medals.” Her fingers tightened on the copper elbow joint, turning it from side to side. “Now she has naught to warm her bed at night but her honor. A poor exchange.”
Jon dropped his hand to his side, moving away again. “A man’s honor is everything to him. Without it, he cannot survive.” His tone grated on her ears. She’d heard this silliness before, when the recruiters came into town to entice young boys and men into the military.
“Pardon me, sir, but that sort of talk is what led to so many deaths on the battlefield. At Gettysburg, at Antietam.” Her voice rose slightly, leading to a concerned glance from her father seated across the room.
Sam reached for a glass of water perched precariously on the table. She took a deep swallow of the cool liquid, using the time to calm herself.
“True, men are wont to sometimes do stupid things in the name of honor. And I cannot speak for the rest of my kin when it comes to doing stupid things for vain causes.” Jon spoke softly. He brushed his fingertips across the metal skeleton she held. “But I can tell you that my oath was not made of violence, but of friendship.” He looked away, towards the workshop door and beyond. “It is a debt I must repay before moving on with my life.” The pain in his words jabbed at her like the grinding of a misaligned gear.
Sam nodded, not daring to look up from the table and the prosthetic. If she did, if she looked into those deep blue eyes and saw the ache, she might not be able to stand her ground. “I understand that much.
And I do apologize for my sharp words, but you did ask.” She drew a deep breath, forcing herself to shift back into a professional businesswoman. “I’m afraid that I must deprive you of your brace for a few hours.
Will you be able to function without it?”
“I suspected as much, which is why I got dressed. I survived before I received it. I shall again.
Whatever it takes to get it repaired, I give you full permission to do.” A slight smile touched his lips.
“Maybe I’ll ask Gil to give me a tour of the town.”
“Then you’ll know all the worst places in Prosperity Ridge.” She kept speaking, the words rolling out of her mouth before she could catch them. “I’d be willing to show you the sights, Mr. Handleston. I can assure you that it’d be a better deal than Gil’s. And it’ll give me a chance to make amends for my rough tone with you earlier.”
“Please, call me Jon.” His hand swooped down, taking hers gently from the metal brace and drawing it up for a gentlemanly kiss. His lips brushed over the back of her oil-stained hand. “After all, you’ve already undressed me a number of times.” He looked up, a mischievous twinkle in his blue eyes. “And as for rough, now…”
Sam chuckled, extracting her hand. “Well played, sir, well played. Now off with you. I have work to do before any such tour can be conducted,” she chided. “Go now, shoo.” Sam flapped her hands in the air.
“Shoo!”
Jon laughed and took a step backwards. With a wide smirk, he bowed to her and spun around, out of her line of sight.
She listened to his footsteps retreating from her workspace. The door hinges squeaked as it swung closed behind him, letting in a gust of cool morning air that whipped around her feet bringing with it the smell of soot. Letting her breath out slowly, Sam returned to her study of the fine wires and springs. Now was not the time to dwell on other things, more personal things, like how Jon Handleston was a truly interesting man, and someone she’d never quite seen the likes of here in Prosperity Ridge.
The door screamed again, prompting the two Weatherlys to turn around on their respective chairs.
Sam started to speak, ready to snap at Mr. Handleston for his speedy return and tell him that she could not work on his device if the man persisted in hovering over her at every turn. She fell silent, seeing the stranger silhouetted in the doorway.
The man was
Jon dropped his hand to his side, moving away again. “A man’s honor is everything to him. Without it, he cannot survive.” His tone grated on her ears. She’d heard this silliness before, when the recruiters came into town to entice young boys and men into the military.
“Pardon me, sir, but that sort of talk is what led to so many deaths on the battlefield. At Gettysburg, at Antietam.” Her voice rose slightly, leading to a concerned glance from her father seated across the room.
Sam reached for a glass of water perched precariously on the table. She took a deep swallow of the cool liquid, using the time to calm herself.
“True, men are wont to sometimes do stupid things in the name of honor. And I cannot speak for the rest of my kin when it comes to doing stupid things for vain causes.” Jon spoke softly. He brushed his fingertips across the metal skeleton she held. “But I can tell you that my oath was not made of violence, but of friendship.” He looked away, towards the workshop door and beyond. “It is a debt I must repay before moving on with my life.” The pain in his words jabbed at her like the grinding of a misaligned gear.
Sam nodded, not daring to look up from the table and the prosthetic. If she did, if she looked into those deep blue eyes and saw the ache, she might not be able to stand her ground. “I understand that much.
And I do apologize for my sharp words, but you did ask.” She drew a deep breath, forcing herself to shift back into a professional businesswoman. “I’m afraid that I must deprive you of your brace for a few hours.
Will you be able to function without it?”
“I suspected as much, which is why I got dressed. I survived before I received it. I shall again.
Whatever it takes to get it repaired, I give you full permission to do.” A slight smile touched his lips.
“Maybe I’ll ask Gil to give me a tour of the town.”
“Then you’ll know all the worst places in Prosperity Ridge.” She kept speaking, the words rolling out of her mouth before she could catch them. “I’d be willing to show you the sights, Mr. Handleston. I can assure you that it’d be a better deal than Gil’s. And it’ll give me a chance to make amends for my rough tone with you earlier.”
“Please, call me Jon.” His hand swooped down, taking hers gently from the metal brace and drawing it up for a gentlemanly kiss. His lips brushed over the back of her oil-stained hand. “After all, you’ve already undressed me a number of times.” He looked up, a mischievous twinkle in his blue eyes. “And as for rough, now…”
Sam chuckled, extracting her hand. “Well played, sir, well played. Now off with you. I have work to do before any such tour can be conducted,” she chided. “Go now, shoo.” Sam flapped her hands in the air.
“Shoo!”
Jon laughed and took a step backwards. With a wide smirk, he bowed to her and spun around, out of her line of sight.
She listened to his footsteps retreating from her workspace. The door hinges squeaked as it swung closed behind him, letting in a gust of cool morning air that whipped around her feet bringing with it the smell of soot. Letting her breath out slowly, Sam returned to her study of the fine wires and springs. Now was not the time to dwell on other things, more personal things, like how Jon Handleston was a truly interesting man, and someone she’d never quite seen the likes of here in Prosperity Ridge.
The door screamed again, prompting the two Weatherlys to turn around on their respective chairs.
Sam started to speak, ready to snap at Mr. Handleston for his speedy return and tell him that she could not work on his device if the man persisted in hovering over her at every turn. She fell silent, seeing the stranger silhouetted in the doorway.
The man was
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