by Jenna Brandt
As soon as the words slipped from her mouth, she wished she hadn’t said them. They revealed too much, and she wasn’t sure she wanted him to know that she still cared.
“I’m flattered,” he said, as he squeezed her hands. “I wasn’t expecting you to do that.”
“Why, I can’t believe my eyes? Is that Garrett Casner standing here in the middle of church, reappearing after all this time like nothing changed?” Mary boomed from the side of them, interrupting their conversation.
They turned to face the busybody, who had her two cronies, Linda and Wilma, right beside her.
“I wouldn’t believe it if I wasn’t seeing it for myself,” Linda exclaimed. “It’s going to be the talk of the town.”
“I wonder what the sheriff is going to do about your return? Weren’t you accused of stealing a whole wagon full of copper from the Bennett mine?” Wilma asked with a raised eyebrow. “With that hanging over your head, I can’t believe you had the gall to show back up here.”
“It was a misunderstanding,” Garrett quickly defended. “I didn’t steal anything. I was attacked and in the hospital, up until a couple of days ago.”
Mary snorted with a roll of her eyes. “Likely story. I can’t believe you think a lie like that would work with the people in this town. You’ve been gone far too long for that to make any sense. What happened, did you spend all the money already and come back for more?”
“That’s enough, Mary, just leave him alone,” Becca snapped, tired of hearing the other women attack Garrett. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t asked herself the same questions, but she didn’t like the other women circling around him like they were vultures picking at a carcass.
Mary focused her attention on Becca, shaking her head back and forth with a frown on her face that made it clear she was disappointed in the other woman’s choice. “And you, Becca, I thought you were smarter than this. To fall for his charms a second time, you should be ashamed of yourself. I mean, Jonathan Bosley is still crazy about you, and you rebuff him at every turn. I honestly can’t understand why you do the things you do.”
“Did someone mention my name?” Jonathan inquired, coming up to the group.
“Yes, I did,” Mary said, swiveling her attention to the dark-haired man. “I was just saying I can’t imagine how she could not be swayed by someone as wonderful as you, Mr. Bosley,” she said, reaching out and placing her hand on the arm of Jonathan. “She’s a fool for not seeing the perfect option that is you, and choosing to be taken in time and again by someone like him,” Mary rebuked, gesturing with her head towards Garrett.
“I’ve wondered the same thing myself,” Jonathan admitted with a sigh. “It’s discouraging to say the least.”
“Of course, you should know, you have other options, too,” Mary cooed, wrapping her arm through Jonathan’s, who continued to look at Becca instead of paying attention to Mary.
“Maybe you should take it as a sign, and move on. Take Miss Greyson up on her offer,” Garrett suggested.
“I don’t think you have the right to tell anyone what to do, least of all me,” Jonathan retorted back.
“You’re wrong. The fact you stole my inheritance gives me the right,” Garrett growled. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten just because I’ve been away.”
“Don’t you mean hiding because you stole from the Bennetts? Becca, tell me you don’t believe a word he’s saying,” Jonathan appealed with a worried look in his eyes. “You’re smarter than this.”
Becca could feel a headache coming on, and knew that all the arguing and the related stress was the cause. She placed her hand at her temple, trying to rub the tension away.
“Leave my sister alone; look what you’re doing to her.” Mark rebuked as he, along with Julia and Ed, approached the group.
“Can’t you see you’re causing her pain?” Julia accused, as she wrapped her arm around Becca’s shoulders and turned her away from the gathered crowd. “Let’s get you out of here.”
They moved quickly out of the church and across the street, away from prying eyes.
“Are you all right?” Julia asked in a soothing tone.
“Not really; my head is aching something awful,” Becca choked out, as she tried to force back the tears of frustration and embarrassment over what just happened.
“Then let me get you home,” her cousin offered. “We can talk about what happened later.”
Chapter Six
Garrett took a deep breath and raised his hand to knock. A few seconds later, Mark Bennett opened the door. He didn’t look happy to see Garrett and it was confirmed when he barked out, “What do you want?”
“I came to check on Becca.”
“She isn’t your concern anymore; not since you took off on her and left her alone.”
“I didn’t take off on her,” Garrett objected. “I was attacked and left for dead. When I woke, I had no memories of who I was. When I—”
“You don’t need to tell me the whole story,” Mark interrupted with a snarl. “Becca already told the family. The rest might be inclined to believe you, but I have my reservations.”
“What can I do to prove I’m here for the right reasons?”
“I’m not sure there is anything you can do,” Mark stated bluntly. “I don’t trust you anymore; not sure if I ever will again.”
Garrett tried to hide the hurt Mark’s words caused him. They had been close friends before what happened to Garrett in Yuma. They’d gotten to know each other while working at the mine, sharing a few drinks after work at the local saloon. Mark saw potential in Garrett and promoted him to foreman, a position that Garrett had taken very seriously. When Garrett had come and asked for Becca’s hand in marriage, Mark had given it willingly, excited that Garrett was going to be his brother-in-law. Now, Garrett wasn’t sure if he could ever get any of that back.
“I hope that’s not true, Mark. I want us to be friends again.”
“Too much damage might have been done, Garrett, for both me and Becca.”
“I hope that’s not the case. I want to vow to you; I’m going to do right by your sister. All I want to do is make her happy.”
“I want to believe that, Garrett, but your amnesia story is hard to believe. It might be best if you leave. When Becca is feeling up to it, and if she decides she wants to, she can contact you at the boarding house.”
“It’s all right, Mark, you can let him in.”
Garrett glanced past the other man and noticed that Becca was standing at the top of the stairs. She was observing both of them. He wondered how long she had been there and how much of their conversation she’d heard.
Mark stepped out of the way to let Garrett enter. Becca glided down the stairs, wearing the same blue dress from earlier in the day. She made her way over to where they were standing in the foyer. “We can go talk in the parlor,” she suggested, gesturing to the right side of her.
“I’ll be in the study going over the books for the mine,” Mark said as he headed in the other direction. Then over his shoulder, he added, “Call out if you need me, Becca.”
“I think that was more for me than you. He told me he doesn’t trust me anymore.”
“I don’t think he means anything by it. He was just hurt by you disappearing. We all were,” she explained as they walked to the parlor. “It’s going to take some time for us to figure out how to handle all of this. It’s not like this is a normal situation.”
“I know. I’m not sure what I was expecting when I came back. I should have known it wouldn’t be a warm reception, considering how my disappearance came across to everyone.”
Becca took a seat on the sofa and Garrett sat next to her. “I’m glad you were willing to talk with me. How are you feeling? Is your headache gone?”
Garrett took Becca’s chronic headaches seriously. Sometimes, they would last for days and completely debilitate her. It was a family condition that both she and her cousin, Julia, suffered from with no cure. Their only recourse was to try to mini
mize the symptoms when one occurred.
“Luckily, it turned out to be a minor one. I was able to get home and lie down in the dark with a cool rag before it got too bad.”
“I’m glad to hear that. I’m sorry about what happened earlier at church. I shouldn’t have let all of them talk to us that way.”
“It’s not your fault; they weren’t being very nice. You got the worst of it.”
“I can handle anything they say or do to me, so long as you don’t feel the same,” he pleaded, reaching out and taking her hands in his.
“I have to admit, I’ve asked the same questions, but I’m trying my best to keep an open mind. I want to believe you.”
“I’m glad to hear that. I was hoping you might be open to me taking you to dinner tomorrow night at the Copper Café.”
She paused for several moments, her eyebrows squeezing together as if she were thinking about his offer. “I suppose if we’re really going to try to fix things between us, we need to start somewhere. I accept your invitation.”
He gave her a wide grin as he squeezed her hands. “I’ll pick you up at seven o’clock then.”
Garrett left the Bennett home and made his way down Main Street towards the boarding house. Though it was still early in the day, most of the town shut down on Sunday, leaving little to do in town. If he and Becca were married now, he would have taken her to the park near the river. It was usually packed with townsfolk enjoying the warm afternoon with picnics and games, but alas, he was alone for the time being. For all he knew, it could be a long time before he and Becca got back to a place where they would partake in such activities.
“Pardon me, Mr. Casner, but can you spare a few moments for me to talk with you?” Mr. George Walker, the Little Ridge Gazette owner, inquired as he crossed the street. “I was hoping to ask you a few questions about your return to town.”
“What do you want to know?” Garrett spun around and faced the newspaper reporter.
“There’s all sorts of rumors circulating around about why you disappeared, what happened to the copper deposit, and why you’re back now.” George pulled out a notepad and pencil. “Care to give your side on any of it?”
Garrett debated about what he should do. Was it better or worse if he explained what happened? He supposed he should get out ahead of it, and maybe it could put some of the gossip at ease. “I can answer your questions. It’s a long story. Why don’t we head over to your office?”
George nodded. “We can do that. Let’s head over there now.”
They spent the next hour going over all the details of Garrett’s time in Yuma. Some of it was uncomfortable, especially the parts where he had to go over the attack. By the end of the interview, however, he felt confident that once the article was printed, people would know what really happened and stop asking him about it. He also hoped that the details would help the Bennetts understand he wasn’t at fault.
By the time he made it back to the boarding house, he felt better than he had in a long time. Maybe things were about to change for the better.
Chapter Seven
There was a knock on the door, causing Becca to become giddy with excitement. She knew she should hold her expectations back for the night, but she couldn’t help but be thrilled to see Garrett again. Even if there was the slightest chance he was telling the truth about what happened, she wanted to try to find a way to work things out between them.
She swung the door open, expecting to see Garrett’s handsome, smiling face. Instead, she saw her uncle standing on the other side of the threshold.
“What are you doing here, Uncle Martin?”
“I came to tell you I have news about Garrett. Can I come in?”
She nodded, stepping back and out of the way so he could enter.
“As you know, I had a private investigator look into the matter regarding Garrett’s supposed time at the Yuma hospital.”
“I assume he confirmed it one way or the other, or you wouldn’t be here.” Becca braced herself for the news, hoping that his story wasn’t fabricated. “What did he find out?”
The hardness on her uncle’s face softened as a small smile formed. “It seems he was telling the truth, Becca. Two doctors and three nurses confirmed his entire account of what happened. He was well enough to leave the hospital this past Friday, and came straight here to you.”
“He’s telling the truth?” Becca repeated back, trying to process the news.
“Yes, Garrett, didn’t jilt you. He was attacked and nearly killed. It’s a miracle he survived.”
She felt her stomach somersault with joy. This was exactly what she was hoping to find out. Garrett hadn’t left her. He hadn’t stolen from her family. He was a victim of a terrible tragic attack—one he didn’t deserve, one she wished had never happened. This meant they could start working on restoring what was taken from them because of it.
“Thank you for looking into this, Uncle Martin.”
“Of course, and I’m going to offer him his old job back. I plan on telling Garrett right away.”
“Tell me what?” they heard Garrett ask from the door that was partially open.
Both Becca and her uncle turned towards Garrett.
“I just informed Becca that my private investigator confirmed what happened to you. We want you back at the mine in your old position as soon as you’re ready.”
“I can start tomorrow,” Garrett said as he opened the door the rest of the way and stepped inside.
“Glad to hear it.” Her uncle patted him on the back. “I’m sorry there was ever any doubt about what happened to you. We just had to be sure.”
“I understand. You were being careful.”
Her uncle glanced between Becca and Garrett. “Do the two of you have plans tonight?”
They both nodded.
“Good, that’s good, you two need to get back on track.” He moved towards the door, adding, “Make sure to tell Mark for me, Becca. I don’t want him to be shocked when Garrett shows up at the mine tomorrow.”
“Will do, Uncle Martin. Thank you.”
Once they were alone, Garrett reached out to take Becca by the hand, a giant grin on his face. “This is good news, right?”
She nodded, returning his smile. “The best! I wanted to believe you. I also didn’t want to end up being made a fool of for the second time because I trusted you without knowing all the facts.”
“Well, now that you do, I think our dinner should be a celebratory one. Are you sure you still want to go to the Copper Café? We could head into Yuma and go somewhere more fancy.”
She shook her head. “You’re going to have an early day tomorrow. I don’t want you to end up being late for your first day back on the job because you were out too late with me.”
“All right, Copper Café it is,” he agreed, taking her hand and placing it in the crook of his arm.
As they walked the short distance down Main Street—with Mark following a respectable distance behind them as Becca’s chaperone— several heads turned towards them as they passed by. They must be curious, seeing them back together, since all of them had heard the rumors about why their wedding didn’t happen. When they entered the Copper Café, it was even worse inside. Everyone turned to look at them without making any effort to hide it.
“People keep staring at us,” Becca whispered as they waited to be seated at a table. “It’s unnerving.”
“Just ignore them,” Garrett gently urged. “Tonight is about us.”
She knew he was right, and decided to focus on Garrett rather than everyone else around them.
Kate Pierce, who owned and ran the cafe with her husband, Jim, ushered them to a table towards the back of the establishment. Mark sat at a table a couple of spots away, making it clear he was only there as a formality.
“I have to say, I’m surprised to see you two back together.” Kate gave them a curious smile. “I heard about what happened at church on Sunday, and wondered how much of it was true.”
&nbs
p; “If you don’t mind, we’re ready to order,” Garrett stated kindly. He conveniently side-stepped discussing what the cafe owner brought up.
The smile disappeared from Kate’s face. She quickly took their order, then scurried off.
“I hope I didn’t hurt her feelings. The last thing I need is to give anyone else in town a reason to dislike me.”
“You did just fine,” Becca said, reaching across the table and patting his hand that rested on the edge. “People need to mind their own affairs rather than getting involved in ours.”
He flipped his hand over and squeezed her hand in return. “Thank you for taking my side. That means a lot.”
“Well, I was going to marry you, after all. The least I could do is side with you when someone is prying into the status of our relationship.”
Their food quickly arrived. They enjoyed their meal of fried chicken and mashed potatoes while Becca caught Garrett up on what happened around town while he was in the hospital. It didn’t take long before they were falling back into their familiar patterns.
Becca was so wrapped up in Garrett, she barely noticed when Mark got up to leave. She assumed he was heading to the privy out back, knowing he wouldn’t leave when he needed to chaperone her on the walk back home.
Garrett was telling jokes and making Becca laugh. One was so amusing, she nearly spat out her tea.
“Did you get funnier while you were away?” she teased with a giggle. “I don’t remember you being this hilarious before.”
“That hurts,” he taunted back with a goofy face meant to make her laugh. “I’ve always been this delightful.”
This time, she couldn’t help herself. Her drink came spilling out of her nose and mouth. Becca grabbed her napkin and placed it over her face, mortified. She glanced around, hoping no one saw her bad manners.
“I’m not surprised he made you nearly choke to death because of his idiocy,” Jonathan stated sarcastically as he came up beside the table. “He can’t help but be an ignoramus.”