Chapter Twelve
After school ended, Addie and the children walked outside and saw Jack with Morgan and Rose.
“We came to take the children to the ranch,” Rose said.
“Thank you.” Addie had yet to tell the children about the adoption. She planned to talk to them tonight, and after school tomorrow they would take Davey to his new home.
“Miss Addie, why aren’t you going home with us?” Davey asked.
“I have some business in town, and the sheriff will bring me home in a little while,” Addie replied.
Claire had jumped into Jack’s arms as soon as she saw him. “Can I go with you?”
“Not today, honey, but I’ll see you in a little while,” Jack replied, kissing her cheek and hoisting her inside Morgan’s buckboard.
Jane walked over and grabbed Addie’s hand. “Miss Addie, is something wrong? You’ve been sad all day.”
Addie pulled Jane into her arms. “I’m fine, honey. I’ll be home soon.”
Jack heard Addie’s voice tremble with emotion, so he hoisted Jane in to the buckboard. “Here you go, honey.”
“I’ll have dinner ready by the time you get there,” Rose said. “You can eat with us before you leave.”
Addie nodded. It would be easier if the children ate before she broke the news to them. She knew they would be too upset to eat if she told them beforehand.
“Jack, we expect you to have dinner with us,” Rose said.
“Thanks, Rose.” Jack was always thrilled when anyone cooked for him, but not today. He dreaded the thought of what was to come.
* * *
“I’ll bring Davey to your farm tomorrow night.” Addie indicated the line where Mr. Coburn’s signature was required on the documents. She had looked around the farmhouse, and while it wasn’t as nice as her new home, she couldn’t object to the living quarters. “Davey’s sisters will be with me so they can see where he will be living. I want them to see their brother often, and we will be inviting him to the farm frequently. Naturally, they will see him in school, but I want them to have some free time together.” No matter how much she wanted to delay the adoption, she couldn’t put off the inevitable.
“We’re busy at the farm. As time allows, maybe the boy will visit, but it will be at my say-so,” Coburn replied.
Addie was taken aback by his tone. “I’m sure you can understand how important it is for the children to stay in touch.”
Coburn held up the papers he signed. “This means the boy’s mine now, or am I wrong about that?”
Jack stood and moved closer to Roy. “Roy, we all want what’s best for Davey. He’s not chattel, and he has a right to stay in touch with his sisters. There’s no harm being done, and it will help all of them as they adjust to this new arrangement. His sisters have been very dependent on him.”
Roy looked at Jack, but didn’t comment. He slammed his hat on his head and walked to the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow night when you bring the boy.”
When the door closed behind him, Addie slumped into the chair in front of Jack’s desk. “He is not a pleasant person.”
Jack wished he could disagree, but he didn’t like Coburn’s attitude. He walked to the door and saw Coburn was about to pull away in his buckboard, so he hurried outside. Reaching Coburn’s horse, Jack grabbed hold of the bridle.
“What do you think you are doing?” Roy yelled.
“Roy, just so you know, I’ll be out to your farm on a regular basis to check on Davey. Treat him right, or you’ll answer to me.”
Roy glared at him. “Are you threatening me because I did a good deed and adopted that boy?”
Jack leveled his steely eyes on him. “Take it any way you like. Just make sure you’re good to him.”
* * *
“What do you mean, Davey is being adopted without us?” Tears flowed from Jane’s eyes as she sobbed the question.
“It means they didn’t want all of us,” Davey said.
Addie had told the children about the adoption as soon as they arrived home. She’d welcomed Jack’s offer to stay while she told them, and she exchanged a look with him now.
“They wanted all of you, but times are hard, and they couldn’t afford three children,” Jack said.
Addie was thankful he’d known the right thing to say. “The Coburns don’t live far away and Davey will come often for dinner. Of course, you will see him at school.” Addie was trying her best to be positive, pointing out advantages of Davey staying in the same town. She prayed Mr. Coburn would be more agreeable than he was earlier today.
“I’ll ride by and see Davey often.” Jack wanted to assure the girls they didn’t need to worry about their brother. He also wanted to let Davey know that they wouldn’t forget about him.
Claire started crying and Addie pulled her onto her lap. “There’s no reason to cry, honey, we will see Davey often.” Even as she tried to reassure Claire, tears were forming in her own eyes. Jane jumped up, ran to Addie, and buried her head in her shoulder. “Miss Addie, I don’t want Davey to go.”
When Jack’s gaze met Addie’s, he saw the helplessness that she was feeling. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Jack felt powerless watching the three crying females. He left his seat and started to pace back and forth behind Addie’s chair. He stopped suddenly, leaned over, and wrapped his arms around them. He glanced at Davey across the table. He was staring into space, as if he was in deep contemplation. Jack was worried about him. He was too quiet. “Addie, why don’t you take the girls upstairs and get them ready for bed. I’ll stay with Davey.”
Addie couldn’t speak, so she nodded. It might be good for Davey to have Jack there if he wanted to talk.
As soon as Addie and the girls walked away, Jack sat beside Davey. “How do you feel about being adopted?”
Davey shrugged. “I knew it would happen sometime. And we knew no one would want all of us.”
“It’s difficult for families to take on three children.”
“But why would they want me instead of the girls? You’d think most folks would want a young kid like Claire.”
“I reckon a lot of folks want boys to carry on the family name if they don’t have sons of their own. Girls marry and take their husband’s name.” There were many reasons people chose boys, generally because the men wanted boys to help with the work, but Jack was reluctant to offer that explanation.
“Do you like Mr. Coburn?” Davey asked.
“I don’t know him well.” Jack didn’t lie, he didn’t know Coburn well, but he couldn’t say he would be friends with him after his interaction with him today. “Pastor Clay says Sarah Coburn attends church frequently.”
“That don’t mean much to me.” Davey had his own opinions about church people. From his limited experience, they didn’t often live up to their words.
Jack put his arm around Davey’s shoulders. “Davey, I know people have let you and your sisters down in the past, but I’m hopeful this time it will be different. I also know you don’t want to leave your sisters, but I think we need to look at this in a positive light. You won’t be far away, and if Coburn can’t take you to see them, I will. That’s a promise.”
“Someone who don’t live here could adopt Jane and Claire,” Davey said.
Jack couldn’t deny that fact, and he wouldn’t lie to the boy. “That’s possible, but I don’t think it is very likely. You have to consider only locals will know about the orphanage.”
“I wish someone like you and Miss Addie could adopt us. My sisters are crazy about both of you.” Davey didn’t see what harm it would do to let the sheriff know what his sisters really wanted.
“It has to be a married couple who adopts children,” Jack replied.
“Yeah.”
Davey sounded so dejected it broke Jack’s heart. “Davey, sometimes life doesn’t go like we want, but remember our faith tells us God will see us through the tough times. Sometimes when things look the darkest is when the greatest blessings come.”
Jack sat there a minute, debating whether he should go after him. Sometimes it was best to have some time alone to come to terms with the challenges ahead, yet he had a feeling Davey could use a man’s perspective. He grabbed two apples from the bowl on the table, walked out the back door, and headed toward the stable. He knew he’d find Davey with the horses.
He walked to a stall where Davey was stroking the neck of the horse he’d ridden. Davey wouldn’t look up and Jack knew he’d been crying. Jack stood beside him and started slicing the apples. “Here you go, he’ll like this.”
Davey took the apple slices from him and held one to the horse’s mouth.
“Whoa,” Jack said, pulling Davey’s hand from the horse’s mouth. He demonstrated how to hold the apple in his palm. “Hold it like this or he might take your fingers with the apple.”
“Do all horses like apples?” Davey asked, holding the apple as Jack instructed and offering it to the horse.
“Most of them do. My horse seems to have a fondness for carrots.” Jack braced his arm on the stall door and watched Davey feed the horse. “You know, Davey, I’ve been thinking about your mother.”
Davey glanced up at him. “Why?”
“I can understand why you think she didn’t care about you and your sisters because she left you at the orphanage.”
“Yeah. She never cared. We never saw her again.” Once the horse finished the apple, Davey started stroking his neck again.
“Well, I’ve been thinking your mother cared very much about you.” Jack reached out to stroke the horse, and he could feel Davey’s eyes on him.
“Why do you think that?”
“Because she named you after a king. I’d say she had big ideas about the boy you were, and the man you were going to become.”
Davey’s hand stilled on the horse. “A king?”
“Yeah, Miss Addie said your favorite Bible story is David and Goliath. Don’t you know that that shepherd boy who killed that giant became a king?”
“Really?”
Jack looked at Davey and saw the doubt in his eyes. “Really. You can ask Miss Addie. And I have a feeling your mother named you after that shepherd boy. I think she knew you would face difficulties in your life, just like King David, but you would overcome them, just like he overcame his obstacles.”
Davey’s eyes filled with unshed tears and he turned back to the horse. “No one should leave their kids.”
“No, they shouldn’t,” Jack agreed. “But we don’t know the hardships they face, and they could have good reason. Maybe they think the best they can do is to make sure their children will have food and shelter. I’d say in some instances, it takes a powerful kind of love to leave your children if you think they can have a better life without you.” Jack straightened and put his hand on Davey’s shoulder. “Why don’t you just try looking at the situation from a different point of view?”
“It don’t make no difference anyhow,” Davey replied.
Jack understood that at this moment, Davey might not be willing to give an inch. “It may not. Then again, it might make a man feel kind of special to be named after a king.”
* * *
“Davey, this is Mr. and Mrs. Coburn.” Addie’s shaking hands were on Davey’s shoulders as she introduced him to his new family. She then introduced the girls to the Coburns.
Sarah Coburn stepped forward and said softly, “It’s nice to have you here, Davey.” She greeted the girls, but Roy Coburn didn’t say a word.
“We’ve brought Davey’s things,” Jack said as he climbed down from the buckboard. “I’ll help you carry them in.”
“Me and the boy can handle it,” Roy said, walking to the back of the buckboard.
“I’d like the girls to see Davey’s new home,” Addie said. Her tone conveyed that she was going to have her way.
Roy pressed his lips in a disapproving frown, but he didn’t comment as he grabbed a valise from the buckboard.
Jack picked up the second valise, and they all followed the Coburns inside. Sarah showed Davey a small space at the back of the cabin behind a curtain, where he would be sleeping.
Addie was disappointed that it wasn’t a more private space, but she didn’t comment.
Jane didn’t hesitate to make her feelings known. “This isn’t as nice as your room at home.”
Davey and Jane looked at each other, and Addie knew they were communicating their thoughts in their own private way.
“This is his home now,” Sarah Coburn said. “We may build more rooms at the back of the house soon, and he can have a larger room.”
Jack placed the valise at the foot of the bed. “I’d be happy to help, Roy, when you start building.”
“It won’t be anytime soon,” Roy replied. “Sarah’s always wanting something done, but money don’t grow on trees.”
Jack had a response on the tip of his tongue, but it wasn’t for polite company. He figured in this instance silence was golden.
“Boys need some privacy.” Addie directed her comment to Sarah, since she seemed more cooperative than her husband.
Sarah nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
They stood quietly for a few minutes, Jack and Addie dreading to leave Davey alone with the Coburns.
Claire wiggled out of Addie’s arms, scrambled to Jack, and tugged on his hand. When he looked down at her, she said, “I want Davey to come home.”
Jack picked her up and held her on his hip. “Honey, we have to think of this farm as Davey’s second home now.”
Claire buried her face in Jack’s neck, and Jack’s gaze slid to Addie’s watery eyes. He knew he was in for another night of crying females, and darned if he knew how to solve the problem. “Davey, if you need anything, you come get me.”
Davey nodded.
Jack squeezed Davey’s shoulder before he turned and walked out the door with a tearful Claire.
Addie and Jane hugged Davey good-bye, but neither one could say the words they wanted to say.
Chapter Thirteen
“What are you doing here so early?” Morgan asked when he opened the door.
“I need to talk to you,” Jack said.
“I was just about to have some coffee.” It was Morgan’s habit to have the coffee made before the women came downstairs.
“Sounds good. I haven’t had any this morning.” Jack removed his hat and hung it on the hook.
Morgan figured if Jack hadn’t had coffee before he left town, he had to have something important on his mind. “Have a seat.” He placed a cup of coffee on the table in front of him.
“It’s cold out there.” Jack took a sip of the steaming liquid, then said, “I heard early this morning that Frank Langtry is in Denver.”
“Denver?”
“That’s what I was told. My deputy heard it from a man in the saloon last night. The man told my deputy that Frank married Judge Stevens’s daughter, and is living right in Denver with the judge’s sister.”
Morgan stared at him in disbelief. “The territorial judge? That Judge Stevens?”
“That’s what the man told Webb. I haven’t met the judge, but I heard he’s a real hard case.”
“It can’t be Frank. How could he be married to a judge’s daughter?”
“That’s exactly what I thought, but Webb said the man knew Frank and assured him it was a true story. I’m going to ride to Denver to check it out. That’s why I came over here first. I wanted to ask you to keep an eye on . . . the girls.” Jack caught himself before he said my girls.
“Of course we will, but I’m riding with you to Denver. I’ll have the men keep an eye on them.”
“I don’t think it’s necessary for you to g
o. I doubt it’s Frank.”
“I don’t think it’s Frank either, but if it is, you know he’s not riding alone. I’m going with you.” Morgan stood and pulled a pan from the shelf and placed it on the stove. “We can take off right after breakfast.”
* * *
After they arrived in Denver, Jack and Morgan stopped at the jail to speak with Sheriff Trent and inform him of their mission. The sheriff had not heard that Frank Langtry was in town, but he had heard the judge’s daughter recently married.
“As a matter of fact, Judge Stevens arrived yesterday. Apparently there’s a big party planned to celebrate his daughter’s marriage later today.” Sheriff Trent pulled out his pocket watch and checked the time. “Have you men met Judge Stevens yet? He may be home for lunch if you time it right.”
“Never met him,” Jack said.
“Let me tell you, he’s a no-nonsense man. I’ve only met him a few times, but he’s not one to cross. I met his daughter, and she’s a real pretty gal. I sure as blazes can’t see the judge allowing her to marry an outlaw.”
Jack looked at Morgan and raised his eyebrows. “I guess we might as well go by their home and find out if it is Frank.” He glanced back at the sheriff and grinned. “I wonder if Frank’s new father-in-law knows about Frank’s history.”
The sheriff chuckled. “Considering the judge’s reputation, I wouldn’t count on it.” The sheriff told them where the judge’s sister lived. “Her name is Ruth Butler. You won’t miss her huge mansion high up on the hill. If I hear fireworks coming from that direction, I’ll know things aren’t going well.” The sheriff was still chuckling as Jack and Morgan left his office.
“I’d think the sheriff would have heard if Frank Langtry was in town,” Jack said as they rode down the street.
“Frank’s not well-known in Denver. It’s possible not many people would recognize him.”
* * *
Deke Sullivan was walking out of the saloon carrying four bottles of whiskey when he saw Jack Roper and Morgan LeMasters ride by. He loaded the bottles of whiskey in his saddlebags as he watched them ride down the street toward the house where Frank was living. It was the same direction he needed to go to get back to the house where the gang was hiding out. He got on his horse and followed, keeping a safe distance between them. When he saw them turn and ride up the hill toward the big house, he had no doubt they were going after Frank. He reined his horse in next to a small house where he could watch what was going on without being seen.
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