Coming From California (The Pioneer Brides 0f Rattlesnake Ridge Book 2) Read online

  “Of course.” She slipped her small hand from his arm, and he immediately ached at the loss. “Don’t worry about me. I can find my way back from here.”

  “I walked you out, and I’ll walk you back, ma’am. My ma would have my hide if I didn’t.” Besides, I want to spend more time with her and that’s as good of an excuse as any.

  She laughed, those lovely brown eyes dancing with mirth, and nodded. “Very well. I promise, I won’t stir until you return.”

  Chapter 6

  Daisy told herself sternly that watching Luke Rockford saunter away was a terrible idea, but still, the rear view was a fine sight. Not quite six feet tall, he possessed extremely broad shoulders which filled out his coat in ways she would never have thought possible if she hadn’t seen it for herself. He’s exceptionally strong, she thought. She’d felt the thick muscles of his arm even through his sleeve when she’d rested her hand on it. It was shocking; she’d never considered how muscular a man’s arm might be before!

  Still, she couldn’t stop thinking about Luke Rockford. Why isn’t he married? He must be thirty or a little more, she thought, and so handsome. A war hero and hard worker to boot; some woman should have snapped him up by now.

  Perhaps he’s widowed, she mused. Perhaps he’s lost the love of his life in some dreadful, tragic way.

  She lost herself thinking about how it might have happened, hardly paying attention to what she said to Mrs. Handley, until the other woman jolted her out of her daydreaming by asking, “You seem distracted, Miss Daisy; are you all right?”

  “Yes, yes.” She apologized hastily. “I was just wondering when we might be able to open the school to pupils.”

  “Oh, my stars, yes! Why, my Victoria is all atwitter to start going to a proper school! I’ve done what I can, but what with the store…”

  Daisy made a sympathetic hum which only encouraged Mrs. Handley to chatter at her without seeming to pause for a breath. That was fine with Daisy. Any deflection from her wayward thoughts was a good one. Her eyes drifted back to Luke, and she noted Mr. Hollis had joined them. Luke’s mouth was so expressive; she couldn’t tear her eyes from it. She wondered if it’d be soft against hers. And Dear Lord, why am I thinking this!

  Daisy tried to focus on the other woman’s gossip but couldn’t. Instead, her mind kept drifting. Circling. Always returning to one thing: Luke Rockford.

  “Oh Mr. Mayor, so good of you to stop by!”

  Mrs. Handley’s words brought her back to the present.

  “Miss Daisy was just talking about how she hopes to dive right into educating the impressionable young minds of Rattlesnake Ridge’s children; when will the schoolhouse be finished?” The woman was like a terrier pouncing on a rat.

  The mayor didn’t seem to be offended or even surprised at the question. “As a matter of fact, that’s why I’m here with these gentlemen. Mr. Rockford and Mr. Hollis have offered to complete the heavy work while they’re in town for the next week, and I’m delighted to accept. You can do us a great favor by spreading the word that we’ll have a working bee Saturday next week to finish everything off, with a hoe-down after to celebrate and formally introduce Miss Daisy to the town, and the first pupils can come the Monday after.”

  Daisy gave a cry of delight and clapped her hands together. Luke beamed at her, and even Mr. Hollis, who’d been volunteered in his absence for a week’s hard work in place of a well-earned break, seemed perfectly happy about the situation.

  “Are you being paid?” Daisy asked Luke quietly as Mrs. Handley quizzed Mayor Winthrop on what needed to be done.

  “Don’t need no pay, Miss Daisy.”

  “But I can’t possibly accept…”

  “It’s not a gift for you, Miss Daisy. It’s for the whole town,” Luke said firmly. “Winthrop offered, but Jack and I both said no.”

  “Really?” Startled, she looked at Mr. Hollis, who ducked his head.

  “Wouldn’t be right to take money for a labor of love, Miss Daisy,” Mr. Hollis told her. “We’ll get free room and board, and that’s enough for us. Like I said… I hope to have children of my own attend this school one day.”

  “Maybe sooner than you realize,” Luke teased gently. “Jack’s sweet on Barbara Jones, Miss Daisy,” he whispered, even though Mr. Hollis could obviously hear every word and was giving him a murderous glare.

  “Well, I can certainly see why you would be,” Daisy said. “She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met, and such a wonderful mother! I wish you the best of luck with your courtship, Mr. Hollis.”

  Mr. Hollis’s cheeks stained a dull red as he shook his head. “Ain’t courtin’ her, Miss Daisy. Ain’t got nothin’ to offer a fine lady like Mrs. Jones. She deserves a man with a nice house in town and money to buy her and the children all the wonderful things they should have.”

  Luke was shaking his head with exasperation throughout Mr. Hollis’ speech. Daisy sighed in agreement, disappointed with the willful stubbornness of men. “I’m fairly sure Barb would value a kind heart and a man who truly loved her and the twins above those material things,” she told him gently. Mr. Hollis appeared startled, and she advised, “Think about it,” before turning away.

  Behind her, she heard Luke mutter, “Told you so!” to Mr. Hollis before he sidled up beside her again. “We’ll start work this afternoon, Miss Daisy, but you shouldn’t be here when we do. Much as I hate to admit Deputy Watson is ever right about anything, it wouldn’t be safe for you—not while we’re sawing and hammering and the like.”

  “I’ll stay away until you tell me it’s safe,” Daisy promised. “I should go and inspect the supplies Mrs. Handley mentioned they have stored, the slates and schoolbooks and such. Make sure we have everything we need. And I’d like to meet the preacher too before church on Sunday. I was wondering if maybe we could use the church for me to meet with some of the children to assess their grade levels before school officially starts, so I know what I need to do.”

  “I reckon Reverend Brown would be right pleased to help you with that,” Luke agreed, “and he’ll know everyone with children of schooling age, too. I’d take you over to introduce you, but if I’m to get started…” He gestured helplessly in the direction of the schoolhouse.

  Daisy laughed, thinking how truly gentlemanly he was despite his plain clothes and rough demeanor. “Luke, I can see both the church and the boarding house from the schoolhouse front door. I won’t get lost. And if I ever meet your ma, I promise I won’t tell her you let me walk home unescorted.”

  He looked a little shy as he suggested; “You could meet her Sunday, if you like. She and my stepfather always ride into town for church.”

  “I would be delighted to,” Daisy said sincerely.

  Daisy bid farewell to Mrs. Handley and Mayor Winthrop. She stepped out onto the sidewalk and turned toward the crossroads again. Spying a sign above a door on the other side of the street, she checked for passing horses or carts before crossing over and entering Matthew’s bakery.

  “Miss Daisy!” Matthew’s cheerful face beamed at her from behind a counter. “Good day to you!”

  “And a good day to you too, Matthew. I’m feeling a little hungry; what do you have?”

  “Got some beautiful meat pies here, ma’am. Baked fresh this morning.”

  She didn’t doubt it. Pleased, she handed over her money in exchange for the flaky, delicious-smelling pie. There was a bench beside the wall, so she sat down to eat, carefully spreading her handkerchief on her lap to protect her dress.

  “You’re a wonderful cook, Matthew,” she praised when she’d finished, licking away the last of the gravy from the end of her thumb. He’d been busy the whole time she was in the shop, cutting up vegetables and moving trays in and out of the big oven on the back wall. “I can see I’ll be doing very little cooking on that fancy new stove installed in my rooms!”

  “Did you like it?” He smiled broadly at her. “I told them which one to order, when they were choosin’ for you.”
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br />   “Then I have you to thank! Not that I will ever be able to produce anything as good as that pie.” She sighed. “I’m afraid I’m not the most accomplished cook, and cooking for one is always something of a chore.”

  “You can always eat at Miz May’s, y’know,” Matthew said. “Long as you let us know you’re coming. Plenty of folks do rather than cook their own suppers.”

  “I thought there were more people at supper last night than could be accommodated in the rooms,” Daisy said, enlightened. “It’s like a restaurant, then?”

  “Well, yes, but you don’t get to choose from a menu. You just get whatever I’ve cooked!”

  “I doubt I would ever complain, then.”

  They shared a laugh, enjoying the light companionship. Matthew pulled out a packet of dried fruit and started chopping them into small pieces. “What all do you have planned for the rest of the day, Miss Daisy?”

  “I still have a lot of people to meet and talk to. It’s difficult starting over in a new place where you don’t know anyone.”

  “I hear you. Me and the Missus felt pretty much the same when we got here.”

  “That’s right! Do I recall you saying you followed Mr. Rockford here from Tennessee?”

  “We sure did. It was a hard journey, let me tell you. Couldn’t stay in any hotels. Had to sleep under the stars or in stables. ‘Tweren’t so bad until we reached the mountains.” Matthew shivered. “It was cold. Real cold. Colder than I’d ever been. And Mr. Hollis had to shoot a cougar that tried to attack our horses.”

  “How horrifying!” Daisy gasped. “I’m glad you made it here safely. I saw a book once in the great public library in Boston about animals from all over the world, and there were pictures of all kinds of lions in it along with descriptions. I wouldn’t like to ever come face to face with a cougar, that’s for sure!”

  “A real library, you’ve seen a real library?” Matthew’s eyes lit up with interest. “I like books, but I only got one, my Bible. Mr. Rockford gave it to me, taught me, Cynthia, and Mr. Hollis all to read from it while we was travelin’ to Rattlesnake Ridge.”

  “I’ve been lucky enough to visit a few libraries, yes. Maybe we should even start a little one here!”

  Matthew chuckled, looking skeptical. “A library in Rattlesnake Ridge, Miss Daisy? Don’t you need hundreds and thousands of books for a library?”

  “Some of the big libraries have that many books,” Daisy agreed, “but I don’t think Rattlesnake Ridge needs to start off so ambitious. Still, I'll definitely talk to the mayor and the rest of the town council about starting one. There’s no reason we couldn’t have a small one.”

  Yet another plan to put into action, Daisy thought as she left the bakery and set off determinedly toward the church. Just after noon, the sun was now blazing hot. She wished for a little breeze to stir the dry, dusty air, but none came.

  It wasn’t much cooler inside the church, but at least she was out of the sun. Removing her hat, she slipped into a pew, bent her head, and folded her hands to pray.

  When she looked up a few minutes later, a man stood beside her. From his white collar she immediately deduced he must be the preacher, and she rose to her feet with a smile.

  “You must be the already-legendary Miss Daisy,” he said in a distinct Scottish burr. “Reverend Alastair Brown, at your service.”

  “I’m delighted to meet you, sir. Everyone speaks so very highly of you and your church.” She brushed off her skirt. “In fact, there’s something I want to talk to you about, if you could spare me a few minutes.”

  “Oh. Well, let’s sit down again, lass, and you can tell me all about it.”

  As they talked, Daisy quickly concluded the man before her was the kind of preacher she could respect. He had a good deal of charisma and his speech was peppered with interesting turns of phrase as he asked her about her plans for the school.

  She told him about her idea for a library as well as asking permission to use the church to meet with the children before school started, and found him an enthusiastic supporter for both plans.

  “I have a few books in my personal collection I’d be happy to donate,” Reverend Brown said thoughtfully. “But we’ll need a room somewhere. Perhaps just one day a week, to begin with, when people can come in and look at the books?”

  “Well, I thought if we kept the books at the schoolhouse, we could have the library on Sunday after church,” Daisy said tentatively, hoping he wouldn’t think of it as an activity unsuited for the Lord’s day. “That way, folks who come in from out of town for the service could use it too. I wouldn’t mind acting as the librarian.”

  “That’s mighty fine of you, lass!” He beamed at her. “Thinking of folks who might miss out otherwise; I can see you and I are going to get along just fine. My wife will be keen to be involved too, if you wouldn’t mind? I’ll bring her by to meet you one day.”

  Mayor Winthrop was right, Daisy thought as she headed back toward the boarding house, tired and hot. The people of Rattlesnake Ridge just wanted a school for their children, and they didn’t much care about the skin color of the person running it as long as she was enthused about her job — which she most definitely was.

  Arriving at the crossroads, she could hear the sound of hammering from the schoolhouse and was briefly tempted to go back. Mindful of Luke’s concern for her safety, however, she crossed the road instead to return to the boarding house. Perhaps she’d see if Isabelle and Ishmael would like to look at one of her books instead. After all, there was no time like the present to get started. She might as well assess the children living in the same building as her, rather than wait to use the church!

  Chapter 7

  Arriving at the boarding house dusty, sweaty, and covered in wood shavings, Luke and Jack headed to their room to wash up. Miz May had sent their filthy clothes from yesterday to the laundry, and they’d been returned, clean and folded at the foot of their beds. Neither of them felt inclined to talk much; they’d chattered enough as they worked, figuring out what needed to be done, passing tools back and forth, gossiping.

  Luke spotted Jack picking at a splinter in his thumb as they headed to the dining room for dinner and couldn’t resist teasing him about it. “Gonna ask Barb to pick that out for you?”

  “Gonna knock you flat one of these days,” Jack groused.

  Luke laughed, and they entered the dining room just as Daisy, Barb, and the children came in from the stairwell door.

  “Evening!” Luke called cheerfully, and the children came running right over. As usual, they threw themselves on him for the briefest of hugs before latching onto Jack. He grinned, watching the byplay. Isabelle and Ishmael knew who loved them, even if Jack was too bull-headed to admit how he felt. The guy needed to get over his nerves and ask Barb if he might court her.

  Luke spotted Daisy glancing between Jack and Barb as they ate another of Matthew’s delicious dinners. It was obvious to anyone who cared to look that Jack hung on Barb’s every word, only taking his eyes off her to pay attention to her children.

  Daisy caught Luke’s eye and grinned mischievously. Before he knew how she’d done it, she’d somehow turned the conversation to marriage by asking Barb if she’d ever consider remarrying.

  Jack choked on his dinner roll.

  “Oh my, yes,” Barb said promptly. “I loved Peter, but he’s been gone so long the children don’t even remember him. I’d like for them to have a father.” She reached out to smooth Isabelle’s hair back from her forehead and smiled lovingly down at the little girl seated between her and Jack.

  “And what kind of husband are you looking for?” Daisy pressed.

  “A man who’d love the twins even though they weren’t his own is most important. And a man who wouldn’t think less of me for singing for my supper.” Barb’s blue eyes were weary. “There’s too many who think what I do isn’t respectable. Most wouldn’t think to court me, let alone marry me.”

  Jack’s huge fists clenched on the table. “Tha
t ain’t right, ma’am! You’re a respectable lady, an’—an’ I’d fight anyone who said different!”

  “Would you really fight men who were rude to Momma?” Ishmael’s eyes were wide with what looked a lot like hero worship. “Because Mr. Bla…”

  “Ishmael!” Barb infused the single word with a scolding tone; her son subsided, a little abashed. “There will be no fighting, thank you very much.” Her eyes were soft as she gazed at Jack. “You have my gratitude, Mr. Hollis. Your good opinion means a great deal to me.”

  Jack had flushed red again, Luke saw. He winked at Daisy, amused. Well, it’s a start.

  “What about you, Miss Daisy?” Isabelle piped up. “Who are you going to marry?”

  “Oh, nobody, Isabelle,” Daisy said, obviously startled by the question.

  “But what sort of man would you marry?” Barb pressed. Her gaze flicked to Luke, a teasing glint in her eyes. He narrowed his eyes at her, suddenly suspicious Barb knew exactly what Daisy had been doing. She was paying her back in kind, and Luke was now the butt of her little joke.

  Even so, he was on tenterhooks waiting for Daisy’s answer.

  “I must admit I’ve never really thought about it much,” Daisy said. “I’ve always dreamed of being a teacher, you see. But I suppose…I suppose I would just like a man who loved me for myself.” Her eyes flicked in Luke’s direction. He was sure that was the faintest hint of a blush on her smooth golden cheeks as she continued, “I don’t suppose I’d mind if he was older than me, either. Nor care whether he had much money or a house of his own. So long as he was willing to work hard to provide for us and was good to me and our children—I think, that’s a man I could come to love.”

  “I think, you’ll be overwhelmed with suitors hoping to warm their feet at your hearth if you let people know how low you’ve set your requirements,” Barb said with a dry little laugh.