Copper by Krystal M Anderson

Author:Krystal M Anderson
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Published: 2020-03-26T04:00:00+00:00

Twelve

“I ’m just happy the mine isn’t a complete loss,” Joan confided, astounded that the Crescent contained valuable ore at all. “And now we can go home. Mr. Mabry certainly has a handle on things.”

Joan had spent nearly the entire day entertaining the children at the mouth of the Crescent, taking them for walks, lazing in patches of long grass that grew near the trees where the ground leveled out, and singing songs or telling stories. They’d even found a patch of wild strawberries with enough bright red fruit for everyone to have a mouthful. It had been both exhausting and endearing. Mac and Mr. Mabry had disappeared into the dark tunnel, oil lamps held aloft, and hadn’t emerged until late afternoon. Curiously, Pete was nowhere to be found.

“I agree, though we still need someone to manage a crew if Pete isn’t willing to do it.”

“Do you think Pete was being honest with us?” Joan asked Mac in a small voice. “I mean, Harris hadn’t brought a single dime home for the last year, at least. Maybe Pete was keeping everything.”

“Could’ve been. It’s possible Harris was squandering everything he was paid without you knowing. Anyway, I don’t think Pete will be a problem from here on. He knows we’re serious about turning a profit from the Crescent… and he knows we’re onto his little plan.”

Joan nodded, relaxing her shoulders. It was wonderful, having Mac’s clear head on her side.

“So, can we leave tomorrow?”

“I don’t see why not. Mr. Mabry might like to stick around another day or two to advertise for a crew, and I’ll have him report when he gets back to Silver City. Does that sound okay to you?”

“Yes, thank you.”

Guilt racked her when, later that evening, Mac stepped out of the shack to bed down in the grass. The poor man never complained, but she knew it still grew cold in the early morning before the sun woke up. He’s my husband, for heaven’s sake, not a complete stranger. Perhaps it’s time…

She turned the possibility over and over in her mind the entire trip back to Silver City. Unexpectedly, she had an answer to the question she’d asked herself two days ago, the one about the feelings she was having. Somehow in the weeks they’d been husband and wife, Mac had grown nearer and dearer to her heart; somehow that initial brotherly love had budded and blossomed into something much more significant. Could it be love? Genuine, laugh-inducing, time-testing love? The possibility made her smile and her pulse skip-hop. Joan began to view him with new eyes. It was the little things, like the way his large, strong hands touched so softly, or the tone of voice he used when speaking to the children; even the way he quietly considered her needs when unloading the heavier items from the panel wagon. Everything he did held new meaning, and now she was in on the secret: Mac treated her this way because he loved and wanted her, appreciated her in his life, championed her when she needed strength beyond her own.

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