appeared in the doorway of the office, grinning broadly. âYouâve done it, Luvena!â He waved a slip of paper in the air.
Luvena . Her name thrummed in her ears as she rose and moved to the side of the desk. âDone what?â
âMrs. Innsbruck has agreed to come to Grand Coeur.â
âIâm delighted for you, Mr. Birch.â She couldnât help but return his smile.
âWe might even draw folks up from Boise.â He closed the distance between them. âIt wouldnât have happened without your help.â
âYou would have found someone, Iâm sure.â
âPerhaps. But not someone as well known. Besides, sheâs coming because of you.â He spoke the words softly, his gaze holding hers.
Luvenaâs heart leapt, and it took great resolve not to reach up and caress his cheek. Something she had no right to do. She was not his fiancée. She would never be his bride.
The smile faded from her lips as she took a step backward and reached for the envelope on the desk. âPlease excuse me. I have a letter I must post, and Iâm hoping it will make todayâs stage. Then I must see to the childrenâs lunch.â
âOf course.â He also took a step backward. He also lost his smile.
Good. Heâd understood her subtle reminder of why he should not stand so close and why he should not call her by her Christian name. At most he was her landlord and employer. By his choice. A choice they both must live with.
âI suggest you send it by Wells, Fargo,â he added. âTheyâre generally more reliable than the postal service.â
With a nod of acknowledgement in Clayâs direction, Luvena left the theater and hurried along Main Street toward the express companyâs office. Feeling close to tearsâand hating herself for itâshe kept her gaze fastened on the boardwalk a few steps in front of her.
Mr. Birch isnât anything to me. He isnât. I shall find another man to marry .
Luvena was so deep in thought she almost walked into another woman outside the Wells, Fargo office. The woman gasped, and it was that sound that brought Luvena to a sudden halt.
The heat of embarrassment rose in her cheeks. âI beg your pardon. I wasnât watching where I was going.â
âItâs all right.â The womanâstriking looking, with fiery-red hair and cat-green eyesâlaughed softly. âNeither of us was harmed.â She looked as if she would turn and continue on her way, but then she stilled again. âYou must be Miss Abbott.â
âYes, I am.â
âIâm Shannon Dubois. My husband and I were traveling with our children when you arrived in Grand Coeur. I would so have liked to have been here to welcome you, but here we are now. So, welcome!â
âThatâs very kind, Mrs. Dubois.â
âPlease, wonât you call me Shannon?â
âIf you wish.â
Shannon reached out and squeezed Luvenaâs upper arm, the gesture warm and genuine. âI have a feeling we shall become great friends.â
Luvena felt a catch in her chest, as if sheâd lost something dear to her. If she could stay in Grand Coeur, they might have been friends. But nowâ
âMatthew and I would like you to come to dinner after church tomorrow. And your nieces and nephew, of course. Do I have that right? Two girls and a boy? Or is it the other way around?â
There was something about Shannon Duboisâs smile that refused to let Luvena feel sorry for herself. She returned it. âYou have it right.â
âGood. I thought so. Just the opposite of us. We have two boys and a girl in our home. But I mustnât detain you from your errand any longer. You will meet the children tomorrow.â She started away, then tossed back over her shoulder, âOh, tell Clay he is invited to dinner too.â
â¢â¢â¢
Well after Luvena left the office, the soft
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