She took off her apron, put it in the laundry basket, and stepped outside, eager to feel the cool night air on her face. Harriet, the handyman’s wife, must have had the same idea. She was standing in front of the small cottage where she lived with Tom and their son, fanning herself with a scrap of paper.
“Hello,” Ruth called out as she crossed the grass toward her friend. “Has it been a long day?”
“No longer than usual,” Harriet replied. “They all seem long lately.” She rested a hand on her rounded belly. “Teddy was difficult to put to sleep tonight. I think he knows I’m extra tired.”
“Children do seem to sense these things.” Ruth took a deep breath of the cool air. “Thank you for helping Jack out with the clean clothes the other day.”
“It was my pleasure. Poor fellow looked like he’d been through the wars—I was just glad I could help. How’s Mr. Barker doing?”
“Really well. His wound is healing nicely, and Dr. Wayment says he’ll be able to start tapering off the opium soon.”
“Oh, that’s good.”
A small wail sounded from inside the cottage, and Harriet sighed. “Duty calls. I’ll see you later.”
“Take care of yourself,” Ruth said as her friend disappeared inside. She walked back toward the hotel slowly, wanting to take advantage of the cool, quiet evening for as long as she could.
When she finally went back inside and made her way from the kitchen toward the lobby, she was startled when Mr. Runyon popped up in the hall.
“Good evening, Ruth,” he said. “I see that everything’s shut down for the night.”
“Yes, it is. No more trains until morning.”
“That’s good news, I’m sure. It gives you a chance for some time off. I noticed a chessboard in the parlor and wondered if I could interest you in a game.”
A game of chess wasn’t the same as walking out with him, but she still wasn’t about to do anything to encourage his attention. Was there any other way out of this? None that she could think of.
“Mr. Runyon, I think it’s only fair that I tell you something.” She swallowed, then smiled brightly. “I’ve recently become engaged to be married. It happened this afternoon, in fact.”
“Engaged? Well, that’s certainly a surprise. Who’s the lucky fellow?”
“His name is Alex Barker, and he’s a guest recovering from an injury. I’ve spent a lot of time taking care of him over the last few days, and we’ve developed an attachment.”
“I see.” Mr. Runyon looked down at the floor, then back up at her, his lips pressed together. “Congratulations to you both. Will I get the chance to meet him?”
“Yes. In fact, why don’t you come with me now? I was just on my way to check in with him before retiring.”
“Are you sure he’s not already asleep?”
“He might be, and if that’s the case, we’ll just try again tomorrow.”
Ruth led the way up the staircase, her hands trembling. She hoped this would do the trick—she didn’t want this subterfuge to go on indefinitely.
The door to Alex’s room was slightly ajar, and she knocked softly before pushing it open farther. Alex was reading, and he looked up and smiled when he saw her.
“Alex, I’ve brought a friend of mine to meet you. This is Mr. Runyon.”
Alex set the book aside and held out his hand. “Mr. Runyon, I’m pleased to meet you. Are you staying here at the hotel?”
Mr. Runyon returned the handshake with a dissatisfied look on his face. “Yes, I am. Or rather, I was. My business in town seems to be concluded, and I’ll be leaving tomorrow.” He paused. “I understand that you and Miss Barnes are to be married.”
“Yes, that’s right. I asked her this very afternoon.” Alex looked at Ruth and gave her an adoring smile.
“That seems rather sudden, doesn’t it? Haven’t you just met?”
“True, but when something’s right, you just know it.”
Mr. Runyon nodded. “Yes, I’ve experienced that a time or two myself. Well, I won’t keep you—I’m sure you’re quite tired. Congratulations again, both of you, and I wish you joy.” He turned to Ruth. “As I said, I’ll be leaving tomorrow. Thank you for the time spent in your company—you made my visit much more enjoyable.”
“You’re welcome,” Ruth told him. “Have a good journey.”
As soon as Mr. Runyon left the room, Ruth closed the door and plopped into the chair next to Alex’s bed. “That was hard.”
“And yet you did it. Excellent job.”
“Why do you think he made a point of thanking me for the time we spent together? That seemed odd.”
“I took it as a jab at me—he wanted me to know that I wasn’t the only one interested in you. It’s over now, though, and things like that don’t matter. He can be as disappointed or as unhappy as he chooses to be. You did your best to break things off, and his reactions are up to him entirely.”
“You’ve told me that, and I understand it logically, and yet I’m still struggling not to feel as though I’ve done something wrong.”
Alex reached out and took her hand. It was warm and comforting. “Ruth, please believe me when I say this—it’s not your duty to make that man happy. Or to make anyone happy, for that matter. You owe him nothing. You’ve been kind and gracious and good, much more than anyone else would be, and you have nothing to hold against yourself. You alone should choose who you spend time with. That choice will always be yours and no one else’s.”
His tone was rich and sincere, and she knew to her core that he was telling her the truth. “Thank you. That’s a difficult concept for me to accept—I was raised to believe that my father’s wants were greater than my own, but I managed to move here without his support. I can do even more things independently.”
“Yes, you can, and I’ll cheer you on from my sick bed while you do it.” He grinned and let go of her hand. “It’s about bedtime, isn’t it? Shouldn’t you be resting?”
“Not until you’ve had your dose.” She pulled the bottle from her pocket and measured out the right amount. “Dr. Wayment says you can start tapering off soon.”
Alex grimaced. “That’s good news because it means I’m healing, but I have to be honest—I’m nervous about it, too. I’m not very good at handling pain.”
“But you were a boxer. Don’t boxers have to endure things like broken noses and cracked knuckles and all sort of injuries like that?”
“Not the good ones, and I was a good one.” He gave her a smile. “I’m sure I’ll get through it. Just ignore me if I whine too much.”
“Maybe we can think of some ways to take your mind off it. Mr. Runyon reminded me that we have a chessboard in the parlor—I could bring it up here, if you’d like to play.”
“I would rather read your sea salamander book than play a game of chess.”
“Oh? You dislike the game that much?”
“With a passion. I can’t explain it—I just do. If you had some cards, though, I do enjoy those.”
“I’m sure we do. I’ll find them in the morning.” She stood up. “Goodnight, Alex. Thank you again for everything.” Without giving it any thought, she bent down and kissed his cheek, then left the room after making sure that the bell she’d placed by his bed was still there. She didn’t want him to go without help in the night if he needed it.
***
Ruth checked on Alex first thing the next morning before heading down to start breakfast. He’d slept fairly well, but was quite glad for his dose of opium when she gave it to him. She promised to send him up a tray, but without rabbit this time, then got to work preparing the morning meal.
She’d been concerned when Dr. Wayment had first spoken to her about opium addiction, but she didn’t see any of the signs in Alex. He wasn’t asking for doses before it was time, he wasn’t complaining of pain more than seemed natural—his pain seemed genuine, and he was handling it quite well. That lifted some concerns from her shoulders. The last thing Alex needed was to develop an
opium addiction on top of his injury.
Callie came into the room and leaned on the counter, watching Ruth finish dicing up the potatoes to go with the ham she’d prepared. “May I ask you a question?”
“Of course,” Ruth replied, wondering why the girl was keeping her voice low.
“Are you and Mr. Barker engaged? When I helped Mr. Runyon check out this morning, he mentioned it.”
Ruth smiled. “We’re engaged only as long as it takes for Mr. Runyon to stop seeking me out. Alex is doing me a great favor by posing as my fiancé, but that’s all there is to it.” Her hands stilled for a moment. “You say Mr. Runyon checked out?”
“Yes, he did. He said he had a train to catch.”
Ruth pulled in a deep breath of relief. “Oh, I’m so glad.”
“I have to say, though, that I’m disappointed. I think you and Mr. Barker would be an excellent couple.”
“You do?” Ruth was surprised at that, but then she smiled. She could certainly think of worse things that could happen—being Alex’s wife wouldn’t be a hardship at all. She could imagine the two of them sitting up late discussing all sorts of interesting topics and each holding their own in the conversation. There was a lot to be said for being friends first before falling in love.
“Yes, I do. You might think about it.” Callie smiled at her before pulling the breakfast plates down from the shelf to get them ready.
Ruth did think about it while she finished the potatoes, but then she decided that she didn’t want to think about it. It wasn’t likely to happen, and she didn’t want to be disappointed. It was far better for her to daydream about the dainty little cakes she’d make for Mrs. Norton. That was a much better use of her time.
She sent Nora upstairs with a breakfast tray for Alex, and after her shift was over, she hunted around until she found a deck of playing cards in the drawer of the check-in counter. Alex brightened when he saw them.
“Oh, good. I’ve been looking forward to a game ever since we talked about it last night.”
“Well, if I hadn’t found these, I would have gone over to the general store to buy a new deck. We must keep you entertained.”
Alex put his book on his lap to act as a table and began to shuffle the cards. “When Nora was here earlier, she mentioned that Mr. Runyon checked out.”
“Yes, he did. I guess that means our engagement is at an end.”
“I’m not sure we want to be that hasty,” Alex said, not meeting her eyes, but focusing on the cards instead. “There might be some therapeutic benefits to this that we’re overlooking.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that I’ve been thirty-five percent happier since we became engaged, and I seem to be feeling a bit better overall. Wouldn’t it be a shame if we ended our engagement now and I reverted or my progress slowed? I don’t think that’s a risk we can rightfully take without serious medical repercussions.”
“Thirty-five percent? My goodness. That’s significant.”
“I agree.” He paused in his shuffling. “What shall we play? I’d suggest poker, but I don’t know if that would scandalize you.”
Ruth chuckled. “Why would it scandalize me?”
“Because of gambling and whatnot.”
“Is it gambling if we don’t bet any money?”
He shrugged. “I suppose not, but if we don’t bet anything, is the game still fun? With no risk, is there a reward?”
They both looked up when a knock sounded on Alex’s door. Ruth stood to open it. “Parker!” she said, stepping back to let him in. “How are you?”
Deputy Parker Monroe stepped into the room, his hat in his hands. “Hello, Ruth. I’m well, thank you.” He turned to face the bed. “I’m sorry I haven’t been by to see you yet—I’ve been helping Colonel Gordon with this case. How are you feeling, Alex?”
“Doing a little better every day, and I’ve just talked Ruth into playing poker with me. Would you like to join us?”
“Wish I could, but I’m on duty right now. I came by to tell you that your brother has officially been cleared of all suspicion, and a date for the trial has been set for six weeks from now. Will you be able to attend and give testimony?”
“I should be. Dr. Wayment has me down for a while, but in six weeks, I’ll be more than fit.”
“Good to hear that.” Parker nodded at Ruth and ducked out, saying over his shoulder that he’d be back in a few days to take Alex up on the offer of a game.
Ruth had never understood all the ins and outs of poker, but that made it quite a bit more fun. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed so much. As they played, she kept thinking back to what Alex had said about being happier since they’d become engaged. Of course he was just joking—after all, how could a fake engagement make someone genuinely happy?—but she liked the way it sounded when he said it. There was something so natural and right about sitting with him, laughing together. She could picture this being their future, and the thought made her feel warm inside.
Of course, if she were to stay engaged to Alex, it would mean giving up the job in Kansas City. She sighed, realizing that she couldn’t have it all—she couldn’t pursue her culinary dreams and have a meaningful relationship at the same time. It just wasn’t possible, and at the moment, her new job had more of a pull on her than Alex did. She’d been offered a salary, a place to live, and specific assignments, and he . . . well, he hadn’t offered anything. Just a pretty story to tell people when they got too close.
“Are you all right?”
She looked up and met Alex’s concerned gaze. “Of course. What do you mean?”
“You sighed just now, and you sounded unhappy.”
“No, I’m fine. Just thinking,”
“Thinking’s fairly dangerous. I’m not sure I recommend it.”
“I’m not sure I do either.” She played her next card, not paying much attention. “But I can’t seem to help it.”
Alex looked at the cards, then back up at her. “You really must be distracted. That’s an excellent card you just threw away.”
“Well, how am I supposed to keep it all straight?” She set down the cards in her hand, then leaned back in her chair. “I’m sorry. I think I’m just tired of cards. Would you like me to read to you instead?”
“Why don’t you go rest for a while? I’m perfectly all right here, and I hate the idea of you getting worn out.”
That was such a kind offer. “Are you sure?”
“Of course I’m sure. Go take a nap or something—you looked so refreshed the other day when you’d had enough sleep. Give yourself that gift again.”
“All right, I think I will. Thank you for the suggestion.”
“And thank you for everything you’ve done for me. Honestly, Ruth, you’ve made this whole experience bearable.”
She gave his hand a squeeze. Instead of releasing his grip, though, he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it, a feather-light gesture that sent tingles up her arm. “Have a good rest,” he said.
She stepped out into the hall and paused there for a moment, still able to feel the sensation of his lips on her skin. They’d just turned a corner in their relationship—she knew that as surely as anything. But what did that mean?
Chapter Fourteen
It was difficult for Alex to interpret what he was feeling. Attraction, most definitely. Ruth was the most beautiful girl he’d ever met, but he was also attracted to little things like the way she tilted her head as she listened or the way she tucked her hair behind her ear. He found himself very aware of all her movements, even the way she crossed the room.
When she’d kissed his cheek, even though it had been so quick as to make him wonder if he’d imagined it, it ignited something deep within him, a spark that burned so brightly, it was strange that it wasn’t visible to anyone else. And just now, when he’d kissed her hand . . . He shook his head. If only he could stand up and take her in his arms properly. He couldn’t very well ask her to bend over and
kiss him—that’s not how these things were done.
Mr. Brody and Tom came in a little while later to help him bathe and to change out his bedsheets. They’d been diligent in helping him maintain his dignity while he’d been laid up, and they’d done it without being asked. He never would have imagined this sort of kindness—not until he’d seen it for himself.
Once he was settled back into bed with a clean set of nightclothes and a freshly shaven face, he said to Mr. Brody, “How do you know when you’re meant to be with someone forever?”
Mr. Brody threw his head back and laughed. “You should wait until Tom gets back from dumping the bath water. He has some unique perspectives on that.”
“He does?”
“Yes. He met Harriet out by the water pump. He thought she was someone else, and he grabbed her and kissed her before he realized his mistake.”
“Was she understanding about it?”
“She was anything but. After a while, though, they seemed to patch things up.” Mr. Brody was still chuckling. “You’re making the question harder than it needs to be, but everyone has that tendency when they’re trying to be smart. Just listen to what your heart is telling you. That’s all you really need to do.”
Alex thought on that for a good long while. What was his heart trying to tell him? He needed to push logic completely to the side and concentrate on how he felt. When he broke it down to its roots, he was in love with Ruth Barnes. The fact that they’d known each other such a short time didn’t matter. What mattered was the growing kinship between them, and now the growing chemistry. He could travel the world a dozen times over and never find someone so compatible, and truth be told, he didn’t want to travel the world. He’d rather stay right there and spend his time getting to know Ruth. Of course, he’d prefer to do that from an upright position and maybe in a parlor rather than a confining bedroom, but at this point, he’d take it however it came. She was the one he wanted—he was more sure of that by the minute.
The Turn of a Wheel (Kansas Crossroads Book 17) Page 12
