So, what has you looking like a pile of rain-soaked clouds tonight?” Mother’s words were gentle, yet probing as only a mother’s words could be. “You didn’t say much during supper.”
Emily sat on a pile of straw in the dogs’ corner of the barn. She shook her head. “I’m confused about my feelings.”
“Feelings about a particular young lawyer?”
“Yes.” Emily petted Niki, who’d lain her head on her lap. “Ever since Will’s come back … I don’t know. We were only children when he left so suddenly, and now I’ve gotten to know William Adams, the man.”
“But?”
“Oh, Mother, he was engaged before he came here. He broke it off, right before he moved to Jackson. They’d disagreed about him moving west, so … he left anyway.”
Mother sighed then joined Emily on the straw pile, arranging her skirt just so. Mother always succeeded at being just so. Emily didn’t know how she did it.
“How did you know he was engaged? When did you find out?”
“Today. When Miss Amelia Clark arrived from over the pass.”
“Ah, I see. Is their engagement back on?”
“No. Well, according to Will, it’s not. Will said Amelia wants to try life here in Jackson, to show him she can do it.”
“Well, I know from firsthand experience how difficult that first winter can be.”
Emily nodded. She knew the story. Her mother, alone and grieving the loss of her sister and brother-in-law, and Pa being the one who helped watch over her. Mother, however, was the strongest woman Emily knew. Strong, and elegant.
“I wonder if Will is going to change his mind if Amelia does stay. But then, I really don’t know if he cares for me. Like I said, we were children …”
“Does he know how you feel?”
“But Mother, it’s not my place to tell him. After all, it’s not proper.” She had to smile at using one of her mother’s favorite phrases.
“Funny, my dear. You have to at least give him a strong hint to know you’re interested in his attention, and more than the attention of a childhood friend.”
“I did let him know that when he meets with Pa next week, I’d like him to stay for supper because we haven’t had much of a chance to see each other lately.”
“Well then, it should be very clear to him you’re interested.”
“What should I do? Get a new dress? I don’t have time to sew anything. And my hair is so …”
“Hard to manage? It’s not for nothing I suggested those hundred strokes every night, at which you always balked.”
Emily chuckled at the recollection of pleading from Mother and tears from her at the thought of brushing her hair every night. “I was a bit stubborn.”
“Be yourself, hair and all.” Mother stroked Emily’s braid. “And I’ll be happy to help you with your hair.” She fell silent for a moment.
“What is it?”
“Oh, I’m thinking back to my old friend, Rosemary Smythe.”
“Mrs. Rosemary Templeton? Your friend in Boston?”
Mother nodded. “Mrs. Rosemary Smythe Templeton. Had her sights on your father at one time. Before I noticed him. But her heart was back East, and that’s where she ended up. Married well, and not to the man of her first choosing. So take heart. If Miss Clark’s interest in Will is but a passing fancy, that will become apparent soon enough. A romantic notion doesn’t have the lasting strength of true love’s commitment.”
“Thank you, Mother.” She hugged her mother. “I’m sorry I’ve been so difficult, pants and all. I’m sorry I’m not comfortable dressing up.”
“You are still a lady, and you are still my daughter. I wouldn’t want to have anyone else to raise, and I’m proud of you.” Mother kissed her cheek. “Now, chin up. God will make both yours and Will’s paths clear.”
Emily’s throat swelled with a lump. “I hope and pray so.”
“And Christmas is coming. Christmas is always a special time, and we have much to do to prepare.” Mother stood, brushing straw from her skirt. “Now, why don’t you take a hot bath tonight and have a good soak in the tub?”
“But it’s not Saturday.”
“Piffle. Go ahead and take one anyway. Sometimes a lady needs some pampering. And I’ll let you use a bar of soap from my gift set.”
“Thank you, that sounds luxurious.” Emily stood, and the dogs all hopped to their feet as well. “No, we’re not going anywhere tonight.” Maybe tomorrow she’d take them for a good run in the Elk Refuge.
Mother and daughter headed toward the house after Emily petted the dogs and gave them a bit more attention. The wind swept down from the mountains, sending a shiver through Emily. But she didn’t mind the crisp, clear sensation.
Mother paused before they entered the house and tugged her shawl around her shoulders. “Anyway, maybe the young Miss Amelia won’t be as hardy as your mother, and she’ll take the next wagon out of here over the pass. Or perhaps another man will catch her eye, because there’s a bit of a shortage of eligible women here. The men are bound to notice her.”
“Maybe.” They stepped through the doorway and Emily let the home’s warmth embrace her as it always did. “Come to think of it, don’t worry about the bath. Sam will complain about helping me take buckets of water to the tub. I think I’ll just read for a while tonight.”
“It will be all right, my dear. Give it time.”
“I will.”
Will met up with Amelia after returning to town and soon found himself sitting across from her at Ma Reed’s hotel, where the Crabtrees had served up a mouthwatering supper in the dining room.
“The food here is quite good.” Amelia popped the last bite of buttered biscuit into her mouth. “And the fresh air here after the trip over the pass has given me quite an appetite. But I can’t help it.”
Will nodded. “The Crabtrees run the best place in town, in my opinion, which is why I recommended you come here. You’ll be well taken care of, although it’s not quite as grand as what you might expect back East.”
“It’s perfectly adequate, and I feel comfortable here in my room already.” Amelia’s face glowed; she truly was a lovely woman. Her small earrings dangled from her ears, the lamplight catching their sparkle.
“They say we’ll have a water-operated electricity plant here within two years.” Will took a bite of his chicken potpie. The generous portion would stick to his ribs tonight, for sure.
“So it’s not quite the wilds here that you made it out to be, after all.” She pushed the vegetables around her plate and frowned. “You made it sound so … so … remote.”
“It was different when I lived here, long ago. Barely a house in the valley. And now there’s a town, and it’s growing.”
“So …”
“You do like that word, Amelia.” Here they went again. He could feel the discussion coming on. As a lawyer, he’d had practice in appearing before judges, but he didn’t practice courtroom law, per se.
“I do.” She set her fork down. “William, I want to be frank with you. I miss you. I miss us, as a pair. You don’t have to work for my father. You can practice here. I’d prefer living back East, but I want to show you, by staying in Jackson, that I’m open to the possibility of a life with you. Here.”
“Oh, Amelia.” There was a time when he’d have welcomed those words. Had his opinion changed in but a few months?
“I’m planning to stay the remainder of the winter, to show you I can do it. I can stay here.”
“But still, it’s difficult.” He knew she’d be in for a challenge without a number of conveniences she was accustomed to. But a well-heeled young woman with stars in her eyes over the “Wild West” would be in for a rude awakening.
She tapped the table with her hand, not loud but enough to make her spoon jump. “I’m tired of hearing it’s difficult. My family didn’t want me to come here. Father nearly threatened to cut me off from my funds. Mother intervened, saying he needed to give me the opportunity, no matter how ‘difficult’ it would be for me. What is it with you men, anyway?”
He didn’t like the turn of conversation. Tonight, he wasn’t trying to woo Amelia but wanted to show her how being here, unprepared, could be a disaster for her.
“Amelia, right now it seems fun and novel to you. All the things you’ve heard of in the dime-store novels, cowboys, ranchers, women fighting the odds. I’m sure it sounds very romantic, but when the days are short, the snow is high, and the pass is closed, you’ll have no choice but to stay.”
“Here’s your pie.” An older woman stood beside their elbows. She held two plates of berry pie, each graced with a dollop of ice cream.
“Thank you,” Will said, welcoming the diversion.
Amelia nodded. “This looks delicious. I’m beginning to get full, but I do have room for pie.”
“I’ll top off your coffee as well.” The woman glided away, returned with a coffeepot, and refilled their cups to the brims.
Will remained silent as he ate his dessert, and Amelia kept her focus toward the front window of the hotel’s dining room. He’d made her mad, but good. And he wasn’t about to talk her out of her determination.
“I saw a schoolhouse on the way in. It’s quite nice,” she said. “Two stories, even.”
“Yes. More children here than when I was in school. There’s a bank, two general stores, a thriving newspaper.”
“I noticed the paper. I saw an old issue. There’s a picture of you on the front page. And you never told me.”
“We’ve only now started catching up.” He’d seen the article in the paper, from the town forum where they’d discussed the election and state of the community.
“You and that pants-wearing woman, Emily something, I believe, were shaking hands.”
“We’ve discussed running for office. The ladies believe they can help the town.”
“Isn’t that forward thinking? I knew I’d like it here, as soon as Mr. Tolliver and I reached the top of the pass, and I saw down into the valley.” Amelia smiled, but her eyes held a spark of challenge. “Now, tell me about your friend, Emily.”
“We were in school together as children.” His tie suddenly had the pressure of a noose. “She plans to run for the Jackson City Council in the spring.”
“How unique. I’m all for women voting, but really, it seems a bit difficult to try to run for council and tell the men what to do. But she looks enough like a man, wearing trousers and such.”
“Emily’s a bit unconventional. She can ride as well as any man and I’m sure can shoot as well. She has a sled dog team, too. But I assure you, Emily also carries herself like a lady. I don’t appreciate you speaking of her in such a way.”
“Oh, sled dogs! How adventurous. I wonder if your friend would take me out on a ride with the dogs?”
Interesting, Amelia ignoring his remarks about Emily and focusing on the novelty of the dogs. “Maybe she will. She and those dogs saved my life not too long ago.”
“Tell me more.” She leaned forward, resting her forearms on the table as she did so. Then she straightened her spine.
“I went for a hike on what started as a fine afternoon. I intended only for a short trip into the foothills. Then the clouds covered up the sun, and it started to snow. Somehow I got turned around and couldn’t see the trail. Or whatever trail I found wasn’t taking me back to town. The snow fell harder. So I hunkered down until almost dark. Emily and her dogs found me. What a sight they were. And Emily …”
Amelia remained silent, taking a bite of pie followed by a sip of coffee.
“You and Emily are close, I presume?”
“She was one of my best friends when I left Jackson.” He hadn’t expected this turn of conversation. He also hadn’t liked how he’d explained things to Emily.
Truthfully, until Mother’s letter, he hadn’t really wondered about Amelia. His thoughts and time had been taken by building a life and practice here in Jackson. He hadn’t glanced back.
“Does this mean I have a rival for your affections?”
The lady certainly knew how to pin a man into a corner. He appreciated Amelia’s intelligence and her forthrightness. Now he found himself wishing she weren’t, because he didn’t have an answer she would be happy about. An answer she couldn’t ignore, such as his comments about how she’d spoken of Emily moments ago.
“In a word, Amelia? Yes. Yes, you do. Emily Covington means a great deal to me. More than a friend? I can’t answer that. Not yet.”
“Thank you for your honesty.” Amelia reached for her napkin, dabbed it on her mouth, then folded it and placed it on the table. “And thank you very much for supper. I’m sure I’ll see you again soon, but I must retire for the evening.” She rose from her chair.
Will stood, inclined his head briefly. “Good evening, Amelia.” He watched her gather up her dignity and walk from the dining room.