by Linda Bridey
Lacey watched them and knew how they felt. She’d been overwhelmed by the house when she and Joe had first been married. “This was our daughter Emily’s room until recently. We moved her to a different room since she wanted to be closer to the nursery. She loves her little brother.”
Gina smiled. “I’ll bet they’re both adorable.”
Lacey said, “Yes, they are. Even if I weren’t their mother, I’d say that.”
Ryan looked at the room and said, “There’s too much pink.”
Lacey laughed. “Well, little girls like pink.”
Gina said, “I am going to apologize in advance for anything that Ryan might say. He means no harm, but a lot of the time he comes out with inappropriate things. I’m just warning you.”
“Oh, good. He’ll get along with Emily then. She’s just like Joe and usually says whatever is on her mind,” Lacey said. “You’ll see.”
Randall said, “We have a nice room for Master Ryan as well. Follow me, please.”
“Mommy, can I stay and play with the toys?” Chloe asked.
“Yes, honey. Go ahead,” Gina said.
Chloe smiled happily and went to the large dolls house by the window.
Ryan’s room was appropriate for a little boy. The furniture was walnut and there were all manner of games and toys with which to play.
Gina asked, “Do you have a little boy, too?”
“No. We have Emily’s friend Zach over quite a bit. They became friends a couple years ago and always play together. Zach is the son of the Bradburys who own the general store in town,” Lacey explained.
“So he has his own room here?”
“Joe’s idea,” Lacey said and smiled. “He spoils everyone, including me.”
“What if he comes over while we’re here?” Gina asked as Ryan started playing with some toy soldiers he found.
“He doesn’t mind sharing,” Lacey said. “It would be good for Ryan to have another boy close to his age to play with.”
Gina nodded. “Yes, it would.”
“If madam will come with me, we’ll get you settled as well,” Randall said with a kind smile.
Leaving Ryan to play as well, Gina trailed behind the butler. She thought it was unusual that the Dwyers had a butler, but didn’t comment on it. As Randall led her into the room across the hall from Ryan, she knew how Chloe had felt about her own room. It was spacious with a four poster bed. All of the furniture was done in dark cherry wood. A Persian run covered the floor and lovely jade green drapes hung at the windows.
A large armoire would more than accommodate her meager amount of clothing. She noticed that there was also a desk in her room.
“It’s amazing,” Gina said as she gazed around at it all. “I’ve never seen a room like this.”
Lacey said, “It was the same way when I came here. I felt as if I’d walked into a fairytale or something.”
“Yes. I can see why.”
“Daddy, I saw a coyote today,” came a little girl’s voice from down the hall.
“You did? Y’all mean here at home?” a male voice answered.
“No, when we were with Uncle Reckless in the woods,” the girl said.
As the pair came into view, the man said, “Oh, ok.”
Gina saw that he carried two of her suitcases, which he put down in the hallway.
“Joe, this is Gina Silvetti. Gina, my husband Joe,” Lacey said.
Joe stepped forward and offered his hand to Gina. He smiled at her and Gina couldn’t help but return it as she shook it. He was a very handsome man with his chestnut hair and hazel eyes.
“Pleased to meet y’all, Gina. We’re happy to have y’all with us. I’m sorry about Steve, he was a good man,” Joe said.
“Thank you,” Gina said. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate what Lacey and you are doing for us.”
Joe smiled. “You’re welcome, but it’s no trouble at all. Emily, come here, sweetheart.”
Emily entered the room and went over to Gina. “Hello. I’m Emily Dwyer. It’s very nice to meet y’all.”
Gina noticed that Emily mimicked her father’s southern accent and smiled. “I’m very happy to meet you, too. You are very pretty.”
Emily smiled and her hazel eyes twinkled. “Thank you. I saw a coyote today when we were in the woods with our Uncle Reckless and it was real pretty. I’d like to have one, but he said that they don’t make good pets. So I guess I won’t get one of those.”
Gina laughed. “Well, I guess not if they don’t make good pets. I wouldn’t think they would.”
“Probably not and it might poop on the rug,” Emily said and laughed.
Joe laughed and said, “Yeah, we don’t need a coyote poopin’ on the rugs.”
Gina laughed and said, “Yes, that sounds like something Ryan would say.”
“Kids are honest,” Lacey said. “Emily, why don’t you go say hello to Chloe? She’s in your old room.”
“All right, Mama,” Emily said. On her way out of the room, Emily hugged her mother’s legs and then ran down the hall.
“As you can see, she acts just like her father,” Lacey said with a smile.
Joe kissed her and said, “Y’all wouldn’t have me any other way.”
“No, I wouldn’t,” Lacey agreed.
Gina squelched the jealousy that rose within her at the sight of the happy couple. She and Tony had been like that. She still missed her husband.
Joe said, “I’m not sure whose suitcase is what. If you tell me, we’ll get ’em where they go.”
“Master, I will see to that,” Randall said.
“I guess I can handle some suitcases, Randy. I know what you can do for me, though,” Joe said.
“What is that?” Randall said.
“Will you please go ask Cook if she’ll make that truffle cake she made last week? I had a hankering for it on the way home,” Joe said.
“Certainly,” the butler said and walked back down the hall.
With Gina’s direction, Joe quickly put the suitcases where they went.
“Now, if there’s anything at all you need, you just let one of us know, all right?” he said to Gina.
She nodded and said, “I’m not sure how I’ll ever repay your kindness.”
Joe chuckled. “Don’t worry about that. We’re just happy to help. Randy will let you know when it’s time to eat. I’m off to go see Timmy, our newest addition.”
Lacey laughed as he hurried down the hallway. “It’s so funny to watch him with the kids. He never wanted kids until we got married and now he can hardly bear to be away from them.”
Gina sat down on her bed and said, “He didn’t?”
Lacey sat down on a chair and said, “No. He was footloose and fancy free, I guess you’d say. I was sort of a mail-order-bride like you. But my situation was completely different. I needed to get away from my abusive father and Joe helped me do that. He’s my hero.”
Gina said, “I’m sorry to hear that you were in a bad situation and I’m happy that it worked out for you. I met Sammi Taylor earlier today. She said there are a lot of brides around Dawson.”
“It’s true. Sammi and I grew up in Walhalla, North Dakota, along with our friend Jamie. All three of us came here. Jamie came first because she’s not afraid of anything and said she would let us know if it was ok here. I came next and then Sammi. It was a good choice for many of us,” Lacey said.
Gina’s eyes brimmed with tears and she couldn’t speak for a moment. “Lacey, I don’t know what I’m going to do. I can’t keep staying here and I don’t have any money. I need to find work so I can find us a place to live.”
Lacey sat beside her and took her hand. “Gina, you don’t have to worry about that right now. Just stay here at least a few days. Give yourself some time to get familiar with the town and meet some of the people here. Take it one day at a time. I know that this has been a big shock, but things will be ok. You’ll see.”
Gina squeezed her hand back and said, “Thank you s
o much.”
Lacey said, “That’s what friends are for. Dinner won’t be long.”
She left Gina then to go find Joe and their son.
All alone, Gina looked around the room and felt that, for the time being, they had found a safe place to land. By some miracle, she had encountered kind people who were generous. It brought tears to her eyes again. She shut her door and gave into her fear and grief for several minutes.
Then she took a handkerchief from her pocket and dried her eyes and felt a little better. Getting it out of her system allowed Gina to clear her mind and put a positive spin on things. She and the kids had a roof over their heads, clothes on their backs and they would have food to eat. She told herself that for her kids’ sakes she was going to have to put her pride aside and accept help for the time being. Opening the door again, Gina squared her shoulders and went to check on the kids.
She had been expecting dinner to be a stately affair as would befit the first family of any town or city. Instead, the meal at the Dwyer household was noisy and hilarious. She was also surprised to see that the employees ate with the family. Gina had never heard of such a thing.
“Hey! Addie! Get your sweet fanny out here and eat!” Joe hollered in the direction of the kitchen.
Gina’s eyebrows rose but her kids and everyone else laughed. She was further surprised when Lacey got up and went out a door that led beyond the dining room to a large sunroom. Lacey opened the door that led to the outside and shouted, “Eddie! We’re not waiting on you to eat! Stop what you’re doing and come to dinner!”
She came back to the table and sat back down. Lacey caught Gina’s surprised expression and laughed. “I think it’s only fair to warn you that we’re pretty rowdy. We’re very laid back, so please don’t be nervous.”
“Ok,” Gina said with a smile. “I’ll try.”
The sunroom door opened and the man who jogged into the dining room was broad in the shoulders and slim in the hips. He pulled out a chair and sat down quickly. His wind-blown dark hair was appealing. His blue eyes looked at the roasted chicken on the table.
“That looks fantastic. I’m starving,” Eddie said.
Joe let out a growl of frustration and got up. His strides were swift as he went into the kitchen. He soon returned, pushing a slim older woman with gray hair ahead of him. He held her by the shoulders and sat her down. Sliding her seat into the table, Joe kissed the woman’s cheek.
“That’s better. Addie, you are not to get up until dinner is done. You hear?” Joe said with a smile.
“All right, Joey,” Addie said with a chuckle. “You’re always fussing over me too much.”
“Nonsense,” Joe said. “You work too hard. Good Lord! Why do I have to round everyone up like a herd of cattle? Ya’ll go ahead and start.”
Gina watched him walk past the table and down the hallway. It really did remind Gina of herding cattle as he came back with his arms around two young women who laughed at him as he told a joke.
“Now we’re missing one more. Eddie, where’s Darryl?” Joe asked as he seated the two women.
His question was answered as the front door opened and shut quickly. A young man ran into the room. “I’m sorry to be late. I lost track of time. Sorry,” he said.
“Darryl, plant your fanny in that chair. We’re hungry,” Joe said and sat back down. He let out a sigh and said, “Dig in!”
Suddenly it became a free-for-all and dishes were passed helter-skelter around the table. Gina sat next to Randall who was very helpful in introducing her to everyone. She learned that Darryl was an assistant groom to Eddie, the head groom. The young man was slight of build and looked to be about twenty to Gina. His wire-rimmed glasses framed blue eyes and his blond hair was very neatly combed.
The two young women were Callie and Rita, red-headed sisters who were live-in housekeepers and also helped with the children. Addie, otherwise known as Cook, looked to be somewhere in her sixties and seemed to be a surrogate mother to Joe. Several times during the meal, Joe physically restrained her from getting up from the table when she wanted to go get something from the kitchen.
Lacey said, “Addie, he’s not going to let you go into that kitchen. You’ll disappear and go back to work. You need to relax a little.”
“Lacey, honey, I’m happiest when I’m working,” Addie said.
Eddie said, “Addie, just do us a favor and eat your dinner? You make me nervous with all your runnin’ around. Please?”
Addie chuckled. “Ok. You win.”
“There’s our girl,” Joe said as he rolled up his shirt sleeves.
Gina noticed how nicely Joe dressed. His hair was short-cropped and attractively styled. It was evident that, even though he was mayor, he didn’t just sit around. He was fit and strong from riding and training horses.
He made Lacey laugh and Gina thought Lacey was a beautiful woman with her long, dark hair and brown eyes. Gina was envious of her. The woman had given birth only three weeks prior and looked like she had barely gained any weight during the pregnancy. Emily, Ryan, and Chloe looked as if they were becoming fast friends. They talked about silly things and laughed together.
Gina had trouble keeping track of the conversations because it seemed like some were interrupted to talk about a new subject and then they went back to the other topic. Somehow Joe was able to keep up with everyone’s conversation and teased all of them about one thing or another.
Lacey asked, “Gina, do you have a certain kind of work you’re looking for?”
Gina said, “I’ll do anything, really, but I’m very good at seamstress work, so if you know of anyone who needs sewing done, let me know.”
Joe looked up at that and laid his silverware down. He ran from the room again and Gina asked, “Does he always run?”
Addie said, “He’s always been hyper.”
Darryl said, “You should talk, Addie.”
“Darryl, you are supposed to respect your elders,” Addie said with a smile.
Joe returned with a blue suit vest and crouched by Gina’s chair. He opened it up and showed her a long rip in the lining. “Can you fix it? It’s one of my favorite vests and I don’t wanna get rid of it if it can be saved.”
“Joe, the poor woman is trying to eat,” Lacey objected.
Gina took the vest and began looking it over.
Joe said, “She doesn’t mind, do you, Gina?”
She smiled and said, “Nope. But I’m going to have to replace the whole lining. If I just repair the rip it’s going to leave a bulge and it will be noticeable. I’ll need more material. Is there somewhere in town that sells material?”
“Yes, ma’am, there is. Bradbury’s has all kinds of material. Whatever you need, you just have Elliot put it on my account. I appreciate you doin’ that for me. Oh, wait, you need a machine. Ok, I can do that. I think there’s a place in Wolfe Point that has machines. I’ll take you over there and you can pick out what you need because I sure as heck have no idea,” Joe said.
“I don’t have money for a sewing machine, Joe,” Gina said.
“I do.”
“You are not going to buy me a sewing machine,” Gina protested.
Joe sighed. “Look, Gina, this is a sentimental piece of clothing to me. It’s from the last suit my Mama bought me before she passed and I want to save it at all costs. So I don’t care what a sewing machine costs. I’ll pay it. Please let me buy a machine so you can fix it?”
“Joe, I can do it by hand,” Gina said.
“But a machine would be quicker, right?” Joe said.
Gina pursed her lips and then said, “Yes, it would be.”
“Then I’ll buy you the machine. If you’re a seamstress, you gotta have a machine. I’ll most likely have a lot of work for you, so…” Joe gave her a grin and Gina felt her resistance give way.
“Fine. I’ll pay you back, though,” Gina said as she shook a finger at him.
Joe rose with a laugh. “Of course you will. All right. Tomorrow morning
, we go to Wolfe Point!”
Gina shook her head and Lacey laughed. “You might as well get used to it, Gina. It’s pointless to argue with him,” she said.
“She did it again. While my back was turned, that woman went back to the kitchen. Addie!”
Everyone laughed while Joe stomped from the room to fetch the wayward cook.
Chapter Four
The Watering Hole was rowdy for a Wednesday night, Rick thought as he threw another customer out. As he shoved the guy from the porch of the establishment, Rick looked up at the moon and saw that it was full.
“Figures,” he said to no one and went back inside.
Jake, co-owner of the place, looked up from the drinks he was pouring and shook his head. “What is it tonight?”
“It’s a full moon,” Rick said as he stretched.
His right shoulder popped and he sighed in relief.
Jake frowned and said, “I hate it when you do that.”
Rick chuckled. “Too bad. So where’s Joseph?”
“How should I know?” Jake said. “I’ve been here all night. It’s not his usual night to come in. You know that.”
“Yes, I do. I was wondering how Mrs. Silvetti and her kids were settling in,” Rick said.
Jake smiled. “So, is she pretty?”
Rick thought about her large, dark eyes, and shiny dark brown hair. Her full mouth was very pretty and she had the kind of voluptuous figure that would be very pleasing to hold. Yes, Gina Silvetti was a very attractive woman.
“That she is, Jake,” Rick said.
“I see,” said Jake, who grinned.
“Don’t be getting any ideas,” Rick said. “It’s just a simple observation. I feel bad for her. She came here to marry Steve only to discover he died and now they have nowhere to go.”
“It was a good idea you had for them to stay with Lacey and Joe,” Jake said as he filled a beer mug and slid it down the bar. “They certainly have the room.”
“Yep and I knew that they weren’t going to let Gina pay them anything. She doesn’t have much money,” Rick said.
He hadn’t needed anyone to tell him that. Her clothing, while clean and neat, was faded as were the children’s clothes. Ryan’s shoes were worn and his pants looked slightly short on him. Chloe’s sweater had seen better days, too. Rick frowned as he thought about it. He hated seeing kids go without anything. It made him angry. No one should go hungry or be cold or sick, kids especially.