Page 35 of Love on Target

She could feel Theo’s knowing look even if she couldn’t see it in the dark. “Just hush. I’m too tired to argue with you.”

“Me too. I’ll go back to annoying you tomorrow after we’ve had sleep and food.”

“I’m so glad you just offered to make breakfast. I’d like a …”

Theo playfully swatted at her with his hat. She ducked and giggled, relieved they’d survived the trip and earned their bonus.

“Whatdoyouneed?What can I do to help?”

Josh hovered in the doorway of Gabi’s bedroom, distracting Rena from her work. She’d come to help paint his daughter’s bedroom as a surprise for her birthday tomorrow. Together, they’d moved out the furniture and taken the curtains down from the windows. Rena had rolled up the rug on the floor while he’d carried in the supplies they’d need.

It had taken a bit of scheming on his part, but Theo and Rena had arrived before dawn to help execute their plans. Theo had promised to take Gabi on an adventure, which entailed a ride on Thomas up to his cabin, where they’d eat breakfast.

If Josh knew his daughter at all, which he did, Theo would be talked into playing several games with Gabi before taking her to Anne Milton’s house to spend the rest of the day playing with the Milton boys.

The hope was that by the time he retrieved Gabi that evening, she’d be too tired to notice her bedroom had been painted.

The day had started well, with Gabi not offering even one complaint about being rousted out of bed earlier than normal. Nor had she fussed about wearing the boy’s overalls Josh had set out for her. He figured since she was riding in the saddle with Theo, then playing with boys all day, a frilly dress would only get in her way.

Oddly, the more time he spent with Rena, the more practical his thoughts grew when it came to skirts and dresses. He could see how much more ease of movement Rena enjoyed while wearing her trousers than she would have in a skirt. Now that he knew she wore them out of fear of catching her skirt on fire again, he could understand what drove her choices.

Nevertheless, he still held out hope of one day seeing her in a soft dress. Maybe one the color of summer peaches that would set off her hair and eyes, or perhaps a buttery yellow gown.

About to fall into the fantasies that had no business being in his head, he shifted his focus back to helping Rena with the task at hand. Last Saturday, she’d helped him select an Alabastine tint in a pastel pink hue that Gabi would love. He’d already read the instructions three times and mixed the tinted powder with water to create a liquid substance that was more like plaster than paint.

He could slap paint on a wall but waited for Rena’s instruction on how to proceed with the Alabastine.

“I’ve never used anything like this, but it can’t be that hard to apply to a wall. If you truly want to help, pick up a paintbrush and get to work. The walls will have to dry before I can get to the fun part.” Rena waggled a paintbrush at him, then dipped hers into the tint.

He watched as she stroked the delicate pink tint on the wall. The shrieks of joy that would spill out of Gabi when she discovered her bedroom was pink made him smile as he started on the wall opposite Rena. In an hour, they’d painted all four walls.

“Well, that wasn’t too hard,” he said, standing back and surveying their work. As light spilled into the room, he could picture his daughter spending many happy hours in her pretty room. Rena had suggested he hang new curtains since the pale green ones on the windows were sun streaked and faded. She’d helped him choose material for curtains which he’d then hired one of the women in town to sew. The white curtains with a flounce that looked almost like a woman’s petticoat sweeping from beneath her skirts were perfect.

Thoughts of petticoats, or the lack thereof, drew his gaze over to Rena. He might not like her trousers, but they made it easier for him to admire her long legs. Today, though, she’d worn a pair of paint-splattered overalls with what he was sure had to be one of Theo’s old shirts. She’d belted her waist and rolled up the sleeves and the hem of the overalls, but the clothes still looked far too big on her.

She stood with one hip cocked and her hands at her waist, head tilted to the side, studying the wall where Gabi’s bed would go. The white iron bedstead would match their plans for the room.

When Rena had told him she’d purchased a quilt for Gabi’s bed as a birthday gift, he’d offered to pay her for it, but she’d looked insulted. “It’smygift for her,” she’d said and marched off to look at fabric in the mercantile.

“What next?” Josh asked as he picked up the remainder of the tint and the brushes they’d used.

“Pour that tint in a jar to save in case you need to touch up anything later. We’ll have to let this dry before I can paint the rest.” Rena wiped her hands on a rag. “I’m starving. Do you have anything for breakfast in the house?”

“As a matter of fact, I do.”

Josh had gone to the hotel yesterday and had Edith fill a box with breakfast food along with three lunches. He’d stored the food in the icebox in the kitchen, and it had been a challenge to keep Gabi out of everything, but he was glad he’d managed.

While he stuck the food into the oven to warm, he poured what was left of the pink tint into a quart jar and tightly screwed on the lid, then cleaned the brushes.

By the time he washed his hands, Rena had already set the table and made a pot of coffee.

It should have bothered him she felt so at home in his kitchen, but for some reason, it made him happy to see her bustling around. She filled two cups with coffee and then handed him one.

“I think the food should be warm by now,” she said, setting her cup on the table. From the oven, she lifted out a coffee cake as well as a small pan filled with what Edith had called a breakfast bake.

“I don’t know what this is, but it smells fantastic,” Rena said, placing the bake on the table.

“It’s sliced potatoes with ham and eggs, and it’s all baked together.” Josh pulled out a chair for Rena, and she took a seat without hesitating.

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