The older man clapped his hand on Noah’s shoulder again. “Jacqueline’s changed—somewhat. Give her another chance, but just don’t break her heart.”
Noah snorted a sarcastic laugh. The marshal gave him far more credit than he deserved if he thought he’d have any influence over Jack’s heart. “Hurting her is the last thing I want to do, but I seriously doubt you have anything to worry about on that account.”
A strange look passed across the marshal’s face. “Don’t be too sure of that.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve seen the way she looks at you.”
Noah frowned. “What do you mean?”
“The Lord sure works in mysterious ways.” The marshal grinned and shook his head. “Sorry, Noah, you’re gonna have to figure that out on your own.”
Chapter 14
Dressed in his Sunday preaching suit, Noah sat on the boardinghouse’s front porch, trying to decide if he ought to go to the social or stay back and study his sermon some more. He tapped the edge of the chair in time with the lively music playing in the vacant lot next to the church.
Across the street at the mercantile, a buggy pulled to a stop, and a tall man climbed out and took the steps to the boardwalk two at a time. The door flew open, as if someone had been standing there waiting for him. Mrs. Morgan stepped out, looking pretty in a rose-colored gown, followed by her daughter in a fancy dress in a brown and light green fabric. Both women’s hair had been piled onto the crown of their heads, although the daughter also had blond ringlets hanging down from her topknot. Dainty bonnets adorned their heads.
Noah shook his head, glad that he was a male and only had to comb his hair. How did they manage to keep all their tresses up with just a handful of hairpins?
The trio crowded into the buggy and drove down the street. Several groups of people wandered past the boardinghouse dressed in their finery. Men escorted their ladies, who were decked out in almost every color of the rainbow. They reminded Noah of a field of spring wildflowers. What color would Jack’s dress be?
He gripped the end of the arm rest. Would she even come?
He’d seen her limping around the house this afternoon, but knowing she’d been watching him work without a shirt, he’d not been able to meet her gaze. He couldn’t help wondering why she’d been staring and if she’d liked what she saw.
He sighed and shook his head. “Forgive me, Father. Keep my mind set on things above, not things on earth.”
Closing his eyes, he prayed about Sunday. Prayed that he would preach a sermon that would touch hearts. Prayed that he wouldn’t be so nervous that he’d mess up like he’d done the first few times he’d preached.
He kept his head back and eyes shut as he prayed for the Davis family. Thank You, Lord, for Luke’s support. Bless Mrs. Davis, and let her baby be delivered safely. And Jack … I don’t even know what to say. Touch her heart, and draw her closer to You.
He heard rustling and peeked out one eye. Alan and Abby Davis were hunkered down, tiptoeing around the side of the house. Quiet giggles filled the air like the sweet scent of pies cooking.
“He’s asleep.” Abby giggled again.
“No he ain’t,” Alan said. “He’s just resting his eyes like Papa does when he’s tired.”
“Nuh-uh, he’s sleeping.”
Noah couldn’t help letting out a fake snore as he peeked out one squinted eye.
“See! I told you.” Abby shoved her brother’s shoulder.
Curling his lips, Noah tried not to smile. Both of these children reminded him of Jack, even though he hadn’t known her when she was so young.
He faked another snore then fluttered his lips as he blew out a breath. Childless laughter sounded to his right.
“Oh, dear.”
That was no child’s voice. His eyes flew open and landed on an emerald green skirt. Jack’s skirt. He bolted out of the chair, and his hat flopped off his lap and rolled across the porch floor. Squeals of laughter echoed beside the porch.
“I wasn’t sleeping. I was just playing with your brother and sister.”
Jack lifted her brows as if questioning if he was being truthful. Her dark blue eyes sparkled, and her auburn hair had been pinned up in a fashionable style that revealed her slender neck. His gaze traveled down her pretty dress, skimming past her bodice to her narrow waist and her flared skirt. Sometime in the past ten years, Jacqueline Hamilton Davis had blossomed from a coltish tomboy to a beautiful woman.
He lifted his gaze and smiled, receiving a shy grin back. A becoming rose red stained her cheeks. Her neck was lightly tanned, but the skin on her shoulders, which was normally covered by her shirtwaist, was a creamy white that just ached to be touched. He reached for the basket that hung on one of her arms to keep his hand busy and shoved the other one into his pocket. He shuffled his feet. He’d never known how to relate to Jack when she was a spunky young girl, but he felt even more discombobulated with this very pretty, feminine version. Help me, Lord.
Noah forced his gaze on the younger Davis girl. Instead of using the stairs four feet away, Abby climbed up the porch spindles and shinnied over the railing. “Yes, he was. I heard him snore’n.”
“Me, too.” Alan clambered up beside his sister, and both children dropped onto the porch floor with a light thud.
“You mean like this?” He snorted like a pig and bent down, gently poking Abby’s belly, sending her into another fit of the giggles.
As he straightened, he picked up his hat and set it on his head. “Were you waiting on me?”
He shrugged, not sure if he was or wasn’t. “Guess I just didn’t want to go down there alone.”
The disappointment on her face made him pause. Had she wanted him to escort her?
Jack turned away and pointed at her siblings. “Back inside, you two. Ma said it’s time for your baths. There’s church tomorrow.”
“Ahh … do we have to go? Church is boring.”
“Abby Louise Davis. I don’t ever want to hear you say such a thing again.” She wagged her finger in front of the child, as if she were Abby’s mother. Noah cocked his head, realizing how nice an image that was.
Abby crossed her arms over her chest and frowned at her big sister. “I don’t want no bath.”
“Me neither.” Alan licked his finger, then swiped it across his shin below his short pants and held it up. “See, I ain’t even dirty.”
“Alan! That’s horrid behavior—and don’t say ain’t. Both of you get into the house this instant, or I’m getting a switch to tan your hide.”
Both kids glared at her with arms crossed but finally relented and stomped inside. Jack closed the door and swung back around to face him, bringing with her the fragrant scent of flowers. “I sure hope I was never half as bad as they are.”
Noah couldn’t help the gleam in his eye. The truth in his opinion was that Jack had been twice as bad as her siblings, but he could hardly say that.
“What?” She tilted her head, exposing her soft neck. The perfect spot to place a kiss.
Noah took a step back, stunned at his train of thought. He couldn’t allow her to tempt him. “Uhh … nothing.” He cleared his throat. “Are you the only one of your family going to the social?”
“Luke’s helping Carly—uh, Miss Payton—bathe the kids and put them to bed, so Ma can stay off her feet. I imagine he’ll mosey down to make sure things are going all right. He likes to keep a close eye on public events. You never know when some cowpoke will cause trouble.”
He’d never before considered how the marshal was always on duty, much like a minister. Did that interfere with his family life?
“So, will you escort me to the social, Reverend?”
He tugged at his collar and stared down the street to where the crowd had gathered. Maybe some folks wouldn’t think it proper for a minister to attend a square dance social. “Maybe I should just stay here and work on my sermon for tomorrow.”
“Horse feathers.” She pulled his arm down.
“Don’t be a stick-in-the-mud. This is a good time to get to know some of your parishioners before you preach to them.”
Did she actually want him to go? Her eager expression and sparkling eyes hinted that she did. But in his heart, he knew that if she knew his real identity, she’d flee back to the house as fast as she could.
Jack held onto Noah’s solid arm and tried to ignore how much her knee ached. She’d been on it far too much the past few days, but she’d had things to do to get ready for tonight, and she’d tried to help her ma as much as possible. With the baby due anytime, her ma tired much quicker and had less patience with the children. Having Carly here to help sure was a blessing.
“So, does the town have these get-togethers often?” Noah’s deep voice rumbled beside her.
“This is the first one of the year. We have them the last Saturday of the month from April to September. These socials are the remnant of the Saturday Socials that the Corbett brothers started years ago.”
“Corbett—as in your pa’s cousin?”
“Yes, him and his brother, Mark.” Jack smiled up at him. “You haven’t been here long, so you probably haven’t heard the story about the mail-order brides they ordered for my papa.”
She felt him stiffen and glanced up. He smiled but had an odd look on his face. They passed a passel of buggies and horses lining both sides of the road. Up ahead, lively dancers were enjoying the do-si-do of the Virginia Reel to guitar and fiddle, while others stood around the refreshment tables and in small groups, talking with friends and neighbors. Jack scanned the busy area for Billy and allowed some of the tension in her shoulders to flee when she didn’t see him.
She sure hoped he didn’t show up. “Anyway, when Luke first returned to Lookout, he’d just become a Christian and felt God told him to come back and forgive my ma for marrying another man when she’d been engaged to Luke. His cousins thought if he had another woman in his life, he’d forget about Ma, so they ordered some mail-order brides. Even though they wrote to several, they thought only one would show up, but instead, three did. And so someone decided to have a contest to see which gal would make Papa the best wife.” She glanced up to gauge his reaction and was surprised that his face remained passive. Maybe being a man, he didn’t like to hear romantic stories. Why should that disappoint her?
She shrugged and continued her story. “Some things happened to make Papa realize he still loved my ma, and they got back together, which made me the happiest kid in the world.”
He smiled down at her, his dark eyes intense, as if her happiness mattered to him. Her heart did a somersault, and she worked to keep her breathing under control so she could finish. “Needless to say, there were several brides left over after Papa chose Ma to marry. The Corbett brothers started hosting Saturday socials in order to find husbands for Miss Bennett and Miss O’Neil.”
“And did they?”
Jack nodded and slowed her steps, not quite ready to share him with the rest of the crowd. “Sort of. Shannon O’Neil married Mark Corbett. Garrett hired her to work in the freight office, so she and Mark saw each other every day, and somewhere along the line, they fell in love.”
A soft smile tugged at Noah’s lips. “Good for them. Will they be here tonight?”
Jack shook her head and searched the crowd for Penny and Tessa. “No, they’re living in Dallas right now. Mark is a lawyer.”
“What happened to the other bride?” Noah held his hand out toward two empty chairs that rested against the wall of the church.
Jack sat, grateful to rest her leg. “Leah Bennett married Dan Howard, who owns the livery. I suspect they’ll be here tonight.”
He looked the crowd over, almost as if searching for the couple, but that was silly since he didn’t even know what they looked like. She studied his strong profile. His nose was straight and not overly big. Most of the time, his sleek black hair was combed back, revealing his broad forehead, but when he’d been chopping wood, his hair had draped down across it. A vision of him working, his bare chest shiny with sweat, flashed across her mind. She touched her hand to her cheek. Was she actually blushing? What was it about this man that caused her to behave like a silly schoolgirl with her first infatuation with a boy?
“Something wrong?” He glanced down with concerned eyes. “Are you in pain?”
“I’m fine. Just wish I could dance, is all.” Oh! Was that a lie?
No, but it wasn’t the whole truth either. Whenever he was around, she was far from fine. Her heart beat faster, she couldn’t catch her breath, and her legs turned into liquid like melted butter. The truth hit her as hard as if she’d been run down by a herd of stampeding cattle. She liked Noah Jeffers. No, more than liked him.
Wringing her hands, she wished someone would walk over and talk to her. She needed a diversion from her wayward thoughts. She couldn’t like the minister. It wasn’t part of the plans she’d made for her life.
“Uh, what do I do with this basket?”
“I’ll take it to the refreshment table.” Jack started to rise, but Noah’s hand to her shoulder halted her. His warm, gentle touch set her rebellious heart thrumming, and she peered up at him. His gaze collided with hers, and she felt as if they were connected. Alone, though in a crowd. The music and conversation faded. His fingers moved ever so slightly, brushing across her skin and sending delicious chills scurrying down her spine. She swallowed the lump in her throat. Then he glanced toward her shoulder, scowled, and yanked his hand away.
“You … uh … sit. I’ll um …” His words sounded hoarse—huskier than normal. Noah cleared his throat as he looked across the crowd.
“They’re cookies. Just deliver the basket to one of the food tables, and the ladies there will take care of them.”
He nodded but didn’t look back at her. She watched him walk a few feet before Tessa intercepted him.
“There you are, Reverend.” Tessa glided up to Noah and looped her arm possessively around his. “I hope you saved me a dance.”
With his back to her, Jack couldn’t hear his response, but if Tessa’s fake pout was any sign, he must have turned her down. She knew that shouldn’t make her happy, but she smiled anyway. Maybe the preacher was immune to Tessa’s wiles.
Tessa clung to the preacher as though they were a couple, as they wove in and out of the crowd. Several more people stopped them before Noah made it to the table and relinquished Jack’s basket to Polly Dykstra. He glanced back toward Jack, and she quickly looked to the side, not wanting him to catch her watching.
Two guitar players and a fiddler filled the air with their lively music, while a small group danced a quadrille. The women’s dresses swirled around their partners’ legs, and smiles lit up each face. Jack tapped her foot in time with the music. How ironic that she never really cared about dancing, but the one time she might have enjoyed it, she was unable to participate.
“There you are.” Penny straightened her peach-colored skirt as she sat down. “I was beginning to think you weren’t coming after going to so much effort to get that new dress. It’s the perfect color for you.”
Jack blew out a sigh, fluttering her lips. “Thank you, but I might as well not come. I can’t dance with anyone.”
Eyes glimmering, Penny leaned over close to her ear. “I noticed you had an escort—and a very handsome one at that.”
Jack shook her head and chuckled. “He’s not my escort. In fact, if I hadn’t come out onto the porch just when I did, I fear he would have fallen asleep on the front porch or else scurried back up to his room.”
“He didn’t want to come?”
Jack shrugged. “I think he’s just nervous about meeting so many folks.”
Penny leaned back in her seat. “You’d better keep the parson close by, or Tessa will steal him from you.”
“She can have him. I’ve no designs on him.” Now why did those words leave a bad taste in her mouth?
Penny gasped. “Surely you don’t mean that. I’ve seen how he looks at you.”
>
Jack’s pulse sped up. “What do you mean?”
Her friend’s mouth puckered as if she knew a special secret, and she wiggled her brows. “Like you were the prettiest filly in the corral, that’s what.”
“Penny! You’re comparing me to a horse?”
Her friend giggled as she watched the dancers. “No, of course not. But I just figured that’s what a man might think.”
Jack shook her head, but her gaze sought out Noah again. “I’d make as good a pastor’s wife as Tessa would.” She couldn’t help following that train of thought. Jacqueline Jeffers actually had a nice ring to it. If Noah’s light touch on her shoulder sent butterflies swarming in her stomach, what would his kiss be like? She closed her eyes trying to imagine it. He’d lean down, his dark eyes burning with passion; their lips would touch lightly, then press harder as he pulled her to his chest. She fanned her warm face.
“Why, Jacqueline Davis, whatever are you thinking about? You have the oddest smile on your face.”
Jack’s eyes popped open at Tessa’s question. Then her gaze darted to Noah, who stood a few feet away. She’d been so lost in her fantasy that she hadn’t heard them return. She could hardly answer that question, could she? “I … uh …”
Noah held a mug out to her. “I thought you might be thirsty. We got a drink ourselves, but I wanted to bring you this—since you can’t walk much, you know.” He glanced at Penny. “Sorry, ma’am, I would have brought you a drink, too, if I’d known you were here.”
“That’s all right.” Penny ducked her head, then glanced sideways at Jack, giving her a knowing grin.
“This is my friend, Penny Dempsey, and Penny, this is Reverend Jeffers.” Jack waved her hand toward Penny and then Noah. “You already know he’s staying at the boardinghouse.”
Penny nodded. “A pleasure, Reverend.”
“The pleasure’s all mine, Miss Dempsey.” Noah smiled at Penny.
“And you’ve already met Tessa Morgan, I see.” Jack took a sip of her cider.
Finally a Bride (Texas Boardinghouse Brides 3) Page 14