She hurried over and chose something for their supper and went upstairs with it, getting it started. Back down the stairs she went, getting one of the work aprons Mortimer kept lying around and tying it around her waist. “Do you want me to take the cash register?”
“Would you be willing to go over and make the yard goods area more pleasing? I tend to lose a lot of business to the dry goods store down the street. For some reason, people think they should buy food here, but fabrics from them. Maybe you can help with that.”
She frowned. “I didn’t even realize there was a dry goods store down the street. I need to get out more! How many people live in Creede?”
“There are more than ten thousand between Creede and Bachelor.”
“That’s the same size as Beckham! Oh my. And there’s no restaurant?”
“Sure there is. The one we had burned down, and Edwin McRae, the former owner, is running one out of his kitchen. It’s just not big enough to serve all the men who need to eat there. Even after the restaurant that the Grahams are building, you could keep your Monday noon thing going if you wanted to. There’s enough business for another three or four restaurants in town, if not more.” He shrugged.
“I need to learn more about this town if I’m going to make it my forever home!” Toria raced off to the yard goods, studying the display, and then working on making it more pleasing to a woman’s eye. She loved the idea of making it perfect.
Mortimer watched her go, his mind zeroing in on the word, “if.” Did that mean she was making plans to go somewhere else? Wasn’t she happy in Creede? Now that she was in his life, he wasn’t sure how he’d be able to do without her. He hoped he was wrong, because he didn’t want to keep her if she was unhappy.
When John came back, announcing he was about to make his last delivery of the day and take Willie home, Toria hurried upstairs and got the big pot. “Your mama will need to add a little water and warm it up, but other than that it’s fine.” She resisted the urge to add loaves of bread to it, because she knew that Willie would then know it was charity. Sometimes it was hard to walk the fine line between helping someone and making them feel uncomfortable, like they were a project.
Willie thanked her and hurried to put the pot into the wagon before rushing back inside to help John load the wagon again. As Toria watched him work, she was amazed that such a wiry boy would work so hard. He obviously cared about his family a great deal to be willing to do so much for them.
After they were gone, Toria went upstairs to start supper. She was just making baked chicken and baked potatoes, so she didn’t have to sit over them and watch them. When she was finished, she descended the stairs again, spotting Mortimer on her way down. He looked sad, and she knew he was thinking of Grace. That’s who he was always thinking about when he looked sad.
She began fixing some of the displays and disappeared into the back room to make sure things were restocked. She knew her job well, but she wished she was a better wife to poor Mortimer.
When it was time to close the store, he walked to the door, and turned the sign. “It’s been a long day,” he told her.
She nodded. “Long, but good. I’m happy I had so much to do.”
He shook his head at her. “I’m afraid you’re going to work yourself to death if you keep up this pace. If you cut everything else out, you could just work in the store with me.” He would enjoy it if they could work together all day every day. It would make him very happy.
“While that’s tempting, I think it’s good for me to keep up with the baked goods and work on my knitting.” Truly, she couldn’t be around him that much, knowing he was still pining for his dead wife. What could she possibly do to make him realize that she was a good woman who was determined to love him?
She stopped for a moment, an expression of grief coming over her face. She’d fallen in love with her husband, and there was no way he would ever love her. How was she going to be able to continue to be around him?
Mortimer saw her face, and realized she must be missing home. What else could it be? “If you’d like to go home for a visit for a week or two, I wouldn’t complain.” He would hate every second of it, but he wanted her to be happy.
His words came as a slap in the face. He wanted her to go. He needed to be away from her for a while. Why was she never good enough? “Just let me know when you want me to go, and I will.” She wondered if he’d buy her a round trip ticket, or only one way. He obviously didn’t want her, so maybe she should go back to Beckham? What would she do there, though? Sebastian was still there, and she didn’t need to deal with him.
He turned his back on her, pretending to straighten something on the shelf behind him. “Maybe after Christmas? We’re very busy here during Christmas time.” Maybe if she waited that long, she would no longer feel the need to go. That was his hope, anyway.
Of course he’d choose a time for her to leave that would be best for the store. She was a helper to him…a partner of sorts. She wasn’t someone he could ever love. “I’ll go finish supper while you close up. What time do you expect John back?”
“Probably in ten or fifteen minutes. Go on and get everything ready.” He watched as she hurried up the stairs, leaning over the counter and burying his face in his hands.
“What are you doing, Mortimer Jackson? Have you lost your mind?”
“I don’t know what you mean.” He didn’t even react to Grace’s presence. He’d been haunted by her since her death, and usually he was excited when she appeared before him, but not this time.
“You’re pushing that woman away. There’s never been a woman on this earth who was more suited to marrying you and working with you. And here you are, telling her to go back east.” Grace shook her head at him, as if he’d lost his mind.
“I’m not pushing her to go back east. I can see she misses her family back east, so I suggested she go for a visit.”
“Well, she thinks you want to get rid of her. Use a little tact. Court her like you courted me. I know you know how to court a woman. Use some of those skills. Buy her flowers!”
“Toria? She’d rather have something practical, I’m sure. A skein of yarn would make her happier than a bunch of flowers.”
“You’d be surprised, Mortimer. Women everywhere are the same. You have to treat her like a princess before she takes off and never comes back. You and John need her more than you ever needed me. She’s the woman who belongs with you. Wake up and start treating her like it!” With those words, Grace faded from view as she’d done a thousand times.
Usually after her visit, he was left sad and lonely. This time, he was galvanized into action. Maybe she was right! It was time he courted his wife and treated her like the incredible woman she was. No one needed to be treated like an old worn out shoe!