Page 9 of A Groom for Heather
The woman before him was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her hair was the color of cornsilk as she tried hastily to pin it back in place. She missed one curl that hung down her shoulder. Dalton wanted to reach out and see if that curl would grip his finger.
Her eyes were bright blue and reminded Dalton of a summer sky. They were surrounded by thick lashes that blinked in rapid succession as she looked at him. Several freckles dotted her nose and cheeks, signifying that she was in the sun quite a bit. Her skin was still pale with two peach-colored blossoms on her cheeks, and she had a pert little nose that was flaring. It reminded Dalton of a skittish horse. He moved his eyes further down until they rested on her full lips. They were the color of inkberries. He had seen women use the berries to color their lips and cheeks, but Dalton could see that this woman used no cosmetics. Her beauty was natural.
Right now, those beautiful lips were forming an O as she stared at him. Her bright eyes rounded and then squinted as she stared at him. “I bet you are one of those men who thinks everyone should move out of the way.” She jabbed her finger towards him. “Well, not me, mister. Not. Me.”
Dalton tried hard to not break out into a roaring belly laugh. “You must have a bee in your bonnet to be so cantankerous.” He moved aside to let her pass, watching as she put her pert nose in the air and walked past. Her skirt caught on the edge of the boardwalk and he heard the fabric tear.
“Oh bother,” she said, huffing.
“One second.” Dalton leaned down and removed the fabric where it was caught on a nail. “I hope you can fix that.”
The woman exhaled, her nostrils flaring once more. “I know how to sew, sir. It is one of the many skills I have.”
Dalton felt his cheeks lift in the corner. “I’m sure you do.” He tipped his hat toward her and turned on his heel. “Have a good day, ma’am,” he called over his shoulder. He heard her frustration as she swished her skirt and her boot heels thudded against the wooden boards.
His nose, and belly, led him down the next group of buildings to a large picture window. He could see several tables inside covered with checkered cloth. A blackboard in the window displayed the day’s specials. There were only a few people in the diner and a woman was cleaning tables. She spied Dalton staring inside and lifted her hand in greeting.
He returned the gesture and looked at the menu.
Meatloaf.
It was one of his favorites.
He hadn’t had a homecooked meal in a while, and although this was a commercial establishment, he had no doubt it was home cooking.
He walked around the side to the door and entered. A small bell rang on the door and everyone turned to look at him. Dalton took off his hat and nodded to the men sitting in the corner.
The woman with her hands filled with dishes walked towards a door in the back. “Find a table and I’ll be right with you,” she called over her shoulder. “Coffee?”
“Yes, ma'am.” Dalton walked to the table nearest the window and slid his bags to the floor and slid into the chair. He placed his hat on an empty chair and looked out the window at the people walking past. One thing he noticed was that everyone he saw walking by the window was a woman. There were no men at all.
The sound of a mug sliding across the table caught his attention. He turned to see the woman smile as she moved the enamel mug in front of him. “You must be new in town. Don’t recall seeing you before.”
“Just got here. You must be Hollie.”
The woman’s brow furrowed. “How do you know that?”
Dalton lifted the mug and took a sip of coffee. “That’s good,” he said putting the mug back down. “Dave at the livery told me to find the diner, ask for Hollie, and that you’d feed me well.”
“Don’t know how good it will be. Sometimes the cook can get grouchy.”
Dalton laughed. “Hopefully today isn’t one of those days.”
“Fortunately for you, it isn’t. You picked a perfect time. We normally get busy in two hours. What will you have?”
“I’ll take the special and piece of whatever pie you have.”
“Apple or apple?”
“Apple?” he asked hopefully.
“Good, because that is what the cook baked today.” Dalton let go a laugh. It felt good to be around friendly people. New Mexico was nice, but they didn’t take kindly to outsiders. “I’ll go get your meal. Just let me know if you need a refill on your coffee.”
“Thank you.”
His eyes followed the swish of her skirt as she headed once more to the back of the restaurant. She stopped to fill mugs at the table with two men. He heard them ask her a question and she turned her eyes back towards him before answering. The man nodded and looked at him intently. Dalton noticed he had a star on his vest. Groaning, he cupped his hands around his mug and turned to look out the window once more.
Hollie returned a few minutes later and placed a piping hot plate in front of him. He could see the steam coming from the meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Thick gravy covered the meal. “Do you need ketchup?”
