Without invitation, Hope circled her hand around his elbow and sashayed down the hall.
Hays turned to Emma. “I hope you don’t mind spending the afternoon with me.”
Her eyebrows tilted. “As long as I don’t find more of those posters hanging around.”
Hays put his right hand over his heart. “You have my word.”
They moved through the hall and out onto the porch, with Austin following.
Emma was quiet as they walked, her eyes scanning the property. Hays tried to see it from her perspective. Directly behind El Regalo, a large barn, low bunkhouses, and a spacious corral with some of the best horses spread out before them. Pride in the 7 Heart Ranch made him stand taller.
Crockett left Hope at the barn door while he went in to help Gage saddle the horses. Austin paused outside the door, looking from Hope to the sanctuary of the barn—but her incessant chatter prevented him from going inside. Her conversation flitted around the barnyard like the sound of a little bird, and Austin could only stare. Emma didn’t follow her sister, but walked toward the corral and leaned against the fence, her eyes focused on the far horizon.
It was the opportunity Hays had been waiting for. He joined her and lifted his boot to rest on the bottom rail.
There was something pensive in her gaze—and it made Hays pause. Ever since he was a child, he hated to see people sad. Some of his earliest memories were of his pa’s melancholy when his oldest sons left for the war, and the deep sadness after Mother died. Hays didn’t want to add to the pain, so he had learned how to make his pa laugh. Sometimes it meant that Hays had to cover his own grief and laugh through the hard times, even when he didn’t want to.
He stood silently as one of the mares strolled over to the fence and nuzzled up against him, looking for a treat in his pocket, no doubt.
Emma smiled at the playful horse, and Hays used the opportunity to speak. “You seem a little sad.” He caught her eye. “I hope it’s not because you’re forced into my company.”
She reached out and ran her hand down the mare’s long nose. “Being forced into your company does not make me sad.” She turned to face him. “Frustrated, irritated, and annoyed maybe—but not sad.”
Hays’s grin disappeared, and for a moment he didn’t know how to respond—until a faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
He dropped his foot and leaned against the fence, smiling at Emma as he crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re a great mystery to me, Miss Longley.”
“Oh?”
“Most ladies I know are quite easy to figure out—”
Hope let out an exuberant squeal and Hays jumped. The mare bolted and joined a group of horses grazing in the corral.
Crockett stood near the entrance to the barn holding the reins of a beautiful horse, and apparently Hope had been pleased. With Austin’s assistance, she tried to pull herself up into the sidesaddle, but her dress made it difficult, and she began to giggle. Austin attempted to help her, while Crockett retreated back into the barn.
Emma met Hays’s gaze, and he continued. “Like I said, most ladies are quite easy to figure out.” He refrained from making an example of her sister. “But you, on the other hand, are not so easy.”
There was no guile or pretense in her gaze as she studied him. “I’m not sure if that’s an insult or a compliment.”
Hope hopped around on one foot, while her other was stuck in the stirrup. She giggled so hard, she couldn’t lift her body into the saddle. Austin swallowed as he tried to assist her, but there was nothing he could do. His hands fumbled about, as if he didn’t know where to put them, and his lips had flattened into a thin line. Poor man.
“It’s a compliment,” Hays assured her, “of the highest order.” He tried to ignore Hope as best he could. “It makes me want to get to know you better.”
Emma turned away from Hays and ran her hands along the top rail, not meeting his eyes. “I’m leaving Texas soon, and until I do, my attention will be focused on the school. I won’t have time for anything else.”
Emma was leaving Hartville? She couldn’t leave, not before they’d had a chance to get to know one another. “When?”
“As soon as the winter term ends. My parents were missionaries in Minnesota until my father was called to Texas. I came at his request, knowing a teacher was needed, but I find I miss my work with the Ojibwe Indians far more than I thought possible.”
“I had no idea.” He suddenly understood the sadness behind her eyes—she was homesick. It didn’t take much to imagine how she felt. He’d be miserable if he was uprooted and forced to leave Texas.
Hope continued to make a fuss about the horse, and Emma’s attention was snagged away from Hays again—but he wasn’t ready to give up his time with her.
“I understand that you miss your old home—but if you give Texas a chance, you might learn to love it like Minnesota.”
She gave him a skeptical look. “I highly doubt it.”
“I don’t.” He leaned against the fence again, his arms lazily crossed over his chest. “I can guarantee you’ve never seen anything like a sunset over the Sabinal River or a blanket of bluebonnets in the Hill Country. And there’s nothing prettier than a Texas sky at night or the sight of a newborn longhorn come spring.” He chuckled. “But, best of all, the winters aren’t as cold.”
She wrapped her arms around herself, as if remembering the freezing temperatures she had left behind. But it didn’t deter her from smiling with confidence. “And you’ve never seen anything until you’ve gazed across the endless blue waters of Lake Superior or ridden a canoe down the Mighty Mississippi. You can’t imagine the crystal-clear lakes or the delicacy of a lady’s slipper in a cool forest. And I can guarantee a Texas sunset has nothing on the crackling Northern Lights in the heat of summer.”
Hays bowed his head in deference to her statements. “Can we agree that each state has a beauty all its own?”
“I suppose.”
“Then may I offer you a challenge?” He leaned closer to her, loving the way her eyes sparkled.
“I’m always up for a challenge.”
He wasn’t surprised. “In the next two months, try not to compare Texas to Minnesota, and see if you don’t fall in love with the charm that only Texas has to offer.”
She studied him for a moment. “It seems like a fair challenge.”
“And may I add one more suggestion?”
“You may.”
“Allow me to be your guide.”
She pulled back, and he feared he’d crossed a line, but then she offered a simple nod. “It’s a valid suggestion—one I’ll consider.”
Hays couldn’t stop himself from grinning. “Shall we start now? I’d be happy to take you to see the Sabinal Ri—”
“Oh, my!” Hope cried as she fell from the saddle onto the hard ground. Her left leg was still twisted in the stirrup and her skirts became tangled around her legs. She frantically tried to disengage her boot, stirring up dust.
Emma rushed to her sister’s side while Austin and Crockett lifted her onto her foot. Hays arrived just in time to grab the horse’s reins and keep the mare from spooking.
“Whoa,” Hays said, rubbing the mare’s nose. “Steady, girl.”
“My ankle,” Hope cried as Emma helped extract her foot. “It’s broken!”
Emma knelt and took her sister’s foot into her hands. She probed while her sister continued to cry out in pain.
“I don’t think it’s broken,” Emma said in soothing tones, “but you probably sprained it.”
Austin glanced nervously toward El Regalo. “I’m sure Travis is long gone by now.”
“Crockett.” Hays indicated the road leaving the 7 Heart Ranch. “Go after Travis and tell him we need his assistance.”
“I could go,” Austin said quickly.
“I need you to help with Miss Hope.”
Crockett left without a second look back.
“What should I do?” Austin stood awkwardl
y, watching Crockett’s retreating form.
“You’ll have to help me get Miss Hope into the house,” Hays said.
Hope’s cheeks filled with color and she straightened her dress, suddenly looking a bit embarrassed. “All this trouble for me?”
“Do you think you can walk without assistance?” Austin’s hopeful expression made Hays want to chuckle.
“Of course.” Hope tried to take a step, but she buckled, and Austin quickly lifted her into his arms.
Her eyes grew round, and then they softened and she suddenly looked quite pleased. “Oh, my,” she said again. “I don’t believe I can, after all.”
Austin’s face became grim, and he rushed her toward the house.
“I’m sorry,” Emma said to Hays with a sigh. “Sometimes my sister can be…” She didn’t finish her statement.
“No need to apologize. I have six older brothers. I understand completely.”
For the first time since they had met, Emma offered Hays a genuine smile—and he carried the memory of it for the rest of the day.
The next afternoon, Emma stood on the top step of the church and waved one last time as little Sadie Sue rounded the corner near the blacksmith’s shop and disappeared from sight. Emma let out a contented, if somewhat exhausted, sigh. The first day of school was finished, and it had gone better than she had expected—if she didn’t ponder too long on the older boys’ rowdy behavior, the teasing Sadie Sue received for her lisp, or the generally cramped quarters they had all endured.
“Hello, Emma,” Connie Prescott called as she approached the church. Like before, she wore a black mourning gown, but today she didn’t carry her Bible. She had come to help Emma plan the fund-raiser.
“Hello.” Emma held the door open for her friend. “You’re right on time.”
“I couldn’t stay home a moment longer. My father has a cold, and he’s been more demanding than usual.”
Emma was glad Connie had agreed to help with the fund-raiser. It was good for her to get out of the house and take her mind off her troubles.
“I hope you don’t mind.” Connie moved past her into the school. “I’ve asked a few other people to help.”
“Mind?” Emma closed the door. “I’ll take all the help I can get.”
The door opened again, and Emma moved aside.
Hays Hart stepped over the threshold, the ever-present grin on his face. “Am I late?”
Emma clutched the doorknob. “What are you doing here?”
“I’ve come to help with the fund-raiser.” Hays took off his Stetson and greeted Connie. “Thanks for telling me about the meeting.”
Connie’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “It’s my pleasure.”
Before Emma could close the door, two young ladies entered. Both of them immediately noticed Hays.
“Emma, may I present Miss Ruby Brown and Miss Julia Brown? Their father is Giles Brown, the carpenter.” Connie indicated the newcomers. “They’re here to help, as well.”
“How nice. Won’t all of you have a seat?”
The sisters sent several glances toward Hays, but he didn’t pay them any attention as he walked across the room.
“Are we waiting for anyone else?” Emma asked Connie.
Connie shook her head. “I’m afraid not.”
“My sister, Hope, had planned to help.” Emma took her notes off her desk, trying not to notice Hays as he folded his long legs under the small desk. “But I’m afraid she’s suffered an injury.” Heat rose in her cheeks. Her sister had made such a fuss about her ankle. After Austin deposited Hope in Mrs. Hart’s old parlor, he had never reappeared. Only Hays stayed close to see if he could be of assistance. “She and the rest of my family will help where they are needed.”
Hays turned his full attention on Emma, and for some reason, her stomach filled with butterflies. She tried not to let him see her reaction as she took a seat and looked down at her paper. No man had ever unsettled her before, and she wouldn’t let one do so now—especially not this one. She cleared her throat.
“Thank you all for coming. As you know, I would like to raise money to build a new schoolhouse. I’ve gone to the lumberyard and the hardware store, and I believe I have come up with a realistic budget for this project.” She found the sheet of paper with her calculations and handed it to Connie. “It’s approximately five hundred dollars.”
Connie glanced at the paper and then handed it to Ruby. “What kind of fund-raiser do you have in mind?”
“I thought we could have a bazaar during the day and finish it with a street dance in the evening.”
“I like the idea of a dance.” Julia practically bounced in her seat.
“During the dance,” Emma continued, “I’d also like to hold a bachelor auction.”
“A bachelor auction?” Hays sat up a bit straighter.
“Yes.” Emma watched Ruby hand the paper to Julia, but couldn’t look Hays in the eyes. “I’ve heard they’re quite popular in the East. My cousin went to one last summer and it was very successful.”
“How do they work?”
“We ask several bachelors to volunteer,” Emma began, “and each one is auctioned off to dance with the woman who pays the highest amount. He becomes her escort for the evening.”
Hays leaned back in his seat—as much as he could, given the confines of the desk.
“The bachelor who is auctioned for the highest amount will lead the first dance of the evening,” Emma said, “with the lady who paid for him.”
Ruby and Julia whispered back and forth, their cheeks turning pink.
Hays leaned forward, his blue eyes filled with interest. “Do you really think the women in Hartville will pay to dance with the bachelors?”
Ruby turned to Hays with a dazzling smile. “I’ll start to save my money now.”
“I know several young ladies who would pay to dance with you,” Julia said with a giggle.
An uneasy feeling settled inside Emma. Between his poster advertising for a bride, and the way the women in Hartville responded to him, she was certain he was not the kind of man she should spend time with—even if his offer to show her Texas had sounded appealing.
“The bachelor auction is but one piece we need to plan,” Emma said, bringing the conversation back around. “I would like to hold the bazaar and dance on Saturday, February seventh. That will give us about a month to plan. Everyone will work on a subcommittee, and we’ll meet back here each Monday after school until the event.” If they raised enough money she would have one month after the fund-raiser to oversee the building of the schoolhouse before she returned to Minnesota. “Who would like to help me with the bazaar?”
“I will,” Connie said. “I know several people who would volunteer to host booths and sell baked goods.”
“Wonderful.” Emma wrote Connie’s name on the list. “Now, who would like to be in charge of the street dance?”
“I would,” Ruby said. “My uncle is the conductor of the town band, and I’m sure they’d be happy to play.”
“I play the fiddle,” Hays offered.
“I know.” Ruby batted her eyelashes. “But you won’t have time to play your fiddle when you’re dancing with me.”
“Thank you, Ruby,” Emma said quickly.
“I’ll help with the dance, too,” Julia said. “I’m sure our pa would be happy to build the stage and dance floor.”
“I think that’s a good idea.” Emma looked at her list. “That leaves advertising—” She stopped. “I have a feeling you’d be good at that, Mr. Hart.”
Hays spread his hands wide. “I’ll do anything you ask, Miss Longley.”
“Anything?”
He gave her a disarming smile—the one he used to flirt with her. Was that why he had come? She refused to be another conquest in his long line of blushing admirers. The three in the room were more than enough—and there was no telling how many more lived in Hartville.
“I’d like you to be in charge of the bachelor auction.” Emma l
ooked down at her paper. “Please find at least a dozen bachelors willing to go up for auction.”
“Only a dozen?” he teased.
“Feel free to get as many as you’d like.” Emma stood, suddenly feeling more confined within the church than she had all day. “I think that’s all for now. Everyone work on their projects, and let’s meet back here after school next Monday. Come by anytime if you have questions.”
Conversation filled the room as the ladies also stood—but Hays remained in his seat. “Do I have to wait a whole week before I see you again?”
Warmth filled Emma’s cheeks, and she didn’t miss the looks Ruby and Julia sent her way.
Emma walked to the door, hoping he would take the hint. The three ladies gathered their things and filed out one by one—and still, Hays stayed at the desk.
Connie said good-bye and closed the door behind her. Emma stood for a moment, unsure what to do. Finally, she walked to her desk and began to organize her things for the next day, as if he were not there.
He didn’t say a thing.
Emma’s heartbeat picked up speed and her hands began to sweat. She lifted an arithmetic book, but it slipped from her grasp, dropping to the floor with a thud.
“Mr. Hart.” She spun to face him, her hands clasped at her waist. “Why are you still here?”
Hays sat with his arm draped over the seatback next to him, relaxed and carefree. “I’m not ready to leave.”
She crossed her arms. “Why not?”
He leaned forward. “Isn’t it obvious?”
Emma swallowed. In all her life, she had never met a man like him. She couldn’t decide whether she liked him—or detested him. Did he take pleasure in making her uncomfortable? If he did, she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
She straightened her back and dropped her arms to her sides. “I’m not sure why you decided to volunteer for this fund-raiser, but if you did it in hopes of turning my head, you’ll be disappointed. I have no romantic interest in you or—or anyone else.”
Hays grinned. Again.
She lifted her chin. “I don’t know why you think this is funny. You seem to disregard anything serious.”
Seven Brides for Seven Texans Romance Collection Page 4