Love Inspired Historical October 2015 Box Set

by Lacy Williams

  “Can we stay here?” Eleanor’s voice was tight with emotion.

  “We could if I thought it was best for us, but I don’t think it is.” Clara’s resolve strengthened as she thought of Father finding them. She could not let him catch her and take the girls.

  “Who says?” Libby always had doubts.

  Clara wasn’t sure if that would serve her daughter well as she grew older or be her downfall. “Remember what I said when we started our journey? We would pray and trust God?”

  Eleanor shifted so she could look in Clara’s face. “What if what we pray is different than what you pray? Who does God answer?”

  Clara smiled as she recalled what Blue had said. “It’s God’s responsibility to answer our prayers as He sees fit.”

  Eleanor nodded, a smile flitting across her face as if she believed God would give her what she wanted.

  Clara wished it could be so. “That doesn’t mean we’ll get what we ask for but what God thinks is best. We have to trust Him no matter what.”

  Eleanor sagged as if she’d been denied her fondest wish.

  “Now, I know two little girls who need to get to sleep.” She tucked them in and heard their prayers. Tonight they were rather restrained.

  Clara picked up the book Blue had lent her and sat at the table to read.

  The girls shuffled closer to each other and whispered quietly for a few minutes until she told them to go to sleep.

  The story that had been so engrossing the evening before failed to hold her attention tonight, and she closed the book. Why did life have to be complicated? Why must her father be so controlling? Why the delay in her plans? She’d hoped to have started a new life by now. Instead, she was putting in time waiting.

  Her own words accused her. She’d told the girls to trust God when things didn’t go as they wished. Seems she would have to do so, as well.

  God, it’s hard to trust when the pathway ahead is invisible. May Thy rod and Thy staff comfort and guide me.

  The next morning she crossed over for breakfast with renewed resolve.

  “Should be a busy day today,” Bonnie said.

  Clara looked her way, saw the excitement in her face. “Why is that?”

  “It’s Saturday, and people will be coming to town. I’m making four times as many biscuits and lots of cookies. The bachelors love my baked goods. Of course, more and more of them are finding wives and that’s good, too. I look forward to visiting them when I take batches of food to the store.”

  Tension caught Clara’s neck in a vise. People would be coming to town? No doubt they would be curious and asking questions about the unfamiliar young mother and her children.

  She recalled her prayer from last night and repeated it silently. Trusting, she admitted, was sometimes hard.

  She waited for the girls to finish their breakfast, then hurried them over to the church. Perhaps people would not discover them there.

  The girls rushed out to fill the buckets with snow.

  Clara realized she’d have to keep them indoors the rest of the day so people coming to town wouldn’t see them.

  Blue seemed no more inclined to chat this morning than she was as they measured and cut and planed. Slowly, the pleasure of the work calmed her nerves.

  Until a wagon rattled by. She sprang to the window to see a young couple make their way to the store.

  A wagon came from the other direction and turned toward the store, as well.

  “Looks like Macpherson is going to be busy today.” Blue spoke from directly behind her.

  She managed to control her startled reaction at his nearness as she watched several cowboys ride to the store.

  “Slim, Buster and Eddie,” Blue said. “Eden Valley cowboys and the boss. I expect Eddie will come by when he’s done at Macpherson’s and check on how things are progressing here.”

  They were coming here? She had to leave. She sidestepped around Blue. “I have something to do. Girls, come along.”

  Libby opened her mouth to protest, saw the look in Clara’s eyes and merely obeyed her mother’s command. She hurried into her coat and followed Clara and Eleanor from the church.

  “What’s wrong, Mama?” Eleanor said when they were away from the building. “Why are you so scared?”

  “Too many people are learning our business.”

  “Are we going to run away again?” Eleanor’s voice picked up Clara’s concern.

  “Maybe not today.” Unless the stagecoach shows up, she silently added. She’d keep a watch for it. “But we’ll stay out of the way for now.”

  She slipped into the little shack and stared at the four narrow walls. What was she to do in here all day? How was she to keep the girls entertained?

  Somehow she must.

  She didn’t want to frighten them with her worries that among those coming into town could be a man looking for her. A man sent by her father to take the girls from her.

  Chapter Eight

  Blue stood with his head against the window frame. He’d craned his neck to watch Clara and the girls as they hurried toward the shack. As soon as she’d heard Eddie and the cowboys might stop by the church, she had called the girls and bolted. It was obvious she was afraid someone might recognize her. But who did she fear so much? She’d said her father was controlling, but surely that wasn’t reason enough to fear him.

  He might never know who she was afraid of, because she’d steadfastly refused to provide him with so much as a clue.

  What would she say if he offered to protect her and the girls? Likely she’d laugh.

  His heart grew cold and brittle.

  And well she should. He’d failed to protect his own family and would never again take on such responsibility. Would never open his heart to the pain it could bring.

  But someone needed to take her home and look after her and the girls.

  He pushed away from the window. Time to get back to work, or Eddie would think he wasted time. He returned to the sawhorse.

  A few minutes later the door opened, and he straightened, waiting to see who had come calling. It wouldn’t be Clara. She would have come through the back door closer to the Mortons’ shack. He told himself he wasn’t disappointed. After all, he knew better than to let his heart go in that direction.

  It was Eddie who entered, taking his hat from his head. “How’s the work going?”

  “Fair to middling.”

  Eddie looked at the pews Blue and Clara had put together. “A fine job.”

  “Thanks.”

  Eddie circled the room, examining the wood still to be cut and the pieces waiting to be assembled and glancing out the windows.

  Blue wondered what his boss really wanted. “How’s your wife?”

  “Linette is getting impatient for the baby to be born, but other than that she is doing fine.”

  Perhaps there were problems among some of the newlyweds or the new wives. Hadn’t Alice said that adding a woman to any group changed the way people acted? At Eden Valley Ranch there had been three new brides just the past few months.

  “And the others?” he asked. “Roper, Cassie and the children? Jayne and Seth, Brand and Sybil? Mercy and Abel and the twins?”

  “Everyone is doing fine. There’s a lot of visiting back and forth. Seems one or another of the ladies is always at the house or the children are going from one house to the other.”

  It was the main reason he had chosen to spend some time at the church. Where he’d be alone. It hadn’t quite turned out that way. Funny how things had worked out. He knew he should regret it, but when he saw how Clara had run away frightened a few minutes ago he was glad he could offer her a few days of safety.

  “Macpherson says you have someone here with you.”

  Of course Macpherson knew. What did Blue expect?

  Eddie gave Blue a quizzical look. Clearly, he wanted the details.

  “A young woman and her two girls.” He explained how he had found her unconscious down by the river, with no place to go an
d no one to take her in. “She insisted she must do something to pay for her keep, so I’ve been teaching her woodworking. Turns out she’s pretty good.”

  “Good. Good.” Eddie plunked down on one of the pews. “Miss Prudence Foot came looking for me as soon as I reached town to complain that you and a young woman were in the church without adequate chaperoning. She’s very offended at such disregard for the sanctity of the church. Her words. Not mine.”

  Blue leaned back on his heels and studied the man who was his boss and known to be fair in his dealings. Too bad Miss Prudence couldn’t be fair, as well. It surprised him that a man like Rufus who ran the livery barn without judging man or beast should have such a judgmental sister.

  Eddie waited for him to explain the activities at the church. “Her daughters are always here. They sleep in Bonnie and Claude’s little shack. There need be no concern about our conduct. Besides, you know me. I’m not interested in becoming involved with a woman.” Especially one with children, he added silently. Though he realized he felt less and less sure of his conviction.

  Only because it bothered him to see her so fearful, he told himself. Someone ought to take care of her.

  “Why don’t I take her out to the ranch? Linette would be happy to have her.”

  Blue nodded. “I thought of that, but she refuses to leave town. Says she’s waiting for someone.”

  “She’s expecting someone to come for her?”

  “It would seem so.”

  Eddie sighed. “Can she be persuaded to wait at the ranch?”

  “I doubt it. She’s rather stubborn.”

  Eddie laughed. “I remember trying to convince Linette to go back to England. It was a waste of breath.”

  Blue nodded. He figured it would be a similar waste to try and change Clara’s mind.

  “Well.” Eddie planted his hands on his knees. “I trust you to act wisely in the matter.” He pushed to his feet. “Tomorrow is Sunday. Why not bring her and the girls out to the ranch for church?” He looked around the building. “Soon we’ll have a proper building to meet in, but I have to admit I’ll miss gathering in the cookhouse with Cookie and Bertie leading the service.”

  Eddie wasted no more time. He went out to meet up with the Eden Valley cowboys. “I’ll leave you to your work,” he told Blue. Then they rode away.

  Blue returned to his saw, and the echoing silence mocked him. How had he gone from dwelling in his own thoughts and enjoying complete solitude to thinking the place was too quiet?

  Clara and the girls were how.

  And he would pay a stiff price for letting them worm their way into his life.

  Maybe if he took them to the ranch, Clara would see that it was a far better place than here to wait for…whoever she waited for. He’d ask her when he went for supper.

  As soon as it was a reasonable time to show up for supper, he left the church and made his way to the Mortons’ house. He stepped inside and looked about. Clara and the girls weren’t there yet. Was he that early?

  Bonnie noticed his surprise. “Clara has been busy all day. She washed clothes over at the shack. I said she could do it here, but she insisted she could manage, though goodness knows how she did with only a small pan to work in. Then she bathed the girls and washed their hair. She said their hair is still wet, and she didn’t want to take them out in the cold, so she took food over there to eat.” Bonnie came up for air. “Sit.”

  He did. How was he to ask Clara to go to the ranch if she didn’t come for supper?

  He had no choice but to go to the shack. Never mind what Miss Foot would say. He wouldn’t go inside, so if Miss Foot watched, she would see that.

  Bonnie rattled on about all the people who had come to town. Claude added a comment or two, but Blue just listened.

  Finally, the meal ended. Blue thanked Bonnie and Claude and hurried from the house. He crossed to the shack. From outside the door he heard murmured voices from inside, but he couldn’t make out what was said.

  He stepped forward and knocked.

  Instant silence greeted him.

  He wanted to slap his forehead. Knowing how she feared someone, he should have called out a warning.

  “It’s me. Blue. I need to ask you something.”

  “Wait a minute.”

  He heard sounds from inside, like something being shoved across the floor and shuffling. Had she pushed boxes against the door to stop someone from entering uninvited? The thought made his nerves twitch.

  He leaned against the door frame and waited.

  When she opened the door, her cheeks were pink as if from exertion. “Yes?”

  He glanced past her. The girls stood by the stove dressed in white nightgowns, their hair hanging down their backs. The homey scene touched a lonesome spot in his heart.

  He shifted his gaze, not welcoming the reminder of what he had lost and buried two years ago.

  “Yes?” she said again.

  “Everything okay here?” That wasn’t what he’d come to ask, but it was what he wanted to know.

  “Yes, fine.” She backed up as if preparing to close the door. “Thank you.” The words were uncertain. Spoken, no doubt, out of politeness when she really would rather have told him to leave her alone.

  “Wait. I wanted to ask you something.”

  She glanced over her shoulder, then stepped outside and closed the door.

  He swallowed a protest. Did she think he meant to say or do something that would hurt the girls? Why, he’d do all he could to keep them safe if she’d let him. He quickly amended his thought. He might if he hadn’t promised himself he would never again care deeply enough about anyone to risk having his heart broken. He meant to keep that promise.

  He cleared his throat and his thoughts. “Tomorrow is Sunday. Everyone at the ranch gathers for church at the cookhouse. It’s a simple, informal gathering, but it’s good.” Seemed a poor way of describing it. “Refreshing.” Still not what he meant. “Encouraging.” Now satisfied, he plunged onward. “I wondered if you wanted to go. I could rent a wagon and take you and the girls.”

  Her eyes brightened. She opened her mouth as if she meant to accept his invitation. Then hardness overtook her face.

  “I’m sorry. I can’t. I have some things I need to tend to. But thank you.” She hurried inside and closed the door, leaving him staring at it.

  How odd. He was certain she liked the idea, then had refused it anyway.

  Didn’t she realize she’d be safer on the ranch than here in town? What he wouldn’t give to know who she feared. Then he’d find that person and warn them to stop making life miserable for Clara and the girls.

  Or what?

  He didn’t answer his question because he didn’t have the answer. What could he do to protect them without involving his heart?

  *

  Clara stood with her back against the door as she sorted out her feelings. Her heart had leaped at his invite. Oh, to go to church, sing with others, have her faith renewed and strengthened.

  To accompany Blue on the half-hour ride to the ranch for the service… Well, wouldn’t it be great to feel safe for just a little while? Her nerves had twitched with fear all afternoon. There were too many people coming and going to the store. How was she to know if one of them looked for her?

  Despite the hunger of her soul, she couldn’t go with Blue. What if Petey came, and she missed her ride? She dared not risk that. Today had made one thing clear: she would never feel safe in Edendale.

  Besides, she had no business looking to Blue to make her feel safe. She had to prove she could take care of herself. Not only to prevent her father from taking the girls from her but for her own peace of mind. Otherwise, Father’s doubts about her ability would always have a stronghold on her thoughts.

  “Mama?” Eleanor sounded worried. “Is something wrong? What did Mr. Blue want?”

  She wouldn’t tell the children about the invitation to church. Instead, she thought about another service—the Christmas service in their
new home in Fort Calgary. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if they could make it in time for Christmas? “Just to make sure we were okay seeing as we didn’t go over for supper.”

  “Oh. What did you tell him?”

  “I said we were fine.”

  “Oh.” Eleanor didn’t sound convinced. Libby, she noticed, looked equally doubtful.

  “We are, my girls. Hasn’t God always taken care of us?” She’d have to trust Him completely tomorrow when Blue went to the ranch. She’d be alone.

  Of course she would be, and she could handle it. Wasn’t that the whole point of striking out on her own? She hadn’t forgotten her goal. She would not be afraid. The Lord is my shepherd. But she admitted she would miss his company.

  “Now let’s get your hair dried so you can go to bed.” She sat on a chair before the stove, pulled Libby to her lap and brushed her fair hair to speed its drying.

  “Tomorrow is Sunday, isn’t it?” Eleanor’s voice filled with concern.

  “Yes.”

  “Are we going to have church in the church?”

  “It isn’t really open yet.” Eleanor’s question gave her an idea. “We could have our own service there, though. Wouldn’t that be fun?” She injected as much excitement into her voice as she could manage. Just the three of them wouldn’t give her the same satisfaction, but she’d make it fun for their sake.

  “I guess,” Eleanor said.

  “Will Mr. Blue be there?” Libby asked.

  “I think he has other plans.”

  Libby bounced from her lap to face her. “Like what?”

  “Libby, he can come and go without our permission.” Sometimes her daughter’s strong emotions frightened her. She wished she could have prevented Libby from growing so attached to Blue. “He has a life that doesn’t include us.”

  Libby’s bottom lip came out. Her eyes flashed denial and then filled with tears.

  Clara pulled her back on her lap. “Libby, you knew that all along.” Clara reached for Eleanor and pulled her to her other knee. She held them close. “We all knew that.”

  Libby sobbed softly, and Eleanor clung to Clara. Clara rocked them and hummed. “Soon we’ll find a place where we can settle down and have a home again.”