Daylight Comes

by Judith Miller

  As if summoned by Macia’s thoughts, the housekeeper entered the kitchen and surveyed the area. “I see young Lucy hasn’t arrived to lend a hand.” Retrieving a sharp knife from the counter, she picked up a loaf of crusty bread and began to slice it. “I’ll spread these with some butter, and you can slice the ham. There’s a jar of pickles you might want to take along. Oh, and slices of my apple cake.”

  Macia patted her stomach and groaned. “I don’t think we need much more food. Otherwise, we’ll fall asleep after eating and never get back home.”

  “Ach.” Gerta slapped her palm to her forehead. “Then maybe it would be better if we left the cake at home.”

  “It’s me!” Lucy’s shoes clattered as she stepped off the carpeted hallway and into the kitchen. “Sorry I’m late, but I had to help Jeb with some chores.” She looking longingly at the uncut cake. “You’re saving the cake for supper tonight, I s’pose.”

  Macia and Gerta looked at each other and burst into laughter.

  “What’s so funny?”

  Macia shook her head. “I guess we’ll take along one slice, Gerta.

  At least I’ll be able to remain awake.”

  Lucy fidgeted as Gerta sliced a small wedge and placed it on a crisp cloth napkin. “Could we take two? I’m very hungry.”

  With a chuckle, Gerta expertly cut another portion and positioned it alongside the first. Drawing the four corners of the napkin upward, she tied them into a loose knot and deftly tucked the wrapped cake inside their basket.

  Lucy grabbed the basket by both handles and beamed at the housekeeper on their way out of the kitchen. “Thanks, Gerta. We’ll be back before two o’clock.”

  Macia picked up her bonnet as they passed through the hallway. Head bowed, she pulled the flower-bedecked straw hat onto her head and was tying the ribbons when she looked up and saw Jeb sitting atop the wagon. Holding the reins in his hands, he grinned and tipped his floppy hat.

  She stopped midstep and stared, wide-eyed. While he jumped down from the wagon, Lucy pulled Macia forward. “Jeb said if I helped with chores this morning, he’d go fishing with us. He’s got the poles and bait in the back of the wagon.” Lucy gave another gentle tug. “Come on.”

  Macia trailed behind the girl, wanting to yank her hand away and run back inside. She didn’t want to be alone with Jeb. And if she knew Lucy, the girl would finagle some way to make certain they were alone—except perhaps when it came time to eat the apple cake. Apple cake! Now she realized why Lucy had wanted Gerta to pack two pieces. How long had Lucy been planning this scheme?

  Jeb walked beside Macia as she rounded the wagon and then helped her up. His touch stirred unexpected pleasant memories of the past—memories she’d carefully tucked away. A part of her wanted to yank Lucy aside and chastise the girl for such impudent behavior.

  Lucy realized Macia had been avoiding her brother ever since Garrett’s abrupt departure. She no longer trusted her judgment when it came to men. Back in Kentucky, she’d thought Jackson Kincaid was everything a woman could want in a husband, but she had discovered he was a fraud. Then she’d decided Jeb loved her enough to wait for her return from Europe, but Fern had come to town and turned his head. And then she’d thought Garrett might possibly be the man for whom she was intended. But when Macia couldn’t hurry into a commitment, Garrett had taken off to pursue his dreams—much to Lucy’s delight, of course.

  Lucy had talked of nothing but wedding plans for Jeb and Macia until Macia finally had no choice but to set the issue of marriage to rest. She’d patiently explained that the entire matter was a closed book. When Macia had completed her talk, she’d been pleasantly surprised, for she believed Lucy had taken note and agreed. However, it now seemed she’d not listened at all.

  Lucy chattered unceasingly until they arrived at the river. With a fishing pole in one hand, she jumped down from the wagon and scurried off before Macia had even descended. Jeb reached up and took her hand. After stepping down, she teetered on the uneven ground, and he put his arm around her to steady her.

  He pulled her a little closer. “Please don’t be angry with Lucy. This was my idea. In fact, she didn’t want to agree to any of this. I forced her to let me come along.”

  Tilting her head to avoid the sun, Macia looked into his eyes. “I didn’t know Lucy could be forced to do anything she didn’t want to.”

  He chuckled, still holding her close. “All I had to do was say that if I didn’t get to come along, she couldn’t come, either.” He shrugged his broad shoulders. “Not a very brotherly thing to do, I suppose. But desperate situations call for desperate actions.”

  She gave a slight twist, hoping to move farther away. His nearness was discomfiting and made it impossible to think straight. However, he only tightened his hold.

  “You may as well relax. I’m not going to turn you loose until I say my piece.”

  “Then have your say and release me.”

  “First off, I want you to know I am genuinely sorry for what’s happened between us. I’m not taking all the blame, because I don’t think you should have let your mother send you off to Europe. But I took up with Fern for all the wrong reasons. I wanted to hurt you the way you hurt me. So I made up my mind that when you returned to Hill City, you wouldn’t find me waiting for you. I wanted to prove I could move on with my life, too. That was a mistake, and for that, I’m truly sorry.”

  She could tell his words were heartfelt. His voice trembled with emotion as he struggled through the speech. “I accept your apology, Jeb. And I’m sorry, too—for all the pain I caused both of us.”

  He sighed. “Good. Because that leads me to this next part.”

  Without warning, he tipped his head down and kissed her with a passion she’d never before experienced. When he finally pulled back and released his hold, she wobbled backwards. With a broad grin, he pulled her close again. “Maybe I’m going to have to hold you close to me the rest of the day.” He winked. “And that would be just fine with me.”

  She placed her palms on his chest. The steady beat of his heart thumped against her fingertips and spread surprising warmth through her body. She flushed at the recognition of his effect upon her and quickly lifted her hands and moved away.

  “I believe I’m quite steady on my feet now.” She motioned toward the wagon. “Why don’t you bring the blanket and picnic basket, and we’ll see if we can locate Lucy.”

  He reached forward and grasped her hand. Macia’s fingers tingled at his touch. She pulled away, wanting to shake off these feelings she thought she had buried months ago. He needed to let their apologies be enough. They’d made real progress today, and if nothing more occurred, maybe their wounds would heal.

  Hoping to hold him at bay, Macia quietly explained her view. As she did, though, he shook his head while a slow, easy smile curved his lips.

  “One day I want to marry you, Macia. Maybe we’re not ready right now, but I need you to know my intentions. Even more, I need to know if you’re willing to give me—give us—another chance.What do you say?”

  Her cheeks smoldered. She knew they were likely as red as the apples Gerta had peeled for her cake earlier in the day. She couldn’t tell him no; she didn’t want to. “I say we should give it a try.” She held him at arm’s length, her palm once again pressing against his chest. “So long as we move slowly. No more mistakes.”

  He nodded and pulled her close. “No more mistakes,” he whispered before capturing her lips with another tender kiss.

  CHAPTER

  33

  Topeka , Kansas • July 1883

  Truth settled in beside Moses and peered out the train window. It seemed a lifetime had passed since they’d first come to Topeka. And yet it had been only six months. “Amazing how much life can change in such a short period of time,” she said.

  Moses folded his newspaper. “Indeed, it is.” He tucked the paper on the seat beside him. “And would you say your life has changed for the better or the worse over these past month
s?”

  “Some of both, of course. But right now, I am extremely happy.”

  “I know how difficult it’s been for you to be away from your family. Grace’s wedding will be a wonderful celebration, and I’m pleased you’ll have time to help her prepare for the festivities.”

  “Only a few days. And if I know Grace, she’ll have everything done before we arrive. If not, Miss Hattie will have taken command of the affair.” Truth grinned.

  The baby stirred, and Truth looked down at his cherubic face. How blessed they were to have this wondrous child. When she’d thought she couldn’t survive the loss of her own baby, Jacob had wiggled his way into her life and wound his tiny fingers around her heart. And now he was theirs. The adoption had been completed only two days earlier, and the Sisters of Charity at St. Vincent’s Orphanage had declared Jake a most fortunate little boy. But Truth knew better: she and Moses were the fortunate ones. God had blessed them with this little boy, who needed their love and affection at the time when they most needed him. She still didn’t understand why her little Daniel had to die, and likely she never would. She could do nothing to change what had happened to Daniel, but she could change Jacob’s life for the better.

  Only Aunt Lilly had declared the idea foolhardy. But once they’d made their decision, Moses told her he wouldn’t tolerate her disapproving attitude. In no uncertain terms, he’d said she had best accept Jacob as their child if she intended to spend any time in their home. And after Lilly had come to terms with the arrangement, Jacob managed to win her affection with his quick smile and wet kisses.

  The baby whimpered, and Lilly immediately moved to the seat across from Truth. “Let me hold him.” She took the child from Truth and hugged him close. “You just want your Aunt Lilly, don’t you?”

  Moses grinned and shook his head as Truth grasped his arm. She leaned close to her husband’s ear. “Who would have ever believed Aunt Lilly would make such a fool of herself over little Jake?”

  “I know. Wonderful to see the hand of God at work, isn’t it?”

  She raised her brows and nodded. She hadn’t thought of it that way, but Moses was right. God had been hard at work in all of their lives. And soon they would be home.

  Truth peered out the window at the seemingly unending expanse of prairie grass that stretched along either side of the railroad tracks. Carving out a life in this harsh land had been a genuine testament to their perseverance, and Truth was thankful those days were behind them. Though she knew there would be hard days to come, they had learned they could survive. They’d broken through the tough prairie sod, and they’d made monumental strides. Indeed, daylight had come.

  A MESSAGE TO MY READERS

  Daylight Comes is a novel based upon the settlement in the late-nineteenth century of two towns formed by a group of African-American and Caucasian men with a vision to settle western Kansas. Their plan called for one city, Nicodemus, to be predominately settled by Negroes and the other community, Hill City, to be predominately settled by Caucasians.

  While grounded in fact, this book is a work of fiction and not a historical documentary. However, I have made every attempt to honestly portray the harsh circumstances these early settlers faced and the intense courage they displayed as they struggled to settle on the western plains.

  As reflected in this novel, the residents of Nicodemus realized early on that the railroad would mean prosperity and growth for their community. By 1887, prospects seemed bright that the Missouri Pacific Railroad would include Nicodemus on its route. The railroad wanted $132,000 in public subsidy from the eight towns located along the Graham County section. Nicodemus’s share would have been $16,000. Residents of Nicodemus voted to borrow the money by issuing bonds and believed that their future had been secured. However, the Missouri Pacific delayed and eventually terminated construction of the line at Stockton, Kansas (twenty miles east of Nicodemus).

  Once again, hope swelled when surveyors from the Santa Fe Railroad visited the area. However, the Santa Fe, too, backed out. The town’s final hope lay with the Union Pacific. Unfortunately, those hopes were dashed when the Union Pacific laid track six miles southwest of Nicodemus, adjacent to the temporary rail camp of Bogue. By the end of 1888, many of the merchants and residents had departed Nicodemus, but a core of faithful citizens remained in spite of their town having been snubbed by the railroad.

  Nicodemus continues its crusade to survive with a current population of approximately thirty. Nicodemus is the only African-American frontier town in existence today.

  For additional information about these communities, visit the Kansas State Historical Society Web site at www.kshs.orgor the National Park Service Web site at www.nps.gov/nico/.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Special thanks to:

  The stalwart pioneers who willingly sacrificed to settle the Kansas prairie

  The staff of the National Park Service, Nicodemus Historic Site

  The staff of the Kansas State Historical Society

  Mary Greb-Hall

  Mary Kay Woodford

  Angela Bates-Tompkins

  Deletria Nash

  Books by Judith Miller

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