Suitor by Design

by Christine Johnson

  “You’ll get cold,” he protested.

  “You need it more than I do.”

  “I’m all right.”

  She hugged him. “You’re so brave. I should have seen it sooner.” She bit her lip. Would he remember saying he loved her? Would he forgive her for yelling at him and not trusting him? “I’m sorry.”

  He squeezed her hand. “Me, too.”

  Once before she’d risked declaring her feelings only to have her words thrown back in her face. Now she truly understood what Ruth had been trying to tell her. The risk was worth it. Even if Peter didn’t ever love her, she would always love him.

  She took a deep breath and looked him in the eye. “I love you, Peter.”

  His lips curved into a smile. “I love you, too.”

  No words had ever sounded sweeter. “You do?”

  “It hurt to pretend I didn’t.” He winced.

  “Hush now.” That was all she needed to hear. His earlier rebuke had been a ruse. He’d loved her all along. She laced her fingers through his and leaned her head on his shoulder. “I could stay right here forever.”

  He kissed the top of her head. “Me, too.”

  “Minnie?” The familiar voice jolted her from the moment. “Where’s Minnie? I have to see my sister. Is she all right?” Those hysterics sounded like... Impossible.

  Minnie swiveled around. Sure enough, another car had pulled alongside them. In the headlamps of the local sheriff’s vehicle, a woman argued with Sheriff Ilsley.

  Minnie stuck her head out the window. “Beattie? What are you doing here?”

  * * *

  Sheriff Ilsley wouldn’t fill them in on the details until Peter received treatment at a nearby doctor’s office. Agent Fallston and his men took Vince into the back with Peter and the doctor. Peter had balked, wanting Minnie to get her scrapes and cuts cleaned first, but she would hear nothing of it. Peter’s condition was more serious. Her little nicks had already stopped bleeding. She would wait.

  Beattie sat in one of the room’s two chairs. Pastor Gabe, who for some unfathomable reason had brought Beatrice here, stood chatting with the sheriff. Beatrice sobbed and begged forgiveness, but she wasn’t making any sense at all. Nor could Minnie keep her attention on anything when Peter was hurting. She paced the small waiting area until he reappeared, bandaged up but looking more alert.

  His gaze went straight to her. “The doctor says it’s just some cracked ribs. They hurt, but there’s nothing to do but be careful and let them heal.”

  Minnie threw her arms around his shoulders and hugged until he grimaced. “I’m sorry.” She touched the thick bandage on his head. “Does it hurt?”

  “It’s fine.” He grinned sheepishly. “Apparently I have a hard skull. Unlike Vince. They have to take him to the hospital. Agent Fallston is talking to him now, while the doctor finishes up.”

  Minnie looked to the sheriff. “Will Mr. Galbini be arrested?”

  “Already is. Sheriff Everson took the rest of the men into custody with the assistance of federal agents. When Mr. Galbini recovers, he’ll join them in jail.”

  Minnie breathed out a sigh of relief and noticed her sister clenching her hands together so tightly that her knuckles had turned white. Now that Peter was safe, her curiosity returned. “Beattie, I still don’t understand how you found us.”

  Beatrice bit her lip. Her eyes were red and swollen. She looked drained.

  When she didn’t answer, Sheriff Ilsley stepped in. “Once we realized you weren’t headed for the initial drop-off site, we placed a call to the office. My deputy told us the location had changed. He also said Mrs. Kensington and her husband had an urgent matter to discuss that had a direct bearing on this case.”

  “Blake?” Minnie looked to her sister, who lowered her gaze. “Where is Blake?” She glanced at Pastor Gabe, who gave nothing away. “Shouldn’t he have driven you here?”

  “Let me explain,” the sheriff said. “Mr. Kensington agreed to testify against Mr. Galbini in exchange for lesser charges.”

  The impact of his words hit like a brick. “Charges?” She’d never particularly liked Blake, but a criminal?

  “It’s my fault,” Beattie sobbed, wringing her handkerchief. “I should have told you. I should have told all of you. You’re my family. But I was so ashamed. How could I have made such a horrible mistake? I should have known. I’m the oldest. I’m supposed to know better.” She pressed a handkerchief to her eyes.

  Minnie turned to the sheriff. “I don’t understand.”

  “Apparently Mr. Kensington ran up a large debt.”

  “Gambling,” Beatrice interjected.

  The sheriff nodded. “Unable to get money from his father, who had apparently gotten tired of funding his son’s excesses, he got tangled up in a scheme to coordinate a bootlegging ring running Canadian liquor from Detroit to Chicago.”

  “Capone,” Peter said. “Vince mentioned working for Al Capone.”

  “Agent Fallston and I suspect your friend was trying to get in on Torrio’s operation by impressing Capone with a new source for high-end alcohol. That notebook you picked up for Galbini contains all the coded information on hiding spots along the proposed route. Mr. Kensington is the one who brought the notebook to Pearlman and left it for you at the drugstore.”

  So that was why Peter went to the speakeasy. Minnie breathed out with relief.

  Beatrice, on the other hand, sobbed quietly.

  “Then Blake is in jail?” Minnie asked.

  “At the moment,” Sheriff Ilsley said.

  No wonder Beatrice was distraught. Minnie felt for her. It did explain why Beattie never had any money to help out the family. Her excessive concern with propriety also made sense. She didn’t want her little sister to suffer the way she had.

  Minnie left Peter to join her sister. “It’s all right, Beattie.”

  “I could have gotten you killed.” Beatrice sniffled. “I knew Blake was gambling. I knew he owed a fortune. I knew he was keeping bad company, but I thought I could fix things so no one would find out.” A sob wracked her shoulders. “I was wrong.”

  This was going to be hard for Beatrice. Even though Blake’s father owned half the town, he didn’t control the newspaper. They would leap to publish this story. Those who held grudges against the Kensingtons would lash out. Beatrice would take the brunt of their vitriol. Minnie looked at Pastor Gabe, who nodded. His wife, as Blake’s sister, would bear some of the scorn, too.

  “I think we should keep the family in prayer,” Minnie said.

  Pastor Gabe seconded the suggestion, but it was Peter who pulled a chair up to Beatrice. Taking her hands, he said, “God can turn bad into good. You have to believe that. He did for me. I did rotten things back in New York, but God gave me a second chance with Ma Simmons. He’ll give you that chance, too.”

  Beatrice’s lip quivered. “But it’s going to hurt. People will talk. My children...”

  Peter looked sad. “Sometimes the innocent suffer, but they’ll pull through. I did, and I didn’t have a mother like you. They can count on your love and ours. No matter what happens, keep loving them. Hold them close and teach them about forgiveness.”

  Agent Fallston reappeared. “My men have Galbini ready. It’s time to go, Mr. Simmons.”

  “Go?” Minnie turned to Peter. “Where are you going?”

  “To finish the delivery.” Peter stood.

  “But you’re hurt. The car is smashed. You can’t go.”

  “Mr. Simmons must identify the ringleader,” Agent Fallston said.

  Minnie didn’t understand. “But you already have Mr. Galbini.”

  Peter shook his head. “Vince isn’t the leader. My uncle Max is.”

  Minnie swallowed. She’d heard Vince threaten Peter with his uncle, but in all tha
t had happened afterward, she’d forgotten. “Do you have to?”

  “If I’m ever going to be free of him, I do.”

  In a way, Minnie understood. She’d battled her fears and overcome them. He had to do that, too. She turned to Fallston. “I don’t suppose I can talk you into taking me, too.”

  Fallston’s mouth curved into a wry grin. “If we needed someone to disable a car, I would.”

  “You?” Admiration shone in Peter’s eyes. “You disabled the Pierce-Arrow? I wondered what happened.”

  She shrugged as if it was unimportant. “I just disconnected the battery cable. But I wouldn’t have known how to do it if you hadn’t shown me.”

  Peter swept her into his arms. “Minnie Fox, you’re the most amazing, resourceful woman I’ve ever met. What would I do without you?”

  “I can’t imagine,” she teased before poking a finger into his chest. “You’d better come right back. I don’t want to hear you’ve run off on another adventure without me.”

  He cupped her face in his hands and gazed deep into her eyes. “You’re the only adventure I want. You’re the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning and the last thing on my mind when I go to sleep. No other gal’s ever come close to you. Ever. I will love you until the day I die.”

  Minnie felt the tears build, but before they could fall, Peter leaned over and kissed her, right in front of the sheriff, the federal agent, her sister and even Pastor Gabe. They were more than almost engaged. He’d declared undying love. For her! This time her love had not been misplaced. This time she’d chosen the right man.

  When he broke away, his smile could light up the darkest night. “I’ll be back, Miss Fox.”

  She smiled right back. “I’m going to hold you to that, Mr. Simmons.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Six weeks later

  Peter’s ribs had almost completely healed by the time Daddy came home from the hospital. Though Minnie pestered her mother that Peter wanted to speak with him, Mother insisted Peter wait two more weeks until Daddy settled in after the long trip home.

  This time, they didn’t attempt the stairs, instead transforming the parlor into her father’s bedroom. The sofa came out and Ruth’s old bed went in. Ruth and Sam helped set up the room, complete with lovely sheer curtains that allowed Daddy to look out but gave him a measure of privacy. Then they moved to the apartment above the dress shop, which Sam rented using the money from the sale of one of Ruth’s designs.

  Each morning, Minnie and Jen brought breakfast to their father before heading to work. He looked pale and weak, but it was better having him home than far away at a hospital.

  “I understand you had quite an adventure,” he said to Minnie one morning.

  Jen scooted out of the room.

  Minnie sat beside her father’s bed. “Yes, Daddy.”

  He struggled to hide a smile. “And that a certain young man is itching to speak with me.”

  “Yes. Peter won’t even have a soda with me until he talks to you.”

  “Hmm.” He drew his eyebrows down in an attempt to look serious. “I suppose I ought to respect that.”

  Minnie held her breath. She’d waited patiently, knowing that their love wouldn’t change in a few weeks. Maybe at last the time had come.

  “Tell him to stop by after the church service on Sunday. Your mother is roasting a turkey. The whole family will be here.”

  Minnie could have groaned. She did not want the entire family to witness this. It would make Peter doubly nervous. And then if Blake came with Beatrice, it would be terribly awkward. Though he was out on bail awaiting trial, the newspapers had covered the story with rabid fascination, and the repercussions had to hurt. Beattie seemed to bow under the weight of public scorn and spent most of her time huddled inside her house.

  Daddy tipped up her chin. “Penny for your thoughts.”

  “Nothing. Thank you for seeing Peter.”

  “You’re worried about Beattie. We all are, but she’s strong. Her faith will see her through this, and they’ll come out of it better off than they went in.”

  Minnie hoped he was right.

  “If there’s any lesson to be learned from this, dear child, it’s not to take marriage lightly.”

  Her heart sank. How did Peter stand a chance now that Blake had predisposed Daddy to thinking ill of the men who married into the family? “Sam’s a good husband.”

  “Yes, he is. A good Christian with his heart in the right place. Take care you find someone like that.”

  Oh, dear. If he was suggesting she find the right kind of man, then he must not think Peter was good enough for her. She left their conversation feeling worse than ever. Why did Peter have to be such a stickler for getting her father’s permission? Why couldn’t they just announce they were getting married like Reggie Landers and Sally Neidecker had?

  By the time Sunday afternoon arrived, she’d worked herself into such a state that Mother held her back when Peter walked into the parlor to speak with Daddy.

  “You can’t go with him, dearest.” Mother wrapped an arm around Minnie’s shoulders.

  “But I have to explain. Daddy doesn’t know all Peter did, that he’s a hero, that he testified against his uncle.”

  “He knows.” Mother steered her toward the kitchen. “Come help us with dinner.”

  The kitchen was a frenzy of activity. Jen was mashing the potatoes while Ruth made the gravy. Beatrice set the table. She looked away when Minnie entered. Sam and Blake stood at the bottom of the stairway, the only place that was out of the way.

  Minnie balked. “There’s nothing to do and too many cooks in the kitchen already. I have to hear what Daddy says.”

  “Me, too,” Jen said, dropping the masher. “The potatoes are ready. Come along, Minnie. We can watch through the crack in the door.”

  Mother frowned. “Why do I have the idea you’ve done this before?”

  Jen grinned. “Only for important things like Christmas.”

  Mother threw up her hands. “I surrender.”

  Minnie and Jen crept to the door and peered through the crack. It didn’t give a full view. She couldn’t see Peter, for instance, but the gap was wide enough that she could hear the conversation.

  “I see,” Daddy was saying, “and your uncle is behind bars now?”

  “Yes, sir,” Peter answered without hesitation.

  Minnie groaned. Daddy must have grilled Peter on every detail of his past. If he’d been leery of Peter before, he sure wouldn’t feel any better knowing there was a criminal in the family.

  “Well, we can’t choose our relatives,” Daddy said.

  “No, sir, but we can choose how we treat them. The Bible says to forgive your enemies.”

  “Have you forgiven your uncle?”

  “Yes, sir, but it’s harder to forget.”

  “That it is, son. That it is.” Daddy cleared his throat. “I get tired easily these days. We’d best get down to business. I understand you have something to ask me.”

  This was it. Minnie held her breath.

  “Yes, sir.” Peter also cleared his throat. “I love Minnie, sir.”

  “Wilhelmina.”

  “Wilhelmina, sir. Sorry.”

  She could imagine how red Peter’s face must be.

  “Are you certain it’s love and not infatuation?” Daddy asked.

  Minnie was mortified. How could he ask that after all they’d been through?

  “Yes, sir,” Peter answered. “I would give my life for her.”

  “Hmm. I understand you almost did. That took courage.”

  “No, sir. Minnie’s the one with courage. I was just worried that she might get hurt. I couldn’t let that happen. And I won’t. I promise. I’ll love her and take care of
her the rest of my life if you’ll give me your blessing to court her.”

  “Courtship, eh? Suppose I refuse?”

  Minnie groaned.

  “That won’t change how I feel. I’ll still love her, but I’ll respect your wishes.”

  This was getting worse and worse. She had to talk some sense into Daddy. He couldn’t measure Peter against Blake. It wasn’t fair. She grabbed the doorknob, but Jen leaned against the door so Minnie couldn’t open it.

  “Minnie!” Daddy called out. “You might as well come in. I know you’re listening at the door.”

  Now she turned beet-red.

  Jen ceremoniously opened the door, and Minnie edged into the living room, head hung low. Peter took her hand and squeezed it. That gave her the courage to look up. Peter’s smile radiated warmer than sunlight, sending hope deep into her heart.

  Daddy chuckled. “That’s all I needed to see. You have my blessing, Peter.”

  “I do?” he said.

  “We do?” she said.

  “Now, don’t go rushing into things,” Daddy said. “I want a nice long courtship. You two are youngsters. You need to prepare yourselves. A couple years ought to be sufficient.”

  “A couple years?” Minnie cried.

  Peter’s jaw dropped, too, but he clapped it shut again. “Yes, sir. Whatever you want.”

  “Good,” Daddy said. “Give it time, like Helen and I did.”

  “Wait a minute,” Minnie said. “You and Mother got married right out of school. You didn’t give it any time at all.”

  Daddy got a silly grin on his face. “You’re not supposed to remember that.”

  “Well, I do.” Minnie braced her hands on her hips. “So why make us wait?”

  “Because I don’t want you to go through the trials we did. If you truly love each other, it’ll stand the test of time.”

  “A year?” Minnie suggested. “Maybe less?”

  “A year. No less,” Daddy confirmed.

  A year seemed like forever, but Daddy had already yielded a little. In time, he might see how much they loved each other and let them marry sooner.

  “Well?” Daddy said. “Aren’t you going to kiss her, son?”