grandpa saw at day’s end touched her.
Horses pulling a wagon approached. Boone was stepping outside when Annalee hurried down the steps to investigate. “Who is it, Cora?”
“Levi Olafsson and Three Fingers Hollister. Levi makes furniture. Looks like he has a delivery.”
“A delivery? Of what?” Annalee stepped around Cora and went outside to join Boone. “What is it?”
“Evidently Lee ordered some furniture before he was shot.”
A tall, burly man, his brown hat tugged low over his eyes, jumped down from the buckboard. He removed his hat, revealing a mop of silvery blonde hair. His blue-eyed gaze swept over her. “Hell’s bells, if you ain’t a beauty.” His face turned beet red, and he gave a quick bow. “Meant no disrespect, ma’am.”
Boone’s hand went to the small of her back. “Annalee Gallagher, this is Levi Olafsson. He’s the best furniture maker in the territory.”
Levi blushed again. “Shucks, Boonie. Don’t embarrass me like that. I’m yust pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Annalee.”
She smiled. “I’m honored to meet you, Mr. Olafsson. You have a delivery?”
Levi silently stared at her.
Boone cleared his throat.
Annalee waited.
Boone stepped closer to her side, almost in the proprietary manner she so often saw her da do with Momma. “The lady asked you about the delivery.”
Levi nodded. “Sorry, ma’am, that beautiful smile of yours made my heart stop. I vas yust vaitin’ for it to start beatin’ again.”
Annalee’s hand fluttered to her throat. “Oh my,” she gushed. What a charmer he was.
Boone muttered a curse under his breath.
Levi crumpled his hat in his huge, beefy hands. “The day your grandfather got your telegram, he came into my furniture shop full of pleasure. Said he needed some t’ings to make you feel more comfortable here. He vas so excited ’bout your coming, Miss Annalee.” His head bobbed as he spoke.
“I’m touched. I wasn’t sure how he really felt about taking me in.”
“For sure, he vas right grieved about your momma, an’ your poppa, too, don’t t’ink he vasn’t. But he vanted you to come. He ordered you a bed and a chest of drawers.” Levi glanced back at the loaded buckboard. “Bought a new dining table and matching chairs. Said a lady liked matching chairs.”
“Yes, we do.” She smiled through a veil of tears. Oh, Grandpa, if you were here, I’d hug you so hard...
Levi blushed and ducked his head.
Boone groaned.
“I got a table fer ya ta put next to yer bed, too.” The man standing on the buckboard wiped his face with a dirty rag.
Boone placed his hand on the small of her back again. His continual touching was making her jittery. “Miss Annalee, meet Three Fingers Hollister.”
Annalee gave an involuntary shudder at the sight of Three Fingers, surely not at the warmth of Boone’s hand on her back. Three Fingers, a walking mud-pie if ever she saw one, was looking at her as if she were the last jellybean in the jar and he had a shiny penny in his grubby hand. “Hello.”
She showed the men where to put the furniture, wishing she’d had the chance to get the cabin cleaned before the new things were brought in. Once the bed was set up, she rubbed a hand over the carved headboard. “You do beautiful work, Mr. Olafsson.”
He removed his hat and blushed again. “I’d be honored if you’d call me Levi, ma’am. Right honored.”
Boone, who was carrying in the bedside table, stopped dead in his tracks. He looked from Annalee to Levi. His eyes narrowed, and he set the wooden stand down, the noise echoing through the room before he stalked out.
“Well, what got into him?” She turned and studied Levi. “You were only being neighborly.”
“Yust two men trying to mark their territory, Miss Annalee.” When her eyebrows arched, he ran a hand through his hair, obviously hunting for the right words. “Vomen…single vomen are rare out here. And vhen a beautiful one, like you, moves into a
Horses pulling a wagon approached. Boone was stepping outside when Annalee hurried down the steps to investigate. “Who is it, Cora?”
“Levi Olafsson and Three Fingers Hollister. Levi makes furniture. Looks like he has a delivery.”
“A delivery? Of what?” Annalee stepped around Cora and went outside to join Boone. “What is it?”
“Evidently Lee ordered some furniture before he was shot.”
A tall, burly man, his brown hat tugged low over his eyes, jumped down from the buckboard. He removed his hat, revealing a mop of silvery blonde hair. His blue-eyed gaze swept over her. “Hell’s bells, if you ain’t a beauty.” His face turned beet red, and he gave a quick bow. “Meant no disrespect, ma’am.”
Boone’s hand went to the small of her back. “Annalee Gallagher, this is Levi Olafsson. He’s the best furniture maker in the territory.”
Levi blushed again. “Shucks, Boonie. Don’t embarrass me like that. I’m yust pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Annalee.”
She smiled. “I’m honored to meet you, Mr. Olafsson. You have a delivery?”
Levi silently stared at her.
Boone cleared his throat.
Annalee waited.
Boone stepped closer to her side, almost in the proprietary manner she so often saw her da do with Momma. “The lady asked you about the delivery.”
Levi nodded. “Sorry, ma’am, that beautiful smile of yours made my heart stop. I vas yust vaitin’ for it to start beatin’ again.”
Annalee’s hand fluttered to her throat. “Oh my,” she gushed. What a charmer he was.
Boone muttered a curse under his breath.
Levi crumpled his hat in his huge, beefy hands. “The day your grandfather got your telegram, he came into my furniture shop full of pleasure. Said he needed some t’ings to make you feel more comfortable here. He vas so excited ’bout your coming, Miss Annalee.” His head bobbed as he spoke.
“I’m touched. I wasn’t sure how he really felt about taking me in.”
“For sure, he vas right grieved about your momma, an’ your poppa, too, don’t t’ink he vasn’t. But he vanted you to come. He ordered you a bed and a chest of drawers.” Levi glanced back at the loaded buckboard. “Bought a new dining table and matching chairs. Said a lady liked matching chairs.”
“Yes, we do.” She smiled through a veil of tears. Oh, Grandpa, if you were here, I’d hug you so hard...
Levi blushed and ducked his head.
Boone groaned.
“I got a table fer ya ta put next to yer bed, too.” The man standing on the buckboard wiped his face with a dirty rag.
Boone placed his hand on the small of her back again. His continual touching was making her jittery. “Miss Annalee, meet Three Fingers Hollister.”
Annalee gave an involuntary shudder at the sight of Three Fingers, surely not at the warmth of Boone’s hand on her back. Three Fingers, a walking mud-pie if ever she saw one, was looking at her as if she were the last jellybean in the jar and he had a shiny penny in his grubby hand. “Hello.”
She showed the men where to put the furniture, wishing she’d had the chance to get the cabin cleaned before the new things were brought in. Once the bed was set up, she rubbed a hand over the carved headboard. “You do beautiful work, Mr. Olafsson.”
He removed his hat and blushed again. “I’d be honored if you’d call me Levi, ma’am. Right honored.”
Boone, who was carrying in the bedside table, stopped dead in his tracks. He looked from Annalee to Levi. His eyes narrowed, and he set the wooden stand down, the noise echoing through the room before he stalked out.
“Well, what got into him?” She turned and studied Levi. “You were only being neighborly.”
“Yust two men trying to mark their territory, Miss Annalee.” When her eyebrows arched, he ran a hand through his hair, obviously hunting for the right words. “Vomen…single vomen are rare out here. And vhen a beautiful one, like you, moves into a
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