back in the corner, behind the little gate?” Jake nodded.
“Just think of it as a corral and the man sitting at the desk is the stallion you’re getting ready to bend.”
In less than half an hour, they returned to the general store. Jake handed Samuel Abrams the letter of credit along with his list of supplies while Rebecca picked out the cloth she wanted for curtains.
“I like the blue,” he said, coming up behind her. “Do you sew?”
She smiled. “I sew as well as you hang a quilt.” Frowning, he rubbed the bridge of his nose. “That good, huh?”
She patted his arm. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to makethem. I’ve asked Ruth to do it.”
Rebecca made a point of giving Mr. Abrams an especially sweet good-bye as they left the store. He managed a small smile in return.
They found Frank and Lee waiting for them in the wagon.
On their way out of town, they drove past a large house that seemed to slumber in the light of day.
“I wonder who lives there,” Rebecca commented. “I’d love to see the inside.”
Frank sat up. “It’s real pretty inside. It’s got—” He stopped when Lee hit him in the shoulder. “What?”
Lee scowled at the youth and Frank pulled himself back down into the corner of the wagon. Rebecca watched the crimson color creeping up her husband’s face.
“Jake, have you been inside that house?”
“No, ma’am.”
“But you know about that house.” “Yes, ma’am. It’s the reason this town is called Pleasure.”
Rebecca nodded. “I see. Well, at least now I know why Mr. Abrams carries such fancy cloths.” She looked askance at her husband. “I guess we both learned something today.”
Jake glanced her way, smiling. She might not be in love with him, but she had shown today that she would be loyal and stand by him. That was more than many wives did for their husbands. “Yes, ma’am, I reckon we did.”
C
hapter
S
even
F RANK SAUNTERED OUT of the barn, his long limbs moving haphazardly, then stopped dead in his tracks. Ruth Reading was reining in her horse in front of the house. Abruptly, he changed directions, ambling towards the house and pretty Ruth, completely forgetting whatever errand had sent him out of the barn to begin with.
Stepping out onto the porch, wiping her hands with a coarse towel, Rebecca greeted Ruth and her brother Luke.
“I’m ready to make your curtains today, Mrs. Burnett.”
“Come on in then. I’ve got the material ready and waiting. If Luke needs to head home, I can have one of the men escort you back later.”
“I’ll be happy to escort her home,” Frank said, leaning around Ruth and taking the reins of her horse. “I’ll see to your horse, too.”
Without noticing that his smile was not returned, he led the horse away while Luke, with a polite tip of his hat towards Rebecca, headed for home.
In no time Ruth was sitting by the window, her nimble fingers making meticulous stitches in the cloth. The sun reflected off her blond hair and her blue eyes danced as she talked about her brothers and other ranchers in the area. Then her fingers and tongue stilled as she peered out the window with increasing interest as a rider came into view.
“Zach Truscott is heading in. What do you suppose he wants?” Ruth asked.
Rebecca shrugged slightly. “He’s working for us now.”
“He is?” She set her sewing down. “Will you excuse me a minute?” She lifted her hand, curling and uncurling her fingers. “I need to rest my hands.” She hurried out the door and almost ran to the barn.
When she got there Zach was lifting the saddle off his horse. He began brushing the animal down while she nibbled at the oats he’d placed before her in the last stall.
“Hello, Zach.”
Tilting his hat up off his brow with a thumb, he peered over his horse’s rump. “Well, hello, Ruth. What are you doing here?”
“Making curtains for Mrs. Burnett. Would you escort me home when I’m finished?” “Sure.”
She peered at him
“Just think of it as a corral and the man sitting at the desk is the stallion you’re getting ready to bend.”
In less than half an hour, they returned to the general store. Jake handed Samuel Abrams the letter of credit along with his list of supplies while Rebecca picked out the cloth she wanted for curtains.
“I like the blue,” he said, coming up behind her. “Do you sew?”
She smiled. “I sew as well as you hang a quilt.” Frowning, he rubbed the bridge of his nose. “That good, huh?”
She patted his arm. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to makethem. I’ve asked Ruth to do it.”
Rebecca made a point of giving Mr. Abrams an especially sweet good-bye as they left the store. He managed a small smile in return.
They found Frank and Lee waiting for them in the wagon.
On their way out of town, they drove past a large house that seemed to slumber in the light of day.
“I wonder who lives there,” Rebecca commented. “I’d love to see the inside.”
Frank sat up. “It’s real pretty inside. It’s got—” He stopped when Lee hit him in the shoulder. “What?”
Lee scowled at the youth and Frank pulled himself back down into the corner of the wagon. Rebecca watched the crimson color creeping up her husband’s face.
“Jake, have you been inside that house?”
“No, ma’am.”
“But you know about that house.” “Yes, ma’am. It’s the reason this town is called Pleasure.”
Rebecca nodded. “I see. Well, at least now I know why Mr. Abrams carries such fancy cloths.” She looked askance at her husband. “I guess we both learned something today.”
Jake glanced her way, smiling. She might not be in love with him, but she had shown today that she would be loyal and stand by him. That was more than many wives did for their husbands. “Yes, ma’am, I reckon we did.”
C
hapter
S
even
F RANK SAUNTERED OUT of the barn, his long limbs moving haphazardly, then stopped dead in his tracks. Ruth Reading was reining in her horse in front of the house. Abruptly, he changed directions, ambling towards the house and pretty Ruth, completely forgetting whatever errand had sent him out of the barn to begin with.
Stepping out onto the porch, wiping her hands with a coarse towel, Rebecca greeted Ruth and her brother Luke.
“I’m ready to make your curtains today, Mrs. Burnett.”
“Come on in then. I’ve got the material ready and waiting. If Luke needs to head home, I can have one of the men escort you back later.”
“I’ll be happy to escort her home,” Frank said, leaning around Ruth and taking the reins of her horse. “I’ll see to your horse, too.”
Without noticing that his smile was not returned, he led the horse away while Luke, with a polite tip of his hat towards Rebecca, headed for home.
In no time Ruth was sitting by the window, her nimble fingers making meticulous stitches in the cloth. The sun reflected off her blond hair and her blue eyes danced as she talked about her brothers and other ranchers in the area. Then her fingers and tongue stilled as she peered out the window with increasing interest as a rider came into view.
“Zach Truscott is heading in. What do you suppose he wants?” Ruth asked.
Rebecca shrugged slightly. “He’s working for us now.”
“He is?” She set her sewing down. “Will you excuse me a minute?” She lifted her hand, curling and uncurling her fingers. “I need to rest my hands.” She hurried out the door and almost ran to the barn.
When she got there Zach was lifting the saddle off his horse. He began brushing the animal down while she nibbled at the oats he’d placed before her in the last stall.
“Hello, Zach.”
Tilting his hat up off his brow with a thumb, he peered over his horse’s rump. “Well, hello, Ruth. What are you doing here?”
“Making curtains for Mrs. Burnett. Would you escort me home when I’m finished?” “Sure.”
She peered at him
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