She shook her head. “No, not exactly. No. Look. I appreciate what you did for us the other day, really. I’d like to help ya. But, I’m not hiring anyone. I can’t afford it. Why would Joe tell you that?” She frowned, not lowering the gun yet. “He knows I can’t afford to put anyone on now.”
“Said you’d been getting along with hardly any help. Said you had troubles last night and could use some help. I don’t expect wages for a bit, until I prove myself, just room and board, ma’am.” He smiled gently at her. “I come on too hard at times as you can see, but I’m as fit as ever and can pull my weight with work.”
He lowered his head, noting the curve of her hips in those tight pants. He shouldn’t have been looking at her like that, but he couldn’t stop. Not many women he knew wore pants and it was distracting. She drew him somehow. He felt his body react, and it aggravated him. That hadn’t happened in a long time. Her breasts strained with every breath against the small buttons. He wondered how she kept from popping them off. It wasn’t that she was indecent, but she wore a man’s shirt and it held no room for the obvious woman she was. He’d never reacted so blatantly aware of a woman, but the truth was he thought she was beautiful.
But he sought her sympathy now and had to concentrate. He wanted this job now more than ever. He wanted to know what made her so loyal to his memory. He wanted to ask her how Gloria had treated her and Sam.
Had the years been kind to them or not? How could anyone hurt such a beautiful creature as Hattie?
She didn’t react. Her frown was still in place. “Who are you? I tried to get your name the other day when you rode off.”
“The name’s Luke Sayers, ma’am.” He took his hat off and nodded. “Sorry I didn’t introduce myself. Another thing the war kinda teaches you to forget, manners.”
His hair was dirty, plastered to his head. He needed a bath more than anything.
“That don’t explain who you are or what you are doing here. You just show up out of nowhere, after those men rode into the yard last night. They might have sent you to spy on me or something. How do I know?” She stared through the doorway, ready to slam it in his face, he expected from that tight frown. But the tense lines of her face began to relax. “I appreciate what you did for us the other day, truly. But I’m sorry, Mr. Sayers, I can’t hire anybody on, right now. Good day.”
“Ma’am,” He tipped his hat and held onto the door between them. “I know it’s hard to trust a stranger. I don’t blame you for being skeptical. And me here with one arm, I’m sure you are wondering if I could really hold up my end. I assure you I can. But Ole Joe knows me,” he groped for an excuse now. When his intense gaze swept her, she batted her eyes in hesitated confusion. “Nobody sent me, but Joe, ma’am. And I really need a job. I came home from the war…and found everything I had—gone.”
Her eyes were wide and almond shaped, and the lashes were lush and thick and curly. Provocative, his brain registered. Hattie was provocative but in a sweet and natural way, and the fact that she was totally unaware of it made her more so.
Obviously she didn’t trust him yet, and he liked her precautions. But given time she would. He’d see to that. “I lost everything I had from the war and my place…well, it’s gone now and I’m kinda hungry too. You wouldn’t turn a man out that’s down on his luck, would you? Joe said you was a fair person.”
“I do need help mister, but I can’t pay right now, not ‘til my crop comes in, and that will be next month. If I’m still here. Times are hard for everyone right now. And I’m sorry for you too, it must have come hard to accept, but…”
She firmed her lips, and eyed him. Not willing to relent completely, and yet unable to turn him away, she hesitated again. “The war did a lot of bad things to a lot of good people. I’d turn anybody out that tries to use me, or get something for nothing.” Her voice sounded almost harsh, but it began to soften as her eyes scanned him again. She stared at him long and hard and asked, “You ever farmed before?”
“Yes ma’am, before the war,” he answered, his glance holding at eye level now. Getting hired on was more than a little important. “You just point me in the right direction, I can do it.”
“Pretty sure of yourself, aren’t you?” she asked, shooting him another quizzical look.
“Well ma’am, when something like this happens you can either let it break you down or you get back up and start all over.”
Her smile spread slowly across her face.
“You smoke?” she asked out of the blue.
His eyes narrowed in question.
“No, ma’am, except, an occasional pipe,” he answered, finding it an odd question to ask.
“Drink?”
“Only at parties and such.” He smiled down at her changing expressions. Obviously he had her emotions in turmoil…
“I have kids and I don’t want anyone who can’t hold their liquor,” she said adamantly.
“Yes ma’am, I understand.”
“Are those rags all you have?” she asked, obviously looking at him more closely now. Her eyes were sharp and assessing as they traveled him thoroughly.
“Yes ma’am. I’m sorry, it is. I guess I don’t look presentable to go to work, but I need a job, ma’am. As you can plainly see.” He gestured to his clothes.
She turned to see Lily coming toward the door and held her with a hand. The woman’s eyes quickly softened. “This is my daughter, Lily. She’s my youngest; she just turned three. Violet is six and Daisy is eight,” she said, introducing him. “Lily, this is Mr. Luke Sayers and I just hired him.”
The little girl smiled, and stuck out a hand to shake. Luke smiled and shook her hand. The little girl saw his missing arm and her eyes rounded on him. “He’s Violet’s hero, isn’t he, Mama?”
“Yes, I guess he is.”