“Not yet. But let me see your hands.”
He held them out and turned both palms up. Bandaging covered the deep blister on the fleshy part below his thumb. It hurt like a son of a gun. “Not so bad after all. Mrs. Bunch assures me the cream will hurry the healing.”
“How was she this morning?”
“The four of us went out to Joe’s. Not long after, the sheriff showed up. Billy will spend time in jail, but his age and his honest regret will help. In fact, Eliot promises employment. I don’t know if the board will go for it or not.”
“And Maybelle?”
“She’s sorry all right. Barley and she have precious metals squirreled away. She’s taking responsibility for the fire damage on the roof and the loss of the depot wagon.”
“No jail time?”
“That’s up to the railroad. If they press charges. Showing some mercy will go a long way in public opinion.”
Amber’s face mirrored his own. The board wasn’t given to mercy. She touched his arm gently. “So, you’re ready to leave?”
He made a face. “I’m not sure what will happen or how long I’ll be gone.”
“But you’ll be back, and you have your new title.”
It hadn’t quite settled in as fact. “Regardless of what happens with my father, I don’t plan to work for the bank. That hasn’t changed.”
“I didn’t think it would.”
Her thick black lashes hid her eyes. “And you were able to speak with Miss Colter?”
“It went very well.”
Apparently. She fairly glowed at the thought.
“Much better than I expected if I still hope to be employed by the Harvey Company.”
He didn’t follow. “I thought you had changed your mind.”
“I did. But Miss Colter suggests I apply as an artist. I’d be painting for the hotels, and to sell in their shops.”
“Didn’t I tell you?” He turned away, biting back words and most importantly, laughter.
“What is it?”
“Nothing. Like I said, you’re an excellent artist.” He took her hand and kissed it. “I’ve got to get to the station. Would you like to come with me?”
“Of course. But what happened to Charity and your vague plans?”
He put the car in gear. “She sent her regrets.”
“Fancy that.”
Stone caught something in her tone. “Amber?”
“We had a nice chat this morning.”
The little scamp.
“She’s staying an extra day,” Amber continued. “So she won’t be on your train.”
“I’m rather relieved,” he confided.
She leaned close to whisper. “So is Mr. Eliot. I believe they ate breakfast together in the private dining room.”
“Well, best of luck to him. She’s a nice girl. And pretty.” Stone sputtered with amusement at himself, but when he looked at Amber, she’d grown serious. He parked the car and gathered his luggage. She huddled next to him as they walked the short distance to the depot.
Then he stopped. “Wait. Why aren’t you leaving with me today? You’ve talked to Miss Colter. There’s no reason to stay.” He set down his suitcase. “I’ll help you gather your things. We’d have so much more time together. They’ll hold the train. I know they will.”
She turned away. “No. We need to wait until you come to Chicago. If you must know, I need time to think.”
He raised his brows. “No man wants to hear that.” And he shouldn’t push the issue. Still…“You’ll have time to think after you get home.”
Amber picked up his suitcase and handed it to him, then took it back. He hadn’t even noticed the approaching wagon.
“I can carry my own bag. I can’t let you—”
“Really. How will you stop me?”
“I can’t. You’re right. Nor can I get you to leave with me.”
“It’s all been so fast, Stone.”
“That doesn’t mean it won’t last.”
“I agree. But the answer is still no.”
A fair number of visitors were boarding today, and the time to part was here.
“I haven’t felt this way before.” He raised his hand, starting over. “You’ll learn that I was engaged, so believe me when I say this is different.” He’d usually had a good idea what she was thinking. Why not now?
She moved aside as others came past. “Thank you for telling me. I know plenty of engagements that should have been called off. It doesn’t worry me.”
The tension across his shoulders relented. That was close.
“Now go get your seat, unless you’re planning on jumping in one of the box cars. You know. Another chance to show off.”
“It worked then?”
Her laughter was contagious. “May I give you a proper kiss?
“Depends on what you mean by proper.”
She offered him her hand and he kissed the back of her glove, glaring at her. “We’ll have to work on our communication skills.”
“Oh, I understood you perfectly,” she chided, and poked his arm. “You may have swept me off my feet last night, but now I’m standing on my own again.”
The whistle blew and he picked up his bag. “And so you should. So we can stand together.” He leaned close to her ear, memorizing that scent she wore. “Until I see you again?”
“Don’t be long.”
He boarded the train and hurried to a seat to wave. She’d gotten to him all right, because leaving her now left an empty place in his arms, as well as his heart. He had to believe he’d see her again, and then they’d know if the story she hoped to tell her children someday—the one about the building of Hermit’s Rest—would also be about the beginning of their love.
Epilogue-Three Weeks Later
Chicago, Illinois
Miter—the fitting together of two pieces to form a specific angle
“Where are you?”
“In here, Mother.” Amber let the heavy velvet drape fall back to block out the late morning sunshine. Ruby Wynott bustled into the morning room with its abundance of blue and white pottery and fabrics. She’d been unusually cheery and affectionate these last few days.
Mother sat and patted the sofa for Amber to join her. “Now that your interview is over, I can’t put it off any longer.”
It couldn’t be bad news, not with that sly grin. Nor would she have gone to so much trouble with her hair and face paint. Had Mother found herself a new suitor?
The cat stretched and jumped down in frustration.
“You’ve been waiting for news about your young man, and I have it. He’s spoken with William and asked to court you.”
With her pulse loud in her ears, Amber considered asking Mother to repeat, but, no, she’d heard correctly. “And?”
“Scrooge is all for it. Which would worry me if you weren’t yourself enthusiastic.” Mother paused, appraising Amber. “That hasn’t changed, has it?”
“No. I admire him. I may be in love with him.” She pressed her stomach. “He’s my equal in many ways.” The effort to appear calm was exhausting, but standing up and spinning around would give it all away.
“And he’s supportive of your desire to paint…to work.” Mother reached out to fuss with a curl at Amber’s temple.
“Did I tell you he placed my sketchbook where Miss Colter could find it? I had no idea at the time, but it gave me this opportunity.”
Mother took her hands in hers. Her face pink with excitement. “Oh, my dear girl. It’s all come together. I know how much it hurt when your father forbade you to go off to school, but you never gave up.”
“I almost did.”
“But your Mr. Morrison didn’t let you. That’s a very good sign.” Mother squeezed her hands again and it was beginning to hurt. “Things are different than when your father courted me. But, I’m not one to hang on to the old.”
Amber grinned. “Definitely not.” She gave her mother a kiss on the cheek, as soft and fragrant as ever. “And I’m
my mother’s daughter.”
“You’re more like your father than you realize.” Mother sighed dramatically. “I’m afraid you need to get ready. I expect he may be here as early as today, or tomorrow.”
Amber jumped up. “Today? Why did you wait so long to tell me?” She wanted to scream, but it was hard enough to breathe. “My hair!”
“If he’s put off by a stray curl or two, he’s not the man for you.”
Amber was crossing the foyer for the stair case when the doorbell rang. “What if it’s him? Oh, I can’t believe it!” She ran up the stairs. What would she wear? She glanced over her shoulder as their housekeeper went for the door.
“Thank you, Mary,” Mother said, standing at the parlor door with her usual elegance. “You may open it.”
Hidden from view in the upper hallway, Amber watched as Stone Morrison filled the doorway. She jumped back, then rushed off to her room with the sound of Mother’s warm greeting. Her hands shook as she tried to fix her hair. She certainly didn’t need rouge, but dotted her face with a cold, wet cloth.
She’d counted the days they’d been apart but now, the reunion left her frantic. There, next to her bed, was the small box containing the conversation heart candies she’d gathered the night of the Saint Valentine’s Day party.
She’d been right to take these weeks apart. She’d needed to be practical, to pray—not to win Stone’s heart, but for wisdom.
Amber examined herself in the cheval mirror, smoothed her dress. Someone knocked at the door.
“Only me, miss. Do you need some help?”
Amber could have hugged the woman. “Mary, how do I look? Please check the back. I’m not sure I hooked the neck properly. My hands are shaking.”
“Not to worry, miss. Let me just straighten his lace at the back.”
Amber poked at her hair again. “Very well. Thank you.”
She made her way down the stairs; why was she tiptoeing? She waited by the door; why was she listening? She pushed it open.
Stone stood, appearing as nervous as she felt, and the revelation brought a giggle—one she bit her lip to stop.
“Amber. You look lovely.”
“Won’t you sit and relax?”
“I’ve been sitting too long on the train.” But he did. “And I can hardly relax.”
His teasing broke the spell over the room, and she sat opposite him, glancing at her mother.
“I was just telling Mr. Morrison that I prefer you court for at least a year. If you then intend to marry, I’d like you to do so here in Chicago.”
“Mother!”
Mother tipped her head gently. “Do you object?”
Unable to stop herself, Amber met Stone’s eyes. “No.” He too, must have been holding his breath, for they both sighed.
“Well, I’ll leave you two, then,” Mother announced. “Mary will bring tea.”
Stone stood again at her departure. “Thank you, Mrs. Wynott. It was a pleasure to meet you.”
Mother managed a wink in Amber’s direction. “For me as well.” She shut the parlor door behind her.
Stone remained standing. “I think I may have passed muster.”
“You did.” Amber rose and went to him, pulling him down to sit next to her. “I’m so glad to see you.”
“You don’t know how much I wanted to hear that.”
Amber examined his hand. A few new scrapes, but the worst of the burns had lost its anger. “All healed, then?”
“A good-sized scar. A reminder of our first kiss.”
Plenty distracted, she chose to continue. “And your father?”
“Slowly improving, but he’s no longer working at the bank. It’s changed him, and I hate to say it, but for the better. Charles is doing well with the company and Father advises him.”
Amber surveyed every inch of his face. Was there anything she’d forgotten? “And how is Billy and his family?”
Stone exhaled with a hint of impatience. “Joe works for the Forestry Service now. He knows those trails better than anyone. Billy will be out of jail next month.”
“And Barley?”
He lifted her hand to his cheek, then kissed the back of it. “They’re happy as two old cranks can be.”
She pulled free so he wouldn’t feel her hand shaking, and took a long slow breath. “Then we begin.”
“A year of courting, Amber? I’ll be moving to San Francisco at the end of the summer and staying for at least six months.” Stone rubbed his forehead. “That’s too great a distance.”
“But I’ll be right around the corner.”
“What?”
“I’ll be working for the Fred Harvey Company, from wherever I set up a studio. I’ve asked my aunt if I could stay with her on Hyde Street in San Francisco.”
“Why?”
“Don’t you suppose I made a point of finding out where you’d be working?”
“I do like that about you. But what if I hadn’t shown up?”
“The thought never occurred to me.”
“I’ve been keeping an ear out for news of you, too.” He slid closer and touched her face.
“Wait.” She handed him the small red box. “I picked these for my Valentine. And now you’re here. Ulysses.”
His attempt at reproach failed. How she adored those dimples.
He looked through them, reading a few. “Be Mine. Dear One. Kiss Me.” Then lifted a single white candy. “Why Not. This one will always be my favorite.” Chuckling, he set it aside. “Come here, you.”
“Mary might return at any moment.”
“Then she better get used to this…”
The End.
About the story—Why Not Pinterest Page
Arizona’s Grand Canyon is a spectacle that needs to be seen in person. “Photographs don’t do it justice.” I’ve visited three times and it’s always awe-inspiring.
I chose this setting because of the woman who had designed so much of its iconic architecture. Mary Colter’s story is fascinating, and the fact she accomplished so much in the early part of the century (male-dominated to say the least) makes it more so. I found some great resources on both her work and the growth of Grand Canyon village from a few buildings and tent camps to what is now the focal center by which most of us see the canyon. Even with so much research, no one could quite confirm the details I needed. Hermit’s Rest was built in 1914 and it’s a work of genius—that much we know. I recommend the following for more information:
About the author—
Debra E. Marvin tries not to run too far from real life but the imagination born out of being an only child has a powerful draw. Besides, the voices in her head tend to agree with all the sensible things she says. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Sisters in Crime, and serves on the board of Bridges Ministry in Seneca Falls, NY. Her published novellas include, “Alarmingly Charming” in Austen in Austen Vol 1 from WhiteFire Publishing, and those below from Forget Me Not Romances. Debra works as a program assistant at Cornell University, and enjoys her family and grandchildren, obsessively buying fabric, watching British programming and traveling with her childhood friends
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B018QCI2AS
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/Debra-E-Marvin-433266640199533
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DebraEMarvin
Website: http://debraemarvin.com/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/debraemarvin/
Group Blog- Inkwell Inspirations: http://www.inkwellinspirations.com/
More Arizona novellas are on the way. First, try:
STARLIGHT SERENADE
http://tinyurl.com/zbngjr9
The Englishman would look back one day and blame it all on Jazz…
Flagstaff, Arizona 1930. Full-time Astronomer, and part-time sharp dresser Julian Dyson didn’t discover Pluto but he does discover a nasty case of self-righteousness when a former Ziegfeld Girl’s folly threatens his good name.
Broadway unde
rstudy Clara Longworth and her peculiar younger brother are on their way to a new life in Hollywood when they are stranded along Route 66. Clara is asked to fill in as nightclub entertainment, but her good intentions set her up as accomplice in the blackmailing of a government man who makes the real thugs look classy.
Until Julian and Clara put their heads together for more than dancing the Black Bottom, their big-as-the-night-sky dreams are on target to fail. Maybe they need a telescope to see what’s right in front of their starry eyes.
DESERT DUET
http://tinyurl.com/jsgwhfs
Merry Christmas from Humbug. Wish You Were Here!
It’s 1933 in the good old US of A. In the midst of drought, the Depression, and gangsters on the lam, America finds solace in Hollywood's Golden Age.
Ex-pilot Eugene Tanner, determined to pen the lyrics for the movie industry's first "Best Song" award, books a rushed December stay at the remote Humbug Creek Guest Ranch (A Gold Mine of a Getaway!) Where better to find inspiration for an epic Western, than amid all that trail dust and burnt coffee?
Thea Knight gives up her short holiday break from the studio’s costume department to play cowgirl hostess at her family’s struggling guest ranch. But instead of helping their witty and handsome guest, she becomes his biggest distraction. Old flames and past regrets take a backseat when the pair become embroiled in a ghost town mystery marring Humbug, Arizona’s rustic Christmas. Thankfully, the cowgirl is as fast with her Winchester as she is with her comebacks.
Why Not (A Valentine Matchmaker novella) Page 10