Beth honestly didn’t know how her mother had endured. For ten years, she had picked up and left the home she’d made for herself and family without so much as a second glance back. She had always treated each new location as an adventure, encouraging the girls to set up their rooms to suit them and make it feel like home.
“But I’m not her,” Beth whispered. “I can’t pretend to be all right with leaving. That would be a lie.”
A hint of smoke in the air caused Beth to open her eyes. She sniffed again and was surprised at how strong it smelled. Getting to her feet, she went to check the fireplace in case the damper had somehow closed. It was fine, and the embers had died out long ago, leaving the room chilled and dark.
Beth went to the kitchen and checked the woodstove. It was still plenty warm but not emitting smoke. Where was it coming from?
Walking toward the front door, Beth realized the smell was stronger here. She opened the door and looked outside to find a strange glow lighting up the night. Panic seized her as she stepped outside. It took only a moment to realize the blacksmith shop and stables were on fire.
“Nick!” she called, rushing back into the house. “Nick!”
She raced up the stairs and opened the door to Justin’s room. “Justin, wake up!”
The boy barely roused. Realizing she needed more help, Beth went to get her husband. “Nick, there’s a fire!” she shouted, hurrying to his bedside.
“What?” he asked groggily. “What are you talking about?”
“The shop is on fire,” she said, shaking him. “Wake up!”
Nick bolted out of bed at this. “What happened?” He began yanking on his clothes.
Beth realized her own state, but rather than dress, she just grabbed her clothes and moved to the door. “I was trying to wake up Justin.”
“I’ll get him. You get out of the house—it could all catch and go up any minute.”
“I’ll get his clothes first,” she said, following Nick to the boy’s room.
“What’s wrong, Papa?” Justin asked as Nick whisked him out of the bed.
“There’s a fire, son. We have to get out of the house.”
Beth hurried to collect what she could in the dark. The smoke was growing thicker by the minute, and she couldn’t suppress a cough as she followed Nick and Justin downstairs.
“Take him to Gallatin House,” Nick ordered as he put the boy on his feet.
“Justin, get your boots,” Beth told him.
They went out into the chilled night air and crossed the yard. Looking back, Beth could see Nick attempting to enter the shop. “Don’t go in there!” she called.
“I have to try to fight it,” Nick hollered back.
“It’s too late,” she told him, hoping he would stop. “We can’t do anything about it, Nick. It’s too far gone.”
Nick stopped and seemed to assess the situation. “I have to get the horses away from the stable.”
Beth glanced to the corral and saw the next day’s stage team pacing nervously from side to side. “I’ll help you.”
Nick turned. “No. Go to your sisters. Get Hank and Dave.”
She knew she could never hope to hold Nick back from risking his life, but maybe another man could. Getting her brother-in-law and the deputy seemed the wisest thing she could do.
“Come on, Justin,” she said, nudging him forward. “We need to hurry.”
They ran the short distance to Gallatin House and hurried to wake the others. Beth was nearly hysterical by the time she reached the top of the stairs. She pounded on Gwen and Hank’s door, while Justin went to wake Lacy.
“Beth?” Hank questioned at the sight of her.
“The shop and stables are on fire,” she said. “Nick’s there alone. He sent me here for you and Dave.”
Hank said nothing more. He went back into the room, leaving the door open. Gwen was now climbing out of bed. “What’s wrong?”
“Lassiters’ is on fire,” Hank explained.
Gwen immediately began to dress. “What can we do to help?”
“You can’t do anything,” he told her. “I won’t have you risking yourself or the baby.”
This comment caused Beth to momentarily put aside her panic. “Baby?” she murmured.
“I’ll get Dave,” Hank said, pulling on his boots. He raced past Beth just as Lacy and Justin joined her.
Beth looked at Lacy. “Did you know that Gwen was going to have a baby?”
“I didn’t tell anyone but Hank,” Gwen explained. “I learned the day Ellie lost her baby. I didn’t think it would be right to celebrate.” She sighed and lit a lamp. “Now’s not the appropriate time for a celebration, either.”
“But it is wonderful news,” Beth said. “I’m so sorry that you didn’t feel like you could tell us.”
“Don’t be. I knew the right time would come. It just seems troubles have come first.”
“What caused the fire?” Lacy asked, hugging Justin close.
Beth shook her head. “I don’t know. I just know it’s bad. I don’t think they can save the shop, and with everything connected the way it is, I’m afraid we may lose the house, as well.”
“Oh no,” Gwen said. “Beth, I am so sorry.”
“Why don’t we get dressed and see what we can do,” Lacy suggested.
Beth nodded. “I have some things here for Justin. He has his boots.”
Lacy picked through the things Beth held. “Come on, Justin. Let’s go back to my room.”
The boy looked at Beth for a moment. She could see the fear in his eyes. “It’s all right. Go with your Aunt Lacy. I need to get dressed, too.”
Gwen helped Beth with the buttons on her gown, and Beth did likewise for her sister.
“I don’t know what we’ll do. I’m so afraid,” Beth said, tears sliding down her cheeks.
“Nonsense. You can come here and stay and we’ll figure it all out. It’s not like we don’t have room. You and Nick can take your old room, and Justin can stay in one of the others or with Lacy.”
“It’s not that,” Beth said, sobbing. “If Nick’s lost the shop, he won’t have work. Simon’s already sent a letter saying he can get him a job in Tacoma. Oh, Gwen, I don’t want to leave.”
“We saw the fire,” Evan said, jogging to where Nick stood, pumping water into a bucket. Uncle Forrest wasn’t far behind.
“I don’t know what happened. I suppose a spark from the forge could have ignited something.”
Evan moved toward the shop. “Maybe we can get some of the tools out.”
Nick brought the bucket and started toward the entrance. “That’s what I’ve been trying to do.” He coughed hard and water sloshed around the bucket’s rim. “I’m not making much progress.” He pointed to a small pile of things.
Forrest joined them just as a beam crashed down inside the building. “It’s not worth risking your lives over, boys. It’s only material things. Where are Justin and Beth?”
“Gallatin House,” Nick said, turning to look at his uncle. He tried to fathom the meaning of what Forrest had just said. Surely he didn’t want Nick to just give up.
Another beam broke lose and fell to the floor of the already-blazing shop. Forrest pulled both men back with him. “We can’t go in there. It’s too dangerous.”
“But all of my tools and yours are in there,” Nick declared. “Not to mention the wagon Evan has been working on and—”
“And nothing.” Forrest turned Nick to look him in the eyes. “You can’t give up your life for something that can be replaced.”
“What happened, Nick?” Hank asked. He and Dave joined the trio with a look of disbelief.
“I don’t know. Beth woke up and realized it was on fire. I don’t know what happened.” Nick put the bucket down and shook his head. “I just don’t know.”
“Let’s get things out of the house,” Hank suggested. “It doesn’t look like it’s spread that far yet.”
“It won’t be long, though,” Dave cautioned.
“The wind’s picking up.”
“There you go, Nick. We can’t save the shop, but we can get as much out of the house as possible,” Forrest offered.
The men worked quickly to do what they could. Furniture, clothing, and bedding were thrown haphazardly onto the road away from the house. Nick lost track of how many trips they made, but when the fire finally broke through the wall of the house, the place was empty except for the beds upstairs and the stove in the kitchen. Of course, we didn’t have all that much, Nick thought as the home he’d known went up in flames.
Rafe and his bunch stood watching from the porch of the saloon. They hadn’t offered to help, which broke all codes of frontier life. Nick didn’t care. As far as he was concerned, Rafe had never been much good to anyone but himself.
Night turned to dawn and then full daylight, revealing the sorry charred and smoking remains. Thankfully, the wind had died down, and the fire had been contained to the Las-siters’ property.
Beth came out to stand beside Nick. She didn’t say anything, but Nick could see the anguish in her eyes. He wanted to comfort her, but he had no words. What possible encouragement could he offer, when he had so many questions and doubts of his own?
“What are we gonna do now?” Justin asked.
Nick looked down and met his son’s gaze. “I don’t know.”
“Well, for one thing, you’re going to stay with us,” Gwen declared.
Hank nodded. “We’ll get your things stored in the shed so they’re out of the elements.”
“Lacy’s got breakfast ready, so why don’t you come on over to the house? We have a stage in at noon, and we need to make a plan. Are the horses all right?” Gwen asked.
Nick nodded. “I put them in the far pasture with the others.”
“Good. That will work out well,” Hank said. “I think Gwen’s right. Let’s eat and then figure out what to do next.”
“We’re going to head home, Nick,” Forrest said. “Evan and I need to let Millie know what’s going on. She’s been feeling poorly, and we think the baby may come any day now.”
Nick nodded and watched as the people around him went their separate ways. Only Beth remained at his side. She reached for his hand, but he barely felt her touch.
He stared at the smoldering remains of his home and business. “Why would God let this happen?”
Beth shook her head. “I’ve been asking the same question.”
“It just doesn’t make sense.”
“I know,” Beth said softly. “Few bad things do.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Beth looked at the food on her plate but had no stomach for it. She pushed around the eggs but ate nothing.
“Once things cool off,” Hank began, “we can see if anything in the shop is salvageable.”
Nick seemed fixed on his coffee cup. He said nothing, and Beth worried where his thoughts had taken him. Why did this have to happen now—on the heels of Simon’s letter? The timing couldn’t have been worse.
A fire, of course, would never be welcome, no matter the timing. Still, it wasn’t the fire and destruction that preoccupied Beth’s thoughts as much as the way her husband might decide to resolve the situation.
“You know, you and your family are welcome here as long as you like,” Hank said, looking to Gwen. She nodded and waited for Hank to continue. “We can even help you rebuild a corral and shelter for the horses while you stay with us. That way you can at least keep up with the stage.”
“That’s so kind of you,” Beth said in a barely audible voice. She was afraid to say too much, for fear it might cause Nick to reject the idea. She didn’t know him well enough, even now, to be able to anticipate his reaction to this situation.
“You’re family,” Hank stated. “Look, I know this is devastating, but I’ll lend you whatever you need to get through. It might not be wise to rebuild everything, what with the town’s existence being so questionable, but we can do enough to allow you to continue to earn a living. I can also get additional blacksmith supplies.”
Nick finally put his coffee cup down. “I don’t have any way to pay for such things. We were barely able to meet all our needs on the stage salary as it was. The side jobs from the various ranchers helped keep things running smoothly, but it won’t be enough to rebuild—not with winter coming on.”
“But surely if we stay here,” Beth put in, “I can work at Gallatin House and earn some money. That would help us rebuild.”
Nick frowned. “I won’t have this family be dependent on you working a job. I’m the man of the house, and I will see to my family’s needs.”
“But sometimes,” Hank countered, “we have to turn to others for help.”
“That’s right,” Gwen added. “The Bible says we’re to bear one another’s burdens. That’s what being a family is all about.”
Beth looked at Nick. “Everyone knows you’ve always worked hard and can provide for your family. Don’t let your pride get the best of you. Things will come back around. We can rebuild in time.” She tried to sound as encouraging as she could, hoping against all hope that he wouldn’t consider any other possibility.
“If the town is going to be relocated anyway,” Nick said after a few moments of silence, “then there’s no reason to rebuild.”
“That is a valid point.” Hank put down his fork. “In fact, maybe it helps to make the decision that much easier. I’ve asked Adrian Murphy to wire his superiors and get us an exact location and availability of land that the Northern Pacific has for sale. Once he gets back to us, we’ll know better. You could relocate the shop and secure the stage contract by building near the rail line.”
Nick shook his head. “I’m not talking about relocating to the railroad or rebuilding, for that matter. Simon wrote and told me he could easily get me a job with the railroad in Tacoma. I see now that letter must have come for a reason—especially since the fire destroyed everything that would keep me here.”
Beth found she couldn’t take any more of the conversation. “If you’ll excuse me,” she said, getting up quickly. She hurried from the room and fled the house.
Without thought as to how it might look, she hiked her blue skirt and ran down the road in the direction of the cemetery. If someone had seen her, they might have thought she were being pursued by a bear or a highwayman, but Beth ran from something entirely different. Unfortunately, her heartbreak seemed to keep perfect pace with her, meeting her face-to-face when she finally came to halt at her father’s grave.
“Why does this have to happen?” she asked, staring at the small headstone that bore her father’s name. “Why now? Why in this way? Why . . . when I finally had all the things I’d dreamed of?” She buried her face in her hands and began to cry.
Falling to her knees, Beth longed for the comfort of her husband. If only Nick would come to her and tell her it was all a mistake—that he would never want her to be unhappy and therefore would never force her to leave all that she loved.
But instead of Nick’s embrace, Beth found herself wrapped in her sister’s arms. She recognized Gwen’s perfume without even looking up. For several minutes, Gwen said nothing. She just held Beth close and let her cry. Beth remembered times when she’d been much younger that Gwen had done much the same.
“I can’t do this,” Beth finally managed to say.
“I kept thinking of what you had confessed to us—your relief when Pa died, because you didn’t want him to move us again. Now Nick speaks of leaving, and I know it must pierce your heart with many sorrows.”
Beth looked up and nodded. “I don’t want to go. I don’t want things to change.”
“But they have changed, Beth. You married. You left Gal-latin House for a home of your own. Now that home has been destroyed, but your family is still very much in place. Your husband and son need you.”
“But I have needs, too,” she said, sniffing back tears.
Gwen relaxed her hold on Beth and eased off her knees to sit on the ground. “Somet
imes needs are based on illusions and false understandings.”
“What are you saying?” Beth asked. “That I don’t know what I want? That I’m not really sick and tired of moving from place to place—that it’s an illusion and not a real problem?”
Gwen lowered her gaze and shook her head. “I know it’s real to you. But, Beth, your marriage is more important than the place you live. You made a commitment to Nick—a commitment to be obedient and to trust him for the future. You promised to love him until death separated you. Are you willing to just cast that promise aside?”
Beth considered Gwen’s words. Was she willing to walk away from Nick and the marriage—from Justin and her motherhood—just because they might find it necessary to relocate?
For a long moment, Beth wasn’t sure what to say. The fact was, she could see herself doing it, and that frightened her. She loved Nick—didn’t she? Would she really not keep her vows to him and God if he decided to move them to Tacoma?
Gwen reached over and took hold of Beth’s hands. “I know this hurts you. I know you cannot begin to imagine how this could work out for the good of anything, but I’m telling you that God can take such tragedy and turn it into something wonderful.”
Beth’s anger got the best of her, and she jerked her hands away. “How can you say that? How can you possibly know that?”
Her sister looked at her oddly. “How? Because I’ve lived it. We lost Mama and then Pa, we moved from place to place, we had to work our fingers raw to keep us fed and clothed. I lost a husband. I loved Harvey dearly. He died, and I couldn’t see anything good in that. My entire life has been filled with challenges, but God has shown himself faithful. If we hadn’t come here, I wouldn’t have met Harvey and married—and I certainly would never have met Hank. If Harvey hadn’t died, I couldn’t have married Hank, and I wouldn’t now carry his child. I have to see the good with the bad.”
Beth felt stupid for having challenged her sister. They had all endured suffering and sadness. Beth’s situation certainly didn’t rank above the misery of others. “I’m sorry,” she said softly. She looked toward the eastern mountains. They had already been kissed with their first snow. It wouldn’t be all that long before the days would grow short and cold.
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