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The door opened as she stood there trying to catch her breath. Miranda smiled, her attention falling on the baby, and the same longing she saw on Miranda’s face every time she looked at Samuel was shining in her eyes again. “Hello, Miranda.”
The woman’s smile widened. “Hey, Betsey.” She reached for the basket as Betsey lifted Samuel and pulled the length of cloth around her neck away. Miranda was already reaching for him when she got the sling she carried him in off. “He fed on the way to town so he should be good for a while yet. If he gets too fussy before I get back over here, just send word and I’ll run over.”
“He’ll be fine,” Miranda said. “Don’t worry.”
Betsey opened her mouth to ask if leaving Samuel again was all right but as she watched Miranda coo and grin at the baby, she knew it would have been a stupid question. Miranda loved tending to him. The truth of it was easy to see with a simple glance. “Ben will be by to pick him up this evening as usual.”
Miranda nodded, not really paying any attention to her, and Betsey said her goodbyes and headed back to town. She searched the street for Aaron and spotted his buckboard near the livery stable. When she stepped up onto the sidewalk and looked back, she saw him standing just inside the wide, open door that led to the horse stalls. That pang she felt in her chest hit again and she looked away.
Why did he have to come back? Why now? She’d finallygotten over him and convinced her heart she hated him but one look at him and she knew it was all a lie. The ache in her chest gave her confirmation of it but even though she still loved him didn’t mean she’d let him just walk back into her life as if nothing had happened.What makes you think he even wants to?The thought caused her heart to clench painfully. Maybe it was wishful thinking that he’d want her. He hadn’t cared enough to stay when she begged him to and he’d been gone too long to have missed her, then there was the Indian girl …
She sighed and hurried her steps. As awful as the saloon was most days, the noise and shuffle of so many people distracted her from morose thoughts and now that Aaron was back in town, she needed a distraction in the worst sort of way.
This endof town had turned into the busiest section of the single road through Willow Creek and the crowd gathered here pushed and shoved each other trying to get to where they were going. The blacksmith’s shop was flanked by the livery on one side and the stagecoach station on the other. The hotel, telegraph office, and mercantile were across from them on the other side of the street. Whatever you needed, it could be found on this end of town.
Aaron waited by the wide double doors of the livery for Percy to notice him and busied himself by watching people on the sidewalk. Where had they all come from? Willow Creek wasn’t the small town it had once been. The sidewalks were full, the hotel restaurant busy as always and had he not been looking that way, he would have never seen her.
Betsey stopped as someone opened the hotel door and came out. Her gold-blonde hair was curling at the ends but left to dangle down her back. He pushed away from the stable door and had taken two steps in her direction when Percy said his name.He looked inside, then glanced back to where Betsey had been standing but no longer saw her. He sighed. He’d seen her twice now and still hadn’t said a word to her.
Stepping into the waiting darkness of the stable, Aaron walked the length of the building. Horses filled nearly every stall and other than Percy, Aaron didn’t see anyone else.
Percy turned and saw him, tension apparent by his shoulders drawn up near his ears and small lines streaked his forehead. “Need some help, Percy?”
The man let out an unamused laugh. “Understatement of the week.” Percy closed the stall door he stood in front of and started his way. “What can I help you with?”
“Noah said you were storing some lumber out back for him. I came to pick it up.”
Percy exhaled loudly and ran a hand over his face. “It’s under the lean-to behind the stable.” He squinted at him a bit. “Do you need help loading it or did you bring someone along to help?”
He hadn’t but he’d not tell Percy that. “I can manage.”
“All right.” He looked toward the double doors, two men standing there, both irate if the look on their face was any indication.
Aaron left through the side door and headed around the building, nearly slamming into Caleb as he rounded the corner. Caleb wasn’t but two years older than he was but they rarely spoke. He was a loner, worked from sun up to sun down, and lived with his ma on the outskirts of town. He’d missed more school lessons than he learned and had been working for Percy since he was old enough to saddle a horse. Aaron nodded. “Hey, Caleb.”
“Aaron.” He drew up short, his eyes a bit wide. “I didn’t realize you were back in town.”
“Got in yesterday.”
Caleb nodded and stepped out from in front of him. “Oh, well it’s good to have you back. Can I help you with something?”
“I came for the lumber Noah ordered from the mercantile and had stored here but I can get it myself. Percy looks like he’s about to start pulling his hair out so I’ll not keep you.”
Caleb grunted. “We’re running ourselves ragged. Seems everyone wants to stable a horse, rent a buggy or wagon or a horse and with only two of us, it’s been hard to keep up.”
Aaron tilted his head as he thought. Now that he was back he’d have to find work and although the Avery ranch usually needed more help, he had no doubt he could head over there this instant and Holden would hire him on but coming to town every day would be a lot closer. “Has Percy been looking for help?”
“He’s mentioned it in passing but that’s about it. Why? You looking for work?”
“Now that I’m back I am.”
“Here to stay, then?”
“Yes.” He scratched the stubble on this chin. “And I can’t keep living at home. I’m too old to be dependent on my ma and Noah. I want to cut out on my own and buy a piece of land but until our old home place back in Great Falls sells, I need money to do that.”
“I’ll ask Percy and see if he was serious about wanting to hire someone and let you know.”
Aaron thanked him and watched him duck back into the side door before heading around the corner. The lumber Noah had ordered over a year ago was still sitting there, covered with thick canvas. Guilt gnawed at him as he uncovered the wood, knowing it had sat there so long because of him. Why Noah hadn’t had it delivered out to the house, he’d never know. Unless Percy was just to busy to do it and with Noah’s broken leg and him still not getting around too good …
