The Jewel of His Heart by Maggie Brendan Read Free Book Online Page B

mere slip of a girl, he would guess barely seventeen, but a woman just the same. Suddenly, Josh’s throat felt tight and dry as burnt toast. He tried hard not to let his nervousness show.
    “Will you be staying here or moving on now that your mother is gone?”
    She clasped her hands on the table with a demure look. “I have a job working at the Lewistown Gazette .” The pupils of her eyes were large with enthusiasm, and it was all he could do to drag his eyes away from them. He didn’t want to scare her off. Not this sweet young girl. Her eyes spoke of past hurts in her life. She apparently needed something or someone to believe in.
    “You don’t say? That’s great. I try to read the paper and catch up with all the news whenever I’m in town. Do you enjoy it so far?”
    “I’ve only worked there a couple of days, but I find it very interesting, and I would much rather read and write than wash clothes!” She looked down at her pie, picking at the flaky crust with her fork, and added, “It gives me a feeling of security as well. I can’t be beholden to the Stocktons indefinitely.”
    “You have a lot of pride for such a young woman.”
    “Mama taught me to work hard at everything I do and not to be dependent on others.”
    “‘If a man won’t work, neither shall he eat.’” Josh pushed back his plate and reached for his pie.
    “What?”
    “Never mind. I admire that in you, Juliana. It takes a tough individual with strong convictions to make a living here in Montana. Between the weather and the space, it can be a very lonely place.” Josh was thinking of himself in the past winters. The brutal cold and harsh winds were trying things to deal with, especially without a partner to warm the lonely winter nights. “I’m surprised you intend to stay.”
    “I really don’t have anywhere else to go. I have no family to speak of, and my father went to the Colorado gold mines a long time ago. Mother and I stayed in Montana. Ever since my father decided to mine for gold and left when I was ten, we never knew where our next meal would come from. So Mother took in miners’ laundry to keep our heads above water.” Juliana looked down at the table, avoiding Josh’s eyes. “I don’t want to have to live that way. Miners go from camp to camp. I would never want to marry a miner. The work is backbreaking, and there’s little promise of any future.”
    Josh stiffened at her comments. Maybe he could be the one to change her mind about mining. “I don’t know, some people have become very rich . . . So, you don’t know where your father is?”
    “I don’t even know if he’s alive, and I’m not sure it would matter now.”
    The anger in her voice surprised him. Changing the subject, Josh told her about his dog, Shebe, and how much she loved the baby lambs. He could see the relief on her face and was glad he hadn’t asked more about her father.
    They finished their dessert, and after paying the waiter, Josh insisted on walking her to the bottom of the staircase.
    She paused before going up. “The dessert was wonderful. And thank you for the conversation.”
    Josh took a deep breath and exhaled. “It was my pleasure. I hope to see you again before I go back to the ranch.”
    “Good night, Josh.”
    He liked the sound of his name on her lips. “Sleep well, Juliana.”
    Back in his room, Josh peeled off his boots, placing them next to his bed. He stripped down to his long handles and crawled under the heavy quilts of the lumpy feather bed. Folding his arms behind his head, he wondered about the lovely Juliana. He’d met beautiful women before, and while he didn’t consider her perfect in that sense, her lovely face reflected an inner beauty and strength, though he was sure she wasn’t aware of it. That made her all the more appealing to him.
    Maybe he would do a little investigating on his own about her father, or help her find any family that was left. She was all alone in the world. A bit like he’d