Love Inspired Historical November 2014 (62 page)

“Thanks.” Agnes moved to the cupboard and pulled out her picnic basket.

Leah watched as she loaded it with chicken and cheese, a mason jar full of beans and half a loaf of bread. She added a jug of apple cider. Since apple cider was Molly's and Jake's choice of drink, Leah knew the basket was for them. When she was finished adding a napkin filled with cookies, she handed the basket to Leah. “Please take this and go have a picnic with your soon-to-be family.”

“I won't leave you in the house with them.” Leah pulled her chin up and dared Agnes to argue with her eyes.

Agnes nodded. “I agree. I'm going to slip out with you.” Both women put on their coats and left the house using the back door. “The thought of Molly around those people gives me the willies. You go get Molly and Jake, I'm going to go get Mr. Frontz and make him come to the house with me.”

Leah nodded. When Agnes started to walk toward one of the outbuildings, she followed.

Agnes stopped. “Now, where do you think you're going?” she demanded.

“With you.”

“Why?”

Was she correct in her suspicions? That Agnes hadn't planned on getting her husband but on slipping back to the house alone? “I'd like to ask Mr. Frontz a question before I go have lunch.”

“What sort of question?” Agnes asked suspiciously.

“You'll hear it when he does.” Leah pushed onward toward the building Agnes had been going to.

Agnes called after her, “You know, I just remembered Charles said he was going to be working on the north fence.” She turned and stomped off in that direction.

So she had been right! Leah grinned and followed.

Mr. Frontz looked up when he saw both women coming toward him. His gray brows drew together. “What are you two doing out here?”

“It seems we have questions of our own,” Agnes snapped back at him.

His eyes softened. “I'm sorry. That didn't come out the way I intended.”

The tension in her face relaxed. “We have new boarders.”

He leaned against a fence post. “Anyone I know?”

“Christina, Michael and Savannah Watts.”

Mr. Frontz pushed his hat back and scratched his head. “Never heard of them. Have you, Ike?”

The pony express rider shook his head. He nailed in the wire and straightened.

“Didn't think so.” Agnes chewed on her lip. “I need to be getting back to the house and would like your company.” She looked up into her husband's eyes.

Whatever Mr. Frontz saw within hers had him agreeing. “Ike, take the supplies back to the tool shed.”

“Yes, sir,” Ike answered.

Mr. Frontz turned to Leah. “What's with the picnic basket?”

“Agnes wants to keep Molly away from our boarders as much as possible,” Leah answered, falling into step with them.

He frowned. “Got yourself a funny feeling about this group, do you, Aggs?”

Leah could tell Agnes was too much of a lady to voice her objections of the Watts in front of others. A slight nod of her head was the only answer she was willing to give.

“Before I forget, it seems Miss Leah has a question for you, too,” Agnes announced with a triumphant grin.

The older man turned his head and looked down on her. “What can I do for you, Miss Hollister?”

“I don't have a papa to give me away at the wedding and I was hoping you might like the honor, sir.” Leah hadn't planned on asking him like this but she guessed now was as good a time as any. Her palms began to sweat as she waited for him to answer.

Mr. Frontz stopped walking. He turned and took her hands in his. “Well, since I don't have a daughter to give away at her wedding, I'd be honored to give you to Jake Bridges. But I want you to know, I don't take this chore lightly.”

Leah stared up at him. “I don't understand, sir.”

“Me and the missus have grown fond of you in the short time you've been here and well...” He paused, then released one of her hands and rubbed the back of his neck. “What I'm trying to say is, if I give you away then that will make us family. Jake Bridges will answer to me if he harms one hair on your head.” His eyes misted up.

Leah found she had a lump in her throat. “Thank you, sir.”

He released her other hand and nodded. “Let's get you ladies out of the cold.”

Agnes beamed as they walked back toward the home station. Leah felt as if someone were squeezing her heart. If she understood Mr. Frontz correctly, he'd just adopted her as a daughter. No one had ever made her feel like family before. She'd always been just another mouth to feed or someone to take care of the younger children in the orphanage.

Was this what it felt like to be loved?

* * *

Later that evening, Leah handed Jake a small bag with Molly's things in it. “Are you sure you want her to stay overnight?” she asked for the tenth time.

“If Agnes thought she was in danger and wouldn't even let her eat with those people, of course I want her to stay overnight.” He took the bag from her hand.

Leah nodded. The idea had been his, and since Jake was Molly's uncle, Leah really couldn't say no. Not that she wanted to put the child in danger but this would be the first time they'd been separated since their journey began. Sadness filled her. She looked to the little girl.

Molly seemed thrilled with the idea of having a sleepover at Uncle Jake's house. She held her rag doll and smiled, showing all her baby teeth.

“All right. I'll bring breakfast over in the morning. But who's going to take care of the horses in the morning?”

“Ike said he'd take care of things until I got to the barn.” Jake smiled at her. “Stop worrying, Leah. Everything is under control.”

It didn't feel that way to Leah. She offered him what she hoped was an unworried-looking smile. “All right.” Leah knelt down in front of Molly. “Promise you'll be a good girl and go to sleep when Uncle Jake tells you to. Promise?”

Molly drew an
X
across her little chest. “I promise.” Then she grabbed her uncle's hand and began tugging on him.

“Leah? Will you be all right?” Jake asked. Concern filled his chocolate-brown eyes.

She nodded. “I'll be fine. For the first time in a long time, I'll get to sleep without little feet in my back.”

Jake chuckled at that. “All right. We'll see you in the morning.” He waved goodbye as he and Molly rounded the corner to go to the old homestead.

Leah climbed the stairs. Her lamp cast shadows on the walls. Everyone had gone to bed. The house seemed quiet. Probably because Molly wasn't in it, she thought.

Once in her room, an uneasy feeling crept up her spine. Now that she was inside, Leah was thankful Molly would be with Jake tonight. She put her light down on the side table and locked the door to her room.

Leah prepared for bed. The sheets were cool against her overheated body. It felt odd having a whole bed to herself; for as long as she could remember Leah had to share with one child or another. That was just the way it went when you were raised in an orphanage. Her eyes drifted shut and she felt her body relax into the mattress. Leah inhaled but stopped midway when she heard a creaking sound drifting from the stairs. She sat straight up. Was there someone moving about the house?

Leah swallowed and looked toward her bedroom door. A light flickered through the crack at the bottom. She pushed the covers back and on shaky legs walked to the door.

Through the wall she heard Mrs. Watts hiss. “Come on, Michael! Get away from there. We have a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it in.”

His boots thudded against the wooden floor as he walked away. She exhaled. What were they doing? What could she do to stop them?

She rested her back against the door. If they were downstairs, maybe she could make it up to the third floor and warn Mr. Frontz. Taking a deep breath, Leah unlocked the door. Her hands trembled as she eased it open.

Darkness filled the hallway. For a moment, Leah's legs refused to move. She said a silent prayer for strength and released the air in her lungs. Trying not to make any noise, she started for the staircase that led to the Frontzs' living quarters.

Leah placed her hand on the banister and started up the stairs.

A crash below and a man's yell had her turning around on the stairs. More crashing sounded. Leah looked up the stairs. She couldn't see anything but darkness. With her heart pounding in her chest she wondered why Mr. Frontz or Agnes hadn't come down.

Leah started back down the stairs. She heard the preacher come out of his room and run down the first flight of stairs. Just when she decided to follow, Leah felt something hard and cold push against her ribs. Paralyzed with fear, Leah recognized the object in her side as a gun.

“If you don't scream, I might let you live,” Savannah's voice whispered against her ear. “Is there another way out of here?” she asked, pressing the firearm harder into Leah's side.

Leah fought the panic that screamed in her ears. “I don't think so.” She was surprised that her voice didn't shake.

“Then I guess we'll have to take the long way.”

“The long way?” Leah parroted.

Savannah grabbed Leah by her hair and yanked. “Just walk,” she demanded.

Leah stifled a cry of pain. Tiny ants danced about her scalp where Savannah held her head in place. When they got to the next flight of stairs, Savannah pulled her back into the deep shadows.

Michael Watts sat on the floor with his hands bound behind him. His angry voice drifted up the stairs. “You won't get away with this.”

Jake and Mr. Frontz stood looking down at him. The preacher was carrying a chair from the dinner table toward them. “Where are your mother and sister?” Mr. Frontz demanded.

What was Jake doing at the home station? Why wasn't he at the cabin with Molly? Her thoughts turned to the little girl. Anger swept over her at the thought of the Watts family hurting the little girl. Reason settled in. Jake wouldn't be here if Molly needed him.

Ike staggered into the house. Blood ran down the side of his face. Still hidden in the shadows upstairs, Leah thought she might be sick on Savannah's shoes.

Mr. Frontz pulled the young rider inside and placed him in the wooden chair the preacher held. “What happened, son?”

Ike touched the side of his head and held his hand over the wound that was bleeding. “I'm sorry, boss. Mrs. Watts hit me from behind. She must have known I was there.”

“Where is she now?” Jake asked, looking up the stairs.

Michael laughed. “Ma is long gone.”

Did Jake realize she was still up there? Leah wondered. Did he know about Savannah? Or at least speculate that Savannah might be holding her captive?

Savannah yanked Leah's head back. “Don't even think about doing anything. I'll put a bullet in him and then you,” Savannah hissed in her ear.

Leah's head exploded in pain. Savannah wrapped her fist tighter in her loose hair. Tears pooled in Leah's eyes. She listened as Jake spoke again.

“Mr. Frontz, let's get Mr. Watts on a horse and headed to the sheriff in Julesburg. Reverend, would you help Ike into the kitchen and wait with him there for Agnes?” Jake patted Ike on the shoulder as the reverend proceeded to help him up. “I'm sure she'll be able to make you feel right as rain in no time. We'll send her back from my place on our way to Julesburg.”

Jake's back was to the stairs but Leah felt sure he'd just signaled something to Mr. Frontz. Savannah pulled her back farther into the shadows as if she'd sensed it, too.

Agnes was at the homestead? Taking care of Molly? Slowly Leah realized that they had all acted together to set a trap for the Watts family. Why hadn't they included her in their plans? Had they thought her an outsider? Tears pooled in her eyes. She'd foolishly thought they counted her as family.

“Come on, Watts, time for you to meet our local law.” Mr. Frontz pulled Michael to his feet.

Michael came up sputtering, “When Ma gets back with my uncle you will be sorry.”

Mr. Frontz ignored Michael and opened the front door. Jake followed them out. A click signaled that the door had been firmly closed. Leah felt truly abandoned. Ike and the reverend were in the kitchen and the other men had just left, leaving her alone with a crazy woman. A gun-toting crazy woman, Leah mentally added.

Savannah laughed. “Well, they made that easy, didn't they?”

Leah didn't answer. Anger at Savannah boiled in her gut. How was she going to get out of this mess alive? Would Savannah really shoot her?

After several moments, Savannah shoved Leah down the stairs, making sure to keep one hand securely tangled in Leah's hair and the other on the gun pushed firmly into Leah's side. “Let me go, Savannah. I'll only slow you up,” Leah said with a confidence she didn't feel.

A sharp jerk and pain sickened her stomach. Leah gasped for air. Anger and fear warred for Leah's attention, not to mention the ache she felt every time Savannah pulled her hair and scalp.

“Not on your life and keep your jaw shut,” Savannah hissed in her ear. “We're going to the barn where you'll saddle one of those pretty little horses for me. If you do it right, I might not shoot you.” Savannah jerked her head back again for good measure.

They stood in front of the door. Savannah stopped Leah and pressed the side of her face against it. A few minutes later the sound of two horses riding away met their ears. Savannah shoved Leah hard into the wood. “Hurry up and get that door open. I don't want those dimwits in the kitchen stumbling out here.”

Jake growled behind her. “Too late, Miss. The dimwits have returned. Now release Miss Hollister.”

Leah felt the cold metal leave her side. She started to move away but Savannah still held her securely by the hair. The feel of Savannah's knuckles bunching up against her scalp had Leah grabbing her hand.

Mr. Frontz stepped into Savannah's line of vision. He held a rifle aimed at her head. “I believe you've been asked to let her go.”