Breathless(13)

“How’s Regan?” he asked.

“Doing okay. She rode back over to Old Man Blanchard’s place with Uncle Rhine and Aunt Eddy.”

He nodded and set a clean cup in the dish drain.

In a voice filled with wonder, she asked, “What are you doing?”

Guessing he’d surprised her again, he smiled inwardly. “Washing the dishes.”

“But why?”

“You and your family have a death to deal with. Thought I’d help out. Men around here don’t do dishes?”

“You’ve met some of the men around here. What do you think?”

He chuckled. “You always so blunt?”

“It’s my Carmichael blood.”

He faced her. “Last night after you cut Day to the quick and went into the kitchen, he said you needed a man to rid you of what he called your uppity mouth.”

“Really?” she replied in a tone that let him know she wasn’t pleased.

“Mr. Blanchard came to your defense, though.” He set another plate in the drain. “How long has Day been trying to court you?”

“About a year and a half.”

He looked her way. “Personally, I like your uppity mouth.”

She swayed for a split second. He liked that, too.

She stammered, “I—I was coming back to clean up, but you seem to have everything in hand.”

“For the most part, but I’ve no idea where some of these things go.”

“You can just leave them in the drain. I’ll—put them away later.”

It didn’t make a whole lot of sense for her to come back later when all she had to do was direct him now, but he didn’t push. She seemed slightly rattled and he was enjoying that as well. “Okay. So since you hold the reins here, do you know what my job will be?”

“No. Uncle Rhine will handle that.”

“Anything you need done in the interim?”

She hastily shook her head.

“Fine. I’ll go say good morning to Blue, maybe go for a ride, and wait for Rhine to return.”

“Blue?”

“My horse.”

“Oh yes. Of course.”

He watched her watch him. In truth he wouldn’t mind looking at her all day and she seemed torn between staying and fleeing. She finally muttered “I have to go” before beating a hasty retreat. Chuckling to himself, he went back to the dishes. He was enjoying Miss Portia Carmichael, probably more than Rhine would like so he needed to pull back on the reins a bit. If he could.

Kent saddled Blue a short while later, and rode off to do some exploring. Mountains both far and near were everywhere he looked, as were valleys, clear running streams, and stands of thick forest. One of the reasons he’d hated being at Howard was that there’d been no peace or silence. All the noise and commotion from the streetcars and crowds was so overwhelming it didn’t allow a man to think. The wide open spaces that made up the West were far better. He waded Blue into a standing pool so the stallion could drink. Savoring the surrounding beauty, Kent thought he would enjoy living here. For some reason he felt more settled and content than he had in a long time. Even though he’d only been back with Rhine and Eddy a day, it was as if all the years of drifting like a windblown tumbleweed had finally led him back to them in a way that felt as if he’d come home. He sensed he could put down roots here, build a home of his own and maybe find a wife and raise some children, which surprised him because he’d always been too restless to contemplate the possibility of marriage and a family. But in truth, he was tired of drifting, tired of being alone with no set place to come home to at the end of the day and having nothing to call his own but his horse, saddle, and the clothes on his back. He looked up at the cloudless blue sky, felt the gentle breeze on his face, and wondered what it was about this place that seemed to ease his loner’s soul. He had no answer but was willing to stick around long enough to find out. With that in mind, he reined Blue around and headed back to the hotel.

Entering the hotel, he wondered how the family was faring with the death of their friend Blanchard, and if Rhine had returned. Thoughts of Portia’s whereabouts arose as well, but he set them aside for the moment. When he reached Rhine’s office the door was open and Kent saw him inside at his desk.

“Come on in,” Rhine said to him.

Kent took a seat. “Wanted to convey my condolences.”

“Thanks. Blanchard was good man and we cared about him very much. Especially the girls. When they were growing up he taught them everything from how to ride bareback to building a smokeless fire. We’ll miss him.” He paused and asked, “Are you settling in?”

“I am. That bed is going to spoil me for the rest of my life, though.”

Rhine smiled knowingly. “Only the best at the Fontaine Hotel. You told me you’d been a foreman?”

“On a couple of outfits.”

“Are you up to doing it again?”

“Sure. Where?”

“The Blanchard place. His daughter’s decided she doesn’t want the property so I made her an offer that I’m hoping she’ll accept. Portia has been keeping his books and his son-in-law wants them reviewed before going forward.”

“Did he have a foreman?”

“Yes, but he wants to move on. Says the place won’t be the same without the old man.”