blow myself up, I just hope I don’t take anyone else along to Purgatory.”
Mr. Hilson looked to Cade. “I like this one. She’s got pluck.” He glanced back at Rena. “Call me Ike. Everyone else here does. Head over to the cookshack and pick up your lunches, then meet me over at the blaster’s building.”
Ike moved aside, and Rena stepped outside.
“Come on. Let’s go get our grub.” Theo led the way to a large building. He opened the door, and rows of men seated at tables eating breakfast seemed to turn as one to glare at her. Rena had taken care to wear her loosest pair of trousers and shirt, pulled on a vest and a canvas jacket, and had braided her hair and tucked it up inside a boy’s cap she’d purchased at the store in Holiday the other day. She didn’t want to ruin her father’s hat in the mine, and the cap would help keep her hair out of her way.
She wasn’t sure if the men stared because they realized she was a woman, or they thought she was a boy too young to do the work. Either way, she decided not to let any of them intimidate her.
Rena widened her stance, crossed her arms over her chest, and fixed her gaze on the back of the room where a doorway led into the kitchen. The scents of coffee and bacon floated in the air, making her glad she and Theo had taken time to eat breakfast before they left that morning. She’d filled a small tin with cookies and tucked them into her saddlebag, which she hoped she’d be able to get to at some point during the day.
“This is our newest hire, Rena Burke,” Theo said, taking a step forward so he was standing between Rena and the room full of men. “Rena is going to work with me and Harry and the other powder monkeys. If anyone gives her any trouble, it will be the last thing on earth they ever do.”
A few men nodded in understanding, others turned away as though they didn’t want any trouble, and the rest began murmuring about the owner losing his mind to hire a woman to do a man’s job.
Theo had already told her they had a terrible time finding anyone willing to work as a blaster because it was such a dangerous job. If there were a man who wanted it, she was sure Cade wouldn’t have hired her.
“Ignore them,” Theo whispered close to her ear, then guided her over to a table pushed against the wall, where lunch pails were stacked three high and a dozen rows deep. Theo picked up two, handed one to her, then stepped into the doorway of the kitchen.
“Mrs. Bailey, I want to introduce you to my cousin, Rena Burke. She’s going to be working with me this week.” Theo removed his hat and tipped his head to a woman who couldn’t have been much older than Rena. She wore a voluminous apron over her diminutive form and turned from where she stood at the stove, clutching a large spoon in her hand. Her features were plain, but she smiled warmly in greeting.
“It’s nice to meet you, Rena. I hope it’s okay to call you Rena. We’re pretty informal up here. I’m Susan Bailey. You’ll likely meet my sister, Sarah, later. If there is anything you need, you let one of us know. It’s hard being a woman in this world full of men, but I applaud you for giving it a try.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Bailey. I appreciate your kind welcome and look forward to meeting your sister.”
“Did you have breakfast?” She waggled her spoon toward a long wooden counter. “I’ve got some flapjacks and bacon left.”
Theo smiled. “We ate before we rode up the mountain, but thank you for offering. I just wanted you to meet Rena and thank you for our lunches.”
“It’s my pleasure to make your lunch, Mr. Marshall. You two have a good day.” The woman turned back to the stove and began stirring something in a large pot.
Rena started to tease Theo about being sweet on Mrs. Bailey but held her tongue. She had no idea if the woman was married or a widow or if she treated all the miners with the same friendly attention.
