Ben shot her a disbelieving look before striding across the room to retrieve it. “You had this on you the whole time?”
“I would’ve utilized it if I’d had the chance.”
“But I foiled everything by coming to your aid.” Sarcasm laced his voice. He bent his head and studied the carving in the wooden handle. “Expert craftsmanship.” He tested the blade. “I wouldn’t mind having one like it. Where did you get it?”
She extended her hand. He placed it in the center of her palm, curiosity making his eyes appear a shade lighter. Isabel was loath to reveal the truth, but she wasn’t going to lie. “I made it.”
His brow furrowed in disbelief. “You cut and carved the wood and forged the steel?”
“Why is that so hard to believe?”
“Not for the reason you’re thinking,” he said drily. “You can obviously do whatever you put your mind to. You’ve looked after your sisters’ well-being and managed this farm, all while operating a gristmill. I simply haven’t heard a whisper of your skills.”
“That’s because very few people know.”
“I assure you, a man would pay a high price for one of those.”
“I do sell them, just not in Gatlinburg.” Returning to the table, she cleared her sewing supplies. “I knew when my mother left that I’d need additional income. My uncle, my mother’s brother, is a blacksmith. He stayed with us for about a year when I was sixteen, and he taught me many things, the art of knife making among them. Papa hated the idea of one of his daughters learning a man’s job.” She smirked, remembering his tirades. “That’s probably why Uncle Alejandro did it. They despised each other. Small wonder.”
“You turned a valuable skill into a moneymaker.”
“My knives are stocked in several stores, mostly in Maryville and Sevierville.”
While she wrung out the cloth she’d used to clean his wound, he discarded the dirty water outside. The waft of cold air raised goose bumps on her arms. She put the kettle on to boil and debated whether or not to offer him coffee. It was the polite thing to do, especially after his valor tonight, but he wasn’t the kind of man she wanted hanging around her home. Honor had a steady beau, but Carmen...the girl had nothing but fluff and romance between her ears.
He hovered in the kitchen doorway, his magnetic presence making her nerves skitter and scatter. Did he see the hole in the rug? Had he noticed the curtains were faded and needed to be replaced? She worked hard to provide for her sisters. God had met their basic needs—they had plenty of food, durable clothing, and their home was in decent shape—but there wasn’t a lot of money for extras. Sometimes her many responsibilities threatened to overwhelm her. Maybe that’s why the thought of the thief stealing from hardworking families had outraged her to the point she’d foolishly challenged him.
“Isabel, you shouldn’t have to travel to a whole other town to sell your knives. And you shouldn’t have to feel like you have to wait until almost closing time to shop. Your father’s behavior doesn’t reflect on you.”
“Don’t pretend to understand what I’ve been through,” she retorted. “You haven’t walked in my shoes, haven’t felt the condemning stares or heard the whispers as you walk past.”
Granted, not everyone in their mountain town had treated the Flores women as if they were morally tainted. There were those who’d treated them with respect and compassion. The situation might have improved with time, considering her parents were out of the picture, but past wounds ran deep. She preferred to spend much of her time on this farm. Her sisters’ companionship was enough.
“I know what it’s like to be the subject of gossip,” he said gruffly.
She didn’t attempt to hide her scorn. “You court speculation with your blatant flirting.”
How anyone would willingly do such a thing was unfathomable. Isabel went out of her way to remain above approach, to avoid the stinging whip of judgment. She’d had enough of that throughout her childhood.
He held up his hand in defense. “I’ve made no secret of my decision to remain a bachelor. Everyone in this town from the age of sixteen to ninety-five is aware of my no-marriage policy. I’m not to blame if a girl chooses to believe she can change me.”
“Such arrogance and flippant disregard for others’ feelings! What would cause a man to go around kissing innocent women, I wonder, leading them on a merry dance that will only end in heartache?”
“Hold on, sugarplum.” His laconic smile remained fixed, but his eyes glittered righteous fire. “Who said anything about kissing? That’s crossing the line of friendship, something I would never do. That sort of behavior is reserved for serious romance.”
“That’s something, I suppose,” she huffed, slapping a single mug on the counter.
“I was referring to a situation in Georgia. A scandal not of my making. It’s the reason I ultimately found my way here.”
She stirred the steaming water and coffee grounds together. “Let me guess, you trifled with the wrong girl, and her father ran you out of town.”
Ben actually looked disappointed. His gaze rested on the mug then lifted to her face. “You have me pegged. Sure, that’s exactly what happened.”
He pivoted on his boot heel and headed for the door. “Thanks for patching me up.”
Ignoring a pinch of guilt, she trailed after him. “You’re going home, correct? Or the bank?”
“I won’t stay here tonight,” he said, his tone flat. “But I will be stopping by at odd times the next few days. Be alert to any suspicious activity. You know where to find me if you need me.”
“I won’t.”
A muscle jumped in his jaw. “Let’s hope you’re right.”
Isabel couldn’t shake the memories. The events outside the bank crowded in...the terror of the gun digging in her temple, the relief mixed with dread at seeing Ben at the end of that alley, more grave than she’d ever seen him. He’d looked like a lethal punisher of misdeeds as opposed to the usual congenial lothario.
You could’ve offered him coffee.
Isabel scowled as she carried a stack of one-pound sacks to the platform built around the millstones. She’d let her disdain for his reputation take precedence over common courtesy. The events to which he’d referred—his supposed brush with scandal—had grown into a perplexing mystery that had kept her awake. If his reasons for leaving Georgia hadn’t involved a brokenhearted maiden and an irate father intent on revenge, what were they?
None of your business, Isabel. Your paths intersecting last night was a single event. No need to continue interacting with the troublesome man. Or letting thoughts of him prevent you from getting a good night’s rest.
Her eyes felt gritty, her mind not as sharp as usual. She’d been operating their gristmill for so long she could do it in her sleep. Open every Friday and Saturday, the hours usually passed in a blur. Today she found little comfort in the familiar water wheel’s whir and the muted grinding of the gears beneath the floor.
She was building a fire in the woodstove when Honor entered the mill, eyes bright and determined. This didn’t bode well. The nineteen-year-old usually didn’t make an appearance until lunch.
“Something the matter?”
Her long, wavy hair constrained with a bright red ribbon, she approached with a mug held out as an offering. “I’ve brought you hot cocoa.”
Isabel brushed