Truly Yours Historical Collection December 2014

by Susan Page Davis, Paige Winship Dooly, Connie Stevens

  He stood and gestured at the door. “I don’t think we have any more to say to one another.”

  Stunned, Megan didn’t think her legs would carry her from the office. She was going to lose her home. All the memories of her parents and brother, all the good times they shared were still there in that house and the land. She couldn’t leave.

  She felt a hand grip her elbow. As if in a dream, Megan looked down to find Jesse’s strong fingers lifting her up. She didn’t want to leave. There had to be some way to convince Mr. Sparks to let them have more time. They just couldn’t lose their home. Where would they go?

  Jesse let go of her elbow and gently touched her waist. He held her close like he was trying to shelter her from hurt. Her heart swelled with love for this man. What had her mother said when they left their home to move to Dakota Territory? Home is not a place, but a group of people. As long as she had Jesse, Seana, and now the baby, she would be at home. Her memories of her family would always be there, no matter where Jesse took them to live.

  As they stepped out onto the street, the sun dipped behind a cloud, bathing everything in shade for a few minutes. Down the street a man carried a child into the doctor’s house. The sheriff stood in front of the jail, an imposing figure even from this distance. A man hurried along the walkway, most likely heading home for his lunch. Megan thought life seemed to go on for others no matter how the current crises made her feel as if time were at a standstill.

  “I need to check on some mail.” Jesse managed to give her cheek a chaste kiss as he spoke close to her ear. “Do you want to go with me or wait in the wagon? As soon as I get done, we’ll head home.”

  “Seana and I will wait for you.” Megan forced herself to move closer to their horses. “I don’t want to sit down. We’ll be doing enough of that on the trip home.”

  Jesse gave her arm a light squeeze. “Okay. I’ll be back as soon as I can. This shouldn’t take long.”

  Time seemed to stretch as Megan and Seana walked a bit, then stood by the wagon. The sun played peekaboo with clouds that were growing larger and darker. Megan pushed away the worry that they would be caught out in a storm on the way home. She hated for Seana to be exposed to weather like that. Her sister had been getting stronger and hadn’t been sick for weeks now. She didn’t want that to change.

  “Ready to go?”

  Megan jumped as Jesse spoke from behind her. She hadn’t heard or seen him coming. One glance at the frown on his face told her his news hadn’t been good. She could see at least two letters protruding from his pocket. With his help, she climbed aboard the wagon, trying to wait patiently for him to tell her what he’d heard.

  They rode in silence for the first hour. Seana, tired from the long morning trip, lay down in the wagon bed and took a nap. Megan wished she could join her sister. The past couple of weeks she’d been so tired. A thrill flowed through her as she remembered the cause of her unusual exhaustion. She would be having a baby this winter. From her reckoning, the little one should arrive around Thanksgiving or Christmastime.

  In the midst of plans for making baby clothes, knitting stockings and such, Megan didn’t realize Jesse had been talking until he touched her arm. She jumped. “I’m sorry, did you say something?”

  “Were you asleep or doing some heavy thinking?” A slight smile let her know he wasn’t upset with her.

  Her faced warmed. “I. . .I was thinking about the baby.” She stared down at her feet, not sure why she was so embarrassed.

  Jesse slipped his arm around her shoulder. “I haven’t gotten used to the idea of me being a father, but I am happy.” He paused, his fingers caressing her arm. “In fact, I haven’t been this content before in my life. I know the situation with the bank looks grim, but I can’t help feeling as if I’m right where God wants me to be. Does that make sense?”

  Megan’s vision blurred. She blinked as she gazed up into Jesse’s serious face. Staring into his eyes, she thought she could see into the very depths of his soul. Emotion welled up, almost choking her. Jesus, You blessed me so much with this man. Thank You.

  “It makes perfect sense.” Megan touched Jesse’s cheek. “I do get afraid sometimes, but right now I’m looking forward to seeing how God will work this out. After all, He’s the one who got you to start the church out here. I don’t believe He’ll ask us to quit before we truly get started.”

  Jesse hugged her close, a slight smile easing his serious expression. “I need to talk to you about something.” Thunder rumbled in the distance. Jesse flicked the reins to urge the horses to keep moving. Megan knew this had something to do with the letters he’d gotten. She tried to relax, but had the feeling bad news would follow.

  “I need to leave.” Jesse’s arm tightened as Megan flinched.

  “What?” She pushed away from him, half-turning so she could see him better.

  “I have to go back home. I have some business there.” He touched the envelopes protruding from his pocket. “My father is very sick.”

  Megan gasped. “I’m sorry. Of course, you’ll want to go.”

  “Thank you for understanding. While I’m there, I also need to attend to some matters I’ve been looking into.” Jesse dwarfed her small hand with his large one and gave a comforting squeeze. “This is a bad time for me to be gone, but I’ll get back as fast as I can. At least I won’t have any blizzards to contend with this time.” His attempt to lighten the moment failed.

  “How long will it take you to ride all the way to Chicago and back?” Megan tried to act like she wasn’t scared.

  “I’m not going to ride there. William suggested I go to Sioux Falls and take the train. That way my travel time will be cut. I’m hoping to be back in two weeks at the most. Sparks gave us six weeks, so I’ll be here in plenty of time to keep him away.”

  “Keep him away? William suggested the train?” Megan shook her head, feeling like there must be cobwebs keeping her from thinking straight. “I think maybe you should explain what you’re talking about.”

  Raindrops spattered around them. Jesse reached back and wrestled the tarp over the edges of the wagon so Seana wouldn’t get wet. Then he pulled a smaller piece over Megan and himself for shelter.

  “William and I have been talking about the problems with the bank. We have some ideas that something isn’t right. I think I know why. I had planned to go back east soon anyway, depending on what I heard after I wrote to my father.” He gave Megan a cocky grin. “I have a plan for saving our farm, but I really wanted to surprise you. What I have in mind may not work. Will you trust me?”

  Gazing into his love-filled eyes, Megan couldn’t do anything else.

  ❧

  Jesse stared out the window as the train chugged into the station. People hurried every which way, trying to find the right person or the right train. Porters stood by piles of suitcases. For the past few miles, all Jesse had seen were buildings, houses, and people. How he missed the wide-open spaces and rolling hills back home. He smiled. Already this place felt foreign, and his heart longed to be back with his real family.

  Joining the line of people inching their way off the train, Jesse prayed as he had most of the trip here. He wanted so much for his plan to work out, but more than that, he wanted to be in God’s will. The upcoming confrontation with his family wouldn’t be pleasant. He needed to be firm, but loving. What did the Bible say? “Wise as serpents, and harmless as doves?” That’s what he would have to become and that would only happen with God’s help.

  “Jesse. Jesse. Over here.”

  Glancing around, Jesse could see the arm waving over the crowd. One of his sisters must have come to greet him. He’d sent a telegram letting them know what train he would arrive on. The throng parted. Instead of his sister, Jesse stood face-to-face with Sara, his ex-fiancée. She threw her arms around his neck, kissing his cheek with enthusiasm.

  “Oh, Jesse, I missed you so much. I can’t believe you’re home.” She leaned back a little to bat her impossibly blue eyes at him
. “I begged Amanda to let me be the one to meet you. I wanted it to be a surprise, though. Surprised?” Her beauty hadn’t diminished, but her effect on him had. Jesse let his satchel drop, removed her arms from around his neck, and gave her a gentle push.

  “Now look at me.” Sara laughed, her eyes sparkling, her cheeks flushed. “Here we are in the middle of a train station, and I’m throwing myself at you. I’m surprised you weren’t so embarrassed you jumped right back on that train.” In a swirl of skirts, she turned and wrapped her arm through his, standing so close a curl of her long, red-gold hair rested on his shoulder. “I didn’t mean to overwhelm you. I just missed you so much.”

  “Sara, that’s enough.” Jesse stepped aside, loosening her arm. “Didn’t Amanda tell you I’m married?”

  Sara waved one hand in the air. “Oh, that. She said something about you thinking you were married to some country bumpkin. Don’t worry, Amanda’s husband already has the legalities figured out. You’ll be free in no time. Then you and I can continue with our wedding plans.”

  “I have no such intentions of getting out of my marriage. My wife and I are expecting a baby.”

  Sara paled and took a step back. Her gaze narrowed. Jesse remembered how she didn’t like to have her plans changed or thwarted. With a sharp snap, she flipped open a fan and began to wave it in front of her face. She gave him a dazzling smile, one designed to render men speechless. “Come along. Let’s get you home and your father can try to talk some sense into you.”

  “I thought my father was extremely ill.”

  “He may be sick, but he’s not dead.” Sara grabbed his arm, ushering him away from the platform and out to the line of carriages. “Come along, your family is waiting.”

  The ride to his house seemed interminable. Jesse sat as far from Sara as he could, but she ignored his discomfort as she repeatedly brushed her fingers across his hand or arm as she pointed out ways the city had changed in the months since he’d been gone.

  At the house, Jesse’s mother seemed to be the only one eager to see him. His sisters and their husbands maintained a cool attitude, as if his return wasn’t at all welcome. His nieces and nephews, busy with their games, greeted him, then dashed away.

  “Your father is in the bedroom.” Jesse’s mother drew him into the parlor away from the rest. “He isn’t as strong as he used to be, Jesse. Try not to upset him. The doctor says his heart can’t stand the strain anymore.” She smiled and patted his hand. “He’s better, though. As soon as he heard you were coming home, he began making wedding plans for you and Sara. He even has a surprise or two for you that he wants to announce tonight.”

  The bedroom door swung open soundlessly. His father, seated in a comfortable chair, surrounded by pillows and blankets, looked as gray as a blizzard sky. Jesse knew without any doctor’s learned opinion that his father was dying. His father roused up, peering at Jesse, his gaze probing and intense as always.

  “Jesse, you’ve finally come. I always knew you would come to your senses and return home to take up the business before I die.” He indicated a chair near his. “Sit down. Let’s plan your return to the bank and your wedding.”

  Nineteen

  Sleep evaded Jesse again. His bare feet made little noise as he padded down the hallway to his father’s room. Two weeks had passed since he left home. Part of him longed to be back with Megan and Seana, yet another part needed to be here with his dying father. Although they disagreed on so much, Jesse didn’t want to give up the hope that he could lead his father to a true knowledge of Jesus Christ before he died. He couldn’t bear the thought of his father not having the chance to go to heaven.

  The hinge gave a slight squeak as he eased the door open. A lamp turned low cast the room in a shadowy light. Jenkins, his father’s butler, sat in a chair close to the bed, his light snores telling Jesse he was asleep. In the past few days, his father had grown noticeably weaker. The whole family knew he didn’t have long to live.

  “Jenkins.”

  The butler jerked awake at Jesse’s whisper and light touch on his shoulder.

  “Go to bed. I’ll sit with him until morning.”

  “But, Sir, you have the meetings at the bank in the morning.” Jenkins held himself ramrod straight. “I’m sorry I fell asleep. It won’t happen again.”

  “Jenkins, you’ve done enough.” Jesse clapped his hand on the man’s shoulder. “I can’t sleep. I’ll be fine. Go on to bed.”

  For a moment Jesse thought Jenkins would protest again. He could see the indecision warring within the man. With a quick nod, Jenkins glanced once more at his employer, then marched from the room. Jesse watched until the door closed, then moved the chair closer to the bed. Throughout the exchange, his father hadn’t stirred. Only the shallow rise and fall of his chest showed any life in him.

  His silent vigil gave Jesse plenty of time to think and pray about the upcoming days. So far, his time at home hadn’t gone as planned—not his plan or his father’s. The major upheaval had been over his marriage to Megan. His parents insisted on an annulment, saying he’d been railroaded into marrying the girl. They didn’t understand his explanation of God’s design and that all the events in his life were working according to what God wanted for him. Refusing to agree to an annulment brought his father’s ire and his mother’s tears, but Jesse stood firm.

  He’d found the information he needed, but couldn’t leave as long as his father was so sick and the bank was in turmoil. For the past week, Jesse had been meeting with his brothers-in-law and the other officials at the bank, trying to get the paperwork done to transfer the leadership. His father wanted him to become head of the bank, but Jesse had no interest in doing so. He wanted to return to his family, his farm, and the church the Lord called him to start. Several times he and his father had spoken on the subject. Jesse assured him that his brothers-in-law were very capable of managing the business. To his father, their years of experience were nothing compared to his desire to have his only son inherit everything.

  Jesse’s thoughts turned to Megan. He never dreamed he would miss her so much after the short time they’d been married. The last five months had been the best of his life, despite the pneumonia. He grinned. Maybe because of the pneumonia. He knew that wasn’t true. For the first time in his life, he was trying to follow Jesus in every way. Because of that, he’d been blessed with the woman of his dreams. Life might not always be easy and there were sure to be plenty of rough spots ahead, but he looked forward to living through everything with Megan beside him.

  Every day Jesse wondered if he would get a letter from Megan. He’d written to her twice to let her know about his father and the situation with the bank. Before he left Dakota Territory, he’d made arrangements with William to check on the mail when he was in town and deliver anything that came for Megan.

  His father groaned. Jesse raised the wick on the lamp as he leaned over the bed. Something had changed. His father’s breathing sounded more labored; his color didn’t look as good.

  “Jesse.” Richard Coulter’s fingers felt like claws as they gripped Jesse’s hand.

  “I’m right here.” Jesse touched his father’s forehead, wiping away a film of perspiration. “Let me send for the doctor.”

  “No.” The forcefulness of the word seemed to cost his father strength. He panted for a moment, but didn’t let go of Jesse. “I want to talk with you. Must talk.”

  “What is it?”

  “The papers. Are they done?”

  “Yes. You signed the last of the papers today. At tomorrow’s meeting your sons-in-law will take over the bank. Mother has been provided for, as have all your grandchildren. You can relax and not worry about a thing.”

  “You?” His father coughed and grimaced in pain.

  “I’ll always be on the board at the bank. Everything has been arranged as per your instructions.”

  His father’s eyes seemed to clear. “It’s time, Jesse.”

  A knot formed in Jesse’s throat. As much
as he and his father disagreed on almost everything, he didn’t want to lose him, either. “Let me go get Mother. I’ll send Jenkins for the doctor.”

  “No.” His father’s grip held. “Talk first.”

  “What do you want to talk about?”

  “Is it true? What you believe?”

  Jesse’s heart leaped. “You mean about Jesus? About His dying for us so we have a way to heaven?” His father nodded. “Every word I read to you from the Bible the other day is true. Jesus paid the price for your sins and mine so we would have eternal life with Him.”

  “I’ve thought a lot about what you said. I think you may be right.”

  Jesse knew what those words cost his father. Richard Coulter had never been a man to admit to anyone else being right when it meant he might be wrong about something. The Holy Spirit must have been working on his heart to bring him to this point.

  “Go get your mother while I spend some time alone.”

  As his father released him, Jesse stood. Two days ago he’d explained to his father how to accept Jesus as Savior. Please, God, help him to be able to humble himself. Help me to know, too, Lord, please.

  ❧

  “Megan.” Seana’s cry was almost drowned out by the crashing of the door as she flung it open. “Megan, Mama Kitty, come quick.” Tears tracked down Seana’s cheeks as she grabbed Megan’s hand and lunged back toward the door.

  “Seana, stop. What’s wrong?”

  “It’s Mama Kitty. She’s hurt. You’ve got to help her.” Seana swiped at her cheek with the back of her hand, leaving a dirty smear.

  “Let me dry my hands.” Megan wiped the water from her hands and hurried out the door after her sister. Seana flew to the barn, not slowing as she ran inside. Dread filled Megan as she saw the still body lying in a pile of hay. Mama Kitty had been missing since last night. Her newborn kittens were crying, most likely so hungry they were getting weak by now. Megan dropped down beside Seana.