“What type of work?” Shannon ventured to ask.
“Well, she cooked for all the workers, maintained our home, and sewed many of our clothes. There was even a time when we first came here that she would make her own fabric, but once the ranch started turning a profit, Pa insisted she work less and buy her fabric in town.”
Shannon toyed with the edge of her napkin. She could never cook for a crew of hungry cowboys. She barely knew how to cook at all. Maybe this wasn’t such a grand idea.
“Of course, now we have a cook who fixes meals for our workers. I generally eat down there now that my folks are gone.”
She wondered if he was lonely in his big house all alone. But then he saw his workers every day and probably was glad to get away from them for a time.
“I heard that Dan Howard came back from Dallas with a whole wagon filled with kids. That right?”
Shannon nodded. “Aye, five of them.”
“Whew! That’s quite a lot when you’re not used to any of them. I bet he’s sure glad he’s getting married soon.”
Shannon pressed her lips together. Evidently Rand had only heard part of the town’s gossip, but she wasn’t about to mention Leah’s decision to call off the wedding. She still didn’t understand how her friend could leave the man she loved in such a lurch. Leah had hardly left her room, and when she did, it was obvious she’d been crying.
They talked about menial things as they ate their food, and then Rand escorted Shannon back to the boardinghouse. “Do you like working at the freight office?”
She bristled. He had no idea what a loaded question that was.
“I mean, I just wondered. I know some women enjoy working a job, but most I know prefer tending their home.”
“I work because I must support myself.” Working for the Corbetts was no longer her ideal job, but it paid her room and board and gave her a wee bit extra. “I like doing the book work. I find it quite rewarding.”
Rand nodded. “My ma used to help my pa with our bookkeeping. She always said she was better at calculating than he.” A soft smile tugged at his lips, and he seemed lost in his memories.
Someone was playing the piano in the boardinghouse parlor, and the lively jig switched to a slow tune. The soft music set Shannon in a mood for romance. Her thoughts shifted to Mark, but just as fast, she tugged them back to the man beside her. She could make a life with Rand; she felt sure of it. He was kind, thoughtful, and, she suspected, a good provider. His clothing was always nice, albeit a bit dust-coated, and his boots looked well worn but cared for. If he treated his wife as well, she could live a decent life. She sighed. Maybe not the one she’d dreamed of, but she’d finally have a home. If he asked her to marry him, she would say yes.
“You mind watching the sunset with me?”
Shannon swallowed hard and shook her head. Rand turned left on Bluebonnet Lane, and they walked to the edge of town and stood, watching the sunset. Pink and orange hues turned deep purple as the light left the sky. A near-full moon took up where the sun left off. Crickets sang in the tall grass along the side of the road, and in the distance, a coyote howled.
“I reckon we oughta get back. Thank you for walking with me, Shannon.”
“My pleasure.” She smiled, captured by the intensity of Rand’s expression. Her heart thumped.
He looked as if he was trying to say something but couldn’t quite figure out how to do it. Suddenly, he yanked off his hat and held it in front of him, as if guarding his heart. “I know we haven’t known each other long, but I wondered if you would consent to marry me. I’ve got a nice ranch house, and you’d be comfortable there. We’re close enough that you could come to town once in a while to visit with your friends, and there’s all the beef you could ever want to eat.”
Shannon’s stomach clenched, and her heart nearly leapt from her chest. A rather unconventional marriage proposal, but ’twas what she wanted, was it not?
She had to be practical. Rand wasn’t the man she loved, but she needed a home, and his was as good as any. Her head nodded, but her heart still argued. Was she making the biggest mistake of her life?
CHAPTER 28
You kids had better hurry, or you’ll be late for school.” Luke eyed Jack, even though she knew he was talking to the Morgans, too.
She swigged down the last of her milk and stood. “All right. I’m goin’.”
Billy and Tessa followed her into the kitchen, where they all retrieved their lunch pails. They clomped down the hall toward the front door. Jack hated this part of the day, with a full morning of lessons ahead. She longed to run over to the newspaper office and see if Jenny Evans had any work she could do. Ever since Jack had helped the newspaper lady at the bride contest, Jenny occasionally let her assist her or sell papers.
“Jack, hold up a minute.”
She turned to see her papa had followed them to the door.
“You kids go on; I want to talk to my daughter a moment.”
Billy eyed them with curiosity but shrugged his shoulders and walked outside with his sister.
“I wanted you to know that I was finally able to get over to see that Laird boy yesterday evening. He claims he didn’t steal that pie—that he wasn’t even in town.”
Jack’s mouth went dry. Should she tell him it was Billy? What would he do to her if he found out she’d told? She had a feeling he wasn’t the kind of person to go easy on someone who’d gotten him in trouble.
Luke shook his head. “I don’t know as I believe Butch, but he did look sincere. If he was lying, he sure fooled me. Well, anyhow, I wanted you to know I talked with him. Don’t think he’ll be causing any more trouble, since they’re leaving town.”
“What do you mean?”
“Mr. Laird sold all his hog stock, and he and his boy were packing a wagon. Guess they figured the boy had caused enough trouble in town that they’d best move on. Wise decision, if you ask me.”
Butch was leaving? The thought partly made her want to cheer, but it also made her feel bad, for some odd reason. Was it her fault they were leaving their home? How could she ever apologize to Butch if he was gone? She’d have to find a way to go over and see him before he left. If she didn’t repent of her sins and apologize to him, would she go to hell when she died? She swallowed hard, her breakfast churning in her belly.
“You all right, half bit? I thought you’d be thrilled at the news.”
She forced a smile. “Oh, I am. But I need to get to school. Wouldn’t want to be late, would I?”
Luke eyed her as if he didn’t quite believe her, and at times like this, she so wished her new papa wasn’t a lawman. He was too perceptive. She scurried out the door and shut it behind her. How was she going to talk to Butch?
“Wait till you see this, Jacqueline.”
She hated the snide way Billy said her name, but curiosity pushed her feet in his direction. He pointed to the bank wall, and what she saw on the side of it froze her to the road. Her heart pounded like the hooves of a runaway horse.
Billy hee-hawed. “Ain’t that a hoot?”
“I don’t think that’s very nice thing to do,” Tessa said.
Jack wanted to close her eyes, but the giant, barn red letters stared back at her: JACK is A LIAR.
Tessa gasped and pointed across the street. “Look, it’s not just on the bank. It’s also on our new store. Mama isn’t gonna like that.”
Dread gripped Jack as she turned and saw the big letters painted on the fresh, raw wood of the store’s walls. JACK is A LIAR.
She should have repented sooner. Should have told her papa what she’d done. Now the whole town would know. Nobody would believe a word she said. Ever.
Billy’s laughter echoed behind her. She wanted to punch him quiet, but she’d done enough already. With dread in her heart, she stared down Main Street. Almost every other building had the hated words painted on them.
JACK IS A LIAR.
JACK IS A LIAR.
The words bounced around in her mi
nd until she thought her head would explode. Jenny was out front of her office, already scrubbing the letters. She saw Jack, dropped her rag in a bucket, and walked toward her. Jack wanted to run. To hide. But she couldn’t move.
“Jack, do you have any idea who did this?”
“I don’t know.” She shook her head. But she did know, and now she was telling another lie. “I might.”
A sudden thought raced across her mind. She felt her eyes widen. “You’re not going to print anything in the paper about this, are you?”
Jenny’s eyes turned compassionate. “I’m sorry, honey, but this is news, and I’m in the news business. Who would be angry enough to do such a thing? Did you upset one of your friends?”
Jack closed her eyes. Everyone in the county would soon know that she was a liar. How could she face anybody again?
“Jacqueline, I need to see the marshal, right away.” Dolly Dykstra waddled down the dirt road, her rose-colored skirts swaying from side to side. The near gray-headed woman had to be almost as wide as she was tall. “Do you know who defaced my building? Do you know how difficult it is to find paint the color of a thistle?”
Why was the lady angry at her? She was innocent, and it was her reputation that had been ruined.
Just like she’d help ruin Butch’s.
“Do you know where the marshal is or not?” Miss Dykstra crossed her arms over her big bosom and tapped one finger against her shoulder.
Her papa was the last person she wanted to see right now. She had to get away. Billy’s laughter rang through her mind. How many other schoolchildren had seen the paint on their way to school? It hardly mattered that many of them were too young to figure out the words, because the older kids would gladly tell them what they said.
A sob escaped, and she tore down the street, tears streaming from her eyes and making it hard to see. She had to get away from town. Away from those awful words.
She had to find Butch and beat him to a pulp.
She’d never apologize to him.
How had she even considered it?
As long as she lived, she’d hate Butch Laird.
Leah sat at the table even though everyone else had gone. Shannon had hurried to her room to work on some project she’d started the day before. Dishes clinked in the kitchen where Rachel was cleaning up, and the low hum of voices from her and the marshal drifted Leah’s way.
Her heart felt battered, as if a herd of cattle had stampeded it into the ground. She rested her cheek on her hand, unable to find the energy to move. What was she going to do now that she couldn’t marry Dan? How was he managing with all those little children?
In spite of everything, she longed to see him. To be held safely within the confines of his strong arms. To kiss his warm, eager lips. But she never would again. Tears blurred her eyes, and someone pounded on the door. Luke hurried down the hall to answer it. Leah heard raised voices, and the door shut. Some emergency must have pulled the marshal away from home again.
Maybe it was time for her to return home. Would her parents accept her back? She was pretty certain her ma willingly would, but her father was another issue. She’d wounded his pride and made him look bad in Mr. Abernathy’s eyes. It didn’t matter that the old man wanted to buy her. No, her pa would only see that she’d made him a laughingstock by running off. The only thing that had surprised her was that he hadn’t come and found her and hauled her back. Just the thought sent a shiver down her spine.
Rachel entered the dining room, holding a cup of steaming coffee in her hand. She set it on the table and sat in the chair next to Leah. “It might help to talk about things. You’ve been moping around ever since Dan returned with the children. I haven’t even seen you working on your wedding dress.”
Leah’s chin wobbled. “I’m not working on it anymore.”
Rachel blinked, looking confused. “Why ever not? The wedding is the day after tomorrow. We need to plan the menu for your wedding dinner.”
Leah stared at the tablecloth and flicked her finger at a crumb. “There isn’t going to be a wedding.”
“What?”
Leah shook her head and pursed her lips, trying to keep additional tears at bay. “I called it off.”
Shock engulfed Rachel’s face, and her pale blue eyes opened wide. “Why? I know you two love each other. It’s evident to all who see you together.”
Leah shrugged one shoulder, ashamed to confess why she canceled the wedding. It sounded cruel and petty to say she didn’t want to mother those poor orphans. Her heart ached for them, but she couldn’t be their new ma.
“Is it the children?” Rachel patted Leah’s arm. “I know that was quite a surprise. Dan should have telegraphed you and told you about them before he brought them back, so you’d have time to get used to the idea.”
She shook her head. “I doubt that would have helped. After practically raising my siblings, I’ve decided I don’t want any children, much less five that aren’t even my own.”
Rachel looked taken aback, but she continued on. “I realize that it’s not an ideal situation, but those poor children are orphans. They need two loving adults to raise them now that their parents are gone. It’s a noble thing Dan is doing, and it’s that big heart of his that you fell in love with.”
“I know, and I feel awful. I’ve hurt him something horrible, but I don’t know what else to do. I can’t go against what I believe. I’d just make everybody miserable.”
Rachel stared at the window and tapped her index finger on the table. “Hmm…have you prayed about this? Asked God what He wants you to do?”
Guilt washed over Leah as if someone had dumped a bucket of cold water on her. She’d been so upset that she hadn’t prayed. What kind of a Christian was she?
“In Psalm 127, the Bible tells us that ‘children are an heritage of the LORD.’ It also says, ‘As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, so are the children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them.’”
Yeah, happy is the man, but what about the woman? Leah shifted in her seat. Was her thought blasphemous to the scriptures?
“If you don’t mind,” Rachel said, “I’d like to pray now. It’s never too late to seek God’s guidance. He’s in the business of changing hearts. Just look at me and Luke. When Luke first returned to Lookout, he wanted nothing to do with me, but God changed his heart and made me a very happy woman. He can change your heart, too, Leah, if you let Him.”
Well, therein lay the problem. She didn’t want to change. She wanted Dan but not a houseful of children. Still, praying couldn’t hurt, so she bowed her head.
Rachel grasped Leah’s hand. “Heavenly Father, I know Leah didn’t count on being a mother right from the start of her wedding day, but You know all things. You knew these children were going to lose their parents, sad as that is, and that they’d need new ones. Open Leah’s heart. She is a kind woman with lots of love to give. Let her see that children are a blessing sent from You, and You will not give her more than she can bear.”
Rachel sat silent for a few moments, then raised her head. “I know life wasn’t easy for you, helping your mother with all your siblings, but things are much different when you’re the mother. God puts so much love in your heart for each child, and like I prayed, He’ll never send more your way than you’re able to handle.”
Leah considered her friend’s words. She’d been so upset the past few days that she hadn’t prayed. Hadn’t wanted to talk to God. Couldn’t He have prevented Dan’s brother and wife from dying or his other sister from being pregnant just at the time the children would need her?
She winced, realizing again how selfish her thoughts were. But Rachel didn’t understand. She only had one child.
“What’s going through that head of yours?” Rachel smiled. “I can see the wheels turning.”
“I just don’t think I can do it.”
“What? Marry Dan? Raise his nieces and nephews?”
“Yes, I mean, I still want to marry
Dan, with all of my heart, but I don’t want to be a mother, especially not so soon.” She wrung the edge of the tablecloth in her hands. Would Rachel be disgusted for her lack of compassion?
“It’s a big shock, I know. But we do what we must. I think if you will spend some time in prayer that God will speak to you.”
Leah nodded. She believed in her heavenly Father, and He seemed more approachable here than back in Missouri. Perhaps His help was needed more here in Texas with the harsher living conditions and the dangers surrounding them. Part of her longed to cry out to God, but the other part was afraid. What if it was God’s will for her to marry Dan and mother the children? How could she bear it?
Footsteps sounded on the porch, and the door burst open. “Rachel!”
The boardinghouse owner bolted to her feet at her husband’s frantic voice. “In here, Luke.”
He hurried through the doorway and grabbed her hand. “C’mon. Something’s happened.”
Leah jumped up and followed them, curious as to what had gotten the mild-mannered marshal so agitated. Rachel stopped as she walked down the porch steps, and her hand covered her mouth as she stared across the street. “Who would do such an awful thing?”
“I have my suspicions,” Luke said. “But the important thing is that Jack saw it and got upset and ran off somewhere. We’ve got to find her.”
Leah glanced across the street and saw the harsh red letters: JACK is A LIAR.
Jack was an ornery child and definitely a tomboy, but she wasn’t mean and didn’t deserve this shame heaped on her. Leah’s heart ached for the girl. “I can help search.”
Jack ran all the way to Butch’s land. Her lungs screamed for her to stop, and a pain grabbed her side. Finally, she smelled the hog pens, and she slowed her steps. Gasping for breath, she pressed her hand to her aching side and studied the old place. The house was set at an odd angle and looked smaller than the parlor in her own home.
She lifted her hand to her nose. Where were all the hogs? They might be gone, but the stench sure wasn’t. The only sounds she heard were the thudding of her heartbeat, her ragged breathing, and birds chirping in a nearby tree.
Second Chance Brides (Texas Boardinghouse Brides 2) Page 26