into their depths. She knew the truth about men, though. They might be handsome and strong, but none ever stayed when it mattered. Even if they wanted to, death could take them.
His face was open, not hiding anything. Determination oozed from him. Determination that threatened her livelihood.
Mary Lou straightened to her full height and squared her shoulders. She surprised herself when she dared to lean closer to him. There was only room for breath between them. “Nor am I.”
Andrew opened the front door and stared at both of them as they jumped apart. Why did she feel guilty? She’d only been making her point to Jared. There was no reason to blush with embarrassment, but she felt the heat in her cheeks just the same.
“Good morning, Andrew.” Jared greeted the apprentice with a completely normal tone.
“Mr. Ivy.” Andrew looked at her then. “Miss Ellison. Are you okay?” He looked back at Jared. Mary Lou almost laughed at the idea that Andrew thought he might need to protect her from Jared Ivy when she was the one who had advanced on him.
“I’m fine, Andrew.”
The young man didn’t seem convinced. “Are you sure? I can stay here today instead of working my other jobs, if you need me to.” He never took his eyes off Jared, who’d turned to pull down more newspapers.
“Miss Ellison is under no threat from me, Andrew. You merely caught us drawing the battle lines for how we’ll be working together until the judge comes to Pine Haven.” He turned to Mary Lou. “And when I say ‘working together,’ I mean working in the same building. I’m not convinced we’ll be able to manage to accomplish anything together.”
So he felt it, too. There was a constant tension in the air between them. Try as they might, there was no removing the sense of an impending storm. The air was charged like a hot summer day with low, dark clouds rolling in on the horizon. Rumbles of thunder warned of the coming chaos. How would she survive two months in the same office with a man who wanted to take her business?
God, I need Your help. This man has me at my wits’ end. Two months on tenterhooks is more than I can manage on my own.
* * *
Jared put the last paper on the stack. He’d been watching Mary Lou’s reactions since she’d come into the office. Sure, she thought he was disinterested, but he wanted to see her true actions without his influence. Stepping up to him and daring him to take the Pine Haven Record from her showed spunk. No wonder Grump had liked her. Under different circumstances he’d like her, too.
Mary Lou was open. Honest. Spoke her mind.
His mother had shown none of those characteristics. How he hated that with her deathbed confessions she’d rubbed out all the memories he’d cherished. Times when she’d comforted him as a boy and told him she’d always protect him. Never once had she told him how Grump wanted to be in his life, too. She’d kept him away from his only connection to his father. He’d tried to forgive her before she died. Had promised her he had. But the bile in his throat over the lost opportunities evidenced his need to keep praying until the forgiveness he knew in his mind must be given, took root in his heart.
“If you’re sure, Miss Ellison?” At her nod, Andrew pulled a stack of newspapers from the table and headed for the door. “Then I’ll be back for the rest in an hour.” The wind caught the door and it slammed shut behind him.
Mary Lou put on her coat and picked up another, somewhat smaller, stack of papers. “There won’t be anything else to do until after lunch.” She headed for the door.
Jared grabbed his coat from the tree by the door and shrugged into it as he followed her into the brisk morning air. “Wait.”
She shook her head and said over her shoulder, “Don’t have time to wait.”
He trotted a couple of paces and caught up to her. “Where are you going with these?” He reached for the papers in her arms, but she pulled back. He put a hand on her arm, giving her no choice but to stop.
“Really, Mr. Ivy, I must insist you not hinder me in my work.”
“Our work.” At her sigh he added, “Until the judge decides, it is indeed our work.” He reached for the papers again. “At least allow me to be a gentleman and carry them for you. You can show me where you sell them. I need to learn as much as I can as quickly as possible.”
Mary Lou’s shoulders sagged just a bit and she handed over her bundle. “I guess it won’t hurt to let you meet the people who allow us to sell the newspaper in their establishments.” She took off at a brisk pace. “But you mustn’t slow me down.”
He chuckled and followed her. Yes, she was someone he’d like to know. If only they weren’t at odds over the only thing either of them wanted. The Pine Haven Record.
Mary Lou drew on all her patience and pushed open the door to the general store. With Mr. Croft having been in the middle of the shooting scene on Saturday, Mrs. Liza Croft was bound to be inquisitive today. There was no way to explain Jared Ivy. Mary Lou would just have to make the best of the situation.
She relaxed when Mr. Croft greeted her. “Mary Lou, how are you today?”
“Well, Mr. Croft. Thank you for asking.”
Jared pulled off his hat and put it into the hand under the stack of papers he carried. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Croft. I’m Jared Ivy.”
The two shook hands. “I heard you’d come to town. Sorry about your grandfather. He’d have loved to see you again.”
Jared dropped his gaze to the floor for a quick moment before he responded. “Thank you. I’d have loved an opportunity to spend time with him, too.”
“So—” Mr. Croft scratched the crown of his balding head “—what’s in the paper this week?” He took a copy from the stack Jared held.
“There’s a fine piece about the—”
Mary Lou interrupted Jared’s attempt to answer. She wouldn’t be pushed aside as if she wasn’t the owner of the paper. “I’ve written about the contested ownership of my paper and about the harvest celebration.”
Liza Croft came through the doors that led to the stock room. “I hope you wrote about the lost business the shop owners suffer when the town closes down for a celebration like that.” Her tone was snooty, as usual. Mary Lou chose to ignore her, but Jared didn’t.
“I would imagine an event that drew everyone from the surrounding area into town would bring extra business to your store.” Mary Lou caught sight of the muscle in his jaw as it worked to contain a smile.
“You’ll never convince my wife that money is made when the hours of the store are shortened.” Mr. Croft stepped behind the counter.
Jared was apparently not a man to be put off easily. “But if more people patronize your establishment before the celebration starts, the volume of sales in a shorter time frame is bound to increase profits. Even if the store closes early.”
Mrs.
