Chapter 19
Johnny would have waited outside that dress shop for the rest of the day if he’d had to. He couldn’t stop Marian from going in and didn’t want to go in at the same time, so he’d hung back, sulking like a big child, his hands deep in his pockets and a worried look on his face.
Marian had come flying out, holding onto her skirt with one hand, a furious look on her face. He’d pressed himself between the dress shop and the shop next door, hoping she wouldn’t see him.
She didn’t even look in his direction. Her face was red all the way to the roots of her dark hair. Whatever had been said inside hadn’t made her feel good about herself.
He thought about her ultimatum of two days. All he had to do was tell Flo the scheme had worked and that they didn’t have to pretend anymore. He could take back the ring and give it to Marian. Announce that instead of Flo… it would be… Marian…
He couldn’t finish the thought. The doubt he’d felt about Marian before was creeping back in his mind. It had never really left, if he was honest with himself. He wanted to talk to Flo. Find out what was said in the dress shop.
So he would stand there, waiting besides the building for Flo to come out and talk to him.
“What are you doing?”
Johnny was surprised to see Sheriff Campbell eyeing him like he thought he might be doing something illegal. He gave the older man a smile.
“Waiting for my fiancé to come out of the dress shop. Ain’t there something said about not seeing the bride before the wedding?”
The sheriff rested both hands on his gun grips at his sides, tilting his head and lifting one eyebrow. “Ain’t no sayin’ you can’t see her when she’s buyin’ the dress two months before the event.”
Johnny laughed, prompting the same to come from the sheriff.
“I reckon you’re right about that, Sheriff,” Johnny said. He looked around the front of the building and still did not see Flo coming out. “I guess I don’t wanna disturb her. I’ve been missin’ her, you know. She’s been up there at the Fitzpatricks this whole week.”
The sheriff nodded. “Yeah, they moved the house around again. They do that pretty regular.”
Johnny pressed his lips together. “I know it. Gotta be at least twice a year. Maybe more.”
“Probably more. Flo is real tolerant. All them servants are tolerant. Surprised they still work for that couple.”
“I think it would be pretty interesting,” Johnny shrugged.
The sheriff gave him a look of approval. “Yeah, interesting is a good word to use, young man. Still, you don’t wanna be standing here for hours. You know how women are. Go on in there and talk to her. I bet she won’t mind a bit.”
“You’re married, aren’t you?” Johnny asked curiously. His eyes dropped to take in the wedding band on the man’s left hand ring finger. “Looks like you are.”
“Fifteen years and goin’ strong,” the sheriff said, kindly.
“I reckon if I take marriage advice from anybody, it’s gonna be you.” Johnny was very interested in marital advice now. But it was looking more and more like it wasn’t Marian he would be marrying. Reality had hit him with something so much better. “You got anything worthwhile for me?”
“Don’t take her for granted. That Flo is such a loyal, faithful woman. She’ll make a good wife to you, as long as you treat her well. Let her know you love her. Don’t lie to her. Women know when you lie. Most women, anyhow. Jeanie and Flo are the same in that way. They got good senses, keen senses. They gonna… she’s gonna know if you’re lying. Just don’t bother.”
“Well, I think that’s some sound advice.” Johnny nodded his approval. “I’m gonna take it. I don’t want to lose a good woman like Flo. Not at all.”
The sheriff raised his eyebrows. “You worried you might lose her?”
He sounded surprised. Johnny moved his gaze back to the front of the shop, pushing his hands down in his pockets again. He immediately pulled them out and crossed his arms over his chest. “I… I don’t know. Don’t think so. She’s been… real quiet lately. Busy at the Fitzpatrick’s ranch. I… I guess it makes me wonder if she’s the one who’s lost interest.”
The sheriff frowned at him. Johnny could tell he was disappointed. “You don’t worry about that, Johnny. That girl is yours. She’s been yours for a while. It just took the two of you forever to figure it out. Frankly, I’m thinkin’ we could have taken bets on it. You and her…” The man shook his head. Johnny was listening, his shock keeping him silent. What did the sheriff mean? Other people had seen something they didn’t see? That they apparently still didn’t see?
Was Flo’s affection for him real? Could he have kissed her and it would have been all right?
He was about to say he didn’t want to call it off out loud. But then he would have had to explain where his mind was and he didn’t want to have to do that.
“Go on in there.”
Johnny’s eyes were still on the front door of the shop and he smiled when he saw the door push open and Flo appear. She was smiling at Mrs. Fitzpatrick, who came out directly behind her. They were laughing about something.
It was a huge relief for him. After seeing Marian stomp out the way she had, it was nice to see Flo seemed completely unaffected.
“Doesn’t look like I have to,” he said. He lifted his hand, just the sight of her face making him feel better inside. “Howdy, Flo! Haven’t seen you in a while. Come on over and talk to your man.”
Flo spun in his direction, her cheeks flushing bright red. But the smile on her face gave her away. She’d missed him. He was sure of it.
She said something under her breath to the older woman and crossed the porch to where he was standing on the other side of the railing on the ground below. She leaned on the upper pole of the porch railing, crossing her arms and grinning down at him.
“Howdy to you, Mr. Mason. It’s been so long, I may have forgotten your first name. You never even came to see me! I was working so hard!” She stuck out her bottom lip, appearing to sulk but only for a moment. She couldn’t resist smiling at him.
He thought her smile was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
He caught himself thinking that and shook his head to clear his thoughts. He would tell her about Marian’s plan and see what she thought.
He didn’t have to guess at what she would think. She wasn’t shy about telling him what she thought of Marian. What would she do with the thought of him going to the special dinner with Marian and her family and friends? It had to be a pretty special event. He’d never thought he would ever meet her parents. Especially not at her request at a high-brow fancy dinner he never would have been invited to before.
He waved her down. “Come on down here, Flo. Let’s talk. We do have a lot to talk about, don’t we?”
“Like what? Wedding plans? I know you. You don’t want to talk to me about wedding plans.”
He laughed. “You never know. I just might be the one picking out the flower arrangements and colors of your bridesmaids dresses.”
“Dresses?” Flo gave him a quirky look. “I’m not having more than one bridesmaid. I don’t know that many women I would want standing up for me. Or who even would.”
He grinned and decided to risk the joke that came to his mind. “I know you’re at least going to have a maid of honor, aren’t you? Marian, right? Your best friend?”
The sour look that crossed Flo’s face was so amusing, Johnny couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
“Or maybe not,” he said, waving again. “Come on. Let’s talk.”
Flo gave him another smile, cutting through the unpleasant expression. He watched as she turned around and went to the porch steps, coming down to the road and strolling to where he was.
“Well, here I am,” she said, smiling up at him. “What do you want to talk about?”
Johnny couldn’t help it. The only thing he wanted to do was give her a long hug. He would have risked a kiss if he hadn’t th
ought Flo might smack him for it. He knew he caught her off-guard when he grabbed her and pulled her to his chest.
She gasped and was rigid for a moment. But in the next minute, she relaxed and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him back.
“We shouldn’t have spent so much time apart,” Flo said, pulling away and looking up at him. “I was a little disappointed my best friend didn’t even come to see me for dinner or anything. You were only there the one day to drop off the supplies. Then no more. Where did you go?”
Johnny looked around them. “Let’s go somewhere private. There are just too many prying eyes around here.” He grinned at the sheriff, who had wandered off a few steps but who was still in hearing distance. The older man chuckled, shaking his head.
“Where should we go? The saloon?”
They both laughed. Johnny knew she didn’t want to go to the saloon. “Let’s just go out there to that oak tree with the bench at the base. Shady and there’s no one around it. Look. The park is empty.”
Flo lifted her hand and waved it in front of her face. “That’s because it’s so warm out, I’ll bet.”
Johnny nodded. “Could be. I… I think we should probably talk. Something’s come up and… I need to make a decision. I want to get your input on it. You think you can help me out?”
“I’m always here to help you out,” Flo replied, smiling. She took his hand and they walked together to the oak tree.
Chapter 20
It was such a relief to see Johnny’s smile that Flo almost completely forgot how bad Marian had made her feel. It was hard for her not to picture Johnny and Marian having intimate dinners, talking and bonding.
She wanted to ask him about it but she was afraid to ruin the good feelings they had between them. He’d hugged her so tight. She had felt his heart was pounding in his chest, making her excited and a little nervous.
Holding his hand as they walked to the bench only made her own heart thump harder. There were so many things she wanted to tell him; what she’d done during the week and the stories Mr. and Mrs. Fitzpatrick told her while they worked. She wanted to ask him about his week but didn’t want to hear about Marian. In her mind, he’d probably done nothing but spend all his time with her.
The thought made her chest tighten and she pushed it away. She didn’t want to think that.
“Tell me about your week, Flo,” Johnny said, gazing directly into her eyes. She felt like she could drown in his and had to take a moment to collect her thoughts. “I really want to know what you’ve been doing. I mean, I know you’ve been moving furniture but I’m sure there is more to it than that. Was Mrs. Fitzpatrick messing with the ghosts again?”
“I’m pretty sure that’s her sole reason for ever moving the furniture around like she does. Or adding on another room she doesn’t need.” She gave him the warmest smile she could, enjoying the happy look on his face. In the back of her mind, she wondered if he’d smiled at Marian that way too. She’d gotten used to the love-struck look on his face when he talked about her before they started all this. Now, she didn’t want to see that look. She only wanted him to look like that when he was looking at her.
“Can I just say I’ve really missed you this week? It feels like that twenty minutes we talked in the middle of the week was just a tease. I didn’t get another chance to come out there and I… I guess I wondered if you were missing me like that, too.”
Flo raised her eyebrows. He had so bluntly told her his feelings. As if he wasn’t afraid of being hurt. She felt trusted. The thought made her feel warm inside.
She boldly took one of his large hands in her small ones and rested it on her lap. “I was missing you, Johnny. But when I wasn’t working, I was usually sleeping or eating. I guess it would have been nice if you could have come to dinner a few times. Marian says she kept you busy though. I suppose that’s a good thing, right?”
She wasn’t surprised when her voice trembled, adding that last part. His face lost a bit of the pleasantness but Flo took that as a good sign. If he’d beamed at her and laughed about his time with Marian, it would have made her feel bad. Like she had set herself up for disappointment. But he didn’t. He lifted his eyebrows to look over her head and then dropped them back to gaze at her face.
“Yes, we had dinner a few times. At the restaurant. Never alone. I didn’t want anyone thinking we were spending time alone. Not while I’m engaged to you and everyone knows it. But, well, I reckon we should talk about all this. Marian and I did spend time together and she did ask me to this real special dinner party with her family and some of their friends and associates. She says it will be a good way for me to make new friends. You know, the successful kind. Might be able to help me make my ranch even more successful. Well, Pa’s ranch, of course.”
Flo listened to him, a growing fear rising in her chest. It didn’t sound like he was pulling away from his original plan, even if he had hugged her so warmly and his heart was beating so hard. Maybe he was just happy to see her. As a friend. Nothing more.
“Well, that sounds like you are getting what you wanted from this,” she replied, trying to keep her voice calm and smooth. “That’s… a good thing… right?”
She smiled, hopefully. When he returned the smile slowly, she couldn’t tell what he was thinking. “I reckon it is.” He didn’t sound as confident as he could have.
But Flo couldn’t bring herself to tell him how she was really feeling. What if it ruined everything between them? If she had to go the rest of her life without getting a hug like the one she’d gotten earlier she would be miserable, knowing what she was missing. Should she risk it? Should she tell him how she was feeling and take the chance he didn’t feel the same?
She wanted to keep gazing at his handsome face but when he looked at her, she had to look away. Her heart pounded and she was sure he would see everything on her face.
“She makes a compelling argument for going to that dinner. I could make some good business partners to help me out expanding the ranch. And I know Pa would be proud of that. I don’t mind bringing him some new business associates.”
“I guess that sounds real good for your pa… and for you.”
She was fully aware she didn’t sound happy about it. She should be. He was getting everything he wanted. She would soon be in her cottage, fixing it up… alone.
Flo pictured it in her mind. Hanging curtains, painting, repairing… all by herself. And the whole time she knew what she would be doing. She would be wondering what he was doing. Who he was with. If he was happy.
“I know you don’t want me to go.” He sounded like he was conceding a well-known fact. It made Flo feel guilty but she couldn’t help nodding.
“You know I don’t think she’s right for you. But I can say it until I’m blue in the face and it’s not going to change how you feel about her.” Flo held in her emotions the best she could but it only made her voice sound tight and angry, which was not her intention. She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry, Johnny. I don’t want to make you feel bad. I’m… just…”
“Being my friend.”
She had to look at him. His voice was so smooth, so soft. His gaze was warm on her face. The smile he was wearing made her heart tremble.
“I understand why you’re saying that, Flo. You’re such a good friend. You won’t lie to me. I know you don’t like her. You’re just trying to warn me because that’s what friends do. You don’t want me to get hurt. Am I right?”
It was more than that. Flo had the words on the tip of her tongue. She wanted to tell him that Marian wasn’t right for him because she was. Flo. The woman standing right in front of him. She knew how to love him properly. It came naturally to her.
True Love Leaves no Doubts: An Inspirational Historical Romance Book Page 12