Her mouth tightened. “Safe enough… but not for much longer if I can’t pay what I owe.”
That did it. A feeling settled deep in Braxton’s chest, solid, immovable. A woman shouldn’t go through that alone. Especially not a woman like her.
Braxton didn’t show his anger. Instead he asked, “When’s the rent due?”
Her voice was barely above a whisper. “Three days. I… I haven’t paid last month’s…” She looked away, her cheeks going red. “So, now you know why I’m here. The sooner we get the sisters organized; the sooner they can find me a husband.”
Three days. Braxton nodded. “I see.” He swallowed hard. “All right,” he said, voice steady. “We’ll figure somethin’ out.”
Her eyes widened and her cheeks went redder still. “I shouldn’t have told you. It’s not your burden to bear.
George stirred, snorted, then flopped fully across both their feet like an enormous, living blanket.
Miss Hale laughed, breaking the odd tension building between them.
Braxton swallowed. “You don’t seem to mind him anymore.”
“I don’t,” she said, lowering her voice as if sharing a secret. “He’s very sweet.”
“He likes you,” Braxton murmured. For a moment, neither of them looked away. He was aware of the snow building up outside. It was getting late and he should see Miss Hale home. He tried to hide a smile.
Miss Hale was strong and maybe smarter than she realized. She was also sweet and kind. And she deserved safety, more than anything. He turned back to sorting before he said something foolish.
They worked through the rest of the mess on the desk, their conversation light with a few shared glances. When they finally stacked the last set of papers, Miss Hale let out a long breath. “We did it.”
“We did,” he agreed, and gave her a warm smile.
George snored louder, pinning both their feet to the floor.
Phoebe tried to wiggle them free. “He’s heavier than he looks.”
Braxton chuckled. “Yes he is.” They pulled their feet out from underneath George, who continued to snore. “Do ya think it’s safe to leave him in here unattended? Braxton asked.
“Probably not. He’s liable to chew up the Christmas tree.” she whispered.
Braxton eyed the door on the other side of the room. “I’ll put him in the pantry. I know I’ve seen a set of keys around here. We’ll need them to lock up and can return them in the morning.”
“I’ll look for them while you take care of the dog,” she said.
Braxton gave her a nod, roused George and took him to the pantry. After securing the dog, they found the keys on Augusta’s desk.
At the coat rack, he paused before putting on his hat. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to walk ya home. The streets are quiet, but snow makes it slick, and well, after dark, who knows what could happen?”
Miss Hale’s eyes widened as she hesitated, then finally nodded. “All right.”
They locked up and left the building. The snow fell heavier now, coating the lamps and dimming their light. Miss Hale hugged herself, and Braxton had to force himself not to offer his coat. He knew she’d refuse, and he was already fighting the urge to protect her.
When they reached her building, she turned to him. “Thank you, Mr. Jones,” she said. “For everything.”
“Please, call me Braxton. With as much time as we’ve spent together, we might as well use our Christian names.” He lingered a moment longer, waiting for her to agree. When she didn’t he tipped his hat and stepped back, the snow crunching beneath his feet.
“Good night, Braxton,” she said, voice soft.
He smiled, gave her a nod. then waited until she was safely inside the building. Tomorrow, he’d find her landlord, pay what she owed and make sure she stayed housed through Christmas.
She didn’t have to know he’d done it and would tell the landlord to keep his mouth shut. And if her landlord tried to collect money from her after he’d been paid, then he’d be more than a little sorry by the time Braxton finished with him.
He studied the four-story building Phoebe had entered. It looked decent enough, and the neighborhood didn’t look run down. Still, he didn’t want to see her have to move into a cheaper place in a rougher area of the city. As unorganized as the Merriweather sisters were, it could be months before they found poor Phoebe a decent groom.
