“I’ll wash the windows, pews, and floors, too.” Molly stopped polishing and pushed a stray tendril out of her eyes. “This place needed a woman’s touch.”
“It certainly did. I never even noticed.” Noah yearned to tuck the errant curl behind Molly’s delicate ear. He stuffed his hands in his pockets.
Molly’s eyes, darkened with emotion, met his. Had she read his mind?
“It’s not in a man’s nature to notice dust and smudges.” Molly returned to her work.
Noah immediately missed the intimacy.
The door hinges creaked. Noah turned. A young boy, obviously poor judging by the condition of his clothing and appearance, took apprehensive steps up the aisle. His eyes rounded as his gaze roved the chapel car’s furnishings.
“Hello, young man. I’m Pastor Manning. How may I help you today?”
“I’m here to see Molly.”
“Tom.”
The boy’s face lit up. “I ain’t never seen a place as fine as this.”
The boy continued to survey his surroundings.
“Me, either.” Molly sighed. “It’s very beautiful.”
“Does that piano play?” Tom nodded toward the instrument. “I’ve heard fine music coming out of the saloon door.”
Noah cringed. What was a child doing near a saloon at night? He studied Molly’s reaction to the boy’s question. Would the memory of her performing make her cross with the boy?
“This is an organ not a piano. It plays fine music, better than any you’ll hear coming out of a saloon.” Noah kept his voice light. “The music played on this instrument honors God.”
The boy’s brows drew together. “I don’t know much about God, so I don’t know what kind of music He likes.”
Noah was appalled by the boy’s admission, but when Molly giggled Noah’s heart jumped with happiness, and he saw the humor in the young boy’s words.
“May I ask how you know each other?”
“We met in the depot yesterday.” Molly smiled at Noah. “This is my friend Tom.”
“Nice to meet you, Tom.” Noah held out his hand.
Fright filled Tom’s features. He stared at Noah’s outstretched hand and stepped toward Molly.
“It’s okay. You can shake Noah’s hand. That’s what young gentlemen do.”
A shy smile broke out on Tom’s face. “I ain’t no gentleman. I’m an orphan. No one wants to shake hands with me.”
“Well, I do.” Noah stretched his arm closer to the boy. This is what his job was all about. Making sure all of God’s children felt welcomed and loved.
Finally, a tiny hand touched his. The skin, rough and weatherworn, told the story of a hard life. “It’s nice to meet you, Tom.”
Noah eyed Molly. The loving way she looked at the boy made his heart lurch with longing for something other than his pastoral duties. A family.
Chapter 6
The chapel car entry door opened and closed while Molly scraped most of their breakfast into a slop bucket. Noah kept the door separating the living quarters from the chapel car sanctuary propped open during the day hours to ensure any visitor or wayward soul was greeted and welcomed.
The only visitor who came this early in the day was Tom. Aggravation swirled through Molly. If Tom didn’t stay in town, he’d miss Cass, and her message would go undelivered.
Molly placed a plate in the dishwater. She closed her eyes while she swirled the dishcloth over the greasy china, envisioning her and Cass’s reunion. His light brown eyes shining with happiness as he’d clasp her waist, lift and twirl her through the air the way he had when they were growing up.
She dunked the plate in a bucket of rinse water and released a contented sigh.
“’Morning, Molly.”
Molly turned and looked into Tom’s shining eyes, almost the same color as Cass’s. “Good morning.”
“I brought you something.” His face beamed. He held out a handkerchief with the ends tied into a knot at the top. The contents bulged the cloth.
Drying her hands, Molly took the red paisley package and set it carefully on the table. The package didn’t move. She sent up a silent prayer of thanks, since sometimes little boys thought frogs, toads, or snakes were priceless gifts.
Noah entered the room as she untied the first set of knotted ends. “What’s this?”
“I brought you somethin’.”
“I’m glad I didn’t miss the surprise.” Noah patted Tom’s shoulder and earned a wide smile from the boy.
Molly’s heart melted. Over the past couple of days she’d watched Noah and Tom together. Noah would make a good father. Disappointment blanketed her heart. That would never be. Noah made it clear intimacy and love went hand in hand, and he didn’t love Molly.
Diverting her eyes to the handkerchief, she loosened the second knot. Large, plump raspberries spilled out onto the table. “Oh my. They look delicious.”
“I picked ’em myself.” Pride shone on Tom’s face; then he sobered. “Off a bush down by the creek, not outta anyone’s yard.”
Noah raised his brows at Molly. “We believe you, Tom.”
“I’ll wash them and make a pie for supper.” Molly turned to the cupboard to get a bowl.
“No.” Noah’s voice boomed through the tight kitchen area.
Molly spun around.
“You wash them up now.” Noah stepped past her and removed three bowls from the cupboard. “I believe we have a little cream in the icebox. We’ll have berries and cream for breakfast.”
Fisting her hands to her hips, Molly stared Noah down for a few seconds. “We just ate breakfast.” She’d seen his disappointment this morning when she told him the bread, boiled eggs, and ham that congregants had brought as their tithes were gone. She looked at the slop bucket and dropped her arms to her sides. “I’m sorry I’m not a better cook.”
“What you lack in kitchen abilities, I gain in service assistance and cleaning.”
Noah’s earnest expression told Molly he meant every word he just uttered. Her face flushed from his praise.
“I’ll get fresh water out of the reservoir so you can wash the berries.” Noah grabbed the bucket she’d been using to rinse the dishes. “I’ll be right back.”
“Tom, wash your hands in my dishpan. Your face, too.” Molly handed him a soft towel.
“Yes, ma’am.” Tom smiled up at her.
“You didn’t forget our agreement?” Molly lowered her voice. Noah had never said if he fully believed Seth about Cass. She didn’t want to take any chances.
“No.” Tom rolled the lye soap over and over in his hands.
“You’ve been spending a lot of time here.” Molly’s aggravation intoned her statement. Tom had spent most of his waking hours with her. She worried Cass had come to town and left again in the two weeks that had passed since the railroad parked Emmanuel.
Tom stopped scrubbing his hands. “I like it here. I feel safe. I thought we was friends.” His bottom lip trembled.
In an instant, Molly regretted her tone. She wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “We are friends. I just don’t want you to miss giving Cass my message when he comes to town.”
“I won’t. He only comes to town at night.”
Noah smiled out at the gathering of family and friends who’d come to witness a marriage ceremony of two of the residents. His first wedding officiating, and he’d worked hard marking the pages of the marriage ceremony book and special verses in the Bible. He wanted this couple off to a good start.
His heart sank a few inches in his chest. It took effort to keep his smile on his face. Didn’t he and Molly deserve a good start, too, loveless marriage or not? Pastor Glass only had time to recite a Bible verse and administer their vows.
Molly’s solid soprano hit the hymn’s ending note, the wholeness rang through the sparkling chapel car. What she lacked in cooking, she made up for in cleanliness and worship assistance.
The happy couple repeated after Noah, and he pronounced them man and wif
e. The groom lovingly embraced the bride. They shared their public kiss. Noah chanced a glance at Molly. Her lips were drawn into a soft smile. Her fingers brushed the skin below her eyes.
His heart sank as low as it could go. She deserved better. She deserved a husband who loved her. She deserved to live a life of her own choosing.
“Pastor Manning.”
His name drew him from his thoughts. He returned the mother of the bride’s smile.
“We are having a dinner at our home. We’d be pleased if you and your wife could join us.”
The thought of succulent food made Noah’s mouth water. He motioned for Molly to approach them. “We have been invited to the wedding dinner. Shall we accept?”
“Yes.” Molly’s smile faded. “I’m sorry.” She looked from Noah to the woman. “What about Tom? He’s waiting in our living quarters. Would you mind if he joined us?”
Noah studied Molly while she conversed with the parishioner and marveled at her manners. She’d held on to her upbringing under difficult circumstances. How had Cass not? There was no doubt in Noah’s mind Cass rode on the wrong side of the law, man’s and God’s.
When Molly’s smile fell and concern veiled her blue eyes, Noah turned his attention to the woman. Her smile thinned into a grim line. She wrung her hands. “I know it’s our Christian duty to feed the poor. He may eat in the kitchen with our servants, and I’ll have Cook keep an eye on him. You do realize”—the woman leaned closer to Molly and Noah—“he’s an outlaw’s son.”
“We have a surprise for you.” Molly had purposely chosen plain fabric for her two everyday dresses. She’d been frugal with the cloth and managed to pattern a shirt out of the green and breeches out of the brown. The sturdy cotton should serve Tom well until his next growth spurt.
Tom stood before Molly and Noah in the kitchen of the chapel car. Molly handed him a parcel wrapped in plain brown paper tied with a string. She suspected he’d never received a gift before after listening to the endless innuendos during the wedding dinner. It was the consensus of the dinner guests that Tom’s mother was a soiled dove and his father an outlaw.
Molly studied Tom’s features as he tugged on the string to open the package. A thought niggled at the back of her mind, a knowing really. He did resemble Cass in many ways. Yet if Molly believed Tom was her nephew, that meant she believed Cass was an outlaw. She shook her head. It couldn’t be true. Their parents taught them to live by the Ten Commandments.
“New clothes.” Tom grabbed the clothing. The paper dropped to the floor. He held the shirt to his shoulders. The olive green complemented his brown eyes. Tucking the shirt under his chin, he held the pants to his waist. “Look, they go clear to my ankles.”
Noah clapped Tom’s back. “You can put them on after you take a bath.” Noah pointed at the filled tub sitting beside the cookstove.
Tom wrinkled his nose then looked down at his new clothes. “Okay.”
Noah shooed Molly out of the kitchen and closed the door behind her. She seized the opportunity to practice her hymns.
A short time later, a door creaked open. Molly stopped playing and turned on the organ bench. Tom ran toward her, arms out. “Thank you.” His little arms wrapped around her neck.
Molly returned his embrace. She’d forgotten how wonderful a hug felt.
Too soon Tom’s arms released his hold. “What do you think?”
“You look handsome.” Molly rolled the cuffs of his shirt to adjust them to the length of his arms.
“Noah said you made these.” Tom pulled on the loose legs of his new britches.
“I did.”
“Why are you so nice to me when other people aren’t?”
Molly’s breath hitched in her throat. Her gasp echoed through the silent chapel car. “Because my parents taught me the Lord wants us to serve others.”
Why?”
“It’s the right thing to do. God gave us ten commandments to follow. One of them is to love your neighbor as you love yourself.”
Tom’s face scrunched. “Even when people are mean to you?”
Molly drew a deep breath. “Yes. Before I became Noah’s wife, I lived with people who made me sing songs I didn’t like because they weren’t very nice. Whenever I faced difficulties there, I remembered my favorite Bible verse from Romans 7:22. “ ‘For I delight in the law of God after the inward man.’ It always made me feel better.”
Tom repeated the verse. “I’ll try to remember it. I’m going to the train depot so people can see my new clothes.”
Molly watched Tom run down the aisle. When he was out of sight, she glanced up at Noah. Tenderness shone from his eyes.
“Molly, that is my favorite Bible verse, too.” He stepped toward her. “It’s the Bible verse that convinced me to follow my heart and teach God’s laws rather than enforce man’s like the rest of the Manning men.”
Sliding from the organ bench, Molly walked over to Noah. “I might not remember much about my parents, but I do remember how proud my mother was of your choice. She couldn’t understand why your family rebuked the idea of their kin being a man of the cloth.”
Happiness shone from Noah’s eyes before a wide smile creased his face. “Thank you for telling me that, Molly.”
Noah reached out and drew her to him. Caught off guard, she stumbled into his arms. Placing her palms on his chest to steady herself, she looked up to find Noah’s eyes filled with emotion. “You don’t know how much it means to me to know other people don’t think I’m a coward for preaching God’s Word.”
Molly planned to respond, but Noah’s lips captured her voice. Her heart beat a rapid tempo in her ears when Noah deepened the kiss and pulled her closer to him. Happiness swirled through Molly.
Noah ended the kiss and looked into her eyes. Something deep inside of her stirred. Was it love, and did Noah feel it, too?
Chapter 7
Molly walked on air for days after their kiss, although their daily routine returned to normal. She’d pondered what the kiss meant to Noah. Shyness overtook her, and she couldn’t muster up the nerve to ask him.
She stopped sweeping the chapel’s aisle and closed her eyes, savoring the memory of the light that sparkled in his eyes after the kiss. He’d held her gaze for only a moment before he’d released her, cleared his throat, and left the chapel car, but even in her surprise, she’d seen the swirl of emotion his dark eyes emitted. Noah hadn’t said so, but surely, it was love. Hope filled every inch of her soul.
The outer door to the chapel car opened and Noah entered carrying a small gunnysack.
“How is Mrs. Mount?” Molly stepped aside to allow Noah to pass.
He stopped in front of her. “Not well. I believe she is close to meeting the Lord. Her daughter sent us some canned beef and pickled vegetables. I’ll put them in the pantry.”
Thank You, Lord. Married a month and still Molly’s cooking skills hadn’t improved.
In minutes Noah returned. “I need to talk to you, Molly.”
His deep frown concerned her. Had she done something to displease him? Her gaze roamed the chapel car searching for dust particles or smudges a congregant may have complained about. Or was he going to profess his love and he was afraid she didn’t return his feelings? Or worse yet was he going to tell her the kiss was a mistake?
Her heart skittered through her chest.
“Please sit.” Noah folded his lanky frame onto the seat of the pew, linking his fingers together and twiddling his thumbs.
The silent anticipation frazzled Molly’s nerves.
Finally, Noah drew and released a deep breath. He stared directly into Molly’s eyes. “I’ve wired Seth. He’ll be here by tomorrow evening.”
“What?” Flabbergasted at the reality of the conversation, Molly couldn’t quite grasp what Noah was trying to say.
“I’ve alerted Seth about Cass.”
A cloud of anger covered Molly’s heart. “How could you?”
“Because it’s the right thing to do. I’
ve spoken with enough town folks to know. Cass’s hideout is somewhere in the mountains around this town.”
“Hideout? You make Cass sound like an outlaw.” Molly’s voice rose with her growing ire.
“Molly.” Noah reached for her hand.
She pulled it away. “Cass isn’t an outlaw.”
“I wish that were true. Everyone in town knows Cass is a rustler.”
“I don’t believe it. If only Cass would come to town and clear up this confusion.” Her heart dipped at her words. Was she the one who was confused?
“Search your heart, Molly. You’ll find the evidence weighs against your brother. I know you love him, but with what he’s done to you and…”
Noah’s voice trailed off. He swallowed hard. “The entire town suspects Tom helps Cass because Tom is his son.”
“I don’t believe you or them. It’s just gossip and can’t be true.” Molly wanted to jump up and run away. Yet where would she go, and what would happen to Tom if she did?
Noah hated delivering bad news, especially to Molly. She’d had such a tough life. It didn’t seem fair to add to it. She’d avoided him since their argument. He knew they shouldn’t let the sun go down on their anger, but duty called him to Mrs. Mount’s sickbed.
He focused on the bright full moon that seemed suspended over the blacksmith’s shop. His footsteps sounded like thunder on the boardwalks in the midnight hour. Mrs. Mount had passed away a short while ago.
Although he knew glory awaited her soul, the loss added to his sullen mood. At least he’d experienced a wedding and death during what he was certain would be a short pastoral appointment once the Christian Committee learned of Molly’s shameful family, none of which was her doing.
A small ball of anger formed in his gut at the thought of anyone thinking less of Molly. Everything about her was wonderful. Well, maybe not her cooking. Noah smiled for a moment before he allowed it to fade. He shouldn’t have kissed her. He’d yielded to his temptation. It couldn’t happen again. Molly had been forced into an unwanted life, he couldn’t do that to her again. Once Seth apprehended Cass, Noah would figure out a way for their marriage to be dissolved so Molly could begin to live the life God intended for her.
The Lassoed by Marriage Romance Collection Page 51