by Janet Dean
Vic’s focus shifted to the floor. “Maybe. Still, this life’s better than what I had growing up, which was nothing.”
“You had a hard childhood?” Ted hoped the casual question would spur more from Vic.
Tapping the cards on the table, Vic stared into space. “Hard don’t even describe it.” He shook his head. “My parents came to this country full of dreams. Worked like dogs twelve-hour days, six days a week. For what? A single room in a dingy, drafty, decaying firetrap of a tenement with a single spigot on each floor and a bath down the hall?” Vic’s mouth turned down. “My parents died as poor as they lived.”
Ted eyed that gun. Still too close for comfort. He glanced at Elizabeth. She leaned toward them, listening to every word, probably praying. He wanted this over for her sake. But he couldn’t rush things. “Any good times growing up, Vic?” he said, hoping to soften Vic’s mood and get that gun out of Vic’s reach.
A smile played around his lips. “Yeah, we had some good times. Everyone was in the same boat. Neighbors would pitch in occasionally, pooling their food. And music.” He grinned. “Pop had the voice of an angel.”
Ted heard the nostalgia in Vic’s tone. He’d try to build one more bridge. A bridge two men could find common ground to stand on. “You got a wife? Kids?”
“Don’t everybody?” Vic’s glistening eyes belied his tough-guy tone. “Four boys and two girls. They’re the reason I’m here to get what’s owed me.”
“I’m guessing they’d prefer your presence over a hefty pot. I’ve lived the life, Vic. I know how much you’re gone, how much of your kids’ lives you’re missing.”
Vic looked away. “You sound like my old lady’s nagging.”
“She cares about you. If you want to be a winner, place your bets on something that earns a wage, instead of paltry odds.” He leaned closer, locking eyes with Vic. “Live a life. Not a bluff.”
“I’m sick of your gibberish.” Vic slammed a fist on the table, then picked up the gun and raised the barrel to Ted’s chest. “I’m not here to talk. I want that money now!”
Worry gnawing in his gut, Ted’s gaze flickered to Elizabeth. He prayed for words to restore the calm. To save his wife. “You don’t want to use that,” Ted said, motioning to the gun. “You shoot me and you’ll get yourself hung.”
“So what?” But the words shook as they left Vic’s mouth.
“So what happens after that? After you die?” Ted raised the ante. “I’ll wager your parents taught you where that leads.”
Alarm slithered across Vic’s face. Only for a moment, but long enough for Ted to know the man didn’t relish hell. He cursed. “What did you do? Turn into some blasted preacher?”
“Not yet,” Ted said. As the words slipped past his lips, a peace slid through him. “But if the town will have me, I will.”
Not that anyone could stop a plan of God’s.
Vic’s jaw dropped. “Why? Why choose that miserable life when you could go back to gambling?”
“I’ve found bigger riches in a life led by God. That life my children can respect. That life lets me hold my head up.
“Truth is, I didn’t always win. But when I did, others lost. I saw the harm that caused. After a while, that eats at a man.” Ted jerked his head toward Elizabeth, every muscle ready to pounce. “You’ve got a defenseless woman tied up, threatening her life.” He leaned toward him. “Do you think God’s going to smile on that?” He lowered his voice. “You’re not a bad man.”
The words hung between them, heavy in the air. Just when Ted thought Vic wouldn’t respond, he saw a twitch in the other man’s jaw. A slide of his Adam’s apple. A few rapid blinks.
He reached across the table, connecting with Vic’s forearm, a light touch for some strong words. “God loves you, Vic.”
Vic shook his head, resisting the comfort, the grace. But then his face crumpled and the walls between him and God began to break. “God can’t stand the sight of me.”
“You’re wrong there. God never stops loving us. He’ll forgive us most anything. I know. He did for me. But He expects us to change.”
“And do what?”
Lord, soften him. Help me get through to this man. “God gave you something, some talent you’ve overlooked. Farming isn’t really mine. I’m going to put my hand to the plow, but this time it’ll be to cultivate the hard ground of people’s souls.”
Vic’s eyes widened. “You ain’t kidding. You’re a preacher.”
A preacher. Ted smiled. He’d asked God for a sign. That sign was Vic’s softening. He’d answer God’s Call. Preaching was what he was meant to do. “I’m a man forgiven. God changed me. He’ll do the same for you. Return to your family. Give your children another legacy. Show them another way. Before it’s too late.”
Vic picked up the gun by the barrel and handed it to Ted, then gave a weak smile. “I am tired. Those riches you’re talking about sound a lot more reliable than these.” He knocked the deck of cards to the floor. They scattered at their feet.
The door burst open. Dan Harper came in first followed by most of the men in town.
Someone handed Ted a rope. “No need for that. Mr. Hammer’s had a change of heart,” Ted said.
Ted ran to Elizabeth’s side, weak-kneed and shaken now that the standoff was over, praising God no harm had come to his wife. The idea of losing her tore through him. It would be like losing his own heart.
He untied her gag, then her hands and feet and tugged her to him, holding her tight, never wanting to let her go. “Oh, Elizabeth, my brave wife. I’m sorry you’ve had to go through this.”
She pressed into him. “I’m sorry that for a few minutes there, I thought you’d returned to your old life.”
“I’d never go back to that life, Elizabeth. Not when I have everything—everyone—I want right here in New Harmony.” He kissed her. “You.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Elizabeth’s nightmare was over and Vic Hammer had a new beginning. Thanks to Ted and thanks to God.
“I’m sorry for treating you like that, Mrs. Logan. It weren’t right,” Vic said, then clapped Ted on the shoulder and headed out the door, a glow on his face. Looking as joy filled as Elizabeth felt when she’d found God.
She walked to Ted, smiling up at him. “You did it,” she said softly. “You saved his soul.”
“I had a lot of help…” Ted glanced heavenward. “From the Good Lord.” When Ted had asked for a sign from God, he’d had no idea what he was asking for.
“You talked to Vic in a way he understood. By using your past, you got through to him. If I ever had a doubt, I don’t now. You should become a preacher.”
Ted took Elizabeth’s hands in his. “Are you all right with that? Being a preacher’s wife isn’t an easy life.”
She grinned. “It can’t be worse than skirmishing with the chickens.”
The joy of a new future shining in his eyes, he brought her clasped hands to his lips and kissed her scraped knuckles. “It’s so much better, Elizabeth, so much better.”
Outside, half the town gathered, waiting for Ted and Elizabeth to emerge from the ladies’ club. But they’d have to give them another minute. She had one more thing to say. “I think I always knew about the gambling.”
“How?”
She searched for the words to explain her hunch that he hid something. Something big. As she’d grown to love him, she realized that if he did, he kept that secret from her for a reason. A reason she couldn’t face. So all these weeks, she’d pushed those feelings aside, until her father had arrived and forced her to face the facts.
But that was in the past. They had a new beginning. It no longer mattered. She smiled. “You married me, didn’t you? That was the biggest gamble of all.”
He laughed, then sobered. “You have every right to be angry. I kept my past from you. I was wrong. I was…afraid. Afraid I’d lose you.”
Leaning into the strength of his arms, into the sanctuary of his broad shoulders, she smiled
into his eyes. “You couldn’t lose me, Ted Logan. Remember those vows we took? I’m here to stay.”
He nuzzled her hair. “I love you, Elizabeth Logan.”
Heart soaring, joy burst in her chest and she threw her arms around his neck. “I love you!”
The door opened. Papa and Martha crowded up beside her, followed by Rebecca and Dan with their children and Robby, Anna and Henry in tow. She caught a glimpse of all the good folks of New Harmony who’d been praying at the church heading to the ladies’ club. These were her friends. Hers and Ted’s.
As they entered, the men doffed their hats, looking proud of themselves while the women clung to their husbands and babies as if they feared a big gust of wind would blow them away. Vic Hammer’s redemption had to surpass Ted’s gambling, the town’s biggest news until now.
Turning toward their neighbors, Ted’s intense gray-blue eyes drifted from one friendly face to another. “It’s time for all of it to come out. Past time. I remember someone commenting on my name when Rose and I moved to town.” His gaze settled on Oscar Moore. “I believe it was you, Oscar.” He let out a long breath. “Does the name ‘John the Baptist’ Logan ring a bell?”
Oscar’s brow furrowed. “That no good swine—”
“Was my father.”
The silence tore at Elizabeth. Her heart ached for the man who stood before them stripped bare, all the masks ripped away. Shocked, confused, people looked from one to the other, then at Ted.
Oscar scratched his jaw. “You’re Logan’s boy? That phony preacher who stole the church remodeling fund?” He shook his head. “I can’t see it.”
“Nope, you ain’t his,” Orville Radcliffe said. “You may carry his name, be his by blood, but you’re nothing like your pa.”
Will Wyatt moseyed over and laid a hand on Ted’s shoulder. “You’re one of us, Ted. Everyone in this town respects you. The way you took care of your younguns after Rose passed. The helping hand you give when it’s needed. Why, you’re someone folks come to for a dose of God’s wisdom.”
Pastor Sumner stood beside her husband. “Ted, it’s time they knew.” He turned to his parishioners. “Where do you think the money to rebuild the church came from nine years ago?”
Folks surged forward and pumped Ted’s hand, slapping him on the back.
Ted held up a hand. “I’ve talked to Dan. He’s willing and able to handle my eighty acres for a half share until I can get a buyer. You were right about that, Elizabeth. I’m no farmer.” Ted tugged Elizabeth close and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “You were right about a lot of things,” he said softly.
Elizabeth looked deep in his eyes. “And wrong about so many others.”
“Never wrong. Different. Different is refreshing.” He studied her face. “Once we sell the farm, I want to help Seymour repay Vic.”
Unable to speak, Elizabeth hugged Ted, her eyes brimming with happy tears.
“Ted, as the chairman of the elders,” Will said, “I’m here to ask you to fill the pulpit this next week while Jacob’s off preaching at their home church.”
Onlookers smiled and cheered their approval. Through the open doorway and windows, thunder rumbled off in the distance. Every eye and ear tuned in to the sound of the promise of rain, bringing smiles to their faces.
Papa stepped closer, tugging Martha alongside. “Ted, I can’t let you repay Vic. It’s time to take some responsibility for my debts. I saw the transformation in Vic. I know the only way I’m going to live the life I want with Martha, here, is if I stop living for myself. Stop trying to bring in easy money, hoping to be a big man.”
He motioned to Hubert Sorenson. “I’ve talked to Sorenson. The store’s too much for him and he’s willing to sell it on contract. As soon as the paperwork’s completed, Martha and I will own Manning Mercantile.” He gave her a crooked grin. “Along with a series of payments for the rest.”
“Papa, you and Martha are staying?”
Seymour tugged Martha close. “I think we can make a go of the place, especially with a smart bookkeeper of a daughter to keep us on track.”
Elizabeth nodded and squeezed her hands together in a voiceless plea. Had Papa stopped gambling?
Seymour grinned. “We’ll take ownership of the store as soon as we get back from our honeymoon.”
Elizabeth enveloped them in a big hug. “I’m so happy.”
“Speaking of weddings—” Ted ran a palm down her face. “Sometimes I marvel that it was you who came to New Harmony, the one woman in the universe who fits up against me perfectly. Who makes every plain day an adventure and treats my children like they belong to her. I’ll admit you came to me in the strangest maze of circumstances.” He chuckled. “Neither of us was exactly excited about the ceremony.”
She laughed. “I marvel how God brought me into Sally’s path when she lost her nerve.”
“You were never the substitute bride. Elizabeth, you are the genuine article.”
“I marvel that the man waiting at the end of the line, sight unseen, has given me more happiness—and grief—” she added with a laugh “—in the past two months than I’ve had in the lifetime before I met him. I love you, Theodore Francis Logan.”
Ted raised her chin and looked deep into her eyes. “I love you, Elizabeth Manning Logan. I’ve got one more thing to say—”
“Get on with it, Ted. My bunions are killing me,” Oscar grumbled. “I never heard a man go on so.”
The room erupted with laughter.
“I will if our friends will hold their horses.” He bent down on one knee and took her hand. “Elizabeth, will you do me the great honor of renewing our wedding vows?”
Tears stung her eyes. “Yes. I’ll even agree to obey this time.”
“And why is that?”
“Because I know you’d never ask anything of me that wasn’t for my good and in obedience to God.” She laughed. “Though I hope that vow won’t go to your head, ’cause if you turn bossy—”
“She’ll put you in your place,” Oscar finished.
Ted grinned. “I’d never try to boss a woman who wears the pants as well as you do.” He laid a tender hand on her cheek. “No more lies between us.”
“None.” She pursed her lips. “Well, almost none.”
Ted rolled his eyes heavenward. “What now?”
“I’ll speak the truth, except for the number of meals that go into the slop jar.”
He chuckled and gathered her in his arms. “Jacob and Lydia are waiting at the church, ready for the ceremony as soon as we can get there. The café is decorated. After one false start, Agnes is expecting us to gather in for our reception. So if you haven’t any objections, I’d like to renew our vows now.”
“I’m not thrilled with my dress, Ted Logan,” Elizabeth said. “Ripped cotton twill is hardly the stuff of weddings.”
Rebecca grinned. “I finished that second dress I owed you, Elizabeth. It’s yellow dimity, not a true bridal gown, but right pretty.”
Elizabeth smiled. “In that case, Mr. Logan, I’ll marry you again. Today.”
“You’ve made me the happiest man in the world!” He lifted her off her feet and swung her in a circle until she was breathless and a bit dizzy.
Lightning streaked in the sky and the first real downpour in months soaked the ground. Rain meant the crops would grow.
With a smile on her face and her children crowding around her, Rebecca opened the door wide, letting in the sight and scent of rain. “A rainy day is the luckiest day for a wedding,” she promised.
Elizabeth knew luck had nothing to do with it. “Thank You, God,” she whispered, smiling through her tears at Ted. “Thank You for answering my prayers.”
“And mine,” Ted said, glancing to the sky.
Then for all the days they’d shared and all the days to come, he sealed their love with a kiss.
Dear Reader,
I find the history of mail-order brides fascinating. I’ve read numerous accounts of women traveling long di
stances to marry a virtual stranger, leaving behind everything and everyone they knew. Why did they take such an amazing step? For some, fear of spinsterhood, for others, a desperate need of life’s necessities. Most couples corresponded, some sent pictures, but often they never met until their wedding day. To find their mate, men and women placed ads in newspapers, giving their physical description and who they sought. The outcome of these matches varied, but these courageous women made not only a home for their husbands and children but also improved their communities by establishing churches, schools and libraries.
Thank you for choosing The Substitute Bride. I hope you enjoyed Elizabeth and Ted’s story and could empathize with their struggle to accept God’s purpose in their lives, especially when that purpose took them out of their comfort zone. Many heroes of the Bible questioned their ability to answer God’s call. You may struggle with that concern. We can step out in faith, knowing our great God will equip us to handle His assignment.
I love to hear from readers. Write me at Steeple Hill Books, 233 Broadway, Suite 1001, New York, NY 10279. Or e-mail me through my Web site,www.janetdean.net, at [email protected]. Visit my blog, www.janetdean.blogspot.com, and my group, www.seekerville.blogspot.com.
God bless you always,
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
Marrying a stranger comes with a host of problems. What challenges did Elizabeth and Ted face because of their situation? Did isolation on the farm complicate or help?
Elizabeth is out of her element as a farmer’s wife and must learn new skills. How do these experiences help her grow and change as a person?
Elizabeth had a love/hate relationship with her father. How did that impact her relationship with Ted?
Elizabeth and Ted were from very different worlds. What difficulties did that present for Elizabeth? For Ted? They both had gambling fathers in their pasts. How did that affect them?
