The following day, Wade climbed the bridge again, this time making it to the halfway and highest point. There he prayed about his attachment to Edie and felt his spirit urging him not to give up on her, so he prayed for God to soften her heart to the gospel. Maybe her reluctance to accept Christ was the chief factor keeping them apart. He would bring it before the Lord each day and trust God for His best.
Afterward, he did some exploring and discovered a trail that wound its way to the bottom of the canyon, so he moved his camp down into the valley by the stream.
As the week continued, Wade lost track of the days. But one morning visitors entered what he now considered his canyon. He watched the three men lead their horses to a rocky pocket close to the top of the bluff. The men congregated on a nearby ledge. Wade retrieved his binoculars from his saddlebag and focused them on—Shady Burt! The nerve of the outlaw to return to the very place they had attempted a robbery! They had about two hours before the train came through. He needed to make a plan, and he knew it wasn’t going to be to his liking.
Edie went to her room exhausted, hosting another headache, the third in a week. It had plagued her all day. Dinah suggested she lie on the bed and allow her to place a cool cloth on her head.
“How’s that feel?”
“Much better.” After days of fighting an escalating feeling of physical weakness and emotional despondency, Dinah’s kindness caused Edie’s fragile countenance to shatter. Her tears fell, and her shoulders shook uncontrollably.
“Poor girl. Go ahead and cry it out,” Dinah soothed.
Edie sobbed all the more while Dinah patted her shoulder. Finally, Edie gulped, “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
Dinah used the cloth to dab at her face. “Everyone needs a good cry once in a while. You’ve been through so much.”
“I have?”
“Why yes. You recently lost your father. You learned a new job. You love a man you can’t marry. It’s time you realized you can’t carry all your burdens yourself.”
“But I’ve always detested weakness.”
“Why?”
“Papa wouldn’t have liked it.”
“Pretending everything’s all right when it isn’t has only made you sick.”
Edie protested. “But what am I supposed to do?”
“I’ve learned the best way to cope is to take my concerns to God. He changes my heart, and I find peace in the situation.”
“I could use some peace. I’m miserable.”
“Would you like me to pray with you?” Dinah asked.
“Please.”
With Dinah’s help, Edie simply asked God to forgive her for living a life without Him and to bring her Dinah’s kind of peace. Amazingly, He did. She’d found her unidentifiable something at last.
Wade kept a keen eye on the three robbers. If they climbed the bridge’s steel trellis, they could jump onto the train as it passed over the bridge. The last time they had disappeared quickly. Now he knew how they’d made their escape. Behind the horses was a well-hidden hollow area, almost like a cave. He’d bet they even stored supplies in there.
His only plan of action was to surprise them by lowering himself over the edge of a narrow ledge directly above them. He studied the area. It wasn’t a frightening drop unless he missed his footing when he landed. If he did, he could fall off the lower sheer cliff and tumble to his death.
He counted the reasons he should attempt the capture. First, it was his duty. Second, the robber had escaped once and made threats. He didn’t want to see the man go free, especially since there was the chance he might recognize Edie. Third, there was always the possibility that someone on the train could be injured or killed. Last, he’d come to this bridge to make peace with his fears. If he walked away, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself.
He knew he probably wouldn’t be able to capture all three men. Usually, at first sight of a lawman, the renegades scattered and fled. He’d go after Shady first, because headquarters thought he was the gang’s leader.
He checked his pocket watch. Not much time for weighing the pros and cons. The train would arrive soon, which meant he needed to implement his plan before the robbers left their hideaway and started up the trellis. Once they were out in the open like that, Wade wouldn’t be able to sneak up on them.
He took off his Stetson. Lord, I’m not ready to die. But Your will be done, not mine. Keep me safe if You will. Amen.
The next several minutes, Wade moved in and out of cover, climbing and getting into position. If all went well, it would be easy to surprise them. They thought they were the only ones in the canyon. He hoped they’d surrender without a gunfight but knew he probably wouldn’t be so fortunate. He took his pistol from his holster, checked it for ammunition, and moved to the edge. His ear to the edge, he could hear voices but couldn’t distinguish their conversation.
He hunkered down and lay on his stomach, ready to slide feet first. He would land facing them and hope for the best. If his feet didn’t hit solid ground, there were some scrub bushes that might save him.
Ready. Set. Jump!
Chapter 9
Releasing his grip and dropping was the hardest feat Wade ever remembered doing. Somehow he managed it. As he fell, the landscape blurred, his stomach lurched to his throat, and he concentrated on planting his feet and keeping hold of his gun. A strong urge to toss the gun and grab hold of shrubbery tempted him, but thankfully he didn’t give in to it.
He landed in a crouching position with a loud grunt. Quickly he drew himself up and leveled his gun at the scattering, wide-eyed trio. “Freeze. Hands in the air or I’ll shoot!” In response, a bullet whizzed past his left ear. He dropped and rolled, then scrambled for cover beneath a creosote bush on the very edge of the ledge. The trio backed up into their protective hideaway behind a cover of bushes. Wade could see red cloth and took a shot. It thudded into its fleshy target.
A flurry of gunfire caused puffs of dust to rise from the nearby ground. He froze. A bullet nicked his thigh and tore his trousers but otherwise did little harm. He lay low until the firing ceased then peeked around the creosote. A thatch of brown hair gave away another robber’s position. Wade shot, and a yell pierced the air. The remaining man made a run for it. Wade scrambled out into the open, not paying attention to his wound, all his efforts zeroed in on the chase. Before Shady Burt could reach his horse, Wade’s bullet penetrated the renegade’s leg, and he fell to the ground.
“Throw me your guns!” Wade ordered.
Shady did as directed, rolling on the ground, cursing, and clutching his leg.
On Sunday Edie joined Dinah for her first church service at the canyon. It was held at the hotel, and a Harvey employee named Robert Thatcher preached. Edie felt immeasurable joy and peace, better than anything she’d ever known. She only hoped to be able to share her experience with Wade sometime. That would make it all the sweeter. She even looked for him in the service, but he wasn’t attending.
Afterward, the two women were invited to join a group of Harvey employees planning to hike partway down the canyon on Cameron’s Trail. The two girls agreed to the plan and after lunch paid their dollar for the hike and joined the others in line. Edie inhaled a deep breath of the canyon’s fresh pine air then started down the white, sandy path.
“The first overlook is less than an hour away,” Dinah explained as they made their descent. “From there we’ll see Roaring Springs Canyon. I’d like to stop there to sketch the sandstone layers and the red rocks visible from the area. But if you’d like to go on with the group, I don’t mind.”
Edie cast a look behind her, realizing how much harder the return climb would be. “I should probably take it easy my first time.”
“You could make it all the way to the Supai Tunnel. But you would be exhausted.”
“I don’t need that on my day off,” Edie laughed. After that they spoke little, concentrating on their breathing and taking in the untarnished wilderness in its encom
passing beauty with its strange and exotic plant life and small canyon creatures scurrying out of harm’s way.
At the overlook, the group stopped to rest and sightsee. Since she was not hiking farther and would have plenty of time to look around once the group moved on, Edie took off her glasses and carefully placed them on a flat rock. She used a white lace handkerchief to wipe the sweat off her brow. Her hair had come partly loose, so she worked to secure it. Then she heard the awful sound. Crunch! She wheeled about. Oh bother!
A fellow Harvey Girl named Sarah Jane had climbed on the rock. She lifted her booted foot and pulled out Edie’s crushed spectacles with a cry of remorse. “Oh no! Look what I’ve done.”
Edie reached for the glasses. “May I see them?”
“I’m so sorry. Here.” She relinquished the mangled spectacles.
One lens was shattered. The other featured a large crack. The frames were bent and distorted. Edie silently wondered how she would get by.
Sarah Jane looked just as stricken as Edie felt. “I’ll pay to have them replaced. I’m so sorry.”
The girl’s twin sister, Mabel, came looking for her. “The group’s getting ready to leave—Uh-oh. What happened?”
Sarah Jane hesitated. “I broke Edie’s glasses.”
Mabel sympathized. “You won’t be able to go on now, will you, Edie?”
Edie replied, “I wasn’t planning to. Dinah’s going to stay and sketch. I’ll just keep her company.”
“But I’ve ruined everything for you,” Sarah Jane moaned.
“Nonsense. Please go on,” Edie said. “And don’t worry about a thing. See,” she said, putting them on again. “I can still wear them. I have one lens.”
“You will let me pay for them?” Sarah Jane pressed.
“We’ll see. You two had better go, or you’ll be left behind.”
“Are you sure you’ll be all right?” they asked.
“I’m fine.”
“Very well. I’ll check on you later at the hotel.” Sarah Jane gave a final hesitant look then hurried off with Mabel to catch up with the others.
Edie waved them on, but when the girls were out of earshot, she gave a great sigh of disappointment and repeated what she’d kept under her breath before, “Oh bother!”
Dinah touched her shoulder. “We can return now. I wouldn’t want you to get another headache.”
Edie shook her head. “I’ll be fine. Let’s stay.” Even though she had one lens, the crack distorted her view. She didn’t want to complain, but she wondered how she would survive without them.
Dinah situated herself with her sketch pad. “We’ll leave well before dark, then, and I’ll help you. I’m sure you’ll have no trouble getting off work to get a new pair.”
“I suppose not.” They sat in silence for a while. Dinah sketched, and Edie picked the shards of glass out of the shattered lens.
“Did you ever do something you regretted but didn’t know how to fix it?”
Dinah cast her a sideways glance. “Yes. What is it you regret? Wade?”
“You know me so well.”
“What about him do you regret?”
“Running him off.”
“You think you would marry him now?”
“Since I’ve been praying about it—yes, I think I could.”
Dinah gave her a warm smile. “Then I shall start to pray that you will have the opportunity to tell him.”
Edie felt a rush of hope. “You think God would do that for me?”
“He might. If it’s in your best interest from His point of view. It doesn’t hurt to ask.”
Hoping for the best, Wade strode into the El Tovar’s dining room. So much had happened in the past few days, and he needed to give Edie the good news—Shady Burt was now behind bars. He’d been disappointed the other two had gotten away. Evidently he’d only grazed them with his bullets. However, Shady was the one he’d most wanted to capture.
Wade knew he had promised not to see Edie, but given the fears she harbored over Shady, he felt the man’s capture was a good reason to break his promise and initiate a conversation with her. He also wanted to tell her how he had accepted her challenge and how God had helped him overcome his fear.
Seating himself at a table she usually served, he searched the dining room for her. When Dinah appeared to wait on him instead of Edie, he thought his heart dropped all the way to the bottom of the canyon.
“Ranger Sloan. Nice to see you. Here’s a menu.”
Wade didn’t miss Dinah’s attentive expression, sure it had something to do with the situation between him and Edie. “I was hoping to see Edie. Is she working today?” Dinah’s expression fell, and he sensed an ally. “I’m sorry. She’s gone.”
“You mean she’s not at the El Tovar?”
She shook her head. “I’m sorry. She left this morning. Took the train to Williams.”
That was all he needed to hear. Familiar with the train schedules, he knew if he left right away, he might be able to intercept her before she made her next connection. He had to. He didn’t even know where her home was in Chicago. “Excuse me, please,” he said, bounding up and running from the dining room.
“Wait!”
He heard Dinah’s appeal, but there was no time to wait. He felt the other customers’ eyes on him, but it didn’t matter. He had to catch that train. Had to tell Edie that Shady had been captured. Who was he kidding? What he had to tell her was that he loved her and he would do whatever it took to make her his own.
By the time he had saddled up, he’d figured out that he always knew he would be willing to give up his job to marry her. Why hadn’t he told her that before? And now, with the reward money, he could set up a ranch and—“Giddy up! Need to catch that train.”
Edie folded her hands in her lap and watched the scenery whir by. As Dinah claimed, it was easy to get the day off. Because the Harvey Company stressed a neat appearance, one look at Edie’s pitiful spectacles caused an expression of horror on Miss Gibson’s face. She had strode straight to Manager Niles, Edie in tow, and the next thing Edie knew, she had a train pass in her hand and was being escorted to the exit. Miss Gibson’s parting admonition was to enjoy her time off and not return until she had a new pair of glasses. She bit back a smile at the memory. Edie looked forward to today’s adventure in Williams even though Dinah wasn’t with her to share the fun. To be truthful, the only thing that made her a little nervous was the train ride itself. However, she had prayed and was carrying her tiny Colt in her purse.
Edie remembered reading her dime novel on her last train ride. Regrettably, she had taken it to heart, even letting it prejudice her against Wade, at least until she had read the last chapter. But the ending hadn’t satisfied her curiosity. She never knew if the ranger had quit his job. Too late she came to realize she couldn’t judge Wade by a fictional character just as she couldn’t judge him by her father’s preferences. She bit her lip, remembering how Wade had cautioned her against judging him from the beginning. Too bad she hadn’t listened. What was important was finding God’s will in the situation. She hoped it included Wade. Even if it didn’t, she wanted to tell him her good news someday.
“Where you going?” inquired the gray-haired woman seated across the aisle.
Edie turned. “Williams. To get new glasses.”
“Ah. You one of those Harvey Girls?”
“I am. Did you enjoy your stay at the canyon?”
The loud screeching of steel interrupted their conversation, and Edie inwardly panicked.
“Why we stopping?” the older passenger asked.
This couldn’t be happening again! Edie couldn’t help but look out the window. This time there was no frightening face. However, neither were they anywhere near a train station. As the train came to a complete stop, hissing and wheezing, Edie placed her beaded purse on her lap, placed her hand inside, and clutched her Colt’s pearl grip.
Chapter 10
What’s going on?” the gray-haired woman asked a
gain.
Although Edie had a good idea, she refrained from giving her opinion. Waiting until the woman looked away, she slipped her Colt from her purse and hid it in the fold of her skirt. Her mind raced. What if Shady Burt recognized her? He had promised Wade revenge. Could she really pull the trigger? Was Wade somewhere on the train?
The door to her car flung open. A tall man with a handkerchief over the greater portion of his face strode into the car, causing a collective gasp from the passengers. He gave them a menacing glare. “Get out your valuables and nobody gets hurt. I’m going to pass my hat. Put ’em in.” He pushed his hat at the closest man and aimed his gun at the man’s head. “Go on.”
The man didn’t hesitate, pulling off his watch and withdrawing his billfold and plopping them into the hat.
“Pass it on!” the outlaw sharply reprimanded.
The man shoved it to the fellow beside him. The outlaw followed the course of action with the point of his gun, while his steely eyes kept constant vigil over the other passengers.
Edie’s heartbeat raced. At least it wasn’t Shady. The man’s gun was much larger than hers. It was no match. She needed a plan.
The hat was about one-third of the way up the car. The outlaw grew increasingly impatient, increasingly greedy. “Hurry up!” He swung his gun around at the passengers. “Have your valuables ready! The next one ain’t ready, I’m shooting.” Everyone scrambled to get items from their bags.
When the mild commotion started and the robber was distracted, Edie knew it was time to act. She’d aim to wound, not kill. Surely then one of the men in the car would jump in to help. With a big gulp, she stood and stretched out her arms to aim, but her cracked and missing lenses blurred her vision through the gun’s sight. In all the excitement, she hadn’t remembered her impairment. But it was too late to retreat. The robber had already seen her gun.
He sneered in delight. Then ever so slowly, he brought his own gun around. Edie tried to keep her pistol steady. Just pouring a cup of coffee—steady, steady. The evil man was going to shoot her, and she didn’t know if she could even pull the trigger. Then the dizziness came.
The Timeless Love Romance Collection Page 20