by Cox, Carol
Jenny’s mind reeled. That was the second business proposal she’d heard in less than an hour. Both promised substantial earnings. Only one of them sounded honorable. And that one had been directed at her.
But leave Prescott? Part company with Elizabeth and Michael? She shook her head. “No, thank you, Mr. Townsend. Your opinion of my cooking is flattering, but my home is here. I couldn’t think of leaving.”
Disappointment shadowed his handsome features, then he gave a quick shrug. “You win some, you lose some.” He reached into his vest pocket and dropped several coins on the table. “I’ll be in town for two more days. I’m staying at the Prescott House. Let me know if you change your mind.”
Jenny watched him stride away, then retreated to the safe familiarity of the kitchen. It would take more—much more—than a stranger’s pretty promises to make her decide to uproot and leave.
❧
“Talk some sense into her, Michael. I’ve tried everything.” Elizabeth leaned against a cupboard and folded her arms across her chest as though distancing herself from the conversation.
Her husband gave Jenny an apologetic smile. “We only want what’s best for you.” He spread his hands wide. “You must know how much we both care about you.”
Jenny’s throat tightened. Of course she knew they cared. Without Elizabeth and Michael putting their very lives on the line to come to her rescue, she’d be living a life of degradation in the Nugget now.
“I can never repay what you’ve done for me,” she began. “Without your help, I know only too well the kind of life I would have been forced into. Being freed of that was the best thing that ever happened to me.” Her throat tightened. “But I’m not completely free, even now.”
Michael’s brow wrinkled in consternation. In answer to his unspoken question, Jenny reached into her pocket and held up a folded slip of paper. “Some people haven’t forgotten where I’ve been, and they won’t let me forget, either.” She pressed the paper into Michael’s hand and watched his eyebrows soar halfway to his hairline as he read.
“That’s abominable!” He crumpled the sheet and tossed it from him. “But you can’t let one incident push you into a hasty decision.”
“It isn’t just this once,” Elizabeth interjected reluctantly. “This is the second one she’s gotten.”
“The fifth,” Jenny corrected.
Elizabeth whirled and stared at her. “There’ve been more? All slipped under the door like these two? Why didn’t you tell me?”
Jenny shrugged and picked at a loose thread on her cuff. “I tried to ignore them. I don’t know, maybe I thought if I didn’t mention them, they’d quit coming. It didn’t work, though, did it?” The laugh she attempted caught in her throat.
“You mean to tell me someone’s been sneaking around here at night and shoving these under the door?” Michael’s voice rose to a near bellow.
“Not all of them. I found others out at the woodpile and stuck to the top of the barrel where I take out the trash. Whoever is doing this wants to make sure their messages reach me.”
“But Michael’s right,” Elizabeth put in. “You can’t make choices based on the action of one hateful individual.”
“You don’t understand.” Jenny stared at her two dearest friends. How could they possibly comprehend the pain of being reminded about her unsavory past? “It isn’t just whoever is writing these notes. Think about it, Elizabeth. How many times over the past two years have you gone to my defense when some customer mentioned my time at the Nugget?”
Elizabeth focused on a spot on the floor and didn’t answer.
“It doesn’t matter how hard I try to shake off the memories. There are people here who will never stop bringing it up.” Jenny looked around the kitchen that had become so familiar, her heart aching at the thought of leaving it behind. “I thought I could keep ignoring these, but I can’t. Even if we found out who’s been leaving the notes and made them stop, it wouldn’t change what’s in people’s minds. To some, I’ll always be nothing more than a saloon girl. The only way I can get away from that is to leave.”
Elizabeth’s eyes glistened with unshed tears. She moved next to Michael, as if drawing comfort from his nearness. “Then there’s nothing we can do to change your mind?”
Jenny blinked back tears of her own and gazed at her friends intently, imprinting their images on her memory so she could carry them with her in her heart. “It’s something I have to do. I’ll go over to the Prescott House first thing in the morning and tell Evan Townsend I’ve decided to take him up on his offer.”
four
May 30, 1869
Tucson, Arizona Territory
Hot.
Jenny stood in the minute bit of shade provided by the doorway of the adobe building Evan had named the Pueblo Restaurant. Heat rose in shimmering waves along the dusty street.
She pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve and used it to mop the perspiration from her face and neck. Her fingers twiddled with her top button. Did she dare loosen it? Modesty said no; comfort said yes. Comfort won out.
Ahh. Even that slight difference gave some relief. Jenny raised her hand to shield her eyes from the blazing afternoon sun. When she first arrived in Tucson, she found it hard to believe this could be the same sun that had illuminated the Prescott sky. Back home, it was a welcome friend, urging the chilly spring mornings toward the promise of summer warmth. This sun was relentless in its oppressive heat, searing the desert landscape.
The fiery orb hovered a little past its zenith. In Prescott, the day’s activity would continue unabated. Here, the streets lay deserted, the population having retired indoors for their afternoon siesta. Later, when the scorching temperatures lessened, the town would come back to life.
Jenny picked up a damp rag and waved it back and forth, fanning a cooling breeze across her face. It was a harsh land, an arid land. And yet, unlikely as it seemed, it had become her land.
Looking along the Calle del Arroyo, she could see the Tucson Mountains in the distance, their barren peaks devoid of the forest that covered the slopes in the northern part of the territory. A desolate wasteland at first glance, until one looked beyond the bleak landscape and saw beauty in the spreading arms of the saguaro, the scarlet blooms atop the spindly ocotillo branches. The wide vistas invited her to lose herself in their vast expanse, and Jenny welcomed the opportunity. Here, an anonymous speck in a broad universe, she finally felt free of her past.
She had come here looking for sanctuary, a place where she could start anew. She had found all that and more.
And now I’d better find a place to get out of the sun. Jenny laughed softly. The custom of resting during the hottest part of the day had seemed peculiar at first. After only a few days of pushing herself to keep working throughout the afternoon hours, she had embraced the local wisdom without question.
“You’re still here?”
Jenny turned at the sound of a voice behind her. Evan leaned against the adobe wall, a friendly smile playing across his face. About time he showed up. Jenny hadn’t seen him around the restaurant at all that day. He must have slipped in through the office door.
“I was just getting ready to leave.” Jenny stepped past him to retrieve her bonnet from its peg on the wall of the small corner office.
“May I accompany you? There are a couple of things I’d like to discuss.”
Jenny locked the front door and tucked her hand into the crook of Evan’s arm. They strolled along the deserted street at an easy pace, their feet sending up tiny puffs of dust with every step.
She ducked her head against the bright glare that even the bonnet’s wide brim couldn’t block. Perhaps she should carry a parasol. At this rate, her fair skin would soon be a mass of blisters and freckles. And that might not be a bad thing. Her looks had caused her nothing but trouble and heartache thus far.
Evan broke into her thoughts. “I’m concerned about you. You’ve been working too hard. I wanted a business partner for this
venture, not a slave.”
Jenny chuckled and gave his arm a reassuring pat. “It’s freedom I’ve found here, Evan, not slavery. For the first time, I’m building up something substantial for my future, something I can be proud of. You have no idea what that means to me.”
Evan halted abruptly. Placing his fingers beneath her chin, he tilted her head up to face him. “Still, I’m worried about you. When I asked you to come here, I hadn’t counted on problems arising with my other business interests. I didn’t plan on being called away almost as soon as the restaurant got underway, and I never expected you to take on the business responsibilities in addition to doing all the cooking. You’re spending far more time here than I ever intended.”
“But don’t you see, Evan? I’ve found out I’m able to do more than just cook. The menu planning, ordering supplies, keeping the books—having the responsibility for all those details is new to me, but I’m good at it.” She gave him a brilliant smile. “I feel like I’ve finally found my place in life, and I’m loving every minute of it.”
“Even in this blast furnace of a place? You aren’t inclined to go rushing back to those cool mountain summers at the first opportunity?”
If you only knew. Jenny contented herself with a shake of her head. She hadn’t told Evan her reasons for leaving Prescott and didn’t plan to now. Or ever. That part of her life belonged to the past. This was a place of new beginnings.
“Let’s talk about the future,” she said. “If what we’ve brought in so far and our steady increase in customers are anything to go by, we could double our profits by next month.”
Evan gave her a look of rueful admiration. “Is there ever a time you aren’t thinking about profits?”
She grinned. “Face it, Evan. You’ve joined forces with a hardheaded businesswoman.”
“But a lovely one.” His smile grew tender.
Jenny looked away and set off down the street on her own. Don’t spoil it.
After a moment, she heard Evan’s footsteps catching up to her. “I’m not sure what I did to upset you,” he said. “But would this hardheaded businesswoman be willing to let me make it up to her by taking her to the playhouse this evening?”
“I don’t think so, Evan. There are things I need to do.”
“Like what?” Exasperation and amusement mingled in his tone. “Come up with new additions for the menu? You’ve already done that a dozen times.”
“Actually, I was thinking of drawing up plans for a larger dining room. If things keep going as well as they have, we’ll need some extra space before long.”
For the second time, Evan stopped her, but this time his lips were twitching with suppressed mirth. “Jenny, Jenny. Only a few weeks in Tucson, and already you’re planning to expand the business.” He threw back his head and laughed. “I didn’t hire a cook; I took on the most ambitious business partner in the territory!”
His laughter subsided, but the twinkle in his gray eyes lingered. “Even a tycoon has to take a night off now and then. Think of it as an opportunity to meet new people, potential customers you can lure to the restaurant. Better yet, think of it as a favor to me. I’m ready for a night out, and I need someone to keep an eye on me to make sure I don’t spend all our hard-earned money.”
Jenny studied his face for a long moment. “All right,” she said and resumed walking. “Just this once.”
“Wonderful! I’ll pick you up at seven.” He paused at the door of the house where she rented her small room. “And I’ll tell you one thing: As hard a bargain as you drive, I’m glad you’re on the same side of our business dealings as I am.” He winked and gave her a brief wave as he turned away.
❧
Jenny peered into her mirror and twisted the last ringlet into place. There. The coppery-blond curl draped over the shoulder of her sapphire-blue princess-cut dress. She smiled, enjoying the novelty of seeing herself dressed for an evening out rather than her usual wilted appearance after a day spent in a hot kitchen or laboring over the restaurant accounts.
Despite the disinterest she’d expressed to Evan, she felt a rising surge of anticipation. She had overheard her customers talk of the playhouses in Tucson, but she had never been to one herself. She’d never expected to, either.
But going out for an evening of entertainment went along with the lifestyle of a respectable woman making her mark in the community. Such a difference from the existence of the past few years, when her foremost goal had been to keep a low profile and hope others would forget her dismal past!
She lifted her new hat from its box. Purchased on impulse along with the blue gown with some of her first earnings from the Pueblo, it had lain untouched until now. With a sense of embarking on an adventure, she set it in place and tilted her head from side to side, studying the effect. Was the froth of ribbons and bows too much?
No, it suited the evening and her buoyant mood. She adjusted it once more, letting the front dip over her forehead.
There. She nodded approvingly at the image in the glass, no longer the solemn-faced girl she usually saw, but the picture of a respectable lady.
A shiver of excitement swept up and down her arms. An evening at the theater, her goal of making herself into the person she longed to be within reach—what other surprises did her new life hold?
Evan knocked at the door of the house promptly at seven. His black frock coat and gleaming white shirt took Jenny’s breath away. An attractive man, no doubt about it. And in his evening attire, he looked downright handsome.
From the gleam in his eyes, he approved of her appearance in equal measure, but he forbore to comment. Good. Maybe he had learned from her reaction earlier. Whatever the reason, she appreciated his restraint.
The show proved even more wonderful than Jenny had imagined. The glow of the footlights, the cheers from the audience, and the lively music all combined to make it an evening of pure enjoyment.
During the intermission, Jenny strolled to the back of the seating area with Evan. Moving through the crowd, she couldn’t miss the admiring glances he drew from the women they passed or the jealous looks they cast at her.
“Having a good time?” Evan bent close, his lips nearly brushing her ear so she could hear him over the noisy throng.
She smiled and nodded, not bothering to try to make herself heard. So this was what it felt like to spend time in the company of a man with no purpose but to enjoy herself, to be the object of envy and not scorn. She could find it easy to get used to this way of life. Very easy, indeed.
Evan placed a cup of punch in Jenny’s hands, then led her over to a quiet corner of the room. “May I leave you here for just a moment? I need to discuss a bit of business with some of the gentlemen here.” His eyelid dropped in a wink. “Nothing to do with the restaurant, I assure you. I wouldn’t dare leave you out of that.”
At her nod, he withdrew a few steps to where a small group of men waited.
Jenny sipped the fruity drink and contented herself with watching the milling crowd. One or two of the ladies who glanced her way bowed their heads and smiled a greeting. Jenny returned their nods with pleasure.
Respectability. Acceptance. Everything she had longed for and hadn’t been able to achieve in Prescott appeared to be hers for the taking here. Elizabeth would have said a prayer of thanks; Jenny knew she had done it on her own.
Evan returned when the music signaled the end of intermission, trailed by two of his business associates. Just before he reached Jenny, she saw one of them pull him aside and shout to be heard over the crowd.
“I don’t blame you for wanting to keep her to yourself,” he said with a grin. “My compliments on escorting the most beautiful woman here.”
Evan rejoined her and darted a glance over his shoulder at his departing companion. “I hope that didn’t bother you,” he murmured. “He meant it only as a compliment, I assure you.”
“It didn’t bother me,” Jenny replied, filled with a sense of wonder when she realized it was true. For the
first time in years, she didn’t mind being admired for her looks. Truly, this place had worked its magic on her.
❧
Bright stars glittered across the desert sky. Jenny nestled into her pillow and watched the grand procession through the small window of her room.
A night like this should last forever. How long had it been since she’d been around people without bracing herself for the next scathing comment?
The Pleiades edged past the corner of her window. Jenny grinned at the familiar grouping and stretched her arms wide, then laced her fingers behind her head. She might have made some mistakes along the way, but moving to Tucson hadn’t been one of them.
Snatches of one of the tunes she heard that night drifted into her mind. She closed her eyes and sang the words softly.
Her eyes snapped open again. She hadn’t sung since performing for the crowd of half-drunk customers her last night at the Nugget, just a few hours before Michael O’Roarke rescued her from the dreadful place and spirited her away to safety. Singing always brought back memories of that dark time in her life, and she’d avoided it diligently.
Until now. She whispered a few more of the lyrics and felt something break loose within her. Like a dam weakened by a tiny fissure that grew until it could hold back its wall of water no longer, the protective wall Jenny had built up began to crumble. If it hadn’t been the middle of the night, she would have flung off the bed covers and burst forth in full voice.
Tears of joy stung her eyes. Back when her family was laboring to make a living on their Chino Valley farm, singing had been one of the delights of her life. Back then, life meant love, safety, and security. She had thought she’d lost all those forever. Beginning her new life in Tucson had restored her joy in living again.