Wild Texas Rose (A Whispering Mountain Novel) by Jodi Thomas

Author:Jodi Thomas
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Westerns, General, Romance, Western, Historical, Fiction
ISBN: 9780425250372
Publisher: Berkley
Published: 2011-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 22

Second Avenue

Abe spent a quiet afternoon working on the books. Though the rain had stopped, the sky was still cloudy. Everyone on the avenue seemed to be moving in slow motion. Miss Norman even let the children out a little early.

About once an hour Abe would walk to the front of the store and look out to see Miss Norman working alone at her desk. Part of him wanted to stand at the door of his place and stare until she looked up and saw him, but he knew he couldn’t. Someone would notice.

It crossed his mind that she’d simply come to him to have her “taste of life and adventure.” He could be that if it was all she wanted. He’d make her blush. He’d make the decisions. Her taste of life might be a lark for her, but to him it would be his one favorite memory until the day he died.

He knew he’d never tell her so. Emotions and feelings weren’t allowed when he was growing up, and when he lay almost dying after the battle, they seemed only a weakness he couldn’t allow himself.

When the evening finally came, he let Henry go home and locked up early. He’d thought he would walk the schoolteacher to her door again tonight; but when he looked at the window she always sat by, the schoolhouse was empty and dark. He’d missed her passing the store. He’d missed his one chance to see her. To speak to her.

As he blew out the lights, he thought of walking over to the boardinghouse and asking to talk to her. But with the mud, he wasn’t sure he could make it without falling. If he did make it to her door, she might not be allowed guests even in the parlor.

He could almost hear his mother’s words snapping in his mind. You don’t need her, Abe, you don’t need anyone.

Abe moved to the back, an ache for her deep inside him. He’d thought walking her home had been the beginning of something, but he must have been wrong.

He was almost to the back counter when he looked up and saw the light on in his study. A thin beam of light shone high behind the wall of shelves. She’d returned. It didn’t matter why. He’d be her taste of life if that was all she wanted and he’d count himself lucky.

When he opened the door, she was standing next to the mirror combing out her hair for him. She’d hung her coat on the door as he’d told her and she was using the brush he’d left her. For a while he just watched her, thinking of how lovely she looked. People build expensive buildings to house art, but nothing he’d ever seen could compare to Miss Norman combing her hair in the little room at the back of his store.

“I told you not to come,” he said simply as he moved up behind her while he studied her face in the mirror.

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