Chapter Four
B y the time she approached the Cole residence, Melanie could see Mr. Miller working out in one of his paddocks. It seemed as though he was training a horse. She had never seen such an activity before, and the breath caught in her throat as the scene played out in front of her.
Melanie’s city-bred sentiments had never thought much of horses. If she had thought of them, it would have only been to consider them slightly terrifying but useful, as they pulled the wagons and carriages that filled the streets of New York. But now, as she watched the powerful animal being trained by the handsome man, she found the scene moving, beautiful, even breath-taking. And it wasn’t only because Mr. Miller had removed his shirt in the gathering heat of the day. As the horse tossed its head and pranced around at the end of its tether; it seemed to Melanie as though the beautiful animal was flirting with the man. She couldn’t tear her gaze away and only realized she was holding her breath when Mr. Miller finally noticed her. When he raised his hand in a wave, the air whooshed out of her in a gasp. Thankfully, he was far enough away that he couldn’t possibly have heard, but Melanie felt the heat creeping up her cheeks anyway. She tried to keep her face neutral, but she was rather afraid that a sheepish smile was stretching her cheeks. With relief, she saw that he likely realised his state of undress and was quickly buttoning up his shirt as she walked toward him.
“Good morning, Miss Jones,” Mr. Miller called as she approached.
Melanie was having serious second thoughts about coming out to his property. She wished she could undo the last half hour of her life. She should have returned home after seeing Katie. But instead she was standing still, looking at the handsome man. Gaping really, if I’m going to be perfectly honest, she thought with a cringe. Nothing could be done but to brave through the awkward moment.
“Morning, Mr. Miller.”
“Are you here to collect Annie? I thought she would be staying through the day.”
Even with a frown creasing his face, the man still managed to steal her breath. Melanie wondered if she were getting ill or losing her mind.
“Actually, sir, as it turns out, Katie is going to be staying with the Mitchells a little longer, so I was stopping in to see how Annie had fared and to see if we might prevail upon your hospitality a little longer.”
“It has been a pleasure having the wee lass with us, I can assure you.”
Melanie couldn’t look him in the eye as he answered her for fear he would see just how compelling she found him. He misinterpreted her focus.
“Fond of the horses, are you, miss?”
Melanie felt the color rising in her cheeks anew. She started to stammer a reply. “Well, this one is certainly handsome.”
“That she is,” he agreed. “She might prefer you to say she’s pretty, but she appreciates any compliment headed in her direction.”
Melanie’s eyes flew to meet his gaze. She was mortified to realize he was teasing her. The color staining her cheeks now spread to engulf her entire face and neck. She wanted to fan her face to try to cool down but didn’t want to draw any more attention to her discomfort. So, she attempted to turn the subject.
“Does she have a name?”
“Not as yet.” He was watching Melanie as though she were a fascinating specimen. “It’s my turn to come up with a name, but I haven’t been able to think of anything yet. For now, we’ve been referring to her as the new foal but since we’ve got pregnant mares, I really need to get on with it.”
Despite how awkward Melanie felt, she couldn’t help laughing over his words. “I guess that will get confusing soon.”
He turned his interested gaze back from the horse and focused on her. “Do you have some suggestions? I swear, I’m clear out of ideas.”
“Oh, well, no, I wouldn’t have the first clue where to start.” Melanie stumbled out her reply. Turning her focus back to the animal, she marvelled. “Is she really just a baby?”
“Well, I’m ashamed to say, she’s actually heading for two years old. We haven’t had any of our mares breeding for a while as we’ve been focusing our attention on other endeavors. I’ve clearly been putting off the task of naming her.” He scratched the foal’s head as the animal leaned into him. “I’m growing too fond of the young lady, and I’m trying to keep from getting too attached. I think I’ve been putting off the task of naming her in the hopes that it’ll prevent me from falling completely in love.”
Melanie giggled. “Would that be so terrible? I’ve never known anyone to complain about being in love.”
“When you plan to sell the object of your affections, it’s a terrible idea.”
Melanie’s face fell. “Oh dear. I can see how that would be uncomfortable. This must be a serious disadvantage to your line of work. What shall you do?”
“Do you want to name her? That might help. Then it wouldn’t be me that did it, so maybe my heart won’t become quite so engaged.”
Joy and dread intermingled in Melanie’s heart. She had never been able to name anything. She had always allowed the children to name any pets they had acquired through the years. And of course, her mother had named the children, even little Henry, just before she died. But what a huge responsibility. And she didn’t want to love the horse either. What good would that be to her poor abused heart?
“Oh, well, I don’t know how I could possibly,” she began to stumble out a response again.
“Well, at least think on it,” the rancher replied, saving her from her discomfort. “Seeing as you’re here, but you’re planning to leave Annie with us, why don’t you stay and spend some time? You can watch Baby Foal a bit and see if you have any ideas for names. And I’m certain Leandra would be glad for some company. She was mighty disappointed that she missed you when you called yesterday.”
Melanie had been envisioning another quiet day alone, but she felt churlish to refuse.
“That’s kind of you to say, sir.”
“Not kind at all, it’s the truth. Most of the reason Leandra wants to return East is because she’s pining for the company of other adult females. You’d be doing us a mighty big favor if you would bide a while.”
Now there was no way she could refuse. She could feel that her smile was a little weak, but she offered it anyway as she answered, “It would be a pleasure, in that case.”
He nodded abruptly, and Melanie wondered if she ought to excuse herself from his presence. Why was she always so awkward? What was she supposed to do? She wasn’t sure if her desperate questions were written on her face, but he answered them anyway.
“Would you like to help with her training while you think of a name? Leandra is probably just getting up so she won’t be ready for a visit for a spell.”
Melanie was surprised at the offer, yet her awkwardness eased slightly. Not that she had the first clue what she could possibly have to say to the man, she thought, even as she fought the urge to brush the lock of hair back from his brow as it fell down with his movements.
Again, he alleviated her discomfort. “You said you don’t have much experience with horses. Does that mean you’ve never ridden?”
She shook her head. “My father bought a pair of horses to pull his carriage a few years ago, but I didn’t have anything to do with the care of them. We couldn’t even keep them where we lived. He had to board them at the livery stables. And I didn’t even ride in the carriage all that often.”
He looked at her strangely but didn’t pry. She felt the flush creeping back into her face. “The carriage was for taking him to visit his customers, not for my use. I needed to stay home with the children, anyway.”
As though he could tell there was much she left out in her explanation, he again didn’t pry, for which she was deeply grateful. It was all she could do to bear up under the searching glance he cast her, as though he were assessing her thoughts.
“It doesn’t much matter if you’re experienced or not, but try not to be afraid. Horses can sense it, and it makes them skittish.”
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“Telling me not to be afraid doesn’t really do much to alleviate my fears, sir.”
His chuckle set the butterflies fluttering in her belly. “I can see why you would say that, and I apologize.” He produced a carrot from his back pocket. “She’s been after this all morning. You can make fast friends with her by offering it to her.” He showed Melanie how to hold her hand in a safe way to offer the treat to the large animal.
Melanie was fascinated with the softness of the horse’s nose. “Can I pet her?”
“Of course. She’ll love you forever if you scratch her here between her ears. But gently. Horses’ ears are very flexible and sensitive. It’s a large part of why they can be so skittish. They have keen eyesight and hearing, so they can be easily frightened.”
“Hello, lovely,” Melanie crooned as the animal tried to cuddle with her, butting her head against her chest. She couldn’t prevent her giggle despite the fact the large animal’s affection nearly knocked her over. The rancher’s answering grin sent shivers down Melanie’s spine.
Part of her found the experience stimulating and delicious. But another part of her wished she had stayed home. Melanie could feel her face tightening as she tried to think of something to say, but her mind was a blank. Not to mention, the flutters in her stomach were not at all pleasant, and she fought for breath.
“Now that you’ve made friends, do you think you could hold onto her lead while I get the saddle?”
“What?” she squeaked. “How could you possibly think I could hold on to her if she has a mind to leave? In case you haven’t noticed, there’s a significant size difference between us.”
The slow grin he offered as he cast an assessing gaze over her and the horse made her take another step back.
“As a matter of fact, I did happen to notice that you’re no bigger than a tadpole.” Melanie blinked at his comparison, but he carried on. “But it won’t make a difference. Now that Baby Foal has decided that you’re her friend, she’ll stay with you. Besides, despite their sharp vision, or maybe because of it, she doesn’t really realize how very little you are. Horses are remarkably obedient animals. Unless she gets spooked by something, she will listen to whatever you have to say. Of course, the saddle might spook her, so I’ll stay close by.”
Melanie didn’t find his words overly reassuring, but she was of the opinion that she would die of embarrassment if she walked away before she died of injuries if she stayed, so she forced her feet to stay still and took the leather lead he handed her.
Before she realized it, time had passed without too much awkwardness. Melanie was ridiculously proud of herself as she continued to stand still, talking softly to the horse as Mr. Miller had slowly, gently placed the saddle on her back. The horse had shuffled her feet, flicked her ears and tail, and tossed her head a little, but she had tolerated the pressure. Mr. Miller had also crooned soft words of encouragement to the large animal to keep her aware of his presence and comfort her as well. Melanie had found it comforting too and had to work at keeping her eyes away from him.
Finally, Mr. Miller removed the saddle, took the lead off the horse’s head, and turned her free with a gentle slap on her rump. Without the horse between them, Melanie was once again left feeling tongue tied.
“You were of great help, Miss Jones, thank you so much for your assistance.” He paused as though waiting for her to reply, but all she could do was bob her head bashfully and look away. “Have you been able to think of any ideas for her name or were you too busy telling her stories?”
Melanie knew he was teasing her, but she was swamped with mortification. She had forgotten he was listening and had just been spouting foolish nonsense to the horse. Melanie wanted the ground to swallow her but struggled for coherent thought in case that didn’t conveniently happen.
Clearing her throat helped her get words starting to flow. “All the ideas I’ve thought of are rather too obvious and trite. For example, I thought Star for the white marking on her forehead or Boots for the white on her legs. Or Brownie for the obvious reason of her color. But she seems to be too special for a mundane name. We could maybe come up with something from the Latin equus or caballus. Or even Aethon might be a good name. It’s still for the marking on her forehead but far more interesting than Star. Of course, it might be a male name. If we’re going to stick with Latin we could go with Gemmula and call her Gem for short since, she really is a jewel.” Melanie was starting to feel like she was babbling and wished she could bite off her tongue. She managed to rein it in, and silence fell between them. “You probably shouldn’t have asked me,” she muttered. “All my ideas are ridiculous.”
“Not a single one of them was ridiculous,” he said in a firm tone. “Technically, the marking on her head is neither a star nor a blaze. In horse description, it’s more like a stripe. But I still like all your name suggestions. I’m just surprised to find you are a scholar.”
Melanie could feel the color ebbing and flowing in her face as she had paled in her mortification, but now hot embarrassment swept her. “I’m no scholar. Unfortunately, I didn’t have much opportunity for schooling.”
“Well then, how do you know Latin?” He sounded incredulous.
Melanie shrugged and offered an awkward chuckle. “I like to read. And learn. My brother went to school, and I had to help him with his studies.”
When she finally glanced to his face for a brief moment, she was amazed to see that he appeared impressed, but she rejected her own observation and cast her gaze away. She must have been mistaken.
“Did your brother do well in school?”
“Fairly well,” she answered, “when I could prevail upon him to sit still and do his studies. He couldn’t see any sense in learning something like Latin, since he always knew he would be going into business with our father. Thankfully, he understood the need for mathematics, so that was far less of a struggle.”
“You know your maths, too?”
Melanie shrugged again. “Somewhat.” She was much too uncomfortable to discuss it further. “Do you think your sister might be ready to receive yet?”
“Oh, why yes, she probably is. I plumb forgot you were waiting to see her.” He turned and began to lead her toward the house. “Come along, Annie will want to see you as well.” He stopped in his tracks after a few strides and Melanie, hurrying to keep up with him, almost collided with him. As it was, she had to put out her hand to steady herself and encountered the tight muscles of his upper arm. She marveled at his strength even as she was pulling her hand back and trying to look anywhere else but him.
“Sorry to be so clumsy, Miss Jones,” he apologized, even though it was her that hadn’t been watching where she was going. “But I just thought of something in connection with Annie. If possible, it would be best if the girls think it’s their idea for Annie to stay longer if you don’t want her to realize there’s something amiss with her mother.”
Melanie, her mind still preoccupied with the man’s physique, found her thoughts to be slow to catch up to his words. When she finally realized what he was getting at, she was impressed with his reasoning. “That’s brilliant, sir, but how would we arrange that?”
“It shouldn’t be too hard, my Mary doesn’t have friends sleep over often, but when she does, she never wants their time together to end.”
Chapter Five
C ole had never enjoyed a morning of horse training more. Even his late wife hadn’t been quite so fascinating, he thought before chiding himself for such disloyal musings. But the young woman, he interrupted himself in his thoughts as he looked at her a bit closer. She wasn’t exactly so young, he realized upon closer inspection. Her innocence and lack of experience made him think of her as young, but he could see that she must be in her mid-twenties. The perfect age, if you asked him. He had been in his mid-twenties as well when he had first come to Missouri and staked his claim on the land. He had returned to Boston to marry his wife, but his heart had belonged in the West for the last ten years.
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He had loved his Sheila, of course. But it had been difficult living with someone who was so dissatisfied with the life they had chosen together. Cole stifled his sigh. The past was the past and needed to remain there. His attention returned to the conversation in front of him.
As he had suspected, Leandra was thrilled to have female company and was nearly talking Miss Jones’ ear off. Cole grinned as he watched their visitor blinking at the onslaught of words headed her way. The pretty new arrival to town was clearly not dimwitted. She quickly realized that Leandra had plenty to say and didn’t require a response, despite the questions she was asking. He was fascinated to see what he thought might be the first genuine smile to grace her face as Miss Jones seemed to relax subtly. The poor woman seemed to be a nervous little thing despite her professed delight to be in Missouri.
Cole wondered if he ought to leave the women to themselves, but he didn’t get much company either, and he didn’t have any pressing chores to care for, so he wanted to enjoy the visitor, too. Besides, he reminded himself, he had promised to help the little girls think it was their idea for Annie to stay. Thus reassured, he settled in to enjoy his tea.
Being well versed in his sister’s stories and complaints, Cole didn’t pay too close attention to her words, contenting himself with shifting his attention between the window that looked out over his land and their visitor’s expressive face. If he had been questioned, he wouldn’t have been able to say which view gave him more pleasure.
It was obvious Miss Jones wasn’t completely comfortable. He wondered what had made her so awkward. It seemed to go in waves with the poor woman. When she forgot about herself, she was able to get beyond her issues, and conversation flowed freely, but when she grew self-conscious, she became tied for words. He was happy to see her relax into the flow of Leandra’s words. Before his sister ran out of things to say, though, the two little girls spilled into the room, a jumble of small limbs, giggles, and exuberant energy. They tumbled to a stop when they spotted Miss Jones.
Orphan Train Series Boxed Set: Books 1 - 4 Page 31
