He laughed and ruffled her hair. “I’ll be quick about it.”
Assured, she scampered off as he headed toward the cleaning station. He pumped water into the basin and grabbed the hunk of soap on the hemp rope hanging from the side.
Staring at his hands, he realized even if he scrubbed everything, his clothes would still be filthy and fragrant.
“I thought you might want something clean to change into.” Max, one of his other partners, held out a bundle of folded-up clothes. “The shirt will hang loose, but the rest should work fine.”
“Where did you get these?”
“I always carry a change of clothes. Just in case. It’s come in handy more than once.”
“You’re a godsend.”
Max’s laugh was deep and rough—completely in tune with his dark looks. “Not many would say that about me.”
“Well, at the moment, I’ll sing your praises.”
His friend laughed and waved him over to an enclosed area where he’d be able to bathe in private.
As he washed the filth of the mine off his body, he couldn’t help but realize how much he would miss his partners. Their meetings hadn’t been frequent, and they’d always enjoyed mutual appreciation for each other’s talents, but something felt different between them now that they were all here.
They’d all…softened. It was the best way to describe it. He had to assume it had something to do with their wives. Grace rushed to mind before he quickly moved to another thought.
It could also be the town.
His scrubbing slowed as he contemplated it.
Had the town wrought the change in them?
He couldn’t deny he felt different here. He’d even seen a significant change in Arabella. She liked running through the field outside their house and sneaking treats from Charlotte, Max’s wife, when they visited her bakery in town.
There was something magical here. Something he couldn’t quite put his finger on.
And it made him want to stay.
The thought was crazy, of course. He quickly began scrubbing again.
He couldn’t move here. Their life was back East. Their home, his work, his friends—at least who he’d considered friends until he’d experienced the easy companionship of his partners again.
They’d built something here, and it was tempting to join them.
But even if he wanted to stay, he couldn’t. His brother wouldn’t have wanted Arabella to grow up in this kind of place. He’d want her to have a first-rate education. To come out in society and be one of the sought-after ladies of the season.
That was her birthright. That was what she deserved.
She deserves happiness.
She’d be happy in New York, he firmly told himself. It was absurd to even entertain such thoughts.
He finished bathing quickly and donned Max’s fresh clothes. He’d been right—the shirt was baggy, but the rest of it fit well. It would do for an afternoon of crafting.
He grinned just thinking of the way Everett had dreaded it.
Oliver would have, too, just a short while ago. But since Arabella had come to live with him, he’d changed. Now he was looking forward to spending time with his niece.
And with Grace.
He sighed. It seemed no matter how much he tried to block the woman from his mind, she broke through his wall.
He needed to figure out what to do about her. And fast. Indecision didn’t sit well with him.
With that in mind, he headed back toward the group. Their excited chatter and joy at being together was infectious. They acted more like a family than business partners.
Even now, Lucas was showing Arabella how to wield the scissors properly, making her giggle as he demonstrated what not to do by acting as if they were a sword.
Oliver muffled a laugh. While he appreciated the attempt to keep Arabella safe from harm, he knew he would find her having imaginary sword fights with every pair of scissors they owned.
“Oliver! You’re just in time.” Chase, the spokesman for their company, waved him over. His golden locks and smooth charm had closed many deals for them. “And looking much better than you were just a few minutes ago,” he teased.
“It’s amazing what soap and water can do.”
His partner sighed dramatically. “Yes. Those items could topple nations…if only everyone would use them.”
Arabella snickered at his joke. “I use soap and water every day!”
He waved his paper flower around grandly. “Then you will conquer nations, my dear. You shall be queen of all clean citizens.”
Her eyes widened, and she turned to Oliver. “Could I really be a queen someday?”
“Absolutely. Princesses turn into queens eventually.”
She nodded as if never doubting it. “Grace is a princess too. She’s just missing her prince.”
The moment turned awkward, and Oliver winced.
But instead of feeling embarrassed about her lack of a husband, Grace grinned and lowered to Arabella’s eye level. “It’s true. I keep kissing frogs, but none of them have turned into my true love. They’re still just…slimy.” She made a gagging face.
Arabella roared with laughter as Grace tickled her.
And Oliver’s respect for her rose once again. Grace didn’t let anything bring her down. He knew she’d come here for a fresh start. She’d left her home, everything she’d ever known.
He frowned.
Why had she done that?
He had never considered why any of the women had accepted their offer to come here. He’d only been grateful they were willing. But now he wanted to know what her life had been like before and what had brought her here. She’d said she didn’t have any family or close friends, but why come all the way here to reinvent herself?
Hopefully, he’d find the right time to indulge his curiosity and ask her.
Then her large, brandy-colored eyes met his. “Would you like me to show you how to make a flower?” Her voice was like a caress.
“Yes. I can’t say I’ve ever made one before.”
Arabella bounced. “It’ll be easy. Even I can do it.”
At his niece’s prompting, Grace quickly showed him what to do. The folding and pinning was just as easy as Arabella had said. “Do we really need several hundred of these?”
“It’s the main decoration.” When he looked at her blankly, her lips quirked in amusement. “Yes.”
From the corner of his eye, he saw Everett shudder dramatically, earning a slap from Emery, his wife, before he chuckled.
“Guess it’s a good thing we’re all here, then.” Oliver raised his voice so everyone could hear. “Had I known how busy you all were with making decorations instead of running the business, I would have asked for a larger chunk of the profits.”
A barrage of paper was launched at his head from the other men, and laughter filled the air.
This felt good.
This felt right.
And he worried it was starting to feel like home.
Chapter 9
Oliver’s hands cramped, but as he finished the last of the paper flowers, he was filled with a sense of pride. The mountain of decorations in front of him was enough to fill the whole yard.
He hadn’t imagined the particulars of the one-year celebration, but he had to admit, the yard would look amazing with them strung through the air.
After deciding where to store them temporarily, they carried several loads of flowers into the office for safekeeping. It would be impossible to hold any meetings in the small, beflowered space, but it would keep them clean for the next few days.
After the last batch, he walked back to the group as they were saying their goodbyes.
Grace turned to him and smiled. “Do you have more work to do?”
He shook his head. “I did everything I needed to today. Why don’t I ride back with you both? I can tie my horse to the wagon.”
“All right.” Her smile was bright, but there was a shyness to it he h
adn’t seen before.
As Arabella ran ahead, he leaned closer to Grace. “Is everything all right?”
She nodded quickly. “Yes. Everything is fine. There’s just something I need to discuss with you.” She shrugged. “I guess I’m a little nervous.”
His mind flooded with possible topics she might want to discuss. And he wasn’t sure he was ready to discuss any of them. “All right. We’ll have plenty of time to talk on the way back.”
Her eyes slid toward Arabella. “I think it would be better if the conversation was a bit more private.”
He swallowed hard, a cold sweat dotting his skin. “All right. When we return to the house.” He appreciated her, but if he was forced into making a decision about marriage, it wouldn’t go as either of them hoped, no matter how much he cared about her.
She nodded her agreement, and although she appeared at ease when she hoisted Arabella into the wagon and climbed up after her, his emotions ran high.
After securing his horse, he climbed up and took the reins. “Everyone ready?”
“Yes!” Arabella shouted while Grace nodded easily.
The trip home should have been like any other, but silence stretched out between them, awkward and uncomfortable. He couldn’t stop his mind from running through possible scenarios of what might happen during his and Grace’s conversation, and every single one of them left him feeling ill.
He wasn’t as opposed to marriage as he’d been when he first met Grace—in fact, he thought about it a lot now—but he wasn’t ready to make any decisions on that front.
As they pulled up to the house, he turned toward Grace. “Why don’t you wait here, and I’ll bring Arabella inside? This is probably as private as we’ll get.” He gestured to the wide-open space where it would be impossible for anyone to eavesdrop.
“All right.”
He nodded once more before climbing down and plucking Arabella from the back. Completely oblivious to the tension running through him, his niece sped toward the house, jabbering about promised cake from their cook upon her return.
It was just as well.
Closing the front door behind her, he turned and headed back toward the wagon. Grace had already descended and was lovingly patting her horse.
Catching his eye, she grinned. “Is she getting a piece of cake?”
He chuckled at the amusement in her eye. No matter what, their mutual appreciation for cake entertained him. “Yes. That should distract her for as long as we need.”
At the reminder, some of her mirth left, and she turned her attention back to the horse as if gathering her courage. “Thank you for taking the time to speak with me.”
“Of course. Is anything wrong? Is it something to do with Arabella?”
“Yes—no.” She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and turned to him before locking eyes. “Nothing is wrong. It does have something to do with Arabella, but it’s not bad.”
Some of the tension eased from his shoulders. He could talk about Arabella all day, and he was relieved it wasn’t about anything more personal. “All right. What is it, then?”
She took a deep breath. “I’ve come to care for her. A lot, in fact.”
“I can see she feels the same about you.” He lowered his voice. “She’ll miss you very much when we leave.”
“I’ll miss her too.” She nodded sadly. “I love it in Promise Creek. I’ve come to love the women I lived with and the others in town. I love that everyone works together and is trying to build something great. I love that everyone knows everyone. It wasn’t like that where I came from.”
“I understand. It’s been surprising to see such things myself.”
She smiled at his understanding. “I love it here, but…”
“But?” he prompted when she trailed off.
She shook herself and met his eyes with determination. “I love it here, but I don’t have a purpose. All the others have found what they wanted to do and have married. I’ve found neither—at least I hadn’t until you arrived.”
He went rigid. “What do you mean?” She couldn’t possibly be confessing feelings for him.
“I went from project to project, helping wherever someone needed an extra hand. I spent energy filling my time instead of living. But since you arrived, I’ve had a purpose.”
He kept his tone even. “And what’s that?”
She looked at him strangely. “Arabella, of course.”
Relief gushed through him, swiftly followed by disappointment, which only confused him more. “Of course!”
“She’s so precious. And brilliant. And fun.” Her eyes turned wistful.
Realization wove through him. “You love her.”
“I do.” She nodded reluctantly. “I’ve never loved a child before. Not like this. I can’t bear to lose her.”
“You’ve always known we must return East,” he said gently. He didn’t want to hurt her, but there was no way he could keep Arabella here forever.
She nodded easily. “Yes. It’s why I want to return with you and be her nanny.”
It took a moment for her words to truly sink in, for him to understand what she was saying. His jaw dropped. “You want to continue on as her nanny? You’re willing to leave this place—all your friends and the home you’ve built—just to be her nanny?”
“I know it might seem absurd, but I’m in earnest. Please, will you consider taking me on permanently?”
Emotion flooded him. She wanted to stay with them.
With Arabella, he firmly reminded himself. But no matter how many times he tried to remind himself of that fact, it didn’t help.
He was elated, horrified, astonished, and frightened all at once. He wanted her to come with them. He hadn’t realized how much until she offered. But the thought of her wanting more from him—wanting marriage—disturbed him. Would she stoop so low as to use Arabella to try to win him? “Is there any other reason you wish to return with us?”
Her brows furrowed. “Such as?”
He couldn’t come right out and ask if she were scheming. “Are you in danger? Trying to avoid something?”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Oh no. No, nothing like that. My only expectation is to take care of Arabella.”
He believed her. No matter what other women might have plotted, he’d come to know Grace. She was honest, forthright, and he knew he could trust her—but he still wasn’t ready to give her an answer. “I’ll consider it.”
Her nerves gave way, and she grinned. “Thank you! I promise I’ll always take good care of her.”
“I’ll let you know my decision soon.” He stepped toward her and boosted her back into the wagon. As much as his traitorous body wanted to hold onto her longer, he released her. “Drive safely.”
She nodded her thanks and smiled. “Tell Arabella I’ll see her tomorrow.” Then with a flick of the reins, she was heading down the road, away from him, away from his life.
But he wondered if it was possible to remove her from his heart.
Oliver worked himself to the bone. It was the one thing he could do to outrun his thoughts about Grace and the future, and he threw himself into work with renewed vigor.
His time was running out. He needed to make a decision about where to dig next—and about Grace’s proposal.
He was close to finding a large pocket of copper, he could feel it. Every time he entered the mine, he knew he would find it soon.
And with two days to go until the celebration, it was a good thing.
Although it would be ideal to announce the new work area during the party, he knew it would be fine if he needed several more days after the event to come to a conclusion. But he didn’t want to wait that long.
Everything with Grace was confusing. How he felt about her, how her relationship with Arabella would affect them. He was so tied in knots, running around in circles trying to figure out what he should do about it, that he was strung tighter than a bow.
The minute the celebration was done, he would leave town�
��but would Grace go with them?
She had offered to be Arabella’s nanny. But could it really be so simple? Could their relationship stay as it was now?
He didn’t think so.
Oh, he didn’t believe Grace would do anything underhanded. But what about himself? He wasn’t sure he had the discipline to leave her alone if he were around her every day. But did he really want to? Every day, his feelings for her grew.
He’d never felt this way about another woman, had never wanted to attach his life to someone else. But the madness of it was he could think of little else.
Scraping samples from the wall into a tube, he marked the map and the container with the location where it was taken. It was one of the final steps before giving his recommendation, and he wanted to make no mistakes.
He took the full cart of samples and started making his way through the tunnels toward the surface when something caught his attention.
It was one of the many blocked off, dead-end shafts that littered the mine. He hadn’t bothered with most of them, seeing as they’d blocked off the tunnels either because of instability or because they were considered less productive areas. Instability they could work around, although it caused considerable headaches. But there was no point in testing areas where copper deposits were scarce.
He looked at the map, wondering which this tunnel was. Quickly finding it, he noted that the deposits there were low.
Still, for some reason, the shaft called to him. He wandered over, holding his lantern high enough to shine light past the beamed off area. There was nothing to look at except rocks and dirt, but the back of his neck tingled. Perhaps they’d missed something here.
Unable to let the feeling go, he marked the map so he could speak with his partners about it another time. Perhaps they’d missed something. Shrugging, he grabbed an extra vial and took scrapings from the area. It wouldn’t hurt to run a small test on it.
As he made his way out of the mine, he waved to several men who called out to him. He still found zero enjoyment down here, but he’d gotten used to the heat and the work. His workers were happy fellows. They worked hard, and most were kind, generous men he was happy to know.
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