Once Upon A Texas Christmas. Winnie Griggs

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       Chapter Three

      “Did you have a chance to look around yet?” Abigail had just taken a seat across the table from Mr. Reynolds in the hotel dining room.

      He inclined his head. “I did.”

      The man didn’t seem to be any more forthcoming now than he’d been earlier. “And what are your thoughts?” she prodded.

      “In my opinion, having everything completed by Christmas is an ambitious goal, but it is definitely achievable.”

      “Oh.” Was this something he and the judge had discussed? “I know Judge Madison is planning to visit over the holidays, but I wasn’t aware that that was our deadline.”

      He gave her an infuriatingly superior look. “It’s always good to have an end date in mind when starting any project. And Christmas seems an appropriate one in this case, especially since Judge Madison will be in town.”

      Choosing to ignore his tone, she smiled. “I shall defer to you on that since I understand you have experience overseeing this sort of work.”

      “I have experience in many different areas.”

      Goodness, did the man have to be so stiff and solemn all the time?

      Della Long, who had taken over the kitchen when Norma Crandall became too ill, arrived to take their orders. Abigail performed the introductions, then they made their selections from the very limited menu.

      Once they were alone again, Mr. Reynolds picked up the conversational reins. “Mr. Crandall introduced me to Walter Hendricks, the man handling the construction.”

      Abigail nodded. “Mr. Hendricks and his two sons are good men and they do good work. You can see examples all over town, including the schoolhouse and the town hall.”

      “So you know them personally?”

      “Of course. It’s a small town. Most everyone here knows everyone else.” His lack of conversation was making it difficult for her to discern how he felt about things. “Did you have the opportunity to inspect their work?”

      “Briefly. I plan to inspect it in more detail over the next few days.”

      “Well, I’m certain you’ll be pleased with what you see.”

      He merely nodded noncommittally.

      Deciding things might go better if she learned something about him personally, she changed the subject. “I actually have a favor to ask.”

      He raised a brow. “And that is?”

      Abigail smiled at the touch of wariness in his tone. “It’s nothing onerous, I assure you.” She retrieved a small notebook and pencil from her pocket. “My brother, Everett, owns the local newspaper and I help occasionally. I’d like to interview you for the next issue.”

      Mr. Reynolds frowned. “I can’t imagine anything about me would be noteworthy.”

      Was he just being modest or did he really think so little of himself? “Everyone has a story of some sort to tell. Besides, folks are always interested to learn more when someone new moves to town. And the hotel renovation itself is big news around here.” She opened the pad. “You don’t mind, do you?”

      His expression didn’t change but she sensed his hesitation. Or was it annoyance?

      He finally waved a hand, as if in surrender. “Very well, but let’s keep it short. There’s not much to tell anyway.”

      Careful to keep the note of victory from her expression, she smiled. “Thank you. Let’s start with you telling me something about yourself—where you’re from, your family, what exactly it is you do, that sort of thing.”

      “I’m from Philadelphia and my job is that of property manager for Judge Madison.”

      “And what does a property manager do?”

      “Judge Madison doesn’t care much for travel. Whenever something needs close supervision on any of his out-of-town properties, I act as his on-site representative and handle whatever needs attention.”

      “That sounds like a lot of responsibility. Judge Madison must have a great deal of faith in you.”

      He shrugged.

      Definitely a man of few words. Moving on... “And your family? Are you married?”

      “No.”