“Whoa, there,” he said as he hesitated for a moment, then wrapped his arms around her, comforting her as best he could. Her shaking subsided after a moment and she pulled her head from his chest and looked up at him.
“Thank you,” she said softly as she smiled—a real one, this time. She squeezed his elbow and stepped back, eyeing the box.
“You’re very welcome. Least I can do for a damsel in distress,” he said as he reached for his hat, surprised at how good she’d felt in his arms. He barely knew her, but somehow it had felt natural to help her, comfort her, hold her tight. Too bad it had only been for an emergency and wouldn’t happen again.
Chapter 5
Mira shook her head at how worked up she’d been. She wasn’t normally that easy to spook, but between her brother putting frogs in her bed and the surprise of seeing four of them when she hadn’t expected it—well, she supposed it was understandable. And she hoped Tony wouldn’t hold it against her.
When she got back to the housekeeping office, Dina was waiting, excited to share the news that she’d be promoted after all. Mira congratulated her, truly happy for her friend, and she listened intently before she filled her in on the events while she was gone.
“I guess maybe I should have warned you,” she said after she’d heard Mira’s recounting of the crime scene. “The Murphy boys can be a handful. They come every Thanksgiving and once in the summer, and I’ve been cleaning their room for years. I have four brothers. I guess I’m just used to it.”
“I have a frog-loving, lizard-chasing brother, too, but he terrorized me when I was little. I thought I’d recovered, but...”
Dina had laughed and shaken her head. “Maybe that’s not something you ever recover from. Good thing Tony was around. He’s got lots of frog-catching experience himself, from what I hear.”
“He did seem to corner them pretty quickly,” Mira said. She’d been so frightened that she hadn’t noticed at the time, but he’d made quick work of corralling the offending critters and boxing them up tight. “I’d only met him a little while earlier. He probably thinks I’m ridiculous,” she said, the memory of his arms wrapped tightly around her heating her cheeks.
“Tony? I doubt it. He’s one of the kindest people you could ever meet. He’s as nice as Graciela, and is always ready to help.”
“Graciela?” Mira asked, her eyebrows raised.
“Yes, his grandmother. She was the original housekeeper here, from back in the days when they started taking on guests. She retired not long ago.”
“It was kind of him to help me. I guess nobody else heard me scream.”
“I can’t imagine how that could be. I’ve heard you scream before,” Dina said as she nudged Mira with her elbow.
“Sorry about that.” Mira turned away as her cheeks flushed.
“I think it’s funny. And besides, you got Tony and his dimples to come to your rescue. Could be worse, that’s for sure. On top of being so nice, he’s pretty easy on the eyes.”
The heat crept down to her neck as she busied her hands loading things into her cart. Dina wasn’t wrong...when she’d landed at River’s End Ranch after her marathon drive from California, wanting freedom and anonymity, meeting someone like Tony had been the last thing on her mind. And she brushed off the thought—there was no place in her life for a relationship now, not with the secrets she was keeping.
As she’d gotten her cart freshened up to head back out for the rest of her shift, Dina said, “Oh, I almost forgot. Natasha and Wade were thrilled that you wanted to work nights. I guess the night person quit last week and Pastor Kevin’s been covering but doesn’t want to do it for long. You know, newlywed and all,” she said as she winked at Mira.
Mira’s ears perked up. “Really? That’s great. Now I can paint during the day when the light’s right.”
“You and your painting. Don’t forget you have to sleep sometime,” Dina said over her shoulder as she rolled her cart out into the hallway.
“I know. I’ll figure it out,” she said. “When do I start?”
“Tomorrow night. But there’s no night shift for maids, so it’ll be a desk job. Same pay. So I guess you have the day off. Sounds like you could use it anyway, after your event today,” she said as she laughed and knocked on a guest door.
Mira had spent the rest of the day cleaning her assigned rooms, peering cautiously into every room before she entered. As she closed the door to the last room she’d be cleaning that day, she glanced at the clock. It was almost five, and she’d wanted to get home to catch a little daylight from the window of her cabin and get a little in on the painting she was working on. She’d taken a picture of one of her favorites in a guest room and was trying to learn some of the techniques that the artist had employed—some were new to her, and she was anxious to get back to it.
She cleaned up her cart and reached into her locker for her coat. As she shrugged it on, an envelope fell from her locker and she reached for it, cocking her head at the unfamiliar writing on the outside—her name.
Opening it quickly, she scanned the contents.
Dear Mira,
We haven’t met, but I’ve been told that you are a wonderful artist. I’d be grateful if you’d stop by my home this evening at five o’clock to discuss the possibility of commissioning you for a portrait of a dear family member, George. His predecessor met an untimely demise and I’d like to memorialize Gorgeous George with a portrait in case he meets the same fate.
Thank you,
Jaclyn
P.S. I live by the RV Park in the house with the white picket fence and rabbits.
Mira folded the letter up quickly and shoved it in her pocket. She looked to her right and to her left and behind her. She’d never met this woman before although she had seen the small cottage by the RV Park and often wondered why there were so many rabbits. But she'd done her best not to meet anybody at River’s End Ranch so who could possibly have known that she was an artist?
After she’d thought about it for a moment, though, she realized she had taken her paint and her easel out several times before the weather got cold. She’d been out on the mountains, in some of the meadows, and even up the river once or twice. She wasn't quite sure about this Jaclyn person, but she supposed that it wouldn't be bad to go and meet her. Especially if she’d lost a loved one. That kind of thing was important, and although she didn't frequently paint portraits, she wanted to help if she could.
She glanced at her watch—almost five o'clock. If she hurried, she’d have just enough time to get to Jaclyn's house by the requested hour.
She closed her locker in the housekeeping room and pulled on her coat. She hustled as fast as she could — partly because she was in a hurry, and partly because it was cold. She reminded herself to grab her gloves next time. Maybe she should even safety pin them to her coat. Just as she thought her hands might freeze and her nose might fall off in a block of ice, she rounded the bend and saw the small house by the RV Park. It was neat and tidy, but she wondered how anyone could keep something clean with as many rabbits as she saw hopping around in the front. Just as she reached out for the latch on the gate, she heard what was becoming a familiar voice from behind her.
"Mira?"
She spun on her heel and looked up into the brown eyes of her knight in shining armor from earlier. "Tony?"
"One and the same," he said as he smiled, his dimples deepening and his eyes dancing. “What are you doing here?”
Her fingers curled around the note in her pocket and she pulled it out. “I got this note from Jaclyn, asking to see me at five. Something about a portrait of a loved one—Gorgeous George. I’m terribly sorry for her loss,” Mira said as she read the note again.
“You’re going to do a portrait? Are you a photographer?” he asked as he opened the gate for her and gestured for her to go inside the small yard.
“No, not a photographer. I paint—oils and watercolors—but I have no idea how she’d know that.”
“She
seems to know quite a few things that surprise people. Or the fairies do, anyway,” he said as he ushered her up the steps toward the front door.
Mira wasn’t sure if she’d heard him correctly. “Fairies?” she repeated.
“Yep, fairies. Oh, and by the way, that’s Gorgeous George,” he said, pointing out toward the garden.
“Where?” she asked as she followed his finger. She saw rabbits, plants, and garden gnomes, but no human.
“Right there. The gnome. The big one.”
She spun and squinted in the direction he was pointing. “She wants me to paint a portrait of a garden gnome?”
“I have no way of knowing that, Mira. I gave up trying to figure Jaclyn out long ago. She’s a good friend of my grandmother’s. Actually, nothing she says or does would surprise me at this point.”
She looked from the garden gnome to Tony, her eyes wide as she tried to wrap her head around what was happening. She shoved the letter back in her pocket and shook her head just as the door swung open wide.
An older woman stood in the doorway, smiling and holding a teapot that steamed from the spout.
“Come in. I’ve been expecting you. Both of you.”
Chapter 6
Tony helped Mira off with her coat and hung it on the coat rack by the side of the door. He set his cowboy hat on the rack and took off his long, black duster.
“Just move the bunnies aside, dear,” Jaclyn said after she’d introduced herself to Mira and gestured to the sofa.
Mira gently lifted a bunny and held it to her cheek, the soft fur warming her nose. “Do they get cold outside?” she asked as she settled on the sofa and Tony sat in the spot Jaclyn was nudging him toward—right next to her.
“They aren’t outside at night when it gets this cold. They’ll come inside, so don’t you worry,” the older woman said as she offered them each a porcelain cup and saucer. “I can’t make hot chocolate the way Graciela does or I’d have offered you that. Nothing quite like her hot chocolate, is there, Tony?”
“Hm? Oh, no,” he said as reached for the offered teacup and smiled at Mira. “Nothing like it, but I love your tea, too.”
“Thank you, Tony. You are always so polite,” she said as she squinted at him. “So Wade finally got you in that sheriff’s get-up, I see.”
Tony rubbed his eyes and Mira smiled, leaning back a bit to get a better look. The star on his satin vest did say Sheriff, after all. It suited him, although he didn’t seem to agree.
“You know he’s been bothering me about it for months and months. I figured I might as well give in. He can be relentless.”
“That he can,” Jaclyn said with a smile. “All the Westons are like that, a bit.” She nodded at Mira. “So, my dear, what brings you to River’s End Ranch?”
“Me?” Mira said as she pulled her gaze from the crystal fairy figurines hanging in the kitchen.
“Yes, besides painting, I mean.” Jaclyn smiled knowingly and nodded for Mira to continue.
“Well, that’s a funny thing. How did you know I paint?” she asked as she blew on her steaming tea. She didn’t need a repeat of her burned tongue from earlier.
“Fairies?” Tony said as he set his cup on the coffee table and it clinked on the saucer.
“Now, Tony, don’t you start. Just because the fairies haven’t had you on their radar yet doesn’t mean you can tease about them.”
“I’m not teasing about them,” he said. “I’ve just heard enough about them to know they might have had a hand in how you know Mira paints.”
“Ordinarily, you would be correct, but they’ve been a bit bashful about this particular subject. To be honest, I’ve seen Mira painting while I’ve been out and about and I decided—well, the fairies decided—that I need a portrait of Gorgeous George.” She squirmed in her seat for a moment before setting down her cup. “You know, after the first accident and all.”
“Accident?” Mira asked and she glanced quickly at Tony, who tilted his head down and shook it quickly. She figured that meant don’t ask so she moved on. “I am sorry for your loss, Jaclyn. How can I help?”
“I’m so glad you asked,” she said as she clapped her hands together. She stood up and walked to her fireplace, pointing up at the empty wall space right above it. “I think a portrait of him would go nicely and the other gnomes would be pleased. You know, they’re still a little sore about George.”
Mira started to ask, but Tony reached over and squeezed her hand said, “That sounds like a wonderful idea, Jaclyn.”
“I knew you’d agree. Thank you for being willing. I’m terribly excited about it.”
Mira cleared her throat. “I know you haven’t seen much of my art, but I don’t ordinarily paint portraits or people—er, I mean gnomes. I mostly do landscapes.”
Jaclyn sat down in the wing-backed chair opposite the sofa and leaned forward. “I do know that. But there’s a first time for everything, my dear, and I do believe it will be a very important event in your life. I’m not certain how, but I stopped asking that question long ago.”
Mira took another sip of her tea. She supposed it wouldn’t hurt—after all, she wanted to be the best artist she could be and hopefully make a living at it some day. If this charming lady wanted a portrait of Gorgeous George, who was she to tell her no?
“I’d be honored to give it a try,” she said finally, and she smiled at Jaclyn’s glee when she accepted. “I mean, I’ll do my best.”
“That’s wonderful. I’m terribly excited. I can just see it now,” she said as she held her hands up in a square and looked through it toward the fireplace. “Gorgeous George, in all his glory, outside by the river, in the snow.”
“The river?” Tony asked as he leaned forward, his elbows on his knees.
“You don’t want his portrait done in the front yard? It’s a very pretty background.”
“Oh, no. He’s wanted to visit the river since he arrived. Something about where he’d lived at one point. And I know exactly where he’s referring to. You know it—the spot at the river that you’re painting now.”
Mira stiffened and her cup rattled in its saucer. How could she possibly know what she was working on right now? She’d taken a photograph of the spot at the river over the summer, and it had gotten too cold to paint outside. She wouldn’t have seen her work in progress there.
She glanced at Tony and their eyes met. His dimples deepened and he just shook his head slightly.
“Oh. All right,” she said slowly. “I took a picture of it during the summer, and I could probably paint that as a background. I’ll need a bit of time to study Gorgeous George, though. Do a sketch or two.”
Jaclyn stood and pulled back the curtains, peeking out toward the gnome. “I think he really wants to be there. Even if just for a bit.”
“Oh,” Mira said, her eyebrows rising. “I don’t think I can get there now, with the snow and all.” The snow wasn’t too deep right in the ranch compound, but it would be on the road out to the river. Her car certainly wouldn’t make it.
“Tony has a 4-wheel drive vehicle and he could take you—and Gorgeous George, too.” She turned from the window, her hands clasped in front of her and her eyes bearing down on Tony.
“Me?” he asked as he turned to look at her. “I suppose I could. I think I know the place.”
“Tony’s painted a bit, too, so he might have some suggestions for you.”
He stood and finished his tea, then stretched. “I don’t do portraits either, Jaclyn, you know that.”
“You paint?” Mira asked as she looked up at Tony. She supposed she shouldn’t be surprised that she hadn’t known that. She hadn’t even known him for twenty-four hours, and they’d been pretty busy the two times they’d met that day.
“I dabble a little,” he said as he exchanged glances with Jaclyn.
“That’s why I didn’t ask you. I know you’d rather do landscapes, but the two of you together—certainly you can produce a fabulous portrait.”
“Pa
inting is kind of a one-man job,” Mira said slowly, not wanting Tony to feel obligated in any way to help.
“That may be, but getting out there—and taking Gorgeous George—is something that would best be done together. Don’t you agree?” she said merrily as she picked up their cups and carried them into the kitchen. She set them on the counter and looked up for a moment. She nodded and came back into the parlor. “Yes, that’s how it’s supposed to be.”
“I suppose we can go out there this weekend,” Tony said.
Jaclyn shook her head. “No, that won’t do. I need the portrait as soon as possible, and you know Thanksgiving is this week.”
Mira stood, her head spinning at the turn of events. “I have tomorrow off. I wasn’t expecting to, but they’ve assigned me to nights in the housekeeping department.”
Tony shoved his hands in his pockets and turned to her. “I’ll be working nights for a bit, too, starting tomorrow night. I guess we could go out tomorrow morning and see what we can see.”
“Splendid,” Jaclyn said as she reached for their coats. “George will be ready and waiting for you.”
Tony helped Mira with her coat and put on his own as they stood on the doorstep.
“And thank you,” Jaclyn said just before she closed the door behind them.
“Well, that was interesting,” Mira said as she shoved her hands in her pockets and Tony put on his gloves.
“Never a dull moment around here.” Tony smiled down at her as he reached for the latch of the gate and opened it for Mira. “You all right with this?”
“I guess so. I have no idea how she knew I painted, though. I’ve never seen her before, not even when I was out painting in the summer.”
Tony looked back over his shoulder. “I gave up trying to figure out this stuff a long time ago. And I also learned it’s better to just go with it.”
“How did she even know we’d met?” Mira asked as they turned and walked back toward the Old West town.
Mischievous Maid (River's End Ranch Book 15) Page 3