Pearl moved aside and Dwight took her in his arms. Oh no…he’s got bad news I just know it! She clung to him, shaking and trying to catch her breath, but hours of unrelenting anxiety pressed down on her chest, making it hard to breathe.

  “What happened,” she asked, her voice sounding strangled. Her mind was a tangled mess of dread and fledgling hope—but she was desperately trying to hold fast to the latter.

  Dwight just held her for another moment, swaying gently, his hand tenderly caressing her back, and then he murmured, “Everything is going to be all right, Mary. Mr. Swigert recognized him—” he stopped as she gasped in fear and jerked her head back to see his face. “No! That’s a good thing, sweetheart!” he rushed on. “As soon as Swigert saw Hank, the memories came flooding back. He said Hank merely surprised him, he tripped and fell. Hank didn’t push him. Matter of fact, Jay said Hank grabbed him and tried to stop his fall, but couldn’t.”

  She shook her head hazily and blinked. Dwight’s face was blurry as she tried to focus through her tears. “Then…then he’s not…but why was he still in handcuffs?”

  Slowly, the room started to go dark around the edges of her vision, like a tunnel closing in on itself…Dwight’s voice asking if she was all right seemed far away…other voices and noises didn’t make sense…she thought she heard a shout…and the sound of running feet…and then…nothing.

  ~~

  It seemed like only seconds had passed when Mary opened her eyes, surprised to find herself lying on the settee in the library.

  Doc sat next to her, holding her wrist with one hand as he kept track of her pulse with his pocket watch in the other. A damp cloth rested across her forehead. As she fought her heavy eyelids, everything seemed jumbled in her mind.

  “She’s coming around,” he murmured, glancing up at someone standing near. His face was a mass of concern.

  “She hasn’t eaten a thing since breakfast, the poor dear,” Pearl’s worried voice spoke.

  “We need to get something down her. A glass of milk if nothing else,” Doc agreed. Then, his eyes met hers. “Mary, my dear…can you hear me?”

  Her brow furrowed. “Yes. I…what happened?”

  Then Dwight’s anxious face came into view and she realized he was on his knees next to the settee. “You fainted, sweetheart. I carried you in here. I was telling you about Hank and—” he stopped at her gasp.

  Doc put a finger under her chin and made her look at him again. “Now Mary, calm down. Hank is fine. The news was good. You hear me?”

  She managed to nod, and then they were helping her to sit up before someone pressed a glass of cold milk into her hand. “Here, try to drink as much of this as you can. I fear you’re on the verge of becoming dehydrated, plus you need to give that little one you’re carrying some nourishment,” Doc encouraged. Dutifully, she obeyed.

  Draining the glass and slowly feeling more like herself, she smiled at the apprehensive faces looking down at her, and then to Dwight who was still on his knees at her side.

  “All right. I think I’m better now…please tell me about Hank. I promise I won’t faint again,” she added, trying for a little levity.

  Dwight exchanged glances with Doc, and then sat next to her as he filled her in on what happened, adding, “The only drawback to the sheriff releasing him is the possibility of him being wanted by the authorities back in Lincoln—” he held up a hand when she opened her mouth to object.

  “Don’t worry. Tobias and I are taking the train in the morning. We’ll get to the bottom of it. Hank gave us all of the details as he knows them. There’s been no wanted poster printed concerning him. The sheriff doesn’t want to send a telegram to inquire because we don’t know if corruption played a part in what happened. He’s not sure who to trust. But if worse comes to worst, David said he will defend him pro bono publico…that means he won’t have to worry about compensation…payment,” he added when he saw her confusion.

  Oh my. She hadn’t thought of that. If there was a warrant out for his arrest… A bounty on his head… They could put him in jail in Lincoln and if he can’t prove he didn’t steal that money, he could go to prison…or worse!

  Meeting her husband’s eyes again, she declared, “I want to go with you.”

  She watched the emotions in his eyes, and saw how he looked from his mother to Doc, and finally settled back on her, before gently shaking his head. “No, honey. It would be better if you stayed here.”

  Her eyes filled with tears of worry for her brother, but Dwight grasped her hands in his and pressed them against his heart. “Mary, I give you my word. I’ll do everything I can to get him cleared or whatever I have to do—with as much care as I would if he were my own brother. I promise you.”

  There wasn’t much she could do but nod in acquiescence. And pray. But this time, she vowed she would pray in faith, and not in doubt and unbelief of God’s power and goodness.

  Dwight and Tobias had been in Lincoln for two hours, but hadn’t turned up anything solid.

  They were being exceedingly careful as they surreptitiously asked questions around town, not knowing who could be involved and how big of a cover up it truly was. They hadn’t yet gone to the sheriff.

  Hank had told them he had gotten a job as a stockman at the Union Pacific train depot, and that he’d been accused of stealing money from the safe there. He swore he was innocent, but since the theft meant that a great many people working on a large building project for the City Water Works would go without their monthly pay, a mob had formed. Then, as the sheriff was taking Hank to the jail for questioning, the mob surged forward to string him up but he was able to break away and run. Neither his boss nor anyone else had believed he was not guilty.

  Dwight and Tobias decided to try visiting one of the saloons down at the waterfront. As they had plied a patron with drinks, he had turned into a fount of information.

  The men gave one another careful looks and nods as the story unfolded. Seems that the depot manager had committed the actual theft of the money and—no surprise—had been the one to lay the blame on his new employee, Hank. The sheriff had found the money when they’d searched the manager’s room at the boarding house two days later. That explained why there was no wanted poster with Hank’s name and description circulated. The sheriff had suspected the manager all along.

  Dwight was so relieved, he sat back in his chair and let out a huge sigh, realizing he hadn’t been able to relax since the moment he’d heard his wife exclaim her brother’s name.

  After all of these months, the man in the saloon had even forgotten the name of the fellow originally charged with the crime. There had been a trial and the manager had been sentenced to ten years in prison, and was already serving his sentence at the Nebraska State Penitentiary—a large two-story structure surrounded by a tall stone wall that they had passed on their way to town.

  So, in other words, Hank was completely cleared of the theft.

  Dwight couldn’t wait to get home and tell Mary…and of course, the man in question.

  “And then, I hid out for about a month at an abandoned cabin on the backside of that hill behind the lake,” Hank was saying as he related his story to the people eating at Doc’s large dining room table, but especially to Mary. She was watching him fondly, unable to take her eyes away from her long-lost sibling.

  Since being released from jail, he had gotten a shave and a haircut at Finn’s barbershop, had new clothes purchased for him at the mercantile by his sister and brother-in-law, and even secured a job—at least for the short term. Jay Swigert had agreed to allow Hank to work off the debt he owed for unintentionally being the cause of the man’s injuries, by working the farm until Jay could get back on his feet. Mrs. Swigert had already fixed up a sleeping quarter of sorts out in the barn loft—ironically the same place that started the trouble. It seemed fitting.

  “Then I snuck back in town and made it out to our cabin, but someone else was livin’ there.”

  “Yes, the new fireman for the City of Lincoln.” Mary answered, the memory still rankled, but she pushed it away and concentrated on the here and now.

  Glancing over at Dwight, she exchanged yet another grateful smile with him for all he had done to make sure Hank was a free man. Just then, as if feeling its mother’s emotions, the baby kicked happily and she rubbed a hand over the spot. She was feeling blessed, indeed.

  Hank nodded, reaching to pick up his cup of coffee. “I couldn’t figure out where you and Pa were. I looked everywhere—but I had to be careful that no one saw me. Or…at least I thought I needed to be careful,” he glanced at Dwight and Tobias and shook his head. “Such a stupid mess. Here, I didn’t even know I’d been cleared. I disguised myself and visited a few of the seedy dives down at the waterfront, and that’s when I chanced to overhear two deckhands from the City of Lincoln talkin’ about what happened to Pa. That’s how I found out he was dead…and you had been forced out of town.” He shook his head again, fighting the sadness that had consumed him at the time.

  Then, he met Mary’s eyes and smiled. “Been searching for you ever since.”

  Mary had told him how she had stowed away on several steamboats before being caught on the J. Houston and had ended up in Brownville, but she had left out several details.

  He forked a piece of Wanda Mae’s delicious apple pie and lifted it to his mouth, obviously savoring the flavor. Looking around at all the friendly people surrounding him, he laughed. “I don’t mind admitting, I ain’t had anything that tastes this good in months. Got tired of cookin’ over campfires and eatin’ beans and hardtack, lemme tell you.”

  “It sounds like the plot of a book I’ve been reading! Only, in that book, the man had been guilty of his crime. Glad that’s not the case here!” Olivia piped up, after having been uncharacteristically silent through most of dinner.

  Everyone chuckled.

  Washing down the bite of pie with another sip of coffee, he looked again at his sister. “I’m glad you ended up here, Mary. So glad you’ve got friends…and a husband now. It does my heart good to see you happy.”

  For Mary, her life felt complete. She couldn’t believe she actually had her brother back in her life. Praise God.

  Now…if You’ll give me the desires of my heart, Lord…Dwight will stay with me forever…

  Chapter 14

  T hanksgiving had come and gone, and it had been a wonderful holiday celebration—especially for Mary, and so vastly different from any she had ever experienced before.

  Thinking of the contrast between how she had celebrated the holiday in the past and now, Mary knew she wanted life to stay just the way it was, with these people and this home. Could it? Now, her days were filled with laughter and good food…holidays were crowned with joy and thanks to the Lord for their blessings throughout the year—it was all more than Mary had ever hoped or dreamed. Compared to now, her life before the tragedy had been drudgery, containing precious little merriment.

  As she and Dwight had sat down together for the Thanksgiving meal with his family—as well as Hank, Doc, and Wanda Mae—Mary marveled that she had never been a part of a group so warm and welcoming.

  Wanda Mae had allowed the ladies to help with the meal, baking delicious pastries or helping with the more involved culinary dishes she was cooking in Doc’s large, equipped kitchen. What a spirit of camaraderie and fun! Since it was difficult for Mary to stand for very long, they found tasks she could do while sitting down, and everyone treated her like an adored member of the family.

  Several times during that busy morning as they prepared and cooked what would be their grand feast, she would hear the men’s voices from the parlor raised in laughter and it never failed to bring a smile to her lips. She’d always loved her brother’s full-bodied laugh, but she had quickly become enamored with Dwight’s contagious chuckle—it was much like a pealing giggle really, just more masculine—and it radiated joyous humor.

  Indeed, there was nothing feminine about her virile husband. Hearing him laugh made her eyes twinkle with joy. Oh, how she loved him. She wondered if he would ever know... The realization that the culmination of their agreement was looming closer each day made her heart ache but she quickly shoved the specter aside and concentrated on the here and now.

  Once the food was on the table and everyone was seated, Doc had offered the blessing, and then—as the diners still held hands—he had requested that they go around the table and share one thing that they were thankful for on this heartwarming Thanksgiving Day.

  One by one they did just that. Mary’s eyes had misted as she heard her brother express gratitude for his freedom, and her husband expressed his appreciation for a lovely wife and new baby on the way. When it was her turn, she had emitted a tearful laugh and said she couldn’t pick just one blessing—she was thanking God for her brother’s miraculous return, for friends and family and a comfortable home in which to live, and for her new husband and baby. Everyone aah’d and Mary blushed as Dwight leaned over and brushed a soft kiss on her lips. What a perfect moment!

  After that memorable evening, the days had flown by. Dwight was working hard on a new case and was meticulously studying David’s copies of James Kent’s four-volume set of Commentaries on American Law each night, and Hank labored out at the Swigert’s farm, toiling determinedly to make sure the family had everything they needed for the quickly approaching cold weather.

  Mary spent many enjoyable days with Pearl and several of the church ladies, working on projects, laughing, and enjoying themselves as they sewed gifts for their loved ones. Sometimes they would gather in Doc’s parlor or the boarding house. Other times at the parsonage, and there were a few occasions in which the ladies had taken turns hosting.

  Mary made new shirts for each of the men in her life, embroidered hankies for each of the ladies, and sewed dresses for the matching dolls she had helped Doc pick out to buy for the twins.

  Three days before Christmas, Dwight, Tobias and Hank went out into the woods surrounding the town and brought back three flawless Christmas trees…one for Doc’s house, a small one for Tobias and Pauline’s room at the boarding house, and one for the Swigert family.

  The specimen they chose for Doc’s parlor was nearly nine feet tall and finely proportioned, and they had worked together to set it up in front of the tall corner window. Everyone had a marvelous time decorating it with long strands of popped corn, ribbons, candles, colorful balls, and handmade ornaments the girls had fashioned at school. Dwight had even lifted one of the twins up high enough to place the angel at the top.

  Soon, the rest of the house slowly became outfitted with holly and pine; the woodsy scent filling the rooms with the magic of Christmastime. Swags of garland were hung on the windows as well as the handrails. Pearl and Pauline created a lovely wreath for Doc’s front door, complete with pine cones and long streams of red ribbon. All of the hearths in the house boasted mantlepieces decorated with ferns and evergreens. The twins had hung stockings on the parlor mantle, and each day a new one mysteriously appeared, adding to the collection until everyone in the household had one hung and waiting to be filled on Christmas Eve.

  Just the week before they brought in the tree, the rest of the Christiansen family’s belongings had arrived by train, having been carefully boxed up and sent from Louisville by workers hired by the Fetterman’s. They had stored the various boxes away in the attic and basement.

  The night the tree was put in place, Pearl and her new fiancé—Doc—had happily brought in a box of Pearl’s traditional Christmas decorations, and the jolly physician had made a point of allowing his bride-to-be to decorate in any way she chose, saying he’d never been much good at that. The twinkle behind those wire rimmed glasses said that he adored everything his new love did.

  Mary couldn’t have been happier to watch them…although she did wish that she and Dwight could have a lasting relationship such as Doc and Pearl seemed destined to enjoy. If only ours wasn’t just for show, she mused with a sigh.

  Just then, Dwight came up behind her, spun her around, and grinned playfully as she squawked in surprise. Pointedly looking up to draw her attention to the item hanging above their heads, he teased, “My wife is standing under the mistletoe, so I’m happy to accommodate,” before swooping down and planting a big kiss right on her lips.

  Pearl chuckled and elbowed them out of the way so that she could get in on the action, placing herself directly under the sprig. Doc laughingly obliged.

  And so, the fun continued in the Reeves/Christiansen household until finally, it was Christmas Eve.

  Charise had invited them all to her and Finn’s annual Christmas party, which they hosted on the ground floor of the former Lone Tree Saloon—their home and Finn’s barbershop.

  Mary loved hearing the stories of the building’s unique history, such as the time the larger-than-life outlaw, Jesse James—dead nearly two years now—had actually crashed Finn and Charise’s wedding reception because he hadn’t heard the place was no longer operating as his favorite watering hole in all of Nebraska!

  With only two weeks to go until her baby was due to make his or her entrance into the world, it wasn’t a stretch to say that she hoped Charise had made sure there was a comfortable chair on the first floor of the establishment. Now, with her waddling gait, there was no way Mary could climb those interior circular stairs to the second floor as she had so many times when she helped to take care of the Maynard children.

  She had joked to everyone that morning that she felt like a picture she had seen in a book of elephants in Africa. Dwight had reassured her that she was nothing of the sort—and Hank had added that she didn’t have a long enough trunk on the front of her face. She had playfully smacked him for that.

  Bundled up and loaded down with Christmas gifts, Mary allowed Dwight and Hank to escort her out to Doc’s buggy for the ride down to the party. The rest of the family followed in a borrowed carriage, as it was too cold to walk. Although a light snow had begun to fall, Mary was perfectly warm and happy sandwiched between the two large men.

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21