by Cyndi Raye
“I understand. Let me ask you this. Do you mind if we use the furniture for the open house? I don’t want to upset you, after all, they are your parent’s things.”
“I don’t mind. Not really. The house is rather stuffed with a lot, I have to admit.” He gave her a smile that melted her heart. Her husband had been through so much tragedy in his youth and now this horrible murder he witnessed. It was no wonder his head was filled with recurring nightmares.
She stood up. “I have no idea what you have dealt with, Dawson, but I want to help you if I can. Please, let me.”
He rose. Took both her hands in his. “Now don’t you worry about me, Grace. I’ll be fine.”
“You weren’t fine last night. If I recall, you needed me.”
A flash of memory shone in his eyes. At first she thought he would be angry at her rash words, but a smile began to play on his face. He tilted his head and kissed her on the cheek. “I do need you, Grace Sloan. More than you can imagine.”
At first, the shouting from the street was minimal until a gun went off. Grace ran through the kitchen door, then through the office to the big window to see what was going on, Dawson right behind her. He instantly ran to the desk, opened a drawer and pulled out a pistol before joining her at the window.
Two women stood outside the saloon, screaming at each other. Grace recognized Lily. She had a small pistol in her hand that pointed towards the ground. A bit of smoke expelled from the tip, making Grace realize she had shot it at some point. “Next one goes in your foot,” Lily shouted. “Now get my things right now! I’m not leaving without them!”
The older woman, who wore a long skirt with a tight bodice that was terribly revealing, backed up through the doors of the saloon. Grace stood along side of Dawson, staring through the window pane, waiting to see what happened next. “Is it always this exciting in Wichita Falls?” she asked.
“This is the most excitement we’ve had in months,” he said, then realized his chosen words. Grace felt him stiffen immediately. Sure he was recalling the murder at the creek, she reached out and took his hand, not saying a word. At first, he ignored her until she felt warm fingers press into her own. She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Thank you,” she whispered.
Not taking his eyes from the action at the saloon, he whispered back, “What for?”
Grace shrugged. “I don’t know. Perhaps for sharing your life with me.”
Dawson squeezed her hand. “You are welcome, then.”
A suitcase came flying out of the saloon doors, shedding its contents all over the ground. “Now don’t come back, ever!” the woman in the saloon shouted.
“We should go help,” Grace mentioned.
“No need. Help is on its way.”
A wagon came to a stop in front of the saloon, blocking out the view of Lily picking up the scattered garments. Lily placed her belongings in the back of the wagon before climbing up with Miss Addie before it took off down the street.
“We should get started on our day,” Grace told her husband, trying to pull her hand from his.
“We should,” he agreed, but didn’t let go of her hand.
Grace didn’t move. She stayed right there, watching the stirring of the small town through the big picture window, happy and content.
“I’m glad you came.”
Grace smiled. “So am I.”
Chapter 6
“I need to pen a letter to my brother,” he told her.
“How long will that take, Dawson?” she asked. “We need to start moving this furniture if we want to stage a grand opening on Saturday.”
“Do not worry, I’m going to the post office first, then I will hire some help. You pick out what you would like to use. When I return, we’ll get started.”
Things were getting better. Grace went about choosing which pieces would look best, noticing they were all elegant and expensive. His parents had to have been well off. Why then, she wondered, was he struggling so while it seemed his brother Ben was the one with all the money? Perhaps there was more to this than she realized.
It was shortly after that Dawson returned, alone.
“Where is the hired help?”
“They’ll be here in twenty minutes. We need to talk.”
Grace stopped what she was doing and turned to him.
“Come here, Grace.” He reached for her hand and guided her to a small settee in the parlor. Sitting beside her, he turned and looked at her with a pained face.
She placed a hand over his cheek. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
With a deep sigh, Dawson picked up her hands while he kissed the back of each one. “Grace, you are indeed a godsend. I want you to know the whole story of Lily and I.”
A fear so deep ran through every single nerve cell in her body. Was he about to tell her he loved Lily and would send her away? “I’m not sure I want to know.” Not if it means I have to leave here!
“I insist. You have a right to know why I’ve been going to her room every night. It isn’t right or proper and if anyone starts rumors, which I’m sure they will, I want you to know the truth.”
“Did something happen at the post office?”
“No. I watched Lily get thrown out of her room at the saloon this morning and realized that when I didn’t go see her last night, it made the owner angry to lose the money I had been giving her. Lily is feisty and when she stood up to the new owner, the lady ousted her right out the door. A blessing in disguise if you ask me. I’ve been trying to help her leave there for months.”
Grace remembered something about an agreement between the two when Miss Addie spoke to her before. A twinge of jealousy soured her stomach. How could that be?
“When I began to have nightmares, I would walk the streets at night to keep awake. Lily saw me and we began to talk. She has been in love with my brother Ben since the first time she saw him. Trust me on this, you’ll find out he is in love with her, although too stubborn to admit he is. I promised I’d watch out for her when he left. At first, I would drink in the saloon and she’d find me after her shift and keep me from the recurring nightmares. But then the new owner wanted her to turn tricks to pay for the free room the previous owner gave her. I pretended to pay for her each night to keep her from that. We both helped each other, nothing more. The money I gave her was savings I had separate from my business.”
Grace didn’t indulge the fact Miss Addie had already told her some of the story. “Thank you for being honest. Now, we have work to do, are you ready?”
Dawson stared at her as if he expected shock and disbelief. Then a chuckle arose in his throat and he flung back his head and roared with laughter. He stood up, wrapped his arms around her waist and picked her up in his arms, spinning her around in circles. “You are amazing, Grace.”
Her hands reached out and pulled his shirt front towards closer. She closed her eyes for the kiss about to happen. She knew a lady should wait to be kissed but not her. Grace lived in the moment and the heady feeling prompted her to want to kiss him.
A knock on the kitchen door stopped the kiss dead in its tracks. The two quickly righted themselves and swung towards the two men seen through the window. The one had his nose almost plastered against the glass pane, trying to look in. Grace giggled at his flattened nose. “We better behave. Go answer the door, husband.”
“Wife.” He bowed to her before heading towards the door. A bounce in his step put a big smile on her face. He was coming around. She looked up. Thank you, Lord. You work miracles at times when things look bleak.
<><>
Two hours later Dawson was back with the two men who were helping to move furniture. Another crowd came in behind him as Grace stared at the front door.
She went up to her husband, placing a hand on his shoulder, speaking softly. “Who are all these people?”
An arm slaked around her waist. “Grace, meet the town of Wichita Falls. When these fine folk heard we needed some help, everyone stopped what they were doing and
offered their services.”
As the crowd split to let someone to the front, Grace squealed before she began to jump up and down. She slipped from Dawson’s arm to hug her old friend, Ruby. While careful of the baby bump, the two began to catch up. Grace had known Ruby came to this area, but hadn’t realized she was so close. “This is wonderful!”
“I can’t help move anything but I’d be happy to stay here and cook us up a hearty dinner. Miss Addie and Lily are here to help. Billy, too.”
The boy who delivered her parcel from the mercantile slipped from behind Ruby’s skirts. “Howdy, ma’am,” he said, tipping his hat like a real cowboy.
Grace scooted down and held out her hand. “Hello, young man. Thank you for delivering my package. There is some hard candy in the dish on the table in the office. Be sure to help yourself.”
He nodded and moved back behind Ruby’s skirt. Ruby shrugged her shoulders, her hands holding her stomach. “Well, then, let’s get started. Ladies?”
Almost instantaneously, the crowd thinned out. The men worked in twos as Dawson directed them to what furniture had to be moved to the empty stage house. Grace stood in the middle of the room watching the action, surprise and awe on her face.
Ruby smiled at her, placing a basket on the table. Three other ladies began to contribute items as they stoked up the fire for cooking. Miss Addie and Lily worked together, laughing and talking as they added flour to a big bowl, stirring it with their hands. “Get used to us, Grace. We all work as a team. This town is one big family.”
Grace, used to doing things on her own, let a tear fall. “Thank you.” She wiped it away before slipping from the house to direct the men where to place the furniture. Shoes pounded the street, sending puffs of dust around her feet as she made her way to the staged house. Several men were dragging a settee through the front door. “Careful,” she told them, scurrying up the two steps to make sure they didn’t scuff the wood. Grace assessed the room and began to direct the men, sometimes having them moving things two or three times until satisfied.
At one point, Dawson leaned against the door, watching her. She twirled around, biting her bottom lip. He had never looked at her with such intensity before. Grace placed a hand to her cheek, wondering how red her face was. Blinking her eyes, she turned back to the men. I think my husband is flirting with me!
When she looked back, he was gone. A smile played on her lips. Maybe they would share the wedding bed tonight. Scared out of her wits and yet excited to the same degree, Grace spent the next few hours in anticipation. She was starting to feel as if she truly belonged here, as if this were her purpose.
After the men finished with the furniture, Grace put some finishing touches on the tables. She pondered for a bit, deciding to take some money from her savings to buy fresh flowers for the open house. When she heard a noise at the front door, Miss Addie and Lily were on the porch, their arms filled with flower pots. Curious, Grace went outside to see what they were doing.
“Grace, will you take a look at this?” Miss Addie stood back to show her. She had taken some of her beloved pots from her own porch to decorate this one.
She gave Miss Addie a hug. “Thank you for being so kind. I know this will help Dawson’s business. I will never forget the kindness this town has shown.”
Lily stepped forward. Being so close, Grace noticed her beauty. Even though her hair was pulled back in a tight bun, her sun-kissed skin and long dark eyelashes made the woman look European. Grace gave her a smile. “Thank you for everything,” she told Lily in a soft voice.
“My pleasure, Grace. I hope you won’t hold it against me.”
“Not at all. I know about Ben. Dawson told me as much.”
Lily hung her head at the mention of his name. “I have to go,” she said, abruptly turning, flouncing down the steps as if someone were chasing behind.
Miss Addie placed a pointed finger over her mouth. “Touchy subject, Grace. We don’t discuss Ben.”
Grace flinched. “I am so sorry. Should I go talk to her?”
Miss Addie shook her head vehemently. “Leave her be, she’ll be fine. Why don’t you finish up and come have some dinner. We are waiting on the men to high-tail it back from the saloon. Seems like a tradition around here to buy the help a round of drinks. The men think we aren’t aware of what they are doing. It won’t be long, they have one glass and will be back to eat. Seems the stomach is stronger than imbibing.”
After Miss Addie left, Grace checked the rooms one more time. She peeked out the window in the back of the house to find some clusters of flowers in the grass, which were perfect to cut and use on the tables inside. Using those cut flowers would save her from purchasing any. Curious, she made her way to the outside and walked down to the corner, turning back the side street to go around to the back of the house. Looking up, she noticed a face watching her from the window next door .
Sitting alone on the deserted street was a nice sized log cabin. It looked rather odd by itself and Grace remembered how Dawson told her it was one of their holdings. She stopped to stare, calculating the numbers in her head. Grace had checked and double checked all the inventory. Now that she stood staring at this strange place, the thought occurred to her there was nothing in the books that rectified for this place, even though Dawson told her it belonged to them.
Somewhere a door slammed bringing Grace back to the present. Startled, she watched a tall, thin body in men’s britches stomp across the wooden porch in pointy boots with a spur hanging on the back of one. A leather belt was tied around the waist. Wearing an over large cowboy hat, it hung down so low on the person’s face, it was a wonder the person didn’t stumble right off the porch.
The cowboy was headed her way. The sun began to fade as it took its place behind the clouds, the sky starting to darken. Grace looked around, noticing the deserted street, wondering why the person was heading her way. Apprehension worked its way over Grace as she stepped back. Maybe she should turn and flee.
“Whoa, right there Mrs. Sloan!”
The voice didn’t sound like a man but a young person. Curiosity had the best of her, so Grace looked up to see a young lady coming right at her in men’s clothing. Not to say she wasn’t shocked but it surprised her to no end. What was this woman doing wearing men’s clothes?
“I beg your pardon?” Grace asked, trying to be civil.
“Here.” She held a thick package in her hand. “You tell your husband he can’t bribe the Fisher family. What’s done is done!”
Grace didn’t know what to do so she held out her hand. The girl slapped the package in to her palm. When Grace looked to see what was in the package, her head flew up in shock. “Where did you get this much money?”
The girl, all five foot of her, stood before Grace, her feet apart, hands on her hips. It was a comical sight since she had never seen anyone in men’s clothing before. She didn’t dare laugh at her, clearly the woman was troubled.
“Mr. Sloan is trying to coerce us to forgive him.”
“My husband? Please tell me.”
She stomped her foot then began to tap it on the ground, her pointy tip of the boot stopping now and again to dig it in the dirt. “I would think you already heard about the atrocity that happened. My sisters died at the hands of outlaws and it was his fault.”
Grace gasped. “No, don’t say so. It wasn’t his fault. What’s your name?”
She stomped her foot again. “Hannah Fisher. I was there, at the creek. I saw what happened.”
“Oh my, Hannah. Please, please, you can’t blame Dawson. He didn’t sell the land, the Murphy boy did by mistake. Don’t you see, it was all a mistake.”
Hannah stared at Grace with a fire in her eye that wouldn’t go out. Grace was afraid. She had never seen anyone look so horribly angry. “A mistake that cost my sisters their lives.”
“Where are your parents, Hannah?” The girl couldn’t be more than fourteen or fifteen.
“Not home. My dad works at the livery and my
mom, I don’t know. She doesn’t come home until late then goes to bed. Sometimes she doesn’t get out of bed at all. It’s his fault. Ever since it happened, they’ve changed.”
Grace tried to reach out to touch the sleeve of Hannah’s arm but the girl slapped her hand away. Grace almost stumbled backwards.
“You tell him to keep his darn money. We don’t need it or want it. Every month he leaves a pile of money on our porch. Pa says we need to give it back but Ma hides it in the cupboard and tells him she did. Do you see what he’s doing to our family? It’s never been spent, nary a dime. It never will be. He can’t make up for what happened with bribery. You tell Mr. Sloan to go to hell.”
With those harsh parting words, Hannah ran down the street, turning the corner before Grace could utter a word. Her hand flew to her forehead. Grace was trying to figure it all out. She stared at the make-shift paper bag filled with money. Dawson hadn’t been making a profit because he had been giving it all away to the family he felt responsible for. Now she knew why there was no receipt for the sale of the cabin. He had never sold it. Dawson let them live there for free. As an accountant she knew he couldn’t go on much longer giving away his profit. Sooner or later, it would all come crashing down. Evidently, his brother knew as well. Dawson was letting his heart rule his head.
She slumped against the side of the house, gripping on to the pile of money for dear life. If she hands this back to Dawson, his world would come crashing down. He was starting to make progress.
Grace closed her eyes, praying for a miracle to shine down from above. There had to be a way to make everything right. Lord, show me how.
A few seconds later she heard her name being called. Grace shot back around the corner, stuffing the money in to the deep pocket of her dress. For now, it would stay right there until she could speak to Mr. and Mrs. Fisher. Somehow, she had to make them understand this wasn’t Dawsons fault. The girl was a haunted soul, filled with anger and hate towards someone she didn’t know. She had to smooth things out.
