grass was lush and starting to turn green. The horses and mules had found heaven.
"I wouldn't mind doing some exploring on my own," Tanner commented, taking in the scenery. "This is beautiful country."
"You don't think every range looks the same?"
They climbed one mountain range, searched for the pass, then dropped down to a valley, climbed the next range, dropped down to a valley. Fox had made the journey enough times to see and recognize shapes or faces in rocks and peaks, and the valleys were subtly different, each with its own character. But to most people, particularly to people like Tanner who hadn't grown up in the west, the ranges and valleys usually looked monotonously alike.
"Why did you ask that?" Tanner gazed at her with an intense expression that made Fox half believe that her emotions were writ large across her forehead. "Do you think each range looks like the next one?"
"Well, no," she said, frowning. Once again she had asked him a question that was turning out to be a mistake. And feeling agitated and dumb because of it. "But I thought you might."
Annoyance quirked his mouth before he turned to study the mountains rising in front of them. "Is there mining nearby?"
"As a matter of fact I'm planning to stay in a mining camp tomorrow night." She almost asked how he had guessed, then remembered that he was a mining engineer and managed to save herself an embarrassment. "How long have you worked for J M and M?"
"Fifteen years. A lot longer than I expected to."
Fox gazed into her coffee cup and inhaled the scent of roasting rabbit wafting from the campfire behind them. Supper must be almost ready. "What do you think of your boss? Mr. Jennings?"
"I like him." Tanner finished his coffee. "He runs a fair and honest operation."
That was not what Fox had expected to hear. "Now that surprises me. I heard Hobbs Jennings is a no good thieving son of a bitch."
Tanner turned to face her and she noticed that the paleness of working underground had vanished, replaced by a weathered tan that deepened every day. The polish had rubbed off his boots, and his trousers were as dusty as his jacket. He was starting to look more like Fox preferred a man to look, only much more handsome.
A frown pulled his eyebrows. "Where did you hear that?"
She shrugged. "Here and there."
"Hobbs Jennings pays a higher wage than other mine owners, and he takes care of a miner's family if the miner is killed or injured on the job. He's concerned about efficiency and profit, but he's also concerned about safety. Many owners aren't."
Irritated, Fox started toward the campfire. "Saint Hobbs? I don't believe it. You just don't know him well enough."
"And you do?"
She heard the puzzlement in his voice and realized she'd said more than she should have. Planting her fists on her hips, she considered the rabbits spitted above the fire. "My mouth is watering."
It was Peaches's turn to cook. "Thanks to Mr. Hanratty, we're goin' to have a feast. I've got corn bread making, too."
They had stopped early to let the animals graze. They'd have a couple hours of daylight after eating. "Are you up for chess?"
"Best ask if you're up to getting your butt whipped."
Fox smiled. "Someday I'll beat you."
"And someday the moon is gonna fall right out of the sky."
The rabbit tasted as delicious as it had smelled, and Peaches's corn bread melted in the mouth in butter-soaked goodness. Midway through the meal Fox noticed Peaches staring at her with what he called his "significant look." When he had her attention, he rolled his eyes toward Tanner's plate. It took a minute for Fox to understand what Peaches wanted her to notice. When she did, she inspected Hanratty and Brown, too.
Hanratty, Brown, and Fox ate with their forks clutched in their fists. Tanner used his utensils the way Peaches insisted refined folks did. If Tanner noticed how Fox ate, and of course he must have by now, he would place her in the same class as Hanratty and Brown. Fox might have a
"I wouldn't mind doing some exploring on my own," Tanner commented, taking in the scenery. "This is beautiful country."
"You don't think every range looks the same?"
They climbed one mountain range, searched for the pass, then dropped down to a valley, climbed the next range, dropped down to a valley. Fox had made the journey enough times to see and recognize shapes or faces in rocks and peaks, and the valleys were subtly different, each with its own character. But to most people, particularly to people like Tanner who hadn't grown up in the west, the ranges and valleys usually looked monotonously alike.
"Why did you ask that?" Tanner gazed at her with an intense expression that made Fox half believe that her emotions were writ large across her forehead. "Do you think each range looks like the next one?"
"Well, no," she said, frowning. Once again she had asked him a question that was turning out to be a mistake. And feeling agitated and dumb because of it. "But I thought you might."
Annoyance quirked his mouth before he turned to study the mountains rising in front of them. "Is there mining nearby?"
"As a matter of fact I'm planning to stay in a mining camp tomorrow night." She almost asked how he had guessed, then remembered that he was a mining engineer and managed to save herself an embarrassment. "How long have you worked for J M and M?"
"Fifteen years. A lot longer than I expected to."
Fox gazed into her coffee cup and inhaled the scent of roasting rabbit wafting from the campfire behind them. Supper must be almost ready. "What do you think of your boss? Mr. Jennings?"
"I like him." Tanner finished his coffee. "He runs a fair and honest operation."
That was not what Fox had expected to hear. "Now that surprises me. I heard Hobbs Jennings is a no good thieving son of a bitch."
Tanner turned to face her and she noticed that the paleness of working underground had vanished, replaced by a weathered tan that deepened every day. The polish had rubbed off his boots, and his trousers were as dusty as his jacket. He was starting to look more like Fox preferred a man to look, only much more handsome.
A frown pulled his eyebrows. "Where did you hear that?"
She shrugged. "Here and there."
"Hobbs Jennings pays a higher wage than other mine owners, and he takes care of a miner's family if the miner is killed or injured on the job. He's concerned about efficiency and profit, but he's also concerned about safety. Many owners aren't."
Irritated, Fox started toward the campfire. "Saint Hobbs? I don't believe it. You just don't know him well enough."
"And you do?"
She heard the puzzlement in his voice and realized she'd said more than she should have. Planting her fists on her hips, she considered the rabbits spitted above the fire. "My mouth is watering."
It was Peaches's turn to cook. "Thanks to Mr. Hanratty, we're goin' to have a feast. I've got corn bread making, too."
They had stopped early to let the animals graze. They'd have a couple hours of daylight after eating. "Are you up for chess?"
"Best ask if you're up to getting your butt whipped."
Fox smiled. "Someday I'll beat you."
"And someday the moon is gonna fall right out of the sky."
The rabbit tasted as delicious as it had smelled, and Peaches's corn bread melted in the mouth in butter-soaked goodness. Midway through the meal Fox noticed Peaches staring at her with what he called his "significant look." When he had her attention, he rolled his eyes toward Tanner's plate. It took a minute for Fox to understand what Peaches wanted her to notice. When she did, she inspected Hanratty and Brown, too.
Hanratty, Brown, and Fox ate with their forks clutched in their fists. Tanner used his utensils the way Peaches insisted refined folks did. If Tanner noticed how Fox ate, and of course he must have by now, he would place her in the same class as Hanratty and Brown. Fox might have a
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