In a fog of heartbreak, Adaline proceeded inside having heard quite enough. There was her explanation. Dalton wouldn’t love her. Couldn’t love her. He was already in love—with someone else.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Creeping along in her stockinged feet, Courtney crossed the large living room of the ranch house and peered into the kitchen to make sure she was alone. Shane had gone to bed early and Sarah soon after.
Several hours ago, a rider had appeared from town with a message from her sister alerting them Mrs. Hollyhock was ill. She had a fever and was in bed. Adaline felt she was very sick and bade Jessie to come at once.
Instantly, Jessie had packed a small bag and Chase had driven her over.
Concern for Mrs. Hollyhock rocked Courtney. If something happened to the old matriarch, Logan Meadows, as well as her brother, Jake, would be devastated. The old woman had practically raised her brother when Marlene, his natural mother, was a saloon girl and had little time for a young son. Courtney liked Mrs. Hollyhock, too. The elderly grandmother-type had been nothing but kind to her, and even sweet, when she was cranky to most. Courtney had felt special to her, and she saw the same feelings in Adaline’s gaze. She hoped these would not be her last days on earth.
Adaline had no idea, but her message had provided the perfect moment for Courtney to undo her bad deed. She’d been in the bedroom with Sarah, working up her courage. For some reason, this circumstance felt much scarier than when she’d taken the money in the first place. She didn’t want to get caught. Putting what she’d stolen back did exonerate her, didn’t it? She’d not spent any. And they were the same coins—the keepsake coins—that she’d taken only the night before. All she’d done was carry them around for a day. Thankfully, she’d been strong and not given Wil the money. How she’d handle him in the future, she didn’t know. But she wouldn’t try buying him off again.
After a shallow breath, Courtney glanced at the stairs one more time to make sure all was still quiet and crossed the room. The closer she came to the display case, the harder her heart pounded. Almost painful now, the blood swished in her ears, resembling the crashing waves of Newport.
Reaching with a shaky hand, she twisted the fragile knob. With the other hand she braced the glass case and carefully opened the door. Taking the coins from her pocket, she laid them one at a time noting the soft click. With a heart full of thanks, she slowly turned to find Chase watching her from the kitchen doorway.
“Courtney?” His gaze went from her face to the cabinet behind her. “Can I help you with something?”
Did he know and was testing her? Or could she say she was just looking? Bile stung the back of her throat. She was tired of all the deception hovering around her. She wanted to be her old self: honest, chipper, alive. She was no good.
“Courtney. You’re white. Sit down. I’d prefer you don’t pass out. You might be coming down with something as well.”
She shook her head. “I’m not sick, Mr. Logan.” Her tiny voice came out shaky.
He tipped his head. “That’s good news. Something else you want to say?”
He was assessing her and the cabinet again. Was he searching for something missing? The cowboys around here seemed well-versed at looking deep into the soul, as she’d experienced with Tyler earlier today. Mr. Logan was tall and broad. He seemed to fill the doorway. Windblown, shaggy hair rimmed his face, and a shadow of a beard covered his jaw. His perceptive, piercing eyes grasped her gaze and didn’t let go. Her life was blowing up all around her. She needed to come clean.
“Courtney?”
“Yes, sir, there is.” She dropped her gaze to the rug.
He walked into the living room on his stockinged feet and lowered himself into a chair. He gestured her to the sofa.
She did his bidding. “I—I…” she began again. “I took something from your display case last night and am returning it.”
He nodded slowly. “What did you take?”
“Your gold eagle coins.”
For several long moments he studied the floor. “Do you need money, Courtney? I’m happy to give you some if you’re in need.”
His tone was sincere, holding no condemnation, as she’d expected. No anger. She didn’t know what to think. “I—” she began, shamed all the way to her soul. She’d love to share the heavy burden about Wil and his threats she carried on her shoulders but doing so with Chase Logan didn’t feel right. She shook her head. “I couldn’t sleep last night and came downstairs to admire the keepsakes Jessie showed me in the cabinet on the day I first arrived. I took the coins. After I did, I regretted my mistake. Jake and Adaline will be shocked when they hear what I’ve done.” She looked across the room to the dark window and thought of Tyler. “And then, maybe they won’t be shocked. They know I look for trouble around every corner.”
“That assessment doesn’t sound like you, Courtney.”
“If you knew me better, you’d think different.”
For some reason she couldn’t fathom, he smiled. She’d seen that look before, when Sarah was chattering about her day, the snow flower she’d found in the horse pasture, or a flock of birds that followed her down a path. He was a good man. Patient and kind. And intelligent, too.
“Tell you what.” The words were soft, said under his breath. “How about we keep this between you and me? Since you returned the coins, no harm was done. You might not believe this, but I was young and impulsive once, too.” He chuckled and ran a hand over his hair. “I was a drifter. Never wanted to settle down. I’ve made my share of mistakes. And unlike you, I didn’t put them to right. They tickle my conscience from time to time, but one can’t look back too often, or he’ll miss what’s in front. I’ve come to terms with who I was back then. And who I am now, thanks to Jessie and my family.
He stretched back in the chair getting comfortable. “I remember once when I wasn’t much older than you, I’d been on the trail for days. When a man is powerful hungry, he’ll do foolish things. I caught a whiff of a delicious smell. Following my nose, I came upon a small ranch house, tied my horse at the hitching post, and knocked on the door. No one was home. Taking liberties I had no right to take, I circled the small place. The window in back was open. On the ledge was a fresh-baked cherry pie. I knew right from wrong. Taking the pie was stealing. But I couldn’t stop myself. I rode off with the whole pie, dish and all. Years later, I was in the area, and my conscience began kickin’ up a storm. An old couple owned the ranch. I confessed. They were kind, and happy to have company; they invited me to supper. I stayed several days, doing chores and fixing things a man his age couldn’t do any longer.”
“You put your wrong to right.”
“Yes, but not immediately. You’re the only one I’ve shared that story with.” His face turned pink. Sitting forward, Chase gave a nod. “Your indiscretion is just between us.”
Courtney took a deep, purgative breath and a coil of tension eased away. Mr. Logan hadn’t condemned her as she’d expected. He’d actually admitted to a small indiscretion, which illustrated he wasn’t as perfect as people thought. She’d do better from this day forward. She’d fight her battles without fibbing or going against the values she’d been taught as a child. Somehow she’d be victorious against Wil, but with honesty and truth. Then, whatever the outcome, she’d have no more regrets.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Two days had passed since Adaline had gone into town for the soda crackers and quinine powder. The Red Rooster was crammed with people. Buggies and wagons littered the front yard, as well as the sides and back. A somber mood permeated the air. A number of townsfolk had begun to stop by just after the noontime meal to check on Violet and, in some respects, say their last goodbyes. Word had gotten around town she’d taken a turn for the worse overnight. She slid in and out of delirium and was fading fast and might not last the day. Her friends viewed her from the hallway to say their last goodbyes to their greatly loved matriarch.
The
situation was as if everyone had gathered for a wake before Violet had actually passed away. Winthrop was there, Reverend Wilbrand, Hunter and Tabitha, Albert and Susanna. Maude had already been there and was gone, as well as Chase and most of the bunkhouse of the Broken Horn. Frank Lloyd, Kendall Martin, Buckskin Jack, Seth and Ivy Cotton, and his sister, Nell, and her husband, Charley, stood around the room.
“I’m so thankful we returned when we did,” Susanna said, her eyes red from crying. “If I hadn’t had a chance to say goodbye to Violet, I’d never have forgiven myself.” Her gaze lovingly touched each colorful quilt, the doilies over the arms of each chair, the table bouquet of winter pinecones and golden leaves, arranged in the center of the table. “Even at eighty-seven, Violet made sure everything was just so.”
Albert nodded and placed a strong, comforting arm around her back. Hunter and Tabitha stood in the circle with them quietly discussing the situation. “Logan Meadows will be a different place...”
Adaline remained in the kitchen, watching and listening from the alcove. Her job was to make sure the coffeepot was full and hot water was on to boil. Her heart ached for Violet. She’d touched them all in different ways. Adaline struggled to keep her gaze far from Susanna or have the things she’d learned about her and Dalton color the way she felt about her. Susanna had been nothing but kind and accommodating since Adaline and her family had come to town. She liked Susanna very much. She’d not let her feelings for Dalton ever change that.
A soft hand on Adaline’s shoulder made her turn.
“Jake’s absolutely devastated about Violet,” Daisy whispered. “I think he expected her to live forever. Of course, we all know death is inevitable, but no one wants to lose our dear, sweet Violet—even at her advanced age. On top of this heartbreak, Jake hasn’t been himself since Wil Lemon came to town and has been acting like a crazy man. He hates Wil.” She slowly shook her head. “I’m frightened he might do something foolish. And now this, with Violet, so close to Christmas. Her passing is too sad to consider.”
Adaline didn’t like hearing this about Jake, as well as feeling something was drastically wrong with Courtney. Her little sister wouldn’t open up. Was something more than just Wil coming to town bothering her? The next time they were together, she would ask her straight out and force her to tell. If nothing else, sharing the burden would lighten her conscience. Siblings were closer than any other people in the world. Courtney would have no choice but to open up.
The kettle whistled.
She gave Daisy a tremulous smile and removed the kettle from the heat.
“Has Dalton been by?” Daisy whispered.
Adaline swallowed and shook her head. “No, not yet.” And only I know why.
The door opened.
Jake came through, looking windblown, unshaven, and disheveled. Adaline didn’t miss her brother’s red-rimmed eyes.
He passed by everyone without a word and joined her and Daisy in the kitchen, pulling his wife into an embrace. “You smell good, darlin’,” he mumbled into Daisy’s hair.
“And you smell like a damp, shaggy wolf, Jake.” She hugged him tighter. “But I love you all the same. Where’ve you been?”
“At the depot seeing the Fords off. They’d like to be home before Christmas, if possible. There’s another problem I have—the reward money.”
Daisy patted his arm. “When the time is right, you’ll think of the perfect answer. In the meantime, Hannah and the doctor are recovering, as well as the messenger from New Meringue. No one else has taken ill. Christmas will be sad this year because of Violet but filled with love, too…”
“And every Christmas from now on,” he finished for her, stepping away to scrub a hand over his face. “Violet was the one who made Christmas special when I was knee-high to a grasshopper. Always knitting or sewing me something. She made sure I had some sort of toy a boy would like come Christmas morning—a slingshot, a kite, and when I was older, a pocketknife. She’d sing Christmas hymns, cook a goose, and bake several pies. She took me to Christmas service and told me to pay attention to what the preacher had to say—telling us to live a good life, don’t take from others, or be kind.” He heaved a deep sigh. “Has she woken up?” He glanced at Adaline. “Any news?”
Adaline shook her head. “Yesterday, while she was still able, she dictated a short list of wishes she wanted for her funeral. You to read “Psalm 23,” “For the Beauty of the Earth,” a hymn of praise sung by Dichelle, and for Reverend Wilbrand to not expound for more than five minutes. She doesn’t want a long-winded preacher to set her mourners to daydreaming and lose sight of her day. She wants a plot on the edge of the cemetery with a view of Shady Creek.”
Adaline dashed away a tear. Seemed crying was all she did lately. Other than that, Violet hadn’t said a thing about her belongings, the cozy inn she’d purchased when she’d moved to Logan Meadows, or her long-lost son she laid out a dinner setting for every night. If she hadn’t looked so weak and near death, Adaline might have giggled and kidded her, as the common theme of her life was always dying. She’d been proclaiming the event for years. And now, here she was at death’s door, and nothing felt silly anymore. Violet was going home, and she was more than anxious to get there.
“What about today?” Jake asked.
Daisy caressed Jake’s arm. “She’s been sleeping since you left. We can’t even rouse her to eat a few spoonfuls of bone broth or take water. Breaks my heart.”
“She’s killing herself!” Jake barked out angrily. “What gives her the right? She’s been slowing down over the years, but she can still live a good life. People love her. Visit all the time.”
The bedroom door down the hall opened and closed, and a moment later, Marlene joined them in the kitchen. She eyed the townsfolk still visiting in the front room. “Has Beth arrived?” She craned her neck as she looked around the room. “That woman better show up soon, if she knows what’s good for her.”
“She hasn’t.” Adaline noticed the strain on Marlene’s face. She poured hot water into several cups for the waiting visitors and refilled the kettle, placing it back on the stove. “If she didn’t come two days ago, then I doubt she’ll come now. She’s had plenty of time if she were so inclined. If she didn’t want to walk, she could have hitched a ride with any of these visitors.”
Susanna and Albert waved their goodbyes and left, passing Gabe and Julia, hand in hand as they entered, followed by baldheaded Abner Wassermann, the telegraph operator, and Mr. Hatfield, the depot operator. Gabe’s face was lined with sorrow as he clung to Julia’s hand. They melded into the group, speaking softly, their gaze darting to the hallway where they knew Violet waited out the last hours of her life. Gabe nodded to Jake but didn’t come their way.
“Well, Beth’ll have only herself to blame when she has to live with her selfish decision,” Marlene said. “After all the times Violet put up with her lazy, self-centered, self-seeking ways and held her tongue, you’d think Beth would forgive her the one time she didn’t. But then, we all know Beth Fairington, don’t we?”
Adaline nodded, knowing a deep despair at the bottom of her soul. She’d hoped beyond hope Dalton would come out, too. But he hadn’t. She’d scared him off for good with her declaration of love.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Three days passed since Wil had been released from jail, and nothing had happened. Each day, Courtney went into town expecting the worst, only to be surprised when everyone still called out hellos, men still opened the door when she entered a building, and none of the women looked at her any differently. During these days, she’d worked long hours at the Lings’ or watched after Sarah and Shane, since Jessie was staying with Violet. Mrs. Hollyhock’s condition remained the same. She was weak and never left her bed. Most things she said didn’t make any sense.
Upending a cloth bag of dirty garments, Courtney dumped the soiled laundry onto the scarred wooden floorboards, and sorted colors from the whites. Amazingly, she and the ot
hers had caught up with the backlog of washing lining the side wall just last week, including linen from the several eateries in town and soiled farmers’ clothes. Also, finer garments from shop owners and more genteel customers that needed extra care. Dresses, skirts, and blouses, to name a few. Amazing how many people decided the small price they paid the Lings was worth the hours saved from tackling the chore themselves. With all the women helping, the laundry house now looked as neat as a pin.
Straightening, she pressed a palm to her aching back. Laundry work was exhausting. Knowing the business inside and out now, she’d not want to be stuck here for the rest of her life. The thought of going back to school didn’t sound quite as bad as it had three days ago.
Across the room, Mr. Ling toiled away, head down, over the squeaking ironing board.
Marlene was off delivering a stack of linen to the El Dorado Hotel.
When a gust of cold wind whistled through the building’s back door, Courtney turned and stared. She swallowed down her fear when Lan scurried by. Courtney always expected to see Wil, a mocking grin on his face. She didn’t know when or where he’d show up—just that he would. He was drawing out the tension to break her. Making her wonder when, and to whom, he’d first share his story, ripping her reputation to shreds. The day was coming, and she couldn’t do a thing to stop him. But where was he now? As well as the last two days? She didn’t dare ask anyone. And especially not Jake.
As soon as she finished, she planned to go to the Red Rooster and see Adaline. She’d had precious little time to spend with her of late and felt a need now more than ever. She’d also like to see Violet.
She’d only seen Tyler in passing at the ranch. He’d stayed away, something smoldering in the back of his eyes. Didn’t take a genius to know what was bothering him. Fine with her. She didn’t need him meddling in her business any more than she needed anyone else. Mr. Upstanding could just kiss her boots if—
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