sweat. A fellow lounging on the hotel porch straightened when he saw them—saw Sally, really. He didn’t glance once at Johnny, but he tipped his hat and murmured, “G’day, ma’am,” as Sally passed.
“This is a small town,” Johnny said as he held the door open for her.
“I don’t mind,” Sally said. “I was getting quite tired of St. Louis.”
That wasn’t exactly what he’d meant, but he didn’t disillusion her. The thought that had flashed through his mind was that in Beaumont, it wouldn’t take five minutes for everyone in town to hear about the beauty who had gotten off the train and waltzed over to the hotel on Mark Paynter’s arm. If he was going to break the engagement, he needed to do it soon. Every minute he spent with her made it harder.
The dining room wasn’t busy in the middle of the afternoon; only two tables were occupied, and those by travelers who had gotten off the train. Johnny took Sally to a small table near the side wall and pulled out a chair for her.
“Thank you.” She sank into it and closed her eyes for a moment.
He watched her anxiously, but her eyelids fluttered up again, revealing those captivating blue eyes. She smiled at him.
“Won’t you have a seat, too, Mark?”
Johnny took the chair opposite her and set his hat on his lap. He tried not to stare, but she was quite pretty, even with a smudge on her cheek, limp hair, and dusty dress in a severe black fabric. He could only imagine how attractive she would be when she’d had a chance to clean up. He hoped she wouldn’t wear black all the time.
“May I bring you something?”
Johnny glanced up. A middle-aged woman with her iron-gray hair in a bun stood next to the table.
“Uh, yes, thank you. A pot of tea and…” He arched his eyebrows at Sally. “Sandwiches?”
“That would be fine,” Sally said.
“We’ve got some chicken and dumplin’s left from dinner,” the woman told her.
Sally’s face nearly glowed with anticipation. “That sounds lovely, if you don’t mind, Mark.”
It sounded good to Johnny, too, but he decided he’d better find Cam and straighten things out with him. Fast.
“Sure. Uh, none for me, but if you have any cake or…”
“Fresh pies,” the woman said.
“I’ll enjoy a piece of pie with you when I come back,” Johnny said to Sally.
“When you come back? Where are you going?”
“You know—to make sure everything’s ready.”
“Oh, yes.” Her cheeks flushed, and Johnny wanted to linger. Watching Sally’s expression change was more entertaining than a roundup.
He stood and fidgeted with his hat. “I shouldn’t be too long.” He looked back at the serving woman. “Do you have a place where Mrs. Golding can wash up and rest for a while?”
“Certainly. We have a small parlor she may use.”
“Good.” He shot one more glance at Sally.
She gave him an uncertain smile. “I’ll be waiting.”
He nodded and headed out the door.
Across the street, in front of the train station, Cam was just climbing down from the seat of a light wagon. Johnny hurried toward him.
“Cam! Where have you been?”
Cam turned and eyed him for a moment then grinned and slapped the flank of a thin bay horse. “Gittin’ the rig, boy. Gittin’ the rig.”
“All this time?”
Cam shrugged. “What time is it?”
Johnny suspected Cam had spent at least an hour in the nearest saloon. At least he had remembered to go for the rig.
“It’s way past train time. I’ve got Sally over at the hotel, chowing down. Now, while we pick up her bags, you help me figure out how to break it to her that we’re not getting married.”
Cam blinked owlishly at him. “What? Is she homely?”
“No, she’s not homely. She’s downright pretty.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
Johnny sighed. “I was brought up to think marriage was sacred and permanent. I don’t want to go into it lying. It’s not that I don’t like Sally. She seems very sweet. And very trusting. But I feel
“This is a small town,” Johnny said as he held the door open for her.
“I don’t mind,” Sally said. “I was getting quite tired of St. Louis.”
That wasn’t exactly what he’d meant, but he didn’t disillusion her. The thought that had flashed through his mind was that in Beaumont, it wouldn’t take five minutes for everyone in town to hear about the beauty who had gotten off the train and waltzed over to the hotel on Mark Paynter’s arm. If he was going to break the engagement, he needed to do it soon. Every minute he spent with her made it harder.
The dining room wasn’t busy in the middle of the afternoon; only two tables were occupied, and those by travelers who had gotten off the train. Johnny took Sally to a small table near the side wall and pulled out a chair for her.
“Thank you.” She sank into it and closed her eyes for a moment.
He watched her anxiously, but her eyelids fluttered up again, revealing those captivating blue eyes. She smiled at him.
“Won’t you have a seat, too, Mark?”
Johnny took the chair opposite her and set his hat on his lap. He tried not to stare, but she was quite pretty, even with a smudge on her cheek, limp hair, and dusty dress in a severe black fabric. He could only imagine how attractive she would be when she’d had a chance to clean up. He hoped she wouldn’t wear black all the time.
“May I bring you something?”
Johnny glanced up. A middle-aged woman with her iron-gray hair in a bun stood next to the table.
“Uh, yes, thank you. A pot of tea and…” He arched his eyebrows at Sally. “Sandwiches?”
“That would be fine,” Sally said.
“We’ve got some chicken and dumplin’s left from dinner,” the woman told her.
Sally’s face nearly glowed with anticipation. “That sounds lovely, if you don’t mind, Mark.”
It sounded good to Johnny, too, but he decided he’d better find Cam and straighten things out with him. Fast.
“Sure. Uh, none for me, but if you have any cake or…”
“Fresh pies,” the woman said.
“I’ll enjoy a piece of pie with you when I come back,” Johnny said to Sally.
“When you come back? Where are you going?”
“You know—to make sure everything’s ready.”
“Oh, yes.” Her cheeks flushed, and Johnny wanted to linger. Watching Sally’s expression change was more entertaining than a roundup.
He stood and fidgeted with his hat. “I shouldn’t be too long.” He looked back at the serving woman. “Do you have a place where Mrs. Golding can wash up and rest for a while?”
“Certainly. We have a small parlor she may use.”
“Good.” He shot one more glance at Sally.
She gave him an uncertain smile. “I’ll be waiting.”
He nodded and headed out the door.
Across the street, in front of the train station, Cam was just climbing down from the seat of a light wagon. Johnny hurried toward him.
“Cam! Where have you been?”
Cam turned and eyed him for a moment then grinned and slapped the flank of a thin bay horse. “Gittin’ the rig, boy. Gittin’ the rig.”
“All this time?”
Cam shrugged. “What time is it?”
Johnny suspected Cam had spent at least an hour in the nearest saloon. At least he had remembered to go for the rig.
“It’s way past train time. I’ve got Sally over at the hotel, chowing down. Now, while we pick up her bags, you help me figure out how to break it to her that we’re not getting married.”
Cam blinked owlishly at him. “What? Is she homely?”
“No, she’s not homely. She’s downright pretty.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
Johnny sighed. “I was brought up to think marriage was sacred and permanent. I don’t want to go into it lying. It’s not that I don’t like Sally. She seems very sweet. And very trusting. But I feel
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