His grunt told her he didn’t care to hear about Talbot.
“He would have made me a fine husband.”
“I suppose he had a good laugh when he heard about my accident. Probably thought I got what I deserved.”
“Talbot doesn’t like to make fun of people the way I do,” she mocked. “I imagine that he and Echo are very happy together.”
“Talbot and Echo. It’s kind of hard to believe.”
“When I told Talbot that I couldn’t marry him because I loved you, he married Echo instead. Isn’t that romantic?”
He sat up straighter. “Tess...who broke the engagement?”
“We sort of both broke it.” She mechanically drew the thread through the fabric.
“Because of me?”
“Don’t be so arrogant. It was because of me. I never loved Talbot, Jake. Not the way I should have.”
“How do you know for sure? What about your memory?”
“Now you’re forgetting. My memory returned the morning I found Waite’s body in the snow. I’d accidentally gotten hit in the head at school. But whether I’d ever regained my full memory or not, I couldn’t possibly love another man. You’re the one, Jake. God has made that abundantly clear in my mind.”
He rolled his eyes in disbelief. “You knew you were Tess Wakefield before Talbot arrived?”
She nodded. “I told you that morning. Have you lost memory?”
“I tried to forget that day.” He turned toward her. “I can’t believe you knew who you were.”
“I did, but what I couldn’t be sure of was if you had known it all along.”
“I suspected.” He shook his head. “And I didn’t do a thing to help you. In fact, I hurt you.”
She lifted her eyes to find him staring at her. “But don’t you see, Jake? I knew exactly who I was when I asked you to marry me.”
His gaze held with hers, softly caressing. “But I lied to you. I don’t lie, Tess, ever. Only I did to you.”
“You did, and I didn’t like you very much for a while, but I’ve never stopped loving you. Not even once. Nothing you can do or say will change that—unless you’d run off with one of those Shadow Pine women.”
Shaking his head, Jake said softly, “Did Talbot know about us?”
“I hardly see how he couldn’t have known. He’s an observant man, and he offered his blessing for me to come here.”
Pulling in a deep breath, Jake settled back in his chair. Sunlight warmed the porch. “So Echo married Talbot.”
“That’s right.”
“Tess, if I didn’t know you better, I’d swear you were making that up.”
“I don’t lie, Jake. Ever.” She watched a slight grin cross his handsome face. “It was apparent to me after a few weeks that Echo and Talbot were meant for each other. You should see them together. They laugh and giggle like two adolescents. Talbot isn’t stuffy when he’s with Echo, and I’ve never seen her so happy.”
Jake stared off in the distance thoughtfully. “The good Lord knows she deserves a little happiness.”
“Echo’s wealthy now beyond her wildest dreams, and she has a devoted husband who will give her the love and respect she’s worthy of.”
“And when was all of this decided?”
“The day of my wedding—at the altar. As a matter of fact, they married the instant I left.” She shrugged and then flashed him a sheepish grin. “Why waste all of those wedding preparations?”
When he continued to stare at her, she leaned over and laid her hand on his. “Stop fighting it. It’s really all very simple. Fate and the B&O Railroad brought me back to you.”
Jake grunted. “What do you people do up there in Philadelphia? Change fiancés like we change socks?”
“No.” She took his face in her hands and met his gaze. “We follow our hearts.”
Darkness had fallen when she slipped into his room later that night. They had spent the day together, but tonight she felt lonely, so she had left Menson’s for the time being, and walked back to see him.
“Jake, are you asleep?”
“No. What are you doing here?”
“I missed you.” Her eyes grew accustomed to the darkness, and she saw him sitting in the chair next to the bed.
Smiling, he held out his hand to her. “Come here and keep me company, little one. I can’t sleep either.”
Little one. Ever so slowly, he was returning to her. She scurried quietly across the room to perch on the side of the narrow bed.
“We have to be quiet. We don’t want Doc to hear us.” She giggled. It felt as though they were doing something naughty.
“Doc wouldn’t hear it if they reenacted the Civil War in his backyard. Listen.” They fell silent, and Tess heard snores coming from another part of the house.
The warmth of his hand went all the way to her heart. She stood and then knelt on the floor beside his chair. They gazed at one another in the moonlight streaming through the window.
“Why can’t you sleep?” she whispered.
“Because I lied again. I am glad you came back,” he confessed.
Her fingers reached to lovingly trace the contours of his face. She longed to kiss away the pain and the fear she still saw shining from deep within his eyes. “I know that. I didn’t believe a word you said to me.”
“Go back to Philadelphia, Tess.”
Her heart sank. “Why?”
“I have nothing to offer you. I don’t know what the future holds.”
“I don’t either, and that’s a good thing, but I have enough money to last us the rest of our lives,” she reminded him.
“I couldn’t take your money.”
“It would be our money.”
“And what happens if you find yourself saddled with a cripple? You’ll regret giving up Talbot and his Wellington-Kent fortune, and you’ll end up resenting me.”
“I understand your health issues—”
“I still could lose my leg. Don’t you understand what that would mean? If I lost my leg, then I couldn’t harvest timber. And if I can’t do my job, I can’t support you, and if I can’t support you, I would never consider myself a man.”
“I pray none of those things will happen, and if we pray together, and ask for compassion, I believe God often grants such wishes. And even if the worst happens, André will run the crew.”
“No. I could never be happy letting another man run your company.”
“Our company. Don’t kid yourself, Mr. Lannigan. You will be so busy replanting trees, loving me, and being a papa to our children that you’ll have no time left for all of this self-pity.”
His eyes slowly met hers. “Are you serious? You really want to replant the pine?”
She stood and then sat on the knee of his good leg, bending down to rub her nose against his affectionately. “Every last one that Wakefield Timber has harvested over the years, but I’ll need your help. I know nothing about running a timber business, and you know everything. You will have to marry me or else I shall be forced to run off and marry Sven Templeton.”
He chuckled, his voice breaking. “You’re bribing me?”
“I’m loving you.” She bent closer. Their gazes locked. “With my heart and soul.”
“I love you, Tess. Too much to saddle you with an invalid.”
“I know,” she said simply, and rested her head on his chest. “I will strike a bargain if you will permit it.”
“What sort of bargain?”
“I won’t come around or bother you anymore until you’ve had time to come to grips with your injury. Deal?”
“You would be content to step back and give me room to think about what’s happened and where I’m going?”
She nodded. “I’m not going anywhere. I have a timber operation to run.”
“What if I decide I can’t marry you and I eventually go back to my father’s business? It’s what both he and my mother want.”
“That will be up to you.”
“All right,�
� he said finally. “I accept your terms, but I can’t promise anything. I’ll see that your trees are planted, but it could be a long time before I can think about the future.”
She smiled.
“What’s going on in that devious mind of yours?”
“Nothing, darling.” She looked at him. “I’ll wait for you however long it takes.”
“All right.” He drew her mouth slowly to meet his, whispering, “I’ll hold you to your word.”
As long as he held her, that was good enough.
Epilogue
Exactly two days later…
The spring rain pattered on the eaves of Jake’s roof. Tess turned to gaze up at her new husband.
Leaning on his crutches, he nuzzled the warmth of her neck. “Why do I feel as though I’ve just been snared like a rabbit?”
“Do you feel like a captive?”
“No. I feel like the luckiest man on earth.”
She tilted back her head and winked. “Why, Big Say, I’m surprised it took you two whole days to come to your senses. The jacks had a pool. Almost all agreed on twenty-four hours. Tops.”
Chuckling, he kissed her soundly. When he pulled back, he said, “You knew, didn’t you?”
“That you loved me and you were going to marry me? Yes. But I wanted you to comprehend your situation and fully accept it. No one knows what tomorrow brings, and aren’t we fortunate for that grace?”
“Situation? You think it was André’s idea to contact you?”
“Jake!”
He flashed a smug grin. “You’ll never know, will you? The office does have a telegraph wire. And you did ask me to marry you. I figured you were a woman of your word.”
“Why, Big Say.” She kissed him softly. “You astound me. I think we’re going to have a very interesting life together.”
Grinning, he nudged the door shut with his shoulder. “I don’t plan to disappoint you, Mrs. Lannigan.” He held her close, gazing deep into her eyes. “Welcome home, darling.”
Discussion Questions
1. Tess Wakefield was a different woman at the start of this book than she was at the end—or was she? Do you think people can change, or does the worst often bring out the best in people? Do you think God might intend that to sometimes be the case?
2. Do you think Jake’s anger toward Tess was justified? Should he have told her right away that he suspected she was Wakefield’s granddaughter and not the new schoolteacher? Why or why not? What would you have done under the same set of circumstances?
3. André is Jake’s right-hand man. Though he is interested in the schoolteacher, he puts his friendship with Jake first. What did you think of him as a counterpoint to Jake and a possible love interest for Tess?
4. Have you ever had a situation where you wanted revenge? Is revenge ever worth the pain and sorrow it can bring?
5. Can you name one thing that actually changed about Tess? Can you name two good things about her?
6. Relationships are often made difficult by the slightest misunderstanding. A word not said, a hug not given. Can you think of a time when you were able to work out a difference with someone and go on to form a solid friendship?
7. What do you think about inherent personal qualities shining through, even if someone were to forget their identity? If you lost your memory, what traits do you think would still be part of who you are? Tess’s breeding, perseverance, and creativity showed up even when she had no idea of what her past consisted of. Do you think that was portrayed realistically in the story?
8. Talbot and Echo demonstrate how truly nice people can touch the lives around them for the better. What did you think of the way the story ends for them?
9. Jake worried about losing a leg. Should he instead have been more concerned about his actions—for not fighting for Tess’s love and letting Talbot take her away?
10. Tess discovered what she really wanted to do with her wealth and life. Do you think we all have opportunities to change the direction of our lives this way? Do you think that is something God can help us do?
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When Love Comes My Way Page 25