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I moved the plate a few inches further away from the cabin, then moved it another two feet further. “For Luka. Do you think this is too close to the cabin? He might be put off by the scent of human.”
“You’re feeding your pet mongrel now?” He muttered something in Gaelic, shaking his head. “Let’s head out before you decide to wash and brush the beast and put a pink ribbon around his neck.”
“You joke, but he’s been very helpful in keeping the racoons and other critters away from the cabin. The least we could do is provide him with a snack for his efforts.”
Bryant harrumphed his opinion at that, then helped me up into Patty’s saddle.
“Please do me one favor today, Callista,” Bryant said as we rode across the Silver River bridge towards town.
“I know, I know. Stay out of Sheriff Scumbag’s line of fire,” I said.
“His line of sight as well,” he added. “I don’t have the time today to pull you out of another scrape with the man.”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh, ye of little faith.”
“I have plenty of faith in you. It’s Wilkens that I’m fearful of.”
“Since when are you afraid of anyone?”
He made a disgruntled noise in his throat. “Since you dropped down into my life, I’m finding that keeping you alive has been one long, terrifying task.”
“Ha, ha. Fine, I’ll behave and run the other way if I see Wilkens. Silver Falls is a small town though. It’s going to be a challenge.”
We rode to the rear of the general store as always. Bryant unloaded both horses, then walked Pat and Patty to the barn to settle them in, while I headed around to the front of the store so as not to take them by surprise.
Both Henry and Alice were minding the store and happily greeted me. She instructed her son to finish the inventory, then rushed me upstairs to the guest bedroom where she opened the wardrobe and pulled out a new pink and tan calico dress.
“It’s beautiful!” I commented, fingering the brown ribbon tastefully trimming it. “You’ll look divine in this for the harvest festival next week.”
“I made this for you, Callista,” she said. “You said that pink was your favorite color.”
“For me? That’s so sweet, thank you!”
She looked down, her cheeks turning that very color. Not one comfortable displaying emotion, she waved me off saying, “No bother if you don’t like it. Molly Daniels said she’d buy it if you didn’t want—”
“Don’t you dare sell my new dress to someone else!” I said, snatching it to my bosom. “It’s gorgeous, and I’ll pay anything you ask, then add ten percent.”
“No, not a cent,” she said with another wave of the hand. “It’s a present, for your birthday. I had the fabric just sitting around doing nothing anyhow. No one wanted it.”
“Well, I do. Thank you so much, Alice. Should I try this on now?” I asked, holding the new dress at arm’s length for a better view. “See if there needs to be any adjustments?”
The conversation moved towards the dress alterations, then onto the latest town gossip and the numerous tasks to ready the upcoming harvest festival the following Saturday. Alice planned to enter her famous blackberry pies in a contest, and wanted me to come the day before the event to help her with the baking and with the decorating of various contest and carnival booths.
She picked at one seam on my new dress, frowning. “I’ve been thinking. You and Michael, you’re getting on together well enough?”
“What? Oh, sure.” I examined the dress fitted around me, saying, “Do you think this should be taken in a little at the waist?”
“No, you want a little breathing room,” Alice said, taking careful measurement. “You don’t wear a corset, and you wouldn’t want it to pucker and make you look fat.”
“No, I definitely wouldn’t.”
I had come to know the woman well enough to know that she was leading up to something else on her mind though. She had been dancing around some nagging issue the past two hours. When she looked ready to say something, then faltered yet again, I pulled the dress away from my frame and turned to face her straight on.
“Okay, Alice. Out with it.”
“I...No, I don’t...”
“You have something to say to me,” I insisted. “What is it? Tell me.”
