sir?” the waiter asked with first-class grace as he arrived at the side of their table.
Eric straightened in his seat. “I’ll have the roast beef and my wife would like the crab.”
“Very good, sir.”
He took the blasted menus away without the slightest suspicion. Eric swept a quick look around the table. Ben was talking to the old lady on his other side. Her husband was listening to what they had to say. Another young couple who had joined the table after he went outside smiled to him as though they might introduce themselves any second. Only Amelia kept her eyes lowered, a light smile on her lips. She picked up her napkin to spread across her lap. As she did she patted his thigh.
Hell.
“Mr. Chase was just telling me about his business,” Amelia said as though Eric hadn’t just proved he was an ignorant fool.
“Is that so?” He covered his shame with volume, wincing as every set of eyes at the table turned to him.
“Mrs. Quinlan,” Ben laughed, “how many times must I insist you call me by my Christian name?”
“Forgive me, Ben.” Amelia turned to him. “Ben owns a wholesale grocery distribution. He supplies markets and general stores throughout eastern Canada.” Her eyes were so bright that Eric swore someone had turned the sun back on.
“It’s hardly Sears and Roebuck,” Ben laughed, “but I’m hoping to expand into the western provinces before the end of the century.”
“As I was saying, my husband owns a ranch in Montana,” Amelia stated with perfect ease.
“Co-own,” Eric fumbled to add. “My cousin Curtis owns part of it. At least for now.”
“Oh?” Ben asked.
“We’ve had a bit of a bad spell lately.” Eric writhed in his dinner jacket. “Nothing to worry about though. Curtis keeps telling me that I’m just not cut out….”
He stopped and cleared his throat. He could feel patches of color working their way up his neck to his face. This was exactly what Curtis was talking about. His mouth was a quicker draw than his brain.
“To be honest, Ben,” he steered himself right, “I’m the kind of man who’s more comfortable riding the open range than haggling across a desk.”
Ben grinned from ear to ear. “Me too. I used to spend weeks at a time driving my father’s cattle from our ranch to the rail head in Alberta.”
“Is that so?” Eric’s spirits soared.
“It is. It’s almost a shame that the days of the open range are gone.”
“I’ll agree with you there.” Eric’s shoulders relaxed. It’d been six months since he’d talked to someone who spoke his language. “Although it’s a hell of a lot easier to keep an eye on hundreds of heads of cattle when they’re safe and sound in a pasture.”
“That it is.” Ben nodded. “Almost makes me regret moving to the city.”
Eric settled into his chair, feeling much less like a freak show on display than when he’d sat down. “What on earth would convince you to do a fool thing like that?” he grinned at his new friend.
“Money!” Ben laughed. “Well, money and a woman.”
As Ben started into a story about his days of driving cattle and the woman who took him away from it all, Eric’s gaze drifted to Amelia. She took a cool sip of water from her glass, hiding a pleased grin. Hellfire. She was a damn sight smarter than she let on. His heart skipped a beat at the thought.
Chapter Five
Amelia had expected morning on a ship at sea to be quiet, but as she opened her eyes to the sun peeking into the tiny room she shared with Eric, it was already buzzing with life. Sounds of crew members shouting orders and of sea birds answering back crept through the porthole window with the dawn light. She lay on her back, listening, absorbing it all. The foreign hum of sailors intent on their tasks was underscored by the low rumble of the ship’s engine. It was strange and exciting and ominous.
With a sigh,
Eric straightened in his seat. “I’ll have the roast beef and my wife would like the crab.”
“Very good, sir.”
He took the blasted menus away without the slightest suspicion. Eric swept a quick look around the table. Ben was talking to the old lady on his other side. Her husband was listening to what they had to say. Another young couple who had joined the table after he went outside smiled to him as though they might introduce themselves any second. Only Amelia kept her eyes lowered, a light smile on her lips. She picked up her napkin to spread across her lap. As she did she patted his thigh.
Hell.
“Mr. Chase was just telling me about his business,” Amelia said as though Eric hadn’t just proved he was an ignorant fool.
“Is that so?” He covered his shame with volume, wincing as every set of eyes at the table turned to him.
“Mrs. Quinlan,” Ben laughed, “how many times must I insist you call me by my Christian name?”
“Forgive me, Ben.” Amelia turned to him. “Ben owns a wholesale grocery distribution. He supplies markets and general stores throughout eastern Canada.” Her eyes were so bright that Eric swore someone had turned the sun back on.
“It’s hardly Sears and Roebuck,” Ben laughed, “but I’m hoping to expand into the western provinces before the end of the century.”
“As I was saying, my husband owns a ranch in Montana,” Amelia stated with perfect ease.
“Co-own,” Eric fumbled to add. “My cousin Curtis owns part of it. At least for now.”
“Oh?” Ben asked.
“We’ve had a bit of a bad spell lately.” Eric writhed in his dinner jacket. “Nothing to worry about though. Curtis keeps telling me that I’m just not cut out….”
He stopped and cleared his throat. He could feel patches of color working their way up his neck to his face. This was exactly what Curtis was talking about. His mouth was a quicker draw than his brain.
“To be honest, Ben,” he steered himself right, “I’m the kind of man who’s more comfortable riding the open range than haggling across a desk.”
Ben grinned from ear to ear. “Me too. I used to spend weeks at a time driving my father’s cattle from our ranch to the rail head in Alberta.”
“Is that so?” Eric’s spirits soared.
“It is. It’s almost a shame that the days of the open range are gone.”
“I’ll agree with you there.” Eric’s shoulders relaxed. It’d been six months since he’d talked to someone who spoke his language. “Although it’s a hell of a lot easier to keep an eye on hundreds of heads of cattle when they’re safe and sound in a pasture.”
“That it is.” Ben nodded. “Almost makes me regret moving to the city.”
Eric settled into his chair, feeling much less like a freak show on display than when he’d sat down. “What on earth would convince you to do a fool thing like that?” he grinned at his new friend.
“Money!” Ben laughed. “Well, money and a woman.”
As Ben started into a story about his days of driving cattle and the woman who took him away from it all, Eric’s gaze drifted to Amelia. She took a cool sip of water from her glass, hiding a pleased grin. Hellfire. She was a damn sight smarter than she let on. His heart skipped a beat at the thought.
Chapter Five
Amelia had expected morning on a ship at sea to be quiet, but as she opened her eyes to the sun peeking into the tiny room she shared with Eric, it was already buzzing with life. Sounds of crew members shouting orders and of sea birds answering back crept through the porthole window with the dawn light. She lay on her back, listening, absorbing it all. The foreign hum of sailors intent on their tasks was underscored by the low rumble of the ship’s engine. It was strange and exciting and ominous.
With a sigh,
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