The rumble of mining trucks sounded along Main Street as the workers headed to the mines on Saturday morning. Anna stood outside her shop, watching them pass. Business had been rather slow that week, so she didn’t have any problems closing the shop for the morning. She’d contemplated hiring an assistant, but would there be enough reason for her to be away from the shop to warrant having someone take over for her? Anna raised her hand to shield her eyes as she peered down the street in search of Trevor. He’d left her a note three days ago asking to meet that morning, and she had sent her reply that she would be there.
Had he forgotten?
Had something happened to prevent him from coming?
She covered her mouth as a yawn escaped, and blinked several times, scrunching her eyes tight to clear the sleep from them. Another Friday night, and more revelry beneath her window into the wee hours of the morning. Despite Trevor’s promise to keep the cowboys away from her shop, he had no control over the miners and other riffraff who came into town. Thank goodness for the strong tea she’d bought from Evans Pharmacy. Otherwise, she might still be sleeping and miss out on meeting Trevor.
It had been less than a week since she had reunited with him and agreed to this ruse, yet she had thought of nothing else since. On Wednesday, after she’d received his note, the anticipation of this morning had been hard to tame. Now Saturday morning had arrived, and she stood waiting for Trevor. She glanced down at her simple skirt and blouse. Should she go back upstairs and change into something a bit nicer?
And what about her hair? She reached to touch the brown braid that hung down her back. Should she pin it up like she had so many times back in New York? Or maybe it was time to follow the fashions and styles she’d seen so many other ladies imitate. She pulled her braid over her shoulder. But that would mean a rather drastic cut of her hair to the shorter, cropped styles that had been slowly traveling west from the bigger cities to the east. No, for now, she’d leave things as they were. Besides, a shorter hairstyle might make her look too much like Maggie.
Anna glanced down the street to the north again, looking in the direction where she knew the ranch was located. She stretched up on her tiptoes hoping to see farther. She lowered her heels and pivoted sharply, only to come to an abrupt halt when she ran into someone who had been standing right behind her. Two strong hands held her elbows until she regained her balance.
“Were you by chance looking for me?” a familiar voice asked.
Anna smoothed the front of her skirt and looked up to see Trevor standing there with a cowboy hat on his head, his hands in his pockets, and wearing a rather mischievous look on his face. “Yes. I thought you would be coming from the other direction.”
“I took a shortcut.”
“Do you always sneak up on unassuming young ladies?”
He winked and sent a devilish grin her way. “You’ve discovered my favorite pastime. Now we don’t have a choice. We must go for our walk and begin our courting lest you change your mind and leave me to fend for myself with all of those matchmaking matrons walking about town, looking for suitable matches for their daughters.”
Anna grinned. He sounded so much like the Trevor she knew from New York, with his quick wit and easygoing charm. But the image of that man wasn’t the same as the one that stood before her now.
Scuffed and worn boots peeked out from the legs of his blue jeans, which were fastened with a wide belt and hugged his long legs better than the pants of any suit ever had. He wore a light green chambray shirt today, which stretched across his broad shoulders and tapered down to a narrower waist. Top that off with his hat sitting atop his sandy-colored hair at a crooked angle, and he looked every bit the picture of trouble.
In fact, he reminded her of a grown-up version of little Dominick, the scrappy street urchin who spent most of his time hanging out by the Denver Hotel looking for dropped coins and other treasures misplaced by hotel guests. Every time she’d seen him get caught, he managed to talk his way out of any consequences and convince the would-be punishment enforcer to forgive him and continue on their way.
“Is this a good time for you?” Trevor asked, breaking her from her silent observation. “You look lovely this morning, by the way.”
“Thank you,” she replied, feeling a hint of warmth steal into her cheeks. “The time is perfect.”
“Who is watching your shop?”
“I decided to close it this morning. Business has been a bit slow this week.”
“More time for our walk, then,” he said with a grin. “You won’t be needing to rush back at any specific time.”
She couldn’t argue with him on that. She had taken the freedom of a more leisurely pace into consideration when she’d made her decision to close the shop. This way, she could follow whatever lead Trever decided to take.
“Shall we?” He extended his arm, and she placed her hand in the crook of his elbow.
“We shall,” she replied with a smile.
Anna fell in step with him. She looked at the cloudless blue sky and reveled in the warmth from the sun above. There were far more clear days like this than what they had back in New York. When storm clouds filled the skies above her there, she’d felt trapped with nowhere to go. Here, even when storms came, they passed quickly, and there would be blue skies yet again. The only unfortunate part was the mud in the streets and sometimes the threat of mudslides from the mountains surrounding them, but so far, there had been no disasters.
“So, tell me more about your shop and how you came to own it,” Trevor said. “How long has it been open, and how did you meet…Awendela, was it?”
“Yes. Her name is Awendela,” she replied, waving and smiling at Mr. Evans as they passed the pharmacy. “I met her the first day I came to Breckenridge.”
Trevor looked down at her.
“Like you, I’m not from here,” she continued. “Several friends of my family who had traveled to Colorado returned, highly recommending a visit. They made it sound so amazing and so beautiful, I had to see it for myself.”
“And how did you end up in Breckenridge?”
Anna giggled. “That part is a bit funny.”
Trevor placed his hand on hers. “Please tell.” He paused and held her back as a rather boisterous person shoved through the main doors of the Denver Hotel and stomped out onto the sidewalk.
Anna watched, wide-eyed. The man didn’t even excuse himself for walking in front of them. She doubted he saw them at all. As Trevor started them walking again, she brought her attention back to her story.
“I arrived by train in Denver planning to travel south to Colorado Springs to visit the Antlers Hotel or perhaps see the Broadmoor. Word of those impressive hotels had reached all the way to the depot stop in Kansas City, and it made me want to see them.”
“What did you think of them?” Trevor asked.
“I never saw them. When I arrived in Denver, I happened to overhear another passenger talking about a beautiful road through a valley to the west, full of stunning views and the chance to see a good sampling of Colorado wildlife.” She shrugged. “I didn’t exactly have a time line for anything, and I was here, so I thought it would be a good idea to travel this road. Turned out, it wasn’t such a good idea, as the wagon ended up getting stuck around the reservoir and prevented further travel.”
“And when was this?”
“A little over a year ago, in the spring,” she answered.
He chuckled, and a knowing grin formed on his lips. “Right in the middle of the wet season in this area.”
“I didn’t know that at the time, but I certainly do now.”
They stepped down off the sidewalk in between the Bulletin office and the fire station then returned to the sidewalk once more.
Mr. Watson stepped outside his store a little ahead of them and swept the walkway in front of his door. He nodded as they approached. Trevor tipped his hat and Anna smiled.
“Fine day for a walk,” Mr. Watson said.
“It certainly is,” Trevor replied.
“I really enjoyed that article about you and the Red Hawk, Mr. Fox,” Mr. Watson said. He smiled at Anna. “And I see it didn’t take long for you to find a companion. No one in town finer than our Miss Clairmont.”
Anna placed her hand on her chest. “Aw, thank you, Mr. Watson. That is so kind of you.”
Mr. Watson shrugged. “Just telling how I see it.”
“And I would have to agree,” Trevor said.
Anna dipped her head and averted her eyes. She couldn’t help but smile though, at their high praise.
“And now we’ve gone and embarrassed her,” Mr. Watson said. “You two enjoy your stroll this morning,” he added in parting.
“Thank you,” Trevor replied. “We will.” He patted Anna’s hand again and smiled as he looked down at her. “You might have only been here a little over a year, but you have made quite a name for yourself.”
“The other merchants in town have been so kind, and I do make friends easily.”
“You did a fine job of helping me feel comfortable.” He guided her around a raised wooden plank. “I can see why others are so fond of you.”
It was true. When she lived in New York, she’d remained forever in her sister’s shadow. Out here, though, she could be herself and allow her natural personality to take center stage. Anna had never felt more free than when she had escaped the confines of being Maggie’s younger sister.
“There’s something familiar about you, though,” Trevor continued. “From the moment we met, I had the feeling we’d known each other far longer.”
Oh no! Anna stumbled at his confession but righted herself quickly. Had he remembered something? She’d better steer this conversation somewhere else. “Others have told me that as well. That might be part of the reason I ended up with Jacquie’s here in Breckenridge,” she replied. Good. Get back on track with the story she’d been sharing.
“Yes, you were saying you ran into trouble around the reservoir.” He guided them past a few houses after leaving the business district and toward a small pond surrounded by little painted wooden fences and beautiful flowers.
Anna smiled at a pair of ducks dipping their heads beneath the water and giving themselves a bath. “Yes, and that’s where I met Morning Fawn. The man driving the wagon had already established a bartering friendship with her camp, and she was coming to meet him. As he got us unstuck, she showed me some of the items she used to barter with. That’s when the idea came to me about opening a shop.”
“How fortunate that you found a place you could purchase.”
“Yes, the previous owners had recently left town due to an illness in their family that required them to return home.” She glanced up at him, his jaw set firm and his confident posture communicating a resolute determination to prosper no matter what. “Like you, I, too, needed a change from the life I used to lead. I hadn’t yet decided what I would do, but I trusted God would guide me…and He did.”
“Hmm,” was all Trevor said in response.
They walked for several moments in comfortable silence. A pair of magpies flew in and landed on the fence, chirping and squawking at either each other or the ducks, Anna couldn’t tell. The sun glinted off their shiny feathers, spotlighting the royal blue on their wings. They might have a penchant for being aggressive, but Anna loved their beauty. One took flight, its black head surrounded by a ring of white and its white-tipped wings spread wide. A moment later, its partner followed. Their effortless flying reminded her of the freedom she’d discovered by leaving her old life behind. As they rounded the other side of the pond, Trevor slowed their pace.
“So, you really believe God helps you and leads you to certain things?”
“Yes, I do,” Anna answered without hesitation.
It wasn’t a question she thought she’d ever hear from a man like Trevor, but one look at the serious expression on his face and the contemplative stance he took, staring out at nothing in particular, and Anna knew his inquiry was genuine. Maybe he left New York searching for more than he thought.
“Take the two of us, for instance,” Anna continued. “Some might say our meeting was purely circumstantial, but I disagree. Neither one of us is from here, and we both traveled a long distance to get here. I don’t believe that the article featuring you or the fact that you chose my shop to enter was a coincidence.”
She’d questioned all of that herself over the past several days. One of the main reasons she’d decided to take her inheritance and leave New York was to escape the pain of rejection. But she felt none of that here, even with Trevor back in her life. Maybe what they’d both needed was a change of scenery.
Trevor freed her hand from his arm and stepped toward the fence. He rested his elbows on the top rail and leaned against it. Again, silence fell between them. Trucks and motorcars driving through town hummed and rumbled, and the occasional tinkling of a bicycle bell rang out. The man-made sounds mixed with those of nature, the various chirps, calls, and cadences of the hawks, owls, magpies, and woodpeckers.
“You definitely have given me a lot to think about, Miss Clairmont,” Trevor finally said. He straightened and once again extended his elbow out to her, which she took. “I’d like to invite you to visit the ranch as soon as you can make yourself available.”
“I’d like to come and see the ranch,” Anna replied. “The miners here talk about the impressive outfit the Logans run, and I’ve had several meals featuring some of the beef that comes from the Red Hawk. It would be fun to see it all up close.”
He led them back toward the business part of town. “Just name the day. It really is a remarkable place. You have to see it to believe it. And I look forward to showing it to you.”
The enthusiasm in his voice matched the joy on his face. He looked like a little boy who had just been given his first piece of candy from the dry goods store.
Laughter bubbled up from within and escaped. “As long as you don’t have any plans of making me clean up after the animals, it should be an enjoyable experience.”
Trevor laughed as well. “I can promise that won’t happen.” He glanced down at her with a twinkle in his eye. “I can’t say we won’t be getting you up on a horse, though.”
“We’ll see about that.”
They made their way back to her shop, where Trevor paused and turned to face her. He looked down at the sidewalk. “I…uh…” He whipped his hat off his head and fingered the rim, turning it around and around between his hands. “That is…”
“Is there something else you wanted to ask, Mr. Fox?”
“Tomorrow’s Sunday, and well…” He stopped, took a deep breath, and made eye contact. “Would you mind if I joined you soon for Sunday services?”
“At church?” she blurted. Trevor Fox wanted to go with her to church? Now, that was a surprise.
“Yeah, that is, if you don’t mind.”
He had such trouble asking, and his last comment held such hope that she’d agree, how could she deny him?
“I wouldn’t mind at all. When you’re ready, you let me know. You might even find some answers to some of those questions you were asking earlier.”
“Maybe.” He gestured toward the front door of her shop. “Well, I’ve brought you full circle, and I enjoyed our little stroll. Thank you for joining me, Miss Clairmont.”
Anna stepped toward her shop and placed her hand on the doorknob. “It was my pleasure, Mr. Fox.”
“May I call you on you again?”
She looked over her shoulder and smiled then nodded. “I will be here.”
“Good.” He replaced his hat and tipped it with his thumb and forefinger before stepping off the sidewalk and crossing the street. She followed his departure, and a moment later, he turned to catch her watching him. He winked, and heat warmed her face. Ducking her head, she slipped inside her shop and out of view.
Trevor was far too charming for his own good.