The Shepherd's Heart Series: A Boxed Set Book Bundle Collection Volumes 1-4

by Lynnette Bonner

  She cleared her throat and looked away. What scared her silly was the fact that she felt exactly same way.

  17

  The train chuffed to a halt with a huge puff of steam and clatter of wheels.

  Rocky placed one hand to the small of her back. “Do you want me to tell them? Or should you?”

  Victoria zinged the locket on her necklace back and forth, back and forth. She wanted to take the easy way out and make him tell them, but it was her mother, after all. He’d already had to tell his own parents about their marriage. And Mama really should hear about Parson Cane from her. “I’ll tell them.”

  The door to the passenger car opened and the conductor stepped out onto the top step.

  Zing. Zing. Zing.

  Rocky reached out and stilled her hand. “You’re going to break your chain, if you don’t quit. She’s your mother. She’s going to understand. She loves you.”

  He was right, of course. She tucked her hands behind her and clasped them tight. Still – she rolled her lips in and pinched them together – she’d rather be almost anywhere else than here at this moment.

  Mama and Doc were the first two passengers off the train.

  Of course.

  Mama turned and saw them, her face lighting up like a summer bonfire. “Honey!” she waved her lace kerchief. “Hi!”

  Victoria raised her hand in greeting as Mama rushed toward them and Doc trundled after, carrying both of their valises.

  Mama pulled her into a firm embrace. “Oh, we had such a lovely time. Hi, Rocky.” She squeezed his arm.

  Rocky resettled his hat on his head. “Ma’am.”

  Mama turned back to Victoria, her eyes sparkling with glee. “Doc reserved us rooms at the Palace Hotel on Market Street! The view of the city from our window was just spectacular! And the food!” She flapped her hanky in an expression of delight. “Oh, it was just amazing! Wasn’t it, dear?” She paused long enough for Doc to nod his head in sage agreement and greet the two of them. “So tell me all about what happened while we were away.”

  That was an opening if ever Victoria could ask for one. “Well—”

  “How’s Hannah? And the children at the orphanage?”

  “Ah.” She quickly changed tactics. “They’re fine. But I wanted—”

  “You didn’t try and run to the depot the day of our wedding did you? I thought of that after Doc and I were already settled in for the night. I hoped you didn’t exhaust yourself by trying to do that on such a busy day.”

  “Actually—”

  “Dale, honey, we better hurry. I think our trunks will be set off inside.” Lifting her skirts, Mama bustled toward the depot.

  Victoria angled a glance in Rocky’s direction with an exasperated sigh.

  He grinned at her and nodded his encouragement with a quick wink. Placing a hand to the middle of her back he pressed her after the departing couple. “This is better than a traveling circus,” he whispered in her ear.

  She giggled and gave him an elbow to the ribs. “Hush or I’ll make you tell them.”

  “My lips are sealed.”

  Mama chattered and interrupted all the way back into town and by the time Rocky pulled the buggy to a stop in front of Doc’s little bungalow, Victoria still hadn’t found an opportunity to share their news.

  “Oh, my! I’ve chattered on all the way home. Rocky, thank you for escorting Victoria to pick us up.”

  Rocky tugged at the brim of his hat. “My pleasure, Mrs. Martin.”

  Doc clambered down and reached up to help Mama from the seat as Rocky helped Victoria from his side.

  Victoria headed around to the back of the buggy by the luggage hold.

  “Ah? Mama? I—”

  “How’s your shoulder?” Doc looked at Rocky.

  Victoria huffed.

  Rocky’s lips twitched even as he nodded. “It’s good. I’ll drop by later this evening and let you have a look at it.”

  Doc pulled the two valises from the hold, while Rocky lifted the big steamer trunk from the back and set it on the ground.

  Mama wrapped Victoria in a tight hug. “Thank you so much for picking us up, honey. We so appreciate it.”

  Victoria heaved a huge sigh as she stepped back.

  “What is it, dear?”

  Rocky chuckled and Victoria scalded him with a glare.

  He made a key turning gesture in front of his pinched lips.

  She turned back to face Mama’s questioning look. “I’ve been trying to tell you something ever since you got off the train, Mama. So if you could just please….” She patted her palms toward the ground a couple times. “After your wedding, Rocky drove me to the train depot in Salem. There were 3 orphans left who had no homes to go to and Hannah had no more room at the orphanage. Julia Nickerson of all people was the Society worker in charge and she was going to give one of the girls to Mr. V from the dairy and send her little sister back to New York. And I couldn’t let that happen. But she wouldn’t give them to me because I was single.”

  A dawning look of realization swept over Mama’s face and she took a step back, her jaw dropping as she glanced from Victoria to Rocky and back.

  Victoria nodded. “Rocky and I got married last Saturday.” She heaved a sigh of relief to have at least half the news out in the open.

  “You…? Oh my! Well...” Mama’s gaze still darted back and forth from her to Rocky, her mouth opening and shutting like a fish out of water as she massaged her throat.

  Rocky rubbed the back of his neck and kicked at a pebble on the ground.

  Victoria held her breath as she folded her hands together and rolled her lips into a tight line.

  And the silence stretched.

  Doc stepped up beside Mama and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “I believe the words she’s searching for are, ‘Congratulations children, we’re so happy for you.’” He grinned and stretched his hand out to squeeze Victoria’s fingers.

  Mama recovered. “My! Oh yes! I’m so happy I just don’t know what to say!” Tears filled her eyes and spilled over to trail down her cheeks and she lurched forward and jerked Victoria into her plump, firm hug. “Oh honey, I couldn’t be more happy. Surprised. But totally ecstatic! Really.”

  Victoria and Rocky both released huge puffs of air at the same time and she couldn’t deny her relief as she joined the others for a laugh.

  “Wait a minute!” Mama set Victoria out at arm’s length. “You mean we have three grandchildren!?”

  “Well… No.” She met Rocky’s gaze. “The Racklers from east of town are most likely going to take the girls at some point soon. They are coming to dinner tonight so everyone can meet for the first time. We aren’t sure what will happen with Jimmy yet.”

  “Why don’t you two keep them?” Mama asked. “I think you’d make fine parents!”

  Silence held the little group in its clutches for a moment until Victoria finally stuttered, “Uh, we don’t… Rocky doesn’t… We were just glad to be able to keep the girls together.”

  Mama opened her mouth to say something more, but Doc cleared his throat and wrapped one arm around her. Mama met his gaze for only a moment, then snapped her mouth shut.

  Doc reached for Rocky’s hand. “Thanks so much for picking us up. Much obliged.”

  “There’s one more thing,” Victoria inserted quickly.

  Mama and Doc stilled.

  “Something else happened this week, Mama. A man…, a man claiming to be a minister came to the house the other day and he….” Victoria glanced up at Rocky, needing to draw strength from him, somehow. Rocky nodded his encouragement and rested one hand at the back of her neck.

  “He what, dear?” Mama asked.

  Turning to study Mama’s face, Victoria clasped her hands together. Would Mama be hurt by the fact that she had wanted to get to know Baxter Cane? And how would she feel when they told her the man was probably a con artist?

  “He said he was my father, Mama. My birth father.”

  “Oh, hon
ey!” True joy laced Mama’s tone as she pulled her into a quick heartfelt embrace and then set her at arm’s length. “How wonderful for you! Does he have a wife? What—?” Mama jolted to silence and tipped her head to one side in the way she had when pondering carefully. “You don’t seem happy dear. Why not?”

  Victoria’s stomach tightened up. “No, he doesn’t have a wife. She passed away awhile back, but he saw the announcement about Rocky and I in the paper and said he knew it had to be me because he says I look so much like her.”

  “Well, she must have been a very beautiful woman then.” The unanswered question still lingered on Mama’s face.

  Victoria pressed on. “The thing is.... We had the man, Baxter Cane he says his name is, over for dinner the other night. And by the time he left…, Rocky and I were convinced he wasn’t a minister at all.”

  One of Mama’s hands fluttered to her cameo pendant and she paled as she glanced back and forth from Victoria to Rocky, eyebrows raised.

  Rocky cleared his throat. “I’m not sure who the man is, he might be Victoria’s real father, but if he’s a minister I’ll eat my hat.”

  “Oh dear!” Mama gripped one of Victoria’s hands.

  “Now Clarice,” Doc chastised softly. “Don’t get yourself all in a dither.”

  “Everything will be fine, Mama.”

  Rocky nodded. “I’ve asked the man to keep his distance, for now, until I can do some more checking on him. But we wanted you two to know, right away.” Rocky fixed Mama with a look. “Were you told anything about Victoria’s past when you adopted her? Any information at all might help us determine who this man is.”

  Mama shook her head. “No. We were told nothing about her past. Only that she was just two days old when she was left at the Foundling Hospital in New York. The locket she wears, and the doll on the table by her bed, came with her. And that was all. We didn’t ask any questions. We were just so happy to have her.”

  “Alright. Not a problem. I’m going to do some looking into the man’s past and see what I can find. For now, we’ll just play things safe.”

  “Oh honey!” Mama pulled Victoria into another embrace. “I’m so glad Rocky is there with you at the house! And you bring those children by real soon. I’ve got grandkids and I want to meet them!”

  Victoria chuckled and allowed Rocky to help her up into the carriage.

  As they drove away, Rocky leaned over and jostled her with his arm. “We lived to tell about it.”

  She didn’t fall in with his joviality. “Mama thinks we should keep the children.”

  Elbows resting on his knees, Rocky stared out over the backs of the horses. “Yeah.”

  She glanced at him. “Do you think… I mean… what if I…” Her face heated and she focused on the passing fields. Would she be willing to risk everything and love this man, if it meant being able to keep the children?

  Rocky was silent for a few moments before he finally said, “I think I stand by what I said the other day. It’s gonna take us a bit to get settled into married life. I think you—we—still need some time to… adjust to this. For now, I think we should move ahead as planned. The Racklers are a good family. The girls will be well taken care of there.”

  She wanted to protest that they could do it all, but at that moment they drove past the boarding house and she glanced up and saw Baxter Cane watching them from his second story window. He lifted a hand in greeting and she returned the gesture, but a shiver of apprehension ran up her spine.

  She frowned. Rocky was probably right. She was the least likely candidate around for a good mother.

  The Racklers’ wagon rumbled into the yard promptly at six that evening. The flock of chickens cackled and scattered, disgruntled by the fact that their evening feeding had been disturbed.

  Victoria quickly set the cinnamon apple pie she’d just pulled from the oven on the cooling rack as she heard Rocky call a greeting to the family from near the barn. “Girls!” she called as quietly as she could but so they would still hear her. “Come quickly, please!” She wanted to look them over one last time so they were sure to make a good first impression.

  Jimmy rounded the corner whistling an innocent tuneless ditty. “Jimmy! Run out and coop the chickens please. Did the girls hear me?”

  “Yes’m. They needed to use the necessary. They said to let you know they’d be in directly.”

  “Oh…” Had there been an odd light in his expression as he said that? But she didn’t have time to question him because he’d already dashed out the door, leaving it gaping open, like usual. “…alright.” With a sigh she picked up a towel and wiped her hands as she stepped out onto the back porch and smiled at the Racklers who were approaching with Rocky leading the way.

  Mr. Rackler was tall – a good head above Rocky’s height – and broad of shoulders. But his stature seemed diminished because sadness draped him like a cloak, and his shoulders sagged as he shuffled across the yard. His focus never left the hat that he spun around and around in his trembling hands.

  Mrs. Rackler, hands folded in front of her, walked along beside him, her own countenance, haggard and weary, blanched gray by the stark black of her dress.

  Neither of the children looked much happier. In fact were she to guess, she’d venture that sheer resentment glittered in their sad eyes.

  She couldn’t blame them really. After all, their parents planned to bring two new children into the home. She supposed they would see it as an attempt to replace their lost sisters.

  Although Victoria immediately noted their brand new buckboard and the store-bought clothing that showed no signs of patching, she couldn’t help but wonder if this family was indeed right for the girls. So much grief emanated from the four people before her she wanted to weep on their behalf.

  Was this really the family God wanted the girls to join?

  Switching the towel to her left hand she held her right out to Mrs. Rackler in greeting. “Hello.” She smiled. “We’re so glad you could join us for dinner this evening.”

  “Thank you.” The woman returned her shake with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I’m Mary. This is my husband Tom and our young ones, Paul and Suzette.”

  “Ma’am.” Tom dipped his chin.

  The two children merely studied their shuffling feet.

  Victoria wished she could pull them into a comforting embrace. Instead, she filled the awkward silence that followed with, “Nice to meet you all.” She gestured to the open door behind her. “Please come in everyone. Dinner is ready.”

  Mary glanced behind her expectantly. “Are our girls here?”

  Victoria felt her stomach roll at the word ‘our’ and darted Rocky a glance.

  Hands resting on his hips, he pressed his lips together, and kicked at the ground with one toe.

  She swallowed. This wasn’t going to be easy. Realizing Mary still waited for an answer she hurried to say, “Uh, the girls are out back for just a moment but I know they are excited to meet you.” Pressing away her hesitation, she hoped God would forgive her for that little stretch of the truth. The fact was, the girls had been irritable and cranky all day long.

  Everyone had been seated and the food placed on the table before Victoria realized ChristyAnne and Damera still hadn’t made an appearance.

  “Uh,” she smoothed one hand down over her apron, “if you’ll excuse me for just a moment, I’ll go and see what’s keeping the girls.”

  Rocky nodded then turned his focus on Tom. “So, how are the springs holding out on your ranch this year?”

  “Well, I was a little worried after that last dry spell, but…”

  Their conversation faded as she stepped out the door and made her way around back to the necessary. “Girls?” she called.

  She heard some shuffling noises from inside the outhouse, then silence. “The Racklers are here. Dinner is on the table and everyone is waiting on you.”

  She heard the cork-pop of Damera’s thumb coming out of her mouth. “Tell ’em
to huwwy up an’ eat ’cause it stinks in hewe!”

  “Mera! Shhh!” ChristyAnne hissed.

  Victoria felt the first premonition of dreaded realization. And Jimmy knew what they planned! She reached for the door. “Girls you need to come out right now. The Racklers are very nice people and they’ve come a long way to meet you!” The door wouldn’t budge.

  “We aren’t coming.”

  “ChristyAnne, unlatch the bolt and open this door.”

  “No,” both girls chorused in unison.

  Tossing her hands in frustration, Victoria looked around as she thought through the situation. She could pry open the door and force them to come inside, but that would take some time and she wouldn’t put it past ChristyAnne to say something outlandishly shocking to the grieving family inside. Besides that, everyone sat waiting for her to come back in and she didn’t want to keep them. She huffed. There was nothing for it but to go get Rocky and see if he could talk them into coming out.

  Back at the house, when she stepped through the door, everyone looked up expectantly.

  “Uh…” Her focus honed in on Jimmy and he stared guiltily down at his plate. “The girls…,” she transferred her gaze to Rocky, “are a little nervous….” She gave a quick shrug. “They’ve locked themselves in the outhouse. I asked them to come out, but they wouldn’t.”

  Rocky started to stand, but Mary Rackler threw her hands up to her face and let out a loud sob, and he sank slowly back into his chair.

  “They don’t want to meet us, Tom! How could our girls not want to be with us?!” Mary’s shoulder’s shook.

  Rocky looked at Victoria as though asking her what to do now.

  But Tom lurched to his feet, before she could decide how to respond, and hurried over to ease his wife’s chair out. “Now Mary. I told you this was all too soon. Come on darlin’.” He lifted her to her feet and pulled her to his side with one arm. Casting Rocky and Victoria an apologetic look he gestured for Paul and Suzette to stand. “Listen, I’m real sorry. Can we put off meeting the girls for a couple weeks?”