fluttered his papers, and he looked up. He stared blankly at the figure that walked in. He sat stunned for so long the woman became nervous, and she clenched her hands tightly and bit her lower lip as she closed her parasol.
“I’m looking for Caleb Armstrong. Might you lead me to him? I was told he would be here,” she said.
Caleb finally shut his mouth and then shook his head. He closed his eyes and then opened them again. He wasn’t dreaming. It was Julia, looking more beautiful than ever. Yet, she didn’t know him? She looked at him without recognition. His stomach churned with a queasy and uneasy sensation. He hadn’t eaten breakfast, and this shock was too much for him. It felt strange for someone he’d been so intimate with to look right through him without any sign of recognition.
He was about to call out her name, then thought better of it. He figured if she could play games, he could too.
“He stepped out,” Caleb said. “Can I give him a message?”
True disappointment showed on Julia’s face. Caleb thought she either had a twin, or she was one heck of a good actress.
“Do you expect him back soon?” she asked.
“I never know. He’s part owner and keeps his own hours. Is there something I can do for you? I can sell lumber as well as Caleb,” he said.
“It’s a personal matter,” she said.
“I think he’s taking a woman friend to lunch, so he might not be back for a few hours,” Caleb said. Her face showed no reaction to that statement.
“Could I wait?” she asked.
“No. I’ll be closing the store soon, to go for lunch myself.”
“Maybe you can help me,” she said, walking closer to the counter. “What kind of man is Caleb Armstrong?”
“You don’t know him?”
“I’m afraid not, but I have to speak with him, it’s urgent.”
“You wouldn’t happen to have a twin sister, would you?” he asked.
“No. Why?” she asked.
“I just wondered—” he thought fast—“if you might be one of the McCoy twins.”
“No. I just got into town from Hays. My brother lives here. His name is Miles Croft, do you know him?” she asked.
Caleb was amazed—she really didn’t know who he was. No one could pretend this flawlessly. She looked right through him. He was baffled.
“I know Miles.”
“You’re welcome to wait for Caleb, for as long as I’m here,” he said. “I’ll go in the back and get you a chair.”
“I would appreciate that. Thank you,” she said.
Caleb walked from behind the counter, and started toward the shop to the back. He heard her gasp. He turned. “Is something wrong?”
He noticed she’d turned white and looked like she would pass out. He quickly ran to her and held onto her elbow to keep her upright. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine—I think,” she said.
He went behind the counter and pulled his chair out. “Here sit down.”
She sat, and dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief.
“Now what’s the problem? Why did you gasp and pale all of a sudden? And why the tears?”
“Y-your limp,” she said.
“You’ve never seen a man limp before? I was injured a long time ago.”
“I suffered a fall in Hays, and lost my recent memory. Every time I see a man who limps, I get this strange feeling. I can’t describe it. It feels like—like there is something I should remember, and it warms me, and fills me with anxiety simultaneously, I’m so sorry.”
“Not as sorry as I am,” he said sternly.
“Excuse me?” she asked.
“ I’m Caleb Armstrong.”
“W-what? You?” she asked.
“Yes. I figured if you could play games, so could I.”
“I am not playing games. I came to apologize for what Miles told me I did to you. I am sorry, and I’ll pay back every penny. I just need to find a job.” She stood. “You can have your chair back.”
He pushed the chair back behind the counter and stood before her with his hands on his hips. “I
“I’m looking for Caleb Armstrong. Might you lead me to him? I was told he would be here,” she said.
Caleb finally shut his mouth and then shook his head. He closed his eyes and then opened them again. He wasn’t dreaming. It was Julia, looking more beautiful than ever. Yet, she didn’t know him? She looked at him without recognition. His stomach churned with a queasy and uneasy sensation. He hadn’t eaten breakfast, and this shock was too much for him. It felt strange for someone he’d been so intimate with to look right through him without any sign of recognition.
He was about to call out her name, then thought better of it. He figured if she could play games, he could too.
“He stepped out,” Caleb said. “Can I give him a message?”
True disappointment showed on Julia’s face. Caleb thought she either had a twin, or she was one heck of a good actress.
“Do you expect him back soon?” she asked.
“I never know. He’s part owner and keeps his own hours. Is there something I can do for you? I can sell lumber as well as Caleb,” he said.
“It’s a personal matter,” she said.
“I think he’s taking a woman friend to lunch, so he might not be back for a few hours,” Caleb said. Her face showed no reaction to that statement.
“Could I wait?” she asked.
“No. I’ll be closing the store soon, to go for lunch myself.”
“Maybe you can help me,” she said, walking closer to the counter. “What kind of man is Caleb Armstrong?”
“You don’t know him?”
“I’m afraid not, but I have to speak with him, it’s urgent.”
“You wouldn’t happen to have a twin sister, would you?” he asked.
“No. Why?” she asked.
“I just wondered—” he thought fast—“if you might be one of the McCoy twins.”
“No. I just got into town from Hays. My brother lives here. His name is Miles Croft, do you know him?” she asked.
Caleb was amazed—she really didn’t know who he was. No one could pretend this flawlessly. She looked right through him. He was baffled.
“I know Miles.”
“You’re welcome to wait for Caleb, for as long as I’m here,” he said. “I’ll go in the back and get you a chair.”
“I would appreciate that. Thank you,” she said.
Caleb walked from behind the counter, and started toward the shop to the back. He heard her gasp. He turned. “Is something wrong?”
He noticed she’d turned white and looked like she would pass out. He quickly ran to her and held onto her elbow to keep her upright. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine—I think,” she said.
He went behind the counter and pulled his chair out. “Here sit down.”
She sat, and dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief.
“Now what’s the problem? Why did you gasp and pale all of a sudden? And why the tears?”
“Y-your limp,” she said.
“You’ve never seen a man limp before? I was injured a long time ago.”
“I suffered a fall in Hays, and lost my recent memory. Every time I see a man who limps, I get this strange feeling. I can’t describe it. It feels like—like there is something I should remember, and it warms me, and fills me with anxiety simultaneously, I’m so sorry.”
“Not as sorry as I am,” he said sternly.
“Excuse me?” she asked.
“ I’m Caleb Armstrong.”
“W-what? You?” she asked.
“Yes. I figured if you could play games, so could I.”
“I am not playing games. I came to apologize for what Miles told me I did to you. I am sorry, and I’ll pay back every penny. I just need to find a job.” She stood. “You can have your chair back.”
He pushed the chair back behind the counter and stood before her with his hands on his hips. “I
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