Wanted: A Trusting Heart (Silverpines Book 12)

by Barbara Goss

“I need to talk to you, Dawn.”

  Dawn sat and waited for him to begin.

  “You know you’ve been away from Silverpines for over a month now. I’m sure your Jake thinks you’re never coming back. He’s probably moved on—maybe with the woman who tricked you.” He paused and took her hand. “May I court you when we reach Olympia?”

  Dawn grabbed her hand back. “No!” She stood. “Jake is waiting for me.”

  “How can you know that?” he asked.

  “It’s called love and trust. Unless he sees my dead body, he won't ever give up on me.”

  Parker shook his head. “Will you promise me one thing?”

  Dawn thought about his question. Why not? “I’ll try,” she said.

  “If you return home and Jake's moved on, will you find me?”

  “I promise,” Dawn said without hesitation.

  Parker smiled. “I still have hope, then—not that I’m hoping your man's moved on, but the fact that the door's half open gives me some peace of mind.” He stood, looked deep into her eyes, and said, “I love you, Dawn.”

  She stepped back and gasped.

  “Don’t worry. I'd never hurt you. I love you too much to ever cause you harm.”

  “Th-thank you,” Dawn said. She looked over Parker’s shoulder to see Bob making his way toward them and was relieved to end the conversation.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Jake couldn’t ride to White Oaks fast enough. When he arrived, he flew up the front steps, knocked, and rushed in.

  “Jake!” Max exclaimed. He’d been relaxing in the sitting room with a book.

  “Laura! Jake’s here, and I think he has news,” Max called out loudly.

  “How did you know I had news?”

  “Your rushing in and the expression on your face. I’m your brother, remember? I know when you’re excited. I hope it’s good news.”

  “Some of it is.” Jake took a seat beside Max and waited for Laura. “I miss Dawn so much, Max. Sometimes, I wonder if I’ll ever see her again.”

  Laura came running in. “What is it, Jake?”

  “You’d better have a seat, Laura.” Jake moved to the opposite end of the sofa from Max and patted the middle, indicating where she should sit.

  “It’s not horrible news, is it?” Laura said. Her face paled, and she brought one hand up to cover her mouth. She took the seat, and Jake immediately grabbed her hand and he squeezed it.

  “It's nothing like what you’re thinking.”

  “Tell us, please,” Laura said.

  “Miss Logan came to see me again. She was still insisting Dawn ran off with Thomas Ainslee, only this time she made the mistake of mentioning him by name. How could she know his name?”

  Laura gasped. “That…that—”

  Max put his arm around his wife. “Let him finish, darling.”

  “I called her on it, and she clammed up. To get her to confess, I had to promise her I wouldn't turn her in to the marshal. Then, she talked.”

  All eyes were focused on Jake.

  “It was Miss Logan who'd written the letter from Ainslee. She also chloroformed Dawn and put her on the train. Dawn is somewhere in the state of Washington with no money or clothing.”

  Laura gasped again. “Oh, no! How will we ever find her?”

  “I don’t know, but I promised I wouldn't turn Miss Logan in, but you two could.”

  “We will. She must pay, especially since we still can’t be sure Dawn is all right.” Laura sounded adamant.

  “I agree. I’d hate to break a promise, even to her,” Jake said. “I threw her out, and I doubt she’ll bother me again.”

  “Poor Caro. We couldn’t celebrate Thanksgiving, and we won’t celebrate Christmas or New Year’s either. There will be no holidays or festivities until Dawn is back with us,” Laura said.

  Max squeezed Laura’s shoulders and whispered, “We can still sneak a few gifts to Caro, can’t we?”

  Laura smiled up at her husband. “Of course, we can.”

  Jake stood. “So, you two report to the marshal tomorrow, while I get someone to mind the livery so I can go looking for Dawn.”

  Max said, “You can use Walter Myers. I don’t need him for the winter.”

  “I could never find anyone better than Myers since he ran the livery in the months after the quake,” Jake said. “Can you send him to me as soon as possible?”

  “He’ll be there first thing in the morning. He’ll enjoy getting back to the livery for a while.”

  “Where will you look for Dawn?” Laura asked.

  “I thought it over. According to Miss Logan, she bought Dawn a ticket to Seattle, so I suppose I’ll start there. I’m going to take these posters with her picture along.”

  “Good thinking, little brother.”

  Laura tapped her chin with her index finger. “What if she woke up before the train got to Seattle? I know she’d get off as soon as she realized where she was.”

  “I thought of that,” Jake said, “but I won’t stay long in Seattle. I’ll move from there down to the other stops the train makes, and I’ll make inquiries at each stop.”

  Max shook his head. “You have quite a job ahead of you.”

  Laura added, “Check churches. Dawn always said churches were the perfect sanctuaries.”

  “I have to find her before some harm comes to her, if it hasn’t already. Please, keep praying. I spoke to Pastor James yesterday, and he’s going to have the whole congregation praying for her.” Jake stood. “I’m off to start packing.”

  *******

  Jake stepped off the train in Seattle, clutching his small duffle bag and a stack of posters with Dawn’s picture on them. The posters included instructions for sending a telegram to White Oaks to see if anyone had any information as to Dawn Girard's whereabouts.

  His first stop in Seattle was the depot and then the telegraph/post office. After that, he nailed posters anywhere he could. He took Laura’s advice and visited churches, leaving a poster with each minister.

  In the morning, he bought a ticket to Tacoma, and he did the same there as he had in Seattle. He spent the night, and in the morning, he bought a ticket for Olympia, the last large city before Oregon. Jake prayed for an hour each night before falling asleep.

  *******

  On one of their many rest stops, Dawn sighed. “How much farther?”

  “Another day, I think,” Bob answered.

  Dawn plopped down on her blanket. “I’m cold, hungry, and tired.”

  Bob squatted near her. “Parker went to shoot us some dinner. We’ll camp here for the night as it will take a while to cook whatever he brings back. Want to help me start a fire?”

  Dawn sat up and helped Bob gather wood. The task had gotten harder since there had been a light frost the night before and some of the wood was wet.

  Bob knelt to light the wood and asked, “So, what do you think of my son?”

  Dawn could tell by his expression of pride and assuredness that he'd expected a positive answer. She thought hard before answering. Both men had been so kind and helpful to her—they could be sitting before a warm fire in their longhouse rather than out in the cold, escorting her to Olympia.

  “Bob…you know that I care very much for both you and Parker, and I couldn’t have better friends, but all I feel for Parker is friendship. I love him as a friend.”

  “His feelings are deeper, you know,” Bob said as he blew on the tiny flames.

  “I know, but my heart is already spoken for.”

  “If your man hasn’t given up on you, that is.”

  “He hasn’t.”

  “How can you be so sure? You’ve been gone a very long time. He might even think you're no longer among the living.”

  Dawn smiled. “He’d need proof of that before he’d give up. I know Jake, and he knows me…truly, we have faith and trust. I’m sure he’s praying very hard for me, too.”

  Dawn rubbed her hands over the fire. “How is it that you speak English and Parker doe
sn’t?”

  “My mother learned it from a trapper friend. She picked it up so well, she became a teacher of English at the Indian School, and she taught me. I tried to teach Parker, but he wasn’t interested. My ability to speak English got me the job as translator for the Indian agent and our chief.”

  A gunshot sounded in the distance. “Ah,” Bob said, “the fire's ready for whatever Parker just shot.”

  Moments later, Parker trudged up to them, swinging a limp, wild rabbit.

  As they sat around the fire eating, Parker brought up an interesting subject: “Once we get to Olympia, then what?”

  “I guess we turn around and head back,” Bob said.

  “You must be kidding!” Parker sighed. “I’m so tired of the cold and traveling—can’t we stay in Olympia for a while?”

  Bob gave a satirical laugh. “It not only costs money to stay in a city, son, but we usually aren’t welcome there either. We’ll stay until Dawn is settled.”

  “Where will we stay?” Parker asked.

  “Arthur Bortner has bunks behind his office. I’ve stayed there many a time. I’m sure he’d let us stay there.”

  Parker turned to Dawn. “What are your plans?”

  “I plan to find a job. I’ve been cooking and cleaning for years—surely someone needs my skills. As soon as I save enough money for a telegraph, I’ll let my family know where I am, and then I’ll save for a train ticket home.”

  “I can pay for your telegraph,” Parker offered.

  “I appreciate your offer, but I’d rather not take money from you or Bob. You’ve both given me enough already.”

  “Where will you stay in Olympia?” Parker asked Dawn.

  “I have an open invitation to stay with a local pastor and his family.”

  “Will I see you again after we reach Olympia?” Parker asked.

  Dawn smiled at him. “You could come to Pastor Spitzer’s church. He welcomes people of all races.”

  Parker stood, kicked a nearby log in anger, and walked into the woods.

  That was the first time Dawn had ever seen Parker act any way but pleasant, and his anger bothered her. She looked up at Bob and saw his concern.

  “Don’t worry. He’ll get over it.”

  “I did nothing to encourage him, Bob, honest.”

  “I know you didn’t, but even I had wished for you and him…” Bob shrugged. “However, what is to be is to be.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Jake stepped off the train in Olympia and went straight into the depot where he nailed a poster to a pole in the center of the room before going down the wooden walkway through the busiest section of Olympia to post some more. He stopped into the sheriff’s office to report his mission to him, and the man hung a poster in the front window of the office.

  All he had to do now was to visit the churches, but it was getting late, so he decided to check into the hotel and start in on the churches in the morning. He felt heavy-hearted as this was his last stop, and if he didn’t get any feedback there, he had no choice but to go back home.

  He lay in the hotel bed, trying to picture Dawn in his mind. It had been so long since he’d seen her, and he missed her smile, her expressive eyes, and her gentle voice. He prayed until sleep finally overtook him.

  *******

  It was nighttime when Bob, Parker, and Dawn arrived in Olympia. Bob and Parker walked her to Pastor Spitzer’s house.

  “Dawn,” Parker said, “you know where we’ll be if you need us, so if you get lonely, come and visit us. Bortner would probably be delighted to see you, as well.”

  “I will,” Dawn said. She was anxious to get to the Spitzers’ house before they all went to bed. There were still a few lights on in the house.

  Bob gave her a fatherly hug, and that seemed to give Parker an opening to do the same, but his hug was hardly fatherly—he held her too long and too close. Dawn pulled away. “Goodnight, dear friends,” she said and ran up onto Pastor Spitzer’s porch. Bob and Parker left, pulling her horse behind them, and she waved until they’d disappeared into the night.

  Dawn knocked lightly on the front door of the Spitzer home. Josephine opened the door and gave a small squeal of delight when she saw her.

  “Dawn!” Josephine said, pulling her into an embrace and then into the house. “Look who’s here, Papa!”

  She was hugged by Pastor Spitzer next. “It’s so nice to see you again, Dawn.” He looked her up and down. “What are you wearing?”

  “It’s a leather dress loaned to me by one of the Chinook families. It kept me very warm on the trail.”

  “You must be exhausted,” Josephine said. “Come upstairs, and I’ll help you prepare for bed. You can tell us your adventures in the morning.”

  Dawn felt invigorated after the night’s sleep that turned out to be ten hours long. She sat at the breakfast table eating eggs, ham, salmon, toast, and coffee while the others listened to her story about visiting Bay Center.

  *******

  Jake woke early and began calling on churches. The second church he visited was empty, so he made a note to go back later in the day. Most of the ministers he spoke to hadn't seen Dawn.

  On his way to the next church, he passed through Olympia's commercial area only to see an Indian man, tearing down one of his posters.

  “Hey!” Jake yelled. “What are you doing?”

  The man stopped tearing the sign down and stared at Jake.

  “That stays up.” Jake pressed the poster down, trying to smooth it out. “Why would you take it down?”

  The man continued to stare.

  “Do you speak English?” Jake asked.

  The man shook his head.

  Jake pointed to the picture of Dawn and then at himself. “She’s mine.”

  The man did something then that shocked Jake—he pointed to the picture and then to himself and said something in another language.

  All Jake could do was stare at the man. Had he said she was his? What had he meant by that? Could this man be Chinook? Did he know Dawn?

  “Where is she?” Jake demanded, grabbing the man's collar. “Tell me where she is.”

  The man pointed to the train depot and spoke again in his native tongue, but the only word Jake understood was, “Silverpines.”

  “She went back to Silverpines by train?” Jake had no idea why he’d asked when the man couldn’t understand him. He was handsome, Jake supposed, and perhaps he and Dawn had—

  No, he corrected himself. Dawn was his, and she wasn’t a fickle person. Even though he knew she had once wanted to marry an Indian man, he knew she’d gotten over it and that she'd loved him.

  The man had simply been wrong: she wasn’t his.

  Jake pulled out his pocket watch, pointed at it, and asked, “When?”

  The handsome man shrugged.

  Just then, another, older, Indian man joined them. He looked back and forth between the two men and then at the picture of Dawn.

  “What’s going on?” the older man asked in English.

  “Your tribesman said Dawn left on a train for Silverpines. I need to know when,” Jake asked.

  “Bob,” the older man said, and he held out his hand to Jake.

  Jake shook the man’s hand. “Jake.”

  Bob studied his fellow tribesman. Jake saw compassion in the man’s eyes.

  “This is my son, Parker.”

  Jake nodded. He thought he could see the resemblance. “I’m searching for Dawn; can you help me?” He’d tried to sound strong, but for some reason, the emotion took over his voice.

  Bob glanced from Parker to Jake as if trying to make a tough decision. Jake wondered why his question would need such deliberation.

  “Yes,” he said finally, “Parker is right. We met her at Bay Center where she met with our Chinook tribe. We escorted her back here, to Olympia, and put her on a train back home, two days ago.”

  “Was she unharmed and healthy?”

  He nodded. “And in good spirits.”

&nbs
p; Jake let out a breath of relief.

  Parker spoke to his father in his native tongue, and Bob answered him. Parker listened and then nodded as if in agreement.

  Parker spoke to his father again, and his father spoke to Jake: “He said that’s why he was removing the poster.”

  “I suppose, then, that I should do the same before I board the train for Silverpines.” Jake tore the poster down. “Thank you.”

  *******

  Pastor Spitzer pushed away from the breakfast table. “Though I’m fascinated with your tale, I really should get back to the church. I have a man coming in who wants to be baptized, and I can’t miss that!”

  “You go along, dear,” Josephine said. “If it’s all right with you, I’d like to take Dawn shopping.”

  “Good idea!” Spitzer said with a wink.

  Josephine returned a conspiratorial smile, and Dawn wondered what their secret could be.

  After her husband had left, Josephine stood. “If you’re ready, the mercantile should be open.”

  Dawn looked around at all the dirty dishes. “Shouldn’t we clean up, first?”

  “Amy will clean up. She’s staying in bed a bit longer today because it’s her…you know…and she has minor cramping.”

  “I’ll clean up. I love doing housework. In fact, I want to look for employment as a housekeeper or maid. I’ve been doing the work for years,” Dawn said as she started to pick up the plates.

  “No,” Josephine said, “put those plates down—you’re a guest.” Dawn complied and Josephine continued, “Paul and I talked last night, and we decided we’ll pay for your ticket to Silverpines—”

  “No! I couldn’t take it!” Dawn cried.

  “Listen,” Josephine took both of Dawn’s hands, “it’s not a gift, but a loan. You can pay us back a little at a time until it’s paid.”

  As much as Dawn wanted to go home, she hated to take money from people, but a loan? That was different. A spark of hope filled Dawn, threatening to bubble over into joy.

  “It would also keep us in touch with each other.” Josephine squeezed Dawn’s hands. “We’ve become quite fond of you.”