Joline's Redemption

by McDonough, Vickie;

  As Lara lifted the lid off the stew, a delicious aroma filled the room, making both Jo’s and Sarah’s stomachs grumble. She glanced at the girl and smiled.

  Lara set a bowl of steaming stew in front of each of them, and they dug in. Jo savored the delicious flavors and the hot biscuits with melted butter. From the way Sarah was wolfing down her food, Jo guessed she felt the same. Lara always was a good cook.

  Before Jo’s bowl was empty, she heard the front door open and hard steps approaching the kitchen. Gabe was home.

  Chapter 5

  Jo tiptoed from the bedroom that she and Sarah were sharing. She glanced back at the girl who had crawled in her bed, flashing a nervous smile. Sarah wasn’t comfortable enough in the unfamiliar house to stay in a room alone, even though she was used to doing so at the bordello. Jo wondered if Sarah thought she might sneak out and leave her. She had hardly uttered a word since they arrived and seemed more withdrawn than she’d been on the trail. Perhaps it was just the newness of the house and the people.

  She started for the back stairs to make one last trip to the privy, but the murmur of voices pulled her to the stairs that led to the foyer. Pausing where the wall ended and the railing started, she peered down. Gabe and Lara stood just inside the parlor, talking.

  She couldn’t make out Lara’s soft voice, but she caught most of what Gabe said. “Wasn’t with Mark … Lied to you … Don’t want … hurt again … Hillborne in town …”

  Jo sucked in a sharp breath. Mark was back in Guthrie? Why would he return now—just when she did? What would he do if he learned she was nearby? She crossed her arms to keep them from trembling. When thinking of returning to the area, she’d never once considered that Mark also might have decided to come back. But it made sense if the store was still there and stocked as it had been when he closed it. Perhaps he was only in town to sell it.

  The voices had quieted. Her sister and Gabe must have gone to the kitchen. She slunk back the way she came and hurried to the rear stairway and went down to the privy. What should she do now? If she only had herself to think about, she’d get Badger’s horse and ride off again, but she had Jamie—and Sarah. Both children needed good food and a roof over their heads, and this was the only place she knew where they could get that.

  She would have to steer clear of Mark. She’d nearly lost Jamie once. She couldn’t risk Mark finding out about him and deciding he liked the idea of being a father.

  Back in her room, she huddled under the covers, shivering. With the threat of Mark in town, she wondered if they shouldn’t pack up and leave. But where could they go with no money? How would they survive? She had to find a way to make some money. She’d never been one to sew much and didn’t like cooking, but perhaps it was time she learned. Her sister would be more than happy to teach her, and one day, if things went the way she planned, she and the children would have their own place, and she’d need to know how to cook for Jamie and Sarah. She sighed, wishing now that she hadn’t been such a tomboy. Fishing or trapping had always held more interest than cooking and cleaning. And besides, she always imagined she’d marry a wealthy man and have servants to do those things for her.

  But nothing had gone as planned. She’d been so sure she knew what was best for her life, running away from her family when she was sixteen, albeit almost seventeen. And look where it had gotten her. Jamie was the only good thing to come from all the horrible things she’d endured. She supposed she should give herself some credit for helping Sarah escape the awful future she faced.

  “Your sister is nice,” Sarah said behind Jo’s back.

  Flipping over, Jo faced her in the bed they shared. “Yes, Lara has always been nice.” Except when she was pushing Jo to do her chores or help more. Still … in all fairness, now that she’d been married—sort of—and had become a mother, she’d learned how much was involved in keeping a home and raising a child.

  “Why did you leave, then?”

  “Well, for one thing, she lived in a dugout at the time.”

  “What is wrong with dugout?”

  “Oh … they smell, bugs and snakes fall out of the ceiling and onto you, rain sometimes leaks in—lots of things.”

  “She has nice house now. Will you stay?”

  Jo thought for a moment of all the reasons to say no. “I don’t know. Until we get some more money, we can’t afford to go anywhere else, but I worry that this isn’t far enough away from Badger.”

  “He will come.”

  Jo felt the same way. Sooner or later, Badger was sure to find them. The man was tenacious, if nothing else. If it had only been Jo who left, he might not search so hard, but she’d taken Sarah. And she had a feeling he wouldn’t give up until he found the girl. Knowing that gave her the answer she needed. She must risk going to town to look for work. It was the only way she knew to get the funds they needed to get away.

  Lara wouldn’t be happy seeing her leave again, but it seemed Jo’s lot in life was to disappoint her sister.

  Lara stared at Jo, her arms crossed. “I don’t understand why you feel you must get a job.”

  Jo attempted to stand still in the face of her sister’s confusion, but her feet insisted on moving. Lara was always nice, but Jo still felt belittled, even though she knew it wasn’t her sister’s intent.

  “I can’t explain it, but just accept the fact that I do.”

  “You can stay with us for as long as you wish. You won’t lack for anything here. Gabe has done well in the ranching business and has even bought out several of our neighbors so that he could have more land. We have the funds to buy whatever you all need.”

  “Maybe I don’t want you providing for me. Have you considered that?” The words came out harsher than she intended.

  Lara winced. “I, of all people, understand how hard it is to let others help you. I nearly chased Gabe off because I didn’t want his help in the beginning.” She glanced down and ran a hand over her swollen belly. “Just think of all I’d have missed if he hadn’t been so stubborn and persistent.”

  Jo thought of all the pain she would have avoided if she had listened to her sister before she ran away from home when she was only sixteen, but still … “If you have to know, I fear someone is after us. I need to get Sarah away from Oklahoma and somewhere safe.”

  Lara’s eyes widened. “Who is after her?”

  “I can’t tell you that.”

  “Why not? You should describe the man to Gabe so he and the ranch hands can watch for him and make sure he doesn’t harm Sarah.”

  The girl wasn’t the one Badger would seek to harm. Jo gritted her teeth, remembering the first beating he gave her. “At least now you understand why I have to find employment.”

  “As I said before, if it’s money you need, we can give it to you, although I’m not ready to lose you again.”

  Her sister’s comment touched a lonely spot deep within Jo, but she wouldn’t accept money, even from her sister. “I appreciate your offer, although I’m sure you know I can’t take it. I’m going to town, but I’ll be back by supper. Do you want me to pick up anything while I’m there?”

  Lara sighed. “I suppose you could get some flannel for diapers. I should have more for the new baby, and Jamie could also use some.”

  “That’s a good idea. Washing them every day gets tiring.”

  “I remember those days when Michael was a baby.” Lara smiled. “Why don’t you also pick out some fabric for a couple of dresses for Sarah, as well as undergarments?”

  “She does need some clothing. There wasn’t time—” Jo bit her lip, knowing she’d almost revealed something she didn’t want to.

  Lara frowned but thankfully didn’t interrogate her. “Just put those things on our tab at the mercantile. And don’t worry about Jamie or Sarah. I’ll see to them. Be careful, and make sure to be home well before dark. Not everyone is nice, although most folks are. And I know you’re not too familiar with the area.”

  “I didn’t have any trouble finding my w
ay here. I recognized certain landmarks.”

  Lara smiled and touched Jo’s arm. “I’m glad. It’s so good to have you here with us.”

  “Thank you for being so generous.” Her sister had always been kind, but Jo had been blind to her benevolence when they lived together before. Maybe she’d grown up in more than one way.

  Three days after her arrival at Lara’s, Jo rode into Guthrie on one of Gabe’s saddle horses. She’d chosen to leave Badger’s horse hidden in the barn. The town was bigger, but the original wooden buildings not painted had grayed and lost that fresh-scented newness. And now there were numerous buildings made from brick. Guthrie had been a brand-new town the first time she saw it, ringing with the swishing of saws and the pounding of hammers and oozing with optimistic people. She’d thought Guthrie was the place of her dreams, but it sure hadn’t turned out to be.

  Jo recognized many of the stores she’d traded at when she lived here previously and easily found her way to the street that boasted Mark’s store. Her heart throbbed. She wiped her sweaty palm across the skirt of the burgundy calico Lara had given her and tugged the borrowed cloak across her chest.

  She rounded a corner, and there it was. Hillborne’s General Store. The place where her dreams had taken wing and then plummeted back to earth. It didn’t look too imposing, but then, it wasn’t the store that had wrecked her life. She curled her lip. Mark had done a fine job of that.

  The facade needed a fresh coat of paint, as well as the Hillborne sign, but everything else looked pretty much the same. A pair of barrels sat on each side of the doors, inviting folks to come in.

  Jo rode past several stores then dismounted and tied the horse to the hitching post. She moseyed down the boardwalk, her heart pounding harder with each step she took. She felt as if she were gambling—with her life. She didn’t know what to expect from Mark. He could charm spots off a snake or turn around and poison you with his venom. Why was she even here? She’d never work for him again. Never live with him. She didn’t want anything he had to offer. She spun around, bumping into a man.

  He raised his brows, muttered, “Pardon,” and kept on walking.

  Jo sighed. She’d come this far. She needed to know if Mark was back or not. Stepping close to the nearest window, she acted like she was looking at the merchandise displayed there. Her gaze flitted toward where she knew the counter stood and then around the store, but because of the sunlight reflecting off the windows, she couldn’t see anyone inside. When a couple passed her, she fell into step and hurried past the next window. She might not be able to see in, but Mark could probably see her. At the door, she drew in a deep breath, tugged down the long brim of the sunbonnet she’d borrowed from Lara, and stepped inside, instantly heading to the back of the store where two other women studied the bolts of fabric. Jo had no intention of buying anything here, but she needed to blend in. To purchase something, she would have to look Mark in the eye, and she couldn’t. But she also couldn’t sleep until she knew for certain if he was back. And if he was, she and the children would be leaving Lara’s very soon.

  As she studied the stock of threads, she glanced out the side of her eye and spotted him. She ducked her head so fast she nearly dropped the thread in her quivering hand. The women moved on, so Jo pretended interest in the calicos, listening to the clerk’s voice. It sounded like Mark’s but different somehow. Perhaps his voice was hoarse from a recent illness?

  Her being here at this place was dim-witted. She’d worked here day after day, had chosen Mark over her own family, had fallen in love with him, and then out of love after Mark had abused and treated her miserably. She shouldn’t have come, and yet she had to. Her nerves suddenly got the best of her, and she held on to the cabinet to stay upright. She needed to leave before Mark saw her and asked about the baby she’d been pregnant with when he left her.

  A man behind her cleared his throat, and Jo spun around, staring straight into Mark’s blue eyes. She sucked in a sharp breath then realized the truth. This man wasn’t Mark, but he looked enough like him to be his twin. He was taller—broader. But he was not Mark. Her stampeding heartbeat slowed.

  “Are you all right, ma’am? You look a bit pale.”

  “Um … I’m fine. You just startled me.”

  “My apologies. Is there something I can help you with?”

  Jo backed away. She had to get out of there. This man wasn’t the one she was married to, but they were obviously related. And if he knew who she was, he might contact his brother and let him know she was in town. Jo sidestepped toward the ready-made garments hanging on a bar, pretending to be interested. When several feet were between her and the man, Jo spun and dashed out of the store. She didn’t care what the man thought. She just had to get away from him.

  Baron walked to the doorway and stared out as the strange woman rushed away. When she first glanced up at him, his breath caught in his throat, and he’d been a bit stunned by her beauty. Her delft-blue eyes looked troubled. But why? Had he frightened her that much?

  And why had she been slinking around the store? Had she been planning on stealing something? It would certainly explain her odd behavior and her reaction when he addressed her. But she didn’t have the look of a beggar in her calico that still had a new sheen.

  “Um … excuse me. We’re ready to check out.”

  At the timid voice, Baron spun around. The mysterious woman had so mesmerized him that he’d forgotten he still had customers in the store. “I’m sorry, ma’am. I’ll have you checked out in a jiffy.”

  Rarely rattled and never one to overlook a customer, Baron quickly tallied the woman’s items and helped her carry them to her wagon, but his mind was still on the pretty blond who had turned his day upside down. Why couldn’t he quit thinking about her?

  “Wish I had time to lollygag all day.”

  Baron pushed up from the porch railing he’d unknowingly sat on and smiled. “Isn’t that what you do most of the time, Marshal?”

  Bob’s lips quivered as if he were struggling not to smile. “No. I call it keeping an eye on the town. You never know when there might be a robbery or some drunk causing trouble.”

  “I had a woman in a short while ago who I thought might be a thief.”

  Bob leaned against the wall. “Sounds like maybe you changed your mind about her.”

  Shrugging, Baron gazed down the street. More than likely, he’d never see the pretty blond again. He rubbed the back of his neck. “She looked suspicious, and when I walked up behind her and asked if I could help her, she nearly fainted.”

  “She does sound as if she was up to somethin’.” Bob rubbed his hand across his bristly jaw. “You might want to keep a close watch if she comes back. What did she look like?”

  “Pretty. Blond hair and dark blue eyes. Slender. Probably at least six or seven years younger than me.”

  Bob cocked one eyebrow. “And just how old are you?”

  “Twenty-nine.” Baron straightened under the marshal’s stare, even though there was a spark of humor in his gaze. Bob was his first friend in Guthrie, although the authority he carried sometimes made Baron edgy. He’d never broken the law and never intended to, but a man had to respect a lawman. “How did you end up in Guthrie?”

  Bob shrugged. “I was just one of the eighty-some-odd lawyers who set up shop right after the land run. I never dreamed so many would come to town, but with all the land disputes after the run, we were all needed for a time. Someone got wind that I’d been a lawman in the past and asked me if I’d consider being one again. By then, I was ready to shed my suit and get outside again, so I agreed.”

  Baron swatted at a fly. “How well did you know my brother when he lived here?”

  “Not well. I bought a few things from him and that pretty wife of his.” He scowled. “What happened to them? They both up and left town so fast, it was the biggest news around until several drunks shot up the schoolhouse one night.”

  Baron pursed his lips. How could he tell Bob what he di
dn’t know? And yet admitting he didn’t know what happened to his own brother might seem odd. Still, he believed honesty was always the best route to take. He blew out a loud sigh. “I wish I could tell you, Bob, but the truth is, I don’t know.”

  The marshal lifted his hat at two women who smiled at him and then at Baron. The ladies turned into the store. Baron was grateful for the timely reprieve, because he sure didn’t want to talk about Mark’s Guthrie bride.

  Bob nodded and pushed away from the wall then paused and turned back. “You know … that woman you described sounds just like the gal your brother married.” He huffed a laugh. “Kinda ironic, ain’t it?”

  Not waiting for an answer, the marshal moseyed down the street. Baron hurried into the store, pondering Bob’s comment. He stepped behind the counter, cleaned off the scissors and twine from his last sale, and set them on a shelf below. The two ladies debated patterns of dishes in one corner, not needing his help.

  Those haunted blue eyes stared at him in his mind. If the woman Mark falsely married resembled the one he’d seen today, no wonder his brother had been enamored with her and had gone to such extremes to win her heart. He certainly didn’t condone what Mark had done in any way, but he could understand how his brother had been tempted. He had been tempted by a woman, too, on occasion, but his convictions and his faith in God helped him keep from making a mistake he’d sorely regret.

  He thought of the pretty blond again. It wasn’t likely this Jo that Gabriel Coulter had talked about several days ago was the same woman he’d seen today, since Gabe said they hadn’t seen her in a long while. No, the odds were highly against it. But where had Jo gone? He’d sure like to know what happened to her. Had his brother done something nefarious to the poor woman?

  Baron walked to the window again, not liking that he thought such awful things about his brother.