title: The Innkeeper?s Daughter and the Mysterious Cowman
author: Hamilton, Kent
description: Pauline Wickerson jumped at the sound of her mother’s voice. Looking down at the mop in her hand, he realized suddenly that she had been wiping over the same spot of dirty floor for at least the past five minutes. She’d let her mind wander again. Something that she was more and more prone to do these days. Especially with the Sheriff's wedding imminent. Weddings always seemed to inspire Pauline’s daydreams and fantasies. Unfortunately, weddings also brought guests to the boarding house. And, with multiple guests set to arrive at any moment, it was not exactly the time for losing oneself in romantic fantasies about being whisked away by a dark, handsome cowboy. “Coming Mama,” Pauline called back to her mother. She slid the gray mop back into the bucket of water; careful not to slop it all over the newly cleaned floor. “What on earth was keeping you?” Her mother asked sternly when Pauline entered the front lobby, dragging the mop water behind her. “I’ve been calling you for the past two minutes at least.” Pauline couldn’t help but shirk a bit under her mother’s intense gaze. Though Mrs. Wickerson was not a large woman, her black and gray hair, pulled back into a sharp bun that matched her equally sharp eyes were enough to intimidate even the bravest of souls. “Sorry, mama,” she said. “I suppose I lost track of time.” Mrs. Wickerson’s eyes narrowed at her dau