“Thank you so much.” Heidi rose slowly. “You don’t know how much the job means to me.”
Michael smiled and headed for the door. Mrs. Wilson came back from the kitchen. “Good night, Mr. Henderson. Thank you for helping Miss Lester tonight.”
He tugged at his hat brim, and left.
***
Michael pulled up the collar of his coat and lowered his head into the wind as he walked home. The mystery of Miss Lester continued to grow. What a quandary she’d turned into. The heartbroken look on her face when she thought she no longer had the job twisted his gut. There seemed to be a lot more as to why she came to Guthrie, desperate for a job, than what he’d discovered so far.
And to suffer from asthma and have a doctor who did nothing for her, except hand out advice, bordered on criminal. He would see Dr. Kane in the morning to assure himself mixing up a prescription for Heidi would be okay. Several customers had a great deal of success with the medicines he’d compounded for them.
He had to remind himself Heidi only worked for him, and his training and experience could help her. Nothing else. In an attempt to protect his once broken heart, he’d steered clear of relationships for years. Memories of his fiancée, twisting her handkerchief, while confessing her indiscretion with another man still haunted him.
Then with tears rolling down her cheeks, she begged him to go through with their wedding three weeks away because her lover, the father of her unborn child, already had a wife. He shook his head at his foolishness in agreeing. That is, until tied in knots over the whole thing, he sought out his Uncle Jesse, who’d talked some sense into him.
Enough time had passed so her betrayal no longer pained him, but the incident left a scar around his heart. Never again would he allow a woman to be in a position to hurt him. Over the years, his few dates were casual, and he took care of his needs with a very special lady who had no desire for a permanent relationship either. But he had to be careful with Miss Lester. Her deep blue eyes, honey-colored blonde hair, and sensuous lips could chisel away at his determination.
***
Heidi slowly pulled her clothes off and hung them in the small closet next to her bed. Mr. Henderson had done more for her asthma tonight than the doctor she’d seen all her life. Dr. Wells had been like her parents, just patted her on the head and told her to relax, and not to strain herself. And Mr. Henderson knew people with asthma who worked every day!
After all the trouble tonight, he still wanted her to work for him. When she thought back to Mr. Henderson’s gentle touches when he soothed her, a tingle began in her stomach and raced to her heart, causing it to thump. His warm hand as he rubbed circles on her back had helped a great deal to relax her.
Besides her papa, no other man had ever gotten physically close to her except her fiancé Clarence. Although a pleasant man, and fairly good looking, Clarence didn’t hide the fact that as a wife, he found her lacking. Which left her wondering why he wanted to marry her, since he could certainly attract any woman he wanted.
Due to her illness, she’d been subjected to her parents’ coddling for years, and apparently Clarence intended to be the same type of husband. Even to the extent of staying away from h
er bed. If she married him, she would continue with a life of nothing. No love, no family, no independence.
The night he’d proposed, he outlined his plans. Their marriage would be in name only because her delicate nature didn’t allow for a husband’s attentions. And he assured her any of his associations with other women to take care of his needs would be done with the utmost discretion. Additionally, his mother would reside them since Heidi would need assistance.
Too stunned to even react to the strange proposal, she’d nodded her head, accepted his kiss on the cheek, and turned to her parents who sat on the sofa across the room. Both glowed with happiness. She’d pleaded a headache and returned to her room. More than an hour passed before she heard Clarence run down the front steps and drive off in his carriage.
Shaking the memories from her mind, she tied the pink ribbon at the bodice of her nightgown, then crawled into bed. The breathing attacks sapped her energy, and she wanted to be fresh tomorrow. The first day on her job! She counted to fifty to keep herself calm, and slowly drifted off into sleep.
***
Michael checked his watch as he strolled up to the store. Eight forty-five, and Miss Lester waited for him. She looked much improved since last he’d seen her.
“Good morning, Miss Lester. Are you feeling better?” He nodded in her direction as he unlocked the front door.
“Yes, much better. Thank you for your help last night.” She followed him in, all the way to the back room.
Michael took her coat, and hung hers alongside his on hooks along the wall. “I usually have a small breakfast here, would you care to join me?”
“No, thank you. Truthfully, I’m a bit nervous, so I don’t think I could eat.” She wiped her palms down the front of her dress.
“You need to watch yourself. Skipping meals is not a good idea.” Michael smiled, then stared in disbelief, as tears filled her big blue eyes.
“Please, Mr. Henderson. I can take care of myself.” Her delicate chin quivered as she regarded him. Something about this woman touched him in a place dead for a long time. He mentally shook himself. No need to involve myself with her.
“All right, then. Suppose you sit with me while I have my breakfast and we can discuss more of the job.”
She furtively wiped her eyes and sat at the small table. “You know, I’m a fairly good cook. If you want more for breakfast, I would be happy to fix something for you.”
“You cook?” He scooped ground coffee beans into a pot of water boiling on the hot plate.
Heidi sat forward, and shook her head. “Oh no. That’s not the best way to brew coffee.”