This Loving Land - Dorothy Garlock [47]
“He wants to marry me.” The words burst out.
“Course he does, any fool’d see that. Can’t hardly take his eyes off you.”
Summer threw her arms about her friend. “It was meant to be that I’d meet you, Sadie. I’m so glad I did.”
“Well, I been thinkin’ on that too, Summer. I must a done somethin’ right back there a ways for the good Lord to let you come to that hotel. Now, if’n the good Lord would just let some big, old, handsome cowhand come and sweep me right off my feet, like he done you, well, then I think I could give out ‘n die!”
Summer laughed. “Well, until he comes, Sadie, you’ll stay right here and become the doughnut queen of Texas. But I just know before the summer is over, you’re going to meet that big, handsome cowboy.”
“Well, let’s see. There’s Bulldog, old Raccoon, there’s Pud and Jack. Oh, lack’s nice. Real nice, Summer, but he don’t make my heart flutter. Just once, I want a man what would put a shine to my eyes like Slater puts to yours.”
“Does it show that much?” Summer put her hands to her cheeks.
“Don’t be shamed by it!” Sadie pulled her hands away. “It shows to me ‘cause I been lookin’ for it. And it shows to him. He was early this mornin”, just like he couldn’t hold hisself away.”
“Oh, I’m not shamed. It’s just so new, is all.” Summer’s violet eyes danced and she couldn’t keep the smile from tilting her lips.
“He’s a man what would make any woman proud,” Sadie said softly. “I ain’t seen but one other what would make a woman feel so safe, so taken care of.”
Summer gave her friend a sharp look, but Sadie had turned away and was plucking her newly awakened daughter from the tangled bedclothes.
Summer could hardly contain her bubbling spirit as the morning progressed. Sure that her hair was smooth and her dress was clean, she paused frequently to look out the door toward the corral. She was agonizingly aware when Slater and John Austin rode into the yard, and fervently wished she could conceal herself beside the door and watch, but she went to her room and busied herself with the quilts in the big, wooden box at the end of the bed.
She had spread the patchwork quilt out to refold it when she heard Slater’s voice in the other room. Her heart was pounding, her knees were weak, when he appeared in the doorway. His searching eyes found her, then swept the room before coming back to hers.
“I always liked this room.”
Summer clutched the quilt to her, her eyes devouring his face, her heart galloping wildly.
“My mother loved it,” she managed to say. “She said the most wonderful time of her life was spent here. When Papa came back from the fighting, he wanted to go back to the Piney Woods, but I think Mama wanted to stay here.”
“Yes, I think she did,” Slater said slowly. He walked over to the high chest and ran his hand over the small, carved box that had belonged to Nannie Kuykendall. It was in this box that Summer had found the letter from Sam McLean. “I remember this box. Your mother kept her treasures in it. There was a small gold ring she wore when she was a baby. You wore it, too.”
Summer moved over to stand beside him. She lifted the lid of the box and took out the circle of gold. It was small and thin and she slipped it over the tip of her little finger for him to see. He was standing close to her. She could feel his breath stir the loose tendrils of her hair. She stepped away so she could look up at him. Their eyes caught, held, and Summer thought she would suffocate.
Quickly, she returned the ring to the box and drew out a flat package and unwrapped it.
“For as long as I can remember, Mama had this hair necklace. I never saw her wear it, but sometimes she took it out and looked at it. I think it’s beautiful and must have taken hours and hours to make.” She held it up between them. The hair was glossy black, and fine as silk. It was crocheted into a beautiful rope design to form the necklace. “I don’t know whose hair it was.” She smiled at him. “But it could have been yours, Slater. It’s the same color.”