Kitty got out of the house before her father could corner her about where she was going. She’d made no promises to him not to talk to Noah again if she saw him, and it was her full intention to go the bookstore in town and see if he was there.
She’d forced herself to wait till after lunch, choosing to spend her breakfast in her bedroom with Georgia and then going to the game room and playing a few rounds of cards with her.
“You’re going to get in trouble if you keep catting around this way,” Georgia had warned her that morning as they’d played cards.
“Oh, don’t be ridiculous,” Kitty had remarked, though even she knew her voice was weak when she said it. “There’s no reason in the world I can’t still talk to other men. I’ve signed no document and made no promises of my own. I’m going to fight this to the last, Georgia. I don’t want to let this one slip through my fingers. He took the book last night. I want to see if he left it for me or if he might be at the bookstore.”
She thought about it the entire morning they spent together. What would Noah want to do if he was there? Would he agree to at least sit down and talk with her? Or would he want to do more, like going for a ride or getting more ice cream?
Kitty wished she’d been able to stay with him longer than she had the day before. Hopefully, they would be able to talk more today for a longer period.
She rode straight into town, her eyes focused on the sign above the store, which said SM Books flanked by stacks of uneven books carved in the wood with an artist’s eye. It was a beautiful sign. And what was even better, the sign maker – a man named Arnold Von Gruzen – owned and operated his shop right there in Burnt Branch. People came from all over Wyoming to have him make their signs. He was famous.
Kitty dismounted the moment she got to the bookstore, leaving Thunder at the gate and hurrying up to the door. The bell above her head tinkled as she went in. She breathed in the wonderful scent and smiled at Sebastian, who was behind his counter. He grinned back, reaching under the counter and pulling out the book she’d come for.
She looked down at it in dismay, her smile wavering. He’d left it there for her. It was wonderful that he had but … well, she had been wishing he was around somewhere to talk to her about it.
What else did he have to do with his time, after all? He depended on his personal wealth and the donations of others to keep going. It wasn’t like he was tied down to a specific job all day, requiring the proper amount of sleep at night.
Kitty imagined his schedule was quite random – quite open.
She went slowly to the counter and took the book from Sebastian. She kept her eyes on it, running her hand over the surface. “Oh, how nice,” she forced herself to say. “He left it for me. That was kind of him. When did he come here?”
“He was in early this morning. I don’t think he was leaving town. I imagine if you look around a little, you will find him.”
Kitty nodded. “I … I think I will go sit in your comfortable chair for a spell and look through the book. I really didn’t get a chance to peruse it. I’d like to read through it a little before I see him again, you know? He had a whole night with it already. Now it’s my turn.”
Sebastian chuckled. “I understand. Go right ahead. No one is back there. I’ll be right here if you need me.”
“Thank you, Sebastian. I appreciate it.”
He nodded. “Of course, my dear. Anytime.”
Kitty took the book with her to the chair and lowered herself into it, enjoying the softness of the cushion. It seemed to wrap around her legs. She didn’t know where the cushion came from, but Sebastian had found something rare and wonderful.
She felt like kicking off her shoes and relaxing, but she didn’t dare. That was far from a ladylike thing to do. Plus, it would expose the fact that she didn’t wear stockings. She didn’t want Noah to think badly of her.
Kitty set her bag on the floor beside the chair and rested the book open to the middle in her lap. The very middle where it had fallen open was several pages with nothing but pictures depicting scenes in the deserts of Egypt and the lush Oases, the Sphinx, and the surrounding nations of peoples.
At the end of the segment of pictures was a folded piece of paper.
Kitty’s heart began to race. Her breath came and went rapidly. She plucked the note out of the book and unfolded it with slightly shaking hands.
Dear Miss Kitty, it said. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about our short conversation yesterday. I was intrigued to find someone as interested in Egypt as I am in such a small town like Burnt Branch. I think it is very nice here and plan to stay for a spell.
I would love to see you again sometime. I will be returning to this bookstore frequently to inquire if you have left this book and if you should care, perhaps we can arrange a meeting? I would enjoy that very much. Yours truly, Noah Fleck
Kitty lowered the note, pulling in a deep breath. He was thinking about her! At least, their conversation. But that meant her, didn’t it? Of course, it did.
She hopped up from the chair, grabbed her bag from the floor, and hurried to the front of the store. Sebastian looked up in surprise when she quickly emerged from the aisles of books.
“In a hurry? I thought you wanted to read through the book …” Sebastian’s voice faded as she went through the door.
“Changed my mind,” she sang out, throwing her words over her shoulder as she went out.
She was about to go through the gate when she heard her name being called from across the road to the left.
To her absolute delight, it was Noah. He had one hand up in the air, and Kitty was overwhelmed by the warm smile he wore on his face. It made her heartbeat speed up. She hoped she didn’t make a fool of herself and her hair was styled nicely, and the dress she wore was flattering to her curvy figure without looking inappropriate.
She’d never admit to him that she’d taken great care when she’d dressed before leaving. She wanted to make sure he saw her attributes, but enough was left to make him want to see her more often.
“Kitty Daley!” he called out. “What are you doing with my book?”
Kitty glanced around, but no one was watching them or seemed to notice them at all. She hurried across the street, deciding she would enjoy this encounter with Noah, no matter what.
“Noah Fleck. I found this book in there when Sebastian handed it to me. Isn’t that ironic?”
He chuckled humorously. “I reckon I will have a word with Sebastian then. Letting someone take my property just because there’s a pretty face and a pleasant demeanor.”
Kitty giggled. “Oh, Noah. Stop teasing. Thank you for the note. I would love to talk with you. In fact, I think I know where we can do just that. We can talk about our favorite subjects.”
“I’d like that very much, Kitty. Where is this place? Is it far from here?”
She shook her head, thinking he would be amazed at what she was about to show him. It made her skin tingle with excitement that she could show him something he’d never seen before.
“It’s not far. We can get there in about twenty minutes on horseback. You have a horse, of course.”
“Yes. My trusty steed, Lightning.”
Kitty stared at him, blinking. “Lightning is the name of your horse?”
He grinned. “Yes, ma’am. I’m not sure if it’s because of the noise she made when I was breaking her in or the fact that she’s one of the fastest horses I’ve ever had the pleasure to ride. Either way, she’s been with me for the last five years, and I will mourn the day when she finally departs.”
Kitty chuckled, shaking her head. “That’s all wonderful,” she said with amusement. “I was only mentioning it because my horse is named Thunder.”
Noah stared at her with a humorous look of skepticism. “Nuh-uh.”
She laughed out loud. “Yes. It’s the truth.”
“Well, let’s take Thunder and Lightning for a little ride, shall we?”