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“Thank you,” she said, draping a napkin over her lap.
Josh hated washing and ironing them, but Maxine would rise from the grave and haunt him if he let Gabi wipe her mouth on her sleeve. He’d heard rumors of someone planning to open a laundry service in town. If they did, he intended to be the first customer in line.
Without asking, he took Rena’s hand in his, bowed his head, and offered a brief, heartfelt prayer, giving thanks for the provision of the meal and a new day.
Rena added her amen to his, then helped herself to a serving of the coffee cake that filled the kitchen with the scent of spices. She cut a serving for him and placed it on his plate before accepting a serving of the egg and ham dish from him.
They remained quiet as they ate, but when their plates were clean, Rena leaned back in her chair and looked around his sunny kitchen. “Your house is so nice, Josh. I like the layout and all the windows. In the winter, especially, the light must be so nice.”
“It is nice, although I feel like we probably go through twice as much wood for the fire and coal for the furnace than we would if we only had a window or two.”
“I think it’s worth it to have all this glorious natural light.” Rena waved her hand around for emphasis. “The house where I grew up was rather dark. I think it belonged to my father’s parents before they passed.”
“Do you have other relatives beyond Theo and Laura?” Josh was fairly certain she didn’t, but he wanted to make sure he hadn’t misunderstood anything.
“No. Just them. We spent so much time together when we were youngsters, they always seemed more like my siblings than anything else. What about you? I haven’t heard you mention any relatives.”
Josh toyed with his nearly empty coffee cup. Rena rose and retrieved the coffee pot, refilling his cup, then adding more to her own.
When she resumed her seat, he cleared his throat. “My parents and older sister died the winter I was fifteen. Many people took sick and never got well that year. My younger brother ran off the following year when he couldn’t take being at the ranch any longer. My father’s only brother took over our ranch, claiming we were too young to run things as he squandered our inheritance. He was a terrible person and was especially hard on Zach, my brother. My uncle got into a fight in a saloon over a har … well, the particulars aren’t important, but he died of a gunshot wound to the chest when I was eighteen. There were no other relatives, but I wanted a fresh start. Like you, I sold the land where I was raised and headed out. I ended up working with an old man who had a saddle shop in Olathe, Kansas. I never planned to settle there, but I was fond of him, so I stayed a while to learn everything he could teach me. When he decided his hands were too arthritic to keep his shop open, he sold me his tools at a bargain price, and I headed further west. I was in Baker City trying to decide if I wanted to stay there or go on to Pendleton when a fellow rushed off the Holiday Express line and asked if I wanted to buy a store in Holiday that he hadn’t yet opened. The price he named was too good to pass up. I was half afraid when I got here it would be a hoax, but he gave me a key and a letter to give to Henley Holt.”
“Henley? How does she come into the story?” Rena asked, leaning toward him, clearly wanting to hear more.
Josh grinned. “I see in all the gossiping you women do on Sunday afternoons, no one has gotten around to sharing the fact that Henley came to Holiday as a mail-order bride. The man who sent for her was the same one who sold me the shop. He was planning to open a hardware store but struck gold and lit out of town before anyone could rob him. It all worked out for the best because Henley and Doc Evan met on the train bound for Oregon and were in love by the time they got here, or so I’ve been told.”
“Really. Are there other mail-order brides in town?”
A snort escaped before Josh could hold it in. “Oh, let’s see. Cora Lee Coleman, Anne Milton, and the banker’s wife, to name a few.”
Rena’s eyes widened. “Now, why haven’t the girls told me that?”
“You’ll have to ask them that question. From what I know, Cora Lee and Anne were on the same train. It’s quite a story, them getting held up at gunpoint by Cora Lee’s betrothed; only she didn’t know it was him.”
“It’s a good thing I’ll be seeing them tomorrow. They can tell me the whole story.”
Josh grinned and finished his coffee. Before he could rise, Rena placed a hand over his. “I’m sorry you lost your parents so young, Josh. I know how hard it is.”
His other hand settled on top of hers, and he patted it gently. “I know you do.”
Rena looked like she wanted to ask him something, but seemed hesitant.
“Something else you want to know?” he questioned.
“I was just wondering …” She paused and raised her gaze to his. He saw pain mingling with the questions in her eyes before she continued. “How did you meet your wife?”
Josh moved his hands to his lap and sat back. It didn’t seem right to discuss Maxine while holding hands with the woman who’d so recently beguiled him. “Maxine was from a wealthy family. I’d gone back to Kansas when the old fellow I mentioned with the saddle shop passed away. It seemed only right to pay my respects to him. Her family was on what she called a jaunt, taking in the sights from their home in Boston to their destination in San Francisco. Her father had business there, and Maxine and her mother had tagged along. She was an only child. Indulged. Spoiled. Pampered. But I took one look at her and fell in love. She must have felt the same way because we wed the next day. Her father disowned her, told her to never get in touch with them again, and she didn’t.”
A sigh worked its way free, and he scrubbed a hand over his face before he spoke again. “I tried to talk her into writing them a letter when Gabi was born, but Maxine refused. She didn’t want them to be part of her life just because she’d produced a grandchild. Her reasoning was if they didn’t love her enough to accept her and her choices, which included me, then they had no right to be around our daughter. When Maxine passed, I sat down a dozen times to write them a letter, but I just couldn’t do it. Maxine wouldn’t have wanted me to. It’s sad, but Gabi has a set of grandparents she’ll likely never know. I’m afraid if they did find out about her, about Maxine being gone, they’d use their wealth and influence to take her away from me.”
“That’s a reasonable fear, Josh. If they are the kind of people who could turn their backs on their only child, it’s feasible to think they might do something like steal their granddaughter. I think it’s wise to protect Gabi. When she’s older and able to choose for herself, you might share the information with her, but for now, I would say she’s enjoying a happy childhood, and that’s far more than many youngsters have.”
Josh offered Rena a nod of gratitude. “Thank you for saying that. I try, but it’s hard being her only parent, especially now that she asks so many questions and she needs more guidance and direction. It was so much easier when all I had to worry about was keeping her from getting too close to the fireplace or stove and not letting her run out of the yard.”
“Just wait until she notices boys are more than playmates.”
Josh groaned in mock dismay, and Rena laughed. “I’d love to see the rest of your home if you’d like to show it to me.”
“Sure. I’ll set the dishes in the sink, then give you the grand tour.”
