Chapter Eight
Beau opened the doorwith a flourish. There, parked just out front of the post and telegraph office, was a shiny black buggy, recently cleaned and rented with a pair of fine horses from the livery.
Faith stood hesitantly in the doorway. “We can’t. The telegraph—”
“I’ve already taken care of that. Young Mr. Hallowell here is eager to learn how to operate a telegraph. I offered to teach him if he could continue to man the machine and the office for us for an hour here and there.” Beau extended an arm toward the young man who stood nearby, hat clasped in one hand and the buggy lines in the other.
“But— but he only just watched the telegraph the other day. I try not to leave it too often.” Faith wrapped her arms around her middle, as if she were protecting herself from something.
Was it from him?
If it was the last thing he did, Beau was determined to prove himself to her.
“I don’t mind, honest, Mrs. Thor— Mrs. Landry,” Nate said.
“See? It’ll be fine, Faith.” Beau extended a hand to her.
She didn’t move. “I don’t know . . .”
Beau held up a finger to Nate, a silent request to wait while Beau crossed over to Faith. “Nate is eager to learn. The office will be in good hands. Hasn’t he done well helping you in the past?”
She flicked her eyes to Nate. “I suppose so . . .”
“Do you trust me, then?” Beau took one of her hands. He expected her to wrench it away, but she didn’t. Instead, she glanced down at their hands, intertwined.
“Yes,” she said hesitantly. “You haven’t given me a reason not to.”
Beau couldn’t help the smile that crossed his face. He’d at least proven himself trustworthy to her. And that was not something he’d take lightly. “Then come with me. Let’s enjoy an hour or two away from town.”
She looked up at him then, her skepticism finally vanquished. “All right, then. Where are we going?”
“Nowhere in particular,” he said as he nodded to Nate. The boy grinned and disappeared into the office the moment Beau took the lines from him.
“A carriage ride to nowhere,” Faith mused as he helped her into the buggy.
“Yes,” Beau said after he climbed up into the driver’s seat. He took off the brake and nudged the horses forward. “Haven’t you been on a drive just for the simple fun of the ride?”
