Dorothy Garlock (7 page)

“You can bet your buttons that I'd not be putting myself through this if my best friend hadn't asked me to. I could be making good money — ”

“Hunter offered to give you a job. He's hiring drillers and welders.”

“I'd not work for that dressed-up jelly bean if I was starving.”

“Why? Because he asked me to walk with him? It just goes to show how dumb
you
are.” She attempted to move away from him, but he held her.

“It's a damn good thing for him that you turned and came back when you did. If he'd taken you any farther out of town, I'd have been on him like a hungry dog on a bone.”

“You …you followed us! ”

“Damn right, I did, ”he snarled. “I don't trust that bird any farther than I can swing a mule by the tail.”

“I don't give two hoots and a holler how far you can swing a mule by the tail or if you trust Hunter Westfall or not. He's a gentleman. He asked me to go to the movie Wednesday night.”

“Stay away from him. Hear? I heard things about him before I got here.”

“I like him. He's gentle, refined and terribly smart. He's going to build a dance hall and an amusement park. His friend Shipwreck Kelly will be here. I don't suppose you know who
he
is.”

“I've heard of him. He's the brainless jackass who sits on a flagpole for a living. Some friend! ”

“Stay out of my business, Thad Taylor. You've no right to tell me what to do.”

“Then grow up so I won't have to tell you what to do.” When he spoke, each word was pushed from behind clenched teeth.

“That was a mean thing to say.” She stared up at him. Defiance was written on her face. Her eyes were like a storm cloud blowing across the vast prairie, carrying with it rain, wind and lightning.

“You can make me so mad I could spank you.” He gave her a little shake.

“Just try it and …and you'll be sorry! ”

“Just behave yourself and we'll get along fine. When Joe gets here, he can have the job of riding herd on you.”

She shrugged her shoulders and his hands dropped to his sides. After walking slowly to the swinging door, she turned to see him standing, hands on hips, staring at her. She stared back. Her face was calm, but her heart was pumping like a locomotive going uphill.

She managed to get to her room before the tears spilled from her eyes.

Chapter 4

B
Y NINE O'CLOCK ON SUNDAY
most of the overnight guests had checked out. The next few hours were busy ones for Jill and Mrs. Cole, the woman who cleaned the rooms on Sunday. Linens on the beds had to be changed, the washbasins in each room cleaned, fresh towels put up, the rugs swept with the carpet sweeper and the floor around the carpet wiped with a dust mop.

Jill was up at dawn. She and Radna had cleaned the lobby before breakfast. After a restless night, she was tired. The events of the evening before had left her mind reeling. As hard as she tried, she couldn't understand why Thad had acted as if she were a twelve-year-old who didn't have sense enough to stay out of a fire.

For an instant last night on the street corner, she had felt a burst of gladness when she had seen him; but that had faded quickly when she realized that he had called her a slut.

Now she hated him! Maybe she didn't
hate
him, she thought, as she ran the dust cloth over the windowsills, but she thoroughly disliked him. How could she not dis-like him, when he treated her like an out-of-control child and dragged out that old teasing name, Jilly Justine. Nobody had called her that in years.

Mr. Evans said that Thad had stayed in the lobby from midnight to three in the morning, giving him the opportunity to sleep for a couple of hours.

“Take it out of my pay, miss. I ain't wantin 'to be paid for sleepin 'on the job.”

“We'll not worry about that, ”Jill assured him. “You didn't look like you felt good last night.”

“I didn't, miss. It's a fact. But I feel right chipper today.”

“That's a relief. We depend on you, Mr. Evans.”

“The young fellow said that he could fill in.”

“Thad will be here for only a short time, ”Jill answered quickly. “We can't depend on him.”

In the quiet of the early dawn, she watched Mr. Evans go down the hall and into the kitchen, his crutches making a thumping noise on the wood floor. He came and went by the back door because there were fewer steps and it was nearer to his small house a block behind the hotel.

After breakfast Radna spent time with Justine, who usually had a visitor or two on Sunday. Radna gave her a bath, put her in a fresh housedress and fixed her hair. Jill poked her head in the door to find the two chattering away like schoolgirls.

When she had first come to Rainwater, Jill had feared that Radna would resent her taking over. On the contrary, Radna was relieved to turn over the responsibility to Jill. The small woman with golden skin and the educated voice continued to be a mystery. She lived in a room off the kitchen and often went out at night.

The town was quiet on Sunday morning. The people of Rainwater were either sleeping, going to church or nursing hangovers. Jill sat behind the counter waiting for the last two overnight guests to check out. The woman cleaning the upstairs rooms came down with an armload of sheets and towels. She carried them through the kitchen to the back porch. She and her daughter, Laura, a widow with a young child, came on Monday and again on Thursday to do the washing. Justine had known Mrs. Cole for many years; after the woman's husband died suddenly, Justine hired her, adding to the legend that Justine Byers's heart was as big as the town.

When the last of the overnight guests had been checked out, Jill went to the kitchen, where Radna was cooking dinner.

“Our handyman hasn't put in an appearance this morning. I guess he figures this is his day off and he can laze in bed all day.”

Radna grinned. Her thick dark hair was held back with a ribbon that matched the red blouse she wore over the long print skirt that floated around her calves as she moved.

“He's in the wash house.”

“What's he doing out there? ”

“Fixing the washing machine … or trying to.”

“For crying out loud. What does he know about washing machines? I didn't know there was anything wrong with it.”

“The wringer isn't working. Laura and Nettie have been turning the hand wringer. I asked Thad if he knew anything about engines.”

“And he said …? ”

“Everything.” Radna smiled broadly. Her eyes darted to Jill, then back to the greens she was washing.

“Of course. I should have known, ”Jill muttered on her way to the door.

She stood on the porch beside the pile of dirty bed linens and towels and noticed a bucket of water and an empty tin plate. Someone had fed the stray dog that had been hanging around. She was a little ashamed that she had forgotten to take care of the poor thing.

The wash house sat back twenty or more feet from the hotel. Justine had had it put there because she feared the heater that was needed to heat the water for the large commercial washing machine might cause a fire. She had invested in the appliance when the oil boom had brought more business to town.

The door of the frame building was open and the window shutters propped back. As Jill approached, the black and white shaggy dog, lying just inside the doorway, looked up and growled.

“Calm down, Fertile.” Thad's deep voice came from inside the building. “It's just the
boss
coming to see if I'm earning my keep.”

Ignoring the dog, Jill stood in the doorway. Benches and tubs had been pushed aside to make room for Thad, who sat on the floor with the wringer from the washer between his spread legs. He had a wrench in his greasy hand and a smudge on his cheek.

“Fertile? ”

“Fits.” His dark hair tumbled over his forehead; his clear green eyes gleamed with amusement. “She's about to have a batch of pups. Besides that, she likes the name.”

“She'll answer to any name as long as you feed her, ”Jill scoffed.

“She likes me.”

“I'm not surprised. You're both dirty, hungry and lazy.” Jill tried to keep the laughter out of her voice and failed.

Thad's laughter rang out. “But she's pregnant and I'm not.”

Jill looked down at the shaggy dog. Her eyes were on Thad. He'd always had a way with animals. Jill recalled seeing him ride into the yard back home with his dog at his heels. His horse, too, followed him like a dog when he wasn't on it. Thad always had time to pet their dog, Sidney, who went into raptures when he was around.

There had been a time when Jill herself went into raptures when Thad came to the farm. She had been fourteen and Thad five years older. To him, she had been the pesky kid sister of his best friend. To her, he had been as handsome as any hero she read about in the dime novels she had sneaked from Joe's room. Thad had teased her, pulled her hair and treated her in the same way as had her older brothers, Joe and Jack. It had been frustrating until she had grown out of the crush.

“Hand me that small wrench.”

“Which one? ”

“The smallest.”

Jill stepped over the dog in order to reach the bench where the tools were laid out, selected the one Thad wanted and put it in his outstretched hand.

“Where did you find the tools? ”

“In my tool chest.”

“They're yours? ”

“Uh-huh.”

“Is that what you do? Work on motors? ”

“That and a few other things.”

“Like what? ”

“Drill, rig or weld pipe — that is, when I'm not lawyering, doctoring or toe-dancing.” His head was bent so that she couldn't see his face, but she knew he was laughing silently because his shoulders were shaking.

“I'd like to see that sometime, ”she said seriously. “Can you fix the motor on the wringer? Laura and Mrs. Cole will be here tomorrow to do the washing.”

“I think I can have it ready by then if you'll stay and keep me company while I work on it.”

“Sorry to disappoint you. I have better ways of spending my time. Radna is cooking dinner and will call you when it's ready.”

Jill headed back into the hotel thinking what a difference a day made. Today Thad had been almost the boy she'd had the crush on so long ago.

It was the middle of the afternoon when Justine called as Jill passed the door to her room. It was left open so she could hear, as much as possible, what was going on. Jill turned and went into the room to see Thad standing beside her aunt's chair.

“Thad's going to take me out onto the porch. There's a cushion on the floor of the wardrobe. Will you get it, please, and put it in the chair? ”

After Jill placed the cushion in the chair, Thad maneuvered the chair through the doorway and down the hall.

“I've been longing to sit on the porch, but I didn't want people to see me stumbling around. Thad must have been reading my mind. He suggested carrying me out there.” Justine watched the doorway expectantly, awaiting his return.

“You should have said something. Radna and I would have figured a way to get you out there.”

“I know you would have, dear, but as long as we have a big, strong man willing to help us, we should take advantage of it.”

Thad returned and, without a word, scooped her up in his arms, carried her down the hallway and through the lobby to the porch. He placed her gently in the chair, moved the small footstool close and placed her feet on it.

“How's that? ”He sat back on his heels and smiled at her.

“Thank you, Thad. It's grand to be out here.” There was a trace of tears in Justine's eyes. “So many memories.” She shook her head.

“I was here the day the ice truck hit Ralph. I knew before I reached him that… he was gone and my life would never be the same. I miss him still.

“It seems only yesterday that I was sitting in this very same spot in this very same chair when the first gusher came in. Oh, my. It was a sight. People ran out in the street to see what at first looked like a big smoke cloud. Then the cars began to go by as everyone who could get a ride wanted to go out to the well.”

“I've seen a couple of gushers. They're able to cap most of the wells that come in before they blow.” Thad had settled down on the floor of the porch and Jill sat on the bench beside her aunt's chair.

“Almost overnight, Rainwater woke from being a sleepy little prairie town to what it is now: cars and trucks coming and going at all hours of the day and night, people on the streets, the hotel full most of the time. Ralph would have loved every minute of it.”

Thad got to his feet. “I'd better go put the motor back on the washing machine before the boss lady fires me. When you want to go in, send someone for me.”

“Thanks again, Thad.”

Just for an instant Thad enclosed Justine's delicate fingers in his. “The pleasure is mine. It isn't often that I get to carry a pretty lady.” When he passed Jill on the way to the door, he winked.

Jill rolled her eyes.
Charmer, flatterer, conniver!

“I think he likes you, ”Justine said after Thad cleared the doorway.

“Bull-foot. I'm Joe's sister. He liked Joe's dog, too.”

“It could be more than that. A man doesn't tease a girl and give her the looks he gives you unless he's interested in her.”

“Oh, he's interested, all right. He told Joe he'd look after me, and he'll do it if it kills him. He and Joe are as thick as eight in a bed. Joe would do the same for Thad's sister.”

Justine smiled. “You don't know much about men, honey.” Her smile faded. “Why didn't you tell me that Hunter Westfall came calling last night and that you walked off with him? ”

“I didn't think it that important. Who told you? ”

“Not much goes on around here I don't know about. This place talks to me.” She took several quick breaths before she continued. “We had a honeymooning couple above me last night, or else a man up there was determined to get his money's worth out of the woman he bought. The bedsprings squeaked off and on all night.”

“Aunt Justine. How you talk! ”

“You're blushing, honey. I was shocked, too, when we first came here. You'll learn that a lot of shocking things go on behind closed doors in hotel rooms. Radna can tell you that. There's not much she hasn't seen.”