Had his pa tried to get their ma to move the family west? Had he fought his feelings for Nugget’s ma? Wes painted his pa as an honorable man who rubbed people the wrong way for not taking the side they wanted him to.
Joseph had done a lot of judging, and misjudging, as he’d been quick to accuse Annabelle of. But this last judgment was one he needed to let go of. Joseph needed to forgive his pa, and in forgiving, needed to let go of his own expectations of people and let them make their own decisions.
He looked down at Nugget, a child too young to understand the pain of his thoughts. “You never even got to say goodbye, did you?”
Nugget shook her head, messy half-curled hair that spoke of the others’ neglect bouncing in every direction. Mary was trying, he’d give her that, but he could see the strain in her eyes when she looked at Nugget or had to do anything for their sister’s care.
“Are they terribly mean to you?”
In front of Joseph, they put on a good front, but he’d seen past it. He’d just been helpless to do anything about it. With getting everything ready for their arrival, and trying to procure a house for the family, and putting things in order with the mine…
Nugget’s slow nod tore at him.
Those things should have been secondary. And in his pride, he’d ignored the fact that Annabelle would have been able to help him. He hadn’t even given her the consideration to discuss it.
“I’m sorry, Nugget.” He pressed the little girl to his chest. “How about we try to catch that train to say goodbye?”
Nugget jumped off his lap and ran for the door.
Harrison Avenue was overly congested, already filled with wagons and people and more activity than he’d imagined normal for a day like today.
The train whistle blew when they were two blocks from the station.
Surely Annabelle was onboard by now.
Nugget’s pace slowed. “It’s too late.”
“Sometimes they get delayed. We’ll still try.”
His spirits sagged when they arrived at the platform just as the train was pulling out.
He calculated how much money he had on him. Based on getting his own family here, Annabelle would most likely have to spend a day or two in Denver to catch whichever train would take her east. So if he bought a ticket for the next train, they could get to Denver and then…
Surely they’d have a few hours to talk.
Nugget let go of his hand.
“Sweetheart, I’m sorry.” He turned so he could bend down and talk to her, but she was gone.
“Nugget?” Joseph spun, looking around the station for the little girl. Though the train had departed, people still milled about, catching up on their business, and carting luggage to and fro.
“Nugget!”
He walked in the direction of the departing train. Had she run after it? Joseph picked up his pace, scouring the area for any sign of her. A porter laden with baggage bumped into him, blocking his path.
“Watch it!” the guy yelled as Joseph darted around him.
And then he stopped short.
There was Annabelle, kneeling in front of Nugget, her back to him. He took a deep breath, trying to compose himself as he approached.
“I cannot imagine what has gotten into your hair. You must’ve been tossing and turning all night to undo your curls and have only half your head fixed.”
Annabelle put her hand in Nugget’s hair, mussing it slightly before declaring, “Well, there’s nothing that can be done, I suppose. We’ll braid it, and you’ll still be cute as a button. What do you think of that?”
Nugget didn’t say anything, but looked up at him, causing Annabelle to turn her head slightly until she noticed him. “Oh!”
Annabelle stood, then took Nugget’s hand before facing him. “It seems like you’ve let her run absolutely wild since I’ve seen you last.”
Her words rushed past him. “What are you… You’re supposed to be…”
She looked at him long and hard. “I never could tolerate a bully. And frankly, your behavior toward me in regards to my leaving is nothing short of being bullied. Nugget needs me, and I’m not going to shirk my responsibility toward her just because you act like a bear about it.”
Joseph closed his eyes. So that was it. More of Annabelle doing her duty. The worst of it was, he almost wanted to let her. But he couldn’t. Didn’t she understand that as much as everyone wanted to make him the bad guy, this was killing him?
“She’s not your responsibility.” He opened his eyes and looked at her. “You need to live your life, Annabelle. Follow your dreams.”
“Of course she’s my responsibility. I love Nugget, and I…” Annabelle looked away for a moment, then back at him. “Well, you don’t leave the ones you love. Not when they need you and you need them.”
The lump in his throat made it hard for Joseph to swallow, let alone speak. Annabelle had already done this for her father. And now for Nugget? It was too much.
But what was he supposed to do, to say? The selfish side of him wanted to keep her here, to be close to him, to help Nugget, to help Mary figure out how to keep peace, to…to do dozens of things, all of which had everything to do with him and his needs and none to do with hers.
“Please, Annabelle,” he finally said. “I’ll buy you a ticket for the next train. This is what you’ve always wanted, and I—”
“You have no idea what I’ve always wanted.” She stamped her foot in such an insolent way that he wanted to kiss her. But that was beside the point.
“Yes, I admit that when we first met, I wanted nothing more than to leave this place and stay with my aunt, and discover the world outside. But I’ve grown since then. I’ve changed. And I can’t believe that you’d think that the woman standing before you is still that silly girl who thought of nothing more than wearing the latest fashions.”
Her words shamed him. Mostly because he’d tried so hard not to fall in love with that silly girl, but as he watched her grow into the woman standing before him, he’d realized that there was nothing about her, including her silliness, that he didn’t love. He hadn’t given her the courtesy of an explanation, and now it was time to make good on changing his earlier regrets.
“All right, Annabelle.” Joseph took a deep breath. “What do you want?”
The triumphant grin she gave him nearly slayed him. Did she have any idea what that grin did to a man? Of course she did.
Joseph shook his head, trying to rid himself of all inappropriate thoughts, especially the urge to kiss her senseless.
“I want to stay here and see to it that Nugget is properly settled in with the rest of her family. I want to go back to the camp and spend more time with Gertie, and maybe get Polly to start talking to me again. I want you to talk to me like you used to, and for us to be friends again.”
Friends. Joseph wanted to kiss Annabelle senseless, and she wanted to talk about their friendship.
“I’m sorry, Annabelle. That’s not possible. I can’t be friends with you.”
“Oh.” Her face fell, and those pretty little dimples that punctuated every point she made disappeared. “I don’t know what I did to offend you, but maybe I could—”
“You misunderstand.”
He hated the thought of baring his heart like this, of putting himself out for Miss Annabelle Lassiter to reject, but he also couldn’t bear the thought of her feeling guilty over ruining yet another relationship.
“I can’t settle for friendship with you. Not anymore. I see you differently. Not as a friend, not as a sister, but in such a way that is entirely inappropriate for…”
Were her cheeks turning pink? And, in the difficulty of him explaining a rather embarrassing and untenable position, a saucy grin twitched at the edges of her lips.
Annabelle was actually enjoying this.
Worse, when he looked over at Nugget, the little imp had started giggling.
But perhaps worst of all, others had stopped what they were doing and were complete
ly, without any shame, eavesdropping on the conversation.
Joseph straightened. “Well…I think that about covers it.” He held out his hand. “Nugget, come on. We need to…”
Escape was the first thought that came to mind. But Nugget stood there, shaking her head.
“You are never going to get her to marry you like that. You have to get romantical and tell Annabelle that you love her, then take her in your arms, and—”
“Nugget!” Both he and Annabelle said it in unison.
And when Annabelle knelt to the little girl, her face still red, Joseph understood.
“I told you why I sent you away,” he said quietly. “You thought it was because my regard had changed. The truth of the matter is that I wanted you to stay, desperately. Not for Nugget’s sake, though that’s a bonus, but for mine.”
Annabelle finally looked up at him, murmured softly to Nugget, then stood.
“I thought that the noble thing to do when you love someone is to give up what you want for what they want,” Joseph continued. “But I didn’t find out what you wanted, only made assumptions based on what you’d told me. I love you, Annabelle. And I wanted your dreams for you more than I wanted mine. I’m sorry that it caused you pain.”
“Of course it caused me pain. Because I love you, too, and I didn’t know that you loved me back. So it’s all forgiven. I’m here now, and here is where I will stay.”
They stood there in silence for a brief moment, interrupted by a tiny voice that asked, “Are you going to kiss her now?”
So he did.
Epilogue
One year later
Annabelle stood on the porch, watching for the children to arrive home. At half past three, they should have been there nearly a quarter of an hour ago. She smoothed the apron over her rounded belly and debated about taking it off. There was still so much baking to be done for tonight’s church supper. Maddie was having a tougher time keeping up with the miners’ needs, so Annabelle had agreed to do some of the cooking at her home.
The men were due at any time to help carry everything to the church. Now that Annabelle’s condition was more advanced, both Joseph and her father said she shouldn’t be lifting heavy things. Which meant relying on others helping her for a change. But as she glanced back down the street, worries about whether or not the children had met with foul play took over.
There were, Annabelle told herself, five of them. Surely together, they were safe enough walking home from school. At least that’s what Joseph always argued. Evelyn, Helen, Daniel, Bess and Nugget could take care of themselves. A handful, but most of the time, Mary and Rose were such a big help that Annabelle hardly noticed.
However, on days like today, when Annabelle scurried down the street toward the school, she wondered how she thought she could manage all these children, help with her father’s ministry and care for a baby besides. But if something happened to the children—
Annabelle’s heart constricted, and she turned the corner. Nugget came running toward her, screeching, “Mama!”
She embraced the little girl, and continued in the direction from which Nugget had come.
Daniel was engaged in a fistfight with another boy, and the girls were egging him on as other children circled the fighting boys, cheering.
“Daniel Edward Stone!” Annabelle pushed through the crowd. “I insist you stop this minute!”
“Not until he apologizes for what he said about my sister!”
Before he could get another punch in, her father and Joseph arrived and pulled the two boys apart.
Nugget huddled at Annabelle’s side. “Mama, please don’t be mad at Daniel.”
The little girl had taken to calling her Mama shortly before her wedding to Joseph. Even though certain people, like the unfortunate boy whom her father was sternly lecturing, didn’t seem to want to forget where Nugget came from, most of the time, no one remembered Nugget wasn’t her daughter. And, as Annabelle tightened her arm around the little girl, she wasn’t sure she could remember a time when Nugget wasn’t hers.
“You know fighting is wrong,” Joseph told Daniel sternly.
“So’s what he said about my sister.”
Though Annabelle knew she needed to remain quiet and let Joseph do the parenting, part of her wanted to cheer for the fact that the boy who once refused to even look at Nugget, let alone call her sister, was now fighting for the little girl’s honor.
“The other boy started it,” chorused Evelyn, Helen and Bess.
Annabelle looked down at Nugget. “That so?”
Nugget shrugged. Apparently, she wasn’t going to risk her newfound solidarity with her siblings.
Joseph escorted Daniel to where they were waiting, and Annabelle noticed her father walking the other boy down the street. Probably to talk to his parents.
The other three girls trudged behind, their heads low, as though they thought the other boy had Daniel’s beating coming. Annabelle sighed. Raising Joseph’s siblings was not for the faint of heart. But watching them heal from the pain of their rough past and come to love one another was worth it.
Joseph came along Annabelle’s other side and slipped his hand in hers. “Never a dull moment, is it?”
“Of course not.” Until she’d found herself with a houseful again, she hadn’t realized just how much she’d missed having the warm bodies, the laughter and even the fights to add color to her life. Some days, she still missed her siblings, especially Susannah, and most days, she desperately missed her mother. For only a mother could advise her on how to handle this rambunctious crew.
A carriage was parked in front of their house.
“Caitlin!” Nugget pulled away from Annabelle’s hand and dashed in the direction of the carriage, her siblings following suit.
Annabelle looked over at Joseph. “I didn’t know Gertie was coming down today. I thought they were waiting until Saturday.”
“I thought you’d like having her sooner.” A knowing look filled his face. “You’ve been overly tired lately, and she told me to send for her if you needed help.”
No, Annabelle didn’t have a mother to advise her on such things. But she had Gertie, who loved her like one. Even though Gertie would never replace her mother, and there were times when having Gertie around increased the ache of her mother’s absence, mostly, Annabelle didn’t know what she’d do without the other woman.
“Daniel, what have you done to your eye?” Gertie’s exclamation told Annabelle that Gertie probably had plenty of experience dealing with her own sons’ fights. Later, the other woman could help her figure out how to handle this latest development.
Annabelle turned to Joseph and kissed him softly. “Thank you. You always seem to know just what I need.”
He kissed her back, then grinned. “Or maybe I want to get a little time alone with you myself. Won’t be much longer until we’ve also got a baby to manage, so I figured I’d best take advantage while I still can.”
This time, Annabelle didn’t stop herself from throwing her arms around him. Well, as best as she could fit, anyway. She was, after all, expecting a baby. And even though some ladies in town said it simply wasn’t done when one was in such a delicate condition, she kissed her husband until they were both breathless. Let everyone say what they will. Annabelle Lassiter Stone had opened her heart to love, and now that she’d found it, she wasn’t about to let anyone tell her not to show it.
*
Keep reading for an excerpt from HER HOLIDAY FAMILY by Winnie Griggs.
Dear Reader,
I am so excited to be sharing my love of Leadville with you. When my husband’s family came to America at the turn of the century, Leadville was where they settled. While we no longer have living relatives in Leadville, we have a family home there we regularly visit, and spending time immersed in Leadville history is something we’ve always enjoyed.
When I decided to write a historical, I knew it would have to be set in this beloved town. The story itself came w
hen I read an old newspaper from the 1880s that featured an ad for a debate between two pastors on whether or not miners were beyond redemption. It intrigued me to know that in those days, certain classes of people were viewed as too low for salvation. Hence, Pastor Lassiter and his mission was born. It is the perfect place for a man like Joseph to find help, and for a woman like Annabelle, on the verge of losing hope, to find it again.
I hope this story encourages you, and no matter where you are situated in life, you know that there is always hope.
I love connecting with my readers, so please stop by www.danicafavorite.com and say hello.
Blessings to you and yours,
Danica Favorite
Questions for Discussion
What was your favorite part of Annabelle and Joseph’s story?
Joseph struggles with forgiving his father. Have you had to deal with forgiving someone who’s already dead? If so, how were you able to deal with it?
Annabelle’s grief has kept her isolated from her friends and family. How have you coped with grief?
How did Nugget bring healing to both Joseph and Annabelle?
Do you think it was reasonable of Annabelle’s father to keep her in Leadville to deal with her grief before sending her out into the world?
Joseph struggled with being able to listen to Nugget’s stories of their father, yet knowing their father’s misdeeds. Was he right in allowing Nugget to maintain those happy memories?
Annabelle struggles with being a preacher’s daughter who doesn’t believe God hears her prayers. Should being a preacher’s daughter have an impact on her faith? Have you ever struggled with believing God hears your prayers? How did you handle it?
Joseph is afraid to court Annabelle because of his responsibility in raising his younger siblings. Is it Joseph’s responsibility to put caring for them above his own desires?
Annabelle doesn’t want to get close to Joseph because she’s afraid of the pain she’ll feel when he leaves. Have you ever held someone at arm’s length because you thought they were leaving? How did that work out for you?
Love Inspired Historical November 2014 Page 94
