Fool for Love (Montana Romance) by Farmer Merry

Author:Farmer, Merry [Farmer, Merry]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2013-04-17T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

“Careful not to get any of that paint on your dress, sweetheart,” Delilah cautioned Amelia. She picked up a spare apron from the pile on a table in the middle of the empty classroom and brought it to her. “I wouldn’t want you to ruin something so nice.”

“Thank you.”

Amelia did her best to smile as she accepted the apron. She glanced around for a place to rest her paintbrush. It had been something of a surprise when Delilah’s invitation to tea had turned into helping the Ladies’ Auxiliary paint classrooms inside the new school. As eager as she was to have a chance to speak to Delilah, she hadn’t wanted to do it with other Cold Springs women near enough to listen.

“I’ll hold that, honey.” Delilah took the wet paintbrush, giving Amelia a chance to slip the apron over her head and tie it at her back.

Amelia’s glance crept sideways to the young saloon girl smiling away as she stroked paint on the wall. She was one of the girls who had greeted Eric the day they’d arrived in Cold Springs. She had white drops of paint on her cheeks and worked as though she hadn’t a care in the world.

As soon as she caught the curiosity in Delilah’s eyes, Amelia turned away from the girl. She cleared her throat and said, “Charlie tells me I should count myself fortunate to be invited to a Ladies’ Auxiliary function.”

“Charlie West is a firecracker,” Delilah answered her with a knowing grin. “And I mean that with the highest regard. Not everyone would share her opinion.” She retrieved her own brush from a can of white paint.

“Everyone I’ve met in Cold Springs thus far speaks of you in the highest terms,” Amelia said. The two of them moved to the wall perpendicular to where the saloon girl worked, painting over the bare plaster with broad strokes.

“Well bless their hearts,” Delilah said with a smile.

“Mrs. Reynolds is a wonderful woman,” the saloon girl agreed, her shy smile bright.

Pink heat spread across Amelia’s face and neck. She hadn’t known the girl was listening to them.

“Why thank you, Sarah, you’re a doll.”

Sarah blushed and giggled and went back to painting her wall as if it were a masterpiece.

Amelia studied her for a moment, so gentle and free for a woman in her position, before noticing that Delilah was staring at her.

“Sarah’s ma died of a fever when she was eight,” Delilah explained as though the young woman wasn’t in the room with them. “Her father was a drunk and disappeared when she was fourteen. She made a living for herself the best way she knew how, did what she had to do.”

“Uh… I… Oh,” Amelia fumbled. Her hands shook, so she painted with shorter strokes. She stole another peek at Sarah.

“She’s a sweetheart and keeps herself clean and doesn’t indulge in strong drink. She’s got a couple of regular clients who are good to her and she helps out at the saloon when she can. She’s a good girl, so Paul Sutcliffe, who owns the saloon, is real protective of her.

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