train.
I took the hallway, my feet loud on the wood floors. “Dr. Bower doesn’t believe in carpeting,” I replied generally. “Too much dust trapped in them, especially in the winter.”
Jack didn’t say anything to that and I peeked my head around the open doorway. “Dr. Bower,” I repeated.
He looked up from his writing. Just as I suspected, he was at his desk. When he saw me, he smiled. “Lily. I’m pleased you’ve returned.” I stilled, surprised that he wasn’t the least bit bothered by the fact that I’d chased after my husband all the way to Bozeman and done the unthinkable—waiting for a bank robbery. “Did you get my mutton chop I liked?”
In my periphery, I saw Jack stiffen slightly.
My stomach turned, realizing Dr. Bower was completely unaware of my goings-on. He had no idea I worked at the butcher on occasion. He hadn’t ever noticed a bloodstain on my dress, but more important, couldn’t see I’d improved my knife skills, or with patients, my skill with a scalpel.
“No,” I replied softly. While I knew he cared for me in a fatherly sort of way, he never really paid me much mind. Was that why I was so prickly and outspoken? No, that had begun well before my arrival in Butte. Perhaps it was because I had seven sisters and we were all trying to make our attentions known—albeit in different ways—growing up. I sighed, all of sudden recognizing all of my flaws. “How was Anaconda?”
He’d gone to the small town northwest of Butte the day before I went to Bozeman.
“Terrible accident, terrible burns, but all that copper needs to be melted down somewhere. I returned this morning and stopped for lunch in town with Dr. Meager.”
I nodded, for there was nothing really to say. I’d been gone for four days and he wasn’t even aware. Was that his trust in my self-reliance or disinterest?
“Dr. Bower, there’s someone I’d like you to meet.”
His dark eyebrows went up and when Jack stepped beside me in the doorway, he stood.
“This is Jack Matthews.”
Jack reached out and shook Dr. Bower’s hand.
“I… um, I—” My words were clogged in my throat, perhaps the last shred of the ridiculous need to be acceptable in his eyes keeping me from talking.
“I married Lily,” Jack said plainly.
Dr. Bower looked between us. “Aren’t you the fellow who robbed the train and killed someone?”
Oh, God, he was going to pull out the scalpel just as Jack had said.
“No, I was the man who brought Bert Benson to justice by any means necessary,” Jack countered.
“Good, good.”
I frowned. Good? “Dr. Bower,” I began.
He held up his hand. “I don’t believe what’s printed in that rag anyway. Never have. I’ve known the owner, Finnemann for years, treated him for the clap back in ‘72.”
My mouth fell open and Jack grinned.
“You should be more concerned about what your two mothers will say.”
“Well,” I began. “Only Hyacinth was married with them present, so I doubt much surprises them when it comes to us girls marrying anymore.”
There was a knock at the front door, then someone called for Dr. Bower.
“In my office,” he replied, his voice loud to carry down the hall.
Footsteps preceded Dr. Meager’s arrival.
Dr. Bower made introductions.
“Married?” Dr. Meager asked. He glanced briefly at Jack, but then took his time with me. Jack pulled me into his side at his frank stare. “Surprising, Lily.”
“Oh?” I asked, knowing I wasn’t going to like the answer.
“You have not had very many suitors since I’ve known you, and, well, you rebuffed my advances.”
Jack shoved me behind his back. “She was waiting for me.”
Dr. Meager had not done any kind of advancing on me. He just made it out to sound more… tawdry that it had been. The man had said he wished to court me, that Dr. Bower would approve, and I’d said no and walked out of the room. The man was scorned and he was just like the little pond muskrat I’d initially taken him
I took the hallway, my feet loud on the wood floors. “Dr. Bower doesn’t believe in carpeting,” I replied generally. “Too much dust trapped in them, especially in the winter.”
Jack didn’t say anything to that and I peeked my head around the open doorway. “Dr. Bower,” I repeated.
He looked up from his writing. Just as I suspected, he was at his desk. When he saw me, he smiled. “Lily. I’m pleased you’ve returned.” I stilled, surprised that he wasn’t the least bit bothered by the fact that I’d chased after my husband all the way to Bozeman and done the unthinkable—waiting for a bank robbery. “Did you get my mutton chop I liked?”
In my periphery, I saw Jack stiffen slightly.
My stomach turned, realizing Dr. Bower was completely unaware of my goings-on. He had no idea I worked at the butcher on occasion. He hadn’t ever noticed a bloodstain on my dress, but more important, couldn’t see I’d improved my knife skills, or with patients, my skill with a scalpel.
“No,” I replied softly. While I knew he cared for me in a fatherly sort of way, he never really paid me much mind. Was that why I was so prickly and outspoken? No, that had begun well before my arrival in Butte. Perhaps it was because I had seven sisters and we were all trying to make our attentions known—albeit in different ways—growing up. I sighed, all of sudden recognizing all of my flaws. “How was Anaconda?”
He’d gone to the small town northwest of Butte the day before I went to Bozeman.
“Terrible accident, terrible burns, but all that copper needs to be melted down somewhere. I returned this morning and stopped for lunch in town with Dr. Meager.”
I nodded, for there was nothing really to say. I’d been gone for four days and he wasn’t even aware. Was that his trust in my self-reliance or disinterest?
“Dr. Bower, there’s someone I’d like you to meet.”
His dark eyebrows went up and when Jack stepped beside me in the doorway, he stood.
“This is Jack Matthews.”
Jack reached out and shook Dr. Bower’s hand.
“I… um, I—” My words were clogged in my throat, perhaps the last shred of the ridiculous need to be acceptable in his eyes keeping me from talking.
“I married Lily,” Jack said plainly.
Dr. Bower looked between us. “Aren’t you the fellow who robbed the train and killed someone?”
Oh, God, he was going to pull out the scalpel just as Jack had said.
“No, I was the man who brought Bert Benson to justice by any means necessary,” Jack countered.
“Good, good.”
I frowned. Good? “Dr. Bower,” I began.
He held up his hand. “I don’t believe what’s printed in that rag anyway. Never have. I’ve known the owner, Finnemann for years, treated him for the clap back in ‘72.”
My mouth fell open and Jack grinned.
“You should be more concerned about what your two mothers will say.”
“Well,” I began. “Only Hyacinth was married with them present, so I doubt much surprises them when it comes to us girls marrying anymore.”
There was a knock at the front door, then someone called for Dr. Bower.
“In my office,” he replied, his voice loud to carry down the hall.
Footsteps preceded Dr. Meager’s arrival.
Dr. Bower made introductions.
“Married?” Dr. Meager asked. He glanced briefly at Jack, but then took his time with me. Jack pulled me into his side at his frank stare. “Surprising, Lily.”
“Oh?” I asked, knowing I wasn’t going to like the answer.
“You have not had very many suitors since I’ve known you, and, well, you rebuffed my advances.”
Jack shoved me behind his back. “She was waiting for me.”
Dr. Meager had not done any kind of advancing on me. He just made it out to sound more… tawdry that it had been. The man had said he wished to court me, that Dr. Bower would approve, and I’d said no and walked out of the room. The man was scorned and he was just like the little pond muskrat I’d initially taken him
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