Page 97 of Texas Glory
She began to slip her hands back into her gloves. Mr. Oliver motioned her over.
“This has been my best year yet, what with them women waiters you got working in the restaurant. You better plan on putting a Christmas tree up in that hotel so them cowboys have a place to put all the presents they’ve purchased for them gals.”
The first group of women had arrived in October. When they had completed their training, Cordelia had opened the restaurant and the first and second floor of the hotel. She was still furnishing the third floor, but business was good. Leighton was expanding. She squeezed Mr. Oliver’s hand. “Wait until next year. I’ll have another group of women arriving in the spring.”
“Lordy, we’re gonna be a real town. I had some doubts in the beginning—”
“Faith, Mr. Oliver. You had faith in Dallas’s judgment or you wouldn’t be here.”
She swept out of the general store. The wind buffeted her as she walked across the street to the clothing store. Bells tinkled over her head when she opened the door and stepped into the shop.
A robust woman with flaming red hair, Mimi St. Claire thrust aside the curtains that led to her sewing room, making a grand entrance into her own establishment.
“You are here for zee beautiful red dress with zee big belly. Yes?”
Cordelia laughed at the description of the dress. She was rapidly losing her waistline and cared not one whit. “Yes. Is it ready?”
“Of course, madam. Your husband pays me too well to make certain your clothes are ready on time.”
“He wasn’t supposed to know about this.”
“He does not know.” She lifted a shoulder. “Still, he would expect me to add a little extra to his bill.”
“We wouldn’t want to disappoint him, would we?” Cordelia teased.
“Of course not. I finished zee coat for Rawley, too. I gave it to him yesterday when zee winds began to blow. It is too cold for a little boy who has no meat on his bones.”
Reaching out, Cordelia squeezed her arm. “Thank you. Double the extra that you add to our bill.”
Mimi waved her hand in the air. “Zat I do for nothing except zee cost of zee materials which you can afford and I cannot.”
“Fair enough. Wrap up the dress. We’ll be taking it with us when we leave.”
Mimi wagged her finger at Cordelia. “But you cannot wear it until Christmas, no matter how tempting it becomes to please your husband before zen—because zis will please him.”
“I know it will. Thank you for having it ready.”
Bracing herself for the onslaught of cold, she opened the door, rushed outside, and scurried along the boardwalk until she reached the tanner’s. She slipped inside. Dallas turned away from the counter.
Smiling, he opened his coat. She burrowed against him as closely as she could, hampered by the child growing within her.
“Glad you dropped by,” he said. “I need to know what we’re going to name our son.”
“You need to know right this minute?”
“Yep. I’m gonna have his initials put right here on this saddle.”
In disbelief she stared at his blunt-tipped finger pressing into the corner of a small saddle resting on the counter. “Tell me you did not purchase that saddle.”
“My son’s gonna need it.”
“Not for years.”
He kissed the tip of her nose, a habit he’d acquired when he wanted to distract her from pointing out the purchases he was making too soon. Pint-size boots with intricate stitching and a tiny black Stetson hat were already waiting in the nursery.
“Your nose is cold. There’s a hotel up the street.
We could get ourselves a room. I could warm you—” “Dallas, we’re not visitors here. We live—” “An hour away in the cold. It would only take us a minute to get to the hotel. Come on, Dee. Let me warm you.”
