Gerda's Lawman

by Dooley, Lena Nelson

  She wished she hadn’t accepted the invitation. She almost hadn’t, because all the other adults were couples. However, since they were all so close, she’d never felt like just a single person. Now she wasn’t so sure. Perhaps she could plead a headache. All this stress could certainly bring one on quickly. Of course, no one knew how stressed she was about the added guest.

  Soon everyone was in the house removing their wraps, and the women went to the kitchen to help Olina. The men entered the parlor. Gustaf took the children with them. Gerda knew that Gustaf and Olina wanted them to be tired enough to nap after the meal. If the men played with them before lunch, then the adults could visit afterward without interruption.

  Gerda borrowed one of Olina’s large, white ruffled aprons. While she was tying it on, she asked, “Are you sure you feel up to having this many people for lunch?”

  Olina removed a large roasting pan from the oven. “Thank you for asking, Gerda, but this time I have more energy than I did before Sven was born. Besides, I really enjoy entertaining.”

  While the other women put the finishing touches on the meal, Gerda helped Anna set the table. First, they spread out an embroidered linen tablecloth that Olina had brought with her from Sweden. Then they set the good china plates around the sides.

  “How many people do we have?” Gerda asked.

  Anna started counting them. She stopped before she was finished and took hold of the back of a chair.

  Gerda rushed to her side. “Are you all right?”

  Anna smiled. “Yes, I was just a little dizzy. It’s been awhile since I ate breakfast, and I only had some toast.”

  “You knew it would be a long time before we had lunch,” Gerda scolded as she began placing the silverware beside each plate. “Why didn’t you eat more?” She glanced up in time to see a blush steal across Anna’s cheeks. Gerda put the silverware she was holding on the table in a pile and went to her sister-in-law and best friend. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  “I’m not telling anyone until I’m sure,” Anna whispered. “But I can’t keep it from you. Just remember, this is our secret. I haven’t even told August what I suspect.”

  Gerda pulled Anna into a hug. “I’m so happy for you. I know how much you’ve wanted a baby. I will pray that it’s true.”

  Anna reached up and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. “I know. It’s too wonderful.”

  Gerda went back to placing the silverware beside the other plates. She knew that she should be glad for August and Anna, and she was. But her happiness for them mingled with sadness for herself. What was wrong with her? When she looked in the mirror, the woman who gazed back at her wasn’t unattractive. She had always been a pleasant companion, hadn’t she? Why was she still unmarried? A tear slipped from her eye, and it wasn’t a tear of happiness as Anna’s had been.

  ❧

  Frank stayed in the background in the parlor while August and Gustaf played with the two blond children. Gustaf had a wonderful family with another child on the way. What did Frank have to show for all his years as a lawman? Now that he owned a house, maybe the wife and family wouldn’t be far behind. He enjoyed watching the interaction between the children and their father. Olga, the little girl, loved her uncle August, too. He picked her up and swung her high into the air. Her peals of laughter were a balm to Frank’s weary soul. He had just begun to feel comfortable in this home when the women called them to the table.

  When Frank saw the bounty spread before them, he was amazed. He hadn’t had a feast like this in years, even on holidays, and this was just Sunday lunch. The mingling aromas teased his senses, making him suddenly ravenous. Having a home and family could provide these kinds of blessings to him, too. That thought caused his gaze to seek out Gerda. He didn’t like what he saw. For some reason, tears glistened in her eyes. He wished he had the right to go across the room, take her in his arms, and comfort her.

  Olina told each person where to sit, and they took their places. Frank was amazed that the room didn’t feel crowded, even with all the people clustered around the table. He had been introduced to Ollie and Lowell Jenson in the living room. The brothers looked almost as much alike as their twin wives, Clarissa and Marissa, did. All these other people were related in various ways, yet Frank didn’t feel like an outsider. This family was so warm and friendly.

  Gustaf pronounced a blessing on the meal. Frank remembered blessings spoken at mealtime while his mother was still alive but not one had sounded as if the person speaking them was talking to a friend the way Gustaf’s did. As the hostess started passing dishes around the table, group conversation started.

  “I wish I had been there to see their faces when you drew your guns on these three women.” With a twinkle in his eyes, Ollie Jenson looked right at Frank.

  Frank was surprised. He thought these men would be upset with him, but they didn’t seem to be. “If I had known the truth at that time, I never would have done it. I apologize.”

  He glanced at Gerda, who was seated across the table from him. She watched him with amazement in her expression. A large mirror with a heavy gold frame hung on the wall behind her. Frank saw not only her beautiful face, but also the reflection of the back of her dainty head. Everything about her caused a tightening in his gut. What was he going to have to do to get her to forgive him and return to the feelings that had connected them across the hotel lobby?

  “What did you think when August threw his arm around your neck?” the other Jenson brother asked with a smile.

  “At first, I thought there must be more to the Le Blanc gang than I had suspected. I knew Pierre didn’t have that much strength. It was all I could do to keep from passing out.”

  August looked sheepish. “I wasn’t trying to hurt you. I was only protecting our women.”

  “And I don’t blame you. I would have done the same thing in your place.”

  The other men agreed.

  “At that point I decided it might be time to hang up my guns. I had already turned in my badge, and I had never let a woman get the drop on me before.”

  Laughter echoed around the room, but Gerda didn’t join in. Frank could tell that she was trying to digest all he said. Would he ever be able to reach her and see her return to being the warm, animated woman he had observed that first day? Something was really bothering her. Was it his presence? Maybe he should finish eating and go back to the hotel to allow her to enjoy the rest of the day with her family and friends.

  “So, Frank.” Olina looked down the table toward where he sat halfway between herself and her husband at the other end. “What are you going to do if you hang up your guns?”

  Every eye in the room was trained on him. Frank cleared his throat. “I’ve been talking to the sheriff about investing in a business, but we haven’t come up with the right one yet.”

  “But he did help you buy Mrs. Nichols’ house.” August’s statement was not a question. He must know all about it.

  Frank nodded. “He was kind enough to take me on a tour of the house after he introduced me to Harold Jones. Then Mr. Jones and I worked out the details. Are you familiar with the house?”

  “Yes,” August answered. “Actually, Gerda was trying to save enough money to make a down payment on it.”

  “You were?” Olina asked her sister-in-law. “We didn’t know that. We would have helped you.”

  Frank looked at Gerda. The tears were back, glistening in her eyes.

  “I wanted to do it on my own.”

  The words hung in the air between them, and suddenly Frank understood just how important that house was to Gerda. Without knowing it, he had done something else to hurt her. He wished there were some way he could make it up to her. If he thought she would accept it, he would sign over the deed to her today. But he knew she wouldn’t. Maybe he could sell it to her himself, but he didn’t want to profit from her, and he somehow knew she wouldn’t buy it any other way.

  “I understand that house is unfurnished, Mr. Daggett.” An
na Nilsson reached out and took Gerda’s hand as if giving her a lifeline. “What are you going to do for furniture?”

  Frank looked around the table. Everyone seemed to be genuinely interested in his answer. “When my parents died, I inherited all their household goods. It’s stored in a warehouse my uncle owns in Philadelphia. I’ve already sent a letter to my uncle telling him to ship everything to me. I realize it might not be enough to fill that house, but it will be a good start. It should arrive soon.”

  ❧

  Gerda felt as if a boulder had lodged itself near her heart. Not only had he bought her house, the man had furniture to fill it. All of her dreams evaporated like a mist in the morning sunlight. She wanted to excuse herself and leave the room, but she knew that Olina would be hurt if she didn’t eat more of the wonderful food than she already had. However, she didn’t know how she could get it past the gigantic lump in her chest.

  “Mr. Daggett.” Olina gestured at each woman around the table. “We are so glad that you’ve decided to settle in our town. We’d like to help you clean up the house before your furniture arrives, wouldn’t we?”

  The other women started talking at once, agreeing with her. All except Gerda. Somehow she couldn’t push words past the heaviness, either. She knew it would look bad if she didn’t help them, but she couldn’t agree. Not today, anyway.

  “I appreciate your offer, but why don’t we wait until my furniture arrives. Then the house would be fresh to move it into.”

  The man’s words made sense, but they didn’t change the way Gerda felt. Her world was slowly crumbling around her, and she didn’t know what to do about it.

  Eight

  Frank was pleased that the women had offered to help him prepare his house for the arrival of his possessions. It gave him a feeling of acceptance and finally belonging somewhere. He’d expected Gerda to object, but she didn’t. She didn’t exactly say that she would help, but she didn’t say she wouldn’t either. Because she hadn’t refused, a tiny flame of hope ignited in Frank’s heart—hope that there could be a future for him and Gerda. If he were a praying man, he might ask God to help him, but he wasn’t even on speaking terms with God, if there was one. By starting to go to church, he was doing his best to find out if God was real.

  It only took a week for the strongbox to arrive with what Frank had stored in his safe-deposit box back East. The banker had also put the money Frank had in his savings account in the box. The key to the strongbox had arrived on the previous train, enclosed in a package addressed to Frank. After he got home and opened the box, he carried it to the bank, wrapped in brown paper. He didn’t want to announce the fact that he had a strongbox with him.

  “I’d like to talk to the bank manager, please,” Frank told the teller when he arrived.

  The man went into a back room, then returned accompanied by a spry man wearing a black suit and glasses. “I’m Mr. Finley. What can I do for you, sir?” the manager asked.

  “I’m Frank Daggett. Could I speak to you privately, Mr. Finley?”

  The manager led Frank into an office lined with dark paneled walls. The furniture in the room could have graced the bank office back East. It gave Frank confidence that this was a prosperous bank.

  “I would like to open an account.” Frank sat in the wine-colored leather chair across from Mr. Finley. “I would also like to put this strongbox in your safe. It contains some of my family valuables.”

  The banker smiled at him. “We’d be glad to accommodate you. How much money would you like to deposit in your account?”

  When Frank told him, the man’s smile broadened. He rose from his chair and extended his hand. “We’ll be glad to have you as a customer, Mr. Daggett.”

  When they had finished the paperwork, Mr. Finley took Frank into the vault. He proudly displayed its strength, reassuring Frank that it was completely safe.

  ❧

  After that first Sunday when Frank went to church, he had friends in town besides the sheriff. He often saw one or more of the men, and they always included him in conversations and expressed a genuine interest in what was happening with him. Frank couldn’t remember a time since he’d become an adult when he’d had true friends. It felt good.

  Frank continued to attend church, but he wasn’t sure he understood what the preacher was talking about. He had never been one to make any kind of decision without a lot of thought. He listened intently, trying to get a handle on what this religion business was all about.

  One Monday, Frank decided to exercise his horse by taking a ride away from town. He took a different direction from any he had taken before. After he had ridden awhile, he came to a place with a wrought iron arch over the entrance. Worked into the arch were the words Jenson Horse Farm. This must be owned by Lowell and Ollie. He turned under the archway and rode up the drive toward a large, white farmhouse surrounded by magnificent stables. He had heard that theirs was the most successful horse farm in five states. Now he understood why. The animals that ran across the surrounding pastures were sleek. Their shiny coats glistened in the morning sunlight. Several colts cavorted after their mothers. For a moment, he stopped his horse and watched. Their manes and tails waved in the wind as they raced across the greening fields.

  When he rode up to the house, a pleasant-looking older woman stepped out onto the porch. “May I help you?” she asked as she brushed a wisp of hair up away from the back of her neck with one hand.

  Frank tipped his hat. “Good morning, ma’am. I’m Frank Daggett. I was just out riding and noticed the sign. I thought I would stop and visit with Lowell and Ollie.”

  The woman moved to the top step and used her other hand to shade her eyes from the bright morning sun. A gentle breeze blew her skirt around her ankles. “Oh, Mr. Daggett. I’ve heard about you. I’m Margreta Jenson, the boys’ mother.”

  Frank dismounted and stood at the bottom of the steps. He removed his hat and ran his fingers through his hair to push the curls back from his forehead. “I’m sure you have. I’m very sorry about the misunderstanding with your daughters-in-law.”

  Mrs. Jenson smiled. “We’ve all gotten a good laugh out of that. But we understand why you did what you did. We’re just glad that it had already been taken care of.”

  The sound of hoofbeats coming down the drive captured their attention. They both turned to look. A man with a star pinned to his chest was making his way toward them.

  “Oh, Sheriff Bartlett.” The woman standing on the porch suddenly sounded a little breathless.

  Frank looked at her. One of her hands fluttered to her throat, and she looked somehow younger and more animated than she had while he was talking to her. He glanced toward the sheriff and caught him smiling at her. Well, well, perhaps I’m not the only one trying to pursue a woman.

  “Good morning, Sheriff.” Frank greeted his friend. “What brings you out here today?”

  For a moment the man didn’t answer. He seemed to be having a hard time taking his gaze off the woman on the porch. Then he turned to Frank.

  “I’ve come to have lunch. Mrs. Jenson invited me.”

  “We’d be glad to have you join us, Mr. Daggett.” Her voice sounded softer and gentler than before.

  Frank glanced from one of them to the other. “Thank you, but I think I’ll pass. Are Lowell and Ollie around?”

  “They’re working with the horses in the barn.” She gave a vague wave toward the buildings behind the house.

  Frank returned his hat to his head. “Thank you, Mrs. Jenson, for the information.” He tied his horse to the hitching post in front of the house and started toward the barn. He could hear soft conversation going on behind him, and he smiled. He wondered if Lowell and Ollie realized the sheriff was interested in their mother and she welcomed it.

  Frank placed one foot on the bottom rail of the fence then leaned his forearms on the top. Ollie was putting a horse through its paces.

  Lowell joined Frank. “What brings you out here today?”

  “I
was just out for a ride when I noticed the name over your gate.” Frank smiled at him. “I thought I’d drop in and see the horse farm I had heard so much about. You have a nice spread here.”

  “We think so.”

  Ollie led the animal close to where the other two men leaned on the fence. “Say, Frank, have you decided what you’re going to do yet?”

  Frank stood back from the fence and shoved his hands in the front pockets of his denim trousers. “Not yet. I’m still looking around.”

  Ollie tied the lead rope loosely to the top rail. “We have a neighbor who wants to sell his farm.”

  “Yeah, he wants to move to California,” Lowell added. “We thought you might be interested in buying it.”

  Frank studied the grass that grew around the fence post nearby. “I’m not sure that’s quite what I’m looking for. I don’t want to be this far from town.”

  Although his grandfather was a farmer, Frank hadn’t spent much time learning about farming from him, and he died when Frank was pretty young.

  After Ollie turned the young horse he was working with out into the pasture, he stood in the doorway to the barn. “Lowell and I are going over to my house for lunch. Marissa is there with Clarissa, and they’re fixing something special. They wouldn’t tell us what. You’re welcome to join us.”

  Frank glanced up toward the house where the sheriff and Mrs. Jenson had entered. “You don’t all live here?”

  Ollie watched his boot as he scuffed the dirt by the door. “We had a real misunderstanding before we found out the truth about Marissa and Clarissa. During that time, I started building my own home on the other side of our property. Now Clarissa and I live there.”