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Rena nodded and let Gabi pull her into the pew, where Josh had already taken a seat. Gabi sat beside him, and Rena quietly sank onto the wooden bench with Theo on her other side on the aisle seat.
Five minutes after the opening hymn and prayer, Gabi had fallen asleep with her head resting on Rena’s arm. Josh started to move his daughter, but Rena shook her head. She shifted so Gabi was cradled against her side, relishing the warmth of spirit the child brought to her.
Truthfully, the child’s affections, unbridled and freely given, touched Rena’s heart. She settled back with a feeling of contentment and listened to Pastor Ryan’s sermon on grace.
Despite her intentions to ignore whatever wisdom came from the pulpit, Rena found herself intently listening. Pastor Ryan had a way of speaking that was engaging and heartfelt, and he shared what Rena thought of as simple truths.
By the time the service ended, she felt both convicted and encouraged and decided to sort out her tumultuous thoughts later. At least they’d made it through the service without lightning bolting from the sky and striking the building.
Gabi awakened when the congregation stood and conversation began to buzz around them. She held up her arms to Josh. He lifted her, and she rested her head on his shoulder with a sigh.
Rena patted her back, then turned to find Theo ready to introduce her to the Milton family, who had invited them for lunch. He hadn’t spoken in jest when he said they had several children, all close in age. The four boys looked like stairsteps, but it was the beautiful baby girl held in Anne Milton’s arms that captured Rena’s full attention. She adored babies and had to hold her fingers twined together to keep from reaching out to touch Emery Milton.
On the way to the door, Rena was introduced to more people than she could possibly hope to keep straight after only one meeting. She did shake hands with the pastor and thank him for the thought-provoking sermon, greeted his wife with a smile, then stepped outside, feeling like she’d escaped to freedom.
Rena tipped her head back to the bright spring sun and let it warm her face before she followed Theo over to the hitching rail where they’d left Scout and Thomas.
“Please, Papa? Can’t I please go with Rena? Pretty please?” Gabi begged as she skipped along beside her father on their way to his buggy.
“No, baby. You’ll ride with me.”
Rena rode over to the buggy as Josh set Gabi on the seat and spoke quietly so the child couldn’t hear what she said. “I don’t mind if she rides with me if you trust me to take care of her.”
Josh glanced from Rena to Gabi, shrugged once, then lifted his daughter and set her on the saddle in front of Rena.
Delight filled Gabi’s expression as she looked over her shoulder up at Rena. “Hi!”
“Hello again, Gabi Jo. Do you know where we’re going?”
“Oh, yes! To Mr. and Mrs. Milton’s house. It’s so pretty. They have a porch and a swing, and the boys have a pony!”
“A pony? What color is this pony? What’s his name?”
Rena grinned at Theo as they rode away from the church yard and turned onto Main Street while Gabi chattered excitedly.
Two hours later, Rena decided the people of Holiday were perhaps more tolerant of strange women who wore trousers and worked a man’s job than she’d originally assumed they’d be. Jace and Cora Lee Coleman were also at the Milton home for lunch, as were Doctor Holt and his family, and they’d all extended a welcome to her that left her feeling at home.
From what she’d observed, Anne Milton, Henley Holt, and Cora Lee Coleman were close friends, and their children seemed to be as well.
Gabi mostly played with Mike Milton and the oldest Holt child who was close to her age.
Henley extended an invitation to Rena to stop by anytime for a visit, and Cora Lee invited them all to come out to Elk Creek Ranch the following Sunday for a picnic lunch.
It was on the tip of Rena’s tongue to refuse the invitations, but she had no reason to do so. Not when these families had gone out of their way to make sure she felt a part of their group. No one had given a second glance at her trousers or raised an eyebrow over her job at the mine.
The only person who expressed any shock to discover she was working as a blaster at the Gilded Pine was Josh. When her occupation came up in the conversation over dinner, Josh looked like he’d swallowed a bitter persimmon and was about to choke on it.
After the meal, as the men and children wandered outside, Rena had lingered in the house with the women talking about recipes and Anne’s delicious tea.
Rena felt a kinship with these women she couldn’t begin to explain, but it filled her heart with gratitude to be there. In spite of her misgivings, she was glad Theo had coerced her into coming.
“What’s it really like, working at the mine?” Anne asked as she refilled their cups of tea and passed around a plate of Cora Lee’s delicious honey cakes.
Rena took one of the small, golden cakes and leaned back in her seat next to Henley. The doctor’s wife had surprised her by explaining she worked as a nurse when her husband required assistance.
“It’s nothing like I anticipated it would be. The mine is so dark and warm inside, and it has a pungent, dank odor that just stays in my nose no matter how much clean air I breathe on the way home. I’m terrified each time I touch a stick of dynamite that I’m going to blow the whole place and everyone there to kingdom come, but for the most part, the men have been accepting of me. A few have made comments a lady would never repeat, but I noticed one of them had a black eye the next day. I’m not sure if Theo took exception to his remarks, or if it was the owner of the mine. Cade has been kind, protective, and tolerant as I’ve done my best to learn my job this week.”
“Cade, is it?” Cora Lee said with a sly grin. “Does Josh have some competition?”
