Читать книгу Cedar Cove Collection - Debbie Macomber - Страница 46

Linnette had been working for Buffalo Bob nearly two months now, and she had to admit she’d grown attached to this town called Buffalo Valley. The people were open and friendly, yet they respected her privacy and never asked questions she didn’t want to answer. With one exception.

Pete Mason.

He’d taken to dropping by 3 of a Kind for meals as often as two or three times a week—which wouldn’t bother her if all he did was eat. Oh, no, whenever he came to the restaurant, he made some remark or other about the things she’d blurted out after the tornado. In fact, he didn’t even seem to know he was embarrassing her with his rude comments.

Once, he’d actually brought her popcorn from the town’s lone theater. The stuff dripped with so much melted butter that it leaked through the bag. He’d presented it to her in front of half a dozen patrons, bowing low and making a spectacle of himself and consequently of her. All because she’d casually mentioned one day that she liked popcorn.

Okay, Linnette was willing to confess that she ate the popcorn later—alone in her room.

“Pete likes you,” Merrily told her early on Saturday afternoon.

“I doubt it.” This was a discussion Linnette didn’t want to have. If Pete Mason was the slightest bit attracted to her, he would’ve asked her out on a date by now. There’d certainly been plenty of opportunities. He’d shown more interest in the meat loaf and mashed potato special than in her. As far as she could tell, the only reason he made the long trek into town was so he could humiliate her with all the personal information she’d revealed.

The Grange dance was coming up that evening and nearly everyone in town planned to attend. Because most people were going to be at the dance, Bob and Merrily were closing the restaurant.

“I bet Pete will be there tonight,” Merrily said, shooting her a secretive little smile.

Linnette let that pass. She cleared away the dishes and wiped the counter. The breakfast hour had passed, and the number of customers wandering into the restaurant had slowed to a trickle. In the lull between breakfast and lunch, Linnette usually helped out in the kitchen, peeling potatoes, grating carrots, chopping onions—anything Bob needed her to do. This job was temporary, she knew; still, she found she liked being around these people.

One blessing was that working as a waitress had taken her mind off Cal and Vicki, and for that she was grateful. She’d heard from her mother that the two of them were going on another mustang rescue soon. Corrie had urged her to return to Cedar Cove, but Linnette had already made her decision and that was to stay in Buffalo Valley.

“Is the restaurant open for Thanksgiving?” she asked.

Merrily shook her head. “Most folks prefer to be at home. Buffalo Valley closes up tighter than a drum around the holidays.”

“Oh.”

“If you’re going to be alone, you’re welcome to join us,” Merrily offered. “With three kids, it gets pretty hectic but there’s always room for one more.”

“Thanks,” Linnette said. “I’m not sure what I’ll do yet.”

Merrily studied her. “Are you homesick?”

“Not really.”

“You don’t miss … some people?”

Thanks to Pete Mason, half the town knew she’d been jilted by the man she loved. Just thinking about the way he’d betrayed her confidence made her seethe. She couldn’t imagine what had possessed her to tell Pete the things she had.

Later, as Linnette dressed for the dance, which she’d decided to attend, she thought about that conversation with Merrily. Surprisingly, she wasn’t homesick. She missed her mother and father. Mack, too. And Gloria. Their frequent phone conversations helped.

As for her friends, they were few. Chad had written her a letter and updated her on what was happening at the clinic. He’d also mentioned that he’d talked Gloria into going to dinner with him.

Now that was news. Linnette had believed her sister might agree to a relationship once she was out of the picture. She didn’t understand what the problem was, other than that Gloria seemed to think Linnette had some prior claim. While it was true that at one time she’d had a crush on the doctor, she’d been over him for ages.

When she did communicate with family and friends, no one referred to Cal. That was fine with her. Out of sight, out of mind was the old adage, and it had proved to be the case. She rarely thought of him these days, but if she did, the memory was accompanied by the same deep pain she’d experienced when he’d broken off their relationship.

The Grange Hall was on the outskirts of town. The parking lot was already crowded with pickup trucks of every model and style imaginable. In this part of the country, trucks and four-wheel-drive vehicles were a must and not a luxury. She’d driven in with Buffalo Bob, Merrily and their kids, and when they’d parked, she stood there for a moment, enjoying the crisp dark night and the music spilling out of the hall.

Merrily had lent her a pair of turquoise cowboy boots that were a good match for her three-quarter-length skirt. Her brown suede jacket was a nice touch, although fringe would’ve made it perfect. All she needed to look like a bona fide local was a hat. If her family could see her now.

Linnette was astonished to find that she was actually considering a future in Buffalo Valley. The town appealed to her, even if Pete Mason didn’t. Although, he might if he wasn’t so … so … She searched for the right word and couldn’t think of one. Smart-mouthed? Rude? Presumptuous?

When Linnette had obtained her training as a physician assistant, she’d hoped to work in a town exactly like Buffalo Valley. Her original idea was to look in Montana or Wyoming, but her mother had been upset about her living so far from Washington. If Linnette had stuck with her plan, she might’ve saved herself a great deal of heartache. In retrospect, North Dakota suited her very well indeed.

Linnette came into the hall with Bob and Merrily and removed her long winter coat, throwing it on a pile with the others. A temporary stage had been erected, where a fiddler, a piano player and a man with a banjo provided the entertainment. They were currently taking a break.

She gazed around, noticing that sawdust was sprinkled on the floor for dancing. The wooden tables on the left-hand side of the hall held homemade desserts and punch. Kids sat under them watching the adults.

On the far right, three rows of chairs had been set up for those who were more interested in visiting than dancing.

Linnette had never seen anything like this, had never been anywhere like this.

Shortly after they’d taken off their coats, Buffalo Bob and Merrily left Linnette to join some of their friends. After an uncomfortable moment of hovering near the front entrance, Linnette sauntered over to the punch bowl and helped herself.

The music started again and before she’d taken her first swallow of punch, three men were shouldering one another aside in an effort to reach her first.

“Want to dance?” Charley Dawson asked her.

“What about me?” DeWayne Block wanted to know.

“It was my idea,” Brian Ledel insisted.

Linnette straightened. A girl could get used to this kind of treatment. “I believe Charley asked me first,” she said and, putting down her punch glass, offered him her hand. The band had just struck up a country waltz.

Linnette realized her mistake the third time Charley inadvertently stepped on her foot.

“Sorry … I’m not much good at this dancing business,” he muttered.

“You’re doing fine,” she assured him and watched him mouth the words: one, two, three, one, two … Even before the dance had finished, DeWayne Block was there to take his turn. Unfortunately, DeWayne seemed to have the same dance instructor as Charley. If this continued, she’d be hobbling around with two bruised and possibly broken feet.

When Pete Mason showed up to claim a dance, she nearly protested that she was ready to sit one out. But that would mean he’d escort her to the rows of chairs and stay with her. Linnette would rather endure another session of trampled toes than have Pete lean over to some stranger and expose another tidbit of her personal life.

Unexpectedly, Pete turned out to be an accomplished dancer. Not once did he come even close to stepping on her feet. More unexpected yet—during the entire dance he didn’t say a word.

With his jaw resting against her temple, he expertly whirled her about the room with moves Arthur Murray himself would’ve approved. They might have been on a ballroom floor in New York City instead of a sawdust-covered Grange Hall on the prairies.

When the music ended, Pete released her with a brief bow. She blinked, viewing him with fresh eyes.

“Where did you learn to dance like that?” she asked. After all, the man was a farmer.

“College,” Pete said, obviously somewhat chagrined. “The dance class passed for a physical education elective, and I figured it was an easy A.” He gave her a wry smile. “I was wrong. I’ve never worked harder for a grade in my life.”

By unspoken agreement, they walked off the floor and over to the chairs. He sat down next to her and suddenly they were both ill-at-ease.

“What I wouldn’t give for another tornado,” he mumbled.

Linnette looked at him in shock. “I beg your pardon?”

“Nothing.” He stared straight ahead.

So did Linnette, until she saw her three earnest beaux heading in her direction. Her toes curled up in the fancy borrowed cowboy boots. If she danced with any of those cowboys again, she’d be lucky if she could walk by the end of the evening.

Before DeWayne could reach her, Pete stood. Clasping her hand, he led her back onto the dance floor.

“My hero,” Linnette whispered and felt his smile as he drew her into his arms. It was a slow dance, and she could hardly believe how well they synchronized their steps, almost as if they’d been partners many times over.

“I’m waiting,” she said as the music wound down.

“For what?”

“Some remark intended to embarrass me.”

Pete nearly missed a step. “Yeah, well, I could see that wasn’t working.”

“Working?” she repeated.

“Never mind.”

She frowned at him. “I don’t understand.”

He cleared his throat. “Are you leaving Buffalo Valley anytime soon? Because if you are, I’d prefer to hear about it now.”

The question startled her. The musicians declared another break, and they walked back to the seats they’d previously occupied. When they were both sitting, Linnette turned to ask him, “Why should you care if I stay or if I go?”

Pete folded his arms and glared at the floor. “Are you planning to leave Buffalo Valley?”

“Do you want me to?”

His eyes flared wide. “No.”

“What makes you think I’m going to leave?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I figured a city girl like you probably wouldn’t stick around for long.”

This conversation was starting to get interesting. “Why do you want me to stay?” she asked. “If that’s what you’re saying.”

He stared back at her as though he resented the question. “Have you noticed how many times I’ve come into town in the last two months? We’ve got an excellent cook out at the farmhouse, and my brother and I eat real well. The food at home is just as tasty as Buffalo Bob’s. Maybe tastier.”

In other words, Pete was telling her he’d driven into town because of her.

“You never asked me out,” Linnette reminded him.

“With good reason.”

“Oh?”

He nodded. “I seem to remember you telling me you’ve got a broken heart.” He expelled his breath, then uncrossed his arms. “I figured you needed time to get over this other guy.”

“Oh … kay.”

“Why do you think I’ve been coming to Buffalo Valley so often? It’s an hour’s drive each way!”

“I’m not a mind reader, Pete.”

“I had to make sure no one else was showing any interest in you.”

Linnette nearly swallowed her tongue. “What did you just say?”

He blinked. “Was that insulting? My brother, Josh, says I’ll never convince a woman to marry me because I don’t know when to keep my mouth shut.”

“So you’re looking for a wife?” This put a whole new twist on their conversation—and on his behavior. Although if he wanted to get married, he was going about it in an odd way.

“I’m not proposing,” he said quickly.

“Good.”

He frowned. “Good?”

“Well, yes. I’m not even thinking about marriage.”

Pete leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “So I’m wasting my time?”

“That depends,” Linnette murmured.

He glanced over at her. “Depends on what?”

“On whom.”

“Okay,” Pete said, “that’s fair. Can I ask you something?”

“Ask away.” Linnette crossed her legs and swung one foot to the rhythm of the music.

“What are my chances? Just tell me flat-out so I can save myself the time, effort and expense of driving back and forth. Not to mention making a fool of myself,” he added in a low voice.

Linnette thought about his question. “I can’t really say. It would help if I knew more about you.”

He nodded. “That’s fair,” he said again. He paused, taking an audible breath. “I run a farm with my brother. Josh isn’t married, either.” His eyes narrowed and he gave her an appraising look. “I don’t suppose you have any unmarried friends who’d be interested in moving here?” As soon as the words were out, he seemed to regret having asked. “Never mind. It worked once, but I don’t think history’s going to repeat itself.”

“What?”

“Eight or nine years ago, Lindsay Snyder moved to town—”

“I’ve met Lindsay,” she put in.

“Well, her friend Maddy Washburn followed, and they married local men, so … Where was I?”

Linnette froze. “Did you say Washburn?”

“Yes.”

“Oh.” It seemed Cal was destined to haunt her, no matter where she went.

“She married Jeb McKenna.”

She and Maddy had become friends; Maddy was the person she’d been planning to visit the day of the tornado. And Washburn was her maiden name. Life was full of such ironies, she supposed.

She saw Maddy—no longer a Washburn—and Lindsay Sinclair across the room, and the three of them exchanged waves. She turned back to Pete.

He seemed a bit flustered, so Linnette prompted him. “You were going to tell me about yourself.”

“Right.” Pete sat up a bit straighter. “I’m a farmer, just like my father and grandfather, and I work hard. We raise soybeans and wheat, and we keep a few horses. It isn’t easy making a living off the land these days. Josh and I put in a lot of long hours. I enjoy reading in my spare time, and as you noticed, I’m not bad on my feet. I can play a little guitar and I’m fond of kids.”

“Are you kind to animals?”

“Yeah. I’m too softhearted, according to my brother.”

“Do you have any secrets you’re willing to share?”

“Secrets?”

“Like the ones I spilled during the tornado.”

Pete frowned. “I cheated on a test once in seventh grade and I’ve felt guilty about it ever since. The first time I chewed tobacco my dad walked into the room and I swallowed it. I ended up sicker than a dog and I haven’t chewed since.”

That was a comforting thought. He was obviously a man who learned from his mistakes.

“Anything else you want to ask me?” While she mulled over the question, Pete said, “I know that if I was ever fortunate enough to have a woman like you fall in love with me, I’d recognize and treasure the gift I had and never look elsewhere.”

Her heart melted at that. “I’d say your chances just went up considerably, Pete Mason.”

“They did?”

She smiled and found he was smiling, too. Oh, yes, Buffalo Valley, North Dakota, was looking better all the time.