He chuckled and joined his mother, offering his arm to her, and the moment lingered in his mind long after the meal began.
Could Kizzie McAdams’ heart be ready for the taking?
The week moved along even better than the one before. Kizzie tackled another month of reconciling paperwork, closing in on present day with each passing week. At some point, she'd dig out from Gayle's stacks and stacks of ledgers and bills and invoices while also managing the current shipments.
But amidst all the tangle, she found she loved the rhythm in her life.
The busyness and feeling of accomplishment.
Earning her own money and managing the affairs of a business.
Having conversations with Gayle and learning more about the operations of a store and boardinghouse, as well as the workings of The Hollows. In fact, Kizzie discovered that because of The Hollows’ strategic placement between Charlotte and Virginia, it boasted a popular stop-off point before travelers and businessmen crossed the mountains. The boardinghouse stayed full, as did the two small hotels in town. If the rich and influential of The Hollows wanted to make some real money, what they needed to do was build a larger hotel to meet demand.
Whether from Gayle Carter's evident approval or Kizzie's own desire to welcome folks into the store, no one seemed at all concerned about Kizzie's past. Or, at least, not the folks who came into Carters.
And, as promised, she'd also begun befriending Molly Edwards. In fact, the older and more active Charlie became, the more Kizzie liked the idea forming for Molly.
Keep her busy and out of trouble?
Well, Kizzie had a good idea how to do that and serve her own purposes too.
She caught the girl, who was no more than sixteen, as Molly carried some linens from the washroom toward the boardinghouse one morning.
“I heard you've been asking around for more work to do.”
The girl turned, her round eyes almost too big for her olive-toned face. “Me and Mary both.”
“What happened with Mary?”
Molly pushed her fiery braid behind her head so she could lean forward and tickle a smile out of Charlie. “Well, since I was watching Mary's young'uns so she could work as a washerwoman, I lost my job too.” Molly drew in a deep breath, preparing for her dramatic story. Just from the short time Kizzie had known Molly, she recognized a spinner of stories. Long stories.
Molly loved attention.
“My errand for Mrs. Carter ran too long, so I wasn't able to get back in time to tend Mary's young'uns for her to go to work. Which means Mary missed two days in one week and Mrs. Landers”—Molly's nose wrinkled in a frown—“who ain't too keen on none of us boardinghouse girls noway, fired Mary on the spot.”
“Couldn't Hettie have watched the boys?”
Molly exchanged her armful of linens for Charlie, drawing him into her arms with a smile in contradiction to her words. “Hettie was tending her granny over in Mount Airy way, so she wasn't around.”
“Poor Mary.”
“And me too, since she can't pay me to watch her young'uns no more.” Molly's eyes grew wider. “I got to make money to pay my rent just like Mary. But nobody'll hire me ’cause of my history.”
Kizzie switched the linens from one arm to the other and tilted her head to study Molly. “What history?”
A sheepish expression spread across the girl's face. “Afore Mrs. Carter found me, I was a street thief.”
Kizzie coughed out her surprise. “A street thief?”
Molly gave an emphatic nod and turned her attention back to Charlie, who kept reaching for her braid. “Never knew my daddy. My mama died when I was ten, so me and my brother started living on the streets.” She tickled beneath Charlie's chin enough to incite one of his new giggles. A wonderful sound in comparison to Molly's story. “My brother hopped a train about three years ago, but I wasn't fast enough to catch it, so I was left here in The Hollows. Kept thievin’ until Mrs. Carter caught me one day and brung me here.”
“And you've been helping with tending the boardinghouse ever since, haven't you?”
She stood a bit taller. “Sure have. I promised Mrs. Carter and the Lord I wouldn't thieve no more, so she gave me an upright job here at the boardinghouse.”
Kizzie's palm went to her hip. “And how upright is it to go sneakin’ menfolk up to the second floor?”
A rush of pink flew into her cheeks, highlighting a dusting of freckles. “Well now, I only tried that twice, and both times Mrs. Carter caught me afore … well, afore things got too far.” She raised her chin, leveling Kizzie a stare. “But I done promised Mrs. Carter and the Lord I wasn't gonna do that no more either.”
