A Love to Last Forever

by Tracie Peterson

  Gwen reached out and took hold of Beth’s hand. “Of course you did. No one doubts that.”

  “But then I thought, with Pa gone,” Beth said, shaking her head, “we wouldn’t have to leave. We could stay put and run Gallatin House. When you even suggested the possibility of selling out and moving, I was heartsick. I wanted to stay here. I still do. It doesn’t have to be here in Gallatin House, but this area is home to me. I love the people—I finally have friends.”

  Gwen nodded. “It’s all right, Beth. I think I understand perfectly.”

  “I’ve felt so guilty,” Beth admitted. “I didn’t want anyone to think that I wanted Pa to die. I just wanted a home.” Beth looked to Lacy. “You’ve been so good to care about what really happened—to get justice for Pa. And, Gwen, you were so worried about being cursed and causing Pa’s death. It was something I could understand because I worried that my own resentment toward Pa about moving had somehow brought it about.” She paused. “I just want your forgiveness for being relieved that Pa couldn’t move us again.”

  “There’s nothing to forgive,” Gwen declared. “You can’t help that you wanted a home. Pa loved us all very much, but he didn’t always think about what was most important to us.”

  Lacy had been silent throughout most of Beth’s confession. Beth worried that her younger sister might not be willing to forgive her the past as easily as Gwen. “Lacy,” Beth began, “are you mad at me?”

  Lacy looked confused for a moment, then shook her head. “No. I really do understand. I’m mad at myself. I keep thinking that if I could just find Pa’s killer, this would be put to rest once and for all. I think we’ve all had to deal with our guilt and frustration over Pa’s dying.”

  “But it isn’t your place to find Pa’s killer,” Gwen countered. “Honestly, Lacy, what purpose will it serve?”

  Beth was surprised at the anger in Gwen’s tone. Their sister seldom lost her temper—especially with one of them.

  Lacy got to her feet. “I don’t expect you to understand. You never have. Let it be enough for you to know that it’s something I feel God would have me do. If you have a problem with it, take it up with God.” She stormed from the room, knocking over one of the dining room chairs as she went.

  The loud clatter of wood upon wood resounded in the otherwise silent room. Beth dried her eyes on her apron and drew a deep breath. “I feel like I caused that. I’m sorry.”

  “No, it wasn’t your fault. She told me the other day that she can’t keep her promise to leave off with the search for Pa’s killer. Even if it was just an accident, as everyone believes, Lacy thinks a name needs to be given to the culprit. I’m worried that she’ll end up getting hurt.”

  “Well, we can pray.”

  Gwen reponded with a smile. “Yes. We can pray.”

  By noon the house was back in order and ready for the evening stage. Hank marveled at the efficiency of the Gallatin sisters while enjoying his lunch.

  “You three never fail to amaze me,” he said, giving his wife a smile. “How in the world you managed to put everything right in such a short time is a mystery to me.”

  “Well, the laundry isn’t finished just yet,” Beth said, digging into the meat pie her sister had made. “The sheets are drying outside and then I’ll have to iron them. That will take me the better part of the afternoon.”

  “Still, my hat is off to each of you.”

  A knock sounded at the front door, causing Lacy to jump up. “I’ll see who it is.” She left and momentarily returned with a well-dressed man. He carried a leather satchel in one hand and a black bowler hat in the other.

  “Ah, Mr. Bishop,” he said in greeting.

  “Mr. Weiserman.” Hank got to his feet and extended his hand. “I didn’t expect to see you.”

  Weiserman juggled the hat and satchel and shook Hank’s hand. “I know. I had the Vanhouten papers ready and wanted to bring them to you straightaway. I know you’re anxious to move forward.”

  “Would you care to join us for lunch?” Gwen asked. “We have plenty.”

  Weiserman smiled. “I’d like that very much.”

  Gwen motioned him to take a seat. “Would you like coffee, as well?”

  “That sounds equally good.” Weiserman took his place beside Hank and placed the satchel on the floor.

  “I’ll take your hat,” Lacy offered.

  Soon Mr. Weiserman was settled in, enjoying the meal alongside them. He complimented Gwen on the meat pie and gravy.

  “It reminds me of my mother’s bierrocks,” he declared. “She arrived in America from Germany, and her cooking is full of memories from the old country.”

  “What a poetic way of putting it,” Gwen said, smiling. “Does your mother also live in Bozeman?”

  He shook his head. “No. She and my father live in Illinois. When I brought my family west, they were quite grief-stricken, but they understood the necessity. Our youngest son has breathing difficulties and needed the drier air.”

  When the meal concluded, Hank suggested they go next door to the store to review the papers.

  “There will be a stage through here this evening, and the ladies have further preparations to make,” Hank told Mr. Weiserman.

  As they walked to the store, Hank pointed to the road. “The stage comes through here on a regular basis. It’s a good place for a town, especially with the railroad coming in.”

  “I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, but it’s my understanding that the railroad is going in to the north of this area.”

  Hank frowned. “Are you certain of that?”

  “I have it upon good authority that the route was easier to build by going north. It will come through Bozeman and head directly west. My law firm is already dealing with some of the details, although I would ask you to say nothing about it until the railroad is ready to announce it.”

  “That is bad news,” Hank said. “But not a complete tragedy. We still have the stage route.”

  Mr. Weiserman entered the store as Hank held open the door. “It’s hard to predict,” he told Hank, “but my guess is that the stage stop will relocate to the towns along the tracks. Supplies and services will be easier to obtain, and many passengers will seek to debark and continue their journey on the train.”

  “So you believe this is the beginning of the end for our little town.”

  “I hate to say so, but I’ve seen it happen before.”

  Hank nodded. “Still, I’ve committed to this land. The deal is complete, as you very well know.”

  “Perhaps you will be able to sell it in whole to a rancher. That would be the best solution.” Weiserman pulled the papers from his satchel and presented them to Hank. “Why don’t you look them over.”

  Hank felt little excitement in doing so. He had hoped this area would boom to life with the railroad. Now it seemed as if those dreams were fading into impossibility. There was always a chance that Weiserman was wrong. Hank considered that for a moment. Adrian Murphy had wanted the line to come through the area, and he had a great deal of influence over his superiors. At least that was what he had told Hank. Maybe Adrian was nothing more than a blowhard—a braggart who had no power to direct the choice at all. And of course, Weiserman had mentioned that his law office was already working on details for the railroad.

  Still, the news was not to Hank’s liking. Maybe the purchase of the Vanhouten land had been a mistake. Perhaps he should have asked for Gwen’s thoughts on the matter before jumping into an agreement.

  “Everything looks to be in order,” he said as he glanced over the papers.

  “I’m glad you find it so. Mr. Vanhouten was quite eager to be reunited with his wife. I know that weighed heavy on him,” Weiserman said.

  “Yes. I know it, too.”

  The bell over the front door sounded as Rafe Reynolds swaggered into the store. “Howdy, Bishop.”

  Hank nodded. “Let me know if you need anything.” He turned his attention back to the papers. “Do I need to sign?�
��

  “Yes,” Weiserman said. “On the fourth page, you’ll see two places that I’ve marked for your signature. After that, the land will be yours. I have two other copies for you to sign, as well. I’ll keep one to file and one will go to Mr. Vanhouten.”

  “What land are you buying from Vanhouten?” Rafe asked, frowning.

  Hank hadn’t realized the man was listening in. The last thing he’d wanted was to explain his transaction to Rafe. The man would be livid. He’d long been after Vanhouten to sell him additional land so that he could expand his business. Still, Rafe was right here, and there was no hope of keeping the news to himself for long.

  “I bought him out. He’s moving east.”

  “You what?” Rafe looked at the lawyer, who apparently figured that since Hank had offered this much, he was at liberty to share his thoughts on the matter.

  “Mr. Bishop is now the proud owner of the Vanhouten ranch lands. With exception to the house and ten acres. That has gone to Mr. Shepard.”

  Rafe threw down a can of beans in anger. “Vanhouten knew I wanted land. I offered to pay him twice what it was worth so that I could build my own hotel and expand the saloon.”

  “Perhaps that’s why he didn’t sell to you, Rafe,” Hank countered. “The Vanhoutens are temperance people.”

  The barkeeper’s face reddened a deep crimson. Hank had never seen Rafe quite this angry. “You do-gooders think you’ll ruin me. Well, you’ve got another think comin’. I’m not one to be pushed around and forced out.” He stomped out of the store, slamming the door behind him.

  Hank looked at Mr. Weiserman apologetically. “I’m afraid Mr. Reynolds is going to be less than happy with my purchase.”

  “There’s nothing he can do about it now.”

  “I wish you were right, Mr. Weiserman, but you don’t know Rafe Reynolds. He won’t give up so easily, and I fear we’ll all pay the price before he’s through.”

  Hank sat in his office until even after he’d heard the stage pull in. He knew Gwen and her sisters would easily manage Gallatin House and the customers, and frankly, he just needed time to be alone and think.

  If the railroad route truly was settled and would go in eight miles to the north, he wasn’t at all sure what they would do. Weiserman was probably right about the stage line changing its stop, as well. No doubt it would be less than convenient to stop both here and another eight miles down the road. Many folks would be happy to change over to the train for the speed and comfort of an easier mode of transportation. Those who couldn’t afford the train could just as easily journey on without ever making a stop at Gallatin House.

  He frowned. It seemed to be just one more reminder of how ill-equipped he was to deal with Montana and the life he had here. What would be best? Should they try to get a fix on where the railroad would be and move their businesses north? At least that would get them away from Rafe. Maybe he could even sell a portion of Vanhouten’s land to the saloon owner.

  “Lord, I don’t know how to find the answers,” he prayed. “I’m just as new to you and seeking your direction for my life as I am to Montana.” For the first time in a great long while, a sense of failure niggled at the corners of his mind. All he wanted to do was be a good businessman and husband.

  He looked at the contract on his desk once again and shook his head. “What am I supposed to do with all this land if we don’t set up a town?”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  “Ellie is pregnant,” Simon told Nick as they prepared for yet another day. They were alone in the forge area when he blurted out the news.

  Nick eyed his brother sternly. “Is the baby yours?”

  Simon shook his head. “I’ve never . . . well . . . you know. I haven’t been with Ellie that way.”

  “I’m glad. You know what trouble it can cause.”

  “Doesn’t much matter. This has caused trouble enough. If Rafe finds out, he’ll make her get rid of the baby. She told me he made Marie do the same thing last summer.”

  Nick cringed at the thought. “What are you going to do?”

  “Well, I want to get Ellie out of here.”

  “Sounds reasonable. Where will you send her?”

  “That’s the problem,” Simon told his brother. “I can’t just send her off. I plan to go with her. I want to marry her and take care of her and the baby.”

  Nick was surprised by this announcement. He knew his brother was sweet on Ellie, but for him to just pick up and leave was an entirely different thing. “You’d go?”

  Simon looked torn by the question. “You know I wouldn’t want to desert you, but . . . well . . . Ellie needs me, and I need her.”

  Nick laughed. “I wasn’t worried about myself. I just wondered what you’d do about the business—about your livelihood.”

  “I’ll take my share of the tools with me and start over.

  There’s always a need for a good smithy.”

  “Rafe will come after you. You know that, don’t you? He’ll put the law on you unless you buy out Ellie’s contract.”

  “I’ve already tried to do that. He told me even if I had the money, he wouldn’t let me pay off her obligations.” Simon pumped the billows as Nick stoked the fire. “He doesn’t want her happy. Rafe seems to love knowing that people are miserable on his account.”

  “I know. No matter what you choose to do, it won’t be easy. You know the problems that come from making the wrong decision.” Nick knew only too well for himself. His mind overran with painful memories based on his poor choices.

  “Can you manage without me? You’d be welcome to join us, but I’d hate to run off and leave Uncle Forrest and the others.”

  “I can manage. I wouldn’t leave. We’ve got the stage contract, and well, you know how I feel about Beth. I plan to put more effort into our relationship. I don’t know if she’ll be as interested, but that’s my plan.”

  Simon smiled. “I think Beth Gallatin is happy for your attention. You need to get in there and stake your claim before someone else does.”

  “I’ll take care of things with Beth—don’t you worry. What we need to do is figure out how you’re going to make this work with Ellie.”

  “I’ve been thinking on that. We need to be able to leave as soon as Rafe is settled in for the night. That will give us a good ten- or twelve-hour head start. I had thought about taking the stage out one morning, but that would only give us a few hours before Rafe would wake up and know that she was gone.”

  “And it would be better if no one could say they saw you leave,” Nick said thoughtfully. “You know, we should probably talk to Hank about this. He’d have a better idea of how to handle the situation. Maybe he could even talk Rafe into letting you buy out Ellie’s contract and then you wouldn’t have to worry so much about it. You could even stay here. With Evan and Millie’s house nearly finished, we’d have the room for you to set up here.”

  “It’s worth considering, I suppose. I just don’t know what to do.” Simon ran his hand through his hair. “There are times I want to call Rafe out into the street and challenge him to a fight for her. Other times, I think about what Pastor Flikkema says about turning the other cheek and doing good, even when people mean to do you harm.”

  “Yeah, but Rafe is someone who delights in causing others pain. He won’t care that you’ve been good to him. He’ll just find a way to corrupt it and make everyone miserable. Let’s leave this for now and go talk to Hank.” Nick pulled off his leather apron. “The sooner you get this resolved, the better things will be for you and Ellie.”

  Hank considered the situation and rubbed his jaw. “I don’t think Rafe deserves much consideration in this matter. Ellie’s the one who needs our protection and care.”

  “So you wouldn’t try to buy out the contract?” Simon asked.

  “I can’t see that God would want us to give money to benefit Rafe’s evil causes,” Hank said. “Besides, Ellie’s only real debt with him is that he brought her out here and has kept her fed and hou
sed. And even then, it’s been a poorly done job. No, I think you should just take her and go. I’ll even give you money to help your cause.”

  “That’s mighty good of you, Hank, but I can’t just take your money,” Simon declared. “I have a little bit set aside and saved. I think it would get us through until I could set up business for myself elsewhere.”

  “How soon will you go?” Hank asked.

  “The sooner, the better. Ellie’s suffering from morning sickness already. She’s afraid one of the other women will find out.”

  “Simon thought they’d maybe head out after Rafe and Wyman go to bed one night,” Nick added.

  “Where will you go?”

  “I’m not sure,” Simon replied. “I had thought about going west. Maybe California.”

  “Then you should head south to Corrine,” Hank offered. “The railroad goes through there. If you were to take the stage south, you could be there in no time at all.”

  Nick shook his head in agreement. “That’s a good point, Simon. The weather’s been unseasonably dry, so you could probably get over the mountains without any problems.”

  “And if you wait and go on Thursday, you’ll not only have the overnight stage leaving in the morning, but you’ll have the noon stage come through heading north. Once Rafe realizes you’ve taken the stage, he won’t know if you’ve gone north or south. If we plan it out right, we can even make it look like you’ve gone to Bozeman. Maybe Nick could take the wagon and head over there as a diversion.”

  “I think Hank’s right. That just gives you one day to make your plans, but it will give you the best advantage for keeping your whereabouts secret. By the time Rafe figures out which way you really went, you should be on the train and bound for California.”

  Simon nodded. “It all makes good sense. I’ll get word to Ellie.”

  That night as Hank prepared for bed, he felt good about the advice he’d given Simon. He relayed the story to Gwen and waited for her praise and approval. Instead, she frowned and turned away.