He looked at Hannah. Her face was tilted down, her eyes studying her tightly clenched hands.
Lord, please protect Jesse and the people of this town, Gabe silently prayed.
he temperature dropped in the next two hours, the wind slowing to a chilly breeze. Hannah shivered and hugged herself as she and Gabe trudged up the hill to Ridge Street, where the house at the top seemed to await their arrival. Ralston, engulfed in his work, had gladly accepted Gabe's offer to walk Hannah home, especially when he explained he had to stop by the Kane house anyway to retrieve Jesse.
Death by drowning had been Ralston's determination. With no sign or proof of foul play, they could only assume the boy had fallen on the slick dock, resulting in the deadly plunge.
"I have a lot of paperwork to do, Hannah. You don't mind, do you?" Ralston asked.
"Of course not," she'd said, humiliated at how quickly he'd given in to Gabe's suggestion. Could he not have spared a minute to walk her home, or was it that their argument remained fresh in his mind? He and Gabe carried the body on a gurney to Ralston's basement, where he maintained a makeshift morgue. After filing a report for the courthouse, Ralston planned to start the embalming process. He hoped some family member would step forward and identify the body before it was buried. Until a funeral director moved to Sandy Shores to set up practice, Ralston would continue acting as both physician and mortician, having studied to become both at the university. Pete Kloosterman and Vernon Graham operated Sandy Shores' one and only ambulance company, but even their first aid training proved limited, making their operation less than reliable.
"You cold?" Gabe asked, breaking the silence between them, his voice gravelly.
She drew her shawl more snugly around her. "I'm quite fine," she fibbed.
He glanced down at her as they walked. "Oh really? Then, why are you shivering?"
"I wasn't-"
"Hush," Without a second's delay, he removed his coat and wrapped it around her shoulders, the warmth from his body remaining in its creases.
"Now you'll get cold," she said, moved by his kindness and made even warmer by it.
"I'm pretty warm-blooded," As if that should explain his generosity, he set his eyes on the road ahead, "What made you come to the doc's office tonight?"
She grasped the front edges of his coat, glad for its added warmth. "Ralston and I had just finished dinner at the Culver House when the news arrived of the drowning. I insisted on coming along, thinking maybe the family would show up and need some consolation,"
"Reverend Cooper was there for that,"
"I know, but I thought if the young lad's mother were to come by, I could be there for her. Oh, I do hope they find that poor boy's family."
Gabe nodded in the darkness. All at once, two cats shrieked, then darted across the road. Hannah lurched with surprise, and Gabe put a steadying hand to the center of her back. "Just a couple of ornery cats," he assured her. She wasn't sure what startled her more, the snarling felines or that strong hand at her back.
After they resumed their steady pace up Third Street, Gabe said in a low voice, "I do admire your compassion, Hannah," She wondered if he could sense her uneven breaths, her skittish heart. Yes, the cats had played a part, not to mention the events of the evening-her quarrel with Ralston; seeing the lifeless body of that poor, unidentified boy-but Gabe's close proximity plucked at her nerves more than anything else.
"Thank you. I-don't like to see people suffer."
"That's very evident. "
She dared give him a slanted glance. Wasn't this the man who'd once called her bristly and bullheaded? She decided not to bring up their rather bumpy start and dwelt instead on the question of why Ralston couldn't have noticed this particular quality in her, especially after four months of courtship.
"Frankly, you've been a godsend to Jesse. I doubt he'd be speaking yet if it weren't for the way you love and accept him. He feels safe with you."
"No safer with me than with you. I daresay, you're the one who's made the greatest impact on his life, opening up your house to him as you have, treating him as if he were your own son."
He dipped his face close to her ear and whispered, "Ah, but it's you he has the mad crush on."
A nervous giggle bubbled out of her. "And I on him!"
"Uh-oh, a mutual crush. Does Ralston know about this?"
He'd intended the remark in jest, but it touched a tender nerve, and she had to bite her tongue to keep from revealing Ralston's ridiculous remark about sending Jesse packing. And to an orphanage, of all places. She shrugged and feigned nonchalance. "I don't think a childish crush poses a threat to him."
They'd reached the path leading up to the front door. One lone porch light made for a dim entry. Gabe stopped her midway up the footpath, just a few yards from the first porch step, and turned her to face him. "Apparently, I don't pose much of a threat, either, or he wouldn't have been so free to let me walk you home."
His words rang painfully true. She focused on his middle shirt button, the one that came within perfect eye range. Trouble was, he lifted her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes, tripping up her heart.
He lowered his face until his damp breath made contact with her earlobe. "Would he be threatened by this?" A chill of a different kind moved over her skin, prickling, tingling, waking her nerves, as she started toying with thoughts she'd never entertained before, not even with Ralston. Thoughts that included embracing, kissing-loving. Gracious!
Nearly frantic, her heart pounded out a desperate prayer. Lord, what is happening to me? My very soul feels as if it's teetering on the edge of some clift and is about to topple.
Remember what you read from My Word this morning in 1 Peter 5:7: "Casting all your care upon him; for he carethfor you." And in Acts 22:14: "The God of our fathers bath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will,. .and shouldest bear the voice of his mouth."
She gulped a deep breath of air. Never had a still, small voice ever made itself so audible. She wanted to ponder it further, but Gabe's warm breath upon her face unraveled her wits into tiny pieces, making it quite impossible to think clearly.
When his lips brushed her cheek and headed for her temple, she gasped and ducked, stepping out from under the circle of his arms. "Wh-where exactly do you come from, Sher-ur, Gabe?" she suddenly asked, surprised her voice even worked.
He released a quick breath and blinked twice, arms falling to his sides. "Pardon?"
"You know, where did you live as a child? You once mentioned your father and brother, but, well, do you have any sisters? And were you a sheriff in your other-wherever you lived-before?"
Surely, she sounded like a blundering idiot the way her questions tumbled out one after another, but he'd forced her into this predicament with his impending kiss.
A gentle wind shook the trees, causing more leaves to break from brittle twigs and flutter to the ground. His chest heaved with a breathy chuckle. "You're a scamp, you know that?"
"Me?" She promptly put a little more space between them and gathered her wits. "If anyone's a scamp, it's you. You know very well Ralston's proposed to me. I can't-I wouldn't even think of..."
"Kissing me?"
"It wouldn't be appropriate, seeing as I'm already..."
`Already what? I don't see you wearing any token of commitment-like a ring or locket," he challenged. `Are you betrothed to him-officially?"
"Well-not in so many words,"
`Ah." Their eyes clashed for long seconds. "Is that because you're not ready, or because you're unsure about your feelings for him? Which is it?"
She tried to speak, but nothing came out, and she blamed her loss of words on shock at his surprising directness. He touched a finger to her nose. "Hannah, if my question has you that stumped, you shouldn't marry him, believe me."
She had an inexplicable sense that he spoke from experience.
"You have to know beyond a doubt that you're marrying for the right reasons and that you and God are in agreement."
>
"Now you sound like-Abbie." And everyone else.
He chuckled. "I like the way that girl thinks," Another long pause passed between them, his probing gaze stirring her emotions. "You have prayed about this, I presume."
Somehow, she hadn't expected words like these coming from the sheriff, but there they were, transparent and real. Lord, he truly is a man of faith.
"Yes." Had she? "I mean, I've tried to-I guess. But then, I wonder if I'm being selfish, praying for my own needs."
"Selfish?"
"Ralston is a good man," she said.
"I'm not arguing with you on that."
`And he's highly respected."
"I don't doubt it."
"He attends church with me every Sunday."
He rocked on his heels while she talked.
"He would always provide well for me, and he's-he's dependable."
"Whom are you trying to convince-me or you?"
That annoyed her. "You don't like him."
"I like him fine," he retorted, voice raised. He heaved a couple of long breaths and set his gaze on something overhead-a moving branch or a falling star? Suddenly, he shot her a piercing stare. "How does asking God for wisdom for your future equate to selfishness? Don't you know that God cares about every aspect of your life?"
As if he had the right, he reached up, snagged a lock of her curly hair, and twirled it around his finger. A chill ran the length of her, but she couldn't find the inner resources to step away from him.
"Would you say you care about the details of Jesse's life?" he asked.
Almost immediately, she got the point. "Of course."
"How much more your Heavenly Father wants to be a part of your life! Every aspect of it. It's not an imposition to Him when you ask for guidance."
They looked at each other, faces illuminated in the moonlight. A dog barked, a twig snapped, and, in the distance, faint sounds of twangy music coming from the saloons drifted on the cold, night breeze.
He hadn't yet dropped her lock of hair, and she was growing quite accustomed to the delicious chill his gentle tugging wrought. He gazed down at the top of her head. "I almost married once. For all the wrong reasons, mind you. She was a pretty thing, had me wrapped around her finger for the first while."
His admission nearly knocked her over. "What happened to change your mind?"
"I started seeing through her, realized her beauty didn't go much past her skin when she started asking about my father's money." His face brought forth a lazy smile. "She wanted to be certain she'd get a piece of the pie, you see, and was quite shocked to discover I wanted to make my own way, apart from my father's hard-earned money. Don't get me wrong, my dad's a generous man, and he'd give me the shirt off his back if he thought I needed it, but I don't. My parents raised my brother and sister and me to have strong Christian values and an honest work ethic. I've lived with much and with little, and I prefer the simpler life by far. When I saw Carolina's shallowness-learned she'd been faking her love for me, not to mention her Christian walk-well, let's just say it didn't take me a long time to renege on my marriage proposal." He chortled. "Looking back, it was a silly relationship. I praise God for helping me see the light. Well, I also gotta add some praise for my brother. He caught Carolina going through some papers on my father's desk when she thought no one else was home."
"Oh my!"
He grinned and gave his head a gentle toss. "We'd just returned from a picnic and I was rubbing down the horses. She said she was thirsty and needed a drink, so I sent her in the house. Turns out she was thirsty for information instead."
In some peculiar way, Hannah almost felt empathy for this woman. Her own father's success had resulted in a certain level of affluence for the Kane family, and she realized she'd become accustomed to creature comforts. Not that they swam in money, but poverty simply didn't exist in their world, and she'd grown accustomed to the security of prosperity. It impressed her that Gabriel Devlin chose to walk away from a carnal life of materialism.
She pondered this thought in private until he blew out a loud breath. "Well, I guess you weren't expecting a big confession out of me, but there you have it, and all because I wanted to make the point that you better know for sure you're marrying for all the right reasons, and that they align with God's will for your life." There it was again, that question of finding God's perfect will. How did one go about it?
Behind Gabe's broad shoulders, she noted the cats darting off across the road again, their distant yowl combining with the rustling breeze. To her dismay, she realized she'd memorized his woody scent, as even now it wafted through the air, a mixture of musk and mint. Ralston's scent was usually spicy, applied to the point of overpowering. Gabe's was subtle and earthy.
They stood close in the brisk, breezy night, her long skirts whipping at her ankles, fine shards of moonlight reflecting off the brim of Gabe's hat. She held his warm, woolen coat closed at her throat and felt pleasantly comfortable.
"Come on. Let's sit on the porch swing a while," He put a hand to her elbow and gently led her up the steps.
"Oh, I shouldn't,"
"Of course, you should. Besides, you asked me some yet unanswered questions about my family and former job, remember?"
Oh, well, he had her there. He brushed past her to take a gander through the front window. "Jesse's sound asleep on the couch," he whispered. "Look at that boy, would you?"
She sidled up next to him to peer through the glass. Sure enough, Jesse lay still as a fallen log, Grandmother's handmade quilt thrown over him, a lone light glowing in the kitchen and casting a peaceful aura about the house.
"You can let him stay here for the night if you want. Seems a shame to disturb him,"
"I better not. He'll need me if he has a nightmare."
She glanced up to find him watching the boy intently, and she took the opportunity to study his profile-the straight plane of his nose and forehead, now overshadowed by his hat; his rigid cheekbones and strong mouth; the broad set of his shoulders. Ah, there went that silly heart-tripping thing again.
As if sensing her watchful gaze, Gabe granted her a wistful smile. "I never thought I'd grow so attached to that boy."
"But you have. What do you think will happen to him-if you don't find his family, I mean?" Ralston's suggestion of the orphanage continued to grate at the edges of her mind.
"He'll stay with me." He straightened to his full six-footsomething frame and pulled her to the swing on the other side of the porch.
"Really? You've already decided that?" He'd said it with such matter-of-factness.
He swept an arm out in silent invitation. Fascinated, she dropped into the swing without argument. Gabe cozied in beside her, removed his hat, and tossed it across the porch, aiming for the rocker, hooking it easily over a spindle. "Well, it's not something I'm spreading around, mind you, but I sure won't send him anyplace unless someone steps forward to claim him. And whoever does had better be good and worthy."
With a touch of finesse, he pushed off with one foot. The familiar creak of rasping, rusted chain links rocked her into a peaceful state, and within minutes, she found herself relaxed, even with his arm situated behind her as it was, grazing the top of her shoulder.
"So, you still want to hear about my family?" he asked.
The soles of her shoes grazed the porch floor, while his stayed firmly planted, his wide thighs moving slightly with the swing's gentle sway. "Yes," she said, earnestly.
For the next several minutes, he told her about his home in Delaware, Ohio, where he'd not only grown up, but where his father held the office of county judge and his mother ran an efficient household. He spoke about his sister, Elizabeth, and her husband, Karl, a successful rancher and landowner, and their three children, all under the age of seven. Then came Samuel, Gabe's older brother by two years, a lawyer like his father. He'd married his high school sweetheart, Charlotte, and the two of them were busy raising Sarah, three, and Vance, one.
Without even
meeting them, Hannah liked his family. Chagrined, she realized she knew very little about Ralston's upbringing, just that his family hailed from Vriesland, Michigan, not far from Holland, that his parents died in a train derailment two years ago, and that he had six older siblings, all married and scattered across the country, none of whom she'd met. He'd attended the University of Michigan Medical School, had done a one-year study in Berlin in 1897, and had turned down an invitation to accompany an expedition to the North Pole in 1898 as the group's physician in favor of starting his own practice in Sandy Shores. She had been formally introduced to him at a church supper in '01, but he hadn't asked to court her until this past spring. Naturally, she'd accepted, mesmerized that the town's only physician had paid her one minute's heed.
"To answer your question about where I worked before this, I was the Delaware County sheriff" Gabe cocked his head to one side and grinned. "Delaware's on the outskirts of Columbus, in case you're interested."
`And Columbus is the capital of Ohio," she said, smiling up at him.
A glimmer of moonlight cast a gentle glow over his arched brow. `Ah, I see you paid attention the day the teacher taught about states and capitals."
She flicked an imaginary piece of lint off her lap and grinned. "I'll have you know I was a good student who never gave my teachers an ounce of trouble."
"I find that hard to believe," he murmured.
She sent her elbow into his side for a swift poke, and he clutched the place with his free hand and leaned over with contrived pain. So relaxed had she become that she actually let the laughter flow when he reciprocated with a teasing poke of his own.
They sparred back and forth for a few seconds when, suddenly, he leaned forward and kissed her square on the lips. Drawing back, he paused to look at her, perhaps to gauge her level of shock, then, before she could resist, kissed her again, this time with thoroughness and feather-touching warmth, his breath fanning her face. His arms did not encircle her, but the hand that rested on the back of the swing came down to draw her close. Tingling heat wrapped her in a blanket of bliss.
Hannah Grace Page 17