need to talk to you for a minute.”
She shook her head, the long blond strands slipping over her shoulder. She pushed them back into place, and Oscar swallowed hard.
“I don’t think we have anything further to say to each other,” she said as she avoided his gaze and began tucking her hair into a long braid down her back. His every thought fled. It seemed like such an intimate thing, to watch her fix her hair, even though they were outdoors, where anyone could see them, with murmuring cowboys not far away at the corral.
“You know—” His voice emerged strangled, hoarse, and he had to clear it before he could go on. “I heard what Allen said to you last night.”
Her cheeks pinked, but her fingers kept flying over the braid lengthening down her back.
“Are you sure his threat is valid? What about the other members of the school board?”
She shook her head slightly. “They follow Mr. Allen’s lead. They won’t disagree with him.”
“What’s his agenda against the Caldwells?”
“There’s some prejudice in this town against them for being half white. I don’t know if Mr. Allen’s disapproval of them stems from that, or something else.” Her voice was barely a sigh. Had she given up? She still wouldn’t look at him, so it was hard to tell her mood.
“I want to help, Sarah. I’ve got an idea, but it’s going to take some doing on both our parts.”
Now her chin lifted, those blue eyes considering him.
“What do you get out of it?” she asked suspiciously.
He didn’t want those little girls going through what he had as a child. It was that simple. But he doubted Sarah would understand. So he wouldn’t try to explain it to her.
* * *
Sarah had a hard time believing Oscar was sincere in wanting to help the girls. With the top button of his woolen shirt unbuttoned and his hair curling and damp around his face, it was hard to marshal her thoughts.
Why didn’t she think he really wanted to help?
He shifted his feet, bringing her attention to his powerful legs. She forced her gaze away, back to the Allens’ house.
“I know there’s no love lost between us,” Oscar said. He was certainly more serious this morning than she’d ever seen him. “But I think we can set aside our differences to help those little girls. Friends?”
He extended his hand to her. She considered it, considered him. Could she trust him?
He’d surprised her by working all day at the Caldwell place yesterday. And the gentle way he trained Mr. Allen’s horse hadn’t been what she expected.
He still irritated her like no other.
But she couldn’t help the Caldwell girls on her own, not with the demands Mr. Allen had put on her with the upcoming pageant.
With no other choice, she reluctantly slipped her fingers into Oscar’s. His warm dry grip surrounded her hand. His white teeth flashed in a smile that threatened to curl her toes, and she quickly reclaimed her hand, grasping the rope swing.
“What time will you be back from the schoolhouse?” he asked.
“I’ve got a meeting with the school board right after classes end. Then I’ll still need to clean up the classroom. I probably won’t make it home in time for supper.”
“Fine. I’ll come for you at the schoolhouse and escort you home.”
She started to protest, but he was already striding confidently toward the barn.
That man!
* * *
Oscar found Paul Allen in the yard, speaking to his foreman. When the men were done, Oscar quickly stepped forward to talk to the boss, nodding his hello.
“What’s this about?” Allen asked, eyes narrowed.
“I’ve been thinking about what you said the other night. About me bein’ here from breakfast to suppertime to work with the colt.” How could Oscar phrase it best to try not to offend the man? Or play on the other man’s sensibilities? “I figure if I stay elsewhere I’ll save you a bunk and two meals a day—breakfast and supper. And be able to help out a friend in the meantime.”
Allen’s
She shook her head, the long blond strands slipping over her shoulder. She pushed them back into place, and Oscar swallowed hard.
“I don’t think we have anything further to say to each other,” she said as she avoided his gaze and began tucking her hair into a long braid down her back. His every thought fled. It seemed like such an intimate thing, to watch her fix her hair, even though they were outdoors, where anyone could see them, with murmuring cowboys not far away at the corral.
“You know—” His voice emerged strangled, hoarse, and he had to clear it before he could go on. “I heard what Allen said to you last night.”
Her cheeks pinked, but her fingers kept flying over the braid lengthening down her back.
“Are you sure his threat is valid? What about the other members of the school board?”
She shook her head slightly. “They follow Mr. Allen’s lead. They won’t disagree with him.”
“What’s his agenda against the Caldwells?”
“There’s some prejudice in this town against them for being half white. I don’t know if Mr. Allen’s disapproval of them stems from that, or something else.” Her voice was barely a sigh. Had she given up? She still wouldn’t look at him, so it was hard to tell her mood.
“I want to help, Sarah. I’ve got an idea, but it’s going to take some doing on both our parts.”
Now her chin lifted, those blue eyes considering him.
“What do you get out of it?” she asked suspiciously.
He didn’t want those little girls going through what he had as a child. It was that simple. But he doubted Sarah would understand. So he wouldn’t try to explain it to her.
* * *
Sarah had a hard time believing Oscar was sincere in wanting to help the girls. With the top button of his woolen shirt unbuttoned and his hair curling and damp around his face, it was hard to marshal her thoughts.
Why didn’t she think he really wanted to help?
He shifted his feet, bringing her attention to his powerful legs. She forced her gaze away, back to the Allens’ house.
“I know there’s no love lost between us,” Oscar said. He was certainly more serious this morning than she’d ever seen him. “But I think we can set aside our differences to help those little girls. Friends?”
He extended his hand to her. She considered it, considered him. Could she trust him?
He’d surprised her by working all day at the Caldwell place yesterday. And the gentle way he trained Mr. Allen’s horse hadn’t been what she expected.
He still irritated her like no other.
But she couldn’t help the Caldwell girls on her own, not with the demands Mr. Allen had put on her with the upcoming pageant.
With no other choice, she reluctantly slipped her fingers into Oscar’s. His warm dry grip surrounded her hand. His white teeth flashed in a smile that threatened to curl her toes, and she quickly reclaimed her hand, grasping the rope swing.
“What time will you be back from the schoolhouse?” he asked.
“I’ve got a meeting with the school board right after classes end. Then I’ll still need to clean up the classroom. I probably won’t make it home in time for supper.”
“Fine. I’ll come for you at the schoolhouse and escort you home.”
She started to protest, but he was already striding confidently toward the barn.
That man!
* * *
Oscar found Paul Allen in the yard, speaking to his foreman. When the men were done, Oscar quickly stepped forward to talk to the boss, nodding his hello.
“What’s this about?” Allen asked, eyes narrowed.
“I’ve been thinking about what you said the other night. About me bein’ here from breakfast to suppertime to work with the colt.” How could Oscar phrase it best to try not to offend the man? Or play on the other man’s sensibilities? “I figure if I stay elsewhere I’ll save you a bunk and two meals a day—breakfast and supper. And be able to help out a friend in the meantime.”
Allen’s
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