Read Online Dancing With the Devil by Laura Drewry - Free Book Online
Authors: Laura Drewry
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leaving at the end of the month.”
“I see,” Rhea said quietly. “I’ll certainly be sorry to see her go.”
Ernest’s mouth opened, but he didn’t speak. Rhea offered him an apologetic shrug before unrolling the sateen across the table. Using her tape, she measured out twelve yards and cut carefully.
When she’d folded it neatly and replaced the bolt, she turned back to Mrs. Hale. “Is there anything else?”
“No. That will be all. On our account if you will.” A tiny tear slipped from the corner of Mrs. Hale’s right eye. “I’m sorry if I was short with you. It’s just…” She dabbed her eyes with a threadbare handkerchief. “I’m going to miss my girl.”
“Yes.” Rhea turned the woman away from where Ernest stood. “I’m sure.”
As she wrapped the fabric in brown paper, Mrs. Hale stared unseeing at Rhea’s fingers. But the second Rheabrought out the accounts book, the woman snapped up her package and beat a hasty retreat to the door.
Rhea watched her go, then nodded in Ernest’s direction. The boy had been so distracted he’d completely forgotten his customer.
“You’ll never get paid for that.” Deacon’s voice, so close behind, made her jump.
When she’d caught her breath, she shrugged. “You don’t know that.”
“Yes, I do,” he scoffed. “And so do you.”
“Mr. Hale pays what he can every month,” she whispered. “He can’t help it if his wife has such expensive taste.”
Mr. Rowe finished examining the harness, shook his head at Ernest and took his leave. The door hadn’t even closed behind him when a new customer blew in.
All the years her parents owned the store, Rhea had seen a great many different people, but never one like this. Ernest openly gaped as the woman made her way toward Rhea and Deacon.
The woman’s face, stunning and perfectly molded, was surrounded by a mane of wild red hair she hadn’t even attempted to tame. Her eyes, the color of deep jade, glanced around at the items on display, never paying much attention to any one thing. But it wasn’t the woman’s hair, face or eyes that made Rhea and Ernest gawk.
The woman was dressed top to bottom in men’s clothes! Her blue chambray shirt was tucked into a pair of denim trousers, complete with suspenders, and a red kerchief was tied around her neck as though she’d just come in from a cattle drive.
Behind Rhea, Deacon sucked in a sharp breath and then proceeded to choke on it, forcing him to duck into the backroom.
Rhea took a moment to gather her thoughts before greeting her new customer.
“Good afternoon.” She smiled. “Is there something I can help you with today?”
The woman stopped, eyed Rhea from head to toe and grinned. “You must be Rhea.”
“Yes…” An odd feeling coursed through Rhea’s body, but she shook it off. Of course she felt odd—besides the fact the woman used Rhea’s given name as though they’d been friends for years, she was wearing trousers, for goodness sake!
“I’m Kit.” The woman spoke as if those two words explained everything. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Oh.” From the corner of her eye, Rhea could see Ernest still gaping. She shot him a sharp look, which was enough to send him scurrying back to the harness he’d left out. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Kit.”
In the backroom, Deacon continued to choke.
“What do you have by way of suits?” Kit’s voice was feminine, yet slightly raspy, almost as if she had a sore throat.
“Suits?”
“A man’s suit. Black or gray silk if you have it.” She nodded distractedly. “I’ll need some boots…and one of those funny little hats—”
Rhea could barely hear her over Deacon’s carrying on.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll have Ernest help you while I go make sure my…husband…hasn’t coughed up a lung.”
Kit’s laughter made Rhea laugh, too, as she waved Ernest over. “Miss Kit is in need of a gentleman’s suit. Please show her
“I see,” Rhea said quietly. “I’ll certainly be sorry to see her go.”
Ernest’s mouth opened, but he didn’t speak. Rhea offered him an apologetic shrug before unrolling the sateen across the table. Using her tape, she measured out twelve yards and cut carefully.
When she’d folded it neatly and replaced the bolt, she turned back to Mrs. Hale. “Is there anything else?”
“No. That will be all. On our account if you will.” A tiny tear slipped from the corner of Mrs. Hale’s right eye. “I’m sorry if I was short with you. It’s just…” She dabbed her eyes with a threadbare handkerchief. “I’m going to miss my girl.”
“Yes.” Rhea turned the woman away from where Ernest stood. “I’m sure.”
As she wrapped the fabric in brown paper, Mrs. Hale stared unseeing at Rhea’s fingers. But the second Rheabrought out the accounts book, the woman snapped up her package and beat a hasty retreat to the door.
Rhea watched her go, then nodded in Ernest’s direction. The boy had been so distracted he’d completely forgotten his customer.
“You’ll never get paid for that.” Deacon’s voice, so close behind, made her jump.
When she’d caught her breath, she shrugged. “You don’t know that.”
“Yes, I do,” he scoffed. “And so do you.”
“Mr. Hale pays what he can every month,” she whispered. “He can’t help it if his wife has such expensive taste.”
Mr. Rowe finished examining the harness, shook his head at Ernest and took his leave. The door hadn’t even closed behind him when a new customer blew in.
All the years her parents owned the store, Rhea had seen a great many different people, but never one like this. Ernest openly gaped as the woman made her way toward Rhea and Deacon.
The woman’s face, stunning and perfectly molded, was surrounded by a mane of wild red hair she hadn’t even attempted to tame. Her eyes, the color of deep jade, glanced around at the items on display, never paying much attention to any one thing. But it wasn’t the woman’s hair, face or eyes that made Rhea and Ernest gawk.
The woman was dressed top to bottom in men’s clothes! Her blue chambray shirt was tucked into a pair of denim trousers, complete with suspenders, and a red kerchief was tied around her neck as though she’d just come in from a cattle drive.
Behind Rhea, Deacon sucked in a sharp breath and then proceeded to choke on it, forcing him to duck into the backroom.
Rhea took a moment to gather her thoughts before greeting her new customer.
“Good afternoon.” She smiled. “Is there something I can help you with today?”
The woman stopped, eyed Rhea from head to toe and grinned. “You must be Rhea.”
“Yes…” An odd feeling coursed through Rhea’s body, but she shook it off. Of course she felt odd—besides the fact the woman used Rhea’s given name as though they’d been friends for years, she was wearing trousers, for goodness sake!
“I’m Kit.” The woman spoke as if those two words explained everything. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Oh.” From the corner of her eye, Rhea could see Ernest still gaping. She shot him a sharp look, which was enough to send him scurrying back to the harness he’d left out. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Kit.”
In the backroom, Deacon continued to choke.
“What do you have by way of suits?” Kit’s voice was feminine, yet slightly raspy, almost as if she had a sore throat.
“Suits?”
“A man’s suit. Black or gray silk if you have it.” She nodded distractedly. “I’ll need some boots…and one of those funny little hats—”
Rhea could barely hear her over Deacon’s carrying on.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll have Ernest help you while I go make sure my…husband…hasn’t coughed up a lung.”
Kit’s laughter made Rhea laugh, too, as she waved Ernest over. “Miss Kit is in need of a gentleman’s suit. Please show her
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