Mountain Flower

By Teresa Hubley

Wisteria, a spirited and principled motel maid, finds herself battling greedy ranchers and a jealous wench for the honor of her humble father and the love of the wealthy and very eligible Anthony.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Teresa Hubley
• Release date: Mar 11, 2011
• ISBN: 9781458196804

Teresa Hubley

Teresa Hubley was born in Minneapolis and moved every couple of years after that, winding up in a handful of small Midwestern towns, suburban California and even west Africa. As an adult, she acquired a doctoral degree in anthropology and has lived most of her life in Maine, where she works in the health field. She usually has too many books to keep track of going at any time on her reading list. Favorite authors include Charles Dickens, E.M. Forster, Agatha Christie, Elizabeth Peters, and Dave Barry. Lunch out with Teresa and her family usually includes the reading of a few pages while the meal is delivered. When she's not reading or writing, she might be drawing, going for a long walk, or sneaking a guilty pleasure moment playing games on her tablet.

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Mountain Flower

By Teresa Hubley

Copyright 2011 Teresa Hubley

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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Dedication

To my writing angels, Texel and Sethos, wherever you are,

for developing a great set of characters and setting an irresistible challenge

Table of Contents

Part One

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Part Two

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

PART ONE

CHAPTER ONE

The strong mountain sun beat down across the gravel parking lot of the Cathay Motel. Wisteria Cathay arched her back and turned her pretty face up into the sun, having set her bucketful of dirty water to rest on the ground. Her deep black hair was bound back by a green bandanna, which matched her fine green eyes. She had a tired smile on that lovely face, for she had been working hard at her chores as the only maid for fifteen lonely rooms. For a uniform, she wore well-aged, skintight jeans and a faded plaid cowboy shirt.

From the office came the voice of her small, wizened father, Ethan, gray before his time and stooped with rheumatism. The door stood open for the warm sunshine and fresh air and Ethan sat with his back to it, reading the mail. A calico cat wound its way between the various legs of flesh and wood where Ethan's feet rested, purring and holding its eyes tightly shut.

Wisteria! Ethan called, without missing a line before him. Have you finished with those rooms yet? His voice was slightly edged but he was not a gruff man.

Yes, Pa, called Wisteria, gathering her things about her and heading to the office.

Just for a moment as Wisteria entered the office, she saw her Pa's face sagging in consternation, but then he brightened up as she entered.

Thank you, Wisteria, he said.

It's my job, Pa, Wisteria insisted, and then, What's that?

Nothing child, Ethan replied. Just a letter from Marshall Wently.

I'm sure it's not an invitation to tea! Wisteria said in a bitter tone.

Now daughter, Ethan admonished. No anger please. I do owe the Wently family a great deal of money. Without them, we would never have rebuilt after the fire.

But they don't need to be so hard on you, Pa. Mother died in that fire. None of them ever showed a whit of sympathy for us over that. They don't care about us. They just want their greasy little crowbar under our property so they can chuck us off of it…

Wisteria! Wently has every right to demand payment. I have never been able to squeeze the money out of this place…I try, God knows…but he has every right to be angry.

So do we, said Wisteria, her eyes blazing with fire.

As usual, however, her father prevailed. He smiled at her and clasped her hands for a moment before lacing his own hands together in an almost-prayer. Wisteria, he said, in his gentlest voice, I need you now to go into Jackson and buy some supplies. When she remained rooted by him, he continued, still smiling, "Anger won't get you anywhere in this situation. You