and cleaning that disturbing?”
“Maybe it’s you I find disturbing. You’re never what I expect you to be.”
Case said the words thoughtfully as he watched her, making Katlyn feel as if he were stripping away her secrets one by one. “You don’t know me well enough to expect anything from me,” she said lightly. “And I like the idea that I can surprise you.”
“I don’t like surprises. I’ve had enough to last a lifetime.” His expression hardened. “I want to know what to expect up front.”
As if deliberately flaunting his warning, she caught his attention again by smiling instead of retreating. “Where’s the fun in that?” she said, the gleam in her eyes pure mischief.
Case fought a surge of irritation. She’d managed once more to slip under his skin with that way she had of doing what he least anticipated.
“I’ve annoyed you again,” she said. “I’m sorry.”
“Are you?”
“Not really.”
Shaking his head, Case gave up. “Well, at least that’s honest. And now—” He glanced quickly at his watch. “It’s time for Emily’s lunch and I always try to have it with her. If you’d like to join us—”
Katlyn didn’t have time to decide whether to accept or not. The clamor of wheels and horses’ hooves drew their attention to the window as the stage rumbled past, leaving a wake of red-brown dust.
“It looks like my guests have arrived early,” Case observed.
“I’ll finish cleaning this up. I suppose it’s not good business to have your guests tripping over buckets.” Glad for the distraction, Katlyn hurried off to retrieve the bucket and cloths that Becky hadn’t yet taken away. She left Case to remove the ladder as she gave the furniture a final swipe with her rag.
She’d just finished stowing the last of it when Case strode over to pull the front doors open and welcome in two elderly couples, one of them accompanied by a young woman.
Katlyn scarcely heard Case’s smooth greeting and the easy way he had of organizing his staff to collect luggage and escort the guests to their various rooms. Instead she tried to stay as far in the background as possible, waiting for a chance to ease away before anyone noticed her.
She could have cheerfully strangled Case when he turned from welcoming the guests and beckoned, fixing all eyes on her. “Miss Rose, come and meet our guests.”
Just stopping herself from glaring at him, Katlyn pasted on a bright smile. As Case introduced her as Penelope Rose, she tried not to cringe at the name or to think about how she looked after a morning of bathing in dust.
“Oh, Miss Rose, it’s such a pleasure,” one of the gentlemen said as he took her hand. He peered at her through small, round spectacles, his withered hand pumping hers in pleasure. “I heard you sing once, oh, many years ago, when I was visiting a niece in St. Louis. I told my wife then, I had never heard such a beautiful voice. You’re the reason we decided to stop here on our way down to Santa Fe. When I heard you were here at the St. Martin, I insisted we come.”
“Thank you. Perhaps you’ll come and hear me sing again tonight then,” Katlyn said, fervently wishing he would do anything but.
Unfortunately, the man bobbed his head in enthusiasm. “I shall, we all shall. You know, my dear…” He took off his spectacles and polished them on a large handkerchief. Then, putting them back on, he squinted at her again. “You look as young and lovely as you did then. Why it seems you haven’t changed a bit in all these years.”
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