“You work here?”
“Yep.”
“You never mentioned it.”
“Don’t like people thinkin’ I’m a working girl.”
“Where’d you get that blond hair? I hardly recognized you.”
“A bottle. I look like Jean Harlow, don’t you think?”
“Jean Harlow?”
“Oh, never mind. What are you doing here?”
“I just got work here. Bob Hench sent me to see if you’d have a bunk for me.”
“Maybe.” Matilda opened a binder on her desk and thumbed through it. She ran her finger down the sloppy ledger and then stopped. “It seems we do have a bunk. Will you be needing a meal ticket too?”
“Yep, sure will. Got to eat.” Capp was studying her now. Her new blond hair was the color of dry hay, dark roots along her part line. She had it pulled and tied in the back with a loose, green ribbon. Her eyes were blue, her shirt tight. Finally she looked up after filling out a meal card and noting the bunk assignment in her binder.
“Someone down at the backside will show you around. How long you plan on being here?”
“Until spring.”
“You still workin’ for Glidewell?”
“Sure am.”
“I did enjoy the match races at your ranch. Nice memories.” Tilly reached for the back of Capp’s hand and lightly stroked it, a sensuous touch.
Capp watched her stroke his hand and said, “Yeah, I do remember.” Turning his hand over, he gripped her fingers tenderly.
Matilda pulled her hand away and pushed a strand of dry blond hair behind her right ear. “What you gonna do here?” she asked.
“Learn. We are going to start breeding, raising, and training thoroughbreds along with our quarter horses.”
“I do remember you talking about that,” she said while she pulled a stick of gum from her purse. “Want some?”
“Don’t mind if I do. You sure don’t disappoint.”
“In what ways do I not disappoint?”
“You always have a pack of gum and other gifts, if I may say so.”
Matilda, leaning on her forearms, watched Capp as he pulled a piece of gum from the package. “You like my hair or not?”
“Sure does change your looks.”
“Makes me feel different too. More glamorous somehow.” With her index finger she began to smooth her brows and purse her lips.
Capp watched her with interest. “Is that so?”
“Here’s your bunk and house number and your meal ticket.”
“Thanks.”
“I did enjoy your company at the hotel,” she said looking up through her half-closed eyes. “It was nice of you to see me off.”
“That was nice, Matilda.” Capp smiled.
“Tilly. Call me Tilly. That’s what they call me around here.”
“Well then I have a message for you, Tilly.”
“And what would that be?”
“A guy named Martin says hello.”
Matilda looked up surprised. “Really? Where’d you meet him?”
“He picked me up. Gave me a ride here. Called you Tilly. Said to say hi to you.”
“That right?”
“It is. Called you Tilly the Filly.”
“Not that! I hate that. But good old Martin doesn’t have manners. Love that truck of his, though. He might buy my daddy’s farm. We might raise horses together.” She raised her eyebrows and looked Capp squarely in his eyes.
“He your boyfriend?
“Maybe. Depends.”
“Depends on what?”
“Depends on him and his daddy.”
“Really? How could it depend on the two of them?”
“Money. That’s how.”
“You lookin’ to marry money?”
“Might be. Couldn’t hurt in these times.”
Capp looked at her as a response developed in his mind, but he decided better of it and just nodded. “Guess I’ll see you around,” he said as he made his way to leave, but then hesitated. “You know, I remember that you and I had a talk about raising horses together.”
“That’s right, we did. Maybe I was just playin’ with you. Ever think of that?”
“Didn’t feel like playing. I know that. This was different.”
Matilda cocked her head, showing great interest in Capp’s perception of their tryst. Capp pushed off from the counter, signaling he was ready to go.
Matilda, demonstrating some degree of urgency, said, “How about I show you the town? Get reacquainted.”
Capp looked at her, considered her invitation, and then finally said, “You got time tonight?”
Chapter 53
Reluctant Sharing
“Maizie dear, what’s wrong?” Mary rushed to Maizie’s bedside one night after she’d been awoken by the girl’s screams. She found Maizie with her head in her pillow crying. “Maizie, what’s wrong?”
Maizie turned, looking surprised that Mary was standing over her. “Nothing, just another nightmare.” Mary leaned over Maizie and stroked her hair off her forehead. Mary’s gesture did nothing to calm Maizie’s crying.
“Will you tell me? Maybe it will help to talk about it.”
“You’ll think I’m crazy or something.” Maizie sobbed.
“Maizie, tell me what’s going on.”
Maizie put her head on her pillow and looked up to the ceiling. “If I tell you, will you tell Capp?”
“Why would I tell Capp?”
“I don’t know. I just don’t want him to know.”
“Look. I would never share private things about you with Capp. Or anyone else. This will be just between you and me.”
Maizie tightly gripped her bed covers, willing the nightmare to recede from her thoughts, but it was useless—the horror of the dream was too real.
“I’d rather be alone.”
“I’m not leaving.”
Maizie fell back on her pillow. Rolling to her side, she turned her back toward Mary and closed her eyes.
Growing tired of looking at Maizie’s back, Mary walked to the other side of the bed so she could see the young girl’s face. Maizie opened her eyes, one at a time. Seeing Mary staring at her, she gave in.
“It seemed so real.” She sighed deeply. “I was scared when I woke up.”
“Tell me what happened.”
“I was a little girl sitting on my mama’s lap. She was telling a wonderful story. My mama talked about a flight above the land. She described the trees, the rushing river, the clouds from up high. It was like a poem to me, magical.” Maizie’s expression darkened. “Then things turned ugly. There was a loud knocking on the side of a house. Mama held me tight. A man broke through the door. It’s the same man in all my nightmares. He’s tall but has no face. He sat on the chair and pounded
