by Linda Ford
“Fine.” The sheriff waved him away.
Ethan made his way to the street and stood there, unmindful of those walking or riding by. He’d just become a father.
Adele was not going to like this.
Diagonally across the street the sign on the building read, White’s General Store. He made his way there in search of candy. He stepped inside. There were a handful of people in the store. He crossed to the mahogany counter. The man behind it turned. He was maybe in his thirties. Sported a handlebar moustache, a thick head of brown hair, and a friendly smile.
“Howdy. Haven’t seen you around before. You new in town? Name’s Norm White, by the way. Glad to be of service.” He reached across the counter, and they shook hands.
“Thanks.” Ethan gave his name. “Been at the parsonage for a few days.”
Norm leaned over the counter. “You the man that found that wagon the sheriff brought in?”
“That would be me.”
“Sad state of affairs. I heard tell there were two little kids. Now orphans.” He tsked. “What can I get for you?”
“I’ll take some candy.” He pointed out several flavors all the while wondering what Norm White would say if Ethan told him he planned to give the children a home. He guessed he might have to prove to any number of people that he could do so.
He paid for the candy and made his way to the door. A man passed on the street. A dusty cowboy who looked like he needed a bath and the services of a laundry. But that wasn’t what caught Ethan’s attention. It was the way the man limped.
I only once saw the man off his horse but he had a peculiar way of walking. He had a bad limp.
It was possible more than one fellow fit that description, but put that cowboy in the same town as Floyd Robert’s widow, and it was surely more than coincidence.
Ethan stayed at the door until the man went down the street, then eased outside to watch the cowboy limp into Sylvie’s Diner. Then he hightailed it back to the parsonage.
He situated himself on a chair and leaned back, his hat tipped over his head. Let people think he had no interest in the activity around him. His mind reeled with the knowledge of one of Floyd’s partner being in town. Guess maybe he’d hoped he was mistaken about Adele.
Susie sidled up to him, and he offered her some candy.
The other children noticed right away. “There’s enough for everyone.” He handed out candy sticks to all of them.
Adele left the house with a basin of scraps and tossed them out by the garden.
She paused on her way back to look at Ethan surrounded by five children all sucking on candy sticks, as was he.
“You want one?” He held the bag out to her.
She looked inside and chose a butterscotch-flavored one. “Thanks.” She stuck it in her mouth.
The sound of a horse riding by at the end of the garden drew their attention.
It was the same man Ethan had seen on Main Street.
The cowboy slowed and stared boldly at Adele.
Adele gasped and drew back to the shelter of the wall.
“Do you know him?” Ethan asked.
“No. But he’s nasty looking.”
The man gave Ethan a good, long look, as if trying to assess his role in Adele’s life.
He smirked, then rode away, taking his sweet time about it.
9
Adele recognized the cowboy. He was the one who had come to the door demanding to know where Floyd had hidden the money—Floyd’s partner. She’d seen the way he looked at Ethan.
She considered her options. She could continue to pretend she didn’t know who the cowboy was or who Ethan was. Or she could tell him she knew and that it was futile to watch her hoping to learn where Floyd had hidden the money.
If she continued to pretend, it allowed Ethan to stay. It put all of them in harm’s way. Her gaze went from one little face to the next and lastly to Jake’s.
For their sake, she would confront the matter head on. She’d demand the truth. Ethan might not be willing to be honest with her, but she’d let him know she knew who he was and then insist he leave.
He’d more than half convinced her he was kind, gentle, and protective. But she wasn’t about to be fooled again. Neither would she rush into something that might land her in a pile of trouble just because of what she knew. No. Before she did anything, she would take precautions to protect herself and the others—especially the children.
Pa was at the church, preparing for Sunday. She knew what she must do.
“Will you keep an eye on the children? I need to speak to my father.” It entered her mind that the children might not be as safe with him as she assumed. Rocky picked that moment to wander out and sit on one of the chairs. “Rocky, would you mind helping Ethan watch the children?”
Ethan looked surprised. Of course he would. He’d been in charge of the children often enough over the past few days. In hindsight, especially given what she suspected of him, that probably wasn’t so wise, but necessity led them all to do things they might have had second thoughts about normally.
She carried her empty basin to the house and informed Ma and Stella that she was going to the church to speak to her father. It wasn’t an unusual event. The girls had always gone to their father when they wanted advice or comfort, so it didn’t raise any concern in either woman.
Inside the church, Pa looked up and welcomed her with a smile. She sat beside him on the front pew. “Pa, I need your help. Floyd was not what he led us to believe.” She told of Floyd’s activities. “I’m sure he was shot because of a robbery gone wrong, but the sheriff couldn’t prove it. The money he and his partner stole is missing, and his partner thinks I have it or know of its whereabouts.” She sketched out the details of the visit after the funeral.
Pa held her hand and listened. He would hear the whole story before he spoke.
“And now that man is here. He just rode in front of our house. But that’s not the worst of it. I fear Ethan is also a partner.”
Pa jolted at that news. “Daughter, what reason do you have to say that?”
“I saw him at Floyd’s funeral. Then he shows up here. And that cowboy looked at him like he knew him.” Her voiced shook with the effort of speaking calmly. “I want to confront him, but I don’t want to do anything foolish. I’m going to ask him to walk with me, and I want you to keep watch. Especially make sure the children are safe.”
She waited for Pa to take it all in.
Finally he spoke. “I had my suspicions about Floyd. I saw the expensive things he bought and knew he didn’t make that much money working at the livery stable, but I determined not to think ill of the man without proof. When he died of a gunshot wound, I was fairly certain of what had happened, and I thought it was over for you. That you were now free of his way of life. I’m dismayed to learn of the danger you are in. You and Jake. But I think I should be the one to speak to Ethan.” He shook his head as if trying to clear his brain. “I like what I’ve seen of the man and hate to think it might be all pretend and that I didn’t see through it. I can usually spot a fraudster a mile away.” He started to get to his feet.
“Pa, wait.”
Her father sat back down.
“I need to deal with this. For my sake. For Jake’s sake. I need to prove to myself, if no one else, that I am not so easily fooled. That I can stand up for what’s right. Do you understand?”
He held both her hands between his. “Adele, I have watched you grow from a tiny baby to a protective sister to a loving mother. But through it all, I’ve seen the hurt you carry from being abandoned. I’ve longed for a way to ease that wound. I’ve prayed for it to happen, and here before my eyes, I’m seeing it take place. You’re losing that uncertainty.”
Adele’s eyes clouded with tears, and she blinked them away. Pa was right. She’d let something that happened to her when she was a baby make her doubt herself. That’s why she’d so easily fallen for Floyd’s kind of charm. He’d known how to beguile her.<
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Pa continued. “Yes, I will let you speak to Ethan. I will keep watch to make sure you’re safe. But first, let’s pray.” He pressed her hands between his as he prayed for strength, wisdom, and insight. “Amen.”
“Thanks, Pa.” She leaned over to kiss his cheek, surprised to discover it damp. Her pa was shedding tears over her. “Are those tears of joy?” she asked.
He stood and enfolded her in his arms. “Joy and pride and love. Go do what you need to do. I will never take my eyes off you though I promise not to be obvious unless I feel the need.”
Adele squared her shoulders, left the church, and crossed the yard to Ethan.
He must have seen something in her walk or her expression to warn him, for he was on his feet while she was still twenty feet away.
She closed the distance. “Ethan, I’d like to talk to you. Can we walk to the bottom of the garden?” She glanced at the porch. Donny was talking to Rocky, and the four younger ones were playing nearby. “Rocky, please watch the children.”.
Ethan fell in at her side as they walked along the garden fence toward the alley. “What’s going on?”
She stopped at the far corner of the garden, deeming them to be far enough away they wouldn’t be heard, and yet within sight of the church where she knew her father would be watching.
“There is something I must say to you.”
“Okay. I’m guessing it must be important.”
“I think it is. That cowboy that rode past a bit ago. The one who looked at you. I do know who he is. He was one of my husband’s partners.”
“I see.”
He didn’t seem surprised, but then, she hadn’t expected he would. “I recognize you too.”
The way he stilled every muscle convinced her he hadn’t known that.
“I saw you at Floyd’s funeral. I know you and the cowboy both want the same thing. You think I know where the money from the robbery is. But I don’t. So please inform your partner to leave me alone.” Her eyes burned with the force of her determination as she stared straight at him.
His eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. The pupils darkened. He was hiding something, of that she was certain.
“I think it’s best if you leave too. I don’t want Jake and the other children in danger.”
“Robber? Partner? You’ve got it all wrong.”
“Of course I do. I didn’t expect you to say otherwise.” She crossed her arms as if she could hold together the way she was coming undone inside. Why must she always be duped by handsome, charming men? Why couldn’t Ethan be dirty and dusty like that other cowboy?
“First, I am not a robber. It is as I say. I work for a rancher in Texas by the name of Mike Francis. It was his money that was stolen, and he has offered me a generous finder’s fee if I recover it. You might find this hard to believe, but the money has been stolen twice. I had already tracked it to the first robber, but before I could confront him, he was robbed too. Before he died, he told me about Floyd. Said he had a partner. That’s why I was at the funeral. I thought I might see the partner. When you left right after the funeral, I began to think you were involved. I went into your house. Saw all the fancy stuff. I knew Floyd had stolen money to buy those things.” He walked away three steps then turned back.
She had to set him straight. “I have no idea where the money is. I left in a hurry because that man threatened me. I thought I’d be safe here. Guess I was wrong.” She rubbed at her chin. “Why would I believe your story?”
“Because you’ve seen what kind of man I am?”
“I thought I knew what kind of man Floyd was, and look how wrong I was.”
“Adele, I’m sorry about your husband. You deserve far better than that.”
“I know I do, but it’s taken me a long time to realize it. After Jake was born, I began to look at myself and life differently and now… having to confront you makes me realize how strong I can be on my own.” No reason for him to know that Pa was ready to defend her if the need arose.
“Except you are wrong about me.”
“Again, why should I believe you?”
“Have I searched the house or looked for the money?”
“You did the first day. The supply cupboard.”
“I was only wanting to help by taking care of Rocky. But you’re right. Why should you trust me?”
She didn’t care for the defeat in his voice. “Trust has to be earned.”
“Trust also has to be honored.”
“That’s a strange thing to say. What do you mean by it?”
“Nothing. No, let me explain. Remember when your mother was so ill and I prayed? You said something about you wished life didn’t have to have sorrow and disappointment. No thorns amidst the roses. Remember that?”
“Of course.”
“Well, it seems to me that in order to trust God, you must honor all the things He’s done to earn your trust even when there are thorns. Like giving you Jake. Even being left on the doorstep of a family who loves you so much. To say you can’t trust Him after all that is to not honor what He’s done.”
“Are you saying I overlook the gifts God has given me because I fear to trust?”
“Do you?”
She considered his reasoning. Did she dismiss the good things God gave her simply because things didn’t always go as she wanted? That sometimes things were downright difficult? As Pa said, without rain there’d be no flowers. “Maybe a little. Sometimes it’s hard to see past challenges. I suppose I fail to honor trust as I should.”
“Glad to hear you understand what I’m trying to say.” He removed his hat, shook his head. She noticed that he’d had his hair cut.
He jammed the hat back on his head and continued. “I once trusted a girl by the name of Belle Steves enough to tell her about my dream to have a farm of my own. I’d worked and saved until I had enough money to buy the place next to my dad’s farm. I intended to share my life and my home with her. I showed her where I’d put the money and told her my plans. The next day when I went to pay for the farm, the money was gone. So was Belle.”
A lump the size of a turnip settled in her throat. “You’ve been hurt and deceived by someone you care about, just as I have.”
“I don’t know why I’m telling you this.”
A smile crept to her mouth as she admitted the truth that was right before her. “I think I do. You and I have misjudged each other. You’re right. I’ve seen the evidence of what sort of man you are. Just as I hope you’ve seen the evidence of my honesty in this situation. Instead of being enemies, we should be allies.”
He caught her gaze in a dark stare. His look probed deep into her thoughts, perhaps into her very soul. She opened herself to him, inviting him to see the truth, and knew the moment he believed her. A smiled started around his eyes, folding tiny lines in a fan from the outer edge of each. It shone in his irises and spread to his mouth.
“You’re right. We should be allies.”
They considered each other. Neither of them moved, and yet the distance between them seemed to shrink to nothing. She had the strangest sensation that in the space between them, their hearts had reached out to each other and connected.
He shifted and looked past her.
She glanced back, fearing that Floyd’s partner had returned. But she saw no one, not even in the shelter of the nearby trees. She faced Ethan again.
“Pa is watching. Let’s go tell him the truth.”
“You asked your father to guard you against me?”
“I wasn’t about to take any chances.” She started toward the church, and Ethan fell in at her side.
“Does he keep a firearm in the church?” He sounded every bit as cautious as Adele had felt not long ago.
“Maybe.”
His steps slowed. “Why don’t you go on ahead? I’ll follow after you’ve had a chance to tell him I am not a bad guy.”
She pretended to think on it a moment. “I don’t think he’ll shoot without first giving you a chance to
explain yourself.” She congratulated herself on sounding slightly uncertain.
He stopped walking and studied her with narrowed eyes. “You’re joshing me. Aren’t you?” His tone convinced her he wasn’t entirely sure.
“Do you think so?” It was fun to see the way he studied each window of the church for a glimpse of Pa. But the humor of his concern hit her, and she snickered.
He let out a sigh. “That was unkind.”
“It was fun.”
He grabbed her elbow and steered her toward the church.
“Be careful. Pa might think you’re forcing me to accompany you.”
He released her so quickly she laughed. “Pa will be pleased to know he can strike terror into a young man’s heart.”
They reached the back door of the church, and she led the way in. Pa leaned against the nearest window frame and waited.
“Pa, we have much to tell you.”
They perched on the steps leading to the platform, Adele between the two men. Taking turns, they told Pa what they’d learned about each other.
He listened without speaking. When they were finished he sat with his head bowed. Adele knew he was praying. Likely for insight into the truth.
“Ethan is right,” Pa said. “Trust must be honored, and Ethan has given us every reason to trust him. I already know that Adele is honest in what she says and does. That does not eliminate the danger of a man who has the same mistaken opinion that Ethan had, thinking Adele knows where the money is. He’s already a robber and perhaps a murderer. He might be willing to go to any lengths to get what he wants. The first thing we need to do is let the sheriff know what’s going on.” He got to his feet. “I’ll go speak to him.”
Adele and Ethan had both risen, and Pa planted a hand on Ethan’s shoulder. “I took you for a fine, upright young man. I’m glad I’ve not been wrong.”
“Sir, I will do everything in my power to live up to your assessment of me.”
The pair shook hands, then the three of them left the church.
She glanced at the children in the yard then shifted her gaze to the house where Ma and Stella would be busy. Adele had already done most of the work for the meal tomorrow, so she didn’t feel guilty for leaving them.
