An Unconventional Lady

by Cynthia Hickey

  “Why would she be jealous?” Dallas leaned his elbows on the counter and lowered his voice. “Were you two talking about me?”

  Oh, she wanted to dump a pitcher of water over his head. Why must he tease her so? He knew as well as anyone she didn’t want to get married anytime soon. Then why did her blood rush when he walked into the room? Why did her eyes search for him when he returned from a guide trip?

  Having him around threatened all her plans, ones she’d set in place long before he arrived. Between Dallas and her mother, Annie didn’t know which way was up. She tossed the washrag under the counter. “Are you going to order anything? If not, I’ve other customers.”

  His eyes clouded over. “Did I say something wrong? If you don’t want me here, I can scoot down easy enough.”

  “Of course I don’t want you to move, but I’m sure Dottie wouldn’t mind. If you’re in the market for a bride, you might look there.”

  He glanced in the other girl’s direction. “She’s pretty enough. Mighty young, though.”

  “Only a year younger than me.”

  He shrugged. “You act older.”

  What did he mean by that? Annie pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. Did he think her an old maid? That she didn’t know how to have fun? She’d show him the next time he took a group down to the canyon floor. Allowed to or not, she’d accompany him.

  “Go sit somewhere else.” Annie set her chin and moved to the next customer, plastering on a smile.

  “Fine.” Dallas set his mug down with a clunk, tossed his borrowed jacket on his stool and stormed from the restaurant.

  Annie blinked back tears, knowing she had acted like a child, but not knowing how to fix the situation. Mother told her constantly she was in danger of being a spinster. Annie didn’t want a handsome man, one whose opinion she valued, to agree with her mother.

  “What did you say to make him leave so quickly?” Dottie stared at the door. “He prettied the place up.”

  “Don’t be silly.” Annie slid past her to fetch a fresh pot of coffee. “El Tovar is one of the best hotels in the Harvey chain. The place is beautiful.”

  “You know what I mean.”

  The train whistle blew and the customers moved as one for the door. Annie let her smile fade. Her shoulders slumped. She should count herself lucky and heed the words she gave Dottie.

  El Tovar was beautiful with its log-style front desk and wood floors. It was the most modern place she’d ever stepped foot in. Why, the hotel had its own greenhouse and chickens! Hot and cold running water, indoor plumbing, its own barbershop, an art gallery.

  Yes, she worked in a beautiful place, so why didn’t she enjoy her job more? It wasn’t the hard work. She was used to that. The girls were friendly enough, although several had broken their contracts to get married since Annie had joined the company. The waitresses were a revolving circle of faces.

  She grabbed a broom and started sweeping behind the counter, then stopped and leaned on the broom handle. She hadn’t learned to be content with what she had or where she was. Hadn’t the apostle Paul said something about that very subject in Philippians? Annie wouldn’t be happy wherever she was planted unless she learned to be content in her present circumstances first. She stared out the window.

  And...she owed Dallas an apology.

  * * *

  Dallas slapped his hat against his thigh and marched down the steps of the hotel. Having nothing pressing to work his hand at, he had too much time to stew over Annie’s attitude. The woman had been downright shrewish. Not like her at all. More like the Annie he’d first met.

  He arrived back at the boardinghouse within minutes and ran an experienced eye over the property. Pine needles blanketed the ground, the porch needed a coat of paint and one of the shingles hung askew. There was plenty of work that needed to be done. If Mrs. Rollins didn’t mind, he could putter at it in between his guide trips, especially with Horace disappearing on a regular basis. If Dallas remembered correctly, there was a toolbox in the barn.

  “I’m sorry.”

  He turned to see Annie standing under the pine trees, hands twisting her apron. If she didn’t stop, the head waitress was sure to give her a demerit for wrinkles.

  “I’m out of sorts today and took it out on you. That was inexcusable.” Her chin quivered, sending his heart to his toes.

  Adventurous Annie with tears in her eyes? That wouldn’t do at all. “Apology accepted. I shouldn’t have teased you.” He chucked her under the chin. “Still friends?”

  She knocked his hand away. “Don’t treat me like a child, Dallas.”

  “My turn to apologize.” He scratched his head and continued heading toward the barn. Something had Annie riled, and he was at a total loss as to how to set things right.

  “What are you doing?” She trotted along beside him.

  “Shouldn’t you be at work?” He slid aside the board that held the doors closed and pushed them open.

  “We’re on a break. I’ve only got a minute.”

  He found the toolbox in the corner. “I thought I’d work on some of the repairs around here. I’m not one to stay idle, and there aren’t any tours scheduled for the next few days.”

  “Mother can’t afford to pay you.” Annie stood in the doorway, the sunlight catching her hair, giving her a golden halo.

  “I’m not asking to be paid.”

  “Oh.” She scuffed her shoe in the dirt and sighed. “I’ve been resentful toward you because you can freely go where I want to and can’t.” The words came out rushed, as if she’d forced them between clenched teeth. “My resentment is hurtful and uncalled for, but it’s the way I feel. Again, I apologize, and don’t want to lose our friendship.” With a swish of her skirt, she was gone.

  Women were the most confusing things. Dallas hefted the heavy box and moved to the porch. Annie, in her black-and-white uniform, flew toward the restaurant like an exotic bird.

  He felt for her, wanting to go to the canyon floor and not being allowed to. Maybe he could convince Mrs. Rollins to go on a camping trip, too, thus allowing Annie to experience her dream.

  He set the tools on the floor and dug inside the box for a hammer and nails. Finding them, he wiggled the loose shutter into place and nailed it securely.

  After he’d fixed the third shutter, Mrs. Rollins stepped onto the porch. “What is all the racket?”

  Dallas removed the nails he held between his teeth. “I’m making some necessary repairs, Mrs. Rollins. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “I like a man who doesn’t relish being idle, but I can’t afford to pay you anything extra.”

  “Annie said as much. I’m not looking for more money. The room and board, plus what you pay for the tours, is plenty.” He wasn’t raised to sit around and be a man of leisure. When the work was slow, he spent too much time at the hotel nursing cups of coffee. Obviously, his presence there bothered Annie. He’d have to cut back on his visits.

  “Maybe I could get you to deliver my baked goods each morning? Often there’s too much for Annie to carry by herself.”

  “Annie’s idea is working for you, is it?” Why was his employer talkative all of a sudden? Rare were the times he actually carried on a conversation with her.

  “My girl definitely has a head for business. Too bad that won’t do her much good in this world. She needs to settle down and run a household. Lucky is the man who corners her.” With a nod, Mrs. Rollins went back in the house.

  The only part of the conversation Dallas didn’t agree with was that Annie’s business sense was a waste in a woman. Why, his mother kept the accounts for the ranch. She looked like a lady and thought like a man, when the need arose. That was the type of woman Dallas wanted to marry. Annie was making strides toward being the perfect model for a wife, except for the fact that she wore her split
skirt at every opportunity. She was pretty as a sunset, had a good head on her shoulders, and strong morals. Mrs. Rollins was right. Annie would make some man a good wife.

  With the shingles in place, Dallas went in search of a rake. Once he’d found it, he set to work raking up the pine needles. With the wind down, it was a perfect day to burn off the dead leaves and grass. They didn’t have many windless days on the canyon’s rim.

  His stomach rumbled, reminding him supper was near. Which also meant Annie would be home soon. Mrs. Rollins served the meal late so Annie wouldn’t have to eat alone. The proprietress might seem crusty, but Dallas suspected a soft heart resided under her starched aprons. A heart that loved her daughter very much.

  He spotted someone wearing the familiar Harvey uniform. Setting the rake aside, he prepared himself to meet her, hoping Annie’s mood had improved. As the woman neared, he realized it wasn’t Annie at all, but Dottie.

  With a large grin on her face.

  Chapter 9

  Annie dumped her armload of dirty napkins into a laundry bin. “I’m heading home, Miss Cartwright, if that’s all right with you. Mother always holds supper until I get home.”

  “That’s fine.” The head waitress sighed and stared out the back window of the kitchen. “Maybe the Harvey Company should hire ugly girls. I’ve lost two more to marriage this week.” She turned and patted Annie on the shoulder. “Thank you, girl, for your faithfulness. I know working here wasn’t your choice, but at least I know I can count on you.”

  Annie stood in stunned silence as the woman left the room. Did Miss Cartwright believe her to be unmarriageable? Mother had hopes that Annie would find a husband by working at El Tovar. Was it possible that no man wanted her for a wife? Could it be that Mother had found her the job so she’d have a means of supporting herself as a spinster? Annie clutched the fabric of her neckline.

  “Your mother’s pastries are very popular,” Mr. Swanson, the chef, said as he entered the room from the pantry. “Serving them at the lunch counter for breakfast was a great idea. You’ve a good head on your shoulders.”

  “Thank you.” Annie almost asked the man whether he thought her pretty, but bit back the words. It wouldn’t be proper. Folks were always saying how smart she was, how stubborn, but no one ever said whether she was pretty.

  She shouldn’t worry so much that a man might propose. Chances were...one wouldn’t. She’d had herself in turmoil since her first day at the hotel for absolutely no reason. She banged through the back door and stepped onto the lawn.

  Stars dotted the sky. Gas lamps strategically placed along a path broke the darkness. Annie didn’t stop to enjoy any of the beauty. She had thrown a lovely young woman at the only man who seemed interested in keeping company with her, and now she had accepted the fact that she wasn’t prime marriage material.

  What would she do for the rest of her life? Be a head waitress like Miss Cartwright? Take over the business from Mother or run it as her partner? Annie’s eyes stung. None of those options was what she’d imagined for her future. Foolish girl that she was, she’d actually thought that someday, after enjoying a bit of freedom, she’d find a man to marry and have a family with. Someone like Dallas. But now, with Annie on the verge of spinsterhood, at least in everyone else’s eyes, her choices were limited.

  She tossed Dallas a wave as he stared down at Dottie’s petite frame under a massive pine, not really caring whether he saw her or not. Why should she care? She’d sent the girl to his side, after all, in a foolish attempt to mend her friendship with the only man that interested her.

  Pushing the screen door of the B and B open, she took care not to let it slam behind her. She stood and listened for Mother’s words of welcome instead of condemnation. Nothing but silence greeted her. No smells of supper cooking or pastry orders baking, not even the odor of the pungent vinegar her mother used in cleaning. “Mother?”

  Annie’s footsteps sounded abnormally loud on the wood floors. The only boarder left was the widower Mr. Harris, so it was quite possible he had retired to his room, but Mother’s absence worried Annie. It wasn’t like her not to be in the kitchen or working on the books at this time of the early evening.

  A bowl of stew and a slice of cornbread waited for her in the warming oven. Maybe Mother had gone to her room with a headache. It wasn’t a frequent occurrence, but wasn’t unheard of. Waking her when she nursed a headache was like waking a sleeping bear. If Annie didn’t see her within a few minutes, she’d risk checking on her. She took her supper to the back porch and sat at one of the small tables.

  Since Mother was nowhere around to tell her the action was unladylike, Annie crumbled her bread into her stew. She could act like a lady if she wanted to. After all, she did so all day at the hotel. At home, she wanted to be herself. There was no one watching but God, and since she wasn’t doing anything evil or against His Word, she felt secure in the fact that He wouldn’t condemn her.

  What did her heavenly Father want her to do? Remain a single businesswoman or marry? Maybe if Annie actually put her mind to hunting for a husband, she’d find one that didn’t mind her tall lankiness and outspoken manner. She considered her prospects.

  Other than the endless men who came through on the trains, there were only Dallas and Pastor McMurray, who for some reason unknown to her was still in town. The town wasn’t large enough for two preachers, and Pastor Carson managed fine without help other than his dear wife, Sophie.

  Her eyes widened. Was it possible that Pastor McMurray was staying around because of her? He was good-looking enough to garner her attention, but a bit boring to converse with, if she was honest. Other than the fact he seemed to love the canyon as much as she did, and obviously had a strong faith in God, the man had nothing else in common with her. Were those two things enough for a happy marriage?

  Then there was Dallas. Except for his stupid ideas about what made a perfect wife, he had all the qualities Annie admired. Handsome, smart, adventurous, a good conversationalist. She scooped a spoonful of stew. Why, he’d make the perfect husband if she could change his way of thinking.

  Voices drew her from her thoughts and she peered through the growing darkness. A man and woman, hand in hand, strolled from a thick stand of trees on a well-worn path that curved for quite a distance along the canyon’s edge.

  Annie dropped her spoon. “Mother?”

  * * *

  Dallas went around the corner of the house as Mrs. Rollins and Mr. Harris came out of the trees. Dallas turned at Annie’s exclamation, not having noticed her on the porch. Her mouth hung open and stew dotted her white apron.

  “Good evening, Annie, Dallas.” Mrs. Rollins pulled her hand free from Mr. Harris’s. “Lovely night, isn’t it?” She put a foot on the bottom step. “Good. I see my daughter found her supper. It appears she’s wearing some of it.”

  Annie grabbed a napkin from beside her bowl and scrubbed at the bodice of her apron. “Don’t just stand there, Dallas, do something,” she said after her mother and Mr. Harris entered the house.

  “What would you like me to do? I can’t rub off the stew. It wouldn’t be proper.” He supposed he could carry her dishes inside.

  Her eyes widened, shining from the reflection of the nearby gas lantern. “Not my apron! My mother. If she’s going to be keeping company with a man we hardly know, don’t you think it wise that someone question him as to his intentions?”

  “Why me?” He leaned against the railing and watched a moth flutter around the lamp. The bug got too close, and a faint hiss issued as its wing came into contact with the hot glass.

  “With Pa dead, you’re the likely candidate.” Annie gathered her dishes and waited for him to open the door for her.

  Strange. Usually, she’d have shouldered her way through without his help. He opened the door. “I’m only an employee, Annie. Not part of the family.”
>
  “Fine.” She tilted her chin. “I’ll do it myself, although it might be better if the questions came from a man.”

  Dallas closed the door and scratched his head. Who was this girl, and what had she done with his Annie? “No, if it means that much, I’d be happy to take over. I’ll talk to him at the first opportunity.”

  “Tonight.”

  “Excuse me?”

  She turned with a flutter of her eyelashes and a pretty pout. “I need it settled right away, please.”

  Mesmerized by the new version of Annie, Dallas nodded. “I’ll look for him right now.” He headed toward the parlor. In the evening, the man either spent time there reading or on the porch enjoying a cigar. After checking the house, Dallas found him on the porch. They must have circled each other during Dallas’s search.

  “Mr. Harris, mind if I join you?”

  “Not at all. Would you care for a smoke?” He offered a cigar from a tin box.

  “No, thank you.” How in the world did one question a stranger as to his intentions? Especially when the lady in question was not a relative?

  Dallas lowered himself into the rocker next to Mr. Harris.

  “Something on your mind, son?” Mr. Harris blew a smoke ring. A soft breeze caught it, warping its shape as it dissipated.

  “Yes, sir.” Dallas took a deep breath. “Miss Rollins has asked me to find out what your intentions are toward her mother.”

  “Did she now?” He blew a steady stream of smoke. “Well, you tell that little lady that I intend to marry her mother.”

  “Pardon my boldness, but why?” Dallas leaned his elbows on his knees and peered into the other man’s face. “You hardly know her.”

  “Sometimes the heart just knows.” Mr. Harris ground out his cigar on the bottom of his shoe. “I know Esther can be a bit prickly and a lot bossy, but I love her despite those characteristics. No one is perfect, son. If you wait for the perfect woman, you’ll die lonely. We’re two middle-aged people not looking forward to spending our older years alone.