“Do they still sleep in the same room with you?”
“No,” Nell explained. “As soon as Joseph heard we had twins, he made us a second cradle. They sleep in the room across the hall.”
“I can’t wait any longer. Do you mind if I go up?”
“Not at all, I’ll come with you. Grace can come down here for a while and help Cal while we visit.”
“In that case,” Adam said standing and offering Becca, his hand. “I think Becca and I will walk around town and she can get to know her new home better.”
“Splendid,” Miranda answered. “I’ll see you in an hour.” She hurried after Nell into the back of the restaurant and up the stairs to the apartment Cal, Nell, and the babies share.
“Are you walking with us?” Becca asked Winifred.
Winifred glanced up just as Otis Hegal walked into the restaurant. “I think I’ll stay here and enjoy another cup of coffee. I don’t think the two of you need a chaperone this afternoon.”
Becca glanced toward the door and winked at Winifred. “More coffee will do you good, we’ll see you in a little while.” She slipped her arm into the crook of Adam’s elbow, and he led her out of Cal’s.
Adam, oblivious of Otis’ arrival and Winifred’s interest, began the tour of the town. “Cal’s place used to be the last building on Main Street until Judge Magarey, and Mr. Willoughby decided the town needed a town hall. When it’s completed, it’ll be an interesting building. Judge Magarey is a bit eccentric and a while back we had a trial in town involving a woman. As a matter of fact, it all began when Nell was accused of theft by her previous employer and jailed. She was innocent, of course, but the town rallied around her and Mrs. Masters did all she could to make Nell comfortable including hanging sheets for privacy. Well, the judge was angry that anyone would put a woman in the jail where men might be housed. On the top floor of the new city hall, there will be a single jail cell just for women, but the judge made it clear that before any woman is arrested and jailed there best be irrefutable evidence of her guilt.”
Becca turned to look at the building. “It’s going to be quite large. Is that where our reception will be?”
“Yes, the first floor is ready and the second is nearly complete. I believe there was a problem with the lumber order, so the top floor is behind schedule, but it is still impressive.”
“Yes, it is,” she agreed and turned back to continue walking.
“Most of the businesses are closed since it’s Sunday. Callahan’s opens on Sunday to feed anyone who arrives on the train or comes in after church. Mostly it is single men looking for a meal better than they get in the bunkhouses or what they cook for themselves. If we’ve had bad weather, Louis Masters will open the mercantile after services for anyone who couldn’t get supplies during the week, and Minnie helps the umm ladies before services.”
“Ladies?” Becca asked scrunching her eyebrows when she looked at Adam.
“Umm, yes, the ladies who worked at the saloon before it burned down. She has a big heart and felt even the saloon ladies deserved to buy what they needed,” he shrugged. “You’ll like Minnie. She’s no-nonsense but kind at heart.”
“I understand, and I agree with Mrs. Masters. The Bible tells us not to judge. We have no idea why people live the lives they do.”
Adam patted her hand. “You have a good heart, Becca. Here’s the newspaper office and next door is where they are building the new saloon.”
Becca stopped and looked at the building under construction. She could tell it would be large and two stories. She swallowed and asked Adam, “It appears there will be an upper floor. Will the owner hire the ladies Mrs. Masters helps?”
Adam shrugged, “I suppose so.”
“Then I will remember to pray for them,” Becca said as they crossed the street and stopped in front of the sheriff’s office. Becca pointed down the road past the train station and asked, “Why is there a large tent there across from the church and school?”
“It’s the temporary saloon. Underwood, the man who owned the saloon, was sent to prison and his silent partner came to town and is building the new saloon. The land beyond the train station is not owned by the town and the farmer who does, allowed the new owner to pitch a saloon tent.”
“My goodness,” Becca said. “Gentle Falls has certainly seen its share of interesting residents.” Her thoughts went to the ladies who work in the saloon. She said a small prayer there weren’t any that needed to live and work in the tent.
“That we have, but most are good people,” Adam agreed and pointed out the barbershop.
“Is this the shop of the man who danced with Winifred last night?”
Adam nodded. “Yes, he lives upstairs. His son, Joseph, is our town carpenter and coffin maker. His shop and home is behind the barber shop just across the alley. He makes beautiful furniture. If we need anything, you can speak to Joseph.”
“I’ll do that, but I’d like to forget about the coffin making,” Becca admitted.
“They are necessary, but let’s change the subject.” Adam stopped. “As you can see, this is the hotel. It has a restaurant, but the owner is doing his best to make it as fancy as possible. Most people still eat at Cal’s unless it is a special occasion or they stay at the hotel.”
They passed by a small, narrow building. “This is where Judge Magarey has his office, but he’ll soon move it to the third floor of the city hall. The next building is the bank. You might not want to go in there alone seeing as how the Willoughby family feels about me.”
Becca mumbled, “Hmm mmm,” but had already moved to the next shop and was mesmerized by the gorgeous gown of deep green satin in the window.
“This is Sarah’s shop. The dresses she displays in her window are always her own designs,” Adam told her.
“It’s breathtaking. Sarah said she’d make my wedding dress. I had no idea she was so talented,” Becca answered not taking her eyes off the dress.
“You’d be beautiful in anything,” Adam whispered in her ear.
She blushed and dropped her gaze. “Thank you.”
She slipped her arm back into his, and they walked back toward the restaurant. “I enjoyed the walk. The town seems to have everything needed for a good life.”
“It does, I think. Oh, if you look above the restaurant you’ll see the offices of Giles Bowen. He’s Sarah’s husband.”
Becca looked up. “Oh, he’s a lawyer. The town does have all it needs.”
Adam pulled her a bit closer. “Yes, it does, at least it does for me now that you’re here.”
Chapter Eleven
After doing her best to argue with Sarah that the gown made of white satin was far too expensive for a wedding gift, Becca decided to go along with her new friend’s wishes. Miranda tried on the dress she ordered as soon as Adam told her that Becca had accepted his proposal and would be coming to Gentle Falls. She began to realize that the women in town were her friends and truly cared. Winifred found a new ready-made gown that only needed a few slight alterations. It was also one of Sarah’s creations, and the light blue shade looked lovely on Winifred.
Becca teased her cousin, “If Mr. Hegal isn’t interested in you now, he certainly will be at my wedding when he sees you in that dress. You just might steal the man’s heart.”
Winifred blushed and shook her head, “He was just being kind by asking me to dance.”
“Three times?” Becca teased again. “And he and his son were sitting at your table yesterday when Adam and I returned to the restaurant after our walk.”
“He was only introducing me to Joseph,” Winifred insisted.
“All right, if that’s what you think,” Becca smiled. “With all this excitement, I need some fresh air. I’ll wait outside.”
Becca walked out of the dress shop and watched the residents of Gentle Falls go about their business. She smiled at the people that she knew would be her friends and neighbors soon. Distracted by the sound of a dog whimpering, Becca wandered down the
alley between two buildings.
She walked to the end of the alley and looked in both directions hoping to find the dog. Not seeing or hearing the dog, she shrugged and turned to walk back to the mercantile. She saw the shadow of a man out of the corner of her eye leap at her before she had the chance to run.
“Don’t move or scream,” the man’s voice growled in her ear. The odor of alcohol wafting off him nearly knocked the breath from her lungs as she struggled to free herself from the man’s arms.
“I said don’t move,” the voice growled again. “I won’t hurt you, but you’re coming home with me. I need a mother for my young ones.”
Becca desperately tried to shake her head no and loosen his grip on her arms.
“Yes,” he insisted. “I know you came here as a mail-order bride. Well, you can be my bride although I don’t need a bride, I need a mother for my children. I will let you go, and you will walk with me to my wagon or I will shoot you.”
Terrified of being shot, Becca didn’t scream when he moved his hand. “Why are you doing this?” She asked.
He spun her to look at him. His bloodshot eyes bore into hers. “My wife died birthing our daughter. We have twin boys. The three need a mother. I don’t have time to send off for a bride. You’re here and coming with me.”
She tried to pull loose, but his grip tightened. “Don’t” he spat at her. “I’ll punch you and knock you out and take you home. You will come with me either way.”
“Why,” she whispered hoping if she reasoned with him, he’d let her go. “The ladies in town will help you with your children.”
“I don’t take no charity.”
Still hoping to gain her freedom, she smiled, “I understand you’re grieving and need help. I don’t even know your name.”
“Lyman Grillow. Now we need to go. I left the baby at home in her cradle and twins tied to chairs.”
“What? You tied your children to chairs. What if the house catches fire?” She struggled to pull her arms free.
“Nah, I put the fire out. I left the boys with a biscuit and a cup of water. I fed the girl some cow’s milk, and I came straight to town to find a new wife.”
He’d released Becca’s arms, but she didn’t run. “But you’re drunk or near drunk. How do you know they’re safe?”
“I only meant to have one drink,” he babbled as tears began to fall. “My dear Phoebe was in so much pain. I couldn’t help her, and when she died, I took care of the baby. Then I waited until first light to bury her near her favorite tree. I made sure the twins ate and came to town. I thought one drink would help me.”
Becca took two steps down the alleyway, “But you drank too much. You need to go home. Your children need you.”
He shook his head and dropped to his knees. “My children need a mother. They need you. I only wanted a drink or two to stop the pain. I don’t remember how much I drank. I woke up this morning outside the saloon tent. I don’t know how long I slept. What day is today?”
“It’s Monday,” she answered as she moved a few more steps down the alleyway.
“Phoebe died on Saturday night. I buried her yesterday morning.”
Fear for herself and those three children left alone for over a day strengthened Becca. She turned, shouted for help, and ran toward the street. Grillow leaped to his feet and chased her.
Becca jumped up onto the raised boardwalk and ran right into Adam’s chest. Winifred was close on his heels. Becca gasped and tried to catch her breath to speak.
“What’s wrong?”
Before Becca could answer, Grillow ran up behind her and grabbed her arm. “Get your hand off my bride. She’s coming home with me.”
Adam’s arm shot out, and he hit Grillow in the face, hard. Grillow fell to the boardwalk and didn’t move.
Ben strode up and asked, “All right, what’s going on here?”
Adam shrugged, “Lyman Grillow chased Becca and grabbed her insisting she was his bride. I hit him.”
Winifred stormed over to the unconscious man and insisted, “Arrest him.”
Ben shook his head. “He smells like he drank his breakfast after sleeping in the livery. Help me get him to the jail to sleep it off. Besides, he’s married. Maybe the saloon gave him some bad whiskey.”
A small group circled them listening to what happened to Becca. They all nodded in agreement with Ben’s assessment of the situation.
“No,” Becca insisted. “Wait. He told me his wife died in childbirth, and he buried her yesterday morning. He left his three children home alone. That was over a day ago. Those children need help.”
Doc Winters standing and listening to Becca’s story ran off toward his house. A few minutes later he raced out of town on his horse rather than in his buggy which he usually took on home visits.
Minnie grabbed Rachel’s arm. “Come on, those children need help. I have canned milk and glass infant bottles in the store.”
Rachel followed Minnie calling out to her husband to bring their wagon for her and Minnie to use.
Joseph helped Ben move Lyman to the jail to sleep off the alcohol and to find out why he left his children alone.
Becca and Winifred followed Rachel and Minnie into the mercantile hoping to help in any way they could. “What can we do?” Becca asked Rachel.
Rachel smiled at the troubled young woman. “Try not to worry dear, we’ll help those children. I visited Phoebe last week, and she was well prepared for the birth of her child. What we’ll need is milk and bottles for the baby. Maybe fresh bread and eggs to feed the boys.” She handed Becca a loaf of fresh bread wrapped in cloth.
Minnie came out of the back room carrying canned milk, two glass bottles, and a small bag of oatmeal. “Rachel, I left a few eggs on the table in back. Will you get them?”
“Here, let me help,” Winifred said to Minnie.
Minnie handed her the glass bottles and said, “You can take these and help me pack the items and then you and Becca can accompany us to the Grillow farm.”
“Me?” Becca asked.
“Yes, those twin boys have more energy than any children I’ve seen, and you are young enough to keep up with them.”
Becca nodded. Rachel packed the basket and asked. “Do we need anything else?”
“Peppermint sticks,” Becca suggested. “My father used to give them to me when I was sad. It might help settle the boys.”
“Good idea,” Minnie agreed and grabbed two peppermint sticks and handed them to Becca. “You give them to the boys, and maybe they’ll behave for you.”
Becca bit her lip and frowned but followed Rachel, Minnie, and Winifred to the wagon. She didn’t have much experience with young children and certainly not rambunctious little boys. She said a quiet prayer for strength and climbed up onto the wagon.
Adam rode up next to the wagon. “I’ll follow you ladies. I’m sure Mr. Grillow has some chores that were neglected over the past few days. I doubt his mind was on his animals.” He nodded and followed the wagon.
~ * ~
Doc Winters rode up to the Grillow cabin and jumped off his horse. He sighed a breath of relief when he heard an infant crying. The baby was still alive. He strode to the door and opened it. If not for the seriousness of the situation, he would have laughed. One of the twins was still tied to a chair. The other boy stood on a counter near the sink and tossed a handful of what Doc assumed was sugar on the table.
“Here, eat more,” the boy said to his brother. The second boy scooped up what sugar he could and pushed it into his mouth. The little sugar thief looked up at Doc and said, “Hi. Papa not home.”
Doc looked into the cradle and saw the tiny girl crying and flailing her arms. She would be all right for a moment. He pulled the youngster off the counter and told him to sit. Pushing the sugar away from the second boy, he untied him from the chair and found two biscuits and some milk in the cooler. Once each boy was happily munching on a biscuit and milk, he turned his attention back to the baby.
“Well,
little lady, you appear healthy, but I know you’re hungry. You aren’t very wet, so I think we need to get some milk into you. He warmed some milk on the stove after he started a fire and found a clean cloth. Dipping the corner into the warmed milk, he allowed the baby to suck the milk off which she did greedily. After dipping the cloth in a dozen times, he heard a wagon out front. Minnie came bounding in the door holding a glass baby bottle.
“Let me wash this, Doc, and we’ll get that little one fed proper like. I brought canned milk in case there wasn’t any here. Adam followed us, and he said he’ll do the chores. I’m sure he’ll fetch us more fresh milk, too.”
“Thanks, Minnie. When we get the baby fed, and the boys cleaned up, we should take them back to town.”
Rachel walked in followed by Becca carrying the basket from the mercantile. “What happened here, Doc?” Rachel asked.
Winifred hurried to the cradle and ran her fingers along the baby’s forehead. “She’s so tiny.”
“But she’s strong and as far as I can tell, this one,” he patted one of the boys on his head, “managed to untie himself, and I found him standing on the counter tossing handfuls of sugar at his brother. I think they both ate their fill of it, but they still managed to eat the biscuits and milk that I found.”
“Well,” Becca mumbled. “I don’t think they need the peppermint sticks.”
“No, they don’t,” Rachel agreed. “But they do need baths.”
An hour later, a satisfied infant slept soundly in Winifred’s arms and two clean, fed, and energetic boys ran around the front of the cabin playing with Becca. Adam brought eggs and a pail of milk to the cabin.
Adam smiled at Becca. “The horses are watered and fed, and the cow is happier. I have a few eggs here. You look like you’re enjoying your time with the boys.”
“They are sweet children, but I’m not sure I could keep up with them all day,” she answered and ran to pull young Tommy from climbing up the porch rail.
Adam laughed, “It will be good practice for when we have our own.”
Becca blushed, “I do hope I will have some time to enjoy married life before becoming a mother and that I only have one child at a time. These boys must keep everyone busy, and when I see Nell, she always looks tired.”
Adam's Heart Page 7
