Waiting for Morning (The Brides Of Last Chance Ranch Series)

by Margaret Brownley

  Donny hadn’t stopped grinning since Caleb broke the good news of Orbit’s rescue. His smile grew even wider when Caleb pushed him out to the corral to see for himself.

  “Why is he wearing a bandage?” Donny asked.

  “One of the wolves swiped at him, but don’t worry. It’s nothing serious.” Molly had groomed the horse while Caleb attended to the wound.

  Donny stroked Orbit’s sleek neck. “I heard you had quite an adventure.”

  Magic barked as if to concur, and Donny leaned over to scratch him behind a furry ear.

  “What’s going to happen to Orbit, Doc?”

  “I don’t know. I guess that’s up to Miss Walker.” Caleb straightened. “Right now I want to talk to you man to man.”

  “Does this have anything to do with the Flagstaff observatory?”

  Caleb frowned. “Why would you think that?”

  Donny folded his arms. “You promised to take me if I could get into my wheelchair by myself.”

  Caleb tapped his chin. “Hmm. I did, didn’t I?”

  The sun in his face, Donny squinted up at him with one eye closed. The early stages of a moustache made him look older than his years. “Well?”

  “We’ll discuss that later. Right now I want to talk to you about something else.” Caleb touched a finger to the brim and pushed back his hat.

  Donny looked at him askew, curiosity written all over his face. “It sounds serious.”

  “It is serious.” Caleb stepped aside so Donny wouldn’t have to look into the sun. “I want you to know that as long as I live, you will never have to go into a sanitarium. You’ll always have a home.”

  Donny stared up at him. “Why are you telling me this?”

  “I want to marry your sister. And since you’re the man of the house, I’m asking your permission.”

  Donny drew his brows together but said nothing.

  Thinking Donny didn’t understand the full nature of the proposal, Caleb added, “Marriage will make the three of us a family—all living under the same roof.”

  “You mean it will always be the three of us?” Donny asked.

  “I can’t guarantee the number. It might one day be four, or five, or six of us.” Caleb waited for this to sink in. “Well?”

  “I’m thinking,” Donny said.

  “Think faster. Your sister’s coming.”

  “Okay, I give you my permission on one condition. You promise to take me to Flagstaff.”

  “I promise.”

  Donny nodded. “And you let me drive Bertha.”

  “That’s two conditions.”

  “And you buy me a telescope and name the first boy after me.”

  “What?”

  Donny wasn’t finished. “And most importantly, you find a home for Orbit.”

  Caleb lifted his hat and scratched his head. “You drive a hard bargain.”

  Donny grinned. “What do you expect? She’s my sister.”

  Caleb spotted Molly running toward them and he grinned. She lost her hat but kept running. Her shiny raven hair came unpinned but she kept running. Her face was flushed with heat but she kept running.

  She didn’t stop until she was locked securely in his arms.

  Epilogue

  Molly had just finished hanging the last pair of trousers on the clothesline when Caleb sneaked up behind her, grabbed her by the waist, and spun her around. They stood in the yard of their new home, a small but comfortable fourroom adobe with a red tile roof and whitewashed fence. Designed to accommodate Donny’s wheelchair, the house had extra-wide doorways and a ramp leading to the front porch.

  “What do you say, Mrs. Fairbanks?” Caleb asked. “Are you ready for a delayed honeymoon?”

  Her heart leaped with joy. “Do you mean it?”

  He nodded. “My doctor friend from Boston arrived and agreed to take over my practice while I’m gone.”

  “Oh, Caleb, that’s wonderful.”

  “If he likes it, he’ll stay and help me with the clinic.”

  She flung her arms around his neck. “He’ll love it here. I know he will.”

  Caleb grinned. “Do you think Donny can handle the clerical work for two doctors?”

  “Try and stop him.”

  The last several months had been a whirlwind of activity. Between helping Caleb with his patients and supervising the building of their house, Molly hardly had time to breathe. Aunt Bessie had naturally insisted upon handling the wedding plans. Big satin bows had popped up everywhere, along with the usual disgruntled saloon keepers. Things got so out of hand that the marshal issued a one-year moratorium on weddings.

  She smiled up at him. “You haven’t told me where we’re going.”

  “We’re taking the train to Flagstaff.” His gaze was warm with humor. “I understand you can look through the observatory telescope and see more stars than it’s possible to count.”

  “Donny will be so pleased.” Her voice was drowned out by Magic’s bark and the clatter of wheels.

  “I’m afraid we can’t spend more than a couple of days away,” Caleb said. “Soon as we get back we start building.”

  “I can’t be away too long anyway. The choir is about to start rehearsals for Easter.” She laughed. She still couldn’t believe she sang in the church choir.

  She pulled out of Caleb’s arms and waved as Orbit walked by, pulling Donny in a cart. Magic cheerfully led the way, steering the black colt safely down the road with little yipping sounds, though the bells on his collar made barking unnecessary.

  It was Caleb’s idea to purchase the colt for Donny’s fifteenth birthday. Jimmy Trotter’s father donated the cart in payment for Caleb’s medical services.

  “What about Magic and Orbit?” she asked.

  Caleb’s arms tightened around her waist. “Aunt Bessie agreed to take care of them while we’re gone.”

  Molly smiled. Never had she known such happiness as she’d known these last few months. Brodie said lessons could be learned from horses. Orbit taught her that God had a plan for everything— even a little blind horse and a wheelchair-bound youth.

  Maybe God even had a plan for the Last Chance Ranch. Miss Walker had another “heiress” and Brodie said she looked promising. Molly prayed it was true.

  “Come on,” Caleb whispered in her hair. “Let’s tell Donny to pack his things. We’re going to Flagstaff.”

  Meet Magic

  Photo by Diane Ryder

  Caleb’s dog is actually modeled after a darling Lhaso Apso owned by Reverend Diane Ryder, pastor of the Congregational Church of Chatsworth UCC. Rev. Ryder entered her pet in my “Your Dog in My Book” contest and Magic won both the contest and my heart.

  Named after a street in Phoenix, Arizona, where he was born, Magic lived with a special-needs family and helped people unable to speak. Magic “wrote” that “every time I chased my tail or sat in a lap I would make my special friends smile.”

  Magic loves to eat and play with squeaky toys. Since no commercial pet toys seemed to exist in the 1800s, in my story Magic had to be content chasing after a squeaky wheelchair. Sounds like the perfect dog for Dr. Caleb Fairbanks, wouldn’t you say?

  Magic has a long and noble heritage. Lhaso Apsos originated in Tibet and are one of the oldest recognized breeds in the world. Trained as watchdogs, these hardy canines guarded Tibetan royalty and Buddhist monasteries. They were highly prized and never sold. The only way a person could acquire a Lhaso Apso was through a gift.

  Lhaso Apsos didn’t reach American shores until the 1930s, which rules out finding one in the Old West. But with a name like Magic, anything is possible . . .

  Dear Readers,

  There’s nothing I like better than visiting old friends, and that includes the literary kind. I especially enjoyed getting reacquainted with Caleb Fairbanks. Some of you may remember him as Lucy’s sixteen-year-old brother in A Vision of Lucy. I will forever be indebted to the reader who suggested Caleb as the hero in a future book. So here he is, all grown up and as m
uch fun as ever.

  Caleb is the perfect hero for the 1890s. What an exciting time. The telephone, originally thought to be a frivolous toy, began to change the way people communicated. Thomas Edison’s “smokeless light” took longer to take hold mainly because of costs and fear. President Harrison and his wife were reportedly so afraid of being shocked by the newly installed electric light switches in the White House that they continued to use gas lights.

  Perhaps the biggest change came with the horseless carriage. Clanging steel could be heard in barns and sheds across the land as men young and old raced to create the perfect vehicle. Like Caleb, one determined mechanic did indeed build his auto on the second floor for want of another place. Even Henry Ford had to postpone test-driving his first Model T in 1896 because it was too big to fit through the door.

  In 1895, the Chicago Times-Herald held the first horseless carriage race to prove that the newfangled machines could outdo the traditional horse and buggy. Ninety people originally entered the race, but because of bad weather and motor problems only twelve showed up. Frank Duryea won after driving the entire fifty-two-mile course, thus changing history forever.

  The late nineteenth century also saw many changes in the medical field. In 1892, the American Psychological Association was formed, but perhaps the most important change was the development of the field of biology. The knowledge that infection was caused by germs led to rubber gloves being used for the first time in surgery.

  Lead poisoning was a problem, especially in inner cities. Sadly it remains a problem to this day. According to a 2012 article in the Los Angeles Times, a troubling amount of lead can still be found in toys, paint, and, yes, even candy.

  I hope you enjoyed Molly’s and Caleb’s story. You can read Kate’s and Luke’s story in Dawn Comes Early. What’s next for the Last Chance Ranch? Mysterious doings bring a Pinkerton Detective to the ranch—and you won’t believe who it is.

  Until next time,

  Margaret

  Discussion Questions

  Set your affection on things above, not on things on earth.

  Colossians 3:2 KJV

  1. Donny was so dependent on Molly, he didn’t even try to save himself from the fire. Miss Walker depended on the ranch to fulfill her family’s legacy. Many men in town, including Jimmy’s father and Reverend Bland, depended on alcohol to drown out pain and sorrow. In what ways does dependence on God differ from dependence on earthly things?

  2. Molly couldn’t see much past her guilt. Donny saw himself only as crippled. Other characters were blinded by worry, fear, or grief. Think of a problem in your life. In what ways is it blinding you or distorting your vision of God?

  3. What character did you most identify with and why?

  4. In John 9:2, Jesus talks about a blind man and how the works of God might be displayed in him. In what way did God make His presence known through Donny’s affliction?

  5. Caleb doubted his abilities as a doctor. In some ways this was a good thing because it made him seek answers. Doubts force us to study and examine beliefs. In what way has God worked through your doubts to help you grow professionally, personally, or spiritually?

  6. Caleb’s horseless carriage is a metaphor for change. Change never comes easy and can sometimes rattle us. To accept change is to grow. Which characters best represent the positive side of change? The negative? Can you think of a time when something in your life changed for the better?

  7. Brodie said there were lessons to be learned from horses. What lessons did Molly learn from the little blind horse, Orbit? How did these lessons apply to her brother? To her own life?

  8. Eleanor’s search for an heiress is really a cry for family. That’s the one thing she doesn’t have. Yet she ruthlessly holds on to the ranch that keeps her from the thing she most wants. Molly longed for love and marriage, but she let guilt and commitment to her brother stand in the way of her heart’s desire. Name the emotional or physical blocks in your own life that keep you from reaching a goal or cherished dream.

  9. Lead poisoning has been called a silent killer. What were some of the silent killers of faith that plagued Molly? Donny? Caleb? Eleanor?

  10. Donny’s accident “crippled” his ma and pa, even Molly. An illness, job loss, or death can affect the entire family. Name a time when your family overcame difficult times. How did God lead the way?

  11. Molly’s bad experience with church following her father’s death made her wary of all churches and churchgoers. Has there ever been a time when something said or done at church made you wary?

  12. Molly was a gifted singer but it never occurred to her she could use her singing talent for the glory of God. In what ways do you use your unique gifts and talents for God’s work?

  13. Mr. Washington wrote, “Put God first and everyone and everything will be all right. Put God first and you’ll never know another night.” Has there ever been a time in your life when God fell by the wayside? What does it mean to put God first?

  14. Molly learned to look back at her childhood through the eyes of God. How did this change her perception of the past? Who or what in your life would benefit if regarded through the eyes of God?

  15. Finally, what was the main message you carried away from the story?

  Acknowledgments

  My cup runneth over with far too many blessings to list here, so I will name but a few: I’m especially grateful to Chelley Kitzmiller and Have a Heart Humane Society for sponsoring the “Your Dog in My Book” contest. A big thank-you goes to the winner, Reverend Diane Ryder, for letting me use her darling dog in my book. My only hope is that I did Magic justice.

  Also thanks to Andrew James Winch who kindly answered my questions about lumbar spine injuries. Any errors are solely mine.

  My heart is filled with gratitude for my amazing agent Natasha Kern and her constant support, encouragement, and wisdom.

  I’m eternally grateful to my editor Natalie Hanemann who shared my vision for this series and whose insightful comments and guidance help make any story stronger, and this one even more so. Also special thanks to Rachelle Gardner whose eye for details has saved this author’s hide more times than I care to enumerate.

  A great big thank-you to all the readers who entered the “Daily Reasons to Smile” contest. I’m especially grateful to Katie Bond for spearheading the contest and babysitting the potted cacti that made up some of the prizes. Thanks also to Gaylene Murphy, Kim Miller, and Nancy Berland.

  As always I thank God for instilling in me a love of words and the opportunity to do what I most love to do—make up characters and create stories. I appreciate the love and support of my family, especially my husband, George, who has taken on the unenviable task of being this writer’s assistant.

  Thank you to all my readers for your kind letters—and especially to the readers who suggested that Lucy’s brother, Caleb, from A Vision of Lucy needed his own book. Keep those ideas coming! You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, or my website.

  Until next time,

  Margaret

  An excerpt from Gunpowder Tea

  Pinkerton National Detective Agency: We never sleep.

  NEW ORLEANS 1897

  Miranda Hunt drew a linen handkerchief from the sleeve of her black mourning frock and dabbed the corner of one eye. Only the most discerning person would spot the foot tapping impatiently beneath the hem of her skirt. Or guess that her respectfully lowered head hid a watchful gaze.

  As far as anyone knew, she was exactly who she purported to be: Mrs. James Kincaid the Third, friend of the deceased.

  “Such a modest man,” a middle-aged woman lamented, looking straight at Miranda. “Wouldn’t you agree, Mrs. Kincaid?”

  “Most definitely,” Miranda replied. From what she knew of Mr. Stanton, he had much to be modest about.

  Everything in the stately mansion from the polished marble floors to the gold filigree ceilings was due to marrying the heiress of a fly paper empire. The rich knew how to live and judging by the
carved oak coffin edged in gold and lined in silk, they also knew how to die.

  An elderly gray man approached her chair and put up his monocle. “Would you care to pay your last respects, Mrs. Kincaid?” He was stoop-shouldered and spoke with a lisp.

  Miranda stood with a solemn nod and crossed the elegantly furnished parlor to an alcove near the grand piano. Tall palms stood like sentries guarding the open coffin. The deceased was perfectly laid out in a fine tailored suit, his white mustache and hair neatly trimmed. Had it not been for the silver coins concealing his eyes, one might think him merely asleep.

  The last few petals of Miranda’s rose fluttered to the floor, but she dutifully laid the wilted stem by the dead man’s side. She allowed a ladylike sob to escape and drew a handkerchief to her cheek—all for the benefit of the monocle-eyed man.

  Like all operatives of the National Pinkerton Detective Agency, Miranda was an expert in disguises. Blending in was the key to nabbing an unsuspecting criminal and that took a certain amount of concentration, attention to detail, and of course, acting ability.

  Today, it took considerably more; it took a steadfast stomach to eat the Russian fish eggs and liver paste that the rich called food.

  Returning to her seat, she strained to hear three young women whisper among themselves. A private detective had to listen to an amazing amount of gossip, which went against Miranda’s Christian upbringing. But between the “He dids” and “You won’t believes” was where an operative often gleaned the most useful information. Certainly God made allowances for those fighting for law and order. At least Miranda hoped He did.