Romancing Adrienne

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  “Good morning, Adrienne,” Mrs. Gallows greeted. “I thought we would try making blueberry muffins with blueberry pancakes. I have lots of blueberries.”

  She nodded and put the apron around her waist.

  The old woman stopped mixing the pancake batter and stared at her. “Are you feeling alright?”

  “Yes. I feel fine.” Her heart was still beating fast in her chest.

  “Are you and Trevor getting along?”

  She nodded again. What am I doing? Am I really lightheaded over Trevor Lewis? She never lost her head over any man before.

  “How wonderful!” Mrs. Gallows cheered. “I like you two together. I was hoping that you would work things out. Perhaps that wedding will happen after all.”

  She didn’t plan to marry anyone, at least not yet. Trevor’s only practicing on me so he knows what to write in his romantic comedy. There’s nothing more to it than that.

  ***

  During the morning, she thought about Trevor. She tried not to but it was hard. When he walked her to the restaurant, he walked unusually close to her. He leaned toward her and told her he would think of her while he was at the farm, and the way his breath caressed her ear made her knees weak. How silly was it for her to think of him! So they didn’t hate each other anymore. That didn’t mean they suddenly became romantic. They might be friends, but that was all there was to it. She offered to help him learn romance and he was taking her up on that offer. He’s doing a surprisingly good job of it. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was being sincere.

  When it came time for lunch, she and Mrs. Harper got ready for the busy time of the day.

  Mrs. Harper smiled at her. “Trevor did a good job with the roof. My husband was having trouble getting it fixed, but Trevor’s slender so he was able to move around the roof without falling in. Anyone bigger than him would have caused more damage. My husband is a husky, tall man, so he isn’t cut out for that job.”

  Trevor’s built just right. He’s not too tall. He’s slender with broad shoulders and narrow hips. She shook her head. She really needed to get her head out of the clouds. She didn’t want to settle down with anyone at the moment.

  “Anyway,” Mrs. Harper continued, “as nice as it’s been at the inn, I’m looking forward to moving back home today.”

  “It’s good that there wasn’t too much repair work,” Adrienne agreed, her mind still on Trevor. She hardly even noticed anyone else at breakfast since Trevor sat next to her.

  “Will you take these plates out to table five for me?” Mrs. Harper asked, motioning to the plate of ham and potatoes. “I have my hands covered with meat.”

  She nodded and collected the plates. She groaned as soon as she realized the dishes were for the same three men who had stopped by last week. She wasn’t looking forward to seeing them again. She would rather be at the inn handing Trevor a meal she made, even if he was just a friend. At least he was interested in her.

  “Good afternoon, Miss Dayton,” the brunette with the beard greeted her. “Do you remember my name?”

  “Sure. You’re Tristan Donaldson. You told me so at the dance on Friday.” She handed him his plate.

  “Good memory.”

  “Do you recall who the rest of us are?” the blond with the mustache wondered.

  “You are Bob Anderson, and your friend,” she motioned to the balding twenty-six year old as she handed Bob his plate, “is Dan Martin.”

  Dan whistled. “That is impressive. You danced with so many men, I’m surprised you remember a couple of fellows like us.”

  “I don’t know how impressive it is. I was born with a good memory.” She handed him his plate.

  “You are creating quite a buzz around town. Word is that you are not only a good cook but also a nice person. You’re winning people over left and right.”

  “He’s right. You made an impact on this place,” Bob agreed. “A good woman’s reputation can do wonders for a man.”

  There he goes again with wanting his trophy wife. “You really concern yourself with what others think of you, don’t you, Mr. Anderson?”

  He shrugged. “I suppose I do. I hadn’t thought of it before but a good name is important. A man’s reputation precedes him.”

  She considered his words. “I believe Miss Marianne Gold is a fine young lady. She has mastered her Scripture memorization verses and helps a lot of widows in town.”

  He thought for a moment. “You are right. Miss Gold does do a lot of good in this town. I should pay her a visit sometime.”

  “I think she would like that. It would be a shame for such a lovely woman to spend her life doing good deeds without an honorable man at her side.”

  “It sure would.” He nodded thoughtfully. “It sure would.”

  She breathed a sigh of relief. Now he won’t be breathing down my neck every lunch hour. Encouraged by the idea, she turned her attention to Dan who wanted children.

  “You turned twenty-six last month, didn’t you, Mr. Martin?”

  “Yes, I did. You really do have an amazing memory.”

  “Thank you. I was just recalling Miss Pamela Harris who loves her nieces and nephews. She was bragging on them Friday night but I didn’t see her dance with anyone. The poor thing is afraid she’s getting up in years. She just had her twenty-second birthday and hasn’t had a single offer at courtship. It would be a shame for a woman so in love with children to not be able to have any of her own.”

  He thought over her analysis. “You know what, Miss Dayton. You’re right. Why didn’t any of us ask that wonderful woman to dance? She does have the most beautiful button nose and the cutest smile. Perhaps I’ll see how she’s doing next time I see her.”

  “She would like that.” Finally, it was Tristan’s turn. “Tristan, you recently graduated from school, did you not?”

  “I did. I began working at the lumber yard a few weeks ago but my passion is farming.”

  “Have you met Trudy Howard? She is seventeen. She sings with the voice of an angel, and I’ve been teaching her some of my cooking secrets. I think she would be happy with a man who would like to help out with her family’s farm. Trevor won’t be working there for long. He will go to New York, so the Howards could use an extra hand out there.”

  “Trudy Howard? I don’t remember the face.”

  “Well, if you’re interested, I could introduce you to her. Why don’t you come out with me and some others this Saturday? They’re having a small party out at the farm.”

  “I’ll take you up on your offer. But if it doesn’t work out with her, perhaps we might have an enjoyable trip out there and back.”

  It’d better work out between you and Trudy. “I better get back to the kitchen. I can’t leave Mrs. Harper alone for the entire lunch hour. Please excuse me, gentlemen.”

  She felt much better. Tristan Donaldson might still be interested in her, but there was a good possibility that he might like Trudy. She walked toward the kitchen.

  “Miss?” a familiar gruff voice called out to her.

  She stopped, her heart hammering in her chest. She would never forget that voice for as long as she lived.

  “Miss?” the man called out again. “I need some coffee!”

  Steadying her feet, she managed to grab the coffee pot so she could pour the hot liquid into his cup. Approaching his table, she glanced at the hand of his companion. The birthmark in the shape of a boot confirmed her suspicions. The two men in front of her were the train robbers.

  Taking a deep breath, she forced her face not to show emotion as she gave them more coffee.

  “You feeling alright, Miss?” the man with the birthmark asked her.

  Gulping the lump in her throat, she nodded. Both men looked as if they hadn’t had a decent bath in weeks. She figured they were in their late thirties or early forties. The one with the gruff voice was as skinny as a rail and had a bald head with a new brown beard. His friend, the one with the birthmark, had uncombed light blond hair and a beard as well.<
br />
  “Miss?” the blond repeated.

  “Oh, yes. I’m just a bit tired from working in the hot kitchen.” Her voice sounded far away.

  The bald man frowned at her.

  “I hope you two enjoy your lunch.” She forced a merry tone as she turned to put the coffee pot back on the counter.

  Once she returned to the safety of the kitchen, her hands shook. “Mrs. Harper, may I go to the sheriff?”

  The woman didn’t hide her surprise. “What’s wrong?”

  Wringing her hands, Adrienne went over to her so she could whisper. “The two men who robbed me and Trevor are at table number three. I need to tell the sheriff they’re here before they leave town.”

  “Oh, go on ahead!” The woman’s eyes widened and she motioned for her to leave through the back entrance.

  Adrienne rushed out the backdoor and convinced the sheriff to come to the restaurant, but the men were gone by the time he got there. After she gave him a description of the men, she returned to work.

  Mrs. Harper smiled sympathetically at her. “Maybe the wanted posters the sheriff promised to make will aid in their capture.”

  Adrienne sighed. “I hope so. I hate the thought that they’re running around stealing from other people.” Having gone through it herself, she knew how scary being robbed was.

  “I’m sure they left town, and if they see their faces on the posters, they won’t be coming back.”

  “I just hope they’re put in jail.”

  The woman nodded her agreement before turning her attention to the customer orders.

  Once the lunch rush was over, they had more time to talk.

  “With the way things have improved between you and Trevor, I have a feeling there will be a wedding soon.” Mrs. Harper dried a plate and put it on a shelf with the other clean plates. Before Adrienne could protest that she and Trevor weren’t getting married, the woman continued, “I would like to spend Friday evening with Mr. Harper. I was wondering if you would watch my children for the evening? Trevor seems to get along with the children. Perhaps he would be willing to help you watch the five youngsters for four hours?”

  “I think he likes to have any excuse to be around children. He says he wants a whole bunch of them.”

  “Mr. Harper is the same way. It’s refreshing to have a man with a heart for children.”

  Maybe it is. “Even if Trevor doesn’t want to watch the kids, I will.”

  “I think Trevor would like any excuse he can get to spend time with you. I saw the way he was looking at you when he walked you over here.” Mrs. Harper patted her hand. “That boy is in love with you.”

  She sighed. Why did people keep assuming that about him? She shrugged. Perhaps he got into his research. She did promise to show him romance, and maybe this was proof that it was working. But she figured that it would be better if he was learning more from Melissa than from her. She would have to plan for him and Melissa to spend time together on Saturday, even if it meant she had to spend more time with Clark than she wanted to. Clark was nice, but she couldn’t seem to connect with him. She shrugged again. I can think of how to get Trevor and Melissa to spend time alone later on. Right now I need to cook.

  Chapter Thirteen

  To Adrienne’s surprise, Clark stopped by the inn with Trevor that evening. She was about to enter the building when they approached the front entrance.

  “Good evening, Miss Dayton,” Clark greeted.

  “Good evening,” she replied. “What brings you here?”

  “You left your bow behind when you came out on Saturday, and I thought I would return it.”

  Trevor sighed. “I told him I could do it but he insisted.” He didn’t look pleased but remained polite.

  “For all I know, you would have thrown it away,” Clark said.

  She noted the tension between the two men.

  “Well, thank you,” she told Clark as he handed it to her. “I forgot I took it off after lunch.”

  “A pretty woman like you doesn’t need a bow in her hair to look nice.”

  She felt awkward as she looked up at Clark. She hadn’t noted his height before. He is too tall. I nearly break my neck looking at his face. She cleared her throat. “That is nice of you to say.”

  He continued to smile at her.

  “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then,” Trevor told Clark.

  “Oh, that reminds me,” she quickly said before she forgot Tristan. “I met a young man at the restaurant who is looking for a wife and thought he and Trudy might be a good match. I was hoping to bring him out to the farm on Saturday for the party. Are you familiar with Tristan Donaldson?”

  Clark thought for a moment. “Yes, I’ve met him. He’s agreeable. He is strong and would do well for lifting heavy things on the farm. Trevor seems to have trouble with some of the heavier items.”

  He huffed. “Sorry but my strength is in my fingers. I’m a writer, not a farmer.”

  “Yes, it is obvious.”

  She wondered if they had a bad day together. “Well, not all men are meant to be farmers. Everyone has their own talent. I suppose yours is farming. You are built for it. But Trevor does a fine job with entertaining. He’s only helping with the farm until he can go to New York, so it doesn’t matter how his farming is. Anyway, you both have your own strengths. You are both very kind and would treat a woman very well if you married her.”

  They seemed to relax.

  She was glad. She didn’t want to get in the middle of a squabble.

  “I hope you don’t mind if Melissa and Hank Peters come out as well,” Trevor finally said. “I think they would enjoy a good time on the farm. Melissa is a true farmer’s daughter and would make a wonderful wife. Hank might be good for Bonnie since she likes poetry and he writes it.”

  Adrienne breathed a sigh of relief. So he does find Melissa interesting. If anyone could show him romance, it was Melissa.

  Mrs. Gallows came up to the entrance, carrying some groceries. “Greetings, everyone,” she cheerfully stated.

  “Can I help you with that bag, ma’am?” Clark asked her.

  “I would greatly appreciate the help. How thoughtful of you.”

  “I do what I can to assist charming women.”

  “Clark Howard, you have a way with words. You should be settling down soon.”

  “Perhaps.” He glanced at Adrienne and smiled.

  Adrienne forced a smile back.

  “Tonight I thought we’d make Swedish meatballs,” the woman told Adrienne.

  “How delightful! I haven’t had that dish in months. It’s one of my favorites.”

  “Well, then it’s a good thing I thought of it. Will you be staying for supper, Clark? The hour is late and by the time you return, you’ll be starving if you don’t get something to eat first.”

  “I’ll be happy to. I can’t wait to try more of Adrienne’s cooking.”

  “Come along then,” the woman told everyone.

  Trevor stopped Adrienne before she followed Mrs. Gallows and Clark into the inn. “I missed you today,” he said. “Did you miss me?”

  She chuckled. “Aren’t you taking this romance thing a little too far? You don’t have to be so pleasant all the time. I know you don’t care for me.”

  He frowned. “That’s not true. Sure, we started off on the wrong foot, but I’m realizing that there’s a good heart in you. Can’t a man miss his friend?”

  Her eyes widened. “You actually consider me to be a friend?”

  “I certainly do. You took the time to read my book and told me what was good about it and what I need to improve on. I know I need help in the romance area. When I work on my romantic comedy, the comedy part is easy but it’s harder to get to the romance. I need to know what a woman finds romantic, and you’re the only one who seems to be sincere about showing me that. Don’t tell anyone but a lot of single women in this town seem to think I’m going to take them with me to New York. So how do I know whether or not they are telling me what I rea
lly need to know? I could sneeze on them, get snot all over them and they’d probably say that was romantic just so they wouldn’t hurt my feelings.”

  She cringed. “You have a way with imagery. And that’s gross.”

  “Not romantic at all, is it?”

  “No.”

  He smiled at her. “So you see? I can rely on you to tell me the truth.” He moved closer to her and kissed her cheek. “I hope to be your friend.”

  “Friendship would be nice.”

  “But you will help me with my play, right?”

  “Oh, of course.”

  “Good because I need all the help I can get.”

  “Well, Saturday should be a good day for romance. You’ll get to spend some time with Melissa.”

  “A party is a fun place for love.”

  The way he smiled at her made her knees feel weak. He’s for Melissa. Don’t interfere with their blossoming romance. “Mrs. Harper asked me if I would watch all five of her children for four hours on Friday evening. You are good with kids. Will you help me watch them? I am not used to being around children.”

  He grinned. “I’ll be tickled pink to watch them.”

  “Tickled pink?”

  “You know what I say, ‘the more, the merrier.’ It will be nice to spend the evening surrounded by people.”

  “You really don’t like to be alone, do you?”

  “I grew up surrounded by people. I like to sneak off and grab an hour to do my writing but after that, I like to be around people again. The night can seem long when I’m trying to write in my room and there’s no one to talk to.”

  “I suppose companionship is nice. I didn’t realize men got lonely too.”

  “We’re human, aren’t we?”

  She nodded. “I’m learning a lot about you.”

  “Do you like what you’re learning?”

  “I do,” she softly admitted.

  He touched her hand. “I like what I’m learning about you too. You’re not stuck up. You’re just lonely and scared, and you hide behind your wall so you won’t get hurt.”

  She didn’t know if she liked being exposed like that. She instinctively wrapped her arms around herself. “You are a little scary with the way you figure people out.”