by Linda Bridey
Will finished up his work and watched Zoe as she stood near the front window. Her pretty auburn hair was done up in curls and her gray coat was a nice contrast to the bright color. Looking at her profile, Will thought she had a pretty nose and her cheeks were rosy from the slightly chilly air. She was beautiful and Will decided that maybe he was being too hasty.
He put on his coat and said, “Ok. I know a nice little place we can go. I’m glad to see the sun.”
Her smile was bright and he smiled back. “I know. I was hoping it would be nice when I planned to come today.”
“You did, huh?” Will said, pleased that she had put forethought into surprising him.
He held the door for her and they went outside. Zoe slipped a little on some mud and Will quickly caught her.
“Are you ok?” he asked.
Color tinged her cheeks a slightly darker pink. “Yes. I’m not very graceful, I’m afraid.”
“I guess I’ll have to pay close attention to you then, so you don’t get hurt,” Will teased her.
She looked into his green eyes and said, “You won’t have time to do that because it happens a lot.”
He laughed as he led her around the back of the mill. There were a few men loading wagons with feed sacks and other things.
Zoe watched with interest. She saw Seth helping load a wagon and waved at him. He motioned her over and she trotted in his direction.
“Hi there, Miss Banjo,” he said with a wink.
“Hi, Mr. Fiddler,” she returned.
He laughed and asked, “You still comin’ Thursday?”
“Yes. I can’t wait,” she said.
“Me neither. Hi, Will,” Seth said as the younger man walked over.
“Howdy, Seth. Dean was just here the other day. Did he forget something?” Will asked.
Seth shook his head. “Nope. Those Indian ponies are gonna eat us out of house and home. I don’t know what we’re gonna do with them. Black Fox told us to sell them or something, but Dean won’t hear of it. The pastures are a god-awful mess with all the rain and there’s not much grass to be had. We had to buy some hay off other ranchers and we’ve had to buy double the grain as we normally do.”
Zoe said, “I’ve never seen a real Indian pony before.”
“They’re pretty,” Seth said. “C’mon out sometime and I’ll take you to see them.”
“I’d like that. Well, I’ll see you Thursday. Will and I are having a little picnic on his lunch hour,” she told him.
“That sounds nice. Have fun,” Seth said and smiled.
Will took her hand and said, “I’m hungry. What did you pack?”
“You’ll see,” she said with a teasing smile.
“Ah, the mysterious lady. Ok. Have it your way.”
Will took her to a place near a stand of trees where a picnic table sat. The sun reached it and as they sat down, its warmth reached them. Zoe began unpacking the basket. Will’s stomach growled as she pulled thick slices of baked ham, fresh bread, cheese, and mayonnaise from the basket. She’d also baked a mincemeat pie and brought a thermos of coffee.
“That all looks fantastic,” Will said.
Zoe started putting the sandwiches together and said, “I thought you might be hungry. I don’t know what you usually do for lunch, but I thought this would be nice.”
She put a sandwich and a piece of pie on his plate and gave it to him. Then she poured him a cup of coffee and put it in front of him.
“You didn’t have to go to all this trouble, Zoe, but I’m glad you did,” he said with a grin.
“It was no trouble. I was happy to do it. I enjoy doing these kinds of things,” Zoe said.
Will took a bite of sandwich and enjoyed the flavor that flooded his mouth. After swallowing he said, “Very good. Mmm. Good coffee, too.”
“Thank you. I like my coffee in the middle; not too weak, but not too strong.”
“Me, too,” he said as he watched the dainty way she ate. “So what were you up to besides making me lunch?”
“Well, I wrote my mother a letter to let her know I arrived and that I’m getting settled. I did that while the pie was baking. Then I took it to the post office and walked around town a little. Sadie saw me and we had tea. I like her very much. It’s nice that we don’t live very far apart.”
“Sounds like you had a full morning then. That’s good. I wouldn’t want you to get bored,” Will said.
“Oh, no. I’m not bored at all.”
“Good. What would you like to do tonight?”
“I would like to see your woodshop,” she said.
Will grinned. “You would?”
“Yes. I want to see all the wonderful things you make.”
It made him happy that she was interested in his hobby. “All right. How about I come by for you at the same time as last night and we can eat at the Grady House before going over to my place?”
Zoe nodded. “That sounds nice. Would you like another sandwich?”
“Sure.” Will watched her make it and thought about what a good homemaker she would be.
“There. I’ll cut you a piece of pie, too. I brought a plate and I’ll give you one for Tucker, too.”
“Don’t you mean ‘Button Nose’?”
Zoe giggled. “I really am going to call him that some time.”
“No, you’re not! I love my brother, but he’ll have my hide for telling that story,” Will said.
Her gray eyes danced with mischief. “I won’t tell him if you make me something in your woodshop.”
“Blackmail. I think I’m going to have to watch out for you, Miss Fontaine. What would you like me to make you?” he asked.
“Surprise me,” she said.
“You’re gonna spoil my brother, you know,” Will said with a nod towards the pie she’d put on another plate and wrapped with a towel.
“I’ll ply him with pie and then call him ‘Button Nose’. He’ll be in too good of a mood to scold you about it,” Zoe said.
Will groaned. “I should have never told you that story.”
She laughed and went on to tell him some of her embarrassing stories about klutzy things she’d done in the past.
“So tell me something. How is it that you are so clumsy, but you can ice skate?” he asked.
“I have no idea, but the very first time I put on a pair of skates and got out on the ice it was magical. It’s the only place that I feel graceful, and I rarely fall,” Zoe said.
“Well, I know a place we could go this weekend and I can watch you skate. It’s still been cold enough for the ice to be intact, so it’ll be safe.”
Zoe clapped her hands together in anticipation. “I can’t wait. I would skate for hours back home. It would be getting dark and I still wouldn’t want to go in. My mother used to get cross with me because I didn’t come when she called me for supper.”
“Shame on you,” Will admonished her.
“I know.”
Will finished his pie and said, “That was delicious, Zoe. Thank you for lunch and the company. You’re much prettier to look at than my brother and nicer to talk to, too.”
She smiled as she packed up the basket. “I had a good time, too.”
Will held her hand as they walked back to the mill and kissed her cheek as they parted ways. Zoe mounted her horse and smiled. She enjoyed Will’s company and was looking forward to seeing his woodshop that night.
The wind kicked up a little as she rode back to town and she saw more clouds moving in. Unbidden, the image of a very wet Raven came to mind, and she laughed as she remembered her mishap from the previous night. She could only imagine how funny she must have looked lying half on, half off the swing in her nightgown and coat. There were times when she wished that she had a picture of some of the things she did because they must be funny.
Over the years, she’d learned to laugh at herself over her lack of coordination. She had to or else she’d be constantly crying about it. She thought the swing incident was probably one of the
funnier ones, though. Thinking of Raven, she wondered if he was on duty and she became curious about the sheriff’s office.
Will had told her where it was in case she ever needed help with anything. She rode her horse over there and tied it by some other horses that she assumed belonged to the lawmen.
When she went inside, a blond man sat behind a desk. He smiled at her and asked, “Can I help you, miss?”
“Hi. I’m Zoe Fontaine. I just came to Dawson the other day and I was just familiarizing myself with the town. I’ve never seen a sheriff’s office, so I thought I’d drop by for just a few moments. I’m sure you’re busy and I don’t want to keep you from anything.”
He stood up and extended a hand. “I’m Mitch Taylor, the sheriff. It’s nice to meet you, Zoe. You’re not bothering me at all. Have a seat. Jack, one of my deputies, will be back soon and he can make you some coffee.”
“Oh, that’s not necessary,” Zoe said.
Mitch indicated a chair and said, “Jack loves feeding people and he’ll be putting coffee on anyway. We don’t touch the stove because he’s very possessive of it and it puts him in a bad mood when someone messes with it.”
Zoe sat and said, “All right. If you’re sure.”
“I’m sure. So where did you come from?”
“Green Bay, Wisconsin. I’m a mail-order-bride. I came here to meet Will Foster,” she explained.
“Oh, ok. My wife, Sammi was a mail-order-bride. I’m sure things will work out for you,” Mitch said.
“She was? So was Jamie Samuels,” Zoe said.
“Sammi and she are best friends and came from North Dakota. Joe Dwyer’s wife, Lacey, too. There are a lot of mail-order-brides around here thanks to one of our doctors, Marcus Samuels.”
“Oh! He’s the one who writes the ads, right?”
“That’s right. Jack is his nephew. Dean is Jack’s father,” Mitch said.
“My goodness. They have a big family,” Zoe commented.
“They sure do.”
The office door opened and Raven and another man she assumed was Jack came inside. They spoke a language Zoe didn’t recognize and she assumed it was Lakota. Jack said something to Raven and the brave laughed. Zoe watched him and her heart beat a little faster at the sight of his tall frame.
He saw her and stopped walking. “Hi, Zoe. Did you get your foot stuck again?”
She laughed. “No. No feet stuck today, thankfully.”
Grinning, he introduced her to Jack.
“So you’re Will’s girl, huh?” Jack asked as he put on coffee.
Mitch said, “See, Zoe? I told you that would be the first thing he did when he got back.”
“I see that. Mitch says you make good coffee, Jack.”
“I’ve been told that a time or two,” he said smiling. She thought he looked very much like his father with his blond hair and blue eyes.
Raven sat down at the table with Zoe and asked, “Are you having a good day?”
“Yes. I made a picnic lunch for Will and we had a nice time,” Zoe said.
“That’s good,” Raven said and felt a tiny prick of jealousy. He quashed it immediately. He had no reasons to be jealous. “I’m coming to dinner at Auntie’s. She cornered me earlier today, and I did not have the heart to refuse. Besides, she is a good cook.”
“Yes, she is. Will is taking me out again tonight, so I won’t be there,” Zoe told him.
Raven nodded and wondered why he should feel a little disappointed. “I’m sure you will have a good time.”
Jack put a cup of coffee in front of her and said, “I pity you having to stay with Aunt Pricilla.”
“She’s actually very nice. She was so cute this morning, fussing over me and making sure I had enough to eat,” Zoe said.
Jack snorted. “I’m glad for your sake. I hope it stays that way.”
Raven gave him a reproving look.
“What? Just because she loves you, doesn’t mean she loves the rest of us, cousin,” Jack said.
Zoe took a sip of her coffee and said, “This is very good coffee.”
Jack smiled. “Thanks.”
Raven looked at Zoe and said, “So your foot is ok?”
“It’s fine. You got home all right?”
“Yes. I was fine.”
“What happened?” Jack asked.
Zoe and Raven took turns relating the events of the previous night to Jack and Mitch and had them laughing.
Jack said, “I’d have liked to have seen that.”
“Me, too,” Zoe agreed. “It wasn’t very funny to me at the time, but it is now.”
“She was worried that I was there to kill her,” Raven said.
“I couldn’t see who he was. I’m blind as a bat without my glasses,” she said in her defense.
Raven smiled. “I think you have an active imagination.”
“You sound like Mama, Zoe. With her being a writer, she’s always imagining all kinds of catastrophes and stuff. It’s pretty funny,” Jack said.
“Oh!” Zoe said and jerked as she remembered something. She banged her knee on the table leg. “Ow! I forgot all about your mother being a famous writer! I forgot to tell her how much I like her books!”
Raven’s eyes had lowered to her leg. “Are you all right?”
“What?” Zoe asked.
“Your leg. You hit the table with it,” Raven said.
“Oh. I’m fine. I do stuff like that all the time and I don’t even really notice it anymore,” Zoe said.
Jack laughed. “You sound like my brother, D.J. He trips almost every time he comes into the kitchen at Mama’s, and he’s lived there all his life. The other day, he pinched his fingers in a kitchen drawer. I’m scared for him if he ever starts cookin’.”
Zoe finished her coffee and said, “I don’t have any trouble with cooking. It’s mainly walking and things like that. But I can ice skate very well. I can’t figure it out.”
Raven asked, “You ice skate?”
“Yes. I love it. Will is going to take me somewhere this weekend where the ice is still safe,” Zoe replied.
Again that little prick of jealousy hit Raven. “I’ve never seen anyone ice skate.”
“Never?”
“Never.”
“You should come with us,” Zoe said.
Raven shook his head. He didn’t want to tag along and feel like a third wheel. “I can’t. I’m going to see my family.”
“Oh, ok. I hope you have a nice visit. Oh! What kind of dessert does your father like? I’ll make him something,” she said.
Raven’s eyes lit up. “Whatever you make, he will eat.”
“Ok. I’ll make it Friday and you can pick it up whenever you want,” she said. “Thank you for the coffee, Jack. I have a couple things to do. Have a good day, gentleman,” she said as she got up.
“Don’t be a stranger,” Jack said. “Stop in anytime.”
“Thanks. Goodbye,” she said. Zoe tried not to look overly long at Raven as she left, but it was hard not to.
Raven watched after her as she left and started laughing as he remembered how funny she had looked last night. “I didn’t want to laugh too much while she was here, but it was one of the funniest things I have ever seen.”
Mitch opened one of his desk drawers slowly and was relieved when all he found was a note. “You’re lucky Raven.”
Raven grinned. “I decided to be nice today.”
“Lucky me,” Mitch said.
Chapter Seven
Zoe was disappointed again that night when Will walked her home. She had enjoyed seeing his house and woodshop so much. She felt that Will really should make woodworking his main occupation. The pieces he made were beautiful and crafted with great care so they would stand the test of time. They had laughed and teased each other and talked about all kinds of things.
That’s why Zoe had such high hopes when Will had taken her in his arms before they left his house and kissed her. It had been pleasant, but it didn’t really stir her mu
ch. Not wanting to hurt Will’s feelings, she’d smiled brightly after the kiss.
Will did much the same thing. He could not understand why she didn’t bring out his desire. She was beautiful, fun, kind, and intelligent. Any man would be fortunate to have her, and yet there was no chemistry there. How was he supposed to have children with her when she didn’t excite him?
They walked home, each thinking much the same thing, but covering it with bright chatter. Upon reaching Pricilla’s, Will kissed her cheek and said, “I have a council meeting tomorrow night. I just got put on the council, so I have to go. But I’ll see you Thursday night. I’m looking forward to hearing you play banjo.”
She smiled. “Good. I hope you have a good day tomorrow and that your meeting goes well.”
“Thanks.” He kissed her briefly and left.
Zoe waved at him as he mounted and then looked over at the swing. Not quite ready to go inside, she sat on it and said to herself, “No getting stuck on it tonight,” and laughed.
Then her shoulders slumped and she wanted someone to talk to about the situation with Will, but had no idea who that should be. She couldn’t talk to Sadie because she was too close to Will. She would never think about talking about it with Pricilla. Jamie was a possibility, but Zoe didn’t know where she lived. She sighed and wished she could talk to Camille. She could send her a letter, but she needed a more immediate answer.
As she sat pondering the problem, the front door opened and Raven stepped outside. He saw Zoe and stopped. She looked deep in thought. Her brow was furrowed, and she bit her bottom lip as she sat leaning forward a little on the swing. He walked around in front of her and sat on the swing by her.
“Hi,” she said. Again her heart beat faster upon seeing him.
“Hi,” he said. “Home so soon?”
“Yeah, well, we went to dinner, and Will showed me his woodshed. He makes wonderful furniture. Have you ever seen any of it?” Zoe asked as she looked into his midnight eyes.
Raven shook his head a little. “No. I don’t use furniture.”