"How long have you lived in Inspiration, Mr Calhoun?" Rachel asked as they both finished the last course of the meal, a delicious sweet consisting of fruit and pastry.
He leaned back in his chair and regarded her with a steady gaze. "Long enough to get to know the folks in the town." He lifted his gaze up to the ceiling. "I like to think I've made a positive contribution to this fine little town. I believe I'm held in high regard," he said and then shrugged one shoulder. "Although, as you now doubt understand Miss Ellsworth, there will always be some folks who don't quite appreciate what is done for the town."
Rachel finished the last portion of dessert and laid her spoon down on the plate. "You don't mean to say you have enemies, Mr Calhoun," she announced and gave him a smile. She'd meant it as a joke. But she could see he'd taken her casual remark with a sudden seriousness.
His brows rose in a straight line. "Me? Have enemies? I hardly think that's likely in a town like Inspiration, Miss Ellsworth."
She nodded. "It does seem like an idyllic place."
"And that's the way I'd like it to remain," Calhoun agreed. "And with my interests in the town, I hope I get a chance to make this into the finest little town in this territory. I like to think I'm appreciated around here." He grinned. "That my presence is noticed." That last remark had been uttered with what Rachel thought was the barest hint of irony. She wondered why the would speak about himself like that.
"What exactly are your interests, Mr Calhoun?" Rachel asked. It had been a bold question. One she'd told herself earlier she would not ask. But, right now, Mr Calhoun seemed filled with a sense of pride in what he owned, what he controlled, that her curiosity had been aroused.
He tilted his head. "I own some land outside town. Have my eye on getting some more," he added with a quirk of his brow. "And I have interests in a few of the establishments in town." He waved a dismissive hand. "Nothing special." His voice trailed off, and she had the distinct impression that he didn't want to give her any more details.
Rachel gave him a steady look. "That all sounds most intriguing," she teased, hoping he would volunteer more. But he remained tight-lipped. She wasn't sure she appreciated what looked like a sudden reticence to tell her more. But she felt it would be wrong to press him, especially since this was simply a polite luncheon. Nothing more.
Finally, the meal was over and she announced her intention to leave. She assumed he would offer to accompany her, at least along the boardwalk. But, as he faced her, she could tell by his upright posture, by his polite reserve, that he intended to remain in the restaurant. As if reading her mind, he spoke: "I would offer to see you back to the Cameron house, but I fear I have a previous engagement which makes it impossible for me to do so. I hope you can forgive me."
Once again, she felt that his charm was almost forced, as if he was trying too hard to win her favor. "That's fine, Mr Calhoun. I understand you're a busy man."
He bowed his head slightly. "I wouldn't have expected anything else but complete understanding from you, Miss Ellsworth."
"Rachel," she said. "Please call me Rachel." She knew it was a forward move on her part. But, somehow it seemed right.
His eyes brightened. "Rachel," said softly. "And you must call me, Brett."
She smiled and retrieved her reticule. "Thank you for the lunch, Brett," she said.
His delight at her use of his name seemed genuine. He walked her to the door and held it open as she stepped out into the hotel's reception area. From behind the desk, a man watched intently, his eyes wide with fascination. Ignoring him, Rachel bid goodbye to Brett Calhoun and left the hotel. The boardwalk was busy with people. She started back in the direction of the street in which was the Cameron house. She felt curiously relieved that the luncheon was over. Inside the restaurant, her attention had been occupied with the conversation and the courteous but reserved manner in which Brett Calhoun had treated her.
Now that she was outside in the fresh air, she realized she had felt uneasy about something throughout the meal. Back there, in the restaurant, she hadn't been able to make clear in her mind just what it was that had been bothering her. Out here though, away from Brett Calhoun's mature gaze, she realized what had made her feel unsettled. She could not ignore the fact that Brett Calhoun had gone to great lengths to say as little about himself as possible. In fact, Rachel sensed that she had provided him with far more information about her life than he had about his. She asked herself why he would do such a thing. Maybe he wasn't hiding things, she told herself. But he had certainly been reluctant to be as open with her as she had been with him.
Resolving to find out more about Mr Brett Calhoun, she picked up her pace and headed back to the Cameron house.
CHAPTER NINE
Late in the afternoon, after he'd finished some of his work on the schoolhouse roof, Micah decided to call on the Cameron house. Rachel had seemed in a hurry this lunchtime when she'd been closing up the schoolhouse and dismissing the children. In fact, she'd only said a few words to him as he'd clambered down the ladder. His intention had been to speak with her. He'd had plenty on his mind and he'd wanted to share some of it with her.
But she'd had other ideas. She'd mumbled something about being busy, something about an appointment, and then had rushed off leaving Micah feeling deflated and disappointed. He had been enjoying all of their conversations these past few days. And he believed he was making genuine progress when it came to making a favorable impression on her. At least that was how he saw it. Of course, it was possible he was fooling himself, he confessed privately. But, he allowed himself to hope that their brief encounters first thing in the morning, during breaks between classes, and when she'd been closing up the school, had allowed hope to grow in his heart.
When it came to matters of the heart, Micah knew he had plenty to learn. And he was learning fast. Advice had been forthcoming from all three of his brothers. Good advice that was based on personal experience. But still, courting did not come easily to Micah, and he knew it. It had reached the stage now that, every time he set eyes on Rachel he felt his heartbeat quicken; felt his pulse race; sensed a tightening in his throat that made anything he said to her feel like it had to be wrenched physically out of him.
He wondered if she had noticed his awkwardness and knew the answer to that. Of course, she did, he told himself. Most times she was with him, her eyes were bright with amusement at his stumbling attempts to win her favor. That just made things worse, as far as Micah was concerned. He'd won the respect of the boys, but it seemed he still had a long way to go before winning anything from Rachel. The clock was ticking, and he knew he would have to act soon. Even if the answer he would receive from Rachel would be negative, at least then he'd know he had to move on. But, he didn't want to move on from Rachel. She'd already made such an impression on Micah that he couldn't even contemplate trying to court anyone else.
As he walked up the road toward the house of Sophie and Nathan Cameron, Micah told himself that this courting business was just about the most difficult thing in the world. Compared to it, taking a herd of cattle to market was the easiest thing imaginable.
Just as Micah reached the white-painted front gate of the Cameron's house, he heard his name being called out from behind him.
"Micah?" came the familiar, sweet tones. He turned and saw Rachel walking toward him. His heart leaped in his chest and he dragged a breath in deep and slow. The need to be calm and not make a fool of himself took hold of him. Rachel looked surprised to see him. He pretty brows curved in an exquisite broad line above her shimmering, bright eyes. Her smile, a mixture of surprise and what he hoped was delight at seeing him, made hope rise in his heart.
"Rachel," Micah replied. He glanced back down the length of the street. "Been in town shopping again?"
For some reason, her features flushed pink as she heard his question. She glanced away quickly and halted. She gestured with her reticule back in the direction of Main Street. "I had a few errands to attend to," she expla
ined hesitantly. "Nothing special."
There was something about the way she'd spoken which made Micah frown. "Okay," he drawled, not wanting to press her for more. He figured she had all the rights to her own privacy. But he couldn't help noticing she wasn't carrying any bags. He wondered where she had been, but set it aside for the moment.
"You finished for the day at the schoolhouse? Bit early, don't you think?" she asked.
He lifted a brow. "You want me up on that roof all day?" he asked in a mischievous tone. "It's hot work on a day like this." He grinned. "You're a regular ramrod, aren't you."
She squinted at him. "What's a ramrod? Or shouldn't I want to know?"
He laughed. "It's what we call the boss of the ranch hands up at the spread. He's the one who gives orders and makes sure work gets done."
She thrust a hand against her side. "And that's what you think I am? Like a herd boss?" she asked, shaking her head.
"You do like giving orders," he observed. "If you can ride a horse, I could get you a job up there," he joked.
Rachel laughed uneasily. "You should quit while you're ahead, before things get any worse," she said. "It's just that you normally don't stop until later in the day. That's all I was saying."
He glanced at the Cameron house. "Figured I'd pay a call on Sophie. See if Nathan is here, too. Catch up on the latest news around town." He ran his gaze down the length of her pretty, green gown. A thought drifted into his mind. He hesitated a moment, weighing up the risks of opening his mouth and saying it out loud. After a moment, he figured the risk was worth it. "You look mighty pretty in that outfit, Rachel," he observed. "If you don't mind me saying so."
Once again, her cheeks flushed. This time though, he was glad that his compliment had had its intended effect. And he was wasn't pretending. She looked stunning today. Absolutely beautiful. The color suited her, making her clear skin glow with porcelain perfection. All dressed up like that, she looked every bit the elegant, poised lady he knew she was. In fact, he figured she was just about the prettiest woman in the whole of Inspiration. He was glad he'd made the decision to visit the Cameron house. Seeing her like this had made it all worthwhile.
Her eyes widened. "Thank you for those kind words." When she smiled at him, her lips curved into the most delicate bow shape he'd ever seen. He felt his throat tighten and he struggled to mask his reaction to that smile.
The sound of a door opening came from behind Micah. He turned and saw Sophie Cameron standing at the open door. She was wearing a blue, patterned gingham gown. Smiling at them, Sophie waved enthusiastically to them. "Come on in, you two. Looks like you got plenty to say to one another."
Was it that obvious? Micah wondered if the observant wife of the town's sheriff could see something neither he nor Rachel could see.
Micah opened the gate and gestured for Rachel to go ahead of him. She nodded her head and smiled at him. For a brief moment he felt like a perfect gentleman. As she passed close to him, he caught the aroma of her scent, a delicate mixture, sweet and alluring. Up close her skin looked radiant in the afternoon sun. She moved slowly and waited a moment as he stepped onto the garden path and closed the gate behind him. Then they walked up the path side by side. Sophie watched from the open door, visible approval on her features.
Once inside the house, they followed Sophie into the sitting room. As he sat down next to Rachel, Micah reflected on the fact that this was an unexpected bonus. Rachel clearly felt obliged to spend at least some time with him. He knew he'd been given a chance to impress her and he was determined not to waste it. Sophie headed to the kitchen to bring some tea and cakes.
For a few long moments, Micah sat stiffly alongside Rachel, trying to figure out what he could say to her. For some inexplicable reason, his mind had gone completely blank. He figured maybe it was just being this close to Rachel that had done that to him. Also the fact that they were temporarily alone wasn't making it any easier.
She cleared her throat and glanced at him. "How's the work coming along."
"Fine. I should be finished in a few days," he replied.
"Really?" she asked, her brows rising sharply. "I thought it was going to take longer."
"The damage isn't as bad as I thought," he explained. "And I haven't needed anyone else's help."
She smiled. "You're doing it all yourself then?"
"Looks like it," he agreed and smiled right back at her. For a moment he felt the connection between them. It took the form of him holding his gaze on her pretty features for a bit longer than politeness dictated. But, as far as he was concerned, they'd already moved past the point of mere courtesy. He'd gotten to know her these past few days, and he liked what he'd discovered. The only question was, did she like what she'd found out about him? He still wasn't sure. And he was curious about where she had been this lunchtime. Because there was no sign of Lily. So, whatever her appointment had been, it had been something she had been anxious to keep from the five-year old.
"You getting to know some of the folks in town?" he asked.
Her features took on a blank expression. She shrugged. "The shopkeepers are getting to know me." She smiled. "They know I'll be back and ready to buy, once I've settled here a while longer."
"You've already got a list," he suggested.
She nodded. "I didn't bring a whole lot from back East. Although, I've arranged for a trunk to be shipped out. It should be here soon. It has lots of Lily's things. And mine, too."
"In the meantime, you're trying to resist the temptation to go on a buying spree?" he asked.
She shook her head. "Hardly. I've only started being paid for my teaching work. Sophie has leant me a couple of gowns. We're both roughly the same size."
"Petite," he observed with an obviously appreciative tone in his voice. He immediately regretted the impulsive comment, since it suggested he had been paying too much attention to how she looked. He cleared his throat and glanced nervously away. He hadn't been able to control himself, he realized. The word had leaped out of him before he'd had a chance to consider whether he should say it. He felt the heat rise to his cheeks. When he glanced back at her, he saw that she was watching him carefully as if she was trying to analyze why he'd said that.
There was a sudden thundering sound of feet pounding on wooden floor. Lily came rushing into the room, her white gown a sudden bright blaze in the room, and raced straight to Rachel. "You're back!" Lily exclaimed throwing herself into Rachel's open arms.
Rachel laughed as she hugged the little girl. Micah watched, fascinated, as the girl and her adopted mother showed just how much affection they had for one another. The sight instantly touched Micah's heart. This was what it meant to enjoy the privilege of a child's unconditional love, he told himself. His brother Gideon, devout as usual, had compared it to the love of God for his children. Gideon had spoken to Micah, trying to alleviate his concerns about what it would be like to take on the responsibility of a child. An instant family. As far as Gideon was concerned it was a grace of God, and something to be treasured. Right now, he savored the sight of what was obviously a loving relationship between Lily and Rachel.
Parting from Rachel, Lily turned and faced Micah. She smiled at him. "Are you finished working at the schoolhouse, Micah?" she asked, her eyes bright with curiosity. Her bright voice delighted his ears.
"For the day," Micah replied nodding.
"And you came just to see us?" Lily asked breathlessly.
Micah's mouth opened. Out of the mouths of babes, he said to himself. "Well. Not exactly," he tried to explain. When he saw Lily's brows furrow with disappointment, Micah added: "But of course, I'm sure glad I came. Now that I found you both here." He leaned forward and smiled at Lily. "Especially you, Lily," he added.
Lily jumped up once and grinned at Rachel. "See? I told you, didn't I? I was right."
Rachel blushed instantly and glanced sharply at Micah. He looked from Rachel to Lily. What had Lily meant by that? He wondered what they'd been saying about him
when he wasn't around.
"We were talking the other day," Rachel explained gazing at Micah. "And Lily said she was wondering when you'd come over and visit," she added. She glanced at Lily and narrowed her eyes. "Isn't that right, Lily?"
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