Page 13 of Falling for the Cowgirl
“How do I look?” The slant of the ceiling of the dormer room prevented Ivy from straightening all the way. But she managed to twirl around anyway and give Astrid full view of her appearance.
Perched on the edge of the bed they shared, Astrid cocked her head, studying Ivy with narrowed eyes. “If I tell you the truth, do you promise not to be sore at me?”
Ivy paused and swished the green skirt with white pinstripes, relishing the silkiness against her bare legs. She knew she needed to wear the petticoat that had come with the outfit, but the fancy skirt was progress enough without having all the other stuff underneath.
“Of course I won’t be sore.” Ivy smoothed a hand over the matching bodice and the tiny velvet-covered buttons that ran up the front, for once wishing their room had a mirror.
Astrid stood and folded her hands. “The bodice is much too tight.”
Ivy glanced down at her chest. The buttons did strain alittle, but who would notice? Especially with the lacy collar and identical lace at the cuffs of each sleeve.
“You should take out the seams as Linnea suggested.”
“It’ll be fine.” Ivy swiped up a straw hat with a ribbon of the same pinstripe material and dainty flower on the side. “What do you think?”
“Wear it like this.” Astrid tilted it so far, Ivy was afraid it would slip off.
Earlier in the spring, Linnea had given Ivy a trunk full of gowns she no longer wore. They were all much fancier than anything Ivy had ever owned, but for a wealthy eastern lady like Linnea, the clothing had become outdated. Since Linnea’s mother sent her new garments from time to time, Linnea had no need to hang on to everything.
At first Ivy had been skeptical of accepting the gift, but with Greta and Astrid encouraging her to, she’d decided it wouldn’t hurt anything to wear a nicer outfit now and again.
She took off the hat and smoothed back her hair, which Astrid had already styled for her in a braid wrapped into a knot. “I look like a heifer playing dress-up.”
“You look just fine.” Astrid fluffed out her own skirt, a fashionable gown she’d sewn herself. Her light brown hair was perfectly coiled in a chignon. With her pale skin and dainty features, she was every inch a lady. And she acted like one too. The fun, precocious Astrid who’d loved adventures was long gone.
At sixteen, Astrid had mostly overcome the consumption that had brought her and Greta to Colorado. She still struggled with shortness of breath occasionally, but she’d learned to manage her breathing, had in fact become quite proficient in all things having to do with health and medicine.She even talked of going east someday and getting nurses’ training.
Ivy released a sigh. She was never gonna be as smart or as pretty or as refined as Astrid. And she wasn’t sure why she was trying, except that she liked the attention fellas paid her when she walked around in her new clothing instead of the old, worn stuff.
Of course, Jericho hadn’t paid her much attention last night when she’d gone to the effort of changing back into what she’d worn to church. His eyes had widened with surprise when he’d first seen her. But then he’d mostly ignored her the rest of the evening. Just like he’d always done.
She obviously hadn’t impressed him none. She never had.
Picking up her shoes and stockings, she started to the door.
Astrid followed. “You really should put your shoes on before you go down. Real ladies don’t walk around barefoot.”
“I’ll put them on right before I get to town.” Ivy had always gone barefoot in the summer, and if she had to wear shoes, she preferred her boots over the satiny pointed things that had been in Linnea’s trunk.
Astrid just shook her head as they crossed the hallway toward Ellie and Ty’s room. They helped the two children dress and finish making their beds before leading them downstairs, the usual scent of bacon and eggs and coffee drawing them.
Wyatt was already at work, up before daybreak with the rest of the ranch hands. Greta, too, had been busy, preparing her butter and eggs for her Monday-morning trip to town. Today, Ivy was going with and intended to visit Mr. Steele and give him everything she’d already saved toward the land.Once he saw her hard-earned dollars and realized she was serious about purchasing the property, he’d hold it for her.
That was why she’d dressed up. So Mr. Steele would see her as a grown woman, someone respectable, a buyer he could take seriously.
She hadn’t taken extra care with her appearance for Jericho. Not in the least.
But all the while she ate her breakfast and helped Ellie and Ty and Ryder with theirs, she kept one eye on the door, waiting for Jericho to come walking through. Wyatt had told him he could take his meals with them in the house instead of with the cowhands, who had their own cook. The cook was decent enough. She’d sampled his vittles during cattle drives, the extended times when he followed along behind the drovers in his wagon.
Didn’t matter. Greta was a superior cook. Her and Judd’s garden was enormous. And the meals were better by far.
So where was Jericho?
By the time Ivy finished the morning meal and cleaned up, her insides felt half-baked. So during the ride to town, she chawed herself out for letting herself think on him so much.
As Greta directed the team and wagon down Main Street, Ivy finally put on her shoes. The wagon wheels kicked up clouds of dust—adding to the grimy film that covered the front windows of all the businesses. At midmorning, the town was busy, mostly with men loitering about. But more women were moving into the area every year, and new homes were being built.
When the wagon rattled to a halt in front of Simpkins General Store, Ivy hopped down and winced at the tightness against her toes.
