Page 10 of A Soft Kiss in Summer
The knot in her throat made it impossible to swallow.Her pulse pounded so hard she could hear it as blood rushed past her eardrums, and for the first time since Josiah Lincoln showed up in Silver Falls, swaggering into town as if he owned it, an irrational sense of jealousy made her chest ache.
That old saying, “be careful what you wish for,” was true and for years, she’d waited for something to happen in this town.For it to grow enough, it felt as if they were thriving, but it seemed doomed to be nothing more than a stagecoach stop along the trail.
It was so stagnant that most days it was downright boring, but that wasn’t the case today.No, today something was happening, and she was seeing red as she gawked at Josiah as he talked to the lady who bought the building next to the mercantile.A lady who was currently smiling at Josiah and saying something that made him throw his head back and laugh.Her stomach clenched just seeing it and her jaw ached from grinding her teeth so hard.
The vacant building next to the mercantile had new occupants.A woman, along with who she assumed was her daughter, had taken up residence in the upstairs apartment and was currently renovating the downstairs for their new business.A dress shop.
Normally, the addition of a dress shop would have been seen as a boon for the town, but as Violet watched them carry in roll after roll of fabric, Josiah helping her with the task, all she could think was, her family’s mercantile would lose business with them here, and they already struggled most months to break even.
From the time Campbell’s Mercantile was built, everyone within a ten-mile radius came to them for all their goods and that included clothing and fabric.They sold so much sewing goods and pre-made clothing that it sometimes outsold everything else.
What would happen to those sales now that a real seamstress was in town?One who made beautiful dresses the women here wouldn’t have to make themselves?
“Violet?Are you listening?”
She turned at the sound of her name.Everyone was looking at her.“Hmm?”
Gertie Deal set her teacup down on the small table in front of the sofa.“I said, did you have anything else to add?”
Before she could answer, Sybil Johnson spoke to say, “What’s so interesting out there?”The woman ignored Gertie completely and stood to crane her neck in order to see out the window.
Violet shook her head at Gertie and said, “No,” before looking back outside.“And to answer your question, Sybil, that lady who was moving into the building next to the mercantile, is here.Looks as if she has a daughter.Or I’m assuming that’s who the younger girl is.”
Hazel Banks, the town busybody, and Mabel Simmons crossed the room to look over her shoulder.
“Oh, I heard she was recently widowed,” Mabel said.“I can’t imagine moving to a new town and starting over all by yourself.”
“You did,” Gertie said.“You’ve done fine on your own.”
Mabel smiled.The town spinster had never married and never would, or so she’d said.Her house was two stories and was the only local boarding house.She might not have anyone else living with her daily, but that didn’t stop Mabel from telling everyone who would listen about her life, even the occasional stranger passing through town, and having company stay in her home was enough for her.
“Doesn’t look as if she might be single for long,” Mabel giggled.“Josiah looks to be enjoying her company, if the smile on his face is any indication.”
Violet ignored the comment, and the seething jealousy that followed.Josiah was her fiancé.Well, her imaginary fiancé, at least, which meant he wouldn’t be asking the new seamstress for her hand in marriage anytime soon.
Or ever, if I have anything to do with it.
Her gaze landed on Josiah again as he continued to talk to the new owner.When the woman reached out and grabbed Josiah’s arm, squeezing his biceps, Violet saw red.
“So we’re settled then?”Gertie asked, trying to draw them back into the conversation.
Everyone nodded, herself included.
“Then that’s it.”Gertie grabbed the notepad she’d been writing on and looked it over.“All right.I’ll see you all next week for the set up.”She stood and started collecting empty tea cups.“Violet, don’t forget to tell your grandfather.We don’t want him to feel left out.”
Violet bit her tongue to keep from smiling.Gertie wasn’t fooling anyone.There wasn’t a person in town who didn’t know she was sweet on her grandfather and including him in their day-long set up meant Gertie had a chance to talk to him without him running away.“I won’t,” she said.“I’ll personally drag him there myself if I have to.”
She turned from the window when the others started collecting their things.The town's Founder’s Day celebration was once again planned and, just like previous years, she was responsible for things she had no desire to do.She wasn’t even sure how she’d been talked into the planning committee to begin with, but here she was, surrounded by the oldest women in town, planning a day-long event that everyone from here to the valley would attend.
She was the last to walk out of Gertie’s home, her eyes darting to the building beside the mercantile.Josiah was still on the sidewalk talking to the new owner, but when he suddenly turned and headed back to the marshals office, it felt as if she could finally breathe.
Why her traitorous heart wouldn’t forget about him like she wished it to was beyond her.No matter how hard she tried to forget about Josiah, just seeing him made her heart flutter.She was probably doomed to pine over him until she was old and gray and died a lonely old spinster.Was she going to be talked about by the next generation like Mabel was now?She hoped not.
Watching Josiah walk into the jailhouse, she put him out of her mind and headed toward the sidewalk.Clay Baxter was in front of Mabel’s boarding house, repainting the sign that hung near the road.
The boy was blushing and tipping his hat to the other ladies as they passed him by and as much as she wanted to cross the road to avoid the boarding house, and Edwin, doing so would be rude, especially since Clay was watching her with a wide smile on his face.
She knew why he was looking at her like that and didn’t want to seem rude by avoiding him, so she kept her eyes on him and ignored the boarding house all together.
