“I know what it means to struggle, to wonder if I’ll have enough funds to pay for next month’s rent,” Winnie continued. “But I also know standing up for myself was one of the best things I ever did. Now you have the opportunity, and it can all be anonymous.”
The memory of Winnie shoving her hard-earned coins at him sent a flush up Mack’s neck even as he admired her tenacity. This was not a woman to be trifled with, and from the way the factory workers hung onto her words, they recognized it too.
“We told them,” a woman whispered.
Mack’s senses prickled, and he shifted closer. “Told who what?”
But she couldn’t continue, her throat bobbing as she held back tears. The frizzy-haired woman hugged her close and said in a low voice, “The wires have been exposed for weeks. We got to dodge them every time we move about the room. We told the foreman so many times, but he ignored us.”
“Told us to mind our business and stick to what we know. Buttons,” another added bitterly.
“They ignored your concerns about your safety,” Mack said slowly, making sure he understood. All the women nodded.
“Said it would slow down production,” the woman clarified.
“This will not go unpublished,” Mack promised. The women murmured their thanks, but it was Winnie’s nod of approval that gave him pride. He scanned the crowd and found the foreman heading their way as fast as the packed street corner would allow him.
“The foreman is coming,” he told Winnie.
Without missing a beat, she turned her back on the women and tapped a man’s shoulder. Once she had his attention, she launched into her speech. “Sir, I work withThe Puget Sound Post.May I ask you a few questions?”
Mack suppressed a chuckle. He hadn’t expected her to take the lead role, but it became immediately clear she was in her element. She diligently recorded the answers in shorthand, and Mack added his own questions, taking care not to step on Winnie’s shoes in the process. By the time they finished the interview, the factory workers had disappeared, and the foreman had no cause to bother them.
She placed her notebook in her pocket and asked, “Is the foreman gone?”
“He is, thanks to you. Winnie, you were brilliant.”
Her jaw dropped. “You called me Winnie.”
Another bang startled the crowd. In the sudden press of bodies, Winnie was knocked off balance. Mack’s arms darted out to shield her. If he could do one thing right, it would be to make sure she didn’t come to harm.
“Don’t worry, I’ve got you.” He glanced down only to find her watching him with amusement.
“You’re not worried at all,” he said dryly.
Her smile widened. “Not a bit.”
“Because I’m here to protect you?”
She scoffed. “I am slightly safer in your arms than I would be in Butch Cassidy’s.”
The teasing glint in her eye captivated him. Just as he opened his mouth to reply, an abrupt surge in the crowd pressed them closer together. Winnie clutched his arms with her gloved hands and calmly rested her forehead against his chest.
In the hazy sea of jostling spectators, they were invisible. He dropped his chin to the crook of her neck and inhaled her tantalizing scent beneath the noxious smoke permeating the air. He nuzzled close, absorbing her warmth. Winnie’s grip tightened in response. She shifted against him, and he almost groaned at the firm press of her breasts. Then her mouth tilted close to his, and the urge to kiss her ruled his every pore.
The hordes rippled once more, and space opened around them. With an iron will, he lifted his head away from her luscious lips. Adjusting his hold, he threw out an arm and barreled through the crowd, not pausing until they were away from danger and a block away from the site. When he could wait no longer, he spun around and examined her.
“Are you well?”
Her breath came in shallow gasps, but she bobbed her head. “I am, thanks to you.”
They stared at each other for a long moment. Mack decided to brave asking for permission to call on her.
“Would you—”
“I was wondering—” she said at the same time, then stopped.
He ran a hand over his chin. “Sorry, go ahead.”
