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The older woman returned and placed a steaming mug down in front of Leah. “Here, drink this. It will make you feel better in no time.” She was a short, plump woman with bright blue eyes. “I’ll have your cider out in a few moments, Jake. Would the little one like a cup of hot apple cider, too?”
Molly nodded. Her doe-like eyes studied everyone about the table. Then she ducked her head and hid her face behind Leah.
“That would be lovely. Thank you.” Leah patted Molly on the back.
The woman smiled and hurried back into what Leah assumed was the kitchen. For some odd reason, Leah had figured Jake to be a coffee-drinking man but it was obvious that the older woman knew he’d want apple cider.
Uncomfortable silence filled the room. Leah leaned down and unbuttoned Molly’s coat. She pulled the little stocking hat from the girl’s head. Soft blond curls floated about her angelic face. No one spoke as Leah removed the gloves from Molly’s hands. She looked into the little girl’s warm brown eyes. “Better?”
Molly nodded and tucked her thumb into her mouth once more. At four years old, she should have already stopped sucking her thumb, but with both her parents gone, Leah didn’t have the heart to take away that single comfort from the little girl. She pulled Molly up onto her lap.
Leah picked up the hot cup and took a sip. She was surprised that the coffee tasted so rich and full. She’d been traveling for days, and most of the places the stage had stopped had served weak coffee with hardly any flavor. She almost sighed out loud as its warmth slowly filled her chest and stomach.
The woman returned with a metal pot that she set on the table and two more steaming mugs. The smaller one she placed in front of Molly. “Here you go, little one. This should help warm you up.” A gentle smile graced her lips as she looked at Molly.
The sweet fragrance of apples drifted from the cup. Leah noted it was only about half full and didn’t steam like her coffee or Jake’s larger drink. She picked up the cider and handed it to Molly. It was warm to the touch, not hot. “Thank you.” She offered a wobbly smile.
The older woman dropped into a chair at the head of the table. “You’re welcome. I’m Agnes Frontz. Me and my husband, Charles, run this pony express station. He’s at the general store picking up supplies but will be back in time for supper.” She pointed to one of the two men. “This here is Will. He’s one of the pony express riders that lives here when he’s not working.”
The rider tilted his head in her direction. He looked no more than sixteen years old. His blue eyes sparkled in her direction as if he knew something she didn’t.
Agnes moved on to the big man. “And I believe you’ve already met our stock tender, Jake Bridges.”
Her heart sank. Leah looked at the big man. Light blond hair and brown eyes the same shade as Molly’s looked back at her. She’d planned to find Molly’s uncle but had hoped to delay her separation from the little girl for as long as possible.
Oh, Lord, please give me the strength to leave Molly in the care of her uncle.
* * *
Jake nodded at Leah before lifting the sweet cider to his lips and drinking deeply from the cup. He held her deep crystal-blue eyes over the rim. She had to be one of the prettiest women he’d seen in a long time. What was she doing out here in the middle of nowhere?
Her voice shook as she said, “It’s nice to meet you all. My name is Leah Hollister.”
“What brings you to our neck of the woods?” Mrs. Frontz asked.
Leah raised her head and looked Mrs. Frontz in the eyes. “Thomas Harris and I are to be married.”
Mrs. Frontz poured more coffee from the metal pot into Will’s cup. “Is he coming for you dear? With the weather it might take a while, but you’re welcome to stay here and wait for him, if you’d like.”
Jake watched Leah’s lids slip down over her eyes as she shifted in her seat.
“I’ve some unfinished business before I let him know I’ve arrived.” Her gaze rose to Jake’s face, as if her business had something to do with him, before lowering once more. “But I’m sure Mr. Harris will be happy to pay for my room and board when he arrives.”
The little girl slurped her drink and giggled. She was a cute thing but didn’t look much like her mother. Jake wondered how long Mrs. Hollister had been a widow.
His first impression of her had been that she had good looks but no brains. Who else but a clueless city girl would stop in the middle of the yard like that and look about like a lost lamb? Hadn’t Mr. Edwards, the stage coach driver, told her that this was a pony express station? That riders came in fast and hard?
Mrs. Frontz stood and picked up the coffeepot. “Don’t you worry none about that. I’m sure the Harris men will take care of everything.” For a moment she stared at Leah, the coffeepot extended away from her body, a questioning look in her eyes. Jake saw Leah’s shoulders stiffen almost as if she dreaded giving the answers Mrs. Frontz required. She barely hid her surprise when Mrs. Frontz turned to the kitchen, calling back over her shoulder, “Boys, gather up the lady’s bags and carry them up to one of the guest rooms.”
Jake and Will pushed back their chairs to do as they were told.
Leah’s soft voice stopped them. “I can take them.” She set the little girl down and was on her feet in an instant.
“Oh, no, you won’t.” Mrs. Frontz set a bowl of steaming stew on the table and took Leah’s arm. “You are going to sit right here and warm up while I feed you both. Then we’ll send you off to your beds.”
Jake hid his smile as he watched Leah do as she was told. Agnes Frontz was a hardworking woman who always got her way. She cooked and cleaned up after the riders and expected them to obey her every word.
She wasn’t hard on them, but she did like to mother them. It looked as if Leah Hollister was about to receive the same treatment.
Jake picked up two of the bags he’d brought in earlier. The first time he’d seen the cases, with Mrs. Hollister standing in the middle of them, it had scared ten years off his life. He’d called to her that the rider was coming, and for a split second Jake had thought she was deaf or something. She’d stood as still as a statue before her sense had kicked in and she’d grabbed up the child and raced for the cabin.
Her soft voice stopped him at the foot of the stairs. “Mr. Bridges?” He heard a catch in her throat.
Jake turned. “Yes?”
Her words came out in a rush. “I’d like to speak with you alone.”
His head shot up and a light eyebrow cocked upward. She returned his gaze, a determined glint in the eyes that stared unblinkingly back at him. Her hand gently stroked the little girl’s hair.
“I’m not sure alone is a very good idea,” Mrs. Frontz announced.
Jake nodded and handed the bags to Will, who juggled them but continued up the stairs. He looked to the older woman. Jake knew Mrs. Frontz meant well, but from the determined look on Mrs. Hollister’s face, Jake felt he needed to hear her out. “We’ll be over by the fireplace, Mrs. Frontz. If you don’t mind taking care of the child for a moment, I’m interested in Miss Hollister’s business with me.” He walked toward the big overstuffed chair that sat beside the fireplace.
Mrs. Hollister looked to Mrs. Frontz, who simply shrugged her approval. Leah placed her napkin on the table. “Thank you for watching Molly. I promise this won’t take long.”
Jake leaned against the rocks of the fireplace and waited. He couldn’t help but be curious. What could she possibly want to talk to him about? They were strangers.
Her soft skirts swished across the wood floors. Leah Hollister was a beautiful woman. She held herself with regal grace as she approached him but her sea-blue eyes betrayed the unease she felt. She was probably the most eye-catching woman he’d ever seen. How long would she be staying?
For a moment he allowed himself to imagine what marrying a woman like her would be like. He pushed the thought away. Jake had no business thinking about women, period. He’d decided a long time ago to keep his distance from them. It wasn’t that he didn’t like the fairer sex, but he’d learned from past experience that they couldn’t be trusted.
Today should have been his wedding anniversary. Instead his brother, John, was celebrating his own marriage. Five years ago, his brother and Jake’s fiancée, Sally, had ripped his heart out. The betrayal had been almost more than he could bear. An hour before they were to meet at the church for Sally and Jake’s wedding, Sally had arrived at the Bridges’ farm. She had stood with her head down, not looking him in the eyes, while his older brother wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders and confessed that they’d married that morning in the wee hours of dawn.
Hurt by his brother’s betrayal and the loss of Sally’s love, Jake had taken the bag he’d packed for his honeymoon and left. Since his parents had already moved on to be with the Lord, he knew John and Sally would take over the small farm. There was no place for him there any longer. He’d not looked back, except once a year to reflect on the pain his heart had endured and to vow never to allow another woman into it again.
Maybe he was a fool, but Jake had taken the time to write his brother and tell him where he’d landed over the years. Jake had asked that they not write back unless he was truly needed and John had abided by his request.
Jake had determined in his heart that he’d never fall in love again. It hurt too much when the one you loved betrayed you.
Once she was seated, Leah spoke, pulling him from his sad thoughts. “Please, Mr. Bridges, sit down. I really don’t want to crane my neck to speak to you.”
She seemed to have the upper hand in the conversation, so Jake did as she asked. He sat down on the footstool with his back turned away from the dining table where Mrs. Frontz and Molly waited. He could hear the older woman speaking to the child. Jake turned his attention to Leah. “All right, I’m sitting. What is it you have to say to me?”
Leah dug into the pocket of her dress and pulled out an envelope. He watched her swallow as she looked down at the cream-colored paper. “I think it would be best if I just give this to you. Then you can ask me any questions you’d like.”
He nodded his agreement and took the packet. Dread filled him as he turned it over. To: Jake Bridges. From: John Bridges was written across the front of the envelope.
What could his brother have to say that hadn’t been said the day he’d left? He’d claimed to love Sally and couldn’t live without her. He’d begged Jake to understand and asked him to reconsider leaving. But none of that mattered. John and Sally had betrayed him and he couldn’t face them, not yet, maybe never.
But why had John sent a letter with a complete stranger? He looked up at Leah Hollister. He saw sorrow in her eyes and a deeper sense of dread filled him as he slid his finger under the sealed flap and opened the envelope.
He forced his gaze from her eyes and focused on the letter.
Dear Jake,
By the time you get this letter I will be dead. Sally passed away last night and the illness that took her has now consumed me, as well. I am writing this letter in hopes that you have forgiven us by now and that you will not hold our daughter, Molly, accountable for the harm that we did to you. Please take care of my daughter and love her as if she were your own.
John
More lines had been added below John’s signature but Jake couldn’t bring himself to read them, not yet. He stood and walked to the fireplace. He was thankful Miss Hollister didn’t say anything as he passed her.
As surely as if someone had closed their hand about his throat, he felt the air squeeze from his lungs. Time had passed and with it the life of his brother. Never would Jake be able to make amends. He felt hot tears burn the backs of his eyes at what he’d lost and what his stubborn pride had cost him.
That same pride forced him to read the elegantly printed lines below his brother’s. He flicked the paper open once more and continued reading.
Mr. Bridges,
Your brother passed away a few weeks ago. I am sorry for your loss. We will be sending his daughter to you since there is no room for another child at the orphanage and you are her only remaining relative that we can locate. It is our fondest hope that Molly will find her voice and happiness with you. Mr. Johnson, the bank president, has requested you contact him in regard to your farm.
Mrs. Wilkins, Sweetwater, Texas.
Jake swallowed the lump in his throat. He’d lost his brother and was about to become guardian to a niece that he’d met for the first time moments ago. If he understood the letter correctly, Molly also didn’t speak. His throat felt dry, his eyes stung. His heart broke again.
He stood and leaned his forehead against the cool rocks of the fireplace and grieved. Lord, what am I going to do? I have no room for a child. No place to keep her. I’m not sure I can do this.
Chapter Two (#ulink_e7fd414f-970a-5f30-87e7-4ef3be0141f5)
Leah stood and placed her hand on Jake’s shoulder. “I’m very sorry, Mr. Bridges, to have to bring you this sad news.” She didn’t know what else to say. His shoulder felt warm under her hand. The muscles tensed beneath her touch.
“Jake.”
What did he mean? Leah dropped her hand from his shoulder. “Excuse me?”
He raised his head. Warm, brown, tear-filled eyes looked into hers. “Please call me Jake.”
Shock at seeing the raw pain in his gaze took Leah’s breath away but she managed to nod.
He squared his shoulders. “Thank you for bringing me the letter,” he said. He looked over her head and across the room to where Molly sat at the table playing with her doll. “And for bringing her to me.”
Again Leah nodded, not trusting her voice to escape around the knot in her throat.
“I hate to ask but...” His voice trailed off.
Leah swallowed. “You may ask me anything, Mr.—” she paused as she remembered his request “—Jake.” She kept her voice low, not sure she wanted Mrs. Frontz to hear her using his Christian name.
“Can the child stay with you until she gets to know me better and I can figure out a place for her to stay?” Sorrow filled his deep voice. His eyes returned to her face and pleaded with her to give him this time.
“I need to let Mr. Harris know I’m here,” Leah answered. “But, until he comes for me, I will take care of Molly.”
He nodded his acceptance of her terms. “Thank you.” With those words, Jake took one last look at Molly and left the house.
Leah watched him go. She felt his sorrow deeply. The door had shut behind him before she turned her attention back to the other two people in the room. Leah didn’t want to speak with Mrs. Frontz right now. Human nature would have the woman questioning her and it wasn’t her place to tell Mrs. Frontz about Jake’s loss.
“Why don’t you drink your coffee?” Mrs. Frontz offered, indicating with her hand that Leah should return to the table.
Leah looked to Molly. The little girl had finished her apple cider and simply sat watching the adults. If she could talk, Leah wondered what she’d say.
Not wanting to reveal Molly’s true identity until Jake was ready, Leah declined Mrs. Frontz’s invitation with a shake of her head. “Thank you for the coffee, Mrs. Frontz, but if Molly is finished, I’d like to rest for a little while.”
Molly hurried to her side. The little girl placed her hand within Leah’s as if offering her support.
Mrs. Frontz nodded but the disappointment in her face remained. Was she disappointed because she wanted to get to know Leah better? Or that Leah wouldn’t be sticking around to answer her questions regarding Jake?
“Will placed your bags in the first room to your left at the top of the stairs.” Mrs. Frontz pushed her chair back and gathered up the cups.
Leah smiled. “Thank you.” At the other woman’s nod, she took Molly’s hand and climbed the stairs. What would she and the little girl do once they were behind closed doors? Leah sighed as she opened the door to their room. It was chilly and the quilt looked warm and cozy on the top of the bed. A nap sounded good to Leah but she didn’t think she could sleep, knowing that Jake was somewhere hurting over the loss of his brother.
Molly entered the bed chamber, laid her doll on the quilt and crossed to the window. She clapped her little hands and pointed past the frost-covered glass. Snow drifted lazily to the ground. The little girl dug in her pockets and pulled out her hat and gloves. She ran toward the door and waited.
A quick glance about the room told Leah it was clean and had been well tended, but she’d look more closely later. “And where do you think you are going, young lady?” Leah asked, reaching for her coat.
Molly pointed back to the window.
“I see.” Leah crossed the room to help the little girl get the hat and gloves on her head and hands. A smile graced the child’s face as she tried to see out the window. It was as if Molly was afraid the snow would stop falling and she’d miss her chance to play in it.
Once she had Molly dressed and her own coat, gloves and hat on, Leah laid a finger over her lips. “Let’s be real quiet as we go outside. We don’t want to disturb Mrs. Frontz, do we?”
Molly nodded her head in agreement. Leah knew it was cowardly to sneak out of the house but she just wasn’t ready to face the woman’s questions again. Also, she wanted to spend a little more time with Molly, alone, having fun and not facing the future. Cowardly, maybe, but at least for a little while she’d be happy.
The little girl tugged on her arm, drawing her attention. Leah scooped the child up and opened the door. She looked both right and left. Not seeing anyone she closed the door behind them and hurried to the stairs. The main rooms were empty and they managed to escape out the front without Mrs. Frontz seeing them.
Leah sighed as she lowered the child to the ground. Now what? They couldn’t stand in the front yard, because who knew when one of those pony express riders would come swooping in. She grabbed Molly’s hand and headed to the side of the house, away from the barn and the possibility of being seen from the kitchen.
It was quiet on this side of the house. Apple trees formed a small orchard and Leah smiled. Snow was already piling up against the house and Molly danced around trying to catch snowflakes on her tongue.
“How about we build a snowman?”
Molly rushed back to her and nodded.
They worked together as the snow fell swiftly. The call of “Rider coming in fast!” carried to them but neither paid any mind.
Leah knew they were far enough away from the front of the house that they didn’t need to worry about the rider. The snow was a wet snow and packed well. It continued to come down and both she and Molly were wet. They stepped back to study their snowman. Molly pointed to the smallest snowball on top of the other two. She then pointed to her eyes, nose and mouth. Her small head cocked sideways as she looked up at Leah.
“Yes, he needs a face,” Leah agreed.
The little girl nodded and then pointed to her own hat-covered head. Now where would she find a hat? Leah wondered. “I agree. He needs a hat.”
Leah recognized Jake’s voice before she turned around to see him leaning against the house.
