No, that was preposterous. Nothing like this had ever happened before. It was unlikely to ever happen again. That man was confused and had clearly had too much to drink. He’d found himself without money, and the easiest way to get some was to demand a refund for the elixir he’d purchased. That was all.
Willa glanced at Nick. He gave her a quick reassuring smile before his gaze turned to the sidewalk in front of them, and then the street. He was keeping watch for her, making sure she was safe. She wanted nothing more than to fling her arms about him.
Her face went warm at such a thought, and thankfully, they reached the hotel just at that moment. Nick reached awkwardly for the door and held it open for Willa.
“I’ll carry these up for you?” he asked once they were inside.
She nodded, and he followed her up the stairs and down the hallway. She found her key and opened the door before taking the parcels from Nick and setting them inside on the desk.
“Thank you,” she said, returning to where he waited in the hallway. “For everything.”
“Please,” he said, “let me know if you need an escort around town.” He glanced down at where she’d clasped her hands in front of her. After a pause, he reached for one of her hands. Willa let him take it, immediately remembering the last time he’d done so at the livery. But this time, he didn’t have the excuse of searching for a cut.
This time, he’d taken her hand because he wanted to hold it in his.
Willa’s breath caught in her throat again, and she struggled to find the words she needed to answer his offer. “Thank you,” she finally said.
He studied her face, and Willa wondered what he was looking for. She swallowed, not certain what to do or to say. Certainly no man had ever looked at her in such a way before. Should she smile, duck her head, meet his gaze?
Before she could land on a decision, he’d raised his other hand and gently cupped her jaw. His touch was feather light, and Willa felt all the breath in her body leave at once. She was lightheaded, and if she didn’t grab on to something soon, she feared she would faint right there in the hallway—all because of Nick.
He seemed to realize the effect he was having on her, because he drew both his hands away quickly and straightened. Willa swayed slightly, feeling adrift, and she clutched the doorframe.
“I must be on my way,” Nick said, his voice somewhat garbled. He cleared his throat and clasped his hands behind him. “I hope your father is doing well.”
Willa nodded, words escaping her entirely.
And with a tip of his hat, Nick was gone, leaving Willa wondering if it had all been a dream.
Chapter Fourteen
NICK KEPT HIMSELF BUSYon Friday, helping Dr. JT, who had more patients than he could handle even with the aid of his nurse. In the course of several hours, Nick had seen to a broken arm, a woman on the verge of delivering a baby, and two miners fighting a fever. It was good to be busy, though, considering it kept his mind off the dance that evening.
And every time he thought ofthat, his stomach seemed to feel as if he’d caught some strange illness related to nerves.
He grabbed a quick bite to eat in the hotel restaurant before sending for a bath and preparing for the dance. As he pulled on his jacket, he imagined Willa—who was only at the other end of the hallway—getting ready also. Getting ready for this Mr. Morgan’s arrival, that was.
