Featured Author: Lacy Williams
“Here she comes.”
“Hide!”
Grace Larsen heard the whispers from inside the livery barn as she walked down the boardwalk toward the big building, carpetbag in hand.
She’d grown up in this small, dusty town. Gone away to Normal School, ached to see more of the big, wide world. Found life outside Oak Hollow was unforgiving. A pleading letter from a beloved friend, the local preacher, had brought her back to teach for one semester. As of three days ago, her time in the Oak Hollow schoolroom was over.
It was time to go.
Only she didn’t want to leave.
As she approached the livery’s big double doors, she heard the scrabbling of small human feet from one of the nearest stalls, but no little head peeked out. Was Imogene or George playing hide-and-seek in there? Or perhaps Jenny, the oldest Wilder offspring, was curled up in a haystack with her book.
Movement from further inside the livery barn preceded the hostler, Jonah Wilder. He hadn’t noticed her yet as he led a big bay horse out of its stall and into the central aisle, a wide space big enough for nearly two wagons to fit side by side. He strode confidently forward, speaking calmly to the horse as he led it by the halter.
“Help you?” he called out.
“I’ll need my rig,” she said. “When you have a moment.”
Jonah glanced up, the beginnings of a smile on his lips. The moment he caught sight of Grace, his expression blanked, and he ducked his head. “I’ll be right there,” he muttered to the floor.
It shouldn’t bother her. They’d grown up in the same schoolroom, and Jonah hadn’t changed all the years she’d known him. For years, she’d believed she must’ve done something to cause such terrible offense that he couldn’t even look at her—
It was only the events of the past week that had made her question everything.
In a few moments, he had her carriage near the front of the barn and was backing her buckskin mare between the traces.
“Did you happen to leave a posy of wildflowers on my desk last week?” she asked in a conversational tone.
He fumbled the leather buckle even as he shook his head tightly.
“Hmm.” She caught a slight movement from inside a stall yards away. Either Jonah had a miniature pony in that stall, or one of his young siblings was inside.
“And I suppose you had nothing to do with the book of poetry by my favorite author that was delivered to my room at the boardinghouse?”
His gaze flicked once in her direction. “No,” he muttered.
“I thought perhaps you’d overheard me telling Jenny about one of my favorite poems. You don’t like poetry?”
She’d never pushed like this before. Never been so forward with a man.
But after all the tiny gifts, all the covert glances she’d caught during Sunday morning services, she’d come to believe that Jonah was shy more than standoffish. If his siblings were to be believed, he fancied Grace.
“I don’t read much.” He motioned to the carriage, and she wasn’t expecting it when he reached out a hand for her carpetbag. Their fingers tangled, and he was quick to turn away—but not quick enough to hide the flush rising in his neck.
She stepped onto one of the spokes of the wheel and then into the carriage, settling her skirts around her.
This was her last chance. “Jonah…”
She leaned slightly in his direction and lowered her voice to a whisper. “Your siblings have made some rudimentary matchmaking attempts these past weeks. Especially Imogene.”
He didn’t move. Was he even breathing?
“She seems to think there’s a reason I should stay in Oak Hollow instead of taking my new teaching position. What do you think?”
She waited through one breathless heartbeat, then a second. And third and fourth.
When it was clear that he wouldn’t answer, she nodded slowly. “All right. I suppose this is goodbye.”
He stepped back from the carriage, head still tipped so that she couldn’t see his eyes.
Her own eyes stung as she snapped the reins and her mare jumped into motion, pulling the rig out onto the street. Several breaths later, Grace was almost out of town. She’d made a fool of herself, but the embarrassment would pass.
She wasn’t expecting it when the carriage lurched. What—?
Something rustled from behind her seat. And then a head peeked out from beneath the seat next to her booted foot.
Five-year-old Imogene wriggled out of the tight luggage space beneath the seat as Grace reined in the carriage.
“You cain’t go, Miss Grace.” The girl’s lower lip trembled.
Grace hadn’t had a chance to wheel the wagon yet, but as she twisted in her seat, she saw a rider on horseback galloping directly toward her.
Jonah. He reined in next to her wagon, his horse dancing. His eyes flicked to Imogene, then returned to Grace. A flush mottled his cheeks, but there was a determined set to his jaw.
“Don’t leave,” he said urgently. “I-I’ve admired you for years.” His Adam’s apple bobbed. “And the little ones love you.”
Imogene was clutching her hands beneath her chin and fairly bouncing on her toes.
“They’ve had it right all this time,” he said. “I was too—too afraid to admit to how much I fancied you. I’d like to come courting. Bring—bring a posy of my own.”
She couldn’t help the smile from spreading across her face. “But not read poetry?”
His eyes narrowed slightly before one corner of his mouth tipped in a grin. “Only if you read it to me.”
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If you enjoyed this story, check out Doctor’s Snowflake Bride (free for Lacy’s readers) and the Wind River Mail-Order Brides series releasing this summer from Sunrise Publishing.
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