The sound of his boots on the steps reminded her that she still stood in the doorway. After being in the main house, Leah felt cramped as she walked farther into the room. Where would she cook? Where would all three of them sleep? Questions swirled through her mind in quick succession.
Jake closed the door behind himself and Molly. Putting Molly down, he said, “Can you cook over the fireplace?”
Cook over the fireplace? The question echoed through her mind. She didn’t know how to do much more than boil eggs on the stove in the house. Cook on a fireplace? What did that even mean?
“I, ah—” Those were the only two words she could get out and one of them was a sound, not a word. “I—”
Jake laughed. “I’ll take that as a no. Don’t worry, Agnes and I will teach you.”
Leah fought down the panic and turned her thoughts to another worrisome problem. “Where will we all sleep?”
Jake pointed to the bed. “I thought you and Molly could have the bed and I’ll pull my cot in from the tool shed.”
Was the room big enough for both? She eyed the wall. “Maybe we can turn the bed against the back wall and put the cot on the other side?” It was more of a question than a statement.
Molly ran to the bed and bounced on the mattress. She smiled at them both.
“Molly likes it,” Jake said, sounding a little depressed.
Leah turned to face him. She plastered what she hoped was a bright smile and said, “Oh, I like it, too. There are just things that need to be worked out.” Like how to cook, where to sleep and where to put all their belongings. She didn’t voice the last but they screamed through her mind, all the same.
“Good. I’m sure Agnes can help us figure out how to arrange things so we will have plenty of room.” He didn’t sound sure.
Trying to sound confident, Leah asked, “Will you help me move the bed? And then we can see if the cot will fit.”
Jake nodded and walked to the small bed. “Hop down, little one.”
As soon as Molly moved from the bed, Jake pulled it around to fit the wall. “Oh, that opens it up a little. Don’t you think?” He turned to her with hope in his expression.
It was going to be tight but Leah couldn’t crush his hopes. “Yes, and we’ll use under the bed to store our clothes and shoes.”
He nodded. “I could go get the cot, and Molly and I could start staying here tonight.” Jake looked to the little girl.
She surprised them both by running to Leah and shaking her head hard. Molly grabbed Leah’s skirt and buried her face in the material.
Leah saw the hurt look cross Jake’s face before he masked it. She bent down and pried Molly from her dress, remaining on eye level with her so she could clearly see the child’s reactions. “Sweetie, are you afraid of your Uncle Jake?” Leah was pretty sure that wasn’t the case, but she wanted to make it clear in Jake’s mind that his niece didn’t fear him.
Again Molly furiously shook her head. She leaned into Leah and wrapped her arms around Leah’s neck.
Feeling as if she were going to be choked, Leah gently pulled away from the little girl. “Do you just want to stay with me until Uncle Jake and I get married?”
Jake knelt beside them. “You don’t have to come live with me until you’re ready,” he told Molly.
His eyes held Leah’s and she felt as if he were speaking to her, too.
Molly reached out and touched Jake’s face. She smiled as her hand connected with the afternoon stubble. Releasing Leah, Molly leaned over and hugged Jake.
He started to speak, then hesitated, apparently torn by conflicting emotions. “I know this house is small. If you would rather move back to Texas where I have a small farm, I’ll let the Frontzs know that we’ll be leaving in the spring. That’s the soonest I’d feel comfortable leaving with the weather the way it is.”
Leah shook her head. “No, the house is fine.” Squatting on the floor like this, all three of them together, kind of made her feel like part of a family. Maybe a small house was what they needed to get to know each other better.
Molly pulled away from them and walked to the window.
Still kneeling beside her, Jake’s gaze moved to the fireplace. “Are you sure? It won’t be easy.”
Leah felt as if she understood his emotions. A week ago, he’d been a bachelor doing what he wanted. Now he was faced with having a daughter and a wife to take care of, not something he’d planned to do at this stage in his life.
Maybe she assumed too much. But Leah didn’t think so. She’d never had male influences in her life, but she wanted one now and couldn’t think of anyone she’d rather have than Jake.
“Easy or not, we’re in this together.” Leah reached out and put her hand on his shoulder.
His returning grin set her heart to fluttering. Leah quickly jerked her hand away and stood up. As she turned to look at Molly, Leah mentally chanted, I will not fall for his easy smile, I will not fall for his easy smile.
Chapter Seven
That evening, Jake sat in the bedroom with Mr. Dalton, who lay sleeping on the bed in front of him. Jake rested his head in his hands and listened to the other man’s steady breathing. He couldn’t get Leah off his mind and it bothered him. Maybe he’d made a mistake in offering to marry her? Was he opening his heart? And if he did, would she crush it? How many times would those thoughts drift through his mind like a whisper on the wind?
Mr. Dalton groaned in his sleep. Jake looked up. He knew the other man was in quite a bit of pain. The doctor had arrived shortly after Leah and Molly had returned to the house. He’d worked for an hour getting the bullet out of the man’s shoulder. As Agnes had thought, the bullet had lodged in the bones of Dalton’s shoulder.
Jake eased to the edge of his chair and searched the man’s face to make sure that he was still out. The doctor had left medicine to help Mr. Dalton sleep and Mrs. Frontz had given him a healthy dose to make sure that he did. A soft snore confirmed the medication was working.
Jake eased back. The sound of the dinner bell told him the others would soon be inside to eat. The swish of skirts on the stairs alerted him to the fact that he’d be eating in a few moments. He tilted his head to the side as Leah entered the room.
“I’ve brought you a bowl of stew and some corn bread.” She carried a tray.
“Thank you.” He took the tray and smiled up at her. He had to admit that Leah was very pretty. From her silky brown hair to her small boot-clad feet, she radiated beauty. Her face was soft and her light blue eyes expressive. Pink-tinted cheeks and rosebud lips completed her sweet look. What man wouldn’t want her for a bride?
“How’s he doing?” she asked, turning her attention to Mr. Dalton. She approached the bed and rested her palm on the other man’s forehead. “Agnes asked me to make sure he isn’t running a fever,” Leah explained as she stood. “I’ll be happy to report that he isn’t.”
Jake set the tray down on the bedside table. The rich fragrance of hot stew teased his nostrils. “That’s good.”
“It’s a bit chilly up here. Would you like a blanket to wrap up in?” Leah asked, turning her attention to him once more.
Jake took a sip from the coffee mug that rested on the tray along with the food. Sweet apple cider coated his tongue. “No, I’m used to it being cool.”
Leah nodded. “I guess it does get chilly out in the tack room.”
He used the cup to warm his hands. “A little.”
She studied him for several moments. “Jake, why don’t you go ahead and move into the homestead? At least there you would have the fireplace to keep you warm at night.”
Jake thought her cheeks might have turned a deeper shade of pink but in the fading light he couldn’t be sure. “I just might do that.”
“Good.” Leah started toward the open door. “I best get back and help Agnes with Molly.”
“Thank you for bringing up my meal.”
Leah bobbed her head. “I’ll be back in a bit to get your dishes. Do you need
anything else?”
He wondered if she would have asked anyone that question or if she was prolonging her departure. “No, thank you.” Jake looked down at the tray. “I think I have all I need.”
“Then I’ll see you later.” She left the room.
Jake sat back down and pulled the tray to him. He blessed the food before taking a big bite of the corn bread. Sweetness coated his tongue and he pulled the bread back to look at it. What was the new flavor? Agnes’s corn bread had never been sweet.
Had Leah made the corn bread tonight? He’d liked to have asked her. His sweet tooth beckoned him to eat the rest and he did with pleasure.
A few minutes later he heard someone hurrying up the stairs. The sound of her skirts swishing up the steps alerted him that his visitor was Leah.
She sounded breathless as she asked, “Have you tried the corn bread yet?”
“I did and it is wonderful. Did Agnes do something different to it today?” Jake didn’t need to be told that Leah had made it. Even with the low light he could tell that her cheeks were bright red.
“Yes. She let me make it and I messed it up.”
Jake heard the despair in her voice. “How so?” He could honestly say that he enjoyed it. “I thought it was delicious.”
Leah came farther into the room. Disbelief sounded in her voice. “Really?”
“Oh, yes.” He held the tray out. “See. Mine’s gone and I’d love another piece.”
“Really? Jake, I accidently put sugar in it.”
“Oh, that’s what makes it taste so good. Do you think I can have more?” he asked, holding out the empty saucer that had held the bread.
She took the plate. “Sure, I’ll be right back.” Leah walked out of the room much slower than she’d entered.
As soon as he heard her feet on the stairs, Jake put the tray back on the table and then hurried out the bedroom door. He stopped at the top of the stairs and listened to the conversation below.
“This corn bread is good,” Cole said.
Agnes laughed. “Leah made it.”
“It’s sweet,” Timothy mused.
Leah’s voice sounded up to him. “I’m sorry. I realized a few moments ago that I had accidently put sugar in the batter.”
Mr. Frontz’s booming laughter bounded up the stairs to Jake. “No reason to be sorry, Miss Hollister. This is wonderful. I can’t think of a thing wrong with the corn bread tonight.”
“See? I told you,” Agnes said.
Jake returned to the bedroom. Had Leah come to him first? Had she been worried that he would dislike the corn bread? Had she taken a bite and then hurried to his side? He didn’t know what to think of his future bride. Could it be that she needed this marriage as badly as he? That she needed a helpmate—someone to feel needed by? Was she looking for a forever friend?
*
Leah climbed the stairs again. She’d been up and down them so many times today she’d lost track of the number. Taking a deep breath, she stopped at the top of the stairs. Weariness crept between her shoulder blades and into her hairline.
Jake stepped out of Dalton’s room and came to stand beside her. “It’s been a long day, hasn’t it?” He turned and leaned against the banister.
“It has.” She sighed and turned to look down the stairs.
Two of the pony express riders sat in front of the fireplace chatting in quiet voices. Cole had left half an hour earlier on his run and wouldn’t be back for two days. Leah said a little prayer for his safety. She had planned to stay and listen to Will and Timothy talk about their recent rides, but tonight her body simply wanted to lie down and rest.
“I appreciate that you are helping Mrs. Frontz. She is getting older and I’m afraid that the work is taking its toll on her.” Jake steepled his fingers over the edge of the railing.
Leah didn’t tell him that she was trying to pay off her room and board. She didn’t want Jake to feel indebted to the Frontzs for her care, since she was now marrying him instead of Thomas. She could pay off her own debt, and knowing that gave her a sense of accomplishment. Even if it did mean she had to work hard. “I enjoy working with her and she’s teaching me how to cook.”
“If I’m not mistaken, you taught her something tonight.” He grinned across at her.
Leah tried to hide her smile. “I’m sure she already knew how to make sweet corn bread.”
“I’ve never had it and I’ve been here a few months now,” he said.
She tilted her head sideways to look at him. “Only a few months?”
“Yes, I was working in Julesburg at the home station there, but Mr. Slade decided that Mr. Frontz could run his swing station like a home station so I asked to be moved here.” He turned around and glanced toward Dalton’s door.
“So, how long have you been here?”
“Four months.” He walked to the door and looked inside. Leah assumed he wanted to be sure his patient was still asleep.
When he returned to her she asked, “Why not stay in Julesburg?”
He looked back down at the riders and Mr. and Mrs. Frontz. “Julesburg is a rough town. Thieves, outlaws and other unsavory sorts live and come through there every day. I can’t speak for the other men, but for me the decision was easy. I didn’t want to associate with that sort of people.”
“So, would you say you are a God-fearing man, Jake?”
Jake turned to face her. “I am, and I expect my wife to be God-fearing also. Are you?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
“Good.” He returned to rail.
Leah was glad her future husband believed in the same God that she did. “Jake?”
“Umm.”
“Did any pony express riders stay in Julesburg?”
“I’m afraid so. Some of them liked the life that Julesburg had to offer. Cole, Timothy, Ike, Will and I chose to live here.” He stretched and yawned.
Leah impulsively yawned also. “Good night, Jake. I’m glad you came to South Platte.” She turned and entered her room.
His soft voice followed her. “I am, too, Leah. Good night.”
She closed the door and leaned against it. Molly had kicked the covers off and lay on top of them. Leah’s heart went out to the young riders who had decided to stay in Julesburg. It surely didn’t sound like a good place for young men.
The sound of boots alerted her that Mr. and Mrs. Frontz were heading upstairs. She listened as Mr. Frontz greeted Jake. “How’s he doing?”
Jake’s warm voiced flowed through the door. “He hasn’t stirred.”
“Good. Go catch a few winks. I’ll stay with him tonight.”
“If you want to get a few hours’ sleep, I can stay with him.”
“No, son, you’ve done your fair share tonight. Go get some shut-eye.”
“All right, but before I go, I have a question.”
Leah leaned her ear against the door. She held her breath as she listened. It probably wasn’t right that she was eavesdropping, but for some reason she felt glued to the door.
“What’s on your mind?”
“Well, I was wondering if you’d mind if I moved into the homestead tomorrow.”
A rich laugh came from the older man. “It’s yours. If you want to live in it now, go ahead. Mrs. Frontz and I gave it to you.”
“Thank you, sir.”
It sounded as if Mr. Frontz slapped Jake on the back. “Go on to bed with you, son. Morning will come mighty early for all of us.”
The sound of boots stomping farther down the hall informed Leah that Mr. Frontz had walked away. She was about to push away from the door when Jake’s soft voice stopped her. It sounded as if he were right up against the door on the other side.
“Sleep well, Leah.”
She gasped. Had he known she was standing there listening? A warm chuckle was her answer and then his boots pounded back down the stairs.
*
The next morning Leah laid the dish towel on the sink and sighed. Jake hadn’t come in for breakfast and she
wondered what he was doing. She’d made a mess of breakfast, but the men and Agnes had been great about it.
Molly played a few feet away. She’d plaited the little girl’s hair into braids this morning and tied them together at the ends. Solemn brown eyes looked up at her, as if she sensed Leah looking at her.
Before Leah could speak, Agnes walked through the door. “Mr. Dalton ate most of his breakfast.”
“Even the bacon?”
Agnes laughed. “Yes, he said to assure you he liked it crispy.”
Molly grinned up at them and then continued playing with her doll.
“If crispy means burned, I’m glad.” Leah sighed. So far, her cooking skills left much to be desired. She’d scorched the bacon and oversalted the eggs.
“Now, don’t be getting upset. We all had to learn. Some of us learned from our mothers early in life, others learned later.” Agnes put Mr. Dalton’s dirty dishes in the sink.
What would it have been like to grow up with a mother? Leah could only dream of such things. She looked down at Molly. If she were to marry Jake and become Molly’s mother, she’d have to learn faster and better.
“Agnes, may I borrow Leah for a little while?”
Leah turned at Jake’s voice. When had he come in? He stood behind the divided door, and she could only see the upper half of his body. His brown eyes searched her face. A grin split his lips. What did he want with her?
“Sure. Molly and I were about to go to the general store to see if Mr. Hamilton has any of that rock candy left.”
Molly jumped to her feet.
“But first we have to finish the rest of these dishes.”
The little girl’s smile slipped from her face.
Agnes laughed at her expression. “Oh, come on now. We all have to learn to do dishes sometime. Today, you can dry.”
The only dishes left were Mr. Dalton’s plate, silverware and coffee mug, so Leah knew Molly wouldn’t have much to do before she could go for her treat. Agnes held out one of the many aprons that she and Leah wore when doing chores.
Love Inspired Historical November 2014 Page 57
