Molly's Heart

by Marianne Spitzer

  Molly’s Heart

  By Marianne Spitzer

  © December 2016

  This book is a work of fiction. All the names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to persons living or dead, events, locations, or organizations are purely coincidental. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced without the written consent of the author.

  Acknowledgements

  There are many people I would like to thank for their help and understanding while I wrote this book, but first and foremost, I want to thank God for all His blessings. I also wish to thank my family and friends for their patience and understanding when I disappear into my writing world especially my son, Lance, for his unwavering support. Last, but by no means least, I would like to thank my loyal readers who read my books and leave reviews. I couldn’t do this without you.

  ~~Also, I wish to thank a fellow member of the Pioneer Hearts Facebook group for help with my story. Betty Melton suggested the name Zeddicus Skinner as the despicable character trying to ruin Molly’s life. Thank you, Betty~~

  Molly’s Heart

  A Gentle Falls

  Mail-Order Bride

  Christmas

  Gentle Falls November 1880

  Chapter 1

  Sheriff Ben Clay picked up the letter and scrunched his eyebrows. “Why do you need a recommendation from me for the Brutherington Matrimonial Agency?”

  “I can’t live here alone forever. I’m going to be a mail-order bride,” she whispered.

  “Why do you believe you’ll be alone?”

  “Even though most people in town believe the truth, there is a hint of doubt. Any decent man wouldn’t want me because I have a tarnished reputation here in town. You know how important a reputation is, and decent men won’t take a chance.” She dropped her head and fought back the tears.

  Sheriff Clay stood, “Miss Sullivan, I believe your reputation is as good as anyone else’s. I also believe that there is at least one man in town who would be happy to court you given a chance. Would you join me for lunch at Callahan’s while we discuss why it might be a good idea for you to remain in Gentle Falls?” He held out his arm to her.

  Molly stood and looked into Ben’s eyes. What did she see? Was it more than the local sheriff helping a town resident? Were Sarah and Nell right that Sheriff Clay liked her? Might his feelings be a bit deeper than that? She wouldn’t know if she left town.

  She smiled and took his arm. “Yes, lunch would be lovely. Thank you.”

  They stopped before leaving his office.

  “Look at the snow,” Molly said. “It was just flurries when I came into your office. There must be at least an inch on the ground.” She looked up at the sky and shivered.

  “The clouds are darker to the west. We could be in for quite a storm. Let’s have something warm to eat before it gets worse,” he said, and she held his arm tighter.

  Sheriff Clay led the way down the street to Callahan’s Restaurant. He opened the door, decorated with a large red bow, allowing Molly to enter before him. Ben whispered, “Do you know why there is a red bow on the door?”

  Molly whispered back, “Nell loves Christmas. I believe that might be her first decoration.” He followed close behind and placed his hand on the small of her back leading her to an empty table near the back of the restaurant.

  Nell heard the bell over the door and hurried out to greet the newest customer. A broad smile crossed her face when she saw Molly and the sheriff. “Good afternoon, Molly, Sheriff, would you like to have lunch or just coffee?”

  “Lunch definitely,” Sheriff Clay answered. “What are today’s specials?”

  “Chicken vegetable soup and biscuits or scrambled eggs and a fried ham slice.”

  Sheriff Clay looked at Molly. “Umm, soup and biscuits. It’s cold outside. I’d like a cup of tea, too please,” she answered.

  The sheriff nodded. “I’ll have the same, only coffee.”

  Molly asked, “Cal is cooking eggs for lunch again? They don’t bother you any longer?”

  “No,” Nell smiled. “I think the baby is used to them now.” She blushed and hurried off to get their lunches.

  Nell brought their drinks quickly and disappeared back into the kitchen.

  Sheriff Clay took a sip of his coffee and looked at Molly over the top of the cup’s rim. “I think we should talk about you leaving town. I’d prefer you stay.”

  Molly looked at her tea cup afraid her warm cheeks would give away her thoughts. She didn’t want the sheriff to know she had feelings for him.

  She looked up with just her eyes and asked, “Why?”

  He leaned closer and whispered, “Because this is where you live. You have friends here. If you stayed, you might find a man who wants to court you.”

  Molly shook her head. “I doubt that. Who would want to court me?”

  “Me.”

  “You?”

  “Me.” He smiled, and Molly’s heart leaped in her chest.

  She dropped her head hoping her cheeks didn’t look as hot as they felt. Sheriff Ben Clay wanted to court her. Oh, my, what should she say?

  Molly was saved from making that decision for a moment at least when Nell arrived with two bowls of soup and a plate of biscuits and butter on a tray. “I hope you enjoy your lunch,” Nell smiled and winked at Molly.

  Oh, my, she noticed Molly’s cheeks. Ben must see them, too. There wasn’t anything she could do about it now, and she thanked Nell.

  Nell hurried away calling over her shoulder, “If you need anything else, just holler.”

  Ben and Molly ate in silence for several minutes before Ben cleared his throat. “You haven’t said a word, Molly. What do you say? May I court you.”

  Molly nodded afraid if she spoke her voice would squeak.

  Ben smiled. “Is that yes?” He lowered his head to look into her eyes which had again found a spot across the room to study.

  Her eyes flitted back to Ben, and she smiled. “Yes, that is, I mean umm, yes, you can court me if you wish.”

  Ben grinned and finished his soup in record time and ordered two slices of cherry pie. “Sorry,” he murmured, “Is cherry all right?”

  “Yes, I love cherry pie.”

  “Good, good, it’s nearly winter which might make courting a bit harder. We can’t go on a picnic or stroll around town without freezing. I think we’ll spend a lot of time together right here in Callahan’s. That is unless you’d like to marry me right away and we could skip all this courting nonsense.”

  “What?” She looked at him with a surprised expression and blushed deeply again.

  “Sorry, I suppose that’s too forward, but I should tell you that’s my intention. I’m serious about courting you, and I don’t want to court forever. A few weeks should be enough don’t you think?” He leaned closer and took her hand.

  “Ahh, umm, I don’t know. I’ve never been courted before. I don’t know anyone who courted seriously except Sarah and she and Giles’ courtship was short since he was away for quite some time.” She stared at his hand covering hers but didn’t pull away. His hand was warm, and she loved how it covered her hand. It felt safe and strong. She loved the way the muscles tightened when he gripped her hand tighter. She loved his brown eyes and how they warmed when he looked at her. She loved his strong shoulders and how she had to look up to see his face. His over six-foot-tall frame was perfect in every way.

  Face it, Molly; you love him. You’re in love with Ben Clay, Molly admitted to herself. She smiled at him unsure of what to say. She’d marry him today, but she couldn’t let him know. “I think we could decide in a couple of weeks if we want to continue courting and then make more decisions.”

  “Sounds go
od to me. I wish we weren’t in Callahan’s because I’d like to kiss you right now.” He lifted her hand and kissed it gently.

  Molly was stunned into silence. She glanced out the window before trying to speak. “Look at the snow. Will we have a blizzard? I don’t think I’ve ever seen it snow this much so quickly before.”

  Ben looked in the direction of the window and acknowledged her question with a quick nod. “Looks like it could be one heck of a storm. Might be a blizzard. Good thing I sleep at the jail and you live across the street. I hate to end our lunch, but I should see you safely home before we’re both stuck here until the snow stops.”

  “At least we wouldn’t starve,” Molly answered feeling dumb but still trying to take in Ben’s suggestion of a kiss.

  Before he could answer, they saw men running toward the other side of town carrying buckets.

  “Fire,” Ben shouted and jumped to his feet. “Stay here with Cal and Nell,” he insisted as he shrugged on his coat and ran out the door.

  Nell and Cal appeared from the back of the restaurant. “Is that a fire warning. Do you know where it is?” Cal asked.

  “No, but I’m going to head home,” Molly answered. “The snow is getting worse.”

  “Be safe,” Nell called after her as Molly set out to cross the street back to the seamstress shop.

  The men’s voices shouting at the end of the street stopped her half-way home. “Underwood’s is on fire,” Molly said to the wind. “What about the girls?” She ran across the street to the boardwalk and hurried toward the other end of town. When she sang and danced at the saloon, she and Underwood’s upstairs girls were friends. She feared for them now.

  A block down she could see the flames shooting out from one side of the saloon. Men were hauling buckets of water from the pump outside the sheriff’s office and others were tossing as much snow as they could gather onto the flames. Heavy snow continued to fall, and Molly prayed it would help put out the fire. Down the boardwalk, across from Underwood’s she saw her friends.

  Running toward them, they saw her and ran to meet her. Lucy, the older of the two and the most protective woman Molly ever met, and Rose, the sweet young girl new at Underwood’s, shivered in the cold. Lucy, dressed for work in a low-cut gown that showed off her legs, rubbed her hands up and down her arms. Rose, clothed in a wrapper and a thin nightdress underneath, wrapped her arms around herself.

  “Where are Miss Jewel and Beth?” Molly inquired. She never cared for the overbearing woman who tried to rule over the girls with an iron fist, but she didn’t want her caught in the fire.

  “Underwood sent Miss Jewel to his house. He told us to find somewhere warm to stay. Who’d let us in?” Lucy spat.

  “Beth received a telegram ten days ago, her Aunt Ruth’s sick and she left on the train the next morning,” Rose added.

  “Come on; you’re coming home with me.” Molly turned and marched back down the boardwalk. Lucy looked at Rose and shrugged, but they followed Molly.

  Molly ushered them into the empty shop and told them to follow her upstairs. She placed wood in the stove, put on the tea kettle, and found two blankets for her friends. “I have dry dresses you can wear. Sit in the kitchen; it’s warmer in there, and you’ll feel better.”

  “Thanks, Molly, but we can’t stay here,” Lucy insisted. “You’ll lose business.” She dropped onto a chair and pulled the blanket tighter.

  Rose’s tears streamed down her face. “What will we do now? I have no one and nowhere to go.”

  “You have me,” Molly stated hands on hips. “You’ll stay here. I have an empty room. You can share it. I have dresses and food. Consider this your home. It’s better than Underwood’s.”

  “Yes, it is,” Rose agreed. “It doesn’t matter where we stay; Underwood will drag us back as soon as he rebuilds the saloon.”

  “She’s right,” Lucy said. “Miss Jewel will look for us, and we’ll work wherever she decides.” She lifted her cup of tea and sipped shivering when the warmth hit her empty stomach. “I don’t mean to be ungrateful, Molly, but we haven’t eaten today? Do you have just a slice of bread? I grabbed my money before we left. I can pay you.”

  “I’m sorry, I should have offered you something to eat. I have meat and cheese. I had lunch, but you’re welcome to eat sandwiches. I have apple cobbler left from yesterday. It’s good.”

  Rose stood quickly, “Let me make them. I owe you for bringing me here.”

  Molly looked at the young girl. “Your lips look a bit blue. Before you eat, you need to get warm. I have a bathtub. You can take a warm bath, put on dry clothes, and eat. You’ll feel better.”

  Rose spun around to look at Molly’s rooms. “You have a bathtub up here? What a wonderful thing. I thought I’d bathe in that old metal scrub tub in Underwood’s backroom for the rest of my life.”

  Molly prepared a bath for Rose and let her have privacy while she sat and talked to Lucy. “I know you’re not happy working at Underwood’s. Did you ever think about leaving?”

  “Sure, every day and night,” Lucy answered before taking a bite of her sandwich. “Where would I go? One saloon is as good or as bad as the next. There isn’t much a soiled dove can do but work in a saloon.”

  “I’m not sure yet, but what about Rose. She could get out,” Molly suggested.

  “Rose took your place singing and dancing. Underwood doesn’t have her working upstairs…yet. Believe it or not, she’s still pure, and that despicable man is taking bids on who her first customer will be. She may have some extra time now that the saloon burned down.”

  Molly smiled and whispered to Lucy, “Don’t say anything to Rose yet, but I have an idea on how to keep her from ever working for Underwood again. I think I can help you, too, if you’re willing.”

  Chapter 2

  Ben took off running down the street toward the saloon. Fire was devastating to a town if it spread. Unfortunately, Underwood’s was built before Mr. Willoughby and the town council passed a few building requirements. After the original mercantile fire, it was now law that any new building must be constructed of brick. It wouldn’t stop all fires, but it could help to keep a fire from spreading. When he approached, he saw men carrying buckets of water from the town well and others scooping snow into buckets and anything else available to throw at the fire.

  He was ready to join them when he saw Underwood and Mr. Willoughby in a heated argument outside his office. Mr. Willoughby was poking his finger in Underwood’s chest, and Ben worried Underwood might punch the elderly bank owner.

  “Now, here me Underwood, if you rebuild your saloon, you will adhere to the new building requirements. The building must be brick, no garish colors or balconies facing Main Street which means you will not have another red building and your upstairs girls won’t hang over the balcony tempting men to come inside.

  Underwood growled at Mr. Willoughby and punched his open left palm with his right fist. “You can’t tell me what type of saloon I build or what color I paint it. My ladies like to sit on the balcony for fresh air.”

  “Not any longer, Underwood. Any new saloon will fit into the town’s plan or it’ll be torn down. The town council passed the ruling six months ago. You know that. The only reason your building stood this long is that it was here before the new ruling. Now, it’s gone or nearly gone, and you’ll abide by the decision or leave town.”

  “You started the fire, didn’t you? You old coot, you had no right. You’ll pay for this. When I find out who helped you, I’ll shoot you both.” He pulled his arm back ready to throw a punch.

  “Hold on,” Ben yelled. “If you hit him, I’ll arrest you. You better tell me who you intend to shoot so I can arrest you if that happens, too. I could arrest you for threatening Mr. Willoughby.”

  Underwood spun on his heel and glared at Ben. “Someone set fire to my saloon. This moron thinks I must follow his rules to build a new one. I believe he started the fire. He’s been after me for quite some time to repaint and remove the balcon
ies. Who else would do this?”

  “I was in my office when I heard men yelling ‘fire’, Sheriff Clay. My employee and two customers were with me at the time. I certainly didn’t start that fire and run back to the bank. I don’t know who burned it down, but I’m not sorry to see it go,” Mr. Willoughby insisted.

  “All right, let’s break this up. Mr. Willoughby, go back to the bank. Underwood, go help put out the fire,” Ben demanded.

  Both men glared at each other but complied with Ben’s orders.

  Ben started to cross the street headed for the saloon fire when he saw Henry Weldon on a ladder doing his best to toss snow from his roof in the direction of the saloon. Ben surmised it was Henry’s way of trying to keep the fire from getting close to his newspaper office.

  “Henry, get down from there before you slip and break your neck,” he called up to the rail thin newspaper man.

  “Can’t do it, Sheriff. My printing press is in this building. We live upstairs. If it burns down, I lose everything,” Henry answered without looking down at the sheriff.

  “Henry, the men are doing a good job of putting out the fire. I don’t see it spreading to the side of the saloon next to your office. Leave the snow on your roof. Any embers that land up there will die in the snow. Come down and take your wife and son to the hotel. They look cold.” Ben glanced at Henry’s young wife clutching her infant to her chest. “Henry, come down now.”

  Henry slowly climbed down the ladder. He nodded at Ben and guided his wife toward the warmth the hotel offered. Ben shook his head and headed closer to the fire. He walked up to Underwood who paced back and forth mumbling.

  “What happened here,” Ben inquired.

  Underwood shook his head. “I don’t know. I was behind the bar when I heard a crash coming from the kitchen and then fire.”

  “Were you cooking anything?”

  “Yeah, my daily stew, but it didn’t start this fire. My liquor is stored in a room behind the kitchen. Someone started this, and when the fire hit the storeroom, there was a small explosion and flames were everywhere. You find out who did this and I’ll take care of them,” Underwood insisted.