Page 6 of The Marshal's Bride
“He seems to communicate with Hope just fine,” Sam said, pointing to the children. Heath had tossed the block to Hope and when she missed catching it, he ran over to pick it up, saying something to her as he handed her the block. As Hope threw it to Colton, she took a step backwards and fell on her padded bottom. Heath was right there to assist her back up.
“Having the boys around will encourage her to use her words as well. Most children mimic what they see around them, and you, my friend, are a woman of few words. Which isn’t a slight, just fact.” June placed Sadie in the pram and gently rocked the sleeping baby.
“When will the cafe be opening?” Sam asked, redirecting the conversation about what had caught his attention.
“It won’t be.” Justine shook her head, “not in this town, at least.”
Sam looked from one woman to the other and his gaze settled on June. “Tell me.”
June gave him a smile, and Justine felt like that look was a pat on the head for being a good boy. She wouldn’t slow this conversation, but she didn’t want him to feel responsible for her. If there was a way to do it, she would figure it out on her own.
Something other than Hope to focus on, especially now that June was moving forward into her future with Ranger, would keep her busy. She didn’t talk about the darkness that followed her like a familiar friend, which told her only bad things were coming next, or tried to convince her to just stay in bed all day. How maybe June would be a better mother to Hope, and Justine should just disappear?
Those were the things she didn’t talk to anyone about.At least not anyone but God.
“So, he won’t sell it to her,” Sam said, after June quickly explained what happened to Justine at the bank.
As his voice tickled her ear, Justine focused back in on what was happening in their conversation.
“That’s correct. Well, not unless she gets a husband. Or a benefactor makes the purchase for her, but that requires an amount of trust in a stranger that I don’t think is fair.”
Sam pivoted on his boot and turned closer to Justine on the bench. He was still crouched with his elbow resting on one knee, and the other holding onto the back of the bench. He was so close he could almost touch her. Justine held her breath.
What she would give…Shaking her head to remove such thoughts, she stared at him, greeting his gaze with the same stoic expression he wore.
How he could stay in that position without his back hurting boggled her mind.
Sam tilted his head slightly and she could see that he was thinking about his words. He had a habit of doing that, and when he had his beard, she’d noticed him chewing on the short pieces too.
Justine waited.
While she may resist all the urges that she felt or could feel for him, she enjoyed his counsel. It was part of the reason she often allowed him to walk with her through town.
“The blue storefront or the white one?”
“Both would work, but the blue has larger front windows, and the light is better. It also has a bigger kitchen to work with.”
Justine had been so pleased when Rose Arden had taken her through both buildings to look at them. They each came with apartments upstairs as well. The plain whitewashed building only had two bedrooms, which was enough for her and Hope. The blue one had four and would be better long term.
It was the number of rooms that had settled the decision in her mind. That was until this morning.
She’d been sitting on this idea for nearly a month now, but with June’s recent upheaval and the sudden influx of children into town, it just hadn’t seemed like the right time.
Then Marmee came to visit and mentioned that there might be two more brides arriving before the first snowfall. Once they arrived, she would need to place them in the apartment designated for that purpose. Of course, she wasn’t asking Justine to move, just to rearrange the rooms.
That was the start of the urgency. When it was just June, Hope and her living in the small apartment, Justine didn’t mind at all.
After June left and it was just the two of them left, Justine realized she didn’t want to live with anyone again.
Even if it was only temporary.
She knew what Nebraska winters were like. They’d be stuck indoors for nearly six months.
If Justine could purchase the building, they would all have more space for the winter.And be happier about it.
“Mrs. McGuthry?”
Blinking, Justine focused on the marshal. She had missed everything he’d said. She really needed to focus. Maybe the banker was right; women were prone to getting lost in thought.
