Negative emotions rumbled through her as Lucy headed back to the boarding house. Tears burned her eyes.

She walked up another street, the steep hill making the muscles in her legs burn. She suddenly stopped and changed her mind. She turned left, and headed down the road to the library.

She needed a distraction.

Yesterday she’d written a quick article about fashion for the newspaper, and there were a few things she wanted to look up. Research seemed a much better option than sitting in her room and thinking about what had just happened.

What had just happened, again!

She wished she knew what to think.

Or at least what she was feeling, other than upset. When the other woman had claimed Boone as the father of her child it had been shocking. Embarrassing for all concerned. But there was another emotion added to the mix that she hadn’t expected.

She’d been jealous. Burning with it!

Which was ridiculous. She barely knew the man!

Even as she had the thought she realized it wasn’t true. She might not have known Boone for very long, but they’d had some wonderful conversations and had opened up to each other.

She sighed. Perhaps the chance meeting was simply too close to the one she’d had with Mr. Hargraves’ mistress.

By now the woman was his wife, no doubt.

Startled, she realized she really didn’t care about those two anymore. Yes, she’d been upset, humiliated, but that was it and the feelings had faded.

With Boone, she felt…more.

Now she was being ridiculous.

Heavens, she hadn’t felt this burning jealousy when she lost her fiancé to another woman.

This Dorothy would have conceived long before Lucy had ever set foot in Butte. Long before she’d ever met Boone.

So why was she so upset?

Maybe she was just upset that she was upset. What she should be feeling was relief at having escaped yet another close call.

What was it about her that was attracting this scenario into her life? Or were all men just scoundrels?

She brushed at the tears on her face and attempted to compose herself. She just wished she wasn’t so confused.

There was one thing she was completely sure about at this point.

She needed to stay away from Boone.

* * *

Lucy went inside the library, determined to research what kind of article she should write. It was as good a way as any to distract herself so she could forget about the whole thing.

She needed to immerse herself in a new project.

The thought irritated her. That’s what she’d been doing in this town in the first place. Now she had to do it all over again?

There was a woman sitting at a nearby desk who stood and crossed the room. “Hello, I am Mrs. Willet, the librarian.”

“I’m Lucy Rickman. I’m pleased to meet you. I teach at one of the local schools and was looking to do a bit of research.”

“Of course. How can I help you?”

Just then a pretty blonde woman walked in the front door and met Lucy’s gaze. The lady smiled widely and crossed the room with a big smile on her face and Lucy recognized her from church.

“Hello, I’m Mrs. Jackson. We met at church yesterday.”

“Yes, of course.”

“I’d like to welcome you to town. I was hoping to get the chance to chat with you. What do you think of Butte so far?”

“I like the town very much. It’s a lot bigger than I thought it would be, with a lot more people.”

“But you’re from New York City.”

“Yes, of course. But you expect there to be a lot of people in New York City. I suppose we all have the impression that every western town is small, and so I was just surprised.”

“Are you all right, dear? Your eyes look a little red.”

“Dust.”

“Of course. Are you settling in all right?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“If you’ll excuse me.” The librarian wandered off to chat with another patron, and Mrs. Jackson drew Lucy off to the side. “Now, about my unmarried son…”

Lucy’s heart sank. This was the last thing she needed at the moment. “Oh?”

“Yes. He’s a very hard worker. He’s very good to me, his mother, which I think says a lot about a man. He gives a lot to charities. And did I happen to mention that he’s single? And in need of a wife?”

The woman finally stopped talking to look at her expectantly.

Oh. Dear. Lucy took a breath and looked away as she tried to formulate a reply. She noticed a rough-looking man staring in their direction, possibly overhearing their conversation, and that made it all the worse. A thought struck her. Could that disreputable-looking man be this woman’s son?

Mrs. Jackson turned to see who she was looking at, and Lucy had a moment of horror, wondering if she’d beckon him over.

But she didn’t. With a sniff, she turned and pulled Lucy away as well. “I’m so sorry about that. I thought we were alone. Well? My son?”

Could this day get any worse? She took a deep breath, and decided that honesty was always the best policy. “I’m sorry, I’m just not interested.”

The woman looked so downcast that Lucy felt compelled to explain. “I recently had a breakup.” Two if she counted Boone and felt a sharp pang to her heart.

The woman looked so disappointed, that Lucy actually felt bad. “I’m sorry, it’s just not a good time for me.”

“But —”

“Perhaps another time. In the future.”

The woman looked set to argue.

“If you’ll excuse me?” Lucy didn’t wait for an answer, and practically fled the library.

The article could wait. Or perhaps she was in the middle of research right now?

She could write an article on how to avoid the married state in a town full of men. Forever!

* * *

A few days later Boone heard someone come in the door downstairs and he stopped the hard work he was doing with the hand planer to listen. Alford usually came in the back way.

He was sweating from the pushing, lifting, and pushing the wood motions. His arms were aching, but he still didn’t appreciate the interruption. He wanted the exertion. Needed it!

He heard the tapping of feminine shoes, and his irritation rose. If this was anyone from the casserole brigade, they were finally going to get a piece of his mind.

Just as Dorothy would when he finally found her.

Though, in all honesty, the one he really wanted to give a piece of his mind to was Lucy. If she…

As the footsteps stopped downstairs he listened, considering. Could it be Lucy? Could she have—

He moved faster than he ever had in recent memory, rushing down the two flights of stairs only to come face-to-face with… his mother.

She looked startled. “Boone Jackson, what are you thinking rushing down the stairs like that. You could break your neck.”

He didn’t respond, still trying to catch up with his disappointment, and his anger over the fact that he was disappointed.

“Where have you been these last few days? I can never seem to find you. Why couldn’t you have been at the library with me the other day? There is a new girl in town, and she’s perfectly lovely. I wanted you to meet her.”

“I’m not interested.”

She rolled her eyes and scoffed. “How could you know you’re not interested if you haven’t even met her. She’s the new schoolteacher —” something in his expression must have alerted her. “Have you met?”

“We’ve met. We just didn’t suit.”

“Really? She didn’t say a word about having met you.”

“Why would she?” He growled the words at his mother, and then felt bad when she placed her hands on her hips and gave him an incredulous stare.

“Can I make you some tea, dear?”

He laughed at that. “You don’t know how.”

“I could make an attempt.”

He just laughed again. His mother had worked in a café serving miners while he was growing up and her personality and charm had made the owner a lot of money. But she’d certainly never set foot in the kitchen or cooked anything.

She sniffed. “Fine, coffee then. You can make it.”

They headed into the kitchen and he leaned against a wall as his mother snooped through cupboards lifting canisters and jars, and amusing him more than she’d ever know.

“Well? How did you meet?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

She turned, and there was surprise evident in her expression. He understood. He was usually very even-tempered.

He sighed. “Fine. I might as well tell you everything, or you’ll talk it out of me anyway. Apparently, Dorothy is knocked up. And she’s claiming I’m the father.”

“Dorothy? The fallen woman that you helped out? That Dorothy?”

“Yes.”

His mother snorted inelegantly. “As if.”

“Exactly.”

They both knew how picky he was when it came to women. And he certainly didn’t visit whore houses the way his father had done. “She announced it in front of Miss Rickman as I was attempting to court her. Miss Rickman left, apparently not wanting anything further to do with me.”

Understanding dawned upon his mother’s face and she abandoned her attempts to find coffee or tea. “Oh. Oh, I see. And your feelings were hurt because she should have known that you’re not the kind of man who would visit such establishments.”

He crossed his arms.

His mother tapped the table. “Did you know that she recently lost a fiancé in similar circumstances?”

“She told me.”

“Maybe it simply spooked her? Perhaps you should give her another chance? She’s new in town, and doesn’t really know you yet.”

He didn’t respond.

She sighed. “Come now. Don’t pout. It’s unattractive on a man. She seems like a sweet girl and I think perhaps you could be a little more understanding? She doesn’t really know you. She couldn’t on such short acquaintance.”

“She should. We’ve talked often enough.”

His mother’s eyes widened at that. “How so?”

“Well… the thing is…” he finally blew out a breath and decided to just tell her. “I met her on the day she arrived in town, and she mistook me for the local handyman, and I let her.”

His mother’s eyes widened once more. “Boone William Jackson!”

He lifted one shoulder defensively. “I want a girl who wants me for myself. Is that too much to ask?”

“And you’re the local handyman, are you?”

Again, he hunched his shoulder.

She waved a hand in the air, erasing any unpleasantness. “Well, regardless of all that, she doesn’t want a womanizer. You can’t fault her for that.”

“She should’ve known I’m not one.”

“Well, that’s fine then. If you can’t forgive her, you can’t. As I said, I saw her at the library earlier in the week. There was a man who was looking very interested in her. Perhaps he won’t be so particular.”

Boone’s jaw thrust out stubbornly.

His mother was not subtle in the least, never had been, and he wasn’t falling for any of this.

So why were his fists clenching?

He straightened. “I need to get back to work.” He didn’t need to be thinking about a girl who didn’t have an ounce of faith in him.

“That’s fine, dearest. Just don’t hold a grudge for too long. There are too many single men in this town that will be glad to step up if you’re ready to step down.”

His teeth clenched. As always, his mother knew just how to get to him. He’d never stepped down in his life.

Regardless, he didn’t react. He just climbed the stairs, and got back to work. Pushing, lifting, and pushing against the wood again.

Maybe if his arms ached enough, his heart wouldn’t.