Love Calling

by Janet Lee Barton

  He took her smile and her words as permission to say, “There is. It’s been a wonderful day. And I’m happy to stand up with you. But the very best thing that happened today is that Emma has given me permission to court her.”

  “I knew it! I knew it. I planned this from the beginning!” Grace said.

  Sam and Emma looked at each other and chuckled. Of course she did.

  eighteen

  Emma hurried to work the next day, eager to get it over with so she could see Sam again.

  Everyone had seemed very happy about Sam courting her, including Mrs. Holloway. “I had a suspicion that was the way things were headed when Sam wanted to introduce you to Ann’s parents,” she’d said just before Emma left that morning.

  “I must admit, I had hopes, but I really didn’t know. I do understand why he loves them so much. They. . .” Tears came to Emma’s eyes remembering Mrs. Brisbane’s words to her. “He’s a son to them, and if he asks me to marry him, they will welcome me into their family just as you will welcome Sam.”

  “If?” Esther had said. “Oh Emma. The man is totally in love with you. We’ve all seen it coming for weeks.”

  “You have?”

  “Of course we have,” Grace had added. “You’ve been stealing looks at each other for weeks now.”

  Emma had let out a deep sigh and smiled. “I’m still having a hard time believing he asked to court me. I’ll take it one step at a time.”

  Now, as Mary got on the trolley, Emma debated telling her, but Mary was full of her own news and Emma decided to wait to share hers.

  “Oh Emma, I think I’m in love.”

  “I take it things are going quite well with Edward?”

  “They seem to be. He’s asked to take me to dinner this next weekend. And he’s sitting by me at church.”

  “That sounds very promising.” Emma wondered if she looked as happy as Mary did. After all, Sam had actually asked to court her—she had to tell herself that over and over and hoped that she truly would believe it one day.

  “I certainly hope so. Mama expects him to propose any day now.”

  “I’m happy for you, Mary.”

  “Thank you, Emma. It just shows we can’t give up. You’ll find someone one of these days, too.”

  Emma only smiled. She already had. But she’d hold that news close to her heart for a while longer.

  Now that Emma was so anxious to get home, instead of speeding by as most workdays did, this one seemed to drag on and on and on. By the time she left for the day, she couldn’t wait to get on the trolley in hopes that Sam would be waiting for her at her stop.

  But she was very disappointed when he wasn’t there. Had he changed his mind about wanting to court her? Her heart plummeted deeper and deeper as she made her way home.

  Jones opened the door for her, and even he seemed to notice her mood had changed drastically from that morning. “Are you all right, Miss Emma?”

  The telephone rang just then, and Grace yelled, “I’ll get it, Jones!”

  Since she had friends calling from time to time, she’d taken to answering it when she was nearby. From the look on Jones’s face, he thought she was encroaching on his duties. But anyone could tell that he was crazy about Grace, and he gave Emma a tight smile now. “She said she was expecting a call.”

  Emma only nodded and headed toward the parlor.

  “Emma!” Grace said as she passed by her. She held the receiver out to her. “Your love is calling!”

  “Grace!” But at her words, Emma’s heart suddenly began to pound, louder and harder, with each step she took. She placed the earpiece to her ear and said, “Hello?”

  “Emma? That Grace. But you know, she’s right. You are my love. At least I certainly want you to be.”

  Relief washed over Emma as she sank down onto the small chair next to the telephone table. “Oh Sam. I didn’t know what to think when you didn’t meet my trolley. I thought maybe you’d changed your mind.”

  “Oh, I’m not going to change my mind. But I am upset.”

  “Why?”

  “I’ve been called in on evening duty for the rest of the week. One of the officers came down sick, and it means I’m not going to get to see you until Thursday evening. I will get to come to that because I’ll be on duty for it. I just wanted to hear your voice and let you know why you wouldn’t be seeing me for a few days.”

  “Oh Sam. I’m disappointed, but I understand.” She was going to have to understand these changes in his work schedule if they were going to be seeing more of each other and if it led to him asking her to marry him. She needed to accept it and try to be as understanding as she could.

  “Thank you, Emma. I’ll try to telephone you about this time tomorrow, too.”

  “Oh, good. Sam, be careful out there.”

  “I will. And Emma, always remember the Lord has me covered.”

  Peace settled over her at his words. Oh, she knew he wasn’t saying he’d never get hurt, but that come what may, he trusted that the Lord would be there. She needed to do the same thing.

  ❧

  Sam couldn’t wait to get to Mrs. Holloway’s for the meeting. It’d been three and a half long days without seeing Emma, and talking to her over the telephone wasn’t enough.

  At least he didn’t have to pretend he wasn’t on duty tonight. He prayed there would be no trouble, but they’d been able to tap into the lines of the numbers Emma had given him, and today the name Holloway had been mentioned as one of the meetings they were targeting along with several larger ones. A number of policemen were being sent out to all of them, and Sam knew that there would be at least five out around Mrs. Holloway’s home watching for trouble.

  But he would speak to Andrew and Jones—and Mr. Collins if he were there. They needed to be on guard, too. He hadn’t decided if he should tell Emma and the other women just yet, and as he took the steps up to Mrs. Holloway’s front door, he sent up a prayer for the Lord to look after them all tonight.

  He arrived early so that he could see everyone who came, and he knew Jones would let him know if anyone suspicious came in. The butler opened the door just as Sam reached the top step, and his heart did some kind of funny twist as he saw Emma coming toward him from the parlor.

  “Sam! You came a little early. I’m so glad!”

  He grasped her outstretched hand—although he would have loved to pull her into his arms.

  “Is there anywhere we can talk privately for a moment?” he whispered.

  She smiled then led him into the study and away from Jones and any early arrivers.

  “I’ve missed seeing you!” she said.

  “And I’ve missed you. I should have waited a week to ask to court you when I actually could,” he replied.

  “Oh no. I’m glad you asked when you did. But I will be glad when this week is over.”

  “So will I.” He gazed down into her eyes, and then his glance slid to her lips. Oh, how he wanted to kiss her. He dipped his head—

  “Emma, where are you?”

  Grace. Of course. Sam lifted his head and stepped back. He shook his head and smiled. Was that disappointment he saw in Emma’s eyes? He was certain she could see it in his.

  “Call her in. I need to tell you both something anyway,” he whispered.

  “In here, Emma. Sam has something he wants to tell us.”

  “All of us?” Grace asked as she entered the study.

  “All the family, Jones, and Mr. Collins, too, if he’s here,” Sam said.

  In only a moment, everyone had gathered in the study—including Jones. “I wanted to alert you all that this meeting may be targeted tonight. We don’t really know, but there are policemen outside, ready to help if there is any trouble. I don’t think there is a need to mention it to your guests at this time, but you all mean a great deal to me and I felt I should let you know before the others start arriving.”

  “I never heard anything from those numbers today,” Emma said. “I would have told you if I had
.”

  “I believe you. Actually we’ve had the line tapped, but your supervisor took the calls—we’d alerted the telephone company—and she let us know, too.”

  “It must have been when she relieved me for lunch,” Emma said.

  “I’m glad you didn’t intercept them and that I could tell you.”

  She nodded. “So am I.”

  “Just try to stay calm. Jones, you’ll let us know if anyone suspicious tries to get in?”

  “I will, sir.”

  “All right. Don’t worry. I do know the men who will be outside, and I’m armed even though I’m not in uniform. We didn’t want to tip their hand. Just act like normal.”

  The doorbell rang signaling the first guests, and Jones hurried to answer the door.

  “Go on and do what you need to,” Sam said to Emma. “I’m hoping we’ll get a few moments to ourselves after the meeting.”

  Emma nodded. “So am I.”

  The women went to greet their guests and Sam, Andrew, and Mr. Collins stayed behind. Andrew shut the study door and turned to Sam. “Tell us what you’ll want us to do if there should be any problems.”

  “Just do what you’d do naturally. Protect our women the best you can. Get them out of the line of fire if there is any. It might be better if you sit a little nearer to them tonight. I’ll be in the back hoping to stop anything before it happens. And pray.”

  nineteen

  Emma didn’t want to sit in the front as usual. She wanted to sit in the back beside Sam, but she knew without asking that he wouldn’t allow it, not tonight. She prayed for nothing bad to happen and for the Lord to keep them all safe, but she knew she wouldn’t relax until the meeting was over and she and Sam could have a few moments alone.

  Mrs. Lila Chesterfield was the speaker tonight and as hard as Emma tried, she couldn’t concentrate on a word she was saying. She knew Sam would put his life on the line tonight if he had to, and now she wished she’d ignored Grace’s call and just kissed him.

  The meeting seemed to drag on just as the week at work had until suddenly there was what sounded like a scuffle outside the door, a thud against it, and then it burst open—and two men brandishing guns ran into the room.

  “Get down, ladies!” Andrew yelled, pulling Esther and Emma down at the same time. She saw that Mr. Collins had grabbed Mrs. Holloway and Grace, pushing them down, too. And then gunshots rang out, and Emma turned to see Sam with his gun pulled. She yanked out of Andrew’s grasp and, feeling like her body moved as though mired by mud, tried to hurry to Sam’s side, but watched as the man in the doorway slumped against the door and aimed his gun at Sam. Blasts exploded from both guns.

  “Sam!” she yelled as she reached his side. He held his side while blood seeped through his fingers. He slipped to the floor, and she dropped down beside him. He turned white, his shirt darkening with blood. “Sam! Sam, don’t you dare die on me now!”

  Policemen swarmed into the room, and only then did Emma see that there were two gunmen on the floor. Blood seemed to be everywhere.

  Andrew appeared at her side and began checking Sam out.

  “He’s obviously been shot, but I think it was a clean one. I’m sure he’s going to be all right, Emma.” He handed her a handkerchief out of his pocket, and Emma realized that tears were streaming down her face. “We’ll get him to the hospital and get him fixed up. Until then, press this cloth against his wound. It looks like Jones got hurt, too,” Andrew continued as Esther rushed to his side.

  Everything from that point on was a blur to Emma until they were all at the hospital waiting to hear how Sam and Jones were. Emma and Esther rode to the hospital with Andrew and Sam in the ambulance. Mrs. Holloway, Grace, and Mr. Collins had waited until all the guests were accounted for and the policemen had filled them in on everything. Several officers remained there to tie things up.

  “Oh, I wish I’d have canceled the meeting,” Mrs. Holloway said, dabbing at her tear-filled eyes. “Sam and Jones were both heroes tonight.”

  “Was Jones shot, too?” Emma asked, realizing she didn’t know exactly what had happened to him.

  “No. But one of the gunmen hit him hard enough with the butt of his gun that he was knocked out and bleeding.”

  “Oh, poor Jones.”

  “I’m sure Andrew will come out as soon as he can to let us know how they are,” Esther said.

  Emma rocked back and forth in her seat, and Grace hurried over to hug her. “Sam is going to be all right, Emma. I’m sure he is.”

  Emma could only nod and rock some more. Mrs. Holloway dropped down into the seat beside her and pulled her into a hug. “It’s going to be all right, Emma dear.”

  Emma couldn’t hold back her tears any longer. “And if he is—oh Mrs. Holloway, I’m not sure I can face living with fear that he might be killed every time he leaves me,” she whispered. “I’m so scared.”

  “Oh my dear Emma. I know that you’ve had much loss in your lifetime, but none of us can guarantee one more minute in this life—no matter where we are or where we work. A stray bullet could hit Sam on a day off. Do you really want to live your life without Sam’s love, on the chance that you might lose him?”

  Emma swallowed around the knot in her throat and shook her head.

  “What possible good would that do?” Mrs. Holloway continued. “I can tell you now, I lost my husband much sooner than I wanted to, but I would not give up one day, one hour, not one minute I spent with him. You know firsthand that the Lord is always there to get you through whatever comes in this life, Emma. He brought you and Sam together. Are you really going to turn away the love God set in your path?”

  No. She was going to trust, as she’d made up her mind only a few days ago to do. Trust that Sam would be all right. Trust that they would have a life together. And trust in the Lord to get them through it all.

  ❧

  Sam opened his eyes and groaned. Where was he? What happened—Emma! Was she all right? He rose up and the room spun.

  “Hey, take it easy, Sam.” Andrew’s arm stopped his movements, and he lowered him back to the bed. “Emma is all right, if that’s what you’re worrying about. You stopped what could have been a tragic ending to the evening, Sam. And you’ll live to tell about it.”

  Only then did Sam release his pent-up breath. “I got shot?”

  Andrew chuckled. “You did. But it was a clean shot and didn’t hit any organs. You won’t be working for a while, but you’ll be fine.”

  “Jones? I saw him fall just as the men stormed the room.”

  “He was trying to stop them—evidently the other police-men didn’t get there quite quick enough. But thankfully, they didn’t shoot him. He’s going to have one awful headache for a few days, but he’ll be fine, too.”

  “And everyone else is all right?”

  “Everyone is fine. Or will be once I let them know you and Jones are, too. I’m assuming you’d like to see Emma?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’ll go get her.”

  Sam leaned back against his pillow and began praying. “Thank You, Lord, that Emma and the others are all okay, and that Jones and I are, too. Lord, I’m afraid this might make Emma change her mind about me. I know I have her trust now, but I know how badly she hates this job I have. I don’t know if she’ll be willing to marry me with the fear she’s bound to have now. And yet, I feel this job is something I must do. But Lord, if I’m wrong about that, please let me know. I don’t want to lose Emma, I—”

  “Sam?”

  He opened his eyes and saw the woman he loved standing at the door, her eyes full of tears. She brought up a hand to brush at them.

  “I’m sorry for worrying you, Emma.”

  A sob broke from her chest as she rushed over to him. “Oh Sam. I’m sorry. I—I overheard your prayer just now, and I’m sorry I made you feel I wouldn’t love you enough to accept that you are doing a job you feel called to do. You were a hero tonight. You saved lives. There is no way I’d ask you to quit.
I’m just going to have to trust that God has you covered.”

  “Oh Emma. Does that mean—”

  “I think it means we could have a short courtship, if you—”

  “You’ll marry me?”

  Emma bent down and placed a hand on each side of his face. “Oh yes, Sam Tucker. I will marry you. And the sooner, the better.”

  Sam chuckled, put a hand on her neck, and pulled her face closer. “Sounds good to me.”

  Emma pressed her lips against his, and together they sealed the promise of love for a lifetime.

  epilogue

  Esther and Andrew insisted that Emma and Sam share their wedding day with a double wedding. They quickly agreed—not wanting Mrs. Holloway to have to plan one wedding right after another.

  Now, only a week before Christmas, Emma followed Esther down the garland-draped staircase and into the parlor. She took her place alongside Esther as she and Andrew said their vows, and stole glances at her husband-to-be. Sam had never looked so handsome as he did now. His wink had her blushing as she tried to give her attention to the vows Andrew and Esther were taking. As soon as the couple shared their first kiss as husband and wife, they exchanged places with Emma and Sam.

  Emma felt blessed in so many ways. Mr. Collins sat between Mrs. Holloway and Grace, and Emma was almost certain there would be another wedding around Valentine’s Day. She hoped so. Mrs. Holloway deserved to have a love of her own.

  Mrs. Holloway had gone out of her way to make this day special for her and Sam, too, inviting Mr. and Mrs. Brisbane, several of her and Sam’s coworkers, and for them all, Mrs. Robertson and all the young people they’d been helping.

  And Mrs. Robertson had even brought baby Mandy. Tears gathered in Emma’s eyes just thinking of Sam’s wedding present to her. He’d already talked to Mrs. Robertson, and all the paperwork was ready for them to fill out to adopt the baby once they signed the marriage certificate and Emma was officially Mrs. Samuel Tucker.

  It would take a few weeks for all the paperwork to go through—just long enough for them to get settled in their new apartment after their wedding trip, Mrs. Robertson said—and then Mandy would be theirs.