“I think all we can do is hope he tires of her.” Frank knew his plan would put a halt to the judge’s relationship once and for all, but he couldn’t tell Charlotte.
“That woman could steal my inheritance.”
“I think Aunt Ruth will have something to say about that. I can’t see her allowing him to do something so foolish.”
“Did Father tell you how long he’s been seeing her?”
“I think he’s been seeing her for several months. She definitely has him under her spell.” Frank was equally captivated by Leigh, but he would never dangle on a woman’s hook like the judge.
“What does he see in that woman? While her dress was of fine quality, it was not one a lady would wear. I can’t believe a man of his advanced years would embarrass himself parading around with a woman so young. Can you imagine what our friends would say if she became my stepmother?” Charlotte had never been angry with her father, but this newly discovered relationship was too much for her to tolerate. She’d been the center of her father’s life, and she wasn’t about to allow an opportunistic interloper to change that.
Frank almost smiled at the image of Leigh as his wife’s stepmother. “Let’s get some sleep.” Frank was tired of hearing her whine, and he wanted a reprieve.
* * *
Early the next morning Frank rode to the small white clapboard house on the outskirts of Denver, where Reuben lived. He knocked on the door, and when no one responded, he opened the door and walked in.
“May I help you?” The owner of the house was riding by when he saw Frank at the door.
Frank turned to the man in the doorway. “I knew the fellow who lived here. Do you know what happened to him?”
“No, he left town rather suddenly after he’d been shot in a bank robbery. If you knew Reuben, then I’m sure you know he wasn’t cut out for this kind of life.”
Frank laughed. “You’re right about that. And he didn’t say where he was headed?”
“He said he didn’t know, but I suspect he went back East.”
Frank looked around the small, one-room house. He wondered if Reuben might have been careless enough to leave any clues behind. “Are you the owner of the house?”
“Yes, I’m Sam Drew, and the home is for rent if you’re interested.”
There were no homes nearby, so Frank assumed Sam just happened by. “Do you live near here?”
“No, I was riding into town and saw you at the door. I have a ranch a few miles east of town.”
“Would you consider renting this house for a month?” Frank thought this was the perfect place for his assignations with Leigh. He didn’t want to take her to the house where his boys were hiding out, and prying eyes would prevent him from going to her hotel room frequently.
“Only one month?”
“Yes, I’m afraid my business here will not take longer than that. I would stay at the hotel, but I prefer peace and quiet at night.” He doubted he’d ever be at the house overnight, but it was the perfect place to meet Leigh during the day.
“I suppose one month would be fine. It’s not like I have anyone else interested in the place. My wife keeps it clean, and as you can see, she does a good job.”
The two men settled on a price for the entire month, and Frank paid him in advance.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name,” Mr. Drew said.
“Corbin Jeffers.” Frank wasn’t about to give him his real name.
“Mr. Jeffers, I hope you enjoy your stay.”
* * *
Frank rode to the hotel and walked inside. There wasn’t a clerk at the desk, and no one was in the lobby, so he ran up the stairs to Leigh’s room. When Leigh opened the door, Frank stepped inside, closed and locked the door before giving her a kiss. “I have a place for us to go where it will be safe. We can’t take a chance on people seeing us right now. I will meet you at the back of the hotel with a buggy in two hours.”
“Are you sure no one will find us there?”
“It’s on the outskirts of town and there are no neighbors. I’m going to see my boys right now, but I’ll be back in two hours.” He kissed her again before he opened the door and slipped out.
* * *
“I can’t believe the judge let you go free.” Reb had told the others that Frank was confident the judge would see that he was freed, but he’d had his doubts.
“I appreciate you trying to get me out of jail, but I knew the outcome, so I stayed to help put out the fire,” Frank said. “I thought that act of kindness would go a long way with the judge.”
“You were right all along, Frank. You said when you met the judge that he was going to be your ticket out of this mess,” Reb said.
“Didn’t I always tell you boys that these yokels won’t ever hang me? The judge owes me now.”
“What do you mean? He owes you for marrying his daughter? Reb said she is real pretty,” Deke said.
“Well, in a way, he does owe me for marrying his daughter.” Frank explained to the men about the judge’s girlfriend, and how the judge trusted him to solve his problem with Leigh. When he told them what had transpired the prior evening with Leigh, they had a difficult time believing his luck.
“You mean to tell me you are involved with the judge’s girlfriend when you have a fine-looking wife waiting on you at home?” Reb said.
Frank laughed. “You should see her. She’s some woman.” Frank told them about the judge demanding that Jack and Morgan bring Joseph Longbow to Denver. “Morgan won’t bring Joseph, so that means we won’t have to worry about having him identifying us on the stand. We’ll go free, boys.”
“I’m liking this judge already,” Dutch said.
“But what happens when the judge finds out you’re seeing his woman?” Reb asked.
“We won’t be seen together. I’ve already taken care of that. She’s going to help us out with the robbery. When it’s done, she’s going to head back to Colorado City. I’ll meet up with her there.”
“What about your wife? If you leave her, won’t the judge put two and two together and figure out you are with his girlfriend?” Reb asked.
“I’m not leaving my wife for good,” Frank said.
“How are you going to manage keeping two women?” Deke asked.
Frank grinned at him. “They won’t be in the same city. I reckon I can keep up for a while until one or the other runs its course. I’m a lot younger than the judge, and look at the benefits.”
“Dang, Frank, I don’t know how you do it,” Corbin said.
“Can I help it if women love me? You just have to have a good plan,” Frank bragged.
“A plan is one thing, but women have a way of knowing when they’re playing second fiddle to another one,” Dutch said.
“You sound like a man speaking from experience,” Frank said.
“Well, I ain’t never married one,” Dutch said. “But a long time ago I had two girlfriends at the same time. And I can tell you when they found out about each other, it was a sight to see. They brawled like two men, in the middle of the street.”
The men laughed, and Frank said, “I’m counting on these two particular women not seeing eye to eye. Now, let’s get down to business and plan this bank robbery.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Addie and Granny finished preparing breakfast, and they were still waiting on Prescott to make his appearance.
“Girls, go ahead and eat while it’s warm. We won’t be waiting on Mr. Adler any longer.” Addie was irritated with Prescott for making them wait. He knew when they had to leave to get to school on time.
“I will be going into town later today to help out where I’m needed. I’m sure I can make sandwiches to keep the men filled while they’re working on the buildings. You and the girls walk to the mercantile after school and we will ride home together,” Granny said.
“Can we help after school? Maybe Davey will be there,” Jane said.
“We can see Papa,” Claire said.
Add
ie was pouring Granny some coffee, but she stopped long enough to give Claire the look. “Claire.”
Claire hung her head, pretending to be very interested in one of her fingers.
“We will help if Claire remembers what I have told her about calling the sheriff papa,” Addie said.
“Claire, remember what Miss Addie told you,” Jane whispered to her sister. “You don’t want to miss the chance to see Davey.”
Claire’s lower lip started to quiver. “I want Davey.”
Jane jumped out of her seat and put her arm around her sister. “We might see him today.”
Addie walked to Claire and Jane and gave them a hug. “We all have to remember to be happy for Davey.”
Jane walked back to her seat. “How can we be happy? Davey’s not happy without us.”
Addie didn’t have an answer. Jack had said the same thing. Near tears, Addie walked back to the stove.
“Maybe we should all pray for Davey’s happiness,” Granny said as she carried two more plates to the table.
Prescott walked into the room. “Good morning.”
Addie and Granny greeted him, but the girls remained silent. Addie placed a cup of coffee in front of him.
“I trust you had time to think over what we discussed last night,” Prescott said.
Addie had had another sleepless night thinking about Prescott’s offer, but she hadn’t changed her mind. She glanced at the girls and said, “Yes, I did, but I prefer to have this conversation alone.”
“Have you changed your mind?” Prescott pressed.
Knowing her response was not going to please him, Addie tried to delay the conversation. “We will talk about this later.”
Prescott reached for her hand. “I want an answer. Have you changed your mind?”
“No,” Addie said softly.
Granny placed a plate of food in front of him. “Time to eat.”
Addie took her seat and Granny said the prayer.
After the prayer, Prescott spoke first. “Addie, I don’t think this home is going to work out for one of our orphanages. I want you to return the children to Boston immediately. If you want to continue your employment with the orphanage, you will have to do so from Boston.”
Addie’s fork dropped to her plate with a loud clang. The girls and Granny stopped eating, their eyes darting from Addie to Prescott.
“You can’t be serious,” Addie said.
“I’m quite serious. I’ve had plenty of time to think this over. After seeing your inability to stop interfering with the boy’s adoption, I have determined you are not the best person to manage an orphanage independently. If you choose to return to Boston, the superintendent will supervise you.”
“What does that mean?” Jane asked.
Addie glanced at the girls. “Prescott, we should discuss this privately. Would you like to go into the parlor?”
“Why shouldn’t they know? They will be going back to Boston, and it’s best they know they will be returning as soon as possible. If you cannot accompany them to Boston, I will hire someone to do so. I plan to be on the next stage.”
“We can’t go back there. Davey is here,” Jane said, on the verge of crying.
“The boy is no longer your family. He has a new family,” Prescott said flatly.
Jane and Claire started crying.
“Prescott! How could you say such a thing?” Addie said, her voice faltering.
“Addie is right. You two go on in the parlor to have this discussion,” Granny said sternly.
Addie stood, hoping Prescott would listen to Granny. “Girls, it will be okay. We will work this out.”
“It’s time you and these children faced facts,” Prescott said. “Once they are back in Boston, they will each most likely be adopted by different families. They will no longer have contact with each other.” He glanced at Addie, and added, “I strongly suspect that you are the reason they have not been adopted to date.”
“Mr. Adler, I’d suggest you keep your opinions to yourself at this table,” Granny said. Granny wasn’t one to lose her patience, but Prescott had angered her.
Addie fled the room, hoping he would stop talking if she wasn’t there to listen. Prescott slammed his fork down on the plate and followed her from the room. Once they were in the parlor, Addie lit into him. “I can’t believe you could be so cruel! What are you thinking, saying those things to the girls? You know they are crazy about their brother.”
“As I said, Addie, you are too close to the children. You don’t think any family will be good enough to adopt them. They will have a better chance of being adopted once they are back in Boston without your interference.”
“Don’t you understand their feelings? If they are not adopted here, at least they are welcome to stay as long as they want. There is no reason for them to go back to Boston.”
“We strive to have children adopted. That endeavor seems beyond your comprehension,” Prescott countered peevishly.
“I understand perfectly that adoption is our purpose. What I do not understand is why children waiting to be adopted should be denied love and attention. Yes, I love these children, and I do not consider that a detriment to their well-being.”
Prescott wasn’t listening or didn’t care about her opinion. “There’s also the issue of your brother. You failed to mention to me that you had an outlaw brother. Had I known that in Boston, I wouldn’t have allowed you to open the orphanage here.”
“That’s not fair. At the time, I didn’t know Frank was an outlaw.”
“Still, this is a fact that I can’t ignore. I’ve made up my mind, and there is nothing further to discuss. The children are wards of the orphanage and as such, they will return to Boston.”
Addie was so angry, she worried she might say something that would only make things worse. She took a deep breath before she spoke. “You made this decision because I refuse to marry you. If I had said yes, would you still be doing this?”
“You were perfectly clear. If we married, you would want to adopt these children. That led me to believe that you do not possess the professional objectivity needed for the position.”
Addie wasn’t going to deny the truth. If professional objectivity meant she shouldn’t care about the children, then she wouldn’t argue the point. “I can’t get away until after the school year is complete to take the girls to Boston. And they need to finish this school year.” She was hoping he would forget all about this situation by the end of the term.
“I told you I will make arrangements to see they are chaperoned back to Boston. It is not necessary for you to come with them. They will complete their school term in Boston.”
“I never expected you to be so cruel, Prescott.” She had another thought, but she wasn’t certain it would make a difference if all he wanted to do was hurt her. “You don’t have to give us financial support for the orphanage, we can make it without your money.”
“This has nothing to do with finances.” To indicate he was through discussing this subject, he said, “I shall be staying at the boardinghouse until the next stage out of here.” Without another word, he walked out of the room.
Addie stood there staring at the doorway. What was she going to do? The girls would be devastated to leave Davey behind. Even if she had a husband, there was no way Prescott would allow her to adopt them. He was angry with her for rejecting him, and he was going to make sure she regretted her decision.
* * *
On the way to school, Morgan’s foreman was driving the buckboard with Prescott sitting beside him. Addie and the girls were in the back, and the entire way to town no one said a word. Prescott was dropped off at the boardinghouse, and as soon as he walked through the door, the girls asked Addie their many questions.
“I’m not sure what we are going to do, but I will try to keep you here with me,” Addie told them. “Let’s go to school and try not to worry about this.”
Addie had told Granny what Prescott said before they’d left home. Granny
told her not to worry since she didn’t think Prescott would be successful trying to find someone to accompany the girls to Boston. She was also confident that Prescott wouldn’t travel alone with two girls. Addie hoped Granny was right.
“Why does Mr. Adler hate us?” Jane asked.
“Oh, honey, Mr. Adler doesn’t hate you. He is doing what he thinks is best for you. He thinks you will have a better chance of being adopted in Boston.”
“Then why did he want us to come here?”
“I don’t think he understood how isolated some of the small towns are in the West.” Addie tried to remain positive for their sake. “Don’t ever think someone hates you, because it simply isn’t true.”
“He’s never talked to us like the sheriff. He doesn’t even act like he sees us. I don’t even think he knows our names,” Jane said.
Addie knew it was the truth. “He’s a busy man with a lot on his mind.” That was the kindest thing she could think to say at the moment. Granny always told her if you had nothing good to say about someone, say nothing.
* * *
When Granny returned to the ranch that morning, Morgan and Rose were in the kitchen. She told them that Prescott was insisting the girls return to Boston, and that the orphanage would be closed.
“Why would he do such a thing?” Rose asked.
“Because Addie refused to marry him. Addie thinks he will calm down, but I’m not so sure.”
“He didn’t take rejection well?” Rose asked.
“He did not,” Granny said. “I’m beginning to wonder if Prescott thought the children would be adopted quickly, and then he could take Addie back to Boston. I think he’s jealous of the attention she gives the children.”
“I know Addie was surprised by his arrival,” Rose said.
“If that’s the reason he made this decision, I’d say that man doesn’t know what he’s missing. Those are good children, and any man should be proud to have them. Do you think I should talk to him when we get to town? Perhaps I can persuade him to change his mind,” Morgan asked Granny.
“You can try, but judging by his attitude this morning, I doubt he’ll want to be reasonable.”
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