Jessie

  14steps and backed into a shelf. Without warning a can resting on the edge fell on the top of her head. The corner cut into her scalp.

  Jessie stood still, her hand gripping a nearby shelf, her eyes closing as she willed herself to breathe. The pain was intense for a few minutes and then settled into a persistent throb. Jessie wished Jeb were still out there seeing to folks, but with only Seth in the store to help, she knew she had to stay on the job.

  A very subdued Jessie made her way back to the store aisles, carrying the extra funnels. She placed them on the shelf with the rest of the tinware and went to the front counter. It was in pretty good order, so for the moment Jessie just stood.

  She was still just standing when Seth came in from sweeping the front walk and found her doing nothing. Not that he would have criticized. He'd never seen a woman put in the day of work she had today. He assumed her store was closed on Sunday and also that she looked forward all week to that day off.

  "Anything specific you need right now?" Seth asked, having just noticed she was frowning a little.

  "I don't think so. What time is it?"

  "Four-twenty."

  Jessie did not need to answer or even nod because Ingrid Stillwell came in. Her husband, Pete, owned the livery. She had a sizeable list, but all pretty basic, and Jessie had her out the door with a minimum of effort. The moment she left, however, Seth faced her across the counter. He leaned his arms on the wood surface until their faces were on the same level.

  "There is blood in your hair," he said quietly.

  "I figured there might be. A can fell from a shelf and hit me." "And you didn't feel a need to say anything?"

  Jessie shrugged, looking very tired. "I have a store to run, Seth. I didn't see I had a choice."

  Seth didn't comment, but neither did he agree. He certainly hadn't had much of a look at her head, but he felt it needed attention over the store.

  15"We close soon," Jessie said, ignoring his look. "I'll see to it then." "And if you need a doctor?"

  "I'll go find him," Jessie said pragmatically, wishing she could lie down and sleep for a while.

  Disapproval radiated from Seth's entire being, but he said nothing. No other customers joined them, and right on time Jessie paid Seth, thanked him as he left, and locked up for the night.

  She was tired and hungry and desperate to lie down, but realized what she must do. Slipping out the rear door of the storeroom and locking it behind her, she went to the Dorns'. Patience cleaned the wound, put something on it, and forced Jessie to eat a little supper.

  Less than an hour later, the mercantile proprietress made her way home, enough food in her to let her sleep. Doing little more than slip from her clothing and wash her face, she climbed into bed and slept all night. Not even the noise from the Saturday night crowd in the bars on Main Street disturbed her.

  Jessie did not sleep in. Though she was naturally an early riser, she did lie around on this Sunday, her head paining her a bit. It was not miserable, but the missed dinner and small supper from the day before had worn on her. Headache or not, she knew she needed food.

  Sunday was her day to cook and enjoy. She cooked most other days as well, but this was the day she could relax and savor what she'd made. This meal was no different. She had planned to keep it simple-a few eggs and some toasted bread-but once she got going, she made herself a feast. She added bacon and potatoes to the menu, and brewed extra coffee to enjoy.

  She wasn't two bites into the meal when she knew it had been worth it. Putting her feet up and opening the weekly newspaper she didn't have time or energy to read during the week, Jessie began to enjoy her day off.

  16Pastor English had made the offer in total sincerity, but he was not surprised when Seth did not show any interest in joining him in church. The young man was polite and kind, but his interest in spiritual things was not just greatly lacking, it was nonexistent.

  The pastor even invited him to the pie social they were planning for that afternoon, but knew with a fair amount of certainty that he would not see Seth Redding. Seth helped him with the dishes, but even before the pastor left for the church building, the younger man was on his way out the door. He didn't take his bag so Pastor English knew he would still be spending another night, but he strongly doubted he would see him the rest of the day.

  Jessie's head felt fine by late morning, but the apartment was growing a little warm. Not moving very fast, she cleaned the kitchen and put her shoes on. After putting the apartment in order, she headed downstairs and through the storeroom. She was outside and had locked the door before she turned and spotted Seth Redding sitting under a tree watching her. Jessie stared at him a moment and then started that way.

  "I wondered if you were ever going to come out that door," he said, pushing to his feet as she neared.

  "Is that what you're doing here, waiting for me?"

  "You're surprised?"

  "I didn't know if I would see you again so, yes, I'm surprised." "Meaning you don't need me to work, or you thought I would be leaving town?"

  "The latter, but I just remembered you told Jeb you might be sticking around."

  "At the moment I don't know what I'm doing," Seth admitted, and then added, "How's your head?"

  17"It's doing all right. Patience checked it for me."

  "Patience?"

  "Jeb's wife."

  "Are they family?"

  "Jeb and my father were cousins."

  Seth nodded, his eyes watching her. Jessie looked right back. "Would you care to walk along Token Creek, Miss Wheeler?" Jessie, simply liking him and the way he said things, smiled. Seth

  took that smile for a yes.

  18

  Two

  "PASTOR, MAY I ASKyou a question?" Jeb began, having caught the man after the service.

  "Certainly, Jeb."

  "You mentioned during the sermon that a young man is staying with you right now. Is it Seth Redding?"

  "It is. Did you meet him at the store?"

  "Yes. What do you think of him?"

  "He's very polite and grateful for the meals and the bed." The pastor stopped and looked at the other man a moment. "Are you worried about Jessie?"

  "Not worried exactly-she takes care of herself very well-but I know if you had a concern I could talk to her about it. She listens to me."

  "I don't have a concern about Jessie's safety, Jeb. I'm not sure Seth is planning to stay in town very long. And as far as I can tell, he's been honest with me. We've talked a little in the evenings. He has very little family alive and no real roots. He also has no interest in biblical matters- that does concern me no small amount-but then I know Jessie doesn't either."

  "That's true. I'm hoping someday that will change, but she's her father's girl. Hiram Wheeler didn't feel he needed God for anything.

  19He had his store and his strong back and hands and believed that was all he needed."

  "That was my impression too. How would you say Jessie has done with his being gone?"

  "I think she does fine. I'm thankful to say she comes to us when she has a need."

  "That's good to hear. Maybe if Seth stays in town for a while, you'll have an opportunity to have him and Jessie over. That way you can see firsthand what he's like."

  "That's a good idea, Pastor," Jeb said. The men had worked together on Saturday, but there had been no time for socializing in the store on that day. Jeb realized his attention had drifted a bit and added, "I don't think I would have thought of that, so thank you."

  The men said their goodbyes and Jeb found Patience. On their walk home, he told her what their pastor had said and what he had in mind.

  >

  "You actually run the store by yourself, don't you?" Seth asked when they'd walked for a time.

  "Yes. My father has been dead for more than a year."

  "And your mother?"

  "She died two years ahead of him."

  "No siblings?"

  "I'm afraid not."

  "You sou
nd like you have regrets."

  "It wasn't my choice, but some days it would be nice to have someone else who cared."

  She was doing odd things to Seth's heart, and he knew she wasn't even trying. It didn't hurt that she was beautiful, but it was far more than that. He liked her toughness and her confidence.

  "What's in Texas?" Jessie suddenly asked.

  "My brother."

  20"What's he doing there?"

  "He's from there. We didn't have the same fathers and haven't lived together that much."

  "Where are you from?"

  "Kingdon way."

  "When did you decide to move to Texas?"

  "What makes you think I'm moving?"

  "Well, you told me all you own is in your bag. That doesn't sound like a man who's planning to return."

  "Eliot, that's my brother, likes it down there," Seth said by way of an answer. "He thinks I will too."

  "Will he wonder what happened when you're delayed?"

  "We're pretty independent, and he knew I would have to work my way along."

  Jessie nodded before asking, "Who do you think took your money?"

  "I don't know, but it's my own fault." Seth's voice held a level of disgust. "For some reason I moved the bills to my shirt pocket and then nodded off. If I'd left them in my pants pocket, no one could have gotten to them."

  "Well," Jessie said, working not to like him too much. "You could be stranded in worse places. Token Creek is a very nice town with many fine folks."

  "Including Jessie Wheeler?"

  "I don't know about that. I'm just a store owner with usually more work than time."

  "You must look forward to Sundays all week."

  "I do look forward to the day off, but I also close at five, so I have my evenings too."

  "Was that a hint?"

  Jessie blinked at him. "A hint for what?"

  Seth almost accused her of hinting that he ask her to dinner, but he could see by her face that she was doing no such thing. Instead he changed the subject.

  21"Pastor English invited me to a pie social the church is having this afternoon."

  "Are you going?"

  "If you are," Seth felt bold enough to say.

  "I wasn't planning on it."

  "Fair enough, but it might beat walking the creek line in the June heat."

  Jessie nodded thoughtfully and made sure she was looking at him when she said, "You could always come to supper at my place."

  The interest in the eyes watching her was unmistakable, and Jessie decided to be very clear."Justsupper," she added.

  "Just supper is fine," Seth said smoothly, smiling at the way she read his mind.

  "You're sure about that? Because I wouldn't want there to be any misunderstandings."

  "I'm sure. What are you having?"

  "Chicken and dumplings."

  Seth nodded, looking pleased but not saying what was on his mind. He didn't know when he would have enough money to get himself to Texas, but that might not be as great a factor as it once was. This woman was simply too good to be true, and Seth thought he might need to stick around long enough to find out if he was wrong.

  Trace Holden sat down at the pie social with his aunt, Jeanette Fulbright, and was swiftly followed by his brother, Brad. The pie social was being held on the grassy area between the church building and the parsonage. s

  "How is Mama today?" Brad asked. He was Trace's senior by 21 months, but the men looked enough like twins to be mistaken for such on a regular basis.

  "She's doing well. Becky stayed with her," Jeanette added, referring to her cook. "Do you have time to come see her after we're done?"

  22"We're planning on it."

  Jeanette looked at their handsome faces and tried to think about how much her sister, Theta, was missing. Two years earlier her husband, Wes Holden, had come home drunk and beaten her almost to death. She had never been the same. Wes had taken off and not been heard from since, but the boys continued to run the ranch on their own. Jeanette had taken her sister into her home in town and cared for her every need.

  "What pie did you get?" Jeanette asked her nephews, working not to think about Theta just then.

  "I started with berry," Trace said. "Now I'm working on apple." "Lest you feel faint before supper," Jeanette teased gently, bringing a smile to the youngest Holden's mouth.

  "How about you, Brad?" Jeanette asked.

  "I'm still on my first piece-it's apple-but I think I'll have the berry next."

  His aunt couldn't stop another smile, and Brad caught it, his own eyes twinkling.

  "What kind did you bring, Jeanette?" Trace asked.

  "Peach crumble."

  "Oh," he said softly, almost reverently. "I'll have to have some of that too."

  This made Jeanette laugh outright but also reminded her that she hadn't had pie. As it was, the three of them made for the pie table at the same time.

  "This is nice," Seth said, standing in Jessie's living room several hours later and having a look around. It was one large room with three doors leading off of it. The door he'd just come through led to the stairs. He assumed the other two were bedrooms or a bedroom and a closet, but the doors were shut.

  Large windows looked over the street, and to the left of these was

  23 the kitchen area. A small dining table with just four chairs sat in front of the windows. Between that area and the stairway door was what Seth saw as the living room. There was a long sofa and two comfortable- looking chairs. Dark wood tables sat next to the chairs, and two ottomans rested before the sofa. A brightly patterned rug brought all the furniture together. Against one wall sat an oak bookshelf that held knickknacks and a dozen books or so.

  Jessie thanked Seth from her place by the stove but didn't turn to face him. She had let him in the storeroom door and led the way upstairs but, suddenly nervous, had gone back to cooking as soon as she could. She had never had a man in her rooms. She didn't know where the boldness had come from to invite him, and now that he was there, she was at loose ends.

  "Be careful," Seth said, suddenly near enough to see that she had just about burned herself.

  Jessie pulled her hand back and looked as uncomfortable as she felt.

  "Are you sorry you invited me?"

  Jessie turned to him, ready to deny it, but was honest instead. "I don't usually do this."

  "Do what?"

  "Invite men for dinner."

  "Well," Seth said slowly. He certainly hoped this evening would lead to much more, but he didn't like seeing her upset. "You have to eat supper, and I took you at your word that it was a supper invitation, and that's all I'm here for."

  Jessie stared at him.

  "You did make enough, didn't you?" Seth asked, doing well at looking stern without meaning it.

  "Yes," Jessie said, a grudging smile coming to her lips.

  "Is it ready?"

  "Just about."

  "Well, hurry it along. I'm half-starved."

  His teasing relaxed her. Jessie finished the meal, and they were

  24sitting down to eat just ten minutes later. Jessie waited for Seth to taste it, trying not to be obvious, but looking very pleased when he filled his fork, tasted it, and then chewed very slowly.

  "This is good," he said at last.

  "Thank you."

  "Are there things you can't do?" Seth suddenly asked.

  "Many, I can assure you."

  "Such as?"

  Jessie only shook her head at him and didn't try to answer. Seth ate for a time but found that his questions would not remain inside. "So what happens now?"

  "About what?"

  "About you? Do you keep running the store forever on your own?"

  "I hadn't thought about it," Jessie admitted with a small shrug. "It's all I've ever known."

  "Do you wish for change?"

  "For some things, but not in leaving the store."

  "What type of changes do you want?"

  "It would be nice to have a hous
e. Living and working in the same place gets old."

  "Where would you build?"

  "Someplace close, so when the weather changes I don't have far to go." Jessie stopped and smiled. "I guess that's the one advantage to working and living in the same place. I don't have to go out into the cold to get to work."

  Seth smiled at her smile and went back to eating.

  "So who did you leave in Kingdon?" Jessie asked.

  "No one. My mother lived there for a longtime, but she met someone and moved on."

  "Why didn't you go with them?"

  "I wasn't invited."

  "Where is your father?"

  "I don't know. I've never known him. My mother's last name is

  25Handley; Eliot's is McDermott; and mine is Redding. We're not what anyone would call settled."

  "When was the last time you saw your brother?"

  "It's been awhile. He visited two houses ago."

  Jessie digested this a moment before commenting, "It sounds like you've moved around quite a bit."

  "Not too far from Kingdon. Most of our places were in that area." "Where all have you worked?"

  "I've done some mining, something Idon'tplan to do again. I worked on a ranch for about five years, but other than a beef dinner every night, it wasn't a life I enjoyed. I've worked in plenty of saloons and a mercantile too."

  "What was your favorite?"

  "You won't believe me if I tell you."

  "Try me."

  "The general store."

  Jessie's mouth opened for a moment, but then doubts flooded in. Was he just saying that to be charming?

  "I knew you wouldn't believe me."

  "I didn't say that."

  "You didn't have to."

  Jessie went back to her meal, but she couldn't quite stop the small smile that turned up the corners of her mouth. She made herself not look at him, but suddenly every part of her being was glad she had invited him.

  When the meal ended and they talked for a little while and he took his leave without once hinting for more, Jessie was glad again. Indeed, she had to do everything in her power to hold her heart in check.

  "Is that you, Seth?" Pastor English asked when he heard the front door.