Cowboy Homecoming by Louise M. Gouge

Author:Louise M. Gouge
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2017-05-20T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Tolley appreciated Laurie’s fine job of tending the house and cooking and teaching piano lessons. Those jobs should have kept her too busy to poke her nose into his construction of the bathroom. But all that week, to his annoyance, she still managed to inspect the room several times a day and make comments and suggestions, usually contrary to his decisions. She particularly bossed Adam, who always took her orders with good humor.

Viewing the pipes sticking up from the floor where the plumbers installed them, she said, “I thought I told you to put the bathtub over there.” She glared at Adam, who wiped dust from a section of the freshly sanded floor in preparation for laying tiles, and pointed to the spot nearer the stove. “Now Mrs. Foster will have to carry the hot water across the room.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Adam gave her an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry.”

“But surely you can change it.”

“As you can see, the pipes are already in.” Tolley tried to keep the irritation from his voice. “Can’t change them now.”

“Oh, you!” She posted her fists at her waist, looking mighty pretty in spite of her protest. “You did that on purpose.”

Was she trying to start an argument? She’d been a mite grumpy since their buggy ride last Sunday, though Tolley couldn’t imagine why. He couldn’t seem to do anything right, so he’d postponed thoughts of courting her. She’d even stopped trading companionable looks with him over the supper table when the other boarders made their annoying complaints.

“The plumbers did it this way,” he said, “because it means only one drain pipe is needed for all three fixtures. And being deeper inside the house, it means they won’t freeze in winter.”

“Oh.” She blinked those big blue eyes at him.

Something inside his chest kicked like an unbroken colt. Sure, she was being awful prickly, but she could also be real sweet when she wanted to be.

Laurie looked around, apparently trying to find something else to complain about. “I do wish we could have a gas heater attached to the tub. Some Denver hotels have them.”

“Maybe one day,” Adam said, “if Esperanza brings in gas for the whole town.”

“Or electricity.” Tolley had read about electrical plants being built in some cities.

“Now what about the windows?” Laurie continued her perusal of the room. “Do you plan to seal them up or leave them so they can be opened for airing?”

Tolley glanced at Adam, who appeared to be stifling a grin.

“We’re leaving them...for now.” Tolley counted out the tiles for the first row under the north window. “When winter comes, we can seal out the cold same as we do in any other room.”

“Oh,” she repeated as she dropped her hands from her waist. “Very well.” She spun on her heel and marched out of the room.

Adam chuckled. “Glad that’s over.”

“Whew.” Tolley also laughed, then felt a tad bit disloyal. “She’s not so bad, just opinionated. You seem to get along with her.”

“A handyman shouldn’t argue with a customer.

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