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Authors: Leigh Greenwood
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out of the way of that steer.”
Ivan feared he was going to have to break up a fight, but the boys were diverted by the way the shavings curled as he planed the edge of the door. They collected each shaving and settled them over extended fingers.
“You going to make any more?” one boy asked when he stopped.
“No. I needed to take off just enough to keep the door from sticking.”
The boys followed him inside the store and watched intently as he replaced the door on its hinges then opened and closed it to demonstrate to the widow that it didn’t stick.
“Wait until I tell that useless Gordon Thompson it didn’t take you no time at all to fix that door,” the widow said. “And he was making out that it would take him half the day, going on about having to redo the frame because the building had settled, or it had been put up wrong.”
“My pa says Mr. Thompson talks a good story but don’t deliver much,” one of the boys remarked.
But the widow wasn’t about to have Mr. Thompson maligned. “You tell your pa nobody has to shove Gordon Thompson out of bed so he can get his work done. Now you boys go on. A lady’s dress store is no place for dirty brats.”
“We ain’t dirty. Our mamas make us take a bath every Sunday before we go to church.”
“That was five days ago. You’ve had time to collect lots of dirt since then.”
The boys sauntered away, then took off at a run once they were out of the store.
“Little ragamuffins,” the widow said in a way that made Ivan think she regretted having no children of her own. She turned. “I’m sorry I can’t pay you, but you come around to my house on Sunday, and I’ll feed you all you can eat.”
“That is not necessary,” Ivan protested.
“One way or the other, I pay my debts, especially to strangers. Now you’d better get those tools back to Gordon before he comes looking for them.”
Ivan was putting the tools back in the box when he heard the widow say, “You’ve got to meet the man who fixed my door. He even fixed the doorknob after it broke off in my hand.”
Ivan turned to see Carla glaring at him with eyes that were far from friendly.
Chapter 5
Carla was in no mood to hear another tale about how wonderful Ivan was, but Sadie Lowell didn’t stop until she poured the whole story into Carla’s ears. And Ivan, the shameless wolf in sheep’s clothing, didn’t even have the decency to look embarrassed. Carla wanted to protest that he was a thief, that he’d come to Overlin to take land he’d stolen. Her land. So she smiled through every word Sadie said though the smile felt like a mask that weighed a hundred pounds. Her teeth came together in a painful clench. Even the muscles in the back of her neck grew stiff.
“Miss Reece does not wish to hear stories about me,” Ivan said to Sadie. “I will return Mr. Thompson’s tools and let you ladies do your shopping.”
“Don’t forget Sunday,” Sadie said. “If you don’t show up, I’ll come after you.”
“I am sure you are a wonderful cook.”
Sadie blushed. “Not wonderful, but Mr. Lowell never pushed away from my table.”
“You must miss him very much.”
Sadie clutched her bosom and looked heartsick. “Every day.”
Carla thought she would gag. It wasn’t Ivan’s fault that he didn’t know a thing about Buddy Lowell, but she was surprised Sadie had the effrontery to act like that in front of anyone who’d known her husband. As far as Carla knew, Buddy had never hit Sadie, but he’d done just about everything else. Carla didn’t know what it was about Ivan that seemed to affect people’s brains so they ceased to function normally.
“Sadie Lowell,” Carla exclaimed the moment the door closed behind Ivan, “how can you tell such a whopper?”
The transformation in Sadie was immediate. She dropped her hand to her side and marched behind her counter before turning to face Carla. “There was no need for that young man to know the truth. I won’t have
Ivan feared he was going to have to break up a fight, but the boys were diverted by the way the shavings curled as he planed the edge of the door. They collected each shaving and settled them over extended fingers.
“You going to make any more?” one boy asked when he stopped.
“No. I needed to take off just enough to keep the door from sticking.”
The boys followed him inside the store and watched intently as he replaced the door on its hinges then opened and closed it to demonstrate to the widow that it didn’t stick.
“Wait until I tell that useless Gordon Thompson it didn’t take you no time at all to fix that door,” the widow said. “And he was making out that it would take him half the day, going on about having to redo the frame because the building had settled, or it had been put up wrong.”
“My pa says Mr. Thompson talks a good story but don’t deliver much,” one of the boys remarked.
But the widow wasn’t about to have Mr. Thompson maligned. “You tell your pa nobody has to shove Gordon Thompson out of bed so he can get his work done. Now you boys go on. A lady’s dress store is no place for dirty brats.”
“We ain’t dirty. Our mamas make us take a bath every Sunday before we go to church.”
“That was five days ago. You’ve had time to collect lots of dirt since then.”
The boys sauntered away, then took off at a run once they were out of the store.
“Little ragamuffins,” the widow said in a way that made Ivan think she regretted having no children of her own. She turned. “I’m sorry I can’t pay you, but you come around to my house on Sunday, and I’ll feed you all you can eat.”
“That is not necessary,” Ivan protested.
“One way or the other, I pay my debts, especially to strangers. Now you’d better get those tools back to Gordon before he comes looking for them.”
Ivan was putting the tools back in the box when he heard the widow say, “You’ve got to meet the man who fixed my door. He even fixed the doorknob after it broke off in my hand.”
Ivan turned to see Carla glaring at him with eyes that were far from friendly.
Chapter 5
Carla was in no mood to hear another tale about how wonderful Ivan was, but Sadie Lowell didn’t stop until she poured the whole story into Carla’s ears. And Ivan, the shameless wolf in sheep’s clothing, didn’t even have the decency to look embarrassed. Carla wanted to protest that he was a thief, that he’d come to Overlin to take land he’d stolen. Her land. So she smiled through every word Sadie said though the smile felt like a mask that weighed a hundred pounds. Her teeth came together in a painful clench. Even the muscles in the back of her neck grew stiff.
“Miss Reece does not wish to hear stories about me,” Ivan said to Sadie. “I will return Mr. Thompson’s tools and let you ladies do your shopping.”
“Don’t forget Sunday,” Sadie said. “If you don’t show up, I’ll come after you.”
“I am sure you are a wonderful cook.”
Sadie blushed. “Not wonderful, but Mr. Lowell never pushed away from my table.”
“You must miss him very much.”
Sadie clutched her bosom and looked heartsick. “Every day.”
Carla thought she would gag. It wasn’t Ivan’s fault that he didn’t know a thing about Buddy Lowell, but she was surprised Sadie had the effrontery to act like that in front of anyone who’d known her husband. As far as Carla knew, Buddy had never hit Sadie, but he’d done just about everything else. Carla didn’t know what it was about Ivan that seemed to affect people’s brains so they ceased to function normally.
“Sadie Lowell,” Carla exclaimed the moment the door closed behind Ivan, “how can you tell such a whopper?”
The transformation in Sadie was immediate. She dropped her hand to her side and marched behind her counter before turning to face Carla. “There was no need for that young man to know the truth. I won’t have
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