by Lisa Harris
In spite of her good intentions, the despondency she’d felt since Corbin left two weeks ago resurfaced. She’d learned that, in some ways, Corbin was no different than her father. Corbin could never be tied down by a wife and family. His leaving Revenge without saying good-bye had proven as much.
“Would you like Milena to get you a cup of hot tea, Catherine?” Emily asked. “You’re positively restless today.”
“I’m fine, thank you.” Catherine dropped her handwork onto the seat beside her and stood to stretch her legs, wishing she felt as peaceful as baby Isaiah looked. The child had no worries at the moment, certainly not any as enormous as her concerns for Corbin Hunter. She’d been told by the new acting sheriff that Corbin had left for Texas, where the remaining member of the Masked Gang was said to be hiding out. Over the past two weeks, the promise she’d had him make in finding her father’s killers seemed far less urgent.
Especially if Corbin were killed in the process.
She shoved aside the bundle of uncertainties she’d collected and stopped at the whatnot in the corner of the room, reminding herself that Corbin Hunter was no longer a part of her life. She’d severed any remaining ties the day she told him she didn’t love him anymore.
The shelves were full of glass pieces from Grady’s factory and a few knickknacks passed down from their mother. A small, wooden box lay on the middle shelf she hadn’t noticed before.
Catherine tapped the edge of the shelf. “I don’t remember this box. It’s beautiful.”
Emily looked up from her work. “It was a gift from Father for the baby.”
Catherine picked up the smooth wooden box and ran her fingers across the top.
“He told me he saw it in the window of a shop in Chicago and had to buy it. The strange thing about it is, there isn’t a key for it, so I can’t open it.”
“There’s not a key?” Catherine turned over the box and studied the carved top.
“Father simply said that when the time was right, I’d know how to open it. Strange, isn’t it?”
Emily’s words sent chills down Catherine’s spine. “Maybe not.”
You’ll know when the time comes.
“Why do you say that?” Emily asked.
Catherine sat back down on the settee, still holding the box. “What if Father really did bring back with him a secret from Alaska?”
“What do you mean?” Lily looked up from her handwork.
Catherine slipped the key he’d given her from around her neck. “He gave me a key and told me the same thing. That I would know when the time came.”
Lily and Audrey moved in beside her.
“So you think the key is for the box?” Emily asked.
Catherine fingered the key. “There’s only one way to find out.”
Catherine slid the metal piece into the lock and turned it. A perfect fit. With her fingers trembling, she opened the lid. Inside were five sealed envelopes, the first one addressed to the four of them.
“Open it,” Audrey said.
She slid open the envelope and pulled out a letter. Her father’s familiar handwriting lay in front of her.
Lily leaned forward. “What is it?”
“A letter from Father.” Catherine’s eyes misted. There were so many things she wanted to ask him. So many things left unsaid.
Emily nodded. “Read it to us.”
Catherine choked back the tears and began reading.
August 7, 1884
My dearest daughters,
If you are reading this letter, then you can be assured that I did everything I could to protect you but have obviously failed. For this I am so sorry. It seems that I have spent my life regretting the choices I’ve made. All I can ask of you at this point is that you forgive me. My selfishness has cost me far more than I ever imagined.
I never told any of you the complete truth about my time in Alaska, or that I left just over nine months ago. I’d finally made a decent amount of money. Not a fortune, perhaps, as many, but enough that I felt I could return to Revenge with my head held high for all the time I’d wasted away from my family.
When my business partner was killed in a landslide, I had my suspicions that it was more than an accident, but dozens of people die out on the frontier each year, and those in charge have little time to investigate every incident. It didn’t take me long to conclude that someone wanted my gold—a common pastime for men who were either too lazy or thought they were too smart to do their own work. Con games run as fast and free as the liquor.
I longed to return home, but believed if someone had overheard a conversation about the gold, they’d also heard me speak of the four of you and our home here. I did everything I could to hide what I carried in my bag. For the following months, I travelled simply and never spoke to anyone again about my adventures in Alaska. The only thing I wanted was to return home to the four of you and give you what you deserved so many years ago.
The problem was, I was still uncertain who was after me, which meant I was uncertain how to protect you. So, I finally came up with a plan. I’d bring the money home, but not tell anyone about it, though I had no illusions that one day, the man who was after me would confront me.
Once here, I did my best to find out who it was. I had been tipped off before leaving Alaska about a con man who preyed on innocent woman. This led me to believe that he was one of the men in your lives—a man who had weaseled his way into your hearts. Grady was immediately out of the picture, as I’d rarely seen a man so much in love with his wife. Corbin seemed an unlikely suspect as well, as I’d known his parents before he was even born and would have recognized his face on the Alaskan frontier. That left Harrison Tucker and John Guild, both men who seemed to love my daughters. But one, I feared, was an impostor.
As I said at the beginning of my letter, I suppose there is a good chance that if you are reading this letter, then either I have exposed the impostor and we are all reading together, or more likely, I fear, the impostor has made real his threats and killed me. All I can do is pray that I have not endangered the lives of you and my grandchild.
There is not much more I can say, other than I’m sorry for everything I have done to you. In this box is an envelope for each one of you containing one thousand dollars. Use it wisely, and never let the love of money take you away from what is truly important. For you are that to me—my four precious diamonds who will always be worth more to me than any cache of gold.
Sincerely,
Isaiah Morgan
Catherine dropped the letter onto her lap, her hands shaking. “So now we know the truth about why Father returned.”
“He really did love us,” Emily said.
Catherine felt her chest constrict. “I never told him I loved him. I never forgave him.”
Audrey reached out and squeezed her hand. “I know he understood.”
Catherine held up the other four envelopes, each addressed to one of the girls. “He really did strike gold.”
She drew in a staggered breath. Except all the money in the world could never make up for the father she’d never really known. She handed out the envelopes then opened hers. A slip of paper fell from the envelope. Catherine picked it up and recognized her father’s handwriting again.
I understand what you went through. Thank you. Just know that I love you.
Catherine excused herself and went outside to the porch and let the tears run freely.
“I forgive you, Father. Not because of the money, but because you loved us.”
And for the first time in years, a wave of peace washed over her as she watched the setting sun nestle above the rows of corn in the distance.
Corbin pulled on the reins and stopped in front of the O’Conner farmhouse. His pulse quickened. How one woman could cause him more apprehension than an outlaw, he’d never know. He slid off his horse then stopped at the bottom of the porch stairs, praying he’d made the right decision.
Five hundred miles of thinking tended to give one plenty
of time to contemplate life, and in that time he’d come to one conclusion. Trying to win back Catherine Morgan might result in her sending him packing before the evening was over, but he wasn’t going away without one final showdown. If he’d learned anything in the past couple of weeks—besides the folly of revenge—it was that he’d never stopped loving her.
He took the porch stairs two at a time, swallowed any remnants of his pride, and knocked on the front door. A moment later, Catherine answered. He opened his mouth but couldn’t speak.
“Sheriff.”
“Mrs. Morrilton…she told me you would be here.”
“I didn’t think you were coming back.”
He shoved his hands into his front pockets. “I had some business to take care of.”
“Oh.” The disappointment in her voice was clear.
“That’s not…” Catherine’s three sisters appeared behind her like mother hens protecting their young. “That’s not what I meant. Could we speak…alone?”
“It’s been a long time, Sheriff,” Audrey piped up.
Perhaps he’d been wrong in coming. “I’m not the sheriff anymore.”
“So we heard.” Catherine’s frown deepened.
Corbin’s heart sank. Had he really expected his coming back to be easy when he’d left without even saying good-bye?
“I know I’d be obliged if you got her out of the house for a few minutes,” Audrey rambled on. “She’s been running back and forth between here and the store, trying to keep her customers happy while taking care of Emily and her new baby.”
Corbin couldn’t help but smile. “She is good at that.”
“She could use a bit of fresh air,” Lily said.
“Definitely,” Emily added.
Catherine set her hands on her hips then blew out a quick breath. “Last I looked, I was perfectly able to make a decision myself.”
“So?” Corbin’s heart faltered as he waited for her answer.
The timid smile she gave him melted away the edges of his apprehension. Maybe his plan would work after all. A moment later, Corbin walked down the quiet lane beside Catherine, breathing in the scent of her lavender as the setting sun exploded in bright rays of yellow and orange along the horizon. In the two weeks since he’d left, he’d found himself missing everything about her. The tilt of her head, the sound of her voice, the blue of her eyes…He’d played the fool once all those years ago when he hadn’t been man enough to do anything about it. And now he’d done it again. Except this time, he’d realized that walking out of Catherine Morgan’s life wasn’t the answer.
“We heard they hanged John Guild.” Catherine broke the silence between them.
“Six days ago.” The victory from revenge had been swift and subtle, but had left him with little more than a deep sadness over the lives taken in the process. Because as sweet as revenge promised to be, even John’s death couldn’t bring his father back.
“I’m sorry,” she began. “Not that John Guild is dead, but sorry everything had to turn out that way. That broke my sister’s heart.”
“How is Lily? I’ve thought about her these last few days.”
“It’s been hard on her, but she’s strong. A friend of my father’s, Mr. Peterson, was able to find a job for her in Cleveland, working for the Cleveland Telephone Company. I think the change will help her forget.”
“Are you all right with her leaving?”
“I’ll miss her terribly, but I think she’ll be back as soon as she has time to heal. Although, I’m not sure it’s possible to completely get over what John did to her.”
“She’ll find someone, somewhere, who loves her for who she is without any pretenses. What about Audrey?”
“I think she’s about forgiven Harrison. I expect them to be married by next spring.”
“I didn’t return just to talk about your sisters.” Corbin’s hand brushed her arm. It was time to get to the point. “I came back to talk about us.”
Tears pooled in the corners of Catherine’s eyes, and she started walking again.
“Wait a minute. Please.” Corbin rubbed the back of his neck. He’d rehearsed his explanation a thousand times, but now that he was here, he couldn’t remember anything. “When…when I heard that gunshot and thought John Guild had killed you, I thought I’d lost you again, but that wasn’t all. I realized that my thirst for vengeance put you and your sisters at risk.”
Catherine stopped at a clump of purple wildflowers on the edge of the road back into town and picked one before breathing in its fragrance. “I made the decision to get involved because my sisters’ lives were at stake.”
“That’s not all. I spent the past two weeks praying and seeking God’s will. Something I should have done months ago. In the process, God showed me that men will always have evil schemes, but I have to trust in the One who created me by letting go of the thirst for revenge that had taken over my heart.” Corbin searched for the right words. “I thought I could walk away and put you, memories we shared, even the resentment I’ve felt all these years behind me, but for the past two weeks, all I’ve been able to think about are all the things left unsaid between us.”
Catherine took a step backward. “I don’t know—”
“Don’t run away from me again. Not this time, because the timing will never be perfect. I thought we decided we were done with secrets.” He reached for her hand and grasped her fingertips. “You already broke my heart once, and I know I can handle it again if I have to. All I want to ask is one question.”
She fiddled with the flower’s stem between her fingers then nodded. “All right.”
“Why did you call off our wedding?”
Tears streamed down her face but she didn’t pull away from him this time. “What do you want me to say? That I never stopped loving you?”
“I know you loved me, Catherine Ann Morgan.” He pulled her closer to him. “I planned to marry you and spend the rest of my life with you.”
“My mother couldn’t keep my father.” Sobs raked her body. “Who was I to force you to stay here and take care of my family?”
“That wasn’t your decision to make. I’m not your father. I wouldn’t have left you. Nor did I need you to try and protect me. I loved you.” His shoulders drooped with the admission. “And no matter how hard I’ve tried not to, I still love you.”
Her chin dipped. He reached out and tilted it up so he could look at her. The last yellow rays of sunlight pierced through the branches of the tree above them, and her eyes sparkled a mixture of blue and gray and gave him hope.
His emotions pulled taut across his chest. “Tell me you never stopped loving me.”
Tears rolled down her cheeks. “I never stopped loving you.”
There was no going back now. He was going to do what he should have done weeks ago—kiss her properly. Drawing her against him, he leaned down and found her lips, reveling in the softness of her touch. The hollowness in his heart began to fill with every second that passed, satisfying needs long left unmet.
After a long moment, Catherine pulled away, breathless, but she didn’t try to escape the confines of his arms. “I’m sorry. Sorry for letting my fears and my pride rob us of what we had together.”
“You were wrong about something, you know.” His chest heaved with the joy that he hadn’t lost her. “It’s not too late for us.”
A smile lit Catherine’s face. “If Mrs. McBride were to see us out here…”
“Let Mrs. McBride say what she wants.” He wiped a tear from her face. “Have I ever told you that I love you?”
“Once or twice. A thousand years ago.” She took a step back and looked up at him. “What happens now?”
“I take you home, and we figure things out one day at a time. Things like a wedding and babies…” He ran his thumb down her cheek, his head still spinning. Like Jacob in the Bible, the seven years that had separated them suddenly didn’t matter—because he was finally looking at a future with the only woman he’d ever loved.
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Love Finds You in Miracle, Kentucky by Andrea Boeshaar
ISBN: 978-1-934770-37-5
Love Finds You in Snowball, Arkansas by Sandra D. Bricker
ISBN: 978-1-934770-45-0
Love Finds You in Romeo, Colorado by Gwen Ford Faulkenberry
ISBN: 978-1-934770-46-7
Love Finds You in Valentine, Nebraska by Irene Brand
ISBN: 978-1-934770-38-2
Love Finds You in Humble, Texas by Anita Higman
ISBN: 978-1-934770-61-0
Love Finds You in Last Chance, California by Miralee Ferrell
ISBN: 978-1-934770-39-9
Love Finds You in Maiden, North Carolina by Tamela Hancock Murray
ISBN: 978-1-934770-65-8
Love Finds You in Paradise, Pennsylvania by Loree Lough
ISBN: 978-1-934770-66-5
Love Finds You in Treasure Island, Florida by Debby Mayne
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Love Finds You in Liberty, Indiana by Melanie Dobson
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Love Finds You in Poetry, Texas by Janice Hanna
ISBN: 978-1-935416-16-6
Love Finds You in Sisters, Oregon by Melody Carlson
ISBN: 978-1-935416-18-0
Love Finds You in Charm, Ohio by Annalisa Daughety
ISBN: 978-1-935416-17-3
Love Finds You in Bethlehem, New Hampshire by Lauralee Bliss
