“I’m so sorry,” Amanda whispered. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Everything is so overwhelming.”
Teddy squeezed her hand. “You’ll adjust,” he assured. “Just take it slow and let folks help. We might be a bit needful here in this cow town, but that don’t mean we aren’t friendly and helpful.”
Amanda opened her eyes, meeting Teddy’s, a smile tugging at her lips at his quip. The young man was familiar, and his hand in hers seemed to fill her with strength.
“Here, drink this.” The tiny woman returned, a tin cup in her hand.
Taking the cup from Mrs. Scripts, Teddy lifted it to Amanda’s lips. “Go easy,” he whispered, helping her drink.
Amanda lifted her hand, taking the cup and sipping. The cold water seemed to go straight to her head and she sighed, feeling better.
“Thank you,” her eyes met Teddy’s and his grin zipped to her heart. Perhaps the man wasn’t as bad as she had thought. A shiver ran down her spine as she thought back to the old man and his rude comments at the boarding house.
“Feeling better?” Teddy watched as the young woman sat up a little straighter.
“Yes, I’m afraid I was unprepared for this town.”
“Well, don’t you let it worry your pretty little head,” Teddy said. “I’ll look out for ya. Now, how about a treat? Mrs. Scripts and her husband keep a right nice selection of hard candies.”
Amanda felt the smile tugging at her lips. “That would be lovely,” she agreed, looking around at the general store. The place was nothing like the fine shops she was used to back home, and suddenly she longed for home, where only a few months ago her father would have been buying her a lovely iced-cream.
“You sit right here,” Teddy pushed to his feet and headed for the counter.
Amanda lifted the cup to her lips again, drinking the last of the water and feeling somewhat refreshed as she looked around her. Finding her feet, she ambled between tables full of leather and cloth goods, barrels of meal, flour, sugar, and beans. The store seemed to have all the basics one might need, but little else.
“You’re feeling better,” the tiny woman popped up from behind the counter where she had been filling a small brown bag with treats. “Do you need anything?”
Amanda shook her head, looking at Teddy. He had been kind to her, helpful, and protective when she felt wobbly. Perhaps he wasn’t the scoundrel she had believed.
“I need a new hat,” the young man admitted with a sheepish grin. “I’m afraid I lost mine the other day.”
A quick laugh leapt to Amanda’s lips, surprising her, and she covered her mouth with her hand. She had seen how Mr. Lewis had lost his hat, and her eyes dropped to the seat of his pants for a split second, making her face flame.
“I thought you just got a new hat last month.” Mrs. Script queried.
“I lost it,” Teddy bit out the words as his face heated. He didn’t want to think about the embarrassing acts of only two days ago.
“If you’d like to go back to the boarding house, I can come back here later,” Teddy offered, taking the paper bag from Mrs. Script and handing her some money.
“No, you go ahead.” Amanda turned to look at the shelves again. “I’ll look around here a bit.” The young woman lifted her chin. “I need to start adjusting to my new home.”
Teddy’s smile was bright as he offered the bag of sweets to the young woman, watching as she picked out a lemon drop. Perhaps Miss Amanda was a delicate flower, but she had pluck, and he suspected that if she were planted in the right ground and tended with loving care, she would blossom into something more than the pretty bud before him.
“Hats,” Mrs. Script grinned, hurrying around the counter. “Let’s take a look.”
For the next ten minutes, Teddy was busy trying on new hats. He had tried several on, each time looking to see if Amanda had anything to say, but she had simply looked at him, with little expression at all.
“This is the last one that might fit you,” Mrs. Scripts spoke, handing down a light brown wide-brimmed hat. “It’s been on the shelf a while, and I can give you a discount.”
Teddy took the hat, examining the raised brim and wide leather band around the edge. “It’s rather heavy.”
“Yes, it is.” Mrs. Scripts agreed, her tone flat.
Teddy slipped the hat on his head, turning this way and that to see that it fit snuggly enough not to blow off in the wind.
“That looks very nice on you,” Amanda said, offering Teddy a smile that stabbed him in the heart.
“You like it?”
“It suits you.”
“Here, look.” Mrs. Scripts hurried back around the counter, pulling out a small handheld mirror.
Teddy examined his reflection in the mirror. He wasn’t much to look at, in fact, plain would suit him: brown hair, brown eyes, slim, not too tall, or short, or skinny or fat just average.
“It looks nice,” Amanda offered again.
“I’ll take it,” Teddy’s eyes met Miss Antonia’s, and a smile tugged at his lips. “I believe the lady has good taste.” Perhaps a heavy hat was not the best for working in the hot Texas sun, but it would be worth it to see that smile again.
Teddy paid for the hat then offered Amanda his arm as he stuffed his ragged war cap in his back pocket with a groan. “Would you like to see the rest of the town?” he asked, offering her another sweet.
Amanda stepped out onto the covered boardwalk and squinted into the afternoon sun. “Is there much to see?”
“Not much,” Teddy admitted. “Down that way is the church and across the street is the only saloon in town. That’s where those rowdy cowboys are headed most of the time.”
“Does it
