Ray’s manner had shifted. If Miles had to put a finger on it, he’d call it defensiveness, though over what Miles had no idea.
“Certainly. I understand. My problem is this, she didn’t mention whether we should meet at the dance or if I should escort her. I’d be happy to escort her, but I don’t know where to call for her.”
“She lives at Miss Della Kinney’s house,” Ray said, studying him as if daring him to respond.
Miles suddenly understood why. “The brothel? Ruby lives at a brothel? For God’s sake, why?”
He was flabbergasted. How could he have misjudged the situation so badly? He’d requested the company of a whore to a public function. Isaac and his brothers would never, ever let him hear the end of this.
Ray stood and planted his fists at his waist. “Ruby is not a whore, if that’s what you’re thinking. She works as a maid at the brothel.” Miles tried not to show his relief as Ray picked up steam. “But she doesn’t judge people for how they survive in the world. Those women are doing the best they can and deserve as much respect as anyone else. I mean, have you ever really given any thought to the few options women have?”
Miles cocked his head. “What do you mean what options they have? Why would they need any? Their fathers take care of them until they find a suitable husband.”
Ray made a disgusted sound and flung his hands in a gesture of giving up. “Did you ever think maybe women want more from life than just cooking and cleaning and having babies?”
“Ray, you are a strange boy.”
A startled look crossed Ray’s face before he rearranged his expression back to his dignified business face. “If treating everyone—man or woman—with the kind of respect I want to be treated with is strange, then I guess I am. Sir.”
He added the last word as an afterthought, and for some reason it stung. Miles had grown accustomed to Ray, a fondness for him sneaking up on Miles unexpectedly. He couldn’t blame Ray for defending his sister, and although he had some odd views about women, his principles clearly meant a lot to him and truly, he could have worse ideas. That as a young man he’d been left with the responsibilities of manhood after his father had passed, and that he stood up for his older sister’s interests was admirable.
Although Ruby lived in a brothel, Ray assured him she wasn’t a whore, so he trusted Ray’s word.
“I apologize for making assumptions about Ruby. Will you tell her I’ll call for her prior to the dance?”
“I don’t live with her,” Ray said. “But I’ll get the message to her.”
Chapter 4
Saturday came far too fast, yet not fast enough for Ruby. It was torture to work side by side with Miles every single day, secretly enjoying his company while waiting for Saturday when she could finally be herself.
They’d quickly developed an amiable working relationship. While he barked gruff commands at the other men, he treated Ray with respect. Not that he didn’t bark at her, too, but Ruby reveled in the freedom of being regarded as an equal person, if not of equal rank. Her world had shifted drastically, and as if she’d discovered a secret land hidden in plain sight, she learned that men in the company of other men behaved like different people. Certainly they were crude and rough around the edges, but they were also forthright and afforded each other a certain loyalty.
Ruby found the whole thing both fascinating and frustrating. She much preferred the way men treated each other and wondered why in the world they couldn’t be the same with women.
“You look a hundred miles away,” Chloe said.
Ruby sat at the vanity in Della’s room. She glanced in the mirror in front of her, at Chloe’s reflection. Chloe stood behind her, fussing with Ruby’s hair while Betsy and Cecelia sat on the bed watching.
Chloe had pulled Ruby’s short hair up and pinned it to the top of her head, then applied a hair piece that matched Ruby’s own hair color remarkably well. It gave the illusion that Ruby had more hair than she did.
“I was just thinking about the men at the mine,” Ruby said.
“One man in particular, I imagine,” Cecelia said with a sly smile.
“I’ve never been anywhere with a man. I don’t know how to behave,” Ruby said. “Look. My palms are sweaty. Won’t he find that unpleasant when we dance?”
The woman all laughed.
“You spend all day with men, and Mr. Collins in particular,” Cecelia said. “And if you haven’t scared him off yet as Ray, you won’t as Ruby. You are the same person, after all.”
“And in my experience, all men have sweaty hands anyway, so he won’t even notice,” Betsy said.
“Not all men have sweaty hands,” Cecelia said. “There’s a certain accountant in town who has the softest hands I’ve ever felt.”
That brought on another round of laughter, and a blush from Ruby. She had the vaguest of ideas why Cecelia found soft hands on a man agreeable, but imagining Miles’ hands caressing her cheek or bringing a curl of her hair to his nose for an intimate whiff gave Ruby the urge to fan herself. She’d noticed his hands before—broad and calloused with a dusting of dark hair. They appealed to her, and beyond that they caused an unfamiliar flutter in her belly.
“Okay, stand up and let’s have a look,” Chloe said.
The ladies had found among them an appropriate dress for Ruby. Pretty blue with white lace at the neck and cuffs of the elbow-length sleeves, it complemented her dark hair and eyes, and fair skin.
“You look beautiful,” Betsy said.
“He’ll be bewitched,” Cecelia said.
Ruby primped in the mirror, smoothing the skirt and patting at the strange-feeling hair piece pinned to her head.
“Quit fussing,” Chloe said. “They’re right. You’re beautiful.”
Sally rushed into the room, out of breath. “Mr. Collins is here,” she managed.
Ruby’s heart fluttered in her chest, the same way it did when she saw him at work. Now she wouldn’t have to hide her attraction to him like she did when she was Ray.
Checking her appearance one more time, she took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. “I’m ready.”
At the bottom of the stairs she found Miles Collins, the handsomest man she’d ever set eyes on with his dark hair brushed back, hat in hand, conversing with Della Kinney. She liked that he hadn’t smiled for Della. He’d shared his stern expression with her, but when Ruby caught his eye coming down the stairs he turned to her and the expression he saved for her about stopped her heart.
Somewhere between awe and befuddled, his blue eyes sparkled and his jaw dropped, and he stared. And it energized Ruby like nothing ever had before. If this was what attraction between a man and woman felt like, she understood how difficult it was to resist. All of her arguments against it seemed trivial.
Miles came to meet her at the bottom of the stairs. “Good evening, Ruby. You look lovely tonight.”
“Thank you.”
Behind her the ladies whispered amongst themselves, and when Ruby heard someone say, “Damn, that is one fine man,” her cheeks heated and she glanced away from Miles, embarrassed. But not before she noticed him smirk.
He bent his elbow and offered his arm. “Shall we go?”
Hooking her hand into the crook of his arm, she said, “Yes, please.”
They headed out the door and down the porch steps. When Ruby glanced back up at the house, Della and the girls stood smiling and waving, warming Ruby’s heart. Despite complicating her life, Ray had done her several favors, one of which was to bring her into the acquaintance of the women of Miss Kinney’s brothel. Ruby loved her family and missed them, but these women had adopted her as a sister, and she’d grown to love them, too.
Ray had also brought her to Miles Collins.
“I hope you don’t mind walking,” Miles said. “It’s a beautiful evening for a stroll.”
“I don’t mind at all.”
The dance was being held at the dance hall across town, which meant Ruby had the pleasure of walking
beside Mr. Miles Collins, arm in arm, the entire distance between the brothel and the hall. She had no idea what the night would bring, but she wanted to savor every moment of it.
Even though Ray knew the answer in excruciating detail, Ruby wasn’t supposed to, so in order to make conversation she said, “Tell me about what you do at the mine.”
With his free hand he reached over and patted her fingers where they wrapped around his arm. “You don’t want to hear about that. It wouldn’t be of any interest to you.”
She stopped in her tracks and pulled her hand from his arm. He turned, looking puzzled.
“How do you know it wouldn’t interest me?”
“Well, it’s not something women are typically interested in.”
She crossed her arms. “First of all, I’m not a typical woman. Secondly, I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want to know. And last, I’m probably far more competent than you imagine.”
An amused half-smile curved his lips as he shook his head. “You are definitely Ray’s sister.”
“Oh?”
“The both of you have strong opinions.” He held up his hand as she drew breath to argue with him. “And I apologize for insulting you, Ruby. I’m happy to talk to you about my work. What would you like to know?”
She smiled, pleased that he’d taken her seriously, even if he hadn’t at first. She stepped toward him and took his arm again, this time grasping it with both hands.
“What’s it like to work at a silver mine?”
“Hasn’t Ray told you?”
“We don’t live together, and we don’t see each other often.” Her stomach soured around the lie. In general, she liked being Ray and liked that he allowed her to have a good job and a certain freedom that being a woman didn’t. But walking and talking with Miles as Ruby, an uncomfortable guilt ate at her.
“Why not, if you don’t mind my asking.”
“I’m a grown woman. Ray has his own life.”
He nodded, accepting her answer. “Working at a mine is challenging, but satisfying…”
She listened to him describe the things she already knew, but he filled his narration with his love of the work so she saw it through his eyes, with his particular joy in the hard work, dealing with the men, the gratification of doing the job well—all the things she felt about her job.
By the time he’d finished, they’d reached the dance hall. A line of people waited outside to get in, it was that crowded. The air was filled with the excitement of ladies in pretty dresses and fancy hats, and men in their best suits, looking freshly washed and shaved. The dance was a break from the usual drudgery and routine. A chance for people to enjoy themselves.
Music drifted on the warm evening breeze, a piano and a banjo, and Ruby shivered with glee.
Miles mistook her, though, and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Are you cold? We should be inside soon.”
His arm warm across her shoulders, she didn’t want him to remove it. “No. I’m excited. I’ve never been to a dance before. Have you?”
“My brothers and sisters-in-law have dragged me to a few. I’ll admit, I never enjoyed them much. But tonight I think that’ll be different.”
“Tell me about your family,” she said, a warm glow filling her that he looked forward to tonight as much as she did.
“I have three brothers—two older, one younger. They’re all married and have children. Wyatt’s the oldest. He’s sheriff of Palmer, south of here. Isaac, the brother you met when we ran into each other on the street, is next. He owns a ranch in Palmer. Sam’s the youngest. He’s a writer. Owns a newspaper. What about you? I know about Ray. What about the rest of your family?”
Darn. She hadn’t thought ahead. She didn’t want to talk about her family, but there were still several people in front of them and she had no excuse for not answering his question. “Well, my father and older brother, Charlie, have passed. My mother, younger sister Hannah and youngest brother Henry live on a farm south of Carson City.”
“I’m sorry about your father and brother.”
Ruby bit her tongue. She almost said something about their deaths, about the mine, but she didn’t want to ruin the evening. Miles had nothing to do with the mine at the time they died, so mentioning it seemed pointless. That thought alone triggered a wave of guilt. She should have more respect for her father and brother than to put her own feelings above them.
Since she’d been working at the mine it had become clear to her how dangerous it could be for the men who did the hard work down in the mines. Miles made a point of establishing rules to keep the men as safe as possible, but by its very nature, mining was hard, risky work. She owed it to the memory of her father and Charlie to do what she could to improve the condition of miners however she could, even if it only amounted to making suggestions to Miles when she thought of them.
But tonight she put thoughts of the mine, and her father and brother aside. Tonight was for her.
They finally made it inside, and it was better than Ruby could have hoped. On one wall a table had been laid out with a punch bowl and desserts. Some of the ladies from the church smiled and served and accepted compliments for their delicious sweets.
Colorful bunting decorated the walls, tables and chairs had been pushed to the outside to make room for dancing, and musicians had taken up location surrounding the piano in the front corner of the room.
“It’s beautiful,” Ruby said.
“And you’re the prettiest one here,” Miles said.
Ruby smiled. She couldn’t remember being so happy, like floating on joy.
Miles guided her over to the church ladies who fussed over them and commented on what a lovely couple they made as Miles fetched drinks for them. By the time they’d quenched their thirst, the music had started and people moved to the dance floor.
“Can we dance?” Ruby asked.
“I’ll warn you, I’m not good at it.”
“I’m not either, but I want to try.”
He offered her one of his rare smiles, and she had to squelch the urge to bounce on her toes.
When he held his hand out, she placed hers in it. Somehow that simple gesture felt intimate and full of promise. But she shook the thought from her head. It was just a dance. Nothing more.
He led her to the dance floor where she put her other hand on his shoulder, and he put his on her waist. Despite his claim that he couldn’t dance, he led her around the floor like he’d done it a hundred times. It was magical, and the attention he paid to her, making sure she didn’t feel foolish when she missed a step, or bumped into someone, turned what would have been embarrassing into just another part of an entertaining evening.
They danced through several songs, and when the musicians took a break, Miles led her to a table.
“You have a seat. I’ll go fetch us something to drink,” he said.
Ruby fanned herself, then pulled out the handkerchief she had tucked in her sleeve to dab at the perspiration on her forehead. She hadn’t realized how warm it had become in the hall with so many people in one room. But it was a pleasant heat that left her content and muzzy.
Miles returned with punch for both of them, and took the seat next to her. The murmur of conversation filled the room as people stood and sat in groups catching up on the most recent gossip.
“Thank you for the drink,” Ruby said.
“Thank you for coming with me. I’ve had a good time.”
“Me too. I never knew dancing could be so fun.”
“I haven’t generally found it to be so. I believe the company makes all the difference,” he said, holding her gaze.
Ruby swallowed the punch she’d just sipped. His expression remained serious as he said the words, suggesting more to her than a simple compliment. She knew him well enough by now to understand the gravity of his statement. He rarely praised or flattered, and never gushed. Compliments were as few and far between as his smiles, and she’d received both in one night. The fact that he didn’t smile as he
pointed out how much her company had made his evening only emphasized the depth of his feelings.
But how could he possibly have feelings for her? They’d bumped into each other once, and spent several hours together this evening. Was that enough time to decide he had feelings?
She searched her own emotions. Foremost among them was happiness. At the moment, nothing else in her life mattered because there was no place she’d rather be, and nobody she’d rather be with. That pulled her up short. Of all the people in her life, she really wouldn’t rather be with any of them. She wanted to be with Miles. Did that mean she had feelings for him? Did it mean she loved him, or was falling in love with him? People didn’t fall in love that fast. Did they? She was certainly attracted to him, and liked him, and wanted to spend more time with him beyond tonight.
Oh my. Maybe she was falling in love with him.
He watched her quietly while she digested what he’d said. It couldn’t have been an easy confession for him. It certainly left him vulnerable if she didn’t agree, and in the time they’d worked together she’d never seen Miles expose himself to vulnerability.
“The company has been most agreeable,” she said, adding her openness to his.
A slow smile spread across his lips, as if he’d just won something important. If he felt the same secret satisfaction she did that some tacit agreement had passed between them, his smile was warranted. She mirrored it.
After the dance, he walked her home again, the cool breeze welcome after the heat in the dance hall had gone beyond pleasant into stifling. Still, everyone had been reluctant for the evening to end.
When they reached Della’s house, Miles said, “I had a wonderful time, Ruby.”
“As did I.”
“I’d be honored if you’d allow me to call on you again.”
“I’d like that very much.”
He actually grinned, making her heart flutter. “Good.” He took her hand in his and kissed the back of it, sending shivers down her spine. So brazen, but also lovely. “Sleep well, Ruby. Until I see you again.”
The next few weeks passed in a happy haze. Ruby balanced Ray and his growing friendship with Miles at work against Ruby’s burgeoning courtship with Miles outside of work. After leisurely walks and window shopping, a picnic, meals together, and an evening at the opera house, Ruby no longer had any doubt that Miles was courting her. The more time she spent with him as both Ruby and Ray, the more she liked him, admired his work ethic and integrity, and discovered that underneath the sometimes gruff exterior lived a kind, sensitive man she’d grown to care about.
Montana Sky: Becoming Mine (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Nevada Bounty Book 3) Page 4
