“Yeah, it does get easier. People start to read each other after a while. We been working together for years now and I can always tell when you’ve got something on your mind. And we ain’t even married!”
Both men laughed.
CHAPTER 9
Nan Takes The Train
Nan folded her hands in her lap after setting her bag beside her feet on the floor of the train. She was happy to have a seat right next to the window, so she could look out at the passing scenery. Her heart was thumping like a big drum, nervousness sliding through her, lighting her nerves on fire.
She squeezed her fingers together and kneaded her palms, looking anxiously at the other passengers as they filed on. They all looked so refined, so put together. They looked like they belonged on the train, traveling around the country.
She didn’t feel like she fit in with them, dropping her eyes whenever someone happened to look at her at the same time she was looking at them. Her cheeks flushed bright red and she decided just to keep her eyes down.
She heard the sound of a chattering voice approaching from behind. It was a little girl. Nan brought up her eyes enough to look under the brim of her floppy hat to see the girl. Her mother called her Elly.
“Elly, take that seat right there. No, don’t climb up like that. You’re a lady. This is how ladies sit.”
“Mama, look at that pretty hat!”
The next moment, the little girl had one hand rested on Nan’s knee and the other one reaching up toward her hat. Nan was taken by surprise and froze in place. Elly’s mother hurried to get the little girl away from her.
“That’s a pretty hat,” the girl said, smiling at Nan, revealing a row of tiny white baby teeth. “I like it.”
“Thank you, dear,” Nan said, smiling back. She looked up at the mother, shaking her head. “She’s not bothering me. Is it all right if she sits and talks to me for a moment?”
The girl’s mother’s face relaxed into a pleasant smile. “Of course. That’s just fine. I’ll get our bags. We’ll just sit here with you. Would that be all right?”
“That would be wonderful!” Nan gushed. The train hadn’t left the station and she’d already made new friends. She said a silent prayer of thanks. The girl’s mother got up and went around the seat to get their bags.
Nan dropped her eyes to the round face of the little girl with the biggest blue eyes she’d ever seen.
“How old are you, Elly?” she asked.
“I’m four and a half years old!” Elly announced, still touching the brim of Nan’s hat. Nan took the hat off and while she smoothed down her hair, she plopped the hat on the little girl’s head.
She wasn’t expecting the look of pure ecstasy on Elly’s face. Her blue eyes opened even wider and she looked like she’d just been given the queen’s crown. She turned her head to her mother as the woman came back with the bags.
“Mama!” she announced. “I am a princess! Look at my pretty hat!”
“Oh my goodness!” her mother cried out, dropping the bags under the window on the other side of the small compartment. “You look so beautiful. That was nice for her to let you put her hat on. Did you say thank you?”
Elly turned back to Nan. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I’m Nancy but my friends call me Nan. Would you like to call me Nan?”
Elly smiled. “Only if I can wear your hat for the ride!”
The girl’s mother gasped. Her hands flew to cover her mouth and her shocked eyes looked at Nan as if the girl had uttered a curse word.
Nan laughed. “Of course you can wear it! But I’m afraid I will have to get it back before we part. It was a gift from my husband and I can’t part with it.”
“Where is he?” Elly asked, turning her head to look all around her, stretching her little neck out.
“He’s not with me. He is in Heaven.”
Nan saw the look of sympathy come across the girl’s mother’s face.
“I am sorry to hear that,” the woman said. She leaned forward and spoke softly. “My name is Katherine. Katherine Hamilton. This is Elly, my daughter. Our family has just had a crisis and we must go to Arizona to stay for a while.”
Nan didn’t ask what the crisis was. If the woman wanted to tell her, she would. From the way she put it, it didn’t sound like she wanted to talk about it. Nan was the last person to push a conversation about sensitive matter that was none of her business to begin with.
“My daddy is in heaven,” Elly said in a voice so soft, Nan could barely hear it. The child was pressing her fingers on the edge of the bench seat, standing up on her tiptoes, and staring directly in Nan’s eyes.
Nan blinked several times to hold back the tears that instantly rose. She moved her eyes to Katherine, who had taken on a sad look. She was looking at her daughter but she turned her eyes to Nan when she sensed her looking.
“Yes, it’s true. It’s unfortunately true. Little Eleanor is going to miss her daddy, isn’t she?”
“Yes, Mama. I wish he was still here.” She looked back at Nan. “But Daddy is happy now. Mama says so. And I want to be happy too, so I can go to Heaven and see him again.”
“I understand, child,” Nan said, gently. “I’m so sorry, Katherine.”
“It’s been eight months, two weeks and a couple days since he fell from a rooftop and was killed.”
The fact that this woman and her child had recently lost the man in their lives brought back the pain Nan had from losing Johnny.
“When did you lose your husband?” Katherine asked.
“It’s been about five weeks,” Nan responded. She hadn’t realized it until she said it. It didn’t sound like very long at all. It wasn’t a long time. Nervousness slid through her. Should she tell anyone where she was going? What would they think of her, marrying off so soon after losing her husband?
She dearly loved Johnny. If she could reverse it all and still be in her lovely home enjoying every day of her life with her wonderful husband, children in their future, long happy lives together…
It didn’t happen. She wasn’t the kind of girl who could dwell in darkness for long. She needed to find light and happiness. However, would strangers understand that? Would Katherine look down on her for her decision?
“Five weeks?” The long pause had gone unnoticed by Nan. When Katherine finally spoke again, it was through a voice that was racked with emotion. She looked at Katherine to see the woman’s eyes filling up with tears. She saw her visibly swallow.
“I’m sorry,” Katherine went on. “It seems we have something horrible in common. And you are in the very beginning of your grief. Was he killed in an accident?”
“He was murdered in a bank robbery,” Nan said, surprised by how little pain she felt when she spoke of it. Could she be turning cold? Would she forget all about the love she had with Johnny by replacing it with Ben?
Apprehension made her feel warm and jittery. She clenched her hands in her lap again and said nothing. Katherine went on, expressing her sympathy, offering advice, hushing Elly when the child got too loud. Nan was listening, but only partially.
She was wondering what Ben would be like in person. His letters were so delightful. He seemed like a hard-working, dedicated man. The family he worked for were wonderful, providing her with a cottage to stay in while she was there. She wondered where she and Ben would live after they married. Would they have a ton of children? Would they fall in love and be in love forever?
She was a little disturbed when those questions brought Johnny to the forefront of her mind. That’s what they’d been planning to do. Those were their goals.
Now she would be sharing the same goals with a new man.
Her heart ached for a moment before she pushed the pain down. She nodded and smiled at Katherine, acknowledging whatever it was the woman was telling her.
Johnny would want her to be happy. If Ben turned out to be everything he seemed, Johnny would be elated. He was watching her from Heaven. He would keep her safe
from disaster.
Please, God, she prayed. Please don’t let this be a disaster.
CHAPTER 10
They Finally Meet
Ben watched anxiously as the train pulled to a stop in front of the station. The long wooden platform was empty other than himself and Dean, who had stayed back at the far end where the steps led down to the dirt lot where the buggy was parked.
He searched the windows but didn’t see Nan until she walked down the middle aisle, her eyes down, carrying two large cloth bags. He watched as she looked behind her and lifted her hand in a wave. The smile on her face made Ben’s heart speed up.
He moved his eyes down the train to see who she was waving at. A little girl was standing on a booth on the other side of the train. He could just see the top of her and her mother’s heads as she lovingly tried to pull the child back down. The girl was waving frantically and blowing kisses at Nan.
He was momentarily confused. Had she come all this way with companions and was only now saying goodbye? He’d only sent one ticket.
He shook his head. It was irrelevant. He could ask her about that some other time. For now, he had to concentrate on being smooth and not making a fool of himself.
He stepped closer to the door as she approached it. She finally looked through the window and her eyes fell directly on him. She halted for only a moment before continuing. He was pleased to see she appeared to be hurrying.
He pulled in a deep breath and held it till the doors opened and she descended the stairs. One bag swung out before her. Ben reached up and grabbed it. He had to pull slightly because her hand was still gripped around the handle.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she laughed softly, pulling on his heart strings. “I didn’t know you were taking it. I didn’t mean to thrust it at you like that.”
“I don’t mind carrying your bags, Nan. You are Nan?”
“Yes, of course.” She laughed again. It was Ben’s new favorite sound. “I do look like my photograph, don’t I?”
“You do, yes.” He laughed with her. Even though he had already made a fool of himself, she didn’t seem to mind. If she stayed this way, he would know he made the right choice. “Let me take that one for you.”
She came down on the platform, taking the last step awkwardly and almost falling into his arms. They both laughed nervously when he held out his arms and she grabbed them with her hands, holding herself upright.
“Oh dear. This is not a good start to this relationship,” she murmured.
Ben was immediately taken with her. Her letters hadn’t done her justice. The photograph hadn’t either. The black and white representation did little to display the kind of beauty he saw in front of him.
He didn’t realize he was staring until she tilted her head to the side, letting go of his arms. He lowered them, much to his relief, as the bags he was carrying were heavy.
“Do you have more bags?” he asked.
“They are in the storing cabin,” Nan replied. “Or whatever it’s called. They said they would bring them in the station for me. I don’t think there’s anyone else getting off in Reno, though.”
“That’s kind of strange,” Ben said, thinking about how heavy the traffic was in Reno on a normal basis. It was a thriving, growing city that would soon surpass the five thousand population mark. That was huge, in Ben’s mind, as Low Valley didn’t even have 1000 residents. “But it looks like you’re right. You’re the only one. They might just bring your bags right here.”
He looked behind her at the train, searching the windows for an attendant.
“Miss?”
Ben spun around to see the attendant he was looking for, pulling a cart with three large bags on it. He blinked rapidly. He hadn’t expected Nan to come with so many things. She hadn’t told him much about her financial situation, other than she was desperate and had to move out of the place she’d called home for several months. From the quality of the luggage and the stylish clothes Nan was wearing, he found it hard to believe she was destitute.
He wondered for a moment if she was lying. It would be very disappointing to find out he was being misled by a woman he’d already fallen in love with. He’d guarded himself well before and had given his heart to this woman before he met her in person.
He decided he would not be negative about it. He could have doubts, everyone did. However, he was going to give her a chance to tell him the truth about everything. She obviously had something to hide. She’d never mentioned she was a wealthy orphan.
Ben didn’t know many of those. As a matter of fact, Ben didn’t know any.
He took the handle of the pull cart from the young attendant and smiled at him.
“Thanks, Jimmy,”
“You’re welcome, Mr. Connelly,” the boy replied. Ben watched his face. His eyes were on Nan. He turned to look at what she was doing, curiosity getting the better of him. She was digging through a hand purse. She produced a silver dollar and handed it to Jimmy, who took it with a stunned look on his face. He looked up at Ben and then back at Nan.
“Thank you, Miss!” he said excitedly. He turned and skittered toward the door to the station. As he banged through, Ben could hear him delightedly and proudly telling someone inside that he’d earned a dollar that day. From a single customer.
He turned his eyes to the lovely woman in front of him. She was gazing at him with a content look on her face. He was glad to see it. If she looked unhappy, he would be doomed.
“Shall we go? I’d like to introduce you to my friend, Dean and let you in on what’s going to happen once we get back to the ranch.”
“That sounds good,” Nan replied, nodding. “I’ll take the bags if you pull the cart.”
Ben grinned at her. “How about we put the two bags on the cart?”
They both laughed. Nan got one of the bags and hoisted it up on the cart while Ben took care of the other one. He grabbed handle and pulled the cart along behind them as they walked toward Dean, who was still leaning against the wall.
His big Irish friend touched the tip of his hat, looking at Nan as they came closer.
“Dean Carter at your service, miss,” he said, holding out his hand. They shook lightly and Dean reached for the cart handle. “I’ll take that, buddy. You go ahead and take her to the buggy. I’ll get the bags.”
“You sure?” Ben wasn’t used to his boss doing work for him. He smiled. Dean raised one eyebrow.
“Don’t get used to it,” he said in a warning voice. They both smiled and he continued, “Sure, I’m sure. Go on.”
“Okay, thanks, Dean.”
As they took the few steps down to the ground, Ben chuckled. Nan looked up at him as she walked beside him.
“Why are you laughing?” she asked in a soft voice.
Ben looked down at her. “Our buggy is the only one in the lot. You’ve got a lot of bags there. And, well, Dean’s the foreman at the ranch I work at. So he’s my boss.”
Nan’s face lit up with amusement, making Ben’s heart go haywire in his chest. He swallowed and clenched his jaw to regain control of his emotions. “So your boss has taken on the servant’s role.”
Ben laughed. “Yeah, it appears to be that. But don’t worry, I like him. I won’t abuse the privilege.”
Nan nodded. “That’s the best way to lose a privilege.”
They were quiet for a moment as they walked the rest of the way to the buggy. Ben’s heart was telling him he’d made the right choice. He couldn’t take his eyes from her and did his best not to stare. He would have the rest of his life to look at her beautiful face.
“I hope you enjoy staying here,” he said quietly, daring to lift his hand and stroke her cheek with two fingers. He saw her pull in a sharp breath and noticed she was trembling slightly. “I’m going to make sure you are safe and happy,” he continued. “I don’t want you to worry about anything at all. You are safe here. Okay?”
He didn’t know why he had the urge to protect her so much, to reassure her that she was safe.
She hadn’t expressed any fear to him.
She didn’t have to. He wasn’t going to let any harm come to her as long as he was around to stop it.
CHAPTER 11
Nancy’s Little Cottage
From the moment she stepped off the train, Nan was sure she had done the right thing coming to Nevada. Ben’s demeanor was as pleasant as his letters. His friend and boss, Dean, treated him like he was boss for the day, doing all the menial tasks that a ranch hand would do before the foreman.
He took Nan’s bags in the cottage while she stood outside looking at it stunned.
“You said a guest cottage,” Nan said. “But this is like a castle for one person! It’s absolutely lovely!”
Ben nodded, running his eyes over the exterior of the pretty little cabin. “I like it, too.”
“Do you think they’ll want it back after we… after we’re married?” Nan could barely get the words out. She felt like she was betraying Johnny just talking about it. She’d had those thoughts since she started this journey and had ignored them every time. However, they kept creeping back, making her heart ache for the man she’d loved so much.
She pushed herself to walk toward the cottage. It was painted the prettiest light color of yellow. The shutters were a color that matched the bushes that lined the exterior walls.
Ben shook his head when she glanced at him inquiringly. “I really don’t know. I hope not. It would make such a nice place for you and me to live. There are two additional rooms upstairs. They could serve as nurseries and children’s bedrooms, couldn’t they?”
Nan nodded. “I want to see it. Can I go inside?”
“Of course!” Ben laughed, holding out one hand to the door. She stepped up on the porch and, although he was letting her go in front of him, he scooted around her quickly to open the door for her. Dean was already inside, coming back from the bedroom.
“I put your bags on the bed in there,” he said. “Hope that’s okay. I didn’t look in any of them, so I don’t know which ones you won’t want in there.”
A Secretive Mail Order Widow For The Humorous Rancher (The Love of Low Valley Series) Page 5