Carol: Sweet Western Historical Romance (Brides of Archer Ranch Book 2)

by Cindy Caldwell

  "You feeling all right?" Joe said as he set down his hammer and plunged the horseshoe into water, steam soaring high into the shop.

  "I feel fine. Why?"

  “Well, that's about the tenth time you walked outside since lunchtime."

  Will leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers behind his head. "Can't seem to stop thinking about that chair. There's gotta be a better way. Has to be something I can fix."

  Joe picked up a rag and wiped his hands, throwing it on the workbench. He walked over to the water spigot and pumped a couple times, filling a bucket and moving back over and pouring it in the barrel that he’d plunged the horseshoe into.

  Will thought maybe Joe wasn’t going to say anything else, so he leaned forward, reaching for a new sheet of blank paper.

  "Well, I wasn't sure if it was so much the chair that you’re interested in or the girl who sits in it." Joe picked up the horseshoe, pulling it out of the water and laying it on the anvil. Will turned and looked at him slowly as Joe started to pound rhythmically once again.

  "Carol, you mean?"

  Joe looked up at his brother, laugh lines crinkling around his soft brown eyes. "Don't know any other girls around here who sit in chairs with wheels on them, do you?"

  Will cocked his head and looked at his brother. “I have no interest in Carol other than trying to help with her chair. You know how I am about things like that. I like to make things work better."

  Joe shook his head and turned back to his horseshoe. "Maybe you should work on your eyes, brother, and make them see a little bit better."

  Will stood and clasped his hands behind his back, crossing over to the door. "What do you mean?"

  “If you could see beyond the pencil that’s always at the end of your nose, you’d see that she's a beautiful young lady. Sweet and kind, too. Not like...”

  Joe didn’t have to finish his sentence for Will to know exactly who he was talking about.

  “And I'd venture to say that I've seen her look at you the way you seem to look at the Tombstone Public Library when you're standing in the middle of the road.

  Will stopped in his tracks and turned around to face his brother. His eyes narrowed as he thought about what Joe had said. He’d be lying if he said he didn't notice how beautiful Carol was, but he had absolutely no interest in courting anybody. Especially somebody who talked as much as she did.

  "From what I understand, she has an old friend coming in next week, anyway. Not that it matters. Never even thought about getting married.”

  "Who said anything about getting married? I'm not sure I ever want to do that, either. But if you like spending so much time with her, even though you say you don't, I say you get off your perch in the middle the street and go on down there and talk to her. Ask her how them poles are working out for her and see if there's anything else you can do. Maybe then you might get a little sleep."

  Will thought about it for a moment, and decided with as many times as he’d gone outside wondering how those poles were working, he might as well go down and ask her himself. Didn't mean a thing. Just meant that he wanted to help her, like he helped everybody else. What could be the harm in that?

  Chapter 19

  Carol had been working at the library for a few hours that day and even though she had the poles to help her get around, she was a little bit tired. And when her stomach grumbled, she realized she was hungry, too. She’d certainly enjoyed her afternoon, and the week that she’d worked at the library beforehand. People had come in and out the entire time she was there, and she was doing much better at being able to find books and give them to the people who wanted to borrow them. She and Rose had worked out how they could log the books and know which ones were out and who borrowed them. They hadn't been open long enough to worry about whether people were going to return them or not. But she was sure that Rose had a plan for that, too.

  She stamped the date on the inside of the book that she'd been holding, and also on the piece of paper that Rose had fashioned for people borrowing books. She held the book up toward the smiling little girl standing in front of her. She smiled in return, remembering how many times she’d enjoyed having a book in her hands, looking forward to an adventure even if it was inside her head.

  "Here you go, Lily," she said as the young girl clutched the book to her chest. Lily’s mother, Suzanne, smoothed her daughter's blonde hair and pulled it back behind her shoulders. "Where's Lucy today?"

  Carol couldn't remember a time she'd seen one of the twins without the other, and she looked up inquiringly at Suzanne.

  "It's not a very common thing to see them apart, is it? Sadie begged and begged for me to let her take Lucy with her into the Occidental this afternoon after school. The baby should be arriving fairly soon, and I think she's getting a little nervous about how to manage little ones. Hopefully, Lucy won't turn her off children forever as it's too late now."

  Lily hugged her book tighter. “Mama thought that maybe two of us might be a little too much for Aunt Sadie.” She looked up at her mother and stuck out her bottom lip. "I wanted to go to."

  Carol and Suzanne exchanged glances and Carol hid her smile behind her hand. "I know you did, Lily, but maybe it's better for your Aunt Sadie to just ease into things. I'm sure she'd love to have both of you come over and visit soon."

  Suzanne patted Lily on the shoulder. She reached for a book on Carol's desk and picked it up, turning it over in her hands. "I haven't seen this book before. I thought Papa had every book there was in his library. I know I haven't been everywhere but I thought I'd seen all the big ones."

  Carol leaned forward, her chin in her hands. "Mrs. Porter came by and donated a lot of books that she had collected when they lived in San Diego. This one struck my fancy. I've read it twice since I've been here at the library and it hasn't even been that many days."

  Lucy took the book from her mother. She cocked her little head as she looked at the covered wagon pictured on the book. Lily went to school now, and likely had learned a little bit about what it was like for people to cross the country in covered wagons.

  "I'm almost finished reading it once again," Carol said. "And when I'm done, I'd love to read it to you, Lily. I think it might be something you'd like."

  Suzanne reached for her daughter's hand, squeezed it and smiled at Carol. "That would be lovely, Carol. It's so nice what you’re doing here after school for the children. I'm sure that they enjoy listening to you read very much.”

  Carol's eyes brightened, and she hoped that it was true. She enjoyed reading to the children and did it as much as possible when there weren’t patrons there to check out books. "I hope you're right, Suzanne. I sure do enjoy it."

  "We're very much looking forward to the party this Saturday night at Archer Ranch. It's been a while since we had one and I really think everybody's going to be able attend this time. Kind of Mr. Archer to do this. And very nice for you to have an excuse that we can all get together." Suzanne tugged Lily toward the door. "Time to go, Lily. I'm sure Carol is ready to close up shop soon." As she opened the door to the street, she turned back and gave Carol a wave. "We look forward to seeing you on Saturday, Carol." As Suzanne closed the door behind her, Carol leaned back in her chair and sighed. She brushed her hair back, noticing that it had fallen out of the bun that she'd put it in that morning before she came.

  She quickly ran her hands through her hair, taking out the pins and redoing her bun more securely. She stretched her shoulders back, her eyes closed. It had been a long day.

  "You look a little tired, Miss Benson," a young boy said. Carol's eyes flew open and she searched the library. Shadows had fallen in the corners and she’d thought she was alone. Her heart skipped a beat as her eyes rested on Will, his deep brown eyes directed straight at her. Mr. Bailey’s young son sat next to Will as he held a book out open in front of him.

  She knew she hadn't seen them come in, or she would've greeted them. His black cowboy hat sat on the table in front of them, and he l
eaned back in his chair, his ankle on his knee and a book open on his lap.

  "I didn't see either one of you come in," Carol said as she tugged at her sleeves.

  "No, you've been mighty busy over there. I don't know how you talk to people so much. It'd drive me crazy."

  The boy turned to Will, his eyes wide. "She has to talk to people, Mr. Will. It's her job." Will’s gaze didn't leave Carol, and she looked up to meet his eyes. "Somehow, son, I think she pretty much likes it that way."

  Carol’s eyes flashed as she looked away. "It's almost time to close up, gentlemen. Were you enjoying your books?"

  "Mr. Will said he found his favorite book. He read the first part to me. Can I check it out, Miss Benson?” The boy stood and crossed over to Carol's desk. He laid the book down in front of her, and she picked it up. She looked up at Will and smiled. "The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe?" "Yes, ma'am. What boy wouldn’t love to read about being stranded on an island where you have to make everything yourself?"

  Carol glanced down at the poles by her side. “And where there’s no one to talk to, don’t you mean?”

  Will closed the door behind Mr. Bailey’s son and turned toward Carol as he frowned. “I didn’t say that.”

  “Not right now, you didn’t, but you’ve said it several times.”

  Will sat down next to her and crossed his legs, his foot on his knee. He thought for a moment, then said, “Didn’t mean to say anything bad. There’s just a lot of talking going on at my house, with very little of it meaning a darn thing. Sometimes I’d just rather be quiet.”

  Carol reached for a book that had been returned and reached for her poles, moving the chair between two of the book shelves. She stopped before the far wall, the one with the high shelves, and peered up as she searched for the proper section to replace the book. She sighed as she found it—it was way too far for her to reach. She tried anyway, though, and could almost reach the shelf that was second from the top.

  She closed her eyes as she reached, and opened them as the book disappeared from her hand. She looked up just as Will replaced the book, filling an empty space.

  “Is this the right place?” he said as he reached down for the handle of the chair and pulled her back toward the table.

  “Yes,” she said. “I didn’t want to bother you with any talking.

  She knew it sounded spiteful, and she wondered if maybe she was just tired. But darn it, she liked to talk, liked people, and she’d never met anyone as frustrating as Will. Ever since he’d made the poles for her and she’d almost told him about the accident, she wanted to talk to him more than anyone she’d ever met—and he didn’t want that. She was glad that she hadn’t had the chance, now that she knew how he really felt—that he hadn’t really wanted to know.

  Will smiled at her and glanced at the clock. “It’s past closing time. Who’s planning to fetch you today?”

  She gave up, feeling a little petty for trying to bait him, and sighed. “Adam, and he said he’d be a little early.” She leaned forward, looking out the window and up and down the street. “He’s never late. I can’t imagine what’s happened.”

  She hoped he’d leave now and let her fend for herself. She had the key and could close up on her own. “You can go. He should be here any minute.”

  Will stood and pushed his chair under the table. “That won’t do. Couldn’t leave you hear alone with no sure way home.”

  “Really, it’s fine. I—”

  He held his palm up at her. “Don’t mind waiting. How about some ice cream while we’re at it?”

  Chapter 20

  Carol did her best to maneuver the chair with wheels out on the uneven boardwalk. With Will’s help, she managed to get through the door of the library but the planks on the boardwalk were old and worn, and it was a little bit different. She managed to reach behind her and pulled the door to the library closed, turning the key in the lock and slipping it into her pocket.

  She sighed once again and wriggled her shoulders. The last week at the library, she’d spent a lot of time reaching, lifting and trying to move around just to help people find the book they wanted. It had been a long time since she’d done that much. She felt it in her shoulders as she picked up the poles.

  Normally, one of her brothers would pull the handle and sometimes Saffron if it was just the two of them. She didn't have to do anything or worry about steering toward where she was going. But she’d made the commitment to try to do it on her own and she wasn't going to stop now.

  Fortunately, the ice cream parlor was only several stores down. She wasn't able to get down the stairs on the boardwalk without assistance, and none of her family was there to help her. She managed with the poles, spinning the wheels forward slowly as Will walked beside her. She was also grateful that it wasn't a busy time of day, and people didn't have to step aside as she rolled by.

  Her mouth watered as she remembered the strawberry ice cream that she and Saffron had gotten the first time they’d come to the ice cream parlor. It had been very kind of Will to offer to stay with her while she waited for Adam to pick her up. She couldn't imagine where he was. For the last couple of years, her brothers had hovered over her, rarely letting her out of their sight. Certainly they would never have let her out of their sight in town. This was a new experience, and while she was tired, she felt oddly excited.

  She glanced up to see Will looking down at her, his hat tipped back on his forehead. When they left the library, he’d offered to pull her as her brothers did, and she thought she saw a flicker of disappointment in his eyes when she refused. She didn't know much about Will, but she did know that he had a kind heart. When she’d looked up to see him reading The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, she’d seen a side of him that she hadn't seen before. It wasn't too many men who weren’t fathers who’d take the time to read to a small boy. The kindness in his voice and the excitement she heard as he talked about Robinson Crusoe in his treehouse made her smile once again as she looked up into his soft brown eyes.

  Will pulled his hands out of his pocket and wiped them on his pants. "Are you sure I can’t pull?"

  He stopped for a moment and held onto the back of the chair with his fingers, stopping her short. "I can imagine you've had a pretty difficult day today, and I certainly wouldn't mind pulling."

  Carol looked down at her hands. Her palms were red where calluses were forming from using the poles, but she didn’t mind. It enabled her to do what she wanted to do, but she took a deep breath and wondered if it might be all right if he pulled her. It wasn't as if she was embarrassed. Her brothers pulled her all the time, in town in other places. But she didn't want to be any more trouble to Will than she already had been.

  "I'm doing just fine, thank you. It's only another couple stores. I have to get used to this, you know."

  Will cocked his head and frowned as he held her gaze. "Why do you have to get used to it when I'm right here? And I offered to help."

  Carol gripped the handles of the poles more tightly. Somehow, it was different with Will than with her brothers. Family was family, and they loved her. She really didn't want to be a burden on Will. Her cheeks heated as she set the poles on the wheels, pushing them forward. "Really, Will, I'm fine."

  Will walked a few steps ahead of her and shook his head. "Suit yourself."

  It was only a few moments before they reached the door of the ice cream parlor. Will stepped out in front of her and opened the door, walking inside and holding it wide. Carol gripped the poles tightly and tried to turn the chair into the door. As she did, she hoped that this door was wider than the one she’d encountered at the doctor’s office. Her heart sank as she realized it wasn't.

  Both wheels caught on the doorjamb. No matter how hard she tried, she wasn’t able to move herself forward. She looked up at Will, her eyes filling with frustrated tears. She’d so wanted to be independent.

  Will took the handle of the chair with wheels and pushed it backwards gently. She gasped and her heart pitched as he
turned it so it was to the side of the door, walked around and reached down and picked her up in his arms in one swift movement.

  "You might want to hang on so you don't fall,” Will said slowly as a grin spread across his face. "I don’t want to drop you."

  Carol stiffened as she held her dress over her legs with her other hand. She frequently had her brothers do the same thing—in fact, every day. But this was somehow different.

  She closed her eyes and wrapped her arm around his neck, and in the process was struck with the smell of cedar mixed with smoke and iron. It was an unfamiliar scent, but oddly not unwelcome.

  Will smiled as she tightened her grip around him. He backed away from the chair with wheels and swooped her into the ice cream parlor, scouting for an empty seat. He found one near the door by the window, and he sat Carol gently down on the chair. It took a moment for Carol's heartbeat to return to normal and she breathed deeply. “Thank you, Will. I think."

  Will sat down in the seat across the table, took his hat off and hung it on the corner of the chair behind him. "How else could we get in the ice cream parlor, Carol?" he said with a grin.

  Carol squirmed in her chair as she fiddled with the napkin on the table. "I'm sure I would've thought of something."

  Will laughed and shook his head. "Is that so?"

  Carol looked up into his twinkling brown eyes. Her chin jutted out and she squared her shoulders. "Yes, that's so. Although I am grateful for your assistance."

  "Well, now, hard to tell on that. You know, Carol, there's no shame in letting people help you."

  Carol looked down at the twisted linen napkin. "I know," she said softly. "It's just that—well...”

  “Yes?” he prodded after she’d been silent for a moment.