Love Inspired Historical October 2015 Box Set

by Lacy Williams

  “This letter’s from Maggie.” Mrs. Sharp looked at Jared. “She’s my baby sister. Lives in Cleveland. Her husband died last summer, and she’s been struggling ever since to hold down a job and manage the house and six small children.”

  Jared felt a pinch of worry, but he couldn’t rightly say why.

  Mrs. Sharp pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve and dabbed at her tears before sliding the letter over to Mr. Sharp. “She’s asking us to send Emma to help her with the little ones.” She gripped Emma’s hand. “You’ve got to go, daughter. I don’t see how we can say no to family.”

  Emma went pale, but she nodded.

  An icy sensation seized Jared right in the heart. They’d agreed to marry five minutes ago. Was she now about to up and leave him?

  Her nod turned to a shake of her head, and her eyes narrowed like when she didn’t like something. A glimmer of hope lit up inside of Jared.

  “Why would Aunt Maggie ask such a thing of me?” Her troubled expression turned angry. “I don’t know anything about taking care of children.”

  No word coming out of her mouth could have shocked Jared more. Shocked him even more than the idea of her leaving to help her aunt.

  She didn’t know anything about taking care of children? And here he’d dreamed of having a passel of them with her. He’d made a terrible mistake to propose to her before talking about these things. How could he back out on her…again?

  *

  Emma had nothing against children. She liked the ones she knew. She just didn’t know what to do with them. Working alongside Pa, she hadn’t gone with Ma to visit friends with young ones as Julia had.

  In response to her outburst, Ma shed a few more tears. “That’s my fault, Emma. You’ve always been so busy helping your pa, and I neglected to teach you. I’m sorry for that.”

  Pa appeared stunned by Aunt Maggie’s request. Ma didn’t know Jared had proposed, but Pa did. Did he understand she couldn’t leave now? Not when her dream of a happy life was about to come true. Jared’s face closed up tight, but she could see anger under his blank expression. He turned away and walked outside, putting his hat on his head as he went. From the way his shoulders slumped, she guessed he was thinking he was about to be abandoned again.

  Deep inside she knew she had to go to Aunt Maggie. What choice did she have? Decent folks helped those having difficulties, especially family. If it hadn’t been for their neighbors helping them, they’d never have gotten the barn built. While it was a grand thing to have it done for Las Posadas, in truth, the family desperately needed it for the winter.

  Now a family member required help, and Emma was the only one who could go. Julia and Cal had planned their marriage first, and they deserved their happiness. With Cal staying on the ranch, Pa wouldn’t need Emma’s help as much. Two couples could manage to run the place.

  As much as she didn’t want to go, how could she pray to the Lord about anything if she didn’t surrender herself to do His will? She took Ma’s boney, weathered hand and gently squeezed it.

  “You can wire Aunt Maggie and tell her I’ll come right after Julia’s wedding.” She’d allow herself that one pleasure before abandoning Jared. Before abandoning all she’d ever known.

  Ma gave her a weary smile. “I knew you’d do what’s right, dear. And don’t fret about tending the children. You’ll figure it out just fine.”

  “Emma, are you sure about this?” Pa reached over and placed his large, callused hand on top of hers. His frown said more than his words. “Once a man’s proposed, he don’t like to wait on his woman, ’specially when he has no idea how long she’ll be gone.”

  “Jared proposed?” Ma and Julia asked in unison. Julia squealed, but Ma sighed deeply and wearily.

  “Oh, my dear.” She gave Emma’s hand a sympathetic squeeze and then gave Pa one of their special looks. “When you think about it, it’s no different from a man going off to war and his woman not knowing when—or if—he’ll come home.”

  “That’s true, Annie.” Pa echoed her sigh. “I’m grateful to the Lord for bringing me home to you and Emma, and for sending us Julia nine months later.”

  “Pa!” Julia’s cheeks flamed. Any other time, Emma would have snickered at her sister’s prudishness. Julia was the one who’d been disappointed about not seeing the kittens born.

  Pa and Ma shared a laugh, a soft, cozy sound that had always made Emma glad. Today, though, it reminded her that she might never share such sweet closeness with Jared. Not if he wouldn’t wait for however many years it took to help Aunt Maggie care for her young’uns. She’d best face it head-on and find out what he was thinking.

  “Well, I have some stalls to finish.” She shoved away from the table and stood. “Mostly, I need to talk to Jared.”

  Ma and Pa looked at her with identical worried expressions, so she forced a smile.

  “Don’t worry. The Lord will work it out.” She gave voice to a conviction she wasn’t exactly feeling at the moment.

  They both returned a smile, so she knew she’d done right by them. As the oldest daughter that was her job in life: sacrificing her own happiness for a stretch of time to take care of family. Now to take care of the man she loved. The man with whom she hoped to build her own family. Someday.

  Holding up a hand to shield her eyes from the glare of the sun, she could see him back up on the roof nailing shingles into place. The determined look on his face and the power of his hammering indicated he was intent on completing a large part of the roof this afternoon. With a heap of building to do inside the barn, she pondered whether to climb the ladder and talk now or wait until he came down. It was best not to alarm a man on a roof, so she decided to get on with her own work. Besides, he probably needed some time to himself. She’d grant him that. She could use a little thinking time herself right about now.

  Inside the barn Paco was putting boards in place between two stalls. She arrived just in time to help him secure them with nails.

  The work stretched on until suppertime. To her disappointment, Jared didn’t check on her all afternoon. When the hour arrived for them to quit, he didn’t even come inside the barn to walk her to the wash tables on the back porch. In fact, he and Cal were already washing up when Emma and Paco arrived.

  From the obvious way Jared ignored her—turning the back of his shoulder her direction, Emma could see big change coming from their days of teasing, and she didn’t like it one bit. When he broke off courting her two years ago, he’d never explained himself. Even though she’d figured it out after he’d told her about the kitty that had comforted him after his ma left, he’d never come out and said he didn’t trust Emma to stay. Was that how he felt now? If he wouldn’t talk things out with her, like Ma and Pa did when they had a hard situation to deal with, maybe it would be a mistake to marry him.

  Surely he understood about family. She knew he and his brothers worked together, stuck together, no matter what. No doubt each one of them had sacrificed something along the way for the good of the others. Sure, he had to sort things out about this situation, but what if he didn’t sort them out the way she hoped? His quiet, distant manner continued through supper and into the evening, and she had a terrible feeling he didn’t trust her enough to discuss it for fear of what she’d say. Well, if he wouldn’t talk to her, she wouldn’t talk to him. After all, she had her pride.

  *

  No longer feeling a part of the Sharp family, Jared couldn’t bring himself to look at Emma as they all sat in the parlor that evening. However, he couldn’t escape the clicking sound of her knitting needles and knew she was still making Christmas presents, just as he was. Last night he’d finished her comb and now almost had Mrs. Sharp’s apple wood spoons done. Mr. Sharp’s bolo tie was finished, and the wooden slide only needed a bit more sanding.

  “Say there, Emma.” As always in the evenings, Mr. Sharp held his large Bible on his lap. “Those socks you’re knitting are a mite small. Who’re they for? You taking them to Cleveland with you?”<
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  She blinked in that pretty, surprised way of hers that Jared found so appealing. It was hard to shut down his feelings after growing fonder of her every day, after thinking of all the ways he might take care of her and please her.

  “No, sir.” She held up the half-done sock. “I’m making them for Robby.” Her expression turned sheepish. “Last week I asked Rob if I could give Robby some candy for Christmas, and he said that was fine. I hope he doesn’t mind me adding something more practical.” She gave Jared a shy smile. “Jared said his family doesn’t celebrate Christmas, but I figured a boy ought to have Christmas presents, even if one of them is a pair of socks.”

  While everyone else chuckled, Jared could only stare at Emma. Was this the same gal who, not four hours ago, had said she didn’t know much about children? Yet here she was making a present for Robby and planning to buy him some candy. Maybe she knew more than she thought. At least a day before her aunt’s letter arrived, she’d begun to knit those socks for his nephew, who’d received far too few gifts in his young life. That was way more than generous. It was downright magnanimous, the word he’d spelled correctly in the eighth-grade spelling bee back in Charleston, beating out his entire school. He’d earned the top prize for it, the five-dollar gold piece he’d be giving Cal and Julia on Christmas Day. Right now, though, he had the feeling a much finer prize was about to slip through his fingers.

  “That’s a mighty good thing to do, Emma.” Mr. Sharp opened the Bible and thumbed through the pages. “I’m sure the boy will be delighted.”

  Although Jared agreed, he still had much to think about before he could figure out his future with Emma. That was, if he still had a future with her.

  Mr. Sharp found his place and smoothed a hand across the page. “As Emma just showed us, Christmas is all about giving. So let’s take a look at the greatest gift the Almighty gave us on that first Christmas, starting at Matthew, chapter one, verse eighteen. ‘Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.’”

  As the older man continued to read, Jared couldn’t keep his mind from scampering down a rabbit trail. He’d always felt a little sorry for Joseph when he found out his bride-to-be was expecting, knowing full well he wasn’t the father of her child. But the Lord had chosen him to be Mary’s husband because he was a “just” man, one who would stand by Mary in spite of rumors. Of course, according the scripture, the Lord had it all worked out since the beginning of time: Mary’s baby was the long-promised Messiah. Because of Joseph’s character and faithfulness, he would be granted the great privilege and responsibility of serving as the earthly protector of God’s own Son.

  Jared wouldn’t be so bold as to compare himself with Joseph. But he’d learned from Pastor Daniel that every story in scripture held a lesson a man could apply to his own life. While no rumors were attached to Emma, maybe the Lord wanted him to be as supportive of her as Joseph had been to Mary in the job she had to do. In Emma’s situation, that meant he would have to support her decision to help her family rather than marry him, even though the idea cut into him painfully.

  Mr. Sharp read the passage in Matthew clear through to chapter three, where the Lord told Joseph to take the Christ Child home from Egypt to settle in Nazareth. From then on, only one further story referred to Joseph, although Mary was mentioned in several passages about Jesus’s ministry. Joseph seemed to have simply and quietly passed from history.

  Jared released an inaudible sigh. Was his lot in life to quietly disappear? To have no further significance after the barn was built to protect the Sharps’ livestock and serve as a place for the community to celebrate the last night of Las Posadas?

  As one of five sons, he’d always had a hard time getting attention. Not that he wanted to be famous or anything. All he wanted was his own piece of land and a wife to share it with. Was it God’s will for him to lose Emma’s wifely companionship because her responsibility to her family was more important than marrying him? He’d do what the Lord instructed, but that didn’t soften the sting of being abandoned by the woman who was supposed to become the center of his life. Abandoned again, he reminded himself. How many times could he be expected to endure such treatment?

  Yes, he’d obey the Lord. However, he would not let Emma leave for Cleveland without telling her he’d wait for her and give her a chance to make a similar commitment to him. He’d tell her about his hopes of buying that ranch in Colorado and building a house for her there. Would she like that? As soon as Mr. Sharp finished reading, he’d ask permission to speak to her privately while the others went to bed.

  Mr. Sharp closed his Bible and offered a prayer. Then he stood and reached out to Mrs. Sharp. “Annie, let’s get those farolitos made.”

  Jared had forgotten they’d planned to do that this evening. He couldn’t very well talk about private matters in front of Emma’s whole family. For now all he could do was encourage her.

  While the ladies gathered the sacks and candles, Jared and Cal went outside to retrieve the buckets of sand they’d fetched from the riverbank earlier. They all stood around the kitchen table to work on the project. Jared took his place beside Emma and offered a smile. She looked mighty tired, so he’d make sure they had a chance to talk in the morning.

  Then, as he thought more about it, he decided he should first tell Pop about proposing to Emma and about her having to leave for a long spell. He also needed to discuss his dream of buying a ranch in Colorado, since Pop would have to give him his inheritance to make that happen. With only a few days before Cal and Julia’s wedding, and then Emma leaving the next day, he must not wait any longer. If Pop didn’t agree to Jared’s plans, Jared would have to find another solution. If Pop approved, Jared could take the next step of talking to Emma.

  In the meantime, he needed to show Emma he hadn’t given up on her without saying too much. “Say, you sure do a good job of making those candles stand up.”

  She responded with a sad, rueful smile and slumped shoulders. He longed to encourage her, but with his hands deep in damp sand and her family all around, Jared couldn’t exactly give her a big hug. But, Lord willing, he’d make it up to her real soon.

  Chapter Six

  The next evening, as twilight faded and stars appeared in the black sky over Riverton, Emma, Julia and Cal joined the procession walking behind Jose and Maria Mendez. Maria made a beautiful “Mary.” Her baby was due soon, and Emma sensed she understood very well how Mary had felt on her long journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, where Baby Jesus was born. Jose also played his part as Joseph well, making sure Maria sat comfortably and securely on her burro as he led the animal with care over the uneven ground. The couple’s heartfelt portrayal helped everyone in the community get into the mood of the occasion.

  Observing Maria’s serene countenance, Emma wanted more than anything to be a mother one day, too. Wanted it so bad she’d be willing to sacrifice her pride and talk to Jared if he didn’t approach her first. Tonight would have been the perfect time, but he’d gone home this afternoon without explanation, so she’d have to wait. The Lord surely was teaching her patience, a quality she’d never been able or even wanted to claim.

  The procession began at the church and continued to the Martinez home a quarter of a mile away. Ahead of Maria’s burro, a small boy carried a candle to light the way through the darkness. For the safety of all, several other people also carried candles or lanterns.

  “See the farolitos,” someone cried with an enthusiasm that belied the fact that they’d already done this for seven nights in a row.

  “Luminarias!” someone else corrected, and everyone laughed.

  According to Brother Miguel, both Spanish terms applied to the candlelit paper bags. The folks who hailed from south of La Bajada, New Mexico, insisted that luminarias was the proper term, but those from Santa Fe proclaimed the lights must be called farolitos. For the good of the community, everyone ag
reed to disagree.

  This being Emma’s first night to participate, she decided to set aside the depression that had held on to her since yesterday when Ma received Aunt Maggie’s letter. For just this one night, she gave herself permission to enjoy the excitement, especially as she observed the expressions of happiness and camaraderie on the faces of her companions, Mexicans and Americanos alike. If this mood continued beyond the Christmas season, or Navidad¸ as the Mexicans called it, the pastors could count their efforts to unite the communities a success. Her heart uplifted by it all, Emma prayed she and Jared could have similar success at uniting their lives.

  As the procession made its way up the lighted pathway to the house, Mr. Martinez, the “innkeeper,” opened the door. Jose asked if he had any room in the “inn.” In a deep baritone voice, Mr. Martinez sang a Spanish song of welcome, while Mrs. Martinez emerged from the house with a tray full of refreshments. On a tree in the front yard hung a star-shaped clay piñata, which the children broke with sticks. Wrapped homemade candy flew everywhere to the delight of the little ones, who scrambled after it.

  Caught up in the celebration, Emma could hardly wait for her family’s turn to welcome Mary and Joseph, especially for the children. Pa had bought a clay piñata, and Ma had been making candy for days in anticipation. Emma turned to Julia to share one of their sister smiles, but Julia had eyes only for Cal. They’d already entered that secret world where happy couples lived. Emma sighed. Would she and Jared ever live there?

  The next day the sun shone bright and warm enough so everyone could work on the barn in their shirtsleeves. By noontime, Emma and Paco had finished the inside of the barn less than an hour before Jared and Cal hammered nails into the last shingles on the roof.

  Buoyed by her sense of accomplishment, Emma decided the time had arrived to deal with Jared. As he came down from the roof, she leaned against a sawhorse with her arms crossed and pasted on a smirk she didn’t feel. What if he couldn’t forgive her for abandoning him? What if he’d decided to avoid the pain and just not care for her anymore? Still, she had to try.