Ever Faithful Page 9

  “He’s nothing like my father. And what is that fragrance?” Elsie coughed, grabbing a tissue to wipe some of the perfume from her neck before it soaked in. “That’s not Les Fleurs Favorite.”

  “You simply cannot continue using those plain old Colgate scents, Elsie. Parfum is the elixir of love. If you douse yourself in cheap American toilet water, you’re going to attract cheap men.” She waved the cut-crystal bottle under Elsie’s nose. “This is the latest indulgence from Paris, Bellodgia by Caron. The perfumer in Missoula insisted it would make us smell like we’d basked in a field of Italian wildflowers flourishing in the Mediterranean sun.”

  “So are you trying to attract French or Italian men?”

  She plopped onto the corner of the bed and sighed. “Honestly, I don’t know what I want. I just know that I don’t want to be stuck with some fellow who owns a seedy two-bit motel somewhere, where I’ll be making beds for the rest of my life. Oh, Elsie, what am I going to do?” Her voice pitched upward.

  Elsie turned, the intensity of her friend’s plea jarring her from her own worries. “What do you mean? Is this about Hal?”

  “He wants to get married.” Mary’s face crumpled.

  “But that’s wonderful.” Elsie hopped up from her seat and sank onto the bed next to Mary. “Isn’t it?”

  “No. It’s awful. I can’t marry him. He’s so…so…” She shook her head, tears springing to her eyes. “So Hal.”

  “Oh, honey.” Elsie gathered Mary into her arms and squeezed her narrow shoulders. If only Rose were here. She was so much better at these sorts of things. Then again, she was still smarting over her last sweetheart. “You don’t have to marry him. Not if you don’t want to.”

  Mary coughed, then hiccupped against Elsie’s shoulder. “What if he’s my only chance? What if my darling Frenchman never comes along? Hal’s a nice fella.”

  Elsie drew back, studying Mary’s face. “Do you love him?”

  Distress passed across her face. “I don’t know.”

  The indecisiveness in her voice made Elsie pause. How could she not know what she wanted? Elsie had dreamed of teaching since she was twelve years old, sitting in the tiny classroom of Mammoth School. “Well, you don’t have to answer him right now. Tell him you need some time to think.”

  “If only I were more like you.” Mary ran a silk handkerchief under her eyes, managing to look elegant even in the middle of a crying jag. “You want an outdoorsy fella so you guys can play ranger for the rest of your life.”

  Elsie grasped the strings of compassion sliding from her fingertips. “I’ve told you before, I don’t want to get married. I want to teach.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. You can do both. Or marry a ranger and you won’t have to work. Teddy is perfect. That’s why I told him to seek you out.”

  Elsie jumped to her feet. “Mary Prosser, you didn’t!”

  Her roommate sniffled, using the tip of her pinky finger to wipe the last tear from her lashes. “You’ll thank me later. I’ll be godmother to your brood of children.” She pressed her hands over her eyes a second time. “I’ll have plenty of time because I’ll be an old maid, still mopping floors at Canyon Lodge.”

  A bitter taste rose to Elsie’s mouth as her friend played games with her sentiments. “You never should have said anything to Teddy. Now he thinks I’m interested.”

  “You are interested. And Elsie, the man’s been off fighting forest fires. He deserves to spin a pretty girl around the dance floor. You’ve already spurned Bernie. Hal says his brother is heartbroken.”

  “I doubt that.” Elsie fingered the curls tickling her neck. Bernie had never been more than a convenient placeholder so Mary could invite Elsie along on dates.

  “Please, be nice to Teddy tonight. For me?” Mary blinked her red-rimmed eyes. “I have to know someone is having fun at this party. I’ll be spending the whole night ducking Hal. Hopefully some of the CCC boys will want to dance.”

  “Of course I’ll be nice. But you must promise to stop talking about broods of children because that’s never going to happen.” Not for her.

  Mary jumped up. “Deal.” A smile crept to her face as she lifted two dresses from the bedside chair. “So which do you think I should wear—the blue or the red?”

  Elsie leaned forward to study her chin in the mirror. Was that a blemish? She glanced at the reflection of the dresses. “The blue matches your eyes.”

  “But red makes a statement.”

  How quickly Mary had recovered from her distress. Elsie turned in her seat to stare at her friend. “What sort of message are you trying to send?”

  The blonde held the red dress in front of her and swished it around. “It says, ‘I like to have fun.’ ”

  Poor Hal.

  “I like the blue. It says, ‘I am serene, like Yellowstone Lake on a sunny day.’ ”

  Her roommate made a face before tossing the garment toward her. “Then you wear it. I’m never serene. I’m bubbly and feisty like your beloved geysers.”

  She had a point. Elsie draped the pale blue crepe over her lap, the smooth fabric teasing her skin. “Can I? You wouldn’t mind?”

  “You can keep it. It looked smart in the bright lights of the department store, but out here? Not so much.” She unbuttoned the red dress and slipped it on over her chemise.

  Her definition of smart needed some alterations, but Elsie wouldn’t argue. The blue silk was much prettier than the flowered dress she’d ironed two nights ago. She hadn’t considered that she might be stepping out with a ranger. The thought settled around her shoulders like an itchy wool sweater. How had she gotten herself into this?

  She laid the dress on her bed and examined the buttons running up the front. If she adjusted a few, she should be able to alter the dress so it buttoned to her throat. Elsie glanced at Mary fussing with her face powder, adding some to the edges of her collarbone.

  Elsie picked up her best sewing needle. Mary could show a little skin. It was fine—hers was a smooth, milky white. But not Elsie’s. She guided thread through the needle’s eye. Frankenstein. That’s what the children had called her years ago, pointing and laughing. In time, she’d learned how to make the taunting stop. Buttons to her neck, and cuffs to her wrists. Out of sight, out of mind. What they couldn’t see, they couldn’t ridicule.

  She tied off the last button. The silhouette of the dress wouldn’t be as pleasing this way, but it drew attention to her most appealing feature. Men had often complimented her blue eyes and friendly smile. As long as she kept everyone’s gaze focused above the collar, she’d be perfectly fine.

  * * *

  Nate ran a wet comb through his hair, trying in vain to get the cowlick near his brow to lie flat. If only he could keep his hat on all evening. All around him in the tent, men jostled and wisecracked—some getting dressed for the dance, others grousing about being left behind. Bribing the crew with party invitations had been a wise move. Next time such a sweet delight was offered, the men would be falling over each other to volunteer for anything the park service had in mind.

  “You’re going to be a lady killer tonight, my friend.” Red slapped Nate on the shoulder. “We’re going to romance those pretty girls right out of their dancing shoes.”

  “Val will, but I’m not so sure about you.” Nate chuckled. “You still smell like soot. Did you wash?”

  Red lifted hands to his face and took a deep whiff. “You’re fooling me. I showered three times. It’s probably because I was closer to the fire.” He tugged up his sagging pants and cinched his belt. “You boys were all running scared, after all.”

  Nate hid a smile. The experience had strengthened the bond within their little group, and the good-hearted ribbing reminded him of spending time with Sherm and Charlie. So many things about his fellow workers brought up memories of his brothers. By the end of their stint here in Yell
owstone, they were going to be like family.

  Unfortunately, families didn’t always get along. Mutt moved through the narrow aisle between the cots like a bull, bumping Red’s shoulder just enough to send him stumbling.

  Red sneered. “Hey, watch it.”

  The fellow grunted. “Didn’t see you there. Maybe if you grew a few inches.”

  “Not all of us can be mountain-sized.”

  “Pah. You’re not even a molehill, Irish.”

  Nate stood. “Come on, guys. No harm done.” Emotions were already running high, and the last thing they needed was a fistfight. “We’re going to have a good time tonight, remember?”

  “Like anyone would take a second look at this runt.” Mutt jutted his chin. “Ladies don’t dance with men who are shorter than they are. You’re going to be hugging the wall all night.”

  “For your information”—Red puffed out his chest—“I already made the acquaintance of the prettiest girl there tonight, and she promised to save me a dance. I don’t wager she’ll do the same for you, with those clunky feet of yours. You’re liable to crush some dame’s toes.”

  Nate couldn’t resist glancing at Mutt’s size twelve boots. They did look rather ridiculous, especially since the man’s wrinkled trousers were a couple of inches too short.

  They’d all put on civilian clothes for the evening, but that had only served to remind everyone of what ragged situations most of them came from. When they were sporting their new oversized CCC duds, it was less obvious who had made do—for a very long time, in some cases.

  Mutt ran thumbs under his lapels, the plaid suit frayed around the hems. “Sure as sugar, the lady only fawned over you ’cause she hadn’t met me yet. I bet you five clams she drops you like a hot potato to dance with me.”

  “You’re on.”

  Nate’s shoulders knotted. Neither man had five of anything to his name, except maybe fleas. They wouldn’t get paid until the end of the month and a five-spot was all they got to keep out of their twenty-five dollar pay. Probably a good thing, too, or these fellas would be gambling away every cent.

  Val stuck his head inside the tent. “Hey fellas, our ride is here. Wait until you see it.”

  Nate slipped the comb into his pocket and jammed a flat cap on his head. He followed Mutt and Red into the brisk evening air while several of the other men trailed after to see them off.

  A smart yellow touring bus had pulled up in the yard, its canvas top rolled back. A dapper-looking fellow stood next to it, cap in hand. He shook hands with the captain before glancing around the camp with a grin. “I’m here to ferry the men to Mammoth for the dance.”

  Val, Red, Mutt, and the others piled into the vehicle with wide eyes as Dahl gave a last-minute lecture about behavior, decorum, and representing the camp.

  Nate paused beside the driver. “We appreciate the lift, sir. We’ve spent the past week bouncing around in the back of an army truck. This is a nice change of pace.”

  The man tipped back his cap. “My pleasure. I’m still learning to handle this contraption, so I’m glad for the practice. Pretty soon I’ll be hauling well-heeled visitors, so better I rehearse with you fellows.” He stuck out his hand. “Graham Brookes, at your service. Fresh in from DC.” The skin on the man’s palms was twisted with scars.

  Nate hesitated for a moment before clasping his hand. “Nate Webber—Brooklyn.”

  Brookes laughed. “You’re as far from home as I am. You must feel like you’ve been dropped on the moon.”

  “You’ve no idea.” Nate tipped his head, studying the driver’s blue eyes. “Brookes? You related to Ranger Brookes?”

  “My uncle, in fact.”

  “Nice man.”

  “He is, indeed. I wouldn’t be here otherwise. I’d been out of work for almost a year. Didn’t have two pennies to rub together. I had to beg, borrow, and practically steal to get out here.”

  Nate climbed inside, taking the seat next to the driver. You wouldn’t have known the man had ever seen tough times from the look of his pressed uniform, but the scars on his hands said otherwise. Just went to show that you couldn’t judge a book by its cover—or a man by his threads.

  “So you work for the rangers?” Nate was still struggling to figure out the pecking order around here.

  “No, I work for the Yellowstone Park Transportation Company. I’ll be running tour groups all around Wonderland.” He clamped a hand onto the gearshift and shoved as he jammed his foot on the clutch, the gears grinding. “Still can’t quite get the hang of this motor.” He cast a sideways glance at Nate. “You drive?”

  “Nah, but I’d love to learn.” Any skill he could master would be one more dime for his pocket when he got home. “Maybe you could show me sometime.”

  “Yeah, sure, if it’s all right with my boss. Took me a couple of days to read the manual on the train. But once I got behind the wheel, it started to make sense.”

  “Would I have to read the instructions? Or could you just show me around the levers and pedals?”

  Brookes chuckled. “I think it might actually be easier without being overloaded with the details. It was like trying to memorize a dictionary for a language I don’t speak.”

  The bus bumped over the road until the driver guided it behind the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel. The men in the rear grew quiet, as if the sight of the fancy hotel stole every word from their mouths.

  After Brookes stopped the vehicle, he turned around to face the other men in the company. “I hope you fellas are ready to have a good time. I know several of the ladies have been planning and decorating to their heart’s content. It might not be up to New York standards, but it’s pretty fine for this part of the country.”

  Nate clambered out of the bus and ran a hand across his rumpled suit jacket. The real question is, Are we up to their standards?

  Elsie stood back and surveyed their work. The streamers twisted their way downward from the chandelier like waterfalls. The music of Duke Ellington’s orchestra blared from Hal’s tinny-sounding phonograph, sending her heart jouncing in her chest and her toes tapping.

  As soon as he’d arrived, Teddy had jumped right in, slipping off his suit jacket and helping move tables and chairs. Now he’d gone to help Hal and Bernie set up a punch table in the rear of the room. It gave her a moment to steady her thoughts, because every time she looked at him, her nerves turned into a jangled mess.

  Rose seemed quiet and withdrawn, her freckles standing out against her pale skin. The party preparation probably reminded her of the years she’d spent here with Pete. They’d been the reigning prince and princess of Mammoth, and to see her flitting around alone didn’t seem right. But typical of Rose, she’d busied herself mixing up punch and snacks in the kitchen, a stained apron tied over her yellow-flowered dress.

  Mary dashed over from the front windows. “They’re here—the CCC boys. Elsie, I’m so nervous.” She tugged at one of her black elbow-length gloves, then ran her fingers along the low neckline of her dress. “How will we welcome them?”

  It wasn’t like her friend to be anxious around men. Elsie straightened Mary’s necklace. “How about, ‘Welcome to Mammoth Hotel’?”

  “We should have planned some grand gesture. Like singing. Or gifts.”

  “I think the grand gesture was inviting them in the first place.”

  The men sauntered in, their well-worn clothing instantly setting them apart. Most of the college boys sported stylish suits and two-tone oxford shoes.

  Mary stepped forward to greet them. “Hello, boys. Welcome. We’re just getting started. We’re still waiting on some of the guests to arrive, so please feel free to mix and mingle.”

  Elsie searched their ranks, her gaze finally settling on Nate Webber and his friend, Red. Obviously Mary had spotted them too, from the nervous way her hands were twitching at her sides. She never behav
ed this way with Hal, but then she’d known him for years now.

  Nate was clearly the best looking of the group, a fact that sent Elsie’s heart rising to her throat. Don’t be ridiculous. You’re here with Teddy. Elsie glanced back at the ranger, who seemed to be doing his best to chat with Hal and his brother. Teddy looked distinctly uncomfortable. But then, he was the only ranger here, mixed in with all the pack rats and busboys. It must be awkward.

  He turned and caught her eye, a smile brightening his face. He picked up two glasses of punch and headed her way. “You look like you could use this.”

  She took the glass from his hand. Good looking, helpful, and kind? “Thank you. Are you always so thoughtful?”

  “I try.” He gestured toward the group of men milling about in the entryway, still not comfortable enough to join the party. “I see the three-Cs are here. Shoddy-looking bunch, but they did good work on the fire. We’d still be out there if it weren’t for them.”

  “Do you know their names?”

  Teddy turned to her, his eyes crinkling around the corners as if he’d spent too many years in the bright sun. “No. I was driving a plow team, busting firebreak. The men followed behind with hand tools. We didn’t get much time to gab.”

  “Of course.” Just the word firebreak sent a shiver across her skin. It took a lot of nerve to face down a blaze and then turn around and attend a party a few days later.

  Mary was already at Red’s side, chattering a mile a minute, her eyes fixed on the redheaded worker. He gazed back at her with a lopsided grin as the other boys stood back and watched. A moment later, she’d claimed the man’s arm and led the group through the room like a tour guide, pointing out the hotel’s beautiful woodwork. The fellows seemed much more interested in her than the fine establishment. Mr. Webber hung back, staying near the door.