Finally a Bride

by McDonough, Vickie;

  Agatha Linus stumbled from between Dolly’s Dress Shop and the Corbett Freight office. Jack hurried down the steps of her home, stuffing the letter from the Dallas Evening News into her waistband. She hiked her skirts and ran down the street, hoping her ma didn’t see her.

  Aggie wobbled, then reached for the dress shop’s porch railing and collapsed against it. One hand covered her eyes; her head hung down. Was she crying? Hurt?

  “Please, help me.” She shuddered and dropped onto the boardwalk steps.

  Jack rushed to her side, as did Jenny and several others. “What’s wrong, Mrs. Linus? Are you ill?”

  She swiped her eyes with her fingertips then reached out her hand, and Jack took hold of it. “Oh, Jacqueline, it’s dreadful. I—I fear my sister is dead.”

  Jack’s heart jolted. It had been a long while since someone in their community had died. “Bertha is dead? How? What happened?”

  “I’ll get the doctor to come and check her,” said Mr. Mann, who had been eating at Polly’s Café and still had his napkin tucked in his shirt like a bib. He took off at a quick clip down the street.

  Aggie shook her head. “It’s all my fault, you see. I was feeling poorly and slept late. I should have been up to fix Bertha’s breakfast. She does like her biscuits and jam of a morning.”

  Jack glanced at Jenny, who gave a shrug and quick shake of her head, as if she couldn’t make any sense out of the connection between breakfast and Bertha, either. There had to be more to the story.

  Jack glanced over her shoulder and noticed Tessa standing just outside the mercantile door. “Tessa!” She waved her hand to catch her friend’s attention. “Could you run over and see if Luke is still at home?”

  Tessa glanced across the street at them as if she didn’t want to miss anything, then nodded. She untied her apron, tossed it inside the store, and hurried to the boardinghouse.

  Jack patted Aggie’s wrinkled hand. She was as thin as her sister was wide.

  Aggie, normally a shy, refined woman, sucked in a hiccupy sob. “Oh, what will I do without her?”

  Shifting her feet to a more comfortable position, Jack couldn’t help thinking Aggie would live a more peaceful life without her gossiping sister, who constantly ordered her around, but as soon as the thought breached her mind, she cast it off as not Christian. Her heart ached for Aggie, and her chest swelled with compassion. The woman had lost her husband years ago, and now she may have lost her sister.

  The thud of quick footsteps drew her gaze up, and Jack’s pulse soared. Right behind Luke, Noah followed, looking concerned. His black eye had faded to a greenish-yellow tone, and the cuts from his fight with Billy had healed. His gaze collided with hers. She felt that connection—two separate beings that belonged together—soul mates.

  “All right, move back, folks and let me through.” Luke pushed his way into the crowd and squatted in front of Aggie. Noah stopped beside Jack, so close their arms touched when she moved. The back of his hand brushed against hers. Jack’s throat clogged, making it harder to breathe.

  “Tell me what happened, Miss Aggie.” Luke pushed his hat back on his forehead, as if to see her better.

  “I don’t know. I came downstairs a bit later than normal and found Bertha lying on the kitchen floor.” Her lower lip wobbled, and tears ran down her wrinkled cheeks. “Th–there was b–blood on the floor. My sister’s blood.” Aggie covered her eyes again, her shoulders shaking from her sobs.

  Luke glanced up at Jack. “Take her back to our house, and let your ma tend her.”

  “No!” Aggie’s hand snaked out and latched onto Luke’s arm. “I need to be with Bertha.”

  Luke covered her hand with his. “Are you certain?”

  Aggie nodded, and he helped her to stand. He caught Jack’s eye, and she hurried to Aggie’s other side.

  “The rest of you folks go on back to whatever you were doing. You’ll know soon enough what happened.”

  “I … I’d like the reverend to come along, Marshal.”

  Luke nodded at Noah, and he fell in step behind them. Jenny jogged up to Luke. “I want to come, too.”

  He shook his head. “Not right now, Jenny.”

  Scowling, Jenny caught Jack’s eye, and she knew that her friend expected to hear every little detail later on. Jack gave her a brief nod, but for once, she had no desire to write a story. Shouldn’t Aggie be allowed to grieve before the details were splattered across the paper for the whole county to see? Why had she never considered how covering the news might actually emotionally wound the people involved?

  They cut between buildings and went in Aggie’s back door. Though Jack had visited Aggie and Bertha with her ma and had been in the parlor previously, she had never been in their kitchen. On the counter, several canisters were overturned with sugar and coffee spilling out. The pantry door lay open, revealing a mess with containers and jars sitting haphazard on the shelves, while others lay strewn all over the floor. Something definitely wasn’t right here. Bertha may not be the tidiest person around, but Aggie most surely was.

  Noah’s hand gripped her shoulder, and she peeked up at him. He nudged his chin across the room where Luke and the doctor were kneeling on the floor. Jack’s heart nearly lurched out of her chest at the large, unmoving body on the floor. She backed up against Noah, silently drawing his support. Aggie stood alone, staring down at her sister. Jack crossed the room and put her arm around the older woman’s waist.

  She winced at the blood pooling beneath Bertha’s head. The woman’s hair had been fashioned into the untidy bun that characterized her, and her colorful dress spread out around her like a spray of wildflowers.

  Doc Phillips held his fingers against Bertha’s neck. He looked up and shook his head. Aggie gasped and turned toward Jack, sobbing on her shoulder.

  After a few moments, Noah gently took Aggie’s arm. “Let’s go in the parlor and let the doctor and marshal tend your sister.”

  Aggie allowed them to lead her from the room, but just as Jack stepped across the kitchen’s threshold, she heard Doc Phillips whisper, “Murder.”

  Noah stood before a somber crowd of parishioners Sunday morning. He should be happy that more people had shown up this week, but he’d rather their motivation for coming to church be heartfelt rather than fear-driven. Three break-ins and a murder had folks quivering in their beds behind doors that had rarely been locked before.

  “Agatha Linus asked me to personally thank those of you who attended her sister’s funeral yesterday and for all the gracious condolences she has received. Let’s remember to keep her in our prayers—as well as little Adam Howard, who fell and twisted his ankle yesterday. Lastly, congratulations to Luke and Rachel Davis on the birth of their second son, Andrew.”

  “And to you, too, Pastor,” Dan Howard called out, “for saving the baby’s life.”

  “Thank you, but that was the Lord’s doing, not mine.” He smiled. “Please join me in prayer. “He directed a prayer heavenward, then opened his Bible. “In Jeremiah 29, we read, ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’“

  He stared at the faces in the crowd, hoping to touch some hearts today—to bring a lost soul to the Lord.

  Jackie sat on the third row with most of her family, holding Andrew so that Rachel could sit with Mrs. Linus at her home. The peaceful scene of Jackie looking down at the baby, surrounded on both sides by wiggly children, created longings he shouldn’t be having during a sermon. He caught Luke’s stare, and the man lifted one brow as if asking what he was doing. Noah jerked his gaze away and focused on a scowling man in the back.

  “God wants good things for us, folks. He truly does, but I know what some of you are thinking—what about Mrs. Boyd? How could God allow an innocent woman to be murdered?
/>   “John 10:10 says, ‘The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ God loves each of us, folks, and wants good things for us, but evil has entered this world. Evil lies in the heart of man. The scriptures say that ‘all men have sinned,’ but the good news is that we don’t have to remain in sin. Jesus died to set us free—to forgive our sins.”

  Noah’s heart pounded. He felt God’s anointing on his message and believed it would bring change in someone’s life. God had changed his life so much, and he longed to share the forgiveness and joy he’d received with others.

  “We may never know why tragedies happen, but we have to believe in God and let Him strengthen us in hard times. Don’t get angry at God when tragedy strikes, but rather run to His comforting arms. Know who your enemy is. And let me tell you, it’s not your neighbor—or his goat that wanders into your garden, eating what doesn’t belong to him.” Titters circled the room, and heads nodded.

  “Preach it, Brother!” Doc Phillips hollered.

  “Don’t be a casualty of war.” Noah leaned across the pulpit, trying to get closer to his parishioners. Outside the open windows, birds flitted in the trees, chirping and singing as if cheering him on. “God is amazing, folks. Can you believe that the One who created the world cares about you—each one of you? He wants you to seek Him in all areas of your life, not just when tragedy strikes.

  “Are you struggling with an important decision in your life? What line of cattle to purchase? Whether to plant wheat or corn next year? Whether to marry that pretty gal who’s stolen your heart?” His gaze skittered to Jackie then dashed away. Luke straightened in his seat and crossed his arms, making Noah not a little anxious.

  He cleared his throat. “The point I’m trying to make is that God cares. He cares about every little detail of your life. He wants you to draw nigh unto Him, confess your sins, and let Him wash you clean. Don’t make important decisions without God’s guidance. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ Shall we pray?”

  Abby and Alan were on their feet and pushing past Jack the moment Noah bowed his head. She lifted one foot to block their escape during the prayer, then her papa snagged each wayward child by the collar and stuffed them back in their seat.

  Noah’s deep voice gently rumbled through the room. She loved the sound of his voice—so masculine and strong. His words—as if directed right for her—had pierced her heart. Most of her life she’d tried to control her circumstances. After living in a home so out-of-control when her first pa was alive, she’d sought to never be vulnerable again—and that meant being able to take care of herself. It meant making choices, even when it went against her ma, especially before Luke came into their lives. He brought stability and took care of them, but her independent spirit had already taken root. She’d done what had to be done—and never much considered if it was God’s will for her life. Until now.

  The tone of Noah’s voice changed, drawing her from her reflections. “We’ll be taking an hour-long break to enjoy the wonderful meal the ladies of our church have provided, and then the marriage of Rand Kessler and Christine Morgan will take place outside under the arbor.” All eyes swung toward the engaged couple, and Mrs. Morgan blushed. Tessa sat beside her ma, dressed in a pink silk gown with enormously puffed leg-o-mutton sleeves and wearing a scowl. Jack hadn’t seen Billy all week, but surely he’d attend his mother’s wedding.

  “If anyone cares to talk to me privately about today’s message, just track me down. Y’all are dismissed.”

  Noah closed his Bible, and Jack couldn’t help noticing that he glanced at her. She smiled. He gave her a brief nod then turned to shake Dan Howard’s hand. Luke stepped into the aisle, carrying Emmie, and chased after Alan and Abby, who’d already made their escape and were no doubt headed for the food tables.

  “Jacqueline, let me see that baby.” Leah Howard pressed up the aisle against the flow of the crowd with seven-month-old Michael on her hip. The white-haired child grinned and reached for Andrew, his dark eyes dancing. Leah stood back, keeping her son from touching Andrew. Little Sarah held on tight to her mother’s skirt and stared at the baby with wide blue eyes.

  Jack couldn’t help being a little jealous that the girl was so much better behaved than Abby. She held up her brother. “We’re sure glad to get another boy.”

  “I bet your father and Alan are especially happy.”

  Jack chuckled. “You should have heard Alan’s yell when he found out he had a brother.”

  Leah hadn’t changed a lot in the decade she’d been married. Her blond hair was fashioned into a bun and pinned on the back of her head. Jack tossed her loose hair over her shoulder and glanced at Noah. Would he like her hair better if she succumbed to womanly standards and wore it pinned up?

  Leah smiled. “Our new minister is quite a handsome man, isn’t he?”

  Jack tried to mask her surprise at Leah’s direct comment. “I … uh … suppose.”

  Baby Michael grabbed his ma’s nose, and she pulled his hand away and kissed it then lifted her eyebrows at Jack. “You suppose?”

  Jack couldn’t help smiling. “All right, I noticed.”

  Leah laughed, her blue eyes sparkling. She nodded her chin toward the door. “I sure am surprised to see those two together. I’d never have thought it—not in a million years.”

  Jack turned and looked. Voices lifted in friendly chatter, and clusters of people stood near the door, including Garrett and Carly. “Me neither, but they seem happy, and I’m happy for them.”

  “Well, it will be good to see the last boardinghouse bride married—if things lead to that.”

  Leah’s six-year-old son limped toward her. “Ma, I’m starvin’. Can we go eat? I wanna play with Alan.”

  “Ma, Adam disobeyed me.” Naomi, half a head taller than her brother, pushed Adam out of the way and stood in front of her mother. “I told him to sit and wait for you and pa, but he didn’t.”

  “You two may go outside, but don’t get into the food yet.” Leah stared at her son. “Mind your sister, and be careful. You don’t want to hurt your ankle more. I’ll be right out.”

  Jack watched the duo head for the door. “I imagine your house is busier than ours—and things get pretty hectic at ours.”

  “Yes, things are pretty busy. Remember when I broke off my engagement to Dan because I didn’t want to be a mother?”

  Jack nodded. “Yeah, I do.”

  “Let me be a testimony that God can change hearts. Nine children—I never could have imagined I’d be happy with so many.”

  “At least you don’t have twins.”

  Leah lifted her hand to her forehead. “Oh my. I thank the good Lord for that, but if He chooses to send a pair my way, I’ll take them and be glad. Speaking of children, I should head outside and check on them all. The big ones keep good watch most of the time, but the little ones are fast and far too sneaky for my likin’.”

  “It’s good talking to you.”

  Leah glanced over her shoulder as she made her way to the front. “You, too.”

  Andrew stretched and then muttered a squeak. Jack scooted out of the pew, just as Margie Mann strode toward her. Jack uttered a sigh and prepared herself for a lecture.

  “Jacqueline Davis, what in the world are you doing with a newborn in church? What was your mother thinking?”

  Jack lifted her chin a smidgen and tried to control her temper. “She was thinking of Mrs. Linus and how to best comfort her on her sister’s loss. She didn’t sleep well last night, and Ma didn’t want the baby to disturb her rest this morning.”

  “Humph. I never took my young’uns out until they was a full month old.” She turned and sashayed down the aisle.

  Picking up the spare diaper she’d brought in case Andrew decided to relieve his belly, Jack moved toward the front. Noah was there alone, staring at her with a soft smi
le on his lips. Her thoughts immediately shifted to the memory of those same lips on hers, and her pulse sped up. “Your sermons are getting better each week.”

  Noah chuckled. “Wouldn’t be too hard to improve on that first one.”

  “Yeah, well, it was entertaining.” She grinned.

  He sobered and shook his head. “I still can’t believe I preached about pelicans. I don’t remember saying that at all.”

  She wanted to reach out and rest her hand on his arm but resisted. Church wasn’t the place to show affection, especially to the preacher.

  “You going to eat?”

  “Yes, but I need to run Andrew back to Ma first.”

  He stared down at her, affection shining in his eyes. “Will you forgive me if I don’t sit with you? It might be a bit overwhelming for the townsfolk this soon.”

  Disappointment weighted her shoulders, but she forced a smile. “Sure. I’ll have to help Pa with the children anyhow.”

  He glanced toward the door and stepped closer. “You know I’d like nothing more than to be with you, don’t you?”

  A lump formed in her throat, and she nodded. He smiled, then reached out and gently squeezed her upper arm.

  Jack sighed and watched him go, affection for the kind, gentle man wearing down any remaining defenses she might have. She remembered Leah’s words about how God had changed her heart and couldn’t help wondering if He was changing hers, too.

  Chapter 28

  That was a fine sermon, young man.” The mayor slapped Noah on the back, nearly dislodging the plate of food from his hand. Mayor Burke waved an ear of corn, dripping in butter, at him. “I’m certain you saved some sinners with that one. You might make a preacher yet.”

  Noah could barely abide the holier-than-thou man, but if he wanted to keep peace, he needed to hold his temper in check. And when the truth of his identity was revealed, Mayor Burke would most likely be one of his harshest opponents. “Thank you, sir, but I don’t save sinners. Only God can do that.”