A Tender Moment Under the Stars: An Inspirational Historical Romance Book Read online

  Solomon nodded. “Yes. It…kind of feels unfair, don’t you think?” He pulled his eyebrows together and wrinkled his forehead in a way that grabbed Isabel’s heart.

  She smiled at him.

  “Why don’t we go get something to eat?” she said. “You said there’s a restaurant you want to take me to? Friends you want me to see?”

  A worried look came to his face. “Yeah. Let’s see how fast we can get there. I don’t know whether the McQuinns are taking Betty home or to town. I’d like to get there before she does if we can. She’s kind of an…attention hog.”

  Isabel nodded. “I got that impression. Let’s go.”

  She felt a little better when the two of them hurried in a fast walk that was comical if they were seen by anyone. She went down the three steps to the dirt walkway down a small slope to the lot where there was just one wagon. Figuring it had to be Solomon’s Isabel headed toward it.

  Solomon went down the ramp, pulling the cart behind him. He loaded her four trunks into the back of the wagon as quickly as he could. She was already in the seat waiting when he climbed up and took the reins in his hands.

  He looked at her. “So. Tell me about this young man on the train.”

  She felt a surge of anxiety in her chest and her eyes snapped to his. He was smirking lightly.

  “Was he a handsome man?”

  Isabel literally had to picture Rodney in her mind to determine that. She nodded. “He was a handsome man, yes. And he knows how to play the piano. He’s taking over a farm for his uncle because his uncle was injured in an accident.”

  “My goodness. You do know a lot about this fellow, don’t you?”

  Isabel laughed. “I suppose I do. It was a long ride to Oklahoma where he got off. From Virginia. We both boarded at the same station. But he got off in Silver City in Oklahoma. He was quite a gentleman, I thought. I was very comfortable being distracted by his company for the long ride.”

  “I’m glad you had someone to keep you company,” Solomon said.

  She leaned away from him but looked at him, assessing him up and down with her eyes. “Hmmm. I do see why they would call you big man. Does that bother you?”

  Solomon shook his head. “No, it doesn’t. I am a big man.” When he laughed, she felt safe to join him. “And that’s how I describe myself to people I haven’t met. Not that the opportunity to do that comes around often. I think my letter to you might have been one of the few times in many years.”

  “You don’t have to worry about Rodney,” she said. “He was just a friendly distraction.”

  In the back of her mind, Isabel wondered if she had to worry about Betty. She could see why Betty would be attracted to Solomon. He was well-spoken, had wonderful manners, and was a handsome, strong man. What was there not to like?

  Isabel had never been in a situation like this. She’d been too young when she turned her life into one of a caretaker’s. She’d never been in any relationships, other than close friendships with the boys in Morningside she grew up with. Nothing solid and concrete. Therefore, she had nothing to look back on to guide her decisions.

  It wasn’t like that for Solomon. She understood that. He knew how to be a partner to someone else.

  Isabel continued thinking as the wagon rolled toward a little town just below the ridge. A total of fourteen buildings, seven on each side, that made an oval shape. Farmhouses and ranches were scattered over the land around the little town. One road jutted from the oval shape and what looked like residences had been built along that road.

  The closest Isabel came to knowing what it was like sharing a life was her and her mother. They had been partners in many ways, sharing the burden of life until June got sick. After losing her father, they only had each other.

  But that was different. Isabel would have to learn as she went along. There was no other way.

  She’d made the leap and now she had to soar.

  Chapter 9

  From the ridge, Isabel had been able to see a lot of bright colors scattered about on the main road into the little town. She’d asked Solomon but he said to wait and see.

  As they rode through, she couldn’t help expressing her admiration for it all. There were areas of land in between some of the buildings that were filled with festivities and decorations, displays, and such. She even spotted the stage the men in town had built for the play the children would be putting on.

  “This is simply amazing, Sol!” she said in a delighted voice, her eyes wide as she took in all the colors.

  “Thank you. We are known for this all over Texas. People come from other towns and larger cities to participate.”

  “Ohhh, I imagine that is very nice for the revenue of your town, too, isn’t it?”

  Solomon grinned at her. “The town council is never hard up for money.”

  Isabel laughed softly. “In Morningside, we make sure other people in town are doing all right. It was a small town, not as small as this but we cared for each other. Do you do that?”

  “We do,” Solomon said with a nod and a friendly glance in her direction. “I personally fix dinner for one family one day a week, because I can afford it and some of them can’t.”

  “Do you cook for the people who have money, too?” Isabel teased him, narrowing her eyes.

  He grinned. “When that happens, they pay for some of the ingredients. But I’ll cook it for free.”

  “So you like to cook.”

  “I do. I have some unique dishes I like to prepare for my guests. It’s a trait I learned from my father before he passed. He was an excellent cook, too, though he learned while fighting in the war. He was the Army Cook.”

  “Well, I’ll be. What a history. I’d love to learn more about him.”

  “He’s been gone five years and I miss him every day. But I’m living on and I’m ready to take a new step in life.”

  Isabel nodded, gratified to hear his words that were so close to what she was feeling as well.

  “Here is the restaurant I was telling you about. Hot Kettles. Isn’t that an uncommon name?”

  “It sure is.”

  Isabel waited until he came around the wagon and held his hand up to her. She let him help her down, holding her skirt.

  “Thank you,” she said, landing beside him. She was willing to bet he could lift her with one hand. Right up into the air above his head.

  He walked just behind her, ushering her into the restaurant. They took a table near the front where the windows were but all the way in the corner. He sat across from her and it was at that moment Isabel realized how much taller he really was.

  “Oh my,” she said, gazing up at him with tender eyes. “You are way up there, aren’t you?”

  He laughed. “I hope that doesn’t bother you. I’m six-foot-four. I’m guessing you’re probably about five-foot-four, aren’t you?”

  “I am.” She let out her own laugh. “But it doesn’t bother me. I’ll just wear shoes like your friend, Betty.” She hadn’t intended the jab but regretted it when it came out. He just laughed. She was glad he hadn’t taken it as an insult.

  “That would probably help. I’ll just get step stools for you and put them all over the house.”

  Isabel gasped. “Oh, my. I’m not sure how to feel about that.” She put a finger to her lips and appeared to think deeply before laughing with him.

  She’d taken the seat that was facing away from the windows. She didn’t want to look through them because she was afraid she would see Betty coming toward them. Would the girl know Solomon would take Isabel there first thing? She didn’t want to see the woman again. She wanted to ingratiate herself with Solomon before the woman had a chance to get back into his good graces.

  It turned out not to be Betty that would come through the door and get Solomon’s attention. It was a young man with curly brown hair and the biggest brown eyes Isabel had ever seen. When he came in the door, he made a beeline for Solomon, his arms outstretched, his hands splayed in the air.

&nb
sp; “Sol! Uh oh, who do we have here? Don’t tell me. Is it that little lady from the letter?”

  Isabel gazed at the young man, taken in by his friendly grin. She looked at Solomon, who looked thrilled to death to see his friend. “Freddie! So glad you came in to meet her.” He looked at Isabel. “Izzy, this is Freddie. He’s my best pal.”

  Freddie held out his hand and when Isabel took it, he turned it over and kissed her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, my lady. Welcome to Steven’s Gulch.”

  “Thank you, Freddie. I’m glad to be here.”

  Freddie pulled over an extra chair and sat on one side between the two of them. “I don’t know if Solomon told you this yet but he’s a master in the art of poetry.”

  Isabel felt a little thrill pass through her. His signature had told her as much. She was happy that her assumption was correct and she gave Solomon a slack-jawed smile. “Really!” she exclaimed. “I’ll have you know I am an accomplished artist in a way. I sketch. Would you like to see some of them?”

  “That sounds wonderful!” Freddie gushed.

  “Yes, definitely!” Solomon said at the same time.

  For the next twenty minutes, the three of them poured over the notepad she’d been drawing in while traveling on the train. She described where she was for each of them, having made a small notation in the corner of the place.

  “I asked the attendant each time I began one where we were.”

  “So you were essentially drawing from memory?”

  Isabel smiled. “Yes, that’s right!” She gave Solomon a warm look. It made her very happy he had a creative talent like she did. She could draw him pictures and he could write her poems. What could be better?

  “I am so impressed,” Freddie said, turning the pages. They came to the one where the train had stopped in Oklahoma and Rodney had gotten off the train.

  “Well, I’ll be.”

  Isabel saw which one they were on and blushed furiously.

  “And who might this devilishly handsome young man be?”

  “That’s Rodney. I met him on the train. He got off in Oklahoma and that’s how he looked when he got off.”

  “You were right, Isabel,” Solomon said, examining her artist’s rendition of the friend she’d made. “He does look like a friendly man. If this was the look on his face, and I’m willing to bet it is an exact match, I won’t worry about him. That is a friendly look. Nothing more. What do you think, Freddie?”

  “I think you’re spot on with that assessment, buddy,” Freddie said.

  Isabel listened to them make comments about the rest of the sketches, getting lost in thought. She remembered her conversation with Rodney and thought about what she’d seen when she got off the train.

  Her quick acquaintance with Rodney was nothing compared to the years she assumed Solomon and Betty had spent together. She expected any moment the woman would come in and they would have another confrontation with her. Only this time her parents would not be around to save them.

  It was sad to see a woman who was obviously around Solomon’s age being controlled by her parents and whining when she didn’t get her way. In the short amount of time Isabel had seen her in action, Betty seemed more of a child than an adult.

  That was the opposite of what was supposed to happen when a child moved away from home, wasn’t it? They were supposed to become more independent, more free-thinking, and self-controlled.

  Isabel didn’t want to be in competition with anyone. She wanted to have fun and do all the things she’d been missing out on the last five years.

  “Sol,” she said, breaking into their admiration for her sketches. “Is there water around here? Water for swimming and boating?”

  “There is a river on my land, actually,” he replied. “I’ll take you there. I’d have to get a boat though. I don’t have one.”

  “I’ve got one,” Freddie said. “You can use mine.”

  “That’s a canoe. I don’t think Izzy’s going to want to be in one of those.”

  “Oh, I don’t mind,” Isabel said. “I’m looking for fun things to do. I’d love to learn how to steer a canoe.”

  Freddie and Solomon shared an amused look.

  No matter what, Isabel was determined not to let the presence of Solomon’s old sweetheart undermine what she was trying to do. It didn’t help that Betty was taller and fuller in body than she was. She felt like a stick compared to Betty. A short stick.

  She wouldn’t let her thoughts deter her. She liked Solomon so far. And the more she thought about being with a man as large as he was, the safer she tended to feel. The West was known for dangers that were different from the East. There were Indians, some of them restless. There were diseases that ravaged through whole towns, like tuberculosis and influenza, striking down so many. Isabel wasn’t going to be afraid of any of it with a man like Solomon around.

  Just as she was working Solomon up in her mind, placing him on an early pedestal, she saw both men look up in the direction of the door. Freddie actually turned around to see who had come in. Isabel swerved her eyes to the front door and her heart plummeted into her stomach.

  She quickly moved her eyes away from Betty to look at Solomon. As soon as he saw Betty, he’d looked slightly annoyed. Isabel looked at Freddie’s face, which was the opposite of Solomon’s.

  It was clear to her in that moment that Freddie was deeply in love with Betty.

  He probably always had been.

  Chapter 10

  Isabel took back her book from the men as Betty crossed the room to their table.

  “Hello, all,” she said, a smile on her face. “Don’t you think the festival is going to be wonderful? Everything looks so beautiful!” She turned her dark eyes to Isabel who looked directly back at her, unintimidated, though inside her heart was pounding. “You picked a lovely time to come to our little town. I suppose Sol set that up, didn’t he? He’s so smart.”

  “How have you been, Betty?” Freddie asked, standing up and holding his arms out. “No hug for good old Freddie?”

  “Oh you, of course, you get a hug.” Betty put her arms around him and the two hugged.

  Isabel couldn’t see Freddie’s face but she could see Betty’s. The woman closed her eyes when she rested her head down on Freddie’s shoulder. She had a pleasant look on her face if only for a moment.

  Then the two parted and Freddie reached over to drag another chair to the table. He put it next to his but this made Isabel close to the woman and she didn’t want that. She stood up and moved to the chair beside Solomon, giving Betty a polite look as she did so.

  “What were you three doing anyway? I saw a book. Were you reading?” She laughed softly, not an unpleasant sound but one that made Isabel uncomfortable. She looked at Solomon, gauging his reactions to Betty’s questions. He wasn’t looking at her. He was looking down at the menu on the table in front of him. He looked like he didn’t even know she was there.

  “We were just looking at some of Isabel’s drawings,” Freddie said, his voice twice as happy as it had been before.

  Isabel couldn’t help but wonder if Solomon knew Freddie was in love with Betty. If he was acting this way after not seeing her for five years, his subtle desire for her a bit more obvious because of their time apart, Isabel could only imagine what he’d acted like while his best friend was courting her.