A New Life In California: Book 3--Search For Meaning Series

by Angela Dempsey

  Lydia couldn’t believe how quickly she had fallen for this man. She knew she would love him for the rest of her life. She was looking forward to her new life with him.

  Harold was excited to be holding Lydia in his arms. That kiss was everything he could have wanted. He was happy he met her. He knew he would be forever grateful for Lucy.

  Paul then told the wedding guest the story of Lucy and Jake. Jake came a long way because he couldn’t live without Lucy. They too were going to be married today.

  The guests clapped their hands. Lydia and Harold stood up with them. Paul started with a small talk about patience and supporting one another. Then they said their vows.

  Lucy couldn’t believe how quickly God turned this around for them. He was smiling at her with a sparkle in his eyes. She looked into Jake’s brown eyes. She wanted to look into them for the rest of her life.

  There was so much that needed to be said between them, but the wedding was the most important way for him to show her how much he loved her. All of the details would be worked out later.

  He wanted her to feel loved and protected. He wanted to make sure nothing bad would ever happen to her again. He vowed to honor her and love her. He promised to protect her.

  “Jake, you may kiss your bride.”

  Jake pulled Lucy in close and placed a long loving kiss on her lips. She felt her heart beat faster. He was really in her arms and he was her husband. Life doesn’t get any better than this moment. Feeling him in her arms made her cry tears of joy. He reached up wiping the tears from her eyes. “You are only allowed happy tears from now on…”

  She smiled, “I love you Jake Jackson.”

  Elise couldn’t get to Lucy fast enough. She was so excited for her. She grabbed her into a hug. I am sure you will want to stay in town with Jake tonight. Both of you come to the ranch for dinner after church.

  Lucy said they would. She hugged Elise once again. “I will never be able to thank you and Cooper for all you have done for me. I will forever be grateful for your family. Virginia and her family were so kind to me.”

  “Virginia will be so happy to get a letter telling her about your wedding.”

  The townspeople all brought food. There was a big celebration. There were dancing and eating. Jake and Lucy finally went to the hotel around six in the evening. Lydia and Harold left a few moments earlier.

  Both couples had a lot of plans to make. The train was set to leave in three days. That wasn’t much time for Lydia to pack up her house.

  Jake and Lucy still didn’t know where they were going. They needed to make plans. They had dinner with Cooper’s family. She asked him where he wanted to go. He suggested maybe California near his ma. He had been sending money to help her with her expenses. She had been having a rough time since his pa passed away.

  Jake’s family all lived there and he would like to be near them. Lucy didn’t mind the idea of California. She didn’t have any family. They decided to leave on the west bound train at the end of the week.

  Monday morning, Lucy received a letter from Madeline. It explained that Henry Daniels was dead. He was killed by one of his ranch hands. Henry’s new housekeeper was being attacked by him.

  When Clayton entered the room and tried to stop him. A fight broke out between them. Henry pulled a gun and was going to shoot Clayton. He fired on Henry before he could fire his gun. Henry died instantly. Samantha, the new house keeper is grateful for Clayton. He saved her from a horrible fate.

  Madeline told Lucy she knew she would want to know. Then Madeline told her that Roy informed the sheriff about what happened to her. It would appear that Lucy’s child is the only heir to Henry’s estate.

  Lucy sat with her mouth hanging open. Her child was the only heir to that vast fortune. She couldn’t wait to tell Jake. They needed to get to Austin and claim what was her child’s birthright.

  When she brought it up to Jake he wasn’t too excited to go back and face that entire situation. He knew people would be judging Lucy. Some would even blame her for the situation. She insisted they go back and claim what was rightfully her child’s.

  She sent a letter to Madeline that they were on a train back to Austin. They would probably beat the letter there. She and Jake talked long about it. He didn’t want to live in Austin. He knew there would always be too many people talking and judging Lucy.

  He asked Lucy about selling the ranch. Then they could take the money and go somewhere to start their life. No one would ever have to know all the pain she had been through.

  Lucy was excited to meet his ma. So they agreed they would go make a claim and stay only long enough to settle things. Jake told her that he had confided in Clayton about her letter. He needed someone to talk to about it. Clayton talked him into not doing anything to Henry more than once during the remainder of his week there.

  They were on a train bright and early the next morning bound for Austin. They sat quietly for a long time. Then he looked at her. “Are you sure you want to face all those people and this situation?”

  “I am brave enough to do it now that I know Henry is dead and you are by my side. I am a lot stronger than the girl you kissed by the pond.”

  He wrapped her in a hug, kissing her forehead. “I am here and we will get through this together.”

  Harold and Lydia boarded the train to take them to Oklahoma. Lydia was excited to start her new life. She hoped his daughter would grow to love her. She couldn’t imagine how heartbroken the little angel must be, to lose a ma at such a young age.

  They rode for a few hours with Jake and Lucy. They all made light conversations about the future. The train stopped in a small town. Harold and Lydia got off. They would have to stay overnight before catching their train home.

  Chapter 17

  Lilly received a shipment of ladies’ hats. She ordered six assorted hats. She received two dozen. When she sent a telegram, the company told her to keep them. She knew she didn’t have room to display all of them for a very long time. She decided to have a sale.

  The mayor’s wife stopped by a couple of days later; she shared her good fortune with her. Telling her she could sell them cheap since they sent her more than they ordered. The mayor’s wife ended up buying six of them. Then, of course, she needed material to go with them for new dresses.

  Lilly was pleased, she had turned the mistake into profit. Zain finally won the argument to stock wagon wheels. He was starting to stock other things that Lilly questioned.

  She had grown up watching her dad try things that didn’t always work. She knew he would find his way like her father had. She needed to be patient with him and it would all work out. The town of Lawrence was growing. As the new century approached things were changing. They had to change with the times.

  The town was starting to build boardwalks between the stores. They were starting to get new businesses in town. The town council was working on building a library and a building with a stage to hold concerts and plays.

  Zain was out on deliveries when Lilly made her big sale to the mayor’s wife. He was impressed with his wife and her skills at selling. Sue the mayor’s daughter came by and bought three hats for herself and one for her sister. She also bought material for dresses to go with each.

  They were considered the wealthiest women in town along with the banker’s wife. There was a new woman in town that is a widow. She is trying to open a dressmaking shop. Lilly encouraged her to try it. She made Lilly’s wedding dress.

  Lilly went to see if she wanted to purchase some of the hats and make dresses to match. She purchased six hats from Lilly. She told her she was making some heavy winter coats for women; hoping to sell them. Lilly said she would send anyone looking for a coat her way.

  As store owners, Zain and Lilly were on the town council. They all were trying to improve their town and make a better life for their children.

  The weekly mail came to the store. Lilly was sorting it all out when she noticed familiar writing. It was from her mama. She sat
down immediately to read it.

  Dear Lilly:

  Your father and I miss you terribly. We hope that everything is going well for you and Zain. We are finally settled in a little town near Oakland. It is called Turtle Creek.

  Our first Sunday here there were twenty-two people that heard the gospel for the first time and accepted Christ. Your pa was beside of himself with excitement. We had a large baptizing the following week along with a picnic. It gave us a chance to get to know people in the community.

  This is a smaller town than Lawrence. But we are close to Oakland and anything you could want. We stayed one night in a hotel there when we arrived. It was a fancy place. Every room had running water to a sink and a water closet. The town was large and has every type of business imaginable. There are three general stores.

  We ate at a restaurant owned by the sweetest woman. Her name is Clorinda Jackson. She is a plump woman with gray hair. She has a lot of spunk for someone her age. She has four grown sons that adore her. There is no doubt she is in charge. The wives of her sons all adore her too. She has ten grandchildren. They call her Nana Cloe.

  The food was wonderful. Your pa and I have decided to go there to eat for special occasions. Before we left we told her we would be back. She informed us that she was moving to Turtle Creek. She wanted to have a smaller restaurant.

  She is giving Clorinda’s Restaurant to one of her daughters-in-law. She will be our next door neighbor. I wasn’t looking forward to living in the city. But this town is small enough that I feel safe. I am not sure I could live in Oakland or San Francisco.

  In Oakland, we saw the tracks for what they call street cars. Right now they are horse-drawn. But they tell us that in the near future they will be electric. We are excited to see how that works. I am sure we will go to the opening of such a marvel when it takes place.

  Before we came to Turtle Creek, we went to see the ocean. It is a sight to behold. I have never seen anything so lovely. As I stood on the shore of that ocean, watching the waves roll in and back out, I felt a sense of peace. It is like God is there, washing away all of one’s troubles.

  The breeze blowing off of the water was perfect. I could find myself using it for a prayer place; because I have never felt closer to God. We are too far away to walk. I probably will not get to go to the shore as often as I would like, but it’s breathtaking.

  We watched the sunset over the water. It was reflecting in the waves. The sky was orange, red, yellow with a little bit of purple. I cannot describe it and do it justice. Hopefully, someday you can come for a visit and see it for yourself.

  We have a nice little house. It has a big backyard for a garden. It has a fenced-in area. I also love that it has shade trees; big oak trees. I will probably get a bench to put out under the trees. It will be nice to have a cooler place to go than the back porch. The sun here is hot and unforgiving.

  It is called Oakland because of all of the Oak trees. There are oak trees everywhere. There are also orange and apple trees. We are going to try planting a couple of orange trees in the backyard.

  You and Zain take care of each other. Write to me soon. Let me know how everyone is doing. Tell all the neighbor’s I said Hello. Tell Elise to write to me soon.

  Lots of Love,

  Mama

  She was glad to hear that they were safe and settled in their new home. She missed them terribly. The letter was bittersweet. It was good to hear from them, but it made her miss them even more.

  She finished sorting the mail then sat down to write to her mama immediately. The outgoing mail would be leaving first thing in the morning. She wanted to make sure to get a letter back out to them on that train.

  Chapter 18

  The closer the train got to Austin the more anxiety Lucy felt. She knew that the amount of money that Henry had would make sure they would never want for anything. But she didn’t know if she could go through a long drawn out process to get it.

  She reminded herself that Clayton knew what happened. She knew that Madeline could testify that she and Virginia found her crying in the woods. She didn’t know how she would prove that the baby she carried was a result of Henry’s attack.

  She let out a long sigh and Jake looked her direction. “Are you ok?”

  “I am nervous about this trip. I want it to be over and us to be on our way to California. I am anxious to meet your family.”

  “My ma is going to love you. She always wanted me to settle down with a good girl.”

  “I hope she does…”

  “Lucy, look at me.” He placed his hand on her chin and turned her head to look at him. “She will not blame you for what happened. I want to tell her the truth. Others in California don’t need to know, but I don’t want to lie to her.”

  “I don’t either. That is fine.”

  “Why don’t you lean over here on my shoulder and take a nap before dinner. You look tired.”

  She leaned over on him and it didn’t take her too long before she fell asleep. But before she did she whispered a prayer thanking God for his blessings. She thanked him most of all for the sweet man that held her close.

  They arrived in Austin. No one was there to greet them. They got a hotel room and rested for a while before looking for the sheriff.

  They explained the whole story to the sheriff. They told him Madeline could confirm her story. The sheriff said the judge would have to make the final determination. He would go and talk to Madeline and gather some evidence.

  The sheriff told them it would be a couple of weeks before the judge gets back to Austin. Jake and Lucy decided to go back to the hotel and talk about their future. All they could do was to wait.

  Clayton is not being charged in Henry’s death. It was considered self-defense. Jake went the next day to the ranch to see him. Clayton told him that he was going to marry the housekeeper; Samantha.

  Chapter 17

  Clayton told Jake the story of the night Henry attacked Samantha, Jake told him about the baby and that they were trying to get it declared as heir of the ranch. He told Jake that he would do what he could to help him.

  He seemed to get quiet. “Jake man, I am sorry for what Lucy went through with that man. He got what he deserves. Our new neighbor, Luke was telling me how mean he was to Roy and Derek. I think he killed Mr. Watson to get his ranch.”

  “Probably. He was ruthless. So, tell me about Samantha.”

  He smiled at Jake, “I can remember you talking about the first time you saw Lucy. I thought you were crazy. Then I met Samantha. I felt like I had fallen off of a horse. You know that feeling when you aren’t sure how you got on the ground with no air in your lungs.”

  Jake laughed, “I do know that feeling.”

  “She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. She is sweet and gentle. I am very happy she has agreed to marry me. Will you run the ranch if it gets awarded to Lucy’s baby?”

  “No, we will sell it, we don’t want the child growing up with that legacy. We know some people in town will not be as understanding of Lucy. She will have to carry the blame in some way. She deserves better than that and so does the baby.”

  “Will you consider selling it to me?”

  “I have to get it first. We can discuss that later.”

  They talked for another hour before Jake went to the hotel. The next day he took Lucy to visit with Madeline. She was glad to see Lucy. She told her all about how Virginia and Derek were doing well in Houston.

  Lucy told Madeline about how Jake was robbed and beaten. Then he was saved by a brother and sister who nursed him back to health. It took a long time for Jake to get to her.

  Madeline was surprised to find out that Lucy was expecting a baby. She wanted Madeline to testify in court for her that she and Virginia found her in the woods crying. Madeline said she would be more than happy to help in any way she could.

  Madeline couldn’t believe Lucy had answered an ad for a mail-order bride. She was even more surprised he came there and fell for someone
else. But Lucy was glad it worked out the way it did. She had Jake and that was the most important thing.

  Jake took a job helping Buck in the woodworking shop for a few weeks until they could see the judge. Rumors had started to circulate around town. Some of the people were blaming Lucy. Some thought that she and Jake made up the story just to get their hands on the money and ranch.

  After staying in the hotel for a week they rented a room at a boarding house for a month. Jake hoped to have most of the legal stuff handled by the end of the month.

  The woman that ran the boarding house was a nice woman. She said she believed Lucy. She knew Henry was an evil man. Then she went on to say he died because he was trying to hurt someone else.

  Jake liked working with the wood. He was learning so much from Buck. Every time he went to work he came home excited about his day. Lucy was pleased that he was enjoying what he was doing. Her days were spent, however, sitting in her room hiding from the town’s people.

  She crocheted baby booties and blankets. She made quilts and baby clothes. She read her bible and other books she could get her hands on. She couldn’t wait for the judge to arrive.

  She didn’t like the way some of the people in the town looked at her Sunday morning in church. She decided to not attend any more services until they were settled somewhere else, like California.

  Chapter 19

  Emma was excited to share the good news with Jesse. They were expecting a baby in five months. She didn’t want to tell Jesse until she was sure. She had been disappointed before so she waited a while to go see the doctor for confirmation.

  She hoped for a boy for Jesse. He wanted a boy so badly to pass along the ranch. She could see a smaller version of Jesse. He would be so adorable. She hoped that the baby would arrive healthy.

  Emma just finished canning vegetables from her garden in preparation for winter. She worked for a week straight to get everything canned. Today she planned to do some fall cleaning.