Which made it unlikely that he was behind Stiles and Sharp’s plan to buy up all the land.
Arthur looked over at Charlie. “I don’t want you to feel beholden to me since I’ve already helped you out in your dealings with the railroad before, but since Coveney Coal is the largest coal supplier in the West, I’ll express my disappointment to Penworthy that the railroad hasn’t arrived yet. I’ll see what kind of pressure I can put on him to hold those responsible for the delays accountable.”
He glanced over at Hawk. “He may point the finger back at you, but I think we can all agree that these most recent delays are not your fault. I’m going to put the pressure on him to hold those at the top responsible. It may anger Stiles, but frankly, I’ve never liked his work ethic. He’s lazy, undisciplined, and will use any shortcut to get the job done. If I were you, I’d watch my back.”
Hawk had never stopped watching his back. But it was a good warning, especially if Penworthy was going to put more heat on Stiles.
Then Arthur looked over at Charlie. “In the meantime, I’ll talk to some of my connections about getting some of the items waiting on the railroad shipped here. I understand the town’s primary freight company is overloaded.”
“It’s not just that,” Liam said. “Peregrines’ freight prices are fair. Jack hasn’t raised them from last year. But he’s been overloaded with too much work, so there are delays. We looked at getting other freight companies to help, but they’re way too expensive. And, with the demand, they can get those prices, so why would they give us a better deal?”
A shrewd look crossed Arthur’s face. “Because I asked them to.”
While the other men began discussing arrangements, Hawk looked over at Rosalind, who had been quiet throughout the whole discussion. He walked over to where she was sitting. “I’m sorry if this is all boring to you. But at least now we have a better idea of what’s going on and why your father was killed.”
The mournful expression she gave him made him wish he hadn’t come over to talk to her. “I can’t believe they would kill him over a land deal. And even though we understand the bigger picture, I still don’t know why he was specifically killed, or who did it. It seems like your answers have only brought more questions.”
He knelt in front of her and took her hands. “I promised you I would find your father’s killer. I will not rest until that happens. It may seem like we’re no closer to finding his killer, but I believe we are closer than ever. We know why Stiles would want to delay the railroad. We even know why he would want to drive your family out of town. So the question is, who is carrying out Stiles’s orders? I think I have a suspect, and now I just need to prove it.”
The hope in her eyes made him feel better than he had all day. She looked at him with such admiration that, selfishly, he wished he could see more of it. To have that gaze upon him more regularly. How could she truly admire a man who was actively plotting to kill another?
“But how? We were just discussing the challenges of getting any evidence since you can’t go into the railroad camp.”
“I’ve still got someone there, and now that I know who I want him to look at, it’ll be easier for him to discover evidence.”
“You mean Moses?” Rosalind asked. “Will people believe his word against this other man’s?”
Hawk was still trying to figure out how he would accomplish it. But with as quickly as sentiment against the Crearys had risen when they’d thought Joe had tampered with the bridge and cost them their bonuses, how much more so would it happen when they realized the extent to which one of their own had been duping them?
14
The men had left to discuss the shipping plans with the Peregrines and other business owners, leaving Rosalind alone at the assayer’s office. She went back into the living quarters, intent on making the cookies she’d promised Horatio earlier. It would give her something to do while processing the new information.
Business at Nacho’s had been slower lately, which meant she didn’t have to go in to work today. Fina had told her that things were always slow during bad weather, but Rosalind couldn’t help feeling guilty and wondering if it was more about her presence.
Maybe, with the new information and suspicion that Stiles might deliberately be delaying the railroad so Sharp could buy up the properties at a discount, sentiment toward her and her family would improve.
Once the cookies had finished baking, she brought them into Hugh’s office, where there was more space for them to cool. As she did so, Moses slipped into the office from the side door.
“Are those snickerdoodles?” he asked.
“Yes. They’re my brother’s favorite.”
“Mine too,” Moses said.
Rosalind handed him one. “Here you go.”
He smiled as he took the cookie and tasted it. The delight on his face made her smile. Every once in a while, when they prepared meals for the railroad workers, they would make the occasional treat of a cookie. The men had always been so appreciative, and many of them had done favors for the family for an extra cookie or two.
“Hawk says he thinks he knows who’s behind what’s been happening at the railroad,” Rosalind told him. “I’ve been thinking a lot about who I suspect, and based on some of the things Hawk has said, it seems like Reggie is in a prime position to create the most damage to the railroad while making Hawk think he’s a friend.”
From the expression on Moses’s face, Rosalind realized she’d hit the mark. Hawk also suspected Reggie.
“I know Hawk doesn’t want me getting too involved,” she went on. “But I’m worried about him. He says he’s going to be safe, but knowing what I know of his past, I’m afraid he will take unnecessary risks that will endanger him. Will you keep an eye out for him? Will you keep me informed about what’s going on?”
She held another cookie out to him. “I can’t offer you much, but I’d be glad to bake you cookies as payment.”
He took the cookie and stared at it, then looked at her. “Are you trying to bribe me with cookies?”
She shrugged. “Will it work?”
Moses shook his head. “I would never betray a friend. Not for cookies, not for money. But I can see where you’d be concerned, and I will do my best to look out for him. It’s something I do anyway. As for keeping you informed, as long as it doesn’t make things dangerous, I’ll see what I can do.”
Then he took a bite out of the cookie. “I would appreciate you having more of these around for me. I don’t know why Hawk won’t court you. If I had a woman who cooks like you and looked at me the way you look at Hawk, I would do just about anything for her.”
Was it obvious to everyone that she had feelings for Hawk?
“Please don’t make things more uncomfortable for me. Hawk has made it very clear that his heart only has room for his first wife. I don’t want him avoiding me because he’s afraid of my feelings. There are more important things at stake, and we have to focus on that.”
Moses gave her a gentle smile. “There is nothing more important than a person’s heart. Hawk is fighting it, but I hope he wakes up quickly to what’s been staring at him in the face. The heart has an unlimited capacity for love, and maybe what will finally cure Hawk of his insanity is the realization that by remaining in the past, he’s hurting people who love him in the present. You may not recognize it yet, but he is building a life for himself here. He is building relationships, and you’re not the only one who cares about him.”
The tenderness in the other man’s voice made Rosalind smile. It was clear Moses was one of those people who loved Hawk, and, while she’d liked him before, now her feelings toward Moses were even dearer.
“Thank you,” she said. “I agree with you, but Hawk is one of the most stubborn men I’ve ever met. Which is why I asked for your help. He thinks he’s protecting me by keeping me in the dark about things, but I believe that we’re better together, and watching the discussion in here today made me realize that the struggle Hawk h
as been having in his investigation is that he’s been trying so hard to do it alone. But once we had everyone in a room together, discussing the possibilities, the answers became clear.”
Moses nodded. “You’re right. We are better together. But Hawk has had to go it alone for so long that he has forgotten that lesson. Hopefully, when this case has been solved, he will see how having people in his life helping him contributed to that solution, and he’ll be more open to the idea that he doesn’t have to be alone anymore.”
She knew she shouldn’t ask, but she couldn’t help herself. “And what about his quest to avenge his late wife?”
Moses was silent for a moment, and then he said, “that’s something he has to work out for himself with God. I don’t think killing that man will bring Hawk any satisfaction. But I do think he needs closure. I just couldn’t tell you what that would look like. But I pray daily that Hawk finds what he’s looking for before it’s too late.”
She hoped so too, but she also recognized the wisdom in Moses’s words. Whatever Hawk had to work out was something that needed to happen between him and God, and none of them could do it for him. She looked back at Moses. “What brings you here?”
“I’m looking for Hawk. He needs to know that there is growing dissatisfaction in the railroad camp over the way things are being run. Specifically, they’re tired of being told that the so-called mishaps are the result of their incompetence. However, any time someone speaks out about it, they are threatened with losing their job. One of the men, David Vaughn, was fired this morning because he got into an argument with Brian about being ordered to take up some of the track and re-lay it. Vaughn is one of the best workers we have, and I’ve long thought that he should be running the job instead of Brian. He takes pride in his work, and since the sabotage began, he’s been double checking everything he’s done. He’s the one who laid that track the first time, and he says there’s nothing wrong with it. After Brian fired him, I followed him into town, where he tried to talk to Stiles, but Stiles refused to listen to him, saying he didn’t get involved in personnel disputes. I was thinking that Hawk should have a word with him before he left town.”
“I wonder if he’s the same man who spoke to Liam,” Rosalind said. She explained to him what happened earlier this morning, and Moses nodded. “That would sound right to me,” he said. “David is extremely angry, and I’m sure he’s angry enough to tell anyone who will listen. Many of the others are afraid to say anything because they know that the same thing could happen to them what happened to both him and Hawk. People are starting to question the stories that were told about Hawk. Many are realizing that Hawk couldn’t have done all the things he was accused of, and so maybe he hadn’t done any of them and was telling the truth. There was an argument about it last night in the saloon tent. But the men who defended Hawk were badly beaten by Brian’s men. I can’t imagine that anyone is willing to support Hawk publicly, but I think now more than ever, sentiment is starting to turn in his favor, and as long as he goes about it the right way, people will secretly talk to him.”
That did give her more hope, especially since it meant that Hawk could get witnesses other than Moses, which meant there was a better chance of conviction, and a smaller chance that Hawk would feel the need to take justice into his own hands.
“If there’s anything I can do, please let me know.”
“I will,” Moses said. “But please don’t put yourself in any kind of danger. I’ll do my best to help you, but Hawk would never forgive me if something happened to you.”
Though Moses gave her a shy smile. “That’s how I know he cares for you. And why you must be careful. The idea of hurting you is so unsupportable to Hawk, that if it were to happen, I fear he would return to the dark place that I brought him out of, and I’m not sure we would ever get him back. Please don’t take any unnecessary risks. Not just for your sake, but Hawk’s.”
Moses left the building, leaving Rosalind to ponder the older man’s words. Moses was a good man, and she was grateful for his friendship. But their conversation only made her realize that the depth of her feelings for Moses was all about friendship, and for Hawk, she felt something much more. It was time to get past all this nonsense solve her father’s murder, and see if there was a way she and Hawk could have a future.
The cookies had cooled enough that Rosalind was able to put some of them on the plate. She brought some over to the boarding house, where the Sawyers were doing their best to get as much of the interior ready as possible. Though they had solved a great deal of the mystery surrounding the railroad, and Arthur had mentioned the windows, he hadn’t said exactly what he’d found out or how they would get there. And Rosalind hadn’t wanted to be greedy and ask. The town had far more important things to worry about than the windows for her boarding house. Hawk had purchased oil cloth which he had used to seal the window openings so that at least the cold air couldn’t get in. It made the interior dark, requiring the use of lamps at all times, but it was usable, so it seemed like pure vanity to want the windows done.
When she entered boarding house, Ernestine Sawyer was at the newly installed stove, putting something in the oven.
At Rosalind’s arrival, she turned and smiled. “I hope you don’t mind, but with the snow, and in the hope of having Thanksgiving dinner here, I was testing out a few recipes. I dearly love holiday baking, and I haven’t had the opportunity to do so in years, much less on such a fine stove.”
Some might say the stove had been an extravagance. But her father had already ordered it before his death, in anticipation of finishing the railroad. He’d wanted nothing but the best for her mother to cook on, and when Liam had told them it had arrived, Rosalind hadn’t had the heart to send it back or ask Liam if he had another customer who might want to buy it, thereby giving them additional funds.
“It seems we had the same idea.” Rosalind held out the plate of cookies. “I just baked these because with the cold weather blowing in, I thought we could all use a tasty treat.”
She didn’t add that since they were her brother’s favorite, she hoped to brighten his day. He’d gone with Hawk and the others to figure out their next move, and as much as Rosalind thought that making him cookies would lift his spirits, feeling useful in the investigation had done even more so.
“Snickerdoodles,” Ernestine said, smiling. “Those are my husband’s favorite. I was baking a pie for dessert tonight, along with some bread for the coming meals.”
“Sam,” she called. “Johnny. Come see what Rosalind has brought us.”
Sam entered the room, one arm in a sling, but carrying a piece of wood in the other. “I’m glad you’ve come by today. I wanted to see you, but I know you’ve been busy helping the Montgomerys move. I’ve been bored, sitting around, doing nothing. I finally convinced Johnny to get me a knife and some wood so I could whittle a bit. Fortunately, my good arm was uninjured, and I’ve been able to prop the wood against my bad hand and use my good to carve things.”
He held up the piece of wood to show Rosalind what he had made. “I’m teaching Johnny how to help me piece it together, and I think this will make a fine mantle for your fireplace. I know you said you were satisfied with having everything plain, but I think that these fine details are what separates a quality establishment from something ordinary. With your permission, of course, I’d like to use my skills to add a little something extra where I can.”
Their previous boarding house had been beautiful, with many hand-carved details, but they hadn’t had the money to translate those details here. She took the carving out of Sam’s hand, admiring the beautiful details he’d put into his work. The nature scene looked like it had come straight out of their window, bringing the beautiful Rocky Mountains indoors. Her mother would love it.
“It’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. And you’re right that it would lend our establishment a level of quality that would make anyone proud to stay here. But we have agreed as a family that the e
xpense of such details is too much for us right now. And I wouldn’t want to impose upon you and your good nature.”
Sam shook his head. “It’s no imposition. Between your family and Hawk, we’ve been given so much. Besides, this is one area in which I can be useful. You don’t know how difficult it is for a man to sit around, watching his wife and son provide for his family.”
Because of Horatio’s injuries, she did know. And it felt right to give this man some level of dignity after having accepted the charity. Even though Rosalind would argue that it wasn’t charity at all. Hawk was paying them handsomely to work on the boarding house. Johnny had been doing a variety of chores and acting as Hawk’s assistant when Hawk was working on things. Hawk had told her that Johnny was a good worker and invaluable. And Ernestine had taken over much of the cooking for the family, preparing the meals at the boarding house, and bringing them over to the assayer’s office. It had given Cordelia the freedom to spend all of her time caring for their mother, which is she insisted was a delight. And it gave Rosalind and Jane the opportunity to put in as many hours as they could at Nacho’s. Fina had become a treasured friend, making Rosalind more and more certain that Noelle would forever be their home.
How could she not honor the Sawyer family’s desires to feel like they were contributing? Clearly, they wanted this to be their home, too.
“Then let’s take a look at what you have in mind,” Rosalind said. “What you’ve done here is beautiful, and as long as it doesn’t trouble your arm, I would be happy to see your beautiful carving in our home.”
Sam led her through the house, explaining where he wanted to put his carvings. Her heart hurt when they got to the room that would be her mother’s room. Romeo had refused to make them a window, and when Hawk had gone to visit him to try to convince him, Sol had thrown him out.
But having Sam’s beautiful carvings would cheer her mother, and perhaps someday, they could travel to Denver and find a stained-glass window for the space.
Rosalind: A Thanksgiving Day Bride (Brides of Noelle Book 8) Page 17
