Sarah's Surrender

by McDonough, Vickie;

  Jack pulled her into an open door, and she blinked as her eyes adjusted to the dimmer lighting. It was quieter in here, although several people sat in the lobby chairs, chatting or reading the newspaper. On the back wall of the lobby was a registration counter, which Jack led her to. She studied the room as they waited their turn to check in. To her left, a pair of closed double doors with windows led to a large dining room. Through the glass, she saw two women setting tables in preparation for the noon meal. On the right side of the counter was a wide stairway leading up to the sleeping rooms. A burgundy carpet with a gold pattern covered the lobby floor, and a chandelier with dangling prisms decorated the walls with dancing lights. While it wasn’t as fancy as some hotels she’d stayed in while on shopping trips with Jo and Lara, it looked to be a decent place to stay.

  Jack moved forward. “Jack Jensen. I wired you a week ago requesting two rooms for three days.”

  The man frowned and flipped the page in the registration book. “Oh yes, I see you now, but I’m afraid we were only able to hold one room. But it does have two beds. We’ve been abnormally busy, as I’m sure you can see.”

  “What?” Jack rubbed the back of his neck and glanced at her. “I suppose that’s better than nothing.”

  “Just sign here.” The man fished a key off a board with a dozen hooks then handed one to Jack after he’d signed the book.

  He took the key then backed away from the counter, blowing out a loud breath. “Let’s go have a look.”

  They walked up the stairs to the second floor and down the hall to room 204. Jack opened the door then stepped back to allow her to enter first. Sarah swallowed the lump in her throat as she walked in and surveyed the room she’d be sleeping in for the next few days. As the clerk had said, there were two beds on either side of the small room. A wide dressing table with a mirror sat on the far wall between the headboards. Two windows on the western wall allowed in a good amount of light. In one corner, backing up to the hallway, was a dressing screen and a table with a bowl and pitcher of water. In the opposite corner sat a burgundy and gold wingback chair.

  Jack placed her satchel on the bed to her left then walked to a window and lifted it. He cleared his throat and faced her. “You should be comfortable here.”

  “What about you?” She spun around, glancing at the two beds.

  He shrugged. “I’ll be fine. I can check the stores and see if one of them has an inexpensive tent.”

  “But you don’t have any bedding.”

  “It won’t be the first time I’ve slept on the ground.”

  She knew that his life hadn’t been easy when he first left his sisters after their parents and then their grandmother had died. But he rarely talked about those days. She stared at the beds. Dare she voice her thought? It was quite improper, but she trusted Jack as much as she did Gabe or Luke. “That’s silly, Jack. Why don’t you stay here?”

  His eyes widened. “That wouldn’t be proper.”

  “I realize it’s a bit unconventional, but I trust you with my life. I know you’ll be a perfect gentleman.”

  He rubbed the back of his neck. “I suppose we could place that screen so it creates a divider. But I don’t know. It still doesn’t seem right.”

  “If you were my real brother, would you have a problem with it?”

  He stared at his boots. “I don’t guess I would. But although I look at you as my little sister, in truth you’re not. I have to consider your reputation.”

  “Well, we don’t have to decide right now.”

  “That’s true. I probably should find out where we need to register.”

  “All right. I’ll use the time to unpack and rest a bit. Fighting that crowd is tiring.” Not to mention they’d risen early that morning in order to drive to Guthrie to catch the morning train.

  “Keep the door locked while I’m gone.”

  She nodded and followed him to the door.

  “I shouldn’t be gone long. When I return, let’s grab some lunch somewhere. I’ll inquire as to what time the dining room opens and look for a café while I’m out.”

  “That sounds wonderful.”

  She locked the door then walked to the window and stared out. The people moving in all directions reminded her of the time she’d picnicked with Gabe, Lara, and the children, and their quilt had been overrun with busy ants.

  Did she have a chance at getting land when competing against so many others?

  Peace filled her worried heart. If it was God’s will, she would win a lot.

  And if not, then He would show her what to do.

  Jack blew out a frustrated breath and dropped down onto the bench outside of the fifth general store he’d visited. After more than an hour of searching, he hadn’t located one that had a tent available. Sold out. Every single one of them.

  He’d also checked the other hotels in town but none had a vacancy. He didn’t like sharing a room with Sarah—it didn’t seem right—but he sure didn’t care to spend the night on the ground without a tent, especially when there was lightning flashing on the horizon. Yeah, he’d done it before, but that was over half his lifetime ago. Back then he’d been a young buck, and it had been an adventure. Now, just the thought of it brought a twinge of pain to the small of his back.

  Would it be wrong to share a room with Sarah when he knew he was an honest man?

  “Well, there’s a face I recognize.”

  Jack jerked his head up at the sound of Luke’s voice. “I thought you’d decided not to come.”

  “Hardly. I left in the middle of the night and rode cross-country.”

  “Why didn’t you take the train?” Jack slid over and Luke dropped down beside him.

  “Wanted to save the money.”

  Lightning flashed, and a few seconds later, thunder rumbled in the distance.

  “Looks like we’re in for a storm. You got a room somewhere?”

  Luke shook his head. “I figured I could get one once I got here. Didn’t count on there bein’ so many’ people though.” He yawned. “Where’s Sarah?”

  “In her room.”

  Luke cocked up one eyebrow. “How’d you manage to get rooms?”

  “I wired ahead a week ago and made arrangements.”

  “Smart man.” Luke flashed a grin and bumped Jack’s shoulder. “How about you letting me share your room?”

  “Can’t. Because I only got one, and it’s Sarah’s.”

  “Oh.” Luke leaned back and crossed his legs. “What are you gonna do?”

  He wrestled with telling Luke about Sarah’s suggestion to share the room, but he didn’t see a way around it. “There are two beds in her room, and she offered the other one to me—”

  Luke shot to his feet, bumping a man and nearly knocking him off the boardwalk. “Sorry,” he grumbled. He turned his flashing blue eyes on Jack. “You can’t share a room with Sarah.”

  “I didn’t like the idea either, but she mentioned dividing the room with the dressing screen.”

  Luke turned down the heat of his fiery expression. “Still don’t seem right, but I reckon she’d be safe with you.”

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Jack said with a thick dose of sarcasm. He couldn’t begrudge Luke for wanting to protect Sarah. He knew the younger man had deep feelings for her. “As much as I don’t like the idea of sharing her room, I also don’t relish sleeping outside with a storm coming.”

  Luke plopped down beside him again. “Me neither. I brought a tent we can share, but if it hails, we’ll be in a world of hurt.”

  Jack sat beside his friend for several minutes, watching the people pass by. A scraggly brown-and-white hound dog moseyed up to him and sniffed his boots. He nudged Jack’s hand for a scratch and wagged his tail when Jack complied. Then the mutt sniffed Luke’s pants and moved on. “Sure are a lot of folks here.”

  “Just like the land runs. Everyone is hopin’ they’ll get free property, but most will be disappointed.” Luke scratched his belly. “I’m hungry.
You wanna grab some grub?”

  Jack nodded. “Sure. I need to find out where to register for the lottery first.”

  “I saw a poster somewhere that told where to get in line.”

  “Let’s fetch Sarah and eat lunch. Then I want to find where the registration takes place so we can get there first thing in the morning.” Jack stood and stretched.

  “But we don’t have to sign up for two more days.”

  “I know, but with this crowd, I’m sure the lines will be long. We’ll probably have to be there all night.”

  Luke stood and yawned again. “Sure hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow night.”

  Jack nudged him in the side. “Hey, you want to surprise Sarah? She doesn’t know you’re here.”

  Luke grinned. “That sounds like a grand idea.”

  Chapter 4

  Sarah scowled and covered her ears. Why was someone hammering so early in the morning? She yawned and stretched then bolted upright in the bed. That wasn’t hammering. Someone was knocking on her hotel room door.

  “Sarah? It’s Jack. You ready to get something to eat?”

  “Um … yes. I need a few minutes though. Is the dining room downstairs open now?”

  “I think so.”

  “Why don’t you go on down and get a table?”

  For a moment, Jack didn’t respond, and she wondered if he’d heard her. “All right. See you downstairs.”

  She had planned to rest for a short while, not fall asleep. Sarah hurried to the chair on which she’d laid out her skirt and top. She pulled on her white blouse, glad she’d kept undergarments and shoes on, and then she slid her skirt over her head. She made quick work of pinning up her hair then grabbed her reticule and pulled open the door. Sarah’s heart jolted and she emitted a squeal as she jumped back at the sight of a man leaning against her door frame. Luke? What was he doing here?

  “Surprise, pretty lady!” His lips curled into his trademark grin, and he straightened.

  Her heart pounded as if she’d run a race. The nerve of him to frighten her like that. Had he followed her here, hoping to change her mind about marrying him? If so, he was bound for disappointment. She crossed her arms over her chest. “What are you doing here?”

  His grin dipped for a moment before he reinforced it. “That’s not the greeting I expected.”

  She lifted her chin, refusing to be moved by his charm. “I sure didn’t expect to find a man stuck to my doorjamb, either.”

  He yanked off his hat and curled the brim. “My apologies for scaring you. I didn’t mean to do that. I was hopin’ to surprise you.”

  “You certainly accomplished that, but you didn’t answer my question.” Had he followed her to El Reno? Did he think she was incapable of caring for herself, even with Jack here? If he thought she’d marry him because he chased after her, he would be sorely disappointed. It was time she was on her own. Gathering her composure, she stepped into the hall and locked her door.

  “You know that I’ve wanted land for a long while. How could I pass up a chance at a free claim?”

  She studied him to see if he had another agenda, but his clear blue eyes held only honesty. Maybe he hadn’t followed her, but she still wished he hadn’t come. She wanted a fresh start. Wanted to prove to herself and those who knew her that she was able to live on her own. Would Baron and Jo or Gabe and Lara show up next?

  “Jack’s waitin’. I reckon we should go downstairs.” He offered his arm to her.

  She wanted to ignore it, but there was no point in hurting his feelings. She looped her arm through his, hating the bolt of awareness that streaked through her. Why did she always feel that spark whenever they were close? When she’d held on to Jack’s arm, she hadn’t experienced it. Luke was a decade older than her but far closer to her age than Jack, so maybe that was the reason. Both men were handsome with striking blue eyes, although Jack’s hair was brown where Luke’s was blond.

  As they descended the stairs to the lobby, a trio of young women looked their way. They were dressed in frilly, colorful day gowns. Were they looking at her? Sarah glanced at her dark blue skirt. Was it too far out of style? Her heart jolted. Or were they eyeballing her because she was a half-breed?

  To her shame, she realized as she and Luke walked toward the dining room entrance that the women were gawking at him, not her. One smiled and ducked her head, cheeks turning ruby red, while the other two smiled and stared unabashedly. As they neared, a pretty blond fluttered her lashes at Luke. He tipped his hat at the trio then glanced at Sarah and smiled as if unaffected by their admiration. This wasn’t the first time she’d been with Luke when women had ogled him. He was a tall, tanned, well-built cowboy, and a woman couldn’t help staring at him. She certainly had a time or two.

  She breathed in the fragrant aromas as they stepped into the dining room. The area held more than a dozen tables, all of which had people sitting at them. She searched for Jack and found him in the back corner of the room when he stood and waved. Luke guided her toward him, weaving between the tables.

  As she neared the table for six, she noticed an older man and a woman who looked about her age sitting at the table with Jack. Both men rose as she and Luke stopped by the table.

  Jack nodded at them. “The dining hall was full when I arrived, and Mr. Hawkins and his daughter graciously offered to share their table with us.”

  Sarah smiled at the pair, not missing the fact that the woman’s gaze quickly passed over her to linger on Luke. “Thank you. It is kind of you to allow us to join you.”

  Jack held out a hand toward them. “This is Sarah Worley, my sister, and a friend of ours, Luke McNeil.”

  “Harold Hawkins, and this is my daughter, Nannette.” The man’s brown eyes gleamed with pride as he glanced at his daughter.

  A shaft of jealously streaked through Sarah. Her father had been a scoundrel when he first took her from her dying mother, much to Sarah’s objections. She had to give him credit for changing his life, but even so, they’d never been close. He’d sent her money and visited a few times over the years she lived with Gabe and Lara, but he’d always seemed uncomfortable there. As if it were the last place he wanted to be. The harsh way he had treated Jo was more than likely the reason. If not for her watching Gabe with his children and Jack with Cody, she wouldn’t know what a loving father was like. She wasn’t sure she’d ever marry, but if she did, she wanted a man who’d love their children and treat them as if they were special.

  Luke shook Mr. Hawkins’s hand then tipped his hat to the woman. “A pleasure to meet you both.” He pulled out the chair next to Jack’s for Sarah, and once she sat, he dropped down in the chair on her left.

  Jack leaned forward, turning his head toward her and Luke. “Mr. Hawkins is a newspaperman from Kansas City. He and his daughter have come to cover the lottery.”

  “Oh?” Sarah focused on Miss Hawkins. “Do you also work for the paper?”

  Miss Hawkins covered her mouth and giggled. “Oh no. Father would never allow that, but I do transpose his notes.” She leaned forward as if conveying a secret. “His handwriting is atrocious, and I’m the only one who can decipher it.”

  “Nannette,” her father scolded, his cheeks red beneath his closely cropped beard.

  “I do like to travel, too,” the vivacious young woman continued, as if her father hadn’t said a word. “So I usually jump at the chance to see new places.” She cast a quick glance around the dining room. “Although I have to say, this is one of the more backward places we’ve been to.”

  Sarah tried to view the room through Nannette’s eyes. She’d stayed in nicer hotels on the shopping trips she’d taken to bigger towns, but she failed to find fault with this one. The furniture was nice, and obviously the bed had been comfortable since she’d fallen asleep so quickly.

  Luke cleared his throat. “It’s admirable of you to help your father as you do.”

  Miss Hawkins’s gaze latched onto Luke’s, her eyes gleaming. “That’s kind of you to sa
y so, Mr. McNeil.”

  He shook his head. “Call me Luke. Everyone else does.”

  Sarah frowned. Luke never met a stranger, and he had no sense of propriety. Besides teaching Sarah to read and speak properly, Lara had taken plenty of time to teach Sarah what was proper and what wasn’t. She knew manners and etiquette enough to know that you don’t refer to someone you just met by his Christian name.

  “And you must call me Nannette.”

  Her father cleared his throat as the waitress stopped at their table. “I do believe it’s time to order.”

  They each relayed their requests, and then the waitress moved to another table.

  “Do you plan to stay in town until the lottery?” Mr. Hawkins smoothed his mustache with a thick finger.

  “No. We don’t care to live in the hotel for several weeks. We’re only staying long enough to get registered. Then we’re returning to my brother-in-law’s ranch, where we all live,” Jack offered.

  “I take it you’re all staying in this hotel?” Mr. Hawkins asked.

  Jack stirred some sugar into his coffee. “Not exactly. I had requested two rooms, but when we arrived, they’d only had one for us, so I gave it to Sarah.”

  She stared at her lap, greatly relieved he’d left out the part about possibly sharing the room.

  “Oh, that’s a shame.” Miss Hawkins shifted her gaze from Jack to Luke again.

  Sarah squirmed in her seat, uncomfortable with the woman’s open admiration of her close friend.

  Miss Hawkins batted her lashes as if she had dust in them. “So, where will you stay since the hotel is full?”

  Luke shrugged and leaned back in his chair. “It won’t be the first time we’ve slept under the stars.”

  After picking up her napkin, Miss Hawkins gave it a shake then placed it in her lap. “But if I’m not mistaken, we may get rain today.”

  Jack grinned. “The rain’s good for washing off the dust.”

  Miss Hawkins frowned, but then her eyes lit up as if she’d thought of something. “Please excuse me while I ask Father a question.” She leaned over and whispered something in his ear.