“Y-y-your husband.” Amelia’s gaze darted up to check if Charlotte was angry. “He wanted me to give you a message, but I forgot, what with bringing Vern home and all.”
“I understand.” Charlotte automatically said the words, but she wished Amelia would get to the point.
“H-he said he’d be here.”
“Here?” Wyatt clearly hadn’t attended worship.
“No.” Amelia shook her head. “He said to tell you that he was coming back.”
Coming back? It could only mean one thing. Praise God! Wyatt was coming home.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Charlotte’s fingers flew over the fabric for Rebecca’s dress. By Monday afternoon, she was ready to do the final fitting. Holly wanted to see the finished gown, so after makeshift school let out, Charlotte and Holly headed to the hotel with Heidi and Sasha.
Rebecca met them on the porch, a peculiar flush in her cheeks. “I can’t believe you finished it already. How can I ever thank you? Many ladies offered to give me their old gowns, and I don’t mean to be unkind, but they’re rather in need of repair.”
Charlotte understood. No one in Evans Grove had the sort of wardrobe Miss Sterling was used to. “Show them to me after the fitting, and I’ll see which ones I can fix.” It was the least Charlotte could do after all of Rebecca’s help securing the necessary documents to adopt Sasha.
“Charlotte is the finest dressmaker in Evans Grove,” Holly insisted.
It was Charlotte’s turn to blush.
“I can see that,” Rebecca said. “You should open a shop.”
A shop? Charlotte looked around at the stores in Evans Grove. “I never considered making dresses for others.”
Holly added her voice to Rebecca’s. “You were looking for work, weren’t you? This would be perfect.”
Charlotte had intended to look for work, but those days seemed so long ago. And now that Wyatt was coming home, she’d stopped fretting over money and started dreaming of a family again. She blushed at the thought of holding a baby of her own.
“Charlotte? What is it?” Holly had that knowing smile on her face.
Charlotte shook her head. “Nothing. Just a dream.”
Holly squeezed her arm. “Dreams can come true. Mine did.”
“Mine might too.” Rebecca showed again the spark that Charlotte had noticed when they first walked up. Her gaze drifted back to Heidi, who was keeping a good watch on Sasha at the end of the porch. “I received a surprise in today’s post.”
“Holly! Can I have a word?” Pauline Evans bustled toward them, a frown on her face and papers in hand.
Holly started down the steps, but Pauline waved her back. “Good morning, ladies,” she said when she got to the top. “Have any of you seen Curtis Brooks?”
Charlotte tried to think back. “He was at the hearing on Friday. Did he help at the fire?”
Pauline confirmed that he’d worked beside her in the bucket brigade.
“He wasn’t in church Sunday,” Rebecca noted.
“Nor could I find him Saturday,” Pauline said. “What is that man up to? And now this.” She shook the papers. “I don’t know what to make of it. Money. From nowhere.”
“Nowhere? For what?”
“See for yourself.” Pauline handed the papers to Holly, who quickly read the contents.
“It’s a banknote for—” Holly gasped at the sum.
“That’s right,” Pauline said. “This has to be Curtis’s doing.”
Holly frowned. “But the note is from the Greenville office of the Prairie Trust Bank. Mr. Brooks works out of Newfield.”
“It’s still his bank,” Pauline fumed. “Who else knew about the fire? Who else could send a note so quickly?” She waved the remaining papers. “This is outrageous. Am I supposed to accept such a sum? I don’t see how I can refuse, but what strings are attached? What is he going to want from us in return?”
Charlotte looked at Holly to see if she understood what the mayor was saying. Clearly she did not, for Holly posed the question that was in all their minds.
“I can see this is a banknote, but for what?”
“To build a new school.”
At first they all stared, then Rebecca squealed. “Me too! I received a banknote to build an orphanage right here in Evans Grove. Isn’t it wonderful?”
Pauline frowned. “Perhaps too wonderful. There must be a catch.”
But when Holly and Rebecca cried out in protest, Pauline conceded defeat.
“Who am I to turn down money to better our town?”
“Then you’ll take it?” Holly asked breathlessly. “That much will build an even larger school.”
“Well, I intend to take the money for the orphanage,” Rebecca said.
“All right. All right,” Pauline said. “You win.”
“When can we begin? Who will draw the plans?” The questions flew from both of them so fast that the mayor put up her hands.
“One step at a time, ladies.”
“Of course,” Holly and Rebecca said in unison. Then, looking at each other, they burst into giggles and hopped around like schoolgirls.
Rebecca clapped a hand to her mouth, but it couldn’t smother her joy. “An orphanage would solve everything. If I could get Mr. Armstrong to agree, Heidi—and Jakob if we find him—could stay right here until we find a family for them. Maybe other children not chosen off the trains could stay here, too. It would be wonderful. Mr. Armstrong has to see it’s the perfect solution. I’m going to wire him right away.”
Holly followed with her own plans for a new and improved classroom.
Charlotte watched, excited for her friends. Everything was working out for the best for those who loved the Lord.
Maybe it would work out for her, too.
* * *
Wyatt didn’t look forward to facing Charlotte, but he had to come clean with her. She deserved to know everything he’d done in the past and everything he intended to do now that he’d been sworn in as deputy marshal. Once she heard that he probably wouldn’t make it home alive, she’d accept going their separate ways.
After his first Sunday service since the war, he and Mason had met with Judge Broadside, who readily agreed to wire the federal marshal for the Nebraska District. They then spoke with Curtis Brooks, who confirmed that none of Evans Grove’s supplies had been purchased from Baxter. Monday morning, Mason straightened out Greenville’s deputy sheriff.
“I should have given the man more oversight,” Mason said to Wyatt, once they’d left. “If it doesn’t work out with the marshal, I’d love to have you take over here.”
“Tempting offer, but I’ve got to get those orphans.” Marshal or no marshal.
Thankfully, Wyatt didn’t have to go outside the law. Approval came that afternoon. By two o’clock, they were headed back to Evans Grove.
“Should arrive in time for supper,” Mason mused aloud. “Too bad we missed Sunday dinner. Holly planned fried chicken, my favorite. Maybe she’s holding off until my return.”
Wyatt remembered the roasted chicken that Charlotte had made last Sunday. He’d tasted better-seasoned birds over the years, but none had warmed him the way hers did. The way she set the fowl before him and asked him to carve. The eager look of anticipation as he took his first bite. The pure joy when he said it was delicious. Each memory bored deep into his soul.
Sweet stars, he loved her.
More than anything he wanted to stay with her, to live in peace and take his place in a loving community. But he had to pay for his sins. It wasn’t for God’s sake—Wyatt knew with a bone-deep certainty that the Lord already forgave him for his sins, with no payment required other than his faith. No, Wyatt needed this quest to remind him that he could use his abilities to do something good, to help those who needed his protection. Only then could he truly let go of the past, and take a chance on a new beginning. But until then, what did he have to offer to Charlotte? He couldn’t promise her a life together today when tomorrow he might die.
> Meanwhile, Mason had been extolling Holly’s cooking. “She’ll fatten up this old bird,” he chuckled, rubbing his lean gut, “and she’ll get some meat on Liam. That boy is thin as a desert coyote.”
They splashed through the creek where Wyatt had committed his life to the Lord. The nightmares had stopped, and he finally knew peace. He shook his head over his fool stubbornness. He should have gone on his knees years ago, but he hadn’t been able to see the path from the thicket. Now it was plain as a stagecoach road.
“Why don’t you and Charlotte and Sasha come over for supper?” Mason asked. “Holly won’t mind.”
Wyatt shook his head. Mason had been trying to talk him out of his plan to leave Charlotte and Sasha, and Wyatt figured supper at the Wrights’ would only bring one more voice nagging at him. “I need to talk to Charlotte.”
“You have a responsibility to her and Sasha.”
“That’s right, I do. But I also have a responsibility to save those kids. Maybe if I survive, she’ll let me come back, but she’s suffered so much loss. It wouldn’t be fair to leave her mourning again.”
“I can see where you’re comin’ from,” Mason said, “but we can’t protect our loved ones from everything.”
Wyatt set his jaw. “I can protect her from grief.”
“Don’t you think she oughta have a say?”
Wyatt had heard the argument so many times that he had to rein in the urge to lash out at Mason. The man didn’t understand. “It’s for her own good.”
“Charlotte might seem delicate, but she’s a strong woman. Let her decide.”
Wyatt couldn’t. He’d felt her tears and despair. He’d held her trembling body, and he couldn’t bear to think of putting her through more pain.
* * *
After Pauline left and Rebecca quieted enough to stand still for the fitting, Holly and Charlotte and her daughter headed home. They walked together up Third Street. At Liberty, Holly would head for the teacherage.
“Papa?” Sasha asked, a worried look on her face.
Charlotte hadn’t found a way to tell her Wyatt might not return. She prayed she would never have to. “Soon.” She took her daughter’s hand. “I’m sure he’ll be back soon.”
“Since we haven’t gotten any word from Greenville, everything must be all right,” Holly reasoned.
Charlotte hoped her friend was right.
“Papa!” Sasha tugged on her hand.
“No, Papa’s not here,” Charlotte patiently told her.
But then Holly shrieked, “Mason!”
Her cry of joy tugged Charlotte out of her worry. Holly was already running toward the corner of Liberty. No buggies or wagons lumbered toward them, just two horsemen. Mason and...
“Wyatt!” Charlotte cried. She picked up Sasha and started running toward him.
At first Wyatt halted, still on horseback, while Mason dropped to the ground and rushed to Holly. The sheriff swung his bride around in a circle and kissed her madly. Only then did Wyatt slip off Dusty, but he didn’t run toward her. He walked slowly, grimly, with excruciating heaviness.
He wasn’t going to stay.
Charlotte’s heart sank, and she stumbled. After catching her balance, she let Sasha down and struggled to breathe life into her weakened limbs.
All things work for good for those who love the Lord.
Holly’s favorite verse popped into Charlotte’s mind.
Please, Lord. I do love You. I do trust You. Please help this work for good.
“Papa!” Sasha ran toward Wyatt, arms outstretched. “Papa. Papa.”
Her cries tore a hole in Charlotte’s heart. How could he leave his little girl? He must know how much she would miss him.
Of course. From the mouths of babes. Charlotte took a breath, and strength returned to her legs. She rose as Wyatt scooped Sasha into his arms. The little girl wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight, showering him with unconditional love. Holly’s advice coursed through her mind. Love him as he is now. That’s what Wyatt needed from her right now, to know that she loved him. No questions. No demands. Just love.
Joy bubbled up. She could love him. She did love him. Without heed to what anyone might think, she ran to Wyatt and wrapped her arms around him. Though she felt him stiffen at her touch, she couldn’t let doubt distract her from what needed to be said.
“Wyatt. You’re safe. I’m so thankful to God for answering my prayers.”
He cleared his throat and broke away. “We need to talk.”
She wouldn’t let him stop her. Before anything else he needed to know how she felt, so she blurted it out. “I love you.”
He looked stunned and then distressed as he disentangled himself from Sasha and set her down.
Charlotte’s confidence tumbled.
* * *
“There’s a lot you need to know,” he said stiffly.
“Such as how he captured Baxter without a fight.” Mason walked near. “And got him to confess.”
“That was your doing.” Wyatt didn’t much care for accolades, even in front of the woman who’d just declared her love for him. He hated breaking her heart. He hated it even more now that he knew she loved him. Adding in Sasha’s devotion made it worse still.
Mason clapped him on the back. “Nonsense. Best deputy I ever had. Too bad I’ll be losing him.”
Charlotte paled, but Mason grinned.
“Don’t you worry, Mrs. Reed, it’s an honor. Your husband is now a Deputy U.S. Marshal.”
Charlotte’s stunning hazel eyes rounded. “Deputy Marshal?”
Wyatt scowled. He’d wanted to explain this all to Charlotte in the privacy of her house, not in the middle of the street.
“That’s right.” Mason wrapped an arm around his new bride. They looked so happy that it pained Wyatt.
“I have a job to do,” he tried to explain to Charlotte. “Baxter was running the orphanage as a front for child labor. He shipped the kids out to mines and farms. I intend to find them all and bring them someplace safe. Haven’t figured that part out yet. I was hoping to talk to Miss Sterling.”
“The new orphanage,” Charlotte breathed, looking to Holly.
“It’s perfect,” Holly agreed.
“What new orphanage?” Mason asked before Wyatt could spit out the question.
“Rebecca got a banknote to build a new orphanage right here in Evans Grove,” Holly said. “And the town got money for a new school, too. Can you believe it? Right when the need is greatest. If you ask me, God had His hand in this.”
Mason stared straight at Wyatt as if to confirm his wife’s assertion. “That’s what happens when you put Jesus in command.”
The women looked to each other and Mason in confusion, but the sheriff left this revelation to Wyatt.
The words felt awkward after so many years of denial, but Wyatt knew he needed to say them. “I finally came to my senses and turned my life over to the Lord.”
The joy on Charlotte’s face could outshine the sun. “Oh, Wyatt.” Her arms stretched out to embrace him, but he couldn’t let her get too close.
He held up his hands and backed away. “You need to know some things about me first.”
Holly tugged Mason off to retrieve his horse. That left Wyatt and Charlotte alone with Sasha, who was eying Dusty from a safe distance.
Charlotte squared her shoulders. “I know all I need to.”
He shook his head. She stood too close. The touch of her, the smell of her, the sight of her filled his senses with longing. He wanted a life with her. The peace he’d sought since the war was right here, but first he had penance to pay.
“I killed people in the war,” he blurted out.
She didn’t flinch. “I expect most soldiers do.”
“Not just Rebel soldiers. Civilians. Innocents. Women and children.”
Distress flickered in her eyes.
“We were ordered to burn everything in Atlanta. The people were supposed to evacuate the city, but not everyone left.
I saw them. I saw their shadows in the flames. You see, I set the fires. I burned down their houses. I heard those people cry out, and I didn’t save them.” He couldn’t bear to look at her. “I told myself they supported Rebel soldiers. They’d turned their men against their own country. If they hadn’t sent their husbands and sons into battle, my friends wouldn’t have died.” A jagged cry tried to rise but he stuffed it down. “Johnny died in my arms. I’d talked him into enlisting.” He had to choke off the emotion again. “It’s no excuse. I should have checked the houses. I should have tried to save them. I was a coward.” Truth hurt. It cut clean through, worse than the bayonet wound in his shoulder, worse than the bullet in his knee.
He heard her draw a breath and had to look. Surely she hated him now.
Instead, her eyes glittered liquid in the sun. Her words fell soft as spring rain. “You’re the bravest man I know.”
She forgave him. Like God forgave him. But as unwarranted as that gift was, he still couldn’t open his heart to her. “Those people in Atlanta...there’s nothing I can do for them now. But the children from Baxter’s orphanage are still out there. I can still help them. I can’t bring back the dead, but I can save the living.”
Her eyes glowed as she grasped his hands. “Of course you can.”
“You don’t understand. It’s dangerous. I could get shot.” He paused to let the impact sink in, but the woman stood strong.
“I don’t care.”
He tried again. “I don’t want you to suffer through another death, so I’m giving you the chance to hold to our agreement. I’ll leave. The money is yours, like I said in the letter, but at least—”
“Stop this instant,” she barked in a tone he’d seldom heard from soft-spoken Charlotte. Her index finger poked into his chest. “Do not think you can shirk your responsibilities, Mr. Reed. You have a wife and daughter who love and adore you. I don’t care what foolish argument you come up with. We are never leaving you. Understand?”
He blinked, stunned by her reaction. “But I could die.”
She was sick of his feeble excuses. In the past few days, she’d learned a lot. All things did work for good for those who loved the Lord. She would put her faith and her future in God’s hands.
Christine Johnson Page 24
