All Roads Lead Home

by Christine Johnson

  “Twelve-thirty!” Mariah pushed aside the plate of rolls. “I only have fifteen minutes.”

  She dashed out onto the porch and nearly ran into Judge Weiss.

  “Miss Meeks.” He tipped his hat. “I was hoping you were awake. Wanted to let you know the results of my investigation.”

  This was important, but catching Hendrick rated higher. “Can this wait? I need to see Hendrick before he leaves.”

  The judge waved. “Yes, yes, go ahead. Catch your young man. And let him know that we have Mr. Gillard in custody.”

  That was nearly the best news she could imagine. Nearly. She jumped into her car and tried to start it. Nothing. She hadn’t set the throttle and spark controls. She tried again. This time the engine turned over, and she was on her way.

  Mariah generally prided herself on driving cautiously. Not today. She pressed the accelerator pedal to the floor and spun around the corner onto the main street. The train could leave at any moment. She could see its puff of smoke rising into the wide blue sky.

  Hendrick. Hendrick. His name pounded in time with the engine.

  She couldn’t let him leave without telling him how she really felt, that she did love him, that she would give up her job with the Society, whatever he wanted. She’d seen him with Constance. Surely he realized that adopted children were just as wonderful as having his own. He had to.

  The locomotive’s brakes shrieked as the engineer let off steam.

  Don’t go. Please, Lord, don’t let him go.

  The depot got closer, a hundred yards away. The small unpainted building was within reach. She braked, and as soon as the car stopped, she jumped out, not even taking time to close the door.

  Anna stood on the platform, waiting to board. Hendrick must be just out of sight. The whistle blew, and Anna moved toward the train.

  “No! Wait!” she yelled, running toward the platform.

  Anna spotted her and quickly turned away. Mariah’s heart sank. Surely, after all they’d been through, Anna would forgive her.

  Mariah climbed the steps to the platform, where Hendrick and Anna stood together, their bags at their feet. Neither seemed to notice.

  “Please don’t go,” she said.

  Anna didn’t respond. It cut Mariah to the quick, but then Hendrick turned and walked toward her, and hope returned.

  She hadn’t the nerve or time to say more than a few words. The little she could get out had to count.

  “I love you,” she said, choking on a rush of tears.

  He halted, just out of reach.

  With heaving gasps, she got out the rest, “I always loved you.”

  His brown eyes regarded her somberly, the errant lock of hair securely tucked under his cap.

  She clutched her hands to her chest, which hurt so badly that she feared her heart would shatter. “I—I was wrong. About so many things. I treated you badly. I’m so sorry. Can you ever forgive me?”

  Slowly he nodded.

  “Oh, thank you,” she gushed, praying he would take her in his arms and tell her they could start over.

  But he didn’t. He licked his lips, looked over her head. “I’m sorry to leave you without a mechanic for the drive home.”

  The drive home? How could he think about something so unimportant at a time like this? She bit her lip, trying to stop its trembling.

  “It’s all right,” she tried to joke, “but the job is still available.”

  He shook his head.

  She pressed her lips together to hide her disappointment. Nothing was going the way she wanted. She forced a laugh. “What’s a car? I’ll ship it home.”

  He nodded solemnly. “That’s probably wise.”

  He started to back away, but she couldn’t let go.

  “Did Constance and her mother make the early train?” she asked hastily.

  Again he nodded, but at least he stopped.

  She swallowed hard. He examined his shoes. They stood in awkward silence until the warning whistle sounded.

  “We have to go,” Anna called out.

  Hendrick hesitated, and for a moment Mariah thought he was going to change his mind.

  “I wish you well, Mariah,” he said, sounding tired.

  No words could have pummeled her harder, but they didn’t stop coming.

  “I need time,” he said softly. “I need to think, to figure out who I am and what I want. My whole life I’ve done what others needed and expected. This is my chance to try for more.”

  She knew what that meant. “You’re taking the job with Curtiss Aeroplane.”

  “I have to. Do you understand?”

  She shook her head. No, she didn’t understand, but the choice wasn’t hers. She swiped at her eyes. “It’s because I can’t have children.”

  “No.” At last he took her hand. “Well, maybe a little, but I understand now why the orphans are so important to you.”

  “I’ll give up my job.”

  He touched a finger to her lips. “Don’t do that. It’s where you belong. I just need to find where I belong. Can you accept that?”

  Though her heart was breaking, she had no choice. She nodded, and then bowed her head to hide the welling tears.

  “Thank you,” he said. “I’ll always remember you.” Then he let go of her hand.

  His words sounded too much like goodbye forever. She wanted to reach out to him, to beg him to reconsider. Instead, she clutched her arms around her midsection and watched him walk Anna to the train. He helped his sister board and then, with the briefest glance back, disappeared inside.

  The whistle blew, and the locomotive released its brakes. Slowly the train inched forward.

  Desperation gathered steam inside her, but she recognized it for the selfish impulse it was. She wanted him to remember her as the strong, independent woman he’d once loved, so she walked to the edge of the platform and raised a single hand as the train rolled out of sight.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Two months later

  Hendrick strolled the Coney Island boardwalk with a gal, but his mind wandered elsewhere. He didn’t feel the sea breeze. He didn’t hear the crash of the waves or the excited cries of the children. He tried not to notice that nearly everyone walked in pairs.

  “Puh-leaze?” pouted the blonde whose name he couldn’t recall. “I want to ride the Wonder Wheel. I hope we get one of the sliding cars. I’ve been dreaming of it for weeks and weeks. Dickie said you’d take me on it.”

  Dick Burrows, the aeronautical engineer who’d gotten him into Curtiss Aeroplane, had talked him into going to Coney Island. He hadn’t mentioned that he’d invited girls to join them.

  Hendrick felt nothing for the platinum blonde with the cherry-red lips. Oh, she was pretty, but she couldn’t compare to the dark-haired, hazel-eyed beauty from New York who’d settled in Pearlman.

  “Well?” The blonde leaned into him, batting her eyelashes and pursing her lips in an attempt to generate interest.

  In that instant, he knew he’d taken a wrong turn. His road didn’t lead to fame at Curtiss Aeroplane. It didn’t include empty-headed women or casual encounters, and it sure didn’t end on Long Island. He didn’t want to run from responsibility. He wanted to embrace it. Pearlman was home. He could build his engines there. He’d be part of the community he loved. He could try to mend things with Mariah.

  The thing that had seemed so important two months ago—having children of his own—no longer mattered. Blood ties didn’t mean a thing when it came to putting together a family. Pastor Gabriel and Felicity were proof of that. They loved Luke as much as their new baby girl. And Peter had become a real brother to Hendrick.

  “The three of you go ahead without me,” he said, the idea taking hold so strongly that his fingers itched.

  “Without you?” the blonde protested. “You’re no fun.”

  Dick reined his girl to a stop. “Are you sure?”

  He looked as though he was about to needle him, so Hendrick answered while backing away. “
I saw a telephone back there. I need to make a call.”

  Dick grinned. “Go get her.”

  “Her?” the blonde cried.

  Hendrick didn’t bother to explain. The blonde would find someone else. She was already linking arms with her girlfriend.

  He raced back to the telephone and placed the long-distance call. Long minutes passed before the call was put through and he heard his sister’s voice on the other end.

  “Anna, it’s Hendrick. I’m coming home.”

  Her shocked silence didn’t dampen his excitement.

  “It’s where I belong,” he explained. “Tell Ma I should be there by Tuesday, on the afternoon train.”

  “What happened?”

  “Nothing happened. I just figured out that everything I love is in Pearlman.”

  She paused, and he thought for a moment that he’d lost the connection.

  “What do you want me to say to Mariah?” she finally asked.

  That was the big question. Once he’d explained to Anna why he and Mariah had parted, his sister had taken Mariah’s side. She was even volunteering at Mariah’s new orphanage, and, according to Ma, the two women had become close friends. It made sense that Anna would think of Mariah first. She was certainly the first person on his mind. Had she forgiven him for the dressing-down he’d given her at the Brunley train station? He couldn’t get her crestfallen expression from his mind. She’d poured out her heart, and he’d walked away.

  “Do you think she’s still upset with me?” he asked.

  He heard Anna suck in her breath. “You’ll have to find out for yourself. When you get here, go straight to the trees west of town. If she’s still interested, she’ll meet you there.”

  Hendrick’s stomach churned, but he wouldn’t change his mind. Nothing had ever felt so right. Even if it took a lifetime, he’d win back Mariah’s trust.

  “Sorry, Miss Meeks, you need a new pump.” The repairman from Belvidere wiped his hands on his overalls as he delivered the bad news about the well pump. “I can get it installed in a couple weeks.”

  Mariah sighed. “And what am I supposed to do for water in the meantime? We have four children living here.”

  He shrugged. “Maybe a neighbor can spare some?”

  Mariah tried to hide her exasperation. Hendrick could have fixed it. He could fix anything. Unfortunately, he was in New York, working for Curtiss Aeroplane. He’d left Pearlman before she returned from Montana. He’d stayed long enough to see Gabe and Felicity’s new baby girl and then he’d taken the train east. She supposed it was better they didn’t meet, for she had decided to accept Felicity’s job offer and settle in Pearlman.

  Mr. Isaacs had closed the Orphaned Children’s Society, perfectly meshing with Felicity’s plans. Mariah now headed the newly founded home for orphaned children and unwanted cats and dogs. At present they had equal amounts of each in residence.

  “Gotta get going, Miss.” The man picked up his toolbox. “The train’s here.”

  “Fine, fine.” She sighed, waving him off. “We’ll make do somehow.”

  One more repair. The old parsonage had seemed like the perfect location once the church bought the Elder house for the new parsonage, but the building had its share of problems. Electrical, the furnace and now the plumbing.

  “I could sure use a handyman,” she sighed from the broad front porch as she watched the repairman hustle toward the train depot.

  Anna wrapped her arms around one of the porch’s white pillars. “I think I know the perfect candidate for the job.”

  “Oh?” Mariah lifted an eyebrow. “I thought Peter wanted to continue at the garage.”

  “Not Peter,” Anna said slyly. “Someone else. I hear he’s arriving on the train today.”

  Mariah tried to ignore the suggestive glint in Anna’s eye. “Very well, have him stop by after he’s settled, and I’ll talk to him.”

  “You can’t wait that long. He has other opportunities.”

  Mariah lifted an eyebrow. “Other opportunities? Just who is this handyman?”

  “Oh, no one in particular, but I’m sure he could fix the pump.”

  Mariah knew full well that Anna was setting her up with the one person she most wanted to see, but she wasn’t about to let the girl know how eager she was.

  “All right.” She heaved a big sigh. “I’ll fetch my handbag, and we can head to the train depot.”

  “I think you’d better go alone.” Anna handed Mariah her bag. “The children will be getting out of school soon. I should be here for them.”

  School didn’t end for another hour. “You’re not going to help me through this, are you?”

  Anna smiled coyly. “If he’s not at the depot, look for him on the road west of town.”

  A thrill ran through her. Hendrick’s favorite spot. Would he want to see her? “Are you sure I should?”

  Anna gave her a hug. “Just tell him again that you love him.”

  Tears rose in Mariah’s eyes. It was the truth. She not only loved Hendrick, she’d looked for him every single day, hoped for a letter and prayed for his happiness.

  She hugged Anna tight. “Will it be enough?”

  Anna half laughed and half sobbed. “If he’s not stupid.”

  Hendrick arrived on the afternoon train and, after stepping off, left his bag at the depot and walked to his favorite spot, where Anna told him to wait.

  The maples lining the road were starting to turn. Hints of red and orange peeked from the fringe of the ancient trees, brilliant against the deep blue of early autumn.

  He breathed deeply. This was home, and he’d never leave it again.

  “Anna said I’d find you here.”

  The soft, throaty voice quickened a spot deep inside.

  “Mariah.” Even saying her name made his heart race. He’d thought of her every day. Wondered how she had taken their parting. She didn’t write, didn’t call his boardinghouse, though Ma had given her the telephone number on more than one occasion. No, she’d left him alone, and he respected her for that, but it didn’t tell him if she still cared.

  He summoned the courage to look at her. The dark, curly, bobbed hair, the mossy scent, the clearness of her hazel eyes. The stupid idea that he’d be strong went right out the window.

  “You look…” He searched for a word. Beyond beautiful. Her face glowed with a serenity and grace he’d never seen before. “You look happy,” he finally said. “Ma wrote that you’re running Felicity’s orphan school.”

  “Constance House. I couldn’t think of a better name.”

  He had felt a rush of warmth when he’d learned the name. A note from Joshua Talltree told him Constance and her mother had reached home safely.

  “Many orphans?” he asked, watching the horizon rather than her, too afraid that if he looked at her, his emotions would overflow. Overhead, the geese were already forming their vees to fly home.

  “The last four at the Society. Mr. Isaacs closed the doors last month, and they arrived shortly afterward.”

  “Good, good.” He cleared his throat and, not knowing what to say next, drew patterns in the dirt with the toe of his boot.

  A long pause ensued. He looked up at the migrating birds. “Did you know geese mate for life?”

  “I think I heard that once.”

  Though he couldn’t bear to look at her, he could feel her presence, could smell the mossy scent that surrounded her. How right she’d felt in his arms at the beach in July. How badly he’d wanted to keep her there.

  “I won’t leave Pearlman,” she said softly. “Is that a problem?”

  Yes or no. He still loved her with every fiber of his being. He dreamed about her at night. He thought about her all day. Every time he saw an Overland, he looked to see if she was driving. He’d committed to staying here regardless of her feelings, but now that he was near her, he wasn’t so sure he could do it.

  “No problem,” he said gruffly.

  “That’s good, because this is home now.”r />
  He nodded, toed the dirt again.

  “I love my work,” she said a little too brightly.

  He sneaked a glance and saw her blinking back tears. Did she still feel something for him?

  “The children are wonderful, and the pets…” She pulled a handkerchief from her handbag and pretended to dab at her forehead, but he could tell she was wiping her eyes.

  His pulse quickened. Was it possible? He’d dismissed her so thoroughly. She should have been crushed. She should have wanted to have nothing to do with him.

  She took a deep, ragged breath. “We could use a handyman. And a father figure, especially for the boys.”

  “What about your brother?”

  “Gabe is busy with the church and the baby.” Her voice hitched.

  Her pain and longing drove a spike into Hendrick’s heart. How she must have ached when she learned she could never have a baby of her own. He searched for the right words. There weren’t any.

  “It’s all right.” He took her hand. Her fingers were icy, so he wrapped his other hand around hers.

  She stared at the ground to hide her tears, but she couldn’t hide the tremble of her shoulders.

  He swallowed hard against the emotion. “God gives us children in different ways,” he said slowly, feeling out each word. “You’re meant to help the orphans.”

  She sobbed, a hiccup really, and he couldn’t wait any longer. He pulled her into his arms.

  “Sometimes I wonder…” She broke down and wept against his shoulder.

  He ran a hand over her springy hair, reveling in the feel and scent of it. She felt so good, so right, so perfect. He breathed deeply and wiped the tears from her cheek. “I am, too.”

  “You’re what?” Her head shot up.

  “I’m meant to help the orphans.”

  Her brow crunched as she tried to understand.

  He smiled. “What I’m saying is I’d like to take that handyman job, if you think I meet the qualifications.”

  She drew in a shaky breath, still looking uncertain. “Of course. Yes, I’d love to have you work at Constance House.”

  But he could see the disappointment in her eyes and had to work hard not to rush things. “I suppose that’d mean I should live there, so I can be around when something breaks. Plus, you did say something about a father figure.”