by Jillian Hart
“I’ve narrowed it down to a short list, but how to decide from there? I do not know.” She stole a corner off one of his scones and popped it into her mouth. “One of them was a young lady about your age. You went to school with her.”
“Ruby.” His mother didn’t miss much. He tried to hide his reaction by taking a quick swallow of tea. The scalding liquid rolled over his tongue, nearly blistering him. He coughed, sputtering.
“Oh, I see.” His mother paused thoughtfully. “She seemed like a nice girl.”
“Nice? I suppose.” As if he was going to tell his mother what he really thought. Fortunately, he had a burning tongue to distract him. “She would be a reliable worker.”
“Yes. I thought she was very earnest, but she has no experience.”
“She could learn.” He hoped he sounded casual, not like a man hoping. He wanted Mother to hire her and make a difference in her life. “She takes care of her family. She does the cooking and cleaning. That’s experience, right?”
“I suppose.” His mother rose. “I have some pondering to do. So, have you thought about who you want to invite to our pre-Christmas ball? It’s getting closer, and I have yet to get out the last of my invitations.”
“And you’re mentioning this to me why, exactly?” He sipped more tea, taking refuge behind the cup. Had he made a strong enough case for Ruby’s sake? He couldn’t tell by the look on his mother’s face.
“Because I’ll want to know so I can send the young lady an invitation. It’s time you started thinking about a wife. I’m looking forward to the next Davis generation.”
“You mean grandchildren?”
“Of course.” His mother laughed, delighted. “I see that blush. It’s as I thought. You have your eye on someone, and I know who.”
“You do?” Tea sloshed over the rim. His heart slammed to a stop. Fine, so he’d been a little obvious. “I admit, I do have someone in mind.”
“Excellent. You know the Bells are on my guest list anyway, but I wanted to send a special one to Narcissa.” Poor, misguided Ma. She’d leaped to the wrong conclusion.
“I’m not escorting Narcissa.” Not again. “Normally I let you do what you want, but not this time, Ma.”
“Why?” Confused, his mother slipped onto the chair across from him. “I thought all that time you two spend together meant something.”
“Mostly arranged by you or her mother. It’s very hard to say no to either one of you.”
“Yes, but she sits beside you in church every Sunday.”
“Coincidence on my part. I’m thinking intentionally on hers and her mother’s.”
“I’m terribly disappointed.”
“Of course you want me to marry your best friend’s daughter, Ma, but that’s not going to happen. We’re just friends.”
“I see. Well then, who? There’s plenty of suitable young women in town. Surely her family is on my list?”
“I’ll take care of inviting her myself.” Just as he’d suspected. This was going to be a disappointment to his mother. He was sorry for it. He hated letting her down. He thought of Ruby. How would his parents handle it if they knew the truth?
“I think I hear your father coming. Oh, Jerry, it’s you.”
“Selma, there you are.” Pa’s cane tapped on the hardwood, and although he winced in pain with every step, he transformed when he saw his wife. “I see you are keeping our boy company. You did great work today, Renzo.”
“I did my best.”
“Can’t ask for anything more than that. You’re doing a fine job. Better than your old man can do.” His father’s chest puffed out, full of pride, as he slowly limped across the room. “I’m obsolete.”
“Never you, Pa. I can’t wait to hand you back the reins.” Even as he said the words, they all knew they were only a wish. Gerard Davis had been injured far too badly to ever return to the rigors of ranching work. In deference to his father’s hopes, he shrugged lightly. “I miss being bossed around by you.”
“I miss doing the bossing. But I get my fill on a daily basis. What’s this I overheard about your escorting a young gal to our ball? Selma, I thought we agreed you wouldn’t push the boy.”
“I wasn’t pushing, merely suggesting.” His mother sounded confused as she held out her arms and wrapped them around her husband. The pair cuddled, glad to see each other after being separated for much of the day. “I want to see Lorenzo settled.”
“Yes, dear, but he has enough new responsibility to manage. This ranch is the largest in the county. Renzo ought to be concentrating on learning all there is to know about our land, crops and animals.”
“He’s doing a fine job. Goodness.” Ma’s gentle amusement rang in her chuckle as she gave her husband one final hug. She swept backward, love lighting her eyes. “Gerard, I don’t see why Lorenzo needs to hold off. You managed to run a ranch and court me at the same time.”
“Yes, but I wasn’t barely twenty years old. Renzo’s mature for his age, but I don’t want him distracted. I know how distracting a pretty lady can be.” Pa winked, always the charmer, and Ma blushed prettily.
Ruby was definitely distracting. She was all he could see—snowflakes sifting over her to catch in her hair, big, blueberry eyes shyly looking away, the blush on her heart-shaped face when he’d taken her hand in his to help her from the sleigh.
This wasn’t the right time in his life, and his parents wouldn’t like it, but his heart was set. Nothing could stop it.
“Renzo? Where did you take off to this morning?” Pa leaned heavily on his cane, tapping closer. “Was there a problem I didn’t know about?”
“My trip wasn’t ranch related.” His pulse skipped a beat. What else had his father seen?
“He drove past the window and picked up one of the applicants. He must have taken her home.” Pa’s tone gentled. “She looked like a dear. That Ballard girl, I think. I know her father from church. He’s a good man.”
“The poor girl.” Ma settled onto the sofa, compassionate as always. “My heart aches for her. Being both daughter and woman of the house. They must be as poor as church mice. I’ve seen her getting clothes out of the church’s donation barrel. It was all I could do not to rush up and give her a big hug when she was here.”
Please, he thought. Please give her a chance. A job would mean she could stay in town. That he would have a hope of winning her.
“Selma, I know that look.” Pa chuckled as he eased painfully onto the cushion beside his wife. “Son, something tells me your mother has just made up her mind about the new maid.”
“Those friends of yours are sure nice girls.” Pa knocked snow off his boots on the doorstep. “You all seemed to have a good time.”
“We did.” She doused the last tin cup in the rinse water, glad to see her father back safely from town. Since Solomon’s shoe was fixed, there had been errands needing to be done. “We always have great fun together, and I got a lot of help with my crocheting.”
“That’s nice, Ruby-bug.” He shouldered the door closed against the whirling flakes, and the cold followed him in as he unloaded the groceries he’d bought on the far end of the table. It wasn’t much—a bag of beans, a package of tea, small sacks of cornmeal and oatmeal—but she was grateful for it. When Pa swept off his hat, he looked more tired than usual. “I’m glad you made friends here.”
“Me, too.” She rubbed the dishtowel over the mug, drying it carefully. With each swipe, she felt her stomach fall a notch. Had her father stopped by the post office? Was there a letter from Rupert? Her brother had been hoping to send news of a job.
Sorrow crept into Pa’s eyes, and he sat down heavily on a kitchen chair. “I didn’t want to say anything to you earlier, but I had chance for work in town, unloading cargo at the depot. It went to someone else. A younger man.”
“Oh, Papa.” She set down the towel and the cup and circled around to his side. He was a proud man, a strong man, but hardship wore on him. He fought so hard to provide for them, and had
struggled for so long. Just when it looked as if life was going to get easier, the storm had hit. Without a crop, there had been no income, and they were back to desperation again.
How little of their meager savings remained? She placed a hand on his brawny shoulder. He was such a good man, and love for him filled her up. They did not have much, but they had what they needed. They had what mattered most.
“I got a letter from Rupert.” Her father rubbed his face, where worry dug deep lines. “He sent money.”
That explained the groceries. She hated seeing Pa like this. He’d always been invincible, always a fighter, even when he’d been injured. Every memory she had of him was one of strength and determination. He’d always been a rock, the foundation of their family, who never wavered.
Not tonight. He looked heart-worn and hopeless. Like a man who was too weary to fight. The shadows crept visibly over him as the daylight dimmed. Sunset came early this time of year, and she needed to light a candle, to save on precious kerosene, but she could not leave her father’s side, not when he bowed his head, looking beaten.
Was their situation far worse than he’d told her? She bit her bottom lip, knotted up with worry. Pa did have a habit of protecting her. If only she could have gotten the job. She winced at the dismal interview she’d had, the squeaky shoes, the rattling teacup, her lack of experience and polish. “I will scour the town tomorrow, Pa. There has to be something I can do. Sweep floors, do laundry at the hotel, muck stalls at Foster’s Dairy.”
She would beg if she had to. Her father and brother had been carrying too much burden for way too long. She ached for them, struggling so hard against odds that turned out to be impossible. The dream of owning their own land and being farmers again was fading. At this point in Pa’s life, it would likely be gone forever. She knelt before him and laid her hand on his. “I can be persuasive. I will talk someone into hiring me. Please don’t worry so much.”
“Oh, my Ruby.” Pa cupped her face with both of his big, callused hands, making her feel safe. “You are a good girl. I’m afraid the news in Roop’s letter wasn’t good.”
“He found you a job, and we have to leave after all.” She squeezed her eyes shut for just one brief moment to hide the stab of pain ripping through her. It was selfish to want to stay when it was a burden for her family, so she firmed her chin. “This will be better for you. A job. Think what this will mean.”
“No, honey, there isn’t a job. Roop lost his. The mill closed down. It’s gone out of business. He’s coming home without his last two paychecks. The company promised but in the end couldn’t pay him.” Pa looked far too old for his years as he squared his shoulders, fighting to find enough internal strength to keep going. “It’s a blow, but I don’t want you worrying, Ruby. You must stay in school.”
“I won’t do it.” She brushed a kiss on her father’s stubbled cheek. “You know me. When I set my mind to something, nothing but God can stop me.”
“And even He would give pause before trying,” Pa quipped, the love in his eyes unmistakable. “We have to trust Him to see us through this. He’s watching over us.”
“I know, Pa.” She whirled away to light a candle or two, thankful for the bountiful summer garden she’d been able to grow. Selling extra vegetables to the stores in town had given her enough pocket money to make plenty of candles and soap to see them through the winter. It was a small thing to have contributed, but she’d been proud to do it. The warmth of her friends’ laughter lingered in the home, making it less bleak as she struck a match.
Encouraged, she watched the wick flare, and the light chased back the shadows. She shook out the match, shivering as the wind blew cold through the walls. Faith was like a candle dispelling the darkness, and she lit another, determined to believe they could make their upcoming mortgage payment, that they would not be homeless by Christmas.
Chapter Four
The snow whirled on a bitter night’s wind as Lorenzo guided his horse and sleigh down the drift-covered driveway. Lanterns mounted on the dashboard of the sleigh cast just enough light to see the dark yard and front step of the shanty. Poncho drew to a stop before the doorway. Ruby’s doorway.
Her adorable presence stayed with him like a melody, and a smile stretched the corners of his mouth as he climbed from beneath the robes. His boots crunched in the snow, icy flakes stung his face, but he kept going, untouched, seeing Ruby through a crack between the curtains.
She sat in a wooden chair, holding a crochet needle and thread up to a single candle’s light to make a slow, careful stitch. Her platinum hair gleamed golden-silver. Her heart-shaped face, flushed from the heat of the fire and caressed by the candlelight could have belonged to a princess in a fairy tale. Wholesome and good, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Captivated, he knocked snow off his hat as it continued to fall.
The muffled tap of footsteps tore his attention away from Ruby. Jon Ballard ambled into sight inside the house, reminding Lorenzo of his mission. He had a message for Ruby, one that would make her life easier. He took the few snowy steps to the front door and knocked. His pulse rattled against his rib cage. He was suddenly nervous, anxious with the anticipation of seeing her again.
The door swung open, and her father stood inside the threshold, surprise marking his lined face, proof of how hard the last few months had been for the family. “Young Mr. Davis, is that you again? What are you doing out on these roads this time of evening?”
“I’m on another errand. My father wanted to send one of the hired men, but I volunteered.” His gaze arrowed straight to her. Her crochet work had fallen to her lap. She stared at him with worry crinkling her forehead. Worry. He hated it. He squared his shoulders, glad he could fix that. He pulled the folded parchment from his pocket. “I have a letter for Ruby. From my mother.”
“For me?” She set aside her needle and thread, rose to her feet, and every movement she made was endearing—the pad of her stockinged feet on the floor, the rustle of her skirt, the twist of her bottom lip as she swept closer. The place she had opened within him opened more, widening his heart.
Vaguely, he was aware of Jon stepping back, disappearing from sight. Ruby remained at the center of his senses. Ruby, wringing her slender hands. Ruby, in a very old, calico work dress, the color faded from so many washings. The careful patches sewed with tiny, even stitches were too numerous to count. As she stepped into the puddle of nearby candlelight, her beauty and goodness outshone everything.
“It was nice of you to come so far in this cold.” Shy, she lowered her gaze from his. “Just to tell me I didn’t get the job.”
“Why would you say that?”
“Because the interview was a disaster. The missing button, my wet shoes, I dripped all over the floor, I was completely wrong for the position.” Pink flushed her cheeks and her nose, making her twice as sweet. “I’m sorry you had to drive so far in this weather. Your mother could have posted the letter.”
“I suppose.” This was why he’d come so far in frigid temperatures. So he could see the happiness chase away the worry from her big, beautiful eyes. “Ma wants you to start working for her first thing Monday morning. Will that be a problem?”
“What?” Her jaw dropped. Disbelief pinched adorably across her sweetheart face. “I couldn’t have gotten the job. I have no experience.”
“My mother liked you, so she’s hired you.” He held out the envelope. “Here are the specifics.”
“Really? Oh, Pa, did you hear?” She took the parchment. Delight chased away the worry lines, put blue sparkles into her irises and drew a beautiful smile. “I got the job. I got it.”
“I’m mighty proud of you, Ruby-bug.” Jon Ballard’s love shone in his voice, love for his precious daughter.
Lorenzo thought she was precious, too.
“Oh, thank your mother for me. I mean, I will thank her on Monday, too, when I see her. But, oh, just thank you.” She clutched the letter tight until it crinkled.
“I w
ill tell her. Your interview went better than you thought.”
“But how? It’s a complete and total mystery.”
“No mystery.” His reassurance held notes of humor and kindness. “You deserve this, Ruby. My mother wants you to start at six o’clock sharp.”
“I’ll be there early, just like I promised.” This was too good to be true. She’d been so sure she had failed, that it was impossible, and yet here she was, an employee. She had her first job, she would be earning a wage. A real wage. Joy bubbled through her, impossible to contain. She had a job! “I hope I don’t break anything. Or spill something. I don’t know anything about serving.”
Good going, Ruby. Point out to your employer’s son exactly how much of a mistake his mother had made. She laughed. “I’m so happy and anxious and everything.”
“I understand.” The deep shine of his dark blue gaze met hers, sincere and powerful enough to knock the beat out of her heart. Her happiness dimmed, her soul stilled as he tipped his hat, and she could not look away. She could see the shadow of day’s growth on his strong, square jaw. His masculine strength shrank the shanty and made every bit of air vanish. No man on earth could be as amazing as Lorenzo
Candlelight flickered over him, caressing the powerful angles of his face and gleaming darkly on the thick, dark fall of his hair. She lost the ability to breathe as he took a step backward into the darkness. Snow sifted over him like spun sugar.
Don’t start wishing, Ruby.
“I shouldn’t leave my horse standing in this cold. Good night, Ruby. I will see you on Monday.”
“On Monday.” The words stuttered over her tongue, her legs went weak, and she grasped the door frame before she tumbled face-first onto the snowy step. Monday. A different kind of panic clutched her, cinching tight around her middle.
She would see Lorenzo every day. She would be in his house, be in proximity with his family and washing his dishes. The warm place in her heart remembered his touch, his gallantry, his kindness. It made a girl want to dream.