Father was looking over a letter that had come in the mail when Susanna bid him good night.
“I’m heading out,” she said.
He glanced up, but there was no offer to see her safely back to the hotel or even to thank her for taking care of everything. Her parents really were the most self-focused people she’d ever known.
“Your uncle Harrison is coming to see how things are going. He wants to make sure we have everything we need. I’m going to speak to him about these arrangements. It really is a deplorable town, and it’s criminal for your mother and I to have to live this way.” He looked down at the letter. “He really is quite unkind to imagine this will work.”
Susanna shook her head and headed for the door. There was no sense in even offering a reply.
The day had cooled to a pleasantly warm evening. Susanna wanted to contact Lia and arrange whatever she could for her services. Again, her conscience was pricked at the knowledge that she was only furthering her mother’s spoiled behavior. Still, it was Susanna who would suffer if she didn’t arrange for a maid and cook. It would fall to her own shoulders and double her workload. She sighed. Helping at the hotel was far more work than she wanted as it was. She had hoped her mother might see the need to offer a hand, but of course that was the furthest thing from her mind.
A few blocks down Main Street, Susanna noted the crossroad she wanted and turned left. Lia had said their house was at the end of the road. Susanna admired the small adobe house. Two boys were racing circles around two men in the front yard.
One of the men was Owen Turner. When he spied her, he smiled and gave a wave.
“How nice to see you again,” he said, coming to greet her. “Come meet the gang.”
The two boys came running and clamped themselves onto Owen’s legs. “Now you have to carry us,” one of the boys declared.
Owen made great stomping strides as the boys squealed in delight. “On my right leg is Emilio, and on my left is John. That exhausted man behind me is their father, LeRoy Branson. LeRoy and boys, this is Mrs. Jenkins.”
“How nice to meet you all,” Susanna said, laughing. What a difference this company made. They instantly cheered her. “I’ve come to see Lia. Mother wants to hire her to do some cooking and cleaning.”
LeRoy came to greet her. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Jenkins.”
“Oh, please, everyone calls me Susanna.” She shook LeRoy’s hand. It was a firm, calloused handshake that reminded her of his job. “You work with Owen at the railroad, right?”
“I don’t work alongside him, but I am at the shops. We’re the two who keep the Santa Fe actually running.”
Owen laughed. “Sometimes it definitely feels that way.” The boys peeled off his legs and went running.
“Come on inside,” LeRoy said, heading for the house. “Lia is there.”
Owen and Susanna walked toward the house in unison step. He offered her a smile. “How’s the hotel business?”
“So far, so good. I have pleasant accommodations to myself, so that is very nice.”
“And the guests have been polite? No one getting out of hand with you?” Owen looked at her as if to assure himself of the truth.
“No. Things have been quite pleasant. But we’re just getting started.”
Inside the little house, Susanna marveled at the homey feel. There were beautiful multi-colored curtains at the windows and tile on the floor that was equally colorful.
“Your house is so charming,” Susanna said when Lia came to greet her. “I love these tiles.”
“Thank you. They are special to me. My uncle made them.”
“He is a very talented man. An artist.”
“Sí, he is,” Lia agreed. “Would you like something to drink?”
Susanna shook her head. “I just came from supper with my family. I thought I’d best try to arrange for your help before I let another day pass.”
“Come and sit, and we’ll talk about what you need.”
“I don’t suppose you need us, so we’ll just go back outside and enjoy the evening,” LeRoy said. He bent and gave Lia a quick kiss.
Susanna waited until the men had gone before explaining what she had in mind. “I want to tell you about our situation,” she began. She had already decided to be completely honest with Lia. Susanna explained her mother’s elevated opinion of herself and her father’s delusional ideas about finance. She tried her best to be kind and even show respect—after all, they were her parents—but she knew Lia would learn the truth soon enough. “My brother is spoiled and has no idea how to conduct himself. I fear for him and am more than grateful that Owen has taken an interest in him. However, Gary is naïve and is certain to get himself into trouble.”
“It’s easy enough to do around here. Not all the men are good,” Lia admitted. “There are some very rough characters in San Marcial.”
“And no doubt they will see my brother coming from a long way off and take advantage of him.”
“Then we must pray for him.”
Susanna was embarrassed to admit she hadn’t considered that. Her religious training was mostly superficial, although she and Mark had prayed and read the Bible together. “I suppose I’ve been so caught up in the changes that I hadn’t thought about the need for prayer. But you’re right.”
“I will pray for him faithfully, just as I do my boys.”
“Thank you, Lia. I am grateful.”
“We will be good friends, you and me. I already know it.”
Susanna hadn’t had a good friend since Mark had passed away. She had closed herself off from everyone. Perhaps a good friend was exactly what she needed. She smiled.
“I can do a few hours now while the boys are out of school,” Lia began. “My sister María can watch them. They love to play with their cousins. Once they are all back at school, I can work most of the day if needed.”
“I think a few hours in the morning and a few in the afternoon would work well for now. Mother will need help cleaning and with laundry. She will also need help with cooking.”
“I can do this,” Lia replied. “I can come over first thing and help with baking and laundry. On days without laundry, I can clean first thing. In the afternoons I can make supper and help with whatever else there is. On laundry days, this would be a good time to take in the clothes and iron them.”
“Speaking of laundry, once the boys are in school, I will need help with the hotel laundry. We can do it at my folks’ house because of the outdoor cauldrons Mr. Medford left. It’s so hard on me to strip all the beds and then go wash all the bedding. It’s not usually that dirty, but it still requires the time and effort. I wish Uncle Harrison had thought to put in a washing station at the hotel, but I have a little wagon for transport, so we’ll make the best of it.”
“I’d be happy to help with that.”
“Wonderful. Once it’s clean, I can bring it back to the hotel and spend my evenings ironing it.”
They talked about the arrangements after school started and settled on a price. Susanna thought the payment was more than acceptable. It was far less than she might have paid in Topeka. Uncle might protest, but this was something she was doing for herself, and he would have to live with it. Her only other choice would be to leave San Marcial.