After lunch, Kieran helped her install a new lock on the cabin door, then showed her how to use the small pistol he'd brought for her protection. Plant your feet like this, he instructed, standing behind her to adjust her stance. His proximity sent a tremor through her that had nothing to do with the weight of the gun in her hands. Steady your right hand with your left, he continued, his voice close to her ear. Sight along the barrel.
Breathe out as you squeeze the trigger. The pistol kicked in her hands as she fired, the shot loud in the mountain stillness. Her bullet struck the tree they were using as a target, several inches from the mark Kieran had indicated, but still on the trunk. Good, he approved. Again.
By the sixth shot, Catherine was hitting closer to the center, her confidence growing with each attempt. You're a quick study, Kieran said as she reloaded under his guidance. I've always been a good student, Catherine replied, though my finishing school never offered marksmanship lessons. Kieran chuckled. Somehow I think you'll manage just fine up here.
They practiced until Catherine felt comfortable with the weapon, then Kieran showed her how to clean and store it properly. Always keep it loaded and within reach, he advised. Hopefully, you'll never need it, but better to be prepared. As the afternoon waned, they finished their preparations. Catherine would move her few belongings to the cabin the next day, ready to begin her new life as a mine owner in earnest.
I'll check on you regularly, Kieran promised as they prepared to ride back to town. "And Bailey will be here with the men every day." "I'll be fine." Catherine assured him, touched by his concern. Kieran hesitated, then said, "There's a social at the church Saturday evening. Dance and potluck dinner. Would you Would you consider attending with me?" The invitation surprised her.
"Are you asking to court me, Mr. Daniels?" she teased, though her heart beat faster at the prospect. Kieran's tanned face flushed slightly. "I'm asking you to dance, Miss Blackwood. We can discuss courting after I see if you'll step on my toes." Catherine laughed, delighted by his humor and the warmth in his eyes.
"In that case, I accept. Though I should warn you, I was considered quite accomplished at the waltz in Boston." "We'll see if Boston dancing translates to prosperity." Kieran grinned. "Our fiddlers are enthusiastic, if not always on key." The ride back to town seemed shorter somehow, filled with easy conversation and occasional laughter. Catherine found herself looking forward to Saturday with an anticipation that had nothing to do with mining or business. The next day, Catherine moved into the cabin, bringing her few possessions and some additional supplies from town.
The miners seemed surprised to find their boss taking up residence, but quickly adjusted to her presence. By the end of the week, she had settled into a routine, rising at dawn to review the previous day's progress before the men arrived, spending the day overseeing operations, and evening studying Jacob's notes and planning the mine's development. On Saturday, she rode down to town early. Her saddlebags containing the blue dress Kathleen had lent her, the nicest of the three, and the few toiletries she possessed. Kathleen welcomed her warmly, insisting she used the boarding house's bathtub and helping her arrange her hair in a simple but flattering style.