“Who drinks too much?”
A third glared at him.
“How about lying?” Josh looked straight at the fifth man. He held Josh’s stare and gave a little nod. This man, Josh sensed, understood the point he hoped to make.
Josh gentled his voice. “I don’t have anything else to say, only that God loves us just as we are. We’re fearfully, wonderfully made. He knit each of us in our mother’s womb. He counts the hairs on our heads. We can’t hide from Him, ladies and gentlemen. The good news is, we don’t have to.”
No one said a word.
Josh turned back to the board. “If you still want me for your pastor, I’d be honored to serve, but I have a requirement of my own. Tonight’s vote has to be unanimous. As it says in the Bible, a house divided against itself cannot stand. I won’t be the cause of dividing this church.”
Josh strode down the aisle and out the door. He’d wait outside for the vote, but he felt certain he’d never preach in this building again.
Adie had been sitting on the porch for two hours, peering down the street in search of Bessie, Caroline and Mary. She’d considered going to the meeting, even sitting outside and listening through an open window, but she’d lost her nerve. Ever since her talk with Mary, she’d felt heavy with guilt. She owed Josh amends but didn’t know how to make them. Apologizing for her unkind words felt as incomplete as unrisen bread, but neither could she speak the whole truth. She loved him. She wanted to be his wife, but how could she marry a minister when she still felt bitter toward God?
She didn’t know, but tonight she had hope. If the elders offered Josh the position, maybe she could see past Reverend Honeycutt and old hurts. Everything depended on tonight’s vote.
Hushed voices came from the street. Adie jumped to her feet and saw her friends approaching Swan’s Nest. Unable to wait, she hurried down the steps. “Did he get elected?”
“Yes and no,” Bessie replied.
What did that mean? As the women trudged up the steps, Adie went ahead to the parlor, where she turned up the lamp. Caroline plopped onto the divan. She looked as if she’d seen a wagon accident, one where the horse broke its leg and had to be put down. Mary held her chin high, as if she were back in the town where she’d faced an angry mob. Bessie, as always, wore the placid look of a woman who’d lost everything, survived and knew others could do the same.
Mary sat in the rocking chair. Bessie took the spot next to her sister, leaving Adie to pull up a side chair. No one sat in Josh’s place.
“Josh did us proud,” Bessie said. “But he won’t be taking the position.”
“They voted him down?” Adie asked.
“Not exactly,” said Mary.
Adie listened as her friends described the first half of the meeting. She could imagine Josh sparring with the elders. When Mary told about Dean’s assault on Emily, Adie burned with fury. If ever a man had paid for his mistakes, it was Josh. She hated Franklin Dean more than ever. Neither did she care for the people who’d let the verbal abuse take place.
Adie’s conscience spoke in a whisper. Where were you? She wouldn’t have been allowed to speak in Josh’s defense, but she could have supported him with a look, a smile at the right time. “I wish I’d gone.”
“It got ugly,” Caroline said.
“Did he take Dean to task?” Adie hoped so.
Mary laughed. “Josh took everyone to task. By the time he finished, every person in the room knew two things. No one’s perfect and Jesus loves us anyway.”
Caroline looked at Adie. “Josh walked out, but not before making a demand of his own. He said the vote had to be unanimous or he wouldn’t take the position. He went outside to wait. That’s when everyone started to talk. Women, too.”
“Really?” Pearl walked into the parlor. “That’s never happened before.”
Caroline and Mary made room for her on the divan. Adie glanced at Josh’s empty chair and wished she hadn’t asked him to leave Swan’s Nest. Crazy or not, the accusations had to have left a mark. She couldn’t stand the thought of Josh enduring the ordeal alone.
“What did people say?” she asked.
Mary looked grim. “Some criticized him. Others sang his praises. Reverend Oliver and a man named Smythe took Josh’s side, but two others said he was a troublemaker.”
Adie’s mouth gaped. “Josh is the kindest man I’ve ever known.”
“Me, too,” Mary added.
Pearl looked pinched. “Did anyone mention Frank and me?”
“Not at the meeting,” Mary replied. “But lots of women asked how you are. One said to tell you her husband took his money out of Dean’s bank.” Mary lifted Pearl’s hand and squeezed. “You won, Pearl. No matter what happens, people know not to trust Franklin Dean.”
Tears welled in the girl’s eyes. “I’m glad.”
“Me, too,” Adie said with venom. “He deserves worse.”
“And someday he’ll get it,” Bessie answered. “Right now I’m worried about Josh.”
“Me, too,” Caroline said.
Adie needed to hear the rest of the story. “What was the vote?”
Bessie’s lips curved up. “Four to three in Josh’s favor.”
Josh could have had the position, yet he’d turned it down. Had he done it for her? The thought filled her with awe. If he stayed in Denver, she’d go to the little church at Brick’s. She could tell Josh she loved him without dreading the denial she’d see in his eyes. She had to speak to him tonight, so she looked at Bessie. “I need to see Josh. Would you walk with me to the parsonage?”
“I would,” Bessie answered. “But he’s not there.”
“Where did he go?”
“I don’t know,” Caroline said. “But I saw him heading away from the church.”
Adie felt terrible. “Maybe he went to Brick’s.”
“I doubt it,” Mary said. “No one except us showed up. He looked disappointed.”
Adie’s heart broke again. Josh had faced a mob armed with lies and he’d done it alone. Now he was walking the streets of Denver in the dark. If she hadn’t asked him to leave Swan’s Nest, he’d be here now. She ached to go after him, but walking downtown, past saloons and brothels, would have been stupid.
Caroline looked grim. “After tonight, I won’t be surprised if he leaves Denver.”
“He might,” Pearl said. “But he’d say goodbye. Either way, he needs us right now.”
Bessie gripped Adie’s left hand and Mary stretched to take her right one. Before she realized what was happening, the women had made a circle. In unison they arched their necks and bowed their heads. Pearl prayed first. She asked God to be with Josh and calm his heart. Bessie asked for safety. Mary prayed that he’d know how much he’d helped her. Caroline, her voice barely a whisper, prayed for Josh to find love and a home of his own.
Adie’s throat felt tight and her fingers hurt from clutching Bessie’s and Mary’s hands, but she spoke from her heart. “Bring him home, Lord. I don’t understand Your ways. I don’t know why—” Her voice cracked. “I just know Josh is hurting and he needs You. Amen.”
Adie was hurting, too. She needed to see Josh. She couldn’t go to him, but she had a sudden, keen sense of Emily’s journal locked in the trunk. If she read it from start to finish—including the end she’d been unable to endure—she’d be with him in spirit.
One by one, the women went in different directions. Pearl headed for the kitchen to warm milk for herself. Bessie and Caroline went upstairs to bed, and Mary walked out to the garden. Adie climbed the stairs to her room, opened the trunk and retrieved Emily’s journal. Clutching it against her chest, she went to the parlor, where she dimmed the lamp to a glow. Wanting to feel close to Josh, she started reading from the beginning.
Chapter Twenty
As soon as Tobias told him about the vote, Josh shook the dust from Colfax Avenue Church off his feet. He had no regrets. He’d spoken from his heart and had honored his faith. Never mind the pain in his gut. He didn�
��t like to fight, but some battles couldn’t be avoided.
Alone on the dark street, he longed to go to Swan’s Nest. He wanted to tell the story to Adie, but he couldn’t go to her. He didn’t want sympathy tonight. He wanted a wife, a soul mate who’d understand tonight’s hullabaloo. If he went to Adie now, he’d be settling for her company when he wanted her heart. Josh had never been good at settling, so he strode in the opposite direction of Swan’s Nest. If it hadn’t been for Franklin Dean, he’d have left Denver to avoid the temptation of visiting her. He blinked and thought of Stephen cooing in her arms. He blinked again and pictured her in her Sunday best, seated in church with her red hair shining under the straw hat.
“Why, Lord?” he said to the dark.
Living in the shadow of Swan’s Nest without courting Adie would be the hardest thing he’d ever done, but he had no choice. He had to stay in Denver until Dean no longer posed a threat. With his heart pounding, he walked to the edge of town, where he stared into the night. Darkness and light were alike to God, but Josh felt like a man in a tomb. He tried to pray, but he felt as if the heavens were brass. Neither did he want to speak with Tobias. The older man would want to rehash the meeting, something Josh had no desire to do.
As alone as he’d ever been, he walked back to the parsonage. As he turned onto Colfax Avenue, he saw the silhouette of the empty church. It rose against the sky with a majestic air, but the windows had no life. Moonlight turned the steeple into a sword, but Josh saw the dull edges.
“Good evening, Reverend.”
The voice belonged to Franklin Dean. As Josh turned, the banker stepped out of the alley next to the church. Behind him came Horace, a foot shorter and the exact shape of the man who’d trampled Adie’s garden. Side by side, they blocked Josh’s path.
His neck hairs prickled. “What do you gentlemen want?”
Dean stepped closer. “You ruined me.”
“No, I didn’t.”
The banker had ruined himself, but that didn’t change the rage burning in his eyes. With Horace at the man’s side, Josh was outnumbered two to one. He had no desire to take a beating, but he refused to run. Neither could he see Jesus swinging his fists at two thugs in an alley.
Moonlight shone on Dean’s jaw. “Do you know what you did to me tonight?”
Josh resisted the urge to mouth off. “It’s over, Frank. Go home.”
“You humiliated me.”
“No, I didn’t,” Josh said calmly. “I talked about second chances for everyone, myself included.”
The banker slapped his walking stick against his palm. “I lost four more customers today. That’s eighteen in three days.”
“Change your ways,” Josh said. “They’ll come back.”
“You stole Swan’s Nest.”
“I paid off the mortgage.”
“You made Pearl tell lies!”
Josh had seen evil before. He’d spoken to dead-eyed men and heard vile threats. He’d had dreams twisted by opium. Never, though, had he felt the breath of violence on his face. Looking into Dean’s bloodshot eyes, Josh knew the man intended grave harm. “We’re done, Frank.”
He tried to pass the men, but they closed ranks. Dean planted his palm on Josh’s shoulder and shoved. “I’m not done with you, Blue.”
Josh stumbled back. Blocked by the church on one side and the carriage on the other, he stood his ground. “Drop it, Frank. I’m done with Colfax Avenue Church. Let that be enough for you.”
The banker reached inside his coat. With a jerk of his arm, he pulled a derringer and aimed it at Josh’s chest. The men were just five feet apart. The gun had two shots. A single bullet would be enough to kill. Josh had nowhere to go, but neither would he raise his hands in surrender. If he died, Dean would be free to head to Swan’s Nest. He had to fight but how?
Dean cocked the weapon. “You’re going to die, Reverend.”
Josh didn’t fear death, only the thought of leaving Adie at this man’s mercy. “Don’t do it, Frank. You’ll pay.”
“Not before you do.” His eyes closed to glimmering slits. “Just think, Reverend. The instant you’ve breathed your last, I’m going to pay a call on Swan’s Nest. Horace and I are going to beat the daylights out of Adie Clarke and her friends. Then we’re going to tie them up and burn the house to the ground.
That includes Pearl, except I’m going to take her baby. He’s mine and I want him.”
Dean meant every word. Josh had to get the gun.
Madness burned in the man’s eyes. “Imagine it…Miss Clarke will scream and you won’t hear it. That baby of hers—”
“Boss?” Horace stepped closer.
“What is it?” Dean demanded.
“This ain’t right.”
The banker jerked his head toward the driver. Josh lunged and knocked the gun from his hand. Dean cursed, then took a roundhouse swing. His knuckles slammed into Josh’s jaw and sent him flying into a rosebush. As the thorns grabbed at his coat, Dean pummeled his face and ribs. With each blow, Josh sank deeper into the bush. A branch snapped and he fell to his back. Dean kicked him in the ribs, over and over, until Josh grabbed his foot and threw him off balance.
Fighting for breath, Josh pushed to his feet, hauled back and landed an uppercut on the banker’s chin. As Dean fell back, Josh spotted the derringer under a second bush. He lunged for it, but Horace reached the weapon first and grabbed it. In the next instant, Josh would live or die. He’d save Adie or she’d be left to face Dean alone. He stared hard at the driver, saw the man’s yellow teeth and the glint in his bleary eyes.
Without a word, Horace broke Josh’s stare and took aim at Dean. “That’s enough, boss. Leave the reverend alone.”
Dean stared as if Horace were a stranger.
“Put your hands up,” said the driver.
The banker laughed. “You little—”
“I mean it, Mr. Dean.” Horace’s hand stayed steady. “You’ve done enough harm to those ladies. You’ve done enough to the reverend and to me, too.”
The fight could have ended there, but Dean took a step toward Horace, then another. He held out his hand. “Give me the gun.”
“No, sir.”
As Dean grabbed for the derringer, Horace pulled the trigger. Josh saw the muzzle flash like a shooting star. The banker looked down at his chest, then up at Horace as if he couldn’t believe his eyes. With his mouth gaping, he crumpled into a heap. His legs jerked once, twice, then went still.
“God forgive me,” Horace said. “But I couldn’t let him hurt the babies.”
“I think God will understand.” Josh closed Dean’s eyes, then covered the man’s head and chest with his coat. Death had a way of stripping a man of all dignity. Josh had no respect for Dean, but he respected the passage of life. After a silent prayer for Dean’s eternal soul, he stood and faced Horace. “You saved my life.”
The driver looked down at Dean’s corpse. “I couldn’t let him do it, Reverend. I did enough to Miss Clarke already.”
“The garden?”
“The fire, too.” Horace looked disgusted with himself. “He paid me, but it ain’t right to hurt women and children.”
“No, it isn’t.”
He looked at Josh with wild eyes. “I’ll tell the sheriff everything, even if it means jail. I don’t ever want to smell smoke like that again. I watched the fire from across the street. I saw the ladies get out, but the baby kept coughing. It was awful.”
“It was,” Josh said simply.
“And tonight…” Horace looked as if he might be sick. “Mr. Dean would have killed you. I could hang for it, but I had to stop him.”
“You won’t hang.” Josh had the bruises to prove Horace’s honorable intentions. “Let’s get Deputy Morgan.”
They walked two blocks to the sheriff’s office. The minute Morgan saw them, he jumped to his feet. They told him Dean was dead, then accompanied him to Archer’s Funeral Home, where he woke up the undertaker. While Archer hitched up his hearse, Josh and
Horace led Morgan to the body. As they walked, Horace told the story, including his part in the vandalism at Swan’s Nest.
As he finished, Archer’s wagon rattled to a stop. With the deputy’s help, the undertaker lifted the body into the hearse. Horace and Josh stood in silence, watching as the black wagon rattled away.
When Archer rounded the corner, Morgan hooked his hands on his belt. “I’d say that problem’s solved.”
Horace let out a long breath. “Are you going to arrest me, Deputy?”
“Nope.”
“But I killed him.”
“It looks like self-defense to me. As for the problems at Swan’s Nest, it’s up to Miss Clarke. She can press charges or drop them.”
Horace turned to Josh. “Do you think she’ll talk to me?”
Josh wanted to say yes, but he didn’t know what Adie would say. He also knew that Horace, yellow teeth and all, had crossed a line tonight. “I’ll speak to her first—how’s that?”
“Thanks, Reverend.”
Morgan yawned. “That’s it for tonight, gentlemen. Drop by tomorrow and I’ll finish up my report.”
As the deputy ambled down the street, Horace turned to Josh. “I have Mr. Dean’s carriage. Do you want a ride to Swan’s Nest?”
Josh ached all over, but he couldn’t stand the thought of touching anything owned by Dean. “No, thanks, Horace.”
“You don’t look so good. Maybe you should see Doc Nichols.”
The driver had a point, but Nichols would send him to bed. “I’ll be all right.”
Horace pursed his lips. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Will you be staying in Denver?”
The ramifications of Dean’s death struck Josh like a fresh blow. Adie no longer needed his protection. He was free to leave on the next train, but he didn’t want to go. With his ribs throbbing, he wondered how she’d react to both Dean’s death and the elder meeting. He also had to speak to her about dropping charges against Horace. If her heart stayed hard, Josh wouldn’t be able to court her. If he stayed in Denver, he’d be tested every day. Eventually he’d fall and ask her to marry him. Adie had become laudanum to him. He resisted that temptation by avoiding its presence. If her heart stayed hard, he’d be wise to leave Denver altogether.
The Maverick Preacher Page 22
