And that included Augusta, thankfully.
“If you don’t get your mess out of my way, we’ll be eatin’ dinner on top of your mending,” Bertha said from her place before the stove. “You’d better ask that man if he wants to sit down with us,” she told Augusta, grudgingly offering the hospitality of her kitchen to Cleary.
Even now, his hammer rang out sharply as he put shutters in place on the front of the house. Augusta nodded and hastened toward the hallway, her heart strangely affected by the prospect of speaking to the tall gentleman. She exited through the front screened door and turned to where he labored at the furthest window. A glance at the gate proved his ability. It hung straight and was fastened with a shiny new latch.
“Mr. Cleary?” She halted six feet from him, her eyes drawn by the muscles in his upper arms, straining the material of his shirt as he swung the hammer one last time, a final blow that set the nail firmly in place. His vest lay over the porch railing and his shirtsleeves were rolled up above his elbows, allowing him to work without the hindrance of fabric pulling and tugging as he used the hammer.
He was strong, not overly thick through the upper body, but muscular nonetheless. And she felt a slow flush climb her cheeks, reproving herself for noticing such a thing.
“Yes, Miss Augusta?” he answered, turning his head to meet her gaze. His eyes were warm, regarding her with a look of pleasure, as if he took delight in the sight of her there before him. His lips curved beneath his mustache, and she felt her heart beat a bit faster as his smile widened.
“We’re about ready to eat dinner, if you’d like to join us.” Her words were stilted, delivered in a breathless fashion, and his smile tweaked a corner of his wide mouth.
“I’d appreciate that, ma’am,” he told her politely. “Would you like to hold this shutter in place while I finish up the last bit of securing it to the house?”
“Yes, of course,” she said quickly, stepping to his side, wondering briefly how he’d accomplished hanging the others without help.
Cleary looked down at her as she awaited his instructions. “I need to make it readily available, should you want to close it,” he said, explaining his method. “But it needs to be firmly attached when it’s opened.” Grasping her right hand, he placed it on the edge of the wide slats.
“Hold it right there,” he instructed her, speaking past several nails he held between his lips, and she obeyed.
Aware of the faint scent of masculine flesh, she breathed carefully, drawing shallow gasps of air into her suddenly inadequate lungs. It was no use. He was male, a bit warm, sweaty even, she decided. Yet it was a pleasing smell, that of soap and perhaps hair tonic, along with an undefinable aroma that teased her into edging just a bit closer.
Her hair brushed against his chest as he leaned over her to ply his hammer to the latch he imposed on the wooden siding. And then his hand touched her shoulder as he fit the hook into the latch, holding the shutter immobile and in place.
“You can let go now,” he told her, and her hand fell from the shutter as she stepped aside. His palm against her shoulder tightened its grip, and she halted in her retreat. She looked up at him, aware that, though he held her firmly, he exhibited no force, only a touch that warmed her to the tips of her fingers.
“Thank you, Miss Augusta,” he said politely. His eyes were heavy lidded, she noted, their depths dark as he took her measure. “When will you learn to call me Cleary, without the formality of a title attached?” he asked quietly. “Once you do, I’ll be able to use your name as I please.” His mouth twitched and widened to a smile that lured her.
“Cleary,” she said obediently, softly, with a whisper of anticipation, as if she waited for some momentous occasion to present itself.
“Augusta,” he replied, his gaze focused upon her lips as they spoke his name.
She held her breath, the heat from his body extending to hers, warming her from top to bottom, her spine tingling as she edged half a step closer to him. His head bent a bit and his mouth opened a fraction. As though in a trance, Augusta tilted her chin, the better to watch that mobile arrangement of lips that lured her in a foreign, forbidden way.
The edges of his teeth showed as he smiled, white beneath his dark mustache, and he bent inches closer. Almost close enough to touch her mouth.
“Dinner’s on the table.” The words echoed in her mind as the screened door opened and Pearl stepped onto the porch.
“Yes.” Augusta’s eyes closed for just a second, ruing the loss of…what? Had he been about to place those firm, chiseled lips upon hers? Such a thought did not bear pondering, she decided quickly. Pearl had interrupted but a moment of flirtation on his part.
The urge to shake her head in denial of that thought was strong. She considered the man a gentleman, far above stealing a fleeting kiss in broad daylight, in full view of any passerby who might glance in their direction.
Her own gaze flew to the empty road in front of the house, and she blessed the porch roof and the sheltering hedge of bushes that hid them from the boardinghouse next door.
“We’ll be right there, Pearl,” she said quickly, sending a smile in the woman’s direction. “We’ve just finished the final touches on this shutter.”
“Yeah, I see that,” Pearl drawled, backing into the front hallway as she cast a mocking grin at Cleary.
“She thinks we were…” Flustered and at a loss for words, Augusta backed off.
“We were, ma’am,” he told her softly. “I was about to place my lips against yours, and now I’m regretting the interruption.”
“I can’t have you saying such things to me, sir,” Augusta told him with a haughty glance. “I am not available for a dalliance, no matter that I owe you my thanks for the work you’ve done on behalf of our shelter.”
“I’ve been happy to donate my time and limited talents, ma’am,” he told her as he reached for his vest. “And I have no intention of dallying with you. My intentions have never been less than honorable where you’re concerned. It just happens that I almost fell prey to your sweetness a moment ago.” He turned, meeting her gaze, and his eyes burned with a warmth she knew was intended to disarm her. As were his final words. “I regret if I’ve caused you any distress,” he murmured.
She watched as he rolled down his shirtsleeves, sorting through his words. Losing track when she recalled dallying and honorable, she managed to recall another phrase, words that sounded like an apology. He’d called her sweet, in a roundabout way. And that thought made her blood hum in her veins. She’d never been described as sweet, not by anyone in her life.
But this man, this strong, handsome man whose very presence made her heart beat just a bit faster, thought she was attractive enough to spend his niceties upon. Her smile wobbled as she took another step toward the door, and her words were proper and ladylike, even to her own ears, as she invited him to join the household for dinner.
And if there was a sudden look of relief on his face, she chose to ignore it, setting aside the small disagreement they’d sorted through. He followed her into the house and down the hallway to the kitchen at the back. As he soaped his hands in the pan provided, she poured additional warm water over them from the reservoir at the side of the stove.
It was moments later, as they sat around the table, that she realized his words had held a note of promise she would do well not to ignore.
I was about to place my lips against yours. And now I’m regretting the interruption.
In order to succeed, her shelter must remain first and foremost in her thoughts. Mr. Cleary, with his dark eyes and neatly trimmed mustache, was a distraction she could not afford.
He’d been called out of town. The note was short and to the point. And Augusta was filled with a sense of desolation. One she quickly worked to obliterate, plunging into a cooking lesson as if it were of utmost import this morning. The minister’s wife had cried off again, and Augusta was beginning to recognize that she alone, of the original five ladies who’
d met to organize this effort, was left to do this sort of thing.
Her ladies watched her warily, and she gathered herself together. It would not do for them to recognize her attachment to Mr. Cleary. Indeed, she had no business even thinking about him. The shelter was her first obligation. That and teaching her ladies in order to make them eligible for marriage or a life of their choice beyond the doors of this place.
“I’ll never get the hang of gravy,” Honey said, stirring the lumpy concoction she’d managed to devise from bacon drippings and flour.
“When it’s browned nicely, you’ll add a cup or two of water, and be amazed at what occurs,” Augusta said, doing her best to encourage the girl.
“I know what occurred last time I did this,” Honey told her, her mouth turning down in discouragement. “I ended up with a pan full of paste. Lumpy paste.”
“Well, my bread didn’t rise the way Bertha’s does,” Beth Ann said sadly. “I think it’ll only be good for toast. Or maybe to feed the chickens.”
“That’s one good thing about having chickens,” Augusta agreed. “Although a pig might be even better at getting rid of our mistakes.”
“You don’t make mistakes,” Beth Ann said, lifting her gaze to Augusta, as if she beheld a woman beyond reproach. “You always seem to know the right thing to do and say, and you’ve even got Mr. Cleary hanging on your every word.”
“Mr. Cleary?” Augusta repeated the name as if it were foreign to her. “What on earth are you talking about?” It would not do to have the ladies thinking she was carrying on with the man, and if Pearl had made untoward remarks after seeing them together on the porch, she’d have to speak to her.
“He’s sweet on you, ma’am,” the girl said shyly. “I never had anybody look at me the way he looks at you. Never even had any man act like I was fit to spit on.” Her mouth drew into a moue, and she sighed deeply.
“Well, by the time we get finished with you, you’ll be a fit companion for any man out looking for a wife,” Augusta determined. “You’ll be able to cook and sew a bit and keep house with the best of them.” Deep within, she doubted the total truth of that bold statement, but lest Beth Ann see her doubtfulness, she smiled widely and patted the girl on the shoulder.
Keeping house was an accomplishment all of the women were able to attain, and the inside of the place was as neat as a pin these days. Floors shiny and windows spotless, it had taken on the appearance of a home. A home such as Augusta hadn’t had in several months. She cherished each room, adding to the furnishings gradually as pieces became available through the lady at the general store, who advised her of folks willing to sell various items at a good price. Nothing matched precisely, but it all began to blend with a homey charm that pleased her.
“I think we’ve accomplished enough today,” she said as Honey surveyed her gravy, stirring in vain to dissolve the lumps. “Bertha will fix a new pan for dinner,” she told the girl. “Next time will be better.”
“My cookies came out good,” Honey said quietly. “Maybe I can find a fella to marry who has a sweet tooth.” Her smile was trembling, and Augusta’s heart went out to the girl who would soon be a woman with a child, and with no husband in view.
“Where’s Mr. Cleary gone to?” Pearl asked idly, glancing up from her task of cutting out biscuits. Her eyes were sharp, her query far from idle, and Augusta hesitated a moment, forming a reply.
“He was called out of town on business,” she said, wiping the table with a damp cloth and preparing it for dinner. “He’ll be back in a few days, I suppose.”
“He didn’t tell you?” Pearl asked.
August sent her a glance meant to subdue her curiosity, but Pearl was not to be deterred from her purpose.
“I’d think a man as smitten as he is would be here tellin’ you goodbye, not just sending you a note.” Her eyes lit with humor as Pearl leveled her remark at Augusta.
“He’s not smitten,” August said sharply, “and I don’t appreciate your innuendo, Pearl. Mr. Cleary has been more than generous with his time, helping us do the outside work and supervising the building of the chicken yard and coop. He doesn’t, however, owe us an explanation for his absence.”
“Whatever you say, ma’am,” Pearl replied, her submissive tone at odds with the grin she made no attempt to conceal.
Augusta halted midway across the kitchen and turned to Pearl, her lips pursed, her eyes flashing. And then she let out a deep breath. For the first time in years, she was being teased, and by a master. Pearl meant no harm, she realized, only poked fun. The sight of Augusta and Cleary on the porch had given her a tool, and she was wielding it with a skill Augusta could only admire.
She was a part of a family here, she realized. These women, with checkered backgrounds, unlike her own luxurious beginnings, had joined forces to give her the security of a sisterhood, something she’d never enjoyed.
“Gracious, I don’t even know the man’s first name,” Augusta said.
“Jonathan,” Beth Ann said quietly.
“Jonathan?” Augusta swung to face the girl, her eyes wide with surprise. “How did you know that?”
“He told me. He saw me pulling weeds in the garden and he came over to lend a hand, and he said my name was pretty. So I asked him what his was, and he told me. I didn’t do anything wrong, did I?” Her blue eyes filled with tears and Augusta was stricken as she watched Beth Ann’s mouth tremble.
Her arms surrounded the young girl and she held her closely. “No, of course you didn’t do anything wrong. It was kind of him to help you, and even nicer to share his name with you.” She set her away and met the teary gaze. “Maybe it’s you he’s sweet on, Beth Ann, and not me, as Pearl believes.”
A flush crept up the wan cheeks and Beth Ann protested, her head shaking, her words spurting forth in a quick denial of any such thing.
The women halted their work and gathered around the girl, and even Pearl touched Beth Ann’s nondescript hair with a kind hand as they assured her that Augusta was only teasing. Bertha watched from the stove and flashed a look of understanding, nodding wisely as if she condoned the development of this clutch of women into a family.
A sharp rapping on the front door caught Augusta’s ear and she hastened down the hallway to answer the summons. Her footsteps lagged as she set eyes on Roger Hampton, hat in hand, peering through the screen. “What do you want, Mr. Hampton?”
“I thought I’d stop by since your handyman seems to have taken a hike out of town. Thought you might enjoy a gentleman’s company.”
“And you consider yourself as such?” Augusta asked, a haughty note coating each word. She stood back from the door and slid her hands into her apron pockets. “Did you come for any particular reason? Or were you just riding through the neighborhood?”
“I suppose my visit is to ascertain your reasons for staying here instead of coming with me back to Dallas,” he said quietly, apparently deciding to present his better side.
“I have a home here, and responsibilities,” she told him firmly.
“And a man chasing after you,” he added with a frown. “A man who is operating in a most secretive manner. Even the sheriff is checking up on him.”
“And what makes you think that concerns me?” she asked, her mind spinning as she wondered again where Cleary had gone.
“There’s been a rash of robberies—train robberies—lately. The gang is hitting shipments of cash and gold in an area surrounding Dallas, and your Mr. Cleary seems to be spacing his out-of-town trips to coincide with each event.” He rocked back on his heels and his features formed a smug grin. “Just thought you might want to chew on that bit of information while you’re awaiting his return.”
“Well, I certainly appreciate your coming out here to fill me in on all the latest news. But I doubt very much if Mr. Cleary’s business has anything to do with bank robbers. He is a gentleman of the first order.”
“Is he, now?” Roger’s mouth tilted in a smile that did little to increase his
appeal in Augusta’s eyes. “I heard that he was taking liberties with you, right here on the front porch of your place, just a few days ago.”
“Liberties?” she asked, thinking furiously of the kiss she’d almost received. “I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about, Mr. Hampton.”
“Don’t you?” He smiled, his mouth a taunt. “Well, I just wanted you to know that I’ll be leaving town before long. My work in Dallas will no longer wait for my appearance there. If you change your mind, I’d be delighted to purchase a ticket for you to accompany me.” He stepped back from the screened door and placed his hat on his head.
“I’d think the atmosphere there would be more conducive to a woman of your stature, Miss Augusta. In fact, I’ll be willing to marry you here, before we even got on the train together. And I’ll warrant that’s a better offer than what you’ll get from your Mr. Cleary.”
“I told you I wasn’t interested in your offer before I left Dallas, sir. I haven’t changed my mind.” Scathing words spun in her mind, but she set them aside, simply bowing her head and speaking one last phrase as she backed away from the door. She could not help but recognize that her inheritance was more appealing to Roger Hampton than she, herself, was. And that thought galled, tainting her final words.
“I wish you well, Mr. Hampton. Good day.”
His mouth was grim as he narrowed his eyes, peering through the screen as she turned aside. “When you discover what a scalawag you’re tangled up with, I’ll expect to hear from you, Miss Augusta.”
She heard his footsteps as he clattered down the steps, and her mind clung tenaciously to his words as she stood facing the flowered wallpaper in the hall.
…a rash of train robberies lately…spacing his out-of-town trips to coincide with each event. Even the sheriff is checking up on him.
She been trusting all of her life, certain of her instincts. Learning that she was the child of a woman of ill repute should have made her more wary of her intuition, yet she’d accepted Jonathan Cleary’s appearance on her doorstep and refrained from questioning him about his circumstances.
The Texan Page 5