by Kit Morgan
“We should go.” Shona nodded at Kitty’s socks on the counter.
“Oh, yes. I’m sorry,” Lorelei said. “I forgot all about these.”
“Understandable,” Kitty said. “New clothes make me forget everything.”
Lorelei’s jaw dropped. “I’m just borrowing the dress and the other things, aren’t I?”
Shona shot Kitty a funny look, then nodded. “Of course. You can return them the day after the party.”
She nodded in relief. What would she do with a fancy ball gown anyway? But to wear it for one night would be awesome! “I’ll take good care of it, I promise.”
Shona smiled and looked at Kitty. “Pay for your socks, then we must go.”
Kitty sighed. “I wish we could shop more. There’s so much cool stuff in here.”
“Not now, Kitty …”
Lorelei quickly rang up the socks, put them in a bag and ran Kitty’s card. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome!” Kitty headed for the door, bag in hand. Shona smiled and followed.
As soon as they were gone Lorelei had to fight the urge to run upstairs, take the gown out of the box and admire it. If the dresses being worn at the party all looked as pretty at that one, she could only imagine what sort of people would be attending. How would she talk to anyone? She had visions of sitting in a dark corner all night. Would there be a dinner? Dancing? She never thought to ask! All she knew was that it was a Christmas costume party with a Western theme. Did that mean the men would be dressed as cowboys?
She glanced at the clock on the wall. Four hours before closing, then she could try the dress on. She hoped it fit. She also hoped she could be cured of her shyness around strangers in the next few days, but that wasn’t likely.
Once again the shop was quiet. This time of day there was always a lull as folks got off work and headed home. The evening would be busy, though, and that would keep her occupied until she could see how the dress fit. She still couldn’t get over her luck at being invited to one of the biggest parties on the year.
The problem was no one would know her, or she them. The thought made her shiver. Books were better friends than people in her world, but she’d kept it that way for far too long. Now she was on her own and about to make a life for herself – she should put herself out in the real world more often.
She grabbed the feather duster and tidied some shelves and displays. She was most comfortable in this old place, which dated back to the town’s early days. She couldn’t explain it, she just was. She could almost see the wagons, horses and cowboys in the street outside. There were some other shops across the street the same age, and the old doctor’s house a half a block down that was now the city museum.
Without thinking she set the feather duster down, went to the mercantile doors and stepped outside. Cars were parked along the sidewalks, the historic street beginning to fill with folks shopping after work. Some would go to Mulligan’s or the Van Cleet Hotel for dinner. She could only imagine what the hotel looked like in its heyday – it was still being restored. Only a few rooms were available to rent, but it was a popular wedding reception venue, so the first floor was always in operation.
Chilled, she went back inside and closed the door. Another wave of emotions hit as she stared around the store. To Lorelei, Dunnigan’s had always been a magical place, a safe place. But a part of her knew she couldn’t hide behind its walls forever. Especially not after Mr. Jensen hired her on for more hours. If there were enough, she could give up one of her other jobs.
But first she’d wait and see what her favorite employer had in mind. Right now the only thing she had to worry about was surviving the upcoming Christmas party.
Chapter Four
By the time Saturday rolled around Lorelei was exhausted. Setting up house wasn’t as easy as she’d first thought – she hadn’t planned for all the little incidentals, and because she didn’t have a car, she couldn’t travel to a larger town with better shopping. Besides, she’d been so busy this last week she wouldn’t have had time anyway.
She’d bought cans of soup on sale earlier in the week, then brought them home only to realize she didn’t have a can opener. She’d bought bread, figuring she could have a piece of toast in the morning for breakfast. No toaster. Heck, she didn’t even have a pot to heat up her soup in. She’d at least been able to get the can opener and a saucepan, but she’d have to save up for the toaster. And this went on all week. It was amazing how much she took for granted the little conveniences stowed in drawers and cupboards in Bob and Patsy’s kitchen.
Finally, she made a list of everything she needed. It was large enough to be daunting. She added everything up and sighed. “I can’t afford all of this. Not all at once.” She let got a frustrated sigh, went into the bedroom and took the dress Shona loaned her out of the armoire. That would get her mind off her troubles. It was so beautiful she could stare at it for hours. When she first tried it on, she was speechless. There was an oval mirror on one door of the armoire, and she had to back up almost to the other side of the room to see her entire reflection, but she didn’t care. It was the most beautiful clothing she’d ever laid eyes on. When she put on the cloak and lace scarf, she felt like a princess. She’d even walked around the apartment a few moments and pretended she was in another time.
That is, until she caught herself and felt silly. What if Mr. or Mrs. Jensen came knocking on her door for something? So she’d taken it off, hung it up and called Shona to tell her it fit perfectly. So did the shoes, which was a surprise. Did Shona and Kitty take a lucky guess?
She yawned. She’d taken on more hours at the laundromat and Daisy’s this week, not to mention Dunnigan’s, to help pay for the household items she’d need. But tonight was the party – she hoped she had the energy to get through the evening. She’d look ridiculous if she fell asleep in a corner at such a coveted event. If Cindy heard, she’d come into Dunnigan’s every day for months to rag her about it.
She shrugged the thought off. She had more important things to think about – like what she’d do with her hair. She went into the bathroom and tried putting it in French braids, then wrapping the long braids around her head like a crown. But naturally, she couldn’t. “Pins! I don’t have any bobby pins!”
She sighed and stared at herself in the mirror. Her golden blonde hair looked pretty with the red of the gown, but how would she get it to stay? She let the braids fall and wrapped small rubber bands around the ends to hold them in place for now. Maybe she could think up a hairstyle while she put on some makeup? But she didn’t wear a lot, so that didn’t give her much time.
She blew a stray hair out of her face and had a sudden cold feeling in the pit of her stomach, the kind that told you something wasn’t right somewhere. She turned from the mirror, stepped into the hall and glanced around. Nothing. Maybe she’d feel better if she took a quick shower?
Lorelei got her one towel and returned to the bathroom. She wanted to enjoy herself tonight. She didn’t want to worry about her hair or makeup or any of that. But that wasn’t her biggest worry and she knew it.
* * *
No sooner than she got out of the shower she heard a noise. “Mr. Jensen?” But why would he be in her apartment? She thought a moment. She didn’t remember locking her door. She was so used to not being able to …
Thud.
Lorelei froze for a moment, her heart in her throat, then realized she was wrapped in nothing but a towel.
“Ha ha ha …”
Her eyes widened. “Who’s there?!” She reached for her jeans and pulled them on as the sound of feet hurried down the hall. Why would whoever it was be running? Were they trying to surprise her with something?
She pulled on a T-shirt and put her ear to the bathroom door just in time to hear the door to the apartment close. Without thinking she ran out and down the hall. By the time she opened her door and stepped onto the landing, the curtains leading to the store front were just settling back into place. “What the hec
k?” She hurried down the staircase, her footfalls soft. She’d always been light on her feet. Sometimes she seemed to float on air when she moved and right now her blood was racing so fast she wanted to keep running.
When she reached the bottom, she ran into the storefront and looked around. “Something wrong?” Mr. Jensen asked. “And why aren’t you dressed? Didn’t you say your ride would be here at 6:30?”
“Someone was just in my apartment.”
“What?”
“Who was in here?”
“Well …” He glanced around. “I was helping a couple pick out some ornaments for their grandchildren, and I thought I heard the bell over the door ring.”
There were a half a dozen people browsing the store. “Did you see anyone run out?”
“No, though it looks like a few customers are gone now.”
“Did you recognize any of them?”
“Yes, one was that Cindy Crankshaw. She was with your brother Erwin.”
“He’s not my brother, he’s … never mind.” She went to the door and looked out. It was snowing. Great.
“Don’t you think you’d better get ready?” Mr. Jensen pointed at the old cuckoo clock on the wall. The hands pointed to 6:19.
“Argh!” Lorelei ran back through the curtain and up the stairs. As she ran back to her apartment, she had a sinking feeling. Why on earth would Cindy and Erwin be in there? Not to see the place, that was sure. To badger her about the party again? Beatrice told her that now that Patsy and Bob knew where she lived (she couldn’t keep it away from them forever), Erwin and the others would have heard. She’d been waiting for the inevitable knock, but not this.
She went into her room and realized the dress wasn’t hanging in the same spot as before. “Oh, no, she wouldn’t …” But she knew Cindy would. She checked it, and sure enough, several ruffles on the skirt had been rent, as if Cindy had tried to tear them off. “No. No, no …”
Lorelei shut her eyes and counted to ten. She couldn’t afford to be mad right now. She had to get ready. She also had to figure out what to tell Shona. The dress probably cost a fortune, and now it was ruined. And she didn’t even own safety pins …
A knock sounded on her door. “Oh no!” She ran down the hall to open it. “Mr. Jensen! They’re here, aren’t they?”
“Yes, Titus Cooke is downstairs. You’d better hurry – you don’t want to keep him waiting.”
She shut her eyes, nodded, shut the door and ran back into her room. She changed as fast as she could then went to put on the shoes Shona had loaned her … and they were gone. “What!” she screeched, turning a full circle. “She took my shoes?!”
She caught the panicked look on her face in the armoire’s mirror. “What am I going to do?” But that wasn’t the part that made her blood boil. It was that Erwin helped. The stab of betrayal was overwhelming. Sure, they’d never had much to do with one another unless they had to, but they’d lived in the same house for six years! That had to count for something. They’d done chores together, made meals together, exchanged Christmas gifts … and he’d never done anything like this to her.
Tears stung her eyes as she realized her foster brother couldn’t care less about her, not if he’d helped Cindy do something like this. Cindy was a bully and a snob, but now she’d sunk to a whole new low. She’d jealously ruined what had promised to be a magical evening, all because Lorelei got an invitation and she didn’t. Never mind that her family attended parties at the Cookes’ Triple-C Ranch all the time.
Another knock on her door told her she needed to hurry. She grabbed the only other acceptable shoes she had, a pair of white Converse Chuck Taylor high-tops. She only had two pairs, and the worn black Mary Janes weren’t going to cut it – they were almost falling apart. Beatrice had warned her she’d have to get a new pair soon, because she couldn’t waitress wearing shabby shoes. But she wasn’t the one who had to pay for them. Mr. Jensen and Mrs. Deets didn’t care what her shoes looked like.
She put them on, took one look in the mirror and sighed in relief. The dress covered them. She’d have to tell Shona what happened and promise to pay for the shoes and the damage to the dress. She wasn’t sure how she would, but she’d have to worry about that later. For tonight, so long as she didn’t let anyone see her feet, she’d be fine.
Lorelei looked at her hair. It would have to do. She put on the cloak and scarf and prayed that nothing else happened tonight. She’d have a hard enough time as it was.
* * *
There was little conversation between Lorelei and the Cookes. As soon as she climbed into the big black Cadillac Escalade, she felt like she was on another planet. Mrs. Cooke insisted she call her Mavis. She was a pretty woman in her late forties with dark hair just graying at the temples. Her blue eyes were inquisitive, and she spoke softly. They sat in the back while the men took the front.
Lincoln drove, and Lorelei took a few moments to study him when the streetlights illuminated the cab. He was a few years older than Mavis with light brown hair and dark eyes, and the more she studied him the more she noticed the kindness in his face, much like his wife’s. She couldn’t see Titus well from right behind him, but she’d get to see him and his costume at the party.
All were dressed like they’d stepped out of the Old West. Titus looked like a gambler. Mavis was wearing a long cloak similar to her own over an ornate blue gown. Lincoln, though dressed like a gunslinger, was the most authentic – Mavis told her the handkerchief around his neck came from one of his settler ancestors and had been passed down for generations.
Lorelei listened, speaking only when spoken to. She felt so small and insignificant compared to these people. They lived a life she could only dream of. Maybe one day she’d have nice things, but she’d have to work for them and that would take time.
They left Clear Creek and drove several miles out of town before turning onto the road leading to the MacDonalds’ cabin and the party. “Have you been out here before?” Mavis asked.
“No, never.” Lorelei looked out the front window at the snow. If it kept coming down, they might have a time of it getting back to town. “Is this four-wheel drive?”
“Yes. Are you worried about the weather?” Mavis asked.
Lorelei half-smiled. “A little.”
“Don’t be,” Lincoln said. “This rig can handle it.”
“Do you have your driver’s license yet?” Mavis asked this time.
“No,” she told her. It was embarrassing – most of the kids from her class had one already. Thank Patsy Brown for not being willing to pony up the fees for the foster kid.
They pulled into the drive and headed toward a grove of firs and pines. Lights shone through the branches until they rounded a corner that opened up into a large yard. The cabin came into view and Lorelei’s jaw dropped. Cindy was right – it looked more like a small lodge, two stories with several dormers on the second floor. The house and front walk were trimmed in white Christmas lights, and gold Christmas ornaments hung on some small evergreen trees in the yard.
She continued to take it in as Lincoln looked for a place to park. Several men milled around the front door in Western garb, like they were waiting to do a scene in an old movie. A couple had drinks in their hands. A woman dressed in a beautiful pink gown with a white fur wrap came out of the house to join them. Lorelei wondered if the wrap was real.
“Isn’t it lovely?” Mavis whispered. “This is going to be fun.” She reached over and patted Lorelei’s hand. “You’re going to have a wonderful time.”
Lorelei smiled and tried to swallow the lump in her throat. She wasn’t sure how much fun she’d have after she told Shona MacDonald about the dress and shoes. No one had noticed when she climbed into the SUV, but would they when she climbed out? She didn’t want anyone saying anything to the MacDonalds before she could.
Lincoln parked, got out, and went to open Mavis’ door. Titus did the same for Lorelei. “Shall we, m’lady?” He offered her a hand.
Lorelei
took a breath. It was stupid, but she felt a little like Cinderella. In her world, Titus Cooke was the equivalent of a prince, and she was very much a peasant. She forced a smile, took his hand and, being careful not to let her Chuck Taylors show, carefully slid out of the vehicle.
As soon as her feet touched the ground, Titus offered her his arm. “Let us away to the ball,” he said with a smile, then leaned toward her. “Always wanted to say that.”
She couldn’t suppress a snort. He had no idea how many times she’d dreamed of a handsome young man telling her that. She’d settle for the patriarch of the Cooke family. She lifted her skirt just enough to not trip over it and took quick steps to keep her shoes hidden. They followed Lincoln and Mavis up the front walk to ooohs and ahhhs from people around the door.
“Look at you!” a man said. Lorelei turned to find John Turner of Turner Ranch & Winery. He smiled and looked at Titus with Lorelei. “Titus – who do we have here?”
“This is Miss Lorelei Carson,” Titus said. “A guest of the MacDonalds – we’re acting as her private coach for the evening.”
“Nice to meet you, Lorelei,” the woman in the pink gown and white fur wrap said. “I’m Angie Turner and this is my husband John.”
Lorelei smiled and nodded. Good grief, she couldn’t talk! She’d better get a grip or people would think she was weird. “N-nice to meet you,” she managed. A shiver ran up her spine. She was way out of her element. She hated being so shy, but what could she do about it?
The front door opened and out stepped Dallan MacDonald. “Well, look at you!” Titus looked him up and down. “Hey, I thought this was supposed to be a Western themed Christmas party. That’s not a Western outfit!”
Dallan smiled. He was dressed in a long-sleeved white shirt, a black dinner jacket and a kilt, with a holster on each hip. “Western Scotland, mayhaps.”