Love on the Line - Deeanne Gist [18]
Miss Gail clasped her hands in her lap. “The mother and father bird won’t be able to find it.”
“Why, sure they will. All them birds round here come to yer place. It’s the best spot in town.”
“All the same, this nest has to stay right where the parents put it.”
The girl looked at the nest, clearly unconvinced. “I can’t put it back. Them boys’ll get it. How ’bout I put it in yer mulberry tree? Why, that tree’s as busy as Charlie’s place on a Saturdee night.”
Luke lifted his brows.
Bright spots of pink colored Miss Gail’s cheeks. “You mustn’t say things like that,” she whispered.
“I ain’t lying.” Bettina whipped herself up.
“Of course not. I meant . . .” She sighed. “Never mind. We’ll talk about it later. For now, tell me what you mean about Mr. Ottfried’s offer.”
“You know, the cash money offer.”
“For his millinery? I haven’t heard anything about it.”
Bettina clucked her tongue. “You’re the town operator, Miss Georgie. You’re supposed to know about this kinda stuff.”
The pink in Miss Gail’s cheeks flushed bright red and filled her entire face. He slid his hands in his pockets and leaned against the desk.
“Perhaps you’d best tell me,” she said.
Ding. She handled the call, then turned back to Bettina.
“Mr. Ottfried’s givin’ out money fer any kind o’ bird stuff you bring in.”
Miss Gail frowned. “What kind of bird stuff?”
“You know, feathers, nests, eggs, even whole birds—dead or alive.”
With each item listed, Miss Gail’s posture straightened a bit more, as if a pulley stretched her one crank at a time. “You cannot be serious.”
“I ain’t lying.” Bettina’s face crumpled. “That’s twice now you haven’t believed me.”
Miss Gail held out a hand, but the girl didn’t take it, so she let it drop.
“I believe you, Bettina. It’s Mr. Ottfried I can’t believe.”
“Well, he ain’t lying, neither. There’s a big ol’ sign in his window.”
She removed her earpiece, careful not to muss her hair, and rose to her feet. “Can you do me a favor, Mr. Palmer?”
He crossed his ankles. “Depends on what it is.”
“Will you watch the switchboard for me? I need to run to town for a few minutes.”
The switchboard? She wanted him to work the switchboard? But that was a woman’s job.
He couldn’t say that, of course. Not after the big stink he’d made about women working. Still, he didn’t fancy himself sitting there answering the phone. However . . .
He looked at the toes of his boots, then back up at her. “I do my job my way, on my time frame. No questions asked.”
“Deal.”
“I’m not finished.”
She gripped the back of her chair. “Well, hurry up. What else?”
“The desk is mine. The key is mine.”
Her lips fell open. “That’s not fair.”
“It’s mine anyway and we both know it.”
She drummed her fingernail on the seatback. “Can we share it?”
He pursed his lips. “We might could work something out.”
“Good.” She yanked her chair back. “Sit down and let me show you how to use this thing.”
Chapter Six
Georgie hurried down Market Street. She’d never missed a moment of work since arriving in Brenham. Too many people depended on her. She wasn’t at all comfortable leaving them in Mr. Palmer’s hands, but he’d caught on fast, this was an emergency, and he was, after all, an employee of SWT&T.
Bettina did her best to keep up, but her oversized boots slowed her down and she was still trying to preserve the nest of eggs. “I’m tellin’ ya, if I put ’em back, them boys will get ’em.”
The little eggs were doomed no matter what. Georgie had seen birds take on snakes to protect their young. If boys had thrown rocks and Bettina had stolen the nest—all without repercussions—then the parents had long since abandoned their babies.
Still, if there was any chance . . . “I want you to put it back just the same. Perhaps the mama and daddy birds will return.”
“What if they don’t?” The girl looked at her treasure. “No tellin’ what Mr. Ottfried would pay for a nest and three whole eggs.”
Georgie pulled up short. “You may not sell those to Mr. Ottfried.”
“But what if he pays me a nickel? I’d be rich as Will Cummings if I had me a whole