“I hope they all didn’t turn out the way Juliette did. If so, their parents sure wasted their money.”
When Hal only stared at him, Lance went on, “I told you I’m not interested in Juliette. I’ve told her, too. I’ve also told her that if she keeps coming around bothering me I would throw her in jail.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“If she keeps coming around, you’ll see.” He picked up his bread. “My advice to you is get your money back from that school. They sure ruined the shy, quiet daughter that everyone liked before she left. Since she came back, she’s a snobby little twit that nobody likes.”
Hal glared at Lance, but didn’t say anything. He simply stood and walked out. He hadn’t touched his coffee.
* * * *
As Grace took the supper basket to the jail, she met Bryce coming out the door as she started in. “Hello, Bryce.”
“Hey, Grace. Have things slowed down at the hotel this evening?”
“They have.”
“Lance said when he was in the dining room that it was awfully busy.”
“Several families stayed over last night instead of going back to their ranches and farms. Most of them left after breakfast, but a few stayed through dinner. It’s pretty quiet there tonight.”
“Good. Maybe you can relax and have a nice supper with Lance after he gets the prisoners fed.” He grinned at her. “I think he wants to talk to you.”
“Oh? What about?”
“He hasn’t said, but he’s asked several times if it isn’t time for you to get here.”
“Maybe he’s just hungry.”
Bryce chuckled. “I don’t think it’s that. But go on in, and I’m sure he’ll let you know what it is.”
“Thank you, Bryce.” She went in the door he held open for her.
Lance got out of his chair and moved to take the basket of food from her. “Hello, Grace.”
“Hello. I hope your prisoners aren’t getting too hungry.” Grace couldn’t help noting he sounded a little strange with his greeting.
“The prisoners are fine, but if you’ll help me make the plates, I can get them fed faster.”
“I’ll be glad to help.” She followed him into the cell area.
When they returned and set their plates on his desk, Grace waited for him to speak. When he began eating without saying anything, she broke the silence, “Bryce said you had something to discuss with me.”
“I do. I’ve been thinking about what you said.”
She raised an eyebrow. “What did I say?”
“You said you didn’t want me to charge Kemp and Weber for accosting you.”
“I don’t, Lance. Weber has to go back to prison anyway and Kemp tried to help me, so why should everyone have to know what happened.”
“But none of that was your fault, Grace.”
“I know, but you know how gossip grows. It wouldn’t be long until someone decided I wasn’t admitting that I’d been hurt by them. I can’t stand to think of that.”
“I don’t think anyone….”
“Oh, yes they would. Juliette Cramer would be one of the first to start the gossip.”
Lance frowned. “Why did you single out Juliette?”
When she cocked an eyebrow at him and said nothing, he chuckled. “Never mind. I know why you said it.”
“Well, are you going to do what I asked and not charge them?”
“Yes, Grace. If it means that much to you, I’ll let it slide this time.”
“Thank you, Lance. You’re a wonderful friend.”
Lance gave Grace what she thought was a strange look, but said nothing.
* * * *
When Bryce returned, Lance decided to go to the mercantile. Though he didn’t smoke a lot, he was out of cigars and for some reason he wanted one. As he reached Brown’s he met Virgil coming out the door. The man paused and he greeted him. “Looks like you’re gathering up supplies.”
“Sure am.” Virgil put the box in the back of the wagon and shook hands with Lance. “How’re things going with you?”
“Been a little busy since the incident last night.”
“I heard about that. Glad nobody was hurt except the criminal.”
“Yeah, sometimes we get lucky.” He turned as Shawn came out with another box.
“Hello, Sheriff.” He deposited the box in the wagon and chuckled. “I bet you’re glad to see me working in your town and not shooting it up.”
“I must say I am, Shawn. How’s ranch life.”
“Hard, but I like it.” He turned to Virgil. “I’ll get the rest. You can stay here and jaw with the lawman.”
“Thanks, Brother.”
“Looks like things are working out between you two.”
“Better than I ever thought they would. By the way, how are things going with you and Miss Grace?”
Lance lifted an eyebrow. “Grace and I have been friends for years. Why do you ask?”
“I guess I’m trying to apologize. I wouldn’t have ever tried to talk to her if I’d known you and she cared about each other.”
Lance was getting a little uncomfortable. “As I said, we’re friends.”
“Whatever you say, but that’s not what that little Miss Sophie told Shawn last night.”
“What in the world did Sophie say?”
“She said that Miss Grace told her that she cared a lot about you, but Grace didn’t feel you cared about her in the way she wanted you to. Miss Sophie also said that when she caught Grace crying she finally made her confess that she thought that Cramer dame was right. Grace believes you’re ashamed to be seen with her.”
“That’s not so.”
“I hope you’re telling the truth, because even though I haven’t known you long, I’d have to take it out of your hide if you were mean to Grace.”
“I’d never be mean to Grace.”
“Glad to hear it.”
Shawn came out the door again. “Well, this is it. Now we need to go to the feed store.”
“I’m ready.” Virgil turned to the wagon. “We’ll see you later, Lance.”
Lance didn’t miss the warning in Virgil’s voice. Shaking his head, he went into the store and bought his cigars. He was glad they were busy and didn’t have time to pause and chat. At this moment he had some thinking to do. Some serious thinking.
Chapter 23
When Grace took supper to the prisoners the next day, Lance told her he was too busy to eat with her. She hid her disappointment and said she’d see him later. On the way back to the hotel she couldn’t help noticing the Cramers’ buggy going down the street. It stopped in front of the jail and Juliette jumped out. Her pink dress fluffed out around her as she landed. Then Grace noticed Lance standing in the jailhouse door waiting for the woman.
Grace hurried to the hotel and slipped to her room. There was no hope now. It was over, and her heart was broken. Though it was a different pain, she didn’t think she’d hurt this bad since her mother had died in that fire.
It took a while, but Grace finally got herself under control and came out of her room in time to help Henrietta and Sophie start serving the supper meal. Grace was glad she did, because everyone in the dining room was in a joyful mood. She grinned and served Doctor Wagner’s table first. She knew they would never guess that seeing their happy faces added to her breaking heart.
Then Bryce and Lettie Langston walked in. He waved at her, and she moved to their table. “Hello, you two.”
“Hi, Grace,” Lettie said. “Bryce had to work late and he insisted on taking me out to eat to celebrate.”
“Oh, what’s your celebration?”
“You tell her, honey.” Lettie looked at her husband with adoring eyes.
“We’ve been married six months today.”
“That’s wonderful. Congratulations.
“Thank you.” Lettie smiled at her. “What’s the special tonight? Grace?”
“Beef with potatoes, beans, corn, and your choice of bread. We also
have cherry cobbler for dessert.”
“That sounds good. I’ll have that.” Lettie smiled at her.
“Me, too, and of course we want coffee.” Bryce gave her a smile.
“I’ll bring it right out.” She moved toward the kitchen wondering why every happy couple in Settlers Ridge had to come here for supper on the night her heart was breaking.
She noticed the Ellsworths. His mother was holding her new granddaughter as Reverend Eli and his wife, Margo were eating their meal. His mother had already finished. Grace stopped to say hello and brag on the baby, then headed to the kitchen to turn in the Langston’s order.
Before she reached the kitchen door, she saw the Cramers come into the dining room. Their timing couldn’t have been worse, but she tried not to look at them.
In the kitchen, Effie filled the Langstons’ order and put it on one of the large trays. Grace picked it up and headed out to serve Bryce and Lettie when she stopped and her eyes widened. She watched as Lance strode into the hotel dining room. He had a determined look on his face and his eyes locked with hers, as he strode forward—not to his usual seat near the back of the dining room, or to the Cramers’ table, but straight toward her.
Grace knew something was about to happen, but she wasn’t sure what. She began to shake and the dishes on the tray she carried rattled, keeping pace with her pounding heart. Thinking she might drop the tray and make a horrible mess she inched her way backward toward the kitchen door. She didn’t make it.
Lance, still looking directly at her, walked up and snatched the tray. Without saying a word, he plopped it down on the table of a couple who were eating their supper.
Finally he demanded, “What’s going on with you, Grace Hunter?”
“I don’t know what you mean,” she stammered and tried again to get to the kitchen door.
He grabbed her arm. “Oh, don’t you?”
“No.” She tried to pull away from his firm, but gentle hold on her arm.
“Then I’ll show you.”
Grace’s eyes widened, but she didn’t get a chance to say anything before Lance pulled her to him, wrapped his arms around her and kissed her passionately and fully on the mouth.
When he let her go, he said, “Now, do you think I’m ashamed to be seen with you or to show my feelings for you in public?”
She could only stare at him for a several seconds. Finally she muttered, “But I’m a cripple and you kept saying we were only good friends.”
He grinned at her and shook his head. “Yes, we’re good friends. And yes, you have a little limp. So what? Nobody’s perfect, Grace. I snore like a hog. Do you think I’m going to let that stop me from asking the woman I love to marry me?”
She couldn’t figure out what he was talking about. “But….”
“No buts, Grace. We’ve danced around these feeling we have for each other long enough. I think it’s time for everyone to know I love you with all my heart and unless you’re a better actress than I think you are, you love me, too.”
Her heart pounded. What was he saying? Did Lance Gentry actually love her the way a man should love a woman? Could her dream of having Lance as the one and only man in her life be coming true? Or was all this just a middle-of-the-night dream? One from which she’d awake to her lonely and dull life at any moment?
By now every patron in the dining room was staring at them. Effie had moved to the kitchen door and was giving them an ‘I knew it all the time’ look. Sophie and her mother stopped waiting on the tables and gave each other a knowing grin. Frank appeared at the door leading to the lobby and winked at his wife.
Teddy ambled into the room and walked over to the table where his friend, Joel was sitting with his family.
“What’s going on in here?” he asked loud enough that everyone in the room looked at him.
His pal, Joel shrugged and said, “The sheriff just marched in here and kissed Grace.”
“Oh, Lord, that means I’ll have to wear that awful scratchy suit again.”
Joel frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“Mama makes me wear that thing to every wedding we go to, and I guess I’ll have to wear it to theirs just like I did when your mama and Doc got married.”
Joel frowned. “Who said the sheriff and Grace were getting married?”
“Nobody said anything, but I know they are. Ain’t that what people do when they kiss and stuff?”
Lance laughed and joined the conversation. “You’re right, Teddy. That’s what people do.” He looked back at Grace. “That is if the girl says she’ll have this needy sheriff for her husband.”
Grace’s words came out in a whisper. “Since she loves the sheriff with all her heart, she’ll be more than willing to have him.”
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her again as everyone in the dining room, with the exception of Juliette Cramer, began to applaud.
Teddy shook his head. “I just hope they have a big cake. That’ll help make wearing that old suit worth it.”
Epilogue
“Well sweetheart, what do you think?” Lance put down the hoe and came to the front porch of the little house behind the jail to stand beside of his wife. “I got all the holes dug for your flowers.”
“Thank you, my love. I’m going to plant marigolds. They’re one of my favorite flowers for fall.”
“It’s beginning to look like a real home, isn’t it?”
“Yes. Inside and out.” Grace took his hand. “Come inside and see what I’ve done in our bedroom.”
“You promised me you wouldn’t put those pink flowered curtains in there.”
“Quite complaining and come with me.”
They entered the house and went down the short hall. She paused at the door on the right and stood back so he could enter. He turned and gave her a big grin. “The curtains are white. Thank goodness you didn’t put the ones with pink flowers in here.”
“I put them in the other bedroom.”
Lance pulled her into his arms. “You stinker. You lied to me.”
She laughed. “No I didn’t. I just teased you a little.”
“Why did you do that?”
“Because I knew you’d hug me when you saw the white curtains, and if I was lucky I might even get a kiss.”
Lance looked into her eyes. “As if you have to trick me into that.” He kissed her.
“See, it worked.” She put her arms around his waist. “Can you believe we’ve been married for almost two months and I still like your kisses as much as I did the first time you kissed me?”
“You better always like my kisses because I sure like yours.”
She smiled. “Guess who I ran into in Brown’s today.”
“I have no idea. Maybe the governor.”
Her eyes twinkled. “Besides him.”
“I don’t know, but I bet you’re going to tell me.”
“I am. It was your old flame.”
“I’ve warned you about bringing up her name, haven’t I?”
“Yes, Lance. You’ve warned me several times.”
“Then why do you do it? The less I hear about that woman the better off I am.”
“I think you might like to hear this. She informed me that she and her mother were going to St. Louis to visit some of her school friends.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “I hope she also told you she’d stay there.”
“She didn’t, but at least we have some time before she comes back. Maybe by then she’ll give up on the idea of you leaving me for her.”
“The only way I’ll ever leave you is if God decides my time on earth is through.”
“Oh, Lance, don’t talk that way. I want us to live and grow old together.”
“I plan on that.”
“Come along now. I figure after all that digging you’re hungry. I fixed your favorite tonight.”
“Fried chicken?”
“Of course, fried chicken.”
Later that evening Lance and Grace were snuggling together
in the afterglow of their love. He was rubbing his hand up and down her arm when he said, “I have something to ask you, my love.”
“You can ask me anything.”
“When did you realize you loved me?”
She snuggled closer. “The day you pulled me out of the deep end of the creek. I had a crush on you since the first time I saw you, but the day you rescued me I knew I’d love you forever.”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I, Lance. I’ve loved you most of my life. I just never dreamed that someday you’d love me back.” She kissed his chin. “When did you finally decide that you loved me?”
“I think I’ve loved you for a long time. Maybe since you became a woman, but I have to say I didn’t admit it for a while. The first time you came to the jail with food, I began to suspect it. Then when we went on that picnic, I began to feel things that I didn’t think I should about you. And when I kissed you good night that night, I knew you’d captured my heart.” He chuckled. “I don’t know why I held out so long, because if I’d realized married life could be this good I’d have married you the day I pulled you out of the river.”
“That would’ve been a little early.”
“I agree. But there’s one thing for sure. I love you with all my heart now.”
“Can I ask you something now?”
“As you said, you can ask me anything.” He kissed the top of her head.
“Would you like to have children?”
“Without question. More than one if you don’t mind.”
She giggled. “Good. I want several, too.”
“I have a suggestion, Grace, my love.”
“What’s that?”
“Let’s start trying to have one right this minute. It might take a little while.”
She giggled again. “It might not take as long as you think.”
He frowned. “What does that mean?”
She cleared her throat. “Well, it could mean nothing, but I’m a week late.”
He rose up and glared down at her. “Really?”
“Of course it could be because I’ve been working pretty hard to get this house in shape so we could move out of my apartment in the hotel.”
Grace's Dream Page 21
