by Barbara Goss
“Geoffrey,” Jesse whispered, “do you know you are naked as a tiger without his stripes?”
“Good grief!” he exclaimed and ran for the stairs. “I’ll be right back.”
“We’ll be out in the back checking your yard and barn,” yelled Higgins.
“Look at this,” Higgins pointed to droplets of blood from the yard to the barn door. “Be ready to shoot,” warned Higgins, removing his gun from his holster.
Jesse did the same, and they quietly approached the door. Higgins kicked the door open with his foot, and they both held a firing stance. However, the barn appeared empty.
Higgins eased his stance and walked carefully into the barn, and Jesse followed. After checking the lofts and all around the inside and outside of the barn, he returned to Jesse who stood by the haystack.
“Some blood all around, looks as though they licked their wounds here.” Jesse pried around the straw. “And here is the money bag.” He held it up, “wanted posters?” He laughed, “I bet they were disappointed.”
Geoffrey joined them, now fully clothed, “Did you find anything?”
Higgins asked, “How many horses should there be in here?”
“Five,” Geoffrey said scanning the stalls. “Two appear missing, but they left me the scraggly mare they rode in on. The saddle is bloody.”
“Makes sense, they’ve absconded,” Higgins said.
“Will someone tell me what this is about?” asked Geoffrey, impatiently.
Jesse explained, “Newell and Elizabeth kidnapped my wife and demanded fifty thousand dollars for her return. Higgins put a bunch of torn up wanted posters in a bag and left it at the designated place and when they came to claim it, the posse shot Elizabeth in the leg and your brother in the arm; but from the looks of things, they weren’t hurt too badly.”
“I don’t believe it!” exclaimed Geoffrey. “I knew Newell liked to gamble, but kidnapping and robbery? I had no idea. Of course, I haven’t seen him for years until he showed up a few weeks ago, broke, I might add.”
“They didn’t get a cent, so you had better check and see what they may have taken from your house, because I don’t think they’d travel without money,” Higgins said.
“Come in and have some coffee,” Geoffrey invited. “I’ll see what’s missing.”
A hastily dressed Lydia served coffee after Geoffrey briefly filled her in on what was going on. He left Higgins and Jesse at the table with Lydia, and ran to search his valuables.
“Good coffee,” Higgins said.
Jesse agreed.
Geoffrey returned, his face visibly pale. “He took all the money in my desk!”
“How much?” asked Higgins.
“Two hundred dollars,” Geoffrey said, anxiously searching Lydia’s face. “And with a baby coming!”
Jesse stood. “I’ll repay the two hundred dollars, plus what the two horses are worth.”
“Oh, I couldn’t accept it,” Geoffrey said. “There is no reason for you to take the loss. It was my brother!”
“If it weren’t for that blasted money in the first place, none of this would have happened,” Jesse said. “I never wanted it, and so I’ll repay you. I won’t sleep if you don’t take it, and please never mention it again.”
Lydia nodded to Geoffrey.
Geoffrey smiled at Jesse. “Thank you.” Geoffrey gave Jesse a manly embrace.
“It’s what friends do,” Jesse said. “And congratulations on the baby!”
“What now?” Jesse asked Higgins on the way to town.
“Now, you go home and take care of that wife of yours and get some sleep,” Higgins ordered. “I’m going to pay a visit to Joe Healy.”
“You know where to find me if you need me,” Jesse said.
Laura, Meg and Cassie were eating breakfast when they heard Jesse ride in.
“Finally,” Laura sighed as she ran out to greet him.
As they stood on the porch embracing, Cassie came out and said, “Hey, enough! You’re making me miss Silas.”
Jesse did not release his wife, but hugged her tighter. “I don’t really care, Cassie. I’m never going to let her go.”
Cassie laughed. “I can’t say I blame you. You two have been through so much, I’ll leave you to it.” She marched back into the house, shooing her mother with her. “Give them some time,” she whispered.
Jesse led Laura to the old elder tree. He sat beneath it and pulled her down onto his lap. He didn’t say anything, but just sat holding her, and she him. Finally, he spoke, “Laura, I nearly lost you yesterday, and I’ve given this a lot of thought. I don’t want that money.”
She lifted her head from his shoulder. “I don’t either.”
“What should we do with it?” he asked, kissing her forehead lightly.
“I made a vow to God to help orphans and the poor,” she said looking into Jesse’s eyes. She caressed his forehead, pushing back his hair. “I believe God has provided me with a way to do that.”
“How?” he asked.
“We’re going to enjoy making sure the Orphan Train is top rate with seats and refreshments. We’ll provide a building to use as a sort of ‘half-way-to-a-family’ house and we can keep the children there until we find families for them or send them on to the next town.”
“All right. We already agreed on that venture.”
“Next comes the poor. I’m sure there are poor families in Hays that can use money, or we could just buy them what they need.”
“There is still a lot of money…”
“There are many Russian and German immigrants settling in this area and they are craving a Catholic Church. We could help build one and also expand Reverend McCarty’s church,” she said with wide, excited eyes.”
“Elizabeth and Newell took two hundred dollars from Geoffrey Grandville and left town. Lydia’s expecting, so I promised to replace the money.”
“Absolutely,” agreed Laura. “Maybe now is a good time to tell you that… well, at least I think… we may have another mouth to feed as well.”
“You mean Nellie? We’ll be moving into our home in about two weeks, and I guess we can keep her, because I feel as though my refusing to take her caused all this. You never would have had to visit Locust Street had I agreed to take her in.” Jesse said.
“I’m so happy. I love Nellie, but that’s not what I meant, Jesse,” she laughed. “I think I’m with child.”
Jesse sat with his mouth open, unable to speak. “And you were that way yesterday?”
“I was.” She laughed. “We must have conceived that week in the hotel.” She kissed him lightly. “But I do want Nellie, as she’ll be a big help to us in the coming months, and I love her dearly.”
“I mean… you were kidnapped while you were… I’d have really lost my senses had I known this yesterday. Are you sure you are all right? That was a lot of trauma for you.”
“I’m fine and so is he or she,” she patted her stomach.
He kissed her long and hard. “I’m thrilled about the baby! I want to save enough of that money to get you the best doctor in the world. I won’t take any chances.”
“Oh, Jesse, I’ll be fine.”
“Your mother died in childbirth so I won’t take any chances. You’ll have this baby in Kansas City,” he said firmly.
Laura stood and pulled Jesse up with her. “I have to tell you, Jesse: all my prayers have been answered, and I now have more happiness than I ever dreamed. I’m keeping my promises to God— I'm helping the orphans and the poor and as a bonus, he’s given me you. You’ve given me happiness I never thought possible. He’s given us both a bonus of a child. I gave my final vows, Jesse, I gave them to you on God’s altar and He has indeed blessed us. I know now; it was His Will all along.”
Jesse hugged her, and they turned and walked together toward the house.
The End.
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Other Books by Barbara Goss:
Forbidden Legacy, Stolen Heritage, Captured Heart, Dangerous Illusions, Silent Love, Drawn From Darkness and The Kissing Bridge. The Kissing Bridge is Cassie’s story.
The Hearts of Hays series: Dangerous Illusions, The Romantic Ruse, The Final Vow, The Kissing Bridge, Temptation by Moonlight, and Drawn from Darkness.
Temptation by Moonlight: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZM5AO0E
Drawn from Darkness: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X32A7GY
Captured Heart: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SQAUU9M
The Romantic Ruse: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0157TE6F8
Silent Love: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00U3881BE
Dangerous Illusions: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TMYVA72
Stolen Heritage: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00T8QJKUS
The Final Vow: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UXQO3Q8
Forbidden Legacy: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SENBQB2
The Kissing Bridge: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00W5YACOI
Shadown of Shame: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DR8929G
Temptation by Moonlight: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZM5AO0E
Drawn from Darkness: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X32A7GY
Captured Heart: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SQAUU9M
The Romantic Ruse: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0157TE6F8
Silent Love: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00U3881BE
Dangerous Illusions: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TMYVA72
Stolen Heritage: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00T8QJKUS
The Final Vow: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UXQO3Q8
Forbidden Legacy: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SENBQB2
The Kissing Bridge: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00W5YACOI
Shadown of Shame: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DR8929G