ELEVEN

If Amelia wasn't humiliated enough when Miss Mullins blurted out her engaging news, now Amelia was left standing by the woman while Duke ran after Bobby. Amelia didn't know which one she was more upset over – that her brother was running from the law, again, or that Duke was running from her.

She and Miss Mullins traded uncomfortable glances. Would it be rude to excuse herself and return to the hotel? She really didn't want to be chatty with one of Duke's heartbreaks, especially because Amelia wondered if she would be the next woman left with a broken heart.

"You have a lovely daughter," Miss Mullins said, nodding to Gracie.

"Uh, thank you." Amelia's mind swirled. Duke thought Gracie was the mayor of Astoria's daughter. Miss Mullins was from Astoria. If Gracie was really the girl kidnapped, she would have been three when living with her family. Would Miss Mullins recognize the little girl at all?

"How long have you lived in Astoria?" Amelia asked.

Miss Mullins' smile appeared strained. "All of my life. I have been here in Spruce Hill for almost two years now."

"My daughter and I were in Astoria a few years ago, but only briefly. We visited with the mayor." Although it was a lie, Amelia needed to know how close Miss Mullins was with the mayor.

"Mayor Tidwell?"

Duke had mentioned the man's name once. "Yes."

"He's a nice man, and he was a great mayor for Astoria."

Miss Mullins glanced at Gracie. "In fact, he has a daughter about the same age as your little girl. I bet Georgia kept your daughter entertained during your stay. She's an energetic one, don't you think?"

"Indeed, I do." Amelia waited for the woman to point out the resemblances between Gracie and Georgia, but she didn't say anything. That eased Amelia's mind slightly.

"You do look familiar to me." Miss Mullins cocked her head, narrowing her gaze on Amelia. "I'm sure I must have seen you with the mayor's family."

Amelia didn't dare laugh, especially since she'd never set foot in that town. "Gracie and I were only there for about a week."

The more Miss Mullins peered at Amelia, the more uncomfortable she became. She didn't want the woman to strain her memory over something that had never happened.

"Well, I'd better get Gracie back inside since she doesn't have her wrap. It was nice meeting you."

"Before you go," Miss Mullins stepped in front of Amelia, stopping her, "I just need to know how close you and Duke are."

It was on the tip of Amelia's tongue to tell the nosy woman it was none of her business, but it wasn't in Amelia's nature to be rude, either. "There's nothing to tell," she answered in a steady voice. "My uncle and I needed help during our journey from Idaho to Spruce Hill, so we asked Duke to go along with us. My uncle is deaf and he wouldn't be able to hear if we were getting attacked."

The woman folded her arms and nodded slowly. "I understand that completely, however, that does not explain why you had your hand hooked to his arm so cozily, and why when he looks at you, his expression softens."

Amelia's throat turned dry and she swallowed hard. "I believe, Miss Mullins, that you are reading too much into this. Duke and I are just friends."

"Well, it's a good thing." The woman shrugged. "Duke has a habit of leaving women stranded after he makes promises. I'd hate to see you one of those people."

"If you think that way about him," Amelia wondered, "then why are you still engaged?"

Miss Mullins laughed sadly. "Actually, I'd only said that to make him uncomfortable, and to make you aware of what kind of man he really is." She sighed. "The truth is, I've put him out of my mind and I don't care what he does. I've matured quite a bit since he hurt me, and even if he wanted to fulfill his two-year promise, I would reject the offer."

"Then I'm sure you're the better person because of it." Amelia tried to smile, even if her heart was breaking. "Perhaps he just hasn't found the right woman yet."

"I don't believe there is a right woman for Duke. He loves his job too much to settle down."

"Yes, well..." She looked in Gracie's eyes. The girl was obviously bored with the conversation. "But we need to get my daughter inside. The air has turned chilly."

"It was nice to meet you," Miss Mullins said. "I hope you'll be staying in Spruce Hill."

Amelia looked at her and nodded. "Thank you. It was nice to meet you, too."

As she headed toward the hotel, her eyes burned with unshed tears. She needed to stop this insanity. He hadn't offered marriage to her, nor had he confessed his love. And yet, the first man to ever kiss her would be difficult to remove from her memory, especially her heart.

After she and Gracie returned to their room and the door was closed, Amelia sat on the bed. She struggled to smile, but she must do so for Gracie's sake.

"Come here and talk to me." Amelia patted the bed.

Gracie turned away from the window and joined her. "I wanna eat. I'm hungry."

"I know, sweetie, but we'll eat when Uncle Theo comes back."

"What about Bobby and Duke?"

"Yes, when they get back, we can eat, but right now, I want to talk about your mother and father."

Gracie's smile disappeared. "But you're my mother."

"Yes, I am, but it's not legal yet. Before we do that, we need to know more about your family when they were alive."

Gracie nodded.

"Tell me what you remember about your mother?"

Gracie crossed her legs and leaned back on her palms as she stared at the ceiling. Amelia prayed she wasn't putting too much pressure on the little girl. She just wanted to know that she hadn't taken her from Mayor Tidwell. Then again, she still could have taken her from a loving family.

"I remember her at school."

"Do you mean the boarding school where I first talked to you?"

Gracie nodded.

"Was your mother a teacher?"

She nodded again.

"What about your father?"

Gracie shrugged.

"Don't you remember him?"

"My mother told me that my father was far away and that I would never see him."

A niggle of relief swept over Amelia. That couldn't have been the mayor. "Do... you wish your mother was still alive?"

Gracie frowned and glanced out the window. Amelia's insides twisted with guilt. Her mother wasn't dead at all, she just knew it. Oh, why had she believed the Stones had been honest with their dealings?

"I miss Mommy." Gracie sighed. "But she couldn't spend much time with me." Her gaze reverted to Amelia. "You spend more time with me than Mommy did, and you don't yell at me, and you don't spank me."

Amelia teared up. Perhaps Gracie didn't want to go back to her mother. But the honest thing to do would be to find Gracie's mother and ask if she still wanted to be a mother to the adorable little girl. Was it selfish of Amelia to hope the mother didn't want her own daughter? Amelia wasn't sure how she could live without Gracie.

Amelia gathered the girl against her bosom and hugged her. "I like being your Mommy."

"Me, too."

Taking a deep breath, she wiped the wetness out of her eyes and stood up. "Let's go downstairs and see if Mrs. Portly has any food to give her tenants. I'm hungry, too."

The two of them walked out of the room holding hands. Amelia wasn't sure how much longer she'd be able to play the part of Gracie's mother, but she was going to make every second count since she knew that she'd have to find employment in Spruce Hill.

As they walked into the lobby, the front door opened and in walked Bobby, Uncle Theo, and Duke... and remarkably enough, they all looked happy. She thought for sure Bobby would be in handcuffs and sporting a black eye.

Bobby rushed to her, lifted her and swung her around once, laughing. She smiled but was very confused.

"Bobby, put me down. Really." Once her feet touched the floor, she stepped out of his embrace. "Why are you so happy?"

"I found us jobs," he said while signing for Uncle Theo's sake.

She glanced at them all. Even Duke seemed to be smiling brighter. "All of you?"

"Well, Duke didn't need one, but Theo and I are now lumberjacks and we'll start work tomorrow morning."

She clapped her hands once and held them clutched to her chest. "That is wonderful."

"Not only that," Duke said, stepping beside her, "your brother found you all a place to live."

Although she should be shouting with happiness, she detected a hint of sadness in his voice. It would be improper for him to live with them, but... she now wondered if he already made plans to leave Spruce Hill.

"And how did that happen?" She looked back at her brother. "You weren't gone for very long."

Bobby chuckled. "I literally ran into the man who runs the lumber mill, Henry Forester, and as we got talking, he told me they were looking for help. When I informed him we'd just gotten into town and needed lodging, he told me of an empty cabin not far from the mill. The owners moved only three days ago, and he offered it to our little family."

She met Duke's gaze again, trying to read his expression. She wished her heart would not soften every time she looked at his handsome face, and that his mesmerizing gray eyes would stop holding her prisoner. "And what do you think of that?"

"I think it's a streak of good luck for all of you as you start your new lives here."

She swallowed the lump of despair filling her throat. "How will that affect your plans with Bobby?" She lowered her voice. "Are you still planning on arresting him?"

Duke shook his head. "I told your brother that as long as he turns over a new leaf and starts doing an honest day's work, then I won't take him in. Bobby assured me he wanted to take care of you all."

She really wished they were alone right now. She wanted to know how he really felt about her. But then, maybe she was better off not knowing. After all, Miss Mullins told her that Duke loved his job more than settling down and marrying.

"Thank you," she whispered, touching his arm. "You really are a wonderful man."

He took her hand off his arm and clasped it gently. "I believe in second chances."

She hitched a breath. What did he mean by that? Dare she read more into it? She really wished her overactive mind would stop teasing her. She couldn't love him... although, she wondered if it was already too late.