accept?”
She cocked her head. “Of course, but you aren’t one of the girls. Keep it at our occasional evening conversations, please.” She marched down the sidewalk.
Instead of following, he watched her go, her dark skirt swaying around her ankles. She might refuse his invitations, but she couldn’t stop him from keeping an eye on her. Whistling, he headed in the opposite direction. At the first opportunity, he would go into the mercantile and purchase the biggest box of chocolates they carried.
At church that morning, the pastor had spoken about how God loved giving His children the desires of their hearts. Adam’s desire lay in storefront property in San Francisco and in a girl with hair the color of sunshine. He prayed God would grant both desires. Self-promises or not, Adam knew he had lost his resolve when he sat down next to Tabby on that first train.
Chapter 8
T abby clutched her box of chocolates and yards of forest-green wool. The wool was for a new skirt, but the chocolate she intended as a gift for Miss O’Connor. The woman might be lonely, what with being a head waitress for so many years. Most likely her loneliness made her crotchety, and nothing cheered a person like chocolate.
After the walk to town and back, not to mention rejecting Adam, Tabby’s head and heart ached. First order of business for the afternoon would definitely be the planned nap and a conversation with God to take away the growing feelings she had for Adam.
Why did Adam insist on asking for more from her than friendship? Why couldn’t men be happy with the small things? Pa’s shenanigans were still too fresh in her mind, as was the memory of the wounded look in Mama’s eyes. Tabby shook her head. She would have to know a man for a long time before she would fully trust him, if then. He would need to have a thirst for adventure, which she was sure Adam had. But still, a mere thirty days of friendship did not give her peace in her heart.
Tabby stopped at the top of the stairs. Miss O’Connor stood facing into Abigail and Tabby’s bedroom. Loud sobs came from inside.
“Quickly, Miss Smythe, I don’t have all day.”
“Please, Miss O’Connor, it won’t happen again. This job is all I have.”
Tabby moved closer, taking care not to clack her heels. She had no desire for the head waitress’s wrath to turn her way because she made too much noise on the stairs.
“You should have thought of that before engaging in immoral acts.” Miss O’Connor sniffed. “My girls are to exhibit the utmost decorum at all times. We have new girls arriving today, and what kind of example do you set? No, it is imperative that you leave. You and the young man can continue your behavior elsewhere. Scandalous, the way the two of you carried on...in public!” She looked over her shoulder at Tabby.
“Stop eavesdropping and help this wanton woman pack.” With that, she spun on her heel and marched down the stairs.
“Here.” Tabby rushed to Abigail’s side. “I bought some chocolates. Sit and tell me what happened.”
They perched on Abigail’s bed, and Tabby unwrapped the box. Her roommate needed the candy more than Miss O’Connor did.
“You saw Josiah and me. Well, when I entered the kitchen, Josiah ran up behind me and kissed my neck.” She grabbed a piece of candy. “Right in front of the wagon boss. Only we didn’t know she was standing in the pantry. Evil witch, always spying.”
Voicing her own opinion of Abigail’s behavior wouldn’t help so Tabby bit into a cream-filled bonbon and reined in her tongue. A burst of vanilla mixed with the chocolate tantalized her taste buds. They were worth the expense after all, especially when Abigail’s tears stopped after her third piece.
“I didn’t like this job, anyway,” she said. “Too hard. Josiah and I are going to go west where we’ll work in a gambling hall and become richer than we ever dreamed.”
Tabby stopped chewing for a moment, then swallowed. The candy
She cocked her head. “Of course, but you aren’t one of the girls. Keep it at our occasional evening conversations, please.” She marched down the sidewalk.
Instead of following, he watched her go, her dark skirt swaying around her ankles. She might refuse his invitations, but she couldn’t stop him from keeping an eye on her. Whistling, he headed in the opposite direction. At the first opportunity, he would go into the mercantile and purchase the biggest box of chocolates they carried.
At church that morning, the pastor had spoken about how God loved giving His children the desires of their hearts. Adam’s desire lay in storefront property in San Francisco and in a girl with hair the color of sunshine. He prayed God would grant both desires. Self-promises or not, Adam knew he had lost his resolve when he sat down next to Tabby on that first train.
Chapter 8
T abby clutched her box of chocolates and yards of forest-green wool. The wool was for a new skirt, but the chocolate she intended as a gift for Miss O’Connor. The woman might be lonely, what with being a head waitress for so many years. Most likely her loneliness made her crotchety, and nothing cheered a person like chocolate.
After the walk to town and back, not to mention rejecting Adam, Tabby’s head and heart ached. First order of business for the afternoon would definitely be the planned nap and a conversation with God to take away the growing feelings she had for Adam.
Why did Adam insist on asking for more from her than friendship? Why couldn’t men be happy with the small things? Pa’s shenanigans were still too fresh in her mind, as was the memory of the wounded look in Mama’s eyes. Tabby shook her head. She would have to know a man for a long time before she would fully trust him, if then. He would need to have a thirst for adventure, which she was sure Adam had. But still, a mere thirty days of friendship did not give her peace in her heart.
Tabby stopped at the top of the stairs. Miss O’Connor stood facing into Abigail and Tabby’s bedroom. Loud sobs came from inside.
“Quickly, Miss Smythe, I don’t have all day.”
“Please, Miss O’Connor, it won’t happen again. This job is all I have.”
Tabby moved closer, taking care not to clack her heels. She had no desire for the head waitress’s wrath to turn her way because she made too much noise on the stairs.
“You should have thought of that before engaging in immoral acts.” Miss O’Connor sniffed. “My girls are to exhibit the utmost decorum at all times. We have new girls arriving today, and what kind of example do you set? No, it is imperative that you leave. You and the young man can continue your behavior elsewhere. Scandalous, the way the two of you carried on...in public!” She looked over her shoulder at Tabby.
“Stop eavesdropping and help this wanton woman pack.” With that, she spun on her heel and marched down the stairs.
“Here.” Tabby rushed to Abigail’s side. “I bought some chocolates. Sit and tell me what happened.”
They perched on Abigail’s bed, and Tabby unwrapped the box. Her roommate needed the candy more than Miss O’Connor did.
“You saw Josiah and me. Well, when I entered the kitchen, Josiah ran up behind me and kissed my neck.” She grabbed a piece of candy. “Right in front of the wagon boss. Only we didn’t know she was standing in the pantry. Evil witch, always spying.”
Voicing her own opinion of Abigail’s behavior wouldn’t help so Tabby bit into a cream-filled bonbon and reined in her tongue. A burst of vanilla mixed with the chocolate tantalized her taste buds. They were worth the expense after all, especially when Abigail’s tears stopped after her third piece.
“I didn’t like this job, anyway,” she said. “Too hard. Josiah and I are going to go west where we’ll work in a gambling hall and become richer than we ever dreamed.”
Tabby stopped chewing for a moment, then swallowed. The candy
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