Love Finds a Home (Anthologies)

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

David had sent a telegram to one of his church members, letting him know they were going to be detained another day and, Lord willing, would leave for Idaho City the following afternoon. Reverend Hunter agreed to do the graveside service for Daddy the next morning, and they would be spending another night in the Granger Hotel.

  Glenna swallowed against the lump in her throat. Their second night had been even worse than the first. David slept on the floor again, and she’d refused to even look at him or say a single word. There was a part of her that blamed David for all this. Had he not suggested they get married, she would have simply gotten off the train in Granger, gone looking for a job, and sooner or later would have run into Daddy. If she hadn’t married David, Daddy might still be alive.

  As frustration and exhaustion closed in like a shroud, Glenna shut her eyes. Leaning her head against the window, she let much-needed sleep claim her weary body.

  David watched the rhythmic rise and fall of Glenna’s steady breathing. He was glad she’d finally given in to sleep. She had been too distraught to sleep much of the night before and had withdrawn into a cocoon of silence. His heart ached for her, yet he had no idea how to draw Glenna out. It would probably be most appropriate to leave her alone for now, letting grief run its course in whatever way she chose. During his ministerial training, David had been taught about the various stages of bereavement a person went through when losing a loved one. The first was shock. Later came denial or a great sense of loss, often accompanied by depression. Glenna appeared to be in the first stage right now, which was no doubt for the best. David needed time to read the scriptures and pray, asking for God’s wisdom in helping her through this grieving process.

  It was interesting, he noted, that she hadn’t been nearly as despondent when her father jumped off the train and she thought he’d been killed. Perhaps this “second death” was more traumatic since Garret had been murdered in cold blood, right in front of her. His death was final. No more wondering if he might have survived, and no more anger because he’d taken his own life. This time he’d been killed by an assassin, plain and simple. Who the man was, why he’d fired the fateful shot, and where he had gone was still a mystery which might never be solved. David’s job as Glenna’s husband was to help her through this difficult time, no matter how long it took. He owed her that much.

  David ran his fingers through his sweat-soaked hair, as troubled thoughts took him back to the last two nights spent at the Hotel Granger. It had been a difficult decision, but he’d chosen to sleep on the floor, not wanting to rush his new bride into something she might not be ready for yet. Perhaps it had been a mistake to do so, but it was in the past and couldn’t be changed.

  He released a deep sigh and glanced over at her again. The truth was, David wasn’t sure about his feelings for the sleeping woman who sat beside him. Was it love or merely a sense of obligation that invaded his senses every time she looked his way? There was no point in leading her on. They both needed more time. Time to get to know one another. Time to grow in their relationship. For some reason she hadn’t asked about his past, and he hoped she wouldn’t hate him once she learned the truth.

  Glenna awoke from her nap feeling a bit more rested but still deeply troubled. She peeked over at David. In one hand he held his Bible; in the other was a deck of cards. They were Daddy’s cards—the same ones he’d left on the seat before he jumped off the train. She’d thrown the cards on the floor, and David had retrieved them, later using the deck as some sort of parallel to things written in the Bible. Glenna was surprised to see that David still had those cards. Why hadn’t he thrown them away? What would a God-fearing, Bible-teaching preacher need with a deck of cards?

  David must have caught her staring at him, for he turned in his seat and smiled. “Good, you’re awake. Did you rest well?”

  Her only reply was a stiff nod. What did he care—this husband who slept on the floor and had spoken only a few words to her since Daddy’s death?

  David stuffed the Bible into his jacket pocket, but he kept the cards held firmly in one hand. With the other hand, he reached out to touch Glenna’s arm. “You’ve been through a horrible ordeal, but in time God will heal your internal wounds.”

  Glenna scowled at him. “I’m not so sure. If God makes bad things happen to people, then He’s no better than Daddy! How can I count on Him to heal anything?”

  David averted his gaze to the deck of cards. “God doesn’t make bad things happen to His children, Glenna. He allows them.”

  “Why? Why would a loving Father let bad things happen to His children?”

  David fanned out the deck. “These cards are an example of God’s love for me.”

  She tipped her head in question.

  “I haven’t told you much about my past, and you’ve been kind enough not to ask.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and frowned. “There are some things I think you should know. Especially since I’ve taken you to be my wife and to share in my ministry.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  David cleared his throat and shuffled the cards on his knees. “There was a time when I was no better than your father.” His eyes glazed over as he stared out the window. He appeared to be transported to another time … another place.

  Glenna waited patiently for him to come to grips with whatever he needed to say. It was hard to imagine David Green being anything like Daddy.

  After several moments, David turned to look at her again. “I–uh–used to be a gambler.”

  Glenna’s mouth dropped open, and she gasped. “You what?”

  “I gambled and cheated people, just the way your father did.”

  Glenna felt her whole body begin to sway, and she knew it was not from the motion of the train. Her head felt light, and her vision began to blur. She needed fresh air. She had to get away from David. Bounding from her seat, Glenna started down the aisle.

  “Where are you going?” David called after her. “Please come back and let me explain.”

  Glenna kept moving as fast as her wobbly legs would allow. By the time she reached the end of their car and had stepped through the door to the platform, Glenna was sure she was going to lose the little bit of food she’d eaten before they boarded the train.

  Grasping the cold, metal railing, she leaned her head over the side and breathed deeply. Since the weather was warm and humid, it wasn’t fresh air, but at least she was away from David—her gambling husband. He’d lied to her. He’d led her on and made her believe he would take care of her. David was right—he was no better than Daddy. She had no one now. A little voice in the back of her mind whispered, You have Me, Glenna. I will never leave you, nor forsake you.

  Scalding tears streamed down her face, and she cried out in anguish, “Dear Father, is that You?”

  “No, it’s me! Your old man’s dead.” A deep, grinding voice sliced through the air like a knife.

  Glenna whirled around to confront a stocky, red-faced man. He wore a patch over one eye and held a gun in his hand. She opened her mouth to scream, but it was too late to cry for help. One beefy, moist hand clamped across her mouth as the man jerked her roughly to his chest. “Where is it?” he growled. “Where’s the money?”

  CHAPTER 9

  With the man’s clammy hand planted firmly over her mouth and his foul-smelling body pressing her up against the hard railing, Glenna could neither move nor speak. She wiggled and squirmed, but it was to no avail.

  “Hold still, or I’ll toss ya over the side,” he hissed.

  Glenna stiffened, unable to understand what was going on or why. She’d come out for some air and to get away from David. She never expected something like this to happen.

  The man held the tip of his derringer at Glenna’s back, squishing her against the iron rail. “I’m gonna take my hand off your mouth now. If ya cry out, I’ll pitch ya on over. Is that clear?”

  Glenna could only nod. Tears of frustration coursed down her flaming cheeks while icy fingers of fear crept up her spine.
She’d made another unwise decision. She should have stayed in her seat and let David explain about his past life. No matter how much it hurt to hear that he’d once been a gambler, it was nothing compared to the way she was feeling now. Gripping the rail, she stood motionless, waiting for her captor to remove his hand.

  In one quick motion, the man jerked his hand away, then pushed the gun tightly into her back. “I wanna know where that money is, and I need to know now!”

  “Wh–wh–what money?” she stammered.

  His hand went to her throat, and he gave it a warning squeeze. “Don’t play coy with me. Your daddy had my money, and I saw him give it to you before he died.”

  “No, no, he didn’t. All Daddy gave me was my mother’s ring.” Glenna held up her hand. “I know nothing about any money.”

  “Ah–hem! Is there some kind of problem here?”

  Glenna turned her head toward the sound of a man’s deep voice. It was the conductor. She breathed a sigh of relief. Everything would be all right now. She’d be safe, and this horrible man with putrid breath would soon be locked away in the baggage car until the train stopped at the next town. Then he’d be hauled off to jail, which was exactly where he belonged!

  “Nope, there ain’t no problem here,” the evil man said to the conductor. His hand went to Glenna’s waist, and he swiveled around, pulling her with him. “Me and the little lady was just havin’ a friendly chat whilst we got us a whiff of fresh air.”

  Glenna felt the tip of his gun and wished it could be seen by the conductor. She nodded at the man in uniform, offering him the weakest of smiles. “Everything’s fine.”

  The conductor hesitated, but a few seconds later he tipped his hat and opened the door to enter the car.

  A sense of relief washed over Glenna, but it was quickly replaced with one of fear. The man wearing the eye patch wanted his money, and he was convinced she had it. Not knowing what else to do, Glenna sent up a quick prayer. Help me, God. I need You now.

  David reached into his vest pocket, drew out a gold pocket watch and flipped it open to check the time. It was a little after four. Glenna had been gone nearly half an hour. How much more time did she need to cool down? David knew it wasn’t her body that needing cooling though. Glenna had been madder than a wet hen when she’d stormed off without a word of explanation. Had he been a fool to believe he could divulge the secrets of his past and not have her react unfavorably? After being dragged from town to town all her life, never knowing the security of a real home, how else would Glenna have reacted? He thought she’d found a sense of peace when she accepted Jesus as her Savior. Had he undone all that by his untimely confession? If only she’d allowed me to explain, he fretted. I really believed I could tell my story and make Glenna see how God changed me. I’d hoped she might even see how a simple deck of cards can be used for good, to teach others about the Lord.

  David rubbed his fingers along his chin, suddenly missing the beard he used to hide behind. I haven’t gambled in years and wouldn’t dream of using marked cards now, much less cheat anyone out of their money. He leaned to the left, trying to see up the aisle. He could see nothing through the small window of the door leading to the open platform. He glanced down at his timepiece again. If Glenna didn’t return to her seat in the next five minutes, he was going out there!

  Held at gunpoint, up against the railing again, Glenna felt as helpless as a pitiful baby bird caught between two cats. If only she could make the man believe she had no money. Maybe then he would leave her alone. God, if You see me safely through this, I promise to go back to David and let him explain things about his past, she prayed. Perhaps David really has changed. Maybe he isn’t like Daddy at all.

  Glenna leaned her head as far away from the man as possible. She could feel his hot breath against the back of her neck. She could hear his heavy, ragged breathing. “I don’t know who you are, mister, and I don’t understand why you think I have your money, but I can assure you—”

  Slap! The man’s fat hand connected to the back of Glenna’s head.

  Her head snapped forward. Stinging tears streamed down her burning cheeks, and she clamped her mouth shut in an effort to keep from crying out. Where was God, her Father, now? It appeared as if He had abandoned her, too.

  “Garret Moore cheated me outta all my money at the gamblin’ table a few nights ago,” the man sputtered. “I seen him hand it over to you. Then I shot him.”

  Glenna gasped. So this was her father’s murderer! The one David had chased. The one who’d vanished as quickly as he’d appeared. Apparently the man had followed them when they boarded the train. He’d obviously been hiding out somewhere, waiting for the chance to accost her. If she didn’t give him what he wanted, there was a good chance he would kill her, too. But how could she give him what she didn’t have? It was an impossible situation. Unless …

  “My mother’s ring is made of pure gold,” she rasped. “Might I give that to you, in exchange for the money you lost?”

  “I didn’t lose it,” he snarled. “It was stolen from me, plain and simple.”

  “I’m sorry about your misfortune, but I have no money, and Mama’s ring …”

  “Hang your mama’s ring!” he bellowed. “I didn’t kill a man or board this train for some stupid circle of gold that probably ain’t worth half what your old man took from me.” He squeezed Glenna’s arm, and she winced. “Now, what’s it gonna be, sister? Are ya ready to talk, or do you wanna join your daddy in death?”

  Glenna opened her mouth to reply, but she was cut off by a voice she recognized. “What’s going on here?”

  The would-be killer whirled around, pulling Glenna with him. “This ain’t none of your business! Now get back in that car, and be quick about it!”

  “I’m afraid you’re wrong,” David said evenly. “I’m married to the woman you’re holding at gunpoint. That makes it my business.”

  The sight of David standing there snatched Glenna’s breath away, and she shot him a pleading look. David didn’t seem to notice though. He was holding a Bible in one hand, and his mouth was set in a determined line. He may not love her, but he obviously cared for her safety. Perhaps she’d been wrong about him being like Daddy.

  “Your little woman has somethin’ that belongs to me,” the sinister man growled. “I aim to get it back, so you’d better not try to interfere.”

  Glenna’s eyes filled with fresh tears, and her voice quavered. “I don’t have his money, David. The only thing Daddy gave me was my mother’s ring.”

  “That’s right. I was there when he did. Garret Moore never gave her any money at all.” David waved the Bible. “I’m a minister of the Gospel. I wouldn’t lie about something like this.”

  “Humph!” the man scoffed. “You would say that. All you Bible-thumpers want is money. Why, you’d do most anything to wangle some cash outa good folks.”

  “That isn’t true. I’m sure David would never try to take people’s money,” Glenna defended. With her newfound faith in him, she offered her husband a weak smile, and he responded with one of his own.

  David’s gaze darted back to Glenna’s captor. “I’m asking you nicely to let my wife go.” He took a few steps forward, but the evil man lowered his head and charged like a billy goat. The blow caught David in the stomach, and it left him sprawled on the wooden platform, gasping for breath.

  Free of the gambler for the first time, Glenna seized the opportunity at hand. With no thought for her own safety and feeling a need to help David, she began raining blows on the man’s back with her fists.

  At first, the fellow just stood there, grinning as though he was amused at her feeble attempts. After a few seconds, he grabbed one of Glenna’s wrists and jerked her to his side. “Take one last look at your woman, preacher man, ’cause I’m about to shoot her dead if she don’t tell me where that money’s hid.”

  David struggled to sit up, then lifted the Bible over his head. “In the name of Jesus, I command you to reconsider.”
<
br />   Much to Glenna’s surprise, the gunman dropped his weapon to the floor and extended both hands in the air.

  A slight shuffling noise drew Glenna’s attention off her husband’s astonished face to the man standing directly behind him. The tall, brawny sheriff, wearing a gold star pinned to the front of his brown leather vest, stepped forward to apprehend his prisoner.

  David stood up, and Glenna rushed into his arms, nearly knocking them both to the floor.

  CHAPTER 10

  With the aid of the conductor in front and David behind, Glenna stepped wearily from the train. They had finally arrived in Boise City and would be traveling by wagon to Idaho City, their final destination. The trip from Granger had taken two days, climbing steep mountains, threading their way through dark tunnels, and creeping along dizzying shelves, hundreds of feet above the river. Glenna was exhausted and wasn’t relishing the bumpy ride in a hard-seated buckboard, but at least they could stop whenever they pleased, and there would be plenty of fresh air.