She could put up with a lot of things, but a rat was not one of them.
“Dollar a week,” Jasper nodded. “In advance.”
Tess pulled one of Gabe’s silver dollars from her pocket and dropped it in his outstretched hand.
“I don’t allow no carryin’ on in these rooms,” he said matter-of-factly, amazing Tess by saying it with a straight face. “You keep your men out of my hotel.”
Tess’s hand pressed against her mouth, fighting back the bile that began to build in her throat. If he didn’t stop breathing on her, she was most certainly going to lose her dinner on his already dilapidated shoes. He stared at her for a moment longer, then handed her the key and walked out, leaving her to stare about herself in horrifying despair. This was not what she had planned—not even close.
It was then Tess realized how exhausted she was. The work at the restaurant had proved tiring, but it was exhilarating too, knowing she was working toward her goal, each hour worked putting her that much closer to making her dream a reality. The confrontations with both Miss Lutz and Miss Hattie, however, had left her drained and weary. What she needed was a little bit of food and a good night’s sleep, but she still had plenty of work to do first.
With key in hand, she closed the door behind her and boldly walked out of the hotel and into the mercantile. A pale young girl smiled weakly and offered her assistance in cutting the length of white flannel Tess requested and then wrapped it up along with a bar of honey-scented soap and a small oil lamp, complete with whale oil.
“I don’t suppose you sell brooms?” Tess asked as she paid for her purchase.
The girl shook her head. “Pa forgot to get some last time. Be another couple weeks ’fore he gets any more goods.”
Tess sighed. “You wouldn’t have one I could borrow, would you? Just for a few minutes?”
The girl didn’t answer, just stared blankly.
“I’m only taking it to the hotel for a moment,” Tess explained. “I need to sweep out my room so I can see what’s there. Not that I really want to know, I’ll admit, but it’s better than not knowing, don’t you think?”
The girl still did not answer, but reached for the broom and handed it to Tess.
“Thank you.” She smiled. “I’ll have it back to you in a shake.”
She hurried back to her room and set to work. She ripped off a small square of the flannel, dipped it in the murky water of the chamber bowl, and scrubbed the grit from the window. It was truly amazing how much light such a small window could let in.
With that completed, she rinsed the cloth and took to washing down the walls, the table and the mirror, and finally, the chamber set itself. When she finished, she took the broom and swept the floor until new blisters formed on her hands. She pushed the filth out into the hallway and closed the door again. The remaining flannel was soon transformed into a plain curtain and matching sheet for the bed with enough left to lay over her as a blanket. It wasn’t much to look at, but it was a darn sight better than it was an hour before.
She returned the broom to the girl at the store and made her way back to Miss Lutz’s restaurant. She needed to eat and since there was nowhere else . . .
An unfamiliar woman greeted her with a weary smile and a cup of coffee.
“Hi,” Tess smiled back. “I’m Tess. Miss Lutz hired me for the breakfast and lunch shifts.”
“Lucky you,” she chuckled. “I’m Lily, it’s nice to meet you.”
Her white-blond hair, held back in a single plait by a raveling pink ribbon, needed a good brushing, and her moss green eyes appeared almost lifeless behind the dark circles that shadowed them. Her smile was friendly enough, though, and her hands and face had been scrubbed pink.
“How long have you worked here?” Tess asked, eager to make a new friend.
“Seems like forever,” Lily whispered back, “but it’s only been a couple months, since my Charlie passed.”
“Oh,” Tess sighed. “I’m sorry.”
“Not your fault,” she smiled sadly. “He’s the one who got himself drunker ’n a skunk and fell into the creek. Weren’t for the little ones, I’d hardly notice he was gone.”
“You have children? How many?”
“Three.” Lily’s face lit up like the north star. “Betsy, Fredrick, and little Aggie. She was a year last week.”
“My goodness,” Tess breathed. “How do you manage with three children, a home and having to work? You must be run ragged.”
Lily chuckled sadly. “My kids are the only thing that keep me going everyday. I’d be workin’ the breakfast and lunch shifts if I could, but I have to wait for Betsy to get home from school before I can leave. She’s such a good girl, watchin’ over her little brother and sister.”
“How old is she?”
“Just turned nine.”
Tess inhaled sharply. The poor thing was still a child herself and already she was forced to take on the responsibilities of a grown woman.
“Lily!” Miss Lutz’s voice sliced through the restaurant. “It doesn’t matter that she is the only customer, there is still work to be done. Now take her order and move on.”
Tess fought back the urge to stick her tongue out at the nasty woman, but Lily, who stood with her back to Miss Lutz, grinned openly.
“Not exactly the warmest woman in the world, is she?” Lily whispered.
“I’ve met warmer December mornings.”
Lily didn’t even try to suppress her laughter. “It’s going to be so nice having someone on my side.”
Tess caught sight of Miss Lutz glaring at them from the kitchen doorway.
“If I don’t get us both fired first,” Tess whispered back. “I’ll have a ham sandwich, please, with a glass of milk.”
Lily nodded and hesitated a moment before she left.
“Don’t let her get to you,” she said quietly. “I know who you are and what she thinks about you, but it’s none of her business. It ain’t anybody’s business, Tess, except yours. Remember that, because this town is awful small and it seems everybody thinks they’re better ’n everybody else. You just keep your chin up and pay no mind to what she thinks.”
Tess couldn’t speak past the lump in her throat. She forced a smile, but it only served to push out the tears that shimmered against her lower lids. She wiped them away quickly and looked down at the table. Lily patted her shoulder gently and walked away to the kitchen.
A friend, Tess thought. That’s exactly what she needed after the day she’d had. Now if she could find a different place to stay. A wave of guilt immediately washed over her. Here she was feeling sorry for herself when poor Lily had three children and a house to look after and no husband to help her. Well, if Lily could make it work and keep a smile on her face, then so could she.
She took a deep breath, wiped away the last tear, and lifted her chin. Her circumstances could be a lot worse, that was for certain, so she would make the best of what she had to work with and carry on.
Lily returned with her meal and refilled Tess’s coffee cup.
“I’m done here in a few minutes,” she said. “Would you mind if I joined you for a cup of coffee?”
“I’d like that.” Tess smiled.
Lily returned to her duties, wiping up the last of the tables and setting out the cutlery for the next day. When she finished, she untied her apron and disappeared into the kitchen, returning a moment later with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and a small bowl of pea soup in the other.
They huddled over the table, keeping their voices low.
“How long’ve you been in town?” Lily asked.
“Less than a week. I was staying out at El Cielo with the Calloways, but . . .” Tess stopped.
“Tess, you don’t have to explain anything to me. Like I said, it’s none of my business or anyone else’s.” She reached out to cover Tess’s arm with a dry, callused hand. “If you want to tell me about it, I’m happy to listen, but . . .”
“No,” Tess hurried to exp
lain. “It’s nothing like that. It’s . . .” Again she stopped.
Lily looked up from her bowl, a knowing look coming over her face. “Which one is it?” she asked.
“Which one is what?”
The other woman’s eyes flooded with emotion—sympathy, empathy, and experience.
“Which one of them Calloway boys are you in love with?”
Tess’s chin dropped. “How did you know?”
“There ain’t a woman in the world who’d stay in a place like Porter Creek, working for a woman like Pauline Lutz, unless there was something—or someone—holding her here. So which one—Bart or Gabe?”
Tess’s face flamed. “I . . . I . . . oh, heavens, it’s Gabriel.”
Lily sat back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. “Thought so. Does he know?”
“Oh, yes,” she sighed. “He knows all right. I’ve made it abundantly clear to him how I feel, but all he can think about is getting me on the first stage out of town.”
“Mm-hmm.” Lily nodded.
“I guess I should have played coy with him or something,” Tess admitted. “But I don’t believe in playing foolish games. Life is too precious and far too short to waste time pretending you don’t feel something when you really do. I guess it doesn’t matter, though, does it? All I managed to do was make him angry and more determined to get me out of his life.”
“And yet here you are, still in town, with a job.”
“Yes.” She nodded frankly. “I’m determined to save myself enough money to buy my own place and live off the land.”
Lily eyed her carefully for a moment before she spoke. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“Absolutely. Do you think I’d be working here and living at the hotel next door if I wasn’t?”
“You’re living at the hotel?” Lily gasped. “Good Lord, Tess, that place is worse than hell itself!”
“I know,” she sighed. “But Miss Hattie . . .”
Lily’s tongue clicked loudly. “The old boot wouldn’t rent you a room, would she?”
Tess shook her head.
“That nosy old woman should have her secrets aired to the whole world and then we’d see who was considered ‘respectable.’”
“Oh, Lily, I can’t really blame her. After all, I did stay at El Cielo without a chaperone. . . .”
“What about Rosa? She lives there too.”
“Yes.” Tess smiled. “Rosa is wonderful, but I guess she’s not considered proper either since she and Miguel have never actually married.”
“Oh pish! They don’t make women any better than Rosa, I don’t care what anyone says. She raised those two boys like they were her own, and despite their faults, she did a darn fine job.”
Tess pursed her lips. “Can I ask you something, Lily?”
“Of course.”
“Every time the Calloway name came up today, both with Miss Lutz and Miss Hattie, it was greeted with a sniff and a look of disdain. Why is that?”
Lily grinned wickedly. “It’s a toss-up between old man Calloway and Bart. The old man drank himself stupid after Emma died. And Bart, well, he was a bit of a wild one growing up. Seen more than his fair share of women come and go. The old biddies in town blame him for ruining more than a few of their precious young girls. But if you ask me, it takes two to make an argument, and I didn’t see any of them precious young girls telling him no.”
Tess couldn’t help but grin; Bart did have a certain charm about him.
“But what about Gabriel?” she asked tentatively. “Was he the same?”
“Gabe? Lord no! Straight as an arrow, that boy. In fact, I’ve only ever known two or three women who have ever gotten close to him, and none since highfalutin Catarina left him.”
“Then why do the ladies in town consider him to be such a rogue?”
“Guilty by virtue of his name, Tess. After his mama died, his pa sort of fell by the wayside, keeping company with Dottie and her girls over at the saloon. And then came Bart with his charm and his way with the ladies. The Calloway name eventually lost the respect it once commanded. Nothin’ Gabe did or didn’t do.”
“It’s not right.”
“Nope, it ain’t,” Lily agreed, “but there ain’t much either one of us can do about it.”
She finished the last of her coffee and stood to leave.
“Listen, Tess, I wish I could invite you to stay with me and the kids, but the house already ain’t big enough for the four of us. I’m real sorry.”
“Don’t you be sorry one bit, Lily.” Tess smiled. “I’ll be just fine.”
“I’m sure you will.” Lily nodded. “I’m sure you will.”
Chapter 20
The next several days all seemed to blend together in a murky blur for Tess. After working her shifts at the restaurant, she would haul two huge buckets full of water up to her room and sponge herself down from head to toe, trying to wash off as much grit and grime as she could. What she wouldn’t give for a nice hot bath and completely clean hair.
The other hotel guests stumbled into their rooms at all hours of the night, falling up and down the stairs, crashing into the walls and generally making enough noise to raise the dead. Tess did not sleep but rather dozed off and on, terrified one of the drunken rascals would come barreling through her door at any time during the night and pass out in her room. Or worse.
She had not seen Gabriel since he showed up in the restaurant her first day there, and her heart ached more and more every day. How she longed to see him again, to look at his face, to look in his eyes—those stormy, smoke-colored eyes that looked right down into her very soul.
Ironically, it was the very day Gabe would have had her on the stage that Tess’s luck finally changed for the better. She was fairly certain Gabe would disagree, but in her opinion, the events of that fateful Friday were the best thing to happen to her since first laying eyes on her angel himself.
It was the day she met the Langman family.
The restaurant was buzzing with lunch customers in various stages of their meals when the door opened and in walked a pretty young girl accompanied by a man who easily could have passed for her twin brother. Tess showed them to the nearest clean table and hurried to fill their coffee cups.
“You’re new.” The man’s voice bounced around the room until every other customer looked up from their meal.
“Yes.” Tess smiled hurriedly. “I am. Have you decided what you would like?”
“I’m Collette Langman,” the girl said, offering her hand. “And this is my tactless brother Frankie.”
Tess’s eyes flew to the kitchen door. She’d already been snapped at twice this morning for talking to customers.
“Collette . . .” Tess faltered. The infamous Collette Langman. The girl’s eyes were bluer than anything Tess had ever seen, and her golden hair fell in shimmering waves down her back. Bart was right, this girl was absolutely stunning. Tess’s smile brightened. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Tess Kinley.”
It was the other girl’s turn to smile now. “Really? You’re Tess Kinley? I’ve heard so much . . . what I mean is, I was told . . .” Collette flushed. “I must sound as bad as Frankie. I’m sorry.”
“Nonsense,” Tess said, glancing back at the kitchen. “I’m afraid I can’t talk right now, but I would very much like to speak with you later. Would you mind?”
“Would I mind?” she repeated. “Why on earth would I mind? I have so many questions for you myself that I could go on for days.”
“I’ll have a steak with potatoes and peas,” Frankie interrupted. “And bread. Lots of bread. And a piece of cherry pie. Got that?”
“Yes,” Tess nodded absently, her focus still on Collette. “Would you be able to meet me later?”
“Oooh, I’d like that.” Collette giggled. “I’ll come back in a few hours, how would that be?”
“Fine,” she answered. “Just fine.”
Miss Lutz cleared her throat behind Tess.
“
And what would you like, miss?” Tess’s eyes danced with excitement. She was going to get to know Collette Langman, and perhaps in the process, play matchmaker.
Collette’s mouth twitched against a laugh. “I’ll have a bowl of soup and some bread, please.”
“Of course. I’ll bring your lunches right out.”
Tess’s heart seemed to float in her chest. She already liked Collette Langman and she’d only just met her. Frankie, on the other hand, appeared a little rough, but what did that matter?
She flew through the rest of her shift, counting the minutes until she would learn more about Collette and her family. She hoped she would be able to bring her new friend and Bart together somehow.
With the final plate washed and returned to its place, and all the tables washed and reset for Lily’s supper shift, Tess washed quickly in the kitchen basin and hurried outside to wait for Collette. Within moments the other girl was walking toward her from the livery.
“Tess!” she called. “Come on, let’s walk.”
The two women instinctively linked arms and headed out toward the creek, both giddy with excitement.
“I have to admit,” Tess said, “I’ve heard a little about you, too, Collette.”
Collette’s pretty face pinked. “I hope what you’ve heard is favorable.”
“Oh yes.” Tess laughed. “Very favorable.”
“Tell me!” the girl cried. “Tell me everything. How is he? Is he staying this time? He’s not up and married some little . . .”
“Slow down.” Tess laughed. “I’ll tell you everything I know, which might not be much, but it could prove helpful.”
Laura Drewry Page 16