A Town Called Valentine(35)

“That’s a great plan,” Monica said. “You’re not waiting for a husband to share it with?”

“I tried that, and it didn’t work. I’m getting too old to wait around for the right man, especially since I’ll have to save up adoption money.”

“You might not know what you want to do for a job,” Brooke said, “but you’ve got a plan, and that’s important.”

“You must have been a cheerleader in high school,” Emily said.

“Bite your tongue. I was a barrel racer, and the high-school girls’ champion of Colorado.”

“I’m impressed, and I don’t even know what it means,” Emily continued. “You ride horses around barrels?”

“Something like that. I’ll show you sometime.”

“Speaking of plans,” Monica said cheerfully, “Emily, you mentioned needing some furniture in your apartment. What do you have?”

“I don’t need much since I won’t be here long. There’s a bed frame, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable using the mattress.”

Brooke visibly shuddered, and they all laughed.

“What size bed?” Monica asked.

“Looks like a double, since the bedroom is pretty small.”

“Let me see what my parents have.”

Emily frowned. “What do you mean? I certainly can’t take your family’s furniture.”

“They’ve been talking about remodeling the guest bedroom for the longest time. Now that Missy’s coming home, I’m sure my mom will jump right in.”

“I detect sarcasm,” Brooke murmured.

Monica briefly stuck out her tongue.

“I don’t know if I feel right about this . . .” Emily began.

“Quiet. What else do you need?” Brooke asked.

“There’s already a table and two chairs. With those and a mattress, I’ll have eating and sleeping covered. That’s all I need.”

The two women looked at each other doubtfully, and Emily prepared herself to insist, but nothing more was said about furniture.

Brooke set her empty beer bottle down with a thump. “Guess it’s time to go. I need to be up before dawn.”

Monica shuddered. “You work long hours. I don’t know how you do it.”

Brooke shrugged. “It has to be done. Emily, can I drop you off on my way home?”

Emily gladly accepted, no longer feeling guilty about it, since the boardinghouse really was on the way to the ranch. After letting herself in the back door, she came up short when she found Mrs. Thalberg, dressed in a housecoat and slippers, sitting at the kitchen table with papers spread out before her.

Mrs. Thalberg lifted her head and smiled. “Did you have a nice evening, Emily?”

She grinned. “I did. Brooke taught me a line dance, and I wasn’t too terrible. But why are you still up at midnight?”

“I just wanted to prepare our new applications for the committee meeting tomorrow. Now that I don’t have to get up before dawn, I do some of my best thinking at night.”

Emily found herself picturing the redheaded grandmother chained to a brothel, and barely held in a laugh.

“When it’s not so late, I’d love to hear all about your work. It sounds really challenging.” Emily suddenly noticed a man’s jacket on the hook by the back door. “Uh-oh, someone might be cold tonight since he left that behind.”

“That would be Nate’s. He dropped by to see you.”

Emily stiffened in surprise.

“He fell asleep on the couch,” Mrs. Thalberg continued, shaking her head. “That poor boy works too hard. I think you should go wake him since he brought a box he says is for you.”

Two beers must have been too much, for Emily felt a pleasant little zing of warmth traveling through her veins.





Chapter Eight



Emily walked slowly through the dark dining room, wishing Mrs. Thalberg would’ve come with her. But the old woman had mentioned Nate, then disappeared up the back staircase, wiggling her fingers good-bye. Emily saw a box on the dining table, and much as she wanted to open it, she kept on going. The living room—or the parlor, as the widows enjoyed calling it—was decorated in country-printed fabrics and seemed to be the focus of whatever crafting talents the women possessed. There were crocheted pillows and afghans, needlepoint scenes on the walls, even a pile of rocks glued together—surely the talents of someone’s grandchild. But beneath the country charm, she could see modern touches: brand-new windows, newly stained floorboards, and elegant trim.