Corduroy Road To Love

by Coleman, Lynn A.

  Memories of childhood flooded back in her mind, of sitting in front of her mother and father and having them brush her golden strands. “That would be wonderful, thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. Here, sit down on this rock.

  “I haven’t been able to do this for years. I’d come down to the river with the girls and we’d bathe and brush one another’s hair. It was a grand time. It’s much more peaceful this morning than the last time ye and I were down here.”

  The wedding day. Her stomach flipped, then flopped like a spindle too heavy with thread. “I think I should have gone through with the wedding.” Ida Mae felt the heat rise in her cheeks.

  Mrs. Orr’s hands stilled. “Don’t regret saying no, child. If ye weren’t ready it is not a good thing to start a marriage with doubt.”

  “I know, but it might have made life simpler. You wouldn’t believe the people who have come to me because of the gossip they’ve heard. If I had run off and married Olin, then no one would say anything.”

  “Oh, I think they’d be inclined to still say a few words. But ye are probably right that they would have had less to say.”

  “Can I ask you something?” Ida Mae spun around and faced Mrs. Orr.

  “I’d be honored.”

  How could she word this? “Do you think it is wise for me to go into hiding? I mean, shouldn’t I be facing my problems and not running away from them?”

  Mrs. Orr took a moment, then sat down beside Ida Mae. “From what Olin Robert has told me, ye are hiding because for some unknown reason someone may want to hurt you.”

  “That’s one rumor. The other is that someone is out to discredit Olin. Percy, for example.”

  “Aye, Percy has never been a content man. He’s always wanted more out of life than what he was willing to work for. And he has a mean streak that runs deep in his heart, though one rarely sees it. Generally, Percy is a good and kind man. But with Olin—well, those two never saw eye-to-eye on anything.”

  “But why would Percy want Olin out of the area?”

  “Probably because he fears that folks would learn that Bobby was protecting him from Gary Jones.”

  What? “I thought it was just the two of them that got into a fight. How was Percy involved?”

  “From what I can piece together, and mind ye, my boy won’t tell me straight what happened that day, Percy must have done something or owed Jones some money, and he was wanting restitution. Olin tried to distract him so that he wouldn’t take his rage out on Percy. Angry words built to fisticuffs. There were a few of the older men on the crew who told Mr. Orr and myself bits and pieces of what happened. Over time, Percy seems to have forgotten that he was the true cause for the fight. Truth is, Olin won’t speak of the matter. He feels so guilty for killing a man, and he’s taken full responsibility for the incident. As well he should. No matter what Percy may or may not have done, it was Olin who fought the man and it was his fist that actually killed him. He’s always had a temper, and it got the best of him that day.”

  Ida Mae started to shake. If she married Olin would he get so angry with her that he might. . .

  “Now, child, I can see it in your eyes ye are afraid of him. I’m so sorry. What ye may not know is that when we sent him to Pennsylvania he was mentored by a man who had a similar problem with his temper. Oh, he never killed a man, but he came close. Anyway, his mentor showed him how to curb his anger, give it over to the Lord, and remain in control. I truly believe Olin has changed. Look at all that has happened to you. Olin Robert has not lifted an angry hand to anyone and he’s remained calm. Oh, I’ve seen the anger spark for a moment or two, but he’s controlling it. ’Tis a sweet answer to prayer.”

  Ida Mae relaxed. She’d seen it, too. “So you think Percy is out to discredit Olin because he fears Olin will tell everyone what really happened?”

  “Aye, and I believe money was involved, too, but I haven’t been able to figure if that is the case or not.”

  Olin, we need to talk. There can’t be any secrets between us.

  Nineteen

  Olin hustled from the sheriff’s office to Ida Mae’s. Instantly his nostrils filled with the coppery scent of blood. Her bedding was pulled in different directions, giving the appearance of a struggle. A dark brown trail of blood angled off the bottom sheet. Fear washed over him. Had Ida Mae returned from the cottage? Had something happened to her?

  He bolted from her room and ran to the stable where he kept his horse. Saddled, he hopped on and headed home. A chill ran down his spine. What if someone is watching? He pulled the reins. The horse halted.

  He sat there for ten minutes, not sure what to do next. He should check on Ida Mae, but then again, the sheriff said there had been evidence suggesting he might have been the one who broke into Ida Mae’s. He thought back on the scene in her room. Had it been staged? Had someone come in and planned that chaos?

  If they had, they would have been watching him. And probably had been for the past two days since Ida Mae went into hiding. No, I can’t check on her. Mayhap after nightfall.

  He urged the horse forward and continued toward the house. He could send someone to check on Ida Mae. He would still need to talk with her, but it was imperative that he knew for certain that she was still in the cottage and safe.

  Married? How could that be? She didn’t speak favorably of Cyrus and planned not to let him farm the land next year. If he were her husband, could she do that? Wouldn’t she try to help him learn how to farm? She can’t be married, Lord, she just can’t be. She’s not the kind to be double minded.

  His mind whirled with questions. The Ida Mae he knew would never attach herself to someone like Cyrus Morgan. But how much did he know about her, really? Memories flooded his thoughts of their few intimate times alone, of the kisses they shared.

  “Lord, please help me understand. Am I a fool?”

  There was something about Cyrus he never cared for. Was it that he saw a hidden relationship between him and Ida Mae? She had said he had asked her to marry him on more than one occasion. Had it gone further? Was she really married? But if they were, why wasn’t Cyrus helping her run from her troubles, putting her in hiding?

  The weight in his chest plummeted to his gut. “Lord, give me strength.”

  ❧

  Under the cloak of darkness, Olin headed out to the cottage. He’d been relieved to hear from his mother that Ida Mae was well. He didn’t tell his family about Ida Mae’s marriage to Cyrus Morgan. He wanted to hear from her first. He’d been in an awful mood since coming home. He spent the day cleaning the stalls, chopping wood, anything to keep his body busy and wear off some of the tension and anger he felt.

  He’d know in a few short minutes her side of the story.

  A dim light burned in the window.

  “Ida Mae!” he called before he got off his horse. “It’s Olin.”

  The front door creaked open. “Has something happened?”

  That’s an understatement. Calm down, calm down. Let her explain what happened. “Yes. Someone broke into your room and made it look like there was a struggle and left some blood behind.”

  Ida Mae wobbled.

  Olin reached her in a couple quick steps. “Can I come in?”

  She nodded.

  Lord, give me the grace. Help me give her reasonable doubt.

  They sat down. Her hands trembled in her lap.

  Silently, he let out a long, deep breath. “Ida Mae, there isn’t an easy way to address this. Cyrus Morgan heard of the break-in and gave the sheriff. . .” He paused and rubbed the back of his neck. She couldn’t have, could she? “He gave the sheriff his marriage license.”

  She lifted her head and knitted her eyebrows. “He finally told folks?”

  “Aye.”

  Ida Mae sighed. “Good. I didn’t want to keep that secret any longer.”

  “So it’s true?”

  “Yes.”

  Olin jumped up from his seat and began to pace. How could she have fooled me s
o? The drumming of his pulse echoed in his ears. “Why?”

  “Why what?”

  “Why did ye marry him?”

  “Marry him? What are you talking about, Olin?”

  ❧

  Ida Mae couldn’t understand the mood Olin was in. If the floor were flint and he were steel, the cottage would have exploded by now. “Olin, talk to me. What are you talking about? I didn’t marry anyone.”

  “Cyrus says ye and he were married in Montgomery County several months back.”

  “He said what? He married Rosey Turner, not me.” So Cyrus was behind all the rumors. “Why would he say such a thing?”

  “Ye swear ye aren’t married to Cyrus?”

  “Olin, how could you think such a thing? I nearly married you a few weeks ago. Would I do that if I were married to another man?”

  Olin collapsed in the seat. Ida Mae went on her knees in front of him. Reaching for his hands, she held them. He has to know the truth. “I love you, Olin. I never loved or ever had a desire to marry Cyrus. Oh, I gave it a fleeting thought once, but it did not stay with me for more than a few hours. Of course, that’s when I found out he married Rosey Turner.”

  He rubbed the top of her hands with his thumbs. “He has a certificate, Ida Mae. Sheriff read it.”

  “And it has my name on it?”

  “Apparently. Thatcher didn’t let me see it.”

  “I don’t understand how he could have gotten my signature. It has to be a forgery.”

  “The sheriff’s trying to verify your signature. I hadn’t thought of that.”

  Doubt filled her. If Olin truly loved her, would he have believed the words of Cyrus Morgan? “You don’t believe me, do you?”

  “I’m trying. I can’t understand how he’d have a marriage certificate with your name on it, if you weren’t there. It looked like a legal document to me.”

  “Legal document?” Ida Mae’s mind flickered back to the time when Cyrus came in to sign paperwork for the rental agreement to the farm. Her eyes widened. “Oh no.”

  “What?”

  “I signed papers for our rental agreement, just as you and I did. Do you suppose he slipped another paper in there and had me sign it? That can’t be legal, can it? I can’t be married to him, can I? And what would Rosey say? She told me they had gotten married.”

  Ida Mae released his hands, got up, and started to pace, just as he had done a few moments before.

  “There be more.”

  She froze mid-stride. Icicles crystallized down her spine. What else could go wrong, Lord?

  “The sheriff said there was evidence that made me look like the intruder.”

  Ida Mae relaxed. “At least he knew where I was and that you didn’t have anything to do with it.”

  “Aye, that be a blessin’,” he acknowledged. “Ida Mae, I hate to say this, but do you think Cyrus could be the one who’s been causing the problems?”

  She shook her head no, then realized everything started when she discovered he had married Rosey. Of course, that was nearly the same day Olin moved into town. “Is he behind it all, or did Percy have a part to play in that?” She sat back down. Now was the time for them to get to the bottom of all their problems, and this included Olin’s past. “Your mother told me that Percy had something to do with you getting in that fight years ago.”

  “Don’t—” A knock at the door stopped their conversation.

  Twenty

  Olin didn’t know whether or not to be grateful for the interruption. The story of the past was long dead and buried and he wanted to keep it that way. What he didn’t expect to see on the other side of the door was Sheriff Thatcher. “Evenin’, Olin.”

  “Evenin’. What brought ye out here this time of night?”

  Ida Mae came up and stood behind him, slipping her hand into his.

  “I’m just returning from Montgomery County. The justice of the peace there has a record of Cyrus Morgan marrying Ida Mae on June third of this year.”

  “It can’t be. I never married him, I swear.”

  The sheriff tipped back his hat. “That’s what I expected you to say. So I asked the JP to come by my office tomorrow morning around ten a.m. I’d like you, Ida Mae, to arrive ten minutes later. Cyrus will be there already. My goal is to catch Cyrus in his lie.”

  “Cyrus is behind all of this?”

  “Not all of it. As best I can figure, there were one or two incidents when Percy was involved. I’ll deal with him later. What concerns me now is Cyrus, and I’m afraid his plans for Ida Mae may not be healthy.”

  Olin’s back went ramrod straight. Ida Mae’s fingernails cut into his wrist. Olin relaxed. She was of prime importance, keeping her safe and free from the claws of someone like Cyrus Morgan. “We’ll be there.”

  The sheriff shook his head no. “Not you, Olin. Ida Mae. You’re goin’ to hafta trust me to take care of this. Olin, you can’t be leanin’ on the ways of the past to take care of things.”

  Olin swallowed hard. His stomach tightened into a ball. “Can I be close by?”

  “Yes, so long as Cyrus doesn’t catch sight of you with Ida Mae.” The sheriff turned to the rocking chair. “May I?”

  “Yes. Please.” Ida Mae stumbled as she stepped toward the sofa.

  Olin reached out to steady her. “Ida Mae seems to think she might know how her signature could have appeared on that marriage certificate, if it is her signature.”

  “I’d like to hear it.” The sheriff leaned back.

  Ida Mae went on to explain how she had been signing several papers one day for the agreement with Cyrus to lease her parents’ farm. “I don’t recall signing anything but the lease, but I suppose it’s possible. . . .”

  “Am I correct in understanding that Cyrus told you he and Rosey had married?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Olin wrapped a protective arm around Ida Mae. This poor woman had been put in an elaborate trap. For what? Her property? “Sheriff, what made ye suspicious of Cyrus? I mean, that marriage certificate had me baffled.”

  “I’d been leaning that way for a while now. When he produced the certificate I was perplexed, but I knew about Rosey. As much as Cyrus is trying to hide it, he hasn’t done a very good job. And then there’s the gold mining he’s been doing—”

  “Gold mining?” Olin and Ida Mae asked in unison.

  “I believe he found a nugget when he was working on rebuilding your farmhouse. I believe he thinks the farm has a rich supply. He just hasn’t found it.”

  “Father and his friends churned that field over real well when gold was found on John Reed’s farm back before I was born. The gold he found must have been the one small nugget Father kept as a reminder of how foolish a man could be if his heart isn’t in the right place. It must have melted in the fire and hardened again.”

  “Possibly, but the reports I heard was he found the gold before your parents died. I have reason to believe Cyrus might have been responsible for the fire in your parents’ house.”

  Olin held Ida Mae closer as her body shook.

  “Are ye certain?” Olin wished the sheriff had never mentioned this tidbit if he had no facts to back it up.

  “I’m sorry, Ida Mae. I don’t mean no disrespect, but I’m very concerned about Cyrus being a real threat to more people in this community. I intend to look further into whether he’s behind the fire, but for now, we need to clear your name and the fact that you are not married to the man. The false claim is enough to get him behind bars if you press charges. I’m hoping you will, miss.”

  Ida Mae sniffled her agreement. “Yes.”

  “Good. Now this is the hard part.”

  Can the situation get any harder than this? Olin wondered. He rubbed Ida Mae’s upper arm and kissed her soft hair. “I love you,” he whispered.

  “Ida Mae, I want you to come with me and stay with my wife and me this evening.”

  “Why?” Olin squeaked.

  “Precaution. I believe she’s safe here, but let’s not
take any chances. Cyrus might be in a dangerous place, but at the moment he believes he has the upper hand. Let’s keep it that way.”

  “All right.” Ida Mae got up from the sofa. A cold chill swept over Olin’s right arm and right side of his body. He prayed the only prayer he could for Ida Mae these days. Dear God, please keep her safe.

  ❧

  Unable to contemplate the depth of Cyrus Morgan’s greed, Ida Mae went over every detail the sheriff had told her. She even made him rehearse it again before she went to bed. Why would God allow the sins of a greedy man to take the lives of her parents? Why, Lord? she cried out in her morning prayers. She’d spent the night in a numb state, thinking and rethinking over the past couple years, ever since Cyrus Morgan entered her and her parents’ lives.

  The scripture reference that kept coming back to mind was the one Olin and she had shared about being tested and refined in the Refiner’s fire. She could understand how a metal worker would cling to that verse, yet now the same verse was wrapping itself as a golden ring around her heart, sometimes a wee bit too tightly, or so it seemed.

  Would God allow the deaths of her parents in order to teach her more about her own relationship with God? Ida Mae shook. Oh, sure, she knew and understood there was sin in this world, and sin caused death, but for the first time she was seeing how much she’d been holding on to “Why me, Lord?” regarding the tragic events in her life instead of asking “How can I grow from this?”

  Look at how much you’ve grown, she told herself, how many precious gifts the Lord has given you since your parents died. You’re a thriving businesswoman graced with a man who is not intimidated by your career or income. It was remarkably true. Olin found her to be a woman he could call a companion. That wasn’t to say she wouldn’t mind being a helpmate to him and helping his business grow. The idea of simply taking care of a house and raising babies sounded mighty pleasing at the moment.

  “Ida Mae!” Mrs. Thatcher called from behind the closed door. “It’s just about time, dear.”

  “Thank you, I’ll be out shortly.”

  Ida Mae stayed on her knees. “Father, please reveal to all the sins of Cyrus. Please release me from any legal obligations with him. And please don’t allow it to be so that I’m his wife. Please, Lord, not that.”