Sabrina (Big Sky Dreams 2) by Lori Wick
Authors: Lori Wick
Tags: Fiction, General, Romance, Western, Love Stories, Western Stories, Christian fiction, Religious, Christian, INSPIRATIONAL ROMANCE, Prostitutes
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Territory."
"Since you seem to be having a hard time understanding English, I made a simple assumption."
Rylan watched Bret throw back his head and laugh. The lady turned with a roll of her eyes and started off again, but Bret persisted.
Sabrina was done. She had told him in every way possible that she did not want to know him, and still he followed her and tried to find out who she was. This time she not only rounded on the man but stepped toward him. He was so surprised by this move, coming from a woman who looked him right in the eye, that he had no choice but to back up.
"Thank you for the information you gave me," she said now, all kind tones gone. "But I'm leaving the alley now, and you will not follow me."
Bret eyed her. There was no mistaking her meaning. Her eyes were dead serious. Bret, well built, good looking, and successful, had never in the past been forced to push his attentions on a woman and realized he wasn't going to start now. With a slight bob of his head, not showing his regret that she was going to get away, he turned back to his saloon.
Sabrina had started off again, her head down with thought, when she spotted a pair of large boots. She drew up in surprise and jumped a little as she came to an awkward halt.
"I'm sorry I didn't see you," Sabrina spoke, having to tip her head back to see the man's face.
"I didn't mean to startle you," Rylan said. "Are you all right?" "Do you have the time?" Sabrina asked, having already forgotten
that asking questions of strangers could get her into trouble.
"Let me see," Rylan said, reaching for his pocket watch. "I've got
ten minutes after one."
"Am I more than five minutes from the dress shop?" Sabrina asked.
52"Jeanette's? No. In fact if you come through the livery here, you'll have two minutes to spare."
"Am I just half a block off Main Street?" Sabrina asked, her heart sinking even before he answered.
"Yes."
"Oh, thank you," Sabrina said, thinking she was going to have to get her head on straight. She was so intent on finding an apartment that she hadn't noticed where she was, or the saloon, or that she was talking to a livery worker. His leather apron and huge size should have given him away, but Sabrina had been single-minded in purpose.
"Tell Jeanette that Rylan said hello," Rylan said when Sabrina came out on the street side of the building.
"Oh!" Sabrina said, surprised again and then shaking her head a little as she realized this should be no surprise. Jeanette would certainly know everyone in town.
"I will tell her, and thank you for the time."
Rylan smiled at her rather dazed expression, wondering absently which woman was the real one. The one who stood up to the saloon owner in the alley or the one who looked disoriented by his mere mention of Jeanette Fulbright. Rylan went back to work, realizing he would probably never know.
"We close at one o'clock?" Sabrina clarified.
"On Saturdays, yes," Jeanette answered. "I know I could be busy all day, but I was waking up very tired on Sundays, and I don't want that. If the folks of Token Creek have a sewing need, they'll simply have to get here before one."
Sabrina nodded her acceptance, but she was busy doing rapid sums in her head. If Jessie didn't need her on Monday and Tuesdays, her finances were going to get interesting. At the same time, maybe Jessie would need her more on Saturday afternoons. Sabrina went
53 back to cutting the gingham for a child's skirt, reminding herself that she was off that very afternoon and could gain an answer to at least one question.
"There's a new woman in town," Jeb Dorn told his wife, Patience. "Tell me about her," Patience requested, as interested as Jeb knew she would be.
"She's working for Jeanette, and when Jeanette's shop is closed, she'll be at Jessie's."
"How did this come about?"
"A woman came to town this week and applied to Jeanette for the help she's had posted in her window."
"And Jeanette hired her, just like that?"
"Evidently, but
"Since you seem to be having a hard time understanding English, I made a simple assumption."
Rylan watched Bret throw back his head and laugh. The lady turned with a roll of her eyes and started off again, but Bret persisted.
Sabrina was done. She had told him in every way possible that she did not want to know him, and still he followed her and tried to find out who she was. This time she not only rounded on the man but stepped toward him. He was so surprised by this move, coming from a woman who looked him right in the eye, that he had no choice but to back up.
"Thank you for the information you gave me," she said now, all kind tones gone. "But I'm leaving the alley now, and you will not follow me."
Bret eyed her. There was no mistaking her meaning. Her eyes were dead serious. Bret, well built, good looking, and successful, had never in the past been forced to push his attentions on a woman and realized he wasn't going to start now. With a slight bob of his head, not showing his regret that she was going to get away, he turned back to his saloon.
Sabrina had started off again, her head down with thought, when she spotted a pair of large boots. She drew up in surprise and jumped a little as she came to an awkward halt.
"I'm sorry I didn't see you," Sabrina spoke, having to tip her head back to see the man's face.
"I didn't mean to startle you," Rylan said. "Are you all right?" "Do you have the time?" Sabrina asked, having already forgotten
that asking questions of strangers could get her into trouble.
"Let me see," Rylan said, reaching for his pocket watch. "I've got
ten minutes after one."
"Am I more than five minutes from the dress shop?" Sabrina asked.
52"Jeanette's? No. In fact if you come through the livery here, you'll have two minutes to spare."
"Am I just half a block off Main Street?" Sabrina asked, her heart sinking even before he answered.
"Yes."
"Oh, thank you," Sabrina said, thinking she was going to have to get her head on straight. She was so intent on finding an apartment that she hadn't noticed where she was, or the saloon, or that she was talking to a livery worker. His leather apron and huge size should have given him away, but Sabrina had been single-minded in purpose.
"Tell Jeanette that Rylan said hello," Rylan said when Sabrina came out on the street side of the building.
"Oh!" Sabrina said, surprised again and then shaking her head a little as she realized this should be no surprise. Jeanette would certainly know everyone in town.
"I will tell her, and thank you for the time."
Rylan smiled at her rather dazed expression, wondering absently which woman was the real one. The one who stood up to the saloon owner in the alley or the one who looked disoriented by his mere mention of Jeanette Fulbright. Rylan went back to work, realizing he would probably never know.
"We close at one o'clock?" Sabrina clarified.
"On Saturdays, yes," Jeanette answered. "I know I could be busy all day, but I was waking up very tired on Sundays, and I don't want that. If the folks of Token Creek have a sewing need, they'll simply have to get here before one."
Sabrina nodded her acceptance, but she was busy doing rapid sums in her head. If Jessie didn't need her on Monday and Tuesdays, her finances were going to get interesting. At the same time, maybe Jessie would need her more on Saturday afternoons. Sabrina went
53 back to cutting the gingham for a child's skirt, reminding herself that she was off that very afternoon and could gain an answer to at least one question.
"There's a new woman in town," Jeb Dorn told his wife, Patience. "Tell me about her," Patience requested, as interested as Jeb knew she would be.
"She's working for Jeanette, and when Jeanette's shop is closed, she'll be at Jessie's."
"How did this come about?"
"A woman came to town this week and applied to Jeanette for the help she's had posted in her window."
"And Jeanette hired her, just like that?"
"Evidently, but