“Granny always knows what everyone needs,” Addie said.
“Why did she call her husband Preacher?” Marshal Holt asked.
Addie and Rose looked at each other and shrugged. They had never heard their grandfather called by his given name.
“He was a preacher, and everyone called him that,” Addie said.
Their conversation stopped when Granny walked back into the room, and their eyes turned on her.
Seeing they were staring at her, Granny said, “Is something wrong?”
“Marshal Holt asked why you call our grandfather Preacher, and we didn’t know the answer,” Addie said.
Granny stopped, and stared off into space, her lips curving into a wistful smile as if a precious memory had taken hold. Finally, she blinked, and her thoughts returned to the present. “A week before my seventh birthday, we had a new visiting preacher who came to our small town. People gathered in our yard under a large weeping willow tree, where we held services in the summertime, to hear him speak. I can remember my mama and grandmother in a flutter that day because the preacher was having dinner at our home after the service. My father teased my mama about her head being turned by the handsome preacher. My mama was an uncommonly beautiful woman, and the ladies thought the preacher was as handsome as my mama was beautiful. Even though I was just a small child, I knew there was something special about him. But watching him that day I realized something very important. Mama was never one to flaunt her beauty, always saying beauty came from the inside. Just like Mama, the preacher didn’t seem to set great store in his looks. Listening to him speak that day, I felt like I could almost see into his heart. His calling in life was to lead people to the Lord. Maybe some folks were drawn to him because of his handsome face, but everyone left knowing they’d met someone very special.
“On my birthday, my grandmother made me a doll. I named that old rag doll Preacher. Everyone told me it was a girl doll, and it should have a girl’s name, but I wouldn’t listen. I insisted on calling that doll Preacher. I told them that one day I would marry a man just like the handsome preacher. When I was thirteen years old, your grandfather moved to our town. He was sixteen years old, and his family called him Preacher. His mama told me he knew at twelve years of age he was going to be a preacher. And just like that preacher I met that day so long ago, your grandfather was just as special.”
“Granny, I can’t believe you have never told us that story,” Addie said.
“Honey, I have so many wonderful stories of the old days, I sometimes forget what I’ve told you.”
“Don’t forget these stories, they are the ones passed down that connect the generations over the years,” Marshal Holt said.
“Marshal Holt, I’m sure thankful you are still with us,” Granny said.
“I’m the one thankful for you, Granny.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Jack and Morgan reached the area where Morgan had left a message for Joseph before. The tracks of the horses they were trailing crossed through the area.
“How will you know if Joseph was here?” Jack asked.
“He’ll leave me a message.” Morgan looked toward the sky, and said, “He’s been here recently.”
Jack glanced at him. “How do you know?”
“Be observant like the owl.”
Jack frowned at him. “What?”
“That’s what Joseph told me to do.” Morgan pointed to one tall pine tree.
Jack looked up and saw the white owl feather hanging upside down from a limb. “Now what do we do?”
“We build a fire.” Morgan unsaddled the horses while Jack built the fire.
As frustrating as it was to spend another night out here without finding the children, Jack knew he had no choice.
They didn’t have long to wait before Joseph came walking from the trees with two braves and the three children. Jack and Morgan immediately recognized the two braves who had helped them out a few months ago.
Claire ran to Jack. “Papa!”
Jane was right behind Claire, but Davey held back. Jack tried to fight back his tears as he kneeled and gathered the girls in his arms. “Thank God you are okay.”
“We . . . just . . . wanted . . . to . . . be . . . together.” Jane was crying so hard, it was difficult for Jack to understand what she said.
Jack looked at Davey standing apart from them. He stood and said, “Come here, Davey.”
Davey took a tentative step toward Jack, fearing Jack was angry with him. When Davey reached him, Jack leaned over and wrapped him in his arms. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again.”
Davey had tears running down his cheeks as he hugged Jack tightly. “I won’t go back to Mr. Coburn.”
“If you want to run away again, you’ll have to let me know so I can go with you.” Jack dropped to his knees and held on to all three children. “Are you hurt?”
“No, sir. White Cloud and Little Elk found us and took us to Joseph,” Davey said.
Jack turned to the braves and thanked them. “Didn’t the braves scare you?”
“At first, the girls were afraid, but they were nice to us,” Davey replied.
“Once you were in the trees, how did you know which direction to go?” Morgan asked.
“The angels told us,” Jane replied.
Jack and Morgan exchanged a look. “They talked to you?” Morgan asked.
Jane nodded. “Didn’t they tell you where we were?”
“I guess they did,” Jack replied.
“White Cloud and Little Elk were hunting and found them,” Joseph said.
Morgan motioned for everyone to sit down. “Did White Cloud and Little Elk find them before dark last night?”
Joseph nodded, and Jack breathed a sigh of relief they hadn’t spent the night alone.
“They built a fire and gave us food,” Davey said.
“You scared us all to death. Miss Addie is beside herself with worry.”
Jane had calmed down enough to say, “We didn’t want anyone to worry, but we didn’t want to go back to Boston with Mr. Adler. Davey couldn’t stay with Mr. Coburn any longer because he hit him with a strap.”
“Is that true, Davey? Did Coburn hit you?” Jack asked.
“Show him your back, Davey,” Jane softly urged.
Davey didn’t meet Jack’s eyes. Jack didn’t want to embarrass him in front of everyone by asking him to remove his shirt. “We’ll talk about this later, Davey. You’re not going back.”
Joseph looked at Jack across the fire. “You are ill.”
Morgan told Joseph about Jack being shot again, along with the U.S. Marshal.
“You are shot many times. You should wear the medicine pouch.”
Jack didn’t want to worry the children, but he thought he could use Joseph’s medicine pouch right now.
Morgan handed Joseph and the braves some coffee. “It’s safe for you to come home, Joseph. Tell Little Elk and White Cloud to come with us, and they can take two steers.”
Joseph spoke to his braves, and they nodded their thanks to Morgan.
Claire climbed onto Jack’s lap and leaned against his chest. Jane picked up a blanket and wrapped it around her sister. “Did you mean it when you said Davey didn’t have to go back to Mr. Coburn’s?”
“I meant it. And you girls aren’t going to Boston.” Jack hesitated, trying to decide if he should tell the children about his marriage. He thought they needed some reassurance, so he said, “Children, I don’t want to get your hopes up, but Miss Addie and I are going to try to adopt you.”
“But you have to be married,” Jane said.
“Miss Addie is going to marry me.”
“Really?” Jane asked.
“Yep. We’re hoping you will want to be our children.”
“Forever?” Davey asked.
Though Davey tried to mask his hopeful question, Jack saw it in his eyes. “Forever.”
Claire pulled Jack’s face down so she could stare into his eyes. “You’re my
papa.”
Jack found himself tearing up again at the faith Claire had from the beginning that he was her papa. “That’s right, honey. I’ll be your papa for as long as you want me.” Jack didn’t know what kind of reaction he expected, but it wasn’t the one he received. All three children started crying.
“I thought it would make you happy,” Jack said.
“We are happy. We just never thought it would happen,” Jane said. “We’ve always wanted Miss Addie as our mother, and when we met you, we prayed you would marry her before someone else adopted us.”
“Your prayers were answered, as were mine. I always wanted a brave boy and two beautiful girls.”
* * *
Addie ran out the door as soon as she saw Jack coming out of the woods with Claire sitting in front of him, and Jane behind him. Davey was riding behind Morgan. When they pulled their horses to a halt, Addie reached for Claire. Jane and Davey slid off the horses and ran to her. She hugged them tightly. “What were you children thinking? What if something had happened to you? What would I have done?”
“We’re okay, Miss Addie,” Davey said.
Addie’s eyes sought Jack’s and she noticed he was very pale and moving slowly. “Jack?”
“I’m okay.”
Morgan took the reins of both horses. “He needs to be in bed.”
“Children, help me get the sheriff inside.” Addie placed her arm around Jack’s waist and Davey moved to his other side.
“Can you make it upstairs?” Addie asked.
“Of course, I’m just a little stiff.”
Davey and Addie got Jack to the bed, and Granny hurried into the room. After she hugged the children, she walked to the bed and scowled at Jack. “Tell me you didn’t get shot again.”
Jack gave her a grin. “I’m glad to see you too. And no, I didn’t get shot again.”
“Let’s get you out of that coat so I can take a look at your shoulder.” Granny and Addie helped him remove his coat and shirt. “You’ve bled through that bandage.” Granny placed her hand on his forehead. “And you’re burning up with fever. Just like the last time I tended you. I should shoot you myself.”
“I love you too, Granny.” Jack winked at the children, causing them to laugh.
“Oh, hush,” Granny said, but she was smiling right along with the children. She turned to Addie and said, “Boil some water so we can clean this again. I’ll have to put in a few new stitches.”
Addie asked the children to go with her so Jack could have a minute to himself.
“Addie, I told the children we are getting married.” Jack was trying to prepare her for all the questions they’d asked him on the way home.
“The sheriff said you are going to adopt us,” Jane said.
“Yes, we are, and we are very excited about that.” Addie turned to leave the bedroom, with the children right behind her asking their rapid-fire questions.
“Addie, I think you forgot something,” Jack said.
She turned back to him. “What?”
“You didn’t even kiss your soon-to-be husband.”
Addie smiled at him and walked back to the bed and kissed him.
“Eww,” Davey and Jane said together, and Claire clapped.
Jack laughed at their response. “You better get used to that, because I plan on kissing Miss Addie a hundred times a day.”
* * *
After Jack’s shoulder was sewn back together and bandaged, Granny took the children to get washed and ready for dinner while Addie spent a few minutes alone with Jack. Jack told Addie how the braves helped the children, so they hadn’t been in the woods alone all night. “They said the angels told them which way to go.”
“Emma and I always heard angels laughing, but Rose heard angels singing. She told me the day the house burned down, she was running through the woods toward the farm and she heard voices telling her to turn back, like someone was warning her of danger.”
“Maybe Joseph is right when he says the Great Spirit watches what happens in those pines. It’s definitely an unusual place.”
Addie realized she’d never asked him what he heard when he rode through there. “What do you hear?”
“I always hear laughter too.”
“Granny always told us that people hear different things. Just like Rose, Morgan hears singing.”
“Would you mind getting Davey for me? I need to speak to him alone.”
His serious tone worried Addie. “Is something wrong?”
“Nothing that I can’t handle.” Jack kissed her forehead.
* * *
Davey walked into the room and Jack asked him to close the door. “Come over and sit beside me.”
When Davey sat down, Jack said, “I wanted to talk to you alone. Please tell me the truth, Davey. Did Mr. Coburn hit you?”
“Yes, sir.”
Jack felt his anger rising, but he tried to keep his voice calm. “With a strap?”
Davey nodded.
“Will you show me?”
Davey slowly raised his shirt and turned so Jack could see his back.
The fading imprints of a strap were still visible on Davey’s back. He’d been struck hard enough to leave marks, and more than once. The proof was there for Jack to see. Jack pulled Davey to his chest. “Aw, Davey, why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t do something he wanted done fast enough. And I was afraid that you’d shoot him, and then you wouldn’t be sheriff anymore. It wasn’t the first time I’ve been hit.”
Jack knew firsthand how a kid sometimes thought it was their fault if an adult hit them. “It may not have been the first time someone hit you, but it’s the last time. I want you to know that I will never lay a hand on you in anger.”
Davey had a hard time believing that nothing would make Jack angry enough to hit him. “What if I do something that makes you mad?”
“Even if you do something that makes me really angry, I will never hit you.”
“What if I took your horse without permission?” Davey knew how Jack valued his horse.
“I might make you sit in your room for a while to think about things.”
“What if you caught me smoking?” Davey remembered some of the older boys at the orphanage got caught smoking, and they received several lashes when the superintendent found out.
Jack chuckled. “I doubt I’d have to punish you for that. I imagine you’d be so sick, that would be punishment enough.”
“What if—”
“No more what-if’s, I gave you my word. So let’s shake on it, man to man.” Jack stuck his hand out to Davey.
Davey started to shake, but Jack pulled his hand back. “Wait a minute. You have to give me your word that you won’t try to think of mischief just to test me.”
Davey smiled at him. “I won’t.”
The two shook hands to seal their deal.
“Sheriff, do you think my ma really named me after King David?”
Without missing a beat, Jack said, “I sure do. It takes a brave man to walk through that forest with two young girls. I think your ma knew you were going to be a special man.”
Davey didn’t smile, but Jack could see in his eyes that he was pleased.
“You know, Davey, there is something else you need to think about. When you are faced with many burdens, instead of questioning why it happened to you, or blaming God, you should remember that blessings come with burdens. The Good Lord chooses those who can handle the burdens. Just like King David, you’ve handled your burdens well.”
Davey’s eyes met Jack’s. “Would you mind calling me David from now on?”
“I think that is a fine idea.”
* * *
The next morning Addie walked into the bedroom, but Jack wasn’t there. She hurried downstairs to the kitchen and found a note on the table. “Coffee is made, and I will be back in a few hours. I love you, Miss Addie.”
Morgan and Rose walked into the room, and Addie said, “Do you know where Jack went?”
>
“I didn’t know he’d left.” It worried Morgan that Jack had left without saying where he was going.
“He left me a note saying he’d be back in a few hours.” Addie chewed on her lip. He’d told her last night he’d talked to Davey about Coburn. Davey had told him Mr. Coburn had hit him, but Jack told her not to worry, he’d promised Davey no one would ever hit him again. He also told her to start calling Davey, David, and not make a big deal out of it, and to ask the family to do the same thing.
Morgan thought it odd Jack didn’t tell Addie where he was going.
Addie realized where Jack had gone. “Morgan, he talked to Davey about . . .”
Morgan didn’t give her a chance to finish. As soon as Addie said Jack talked to Davey, he knew. He kissed Rose, grabbed his hat and coat off the hook by the back door, and ran out the door.
Addie and Rose stood there staring after him.
“What was that about?” Rose asked.
“Jack went to see Mr. Coburn.”
* * *
Morgan pulled his horse to a halt in front of the sheriff’s new office. Jack’s deputy, Webb, walked outside to greet him.
“Hello, Morgan. What are you doing in town so early?”
Morgan didn’t dismount, and didn’t waste time on small talk. “Have you seen Jack?”
“Yeah, I was surprised to see him here so early this morning. Strangest thing happened; he gave me his badge and said I was acting sheriff right now. Said he’d let me know when he was up to taking over again.”
Just as Morgan suspected, Jack was going to confront Coburn. “Thanks, Webb.”
Morgan had already turned his horse when Webb called out.
“He didn’t head back to the farm.”
“I know.”
* * *
Morgan made it to the Coburn farm in record time. Before he could get out of the saddle, Sarah Coburn came running from the back of the house.
“Stop him, Mr. LeMasters, he’s going to kill him!” Sarah shrieked.
Morgan rode behind the house and saw Jack pulling Roy Coburn off the ground by the front of his shirt.
“Stand up, Coburn. You like to hit someone, well I’m right here. Try someone your own size for a change.” As soon as Jack released Coburn’s shirt, he dropped to the ground.
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