Page 15 of A Letter to Adaya
“We have not eaten since yesterday. There wasn’t time to grab anything in Grand Platte. How many brothers do you have? Emily only mentioned two of you. I gather she’s married to one of your brothers.”
“There are five of us in total. Let me escort you to the diner. It’s just on the other side of the stage here and I’ll have Mrs. Davis make some sandwiches for the ride. With all that luggage, it’ll take a couple of hours to get back to the ranch.”
Hours?She wasn’t prepared for more hours of travel.
“Surely not hours,” she stammered.
“We’re ten miles out of town, so it will take a while. But with a full belly, there’s plenty of time for you to enjoy the scenery.”
She followed him into the diner, wondering how he was unattached. He appeared to be well educated, well mannered, and well spoken. He didn’t remind her of the tiresome men she’d met in Richmond.
“Beau!” A young woman with reddish-blonde hair bounced to her feet from where she was rolling silverware together, throwing herself into his arms for a hug, which he reciprocated without pause.
Adaya’s stomach dropped as her gaze traveled between Beau and the young woman beside him. She had assumed he was unattached, but there they were, nearly inseparable, as if tied together by an invisible bond.
“Madison, this is Miss Breckenridge. She’s one of Emily’s friends. Miss Breckenridge, this is Miss Madison Buttons. Her sister, Georgia, is married to my brother Simon.”
Adaya let go a breath she didn’t know she was holding. “Hello Miss Buttons. Please call me Adaya.” This was really a tiny town.
“Hi! I’m sorry for being rude. Beau doesn’t usually have anyone with him when he comes in. Have you just arrived? Call me Madison.”
Madison was clearly confident in her place in the world. Adaya found she liked her immediately.
“We just arrived on the stage. Mr. Pickett said there might be sandwiches I could purchase?” As if on cue, her stomach growled, telling everyone just how hungry she was.
“Of course! Did you want to eat here instead of in the wagon?”
Adaya glanced at Beau, who shook his head. “I’ve already been to town twice today. So, unless she eats it before we load the wagon, I’m afraid it will have to go in the wagon.”
“Fine.” Madison rolled her eyes at him, then grinned at her. “Chicken or ham?”
She hadn’t realized how hungry she was, but the mere mention of meat and her mouth was practically watering. “Chicken please. Two. My fa-father will need one as well.”
“I’ll be right back,” Madison bounded off, and it left them standing alone.
“You’ve been to town twice today?”
If he said it was going to take hours to get home, his day would have started much earlier than hers.
“I rode in to speak with the land agent and picked up the mail. Then Emily sent me back out to collect you.” He reminded her of a grumpy bear. Had she done something wrong already? Or did he always look like a bear with a thorn stuck in his paw?
“That sounds like a long day.”
“My day’s not anywhere close to being done yet.” He grumbled and she let the silence fall. Thankfully, moments later, Madison was back with six parchment wrapped sandwiches, several that had the letter C scribbled on them, and four jars of lemonade.
“This will get you to the ranch, and unless Beau lollygags,” she paused, leaning in close, “something heneverdoes, you’ll be home in time for dinner. My sister should be cooking tonight.”
Adaya giggled; Madison’s exaggerated whisper hadn’t escaped Beau’s notice. She would have to remember that in the future. Did that mean that he would have to make a third trip in to collect Madison? They could surely wait until her shift was over. “How will you get home?”
“I don’t go back to the ranch until Friday night. Nate and Carolina will bring me out. Then I return to town for church on Sunday. Now that Nate is married, I can stay in one of the spare rooms at their house while I work during the week.”
It seemed to make sense, and yet it all was strange to Adaya.
“Let’s get loaded up.” Beau stood, ceasing any further conversation between the women.
“It was nice to meet you,” she told Madison, before placing her hand in the crook of his elbow.
“I’ll see you on Friday then!” Madison waved at them both, then went back to work setting up the dining tables she’d left undone at their arrival. “Why don’t you put her in my room, Beau.”
