A Tender Moment Under the Stars: An Inspirational Historical Romance Book Page 4

  “Howdy,” he said, dismounting and throwing the reins over a nearby railing. “Looks like you don’t need my help here. I’ll just head on to the saloon and let you finish up.”

  “Uh-uh!” Freddie barked, hopping over a piece of wood that had slipped from its proper position. “I need you right here and you know it.”

  “Nah.” Solomon waved one hand and shook his head.

  “Yeah,” Freddie replied, pointing at the box. “Unload.”

  Solomon chuckled. “Yes, sir. How’s your mornin’ been?” He bent over and fiddled with the lock on the metal box. “Things going smooth so far?”

  “Yeah, so far, so good,” Freddie replied. “I think they might have to make new signs for this booth next year, though, or if they use it for the end of the year holidays. It’s starting to fade and the fabric is thinning on this.” He held up a sign advertising the game. The duck had almost faded into the sunlight behind it.,

  “Yeah, that’s faded out. I wonder if someone can dye it or something. Bring the colors back out.”

  Freddie looked impressed. “Listen to the big man, suggesting arts and crafts.”

  Solomon raised his eyebrows. “I work in a supply store, Freddie. Who do you think supplies what the ladies use for their dresses and such? Besides, it works with shoe polish. Why shouldn’t it with this kind of fabric?”

  “I think you may be right, my friend. We’ll take it to Sarah and ask her to take a look at it. She’s the seamstress that handles Ma’s dresses.”

  Solomon nodded. Freddie shoved the banner into his back pocket and continued building the booth.

  “So I sent a check to Isabel,” Solomon said as if it was no big deal.

  Freddie stopped working to look at him for a moment. “You sure about this?”

  “I’m sure,” Solomon said, resolutely.

  “What if she takes the check and makes it out to herself and steals all your money?”

  “She has no idea how much money I have,” Solomon said with a laugh. “And from the sound of it, she has her own money. She was going to leave Morningside anyway. Whether or not I brought her here.”

  “You ever get any other letters answering your ad?” Freddie asked, turning to pick up a hammer, slipping three nails in between his lips. He began to hammer. Solomon answered over the noise.

  “Not that I’m aware of. I canceled the ad after writing to Isabel.”

  “You were that sure, were you?”

  “You read the letter, what did you think?” Solomon was genuinely curious about his friend’s answer.

  Freddie didn’t answer at first. He finished hammering in the three additional nails before he turned Solomon. “You know, I think you did the right thing. I did like the sound of her letter. And that seal. That was pretty fancy, wasn’t it?”

  Solomon nodded, smiling. “Yeah, that was…interesting. I guess I’m just intrigued enough to want to get to know her. If she doesn’t want to stay, she doesn’t have to. I think we’ll be able to agree on that. But I hope she decides to stay.”

  Freddie chuckled. “Of course you do. You wouldn’t have sent her a blank check if you hadn’t. But you don’t know really, what you hope she will do, until you meet her. Right?”

  “Yeah. You’re right. Help me with this, would ya?”

  The two men lifted the mechanism holding the metal ducks and set it on the four-legged rectangular pedestal Freddie had just secured together and in place. Solomon didn’t need Freddie’s help. He could have lifted it on his own. But Freddie was helping him build it and doing most of the work really so Solomon didn’t say anything. He felt it gave Freddie a feeling of accomplishment getting things done and he didn’t want to take that happiness from his friend.

  Freddie knew Solomon was there if he was needed.

  “Go around front and see if it’s level against the counter where the rifles will be,” Freddie instructed.

  Solomon did as Freddie said, going out and bending in half to see the table and ducks behind it from a child’s perspective.

  “The ducks are too far back on the right side,” he said. “And the whole thing needs to be moved about three inches that way.” He indicated to the left.

  “The whole thing?” Freddie asked in confusion. “What do you mean, the whole thing.”

  “The pedestal you built with the ducks. It needs to be moved to the left three inches.”

  Freddie shook his head. “That’s not happening. This thing is secured to the fence behind it. I’ll tell you what. Let’s move the front counter to the right three inches. How about that?”

  Solomon nodded. “That’s perfect.”

  He rejoined Freddie at the booth and they each picked up one side of the table.

  “Careful not to knock off the rifles,” Freddie said when the table tilted slightly and one of them rolled off.

  “Think they should have been taken off first,” Solomon replied, leaning down to get the one that had fallen. “It’s all right. It didn’t break.”

  “Nothing could break those things, I swear. We’re almost done with this. We’ll have to try it out.”

  “You try it out while I get the cotton candy maker out and all the stuff that goes with that.”

  “Hey, thanks for bringing that, by the way,” Freddie said. “You know, it’s my mom’s favorite.”

  “I’m glad to hear that.”

  Solomon had always left the candy maker in the storage room where everything that was used in celebrations was kept. When they’d retrieved the things for the booth, he’d also brought out the cotton candy maker and left it with the unbuilt booth.

  He looked around until he spotted the large box in the corner, almost hidden behind a huge bush.

  He went to it and lifted the wooden lid, looking in with a smile. It was his favorite candy, too.

  As he set it up, he thought about what it would be like to have Isabel there, helping out. He’d made all sorts of plans for them, ways they could get to know each other. He wanted to learn absolutely everything about her. He couldn’t wait to see her face. He was anxious to know what she looked like.

  “Do you know when she’ll be here?”

  “No. I sent the check about a week ago, so I assume it will get there soon. I told her to telegram me that she was coming and I would meet her at the station.”

  “You want company when you go?”

  Solomon shook his head. “No. I’m glad this town is small and we don’t get a lot of travelers. Unless she comes at the same time as the out-of-towners during the Fourth of July Celebration, it will probably just be her getting off the train. I don’t want to be confused with anyone else or to have a large crowd there. I’m hoping she comes on a day when there isn’t anyone else there.”

  “Well, she has a week to get here before celebrations start.”

  As soon as the words were out of his mouth, a messenger boy came running up, grinning at Solomon, who was three times his size.

  “Telegram for you, Sol!” the boy said.

  Solomon pulled a coin from his pocket and gave it to the young man. “Thanks, Manny.”

  He looked down at the telegram, a chill covering his body. “She’s coming,” he said, excitedly. “She’ll be here tomorrow evening.”

  He grinned wide at Freddie, who returned the look of joy. “Oh, now I’m as excited as you. I hope you’ll bring her in town first thing to meet everyone.”

  “That is the plan, yes.” Solomon nodded, his eyes back on the paper, rereading her words.

  I’m on my way. One and a half days of travel. See you soon. Izzy

  His eyes landed and stayed on her name. She called herself Izzy. He liked it. That’s what he would call her, too.

  Chapter 6

  Isabel imagined what living in Texas would be like. She wondered if Steven’s Gulch was near water so that she could go swimming and take boat rides and have picnics on the shore. She knew from reading geography books that Texas was a much warmer climate, hotter and dryer than the east sid
e of the country but that it was still lush with flora and fauna, rich, colorful landscapes all throughout the state.

  She let her eyes roam to the window and once the train was rumbling down the tracks, she began to watch the change in scenery. The motion of the vehicle lulled her to a nap at one point and she woke to find she had used her handbag as a pillow and was leaning against the wall of the train car. She was disoriented only for a moment before she came back to her senses and pulled herself from sleep.

  Movement to her right caught her attention. Someone had flapped a newspaper. It was a gentleman, based on the attire and he was holding it up directly in front of his face.

  There were three other passengers, a couple and a young woman but they were all behind her. He was the only one who could have caught her attention.

  To her surprise, while she was looking at him, he moved the paper to the side and looked around it at her. She immediately moved her eyes away and her cheeks flushed. When she dared to look back again, he was still looking around the paper at her and had a smile on his face.

  She looked away again and was dismayed when he stood up and crossed to sit on the bench across from her.

  “I beg your pardon,” he said in a kind voice. “I saw that you have just woken from your nap. I’m finding this newspaper to be incredibly boring and would love to converse with you, if you’d like to pass the time.”

  Having never been anywhere in her entire life, Isabel didn’t know what to make of the young man.

  “Well, yes…of course, you can sit…wherever you like.”

  “I hope you don’t mind and I don’t mean to scare you. I’m just frightfully bored.” He tossed the folded newspaper to the side and grinned at her again. “There’s nothing but nonsense in there. And maybe a good article or two about our fine president.”

  “Oh my. I do hope you don’t want to talk politics with me,” Isabel said. “I can’t think of anything else I would find more boring!” She had to laugh softly.

  He gave her a friendly look. “Yes, exactly why I’m so bored. And no, I wouldn’t dare make you feel the same way by discussing it.” He leaned forward his hand extended. “Rodney Blumefield, at your service.”

  She took his hand and shook it. “I’m Isabel Crane. It’s very lovely to meet you, Rodney.”

  “I do hope we can entertain each other enough to make this long ride less monotonous. Tell me, where are you going?”

  “I’m heading to Texas. I will have to get on another train tomorrow morning but it will take me there by the evening tomorrow. I’m very anxious to get there. I’ve been needing something different.”

  Rodney raised his eyebrows. “Do tell.”

  “I’ve been spending much of the last five years caring for my mother. I’m just ready for a change, that’s all. She’s gone now and I want to live.”

  Rodney nodded. “My condolences, Isabel. I’m sure she would want you to live your life to the fullest.”

  Isabel nodded back. “Yes, she would. Please, call me Izzy. Where are you headed?”

  “Oklahoma. Got family there. Gonna take over a big farm for my uncle who had an accident with a piece of equipment. I’ll spare you the details. He won’t be working on a farm in his lifetime ever again, though.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. I’ll pray for him.”

  Rodney waved one hand in the air. “He’s a real tough man, Izzy. He’s taking over the finances and leaving everything else to me.”

  “You won’t be doing all the work yourself? On a farm?” Isabel’s voice reflected her astonishment.

  He laughed. “No, no. I’ve got a full crew. I’ll just be watching over them all, you know, making sure everything except the books is running smooth. Since it’s Uncle Dan’s property and all, he can flub his books all he wants, can’t he? Skim a little off the top for himself and maybe for his nephew?” He laughed a little. “It’s good to rely on family.”

  Isabel nodded. “I believe that, too. I was very close to my mother. She was my family. Now I’m going to find another one.”

  “You have family in Texas?” Rodney asked, crossing his legs and lighting a cigar. He stretched his arms out on the back of the bench he was sitting on, keeping the cigar away from her and blowing the smoke in a different direction.

  “No, I’m going there to hopefully start my own. I answered an ad from a man there and I’m going to have an adventure, see if that is going to be my new home.”

  Rodney’s eyebrows shot up and he looked impressed. “Really. Well, isn’t that something? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

  Isabel nodded. “Oh yes, it’s very popular. There’s even a magazine dedicated to it and agencies all over that will help set it up.”

  Rodney pushed his lips out with a look of approval as he nodded. “How very interesting. So if I put an ad in a paper or a magazine saying I want to get married, I might end up with a woman as stunning as you are?”

  Isabel dropped her head, her cheeks burning furiously. She covered her lips with her fingers and laughed softly. “I guess so,” she responded, unsure of what else to say.

  “Well, I think that’s wonderful,” Rodney said. “Just wonderful. I do hope all of your dreams come true. What’s the name of this knight in shining armor that you plucked out of a newspaper?”

  “His name is Solomon Bedford.”

  Rodney looked up into the air, as if searching his memory for the name. After a moment, he shook his head. “Can’t say that I’ve heard that name,” he said. “There was an article in the Ridgeway Times that said a man by the name of Bedford was killed. Hope that’s not the same one.”

  Isabel shook her head, her mind going back to the letter that said Solomon’s father was killed by a bear.

  “It’s not the same man,” she replied. “I don’t know if you’re thinking about the same incident but Solomon told me his father had died when he was mauled by a bear while out looking for trees to cut down.”

  Rodney looked contemplative. “I think that’s the story I heard. So it’s his son, is it? Interesting. He was big in the lumber business so I heard. Sounds like you’ve got nothing to worry about.”

  “Well, I didn’t correspond with him much,” Isabel admitted, “but I would rather get to know someone one on one instead of through letters. You can’t really tell anything about someone from letters except maybe the basics. Seeing someone and hearing their voices and the expressions they have when they speak to you…everything is in the eyes, Rodney. That’s what you have to remember.”

  She leaned forward and stared directly into his eyes. By instinct, most likely, Rodney put both feet on the ground and looked back directly at her.

  “When I look at you,” she said softly, “I see a man who is quite sure of himself but is always willing to listen to others. I can tell by how open you are with your posture. You don’t hide yourself. You make yourself known, which to me says you are confident.”

  He nodded. “I am a confident person, Izzy. You’re right about that. I do listen to others, and I’m quite often sure of myself but I do second guess sometimes. As we all do.”

  “What do you see when you look at me?” she asked.

  He studied her face. When he answered, it was in a low, tender voice that touched her heart. She wasn’t sure if he meant to do that but it was her reaction nonetheless.