by Jill Maguire
During the long remaining days on the trail Patience continued to teach Warren how to write and read. She was pleased with his progress, but tried her best to keep her heart out of it.
One man in their train, Samuel, started a Bible study in the evenings after dinner. Warren and Patience participated, along with a few others, and Patience drank in the words he read, letting them quench her confused soul. Jesus was enough to silence all of her questions. When they read from the book of Jeremiah, Patience was sure the words were intended just for her.
“‘For I know the thoughts that I think towards you,’ saith the Lord, ‘thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.’ These words were spoken to a confused and frustrated prophet who could not see or understand where God was leading him,” Samuel explained. “Out here, we may feel lost, our futures are unknown, but God is with us. There is so much hope,” Samuel spoke with such passion and he emanated a light that did not come from the flickering fire.
Patience repeated this verse to herself often over the course of the journey. Thoughts of leaving Warren forever settled uneasily within her and when she thought of her future in Wyoming the picture was dark and veiled. She could only trust in God’s plans for her and her baby.
Warren too was feeling more and more uneasy each day. Whenever he prayed for Patience, a deep yearning for her sprang up in his heart. Over and over he tried to suppress these yearnings, relinquishing them to God, but the feelings only grew.
One night, not far from their destination, Samuel read from Psalm thirty-seven. “Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way to the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.”
As these words were spoken, Warren looked up at Patience and he realized how strongly he loved her, how he would do anything to care for her. Warren waited impatiently for the Bible study to end then he drew Patience aside.
“I don’t even know where to start,” Warren stammered.
“My Ma always used to say that it’s best to start at the beginning.”
“Well then, first I have to apologize. I never should have given you away as a mail-order-bride without even asking what you wanted. I was selfish in my desire to fulfill my brother’s last wish.” Patience lowered her eyes to the ground at the mention of Clayton. “And second……”
“You both best be getting some rest,” Clive interrupted. “We’re only a few hours from our destination and we’ll be leaving at daybreak.”
Warren’s face was bathed in red, frustrated that he was robbed of the opportunity to profess his love for Patience.
“Clive is right,” Patience agreed. “I have a big day ahead of me tomorrow and I don’t want to look exhausted for my new groom.” She turned from Warren, as if to punish him for his confession, and returned to the wagon to try and get some sleep.
Chapter 16
The hand carved sign read Whistle Stop, Wyoming as Warren and Patience navigated their way into the town that would become Patience’s new home.
“Whistle Stop,” Warren announced.
Patience spun her face toward him and asked if had known the name of the town or if he had read the sign. Warren didn’t answer but his slow, lopsided smile told her all she needed to know. Patience felt fulfilled that at least Warren could now read simple words and maybe once he returned home, he would find work, and perhaps someday, even a wife. The thought stabbed at her already aching heart and Patience clutched at her chest.
“Is everything okay, Patience?”
She wanted to turn to him, grab him by the shirt collar and yell ‘No!’ at the top of her lungs, but she remained composed. “Just anxious is all.”
“Shouldn’t be much longer. The rancher said he’d be waiting at the new railroad station.” Warren’s words trailed off whenever he spoke of Patience’s intended groom and he quickly changed the subject. “Did you know that all of the towns around here are named after the sounds of the train?”
“I didn’t.” Patience surveyed the land, enjoying the abundance of wildflowers that lined the dirt road and the lodge pole pines that towered overhead. Even though she felt like a stranger in an unknowing world, she couldn’t deny that Wyoming was a beautiful place. “His name?” Her words were curt and unfeeling.
“Pardon?”
“The rancher? It would be nice to at least know my husband’s name before I meet him.”
When Warren heard Patience refer to the rancher as her husband, something inside of him finally snapped. He yanked as hard as he could on the reins and the horses came to an abrupt halt. “Why don’t you just say it?”
Patience was completely caught off guard by Warren’s accusatory tone. “Say what?” she snapped back.
Warren turned to face her and Patience could see that Warren was upset. “Say that you hate me for what I’ve done. Admit that you don’t want to marry the rancher and that I am the vilest of men for forcing you into this situation.” Warren glared at Patience and impatiently waited for her response.
“Would that make you feel better?” she yelled over the breeze. “Would it clear your clouded conscience of guilt and allow you to hate me in return?”
“I could never hate you Patience, ever! Don’t you understand?”
Warren whipped the reins angrily around the horn of the wagon and stomped his boot on the pine floor board. He looked away from her briefly, staring out to the landscape, and then met her gaze again. Patience could see the wetness of tears pooling in the softness of his eyes.
“I could never feel anything but love for you,” he finally admitted, the words sailing from his lips with ease. “I want to take care of you and protect you for the rest of your days. I don’t want to hand you over to some stranger. And I don’t intend to.” Warren’s words died away when he saw the stunned expression on Patience’s face.
“I – I. . .,” she sputtered. But Warren silenced her with a soft kiss, wrapping his hand around the back of her neck before she could speak. Patience closed her eyes and allowed herself to be taken by Warren’s gentle embrace. Her heart fluttered in her chest and she felt Clayton’s warmth surrounding them.
“You were right, Patience,” Warren whispered as he released his lips from hers. “You are the exception to the rule. Patience smiled shyly at him, remembering their writing lesson. “And I promise to love you, both of you, until time stands still.” Warren brushed his hand over her blossoming belly and sealed his promise with another kiss. Patience felt rapturously happy. God had known her future. He had been right beside her all along.
The End
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Protecting Patience
Copyright 2015-2016 © Jill Maguire
Prairie Wind Publishing
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, or transmitted by any means - electronic, mechanical, photographic (photocopying), recording, or otherwise without written permission from the author/publisher.
Finding Faith
Copyright 2015-2016 © Jill Maguire
Prairie Wind Publishing
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, or transmitted by any means - electronic, mechanical, photographic (photocopying), recording, or otherwise without written permission from the author/publisher.
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Table of Contents
Copyright
&n
bsp; Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Further Reading
Sneak Peek
Copyright
Chapter 1
Faith Decker packed her instruments into her bag with a smile. Another baby had been born, healthy and wailing, and placed into his mother’s exhausted arms. Faith made sure the baby had been fed and that he and his mother were both sleeping peacefully before she slipped out of the house. She drank of the fresh air and began the short walk to her own small rented house on the other side of town. As she walked, Faith reflected on the events of the evening. It had been a long night, but the fulfilling outcome of welcoming another healthy baby into the world was worth every ounce of her exhaustion.
When Faith arrived home and gained her own bed, an unsettling restlessness took over her. Images flashed through her mind as they sometimes did after a delivery.
It had been three years and still the events on the wagon train west haunted her. It had been hot and dusty that day and the trail was pitted and rough. Faith remembered sitting beside her husband John, as the wagon barreled forward. Even now, as she lay in her bed, Faith could almost smell the horses and feel the comforting brush of John’s arm against hers.
And then her entire world came crashing down.
Everything happened so quickly and the memories were still painfully fresh. The thundering hooves of horses suddenly seemed amplified, and the yells of Indians echoed through the years. Faith had seen the arrow coming, slicing through the blue sky as it left the bow, but could do nothing to stop it from changing the course of her life. It pierced John’s chest right before her eyes and her own blood-curdling scream rang out over the barren land. Without a driver, the horses pulling her wagon veered dangerously out of line but Faith was blind to everything save her husband’s limp body leaning into her.
Mercifully, a man on a horse pulled up next to her and immediately assessed the situation. He jumped from his saddle and tied his horse to the back of Faith’s wagon before joining her on the bench. “There is a town not far from here, we can get help there.” Those words were all she remembered of the man who had come to her rescue.
The next events were blurred in Faith’s memory. She remembered crying over John’s body the whole way into town and then suddenly, they had wrenched him from her arms. An image of his lifeless gray body was burned in her mind, as she watched the townspeople carry him away.
The women of the town took pity on Faith and offered her shelter. But she was alone in her grief, a grief that was doubled by the loss of the baby she was carrying, John’s baby, and Faith recessed into a pit of despair.
After a while, Faith was told she had to move on. Boarding rooms were scarce and although the women were sympathetic to her situation, she was told she could no longer stay in her temporary accommodations.
Soon, something fierce flared up in Faith, a will to move on that she could not have conjured up on her own accord. While in mourning, Faith had been thinking of Patience, a friend she had made on the trail, and wishing for her to be there, comforting her. Patience had suffered much the same as she had, but seemed to take everything in graceful stride. Faith had assisted Patience during some early contractions of the woman’s pregnancy and the experience had brought the women closer together. The event had also left Faith feeling purposeful and alive.
With a young plan formulating in her mind, Faith used the small amount of money she and John had brought west to rent a tiny house and purchase the supplies she needed to start a midwifery practice in this new town. The town was rather dilapidated but was slowly improving as new families travelling west settled there. Faith knew she needed a fresh start.
But it didn’t come without hardship. Faith tried to go numb, to forget the events of her past and move forward, but sorrow still invaded her heart. Her first years of working as a midwife were riddled with grief as healthy babies and happy families became acute reminders of what she had lost. She slept little and ate little, but continued to work hard for the women in the town.
Over time, Faith earned a good reputation as a capable midwife and the work slowly began to fill her with life again. She felt it was safe to assume, after two miscarriages, that she would never have children of her own and eventually was able to find contentment and joy in welcoming others’ new babies into the world. After three years in this community, the events of the past haunted her less and less frequently, but still, on nights like these, she longed for total release from the tortured images.
Faith finally slept, though fitfully, and awakened late in the afternoon. She made a simple meal for herself and set out to check on the brand new mother as she had promised to do the night before. Thankfully, the rest of the day was uneventful as mother and baby were doing well and Faith felt at ease leaving them in the capable care of the proud husband and father. The old ache smote Faith’s heart at the sight of the happy family, but she refused to let it get the better of her.
She spent the rest of the evening in her parlor knitting a blanket for the next baby due to be born and after a small supper, Faith retired to bed early.
Sometime in the middle of the night Faith was woken from a deep sleep by a frantic pounding on her door. She flew out of bed and threw a wrap around her shoulders. It was odd, she thought. She wasn’t expecting any deliveries tonight. When she wrenched the front door open she found Rex Knowles, the husband of an expectant mother, on her doorstep.
“Come quickly! Grace has gone into labor!” Rex barked at her. He turned without another word and ran into the darkness.
Chapter 2
Faith dressed quickly and grabbed her bag of instruments from its place by the door. It was a few weeks before the baby was expected to come and Faith was worried. She was so fearful that she practically ran in full sprint to the nearby Knowles’ residence.
When she reached the house, Faith was led by Rex, who was clearly agitated, into the bedroom where Grace lay. The young woman was pale and sweating, moaning in discomfort.
“Hello my friend,” Faith cooed, trying to calm the woman. “Let’s see what baby is doing, shall we?” Faith smiled at Grace and spoke with assurance. This seemed to have a relaxing effect on Grace and she leaned back against her pillows, her ragged breathing eventually slowing.
“Faith, it’s too early. What’s wrong?” Grace asked in a strained voice.
“It may be that nothing is wrong at all, Grace. Perhaps your little one is simply eager to meet the world. But let’s check everything out just to be sure.” Faith smiled at her friend and proceeded with a thorough examination.
“When did your contractions start?” Faith asked.
“About an hour ago. They’re just coming faster and faster.” Grace’s tired face was etched with concern.
“Yes, do you remember when we talked about your labor? I told you how it would happen.” Faith took the young woman’s hand in her own. Another contraction came and Faith coached Grace through it, helping her to remain calm and breathe slowly. Faith could hear Rex nervously pacing outside the door.
The hours grew on and Grace seemed to be making fine progress. Faith stayed by her side, asking her questions and telling her about the blanket she was knitting for the baby Grace was bringing into the world. Faith’s calmness and conversation took Grace smoothly through her contractions when they came.
At one point, Rex pounded on the door, causing Grace to jump and tense, undoing all of Faith’s work at calming the laboring mother.
“What’s going on in there?! It’s awful quiet!” Rex’s voice boomed through the closed door. Faith walked across the room and opened the
door slightly.
“Yes, it’s almost time. If you could please bring me some boiling water, clean blankets and linens, we will have everything ready.” Faith spoke calmly into Rex’s red face
“You want me to get your things, woman?” Rex bellowed.
“That would be very helpful, thank you,” Faith answered sternly and closed the door. Her focus was on Grace’s comfort, and the baby’s safe delivery, she would not be intimidated by such a rude, overbearing man.
Within a minute Rex returned with the clean blankets. “I done what you told me, the kettle is on the boil,” he said tersely without meeting Faith’s eye. “But I ain’t your maid,” he added.
Faith ignored the man’s comment and turned back to Grace with a sweet, though tremulous smile. Rex’s presence was unnerving and Faith suddenly began to doubt his abilities to be a good father. But she couldn’t let her mind rest on him. Grace dragged in air and moaned in discomfort as Faith examined her again and saw that it was time for the baby to come.
“Okay Grace, this baby is coming. Are you ready?” Grace shook her head emphatically and cried.
“No! No, I’m not ready, Faith. Ooooh!” Grace became rigid as another contraction washed over her.
“You can do it Grace. That’s it. Now push!”
“No, no, no, no,” Grace moaned while her body contracted.
“Yes, yes, you’re doing wonderfully, Grace. A deep breath, and push again. There, that’s it. Your baby is coming, Grace, keep going. I can see….”
Faith’s words stopped, along with her heart. As the baby’s head appeared, Faith noticed something was wrong. The baby’s skin was tinged with blue and as he slid farther out she realized with horror that the baby’s air supply had been cut off. The umbilical cord was wrapped around the baby’s tiny neck. Faith fought her tears and went into immediate action.