He watched her go. She was exactly what Daisy needed at the moment. Someone to talk to other than Liam and himself. Even though she’d not complained, it couldn’t be fun doing nothing all day but cleaning and feeding an old man who was bed-bound. A friend would be good for Daisy, especially if she accepted his marriage proposal and stayed in Butte with him.
He paused at the thought. Did that mean he’d decided, then? Was he seriously thinking of taking Liam’s offer? Subconsciously, he did, or he wouldn’t have had the thought. Staying felt—right. It was too good an opportunity to pass up. He’d be stupid to turn it down. But Daisy missed her family, and getting her to stay wouldn’t be easy. He wasn’t even sure of her feelings for him. She seemed to enjoy his kisses, but that didn’t mean she’d leave the life she had in Silver Falls and stay with him. Unless she had good reason to. He spent the next hour on chores and by lunch, was eager to see Daisy, but first, he had a stop to make.
The mercantile was busy when he walked inside. It was larger than the Campbell's place in Silver Falls, but with a town this size, he supposed it needed to be. Several clerks were behind the counter, with even more out on the floor stocking shelves. He looked at the goods on display before making his way to the front of the store. An older woman with a kind face spotted him and smiled.
“Good afternoon,” she said. “You look lost.”
“It's my first time in here.” He looked around the store again. “It’s a lot to take in.”
“That it is.” She gave him another smile. “And welcome. I’m Deloris. The owner. Is there anything in particular you were looking for?”
He nodded. “I’m looking for a ring.”
“For a man or woman?”
“A woman.” He smiled and said, “I’m getting married.” I hope.
She pulled out a small velvet-lined box full of rings from under the counter. They were all pretty, some more so than others. The prices on most of them were more than he made in a single month. Daisy deserved the best, but he’d never be able to afford them.
“You don’t have to pay for it all at once,” Deloris told him. “You can pay on it when you can and pick it up once you’ve made all the payments.”
He glanced up from the ring box. “You’d do that?”
“Of course,” she said. “We do it all the time.”
Picking one was hard, but he finally settled on a modest ring with a small red stone in it. It wasn’t the most expensive, but it wouldn’t take long to pay it off. Deloris drew up an agreement for him and had him sign it, then set the ring aside in a small box before putting it and his signed loan papers on a shelf behind the counter.
He thanked her for her help and headed to the door, but stopped when he saw a table full of books, one in particular catching his attention. It was covered with a thin layer of dust. No one had picked it up in some time, but he did. He thought of Daisy as he opened the front cover, his smile widening as he thumbed through the pages. He turned back to the counter. Deloris was still watching him.
“Did you find something else of interest?” she asked.
He walked back to the counter. “Yes, this.” Placing the book down, Deloris had a strange look on her face when she looked at it.
“Ah,” she said, a sad smile turning the corner of her mouth. “I bought this for my daughter.”
“Really?” Was there someone in this town that Daisy could relate to?
Deloris nodded. “She died last winter.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.”
Deloris inhaled a deep breath. “Are you just curious or do you know someone who can use it?”
“My girl,” he answered.
Deloris nodded and looked down at the book. “Well, consider it a wedding gift.” She beamed at him, the sadness he’d seen in her face now gone. “I hope she finds it useful.”
“I’m sure she will.” Clay thanked her and headed outside, tucking the book under one arm when he reached the sidewalk. He headed back to the livery with a bounce in his step. It was going to be a good day.
Daisy had turned around and found someone looking at her so many times in her life, she should be used to it now. She wasn’t. Seeing Callie standing just inside the door startled her so badly, she yelped.
Callie grinned and said, “Sorry. I wasn’t sure how else to get your attention. It’s not like you’d hear me knocking.”
Daisy laughed, a hand going to her chest to still her pounding heart. “It’s okay. It happens all the time. My family does the same thing.”
Callie looked around the small house while taking off her coat and hat. “This is warmer than the tack room.”
“It is.” Liam’s house was nowhere near as large as her family’s home, but she liked it. It was less to clean, which was a plus, and with it being so small, it felt cozy and warm.
