“It’s already outside. One of the men always gets it ready each morning that Mary has school.” Ginny sighed. “Luke has told me more than once that Mary is quite capable of riding to school on her horse, but I’m just not ready for that. Margaret, Selina, and Samuel all ride horses from Rachel and Dax’s ranch, but Mary would need to ride alone until she met them on the main trail.” She glanced at Isabella. “The men found a group of orphans in the hills almost a year ago. Margaret, Selina, and Samuel are the youngest and still go to school. Lydia is of marrying age and helps Rachel with the chores. The oldest boy, Billy, lives with some widowed ranchers and works as a ranch hand. I’m sure you’ll meet them while you’re here.”
“Sounds as if they have a full house.” Isabella found she struggled as much with losing Jackson as she did with her husband’s death. “I’d love to meet them before I leave.”
“Since there’s no reason you must hurry back to Philadelphia, you have lots of time to visit.” Lena wanted to find a way to encourage Isabella to stay. All her friends back home were much older, having little in common with her friend. Quiet and shy, Lena feared Isabella would fall into a life of a lonely widow, memories of Arnott and Jackson all she had to look forward to each day.
“True, I have time.” Isabella pushed from the table. “I’ll check on Jackson, make certain he’s ready to leave when you are.” She stopped, then turned toward Lena. “Unless you want to get him.”
“No, you go ahead. That will give me time to gather my belongings.” Lena’s heart squeezed, knowing how Isabella felt. She struggled with the same pain each time she left her son behind. If she could just convince Isabella to stay.
“Thank you, Miss Murton. I knew you would understand.” Lena kept her eyes on Jack as Mary introduced him to the other children.
“I’ll do my part. Splendor is a good town, but not all families will accept your situation. Some children will taunt Jack once news gets out. And it will.”
“You’re right. All I can do is help Jack adjust and handle problems as they arise.” Lena smiled when Mary grabbed Jack’s hand, drawing him toward a desk in the center. “We are staying at Luke Pelletier’s house for a while, although I’ll continue working. If you need to speak with me, please send word to either place. I’d better say goodbye to Jack.”
Sarah placed a restraining hand on her arm. “My suggestion is to leave, let him continue as he is without interruption. Of course, if you’d rather—”
“No, I’ll take your suggestion. I’ll be by after school. Thank you again, Miss Murton.”
“Please, call me Sarah.”
Lena nodded, grateful this part of the day had gone so well. The next portion might not. She had to find Nick, tell him about Willie’s visit, and figure out how to handle any further threats. She cringed thinking of how Nick would react to what he’d consider intimidation. No matter what, she wouldn’t let Jack go. They’d waited a long time to be a family, bowing to Willie’s threats in the past. Those days were over. Never again would she allow him to dictate how she and Jack lived, keeping her away from her son through fear of what Willie would do.
“Good morning, Suzanne. Is Nick still here?”
“No, he left early. He mentioned stopping by the saloon, then meeting some men at the site of the new hotel. From what I can see, they’ve made quite a bit of progress already. Do you want breakfast or coffee?”
“No, thank you. I need to find Nick right away.” Lena didn’t wait for Suzanne to respond. Hurrying down the boardwalk, she didn’t pay attention to the man who came up beside her, grabbing her arm.
“What are you in such a hurry about?”
Lena stiffened and yanked her arm away at the sound of Willie’s voice. “I told you to stay away from me and I meant it.” Ignoring him, she turned and continued toward the other end of town.
“I think it best you take a few minutes to speak with me, Lena. Otherwise, I will be forced to make decisions that might prove quite embarrassing to you.”
A cold chill ripped through her as she spun around, facing him. “Don’t threaten me, Willie. I’ve had quite enough of your bullying. You are not a factor in Jackson’s life and never will be, no matter what you believe.”
Approaching in measured steps, Willie stopped in front of her. “I’ll be in town until tomorrow, then I’ll need to ride back to the mine. If you know what is good for you and Jackson, you’ll agree to meet with me and discuss our future.” He spoke in a hard, unyielding tone, the menace in his voice clear.
“We have no future.”
“I believe you’ll reconsider once you hear my plans. Shall we say breakfast tomorrow at the boardinghouse?” His smirk made her cringe.
“No.” She turned her back to him, continuing to walk.
“Think carefully about your decision. If you don’t meet me, you will regret it.”
The knot in her stomach turned into a ball of ice, but she refused to acknowledge his last comment. Forcing her shoulders back, she continued toward the site of the new hotel, telling herself nothing he said would change any of her decisions. She moved from one end of the boardwalk to the other, oblivious to the morning activities of the town, her mind clouded. Talking with Nick would help. His sound counsel had pulled her out of more than one bad situation. She had no reason to believe he wouldn’t come through again.
Stepping off the end of the wooden walkway, her eyes grew wide at the sight before her. Suzanne had been right. They’d made considerable progress in the last few days.
“Lena, over here.” Nick stood near the back of the site, waving, a grin splitting his face.
Picking her way between piles of dirt and open trenches, she marveled at the amount of work the few men had accomplished. The foundation had already been laid, and they’d begun the framing.
“What do you think?” Nick asked as he scanned the site.
“Suzanne told me you’d made a lot of progress and she was right.”
“Gabe found hardworking men who have experience constructing buildings. It’s made the difference in how far they’ve gotten.” He studied her, seeing a worried expression he didn’t expect. His smile faded. “What’s wrong?”
“Do you have time to talk with me?”
“Of course. Let’s go to the Dixie.”
They walked in silence. Getting to his office, he held the door open for her. “What’s worrying you?”
Clasping her hands together, she stared out the window. Her heart had been pounding in a painful rhythm since her encounter with Willie. No matter how she told herself all would be well, the tightness in her stomach said otherwise.
“It’s Willie. He knows Jackson is here.”
~~~~~
Chapter Eighteen
“Another two hours and we’ll be in Splendor.” Gabe reined up alongside Caro, noting the weariness on her face. “We’ll get you settled in my house so you can rest and freshen up, then I’ll take you to supper.”
“Is there any chance you have a tub?”
He smiled, knowing she had no idea what to expect. “I do, and I’ll bet I can get some hot water into it also.”
Flashing him a grateful look, she shifted once more in the saddle, trying to relieve her stiff back and aching shoulders. She knew another part of her body would hurt once she dismounted, but it was too numb to worry about now.
They’d made good time. The sun still shown high in the sky, basking them in warmth, even though the wind whipped around and the temperature had dropped from the day before. Fall had moved in fast, and Gabe knew they’d be buried in snow within weeks—a fact he hadn’t thought to mention to Caro.
“How long before the wagon with the supplies arrives?” Caro knew she could go perhaps two or three days without her belongings.
“There will be two wagons. The drivers planned to start today. If they don’t encounter any delays, they should arrive within two days.”
“Tell me more about your job, Gabriel. Do you have deputies?” She’d grown tired
of living with her own thoughts and memories of David. No matter how much she’d loved him, thoughts of the past often weighed on her.
“I have two—Cash Coulter and Beau Davis.”
“Southern names,” she commented without condemnation. As a northerner, she often thought of those from the south who’d suffered so much more than she or her friends.
“Yes. Both fought for the Confederacy. Splendor is full of men who fought on both sides. Even our doctor and his nurse worked in Union field hospitals.” He thought of Doc Worthington and his niece, Rachel Pelletier. They’d patched up and cured more people than Gabe could count. Since Patrick Pelletier’s birth, Rachel had to trim back her work at the clinic. He knew Doc would need to start looking for another nurse soon.
“Many people were displaced due to the war. It must be hard to start over.”
“It takes strong men and women to leave what they know and move west.” Gabe thought of the sheep farmers who’d come to town before he left. He feared they were facing hard times.
“Does that include you and Noah?” Caro never thought of either man as adventurous.
“Yes and no. After the war, neither of us were ready to resume our lives in New York. Riding west seemed like the lesser of two evils,” he joked. “I haven’t decided if the decision indicated we were strong or naïve.”
“From what you’ve told me, I would say strong. You may not have known what you faced, but you went forward, not dwelling on the obstacles. It takes courage to walk away from a family such as yours to seek a new life.”
Gabe wondered if Caro realized she spoke as much about herself as about Noah and him. Wealth and privilege hadn’t deterred her from leaving the comforts of home and striking out on her own. He admired her a great deal.
Nick cursed as he listened about Lena’s two encounters with Willie. “I won’t let him harm you or Jack. Don’t let Willie make you believe otherwise.”
“He thinks what he has to tell me will change my mind about keeping Jack away from him.”
“Carlyle is a liar and a thief. What could he say that would make a difference?” Nick paced to the window. The storm of last night had passed, leaving the street thick with mud.
“I don’t know. Now that Jack is here with me, the danger seems more real.”
Nick turned from the window, crossing his arms. “You could send him away with Isabella again. Willie never bothered them when you were separated from Jack, even though he knew where to find him.”
“No.” Her eyes sparked and voice hardened at the suggestion. “I’ve made up my mind. I’ll never let Jack go again.”
“You think it might be wise to hear him out?”
“Yes. At least I’ll know what he plans.”
“Then I’ll go with you.” Nick didn’t want Lena alone with Willie, even if their meeting took place in a crowded restaurant.
“I don’t think he’ll talk in front of you.”
“He will if we give him no choice.” Lowering himself back into his chair, he leaned forward, resting his arms on the desk. “The meeting is for tomorrow at breakfast. I’ll either sit with you or at a table nearby, but I won’t let you be in the same room with Willie without being there.”
No one except Nick and Isabella knew of the letters she’d received from him over the years. He’d been tracking her, knew where she lived, knew about Jackson, and knew about the businesses she and Nick owned. If she’d done what she wanted, what was best for her, she would’ve ignored the threat and kept her son close. But she wasn’t willing to risk Jackson. It had been clear he would’ve used her love for Jackson against her and she’d never allow Willie to do that. Separating herself from the son she loved seemed the only alternative to keep him safe. Even though he disagreed, Nick had always supported her decisions and been willing to protect her from Willie. His suggestion of being close during her meeting with Willie made sense and gave her comfort. He’d always been there for her.
“It’s charming, Gabe.” Caro rode next to him as they entered Splendor, the church on a small knoll to her left. “What are they building?”
“That is the hotel I told you about.” Gabe noted how much progress they’d made in the few days he’d been gone. He’d reined up next to it.
“The one you and your two partners are building, correct?”
“That’s right. Hold on a minute. I need to speak with one of the men.” He headed straight toward Bull, who stood at the back of the site, speaking with the other men. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
Bull looked up, a smile spreading across his face. “Dax said it would be all right if I rode in early, see how your boys here are doing. Nick said you’d be gone a while.”
“I planned to. Ran into an old friend in Big Pine and convinced her to visit Splendor.” Gabe nodded toward Caro.
Bull’s eyes widened when he saw the beautiful woman astride the horse. “You say she’s an old friend?”
“Caro, Noah, and I grew up together. Let me introduce you.”
Caro pulled her bonnet low and shielded her eyes, trying to get a good look at the man with Gabe.
“Carolyn, I’d like you to meet a friend of mine, Bull Mason. Bull, this is Mrs. Caroline Iverson.” Gabe lifted his arms and helped her to the ground.
As they exchanged greetings, Noah came out of the bank, spotting them across the main street.
“Caro!” Taking long strides, he took her in his arms and swung her around, both laughing as he set her down. “What are you doing here?”
“It’s a long story. How much time do you have?” Her gaze wandered over Noah. He’d always been tall, but he’d filled out, his face that of a mature man.
“Caro will be staying at my house for a spell. Why don’t we all meet at Suzanne’s for supper so you two can visit?”
“Sounds fine. I’ll bring my wife, Caro. I know you’ll love Abby. Everybody does. Here. Let me help with the horses.” Noah grabbed the reins, walking toward the livery.
“Bull, you’re welcome to join us. I’d like to hear your thoughts on the progress so far.” Gabe nodded toward the construction.
“My pleasure, Gabe. I’ll see you tonight.”
Hearing the loud voices outside the saloon, Lena walked to the front window, her breath catching at the site of Gabe. She almost ran outside, then stood rooted in place when she saw his hand settle on the back of a woman she’d never seen. He didn’t even spare a glance at the Dixie as he strolled past, his head bowed, listening to something the woman said.
She wrapped her arms around her waist, pain and irritation boiling within her at how naïve she’d been to think he went to Big Pine just for business. Waiting until they disappeared toward Noah’s livery, she made her way to the bar.
“Something I can get you, Lena?” Paul asked, tossing the bar rag onto a shelf.
“Coffee would be wonderful,” she mumbled.
“Would you like some company? I’m so bored, I may lose my mind.” Deborah leaned against the bar, facing the doors. “How about some coffee, Paul? And sugar.”
“Sure thing, Deborah.”
“Saw your man ride into town with another woman.” Deborah had never been one to mince words.
Lena bit her lower lip. Even though she enjoyed her company, sharing confidences with Deborah wasn’t a good idea. Whatever she said would spread through the Dixie in no time, eventually reaching Nick. Seeing Gabe with another woman didn’t call for Nick’s sage advice. Whatever happened would be Lena’s doing without guidance from him.
“Yes, I saw him.”
“Do you know her?” Deborah held her cup up, waiting for Lena to respond.
“I’m certain he’ll introduce me when he has time to stop by.” She told herself he still loved her and would have a good explanation. Gabe wouldn’t flaunt another woman in front of her—at least she hoped he wouldn’t. In her life, she’d seen it all. A truth she’d learned the hard way about men was that you could never be certain of their sincerity. Most of them alway
s seemed to have an angle, one a woman didn’t find out about until it was too late.
“She looked fresh off the boat, if you know what I mean.” Deborah turned and rested her arms on the bar. “You got more coffee, Paul?”
“Hold on. I’ll get it for you.”
“Anyway, she doesn’t look like a woman from Big Pine. More East Coast, same as Rachel Pelletier.” Deborah added a small amount of sugar to the coffee and stirred it absently, waiting for Lena to respond. When she didn’t, Deborah continued, trying to fill the quiet. “Isn’t Gabe from back east somewhere? Boston, Philadelphia—”
“New York.”
“Now I remember. He told me that he and Noah grew up together in New York. Maybe she’s a woman he knew from back home.” She drained the last of the coffee. “Guess I’d best get upstairs and get ready. It won’t be long before the men start asking for something stronger than whiskey.” She winked at Lena, then walked up the stairs, holding her long skirt up so she wouldn’t trip.
Glad to see her leave, Lena let out a breath, staring at her now cold coffee. With the arrival of Jackson, and the woman he brought back with him from Big Pine, she and Gabe had a lot to talk about. She thought of their time together, wondering if what they had could last a lifetime. She doubted it. Why would any man, especially one as well-bred as Gabe, want a woman who not only made her living running saloons, but had a child outside of marriage? Perhaps he’d realized he didn’t need to settle for a woman of her background.
Lena placed two fingers on each temple, rubbing to ease the headache which had crept up on her. Getting Jackson settled in a new town, without feeling the stigma of being seen as a bastard, and dealing with Willie’s threats would take all her energy. Both of those fights had to be won. She didn’t need one more battle, and keeping Gabe might turn into one if the woman she saw with him was more than a friend.
Pushing her cup across the bar, she straightened, deciding she had to focus all her energy on fighting Willie and keeping Jackson safe. She loved Gabe. It would break her heart if he turned away. But if his attentions now belonged to another, she’d accept it as graciously as possible, no matter how much it would hurt.
Dixie Moon Page 20
