The Secret Promise

Chapter Eight

"Hey Lucas, can you hitch up the team and make a trip into town to pick up a load of lumber at the mill? Verne said it was ready yesterday, but I'm still trying to fix the tines on the darn plow."

"Sure, Pa. I can get it," Lucas said, pulling his boots on and reaching for his hat before walking out to the barn. It didn't take long for him to harness the team to the wagon.

He drove into town and parked in front of the small building that served as an office for the mill. Verne was inside, working on paperwork and looked up when Lucas stepped inside.

"You must be here for your Pa's order," he stood up and shook his hand.

"Yeah, if it's not too much trouble." Lucas said.

"Well, it's ready to load, but I have two orders in front of you, so if you can wait for an hour or so, I can have Nate and Peter load it up for you when they're done with the other two."

"Sure. I can wander around town for a bit," Lucas shrugged. "Maybe I'll go see what's changed since I've been gone,"

Verne chuckled. "Quite a bit's changed around here since you left, but we'll see if you even notice."

"I'll let you know," Lucas grinned, heading for the door. He stepped outside and walked back towards the middle of town, curious why Verne would make a comment like that. He was naturally a very observant person. If anything had changed, he was bound to notice. He hadn't been gone that long.

He was about to step into the barber shop to greet an old friend when a young woman stepped out of the dress shop next door and caught his eye. He wouldn't normally follow random young ladies, but there was something familiar about her and she was especially beautiful.....from what he could see. He found himself following behind her as she walked along the boardwalk, trying to catch a glimpse of her face.

She was slightly shorter than he usually liked, but her dark brown hair was shiny and pinned up nicely. She was slender, but appeared to have just enough curves where it counted. Her posture was as prim and proper as some of the wealthy women who were married to the men funding the railroad. Most of them were from New York or Boston and he wondered if she was from a large city, and how long she'd been living in Blue Rapids.

She didn't seem to be in any kind of hurry and it was easy enough to keep up with her, even if his stride hadn't been so long. She would stop and look through shop windows every once in a while, and once even stopped and went inside. He stopped and waited several paces away from the door until she reappeared with a small package in her hand.

"A smoke shop?" he mumbled to himself as he passed the door she'd just come out of. Well, he supposed she wouldn't be the first woman he knew that smoked, or chewed. It did lessen his attraction slightly, but not enough to stop following her.

Lucas stopped. A man he recognized from school had stopped to speak to the woman and Lucas found himself grumbling his name. "Tyler," He watched from several yards away as they conversed, and was relieved when she continued on her way, bidding him good day with a wave. She didn't seem to flirt with him as he flirted with her, so Lucas continued to follow her.

Something about her soft voice made him want to start a conversation with her. Even her laugh was infectious and he began trying to think of something funny to say, just to hear it again.

When she stepped into another shop, he walked past the door so that she'd have to pass by him when she came back out. The smile instantly disappeared from his face and he suddenly recognized her as she came back out through the door. It took him half a moment to compose himself and he hurried after her.

"So, when did you take up smoking?" he asked.

Allie flinched and glanced up at him. She hadn't even noticed him until he fell into step beside her. She rolled her eyes, but didn't respond.

"Let me guess," he chuckled. "Your pa doesn't know. You sneak a chew when he's out in the barn or when you're on one of your daily walks?"

She cast him a disgusted glare, but refused to speak to him.

"Maybe you take a few puffs out behind the old school house," he laughed, knowing she had caught Charlie doing just that once when they were in school together.

"I don't smoke!" She finally said.

"Oh, so you just chew?"

"I don't chew either!"

"I saw you coming out of the smoke shop," he said with a shrug. "It's okay. You can tell me."

"I was buying pipe tobacco for my father!"

He almost looked disappointed. "Ah, so you didn't turn into the rebel I thought you had,"

"No. Sorry to let you down," She glanced over her shoulder to make sure it was clear before crossing the street. She hoped he would just continue on his way and stay on that side, but unfortunately for her, he followed right along beside her, even reaching for her elbow as she walked up the boardwalk steps on the other side. She cast him a glare. "I don't need your help, Mr. Dillan!"

"'Mr. Dillan!'" he laughed. "Oh, we're playing that game, are we?"

"I am not playing any games with you." she said. "If you'll excuse me!"

"Hey Lucas!" Someone called from down the boardwalk and Lucas turned for half a second to wave to an old friend. When he turned back, she'd suddenly disappeared and he scratched his head, eventually giving up and walking back to the mill.

"Hiding on Lucas now?" Mrs. Lancaster asked, looking up over her work bench to find Allie peeking out through the window.

"He's being very strange," Allie said. "What on earth has gotten into him?"

Mrs. Lancaster laughed softly. "He probably thinks you're pretty."

"No, that can't be it," Allie shook her head, still watching for him in case he decided to return. "He must be up to something."

"Allie, you're very pretty. And Lucas isn't much older than you are. I'm certain if I were to ask him, he'd tell me he thinks you're very attractive. I don't know why you think that's such a crazy idea!"

"Mrs. Lancaster, Lucas and I have never gotten along. Ever. If he's acting nice, it's because he's plotting something. It's all very suspicious!"

"Mark my words," the woman said with a smile, even as Allie was shaking her head.