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Mr. Edwards paid no heed to the other two women. “Mr. Armstrong?” His eyes bore into Joy’s as he waited for an answer. “Who is this Mr. Armstrong?”
Joy tucked her head behind Rebecca’s skirt again. Rebecca stepped in front of her daughter, protecting her from questions she had no knowledge how to answer. “I’d like to get our supplies as soon as possible, Mr. Edwards. The men will be back shortly to pick us up.”
Mrs. Little waited until the storekeeper went to retrieve the items on Rebecca’s list. “So you have a new man working for you?” she asked.
Well, it sure hadn’t taken long for that little tidbit to make its way around the gossip mill. She had learned one thing living in Dove Creek and that was people had very little to occupy their minds, so interest in the people around them bordered on harassment. However, Rebecca couldn’t dismiss the older woman as easily as she had Mr. Edwards. She’d been raised to respect her elders, and Mrs. Little could easily have been her mother. “He doesn’t exactly work for me.”
Mr. Edwards moved closer to them. He continued to add items to the box he’d begun to fill, but seemed to linger ever so near.
“I see.” The condemning sound in Mrs. Little’s voice had Rebecca quickly explaining.
“Mr. Armstrong works for the Pony Express. He’s been hired to be the station keeper by Mr. Bromley.” Rebecca moved to the fabric, where she knew Mr. Edwards couldn’t pretend to be gathering her supplies, since she hadn’t added any sewing notions to her list.
Mrs. Little followed. “Is this a young man, dear?”
Joy followed her mother about the fabric table. She picked up an edge to a pink print and said, “This is pretty.”
Rebecca touched the material. “I’m not sure his age, Mrs. Little. I only just met him this morning.”
The daughter snorted, drawing a frown from her mother’s face. “Catherine, that is very rude.”
Catherine was a newly married woman, but still had enough respect for her parent to look contrite and say “Sorry, Ma.”
Mrs. Little patted her daughter’s hand and turned her attention back to Rebecca. “Is he older than your pa?”
Rebecca hated this line of questioning. She knew where the older woman was going and didn’t like it. “No, but I don’t know how much younger than Pa he is.”
“Is he married?” Catherine asked, admiring a blue print.
Rebecca frowned. “I don’t know that, either.”
“Then what do you know?” Mr. Edwards asked.
“I know he showed up this morning, helped us put the fire out that burned our barn and announced that he is the new station keeper. That’s all I know.” Rebecca waved at the box in Mr. Edwards’s hands. “One of the boys will be back shortly to get our supplies. Please add the total to my tab, Mr. Edwards. I will be in on the first of the month to settle up.” She turned on her heels. “Come, Joy.”
The sound of Joy’s shoes tapping against the hardwood floor assured Rebecca that her daughter had followed her outside the store. Rebecca wasn’t sure if she was angry with Mrs. Little and Mr. Edwards, or at herself.
She didn’t know a thing about Mr. Armstrong other than what she’d told them. Why had she been so quick to accept him at face value? He’d waltzed in, said he was the station keeper and proceeded to boss them all around.
“Ma! Slow down,” Joy called behind her.
Rebecca stopped and looked at her daughter. “I’m sorry, Joy.” She waited for the little girl to catch up with her, then continued on.
Her boys were with a virtual stranger. How had she been so careless? Rebecca planned on finding out just who Seth Armstrong was and she planned to do it now.
After all, once Mrs. Little realized that he was a nice young man, she’d have the whole town in an uproar. They’d be wondering what went on out at the Young farm. How could Mr. Bromley have put her in this situation? Could she continue with this business arrangement?
* * *
Seth handed Mr. Kaziah the remainder of the payment for the wood and nails. He knew it would be pricey, but hadn’t expected it to be quite this expensive and wondered if the lumberman had overcharged him and the boys. Thankfully, Mr. Russell, one of the Pony Express founders, had supplied him with a hefty budget for turning the farm into a Pony Express station. Seth had been told by Mr. Bromley that since the buildings were already there, they hadn’t done much work to the place and to spend what he needed to on the repairs. He’d have to send a full report to the older gentleman, explaining this added expense.
“Here comes Ma and Joy,” Benjamin announced from his perch on the bench of the wagon.
He turned to see the boy’s mother heading toward them. Her face was set, but it was her eyes that caught and held his attention. She glowered at him, the blue orbs piercing the distance between them.
“She looks mad.” Benjamin turned to face his brother, confirming Seth’s earlier thought. “I wonder why.”
Philip answered, “Beni, mas don’t get mad. Dogs get mad. Mas get angry.” A teasing grin touched the young boy’s lips but his eyes seemed weary.
Thomas slapped his brother on the back. “Good one, Phil.”
“Jacob, Mr. Armstrong. I need to speak to you both, now please,” Rebecca announced as she walked toward the lumberyard.
Seth turned back to Mr. Kaziah. “Thank you for helping us load the wagon. You’ll be sending the rest out later today, right?”
The older man nodded and then leaned toward him. In a low, gruff voice he whispered, “I don’t envy you. Taking on a passel of kids and that woman. She’s a bit of a feisty one.” He turned away and hurried back inside the lumber mill before Seth could answer.
What did he mean take on? Surely, Mr. Kaziah hadn’t assumed that he and Mrs. Young were courting. He shook his head and then turned to face Rebecca. Jacob already stood by her side and was now holding Joy in his arms. The little girl rested her head in the neck of her big brother.
When he was within talking range, Seth asked, “What happened, Mrs. Young?”
She stopped as if his question took her by surprise. “I just realized that I never got a look at that paper you said you carried from Mr. Bromley.” She placed both hands on her hips and waited for him to speak.
Seth frowned and tilted his head to the side. “That’s important now?” he asked. What had happened at the store to cause her to demand to see it now? Was that a speck of fear he saw in her eyes?
She nodded, brought up her arms and crossed them over her chest. Her eyes bore into Seth’s.
Jacob set down Joy. “Everything is all right, Ma. I saw it. Mr. Armstrong is who he says he is.” He tilted up the little girl’s face and smiled down at her. “Joy, go ask Thomas to help you into the wagon.”
The little girl nodded. “All right, Jacob.” She turned and ran to her other brothers.
So that was it. Rebecca had been afraid she’d left her children’s care in the hands of a dangerous stranger. Even though they were grown men, Rebecca still saw them as her babies. He softened his voice and offered her a smile. “I will be happy to show them to you, too, Mrs. Young, when we get back to the farm.” Seth waited for her nod then turned back toward the wagon. Over his shoulder he asked, “Do we need to return to the store to pick up your purchases?” He was aware that she hadn’t brought anything with her except Joy and her handbag.
“Yes, please.” Her voice sounded tired, almost sad.
Seth turned to look at her. Her shoulders slumped and her eyes had changed from angry to simply drained. Was the excitement of the day turning out to be too much for the woman? One would think she’d be used to busy days with seven boys and a little girl to take care of. He noted that both Benjamin and Joy were seated on the wagon bench. In a loud voice, he said, “We’re done here. Let’s go.”
Without hesitation the young men climbed in on top of the wood.
Jacob walked with his mother, but as soon as he’d helped her up onto the wagon, he shook his head at his brothers. “Off, guys. The horses have enough to pull without adding our weight to their load.”
Just as quickly, the young men all climbed back down.
Seth nodded. Jacob was right. “Beni, do you know how to drive a wagon?” he asked.
The youngest Young boy grinned from ear to ear and nodded. He quickly picked up the reins. “Sure do, Seth. Want me to drive us home?”
Rebecca stood to disembark from the wagon also.
“Mrs. Young, why don’t you stay seated?” He indicated with a tilt of his head that Benjamin needed a supervisor sitting beside him. The boy held the reins tightly, waiting for his reply.
She nodded her understanding and returned to her seat.
Seth answered the little boy. “I’d appreciate it if you would drive the wagon, Benjamin. Your brothers and I will follow behind making sure that the wood stays in place.”
Seth looked down at his new brown boots. He had a sneaking suspicion that he would soon be wishing he had brought his horse to town before they got back to the farm. In his rush to prove his leadership, he’d decided to drive the wagon to town, never once considering that he’d more than likely end up walking back. Lesson learned, Armstrong, he thought as he followed the wagon toward the general store.
Other than the Pony Express horses and the two old mares, Brownie and Snow, Seth realized that the boys didn’t have mounts of their own. Once they got back to the farm, he’d remedy that and give the boys each a Pony Express horse to take care of and bond with.
Jacob strolled along beside him. In a low voice he said, “We should have thought ahead and brought more horses.”
Seth jerked his head around and looked at the young man. The twinkle in Jacob’s eyes attested to the fact that he, too, saw the folly of their earlier disagreement. “Yep, won’t let that happen again.”
“Nope, I don’t reckon we will,” Jacob agreed.
A cold breeze stirred the hair on his neck. “I was thinking all you boys need a mount of your own to train with. What do you think?” Seth waited to see if the boy realized that he was being offered respect by his inclusion in the decision.
Jacob nodded. “We all know how to ride, you don’t have to worry about that, but I’m a little concerned about the younger boys riding unfamiliar horses. All except Noah, who seems to be very talented with a horse as well as his gun.”
Seth nodded and listened as the other boys joked and chatted behind them. “Well, that’s one of the first things we’ll do, then, as well as we rebuild the barn. I don’t like that the animals are out in the open.”
“Neither do I.”
The wagon stopped in front of the general store. Rebecca turned on the seat. “Jacob, would you go in and get our supplies, please?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Jacob stepped up on the boardwalk and entered the store. Rebecca turned back to her younger children.
Two women stood across the street and talked behind their fans, while a couple of well-dressed businessmen stood with their hands in their front pockets and Seth noticed that the sheriff leaned on the post in front of the jail. All eyes seemed to be trained on them.
Seth looked to the other boys. He wondered what the town must think of them all standing behind the wagon like a bunch of stray dogs. In two long strides he stood with the boys. “When we get back to the farm I’d like for you boys to go to the corral and pick out a mount. This is the last time we are leaving town on foot.”
Excitement coursed through the boys at his words. The discussion of colors and gender filled the air. He grinned. So far his relationship with the Young family had been tense, but maybe now it would get smoother.
Seth turned back to the wagon in time to see Jacob exit the store. The young man’s clenched jaw and burning eyes spoke volumes as to his anger. So whatever had set off Mrs. Young had just happened to Jacob.
His gaze moved to the store, where a big man now stood in the doorway. The man wore a shopkeeper’s apron but something about him screamed he wasn’t your typical salesman. No, this man meant trouble for the Young family and now with his eyes boring into Seth, Seth knew he meant trouble for him, too.
“Here you go, Ma.” Jacob set the box on top of the lumber and then looked to Benjamin. “Lead the way home, Beni.” He offered the boy a smile that didn’t quite meet his eyes.
When Jacob fell into step beside Seth, Seth asked, “Want to talk about it?”
“Nope.”
That was answer enough for Seth. “Fair ’nough, but if you change your mind...” He let the rest hang between them.
Jacob nodded his understanding. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw that his brothers were excited about something and asked, “What has them all in a dither?”
Seth grinned. “Just told them they can choose a horse when we get back.”
Again Jacob nodded and then fell silent. His brow furrowed between his eyes. Seth realized that in a day, the Young family’s lives had been changed.
He could relate to change; his life had also been altered in the past few months. On her deathbed, his grandmother had made him promise to marry. He’d ordered a mail-order bride and then his grandmother had died. His mail-order bride, Charlotte, had disappeared. He’d quit his job at the St. Joseph railroad and begun his mission to locate her. He’d been robbed by outlaws and it had been necessary to find a job. Thus the reason he now found himself an employee of the Pony Express as the station keeper on the Young farm. He would work and save his money so he could continue the search for Charlotte because he had to fulfill his promise to his grandmother.
The air seemed to match Jacob’s mood and turned frosty. Seth sighed inwardly. He had a job to do and knew he couldn’t do it alone, so silently he turned to his Maker. Lord, this family’s emotions are all over the place. Please, help me to bring some kind of peace to them while I’m here.
Chapter Three (#ulink_2c0d4dae-f07e-50bb-b157-36e818dbb604)
Anger radiated from her oldest son. She’d felt it all the way from town. As she climbed down from the wagon, Rebecca called to him, “Jacob, will you help me carry the supplies into the house?” Rebecca had a feeling she knew what was wrong with Jacob.
“Sure, Ma.” Jacob took the box from the wagon and followed her up the porch steps.
“Boys, let’s unload this wood,” Seth ordered. His strong voice had her other sons hurrying to do his bidding.
Rebecca held the door open for Joy and Jacob. Once inside she said, “Joy, go change into your work clothes.” Then she headed for the kitchen, where the real work awaited her.
She allowed Jacob to place the box on the kitchen counter and then asked, “What happened in the general store that upset you so?”
Jacob met her gaze. “Do you have any idea what they are saying about you and Seth?” He lowered his eyes as if realizing for the first time how personal this situation was for his mother.
“I have a good idea of what Mr. Edwards says.” She began to unload the box.
Anguish filled the young boy’s voice. “It isn’t right.”
Rebecca sighed. “No, son, it isn’t, but I can’t stop people from talking.” She met his gaze. “We need the money the Pony Express pays to provide a future for you boys and the experience it offers could be useful later in life. You’re going to make history, I just know it. Papa John thought so, too.”
“Well, we may not be able to stop them from talking but I made the decision to move back into the house on the way home. You and the little kids need a grown man to watch over things.” He put both hands on the back of the chair and leaned into it.
She turned her back on him to hide her grin. Her oldest son planned to protect her reputation. Rebecca nodded. “I like that idea. Why don’t you take the room across from mine?”
His sigh warmed her heart. Day after day, Jacob proved to be a good man and, God willing, would make a good husband someday, too. “I’ll go help unload the wood and then bring my things inside.”
Rebecca turned from the spices she’d just taken from the box. “Jacob, wait.”
He stopped and looked at her, his eyes sad. Things had changed a lot for the young man in just a matter of hours. Rebecca walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his narrow waist.
Jacob hugged her back. “It will be all right, Ma. Seth seems like a good man. I’m sure he’ll set folks straight soon enough.”
Rebecca grinned. Once more the boy thought only of her. She pulled away. “I’m sure he will, son.” She released him. “You better go on out and help with the lumber.”
Jacob patted her shoulder, then turned to do as she said. Rebecca wanted to pull him back, offer him comfort, but Jacob wasn’t twelve years old anymore. He’d work through whatever bothered him in his own time. She just prayed he’d share his troubles with her should they get too great for him to carry alone.
* * *
Seth looked around the barnyard. The lumber had been delivered from the general store. Each of the boys had chosen a mount to care for and Jacob had shared his concerns about his ma and younger siblings being in the house alone at night.
The horses moved quietly in the corral as the sun sank in the western sky. Weariness hung about Seth’s shoulders like a dark thundercloud.
Rebecca stepped out on the front porch. He waved to her and watched as she walked across the yard to join him. A light blue shawl hung over her shoulders, and her hair, which he’d only seen up in a bun, now hung down her back in a braid that reminded him of a golden lasso.
