Cheating was the only option Jake could think of as he played. He disregarded the fact that these were most likely friends with his cousin. He didn’t think about the fact that he was drunk in a new town, playing with strangers who were all bigger in stature than he was.
His lack of physical strength and ability had always bothered him. Despite the lifestyle he led, he was not a good fighter and always lost when confronted. However, he didn’t think about those things as he slid cards under others and dealt with a thought in mind about where the best cards were.
Near the end of the last deal of the night, Jake slipped a card in and switched it with another while dealing. He wanted the ace at the bottom of the deck and tried to move with sleight of hand so that no one would notice.
It was noticed. One of the large men held up one hand. “I’m sorry, Jake. Did I just see you deal from the bottom of the deck?”
Jake stared at him. “Is that a question or did you actually see me do something like that. Because I don’t do things like that.”
The big man stood, clenching his fists and propping himself up on the table with them. “You, sir, are cheating. I saw you with my own eyes.”
A bolt of fear ran through Jake. He was sure that if this man wanted to fight, he would be beaten to death. “I am offended. I have not cheated in this game, sir. I don’t know what you are talking about.”
The look of rage that exploded across the man’s face sent another jolt through Jake. He inhaled deeply and tried not to look nervous. Now the other two men were eyeing him suspiciously.
“Turn over your cards and let’s see what you have,” the big man challenged him.
Jake stayed frozen for a moment.
“Let’s see them, Jake,” said the man next to him. He had a look on his face that, to Jake, looked like he was hoping beyond hope that Jake hadn’t cheated. That made him think the man across from him was even worse than he might have expected.
“Turn them over!” the big man bellowed.
With nervous fingers, Jake turned over the cards he’d dealt himself and looked with dismay at the royal flush he had dealt himself.
The big man looked at the cards, clucking his tongue in outrage. “You have cheated us. How many hands have you cheated, Mr. Collins? How much money do you owe us?”
Jake shook his head. “I haven’t cheated. This is just a coincidence. I’m not even very good at playing cards.”
“As evidenced by all of the games you’ve lost tonight,” the man next to him continued. “Until you started to have a winning streak. We can all guess why that happened.”
By that time, Sam had approached the table. He glanced down at the cards Jake had dealt, looked up at Jake and said, politely, “Cheaters are not allowed in my establishment, Jake. I’m sorry. You have to leave.”
Jake got up forlornly. As soon as he stood up, his head swam and he stumbled to the door without another word to anyone.
Once he was out on the street, he pulled in a deep breath of fresh air and sighed. He’d done it again.
Before he could make it to his horse, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He was spun around and was staring into the face of the big man he’d been sitting across from. The very one who had accused him of cheating.
“I’m gonna teach you a lesson, boy,” the man said. “One you will not soon forget.”
CHAPTER SIX
NOT AROUND THE CHILDREN
NOT AROUND THE CHILDREN
Jake stumbled up onto the porch of Adam’s house. Every part of his body ached. He’d been punched, stomped, kicked, and generally thrown around by the big man in town. He was sure his nose was broken. He was covered in bruises and could barely lift his left arm.
He didn’t make it onto the porch before the door opened and Adam came out with a lantern. He took one look at Jake and rage filled his face. “What are you doing?” he asked gruffly.
“I… I got beat up.”
Adam’s jaw clenched. “Come in.”
Jake struggled to his feet and walked slowly through the front door. He was shocked to see that the entire family was sitting around the fire, chatting quietly. The children played with their toys and Alice had her sewing basket out.
They all looked up when the men entered. Riley’s face was immediately covered in shock. Alice jumped to her feet. “Children, go up to the loft. Take Carrie with you. We need some adult time down here.”
Despite their grumblings, the children gathered their toys and headed to the ladder. Riley stopped in front of Jake and took one of his hands. Her small fingers curled around his wide palm and she squeezed it. Her eyes were sympathetic. She didn’t seem to know what to say.
Jake tried to give her a smile, but one side of his mouth was bloodied and swollen, so it came out looking lopsided.
“Sit down, Jake,” Adam instructed him. He did as he was told. “Alice, get a cool cloth and some bandages. We’ll take care of your wounds, Jake. But you must tell me what happened to create this problem. You have been here three days. You have not been to Sam’s since the first day you arrived. Now you let yourself get to this drunken state… so much that it gets you beat up. What did you do?”
Jake wanted to be angry that Adam assumed he had done something, but in reality, it was something he had done and it was a stupid thing at that. He wanted to tell a fabricated story, but couldn’t think of one that would explain what had happened to him.
“There was a bar brawl,” he said, coming up with the first thing in his mind.
Adam looked at him doubtfully. “A bar fight?” Adam was suspicious.
“Yes.”
“You are expecting me to believe that here in Wickenburg, where there has never once been an incident inside the Horse N Saddle, not one, mind you, you were beaten for no reason? There was a brawl among the patrons? So, when I go to work tomorrow, the men I see and work with will corroborate that, is that right?”
Jake fell silent, lowering his head.
Alice returned with the cloth, bandages and a bowl of water. She sat next to Jake and began to dab at his wounds with the towel. “You’ll live, Jake, I’m pretty sure,” she murmured.
“Don’t know if I want to,” Jake grumbled.
“You must. There is always life ahead. We just have to keep going until we find our place.”
“You are lucky you have a place here. You have a home and a family.”
“These are all things you could easily have for yourself, Jake. You just have to work to get back to that place. You had a wife and a home. What happened?”
Jake shook his head.
“Don’t be in denial, Jake,” Adam’s voice rang out harshly. “You need to tell us what really happened tonight or we cannot let you stay.”
Jake noticed when a look passed between Alice and Adam. One of them was for him, the other was not. It was impossible to figure out which was which. Adam coming down hard on him was not a surprise. He was known for giving the bluntest advice, not wasting time on the returning flack.
“I am not trying to cause trouble,” Jake said, holding in his temper. “I’m only trying to get by.”
“Tell us what happened tonight, Jake,” Adam insisted. He watched closely as Alice applied more cleaning alcohol to the towel and wiped it on some of the dried blood around Jake’s eyes, eyebrows and mouth.
Jake paused once more as he gathered his thoughts. How could he make himself look as blameless as possible and still have their trust? It was skating on thin ice, for certain.
“I went to Sam’s earlier today. I was bored, you know. And he gave me a few beers. Then I started playing cards with these three fellows. I wasn’t doing very well, but then I was doing quite well. At the end, the men decided I was cheating and they followed me outside and beat me up for it.”
Jake wondered if the story would fly.
“Did you cheat, Jake?” Alice asked softly, looking into his eyes.
He looked back, feeling his heart melt for the woman. She was kind, gentle, and lovi
ng. He didn’t want to lie to her. “No,” he lied anyway, feeling shame running through him.
Adam sat back and watched as Alice placed several bandages on his cousin. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and stared at Jake. Jake could see that he wasn’t being believed.
“I am truly sorry to bring this into your home, Adam,” Jake said sincerely.
“You were craving that beer, weren’t you? Beer or vodka? One of those two?”
“Yes. How did you guess?”
“I’ve had a few talks with Sam. He knows you prefer one or the other. How much vodka did you consume tonight?”
“Enough,” Jake replied sarcastically, allowing his dark side to take over. “And I don’t see how knowing how much I drink is any of your business, Adam.”
Adam looked shocked. “It’s not my business? You come to my town and drink beer on my tab and come into my home making a scene and it’s not my business?”
“I didn’t drink beer on your tab,” Jake responded defensively. It was like a hurricane was sweeping through his head, eliminating any filter he had to respond in a respectful, grateful way. “I told him I would pay him back on my own. You didn’t have to do that. You chose to do it.”
“It is true I did it out of the kindness of my heart. But I truly did not expect you to use that as a weapon against me.”
Jake shook his head. “I’m not trying to accuse you of anything. I just don’t think it’s any of your business. You’ve got your family, your wife, your job, your perfect life. I don’t have those things. I don’t know what you’re complaining about.”
Once again the shock registering on Adam’s face was obvious. It alarmed Jake and he wished he could take back everything he said. Instead, he went on to dig his own grave a bit deeper. “I ain’t never had good luck. I’ve just been trying to get through this life and I’m not gonna let anyone else stand in the way of what I want to do.”
“If what you want to do is drink, gamble and be merry, you won’t be able to do it here.”
“I can’t go back to the Horse N Saddle,” Jake replied in a whiny voice.
Adam opened his eyes wide. “Sam has barred you from there?”
“Yes. I guess he believed I was cheating.”
Adam stood. “If he did not, he would not have kicked you out. I trust my friend more than I trust you, Jake, which is sad.”
“You didn’t have to take me in. I can find somewhere else to go if you want me to do so.”
“Let’s be reasonable about this,” Alice interjected.
“You, my dear, are a wise woman. Please tell us what’s on your mind.” Adam turned to his wife.
“Jake, you have been living an existence that is not good for you. It’s not healthy no matter how you look at it. I think Adam just wants to know that you aren’t going to lie to us about anything. If you want to live here, there are chores that need to be done, some carpentry work, some roof work, and you can pay off your room and board. But you cannot lie and tell us you are doing something, or will do something, unless we can trust that you will do it. Trust is very important. And I do believe you have jeopardized the trust that Adam has in you. It can be very easy to lose trust, but it is extremely difficult to get it back. It’s best to always be honest. Honest but tactful. Not brutal.
“You won’t be bringing any alcohol here, Jake. If you’ve been barred from the saloon, you will have to quit or start hanging out on the other side of our town, which also has a bar. I can’t remember the name of it, but it’s a decent place I’m sure.”
Suddenly, Jake wished he hadn’t agreed to stay with Adam and his family. If he had stayed in the room upstairs, perhaps none of this would have happened. He could have happily had a beer whenever he wanted one. It would have given him the motivation to start working on the structure of the Horse N Saddle. There were some repairs that needed to be made to the stairs leading up to the rooms. Each room had something that needed to be fixed in some way, even if it was a broken leg on a chair.
They weren’t going to give him any beer or allow him to stay at home and relax. He was such a huge burden to them, almost as much as his dependence on alcohol, and he needed someone to watch over him.
“Do you understand that?” Adam interjected, pointing his finger at Jake.
“I’m sorry you want to get rid of me when I just got here,” Jake responded in a forlorn way.
“You are? It doesn’t seem like it.”
“We don’t want to get rid of you, Jake. We just need you to be a man, take up your gauntlet and fight for your independence.” Alice stood and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I do hope you know what I mean by that.”
Jake wasn’t sure what she meant, but smiled anyway and nodded. “Thank you, Alice,” he said quietly.
“I’m sorry, Jake but my mind is set. You can have this money.” He pulled a small wad of cash from his pocket and pressed it into Jake’s hand. “There are other places you can go if you wish. But I can’t put my family in jeopardy by having you here. You do not know how to restrain yourself or keep yourself from trouble. I won’t have my small children exposed to that.”
“Adam, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Alice piped in. “He still needs our help. I do think his arm is broken and he needs to have it looked at.”
Adam snorted. “Another bill that I will have to cover. Don’t get me wrong, Alice. I feel sorry for the man, but I can’t coddle him. I already told him.” He returned his eyes to Jake. “You have proven to me that you have no control. I won’t take the risk. If you need to see a doctor, do not tell them I will cover your bill.”
Alice leaned forward and placed on hand on Jake’s knee. “You must go to the doctor first thing in the morning, Jake. I believe this might be more serious than you know.”
“Should I go now?”
“The doc isn’t going to see you over something like this right now,” Adam said.
Jake was truly surprised by how angry he was. He had to assume it was because Jake had brought trouble into his home and he was afraid for his children.
Jake didn’t want anyone to get hurt. It was one thing if he was being beaten or robbed blind. It was another if those things happened to this lovely young family. He felt like an invader and an outcast. His brain was still swimming, causing him to have trouble putting words and thoughts together. That, combined with being angry because he had not managed to keep his place to live, made him feel miserable.
He stood up in the middle of Alice’s caretaking and headed for the door. “I won’t be a burden to you, Adam. Or your family. I will be all right.”
With that, he picked up the knapsack he carried with him everywhere and walked out the door.
CHAPTER SEVEN
JAKE LEAVES THE COLLINS HOME
JAKE LEAVES THE COLLINS HOME
Jake almost made it to his horse before he heard Alice calling to him. She ran out through the door as he was pulling himself up into the saddle. He gripped onto the horn tightly, as the alcohol had him in its grip. He didn’t want to fall off the horse. He was already beaten up enough.
She ran over to the horse and lifted a burlap sack to him. “Please take this, Jake. It’s some food and a few other accessories I thought you might need on your journey. I don’t know what you brought with you, but this is some dried beef, vegetables, fruits, and potatoes you can have. I’m sure you will find a way to cook them, if you like. I don’t want you to starve. I am sorry this happened. Adam can be very stubborn when he wants to be.”
Jake shook his head. “I never meant to be a burden. I have to work on this and I don’t think I can do it in this environment.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way. I do wish you the best of luck, Jake. God bless you.”
Jake stared down at the woman’s beautiful face. He hadn’t been told “God bless you” for many years. “Thank you, Alice,” he said softly. “That means a lot to me.”
Alice lifted one hand and put it on the horn over his. “God will bless
you, Jake. And soon. He is a great and mighty Father and One who takes care of His children. You will see His blessings very soon.”
“How do you know that, Alice? You barely know me.”
She shook her head, closing her eyes for a moment. Jake was struck by the look of peacefulness that covered her face. It almost made her look like another person. When she opened them and spoke, Jake had a small epiphany. She said, “I don’t need to know you, Jake. I know God. And that’s the kind of God He is. A merciful, forgiving, loving God. And that’s all we need for happiness, don’t you see?”
Jake nodded, staring at her without really seeing her. His thoughts ran through his mind at breakneck speed. Alcohol or not, he caught on to her words and they moved him. “Thank you, Alice,” he replied. “I surely will keep that in mind.”
Alice nodded. “See that you do. It can get you far.”
With nowhere to go, Jake wandered around town, looking at the small houses, the big farmhouses, the shops and stores where people bought their items. He browsed the various shops, from places where women bought jewelry and ladies fineries to stores for the men to purchase tools and replacement parts. All of this along with stores selling dry goods and similar foodstuffs, of course.
He wondered if there was any way he could talk Sam into letting him back into the bar. His body was in terrible pain, so much so that riding his horse was starting to hurt. He’d probably broken a rib or two and the pain in his right shoulder was so intense that he could barely see straight. He stopped when he came to the big two-story church with a tall steeple and cross that stretched up toward the sky.
He slid off his horse and walked a few steps toward the church, pulling the horse behind him. He stood for a moment looking up at the huge cross and prayed.
“I’m not a praying man, Lord,” he said softly, forcing the tears that were threatening him to go back down. “But I surely need Your help right now. Whatever You can do for me, Lord, just give me a sign that things will get better. I don’t see it happening. I’m in despair. I have nowhere to go, no one that loves me or cares about me, I have no one. No friends. Nothing. God, if You can hear me. Please help me. Give me a sign. I don’t know what to do anymore.”
Saved By An Angel (Family of Love Series) (A Western Romance Story) Page 5