Eden

by Bobbi Smith

  Eden was delighted with the news. "Oh, good. I'll start checking to see what's available first thing tomorrow."

  They reached the Haven, and Logan saw her safely inside before returning to the hotel. He was in a good mood as he unlocked the door to his room and stepped inside.

  "Had some company tonight, did you?" Jim said from the chair where he was sitting in the darkened corner of the room. He had arrived earlier in the evening and had been waiting on the street, watching for Logan's return so he could speak with him. When he'd seen him enter the hotel with a beautiful woman on his arm, he'd known he'd better come back later. "She was quite a looker."

  There was something about the smugness in his tone that irritated Logan.

  "Yes, she is very beautiful-and she's my wife," he answered, lighting the lamp before he turned to face him.

  "Your wife?" Jim's surprise was real. "I didn't know you'd brought your wife with you to New Orleans."

  "I didn't. Eden and I-"

  "Eden? Eden LeGrand who works at the orphanage?"

  "Yes," he confirmed. "Eden and I were married yesterday."

  "Yesterday?" Jim smiled knowingly, believing he understood Logan's motive in taking her as a wife. "Was this a marriage of love-or duty?"

  Logan shot him a sharp glance at his question. "I'll have even greater access to Forrester now."

  "I wouldn't doubt it. Good-very good," Jim pronounced, believing that Logan had only married the woman to get closer to the spy ring. His respect for him as an operative grew even more.

  Logan knew what the other man was thinking, and he offered no argument to the contrary. "I'm glad you came here tonight. Eden spends her nights at the Haven whenever Forrester is away, but once he returns she and I will be together in the evenings, so we need to figure out a different way to meet."

  "No problem. Have you heard anything new at the orphanage about Forrester or when he's due back in town?" Jim asked.

  "No, nothing." Logan did not tell him any of what Eden had revealed to him about her spying activities. His divided loyalties bothered him, but he told himself he would deal with it when the time came. He wasn't lying to Jim, he was just withholding some information right now. That was all.

  "There's a rumor that some kind of shipment is being smuggled in, but we're not sure if it's arms or something else," Jim told him.

  "What else could it be?"

  "Drugs-maybe morphine or quinine. It's hard to say. Just let us know if you hear anything-anything at all."

  "I will. Will you be seeing Sam anytime soon?"

  "Yes."

  "Then give him the news about my situation. Things won't be as simple as they have been now that I've married, but with the hours that Eden is working at the Haven during the day, I should be able to get away and meet with you both if I learn anything important."

  "I'll pass your information along."

  When Jim had gone, disappearing into the night again, Logan went to bed. As he lay there, caught up in his thoughts, he found that he missed having Eden by his side. The realization surprised him. He had always considered himself a solitary man who'd never needed anybody. In this business, it was good to be a loner. With work as dangerous as his, it didn't pay to have any lasting ties. But now Eden was changing all that. He wasn't sure if the change was good or bad, but he was going to enjoy what time he had with her for as long as it lasted.

  Logan pushed that last, troubling thought away. He would live every day to the fullest where Eden was concerned, enjoying each moment with her as much as he could, but he would not let her distract him from his mission. As soon as Forrester returned, he expected to bring an end to the man's days of spying, and in the process find out where Braden was being held prisoner.

  Betrayal.

  The thought jarred him. He wondered if he would be betraying Eden or his duty. Logan wrestled with his conscience as he closed his eyes to seek sleep.

  The following days passed quickly. Eden found a small apartment not too far from the Haven. It was partially furnished and clean, and that was all that mattered to them. Logan moved in right away.

  Eden spent as much time with him there as she could. She had never thought she would be so eager for Adrian's return, but she could hardly wait. She wanted to be with Logan not only during the days, but during the nights as well.

  Memories of Logan's sweet loving stayed with her, and there were moments during the day when she found herself daydreaming about him and wishing they could escape the Haven for a while and find some time alone. Eden never revealed her longings, but she did enjoy fantasizing about them. When Adrian returned, she and Logan would have plenty of time to make up for what they'd been missing-and she planned to do just that. That thought left Eden smiling as she turned back to her work.

  Adrian didn't think he'd ever been so glad to see New Orleans as he was right now. It had been a difficult trip, but it was finally over. He found grim satisfaction in the thought as he watched the crew tie up the steamer and lower the walkways for the passengers to disembark. Soon, very soon...

  After leaving the ship, Adrian waited for his trunk to be unloaded. Once that was done, he looked around to hire a carriage for the trip to the Haven. It was then that he saw the small group of Union soldiers coming his way. He tensed and pretended to ignore them.

  "Adrian Forrester?" the officer leading the group asked as they stopped before him.

  "Yes, I'm Adrian Forrester."

  "I'm Captain Cory Berry, and I need you to come with us, please." His tone was cordial, but his hand resting on his sidearm left no doubt that he was serious.

  Adrian was suitably shocked by his request. "Why? Is something wrong, Captain Berry?"

  "There will be time for questions later, Mr. Forrester. Please follow us." The officer ordered his men to bring Adrian's belongings with them, and they moved off toward a warehouse nearby.

  "What is the meaning of this?" Adrian demanded. He used his anger to disguise the fear that was eating at him. He had worked so hard on this mission. It couldn't end like this! Not now! "Why are you doing this?"

  The officer didn't respond until he'd ushered him into a small office inside the warehouse.

  "We have reason to believe that there is a smuggling operation going on. We're going to search your belongings for possible contraband. If we don't find anything, you will be free to go."

  Adrian was furious, and he hoped it came across as outraged anger. "I have nothing to hide from you. Here's the key to my trunk." He handed him the key.

  "I appreciate your cooperation. You won't mind if we search you, too, then will you?"

  "Of course I mind! But there's nothing I can do about it. You're in charge, Captain Berry."

  Captain Berry had Adrian empty his pockets, and he went through all his papers. Finding nothing incriminating on his person, the officer went with his men to open the trunk. They found only his clothing, personal belongings, and some toys. After emptying the trunk completely, they examined the lining, but there were no secret compartments.

  "I see you've brought toys back for the children at the orphanage," Captain Berry remarked, lifting one of the dolls and one of the balls to examine them.

  "Yes, I always try to find something for the children when I'm away, so they'll know I was thinking about them," Adrian explained. "Are you finished checking everything? May I go now?"

  The Yankee put the toys back. He was still eyeing him suspiciously, but he had no reason to hold him. Whoever had given them the information that Adrian Forrester might be a smuggler had been wrong, and the captain didn't like getting bad intelligence.

  "Yes. You may go."

  "Thank you." Adrian moved to repack his luggage.

  The officer sent one of his men to get a carriage for him. A short time later, Adrian's trunk had been loaded up and he was finally on his way to the Haven.

  Adrian's mood was black as he made the trip. Somehow, some way, the Yankees had found out about his operation. He was relieved that he
had made it through their search this time without being found out, but that didn't mean their suspicions about him were over-not by a long shot. He would have to be even more careful in the future. He realized it would probably be wise to stop all his activities for a while, since they were getting this close to him.

  It wasn't until he saw the Haven in the distance that Adrian finally allowed himself to relax a bit and let his guard down. It was good to be back. When the carriage came to a stop before the orphanage, Adrian climbed awkwardly down from the vehicle, his wooden leg making the descent difficult. He finally managed, though, and headed up the walk with the driver following, carrying his trunk. He unlocked the front door, and he and the driver went in.

  Eden was just starting down the stairs when she saw Adrian come into the front hall.

  "You're back!" Eden called out and hurried forward to welcome him. "Children! Mr. Adrian's back!"

  Adrian looked up to see her coming toward him, and he couldn't help smiling. Eden had a way about her that always seemed to make the day a bit brighter.

  "I take it you missed me?" Adrian asked.

  "We all missed you!" she replied as the children came running down from the second floor, followed by Jenny, to welcome him home.

  Adrian quickly paid the driver and directed him where to put the trunk in his private quarters. When the driver had gone, Adrian turned his attention to the children as they surrounded him in a loving rush. He spoke to each child, telling them how glad he was to be back. He no ticed a new boy standing off away from the others, looking on.

  "And just who do we have here?" Adrian asked, turning to Eden.

  "This is Mark. He's just come to stay with us," Eden offered. "Mark, I'd like you to meet Mr. Adrian. He's the director of the Haven."

  "Hello," Mark said a bit shyly.

  "Hello, Mark," Adrian said, going to him and shaking his hand. "Welcome."

  Jenny came to join them then, and after allowing everyone to visit for a moment, she ushered the boys and girls back upstairs to class.

  Adrian and Eden were left alone together in the hallway.

  "So everything ran smoothly while I was away?"

  "There were a few problems," she replied, her tone more serious.

  After what he'd just gone through in disembarking, he was instantly concerned. His gaze narrowed as he asked, "Did something happen here?"

  "Yes, and I'll tell you all about it in a minute, but first, let's get you settled in. How was your trip?" Eden asked as she accompanied him into the office. She was eager to find out if everything had worked out the way he'd hoped.

  "It all went very well," he told her. "Until I reached the riverfront today."

  "What happened at the riverfront?" Eden saw his expression darken now that they were in the privacy of the office.

  Adrian waited to answer her until he'd closed the office door behind them.

  "I was detained and searched by the Yankees. Luckily, nothing was discovered, but it was close." He drew a ragged breath as he went to sit at his desk. "Too close."

  "But they didn't find anything," she repeated, breathing a sigh of relief as she sat down in the chair before him.

  "No. The shipment is here, and it's safe," he told her in a low voice.

  "That is wonderful!"

  "All I have to do is see it forwarded on, and I'm going to take care of that right away."

  Out in the hall, the sound of some of the children calling out excitedly interrupted Adrian.

  "Reverend Logan! Reverend Logan! Guess what? Mr. Adrian finally got back!"

  Adrian looked up at Eden. "Reverend Logan? Who is Reverend Logan?"

  "He's my husband," she answered simply, expecting Adrian to be shocked by her words.

  She was not disappointed.

  Logan smiled as the children approached him in the hall, but there was nothing pleasant about the way he was feeling. Forrester had not seen him where he'd been working in the side yard when he'd arrived, so Logan had been able to follow him inside undetected. He had come to stand just outside the closed office door, so he could eavesdrop on Forrester's conversation with Eden, and things had just gotten interesting as Forrester had begun to speak about the shipment when the children came running up calling his name.

  "I was detained and searched. Luckily, nothing was discovered, but it was close. Too close."

  "But they didn't find anything."

  "No. The shipment is here, and it's safe."

  "That is wonderful!"

  "All I have to do is see it forwarded on, and I'm going to take care of that right away."

  Logan had missed the rest of what Adrian was saying, and he was frustrated.

  "I know Mr. Adrian's back," Logan told the children. "That's why I came inside. I wanted to meet him."

  Even as he spoke, the office door was thrown open and Adrian stood there. He was a big, tall man of imposing presence, and his blue-eyed gaze was coldly assessing upon Logan.

  "Hello," Logan spoke up first. "I'm Reverend Logan."

  "So I heard," Adrian bit out as he eyed him. Eden had married this man, true, but he didn't look like any minister Adrian had ever seen. Adrian thought he looked more like a common workman than a preacher, standing there in his shirtsleeves.

  Eden came to Adrian's side, smiling up at Logan as she made the introductions. "Adrian, I'd like you to meet my husband, Logan Matthews. Logan, this is Adrian. He's finally returned to us.

  "I saw the carriage pull up while I was outside working and thought it might be you. That's why I came in," Logan explained. "It's nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you."

  They shook hands.

  "Come into the office with us, Reverend," the director of the orphanage invited. "Eden was just beginning to tell me everything that happened here last week. It sounds like I missed a lotespecially your wedding. Congratulations." Outwardly, Adrian made the effort to seem cordial, but he was not feeling very trusting toward anyone right now.

  "Thank you."

  As Adrian turned to lead the way back into the office, he got a good look at Eden's cheek for the first time and saw the faint shadow of the bruise there. He stopped to stare down at her. "Eden-what happened to your face?"

  She touched her cheek self-consciously. The bruise had faded a lot over the last days, and she had been putting some powder on it to try to cover it even more. "That's part of what I have to tell you."

  Adrian sat down at the desk while Eden and Logan took chairs before him.

  "Now, what went on here while I was gone?" he asked intently, still trying to come to grips with the news of Eden's marriage and now the discovery of her injury.

  "It's a long story," Eden began. She quickly recounted how the Union soldiers had invaded the Haven trying to get to Paul. "And that was when Logan showed up." She looked over at her husband. "Logan saved us that day. If it hadn't been for him, I don't know what would have happened to me and the children."

  "Thank you, Reverend. It's a true blessing that you arrived here when you did," Adrian told him.

  "That it was," Eden said, and she quickly explained why Logan had been coming to the Haven in the first place-how he had raised money for them, and how he had rescued Mark from the streets.

  "You heard about us in St. Louis?" Adrian was surprised.

  "Oh, yes. The Homeless Haven Orphans' Asylum is a model for orphanages everywhere. The people in the congregations I visited to raise funds for you were most impressed with what you've accomplished here."

  "Which congregations were those?" Adrian asked astutely, deliberately putting him on the spot.

  Logan quickly named several churches and their pastors that he had checked on before coming to New Orleans. He was glad now that he'd done his research. Adrian had just proven he was not a stupid man. He was a more than worthy adversary.

  "And your wedding?" Adrian asked, looking at Logan. "You must have swept Eden right off her feet to have convinced her to marry you so quickly."

  "It was love a
t first sight for us," Eden spoke up. "He seemed like a guardian angel to me the way he threw those Yankees out of the Haven."

  "Yes, it was love at first sight," Logan added. "Eden is wonderful. I was honored that she agreed to become my wife after only knowing me for such a short time."

  Eden's heart soared at his declaration. He had never said he loved her before.

  Adrian had never known Eden to be impulsive, but looking at her now as she gazed at her new husband, it was obvious that she honestly was in love with the man. That still didn't mean he trusted this preacher. He was going to do some checking into Reverend Matthews's background. Adrian's line of work demanded he be suspicious of everyone. And the stranger's arrival there seemed too convenient. Not to mention the fact that, considering what had happened on the riverfront earlier, Adrian wasn't about to take anyone's word for anything any more. There was too much at stake to trust him blindly, minister or not.

  "It's wonderful that everything turned out as well as it did. I'm happy for you both. And since the building is still standing"-he changed the topic with a grin-"I take it the children didn't behave too badly while I was gone?"

  "They've been wonderful, and very accepting of Mark, too. He's made his transition smoothly."

  Adrian looked at Logan. "That was very kind of you to assist the boy that way."

  "He's had a hard time of it, but with the right influences, I believe he'll be fine."

  "You've been quite a help to us here, Reverend-"

  "Please call me Logan."

  "All right, Logan. Welcome to the Haven. We're delighted to have you with us."

  "And I'm delighted to be here," Logan said, and he meant it. By Forrester's own statement, the shipment was there-somewhere close. All he had to do was find it.

  Logan went back outside to finish the job he'd been working on. He was in a hurry to complete it so he could make a quick trip to the bank. He had to meet with Jim right away and let him know the latest information regarding the spy ring.