Chapter Six

After Services Luncheon

Windemere United Church Hall

Early November

Susana passed another pile of plates through the window between the main hall and the tiny kitchen. Addy Wilkins took them from her grasp. "I swear, I don't think I've ever seen so many dirty dishes," Addy grumbled.

"It's all the second helpings on your beef stew and biscuits that's at fault," Susana teased. "If you weren't such a good cook, everyone would have stopped at one. My father included."

"Your Pa sure does love good home cooking."

"We both appreciate the help you've been giving me while I get my bakery up and running," Susana told her. "I'm beginning to think he prefers your cooking to mine."

"Oh, pshaw. That man dotes on everything you do. He's so proud of your success. He says so all the time."

"He's been my biggest supporter," Susana admitted.

"I don't know about that. Jake seems mighty smitten with everything you do."

"He's just being friendly," Susana insisted. And, in truth, he'd really done nothing more than you'd expect from a friend. He'd not asked her father for permission to court. He'd not invited her out anywhere. If it weren't for his twice a week visits to the bakery for treats for his workers, she'd barely know he was around.

"Hello there, Miss Susana," a warm voice, far softer than Jake's, called out to her.

"Mister Thompkins," she acknowledged. "How nice to see you again."

"You as well. We miss your daily visits to the bank now that you've hired some help at the bakery."

"Miss Miller is working out quite well. Having her to handle the front of the bakery and run my errands frees me up to spend more time in my kitchen." She offered the young bank teller a smile. "I trust my father keeps you busy enough that you barely notice my comings or goings."

"On the contrary. You're far too lovely to not miss."

Amused by his flirtation, she glanced away rather than let him see her reaction. When she raised her gaze, the first thing she saw was Jake. Standing against the far wall, he seemed to be watching her. Closely.

Was Asher Thompkins' attention bothering him ? Was Jake jealous ? She wasn't sure why, but the thought intrigued her.

"If you'll excuse me, Mister Thompkins, it seems there are more dishes to be collected."

"I could help if you'd like," he suggested.

"No, that's fine. You go ahead and mingle with the rest of the crowd. I'll be good on my own."

She'd barely lifted the first cup and plate from the table when she could sense Jake at her back. He sighed, and his breath washed over the nape of her neck, causing her to shiver.

"Were you flirting with that young whip of a boy, Miss Prescott?" The low growl of his words sent a second tremble through her entire body.

"Of course not," she insisted, somewhat defiantly. "He works for my father. He was being polite."

"You might not have been flirting with him, but he's definitely got eyes for you."

"That's not something I can control. I would never lead him on."

"Good to know."

Her defiance reared up again, and she told him, "Not that it's any of your business, who I speak to."

"I suppose it isn't… at least not yet."

"Not yet? That's mighty presumptuous of you, isn't it?"

"Perhaps." He gathered a handful of dishes, just as she was doing, and followed her to the kitchen pass-through. "What are your plans for the next few hours?"

"Rest. Maybe even a nap. With Miss Betty going to shorter hours and fewer days now that the autumn chill has set in, I don't have any extra baking to do, so I planned leftovers for supper, and lots of downtime for me."

"I was going to take a buggy ride out to the mill and along the lake, if you'd like to come along. It's a most relaxing route."

"I'm not sure my cloak is warm enough for a buggy ride."

"I've got a blanket you can use if you're cold."

"I'm not sure it would be proper."

"We could take your brothers as chaperones, if you'd like."

"Truth be told, I was hoping to avoid my pesky brothers for the rest of the day. Apparently, one of their school friends has a job cutting firewood for some of the older residents in town, and my brothers wanted to tag along."

"Chopping wood isn't an easy job. Hopefully, the young fellow has the proper equipment."

"According to Seth, the boy worked for you this past summer, so I'm sure he learned a lot about trees and how to cut them down."

"Really? He worked at the mill, did he?"

"Yes, is that a problem?"

Jake shook his head, but she could have sworn she saw real concern in his expression. "No, no problem. Perhaps we can take that buggy ride another time, when the boys are available to keep an eye on me and my intentions."

When he would have turned away, she caught hold of his shirt sleeve, stopping him dead in his tracks. "What are your intentions, Just Jake?"

"If I'm being honest, I'm not sure myself. I returned to Windemere with a business plan in mind, and I'm barely halfway through my expansion plans. I'd promised myself no distractions."

"And I'm a distraction?" she coaxed.

"Oh yeah, a huge distraction. However, my intentions are honorable. I'd never try anything untoward."

She purposely met his clouded expression and offered him a broad smile. "Well then, as long as you're an honorable man, I see no reason why I shouldn't take that buggy ride."

"Great. How about I help with the last of these dirty dishes so we can get out of here as soon as possible?"

"I'd like that, Jake. Very much."

The Buggy Ride That Changed Everything

Jake breathed a sigh of relief as he went to fetch the buggy from where he'd tethered it under an oak tree. He'd done the proper thing and asked Wallace Prescott for his permission to take Susana on a leisurely drive.

The older man's sense of humor surprised him. ‘ I may be a stuffy old banker, son, but I own a gun, and I know how to use it. I trust we won't have a problem .'

Jake couldn't remember ever snapping out a ‘ no sir' , as quickly as he did. Thankfully, his haste drew Prescott's chuckle.

Once he'd pulled up to the front of the church hall, he jumped down and circled the buggy, offering Susana his outstretched hand. "Ready?"

"Yes, I believe I am."

He knew they were being watched by nearly the entire congregation as they left the church lot. No doubt there'd be enough gossip to keep tongues wagging for days. Though he'd never admit it out loud, he was nervous. Not because of the onlookers, but because of the way Susana made him feel. The way he couldn't go an hour without thinking about her. She was invading his dreams nearly every night. Even Del noticed the way his mind would drift.

"Are you warm enough?" he asked once they were underway.

"I'm fine, thank you. How far is it to the mill?"

"About ten minutes until we reach the main yard. The entirety of the property goes for miles afterward."

"How long have you been upgrading the business?"

"A little over two years now. Gramps died back in eighty-seven, but he'd let the business go years before that. After my grandmother died, he lost his interest in everything but working in his garden."

"You weren't living here at the time?"

He shook his head, drawing up his own memories before speaking. "I left home when I was eighteen. My grandparents raised me from the age of ten after my mother dropped me off so she could go to California on her own."

"It must have been difficult. What about your father?" Susana asked, her soft voice cushioning her curiosity.

"Never knew the man. My mother was… a free spirit. Prior to coming here to live with my grandparents, I'd never been inside a church and rarely went to school."

"I take it your grandparents turned things around for you."

Jake couldn't hold back his bittersweet laughter. "You could say that. Mamaw insisted I get myself to school immediately. I knew how to read, write and was pretty good at mathematics so it wasn't difficult catching up with the other students."

"And church?"

"They sat with me every evening the first month, going over the Bible with me. I figured they didn't want to be embarrassed when they finally took me to services. I knew nothing. Or at least nothing of importance."

"I'm sure the lessons weren't for them as much as they were for you so you wouldn't be embarrassed."

"It didn't take long for me to realize that their motives were pure. The town was even smaller than it is now, the families scattered, but they could be counted on to come together every Sunday to worship. That feeling of fellowship, of permanence, was the first stability I'd ever known."

The weight of Susana's gentle hand against his arm was the most wonderful sensation he'd ever felt.

She traced his forearm with her fingertips before asking, "Why did you leave?"

"Mamaw had passed, and Gramps was inconsolable. I tried. The reverend and congregation tried. When he announced he was closing the mill, I realized he'd given up. It made me angry. This strong man, this devout Christian man, was not the same man who'd raised me. I needed to get away so I wouldn't ruin the relationship we'd built. So, as soon as I was able, I joined the army and was assigned to Fort Bridger."

"Didn't they just close earlier this year?" she asked, giving him a moment to breathe.

"Yes, this past summer. I was set to reup for another two years when I got word of Gramps' death. So, rather than reenlist, I came home. All I could think of on the long trip back was that I was going to pick up where Gramps left off and reopen the mill."

Jake drew the buggy to a halt in the clearing outside his office. He wasn't sure why he'd spilled so many family secrets to Susana, but it felt good to finally talk about his past.

"So, this is the sawmill?"

"Well, the office, the inventory and cutting sheds. Not much to see, but the road leading up to the fields runs beside a small lake. It's much easier on the eyes, than these few buildings."

"I think I'd enjoy a drive along the lake," she told him. "It'll be a nice change from the town's buildings, and the inside of my ovens."

Snapping the reins, he set the buggy in motion. "I've spilled out my life story, as strange as it is. How about you? Did you always want to be a baker?"

"No," she admitted. "My dream was to be a teacher. However, when my mother died rather unexpectedly, as the oldest sibling, responsibilities fell on me. My younger sister, Martha, was somewhat of a flighty person. Father tried to get her to help, but she preferred to go out with friends."

"She didn't come with you to Windemere," he noted.

"Her solution to not having to help around the house and with our brothers was to get married. She was barely eighteen, but adamant that she and her new beau were in love. I think Papa thought the realities of marriage would help her mature. All it seems to have taught her is how to boss her housekeeper around. She's already gone through two in the first six months of marriage."

"Taking care of your family must have been a huge responsibility for a young woman."

"We had a housekeeper. She offered to cook for us as well, and we eagerly accepted. I took it upon myself to help her and she taught me a lot about putting together a meal. I treasured my mother's recipe box with all her scribbled notes. That's where my love of baking comes from. Mama loved to bake."

"It sounds as if we have a lot in common," he admitted. "Two people who inherited a life they weren't expecting and now want to make something of it."

"Yes, I guess we do have that in common," she agreed. "That and an appreciation for this beautiful scenery."