The Second Chance Brides Collection, page 47
“I agree. In this area, we have a lot of silver from the mines that has found its way into the streams and rivers. The Indians take the silver and other minerals and hammer them into shapes. They can depict animals, geological elements, revered spiritual figures, and other important symbols.”
“And what about these?” Trevor pointed at the collection to his left.
“Those are quite a bit more valuable. They come from experienced and skilled craftsmen within the tribe.” Anna stepped back and unlocked the door to retrieve one of the pieces. She held it out to him in her open palm and pointed out specific features. “It isn’t easy to fashion beads, animal bone, turquoise, pieces of pottery, hair and fur, and a variety of other elements into brilliant pieces like this.”
“I believe my mother and sister would love something like this.” Trevor fingered the hand-painted bone and feather earrings she held. “Or perhaps one of those pendants with the feathers.” He pointed to the lower shelf. “I’ve been meaning to look for something to send back to them ever since I arrived here.” With a wink and a grin, he continued. “Now, thanks to you, I believe I have found the very thing.”
If a sudden snowstorm delivered two feet of snow outside her door, Anna would still be happy. Trevor was grateful for something she had done, and he was actually seeing her for the first time in her life, not her sister.
“Would you like me to package your purchases and mail them for you?”
He frowned. “How did you know I needed to send them through the mail?”
“You mentioned sending them back and talked about arriving here,” she replied. “So, I gathered you haven’t been here very long.”
Trevor nodded, admiration shining in his warm, chocolate eyes. “I did say that, didn’t I? You are quite observant, Miss…Oh. I’m afraid I never introduced myself or asked for your name. Please forgive my horrible manners.”
Anna touched her fingers to her lips. “Oh, my! You’re right. I apologize as well.”
“Let’s remedy that, shall we?” Trevor extended his hand. “Trevor Fox,” he said. “And who might you be?”
Anna placed her hand in his. “Anna S…Clairmont,” she replied, hastily covering up almost slipping and giving him the St. Claire name. That would have ruined everything for sure.
“Well, Miss Clairmont,” he stated as he raised her hand to brush her knuckles with his lips, “it is a true pleasure to meet you and make your acquaintance.” He lowered her hand then released it. “And, yes, I would greatly appreciate your boxing up those two items and preparing them to be sent out.”
She could still feel the warmth of his fingers and the touch of his lips on her hand as she reached under the counter for a suitable box and paper to wrap up his purchases. “Trevor Fox,” she began. “That doesn’t sound like a name I’ve heard around here, and it certainly doesn’t sound like any cowboy I’ve met so far.”
Once again, Trevor rubbed the back of his neck. He grinned. “No, and that’s because as you noticed, I’m not from around here. I’ve only been here for two months.”
“Which pendant did you want?”
“That one.” He pointed. “With the turquoise stones in the center and the blue and brown feathers.”
Anna carefully wrapped the pendant and placed it in the box, nestled in more paper to cushion and protect it. Next she reached for the bone and feather earrings. “Where were you before you came here?”
Maybe if she pretended to not know anything about him, it would increase her chances of remaining unknown to him. She wrapped the earrings and packaged them with the pendant as she waited for his response.
“Believe it or not, I’ve spent all of my life in New York City.”
“New York? Really?” She tried hard to sound impressed. “That’s quite a long journey from here.”
“Yeah,” he replied.
“What brought you to Colorado?”
“Charlie Logan.” Trevor pressed his lips into a thin line. “We’ve been friends since we were boys, and when I spoke to him about needing some space, he suggested I come out here for a bit. Change of pace and scenery. His uncle owns a ranch near here, so he invited me to join him.”
Logan. Now, why did that name sound familiar. Oh, right! “The Logans. That’s Red Hawk Ranch, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” His face brightened. “You’ve heard of it?”
“It’s the largest spread between here and Frisco.” Anna smiled. “I’m fairly certain everyone in the area has heard of that ranch.”
Trevor puffed out his chest and stood tall. “Well, we do provide beef to all the mining camps, and our ranch hands come into town on payday.”
Anna nodded. “Just like the miners.” She grimaced at the thought of the obnoxious ruckus all those men made each week. “It’s those nights and early mornings when I don’t get much sleep, as my home is above this shop.”
His shoulders drooped a bit. “Oh, Miss Clairmont, I’m sorry about that. Guess I hadn’t thought about merchants such as yourself living right here in the center of town.” He reached for her hand again and enclosed it in both of his. “Now that I’ve met you, though, and am aware you’re here, I’ll be sure we limit our shenanigans to down by the hotel.”
Anna smiled. Charming and appeasing as always, complementing the Casanova behavior he employed with the young ladies he frequently courted back in New York. Movement outside the store caught her eye, and Anna looked over Trevor’s shoulder to see two young ladies pointing through the window at the two of them, small pouts on their lips. She slowly withdrew her hand from his and drew her eyebrows together. Why would those ladies be upset with the two of them talking?
Trevor noticed her expression, and he turned around. An immediate groan mixed with a sigh sounded from him. “I’m never going to get away from them now,” he spoke low.
“Get away from whom?” Anna asked. “Do you know those ladies?”
He faced her once more, his jaw clenched. “No, I don’t. And that’s the reason I entered your shop in the first place.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I’m not sure I fully understand it, either,” he replied. “But, remember that friend, Charlie, I mentioned a few minutes ago?”
“Yes.”
“He and some of the other hands at the ranch wanted some publicity, so they spoke with a reporter for the Bulletin and told them about some suggestions I had to improve profits at the Red Hawk. The reporter twisted the story a bit, and somehow, I ended up being named the most eligible bachelor in Breckenridge.” He ran his hand across his face then raised both hands to his temples and started rubbing, as if his head ached. “Now, thanks to that article, I am beginning to see young ladies show a great deal of interest in me, everywhere I turn.”
“Oh.” Back in New York, he didn’t seem to mind being the center of attention and courting more than one lady at a time. Now he wanted to avoid that? “Can’t you simply tell them you’re not interested?”
“The only way that would work is if…” He stopped. Then his entire countenance changed. Light entered his eyes, and a smile formed on his lips as his chest filled with the large intake of air he breathed. “Miss Clairmont, please forgive me if this is being too forward, but might I have your permission to court you?”
Court her? Had she just heard him correctly? She’d dreamed of this very moment for years, and it had finally happened. But it wasn’t real. He only needed her to make the other ladies believe he wasn’t available. Then what? Could she bear to have her heart broken again once the reason for his request no longer existed?
“I realize my asking you comes as a surprise,” he said, interrupting her musings. “And under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t be so bold with someone I just met. But it would only be for a short while, until the gossip dies down and they find something else to hold their attention.”
Anna didn’t believe in happenstance. She’d put more than two thousand miles between them, yet somehow he’d not only ended up in the same state to where she’d fled, but the same town, too. There had to be a reason for it. If she could in some way help him, she would. Of course, being courted by him held its own level of appeal. In her mind, it was a benefit to them both.
“Yes,” she finally said. “If you need my help for a short while, I’m happy to give it.”
Trevor beamed a wide smile at her then leaned across the counter and planted a quick kiss on her cheek. “Thank you!” She must have looked surprised, because he immediately backed away and instead reached for her hand. “That was too bold, wasn’t it? Forgive me.” He raised her hand to his lips once more and touched a soft kiss again to her knuckles. “I will return soon.” He released her hand and took two steps backward. “We can begin by taking a walk together, get to know each other better.” He almost tripped over the baskets on the floor and ran into the glass door as he rushed to leave. “This is going to be perfect. You’ll see.”
Anna watched him stumble again on the sidewalk, but he righted himself and looked through her window as he waved at her before disappearing from view. In the silence that followed his departure, she tried to make sense of all that had just happened. First, Trevor Fox surprised her by showing up in Breckenridge and coming into her shop. Next, she agreed to let him court her so he could avoid unwanted attention and she could fulfill a long-held dream. But had she truly thought through the ramifications of her acquiescence?
What had she done?
Chapter 3
So, did I hear right?” Charlie led one of their horses out of the barn and over to the forge where Trevor grabbed a new shoe. “You’ve gone and found yourself a girl already and have started courting her?”
“Yes,” Trevor replied. “But it’s not what you think.” At least, that’s what he kept telling himself.
Charlie grinned big. “You don’t waste any time, do you?” He clapped Trevor on the back. “Just like back in New York.”
“Thanks to you, I didn’t have much of a choice, did I?” Trevor parried.
“Yeah, good point.” Charlie looked at him across the back of the horse, speaking low and settling the mare to prepare for shoeing. “But, hey, I did apologize, and from the sound of things, it hasn’t turned out to be all that bad.”
Trevor moved the stool and positioned himself to the side of the mare before reaching for her rear leg. He’d learned the hard way right after arriving on the ranch why it wasn’t wise to stand behind a horse. Wouldn’t be making that mistake again…ever.
“So, what exactly did you hear?”
Charlie moved to stand at the mare’s head, holding tight to the lead rope to keep her still. “Not much, to be honest. Just that you were seen keeping company with the proprietress of the Ute Indian goods and jewelry shop.” He handed Trevor a farrier’s knife. “My aunt is friends with the owners of the tailor shop two doors down. She said the Bernats’ daughter saw you talking with the young woman, and there were indications it was more than mere pleasantries being exchanged.”
Trevor jerked his head and stared at Charlie, who stood there with a knowing grin on his face. He held up his hands in mock surrender when Trevor narrowed his eyes.
“Hey! I’m just reporting what I heard,” Charlie protested. “Don’t look at me like I had anything else to do with this.”
Great. So not only had he become the talk of the town because of the article, but the quick choice he’d made trying to deter all those young ladies had only stirred up more gossip. At least it was somewhat accurate, though.
“I know.” Trevor sighed as he changed tools and grabbed the horseshoe pullers. “I only wish I hadn’t been forced to make such a rash decision.” He placed the pullers under the shoe and rocked the tool back and forth to loosen it. “Miss Clairmont was merely a convenience,” he said, grunting a bit with the exertion. “And she happened to be in the right place…” He took a breath and worked the tool. “…at the right time,” he finished, popping off the shoe.
“Well, maybe this won’t be such a bad thing,” Charlie stated. “You having a young lady to hold your attention for a bit.”
Trevor glanced at his friend and grinned. “Are you saying the work on this ranch isn’t enough for me?”
“Come on, Trev. You know as well as I do that ranching isn’t your thing.” Charlie handed Trevor a brand-new horseshoe. “I mean, you’ve picked up on things faster than I thought you would, but you’re far more at home in a suit and tie, negotiating deals and brokering financial affairs, than you are interacting with a bunch of horses and cattle and cleaning up their messes.”
Trevor set the shoe on the mare’s hoof and grabbed the nailing hammer. “You’re right about that.” Working on a ranch had taken him far out of his element and challenged him in a way nothing else had. The physical labor alone had nearly done him in those first couple of weeks.
“Not that I and my aunt and uncle don’t appreciate how you’ve jumped right in without complaint and done any task we asked of you.” Charlie passed over a box of nails. “Better than some of the other cowhands we have around here.”
“You know I hate being idle,” Trevor said as he began hammering the nails to secure the shoe to the hoof.
“Exactly,” Charlie agreed. “Which is why I said this courting thing with…Miss Clairmont, was it?” At Trevor’s nod, he continued. “It’s why I said this might not be a bad thing after all.”
“I’ll be meeting her again on Saturday, so we’ll see if it’ll work out like I hope.”
“Saturday, huh?” Charlie grinned. “So, tell me a little more about this young lady. Did you choose her because she was the first one you saw, or was there something about her that caught your eye?”
Trevor grabbed the clincher and folded over the nails like Charlie’s uncle had shown him. Then he reached for the rasp to trim up the hoof and round the edges for a smooth fit.
“Miss Clairmont isn’t like any of the ladies back in New York. There’s something about her that’s refreshing and pure.” He worked his way around the hoof, testing each side. “She put me instantly at ease, and we settled into a comfortable rapport I don’t ever remember having with anyone else in the circles we used to travel.”
“What does she look like?”
Trevor grinned. He wondered when Charlie would get around to asking that. With all the ladies they met and invited on outings, Charlie always pointed out their looks first. Trevor noticed appearances, too, but he also looked for someone who could carry on a conversation with him and who asked intelligent questions. He didn’t merely want someone to hang on his arm and look pretty. Unfortunately, far too many of the ladies he’d met in the past had been just that. They only expressed interest in him for the status he could offer through his position in the Fox company.
“Well?” Charlie interrupted his musings. “Are you gonna tell me or not?”
Trevor moved the stool around the mare to the other side and prepared to repeat the shoeing process. “I will tell you she would stand out a great deal back in New York. And not just because of her clothing.” He didn’t have to try hard to conjure up an image of Anna in his mind’s eye. “She has this long braid of brown hair that hangs down her back or falls over her shoulder.”
“So she hasn’t given in and gotten one of those short bobs we’ve seen almost everywhere.”
“No,” Trevor replied. “And I kind of like it.”
“Ah, more traditional, then,” Charlie quipped.
“Yes, and not only that, but there’s intelligence in her eyes. She knows a lot about the area and can initiate a conversation without being prompted.”
“Color?”
“What?”
“The color of her eyes,” Charlie amended.
“Oh.” Trevor looked upward. “As blue as the Colorado sky.”
A low whistle sounded from the other side of the mare. Trevor leaned over and peered around the horse’s chest at his friend. His gaze met a bemused expression on Charlie’s face.
“What?”
“She’s definitely caught your eye.” He snorted. “And maybe more, too!”
“But I know hardly anything about her.” Even his own protest sounded weak to his ears. “We just met.”
“That’s why they call it attraction, my friend.” Charlie waggled his eyebrows. “You don’t need to know anything about her. You only need to want to.”
Well, he certainly had that. In abundance, in fact. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but something about her made him want to find out more about her. What a change from how he usually regarded the ladies who spent time by his side. There wasn’t much difference between them. He might be considered a Don Juan or a Romeo to some, but they didn’t understand his situation or his circumstances. They didn’t know he paraded through all those ladies because he searched for a relationship with meaning, one that inspired and excited him. So far, he had yet to find that.
Trevor checked the other two hooves. They didn’t need any repair or cleaning. He stood and nodded at Charlie. “Go ahead and take this girl back inside.”
Charlie gave the lead rope a tug, and Dusty Sunrise swung around to walk toward the barn. Just as they reached the edge of the shoeing area, Charlie paused.
“The real question is our little unassuming shop owner.” He looped the rope around his wrist. “I wonder what she’s thinking about you right now.”
“If she’s thinking about me,” Trevor corrected. “I don’t know that she’s even giving me a second thought right now.”
“Aw, come on. Handsome and charming guy like you? Most eligible bachelor in Breckenridge,” he added with a wink. “Asking to court whom I can only guess from your description is an attractive young lady?” Charlie nodded. “She’s most definitely thinking about you.”
Trevor grinned. He could certainly hope.
“Miss Anna? Did you hear my question?”
A tap on her arm startled Anna from her thoughts and she looked up to see Morning Fawn staring at her, a concerned expression on her light brown face.
“I’m sorry, Morning Fawn. I must have been daydreaming.” She offered a soft smile. “Please forgive me. What question did you ask?”
