Reach for Heaven

by Marie Higgins

  Once he caught the drift of his inappropriate thinking, he shook his head. This was Adella—and he was engaged to her cousin. Shame on him!

  In the calm evening, a small wind rustled through the canopied branches, only chirping insects interrupted the evening’s silence. Yet, there was an unsettling in his heart that wasn’t contributed to heartburn this time. Now that he knew what had happened in her life, he actually could sympathize with her if only a little. He’d lost a brother, just as she had. From all the turmoil she’d gone through, her character had been strengthened and she changed her life for the better. He admired her for that.

  As he neared, she swung her head around and met his gaze. When she lifted her lovely blue eyes filled with unshed tears on him, he came to a halt. Her look of anguish pierced straight through him.

  As a sign of truce, he gave her a smile. “Thought I might find you out here.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I, too, come out here to ponder. It’s so peaceful.”

  “It is.” She paused then scowled. “What do you want? Is supper ready or something?”

  He sighed heavily, knowing whatever he did or said, he would always bring out the worst in her—just like she brought out the worst in him. “No, supper isn’t ready yet. I figured you might want some company.”

  Instead of anger, sadness touched her mouth this time. “Well, you’re wrong,” she said before turning away.

  Gage stopped near the swing and shoved his hands in his pockets, waiting while she battled with her emotions. He could tell she was angry at him, but he could see she wanted to cry...and yes, she wanted someone to talk to. Hopefully, she’d let it be him.

  He leaned against the trunk of the tree and waited. Within a few minutes, her ragged breathing eased.

  “Do you know how hard it is to see Uncle Marvin like this?” she whispered. “He can’t even move from one chair to the other.”

  “Your uncle is a stubborn man. He’ll soon be moving better with his arms than he’s ever done before.”

  “It’s just so hard.” Her voice cracked. “Do you know how much he looks like my pa?” She glanced at him over her shoulder. Her eyes glimmered with tears. “When I look at him, all I can think about is my father. Not Wilfred St. James who has raised me for seven years, but my real father.”

  He shouldn’t ask, but he desperately wanted to hear it from her. He wanted her to trust him enough to tell him the story he already knew. “What happened to your father?”

  She shrugged and looked away from him. “A gang of murderers killed him just because he couldn’t save one of their men. The gang wanted all of us to pay for my father’s mistake.”

  “How did you get away from this gang?”

  “The night the Buchanan Gang attacked my house and set it on fire, my sisters and I escaped and ran away. We were afraid Buchanan’s Gang would realize we were still alive and come after us, so when we found Wilfred and Sally St. James, we didn’t tell them our true identities. They were kind to us orphaned girls, and took us to Lewiston—far away from Virginia City.”

  “You know, I’ve heard of this tragedy. My family lives outside Virginia City, but news of the gang killing your family spread like wildfire. In fact, it was rumored that the whole family was killed in the fire.”

  Turning in the swing, she met his gaze. “My father wasn’t in the house when it burned down. They killed him before they came after us.”

  “I’m sorry for your loss,” he said with emotion in his voice. It was hard to forget the pain he and his family had experienced when they heard his brother, Matthew, had been shot and killed.

  “Thank you.” She wiped her eyes, but more tears streaked down her face. “I’ve held this secret for so long, it actually feels good to tell somebody.” Her voice broke as she turned away, her body shaking with silent cries.

  She held the secret? Strange...then how did Albert Owens know about it? Then again, she could have confided in the man who held her heart in Lewiston.

  As Gage watched her, his chest clenched with sorrow. He didn’t know how to handle a crying woman. He wasn’t used to comforting a woman, not even Violet, but he knew he had to do something to help Adella.

  Reaching out, he gently touched her shoulder. “Adella, if there is anything I can do—”

  She shot out of the swing and launched herself into his arms. Automatically, he slid his palms across her back, pulling her body closer to his. Strange to think she felt so good up against him like this. Her frame fit perfectly with his. Unfamiliar feelings crept into his chest, yet he wasn’t frightened. Instead, these strange—warm—feelings made him want to comfort her that much more.

  He hitched in a breath. Why was he thinking such thoughts? She wasn’t supposed to do this. Why had she come into his embrace so quickly? This definitely wasn’t his duchess. Although, holding her like this was rather nice since she wasn’t kicking and screaming.

  “Why did God do this to Uncle Marvin?” she whispered brokenly.

  “God didn’t do anything. Your uncle just had an accident.”

  “Then explain why God allowed my family to die.”

  He shook his head. “Only God knows why. There must have been a special purpose in Heaven for your parents and brother, and that’s why God took them so early in life.” He stroked her hair, realizing it was a silky soft as it appeared. “I don’t know why, but this is all part of God’s plan. Some day you will see the rewards He has given you for your pain and suffering.”

  She sniffed. “But...I want my family back.”

  “You have a new family now, and they love you very much.” He cuddled her closer against his chest.

  “I want Uncle Marvin back the way he used to be, too.”

  “So do I, darlin’. So do I.” A lump formed in his throat as he shared Adella’s agony.

  Several minutes passed in silence. Only the thudding of her heartbeat—and his—vibrated in his ears. Finally, she lifted her head and gazed into his face. He was relieved to see anger was not her expression now.

  “Thank you, Mr. Grayson.”

  “For what?”

  “For talking to me...and comforting me.”

  “Anytime, Duchess’.”

  A soft smile touched her lips. “I thought I told you not to call me Duchess.”

  He shrugged. “Habits are hard to break. Would you like it better if I called you darlin’?” He joked, wiping away a stray tear with the pad of his thumb. The warmth of her skin blended into his hand and set shivers down his spine. Her eyes widened. Had she felt it, too?

  She quickly stepped out of his arms. “No, you’d better not call me that word, either. I might get upset at you again.”

  “I definitely don’t want that to happen.” He winked.

  A tomb-like silence fell upon them again. Now his body was no longer pressed against the unsettling warmth of hers, he was finally able to think clearly. One question prodded him—why were they being nice to each other? The pleasant expression on her face proved she was up to something. She had to be.

  “So, when are you going to tell me about you and Violet?” she asked. “I cannot believe fate would throw us together so far away from Lewiston.” She tilted her head as she folded her arms. “How did you and my cousin meet, and when did you propose?”

  He chuckled. “I guess I should tell you since we didn’t have time earlier today.”

  “Yes, you should.”

  Her words were slower than normal, and the critical gleam in her blue eyes made him cautious.

  “Your aunt and uncle are good friends with my parents,” he began. “For years they have hinted of a match between Violet and myself. When Mayor Owens rejected my offer to buy land in Lewiston, I decided to come here to see if Marvin knew of anyone who was selling land. One thing led to another, and within days I was buying a few acres, and within a week I was engaged.” He shrugged. “I suppose this was where the Lord wanted me—not in Lewiston.”

  “Yes, it does look that way
, doesn’t it?” She tapped her finger on her arm. “So tell me, when are you and Violet planning to marry?”

  Her sweet voice purred, which confirmed his suspicions. She was putting on some kind of show. If she was really happy about her cousin marrying him, Adella would have looked much happier.

  “We really haven’t decided. Violet changes the date as often as she changes her bonnet. She’s funny that way.”

  “Do you plan on fixing that flaw?”

  He shrugged. “Only if I can.”

  Off in the distance, Violet’s voice rang through the air, calling them to supper.

  “Well, I suppose we better go.” He turned to leave, but Adella stopped him by touching his arm.

  “Mr. Grayson—”

  “Please, call me Gage.”

  She nodded. “Gage, I want to thank you for everything. I really do appreciate that you came out here to talk and comfort me.”

  “Sure, Duchess.” He grinned. “It was nice talking to you. I don’t think we’ve ever really carried on a decent conversation before.”

  “Not unless it consisted of yelling and name calling.”

  He laughed. “So true.” He moved closer and gently touched his finger to her nose. “You are a lovely, sophisticated young lady, but from time to time I’ve been privileged to see your stubbornness as well.”

  “Yes, you’re right. I will always have that stubborn tomboy inside me no matter what happens.” She paused for only a moment. “I think if I’m ever challenged to a sling-shot game, I’ll not turn it down. Although it’s proper to act like a lady, I still miss the games I used to play with my cousins.”

  “Then, how about having one sometime?”

  Her eyes widened. “A sling-shot competition?”

  “Sure, that or any kind of competition. Just because you’re a lady doesn’t mean you have to be so uptight and rigid.”

  Mixed emotions crossed her features, but then she stood straight and lifted her chin a notch higher. “Name the place. I’ll compete with you anywhere, doing anything you like.”

  It surprised him to see such confidence. Now he couldn’t wait to prove her unequal to the challenge.

  Chapter Nine

  Adella sat in the parlor receiving a horde of guests the next morning. She glanced at the grandfather clock in the hallway. Ten o’clock. The day was still early to get to the stable, if only her guests would leave, but she was happy to see the elderly passengers from the stagecoach. It thrilled her that they would give her their thanks and praise. In fact, the whole town had heard about her bravery. Even the sheriff presented her with a small reward. When he patted her injured shoulder, she winced, but kept a smile on her face. Younger than she expected for being a sheriff, he was quite robust and handsome.

  She glanced down at the fistful of coins. “Oh, my goodness, Sheriff Slade. I didn’t expect this.”

  “Well, Miss St. James, you deserve it. We’re all mighty grateful to you for what you did.”

  Adella smiled shyly, but the attention gave her ego a significant boost.

  The last of her visitors walked out the front door shortly before noon. With a sigh of relief, she scurried up the stairs to her room. Earlier she’d asked Nate to find her something to wear at the livery today, and she was happy to see boys’ trousers and shirt lying on her bed. Even a pair of boys’ boots sat on the floor. It had been a while since she was in the livery, and when she thought working in there today, anticipation hammered through her heart. Grandpa, I’m doing this for you!

  She slipped into the worn blue breeches and almost couldn’t close the buttons together. When she tried buttoning up her faded red shirt, she giggled over the way the fabric stretched tight across her bosom. The boots fit her, but barely. This was certainly indecent, but she couldn’t very well go to the livery to work wearing a dress.

  Forgetting her ladylike manners she’d perfected as a schoolteacher, she flew down the back staircase and out the door, running all the way to the livery stable. Her unbound hair flapped against her neck and back, and a thrill rushed through her, experiencing those feelings of long ago when she couldn’t wait to work with her grandfather.

  When she came to the front of the stable, she stopped. The chipped red paint on the barn aged the structure, but it still stood larger than life. A wooden sign painted in black letters hung high above the hay port: LANCASTER’S LIVERY, HORSES BOARDED & BEDDED, RIGS FOR RENT.

  Her heart ached from years gone by, but for the first time in a long time she felt as if she was home. Deep down inside her, she knew things were right and she would be fine from this point forward.

  She opened the front doors and peered inside. The barn reminded her of a tunnel, dark and cold, yet bright at both ends. When she walked in, the neighing horses welcomed her and brought her attention around. Grinning, she hurried to see if her favorite horse was still here. He was—or another identical horse had taken his place. The black stallion was tall, fifteen two, broad chested, and snip nosed. She reached up to stroke his mane.

  “Hello, Buck, I’ve missed you so.” She buried her face against his neck. Buck nuzzled her with his nose and she giggled. Yes, I’ve certainly missed this.

  Tearing herself away from the horse, she stepped into her grandfather’s old office. Nostalgic pains ripped through her, and her eyes misted. It was as if she had been whisked back in time to when she was a little girl sitting on her grandfather’s lap as he told stories of yesteryear. She’d swallowed up his stories and didn’t ever want to stop listening. Lydia had been too young to understand some of the things their grandfather talked about and so she moved around the office, finding objects that held her interest.

  Adella wiped a stray tear away. How she missed her grandfather. She also missed her sisters. They would be furious with her when she confessed to where she was really visiting. Unfortunately, until she knew more about the Buchanan Gang and if they were really in Bonner County, nobody was safe here if their last name was Lancaster. Even now Adella wondered if she had the strength to protect her aunt, uncle, and cousins if it came down to it. If worse came to worse, would she be able to ask for Gage’s help?

  No, now was not the time to let her sisters’ know of her whereabouts. Not yet.

  She lifted the ankle-length, brown leather apron from the hook on the wall and wrapped it around her waist. Where could she start cleaning?

  The brightness from the morning sun shone through the dirty small paned windows, lighting the east side of the barn. She glanced around slowly, taking in everything she could. It pleased her to know Uncle Marvin had kept it pretty much the way Grandfather had.

  Despite the obvious changes, things still seemed the same. Running her fingers over the roll-top desk, the drawers were scarred and rickety looking from hard use. The room was cluttered with bridle rings, horseshoe nails, snaffle bits, horse liniment, and tack hammers. Years of use had worn the varnish from the back and arms of the chair. To the right of the desk sat a potbelly stove just as dusty as the rest of the office.

  She let out a heavy sigh. So much work.

  Deciding her first order of business should be dusting, she found an old rag and moved around the office swinging the cloth through the air, creating a dust storm. She sneezed, but continued wiping until the office looked halfway presentable, and then realized it was going to be dusty no matter what she tried to do. This was Idaho, for heaven’s sake.

  From out in the stable, Buck snorted again, and she wished she had the time to take him for a ride. It’d been so long. She glanced over at the animal and smiled. “You’ll get your turn, don’t worry.”

  The fast pace of shuffling feet from the other side of the livery, stopped her. “Hello? Is anybody here?” somebody called out.

  In hopes of helping her first customer, she ran to the front of the barn. When she rested her gaze on Gage Grayson, her enthusiasm dropped and her temper lifted a notch. Although she would never forget his kindness when he’d comforted her yesterday, she would also never fo
rget the way he brought her into town hog-tied and looking like a fool. She would not back down from his bullying tactics any longer.

  She had no idea why she was so soft on him last night by the tree, but she vowed that would never happen again. Just because she was a woman didn’t mean she needed him...and she’d prove it, too. Just because he’d been nice to her last evening, didn’t mean she’d changed her mind about him, either. He still wasn’t good enough for her cousin, and especially to be part of her family.

  Slowly, his gaze skimmed up and down her length. A lazy smile touched his mouth. “Oh, it’s you.”

  She plopped her hands on her hips. “Of course it’s me. Who else would it be?”

  He leaned back against the wall, crossing one ankle over the other. He looked mighty handsome today wearing the deep brown trousers that hugged his legs perfectly. His beige shirt and leather brown vest molded nicely to his chest, outlining his muscular torso. Her heart fluttered, and she wished it hadn’t. This was hardly the reaction she wanted if she intended to make her dislike for him obvious.

  “Considering I’ve never seen you here before, I would say it’s quite a shock...especially dressed like that.” He tipped his silver-belly Stetson to the back on his head and grinned as his gaze slid over her again. “I never imagined in my wildest dreams that you would look so...so...”

  Her heartbeat sped slightly and her throat turned dry. Why was she having this reaction? Perhaps she was allergic to something. Yeah...him! “Like what, Mr. Grayson?”

  “So un-like a schoolteacher.”

  Taking a deep breath, she calmed her jittery nerves. “I can’t very well work in a stable wearing a dress, now can I?”

  “Apparently not.” He pulled away from the wall and sauntered toward her. “Do you need any help?”

  “No, I don’t. I can handle things just fine.”

  He nodded. “How about taking the horses out to be exercised?”

  She shrugged. “Since there are only two horses today, I’ll be all right.”

  “But it’ll be easier if I helped.”

  “Mr. Grayson, don’t you have anything better to do today besides antagonize me? Have you forgotten I won’t take that kind of treatment from you?”