Reclaiming Hope (Mail-Order Brides 4)

by Annie Boone

  Dear Lord, give me the strength and wisdom to overcome the obstacles in my path, she silently prayed.

  Just as she was closing her short and fervent prayer, she smelled a familiar blend of leather and spices. Looking to her left, she saw Luke sit down on the end of the pew. Her heart began to beat harder and she suddenly realized how much she missed him. She busied herself by fixing the ribbon in Baby Annie's wispy black hair, sternly admonishing herself not to look again.

  When the service ended, Luke was the first one up, waiting patiently for Eva while the crowd of people streamed around him. “May I speak to you?” he asked politely, aware of all the listening ears.

  “Of course,” Eva graciously said. “There are numerous things we need to discuss.”

  Luke winced at the coldness in her voice. He could feel the wall between them and knew that he had caused it. When they reached the door of the church, Pastor Collins made a point of telling Luke how glad he was to see him in the house of the Lord. Luke looked sheepishly at the pastor, and then he shook his hand.

  “Thank you, Pastor, for all you’ve done to help me,” Luke said as he released the man’s hand.

  “You’re mighty welcome, Luke. I’m here for you any time,” he replied smiling broadly at Luke and then sharing his smile with Eva.

  As she returned his smile, Eva realized that she had been so preoccupied with not looking at Luke that she couldn't remember a word of the sermon. It seemed that Luke was very impressed by it, though.

  “Eva,” Luke began, when they were away from the crush of people, “Will you come out with me for a buggy ride? I’d very much like your company this afternoon.”

  Eva looked at him and simply nodded. She wasn’t sure where this was going, so she was reserving judgment until she knew what he was up to.

  “You've worked so hard at the hotel helping me out and learning. You haven't had a chance to see the countryside. So let’s take a ride.” He helped her up into the carriage and then got in behind her.

  Eva was sitting silently waiting for him to tell her what he wanted to discuss with her. If he tried to smooth things over with her by being nice and taking her on a buggy ride he was going to be disappointed with the results.

  “I don’t think I’ve properly thanked you for all you’ve done to help since you’ve arrived. I saw the cart you had William and Charles make for the McCrory sisters. It was a brilliant idea to stock it with cleaning supplies so everything is there at your fingertips. Innovation is needed in our industry.”

  “Thank you for noticing,” Eva responded weakly. Her eyes remained fixed in front of her as they rode along.

  “And the accounting ledger has never been so up to date,” he acknowledged. “Again, I thank you for all the hard work you’ve put in, Eva. And please forgive me for taking so long to say those words to you.”

  “It has been a pleasure, Luke,” Eva said. “Overseeing the workings of the hotel is something I have come to enjoy very much. Also, it has been my duty to learn what you need in a wife.” Silently she added, Even if I never become your wife.

  They lapsed into a silence while Luke guided the buggy through the streets of Evergreen. He took a turn and headed to the meadow that ran up to the lake that Eva loved so much. They rolled to a stop in the middle of the meadow and Luke began to speak. “There is a secret I harbor, and I will find no peace until I tell you the truth.”

  Eva felt shaken by the desolate tone of his voice. He didn’t look at her, he stared straight ahead. Part of her dreaded what he was going to say and the rest of her knew that she must hear it if they were to have a relationship.

  Eva got out of the buggy before Luke realized what she was doing. He didn’t have a chance to get around the buggy to help her down. “If I am to participate in this discussion, then I must be able to pace. I think better that way,” she said without looking back at him.

  “Eva, do what you need to do, I just want to have an honest discussion with you.”

  “Tell me now,” she demanded, walking through the high grass to the edge of the lake, “I have known for some time that everything is not good. What does Janine Morell have to do with you? That’s what this is about, isn’t it?”

  Luke sighed, getting ready to launch into an explanation that might sever Eva's affection for him. “When I first met Janine I thought she was wonderful. She was fun and it was exciting to have her pursue me. She was attractive, shrewd, and attentive to my every need.” Luke walked to the bank of the lake to stand beside Eva, gazing out at the peaceful view before him. “I knew she was older than me, but that didn't concern me in the slightest.”

  “Why not?” Eva asked. “I’d like to understand the whole picture.”

  “She was fun and I liked her at first. I guess I just didn’t think about what might come next and what an age difference might mean for the future,” he replied.

  “Alright, I guess that makes sense. It certainly makes you out to look like a man who doesn’t take relationships seriously, though,” Eva replied.

  “But, Eva, I soon began to see the real Janine – the woman who treated her saloon girls so harshly, the way she took pleasure in abusing others with her sharp tongue. Well,” he threw his arms up, “I wanted no part of that. It made me realize how important it is in a relationship to respect the other person. I knew that I’d never respect Janine if it ever got that far. I got frightened when I thought I may not have options but to ask for her hand.”

  “What do you mean that you may not have options but to marry her? Oh, Luke! What are you saying?” Eva was in despair over what his admission might mean.

  “Oh, no, Eva. It’s not what you think!” Luke declared. “The reason I thought I might have to marry her was that she was pressuring me to marry her. She also started involving others in town to help her persuade me. I didn’t know how far she would go.”

  Eva had been pacing slowly in a circle. Now Luke was pacing as well. It was clear to Eva that this was a difficult conversation for him. She felt as if he didn’t want her to know what kind of mess he’d gotten himself into.

  “Well, Luke. I guess you have gotten yourself into a bit of a pickle.”

  “That’s not the end of the story, Eva. I’m not embarrassed about dating Janine. I tried to stop courting her as soon as I saw what she was really like. The next part is the part that I dread telling you the most.” He sighed heavily again and continued before Eva had a chance to say anything. “Knowing I would get no relief from her constant harping, I lied to her. I told her I was engaged to a woman I had met through a marriage catalog. If I had told her it was a woman from Denver she would've seen through the ruse, so I had to come up with something creative.”

  Luke saw the sadness on Eva's lovely face and knew himself to be the worst kind of cad. “Quite simply, I had no intention of marrying you. My plan was to talk you into being a cover for me and then provide you enough money to make it worth your while. I would eventually have asked you to act as if we had married. After a respectable amount of time, you’d have been able to go and do what you wanted because I would have had you move away to a warmer climate for your health or something. That would have left me in a situation where I was married and unavailable to Janine and I’d be free of her tricks.”

  Eva was once again close to tears. She was tired of crying over this man but her feelings were deeply hurt and her heart was getting close to breaking in two.

  “However,” he continued, nervously smoothing the front of his vest, “your letters intrigued me, and I found I couldn't wait to meet the girl behind them. By the time you finally got here, I had scrapped my plan to pay you to act like my fiancé and then my wife.”

  “If that is so,” Eva countered, her voice quivering slightly, “why have you treated me so harshly? Surely, you know me well enough by now to know I can withstand hard truths. My life has been fraught with hard truths. Instead, you have left me in a state of misery, conscious of the trouble between us
but with no way to mend it because you have avoided me and the issues.”

  Luke grasped Eva's hand, holding it tightly, “I knew, the very night you arrived, that I wanted to marry you. Seeing you in person confirmed what I felt about you through your letters. I was wary of what Janine might do to ruin our match. I see how my dishonesty caused the rift that has grown between us, and I’m so sorry for that.” He raised her hand to his lips and placed a chaste kiss just above her knuckles.

  “I’m not sure what Janine can do. The issues we have are because of your choices, not because of her,” Eva disputed.

  “Janine has been pressuring me to send you away. She started that practically the first day you were in town,” he said.

  Eva raised a brow but said nothing.

  Luke drank in the sight of Eva, like a mighty oak thirsting for water, weak unless it had the life-sustaining liquid it craved.

  “When I refused to do what she wanted,” he continued, “she implied how easily harm could befall you in Evergreen. Perhaps a runaway horse would trample you or a fall down a flight of stairs could cripple you.”

  “My, my,” Eva drawled. “What terrible things can happen to a stranger in a new town.”

  “When you walked into the lobby while Janine was there, do you remember she said she was going to Pueblo. I had just assured her that when she returned from her trip you would be gone. Since I believe she is capable of carrying out the heinous deeds she mentioned, I made plans with Robert and Miriam Spencer for you to stay at their farm,” he finished, waiting on Eva's response.

  She gently pulled her hand away, as she began to pace back and forth, the bracing smell of fresh grass and the cool breeze off the water clearing her mind. She knew what she must do, and though it was painful, it would also be the way to get this mess completely cleared up.

  “Take me to the Spencer's farm,” Eva stiffened her spine. Spinning around so fast her lavender skirts flared out. “If they will allow me to work for them in return for staying that is where I'll be for the next several months. That will give you time to figure out your true intentions. I do not doubt Janine Morrel's willingness to harm me. I have never allowed the actions of another to ruin my happiness and I won’t start now. I do know when to protect myself, however.”

  She turned and walked to Luke until she stood in front of him. She looked him in the eye and memorized every detail of his handsome face. She reached her hand to his face and touched the dimples he showed when he smiled. Her fingers traced the lips that she longed to kiss, even if only once.

  Luke caught Eva's hand, conscious of the problems he'd caused, but only wanting to hold Eva, maybe for the only time. He had no idea if he had lost her or not. He drew her to him as gently as possible, fearful lest she pull away.

  Smoothing her bonnet back, he slid the pins from her hair, letting it trail over her shoulders in a silken spray, the fine dark blond strands glimmering in the golden sun. Leaning in he placed a feather light kiss upon her lips. All the worry faded away, as she pulled him closer for a deeper kiss, a real kiss, her first kiss. She tentatively wound her fingers around his neck, needing to feel his strength.

  She sighed, when Luke cupped her face in his hand. Reluctantly breaking the kiss, Luke kept her in the safety of his arms.

  He whispered his promise into her ear. “I vow to make this right, Eva, but I know I've hurt you. When you are ready, we will marry, if you still want me, that is. Until then I will be waiting for your summons.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Life on a farm was a new concept for Eva, having lived in cities most of her life. She enjoyed the rhythm of the work, even learning to milk a cow, a sight that caused the Spencer’s to squeal with laughter every time Eva squirted milk on her shoes.

  The evenings were spent playing checkers with Miriam or cup and ball with Henry and George. Though after Eva got the ball in the cup twenty times in a row, they decided to play marbles instead, miffed that a girl had shown them up. Eva thought it funny, finally knowing what having brothers would have been like.

  “Oh, I so enjoy playing with the boys,” Eva said to Miriam one afternoon as they took a break and relaxed on the porch.

  “They enjoy you, too. Eva you’re a natural with children. You’re going to make a wonderful mother one day,” replied Miriam.

  “You know, I’m not certain that is going to happen for me, Miriam. It’s been months and I’ve not heard from Luke. I have no idea why it’s taking so long.”

  About that time, Robert stepped on to the porch. He had overheard Eva’s worries. “Luke will not let you down, Eva. He is committed. Just have faith and patience. Janine is not going down without a fight and Luke is concerned for your safety.”

  Eva smiled at him. “Thank you for your encouraging words, Robert. I think there are things I need to do in the house. I’ll see you both at supper.” She got up and walked into the house without another word on the subject of Luke.

  Two weeks later she was helping Miriam put up preserves when Henry ran in the house, saying they had a visitor. From the sudden thump of her heartbeat, Eva knew it was Luke. Going out to the porch to meet him she ruefully decided it was her fate to always have jam on her clothes or dirt on her face, along with hair that struggled to stay tamed in its pins.

  Luke saw her and gave a shout. Jumping off his horse, he ran to her and spun her around.

  “How I've missed you,” he announced to the world, taking in the sparkling sapphire eyes, exuberant smile, and high cheekbones of his beloved.

  She looked into his eyes and told him with her smile and clear happiness that she had missed him, too.

  “I've come with good news and apologies for my long absence,” he declared. He finally released her and held her at arms length to see her face when he delivered is news. “Miss Morrel is gone. For good. I bought the saloon. She agreed to move away from town. When she finally realized that I was going to marry you no matter what she did to stop me, she admitted she didn't want to live in Evergreen with us.”

  “She has already moved?” Eva asked.

  Luke nodded and looked pensive for a moment, “I asked her forgiveness, Eva, I treated her wrong as well.”

  Eva looked at Luke with wonder, seeing the change in him. The young buck had finally become a man.

  “Good for you, Luke,” Robert Spencer declared, as he ambled over from the barn. “A real man fixes his problems and knows when to say sorry.”

  Luke bent down, balanced on one knee, “I wanted to do this properly, Eva Mae Rutledge, can you forgive me?”

  Eva nodded, overcome at the relief coursing through her. “Of course,” she said, “provided we trust in the Lord and each other from now on.”

  Luke pulled a box out of his pocket and fumbled with the clasp, nervously dropping it before finally getting it open. Eva was tickled to see him so flummoxed, enjoying this side of Luke, the gentle soul she had loved from his letters.

  When Luke held the ring up for her to see she gasped, an opal flashed fire in all directions, blue, pink, and green lights sparked out, and Eva knew she had never seen a more beautiful ring. Luke cleared his throat, “I am asking the kindest, most gentle soul I have ever met to be my bride. You give even when you only have a little, and you shine brighter than this opal. Will you marry me, Eva,” he asked, as all around them waited.

  Miriam and Robert joined hands as a hush descended. “Yes,” Eva cried, as tears flowed down her cheeks, grabbing Luke in a tight embrace as he rose to his feet. “You are the man I want to marry. How happy I am to meet the real you at last.”

  “Well folks, I hereby invite you all to the wedding of Eva Rutledge and the luckiest fool that ever walked the earth.” Robert began slapping him on the back as the boys ran around whooping, knowing a wedding meant cake.

  Miriam hugged Eva, “I will be sorry to see you leave, but we are going to have so much fun planning this party!”

  Eva simply nodded, still caught up in the magic
of her love for Luke, and his for her.

  ***

  Luke's parents arrived a week later, and Eva was relieved to find they put on no airs. They were simply people who had worked hard to provide a better life for themselves and their son. Adelaide Stevenson, or Addy, as she preferred to be called, had dark curls and her son's dimples. Martin Stevenson told awful jokes and sported the same crook in his nose as Luke.

  Eva had plenty of help from Kate, the McCrory sisters, and Addy and they all worked furiously on the decorations and her wedding dress. Miriam had also come from the farm to lend a hand. Kate knew that Eva had never had grand clothes and she was doing all she could in the short time frame to have Eva’s dress be perfect. She wanted Eva, who always worried about others before herself, feel like a princess on her wedding day.

  The day of the wedding dawned with the first real hint of winter and Eva was glad the festivities were to take place indoors. Her dress was of the finest ivory silk, fitted tight through the sleeves, with the most darling little seed pearls around a daringly low sweetheart neckline. The bodice was fitted tight, and the dress flared out from her hips, streaming behind her into a five-foot train of frothy lace. The veil was sheer, and Kate took the place of honor, arguing persuasively that since she was the tallest she would do the best job of fixing it in Eva's tawny hair.