up housekeeping this week. I swear even civilized men would be happy living in a cave. But I told Zachariah that our house would be perfect before we lived there.”
Spinster Sarah nodded as if she had a clue as to what “setting up housekeeping” meant. “It was sweet of Zachariah to surprise you and build a new house as a wedding gift.”
“It is a blessing he has the means to support us.” Mary’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully on Dinah. “I’d just finished telling Sarah that I won’t be teaching in Sundance in the fall. So maybe if you apply, Dinah, you’ll get lucky and land a real teaching job.”
Both Mary and Sarah laughed.
And…Dinah had had enough. She grabbed her plate and her cup and said, “Excuse me,” rising to leave. Skirting the groups of people who’d already started playing games, she stormed to the buggy.
Nasty, mean cow, saying whatever nasty, mean thing that popped into her small mind.
She wanted to scream. Throw things. Challenge Mary to a fight to see how well a real teacher could defend herself.
She froze. Fight her? Why had that jumped into her head? Fists never solved anything.
It was that brawler McKay’s fault.
“Dinah?”
Speak of the devil. “What?”
“What was that remark about you not bein’ a real teacher?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
He spun her around and then stepped back. “Uh-oh, sugar pie, I don’t like the mean glint in them pretty eyes. So I’m gonna go get my horse and hook up to the buggy. Then we’ll leave.”
“I have to get my picnic basket.”
“Best be doin’ it then.”
Maybe she acquired a small sense of satisfaction seeing that Esther’s fancy vittles sat mostly untouched while only a crust of bread remained of the food Dinah had brought.
She packed up everything and returned to the buggy, still angry about the exchange Silas had witnessed.
“Gonna make a suggestion. While I’m hitchin’ up, you go refill our cups. Might as well get our money’s worth.”
“Silas. I don’t care about that.”
“Trust me on this, okay? Look. There ain’t nobody over there so it ain’t like you gotta make nice. Now git.”
She might’ve flounced off at his now git command. And she might’ve stood there and poured herself a cup and drank it before she refilled their cups.
“I was hoping I’d see you!”
Dinah turned and was enveloped in a hug and a cloud of peony perfume.
Then Beatrice Talbot gawped over her shoulder at the man messing with the buggy. “Please tell me Deputy McKay is courting you.”
“Silas McKay, the deputy’s twin brother, is courting me,” she said with a little pride.
“Heavens, there are two of them? How is that even fair?”
She laughed. “They may look exactly alike but they are different as night and day. Anyway, how are you?”
“Feeling guilty that we haven’t seen each other since school let out.”
“I know. But I heard you were visiting family in Billings for the summer?”
“I was there for two weeks for my sister’s wedding. There’s so much going on with building this new house and the bank that I can’t be away for long.”
“I would love to catch up with you,” Dinah said. “When would be a good time for me to ride over for a visit?”
Bea tapped her chin with a gloved finger and then her face lit up. “Andrew has bank business in Casper, and he’s been fretting about leaving me alone since I can’t come with him. You should stay with me! That would kill two birds with one stone.”
“When is Andrew leaving?”
“A week from Friday. You could ride over in the afternoon and we could do something fun that night. Andrew will be back late Saturday night.”
That did sound like fun. Beatrice was the only real friend she’d made in the last year. “If Andrew’s plans change, let me know. Otherwise, I will be there.”
Beatrice clapped and hugged her again. “Feel free to bring a bottle of that plum wine you made last summer.”
“I will.” Dinah grinned and hugged her one last time. “I’m so happy we ran into each other.”
“Me too. Ta-ta.” Beatrice flitted off.
After she refilled the cups, she meandered back to the buggy, lost in thought.
She noticed Silas had tucked the picnic basket and his saddlebag under the seat.
“It appeared you saw at least one friendly face here,” he said.
“That’s Beatrice Talbot.”
“How do you know her?”
“Last summer she twisted her ankle while at the hardware store in Labelle and Jimmy fetched Doc. I tagged along with him when he went to examine her. She’d just gotten married