Now was as good a time as any to approach some of the businesses in town about electricity. Since one of the mines dropped, he had time and some extra materials. He visited the railroad station first and found Sol Medina, the station master, in the passenger depot carrying a bedpan.

Boone laughed. “Hello, Sol. I’d extend my hand to you but . . .” he just pointed to the pan.

“Jaron Creel went and broke his leg, and I’m helping the women the doc sent over to care for him.” He walked to the room in the back and set the pan under the chair by the door.

Boone could see a pretty woman feeding Jaron some soup.

“I know what you’re here about. I’ve heard the talk, and I’ve seen the lights for myself at the Telluride station. We want that here. Put us on the list.”

He reached out as if to shake on it, but Boone lifted his hands in the air, and chuckled, then said, “We’ve got a deal.”

“Yeah. Now, I’ll go wash up.” He looked at his hands then pushed them into his pockets.

“We’ll be here around the new year to get started. We’ll be in touch again soon.”

He visited with the owners of the livery, mercantile, telegraph office, and finally met with Edwin and Hugh about installing lights at the boarding house and restaurant.

Later that evening, Boone and Holt sat in the dining room at Hearth and Home. Boone wondered if he’d be taking his brother to the theater or if Doni had talked Diane into coming along, and they’d all be going. Boone wanted the whole town to see him sitting with Doni.

He heard boots clicking softly in the second floor hallway, then saw lady’s boots coming down the staircase, but they weren’t Doni’s. How odd that he thought he’d recognize her footwear. His ma came down and stood before them.

“Looking for someone?” she asked, eyebrows raised.

“I’m meeting Donella.”

“Have a nice night,” she said and walked around the corner, giggling.

The men sat back down to wait again. Within moments, two more pair of ladies’ boots were at the top of the stairs. Boone and Holt were on their feet again. This time however, it was to Millie and Julianne. The men tipped their heads in greeting and then sat back down. Boone hardly felt the seat beneath him when more boots started down the treads. Again the brothers rose from their chairs. This time Rhona and Aileen were walking down. Boone decided not to sit down, and they just stood and waited.

Shortly, Vivian was walking down in front of several people. As their faces were revealed, he recognized his mother, Millie, Julianne, and Eileen behind her. The women must have been going back up the servants’ staircase. Very funny. Isla came down holding two coats.

When the women got to the bottom, they broke out in laughter.

“All right,” he said. “Very funny.” He sat down at the table.

“They’re coming down right now,” Seffi said, still laughing.

His ma took great joy in teasing. He wasn’t gonna fall for that again. This time Donella and Diane walked down. Boone jumped back up and met them at the bottom of the staircase.

Isla cleared her throat. “Donella says that you believe you can tell the two of them apart. Here are their coats. Which one is Donella?”

“And if I get it right?” Boone picked up the red wool coat.

“They’ll both go to the theater,” Isla answered.

“What if I get it wrong?”

Isla shrugged.

Boone looked at the two women—identical in every way. Finally, he looked straight into their eyes. Although they were the same color, one set looked back at him with what he thought was hope. He stepped behind her and helped her on with her coat. “Are you ready to go, Doni?” he asked.

Her smile broadened. “Yes, I am.”

The ladies close by laughed and congratulated him, then dispersed.

Holt picked up the other coat and assisted Diane.

Donella turn to her sister and said, “Diane, you’ve met Mr. Boone Morgan, and this is his brother, Mr. Holt Morgan.” She turned back to Boone and gave him a smile. “Thank you for inviting us to the theater. We accept.”

When they reached the theater, they found there were only four seats together in the very back row. Boone walked between the chairs to the farthest seat in the corner. Donella followed him with Diane and Holt after that. He waited for Donella to sit first, but she scooted her chair over until it touched his.

She gave him a slight smile and said, “My sister’s dress and mine are so big I think we need a little more room between us.” Then she winked at Boone and his heart practically leapt out of his chest.

The show started not long after they settled in with several men coming and going onstage doing silly clown routines. Boone loved the giggle he heard from Donella. He listened carefully to hear how it was different from Diane’s. It was a little faster and a little higher. The next act came out—a dramatic reading. He felt Donella lean against him, their shoulders rubbing against his arm. He had no idea what the reading was about but enjoyed her touch as her hand slid behind his elbow and rested on his forearm. When the woman left the stage, Donella clapped lightly and then placed her hand inside of his.

The soprano was performing next. Donella’s hand was small and soft in his. Boone’s thumb drew circles on the flesh by her thumb. After the song, they both clapped politely and then Donella replaced her hand in his and leaned her head against his shoulder. Coming to the theater was a wonderful idea. He was happy to let Donella lead the intimacy she was comfortable with, enjoying each new sensation her touches brought. No other woman he’d met made his pulse race the way Doni did.

Another song ended, and when they clapped that time, Boone moved his arm quickly out of reach, placing it around the back of her chair. His other hand reached across his lap to hold her hand, and Doni snuggled closer.

Boone was grateful for the theater, thankful for the back row, and glad to be there with Donella. He reveled in her touches and wanted more. As if she could hear what he was thinking, her eyes tipped up toward him and she gave him a soft smile.

He was also grateful for the darkest corner in the room with no one sitting around them. There were seats here and there that were unoccupied, including two seats in front of them. He wanted to feel her lips. He leaned close to her and whispered, their cheeks touching each other’s.

“May I kiss you?” He could feel her nodding against him, and their faces slowly moved until first just the corner of their mouths and then their full lips touched.

His arm around her chair pulled her closer. Every tender feeling in his body rushed from him to attach to her. He felt an eager affection coming from her as she pressed her lips firmly to his, and his heart turned over in response. He wanted to hold her and love her for the rest of his life.

The audience clapped loudly and rose to their feet. Boone only looked into Doni’s eyes as she gazed back softly. His knuckles brushed her jaw, and then he leaned his forehead against hers.

Trying to calm the passion racing though him, he pulled in a deep breath. “It sounds like we missed something important,” he said. “I can bring you back if you’d like.”

“If we have these seats again, we’d probably miss more,” she said with a smile.

Boone and Holt drove the women back to the boarding house and walked them inside. There were a lot of people sitting at the tables. Mr. and Mrs. Moore and Dorothy were there, as were the McRaes and the Fontaines, and a lot more who he didn’t know.

Donella waved Boone over. “I’d like you to meet my family.” She began introducing everyone. She led him first to a man in a wheelchair. “Father, this is Boone Morgan. Boone, this is my father, Morris Turley.”

“Oh, the young man bringing electric lights to our little town.” He extended his hand and shook Boone’s.

“Yes, sir. I hope to bring them into town after we get the mines set up.”

The one that seemed to matter the most at that moment was her father. He knew he’d be talking with him soon.

“There are more of us. Come meet my younger sisters. Pam and Polly.” She must have noticed the surprise in his expression, and she added. “We have a lot of twins in our family.”

After they made the rounds, the brothers left and got back in their sleigh, with Holt taking up the reins. “What was that going on back there in the theater?” he asked.

Boone considered how to answer the question and blurted the only thing that made sense. “I kissed my wife.” Out of the corner of his eye, Boone saw Holt’s head whip his way. He imagined that Holt’s mouth was hanging open as well.

“You did, huh?”

“I hope so.” Boone’s heart banged against his chest.

They drove the next block in silence.

As they approached the warehouse, they saw a man kneeling beside a stack of burning logs next to their wall. The man looked up and took off running. Boone jumped from the sleigh and followed, but he was too far behind, and the man crossed Old Mill Road and into the tent city before he made it to the road. Boone ran back to the warehouse to find that Holt had kicked the logs away and was inspecting damage.

“We got here just in time,” Holt said. “A few more minutes and we would have lost all of our supplies.”

“We’d better leave a watch on the outside of the building from now on.” They walked inside and let Waylon know what just happened. “We’ve wired a lot faster than we thought we would,” Boone said. “The Mother Lode is finished. The Hidee Hole is ahead of schedule. I contracted the railroad station and a few other businesses this morning. I think we just need to step up the pace. Get it done fast.”

“Make it so another electric company is too late to set up in Creede. Maybe they’ll move on to another town,” Holt added. “We can have the Hidee Hole done this week if we push hard.”

“Let the men know there’s a bonus if they do—three extra days of pay.”

Holt nodded in agreement. “They’ll earn it.”

The Morgans told the men what they’d seen and about the warning left at the Mother Lode. Then they set up a rotation to have watches outside.

The next day, the men went to the Hidee Hole early, and Boone went to the Marshall KC’s office to arrange for the deputies to be on the lookout for anything suspicious at their end of town. Then Boone joined the crews and wired as fast as they could until late in the evening. He wanted nothing more than to leave and have dinner with his ma and Doni, but tonight he had to stay. Tomorrow, he’d be up early again at the mine wiring, but he would not miss the wedding for Doni’s cousin Ellis and Dorothy Moore. He’d been friends with Ellis for the past couple of years. And more importantly, Boone was determined to find some time that evening to talk with Doni’s father.