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“Out and up.”
He frowned. “Excuse me?”
“We make the house wider and taller. Move the bathing wall out and the back wall out so you will have a real bedroom. She will not live here without a real bedroom.” She pointed to the front wall inside the bathing area. “There is enough space in here to add a stairwell for an upstairs where we can add two, maybe three bedrooms for children and guests.” She walked to the counter space in the kitchen and counted her footsteps from the wall to the edge of Josiah’s bed. “With the addition of a real bedroom, this will give you enough room for a true kitchen, with a table, and maybe a sofa and fireplace if we add another three or four feet. We could even move that wall,” she added, pointing to the kitchen counter wall.
“Why don’t we just rebuild the entire house?”
Summer grinned. “That’s an excellent idea! I’m quite certain your friend and the other lighthorsemen will help if you ask them. We can have a new home up in a couple of days.”
Billy tugged on Josiah’s pant’s leg, his dirty face pinched. “Mr. West?”
Josiah glanced down, not liking the change in the young boy’s demeanor. He had been so happy only moments ago. He squatted in front of him, the odor of little boy sweat all but hitting him in the face. He fought the urge to pinch his nose but had no control when his eyes watered from the stench. “What’s wrong, Billy?”
“Are you gonna keep your promise? Can we stay here and help or will you kick us out, too?”
Josiah wanted to curse. “When I make a promise, I keep that promise, no matter what. You and your cousin can stay here and help me for as long as you want…on one condition.”
Billy’s gaze turned wary. “What condition?”
“You have to take a bath.”
Chapter 3
Mia sat on the rickety bench facing the train tracks, the hot sun baking her pale skin. Growing up in New York, she wasn’t used to heat like this, much less being out in it. Even working as a schoolteacher afforded her some luxuries, and one of them was staying indoors out of the sun. It simply wasn’t proper to have anything but creamy skin, and the intense light would do untold damage to her complexion. She would probably end up with a million freckles.
She stared out at the barren landscape and let out another sigh. Yes, there were trees and the area was rolling, but everything was brown and baked. In the distance, a funnel of dirt rose in a swirling pattern and raced across a field. What had she gotten herself into? She had to leave the school and New York, though. Staying in the same city, no matter how large it was, hadn’t been an option.
Pulling down on the wide brim of her hat, she managed to keep most of the mid-day sun off her face. She tucked her gloves into the sleeves of her jacket and rested her hands on top of the small printed carpetbag in her lap. She traced the pretty red rose and the surrounding green leaves. The bag had been a going away present from Madam Wigg. She prayed whatever illness her dear friend suffered would not be as serious as the doctor had foretold. She couldn’t imagine someone as caring and vivacious as Wiggie gone from this earth.
Her thoughts turned back to the night her life had changed. The night Amanda’s arm had been broken. The next morning, Madam Wigg finally got the truth from poor Amanda. She had never seen her mentor so furious. The three girls had been severely punished, especially the oldest, who seemed to be the biggest troublemaker. According to Amanda and a few of the other students Mia had talked to, the girl was just mean.
Poor Brian hadn’t left Amanda’s side the entire day. He brought her meals to her and made sure she was comfortable. He even read to her, which he hated doing. Mia couldn’t help but smile as she recalled the last time she’d seen them. She’d wanted to say goodbye and had stuck her head into the room only to find them both asleep, Amanda’s blonde hair spread out on the pillow like an angel's, and Brian’s dark head a stark contrast beside hers. Their fingers were linked together between them.
Mia hadn’t wanted to leave the children or New York City. The school had been her home for so long—the only one she’d ever known. If she tried really hard, she had flashbacks of a darker time when she was maybe five, but all she could remember was pain. And the blurry faces of two boys, but who they were she had no idea. In fact, she hadn’t remembered that much until she heard the doctor’s voice and it had been all she could do to breathe.
The moment Madam Wigg saw the terror on her face, she had known something was wrong but running from the room like a complete ninny hadn’t helped the situation. Where had all the decorum lessons gone? Mia bit back a chuckle. Evidently, they'd flown out the window on the first trial. Suggesting she choose one of the men’s letters had been a wonderful idea…at least she’d thought so at the time. Now, glancing at the nothingness of Eufaula, she wasn’t quite so certain any longer.
The only buildings she had seen from the train were situated along Main Street, which was nothing more than a narrow dirt road. There was a small store and a building beside it with a sign in the window that readTheIndian Journal. There was another small building on the corner with the word ‘Bank’ painted in gold on the front door window, and at the far end of town stood a livery. To her, though, this reminded her of some of the poorest areas back home.
”Miss! Miss!”
Mia glanced toward the voice, but her gaze moved a bit further, past the man she’d talked to earlier inside the station to focus on the man behind him closing the door. He turned toward her, hat in hand, and her breath caught in her throat.
“My, oh my, oh my,” she whispered. She couldn’t pull her gaze away from him if she’d tried. She had never seen such a handsome man in her life. He casually brushed his dark brown hair back as he walked toward her, the ends curling along wide shoulders that couldn’t be hidden beneath his gray frock coat. His hair still looked damp, as if he’d taken the time for a bath. Nor could his trim waist be hidden behind the lighter gray vest, and she couldn’t remember ever seeing thighs quite as thick as his. He fairly took her breath away.
The train agent stopped a few feet away and mopped the sweat from his brow with a dirty red rag. “Miss, I have someone here who seems to think yer here cuz of him?”
Mia stood, willing her shaking legs to hold her weight as the handsome stranger moved around the other man and stopped in front of her. She was ever so conscientious of her every flaw: the way her ears stuck out, her lack of a proper bath for the past several days, her filthy dress, and no matter how hard she tried to hide them, she just knew she had sweat stains. Sitting in a hot train day after day had been miserable for her. Cleanliness was one thing she had always insisted on at the school, and she desperately needed that routine.
The man stopped in front of her, and she was drawn to his beautiful brown eyes. He didn’t smile, so she didn’t either. Was he upset or simply serious? She liked his mouth and the small cleft in his rounded chin, but she couldn’t help but think this was a horrible way to begin a relationship.
He tilted his head slightly to one side. “My name is Josiah West. Might you be Miss Mia Bradley from New York City?”
She nodded. “I am.”
“I know this is short notice, but we really must hurry. “The preacher is waiting for us at the church.”
She frowned, not quite certain she heard him right. “Excuse me? Why would there be a preacher waiting?”
