A New Life In California: Book 3--Search For Meaning Series

by Angela Dempsey

  “Are you sure? I am going to be in town for another week. I am staying at the hotel. Think about it, if you change your mind come and find me.”

  “I won’t”

  “Promise me you will think about it.”

  “Clay, my decision has been made. Take care of yourself.”

  He turned and started walking to the door. He turned giving her one last look. Then he put his hat on his head and walked out the door, looking defeated.

  Lilly kept thinking about the look on his handsome face. She felt bad for him. She did like him. But the feelings that developed between her and Zain over the past couple of months were undeniable.

  Clay tried several times to get her attention; even bringing her flowers the day after the dance. He apologized for the problems the night before. She accepted his apology but refused to give him another chance.

  She was thinking about how quickly things were moving. For a second she wondered if she was doing the right thing. She heard the bell on the door. When she looked up there stood Zain. She felt her heart race at the sight of him. All remnants of doubt left her at that moment.

  She rushed out from behind the counter to give him a hug. He looked a little surprised. She smiled, “What? I missed you.”

  Charles and Zain both laughed. With the men back she went upstairs to help Mary Ellen. She told her that Clay came to see her. Mary Ellen didn’t say anything, she just let her talk. She was relieved to hear Lilly say she didn’t have any doubts about Zain.

  They spent the afternoon working on Lilly’s wedding dress and other things for the wedding. It was late afternoon before they took a break to start supper.

  He smiled, thinking that soon she would be staying here with him in the downstairs, until they could get a place of their own.

  Charles was contemplating a major move to California. Along with his certificate saying he was ordained as a minister, he got a letter offering him a position in California.

  Mary Ellen was praying about it. She knew he would want to move somewhere; it is just the matter of when. She asked Elise and Cooper to pray about it. They were also asked to keep the information to themselves until after the wedding.

  Chapter 6

  Jake was recovering slowly. He is now able to get up and take a short walk to the outhouse on his own. Each trip he feels a little stronger. He desperately wants to get back on his horse. He knows by now Lucy is imagining all sorts of things. He wished there was a way to get to her. He needed to tell her he loved her and the thing with Henry was not her fault.

  As his frustration grew more every day; he also became more thankful for Patsy. He was starting to get to know her. They spent time now talking over supper. It took all his strength to get to the table, but he didn’t want to be more of a burden to her.

  She was warm, caring and very smart. She had a lot of faith in God. She was very pretty. He was starting to get attached to her. He knew with each passing day it would be harder for her when he decided to leave.

  He told her he was on his way to Kansas to get married. He told her about meeting Lucy. He gave her the brief version of what happened. She thinks Lucy ran away because Henry would not let them marry. He didn’t give her any further details.

  Jake settled into bed to get some sleep. He could hear a storm in the distance. He drifted off to sleep when he heard the rain hitting the roof. Rainy nights are always a good time to sleep. The plinking sound on the tin always sends him to a peaceful place.

  In the middle of the night, he heard Patsy screaming. He got up; grabbing his pistol off the table by the bed. He proceeded to move as quickly as he could toward her room.

  He pushed open her door, with his gun aimed into the room. There was no one but Patsy. She was having a nightmare. He slowly moved across the room.

  She screamed, “Mama…No…Oh… God…Mama…come back.” She sat straight up on the bed and started crying.

  Jake eased his way down to sitting on the edge of the bed. She wrapped her arms around him and cried. He tried to comfort her. “Shh…its ok…shh…”

  She sobbed even harder for a few moments. Then she pulled back, removing her arms from his neck. She looked surprised and vulnerable. Her eyes locked with Jake, neither of them moved.

  He finally broke the silence. “Are you ok? Do you want to talk about it?”

  She looked like she was thinking for a long moment and then started her story. “When I was fourteen, we lived in Oregon. My dad was a logger. We lived in logging camps that moved from place to place as the work became available. It came a terrible storm; raining hard for three days. The men were out away from camp trying to decide on the next place they needed to cut trees.

  Momma told me we had to leave our house because the water was rising. We gathered a few belongings. We climbed up this big hill. Momma pushed me to higher ground. When all of the sudden…” Patsy closed her eyes, squeezing them tight, as if shutting her eyes would stop her pain. “There was a big wall of water that took my momma and washed her away.”

  She started sobbing again. Jake pulled her in close to his chest and held her, letting her cry. He felt bad for this sweet woman. The pain some people live with is more than anyone should have to carry.

  After a few moments, she pulled back a little. Their faces were inches apart. It was like time stood still. He had the impulse to kiss her. Just then the thoughts of Lucy waiting for him snapped him back to reality. He moved away; standing up.

  She pulled the covers up a little higher. “Thank you for coming to my rescue.”

  “I am sorry you had to go through that as a child.”

  She blushed, “Thank you.”

  He turned around and walked back to his room. He lay back down to sleep, but couldn’t. He kept berating himself for almost kissing her. Lucy is probably feeling like he doesn’t care about her and he is trying to kiss someone else. What kind of person does that make him?

  He started to pray about what God wants for his life. Does he expect him to stay here with Patsy? Is that why he is drawn to her or is it the fact that she has taken care of him and not asked for anything in return?

  He wrestled with all of the emotions and choices the rest of the night. On the other side of the wall, Patsy lay wide awake; reeling from the nightmare and from Jake’s tenderness. She couldn’t help but feel giddy. He almost kissed her. Then she felt guilty because he has someone that he loves waiting on him. She figured that Lucy is probably worried sick.

  The rain continued to pound on the roof. Jake knew he needed to push himself a little harder to get better. He didn’t want to hurt this sweet woman. He knew if he stayed much longer, he may not want to leave.

  Guilt washed over him as he thought about Lucy. She was so special and needed him. If it had not been for Henry Daniels he would have married Lucy and all of this would not be an issue.

  Chapter 7

  The day of Lilly’s wedding soon arrived. Lilly was getting ready. She heard something hit her window, then again and again. She went to the window and standing below was Clay. She opened the window, “What are you doing?”

  “Please come down and let me talk to you.”

  “I am getting married today.”

  “That is why I want to talk to you. Please?”

  She took a deep breath then decided he would not go away until she resolved this matter. She got dressed in one of her cotton dresses and went downstairs.

  When she opened the back door the sight of him took her breath away. He was easy on the eyes. Much better looking than Zain, but she was in love with Zain. He was the right one for her. She knew it in her heart.

  “Ok, talk fast I have to get ready.”

  “Please don’t marry him…Please marry me.”

  She gasped, “I can’t marry you…I don’t love you.”

  “I think you do. I see the way your eyes light up when you see me. I think you are afraid and taking the easy way out.” He moved closer to her. She could feel his breath on her cheek. “Ask me to
kiss you.”

  “Clay…No!”

  “Before you are married you have to give me a good-bye kiss.”

  She whispered, “no.” She could feel her resolve beginning to melt. He leaned in and kissed her. She felt excitement go through her, but she didn’t feel anything else. She didn’t feel the love that she felt when Zain kissed her.

  She pushed Clay away. “You need to leave!”

  From behind them, they heard a voice. “Yes, you need to leave.” It was Charles.

  Clay looked at him, “What, I am not good enough for a preacher’s daughter?”

  Charles looked at him, “She told you she doesn’t love you. She is marrying Zain, not because I want her to, it is her choice.”

  Clay looked for a second, “You are saying if she agreed to marry me instead of Zain you would not stand in our way?”

  “That is right, but she has already given you her answer.”

  Lilly still stunned by the events of the day, finally found her voice. “I am marrying Zain if he will still have me after this betrayal.”

  Clay looked hurt and angry. “Have a nice life. I will always love you.” He hung his head and walked off.

  She was filled with regret for hurting him. She regretted letting him kiss her but she didn’t regret her decision.

  She felt like she had betrayed Zain. Lilly looked at her pa and asked him if she wrote a note to Zain if he would take it to him. Charles was concerned but understood she didn’t want any secrets between her and Zain.

  Charles went to see him and gave him the note. As he read it, his face turned red. Charles could tell he was upset. In the note, Lilly explained that she was sorry and she had absolutely no doubts about marrying him if he still wanted to marry her. She told him she loved him and wanted to spend her life growing old with him.

  Charles told him he heard the whole thing. Clay was pressuring her to marry him instead. He will leave her alone now, I am sure of it. She just didn’t want to start a marriage with any secrets.

  Zain looked at Charles, “I love Lilly and she is so amazing. I am not happy about that kiss, but tell her I still want to marry her. We will talk about it later.”

  Charles smiled. “I will see you in an hour.”

  Time for the ceremony came quickly. Lilly was ready with her bouquet and bible. Charles walked her down the aisle to stand in front of Zain. He then took his place at the front of the church.

  Zain was stunned by her beauty. He had never seen her eyes shine so much. He knew that there was not a doubt in her mind about their future. He was excited about their future.

  Charles started speaking about what a privilege it was to be marrying his daughter to such a fine young man. Charles’ eyes met Clay’s as he slipped in the back, he hoped he didn’t cause a scene.

  Then his eyes met Mary Ellen’s, she was crying. He hoped he would be able to get through the ceremony without breaking down.

  Charles got to the part of the ceremony that said, “If anyone here can show just cause why these two should not be married let him speak now or forever hold his peace.” Clay stood to his feet. Charles eyed him. Lilly and Zain turned to look at him. He put his hat on his head and walked out the door.

  Charles was glad he left without a scene, he continued.

  He was glad that the first wedding he performed would be his only daughter. As he went through the ceremony he felt at peace with his decision to give up his store and move to California.

  A friend of Lilly’s sang a song. Then Zain’s closest friend read the love chapter from the bible. Afterward, Charles started reciting vow for them to repeat.

  Lilly looked in Zain’s eyes, she knew he definitely was the one she was meant to be with for the rest of her life. He was strong and handsome. She was happy about the love she saw in his eyes.

  As they finished saying their vows Charles said, “I now pronounce you man and wife. Son, you may kiss your bride.”

  Zain pulled her in close and left her with a kiss that melted her to her core. There was no doubt that he loved her. She was thrilled to be married to this sweet man that she loved.

  After the kiss, they made their way outside for a meal. Everyone one had a good time dancing. Their friends took time to wish them a long and happy life together. They opened gifts from their guests.

  Charles and Mary Ellen pulled Lilly and Zain aside. Charles told them his news about taking a job in California. He gave Zain and Lilly the deed to the store as a wedding gift. Zain was speechless.

  Lilly cried, she was going to miss her parents terribly. She was excited to have a place of her own and a means of support. Zain had been saving to buy a business. He thought about a few different things; then Charles told him he needed help to please stay for a little while. Now they understood what Charles had been planning.

  Charles told them that they would be leaving in two weeks. Lilly decided to change things up a little bit. She thanked everyone for coming. Then she told the entire group about the amazing wedding gift that her parents had given to them.

  People started to turn to Charles and Mary Ellen to wish them well on their journey. It was a bittersweet moment for Lilly. She knew her life would never be the same; she would miss her parents more than she could tell them.

  Chapter 8

  Cooper entered the kitchen where Elise was making lunch. “It looks like a pack of wild dogs or wolves got one of our calves. Will you pack us some jerky and food for an overnight stay? I need enough food to feed five men. Tommy and I are going after them before they can hurt anyone else. I sent one of the hands to get Jesse.”

  “Sure honey…I’ll be praying for your safety.”

  He smiled at her. “Thank You!” He kissed her cheek and he was out the door.

  Elise started preparing food for the men. She was concerned and hoped they found them, what would happen to a small child like Rose if they got a hold on her.

  She prayed for their safety as the group mounted up on their horses. It was all a part of the life of a rancher’s wife. Over the years she had spent many evenings and nights in prayer for safety. Cooper was a strong man and he was very smart about survival in the woods. But she was still concerned.

  The men started following evidence like foot tracks of the animals. It was almost dark and there was no sign of the animals. They decided to make camp. They started a fire and warmed up some food and made coffee. Soon after they ate, they decided to get some sleep.

  The sun rose brightly the next morning. They continued tracking after they ate. Three hours later they found the wolves. There were fifteen to twenty of them, the men pulled their guns and started shooting.

  Jesse and Tommy branched off to the side to get the ones that were running away from the pack. They both got off of their horses and were waiting for the wolves to come their direction.

  They were standing about 110 yards apart, when Tommy heard a low growl. He slowly turned his head to the right and noticed a wolf. It was growling and closing in slowly. Tommy started backing away from the wolf. As he did, he tripped over a tree root sticking out of the ground. He fell backward, throwing his gun over his head. He started tumbling down the small hill.

  Jesse noticed what happened and shot the wolf before it could lunge the direction that Tommy had fallen. He was relieved the wolf was dead, but was still concerned for Tommy. He yelled as he looked over the hill to find him.

  Tommy answered. Jesse asked if he was alright. Tommy moaned and told him he had hurt his ankle. Jesse slowly climbed down to check on him. When he got there he could tell it was at the least sprained; if not broken. It took Jesse a long time to get Tommy back up to the horses. It was difficult to get him on his horse, but the two of them managed.

  They went to find the others. Cooper was not too pleased that Tommy was hurt. He was thankful that he was not attacked by the wolf. He was also thankful his injury was not more severe. He knew Elise would be frantic until the doctor looked at him. He took Tommy straight to town.

  Jesse
and the hands noticed that a couple of the wolves were probably rabid. They built a huge fire and burned all the carcasses. They spent the rest of the day making sure the fire didn’t get out of control. Once it died down they covered it with dirt to make sure it was out.

  The doctor treated Tommy’s scrapes and wrapped his ankle. He told Cooper he would be fine in a couple of weeks. The sprain wasn’t as bad as it first appeared.

  When they arrived back at the ranch, Elise met them at the door. She was concerned when she noticed Tommy limping. She was thankful they were home. Cooper told her a couple of the wolves probably had rabies. They were all safer because Cooper and the rest of them killed the wolves. She hated to kill anything, but in a case like this, she wasn’t sorry.

  She helped Tommy to the settee, and propped his foot up on a cushion. Cooper relayed the doctor’s instructions. He kissed Elise’s cheek and then he was out the door to tend to the horses.

  Tommy told his ma and the boys about the wolf and how he tripped and fell over the hill. Elise was not happy about it, but was happy it wasn’t worse. David and Casey looked on with wide-eyed awe as Tommy told them his story. Elise couldn’t keep from smiling because he was being so dramatic about the ordeal. In a few minutes, she sent the boys out to do their chores. She told Tommy to rest. She went on about her chores for the day. Thanking God for all his many blessings and that Tommy was safe.

  Chapter 9

  Lucy received a letter from a gentleman whose ad she answered. She was anxious to read it, yet she didn’t want to know what the letter said either.

  She didn’t need any more rejection. She was still hoping Jake would show up and marry her. Each day that passed, left her a little more anxious about her situation.

  Dear Miss Dawson,

  I read your letter and appreciate your honesty. I can understand the gravity of your situation. You are blessed to have such nice group of friends. I agree with them, what happened was not your fault.