“Who is he? And why is he here?” Marlie pounced on Piper as soon as she went into their room to get a towel and clean clothes.
Even Suze watched Piper with unconcealed curiosity.
“Just an old friend who happens to be here to write an article about the Frontier Nursing Service for his paper back home.”
“Uh-huh,” Marlie said. “And I’m going to do the jitterbug on the moon. We saw his face when he got here and asked where Piper Danson might be. Right, Suze?”
“Well.” Suze ran her hand down the crease of her jeans. “We might be able to believe the ‘old friends’ story and that it’s just a coincidence you both happen to be here at Wendover at the same time except for the look on his face when we told him you weren’t here.” Suze grinned.
“Yeah, except for that.” Marlie snorted a laugh. “You’d have thought somebody stole all his chickens.” She shook her head. “I’ve been in the mountains too long. Talking about chickens. I don’t even like chickens. Always trying to peck your shoelaces.”
“Chickens aren’t so bad,” Piper said. “At least they won’t mash your toe if they step on it like a cow will. Do you believe it, girls? I milked a cow last night.”
“Don’t try to change the subject. We want to know about that good-looking guy out there.” Marlie pointed toward the door. “That dreamboat with a smile to stop your heart who followed you to the mountains.” She sighed.
“He doesn’t have a roadster,” Piper teased, since Marlie was always talking about riding off with somebody in a roadster.
“Or a horse, but if he’d had a horse, he would have been riding up in the mountains looking for this girl we know.” Suze lifted her eyebrows. “I’m surprised Mrs. Breckinridge didn’t send him packing. No girl-boy adventures allowed around here.”
“She made that very plain,” Piper said. “Look, he’s a friend. That’s all. And I’ve been ordered by the boss to get this paint off my face and arms.”
“You are somewhat spotted,” Suze said.
“Just a friend.” Marlie smiled. “We should all have friends like that.”
“I’ll tell you all about him,” Piper said. “Tomorrow. Now I’ve been painting doors and porch posts all day and I’m exhausted. And starving.”
“Your friend is probably hungry too. He didn’t get here in time to eat with us,” Suze said. “Where is he anyway? Did Miss Aileen run him off?”
“She wanted to,” Marlie said.
“Mrs. Breckinridge told him he could set up a tent and sleep out there on the hill,” Piper said.
“You have got to be kidding,” Suze said. “A tent!”
“Don’t ask me. I’m the new girl on the block.” Piper grabbed her towel and clothes. “And I’m going to scrub off some paint.”
Piper turned on the shower long enough to get wet and then turned it off while she lathered up. They had limited water and everybody was expected to conserve it. It didn’t matter if she was covered with paint spots. Or white freckles.
Jamie did have a way with words. And that smile. What was he doing here? And what about that pretty blonde in Louisville? But Piper had written to him with a claim of old friendship. She could stand by that. They were friends. But somehow she’d have to keep her heart in check. It had wanted to jump clear out of her chest when she saw that smile. Oh, Jamie.
Piper finished her shower, but she couldn’t tell if she still had paint spots or not. She hadn’t brought a lamp to the bathroom with her, and very little light was left in the day to filter through the high window. The hallway was even dimmer, but every step was familiar. She knew which planks squeaked, which doors to tiptoe past because the person who slept there was early to bed. Miss Aileen was usually one of those, but tonight she might still be poring over books with Truda.
In her own room, the lamp was still lit. Suze was gone and Marlie was in bed with the sheet pulled up over her head. She roused enough to say, “We expect a better story tomorrow, Danny girl.” She turned over and went back to sleep.
Piper’s stomach growled as she combed out her hair. It seemed like forever since she’d eaten a jam sandwich with Nurse Hankins at Wilder Ridge. They had carried the sandwiches outside where they sat on the front steps and listened to the birds while they ate. Then they’d gone back to painting.
As quietly as possible she reached into her stash of snacks. She still had several candy bars from her last trip to Hyden. That made her remember Suze saying Jamie didn’t have supper either. His stomach would be growling too.
Would it be improper to take him a candy bar? As one friend to another.
She picked up three of the bars and put out the lamp before she slipped out into the hallway to tiptoe over to tap on Suze’s door. She nearly always stayed up late making her drawings of plant life.
When Suze opened the door, she kept her voice low. “You don’t look as speckled.” She pulled the door wider. “Want to come in?”
“No, I wanted to see if you’d go with me to take Jamie a candy bar. I don’t know whether Mrs. Breckinridge would consider that improper or not, but he’s probably hungry.”
Suze gave her a look. “Two’s company and three’s a crowd.”
“Exactly.”
“Sure then, why not? I didn’t really get to talk to him earlier. Marlie was the one filling him in on your absence. I was working on Puddin’s leg.”
“Is it better?”
“I don’t know. Kermit shook his head when he looked at it. Not a good sign.” She went back to blow out her lamp. No one ever left a lamp or candle burning in an empty room. Miss Aileen impressed on them the danger of fires.
“He’s such a sweet horse. Slow as a snail, but sweet.”
“Nobody ever falls off him.” Suze led the way down the hallway. She looked back to whisper at Piper. “We better tiptoe past Miss Aileen’s room.”
“She was still at the Big House looking over account books when I was there a little bit ago.”
“Then we’d better run to get out of sight before she sees us,” Suze said. “Three’s a crowd or not, she might not be happy with us having a rendezvous with your young man.”
“He’s not my young man. Simply a friend.”
“But you want him to be your young man.”
“You’re the one saying that. Not me. My father has the same as promised me to Braxton Crandall. And Jamie has a girlfriend. I think friends will have to do.”
“Don’t you think it should be your promises that matter? And you must be wrong about that other girlfriend.”
Piper didn’t answer for a moment as they climbed the hill toward where the shape of the tent was visible. Stars spilled across the sky, more appearing every second. The waning moon had yet to come up. Finally Piper said, “My father wants what’s best for me. And I like Braxton okay. As my mother once told me, love can grow.”
“If you say so. Actually, Braxton is a great guy, but I’m not sure you will be doing him any favors if you marry him when you’re carrying a torch for some other guy.”
“I told you. Jamie is a friend. That’s all. Besides, it’s not like Braxton is in love with me. He barely knows me. When I talked to him, he sounded as though he’d made a business decision. Time to have a wife.” Piper deepened her voice as though talking for Braxton. “Hmm, that Piper Danson’s father didn’t lose his money in the crash. She may do.”
“A business deal. That sounds awful.” Suze covered her mouth to muffle her laugh. “But at the same time, I know what you mean, except one has to wonder what makes a proper wife. Do you think there is such a creature? ”
“My mother is a proper wife.”
“Not mine. She’s always telling my father what’s what. She’s the new generation of women. One that most of us will be running along behind, because anyone who’s paying attention can see that things are changing now that women have the vote. And about time too.”
“My mother was a suffragette before she married.”
“See. You have female rebel blood. You don’t have to let your father push you into this niche he thinks you should fit. You can burst out of those confines. Design your own life. If you want to.”
“Sometimes I don’t know what I want. That’s why I like it here so much. Totally free of romance and decisions about men.”
“At least before today and you started worrying about this man’s empty stomach.”
“My friend’s empty stomach. I’d be just as worried if you hadn’t had anything to eat.”
“I would hope so. You did grab a candy bar for me too, didn’t you?” Suze looked over to where all was quiet at Jamie’s tent. “What do you do when you visit someone in a tent? Knock on the tent flap?”
“No need to knock.” Jamie stuck his head out through the flap. “I heard you and hoped you were coming my way.” He crawled out and stood up to greet them.
“Hope we didn’t wake you,” Piper said.
“Sleep? With all this racket going on?”
“Racket,” Suze spoke up. “We weren’t that noisy.”
“Not you.” Jamie looked at Suze. “The frogs. An owl out there somewhere. Dogs barking. And birds singing. Are birds even supposed to sing at night?”
“The whippoorwill,” Piper said.
“Yes, now that you mention it, that is what it said.”
Piper couldn’t see Suze’s face very well, but she knew she’d be frowning at Jamie’s complaints. “He really loves it, Suze. Don’t you, Jamie?”
He laughed. “Actually, I do. It’s been a while since I camped out under the stars. I think God must have added a few million since then.” He put his hands on his hips and stared up. “This place is amazing.”
“That’s good to hear,” Suze said. “I was about to turn Danny around and head back down the hill. With your candy bar.”
“Candy bar?” Jamie’s teeth flashed in a smile. “That changes everything. I’d ask you inside, but the stars up above and the music from the trees are better out here anyway. Besides, I doubt we’d all fit. Do you think Mrs. Breckinridge really slept in this tent out here on this hillside? Really?”
“If she said she did, then she did,” Suze said. “They say she just rode by this place and fell in love with the spot and that’s why she built her house here.”
“Too dark for that.” Piper was beginning to feel like she was the third wheel instead of Suze. Except Jamie did keep sneaking looks over at her. Her eyes had adjusted to the night enough that she could see his face. But she wasn’t out here to make a conquest, merely to give a friend a candy bar to allay his hunger.
“Yeah. I’m going to wish I’d stumbled over a flashlight up there in that attic.”
“I think I have an extra you can borrow. I’ll give it to you tomorrow.” Suze held out her hand toward Jamie. “I’m Susan Tipton. Suze here in the mountains. I don’t think we were ever properly introduced this afternoon.”
“Glad to meet you, Suze.” He shook her hand. “I’m Jamie Russell, wannabe journalist and friend to the lovely Piper Danson.”
“Danny to us.” Suze poked Piper. “She’s the one with the candy in her pocket, but it appears she may let us starve before she shares it.”
“Oh, sorry.” Piper handed them each a candy bar. “Hunger must be making me forgetful.” Or it could be standing close to Jamie Russell was making her heart pound so hard it was shaking her brain too much to think.
“That can do it.” Jamie sat down on the ground. “Won’t you lovely ladies join me for a late-night repast here on the front stoop of my abode?”
“You sound more like a poet than a journalist.” Suze sat down.
“Do you think we should?” Piper hesitated to join them, remembering Mrs. Breckinridge’s orders, while knowing how very much she did want to sit down next to Jamie and lean her head against his shoulder.
“Sure, you should.” Jamie patted the ground beside him, the very place Piper wanted to sit. Suze was on his other side.
“We’ll get chiggers.” Piper sat down, but she made sure to leave space between her and Jamie.
“Won’t be the first time.” Suze tore open her candy wrapper. “But it’s not every day we can go to a dinner party under the stars where they serve our favorite food. Chocolate.”
“You’re a lifesaver, Piper.” Jamie took a bite of his candy. “I was feeling kind of lean.”
“You should have bought some supplies in the town.” Piper didn’t like how she kept sounding like somebody’s mother. But the memory of the blonde girl in Louisville kept poking her. It was best she keep thinking like a mother. Or at least a sister.
“I guess so, but you know me. Sometimes I forget to think ahead,” Jamie said. “Besides, I had no idea where I might land when I got here.”
“Probably didn’t think it would be on a hillside in a tent,” Suze said as she tore the rest of the wrapper off her candy bar.
“You’re right about that. I feel far from home here,” Jamie said. “Although it’s not really that far in miles.”
“Suze is the one far from home,” Piper said. “She’s from New York City.”
“Really?” Jamie looked at Suze. “And what brings you all the way down here to this spot on a mountainside?”
“I wanted to try something different,” Suze said. “At least that’s how I felt last summer. This year, I couldn’t wait to get back. I love it here where I’m doing something that matters.” She looked around Jamie toward Piper. “Is that how you feel too, Danny?”
“I’m not an old hand the way you are,” Piper said. “But yes, it is.”
“Okay, your turn, Mr. Russell,” Suze said. “Why are you here?”
“Do you want the truth, Miss Tipton?” Jamie asked, but he wasn’t looking at Suze. He was looking at Piper.
“Of course. Is there anything else?” Suze said.
“I could tell you many things. That I want to write a story. That like you and Piper, I seek adventure and purpose. Both of those could be true, but not the real reason why I’m sitting here on a hill in the Appalachian Mountains under the stars.” Jamie didn’t reach out and touch Piper, but his voice wrapped around her.
“So are you going to give us the real reason, Mr. Russell, or leave us to wonder?” Piper almost whispered the words.
“Perhaps wondering is best.”
“Perhaps. If the truth is too hard to say.” Piper turned her eyes away from Jamie to stare up at the sky. In the silence that followed her words, she wasn’t sure she couldn’t hear the stars twinkling.
Suze yawned and got to her feet. “One truth is that, though the stars still shine, the candy is gone. Soon the morning sun will bring a new day with work to do for couriers who won’t have time to ponder why they are here. So good night, Mr. Russell.”
“So glad you came to dinner, Miss Tipton.” Jamie scrambled to his feet too and reached down a hand to help Piper up. “Thank you for the candy, Piper.”
His hand felt strong and right in hers. How many times had he helped her up just like this? She pulled her hand free, and in silence, she and Suze made their way down to the Garden House.
When they got inside, Suze stopped at the door to her room and looked at Piper. “You are the reason he’s here. You know that, don’t you?”
“I saw him with another girl.”
“No other girl is here now. He loves you.”
“How do you know?” Piper whispered.
Suze touched Piper’s cheek. “I saw it written in the stars. Good night, Miss Danson, you lucky girl.”