Chapter 19
Chapter
When the day of the rally arrived, Noreen rushed through her shift responsibilities at the hotel with an urgency that almost proved disastrous when her elbow caught the edge of the large serving tray holding all the luncheon desserts she’d just plated.
“Careful!” Luella grabbed the corner of the teetering tray just in time to keep it from clattering to the floor.
A whoosh of air exited Noreen’s lungs as her culinary life passed before her eyes.
“Thank you.” If Luella hadn’t been working the bread station on the same counter, Noreen would’ve been forced to create sixteen servings of an entirely new dessert, since she’d sliced the last of the pies.
Baking something new, even something as simple as a custard or brown betty, would have set her back nearly an hour.
Thank heaven for Luella’s youthful reflexes.
“Noreen!” Mrs. Winslow’s authoritative voice echoed through the kitchen.
Noreen turned to find the head cook glaring at her from over the top of a perfectly seared venison steak.
“Hang up your apron and get out of my kitchen before you ruin my lunch service.”
“Yes, ma’am.” She dipped her chin to hide her flushing cheeks, but she wasn’t about to argue with being let go a few minutes early.
She reached behind her back to untie her apron strings, then lifted the white garment over her head as she began making her way toward the side exit.
“Oh, and Noreen?”
She pivoted to face the main kitchen area and met her employer’s gaze. “Yes?”
“I look forward to your parade this afternoon.” The woman didn’t exactly smile, but her usual intensity softened for a moment, inspiring a burst of warmth to bloom in Noreen’s chest.
“Thank you, ma’am.”
As Noreen hung up her apron and placed her bonnet on her head, Luella hurried over for a quick word. “I’ll be there as soon as the lunch dishes are done.”
Noreen took her hand. “You are a treasure, Lu.”
The girl smiled. “Mama said I could stay with you tonight, too. I can’t wait.” She bounced slightly at the pronouncement, widening Noreen’s grin.
“I’ll have your sign waiting for you at the church.”
Mrs. Winslow cleared her throat. “That bread’s not going to slice itself, Luella.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Luella hurried back to her station, but not before wrapping her arms around Noreen in an impulsive hug.
That girl. Noreen shook her head as her heart swelled with affection. Such a gift.
After securing her hat with a pair of pins, Noreen took up her bag, left the hotel kitchen, and headed to the church three blocks away.
As she passed the wagonyard, she spotted a young boy handing out flyers to the men gathered there.
Men who started grinning and slapping each other on the back after reading whatever had been printed on the page.
Curiosity piqued, Noreen veered toward the boy as he reentered the street.
His eyes met hers, but he didn’t move in her direction.
In fact, he turned his back and headed in the opposite direction.
“Excuse me,” she called. “May I have one of those pamphlets, please?”
Thankfully, someone had drilled enough manners into the lad that he halted and turned to face her, even though his expression made it clear it was the last thing he wished to do.
“Sorry, lady. These are for menfolk only.” He pulled the pile of papers against his chest, blocking her view.
Menfolk only? Noreen stiffened. Of all the chauvinistic, exclusionary . . . She forced herself to breathe. It wasn’t the child’s fault. He was just repeating what he’d been told.
“Well,” she said, careful to keep her voice pleasant, “I happen to be heading to an event where several men will be in attendance. I’d be glad to distribute a few of those flyers for you. Save you the trouble.”
His face scrunched as if he were considering the offer. After a moment, though, he shook his head. “Nah. I best hand ’em out myself. Sorry.”
The boy turned and headed across the railroad tracks toward the lumber shed.
“Wait!” She took a few steps after him, then stopped.
For pity’s sake. She had more important things to worry about than some male-eyes-only advertisement. She was about to turn and be on her way when a familiar figure stepped out of the carpentry shop on the corner.
James’s face lit as he saw her. “Hey, Noreen. The big day’s finally here. Are you excited?”
She rushed up to him and grabbed his arm with one hand as she pointed at the retreating boy with the other. “James! Thank heaven. I need you to go after that boy and ask him for a pamphlet.”
“A . . . pamphlet?”
“Yes. He wouldn’t give one to me. Said they were for menfolk only.”
He raised a brow. “And you want to see a pamphlet intended for men because . . . ?”
“Because censorship is unconstitutional. Now go after him.”
“I’m not sure this qualifies as censorship.”
Why wasn’t he moving? She gave him a nudge to try to get him started. “Just take your manfolk self after him and get a pamphlet.”
He chuckled. “My manfolk self?”
Realizing that she was making no headway trying to force him to do her bidding, she gave up and did what she should have done in the beginning—ask. “Please, James?”
His demeanor softened before her eyes, as if those two simple words had completely disarmed him.
His reluctance to fetch a pamphlet for her had been obvious, yet his shoulders dipped as if he’d made up his mind to acquiesce simply to please her.
Her. Noreen “Troublemaker” O’Sullivan. Her insides melted in an instant.
“All right.” He raised a brow and pointed a finger at her in warning. “But if there’s anything offensive on that page, I’m not showing it to you.”
“I agree to letting you summarize the contents for me should that be the case.”
He blinked. Then laughed and shook his head. “Of course.”
She worried he might be losing patience with her, but the look in his eyes exuded more fond amusement than exasperated annoyance. A fact that made her heart expand almost painfully in her chest. How easy it would be to fall in love with this man.
She touched his arm. “Thank you.”
His gaze settled atop her hand for a moment before returning to her face, and when his eyes reconnected with hers, the level of heat emanating from them had doubled.
“Stay here.”
Not a problem. That look had weakened her knees to the point that she’d not trust them to carry her anywhere.
She managed a nod as she reluctantly dropped her hand away from his arm, freeing him to chase down the boy with the flyers.
Noreen watched him go, strangely enamored with every move he made.
A ridiculous infatuation, really. He was just a man walking down the road.
The same as any other man in town. Only, he wasn’t any other man in town.
He was James Paxton, and she was coming dangerously close to thinking of him as hers.
James strolled into the lumber shed, scanning the area for the boy with the pamphlets.
Why Noreen cared about such a thing on a day when she should be focused on her rally, he couldn’t imagine.
But when she’d turned those big brown eyes of hers on him and asked for his help, he’d been helpless to resist.
“Hey, Deputy.” Connor Reed raised a hand in greeting.
James waved at the young lumberman. “Reed, good to see you.” He glanced around the interior of the shed and frowned when he didn’t find the boy. “You see a kid come through here with a bunch of flyers? I wanted to see what he was passing out.”
“You just missed him.” Reed stepped away from the fresh planks he’d been treating with creosote for preservative purposes.
He set his brush down and reached inside the pocket of his trousers.
He took out a folded sheet of paper and offered it to him.
“You can take mine. I don’t have any need of it.
My ma would tan my hide if I showed my face inside the Salt Fork. ”
The saloon? James’s interest instantly increased tenfold. He took the paper and scanned the contents, his gut churning. They’d suspected Taggert would pull some kind of stunt, but neither of them had anticipated such a clever move.
Forcing a smile onto his face, James nodded to Reed. “Thanks for this.”
“Sure thing. See you at the parade later?”
“Yep. I’ll be there.” Watching out for Noreen and her marchers. Even more now that he knew to expect trouble at the end of the line. “You gonna play your trombone?”
Reed’s face reddened slightly. “Yeah. Marian twisted my arm. Said she liked hearing me play.”
And that’s probably all the twisting his arm had needed. A man predisposed to please a certain woman capitulated easily. Shoot, some would even chase down a mysterious pamphlet in the hopes of earning a smile. Although Noreen’s smile wouldn’t last once he handed the flyer over.
“See you later, then,” James said as he turned to go.
As much as he wanted to hide the truth to keep from spoiling Noreen’s big day, he knew better than to try. She’d not thank him for prolonging her ignorance. Didn’t make him feel any better about being the one to impart the news, though.
The sun hit his eyes with uncomfortable force as he exited the lumber shed.
He spotted Noreen at the edge of the street, surprisingly right where he’d left her.
He’d half expected her to be standing in the middle of the railroad tracks, tapping her toe impatiently against the steel.
The moment she spied him, however, she abandoned her post and hotfooted her way over to him.
“Did you get one?” She eyed the folded sheet of paper in his hand with enough curiosity to kill an entire herd of cats. “Can I see it?”
He handed it to her without a word. Nothing he could say would change the truth, anyway.
Her eyes scanned over the advertisement. “‘April 28,’” she read aloud absently, “‘4:00–6:00 p.m. All drinks at the Salt Fork Saloon will be . . .’” She looked up at him, disbelief etched into her features. “Half price?”
The paper started to slip from her fingers, so James took it back into his possession and shoved it into his pocket.
“He’s sabotaging everything I’m trying to achieve.”
“Well, you are trying to put him out of business.”
Fire flashed in her eyes. “I’m trying to save lives and make our community safer!”
James nodded. “I know. But he’s trying to save something, too. His livelihood.”
Her hands fisted at her sides. “I can’t believe you’re taking his side.”
James bit back a sigh, then reached out and gently circled his fingers around her wrist. He rubbed his thumb over the end of her sleeve. “I’m not taking anyone’s side, Noreen. I’m just trying to keep things in perspective.”
She stiffened but, surprisingly, didn’t pull away from his touch. “And you think I lack perspective?”
“Only where Taggert is concerned.” He kept his voice calm and patient.
“You see him as a nemesis who aims to thwart you at every turn. But he’s just a man.
An imperfect, somewhat cranky man who probably sees you as the villain in his story.
Don’t let him get under your skin. You don’t want to show up at the church full of anger and resentment.
That’s not what your rally is about. It’s about hope and encouragement and civic outreach. Isn’t that what you’ve told me?”
She gave a shallow nod.
“That’s the positive energy you need to bring to your followers. Don’t worry about Taggert and his schemes. He might intend to harm your cause, but we serve a God who can take what man intends for harm and use it for good.”
She exhaled a heavy breath, then slowly unfurled her fingers. James slid his hand down and fit her palm against his, his pulse kicking up a beat as he did so.
“Focus on all the people who are supporting you. Give them your attention, not Taggert.” He gave her hand a tender squeeze, wishing he could wrap her into a hug instead. “Remember, I’ll be with you every step of the way. Watching over the parade and ensuring that Taggert plays fair.”
He’d add monitoring the men heading to the saloon for cheap drinks to his list as well. Hopefully, his presence would encourage them to mind their manners around the protesters.
“You’re right,” she said, her head bowed as she stared at her feet. “I need to focus on the rally, not the saloon. We can still sway those who . . .”
Her words faded, but her head shot upward, a new excitement sparkling in her eyes.
“Oh, James! I just had the most wonderful thought. Taggert’s discounted drinks will increase the number of men coming to his saloon.
Men who will have to walk right past our prayer meeting.
Don’t you see? The people most in need of temperance pledges will be heading straight for us! ”
It was all he could do not to take her smiling face in his hands and kiss her senseless. He’d always been attracted to Noreen’s passion and fire, but witnessing her overflow of optimism nearly undid him. He was falling. Hard. He just prayed his heart didn’t shatter upon impact.