Through Each Tomorrow, page 37
“You and the child will sleep in here,” she said to me. “It won’t be safe, but it’ll be safer than sleeping upstairs with the men or out on the street. I’ll have Paddy guard the room at night.”
My eyes opened wide. I couldn’t help it. “Surely there would be a better place for my father and sister.”
“Perhaps,” she said as she put a few sticks of wood into the cookstove and pulled a coffee pot over the front burner. “But your father doesn’t look like he’d make it up the hill to Portsmouth Square, where the more respectable people find lodging, and no one would take you without money.” She turned from the stove, and her gaze landed on the boy.
He looked like he was six or seven, and he was strangely quiet as he watched her with large brown eyes. “Besides,” she said as she drew him to her, “Johnnie could use the companionship of another child. He hasn’t seen one in months.”
Hazel was growing heavy in my arms, and when she wiggled to get down, I set her on her feet. She looked at the little boy with open curiosity, and he stared back at her.
The back door opened, causing me to jump.
A man stopped in his tracks as his gaze met mine. He was tall, but it was the breadth of his shoulders and the size of his arms that made me draw in a breath. A scar drew up his left eyebrow, almost giving him a sinister look, but he was still dangerously handsome. He was bronzed with the sun, and though he couldn’t have been more than twenty-five, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes suggested he’d spent a great deal of time outdoors.
His brown eyes were hooded as he took in the full length of me.
“Sam,” Bess said. “We have a few new guests.”
Slowly, Sam entered the kitchen, and the size of him made the space feel much smaller and warmer. He wore a simple button-up shirt of gray flannel and a pair of canvas pants, held up by black suspenders. His shirtsleeves were rolled at his muscular forearms, and his top button was undone, revealing a white shirt underneath. His dark brown hair was worn a little long, and his brown beard was trimmed short and suited his handsome face.
I backed up, putting my hand on Hazel’s shoulder to take her with me.
His expression didn’t change as he said, “Why would you come here?”
I swallowed the apprehension climbing my throat and was about to speak when Bess said, “Her father is upstairs on his deathbed. No doubt he was the fool who thought he could make it rich like all the others.”
“It wasn’t Father’s idea,” I finally said, finding my voice and courage. “I convinced him to come.”
“Then you’re the fool,” Sam said, his British accent matching Bess’s. “Only fools and convicts come to San Francisco.”
I shuddered to think what he must be.
“The girl your daughter?” he asked, nodding at Hazel.
“My sister.”
“Keep a close eye on her. Never let her out of your sight, especially here in Sydney Town. There’s no telling what would happen to her.”
I pressed my hand against Hazel’s shoulder.
“I’m Sam Kendal,” he said. “You’re welcome to stay as long as you don’t cause trouble, but the sooner you leave, the better.”
My heart fell as his name sounded an alarm inside my troubled mind.
Sam Kendal. The most notorious Sydney Duck in San Francisco.
Which meant the woman was his wife, Bess Kendal, the person who would betray him and cause his downfall.
And soon, if I wasn’t mistaken.
About the Author
Gabrielle Meyer is a Christy Award–winner and ECPA bestselling author. She has worked for state and local historical societies and loves writing fiction inspired by real people, places, and events. She currently resides along the banks of the Mississippi River in central Minnesota with her husband and four children. By day, she’s a busy homeschool mom, and by night she pens fiction and nonfiction filled with hope. Find her online at GabrielleMeyer.com.
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Table of Contents
Cover
Half Title Page
Books by Gabrielle Meyer
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Contents
Timeless Family Tree
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Epilogue
Historical Note
Discussion Questions
Acknowledgments
Keep reading for a sneak peek of the next book in the Timeless series
About the Author
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Gabrielle Meyer, Through Each Tomorrow
