Page 25 of A Joyful Ring
“I don’t think there’s any harm in it,” Gundersaid, hoping he sounded assuring. Men tended to leave well enough alone, but the women he knew needed to be involved. To make connections and build friendships when possible. If he could do something to set Risa’s mind at ease, he would. It seemed the thing right now was for her to meet Mrs. Franklin.
Although he had no idea how he’d do it, he fully intended to convince Mrs. Franklin she had to agree to a picnic on Sunday. He’d figure out the best location for their gathering on his way to Baker City and be prepared to offer Mrs. Franklin exacting detail about where they could meet. It was too bad there weren’t any grassy places, or even shade trees, but at least the weather wasn’t scorching, and hopefully there wouldn’t be any snakes nearby to scare the women half to death.
At Risa’s door, she turned and gave Gunder a hug. He gingerly held her, afraid if he allowed himself to pull her close, he’d never be able to let her go.
“Thank you, Gunder. Be careful on your drive tomorrow. I’m so happy about your silver. Will you make a bell or jewelry first?”
“Probably jewelry, because it will be faster to create and easier to sell.”
“That’s wise. I will look forward to seeing your creations.” Risa kissed his cheek, then hurried inside the house.
Gunder listened as the lock clicked on the door before he started back toward his tent.
He’d only taken half a dozen steps when he heard Risa call his name. He spun around as she rantoward him.
“You need a little something to celebrate the silver,” she said, and placed a napkin-wrapped bundle into his hand.
“Thank you, Ree,” he said, and kissed her cheek, then hastily left before he succumbed to the need to press his lips to hers.
When he reached his tent, he lit a lantern and unwrapped the bundle, pleased to find a handful of the jam-filled cookies that were his favorites. They reminded him of a Swedish cookie his mother often made. He ate three cookies, then retrieved his cast-iron pot and the lid, already thinking about the possibilities of what he could create.
Chapter Six
“Ican’t believe you two went behind my back and conspired all this,” Lars groused as Gunder drove the three of them in a wagonette borrowed from Silas Evans toward Baker City.
“We didn’t conspire, Papa. It was more like planning a surprise,” Risa said, trying to convince herself of that as well as her father. She stood and held on to the back of the front seat for balance. “Aren’t you pleased Mrs. Franklin agreed to meet us for lunch?”
“Yes. No. I don’t know!” Her father looked over his shoulder at her with a scowl. “Why is it you two felt a need to meddle?”
Aware of Gunder giving her a sideways glance, Risa sighed. “We aren’t meddling, Papa. It’s just …” She paused, uncertain what to say to help her father understand she had good intentions, even if hedidn’t see it that way. “I wanted to meet the woman who clearly is important to you. When you speak of her, Papa, your whole face fills with joy. Please don’t be angry. Gunder thought meeting for a picnic would be the easiest way for me to become acquainted with Mrs. Franklin. She seemed pleased by the invitation, didn’t she, Gunder?”
Gunder glared at her as though he didn’t want to be dragged into the mess she’d made with her father, but since it had been his idea, and he was driving them, he was elbow-deep whether he liked it or not.
“She did seem quite happy with Risa’s letter, sir. Mrs. Franklin was immediately agreeable to meeting. She mentioned riding with a friend so she wouldn’t be traveling alone.” Gunder looked at Risa with a light in his eyes that made warmth spread through her before he glanced at her father again. “We thought gathering at one o’clock would give us time to attend church and then meet.”
“Humph!” Lars crossed his arms over his chest, his brow furrowed in anger.
Much to Risa’s surprise, Gunder looked back at her with a teasing grin. “Perhaps you should feed your father a cookie so he isn’t quite so grumpy.”
Lars shook a fist at Gunder in feigned fury, then a laugh burst out of him. “I ought to teach you two upstarts a lesson, but I am grateful for this opportunity for Risa to meet Gloria.”
Risa regained her seat and brushed her hand over the smooth crimson leather. The wagonette had a seat in the front for the driver and a passenger, then two bench seats facing each other in the back.It would be perfect for their picnic today when Mrs. Franklin joined them.
“It was very kind of you to arrange for the wagonette, Gunder,” she said, admiring the black trim and polished wood of their conveyance. “We can travel so much faster this way, and in comfort.”
“Silas was happy to help, especially when I promised I’d lend him a hand when I get back from my next run to Baker City with a project that requires four hands.” Gunder tipped his head toward the horses. “Your team is a fine one.”
“King and Prince are good lads,” Lars said, looking fondly at the two geldings. They refused to be apart, so Gunder had simply harnessed both of them to the wagonette. It made the trip go fast with two big horses pulling them.
Risa had risen early to prepare food for the picnic and hoped Mrs. Franklin would enjoy her cooking. The lunch she’d made wasn’t fancy, but it would be plentiful and tasty.
Worried about meeting the woman her father obviously held in high regard, Risa had dressed with extra care, choosing to don her best outfit, which happened to be the skirt and matching jacket with the white shirtwaist she’d made from Mrs. Baldwin’s old curtains. She’d worn her one pair of gloves, which were black, and her only hat, also black, but she’d formed a flower out of leftover fabric from the curtain and fastened it to the hat, along with a ribbon she’d carefully pressed the fold marks from before she’d looped it into a bow surrounding the flower.
As though he sensed the worries churning inher thoughts, Gunder glanced back at her with a reassuring smile.
Risa wondered when she’d fallen so completely and helplessly in love with the man. It might have been that first day she’d seen him on his way to the church service, or it could have been any number of times she’d spent around him since then.
Gunder was not who she’d envisioned for her future. She had no intention of marrying someone who worked for the mine. If the mine unexpectedly played out, or a new strike caught their interest, miners would be off to the next opportunity, never setting down roots.
