Sheila caught herself sighing deeply several times but quickly shook off the melancholy.
Her mother’s wedding to Mr. Howell was private, simple, but lovely. His parents, although old, were all smiles and pleased to have inherited grandchildren with their new daughter-in-law.
They gave the children several gifts and even gave Sheila a lovely new hat.
Sheila helped her mother pack their meager belongings and move into Mr. Howell’s house. She was glad they would all be warm and safe for the winter. She and her mother agreed to sell their lot and put the money aside for any future emergencies or special needs. Her mother insisted on giving her a small sum in case she needed new clothes.
~
The day after the wedding, Sheila was serving a customer when the Harvey House front door opened, and a boy about age twelve rushed in, yelling, “Fire, fire. The general store is on fire!”
Most of the customers jumped from their seats and rushed to the window or out onto the street. The Harvey Girls all looked at one another.
They knew Mr. Harvey would not want them to leave their stations, no matter what, but they each wanted to go and see what was happening.
Finally, Annie threw down her apron. “My shift is almost over; I’ll go see what’s happening. I’ll be back in a flash and let you all know.”
Sheila was glad. Annie would find out everything they needed to know. The only problem now was what to do about the plates on the counter. Should they consider the customer finished or wait?
Sheila decided to wait. It wasn’t long until several customers returned. Sheila filled their coffee cups and listened as they all spoke in quick, hushed tones.
“There won’t be much left of that building, but at least they got the owner out.”
“Didn’t even have time to get the fire brigade over there. The whole place went up so fast. But I never saw anyone like that man who ran in there to save the owner.”
The other customer nodded. “He was quick on his feet. Anyone know who he is?”
“Someone called him Dale.”
Sheila stood frozen. Could Dale have been the one to rush into a burning building? Was he hurt? Was he safe? Questions and fear ravaged her mind, and her hand shook as she poured the coffee.
She tried to perform her Harvey House duties, but her eyes continued to strain toward the door, hoping Annie would return soon with news.
After a half hour of anxious waiting, Annie finally burst through the door. Sheila’s customers had just finished their meals and were leaving the counter so she stepped into the kitchen.
Annie rushed in after her.
“Is Dale hurt?”
Annie stopped short. “You heard?”
Sheila nodded, her eyes wide with fear.
“Well, they took him to the doctor’s office. He rushed in the burning building and pulled the mercantile owner out, but a burning shelf fell on him on the way out, catching his shirt on fire.”
Sheila swayed at the news. She felt lightheaded and leaned heavily against the wall. It sounded just like how his arm had been hurt.
“I need to go to him, Annie. You know I have to.”
Annie stepped closer and squeezed the girl’s hand. “I’ll cover your shift. You just go on over to the doctor’s office.”
Sheila slipped off her apron. She didn’t have time to change out of her uniform. She rushed out the back door and hurried through the muddy street, making her way to the doctor’s office.
She could see the crowd in the distance, still meandering around the front of the mercantile. From where she stood, she couldn’t see any of the building at all. She wondered if the whole thing was gone.
When she reached the doctor’s office, she pushed open the door and stepped in. A nurse at the desk looked up. “Can I help you?”
Sheila swallowed. “I heard that Dale Daughtery was brought in. I want to see him.”
The woman frowned. “Are you his wife?”
Sheila shook her head back and forth. “No, just a very close friend. Could you please ask the doctor to allow me to see him?”
“I’m sorry, only family members are allowed in to see him.”
Sheila’s eyes filled with tears of frustration. She was about to beg when the door opened and a woman stepped out of the room.
Sheila gasped. It was the woman she had seen Dale with at the mercantile. She didn’t look at Sheila but walked straight to the nurse.
“I’ll be staying in town a few more days, to make sure Dale is alright. Please keep me informed if he needs anything.”
The nurse nodded.
Sheila bit her lip as the lovely woman walked past her and out the front door.
“Who was that?” Sheila could hear her voice quiver as she asked.
The nurse didn’t answer. But suddenly the door behind her opened, and the doctor stuck his head out.
“Nurse, can you please find someone for me. This man has been asking for someone named Sheila.”
Sheila’s head swung up. “I’m Sheila,” she nearly shouted.
“Oh, good. Please come with me.” The doctor held the door wider, and Sheila moved across the room and into the other room.
From the doorway, she could see Dale lying on a table. She looked at the doctor anxiously.
“What should I do?”
“Just go over and speak to him.”
Sheila felt as if her legs had turned to noodles. She tried to walk quickly but found herself almost stumbling to the table.
Dale’s burned shirt was lying on the floor in pieces where the doctor had cut it off of him. His good arm was wrapped in bandages, his face covered with black soot.
“Sheila, is that you?” His voice was raspy, and he coughed.
“Yes, Dale. I’m right here.”
“I wasn’t sure if I was going to die or not so I begged the doctor to get you.”
Sheila turned inquisitive eyes on the doctor.
“I’ve assured him, he isn’t going to die. His shoulder and back are burned and will have some bad scars; otherwise, I believe he escaped with his life.”
Sheila’s eyes lit up.
She turned back to Dale. “You aren’t going to die, Dale. The doctor assures me. I’m so glad you will be okay.”
“I was afraid, Sheila. Afraid I would die without ever telling you how I feel.”
Sheila tried to quiet him, but Dale insisted on talking. “I have to tell you, Sheila. I know my arm is useless. I might not be able to protect you against men like Barton in a fight, but I’d fight to the death to take care of you. I love you, Sheila.”
Sheila stepped closer to the table and leaned in. She pressed her lips gently on his blackened cheek. “I love you too, Dale.”
The doctor stepped forward. “Now that you’ve seen the girl, you need to get some rest.”
Dale tried to shake his head, but the movement caused him to moan.
Sheila whispered, “I’ll be back. When you wake up, I’ll be here. Don’t worry.”
Dale smiled and closed his eyes.
“The man’s exhausted but wouldn’t sleep until you got here. He’s a stubborn one. Strong as an ox, the way he carried the mercantile owner out of the store. The burns are on his good arm’s side, but I don’t think the damage will be as bad as his last accident. He should have full use of his arm when it’s healed.”
Sheila felt relief for Dale. “Was the mercantile owner hurt as well?” Sheila asked.
“No, a little smoke in the lungs, but he’ll be fine. ‘Course, his store’s gone so that won’t be easy for him.”
Sheila pursed her lips together. “I imagine it will be hard for him, especially with winter just around the corner.”
The doctor nodded. “Yes, but at least he has his life and no burns. Dale will need time to recover. But with help from you and his sister, he should recover quickly.”
Sheila’s head snapped up. “Sister?”
“Yes, the woman who just left is his sister. It seems she was stopp
ing here in town to visit him.”
Sheila felt elation fill her soul. So the woman was a sister, not a…
Oh, Lord. I’ve been such a fool. I should have trusted Dale. I should have trusted You.
Thank you, Doctor. I’ll be back as soon as I can get off of work.
She gave one last glance at Dale then reluctantly left the room.
~
Back at the Harvey House, she told all the girls about Dale’s injuries and assured them the doctor said he would get well. She didn’t tell them about Dale’s confession of love.
Later that afternoon, in the quiet of her own room, she was able to review the words Dale had spoken. Did he really mean them, or were they just words a man who thought he was dying would say?
Would he remember her kiss and her answer?
Sheila dropped onto her knees and spent time praying for Dale’s full recovery and that the love he had spoken of was real. Then she spent some time asking for forgiveness for her foolish jealousy.
Chapter 10
T he next few days, his sister and all the Harvey Girls took turns taking care of Dale. He was moved to his house, and the doctor checked in on him twice a day.
The wonderful Harvey House food was carefully sent to him on a lovely tray, which Sheila oversaw each time someone took it from the restaurant.
Sheila ached to be with him all the time, but she didn’t want to lose her job. Whenever she could slip away, she headed straight to Dale’s small home.
His house surprised Sheila. She’d only seen him at the restaurant or at the library before the fire, never at home.
The house was about a mile outside of town on a small parcel of land. He’d built the home himself when he worked for the railroad. It had a lovely wraparound porch and several gables. The rooms were painted bright colors, and Dale had done his best to decorate it.
Sheila thought it needed a woman’s touch, but she was pleased with the good taste he’d shown in the décor.
Sheila met Dale’s sister Jane the day after the fire. She was a lovely woman, and the two of them formed a quick friendship.
Jane wasn’t able to stay longer than a week, but knowing Dale was recovering and being taken care of by Sheila and the other girls, she was able to go home without a worry.
She promised to write often, and Sheila agreed to keep her posted on Dale’s recovery.
~
As Sheila sat by his side one afternoon, Dale opened his eyes and smiled.
“I’m glad you’re here, Sheila. I wanted to talk to you about something.”
Sheila scooted her chair closer and took his hand in hers.
“Yes, Dale. What is it?”
“It will be a few months before I can get back to work at the library, but I didn’t want to wait that long.”
Sheila cocked her head slightly. “Wait that long for what?”
“For you.”
Sheila gasped quietly. “What do you mean, Dale?”
“I mean, I want us to be together. I want you in my home permanently. I want you to marry me.”
Sheila wagged a finger at him, playfully.
“Dale, was that a proposal? Because, if it was, it was the worst one I’ve ever heard of.”
Dale’s smile dropped. “I’m sorry, Sheila. I’m making a mess of this. You deserve so much better than me, but I can’t help it. I love you.” Dale tried to push himself up, but Sheila pressed him back.
“The doctor hasn’t given permission for you to sit up yet. Now, I love you, too, Dale. Once you’re all better, I’m sure we can discuss marriage. For now, let’s just be content knowing we love one another.”
“But I don’t want you working at the Harvey House anymore. I can’t protect you. And besides, winter is about to set in, and I want you here in our warm house.”
Sheila sighed at the lovely images that floated through her mind, of she and Dale sitting in front of the fireplace together on winter nights, of decorating a small cedar tree together for Christmas.
“But without my income from the library, I can’t afford to marry you.”
Sheila patted his hand. “That’s alright, Dale. Now that my mother is married, we sold the parcel of land. She won’t let me give her part of my salary anymore so I’ve begun saving all the money I make working. It isn’t much, but by spring, I should have a nice little nest egg of my own. I’m content to wait until spring.”
Dale’s brows drew together. “I’m not, but there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Sheila laughed at the pout his lips formed, then she bent over and placed her lips gently on his.
~
“How’s Dale doing today?” Annie called out when Sheila stepped into the restaurant, shaking off the small flakes of snow from her hair, slipping off her shawl and tying her apron around her waist.
“Wonderful. The doctor helped him stand up yesterday for a few minutes. He says it won’t be too long before Dale will be allowed to walk around a bit. He assured me that within a month’s time, Dale will be back to work.”
“I’ll be glad about that. I don’t like that man they hired to fill in for Dale. He doesn’t know anything about anything.”
Sheila nodded. “Yes, whenever I ask him where a certain book is, he has no idea. I’ve spent more time in the library searching out books on my own. I can’t wait for Dale to be back to work.”
Annie slid up beside Sheila and whispered, “For more reasons than books.”
Sheila’s cheeks flushed, and she gave Annie a warning glance. Annie was the only one she’d told about Dale wanting to ask her to marry him.
Annie laughed and sauntered off. “Well, he better get well soon. Thanksgiving is in two weeks, and I’m hosting a big dinner at Jon’s house. I want you both there.”
“I hope he’ll be better by then; it sounds wonderful. I’ve never enjoyed Thanksgiving. We were always a bit too poor to really have anything nice, and the last few years living in the tent, we couldn’t cook a whole turkey.”
“Well, this will be the biggest and best one ever. Remember, I come from a poor farm, too, so this is my first. But Jon assures me, it’s only the first of many. I’m already working on my pumpkin pie recipe.”
Sheila licked her lips in anticipation then turned with a smile to greet the customers pouring through the front door.
The next few hours passed quickly as she took orders and served the customers who sat at her station. It had been an unusually full train, and the people were cold and ornery.
“First snow always makes people grumpy. They start to think about everything they didn’t get done in the spring and fall, and everything they won’t be able to do in the winter,” Annie said as she glanced out the restaurant’s front window at the small, swirling flakes. “This snow won’t last.”
“At least we won’t be snowed in all winter. I love Texas for just that reason. We get to see a little bit of snow but don’t have to stay snowed in for months on end.”
Annie agreed, and the girls turned back to their stations and began scrubbing the counters and chairs.
Chapter 11
T hanksgiving morning, all the Harvey girls slept in an extra hour. The restaurant was going to be closed for the day. Mr. Howell had agreed to make boxed meals with turkey sandwiches that one of the boys who helped in the kitchen could sell when the trains stopped that day. No one was sure how Mr. Harvey would feel about it, but Mr. Howell decided to take the risk. He wanted to spend the day at home with his new wife and family.
Sheila was relieved because it would’ve been a work day for her, and she’d hate to miss Annie’s Thanksgiving party. She could’ve joined her mother and Mr. Howell as well, but she thought it would be nice for them to have this first Thanksgiving together without her.
Dale was well enough to attend Annie’s party. One of the men who worked on the trains agreed to bring Dale to Jon’s house on his wagon.
Sheila slipped on a new dress she bought just for the occasion. It wasn’t fancy, a plain calico
in fall colors, but it made her feel lovely to have something new. The material was thin so she wrapped her shawl around her shoulders and headed outside.
She planned to meet Dale in front of Jon’s house so she scurried along the street.
The snow was gone, but the wind was chilly. She snuggled the shawl closer to her and kept her head down as she walked.
Suddenly, she found herself being grasped by two large hands.
Sheila looked up and stared into the face of Billy Barton. His sneer and sly smile caused her to pull back, trying to get away from him.
“What’s wrong, little lady? I won’t bite you.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Barton, but could you excuse me? I’m in a hurry.” Her voice quivered.
“You were the one about to crash into me.”
“I’m sorry. I had my head down. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
Billy didn’t release her. Instead, he stepped even closer.
“I’ll forgive you if you give me a kiss.”
She struggled, trying to pull away. “Mr. Barton, I do not intend on giving you anything, least of all a kiss. Please unhand me, or I’ll start screaming.”
The man only laughed.
“Don’t think that would help much. I can silence you with my lips.” He began to press his face forward. Sheila twisted her head away, and his wet lips landed on her cheek.
She was just about to scream when she looked up at him and noticed his eyes wide in disbelief. His hand loosened, and she was able to pull away and turn around.
Dale was standing behind her, with black smoldering eyes.
“Barton, I think this lady asked you to leave her alone.”
Barton straightened. “I heard you’d been killed in the mercantile fire.”
Dale reached over and pulled Sheila behind him. She was surprised to see him standing so strong and firm.
“Guess you heard wrong. Now I’m just about fed up with you, Barton. You need to get out of this town and never come back.”
Billy Barton glared at Dale for several minutes but recognized something in the man’s attitude. Billy realized Dale would never give up. Billy would have to fight the man to the death, and that wasn’t something he wanted to do.
Harvey House Bride (Harvey Girls Book 1) Page 6