sucked in by his serious demeanor. She waited to hear what he would say next.
After a brief pause, he continued. “I have finally fulfilled that promise, and I’m so thankful I did. You are every bit as wonderful as you were back then and much more.”
He trailed off and she blushed. The moment became awkward and they dropped their hands. He seemed unsure what to say next. He rubbed the back of his neck and resumed a normal tone. “I’m sorry, this is silly—”
“No. I mean, it is, yes, but I like silly. That was an important moment for me, too. I kept looking for you, you know. Waiting for you to turn up. And here you are.”
He coughed and seemed sheepish at her sentiment. Mary didn’t know what to do to break the tension, so she continued in a solemn tone, saying the incantation they had invented so many years before. “You have fulfilled your promise to me, James Parker. May you go in peace.”
He laughed and pulled her into a hug. Mary pressed against him for a second, reveling in his feel and smell, then separated reluctantly. She looked down, not wanting to meet his eyes for fear he would see what was lurking in hers. When she started to turn away from the rock, though, his hand grasped hers again, a feeling that was becoming much too pleasant and familiar. “Hold on,” he said, “We’re not done.”
She turned to look at him, and he pressed his hand to the rock, the proper way to make a true promise. He said, “I promise you, Maria Fisher, that I won’t disappear again. Whatever happens, you won’t ever need to wait for me again.”
His expression was so earnest that it took all her effort not to hug him again. She could only nod, at a loss for words.
The walk back was quiet. Mary felt more content than she had in, well, longer than she would like to think. But there was also the darkness lurking deep inside her, the worry that he would ask about her work, the guilt about keeping the information from him. It was like a ball of ice sitting on her stomach, the one bad feeling in a sea of good.
Jimmy wasn’t sure what had made him do it. A whim had caught him and pulled him to the rock with an almost uncontrollable urge. He didn’t want to disappear from her again, but would he have a choice? His employment at the town bank would likely be finished in a week or two, and then what? He couldn’t simply abandon San Francisco and his ambitions to stay here in Shasta.
When he glanced over at Maria, a small smile dancing along her lips, thoughts of San Francisco and the big dream house seemed far away. Two possible lives were warring inside him, and he couldn’t say which would win.
When they arrived at his boarding house, she promised to meet him the next morning—his last free day before he needed to begin his position in the bank—at an outcropping of caves, another landmark of their childhood, before taking her leave. He wanted to pull her into his arms, but held his distance for fear that he’d never want to let her go.
Mary left as Jimmy disappeared into the house, trudging slowly back to the town, to her life. Every ounce of her wanted to go the other direction, but she was too level-headed to falter. She had gotten through the first few weeks at the saloon, even though the memory of those times still sent a shudder through her, and she could get through this, too.
Before going to the saloon for the evening, she took a short trip over to see Emma. She was somewhat better than she had been the day before, though still reticent and quick to disappear into her own head, and Mary left after only a few minutes.
Then it was back to Daisy’s, no matter how much her insides balked at the idea.
Chapter 4
The next morning, Jimmy bounded out of bed, refreshed and so happy he could hardly think straight. The day before had been so perfect, his time with Maria so wonderful, that he had difficulty believing it was real. And he would get more time with her again today. It was more than he could
After a brief pause, he continued. “I have finally fulfilled that promise, and I’m so thankful I did. You are every bit as wonderful as you were back then and much more.”
He trailed off and she blushed. The moment became awkward and they dropped their hands. He seemed unsure what to say next. He rubbed the back of his neck and resumed a normal tone. “I’m sorry, this is silly—”
“No. I mean, it is, yes, but I like silly. That was an important moment for me, too. I kept looking for you, you know. Waiting for you to turn up. And here you are.”
He coughed and seemed sheepish at her sentiment. Mary didn’t know what to do to break the tension, so she continued in a solemn tone, saying the incantation they had invented so many years before. “You have fulfilled your promise to me, James Parker. May you go in peace.”
He laughed and pulled her into a hug. Mary pressed against him for a second, reveling in his feel and smell, then separated reluctantly. She looked down, not wanting to meet his eyes for fear he would see what was lurking in hers. When she started to turn away from the rock, though, his hand grasped hers again, a feeling that was becoming much too pleasant and familiar. “Hold on,” he said, “We’re not done.”
She turned to look at him, and he pressed his hand to the rock, the proper way to make a true promise. He said, “I promise you, Maria Fisher, that I won’t disappear again. Whatever happens, you won’t ever need to wait for me again.”
His expression was so earnest that it took all her effort not to hug him again. She could only nod, at a loss for words.
The walk back was quiet. Mary felt more content than she had in, well, longer than she would like to think. But there was also the darkness lurking deep inside her, the worry that he would ask about her work, the guilt about keeping the information from him. It was like a ball of ice sitting on her stomach, the one bad feeling in a sea of good.
Jimmy wasn’t sure what had made him do it. A whim had caught him and pulled him to the rock with an almost uncontrollable urge. He didn’t want to disappear from her again, but would he have a choice? His employment at the town bank would likely be finished in a week or two, and then what? He couldn’t simply abandon San Francisco and his ambitions to stay here in Shasta.
When he glanced over at Maria, a small smile dancing along her lips, thoughts of San Francisco and the big dream house seemed far away. Two possible lives were warring inside him, and he couldn’t say which would win.
When they arrived at his boarding house, she promised to meet him the next morning—his last free day before he needed to begin his position in the bank—at an outcropping of caves, another landmark of their childhood, before taking her leave. He wanted to pull her into his arms, but held his distance for fear that he’d never want to let her go.
Mary left as Jimmy disappeared into the house, trudging slowly back to the town, to her life. Every ounce of her wanted to go the other direction, but she was too level-headed to falter. She had gotten through the first few weeks at the saloon, even though the memory of those times still sent a shudder through her, and she could get through this, too.
Before going to the saloon for the evening, she took a short trip over to see Emma. She was somewhat better than she had been the day before, though still reticent and quick to disappear into her own head, and Mary left after only a few minutes.
Then it was back to Daisy’s, no matter how much her insides balked at the idea.
Chapter 4
The next morning, Jimmy bounded out of bed, refreshed and so happy he could hardly think straight. The day before had been so perfect, his time with Maria so wonderful, that he had difficulty believing it was real. And he would get more time with her again today. It was more than he could
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