by Molly Jebber
Mrs. Carrington huffed. “Horace, are you going to sit there and stay silent? Why are you letting our son talk to me this way?”
Horace Carrington cleared his throat. “Enough, you two. Eloise, I want to know this instant. What happened to your arm?”
Eloise recounted the stagecoach robbery, murder, and kidnapping story. “The robber shot me. Becca turned her body to shield me, but the bullet hit my shoulder. The robbers insisted on taking Becca and me with them. She talked them into taking just her. The bandits agreed and left me in the stagecoach. Becca risked her life for me several times during the horrible ordeal. I feel terrible for treating her so mean.” She wiped a tear.
Horace circled his arm around her shoulders. “I am thankful you are all right. Is there anything I can do for you?”
Eloise shook her head. “No, Matt took care of my shoulder. I’m fine.”
Matt scratched his head and leaned forward. Had his mother had a change of heart toward Becca since their talk at his house? “Mother, have you reconsidered your opinion of Becca? From what you have told me earlier and now your words to Father, I cannot tell where you stand on Becca.”
Eloise rubbed the back of her neck. “I have mixed emotions. I’m grateful for what Becca did for me, but she is not the right woman for you.”
Matt held up his palm and stood. “Stop talking. I have heard enough. Under the circumstances, I find it appalling. I am going to do everything in my power to convince her to marry me. What I said before the robbery about not communicating with you has not changed. Please honor my request.”
His father rose and faced Matt. “I will visit you soon. We need to have a heart-to-heart talk in light of what has happened.” He frowned and rested his hand on Matt’s shoulder.
Matt’s shoulders straightened. “Do not bother me with further rebuffs about how I should not marry Becca. I have had it with both of you.” He turned on his heel and left.
Becca woke early. Whose dog was barking? She nestled in the covers. She would sleep for a few more minutes. The dog barked louder. She threw back the covers and climbed out of bed. She took a deep breath. Ruth must be frying bacon. Yummy, it smells good. She dressed and ambled to the kitchen. “I’m starving this morning.” She plucked off a piece and chewed it slowly. She edged her body into a chair and winced.
Ruth cut a hefty piece of cinnamon bread and dropped it on her plate. “What is your plan for today? I am going to stay home and spend time with you. I will cook for you, and we can chat about everything but the robbery.”
She licked her fingers and grimaced. “You’re sweet. Although sore, I’m doing well. I slept through the night. Do stay home but not to take care of me. Let’s take Benjamin to Lizzie’s for dinner later. I’m craving her famous shepherd’s pie.”
Ruth poured her a cup of coffee. “After we go to Lizzie’s, I will bring Benjamin home with me. You should go and thank Matt again. The man risked his life to rescue you. It is the least you should do. By the way, when I went to the barn to do the milking, our buggy and horse were in the barn. Matt must have stopped by very early this morning.”
“Matt can walk to his office from here. I suspect he stopped by the sheriff’s office on the way to work and asked him for a ride home at the end of the day. The sheriff’s office is close to the medical office and his house is close to Matt’s. He and the sheriff are good about helping each other.”
Her body tensed. She should express her appreciation again to him for putting his life in danger to rescue her. Her head told her to stay away. Her heart told her to take whatever Mrs. Carrington threw her way and be with Matt. “I will talk to him about it in a few days.”
“Matt deserves to hear from you today.”
The fire in the stove crackled. Becca poked it with a long piece of wood. “I’m anxious but afraid to hear what his mother had to say to him after they left here. I hope she will want to start fresh and want to know me, but we both know she might stand firm in her negative opinion of me as a potential wife for Matt.” Ruth’s account of her conversation with Eloise while she cared for her broke her heart. She had hoped Matt’s mamm had softened toward her with all they had been through during the robbery.
“You need to fall into Matt’s arms, tell him you love him, and ignore Eloise Carrington. I will get dressed. We have time to sew on our keepsake pocket quilt tops before Hattie brings Benjamin home. I cannot keep enough in stock. Our keepsake pocket quilts are my best-selling item. Gather your needles and thread, and I’ll join you in the sitting room in a few minutes.”
Becca went to her room to change clothes. Spending time in front of the fire and with her sister and Benjamin this afternoon sounded good. After she was dressed, she joined Ruth in the sitting room and dug out her needle and thread from her quilting bag. She enjoyed laughing and chatting with her sister. It was nice to forget her woes for a few hours.
Benjamin arrived. He wrapped his arms around Becca’s waist. “I asked Hattie where you were. She said you’d been taken by robbers. We prayed you’d be all right. I cried and cried.”
She kissed the top of his head. “I’m fine, but your hugs make me even better.” He was even more precious than she remembered.
Hattie Roll hung her head. She wrinkled her weathered face. “I could not lie. Too many people knew the truth.”
“You were right to tell him the truth, and thank you for taking such good care of him.”
“He takes care of me. He is a well-behaved little gentleman. He beat me and my nephew at tiddledywinks a dozen times. My brother and his wife took my nephew back to Canton, Ohio, on the early train this morning. We had a good time.”
Benjamin beamed as Hattie talked.
Hands on her small hips, Hattie chatted for a few minutes and left.
Later in the afternoon, in the backyard, Benjamin chased after the chickens and caught a chick. “Ouch, it pecked me.” He lowered it to the ground.
Becca checked his hand. “It didn’t break the skin. You’ll be all right. Don’t pick them up.” She guided him over to a pile of leaves and threw a handful in the air.
He giggled and did the same until a squirrel caught his attention, climbing a tree. He stretched his neck to watch it clamber to the top. “Can I take the squirrel inside and keep it for a pet?”
“No, he’s not meant to be a pet. He would bite you harder than the chick. You can look but don’t touch wild creatures.”
He frowned and rubbed his hands.
Ruth laughed and leaned close to Becca’s ear. “I overheard your conversation with Benjamin about the squirrels and thought of Eloise.”
Becca giggled. “She does resemble a wild creature when she gets angry.”
The two sisters grabbed Benjamin’s hands and they went inside, chatted, and mixed and baked oatmeal cookies.
An hour passed, and Becca’s stomach growled. “I’m hungry for dinner. We can have these cookies for dessert later. Let’s go to Lizzie’s.”
She gathered their things and on their way to the restaurant, she paused as one person after another stopped to congratulate her. News had traveled fast. The sheriff and his deputies were the worst gossipers. They had told everyone how she had risked her life for Mrs. Carrington and the Grayson family. God deserved the credit for saving them, not her. She hoped she had made this clear to everyone who spoke to her.
Benjamin held Becca’s and Ruth’s hands. “We are never going to make it to Lizzie’s with all the people wanting to praise you. You are a heroine in this town. Is it uncomfortable? You look tense.”
“I’m embarrassed. I’m not used to all this attention.” Becca bit her lip. Ready to put it behind her, she didn’t enjoy answering the townsfolks’ questions.
Benjamin pointed to Matt’s office. “Let’s go see Matt. I miss him.”
Before they could stop him, he ran, pushed the door, and bolted inside. When they entered the office, Dorothy engulfed Becca against her pudgy frame. “I am happy you are here. I was sick with worry when I
heard what happened. When are you coming back to work? I do not like blood, stitches, and needles. I am begging you, please come back.”
Ruth untied her hat and held it. “What a great idea.”
Matt exited the exam room with Clyde. “Becca, Ruth, Benjamin, welcome.”
Benjamin skipped to Matt. “We came to visit you. Hattie told me you and the sheriff rescued Becca. She told her friend, Harry, you shot a robber. Can you show me how to shoot a gun?”
Becca gasped and tousled the child’s hair. “You have big ears, and you’re not going to learn to shoot a gun yet.”
Matt put his hands on Benjamin’s head. “When you are old enough, I will teach you how to shoot. In the meantime, I will buy you a toy gun.”
Benjamin stuffed one of Dorothy’s sugar cookies in his mouth. “What a great idea.”
Clyde removed his hat and held out his hand to Becca. “It’s all over town what you did for Matt’s mother and Dewey’s family. You’re one tough woman. You surprised me. Why if I wasn’t fifty, I’d ask ya to marry me.”
She laughed.
“All kiddin’ aside, I’m glad you’re unharmed. If I would’ve known, I would’ve gone with Matt to get ya.”
“You’re a good friend, Clyde. Thank you for thinking of me.” She could hardly concentrate on Clyde’s words. Her stomach fluttered at the sight of Matt. Standing in the familiar office and not working beside him made her heart plummet. She longed to have his arms around her.
Ruth put her hat on. “Matt, come with us to Lizzie’s for dinner. Dorothy, you come too.”
Dorothy touched her nose. “I have a cold and do not have much of an appetite today. You all go, and I will man the office. I brought my famous chicken noodle soup.”
Becca pinched the back of Ruth’s arm and whispered in her ear. “What do you think you’re doing?”
Ruth shrugged her off and hustled Benjamin to the front door. She stayed ahead of Becca and Matt, swinging Benjamin’s hand in hers.
Seething and nerves on end, Becca fumbled as to what to say. “How is your mamm?”
Matt put his arm around her shoulders. “Her wound should heal quite nicely. She was fortunate the bullet went straight through.” He touched her arm. “I need to talk to you alone after dinner.”
Matt finished his dinner and pushed the dishes aside. On a paper napkin, he drew pictures of animals for Benjamin and encouraged him to do the same. When everyone had finished eating, he touched Becca’s hand. He could not wait another minute to speak to her alone. “Will you go outside with me for a few minutes?”
Ruth winked at Matt and hurried to get Benjamin out of his seat. “Benjamin and I are going to meet Isaac at our house. Before he left yesterday, he mentioned stopping by this afternoon.”
He wanted Becca, Benjamin, Ruth, and Isaac as his family. She had to come to her senses for all their sakes. “I promise not to take much of your time.”
“All right, but we do need to go to your office rather than outside. Otherwise, townspeople might overhear us as they pass by.”
He held her coat while she slipped into it. He escorted her to his office. “Sit with me.”
She sat next to him.
With his hand in hers, he met her eyes. He had prayed for the right words to say before bed the night before. He wanted to hear her say she would marry him. He was sure he would never love anyone like he loved her. They walked to his office. “My heart is about to come out of my chest. I have missed you and cannot stand the fact that you were taken. The possibility I could have lost you forever is still haunting me.” He leaned close. “Marry me. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want us to have children and grow old together.”
Becca’s lip quivered. “I love you. I do. You are everything I would ever want in a husband. I have dreamed about having your children and sharing our future together. I had hoped my helping your mamm during the robbery would show her my character, but it did not change her mind one bit. She will never give us any peace.” She looked away from him.
He missed her. She had spoiled him. The office was a mess. Patients asked about her all the time. Dorothy hated assisting him, and she was terrible at it. “I need you at the office. I want us to be together. I want to be a part of your family. Your parents have accepted we are together. It is not something you thought would happen. Someday, maybe my parents will too. Do not make their problem ours. Please reconsider.” He reached inside his pocket to pull out the box with the ring in it.
The door flew open and a burst of cold air made them both squint. Ruth shouted, “I have been searching for you. Isaac’s fallen. Come now!”
Matt pushed the box back in his pocket and grabbed his bag. Becca ran with Ruth to the house. He outpaced them. Isaac lay on the living room floor. Kneeling, he examined him. The bump on the man’s forehead swelled. It was red and warm. “What caused you to fall, Isaac?”
Isaac groaned and pointed to the ladder turned over. “A loose board in the ceiling needed a nail. I lost my balance, fell, and hit my head. Everything went black for a moment.”
Matt ran his hands over Isaac’s body to check for broken bones. “No broken bones.”
Isaac touched a bump on his forehead. “Other than a bad headache, I will be fine. Will you help me up?”
Matt offered his arm for Isaac, as the man settled into a sitting position. “Sit still for a few minutes. Did you experience dizziness or chest pain?”
“No, I was in a hurry and missed a step on the ladder.”
Benjamin wrinkled his nose and turned to Matt. “There was a big cracking sound when Isaac hit the floor. I stayed with him like Ruth told me to. I told him you’d make him all better.”
Matt put his hand on the boy’s shoulder. The child was precious. He had a soft heart, much like Becca and Ruth. “You did the right thing staying with Isaac. I am sure he liked having you with him.”
Benjamin got on the floor next to Isaac, as close as he could. “Ruth would be sad if anything happened to you. I would be too.”
Isaac nudged Benjamin. “I need you as much as you need me.”
“Did you ask her yet?”
Isaac reddened and shook his head no. He put his finger to his lips.
Benjamin nudged Isaac’s arm. “What are you waiting for? Go ahead.”
Matt glanced at Becca with raised eyebrows.
Ruth lifted one shoulder. “I do not know what Benjamin is talking about.”
Isaac held out his hand to Matt. “I guess this is as good a time as any to ask Ruth my question. I will need to stand for this.”
Matt helped Isaac to his feet. There was obviously a secret Benjamin and Isaac shared. The interaction between them was touching. They had formed a meaningful bond. “What is Benjamin talking about?”
Isaac stepped in front of Ruth and lifted her hands in his. “I am in love with you. I have already asked Benjamin’s permission, and he said yes to the question I am about to ask you.” He pulled a box out of his pocket, knelt on one knee, and opened it. “Will you marry me?”
Eyes wide, Ruth lifted the ring out of the box and slipped it on her finger. “Yes!”
Becca squealed with delight and congratulated them. Matt did the same.
Benjamin clapped. “I’m Isaac’s best man. Matt should stand with us too. What do you think, Isaac?”
Isaac placed his hand on Matt’s shoulder. “I would be honored if you would stand with Benjamin and me when I marry Ruth.”
“I accept.” Isaac had become a good friend. The man was kind and funny and someone he could always depend on. He was honored to stand next to him at his wedding. His heart ached a little. A twinge of jealousy engulfed him. He wished Becca had said yes to his proposal. If she had, they would be the couple getting married. Nonetheless, he was happy for Isaac and Ruth. “I would be glad to. Do you have a date in mind?”
Isaac chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. “The bride can choose the date. I am ready tomorrow.”
Everyone laughed. Ruth ta
pped her fingers on her chin. “Becca, is six weeks enough time to plan a wedding? Between you, me, and Kate, we should be able to make dresses. We can notify all our friends and send a telegraph to our parents. I will pencil out an announcement and we can hand them out.” She winked at her fiancé. “Isaac can help deliver them.”
Matt patted Isaac’s shoulder. “Sounds like you are going to be busy.”
“I will do whatever it takes to make this woman my wife. I love her.”
Matt sat. Isaac had surprised them all. What a happy way to take Ruth’s mind off the ugliness of the robbery. “She is a wonderful woman, and you are blessed to have found her.”
Ruth giggled and clasped her hands together. “You better stop or my head will burst. We must get busy. We have a wedding to plan, and I cannot wait to marry this handsome man.”
His hands on her waist, he twirled her around. “Six weeks sounds like a long time to wait. Tomorrow we could visit Judge Mitchell and ask him to marry us.”
Becca pointed her finger at him. “Isaac, I insist you wait six weeks. The two of you are going to have a beautiful wedding. A day you’ll never forget. It’ll be worth the wait, and you’ll thank me when it’s over.”
Ruth kissed Isaac’s cheek. “Becca is right. Planning a wedding will be exciting, and I would like to share our special day with friends and family.”
Benjamin intertwined his fingers in Matt’s. “Why don’t you and Becca get married with Ruth and Isaac? I’ll carry the pillow with two rings on it. My friend, Otis, got to do it for two of his sisters when they got married at the same time. He said his legs got awful tired. Don’t worry though, I’m tougher than Otis.”
Becca gasped at the child’s innocent words. Her face reddened, and she avoided everyone’s eyes. “Matt and I aren’t ready to get married yet.”
“I still think it’s a good idea.”
Matt kissed Benjamin’s head. “I agree with Benjamin.”
Ruth faced Becca. “Isaac and I would not mind a bit sharing our special day with you. I agree with Matt and Benjamin. Will you at least consider it?”