“He’ll come back for me,” she said more to reassure herself than the stranger watching her so closely. “My brother loves me. He’ll come back.”
When she didn’t add anything more, he made that odd ‘Huh’ again before adding, “My name’s Garret Finley. I live about a two day’s ride away in Bridgewater. We’re in need of a hand on the ranch to help us during sheep shearing season in a few weeks, if you’re needing a place to stay while you wait for your brother to return. We could leave word with the constable for your brother.”
“Constable?” She frowned at him as she motioned for him to turn his boot a little.
“Ah, yes—sorry, the local law enforcement. We can visit with them and make sure word reaches your brother as to your location. In the meantime, you could help us with work on the ranch. We need the assistance and will give you room and board in addition to paying you.”
Buffing the cloth in the small tin of shoe polish, she shook her head. “Thank you for the offer, sir, but I’m not sure how much help I’d be on a farm. I don’t know a cow from a bull.”
He laughed. The deep, rich sound reached out and tickled something low in her belly. “Well, my family raises goats and sheep, so you wouldn’t have to worry too much about identifying bulls.”
A strange burst of jealousy went through her as she imagined some beautiful mystery woman being married to the attractive and kind man. “Surely your children can help out?”
“Children?” he switched feet, putting his dirty boot on the box as he admired the one she’d just polished. “No, no children. I’m not married. My best friend Edward and I run the ranch together.”
As she worked, Garret went on to explain that he and Edward had served together in the British Army, regaling her with tales of traveling all over the world. She worked slowly as he talked, entranced by both his voice and the stories he told. In a way, it reminded her of how her father used to tell her stories when she was young. Garret was so descriptive, and she could easily imagine the lush, hot jungle palace where he’d spent five years serving as an emissary to a foreign government. A place where elephants roamed free, and everyone had dark skin like herself.
“You know,” he said in a low, contemplative voice, “You kind of remind me of the people from there with your copper skin, but your eyes are a pale blue like ice.”
“We’re done,” she said quickly, noticing that the sun had set while he was talking.
Admiring his shoes, Garret smiled then handed her five dollars.
Gaping at the money, she said, “Uh, sir, the shine is only seven cents. I don’t have any change.”
“Consider it a tip,” he replied with a wink that made her feel that strange warmth in her belly again.
Her hands trembled as she gaped up at him, but she made herself say, “Are you sure? That is a lot of money.”
“I’m sure. Take it.”
Standing, she quickly stuffed the money in her pocket, afraid one of her fellow street urchins would see it and decide to rob her tonight. “Thank you, sir. Thank you so much. You have no idea how much this helps.”
“Name is Garret, Garret Finley,” he reminded her in a gentle voice. “You take care of yourself out there. And remember, if you ever need some work, come find me in Bridgewater.”
“I will, sir, thank you!”
The money felt like it should be glowing in her pocket as she quickly packed up her kit and pulled her heavy pack onto her back. Her breath came out slightly wheezy as she walked down the smooth, clean planks of the nice part of town, her head down and her shoulders hunched. Hopefully, no one else had seen the five-dollar bill Garret had given her, and she had to keep her hand from reaching down to pat her pocket and make sure it was still there. A thick, harsh cough rattled around in her chest as she took a moment to catch her breath and clear her lungs.
While her first urge was to run off to the nicest hotel she could afford, she had to make the money last. More than anything, she wished for a bath to wash off the dirt and the stink of the streets, but all the bathing houses were communal, and she couldn’t exactly sneak into the woman’s side while dressed as a boy. But she had to clean up a little, somehow, or the decent hotels that would keep riffraff like Mr. Charles out would never allow her through the door.
Looking back over her shoulder to the nicer part of town, she thought she saw Garret in the crowd for a moment, but when she glanced back again, he wasn’t there.
A city lamp lighter came by, and she realized she’d spent more time than she’d wanted standing there catching her breath.
Quickly glancing around, she remembered the stables on the outskirts of town not too far away. There were horse watering troughs there, and if she was quick and careful, she might be able to get off enough of the dirt and dust that encrusted in her skin so they’d allow her in the hotel. With five dollars, she could get one of the nicest beds in the city, but she had to be careful to make the money last. For a moment, she regretted saying no to Garret. If she’d accepted his offer, she’d have some kind of job security rather than trying to hustle every day for pennies.
Hefting her pack, and trying to ignore the wheezing in her lungs, she made her way through the dwindling crowd, then down packed dirt streets until the smell of the stables hung heavy in the air.
Putting her pack and shoeshine kit down, she peeked around the corner of one of the buildings, trying to
