Charlotte rushed out of the jail and took some time to regain her composure. She thought about Max’s occupation and smiled to herself. It fit perfectly. He seemed like just the kind of man who could fix and build things. She walked east until she arrived at his shop. A part of her thrilled at the excuse to see him again, but another part of her felt disappointed. She would have preferred that he call upon her, as opposed to the other way around.
Taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders, she pushed open the door and walked inside, only to discover that the large room was empty of people. Dim light streamed in from the small windows and lit the sparse furniture of the room. The ground was hard concrete that looked recently swept, and a metallic, smoky scent filled the air. Tools hung in neat, straight lines along the walls, and a furnace roared in the center of the room. Curious, she walked to the forge. Next to it stood a metal work table, which held a strip of bent iron. She reached out to pick it up but froze when she heard a familiar voice address her sharply.
“Hold it right there!”
She looked up to find Max striding toward her from the direction of the open door. He wore buckskin gloves, leather chaps streaked with black stains, and a scowl. She dropped her hand to her side and stared at him as he approached. She swallowed. He looked fiercer and more handsome than she remembered.
He stopped and towered over her, his hands on his hips. “What in the tarnation are you doing? Were you going to touch that iron?”
She stood taller and met his stern gaze, tilting her head higher than what was comfortable to do so. “Good morning to you too, Mr. Harrison.”
Groaning, he looked up to the ceiling and ran a hand around his face before looking at her again. “Good morning, Charlie. I thought you were about to touch metal that’s a couple hundred degrees, thus my abrupt greeting, but I’m sure I was mistaken. No one could be that silly, so please excuse my shoddy manners.”
She glared at him, stung by his sarcasm and not about to admit her mistake. “It’s not a problem, Mr. Harrison. I’m well accustomed to excusing your shoddy manners.”
His lips quirked up and his eyes took on a glimmer of amusement. “I see you’re just as agreeable as ever.”
“I know you speak sarcastically, but I’ll have you know I can be quite agreeable. Trouble is, you don’t bring it out in me. I don’t know how to be friendly when I’m constantly scolded and insulted in your presence.”
“Poppycock! I will admit to the scolding. You could use a scolding and a darn good spanking to make sure it’s heeded. I don’t believe I’ve ever insulted you though.”
Charlotte flushed at his mention of spanking her, and her stomach fluttered. The image of the strong, handsome man taking her in hand suddenly made her legs feel weak, and she thought she might lose her composure.
“And I don’t believe I should have come here,” she snapped, stepping lightly around his imposing figure. She walked toward the door with a heavy heart. It was clear he didn’t wish to see her and thought of her as little more than a fool and nuisance. It hurt her feelings more than she cared to admit, and she wished to lick her wounds in private. Before she reached the door, however, he addressed her in a weary, irritated drawl, as though she were wildly overreacting to his comment.
“Fly your ruffled feathers back here, Charlie.”
She stopped and almost stomped her foot in frustration. He was so impertinent, ordering her around and using that horrid nickname for her. She didn’t know why she felt any desire to be around him. She turned and glowered at him.
“You must’ve had a reason for coming. I’d like to know what it is. Come here and talk to me. I’ll be nice.”
Charlotte suddenly remembered why she’d come, so she sighed and trudged back. He led her to a bench, where he motioned for her to sit and then sat next to her. His leg brushed her knee, and she felt a shock of arousal travel upward from his accidental touch. Her breath hitched. No man had ever had this effect on her, and she didn’t know why her traitorous body had chosen such an infuriating man to be attracted to. She looked over at him, feeling shy suddenly and worried that the way she felt might be obvious to him. She didn’t think she could bear it if so. What if he mocked her? Relief came over her when she saw that his expression was kind and encouraging. She took a deep breath and told him why she’d come.
“The desk benches and tables in the schoolhouse are broken down and need to be repaired. I imagine some should even be replaced. The marshal said you were the person to see about this. There’s some money from the county to pay you, but I’m not sure how much. I have to read my contract again.”
He smiled broadly. “I’d be happy to help. Will you allow me to escort you to the schoolhouse so you can show me what needs doing?”
“All right,” she said, standing.
A boy entered as they walked toward the door. He was about Charlotte’s height and of slight build. Blond hair draped his forehead and shaded his eyes until he swept it away with the back of his hand.
Max introduced them. “Tim, meet Miss Rose. She’s the new schoolmarm. Miss Rose, this is Tim. He’s been my apprentice for some time and also in my care.”