My Heart Belongs in Castle Gate, Utah

by Dicken, Angie;

  Alex continued, “I will not marry that girl. There are plenty of men who want a wife. Her father may be upset, but I refuse to touch his dowry.” He squeezed her hand, and his deep brown eyes lit with enthusiasm. “It is ironic that I’ve formed a plan for us just before Papa revealed his.”

  “A plan?” Her spirit leaped within her. “For us?” She braced herself. There was nothing they could do to continue this way. Even if she loved him, their time together was ending on this cold Christmas night.

  “I am going to find work in Salt Lake City,” he blurted.

  Her heart skipped. “But your family. You’ve built all this—”

  “They tell me to live more than work. Yanni says that I’ve done plenty.” He held her hands tighter. “This is the life I want.”

  “Even in Salt Lake City, you are still Greek and I am American.” Her eyes ached with frustration. She wanted to leap into his new plan, but her reason was strong and challenging every ounce of joy. “What is the difference in a lynching in Castle Gate or one in Salt Lake City?”

  “Why must we worry about those around us?” He was unaffected, still glowing with excitement. “If we cower to such prejudices, we are no better. There is nothing to stop us but our own fear.” His brow flinched with determination. “‘There is no fear in love.’”

  Tears threatened as she drank in the scripture that had soothed her soul long ago, now being spoken by the only man who could make her heart whole. “I once said that to my parents and they scoffed.”

  “It’s from the Good Book.” He winked.

  “You say it to me. And I want it to be true.” She brushed her fingers against the curls at his forehead. This man had been a strong rock all these weeks. Someone who’d broken through her grief and given her a new glimpse at who she wanted to be.

  Alex caught her hand. He took it and put her palm up to his lips, gently brushing it with a kiss. “Marry me, Leanna. We’ll prove that love is bigger.”

  Twining her fingers with his, she basked in the beauty of his words. Tears spilled, and her good reason was flooded by hope. Or perhaps this was good reason. Why cower in the face of hardship when she had something as grand as love on her side?

  She mumbled, “There’s no darkness but ignorance. And there’s no fear in love.” Nothing in the world seemed so wonderful—and so daring.

  Her heart skittered beneath her blouse, and her cheeks rushed with warmth. Alex waited like a child longing for a Christmas present. His face was so pure in its willingness, so filled with love.

  “But what if you find nothing in Salt Lake?” Her mind raced with the possibilities—both beautiful and tragic.

  “Then we’ll go to San Francisco. Or wherever God takes us. It might be difficult, but with love, there is always prosperity, right?” His face beamed.

  “San Francisco? You’d go with me?”

  He nodded and hooked her chin with his finger, pulling her close.

  “What about your family? Your father will be devastated. I am afraid to hurt them, Alex. They will be so hurt.”

  “Do not worry about them.” He brushed his lips on her forehead. “Like I said, they love you, Leanna. They might be shocked at first, but with time, we will spend Christmas with them once again, you’ll see.”

  “The last time I turned my back on love, look what happened.” She sighed. “If we do this, we mustn’t say a word while we’re still in Castle Gate.” She tried to sound firm, but he was kissing her cheek then her nose. His brow pressed against hers, and he drank her in with his gaze. “I don’t want harm to come to you, and believe me, there are people who want to harm you.”

  He gave a sideways glance to the kitchen, and said, “Don’t you worry,” then pressed his soft lips to hers. He pulled away slowly, Leanna allowing herself to indulge in his tender way. She opened her eyes and he cupped her cheek. “We will leave quickly. Tomorrow if you’d like. We won’t have time for danger.”

  They joined the rest of the family in the kitchen and helped pack up the leftover food. Leanna’s insides jumped about like the fiery flames beneath the mantel. She tried to douse them with the hope of this plan.

  She would marry Mr. Alex Pappas, a man who cared not only for her heart, but for her dream to educate.

  A niggling in her gut did not allow her to fully revel in that.

  His dream was for his family, and she would steal him away.

  “We leave Meesus McKee.” Maria interrupted her thoughts.

  Leanna knelt on the kitchen floor and embraced her. “Good-bye, sweet Maria.” She heard the sniffles from the girl and stroked her soft curls. “Don’t forget your English.”

  Yanni gently pulled his daughter from the embrace and held her hand. “Come, we go home now.” He smiled at Leanna and said, “Good-bye, Meesus McKee.”

  Teddy stole Maria’s spot and wrapped his arms around her neck.

  “You be a good boy, Teddy. No more chasing cats. Okay?” She tousled his hair and kissed his forehead.

  “There cats in Salt Lake City?” he asked, his eyes wide with curiosity.

  Leanna giggled. “Yes, there are.”

  After she said her good-byes to Penelope and baby George, the young family bundled up in their blankets, coats, and hats and headed home.

  Mrs. Pappas offered her a tin of cookies, catching her own sniffles with a handkerchief at her nose.

  “There is no use declining,” Alex whispered close to her ear. His minty breath tickled her skin. He lingered longer than he should. She stepped away shifting her eyes to Alex and scolding him with a glare. But the playful wag of his eyebrow captured her in an affectionate current more powerful than the lighted Main Street.

  “Meesus McKee?” Mrs. Pappas shoved the tin toward her and then gave Alex a serious look.

  She’d noticed. Of course.

  Leanna adjusted her hat then pulled her gloves from her pocket. She took the tin. “Eff-ah-di-sto, Mrs. Pappas.” Did she say that right?

  The woman’s face brightened and she clicked her tongue. Wildly, she tossed her hands up and exclaimed, “Bravo! Bravo!” She pulled Leanna’s face down and kissed her forehead then leveled her eyes with Leanna’s and said, “You be careful.”

  “Yes, I will.” She smiled brightly, but a deep uneasiness roused within her. Could she truly keep that word to Alex’s mother?

  A blast of cold bit through her layers when Alex opened the door. Momma squealed and moved closer to the fire. Leanna swept past him and stepped onto fresh snow. With a quiet click of the door, he followed her along the back of the restaurant.

  She spun around, tilting her head back so she could peer up beneath the rim of her hat. “You are brave, Alex Pappas.” She placed both hands on the center of his chest and fiddled with his coat button.

  “And so are you. We are the perfect match.” His grin hooked the corner of his mouth.

  Her lips parted in awe. She then swallowed hard. “Is it foolish that we dream up such a plan?”

  “Foolish? I was a fool before. But now I am finally wise again. My path is set straight, Leanna. There is a plan, I can feel it. And you are part of it. I am sure of that.” He pulled her even closer still, until the only warmth in the whole of Castle Gate kindled between their pulsing hearts. With a slight tilt of his head, his lips hovered over hers.

  “Alex—” Before she could finish, he kissed her. The warmth exploded, defying the cold around them. His firm lips explored her own, and he pressed harder. She gripped handfuls of his coat; his heartbeat pounded against her fists.

  A sudden crack from behind startled her, and she ran to the far edge of the porch.

  “Who’s there?” she demanded into the darkness of the nearby path.

  There was no answer but the rustle of dead leaves.

  “It was an animal, Leanna.” Alex walked up to her. “I am sure it was a raccoon. They are rampant here.”

  She stiffened, taking a step back. “What if it was Coffey?” Fear iced every vein. The warmth of his lips, a dist
ant memory.

  “Would he leave us in peace or come out and reprimand us?” Alex chuckled, calming her nerves.

  She sighed. “True.”

  “I’ll meet you next week, at the trolley stop near Temple Square.” Their plan was set, but she wanted to speak of nothing right now. She only nodded and hurried toward the path to her home.

  Was this the beginning of a second chance at love, or an inevitable disaster?

  Leanna’s eyes popped open as she lay on her mattress. Her mind raced with all that happened this Christmas night. The thrill of Alex’s proposal sent chills down her arms, but her stomach swam with anxiety at what they were about to do. In just a couple of days, she’d arrive at Bethany’s, only to decline her position—if everything worked out according to Alex. Were they fooling themselves? Dreaming up such an easy elopement seemed naive.

  Gusts whistled under the door, piercing her nerves. She pulled her quilt to her chin. She had yet to find peace in living alone. And she wouldn’t have to, would she?

  Leanna groaned, trying to muster up the same excitement she had felt in Alex’s arms.

  If only she could have his faith in their future together. Faith and determination. Both of which she lacked right now. Her heart fluttered, and she sank farther into her mattress. Where could this dream come true?

  San Francisco could be a possibility for her with Alex by her side—he even suggested it. Perhaps the coast was more progressive and more accepting? Her hope swelled to the far corners of the future. Yes, they could find a way. Life for them both was out there, somewhere.

  She rolled over on her side, pulling her knees up and squeezing her eyes tight.

  Lord, let it be so.

  The high-pitched gusts turned into a distant growl. No, that was not the wind. Straining her ears, she could make out far-off shouting. She pressed her ear to the outside wall against Jack’s side of the bed. The loud pulse of blood forced her to hold her breath. Yes, living alone was miserable. Was she imagining this? It was late and she was exhausted. Perhaps—

  There. Another shout, barely audible.

  Tiptoeing across her house, she made sure the door was locked properly. What drunkards were causing a ruckus at this time of night? Probably some young miners celebrating without any thought to sleeping families and rattled widows.

  She turned the key once more for peace of mind and slipped it in her nightgown pocket. Her whole body froze at the sound of smothered voices. She ran to the window, pressing her ear against it. Mr. Coffey’s low voice eclipsed his whining wife’s words, and the distant shouts continued to erupt.

  Why was anyone up at this hour, in this cold, unless something terrible had gone awry?

  A sudden realization gripped her with dread. She had left Alex for fear of being watched in the back of the restaurant. Did this strange disturbance on Christmas night have anything to do with that? She thrust her bare feet into her boots and flung her coat around her shoulders. Her icy hands fumbled with the key as she unlocked her door.

  The bite of winter did not stop her from rushing onto the path. The Coffeys stood on their porch arguing back and forth. They both stopped as she passed.

  Mr. Coffey edged out from the porch, fully dressed. “Why, Mrs. McKee, you sure are up late this evening.” He laughed nervously as he fiddled with his gloves.

  “Mr. Coffey, I must say the same—” Leanna gasped. A funnel of smoke rose to the sky, just beyond the trees.

  “Mrs. McKee, I trust you to be a smart woman and go back inside,” he spoke with authority.

  The restaurant.

  Leanna ignored her prying neighbor and began to run. Yelling grew louder, and when she came to the end of the path, whipping flames lashed into view.

  Several of his countrymen spilled out of the Greek coffeehouse across the street with pails of water and blankets.

  “Quick! It is spreading fast.” Alex held open the front door of the restaurant, broken glass crunching beneath his boots. The men shuffled inside. He took one of the pails and tossed it at the burning dining room. Anger coursed through him. He ground his teeth and blinked back tears induced by the smoke.

  This was no accident. He was sure of it.

  He had stayed in the kitchen after Leanna left, praying and considering his words with Papa about the arranged marriage. Once the embers in the kitchen fireplace died, Alex began to gather his things. It was late, and he was exhausted.

  The shatter of glass had pierced the silence, and he ran into the dining room just in time to see a bolt of fire land on the front table. He was quick to fill up a pail to extinguish it. But by the time he’d returned, two more fiery bricks had been tossed inside, and the front half of the room was ablaze, smoke filling fast.

  His shouts down Main Street were answered by his friends at the coffeehouse. The bachelor miners were no doubt wallowing in the misery of another Christmas without family.

  Like ants upon a fallen crumb, his friends aided him immediately.

  “The roof! It has reached the roof!” someone shouted, running across the street and tossing the water up as best as he could.

  Alex ran to the back of the restaurant to fill up his bucket, panic swelling in his body. Leanna rushed toward him from her path.

  “Oh, Alex, what happened—” she exclaimed, her face blanched and her eyes dark beneath her brow.

  “Follow me. Help me get water.” He jogged around to the back and went to the pump while Leanna retrieved another pail near the porch. He filled his, then Leanna began to fill hers. The water sloshed as they carried the pails along the side of the restaurant and through the dining-room door. She began to cough, and he fought the urge to aid her. She would leave if she needed to. He could not tend to her, no matter how much he wanted to do so.

  The fire was somewhat contained to the front of the dining room. Most of the men were dealing with the fire on the front portion of the roof. They doused water on the last of the burning chairs. A billow of smoke swarmed them.

  “Leave, Leanna.” He coughed into his arm and followed her out and around to the back of the restaurant. She headed to the pump, but coughing racked her posture and she stumbled back.

  Alex grabbed her by the elbow and led her to the kitchen. She collapsed on a stool. “Stay here. If the smoke reaches you, go outside.”

  He filled his bucket once more and sprinted around the building.

  “We think it is out, Alex.” Constantine bent over with his hands on his knees, catching his breath. “The roof is slightly damaged, but the fire is gone.”

  Alex tossed the water through the door for good measure then threw the bucket to the ground.

  “What caused this, Alex?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know. But it was malicious, I am sure of that.”

  “You have no enemies,” Constantine assured him by words, yet his brow was cumbersome.

  “What?” Alex sneered. “A Greek foreman over American men? No enemies?”

  “But on Christmas? What could have sparked such an action?”

  Alex ran his fingers through his hair, clutching at his curls tightly. That pain was nothing to what pinched him on the inside.

  He knew what started this. The knowledge ripped through him, tearing apart his heart.

  There was no animal in the woods that evening. At least, not the kind of animal he had assumed was out there.

  “Thank you, friends.” He inspected the damage once more. It would take time to fix, but it was not hopeless. “Go. We’ve had enough excitement this evening.” He patted Constantine on the back and shook hands with the remaining men. They trickled across the street, their mumbling bumping against the thoughts in Alex’s mind.

  Only a few hours earlier and the result could have been disastrous. Hadn’t he watched Teddy and Maria play hide-and-seek behind the tables at the front of the restaurant?

  Their screams filled his imagination.

  He slammed his hands on the wall, trembling at the possibilities. Darkness tormente
d him as he returned to the kitchen.

  If only he would have listened to Leanna from the very beginning, none of this would have happened.

  Exhaustion crippled Leanna as she leaned against the brick wall of the kitchen. A seed of fear burrowed in her stomach. Perhaps the smoke had gotten to her head—the smoke from the fire that she had started. She suddenly became aware of a massive expanse that she’d stumbled into, a blindfold slipping from her face as she fell, fell, fell into the blackness of all that was the coal town—the very antithesis of God’s plan for her.

  Hot tears slid down her chilled face, and she dragged herself up from the stool, wiping them away with the cuff of her coat.

  “Everything I feared has happened, all because of my wayward heart.” She spoke into her hands, shaking her head with remorse.

  “What do you say?” Alex entered through the kitchen door held ajar by a pile of loose bricks. Weariness cloaked his face, and the usual glint in his eyes was gone.

  “The fire—is the damage terrible?”

  “It is what it is.” He lowered his eyes, pulling off his gloves.

  “There is a reason for this, Alex. No matter how much I stand up and embrace your family—” She folded her arms. “No matter how much I love you, we are not invincible to the ways of this place. This is exactly why I accepted the position in Salt Lake City.”

  He took wide strides and gripped the fireplace mantel with both hands, hanging his head below his shoulders. “Do you think it really could’ve been…” Torment seeped from his voice. “Could it really have been someone like Coffey who would do this?”

  “I know it is.” She wanted to wrap her arms around him and weep apologies into his familiar embrace. “He was arguing with his wife outside at this late hour. When I noticed the smoke, he did not act surprised at all.”

  A deep groan escaped from Alex, and he slammed his palms against the mantel. “How dare he? What if my family was inside? What if—” He kicked the iron grate at his feet, the clanging irritating the quiet.