put up with him until the judge comes through town again. Maybe a month or two.”
“How do you do, sir?” Andrew offered his hand and pulled it back at the last second when he realized how much ink was on it.
“Hello, Andrew.”
“Andrew is my apprentice. He helps with many of the odd jobs involved in putting out the paper.”
Jared looked at Mary Lou, carefully inking the press for another copy. “I told you I thought there was more to the story.”
She didn’t even look up; just put the ink roller down while Andrew loaded the next sheet of paper. He cranked it under the press and pulled the lever to print the page.
“Was there?” She looked doubtful as she helped Andrew remove the paper and grabbed the ink roller again.
“I’m not exactly sure.” He leaned against the desk. “Something about the man doesn’t fit.”
Mary Lou continued to work with Andrew. Jared watched them move with motions seemingly synchronized by the experience of having worked together for a long time.
“Then I’m glad I didn’t hold the press for you. I won’t print something that’s vague or unfounded.”
“It’s not unfounded. And I’ve got equal say about what gets printed.”
“Equal say? That’s not how I heard the sheriff.” She argued without missing a lick at the work she and Andrew did.
“He said we have to work together.”
“That’s fine. You can start where everyone else who ever worked here started. You can sweep up, and I’ll teach you how to clean the press when we’re finished printing. Next week you should be able to clean it on your own.”
“What?” How dare she speak to him like a subordinate? “I’m not a hired hand or apprentice. I’m the owner. And I won’t be ordered about by you or anyone else.” She had nerve. That much was clear. He’d have to hold a tight line with her or she’d find a way to send him packing before the judge ever came to town.
“I’m just telling you what Jacob Ivy would have told you.” She motioned for Andrew to move a stack of blank paper closer. “No one puts a word in a story of the Pine Haven Record until they’ve proved themselves. I’m quite certain he’d have made no exception for you.”
The thought of Grump making her sweep the floors and clean the press made him smile. “Is that how you started?”
“It is.” She lowered the paper into place and Andrew cranked to move it under the press.
The teenager nodded. “Me, too. I’ve only been allowed to work on the press since about a year ago when Mr. Ivy started slowing down and passing the work load to Miss Ellison.”
Jared wasn’t surprised at Grump’s methods. It made sense. “How long have you worked here, Andrew?”
“Two years, sir.” He pulled the lever and the press lowered again. The two of them were efficient.
“Andrew’s very smart, though. Don’t expect to move up as quickly as he did.” Mary Lou let a tiny grin show at her words.
“I’ll try to keep up.” Jared laughed. So she was sarcastic, too. He appreciated her refusal to back down from controversy. Under different circumstances—like him not being the cause of the controversy—Jared might be attracted to a woman like Mary Lou Ellison.
She pushed the thought out of his mind with a smirk. “See that you do.”
He sobered and stood his ground on the matter. “I want to learn every aspect of the business. But I won’t be pushed to the side like I’m not the owner.”
Mary Lou stopped her work. “What exactly do you want me to do?”
“Consider what I’ve learned about Elmer Finch.” He pushed off his resting place against the desk and paced the front of the office.
“Who is Elmer Finch?” She drummed her fingers on the edge of the press as if she itched to get back to work.
“He’s the man the sheriff arrested. The newsagent for the railroad. But why was he running away when you opened the door?”
She raised her eyebrows. “Perhaps to avoid being caught up in the gunfire?”
“But his gun was drawn. Most people run without stopping to draw their weapon. And if he was going to return fire, wouldn’t he have taken cover inside the saloon?”
“Wait.” She creased her brow. “He said he’s the newsagent? I’ve never seen him before. The newsagent is an older man, slight-framed, with a mustache.”
Jared shook his head. “He said it’s his first day with the railroad.”
The whistle sounded, signaling the departure of the train. “He convinced the sheriff to release him, so he wouldn’t miss the train.”
“Hmm...” She tapped her finger on the top of her lip just below her nose. Her mouth was a straight line as she thought. “If he’s the newsagent, he’ll be back. The same man has ridden this route since the train came to Pine Haven last year. I have no objection if you feel pressed to pursue an answer to your questions.” She inked the plate again and set the roller aside. “But I won’t be willing to print anything that isn’t verified.”
He reached for a newspaper and pulled it from where it hung to dry. The headline jumped off the page: Jacob Ivy’s Grandson Seeks Ownership of Record. He lowered the paper and looked at her. “I see you added the latest news. Dare I read the content of the article? Am I a villain in your story?”
“I hold myself to the same high standards I told you about. There is nothing in the story of bias or opinion. Merely a statement of facts.”
He moved behind the desk and gestured at the chair. “May I?”
“I’m not sure I have a choice in the matter.” She turned back to the press.
The article was just as she’d said. Clear. Concise. Without bias or conjecture.
It was a surprise after the way she’d resisted his arrival and insisted the paper was solely hers. He hoped she’d maintain that approach after the judge declared him to be the rightful owner.
He looked over the top of the paper at her. “You left out the part about me coming here after being a ranch hand for several years.”
She kept working without looking at him. “Humph. If you had come back to the office, instead of traipsing all over town, I’d have had time for a proper interview. I was only able to include the limited knowledge I have of you.”
He raised the paper to finish reading. She wasn’t one to be backed down. He could see that.
Watching her work today, and reading her story, gave him insight into why Grump had taken her on. Would it be lunacy to ask her to stay on once the paper was his? That depended on whether or not she’d only befriended his grandfather for the inheritance.
He
