“No. Mrs. Bonner has her helping in the kitchen.” The young girl smiled as she added Michael’s food and their drinks.
“Tell her Heidi says hello.”
Michael took a swallow of coffee and wiped his mouth with a napkin. “If you don’t want to marry the man, why don’t you break the engagement?”
She squirmed in her seat, wondering what Michael thought of her spineless acceptance of a man she didn’t want to marry. Most likely, he probably never felt the need to do something he didn’t want to do in his whole life. “I will. I just need time.” She took a bite of ham, forcing herself to chew and swallow since her appetite had fled.
Heat rose from her middle and spread to her face
as he studied her. Maybe getting him to talk about himself would avoid further questions. “How long have you lived in Guthrie?”
Michael smirked at her change of subject. “All my life. Well, not exactly, even though I feel that way.”
He smiled, and Heidi’s insides tightened. Deep hazel eyes, combined with the dark hair falling over his forehead, produced a tingling in the pit of her stomach. Add to that the way his lips twitched right before he smiled, and Michael Henderson struck her as the handsomest man she’d ever met. Not that her experience with men had been extensive, but her fiancé certainly never caused her such a physical reaction.
“My aunt Tori made the first Land Run back in eighty-nine, when I was sixteen. Before then we lived in Kansas. My ma died of influenza and the following year my pa died of a gunshot wound in a bank holdup.”
Heidi’s mouth fell open. “Oh. I’m so sorry.” She felt the need to touch his hand, but luckily, sense prevailed before she did something so forward.
Michael shrugged. “It all happened a long time ago. But Tori brought me and my two sisters and brother here to start a new life. She married my uncle Jesse not too long after we arrived. They’re wonderful people.”
“Do they still live in Guthrie?”
“Yes. They have a big house at the end of town. Jesse is a lawyer and Territorial Senator. They have four kids of their own.”
“I can tell by the glow in your eyes when you talk about them, you have a great deal of respect for your aunt and uncle.”
Michael pushed away his empty plate and pulled his coffee cup closer. “I do, indeed. I had a scholarship for college, but Jesse paid for all the extras the scholarship didn’t cover. Then after I graduated, he loaned me money to start my store.” He leaned his arms on the table, and looked her in the eye. “We need to talk about you now.”
Heidi cringed. She’d managed to push all the unpleasantness awaiting her to the back of her mind. For a while, she felt like a normal working woman, having lunch like everyone else, and then going back to her job.
“As long as you assure me it’s your intention to continue working, your days will be free of annoyance. If Manfred or his mother visit the store again, they’ll behave themselves, or I’ll ask them to leave.”
Heidi twisted her hands in her lap, still impressed with the way Michael ordered them both to leave earlier. “I want my job. I really enjoyed working this morning. I’m sure you’ve guessed I’ve never had a job before.” She glanced at him under lowered eyelashes.
He nodded.
“I promise I’ll do the best job for you.”
“That’s all I needed to know.” He picked up the check from the table and studied it.
“How much is mine?” She asked, fumbling in her purse.
He waved his hand in her direction. “I’ll take care of it.”
“No.” Her voice came out stronger than intended. Two people next to them turned to stare in her direction. She leaned forward, lowering her voice. “I don’t mean to shout, but I want to pay for my own lunch.”
Michael’s lips twitched. “Fine. Your portion is forty-seven cents.”
She pulled out some coins and dropped them into his hand.
He helped her with her coat. “You should wrap your scarf around your mouth and nose. Cold air could trigger an asthma attack, even in the daytime.”
“Oh. I didn’t know covering my mouth would help.” She buttoned her coat, and wrapped the scarf, feeling happier than she had in ages. She waved at Honey coming out of the kitchen as they left their table. Then giggled at the waitress’s raised eyebrows as her handsome boss escorted her out the door.
****
Michael attempted to ignore the happy, warm feelings coursing through him with Heidi at his side. He laughed inwardly at her insistence in paying for her own lunch. Perhaps by encouraging her to keep her job and seek treatment for her asthma, he may have created a monster. The little bit of support he’d given her seemed to strengthen her independence. Again, he warned himself to stay out of her affairs. If she wanted to remain engaged to a man she didn’t wish to marry, that didn’t concern him.