Brides of Idaho

by Ford, Linda;

  She thought of the tin can under her side of the bed where she kept her earnings. How long would it take before she had enough to buy that piece of land?

  By the time morning dawned, she could hardly wait to be up and about her chores. She hurried through them, barely taking time to stop for breakfast.

  Somehow she managed to keep her gaze from roving toward Levi. Kiss her and regret it would he? Well, she didn’t need the likes of him. She was drying the last dish when she saw him on the ferry, again crossing the river, and her suspicions mounted. He said he would never be free to care for her. That wasn’t quite the word he’d used. The right. He’d never have the right. Whatever that meant. But if he was part of a gang, involved in robbery or other illegal activity, wouldn’t it mean he didn’t have the right?

  Was he the Rawhide Kid posing as a preacher? She didn’t like to think so, but it made perfect sense.

  She wished it didn’t.

  As soon as she recognized the thought, she wanted to boot herself across the yard. What difference did it make to her? None. None whatsoever. She was only thinking of how many people would be disillusioned when they discovered the truth. She was above and beyond disappointment. That was one good thing her pa had taught her.

  As soon as she’d done her share of chores, she returned to the horses. A pleased grin curved her mouth. She’d ridden the horses in tandem. It gave her a great deal of satisfaction.

  Simply for the sheer fun of it, she stood on the backs of the pair and rode them around the pasture. She did the death drag from Pal’s back. The thrill of the trick blew away all her troubles.

  After she had enough, she turned her attention to the big gray gelding. Today she was determined to get him to let her touch him. She shook some oats into her hat and slowly approached the animal. He quivered but didn’t snort and race away. He liked his oats too much.

  She laughed softly as he allowed her to close the distance between them. His nostrils quivering, he reached for the oats, but she kept them close to her body. “If you want them, you’ll have to forget your fear of me.”

  The big animal shook his head, but his gaze returned to the oats and he jerked forward, almost reaching them, but he shivered away without so much as a taste.

  “Take it easy, big fella. I won’t hurt you. In fact, you might find you like having me touch you.” She shook the hat, reminding him of the waiting treat. “Oats. See? You know how much you like them.”

  Slower, but still cautious, he stretched out his neck and managed to lick up a few grains.

  “Not enough to satisfy you, is it? Come on, forget about the past and people who have hurt you. I’m different. I won’t hurt you. You can trust me.”

  The horse eased forward and suddenly buried his nose in the hat, forcing Glory to hang on with both hands. She rested the hat against her stomach and gently, gently touched his neck. He quivered but didn’t pull away from the oats.

  Glory laughed softly. “See, it’s not so scary after all.” She touched him again, thrilling at this victory.

  He snuffled up the last of the oats and trotted away to watch her from a safe distance.

  Glory couldn’t stop grinning. “You and I are going to be great friends once you learn you can trust me.”

  Trust. She knew it took a long time to prove to an abused animal trusting was okay. Her thoughts filled with questions from her past and promises from God’s Word, entwined together like a ball of knotted yarn. She sat in her favorite spot to consider the tangle.

  Levi had said he cared and then changed his mind.

  She wasn’t sure he was a preacher or a crook. Plain and simple, she didn’t trust him. And yet he said to search the Bible and find God’s promises. He assured them all they could trust those promises.

  She thought of some of the ones that had found their way into her heart. A promise to love her—“I have loved thee with an everlasting love”—a promise to hear when she called on Him, to draw near to her, to answer her requests. Dare she trust Him?

  The words that Levi had brought that first Sunday came to mind. “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” The next Sunday he had given even more promises from God’s Word, but she wasn’t sure she was ready to thrust herself wholly into someone else’s care. Not even God’s. Life had disappointed too often for trust to come readily.

  A horse approached, and she scrambled to her feet.

  The man drawing near was a stranger. In a fine suit. With a round-topped black hat that looked like it had just been plucked out of a store display. He rode well, though in a stiff manner. Not like a cowboy who spent hours in a saddle. He drew to a halt before her. “You are on my land.”

  Not now. Her heart reached bottom and lay there limp. She’d hoped this day would never come. “Who are you?”

  He pulled off his hat to reveal blond hair slicked back with plenty of pommade. “Master Marcus Milton.” He returned his hat to his head and looked almighty pleased with himself, as if she should rejoice at meeting such a fine, pompous man.

  She bit the inside of her lip in order to keep her opinion to herself.

  When he realized she didn’t plan to comment on the privilege of meeting Master whatever, he gave a decisive nod. “Do you have plans to purchase this land?”

  “How much?”

  He named a sum likely fair enough but far more than she had in her tin can. Even selling her current half-dozen horses wouldn’t bring in enough money. “I could pay part now and part later.”

  He sniffed. “I am a businessman. Borrow the money from a bank. In the meantime, either buy the land or move your horses off it.”

  “They’re not hurting anything.”

  “You’re trespassing.”

  “I need time to find another suitable location. After all, I can’t keep them tied up in town, now can I?”

  “Very well. I am a reasonable man.” He looked like it pained him to say so. “I will give you two weeks.” He beamed at her.

  She stared, suddenly realized he expected her to thank him. “You’ll have your money in less time than that.”

  “Or you will remove your animals.” He jerked his mount around.

  It was all Glory could do not to order him to keep in mind the horse’s tender mouth. She watched him until he disappeared from sight then sank back to the ground and moaned. “How am I supposed to get that kind of money in less than two weeks?” Dare she pray about it? Would God listen to a foolish, selfish request? What did she have to lose?

  God, help me out here if You care about me at all. You say in Your Word You care. But everyone who says they care about me takes it back one way or the other. But You aren’t a man to change Your mind. So if it’s true, if I can trust You, make a way for me to buy this piece of land.

  She didn’t say amen. Just finished and sat there, a little seed of hope sprouting.

  Later, she returned to town, curious as to whether or not Levi was back. Or was he out taking advantage of innocent people? Perhaps even planning to rob a bank or something equally as dreadful. Her mistrust of Levi was at such odds with the step of trust she’d taken up the hill. But trust did not come easily, and she’d learned it shouldn’t be given freely.

  She half expected to see Levi striding into the saloon, despite Bull’s continued threats and warnings. Once she’d seen Bull pushing him out the door, growling and saying all kinds of horrible things, but Levi seemed to be hard of hearing. Why would he even bother going there when he knew it meant nothing but trouble from Bull? Was it part of a ruse? Or for real? She wished she knew. But it didn’t make any difference to her. Not really. He couldn’t or wouldn’t care about her. And she didn’t care about him.

  There was no sign of him at the saloon. She stopped and dismounted, checked to see if Toby was inside. He wasn’t. Maybe the two of them were together someplace, though she’d seen no sign of Levi’s big horse
outside Mr. Phelps’s house. Not that she had looked. She was only being observant.

  She swung back into the saddle and headed for her shop. Sometimes he sat on the step talking to Toby as they waited for her. No one sat on the step. No one waited for her.

  And why had she expected anyone would? It was only because she was angry at him for saying something he didn’t mean. Just proved he was like every other man she knew.

  She unsaddled Pal and turned him into the pen. Time to head to the stopping house and take care of the chores.

  Toby was already there, already had the wood box full and the ashes cleaned out and was about to tackle the bucket of potatoes as she approached.

  She sat on the bench and started peeling a wrinkled potato. “What have you been doing today?” It was normal conversation. No reason to feel all jittery about asking such a question. She stifled a desire to groan. It wasn’t the question that bothered her. It was the curiosity behind it. Where is Levi?

  “Been hanging about waiting for Levi to get back.”

  “Where did he go?”

  “Only thing he said was he had something to attend to up the trail.”

  “That doesn’t make a lick of sense. Is he trying to make us think he has legitimate business?”

  “Maybe.”

  “He’s got you convinced he’s really a preacher, hasn’t he?” She pointed out he was the first one to suggest the Rawhide Kid. After hearing him preach again each Sunday, she was almost ready to believe it. Almost.

  “Glory, you should talk to him. Then you’d be convinced, too.”

  “I’ve talked to him, and it surely didn’t convince me.”

  He stopped peeling potatoes to study her. “What did he say to upset you so much?”

  “Enough for me not to trust him.”

  He returned to his task. “You’ll see sooner or later.”

  “I expect I shall.” As usual, she sat so she could see the comings and goings on the ferry. And not—she informed herself—because she hoped to glimpse Levi returning without a posse on his tail.

  The vegetables were prepared, the table set when she saw him on the ferry. Or at least she saw an animal like his horse. But this man had two children with him. Where did he get two children? He hadn’t killed their parents in a robbery or kidnapped the children hoping for a ransom, had he?

  He rode slowly toward the stopping house. At the hitching post, he reached behind him and swung a small boy to the ground. Then he lifted the child from in front of him and leaned over to deposit the second one beside the first.

  Glory stepped from the dining room to watch.

  A small boy with a defiant look on his face clutched the hand of a smaller girl who looked as if she’d been crying recently.

  Levi swung to the ground and pushed his hat back on his head in a gesture speaking worry and confusion better than any words could have.

  She crossed the porch and faced him squarely. “Where did you get these children?”

  He grinned as if reading her suspicious thoughts. “I didn’t steal them, and I know that’s what you’re thinking. I found them. Rescued them.” He told of finding the pair at the side of the road, waiting for their father to return. Waiting for four days without losing hope.

  Their fear and pain drew deep lines in both little faces. It was too much like her own experience, and Glory had to turn away, pretending an interest in something inside the dining room while she gathered up her self-control. “You couldn’t just bring home a lost dog like everyone else. Oh no, you have to find two lost children.”

  “We weren’t lost,” the boy protested. “Was waitin’ for our pa. He won’t be happy we didn’t stay where he told us to. But”—his sigh was half shudder and perilously close to a sob—“we was getting hungry and tired and my sister was afraid. We could hear the coyotes howling so close at night.”

  Glory pressed her lips together and stilled her emotions. These children were even younger than she had been and without a protective older sister. She looked at Levi in silent protest, hoping he saw nothing but shock and dismay that these children had been abandoned.

  Levi’s expression revealed an equal amount of both plus a healthy dose of anger. “It took me all afternoon to persuade them to come with me.”

  The little girl stuck out her chin in an act of such defiance Glory had to press her lips together to keep from smiling. “He said he’d take care of us and find our pa.”

  Glory shook her head as she turned back to Levi. “Sounds like a mighty big task.”

  He shrugged. “How hard can it be? Besides, I couldn’t leave them there another day. I doubt you could have either.”

  She forced all emotion from her eyes and answered cooly. “I suppose not. After all, they are just children.”

  The boy widened his stance. “I’m Jack Templeton. This is my sister, Emmy. I can take care of her.”

  Glory recognized his determination and admired it. “How old are you?”

  “Ten.” A boy with a tangle of straw-colored hair and brown eyes. “Emmy’s—”

  “I’m eight.” Similar in looks to her brother, only her hair was longer and her eyes wider and filled with forced bravery. And as afraid as any child.

  Glory straightened and met Levi’s eyes. “What are you going to do with them?”

  “Exactly what I said. Take care of them and try to locate their father.”

  She nodded and without another word went back inside. She went directly to the kitchen where Joanna and Mandy waited.

  “What’s going on?” Joanna asked.

  “He found two kids.” She repeated his story.

  Joanna sighed. “Familiar story, wouldn’t you say?”

  Mandy moved to the doorway so she could watch them. “He’s washing them up. The little girl is so tiny. She looks up at him with big trusting eyes.” Mandy’s words choked. “I can’t imagine leaving such a sweet pair behind.”

  Glory snorted. “What? Were we ugly? And even if we were, did that make it all right for Pa to leave us time and again?”

  “I’m sure he didn’t mean to. He just got busy.”

  “Mandy, when will you learn we just didn’t matter to him? Still don’t, if one goes by the evidence.” She waved her hands to indicate the room. “You see him here? Did he tell us where he was going? No. I say forget about him and get on with our lives.”

  “Hush, girls.” Joanna as always played the peacemaker. “We are doing the best we can. All of us. Only time and God’s love will heal some wounds.”

  Glory and Mandy exchanged surprised looks then faced Joanna, who laughed awkwardly.

  “Ma taught us to obey God and trust Him. I guess it’s about time we all did.”

  “I’m trying,” Glory mumbled.

  “I feel close to God when I’m out in the woods.” Mandy sounded confused.

  Joanna patted them both on the back. “We need to look to the future, not the past.” She sniffled and wiped her eyes on a corner of her apron. “Now let’s serve our guests.”

  Glory helped carry in the full platters and mounded bowls. Not until the food was on the table did Joanna signal at the door for the guests to come in. As they filed by, they dropped their coins into her hand.

  Glory watched as Levi dropped in coins for three.

  He looked tired and worried as he found room for himself with a child on each side. But Emmy trembled when a strange man sat beside her.

  Glory caught Levi’s eyes and signaled to him to check the child at his elbow.

  He did so, saw how frightened she was, and changed places with her so she sat between himself and Jack. He glanced to Glory, said a silent thank-you.

  She turned away, pretending she didn’t notice. It was almost more than she could do to watch his tenderness with the children. She forced steel into her thoughts. Would he tell them the same thing he’d told her? That he couldn’t care about them and that he took back his promise?

  She was quite prepared to ignore the three of them. But
against her will, her gaze returned to them over and over, watching as Levi cut Emmy’s meat, as he refilled their water glasses. Like a father with his children.

  Determinedly, she closed her eyes. She would not be like Mandy, always hoping Pa would return and somehow be changed into an ideal father. Nor would she look for the tenderness and caring she’d missed from her father in some other man. She understood how even a whisper of that kind of thinking made her vulnerable to more hurt and disappointment. The best thing she could do would be to stay as far away as possible from Levi and these two little ones until such time as he reunited them with their father.

  A thought ached through her. What if they didn’t find the missing father? Seems if a man didn’t want to be found, he had a hundred different ways of disappearing.

  As soon as the meal ended, she hurried to the kitchen to start washing dishes, determined she would not watch what Levi did with the children. Not that she had to. Mandy gave a running account.

  “He’s making sure they wash up again.” “He’s sitting on the bench outside with them. Looks like he’s telling them a story. Both children are staring at him with such big eyes they practically eat him up.”

  Glory could take no more. “I don’t want to hear about him.”

  Mandy laughed. “You’re jealous because he’s spending time with those kids. You want him to spend time with you. I saw him follow you into the trees the other evening. And why is he always hanging around the farrier’s shop? Not because he has dozens of horses to take care of.”

  Glory threw the wet dishrag into the water with a splash and spun around to face her sister. “That’s stupid talk. You be quiet.”

  Mandy wrinkled her nose. “I will say what I want.”

  “No, you won’t.” Glory jumped for her, intending to forceably shut her mouth, but Mandy guessed her intent and raced out of the house.

  “You can’t stop me.” She laughed as Glory tore after her.

  “When I catch you, you’ll be sorry. I’ll hurt you real bad.”

  Mandy had always been faster than Glory, but Glory was more desperate, more angry, and she did not give up the chase for half a mile. Finally, winded and knowing she didn’t have a chance of catching her sister, Glory ground to a halt. “You have to come back sometime,” she shouted.