Love Finds You in Silver City, Idaho

by Janelle Mowery

Nate shrugged. “Huh?”

  The man burst into laughter. “Oh, no. Perry’s bad aim’s got you babbling, too. Guess I shoulda warned ya better.”

  Perry only grinned and shook his head in response, never taking his eyes from the judges. In minutes, the judges approached Sheriff Caldwell with the results. He glanced over them, then raised his hand to get everyone’s attention.

  “We have a winner!”

  The cheering resumed. The sheriff let it go on a bit before he grinned and waved his hand again. “Quiet. Quiet down, everyone.” He waited for silence before continuing. “We have a new champion.”

  Nate could feel Perry tense up. The man wanted badly to win this contest, but Nate had his doubts that today he’d get his wish.

  “At a depth of thirty-two and a half inches”—the sheriff stopped and took his time looking around the crowd, drawing out the strain of anticipation—“the winner is…” Again he paused, and everyone looked like they wanted to take the hammer and drill to his head. “The winner is Jack ‘The Hammer’ Demmer and his partner, George Eason.”

  The sledge in Jack’s hand dropped to the ground, along with his bottom jaw. “I won?”

  George whooped and raced up to the podium to collect the prize.

  Perry clapped Jack on the back and then shoved him to join his partner, George.

  Perry’s shoulders then slumped in defeat. “If it couldn’t be us, I’m glad it was Jack.” He grabbed the wrist of Nate’s injured hand. “Maybe next time. Now, let’s get this taken care of.”

  They collected their tools and headed toward the Weaver family, though Nate was ready to go his own way. He’d had enough of all this togetherness. It was time to separate and get some investigation done.

  Before he could decline the help and make his escape, Rebekah grabbed his arm and nearly dragged him away from the crowd. Nate gave an inward groan. Now what did the Weavers want from him? He’d already bled for them. He didn’t have anything else to give.

  He looked in Rebekah’s eyes. Or did he?

  Chapter Thirteen

  Rebecca tugged Nate along behind her, wishing he’d move faster. There wasn’t much time before the eating began, and she needed to retrieve their food from the house and get it to the picnic grounds without being gone too long. So far, she and Cora hadn’t noticed extra attention from any of the men, but she didn’t want to take the chance of missing a clue. And now she also had to tend to Nate’s hand.

  “How are the knuckles?”

  Nate pulled her to a stop. “Where are we going?”

  “To the house.” She tugged at his arm again, getting his feet moving, though not nearly fast enough. In fact, she got the impression he was fighting her efforts. “I need to bandage your hand, and then I need your help getting our food and such back in time for the picnic.”

  He plodded behind, moving slower, even leaning back a bit like the crazy mule. “You don’t seem surprised my hand got hurt.”

  At that comment, Rebekah had to stop. She turned to face him. “Ah, well, no, not really.”

  Eyebrows winging upward, he crossed his arms. “So that begs the need to ask.” He tilted his face toward hers. “Why didn’t you warn me?”

  Stunned, Rebekah could hardly speak. She felt her jaw drop open and forced it closed. “I didn’t know Daddy planned to ask you to partner with him until this morning, and I didn’t see you until you were already at the contest.”

  That sounded weak even to her. But it was true. And truth be told, she doubted anyone could have changed her father’s mind once it was set. Hadn’t Nate learned that yet? If not, that certainly wasn’t her fault.

  “Rebekah!”

  She looked for the person calling her name and saw Cora, arms spread in a position that screamed, “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “I’m hurrying, Cora.” Rebekah latched onto Nate’s arm once again and nearly dragged him behind her. His boots clomped along. He wasn’t exactly trying to keep up.

  “What’s the rush? And what does Cora want?”

  Grinding her teeth in frustration, Rebekah turned to face him. “I’ll tell you if you’ll try harder to walk faster.” She caught the twitching of his lips. Knowing he found her amusing, she growled her annoyance. “Never mind.”

  She started on her way again, only to have Nate tug her to a stop. Irritated, she pulled her arm free. “I’ve got to hurry.”

  Nate rushed to her side, a grin stretching across his face as he easily kept pace. “You’ve got me intrigued. Tell me.”

  She cast a glance his way, and her exasperation melted away at his good looks. Why did he have to be so handsome? She decided then and there not to look at him again for the duration of their time together. Doing so would keep her mind from whirling off in the wrong direction.

  What were they talking about? Oh, that’s right. “It’s about the note Cora got yesterday.”

  “A note?”

  Stunned, she looked at him, only to turn away quickly. “You haven’t heard? You must be the only one in town who doesn’t know.”

  “So, enlighten me.”

  Hastening her steps even more, Rebekah filled him in on how Cora received the note and what it said. Then she told him of their plan to find out not only who the note spoke of, but who the writer might be. “And that’s why I’m in a hurry to get back. I don’t want to take a chance of missing clues.”

  Even as she said the words, she thought they sounded a bit childish, and worse, Nate might think the same. A brief glance at his face told her his mind treated Cora’s note with suspicion just as hers had when she first read it. She decided it might be wise to ask for his input.

  “You look concerned.” She climbed the steps of their porch and unlocked the door. “What are you thinking?” She didn’t wait for his answer but headed for the kitchen and the cabinet, where they kept the bandages.

  Nate trailed behind and sat at the table, placing his wounded hand on top, as if she’d already instructed him to do so. His action made her wonder if he felt at home—or if he’d been injured enough times to know what to do. After she dampened a scrap of cloth, she sat next to him and started to clean his wound. He still sat mute.

  She could no longer stand the silence. “Enlighten me.”

  Nate looked her in the eyes and chuckled. She’d repeated the very words he’d used on her earlier.

  “All right, since you ask.” He cleared his throat, his expression abruptly turning grim. “You act as though that note had good news, a possible suitor, but have you considered the fact that the verse might be more of a threat? Maybe a warning of danger?”

  So his first reaction was the same as hers. The very real possibility of trouble sent a chill down her spine. “Yes, I’d thought of that. But I allowed Cora to convince me that it was good news.”

  She finished cleaning the scrape and started wrapping a strip of cloth around his hand. The act—not to mention the calluses on his palm—was very familiar since she’d done almost the same the day before. He had a very strong hand. She enjoyed holding it in hers.

  Stop it! Taking a deep breath, she licked her suddenly dry lips. “You can help us.”

  What was she thinking? She needed to get away from this man so she could think clearly. How to get out of this?

  “I’d be glad to.”

  Oh, goodness. Now what to do? “Great.”

  That meant he’d be spending most of the day with her. The thought made her heart give a little leap. She rushed from the chair before he could see the blood rushing to her face and started placing the food, plates, napkins, and utensils in a box.

  He moved next to her, hefted the crate into his arms, and motioned for her to precede him. “Tell me what you two have planned, so I’ll know how I can help.”

  Once he’d stepped through the doorway, Rebekah closed and locked the door. “There’s not much of a plan, really. We were going to keep an eye out for anyone who spent a great deal of time staring or staying close to Cora.” She peeke
d at his face. “Pretty weak, isn’t it?”

  He chuckled. “Not really, since you don’t know for sure what to look for. With me helping, we might have a better chance of seeing something out of the ordinary. Trouble is, I don’t know many people here, so I won’t know what’s strange and what isn’t.” He paused a few seconds. “Especially when I have a cross-eyed cat and a mule that can’t walk straight to compare to.”

  Rebekah burst into laughter. Nate could make her laugh at the most inappropriate times. “The people in town aren’t that bad.” She laughed again as his brows raised in skepticism. “All right, maybe some are, but most have good hearts.”

  “I look forward to finding out for myself.” He readjusted the box, making her wonder if his hand hurt, but he seemed to carry it easily enough. Before she could ask, he nodded. “You’ll point out all the men who live or work across from Cora for me, won’t you?”

  “Absolutely.” And thankfully the distraction would keep her from spending too much time thinking about the man at her side.

  Cora chose that moment to rush up to them. “What took you so long? I can’t watch all these men by myself.”

  Rebekah slipped her arm around her friend’s shoulders. “And here I thought you’d relish the idea.”

  Cora elbowed her in the ribs. “Stop that.” She turned to Nate. “We’ve not been properly introduced. I’m Cora Peters.”

  Nate couldn’t release the box to greet her with a handshake. He simply nodded. “Nice to meet you, Cora. I’m—”

  “Nathaniel Kirkland. I know. I saw you in the store the other day. Rebekah’s told me all about you.”

  Shock and embarrassment started at the top of Rebekah’s head and quickly radiated down to her toes. How could Cora say that to Nate? What would he think? She would have shoved her elbow into Cora’s ribs like she’d received moments ago except she was afraid Nate would see, compounding her humiliation. She glanced up at him and found him smiling at her. Mortified, she looked away.

  “And what all has Rebekah said about me?”

  Rebekah wasn’t about to let Cora answer, though she’d opened her mouth to do just that, and took the opportunity to fill Cora in on Nate’s offer to help. Thankfully by the time they’d finished talking about the note and their plan to uncover the writer and Cora’s possible suitor, they’d arrived at the picnic grounds.

  Cora rushed off to help her mother lay out the food while Rebekah showed Nate where to put their dishes. As usual, there was more food than could possibly be eaten, even by the multitude of people in attendance.

  Nate gave a low whistle. “Where does one start?”

  Rebekah opened her mouth to answer, but Cora swooped by and scooped her arm through Nate’s. “Right over here.” She pointed as she led Nate away. “With the dish I made.”

  Speechless, Rebekah could only watch them walk off together. She’d never seen Cora quite so bold, but maybe the note caused the change, getting her hopes up to where she didn’t even try to control her actions. Unless—surely she didn’t think Nate was the author—

  “Everyone!” The sheriff shouted to be heard. “Please quiet down so the pastor can say the blessing.”

  Rebekah heard very little of the pastor’s prayer. Once he’d finished, the group converged on the tables laden with food. From a distance, Rebekah watched Nate fill a plate and wander off toward one of the shade trees while Cora remained next to her mother. Having learned who the better cooks of the residents were, Rebekah was selective about the dishes she chose to sample, then moved in the direction she’d last seen Nate.

  Carefully picking her way through the crowd, trying very hard not to get bumped and spill her plate, Rebekah maneuvered to a position where she could see Nate while keeping an eye out for anyone watching or talking to Cora. But when she arrived at her chosen location, Nate was nowhere to be found. Rebekah scanned the area but still didn’t spot him among the different clusters of people now sitting on the blankets they’d placed on the ground.

  Deciding to start where she’d last seen him, Rebekah moved to the tree. That’s when she spotted him, leaning behind the farthest tree from the picnic area, looking very much like he was sick to his stomach. Alarmed, she rushed toward him, praying he was all right.

  Chapter Fourteen

  If Nate didn’t know better, he’d swear Cora was trying to poison him. He heaved one last time before spitting out the remnants and wiping his sleeve across his lips. That was the nastiest stuff he’d ever placed in his mouth. With no qualms whatsoever, he scraped the rest of her questionable cuisine from his plate. Surely she didn’t allow anyone else to—

  “Are you all right?”

  Nate turned to find Rebekah staring from a short distance away, concern written on her face. “I think so.” He wiped his mouth one more time to be sure nothing remained. “But if I die in the next few minutes, you’d better ask Cora a few questions about her food.”

  When Rebekah smiled, then started to laugh, Nate wondered if the two women were working on some sort of conspiracy. If so, was it just for him or for all the men? Were they trying to kill all the males in town or just make them wish they were dead?

  “What’s so funny?”

  Rebekah fought to control her mirth. She took a deep breath. “I should have warned you about Cora’s cooking. I think she’s the only one in town who believes her dishes are tasty.”

  He stared, running what he’d heard through his mind again. “So, she’s not trying to kill me?”

  Rebekah covered her giggle with her hand. “Actually, I think she was trying to impress you.”

  “Yes, well, the reaction of my stomach meeting her food was quite impressive.”

  Rebekah doubled over with laughter, and Nate grinned at the pleasant sound. She sure was easy to amuse.

  He shook his head and motioned toward the tables. “Come on. I need something to drink to wash away this taste in my mouth.” Several pitchers crowded one table. He asked Rebekah quietly, so no one else would hear, “Did Cora make any of these?”

  He could have been tickling Rebekah, so great was her hilarity. She finally managed a shake of her head. They both poured a cup of lemonade and returned to the nearby shade tree, positioning themselves so they could observe Cora while they ate, most likely for two different reasons.

  Nate didn’t want to destroy the girls’ dream of an unknown admirer seeking Cora’s attention, which is why he kept his opinion to himself. But he felt fairly certain the note was a threat, not an announcement of a suitor. So instead, he’d be alert for anyone who might be looking to harm the unsuspecting young lady.

  While Rebekah kept an eye on Cora, Nate couldn’t help but watch the poor soul wandering around the tables of food after everyone had filled their plates. For whatever reason, the young man managed to wander past all the good food and stop at Cora’s dish. He scooped a heap of something that resembled watery potatoes onto his plate. Nate felt the urge to run up to the man and warn him, yet in no way did he want to hurt or embarrass Cora, so he kept his seat and continued to watch for the results of the man’s poor choice.

  Nate nearly choked when he saw the young man approach the area where Cora sat with an older couple, probably her parents, then sat near them. The poor man would be so humiliated when he gagged on the food Cora made. Nate felt for him and told himself not to watch, yet he couldn’t look away as he waited for the horrific scene to unfold. He bumped Rebekah and motioned toward Cora and the young man.

  “That man just took some of Cora’s food and is now sitting next to her. This isn’t going to be pretty.”

  Rebekah gasped. “Oh, no. That’s Will Bradford. He’s the most shy man I’ve ever met. If he gets sick from Cora’s food, I don’t know that he’ll ever recover from the shame.”

  “What can we do?”

  Rebekah made a face. “Nothing, I’m afraid. Anything we try to do to stop him will only make matters worse.”

  The whole situation seemed odd to Nate. If most everyone knew o
f Cora’s cooking, why would the young man take the food and move to sit with her? Dismay formed in Nate’s mind and quickly moved to his gut. Was this the man planning to do Cora harm? Why else would he do such a thing? But surely he wouldn’t try anything with Cora’s parents sitting with them.

  Fully alert, Nate cringed as he watched Will take his first bite, remembering quite clearly the mutiny declared by his mouth. Stalling in his chewing for a brief moment and his face turning red, Will swallowed hard. Nate could only imagine that the poor man wanted that ghastly taste out of his mouth as soon as possible. But what in the world could be happening inside his stomach? Nate’s own stomach tightened at the thought.

  Then Will took another bite. While Nate’s jaw dropped open at Will’s bravery, Rebekah’s hand went over her mouth. “Oh my goodness.”

  Nate stared, waiting for her to continue. She didn’t. “What?”

  She never looked away from the dreadful scene. “He’s the one.”

  Nate’s tension intensified. Now was not the time for a woman to decide not to babble. “The one what?”

  Rebekah finally looked at him. “Cora’s admirer. Who else would force himself to eat that food, if not the man trying to win her heart?”

  Nate peered back at Cora and Will and couldn’t argue with Rebekah’s reasoning. Only a lovesick heart could overrule an upset stomach. As he relaxed, he laughed and shook his head.

  “What?”

  He could see the curiosity in Rebekah’s eyes and decided to speak his mind. “To be honest, I thought you girls were silly thinking that note was about an admirer. I thought someone planned to harm Cora.”

  Rebekah’s mouth dropped open. “Silly girls? I think I moved beyond silly years ago. Or, at the very least, a year ago.”

  He knew she must be referring to getting burned. Other than what little Henry told him, Nate knew next to nothing about what had happened. Maybe she’d tell him more. “I apologize. I never meant to imply you were childish.” She’d never given him that impression. In fact, everything about her was just the opposite.