Colleen immediately spotted the yellow fabric that Elizabeth had mentioned and it was lovely, soft and shimmery. But then her eyes fell on something else and she caught her breath. She moved to take a closer look and before she even touched it, she knew this was the fabric for her. It was a deep, midnight blue with hints of silver running through it that made it sparkle in the light. It was very subtle and simply gorgeous. She glanced back at Julia, who was stroking the yellow fabric she'd just been looking at.
"Is this the one Elizabeth suggested for you? I can see why she liked it." She sounded wistful and Colleen smiled.
"It's beautiful, but I'm going to go with this blue."
Julia looked surprised and delighted. "Are you sure?"
"Absolutely. You should get the yellow, though. It will look amazing on you."
Hannah walked back over to check on them and they pointed out the fabrics they'd selected. She cut the amount that Colleen requested and set it aside. Julia asked her to hold off on cutting her fabric, until she came back after her shift. She wanted to make sure that Liam had found coverage for the night.
Mondays were usually their slowest day. But according to Liam, they were always busy enough that it made sense to still be open. By about one thirty what there was of a lunch rush had quieted to a trickle and there were only two other tables left in the restaurant. Colleen and Julia were just discussing what they wanted for their own lunch when the front door opened and a few familiar faces walked in.
"Do you have room for four more?" Emma asked as she, baby Jeremy, Emily and Naomi stood waiting to be seated. They were smiling, but Colleen sensed that something seemed a little off. Naomi, who was normally animated and upbeat, was completely silent.
"Of course, right this way." She led them to a large round table in the corner and handed menus to each of them. "Today's soup and sandwich special is tomato bisque and grilled cheese."
Julia walked over then and said a warm hello. "This is a pleasant surprise."
"We had a doctor's appointment in town," Emma explained.
"Emma was kind enough to come with me. I met with the doctor about Jed. He still refuses to go see a doctor and insists that he's fine."
"He's not fine," Emma said softly.
"The doctor said it sounds like Jed has early signs of dementia. There's nothing they can do for it." She looked like she was fighting back tears and Colleen's heart went out to her.
"Maybe he's wrong," she said.
"I hope he is, but I know he's not." She sighed. "He said we'll just have to manage it, to be patient with him."
"Well, that's what we'll all do then," Julia assured her.
When Julia put their order in, she let Mrs. Johnson know what she and Colleen wanted for lunch as well and when all the food came up, Colleen helped her to carry it to the table and she and Colleen sat down and joined them. Naomi's mood improved as they ate and she began to process all that the doctor had said. By the time they’d finished eating, she was almost back to her usual self. She glanced around the table. "We'll get through this. We'll manage. I'm more determined than ever now that we throw him the best party he's ever seen. It will be so special that he won't be able to forget it."
Liam had given them the good news earlier that Billy was willing to cover for him and that they would be able to attend the art society benefit, so as soon as they finished their shift, they headed back to the mercantile to pick up their fabric. As they were about to walk in, the door opened and a familiar face walked out.
"Well, fancy seeing you lovely ladies here," Ricky drawled. He was holding a folded newspaper and a small paper bag.
"Did you buy something exciting?" Colleen asked, curious to know what he was up to.
"It's black licorice. I just got off the train and haven't eaten since breakfast, needed something to tide me over. Would you like a piece?" he offered and held the bag out.
"Oh, no, thank you," she said and Julia shook her head as well.
"I'll meet you inside," Julia said and stepped through the door to give them a moment of privacy.
"So, for Friday night, a friend is having a small dinner party and we've been invited. How does that sound to you?"
"That sounds lovely. I look forward to meeting some of your friends."
"You'll like them. Mary is a great cook, and her husband, Steven, is on the town council. He's one of the people who have encouraged me to run for mayor. I'll see you on Friday."
"I won't see you at the pub before then?" Ricky usually stopped in at least once or twice during the week.
"Not this week, regretfully. I'm back on the train tomorrow and out of town for the next few days working on a few deals."
"Okay. I look forward to Friday night, then." Colleen smiled and Ricky tipped his hat. She watched as he walked away, wondering how he spent his days. She realized that for all his charm, she still didn't really feel like she knew Ricky all that well.
Ricky made his way a block further down Main Street until he reached the saloon. He liked Donovan's pub, but he also liked to come here a few times a week, too. Ricky lived alone and wasn't much of a cook and it was just easier to stop into the saloon for a beer and something to eat. There was already a good crowd at the bar when he settled in to a chair at the far end and ordered a beer from Nick, the balding, pot-bellied bartender.
"What's on the menu?" he asked as Nick set down his beer.
"It's turkey sandwiches today." Every day there was one option, usually something simple like a sandwich and side of roasted potatoes.
"I'll have that, then." He sipped his beer and glanced around the bar. It was a typical saloon—later in the evening, the gambling would start. Poker, mostly. Ricky rarely indulged, though he was a good player. He preferred to stay on the sidelines and take it all in. Because it was early, there were only a few saloon girls floating around and taking turns chatting and flirting with the men, and encouraging them to order another drink. Ricky had been flattered by the attention the first time he'd been to a saloon, until an older and wiser friend explained that the saloon girls earned both tips and commissions on each drink they were able to sell. A few men were playing pool at one of the two tables and Ricky noticed, as usual, that the place looked as though it hadn't been swept in a few days. Peanut shells littered the floor, carelessly dropped as men sat cracking them open at the bar while they drank their beers. Ricky's stomach grumbled and he reached for a handful from the bowl sitting next to his beer. He needed something more solid than licorice.
He was cracking open his second peanut when he caught the scent of sweet perfume and felt a swish of soft hair brush across his cheek.
"Excuse my reach," a soft voice said. Ricky turned to see who it was and was surprised to see a saloon girl that he didn't recognize. She must be new. She was happily munching on a peanut as she slid into the chair next to him. Ricky pushed the bowl of peanuts closer to her.
"Here you go."
"Thank you," she said as she reached for another, popped it in her mouth and then held out her hand. “I'm Sarah, and you look like you're about ready for another beer. They go so well with peanuts, don't you think?"
Ricky smiled. Subtle, she wasn't. But, he was planning to have at least one more anyway, so he was happy to give her credit for it.
"I'm Ricky, and yes, I think I will have another." He noticed that her hand was soft and smooth in his before she quickly removed it and flashed him a smile. He couldn't help but notice that she was a very pretty girl. She looked to be a few years older than Colleen and her hair was much lighter, golden blonde with a little red. What did they call that? Then it came to him, strawberry-blonde. She was a tall girl, maybe five seven or eight and slender, but not too thin. It was impossible not to notice that she had curves in all the right places. He was a bit surprised to see that she also had a very wholesome look. She didn’t appear to be as worn down and weary as most of the other girls—although she looked quite a bit younger than most of them.
"I don't think I
've seen you here before. Are you new?"
"Brand new. We just arrived yesterday, on the three o'clock train from Philadelphia."
"That's a long way," he commented. "Why here?"
"That's a bit of a long story." She sighed and then smiled brightly, but he didn't miss that the smile didn't quite reach her eyes. She was clearly trying to put on a brave face. He reached for another peanut and hoped that she would continue.
"I didn't have many options. I'm a widow. My husband died unexpectedly last year and we lost everything. We'd finally bought a house the year before, but after Eddie died, there wasn't enough money left to keep paying the mortgage. Neither one of us had any family. It was always just the three of us."
"The three of you?"
"Yes, I have a son. Andrew is five, and the love of my life. He's the image of his father."
"How did you choose to come here?" Ricky was curious.
"There was an ad in the local paper looking for saloon girls, and the job included room and board, for both of us. It was a long way to go, but there no other jobs available. I wrote straight away that I was interested and they replied back with train tickets."
"Where is Andrew now?
"He's upstairs in our rooms. One of the other girls is with him. I'll be running up to check on him during my breaks. He thinks it's all a big adventure. That's what I keep telling him, anyway."
Nick returned then and set his turkey sandwich in front of him.
"He'd like another beer," Sarah said quickly, before Nick could ask if he wanted one.
Nick raised his eyebrows and chuckled, "He would, would he?"
Ricky confirmed it. "Yes. Sarah suggested it and I thought it sounded like a good idea."
"Well, I'll leave you to your dinner, then. It was a pleasure to meet you, Ricky." Sarah eased herself out of the chair.
"The pleasure was all mine," he said warmly as he watched her walk away and then turned his attention to his sandwich. He felt bad for Sarah. She seemed like a nice enough girl and to be widowed with a young child couldn't be easy. Especially if her best option was working as a saloon girl.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Colleen was a little nervous as she and Ricky walked into his friend’s house. They lived near Ricky in the center of town. In addition to being on the town council, Steven was a banker, and his wife, Mary, was busy with their three small children. There was one other couple already there that Ricky introduced her to—Peter, who lived a few doors down from Ricky and his wife, Lynn. Peter worked as an attorney and Lynn volunteered at the town library.
"Come in, come in and make yourselves comfortable," Steven said, after all the introductions were made. "Now, for the really important question. What would you like to drink? Can I pour you a glass of wine?"
"We just opened it and it's lovely," Mary added.
"Okay, thank you." Colleen accepted the small glass of red wine that Steven handed to her and took a sip. It was fortified wine, Mary explained as she poured it, and it had a strange taste as far as Colleen was concerned. It was nothing like the wine she had shared with Ricky. The men were drinking something brown—whiskey, she guessed. After a short time, dinner was served. Mary sat a platter of sliced roast beef on the dining room table, along with potatoes, buttered squash and bread and they all sat down.
The women were mostly quiet as the men chatted excitedly about the town goings on and Ricky's odds of becoming mayor.
"We just need to convince everyone that you're ready for this. I don't think anyone doubts you can do it, just if the timing is right," Peter said.
"The timing couldn't be better, in my opinion," Steven said. "If we get you in now, you can feed business to both of us, and we can send it your way as well. Not that we don't already, of course. But this will just help even more."
Colleen listened intently as she ate her roast beef.
"Being mayor will help when you go on the road, too. You'll be able to steer people and projects this way."
"To helping people," Ricky said and lifted his glass in a toast. The other two tapped their glasses lightly against his. All three of them chuckled.
"You're going to make a heck of a major," Peter said.
"I'm planning on it." Ricky smiled as he reached for another slice of roast beef.
They turned the conversation to specific business they were working on and Colleen lost interest. She snapped back to attention when Mary asked her a question. "How are you liking Bozeman so far?"
"Oh, I'm liking it. A lot."
"I imagine it's very different from Boston?" Lynn commented.
Colleen laughed. "So different. I'd never seen any place like this before. I'd never even been on a farm before."
"Really?" Mary was surprised.
"I lived in the city. Boston is a large city, but everything is close together and I could walk to work. Walk just about everywhere, actually."
"If you marry Ricky, you'll be able to live in town, at least. We love living here," Lynn said.
"Lynn, they're not engaged yet!" Mary said.
"Well, she could be, if she wanted to. Ricky is obviously planning to ask her or he wouldn't have brought her here to meet us."
Colleen shifted a bit uncomfortably in her seat.
"I don't think she's made her mind up yet," Mary said, and added, "David Donovan is courting you as well, I hear?"
"Yes, he is. I've been getting to know them both."
"I wouldn't have to think twice about that. David's nice enough, but Ricky is going places. You could be married to the mayor—and live right in town. Not stuck out in the middle of nowhere...on a farm." Lynn made a face as if she'd smelled something terrible and Mary shot her a stern look.
"Lynn!" she scolded her.
"Sorry. I just can't imagine that there's much to think about," she said as she stabbed a piece of rare roast beef and popped it in her mouth.
Colleen said nothing. What could she possibly say in response to that?
After dinner was cleared, Mary set out a chocolate frosted cake and made tea for the women. The men continued on with more whiskey. Once dessert was finished, though, Ricky asked if she was ready to go. After they said their goodbyes and settled into his buggy, they were off.
"Did you have a good time?" he asked as they drove out of town.
"Everyone was very nice."
"They liked you, I could tell. Both Steven and Peter said you'd make a perfect mayor's wife." He sounded pleased about that, that she'd won their approval. "What do you think about that?"
"About what?"
"Getting married? I'm asking you if you want to be my wife." His words came out in an excited rush and took Colleen by surprise. Somehow, she hadn't pictured a proposal in the dark as they raced home. It felt more like a business negotiation than a romantic declaration.
"You are? I wasn't expecting that. Well, not right now, anyway."
"No better time than the present. So what do you think?" He sounded eager to get this deal closed.
Colleen wasn't ready to make that decision yet, though. It was too sudden, and she still wasn't sure about Ricky. She liked him, but could she love him? Could he love her?
"I'm flattered, thank you. But, it's a bit unexpected. You caught me unaware. I need to think about this a bit. I hope you can give me a little time?"
"Oh, of course. Take all the time you need." Ricky sounded a little surprised and Colleen did feel badly for a moment. When you receive a proposal, it really shouldn't have to be something that you think about. She'd always thought that—that you would just know in your very core if it was right.
A short while later, Ricky slowed the horses and pulled up to the front door of Liam and Julia's house.
"Thank you, for everything. I really did have a wonderful night," she said as Ricky came around to her side and helped her out.
"I really hope you'll seriously consider my offer and make the right decision," he said softly as he pulled her to him and then bent his head down to hers and let his
lips press against hers, ever so briefly. He pulled back a moment later and walked her to the front door.
"Sleep tight."
David rode into town the next day to pick up a few things at the mercantile. His mother had written out a list for him and after gathering everything and paying for it, he was on his way out when Mabel walked in, and as soon as she saw him, she made a beeline for him. He stiffened up as she drew closer. Mabel made him nervous. It wasn't that she was unattractive—she was pleasant enough to look at, though a bit rounder than he would normally choose. It had taken him a while to figure it out, but once her interest in him became obvious and even more aggressive, it only had the opposite effect. Instinctively, he took a step backwards.
"David, I haven't seen you in ages. How are you?" Hadn’t he just seen her a week or two ago?
"Nice to see you, Mabel. How've you been?" he said politely.
"Same as usual." She asked after his family and chatted on and on about nothing at all important.
When she finally came up for air, he spoke. "It was great to see you, Mabel, but I should be going, I have to drop this off at my mother's house on the way home."
"Oh, okay." She seemed reluctant to let him go.
"Have a good day, Mabel." He took a step toward the door and then felt her touch on his arm, pulling him back. She had a strange look on her face.
"I knew there was something I forgot to mention. I'm sure you heard the exciting news about Ricky?" she asked.
"What about Ricky?" One never knew what Ricky was up to.
"Rumor is that he's going to run for mayor and that he's asked Colleen Shea to marry him."
That got his attention. "Did she say yes?" He could barely get the words out.
"I would assume so, but I don't really know. He'd be a good catch for her."
"I suppose," he muttered.
COLLEEN: A Sweet Western Historical Romance Page 7