Love Blooms in Winter (22 page)

Lil nodded. “That’s normal behavior. Relax.”

He was as relaxed as anyone standing inches away from tons of flesh. He bent to straighten a rope, and when he looked up the animal hiked its tail.

Oh good grief! Fear struck him speechless, but the anxious moment passed without incident. The onlookers chattered freely, pointing and laughing. He hadn’t planned to provide the morning’s entertainment.

Lil yelled again. “Quiet!” She used the harness to climb up on Esau’s back.

Tom secured a sturdy chain to the locomotive and then to the harness. “Okay! Move him a couple of steps!” He bent to pick up the slack in the chain, and when he turned all his breath was squeezed out of him. The elephant had moved backward instead of forward. Swallowing down hysteria, he tried to breathe as a solid wall of flesh flattened his nose.
Forward!
his mind screamed.

Lil leaned down to peer over the animal’s side. “Did you say somethin’?”

“Forward! Move him forward!” Only the sharp command sounded more like “mood hen fodward!”

“Esau. Forward.” The weight of the animal came off of him, and Tom gasped to fill his lungs. When he turned, Mae was suddenly there, hovering over him.

“Are you hurt?”

“Go back to your buggy!” Heat filled his cheeks and he consciously dusted his pants. “I can handle this.”

She stepped back and gave him a look that said she had no intention of returning to the buggy. The skirt of her dress below her heavy coat caught his eye. This was no place for a woman.

“Careful,” she called up to Lil. “It’s tight quarters back here!”

“Shore thing. Ease up, Esau.”

Tom stepped out of the way and motioned for the animal to step back. The elephant took two steps toward him and stopped. He readjusted the harness, checked the connection to the engine, and then motioned for Lil to move the animal forward. Mae came to stand beside him.

“Does your intended know you’re out here in the cold with me?”

Nodding, Mae pointed. “He’s sitting right over there watching us.”

“He doesn’t mind?”

“I didn’t say he didn’t mind. I said he was watching.”

“You should go back to the buggy, Mae. I don’t want you to get hurt.” He said the words he knew he should say, but the truth was that he liked her there, with him.

Mae smiled. “I’ve been around Esau a lot. Lil and I are friends, or did you forget?”

“Okay, then. Just stay out of the way. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“Why, Mr. Curtis, I’m flattered.”

At that moment the sun peeked through the clouds and Mae was bathed in light, looking like an angel. Her hair was shiny, her complexion fair and flawless. She was indeed one fine woman.

Within an hour the overturned locomotive was upright and off to the side, safely removed from the damaged section of track. By early afternoon Esau, with the help of the crew, had cleared the rest of the damaged cars and now stood to the side, contentedly munching on hay. Bystanders still walked around the elephant, amazed by his size and power. Fisk, on the other hand, was fascinated with the engine. He was like a child, climbing around the locomotive, slipping onto the engineer’s seat, and touching every knob and handle. He was doing everything kids do when they pretend to drive a steam engine.

Eventually, though, the crowd started to disperse, and Tom studied the work site. He hated to end the workday so early, but without the needed supplies, there was nothing more they could do. He glanced down at his mud-caked clothing and thought he resembled one of Lil’s sows. Mae’s soft voice interrupted his thoughts.

“You look a mess.”

His gaze lazily scanned her own grubby attire. He smiled. “I’m afraid you don’t look so good yourself, Miss Wilkey. You’ve ruined your pretty dress.”

Sighing dramatically, she grinned. “I know. Jake said I have to walk home.”

Tom turned to watch the man’s back disappearing down the road. “Seems Jake isn’t very accommodating. Is he always this thoughtful?”

“His buggy is new, and the upholstery is quite expensive. He is…well, you see, Jake…”

“Don’t make excuses for him. He has enough of his own.” Tom saw her eyes begin to tear up. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Mae. In fact, you’re the most giving, most helpful person I know.” She looked at him and blinked hard, trying not to cry in front of him. “And, if you don’t mind my saying so, you’re the prettiest woman I’ve ever seen.”

She fell into step with him but remained silent. He was afraid he’d embarrassed her. He probably shouldn’t have made those cracks about Jake, but the more he saw of the man, the less he liked him. He should probably apologize, even if he’d meant every word he’d said. Reaching down, he took her hand and stopped walking. She looked up at him, and as he searched her beautiful brown eyes, he realized he had an almost overpowering urge to kiss her.

“What’s wrong?” she asked when he didn’t say anything.

“Nothing. Everything seems right.”

“Well, you stopped walking. I just wondered why.”

“I wanted to apologize…in case what I just said insulted you in any way.”

Mae shook her head, her gaze on him unwavering. “You didn’t insult me, Tom. And for your comments about Jake, well, I suppose everyone in town feels the same way about him.”

“Why do you stay with him?”

“Because…” Mae looked at the ground for a moment and then back up to his face. “I guess he’s like a habit, and no one else has given me a reason to leave him.”

“I’d love nothing better than to give you that reason and kiss you right here, right now. But out of respect for you, and Jake, I won’t.”

Sadness crept over her features, and she looked confused. “I’d love nothing better myself, but I…have commitments elsewhere, and I know you want to get back to your life.”

“My job,” he corrected.

“You’re working right now, aren’t you?”

He hadn’t thought about it, but he was working. Clive was joking about another promotion. His was still waiting for when he got back to the office. Tom thought about that. He hadn’t run a crew in years, but he was enjoying the physical labor. Every bone ached, but he’d slept like a log the past couple of nights. He’d grown soft sitting behind a desk every day. “You’re right. I am working.”

“Then something else must be drawing you back.” She pulled her hand from his.

“Mae.” Tom took it back and wished he could take her in his arms, but he knew if he acted on how he felt, she’d be more hurt when he left, and he had to leave one day soon. He sighed, squeezed her hand, and said, “Let me escort you back to town. We’ll talk only about neutral subjects, okay?”

She smiled as they started walking again. “I hear the weather might be better tomorrow.”

“I hope you’re right. It’s difficult to work when you’re freezing to death.”

Mae giggled. “I know. I was out there with you!”

“Right.” They both laughed and stared at each other like schoolchildren. “Say, when is Jeremy going to fry up some more chicken? Or make one of his apple pies?”

“I’ll speak to him tonight, but you know his ‘man’ job keeps him very busy.”

“So I’ve heard. I don’t know how the boy does it. He cooks, cleans, and keeps up his responsibilities with Pauline’s animals and the work at the site.”

“I appreciate the compliment, and I’ll be sure to pass it along to him.”

“He’s a good boy, Mae.”

“Thank you, but then I’m partial.”

“You raised him.”

“Father passed when Jeremy was nine. Since then it’s been just me and my little brother.”

“Your mother?”

“She passed giving birth to Jeremy. So you could say I turned big sister and mother overnight.” Mae nodded. “Our world here in Dwadlo is small.”

“Have you ever wanted to leave? See the sights?”

“What sights?”

He thought of the places he’d seen and the experiences he’d had. “The Grand Canyon, with the Colorado River winding through steep canyons; Mount Hayden; the unbelievable marvels found in Yellowstone National Park. There’s a whole big world out there, Miss Wilkey.” He smiled. “Maybe you’ll see some of it one day.” One day maybe he’d like to show her this other world.

“No,” she said. “I’m sure I won’t. I was born here, and I’ll die here, but that’s fine with me. I love my life.”

His gaze drew hers. “You deserve more. Contentment is good, but never rule out excitement.” He spotted a winter bush with bright red berries growing along the roadway. He let go of her hand, stepped over to the plant, and picked a stem. “A flower for milady.” He bowed slightly when he presented it.

Breathing deeply of the fall-like scent, Mae smiled. “Thank you, milord.”

“Ah, a tiny gift of delicate berries, whose beauty cannot compare to yours.” He noticed a slight blush appear on her cheeks.

“I didn’t know anyone could be so poetic about a stem of winterberry holly.”

“There are many things you don’t know about me.” His expression sobered. Pauline’s house came into sight, and he spotted the woman wrestling with a tangle of wire. Dogs barked.

“Oh, dear. She must be working on her fence.”

“Now? In this weather? It’ll be dark soon. Is she crazy?” Tom already knew the answer to that. He looked at Mae, and they both burst out in laughter.

“Pauline is determined to build that pen to hold the dogs, so you know what that means.”

“She can’t build a pen by herself.” Tom rubbed his brow. He walked closer to the older woman. “Pauline! Mind if we help?” She glanced up and gave him a toothless grin.

“Thought you had work to do, sonny. But I reckon if you want to help, it’d be okay.”

Tom knew it wouldn’t take the fragile woman long to tire out, and then he could get the fence up uninterrupted. He glanced at Mae. “How are you with a hammer and nails?”

“The best.”

Pauline picked up a hammer.

Tom said, “It’s pretty cold out here.”

“I haven’t been warm all day. Besides, it can’t be colder than the other night when I dressed that bull.”

“You win. Let’s get to work, Miss Wilkey.”

He was right about one thing. She was prettier than any winterberry growing wild along the roadside.

Any roadside.

M
ae noticed that Pauline tired of fence building about ten minutes after she and Tom arrived to help. The woman’s efforts were barely visible when he took the hammer out of her hand and nudged her toward the house. “Why don’t you fix us a big pot of coffee—”

“Water,” Mae corrected hastily. “Please draw a big pitcher of water.”

“Water. Yes, I’ll do that. I hope I have enough sugar.” She wandered off repeating the task under her breath. “Water, Pauline. Get a pitcher of water.”

Tom frowned. “Why not coffee?”

Mae shook her head and reached for a roll of tangled wire. “Why confuse her more?”

“You’re right. Does she put sugar in water?”

“She won’t this afternoon. She’s out of sugar.”

Jeremy appeared with the pack of dogs trailing him. Mae heard the ruckus before she spotted the source. When the boy approached, he called, “Hey, Mae, can I take the dogs to the river?”

“If you promise to be careful.”

Tom reached for a post. “You think it’s safe to let him near the water?”

“Jeremy is cautious. He understands about the frozen crust and how easily he could fall through.” Turning to her brother, she said, “Go on, but be back before dark.”

Once her attention was on the task at hand again, she couldn’t help but think that Tom’s presence made the work seem almost fun. Unrolling the wire, she carefully straightened the kinks while Tom handled the pick. His swift strong swings broke up the frozen ground where they would set a fence post. Admittedly, she was a tomboy at heart. Household chores bored her, but when Mae could work outdoors she savored the task. Lifting her face to the sky, she said aloud, “Thank You, God, for this perfect day!”

Tom glanced up in the middle of a swing. “Did you say something?”

“Just talking to God.” She unwound more wire. “Don’t you do that?”