Love Inspired Historical November 2014

by Danica Favorite

  She heard Cole yell, “Hey, Jake, want to race?”

  “Now’s not a good time,” he called back, making a point to look down at Molly.

  Timothy taunted him. “Aw, Cole, you know Jake isn’t as fast as us, he’s afraid he’ll lose.”

  Leah wondered what Jake’s response would be. He ignored them and continued to focus on keeping Molly upright.

  “That’s right. He’s too old to keep up with us,” Cole added.

  It was playful banter and Leah laughed.

  “They sure are having fun out there.” Agnes joined her with a big basket.

  “What’s in the basket?” Leah asked.

  “Ham, bread, pickles, cheese, dried apples and dried peaches.” She set the basket down at her feet and rubbed her gloved hands together. “Did I hear those boys trying to challenge Jake to a race?”

  Leah nodded. She returned to watching the skaters.

  “What did he say?”

  “He told them now’s not the time. And now he’s ignoring them.” She smiled as Jake swung Molly on the ice. She could see the little girl’s big grin.

  “Let me have those skates.” Agnes held out her hand for the blades.

  Leah watched as Agnes began strapping them on her feet. “You’re going to go out there?” she asked in disbelief.

  “Yep. I’m going to skate off to the side with Molly and watch that man of yours beat the ice off those boys in a race.” Agnes chuckled at her own play on words.

  Ike returned with more wood for the fire. “Anything to eat in that basket?” he asked.

  “Sandwich makings, dried apples and dried peaches.” Agnes set the last strap into place. “Be back shortly.”

  The way she walked to the edge of the river, it looked as if her ankles might snap. “Be careful,” Leah called after her.

  Once on the ice, Agnes had no trouble getting to Jake and Molly. She said something to Jake. He smiled and then sped off to join Cole and Timothy. Agnes took Molly’s hand and they moved to the sidelines.

  Jake and the young riders skated to one end of the marked-off area and looked to Agnes. She raised her hand high and then lowered it swiftly. With Jake in the middle of the other two, they sped off.

  Cole was in the lead, then Timothy.

  Jake cruised along behind them, looking at ease. He looked to where she sat and waved. Why wasn’t he racing? The other two were way ahead and bumping elbows to keep each other from getting ahead.

  At the same time, the young riders noticed that Jake wasn’t with them. They both slowed and looked behind them.

  Jake shot forward and passed them both.

  Their mouths dropped open and then their minds clicked as they realized Jake was in the lead. With a flourish of action, the two young men pressed forward but they were too late.

  They had agreed that whoever got to the opposite rope border first would win, establishing an imaginary line. Jake beat them to it. He spun on his skates, sending up a spray of ice.

  Molly jumped up and down, clapping her hands.

  Cole and Timothy groaned and hung their heads.

  Leah realized that she had stood up and was squealing with happiness to see him win. He’d outsmarted the younger boys and won.

  “I knew he’d win,” Ike said around a mouthful of dried peaches.

  Leah laughed, relieved that he didn’t look as sad as he had earlier. “How did you know?”

  He shrugged. “Jake always wins.”

  Ike began constructing a ham and cheese sandwich.

  Leah sat back down. She realized once again that she knew very little about her future husband. One thing she did know was that, since he enjoyed being on the ice so much, he probably would like a break from babysitting Molly. She watched as he and Agnes played with the little girl.

  If ice skating was a big part of Jake’s life, then Leah decided she needed to learn how to skate, too. “Ike? Do you have a pair of skates I can borrow?” she asked, still watching Agnes and Jake.

  “Sure. I don’t use them often but I do have a pair. I’ll go get them.” He left, munching on his sandwich.

  Leah leaned forward and warmed her hands. Her heart began to pound in her chest as she thought about putting on the skates. The blades were so thin she worried she’d fall.

  Cole and Timothy had a ball and were hitting it back and forth with sticks. Leah wasn’t sure what they were playing, but they seemed to be keeping score as they yelled out points when the ball passed one of them.

  “Here you are,” Ike said, returning.

  Leah took the skates and looked at them. The blades looked sharp and were curled at the toes. She assumed the curled metal would help her stop on the ice. Leather straps hung off to the sides.

  “Let’s get you closer to the river before you put them on.” Ike picked up one of the logs and started forward. “You can sit on the wood while we get the straps on around your boots.”

  I can do this, Leah silently said to herself as she followed. There’s nothing to it. If Molly can do it, surely I can. Still, her heart took up a tempo that frightened her even further.

  Ike set the log down and motioned for her to sit. Leah did as he asked, breathing hard. He knelt in front of her and waited for Leah to hold up her foot so he could strap on a skate.

  She watched as he wrapped the leather around her boot and secured it. The sound of scraping against ice drew her eyes upward.

  Jake stood behind Ike, grinning. “Decided to join us?”

  Ike finished fastening the skates and stepped back. He offered her one of his hands. “Here, let me help you stand.”

  Leah’s hand shook as she took his. Her legs felt like jelly as she stood. She knew she was going to fall and gripped Ike’s hand tighter.

  Jake stepped forward and took her other hand. The two men pulled her to the ice.

  Ike handed her other hand to Jake. “She’s all yours, old buddy.” Laughter filled his words.

  Leah began to wobble. She looked down at the skates, praying her skirt didn’t fly up when she fell.

  Jake ordered in a warm, firm voice, “Look up, Leah.”

  She did as he said, but looked over his shoulder at the hard ice of the river. Her legs trembled, her breath quickened and her heart threatened to leap from her throat.

  “Now, focus on me. Don’t take your eyes off my face. Understand?” Jake gently pulled her toward him.

  Leah looked into his coffee-colored eyes. She saw assurance and the request to trust him. A blur of fabric spun past them. Leah jerked her head to the side to see who it was. Her legs began to go in two different directions. She gasped.

  Jake pulled her against him to keep her from falling. His warm chest and arms supported her flailing body. “Leah.”

  The huskiness of his voice drew her gaze back to his. She stood so close she could feel the warmth of his breath on her face. His hands locked securely around her arms and his compelling eyes riveted her to the spot.

  His voice softened once more. “You are all right. Just focus and trust me. Let your body movements find the rhythm with mine.”

  His breath smelled of apple cider, clean and fresh. She allowed her body to relax while he held her upright. Her pulse skittered alarmingly. “See?” His voiced soothed, “You are fine.”

  Leah forced out the word, “Yes,” her voice shakier than she would have liked.

  “We can stand just like this until you’re ready to move,” he offered, easing the pressure from her arms.

  Leah missed the warmth his body had radiated. She inhaled a deep breath.

  “Bend your knees slightly, Leah, and lean toward me just a bit.”

  She followed Jake’s instructions. Leah wanted to lose herself in his dark brown eyes, but this was no time to stand and stare. Especially when the corners crinkled as he smiled at her.

  “That’s good.” He moved back again, pulling her along with him.

  Leah gulped as her feet glided smoothly on the ice.

  “Don’t panic. I’ve g
ot you.” Jake’s fingers slid down her arms to her wrists. “See? This isn’t so bad, is it?”

  Staring into his eyes wasn’t bad at all. Falling on frozen ice, well, that would be very bad. “It’s not all good,” she answered.

  His laughter caused her to smile, too.

  Jake switched his grasp to her fingers, slowly linking their hands together. The he slid his hands down to her fingertips.

  Leah wondered how he could move so gracefully on the ice. The man was skating backward, and that just seemed unnatural. “How do you do that?”

  “Do what?”

  “Go backward?”

  Jake laughed once more. “I can’t explain it but someday, after you’ve learned to go forward, I’ll show you.”

  Leah noticed that her breathing wasn’t as quick as it had been. Her heart wasn’t struggling to leave her chest and her legs had firmed up. She grinned.

  He continued to stare into her eyes. “Did you see me skating with Molly earlier?”

  “Yes.”

  He rubbed his gloved thumb against hers. “Good.” Jake tilted his head to the side. “Now, look over my shoulder and find something to focus on.”

  “Okay, but why?” Leah did as he said. She saw a tree on the bank and stared at it.

  Slowly Jake untangled his fingers from hers. “I’m going to move behind you and skate with you like I did Molly.”

  Leah held her breath and tried to retain her balance without him helping her. She focused on the tree as he’d instructed. The sound of a loud plop broke her concentration.

  A squeal of fright had her jerking her eyes from the tree, turning her head at a fast pace, and just as she realized it was Molly she’d heard, Leah’s feet went out from under her and she, too, fell with a loud plop. She turned to check on Molly. If the little girl was hurt, Leah was determined to go to her. Even if it meant crawling on the ice to do so.

  Agnes stood beside the little girl, helping her up. Leah sighed with relief. She looked up to find Jake standing beside her. His grin surprised her. He wasn’t angry that she’d fallen?

  “See? That wasn’t so bad.” He held out a hand and Leah let him help her up.

  She laughed. “No, that wasn’t bad at all.” She didn’t elaborate on the fact that her backside stung a little from the fall.

  “Good. Now again. Focus on me.”

  She allowed him to pull her close, his big arms sliding around her waist as he stared into her eyes. No, this wasn’t bad in any way, form or fashion. Uneasiness settled over her. Even without love, Leah felt sure she could gaze into this man’s eyes forever. And those kinds of thoughts were dangerous to her heart.

  *

  It was late in the afternoon when they tromped back to the home station. Leah felt as if she’d worked all day. Her legs seemed weighted down but her heart seemed to have sprouted wings, giving her a light happiness that she hadn’t felt in a long time.

  Jake walked beside her with Molly on his shoulders. The little girl would rest well tonight. Her cheek lay on the top of his head and she’d closed her eyes.

  The sound of the stagecoach arriving drew her head up. Leah watched as it came to a stop in front of the house. Unable to see if there were passengers aboard, she listened for the sound of extra voices.

  They rounded the stagecoach just as a woman in a new green traveling dress stepped down. Leah admired the way she seemed to glide down the steps, her hand tucked daintily in Mr. Edwards’s big hand.

  Jake stopped walking.

  Leah turned to him and saw that his eyes had grown round and his jaw had dropped. His face paled as if he’d just seen a ghost.

  “Nellie?”

  A light, tinkling laugh floated to them. “You remembered.” The stranger stepped from the stage and waited until they reached her side. Then her arms wrapped around him in a tight hug.

  Nellie’s blond curls fell over her shoulders as she gazed up at him. Leah couldn’t believe how green the woman’s eyes were. They looked like emeralds and sparkled with happiness. Who was this woman and what did she want with Jake?

  The stagecoach tilted as another person got off. He was a tall man with a top hat and waistcoat. His brown hair and dancing blue gaze landed on Leah.

  “Come along inside everyone. There is a hot supper waiting for all of us,” Agnes said, stepping around the group.

  Leah turned to Jake. “I’ll take Molly.” Her voice sounded tight in her own ears. She raised her arms for the little girl to slip into.

  Jake nodded and handed the child over. His eyes never left Nellie’s face. “What are you doing in Colorado?” he asked.

  She’d never heard his voice sound so husky. Leah lowered Molly to the ground. “Come on, sweetie. Let’s go help Agnes.” Leah pulled the child behind her.

  Molly pulled her hand from Leah’s. She turned and stared at Jake and Nellie. Her lower lip trembled and tears filled her eyes. “Mama?”

  Only Leah heard the whispered word. Tears began to stream down the little girl’s face. Leah tried to pick Molly up but the little girl shoved her away.

  Jake’s head was lowered and he was listening intently to Nellie. Their voices were low and they seemed unaware of everyone around them.

  Distressed by Molly’s tears and her refusal to be comforted, Leah called out, “Jake.”

  It might have been the urgency in Leah’s tone, or maybe he’d been aware of her the whole time, but for whichever reason, Jake looked up. His eyes connected with hers and he tilted his head sideways as if to silently ask, what?

  She motioned toward Molly.

  His long legs had him standing before them in an instant. He knelt down in front of his niece. “Molly, what’s wrong?”

  Her little hand shook as she pointed at Nellie and whispered once more, “Mama?”

  She’d spoken! Her gaze moved to Jake. Jake knelt and stared at the child, the expression on his face revealed her own surprise and wonder.

  Molly had finally spoken.

  Chapter Eleven

  How could he have been so stupid? Why hadn’t he realized the impact seeing her mother’s twin sister, Nellie, would have on Molly? Seeing her had thrown him for a loop, as well. He’d never even thought about Nellie arriving in Colorado. She looked so much like Sally that at first he’d been fooled, as well. But when she began talking, Jake remembered how different from each other the twin sisters had been.

  Feeling like a heel, Jake tried to turn Molly so that she would look at him. She refused. Molly only had eyes for her mother’s twin.

  “I want my mama!” Molly wailed as she tried to pull away from Jake. Her little arms reached for Nellie.

  For a brief moment, Jake saw Nellie’s face soften. But as if she realized she was about to give in to caring emotions, Nellie’s features hardened and she snapped, “Mama? Hardly.” Nellie walked toward them. She flicked her hair back over her shoulder with a manicured hand. Ignoring Molly, she walked on by them. “Did someone say something about eating? I’m starved. Marshall, bring my bags.”

  Jake’s heart went out to Molly. The little girl’s face was filled with hurt and confusion. She finally turned her face to him.

  “I’m sorry little one. She’s not your mama.” Jake held her little face in his hands. “Nellie is your mama’s sister, like I’m your daddy’s brother.”

  He was startled when she jerked her face from him and rushed into Leah’s open arms. Jake heard the sobs tear from her small broken heart. His gaze moved to Leah’s.

  Leah held fast to the child and patted her back. “It’s all right, Molly. You’ll be all right, I’m here.” Her troubled eyes searched his. “I’d like to take her to our room.”

  Jake knew she was asking his permission. He nodded, unsure why she felt she needed to ask. “If you need me, call down the stairs. I’ll stay inside.”

  She nodded and carried Molly into the house.

  Jake turned to see the man Nellie had referred to as Marshall struggling to carry five large suitcases.

&nbs
p; “Women can be a handful sometimes, can’t they?” Marshall set the cases down.

  Jake didn’t comment on Marshall’s statement, instead he said, “Here, let me take some of those for you.” Jake wondered what Marshall’s relationship was with Nellie but didn’t ask as he picked up two of the cases. What were they doing here? Jake knew better than to ask. In the mood Nellie was in, he wouldn’t get an answer anyway. He’d wait—Nellie would tell him why she was here soon enough.

  “Thank you.” Marshall grabbed the other two. He looked over his shoulder. “I’ll come back for those, Mr. Edwards. There’s no need for you to have to lug them in.”

  The stagecoach driver answered, “I got them. Let’s get inside where it’s warm and there’s sure to be hot food for our bellies.”

  Jake led the way to the house. He wanted to know more about this Marshall fellow but now wasn’t the time. When he stepped through the door he heard Nellie attempting to give orders to Agnes.

  “Shouldn’t you have the place settings out already?” Nellie asked. She was sitting in Leah’s usual place.

  “You’re welcome to help, if the way I’m preparing the table isn’t up to your standards.” There was an edge to Agnes’s voice that indicated Nellie had gotten off on the wrong foot with the older woman.

  Nellie ignored her. “Jake, come sit by me. I want to hear all about your new life.” She patted the chair where she expected him to sit.

  “How long are you staying?” he asked, instead of doing as she bid.

  Marshall answered, “A couple of days.” He looked to Mr. Edwards for confirmation. “That’s when the next stage to Denver will be coming through, right?”

  Mr. Edwards nodded. “Yep, if she don’t run into Indians or some other kind of trouble.”

  Jake slipped into the chair beside the stage driver. He knew about the earlier attacks but wanted to see what the stagecoach driver might add and asked, “What other kind of trouble?”

  Agnes set a bowl of hot rolls on the table and turned to leave again.

  The older gentleman grabbed one of the rolls and tore into it with his fingers. “Attacks. Mostly happens at night. Can’t tell who the enemies are, so we’ve gotten to where, if we travel, it’s during the day.”