Sam laughed, a full, boisterous sound that made Maxine's insides pleasantly curl. A shaky, shy smile spread over her face. She wanted to laugh, but her throat was too tight to let the sound escape. Sam slowed the horse's pace to a gentle walk as they passed through the ranch gates and down the road to the house. Maxine remembered to breathe like Sam said. He tugged gently on the reins to bring the horse to a stop in front of the house and leapt down from the seat, rounding the front of the cart to help Maxine down from her seat. She stumbled on the way down and fell against Sam's strong chest.
“Careful there,” he said, putting his hands on her shoulders to steady her. “There you go. You're gonna be great, I can tell.” Maxine looked up at him. His eyes were shadowed by the brim of his hat. “Knock 'em dead, Miss Hanson. I'll be around if you need a ride back to town.” He stepped back and tipped his hat, then whistled to two ranch hands nearby who hopped the fence and helped him unload the cart. Maxine smoothed down her skirts and started up the steps to the covered porch. She knocked firmly on the door.
Chapter 5
A young man in a neatly pressed suit answered the door, his black hair smoothed back from his face. He smiled politely at her. “May I help you, miss?” he asked.
“Yes,” Maxine replied, relieved that her voice didn't shake. “My name is Maxine Hanson. I'm here to speak to Mr. Wilkinson about the housekeeping job. Jacob Brooks, my brother-in-law, told me there was an open position.”
“Please, come in. My name is Richard. Mr. Wilkinson is just through here, in the parlour.” Richard gestured into the house and stepped aside to let Maxine in. “We didn't expect to receive a response so quickly.”
“Yes, well, I just arrived in town and I've found myself in need of a job.” Maxine looked at her surroundings. It was almost as fancy as Matthew's house back in the city. The windows were open to let fresh air and natural light inside. It was cooler without the sun beating down, and she could feel a light breeze.
“Do you have any qualifications?” Richard asked.
“I have been assisting my sister and her husband in running their house. Jacob works at the store, you see, and Lizzy just had a baby.”
“Pass on my congratulations,” Richard said with a smile. “I know Jacob, he's a good man.” He stopped in front of a white door. “Just in here,” he said. “Good luck.” He pushed the door open and cleared his throat. “Someone to see you, sir,” he said, “about the housekeeping position.”
Maxine stood up straight as a gruff voice called for her to enter. Richard gave her a friendly smile and stood aside to let her in, closing the door behind her. Mr. Wilkinson sat at his desk, his jacket thrown across the back of his chair, a pen in his hand. He looked up as the door shut and smiled through his bushy whiskers.
“Good afternoon, miss...”
“Hanson. Maxine Hanson. It's a pleasure to meet you, sir.”
“The pleasure is mine,” Wilkinson said, slowly getting to his feet. “Please, sit. You're here to inquire after a job?”
“Yes,” Maxine said, settling in the chair she was offered as Mr. Wilkinson sat down again. “I find myself in need of income, and Jacob Brooks at the general store told me you were in need of a housekeeper.”
“I am,” Wilkinson said. He folded his hands on top of his desk. “Do you have any experience?”
“Helping my sister, Lizzy Brooks,” Maxine replied. “She just had a baby and simply did not have the time to keep the entire house herself.”
“I imagine my home is a good deal bigger than one of those rickety town houses,” Wilkinson said. “Do you think you're up to the task?”
“I do, sir, and I shall do my very best to keep your house as well maintained as I presume it has always been.”
“Very well,” he said. “As I'm in desperate need, I think this time I can afford to take a risk. Wages are sixty-five cents a week, paid at the end of every month. Room and board are included. Richard will deal with the details and tell you what I expect from my employees. I do sincerely hope this is the beginning of a long working relationship.” He stood and extended his hand.
Relief flooded through Maxine. “Thank you so much, Mr. Wilkinson,” she said, shaking his hand firmly. “I promise I will not disappoint you.”
“I hope not, Miss Hanson,” Wilkinson said, still smiling. “Shall we get you started officially next week?”
“That sounds perfect. I truly cannot thank you enough.” Wilkinson nodded and released her hand, reclaiming his seat. Maxine slipped from the room and found Richard waiting for her. He saw the look on her face let out a low chuckle.
“Good news?” he asked.
“Very,” Maxine replied. “Mr. Wilkinson said you would informed me about how things are run here?”
“It would be my pleasure, Miss Hanson,” Richard replied, and offered her his arm.
They toured the house for about half an hour while Richard carefully and clearly outlined each of Maxine's duties. It was a lot to take in all at once, but Maxine was too happy to worry about the work she had ahead of her. Her room was the largest out of all the women servants’ quarters, though still small compared to the rest of the rooms in the house. Still, it was larger than her room at Lizzy’s. Plus, the house was truly beautiful. Now that her nerves had dissipated, Maxine could appreciate the décor and the craftsmanship of the place. She had always dreamed of owning a house like this. Living in one would have to do.
Her first thought should have been to rush home and tell her sister and Jacob that she had gotten the job. Instead, she found herself thinking of Sam.
Richard saw her to the door and said his goodbyes, then left Maxine on the porch searching for her escort, filling her lungs with fresh country air. Sam could be anywhere on the ranch, Maxine knew, but she hoped he hadn't gone far. Keeping an eye out for him, she wandered off towards the horse corral, smiling when she saw Willow free of tack and grazing lazily. She clicked her tongue at the mare, who raised her head and trotted over, immediately snuffling around Maxine's skirts to check if she had any treats.
“She's takin' a liking to you,” came a familiar voice behind her. Maxine looked over her shoulder and smiled at Sam as he made his way over to her. He had an apple in one hand and a small knife in the other. He carved out a slice of the apple as he reached the fence and offered it to Maxine. She delicately picked it off the tip of the knife and held it out to Willow, giggling as the horse's soft whiskers tickled her palm.
“I've taken a liking to her as well,” she said.
Sam chuckled softly and leaned against the fence, cutting another slice of apple and popping it into his mouth. “So?” he asked. “Are you gonna tell me how it went or are you gonna keep me waiting?” When Maxine didn't immediately reply, his face dropped. “Don't tell me you didn't get it.”
“Quite the opposite, actually,” Maxine said, unable to keep up the facade. She grinned. “I start this coming Monday.”
“Well, that's just swell,” Sam said. “You really had me going there. Don't scare me like that, girl!”
“I didn't realize you were so invested, Mr. Wagner.”
“Well, I'm not the kind of man to wish bad things on a lady like you. Besides, I think I've taken quite a likin' to you as well. It'll be nice to have another woman around the house.”
“I imagine it will,” Maxine replied. “It does look like it needs a bit of a woman's touch.”
“Well, it's been quite a while,” Sam replied. He offered Maxine a slice of apple. “You ready to head back to town? A couple of the boys and me are off to the saloon for a drink. We'd be happy to take you back with us. I hope you don't mind riding.”
Maxine’s cheeks felt warm. “I've never ridden before,” she said.
“Well, that's all right,” Sam said. “You can ride with me if you like. It's just there's really no use in hitching up a cart when we don't need one, you see.”
“Of course,” Maxine replied. “Thank you for your offer, Mr. Wagner. I wouldn't mind.”
“You can call me Sam,” he said. “Please. Mr. Wagner is my pa.” A giggle escaped Maxine as she stifled it with the back of her hand. “Come on, now,” Sam continued. “I'll round up the boys and we'll head on out.”
“Isn't it a bit early to be leaving?” Maxine asked, following Sam as he moved towards the barn.
“Naw,” Sam said, finishing off his apple and drawing a cigarette case and match box out of his pocket. “All our jobs are done for the day. We'll be back before it's too late. Mr. Wilkinson's not fussed about it, so long as there's nothing left unfinished.”
Two other men were waiting in the barn, one of them smoking Horses were already saddled and ready. They greeted Maxine with quiet hellos and tipped their hats. Cigarette in mouth, Sam helped Maxine up onto the saddle of a tall brown gelding before swinging himself up behind her. The other two mounted and they set off. Maxine sat up as straight as she could, clutching the saddle horn, afraid of falling off even with Sam's arms around her. She found herself often leaning back into him. His body was solid and warm and smelled of horses and leather and tobacco smoke. He didn't hold her, but Maxine knew that if she leaned too far to either side he would catch her before she could fall.
The men chatted amongst themselves about nothing that Maxine could particularly follow, but she did notice that they were careful about their language. Maxine appreciated it, though she was no stranger to foul words. She had no doubt the little group would be entirely different once they had a couple glasses of whiskey in them. She was loathe to leave them, Sam especially, but it would hardly be appropriate for her to sit and drink with them, no matter how much she found herself wanting to.
The trip back to Amarillo seemed shorter than the trip to the ranch. Before Maxine knew it she could see the town at the bottom of the cliff. Another fifteen minutes of steady riding brought them to its outskirts. Sam's companions rode straight for the saloon, but Sam held back, slowing down the horse to a gentle walk.
“Where do you live?” he asked.
“Down that way,” Maxine replied, pointing along the street. “I can walk, it's no trouble.”
“It wouldn't be very gentlemanly of me not to escort you,” Sam replied firmly. He hitched his horse with the others and swung to the ground. Maxine accepted his help dismounting, her hands tight on his shoulders. Her body slid against his before her feet touched the ground. When she tipped her head back their faces were close, so close that she could feel his breath on her lips. Almost simultaneously they both looked away and stepped back from each other. Sam's hands fell from her hips. He crooked his elbow at her instead. Maxine placed her hand against it.
The walk to Lizzy and Jacob's house didn't last long enough.
“Thank you,” Maxine said when they reached the door. “For everything today.”
“Of course,” Sam replied. He stepped away. Maxine let her hand trail along his arm before clasping them in front of her. “I'll see you on Monday?”
“Yes,” Maxine replied. “Of course. Have a good evening Mr. Wa–” She stopped herself at the look on his face. “Sam.”
“Good evening, Miss Maxine.” Sam tipped his hat and strode off down the street. Maxine watched him go, then shook herself and huffed out a loud sigh. Doing her best to ignore the butterflies in her stomach, she spun on her heel and let herself into the house.
Chapter 6
Maxine wasn't sure she had been properly prepared for the amount of work that housekeeping involved. Still, she wasn't going to give up and crawl back to her sister, or even worse, back to Matthew.
She would have been lost without Richard and Sam—especially Sam. After every long day making sure everything in the house was running smoothly, she looked for him, even with sore feet and stiff shoulders. He became her personal driver whenever she needed to go into town and went so far as to accompany her to church with Lizzy and Jacob. He looked fine dressed up in his Sunday best. So fine that Maxine almost didn't recognize him at first, with his hair slicked back and his shoes shining.
“You ready for another riding lesson?” Sam asked as she approached him, letting a steady stream of smoke blow from his mouth.
“Oh, not today,” Maxine sighed. “I'm still sore from yesterday.”
“You won't get over that unless you keep going,” Sam said. “Come on, I've already got Willow all saddled up.”
Maxine sighed, but she couldn't say no to his smile. “Oh, all right,” she said, planting her hands on her hips. Sam's grin widened and he flicked his cigarette away as he opened the gate and let Maxine into the corral. Willow immediately trotted over to her and began to search for a treat. Over the past several weeks she had learned to always have something in her pockets for the mare. Sam checked that all the straps on the saddle were tight and gave Maxine a boost up into the saddle.
Sam took the lead rope and clicked his tongue. Willow followed easily, with Maxine trying not to clutch the reins too hard. That had been the first thing Sam had corrected her on. That and her posture. She sat too stiffly in the saddle which did nothing to help her saddle sores and made Willow anxious.
“I'm gonna put her through her paces, all right?” Sam said. “Try not to fall off.”
Maxine rolled her eyes, but soon she was too occupied with trying not to do just that as Sam guided Willow around the pen. She had gotten better and better, but she still wasn't anywhere near as good as Sam. She had seen him riding with the other ranchers. Sometimes they would race the horses around the ranch and place bets on who would win. Maxine never took part, of course, but she did find watching them exhilarating. The ranch was too large for her to watch the entire race. As soon as the men disappeared into the hills she would wait with baited breath to see who emerged back into the valley first. It was almost always Sam. Maxine didn't have much experience with horses, but she had never seen anyone ride the way he did. She hoped that one day she could be a fraction as skilled as he was.
“You're slipping,” Sam said, calling her attention back to him. She straightened her posture. “You think you're ready to do a couple loops on your own?”
“I suppose,” Maxine said, feeling uncertain but wanting to impress her new friend. She counted on Sam and Richard most to show her the ropes and give her the company she missed being away from her sister. Sam never seemed to be in a bad mood, and always had time for her no matter how much work he had done that day. He looped the lead rope over Willow's neck and patted the mare gently on the rump.
“She's all yours, Miss Maxine.”
“You don't need to call me miss,” she said. She adjusted her grip on the reins and gently gave Willow her heels. The mare responded easily and smoothly moved into a trot. Maxine clung to the mare's sides with her knees. She hated being bounced about so roughly, but Sam had not once let her fall to the ground. Somehow he always managed to catch her just as she slipped from the saddle. This time, she kept her balance and completed two full loops around the corral before she reined Willow in.
“Well done!” Sam called.
“You're clearly a good teacher,” Maxine replied. “I hurt far too much to ride another minute, though. Help me down?” Sam was at her side in an instant, lifting his arms up and gently gripping her waist. Her breath caught in her throat, those butterflies returning to wreak havoc in her stomach as he helped her down from Willow's tall back. “Thank you,” she said softly.
“Well done!” Sam called.
“You're clearly a good teacher,” Maxine replied. “Perhaps a walk? I think it would do me good to stretch my legs.”
“Whatever the lady wishes,” Sam replied. He helped her down and one of the younger boys came to take Willow back to her stall.
He didn't offer his arm, but he did walk close to her, their arms and shoulders brushing. “So,” Sam said, drawing out the word. “You uh, you don't have a sweetheart or anything, do you?”
Maxine glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. She could tell him about Matthew. After all, in Sam's eyes she could be the jilted lover. May
be then her lie of omission would stop lingering in the back of her mind. She tucked her hair behind her ear. What would Sam think of her?
“Miss Maxine?”
“You don't need to call me miss,” Maxine said again. “Just Maxine will do. And... no, I don't have a sweetheart, not exactly.”
“Not exactly?” Sam replied. “That sounds complicated.”
“It is,” Maxine said. “I... was engaged to a man, but he left me for another woman.” There it was. Out in the open. Mostly. He didn't really need to know about the ad she had answered, did he?
“Something tells me there’s more to the story.”
The two of them stopped beneath the shade of a tree. Sam lit up another cigarette. Maxine wrapped her arms around herself and leaned back against the tree.
“There is,” she said. “I answered an ad in the newspaper not long after my mother died. Matthew was his name. Matthew Wheeler. I was to be his wife, but he found someone else. I sold the ring and bought a ticket here to stay with my sister.”
“Well, he's a cruel man to turn away someone as fine as you. Beggin' your pardon.”
Maxine blushed. “Thank you,” she said.
“Don't you worry,” Sam said. “If he ever shows his face around here I'll show him what for.”
“That's not necessary,” Maxine said. “Truly.”
Sam shrugged his shoulders. “No man should treat a woman that way. That's all I mean.”
Maxine looked down at her shoes.
“Do you, perhaps, think you would like a sweetheart?” Sam asked. He didn't look at her, but he had taken his hat off and was squinting out into the sun.
Maxine's heart fluttered. “Are you... asking me to be your sweetheart?” she asked.
“Would you mind it if I was?” Sam asked. “Because if that's the case, then no, that ain't what I'm askin'.”
“I-I think I would like that,” she said. “Very much.”
Sam looked at her and grinned. “Good,” he said. “'Cos I’d like that very much too. Do you think it would be all right if I... if I kissed you? I've been waitin', you know, for a while I've–”
Romance: Western Mail Order Bride Bethany's Love -Clean Christian Historical Romance (Western Mail Order Bride Short Shorties Series) Page 152
