and me are gonna have ourselves a come-to-Jesus meetin’.”
Knowing Nora, she meant it.
T HE S ATURDAY after Thanksgiving was the last session of their fall riding class. The kids were busy with other things come Christmastime, and the weather was getting colder than a snowman’s pecker anyhow. There wouldn’t be another class now till spring. Maybe by then Joshua would have patched his heart up enough so it didn’t ache quite so bad all the time and he wouldn’t have to fake every smile.
Charlie was taking the Reston boys and the Carters out on a trail ride. Joshua would have gone, only the Carter parents were going along, and they were excellent riders. And Joshua had just one last chance with Lily Samuels. Nora had begged off too—determined to speak to Joshua alone, if he was any judge of that vulture-ish look in her eye.
Nope, there was no doubt that Nora was circling the corpse.
“Come on now,” Joshua said gently. He lifted Lily up and put her on the back of Jasmine, who stood waiting with all the enthusiasm of a sack of potatoes. “Hold on,” he told her.
Lily held the reins limply in one hand and the pommel in the other. Joshua led her around the ring. He felt plumb awful that this was as far as he’d gotten the little girl in seven long weeks. But her heart just wasn’t in it. Even now, her chin was on her chest, and her lips stuck out in a pout. She was miserable.
Joshua rubbed his eyes tiredly.
Nora, walking at his side, chuckled. “It’s just like lookin’ in a mirror, ain’t it?”
Joshua turned his head to look at her in surprise. “Huh?”
Nora nodded at Lily. “You’ve looked like that since, oh, October or so.”
“I ain’t that bad.”
“No, sir, you’re worse. You just don’t see it.”
Joshua didn’t answer. He kept walking Jasmine around nice and slow.
“You got to talk to somebody, Joshua,” Nora said. “And I reckon I’m your best option. I’ll even waive my consultin’ fees long as you give me your Boy Scout pledge to be honest, truthful, and brave.”
Joshua snorted.
“We already established that it ain’t money. What happened? You set your cap on someone who’s married or somethin’?”
“Nope.” Joshua tried to change the subject. “How’s the diner business?”
Nora sighed. “You’re slipperier than a greased pig, cowboy. The diner business , since you asked, is fine and dandy. Or it would be if I didn’t keep losin’ all my best help. Janelle’s been accepted to UM Helena. She’ll be the fourth solid worker I’ve lost since I started.”
“Sorry,” Joshua said, and he was. He liked Janelle.
“I’m gonna miss that girl like a house afire,” Nora said ruefully. “How’s a small town supposed to survive when all their best and brightest run away?”
Joshua stopped walking Jasmine as a surge of sharp-toothed misery shot through him. Damn Nora. He marveled at how easily she’d found his sore spot and dug her nails right the hell into it.
“Tracey Graham, Shelly Debar, Martin Rivalak….” Nora was saying. She’d stopped right along with him but was caught up in her own thoughts. “Them and a dozen more last year. I swear it’s like this town is a water bucket full of holes.” Nora shook her head in disgust.
“Ben Rivers,” Joshua said.
“And Ben. Lord, Ben was a good boy, even if he did get into that video sex thing. Can’t say as I blame him. What a cutie-patootie! You know, he was one I thought’d stick. He was always so into all that cowboy stuff.”
Joshua just looked at her and waited.
Nora frowned in confusion. Then her brow cleared, and she got a real sad look in her eyes. “Oh. Oh, hell. It’s Ben .”
Joshua blinked hard and fast as his eyes got hot. He started walking Jasmine again. Nora laid her hand on his arm.
“I shoulda known. This all started right when Ben left town. I’m so sorry, Joshua.”
He didn’t say anything.
“But honey, can’t you just go get that boy and bring him
Knowing Nora, she meant it.
T HE S ATURDAY after Thanksgiving was the last session of their fall riding class. The kids were busy with other things come Christmastime, and the weather was getting colder than a snowman’s pecker anyhow. There wouldn’t be another class now till spring. Maybe by then Joshua would have patched his heart up enough so it didn’t ache quite so bad all the time and he wouldn’t have to fake every smile.
Charlie was taking the Reston boys and the Carters out on a trail ride. Joshua would have gone, only the Carter parents were going along, and they were excellent riders. And Joshua had just one last chance with Lily Samuels. Nora had begged off too—determined to speak to Joshua alone, if he was any judge of that vulture-ish look in her eye.
Nope, there was no doubt that Nora was circling the corpse.
“Come on now,” Joshua said gently. He lifted Lily up and put her on the back of Jasmine, who stood waiting with all the enthusiasm of a sack of potatoes. “Hold on,” he told her.
Lily held the reins limply in one hand and the pommel in the other. Joshua led her around the ring. He felt plumb awful that this was as far as he’d gotten the little girl in seven long weeks. But her heart just wasn’t in it. Even now, her chin was on her chest, and her lips stuck out in a pout. She was miserable.
Joshua rubbed his eyes tiredly.
Nora, walking at his side, chuckled. “It’s just like lookin’ in a mirror, ain’t it?”
Joshua turned his head to look at her in surprise. “Huh?”
Nora nodded at Lily. “You’ve looked like that since, oh, October or so.”
“I ain’t that bad.”
“No, sir, you’re worse. You just don’t see it.”
Joshua didn’t answer. He kept walking Jasmine around nice and slow.
“You got to talk to somebody, Joshua,” Nora said. “And I reckon I’m your best option. I’ll even waive my consultin’ fees long as you give me your Boy Scout pledge to be honest, truthful, and brave.”
Joshua snorted.
“We already established that it ain’t money. What happened? You set your cap on someone who’s married or somethin’?”
“Nope.” Joshua tried to change the subject. “How’s the diner business?”
Nora sighed. “You’re slipperier than a greased pig, cowboy. The diner business , since you asked, is fine and dandy. Or it would be if I didn’t keep losin’ all my best help. Janelle’s been accepted to UM Helena. She’ll be the fourth solid worker I’ve lost since I started.”
“Sorry,” Joshua said, and he was. He liked Janelle.
“I’m gonna miss that girl like a house afire,” Nora said ruefully. “How’s a small town supposed to survive when all their best and brightest run away?”
Joshua stopped walking Jasmine as a surge of sharp-toothed misery shot through him. Damn Nora. He marveled at how easily she’d found his sore spot and dug her nails right the hell into it.
“Tracey Graham, Shelly Debar, Martin Rivalak….” Nora was saying. She’d stopped right along with him but was caught up in her own thoughts. “Them and a dozen more last year. I swear it’s like this town is a water bucket full of holes.” Nora shook her head in disgust.
“Ben Rivers,” Joshua said.
“And Ben. Lord, Ben was a good boy, even if he did get into that video sex thing. Can’t say as I blame him. What a cutie-patootie! You know, he was one I thought’d stick. He was always so into all that cowboy stuff.”
Joshua just looked at her and waited.
Nora frowned in confusion. Then her brow cleared, and she got a real sad look in her eyes. “Oh. Oh, hell. It’s Ben .”
Joshua blinked hard and fast as his eyes got hot. He started walking Jasmine again. Nora laid her hand on his arm.
“I shoulda known. This all started right when Ben left town. I’m so sorry, Joshua.”
He didn’t say anything.
“But honey, can’t you just go get that boy and bring him
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