by Linda Ford
She persuaded Mort to take down the drapes from the first three rooms and hang them outside to air. She’d try sponging them later in the day. She carried the ladder upstairs then, then armed with hot water, soap and lots of rags, headed for the first room.
“Miss Hannah. Miss Hannah.” The siren sound of two little boys rang out.
She dropped her cloth in the water and went down to serve the promised tea and cookies.
*
The next day was more of the same. Mrs. Sperling took the boys out for breakfast then returned for tea and cookies. Other than that, Hannah spent every spare moment scrubbing and cleaning. She caught glimpses of Jake as he hurried in and out. According to Mrs. Sperling, he hadn’t been able to persuade any of the buyers to come and spent his day trying to find feed for the cows.
She’d scrubbed two rooms and stripped the bedding down to the mattress. She didn’t have to bury her face in the ticking to realize they’d need a good airing. She wondered if Mort would do it but he’d been at the desk until late last night waiting for Jake to return. She’d promised him she wouldn’t disturb him. That left her to do the task on her own. She tugged a mattress off the bed. It was unwieldy but not heavy. Surely she could get it down the stairs.
She pushed, pulled and dragged it to the hallway, got it to the top of the stairs, and then paused to catch her breath and consider her next step.
She could drag the mattress but if it gained momentum she’d be pushed down the stairs. Nope. Better to push it down than have it push her. She got behind and shoved. It clung to the carpeting. She pushed harder and managed to get it to the top step. Somehow she’d figured it would dip down the stairs. Instead it hovered stubbornly on the landing. She pushed some more. It was still stuck. She kept pushing but couldn’t believe how the mattress continued to defiantly stick out over the steps. Hannah gave one more hearty shove and the mattress flipped flat, dropping full length to the steps. She bent to grab the sides, hoping to control its descent but it took off. She clung to the edges. Bump, bump bump. She felt every step in her chest, then her stomach, knees and toes. As she realized the trip down the steps was going to be slow but bumpy her initial alarm gave way to amusement.
The mattress reached the polished wooden floor and picked up speed. Hannah giggled. This was fun. She laughed harder.
If anyone saw her now, they’d think she’d gone crazy. Maybe she had, but she hadn’t laughed like this in a long time. And it felt good.
Just then the door opened and Jake strode in. She barely had time to holler, “Look out,” before the mattress struck his ankles and ground to a halt.
He teetered a minute like a tree cut down at its roots, waved his arms madly then toppled, landing beside her.
Laughing so hard tears filled her eyes, Hannah rolled away.
“What are you doing?” He was obviously not amused.
She tried to stop laughing, but the harder she tried, the harder she laughed.
He grunted and sat up. “Don’t tell me Luke and Sammy are up to mischief.”
She shook her head. “Just me,” she managed to gasp as she sat up and faced him. Seeing the look of disbelief on his face, she again laughed.
He looked from her to the top of the stairs then shook his head. “Why are you riding mattresses down the stairs?”
She stifled her laughter. “It was unintentional, believe me. But fun.” She got to her feet and brushed her hands over her hair. She must look like a wild hooligan. But she didn’t care. For the past three days she’d done nothing but work and worry about this hotel. In fact, in the month since she’d arrived it had been nothing but work. Like Jake once said, being the boss meant never having time off.
“Care to tell me what you were trying to do?” Jake asked.
“I wanted to get this mattress downstairs so I could take it outside and air it.” She chuckled.
He scowled, obviously still not amused.
She tried again. “If I’d known it was so much fun, I’d have done it sooner.”
Nothing but a frown. “Where’s Mort? Why haven’t you asked him to help you? Are you so set on proving how independent you can be that you’re willing to risk life and limb?”
“Oh, come on, Jake. I didn’t get so much as a scratch. See.” She held out her arms and turned them over for his inspection. Ignoring his grunt, she chuckled. “I think God knew I needed to remember life is supposed to be fun. I was getting all caught up in work.”
“How many mattresses are you planning to bring downstairs?”
“Eventually all of them, but right now I’m concentrating on three rooms.”
He headed for the stairs. “Show me which ones.”
“No need. I can do it myself.”
“You might not be so fortunate next time.” He continued up the stairs with Hannah at his heels.
“Which rooms?” he demanded at the top of the steps.
She indicated the ones. “I need to get the rooms ready to let out as soon as possible. Sooner even.”
He hoisted a mattress to his shoulders and edged his way out the door. “Seems you have a much bigger problem than the mattresses.”
“What do you mean?”
“The hole in the middle of the dining room floor.”
“I plan to close the room temporarily. Surely there will be those who would take the rooms at a reduced rate.” She counted heavily on it.
“I suppose so.” He carried the mattress through the dining room and out the back door and propped it against the shed wall then headed back for the third mattress. She followed him.
When he paused at the top of the stairs with the mattress balanced on his shoulders, she asked, “Sure you don’t want to try riding it down?”
He shot her a look. “Not in this lifetime.”
She followed him again. “It was a lot of fun.”
“I’ll take your word for it.”
Jake propped the mattress beside the first, retrieved the one from the lobby floor, and then stood back and dusted his hands. “You didn’t say where Mort is.”
“Doing his own thing, I suppose. I can’t expect him to work day and night.”
“Either get him to take these back upstairs when you’re ready or wait for me.”
She’d never planned to carry them up on her own, but his bossiness irked her, and she couldn’t resist letting him know she didn’t need him to run her life or her business. “And if you or Mort aren’t here? Do you expect me to drink tea and twiddle my thumbs until one of you returns? You’re sadly mistaken if you think I’m going to pretend to be a helpless female who flutters her fan and waits for a man to pick up her hanky.”
They’d reached the dining room, and he jolted to a halt and studied her long and hard.
Hannah tore her gaze away. She’d been rude and she tried mentally to justify her behavior. “What you don’t understand is I haven’t time to waste. The town council paid me a visit. I have no choice but to get this place up and running before—” She bit off the rest of her explanation. She hadn’t planned to tell anyone about the visit. She found it humiliating to confess just how close she felt to desperation.
“Mayor Stokes and his cronies were here? What did they want?”
“Nothing.” She headed for the lobby, leaving him to stare after her or follow—whatever his inclination.
Jake followed, grabbed her arm and turned her to face him. “What did they want?”
She set her mouth into a stubborn line. It was none of his business.
“Has it anything to do with us being here?”
She stared at him, reluctant to reveal anything.
“I could persuade Mother to move.”
“Don’t do that.” She needed the money for paint, paper and a hundred other things.
“Then tell me what’s wrong.”
She pulled away and sat at the little table where she’d served them. “I’ve been fined.”
“You broke the law?”
She laughed. At least he sounded suitably dis
believing. “Apparently there is a penalty for overuse of water which this fire caused.”
“I didn’t think you were even here at the time.”
“I wasn’t but as owner of the hotel I have the dubious pleasure of qualifying for the fine.”
He snorted. “How wonderful. So you plan to reopen soon? What about that hole?” He nodded toward the dining room.
She explained her plans. “Only one thing bothers me. The safety inspector could choose to say it isn’t good enough.” She ducked away from his study of her.
Hannah knew before he spoke what his solution would be. Still it annoyed her when he gave it.
“Hannah, why are you doing this to yourself? You could sell the place or at least hire a manager or—”
“You mean admit I can’t manage on my own? I’d never do that.”
“What are you trying to prove? Everyone has limitations. It’s not weak to admit them.”
“I think it bothers you to think a woman can get along without a man.”
“Why would you want to?” His voice was low. His eyes bored into hers. She realized they weren’t talking about the hotel any more but something more basic. Something involving only the two of them.
Did she want to be without a man? A man who loved her and cherished her? Somehow her father had been able to do both yet still encourage her independence. She had only to let her thoughts drift a breath away from the present to remember his returning home in the evening, smelling of the store. She could see him silhouetted against the open door then coming into focus as the door closed behind him. She felt again the anticipation of watching him hang his hat and shrug out of his jacket. Only then did he turn to her and Mother. He kissed his wife and hugged Hannah. She could hear his words in her memories. “And what worlds did you conquer today, Hannah?” He loved to hear of her adventures.
“I’d like to marry some day. Have someone to share my life.” She missed having someone be as pleased to see her, as proud of her accomplishments as her father had been. Her missing these things took on a solid shape that sank, heavy and cold, to the bottom of her stomach. She would welcome the same acceptance from a man she could love and spend her life with. Could she ever hope to find the same thing with a man her own age? Certainly not with Jake. He ruled his world. And she did not want to be ruled.
Jake glanced at the clock and jerked to his feet. “I’m going to miss the train. Tell Mother I’ve gone to find the buyers and convince them to come here. I’ll be back day after tomorrow.” He dashed up the stairs, returned with a carpetbag and with a hurried goodbye headed out the door.
*
Two days later, Hannah was scrubbing yet another room wondering why she had the feeling she waited for something. Her mind pictured Jake. But that couldn’t be it. She’d only known him a few days. Hardly long enough to give her cause to hurry to the window when she heard the late afternoon train. She waited a few minutes before she returned to her task.
She was still cleaning upstairs when she heard Mrs. Sperling and the boys return and went down to join them. She glanced past them to see if Jake accompanied them and scolded herself yet again.
“We went shopping,” Luke announced in his wild hog-calling voice. “Gramma bought us a new shirt. Can I show her, Gramma?”
Mrs. Sperling handed over a brown, paper-wrapped package. The two boys tore at the paper and pulled out two store bought blue shirts and each held one up in front of them.
Hannah admired them. “Now why don’t you sit down and I’ll get cookies and tea?”
Mrs. Sperling already sat at the table, her chin resting on her upturned hands. “That would be nice, dear.”
The boys pulled out chairs. Sammy managed to upset his backwards and the two of them worked together to right it. Chuckling, Hannah left them to sort themselves as she headed for the kitchen to make tea. She put out a good number of cookies and carried a tray back to the lobby. She poured a little weak tea into cups of milk, passed them to the boys and offered them cookies. They each took two.
Then Hannah turned her attention to pouring tea for Mrs. Sperling. “Thank you, my dear.” Hannah glanced at the older woman. Her cheeks were pale, her eyes glassy.
“Are you feeling well?” she asked.
Mrs. Sperling closed her eyes. “I’m afraid I have a headache.” She grimaced at Hannah. “A real one this time.”
Sammy yelled something about the horses he’d seen on the street. Mrs. Sperling flinched.
“Boys, talk like gentlemen,” Hannah warned.
Mrs. Sperling shivered.
Hannah touched her hand. “It looks like you should go to bed.”
Mrs. Sperling opened one eye and looked at the boys. “I can’t take my eyes off them.”
Hannah knew the older woman could barely keep her head up. “Why don’t I take them for the afternoon?”
“I couldn’t—” Mrs. Sperling began.
“It will be fun.” She’d learned her lesson with the mattresses. Work could not be the shape of her life. She had to make room for fun as well. Besides she had four rooms ready except for washing the bedding and she intended to do that on Monday. “Why don’t I take them out?” They’d been confined long enough. So had she. She wanted to see what lay beyond the streets and houses of town.
“I’d be so grateful,” Mrs. Sperling whispered.
“Then it’s settled.” She touched Luke’s chin to get his attention. “How would you two like to go exploring today?”
“Yeah,” they both yelled.
“Finish your cookies and tea.” She shooed Mrs. Sperling upstairs, found Mort and informed him of her plans, laughing when he looked as if she’d announced she intended to drive nails through her fingers. “We’ll have fun.”
“Yes, Miss,” he murmured, obviously not convinced.
*
Jake didn’t wait for the train to stop before he jumped to the platform. It had been a long day and a half but he’d finally convinced Mr. Arnold to visit and assess for himself if the rumors of sick cattle were founded. The man had promised to show up Monday morning. Two more days for Jake to cool his heels and chomp at the bit.
He waited for the conductor to push open the boxcar door where his horse waited. As soon as the animal stepped out, Jake threw on the saddle and headed for the hotel. He’d check on his mother and the boys before he checked on the animals.
Inside the lobby he knew from the quiet that the boys were not on the premises. He cocked his head toward the stairs listening for sounds of Hannah hard at work. But there was only silence.
Mort shuffled in from the kitchen. “Your mother is upstairs resting. Had a headache. Not much wonder with all the racket.”
Jake nodded. “Audrey hasn’t come for the boys then?”
“No sir.”
He tensed. That left the boys unsupervised. “Then where are they?”
“Miss took them.”
“Did she say where she was going?”
“Out of town, she said.”
“Thanks.” He decided to leave his mother in peace and headed outside. Out of town. That included a lot of territory. Where would she take them? She could manage the boys. She’d proved that time and again but she didn’t know the country. What were they doing? But instead of disaster, he pictured her chasing the boys, catching them and tickling them, or perhaps playing beside a stream, throwing rocks in the water. How long had it been since he’d done something for the sheer enjoyment of it?
Too long ago to remember. Too long ago to matter. Seemed his whole life he’d been taking care of business. Trying to live up to his Daddy’s expectations. “It’s a big job,” his father had warned him from his deathbed. “A man-sized job but I’ve taught you well, boy. You can do it. Just don’t be distracted by foolishness. You won’t have time for it. Not even the things a boy your age would consider normal.”
Jake rode to the herd. Zeke had managed to keep them fed and watered. The animals looked fine.
So how foolish would it
be to ride out and find Hannah and the boys and maybe enjoy a few quiet hours? He chuckled at thinking there’d be anything quiet about an afternoon spent with his two nephews.
He rode as far as the feed store. Lars stood on the step talking to a customer. He glanced up at Jake’s approach. “You looking for Miss Williams and the two young ‘uns?” Before Jake answered, the man pointed down the road. “She asked how far to the river. I told her to follow her nose.”
“Thanks.” Jake let the horse amble along the dusty trail. Occasionally he glimpsed three sets of footprints. As he drew close to the river, he heard the boys’ voices and turned aside. He tied the horse to a tree and watched Hannah and the boys play. They stood on the edge of the river throwing rocks. Sammy saw one he wanted just below the surface of the water.
“Take off your shoes and socks,” Hannah said
Jake edged closer and closer.
Both boys sat down, pulled off their shoes and socks and rolled up their pants. There were soon knee deep, bent over, up to their elbows in water as they tried to wrench rocks from the river.
Sammy tripped, fell onto his bottom and struggled against the current.
“Hang on. I’ll get you.” Hannah took a step forward. Hesitated. Then pulled off her own shoes and stockings, wadded her skirts up and headed toward the boy. Jake guessed she meant to help Sammy. He could have told her the boy was fine but he preferred to enjoy the entertainment.
As she reached for the boy, she lost hold of her skirts and they swirled around her, sinking as they took on water.
She paused, looked back as if wondering if she should retreat.
Jake silently urged her on. Now was no time to play it safe.
She laughed. Grabbed water and tossed it above her head then sprayed the boys. “No point in trying to keep dry now.”
Jake leaned against a tree smiling as the boys squealed then began to flail at the water. For a few minutes he could hardly see them through the spray. He caught glimpses of Hannah as she retreated. Water beading on her skin caught the sun so she seemed to be sprinkled with diamonds. Her hair fell from the coil she usually wore and hung in dark, thick ropes down her back. Her face glowed with laughter.
Suddenly Jake felt old and alone.