A Kiss for Cade (28 page)

Chapter Thirty-Six

Q
uiet down, now! Let’s have some order here!” Pop banged the gavel on the table, shooting Lilith Wilks a warning look. “Lilith, can’t you and Margaret exchange those blasted pork chop recipes later?”

“Don’t tell me to pipe down! I want to fix pork for supper tomorrow night,” Lilith complained.

“Henry ain’t gonna die if he don’t have pork chops for supper tomorrow night. Everyone, sit down!”

Chair legs scraped noisily against the wooden floor as the citizens of Winterborn took their seats. The town hall was jam packed. Everyone dropped what they were doing to attend.

“This better not be a waste of my time,” Frank Lovell complained.

Sam Pritchard took hold of Frank’s arm. “Sit down, Frank. You ain’t got no place to go. At least you ain’t got gout.”

“Now then.” Pop laid the gavel aside once the room simmered down. “I’ve got news.”

Glori-Lee stood up. “What kind of news?”

“We ain’t got the fever. We got the measles.”

A stunned silence fell over the crowd as the information sank in.

“Are you certain?” Walt Mews asked.

Pop nodded. “Doc’s got ’em, so does Ida, Bruce, Bonnie, Clyde Abbott and his boy, Saul, and Belle. And now Cade.”

“Well, I’ll be darned.” Walt Mews burst out laughing. Others joined in with relief.

“Seems Seth’s younger boy had them a few weeks back,” Pop said. “He must’ve started the epidemic.”

Lilith stood up. “Seth and Bonnie have always brought the young’uns to the Saturday night dance. Now that I think about it, Jimmy wasn’t feeling well a few weeks back. I remember he asked me for four or five cups of punch that night. His eyes were bright as marbles. He must’ve been runnin’ a fever then.”

“Well, he’s shore enough passed it around,” Pop said.

“Would the measles make a body that sick?” Margaret asked.

“Doc said they affect adults harder than children. Fever, runny nose, dry cough, headache, and eye irritation bad enough to fell a grown man.” Pop scratched his head. “The patients have gone home, but I’d suggest anyone in here that hasn’t had the measles yet to stay clear of the ill for the time being.”

“Are we gonna start up the Saturday dances again, now that we know it isn’t the fever?” Harry Miller asked.

Pop gave him the evil eye. “We got far more important things to discuss right now, Harry.”

“What’s that?”

“Laticia Wiseman.”

Silence fell over the room. Sawyer stood up. “The woman’s a pain in the…neck! All she knows to do is beat folks with her cane and stir up trouble. I’d be more than happy to run the harpy out of town.” Sawyer rubbed his shoulder. “I owe her one.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Pop said. “I got a plan.” He walked to the back of the room and closed the doors for privacy. When he returned to the podium, he motioned for Abraham. “Come on up here.”

Abraham stepped back. “No’sa, Sheriff. I got nothin’ ta say.”

“You’ve got plenty to say. Now get on up here. We’re wasting time.”

Abraham approached the front of the room. All eyes focused on the black man with the snow-white hair. He stood next to the sheriff, nervously twisting his battered straw hat in his hands.

“Tell the people what we discussed in the livery earlier this evening.”

“I don’t think—”

“Abraham thinks Laticia might back off about takin’ the children if Zoe Bradshaw was to marry.”

“Marry who?” Woodall Thompson asked, glancing at his watch fob.

Abraham hung his head, whispering under his breath. “Miz Laticia will strip my hide if she hears I’m over here talkin’ ’bout her.”

“She ain’t gonna hear a word about it,” Pop promised. “And you ain’t talkin’ against her. You’re doin’ her and the town a service.”

Abraham nodded. “Yes’sa, I’s only thinkin’ ’bout Miz Laticia’s welfare. She’s a good woman.”

Shelby Moore stood up near the back. “What’s the purpose of this meeting, Pop? Git on with it. I’ve got to git on home and milk before dark.”

“Calm down, Shelby. Here’s the problem. We all know what’s been going on the last few weeks. Addy and John died and Cade came back.”

The back door opened, and Seth Brighton entered the room.

“Sit down, Seth. I was just gettin’ ready to mention you,” Pop said.

Frowning, Seth took a seat next to Shelby.

“Like I was saying, Cade and Zoe are at each other’s throats over who’ll take the kids.”

Glori-Lee joined in. “Thought Addy left that up to Cade.”

“She did,” Pop conceded. “But Zoe wants them.”

Seth spoke up. “Me and Bonnie are takin’ the kids.”

“Why would Zoe want them? She’s a woman alone,” Hank Farnsworth pointed out.

Gracie was on her feet in a flash. “Because she loves those children as if they were her own flesh and blood! Who better to see after them? I don’t know why Addy didn’t leave them to her in the first place.”

“Why should she? Cade is their uncle,” Walt called.

“Cade doesn’t know the kids,” Willa Baker argued. “He never bothered to come back to visit all those years. Why should he be the one to decide their welfare?”

Lawrence Willis waded into the fray. “Because he’s the children’s blood kin!”

Pop lifted both hands for order. “People, people. This is the problem! We can go on all night about who should or shouldn’t have them. No one in this room would dispute that the guardianship of those kids belongs to either Zoe or Cade, but there’s a new cog in the wheel.”

“What’s that?”

“Laticia Wiseman. She wants them.”

The women gasped. Beulah Tetherton began to fan herself.

“Isn’t that her right?” Perry Drake interceded. “Miss Wiseman is the children’s only other living relative. Why shouldn’t she assume custody?”

“Laticia is too old to raise four young children!” Gracie declared. “And those kids are scared to death of that woman. I’ve seen the way they hide from her and shake like a wet dog when she comes near them.”

Pop nodded. “Tell her that. She wants to take the kids home with her. If Cade don’t take custody, she will.”

Roy Baker grunted. “How can Cade take custody of ’em? He’s on the road. He can’t be a father to four children.”

“Wouldn’t it be better if family raised them?” Perry insisted. “Laticia can hire proper help. She has the funds.”

Seth stood up. “Bonnie and me are takin’ the kids. Bonnie’s practically over the measles now, and in another week or so I’ll have that extra room finished. I don’t see what all the fuss is about.”

Pop banged the gavel when the room erupted in a noisy debate. “People!” He glanced at Seth. “No one would argue that you and Bonnie would make a good home for Addy’s children, Seth, but who among us don’t think that Cade and Zoe are the likeliest ones to raise them? Lord knows the kids love those two as much as they did their ma and pa.”

Silence cloaked the room. The crowd stared back at Pop. Beulah Tetherton fanned harder. Pop nodded at Abraham. “Abraham?”

Clearing his throat, the old man said softly, “I knows it’s none’a my business, but I’s agreein’ with Pop ’bout there bein’ a sensible solution. Now, Miz Laticia ain’t gonna back off this matter easily, believe me. She won’t stand for Mista Kolby to give away her flesh and blood. No’sa, she won’t stand fer that a’tall, but now, the sheriff done come up with a good idea. If’n there was some way we could get Mista Kolby and Miz Bradshaw married, well, then, there’d be no question who’d get them.”

The townsfolk stared in awkward silence.

“Course,” Abraham said, chuckling, “gettin’ those two together ain’t gonna be easy.”

“This is ludicrous.” Perry got to his feet. “Zoe shouldn’t be forced into marriage.”

Pop waved him down. “Sit, Perry. We all know you’re sweet on her, but this town’s a family, and circumstances dictate that we lay aside our personal interests and consider what’s best for the children.”

“Then I’ll pursue my intentions. I’ll marry Zoe.”

Pop groaned and beat his fist on the table. “Are you blood kin to Addy’s children?”

Perry frowned. “You know I’m not.”

“Then I can’t see how that will solve the problem.”

Walt Mews cleared his throat. “Getting Cade to marry Zoe seems pretty far fetched. How are we supposed to accomplish such a feat? Those two mix like oil and water. What if they catch on to what we’re doing?”

“It’s up to us to make sure they don’t catch on, leastways until we get ’em married.”

“They’re sensible adults. How do you think you can pull off something of this enormity?” Perry snapped.

“Yeah, how are you even gonna git them to carry on a civil conversation?” Sawyer grunted.

Lilith rose to her feet. “I would love to see Zoe married. Since Jim died she’s had it real hard, trying to run the store and make ends meet. And Cade isn’t so bad. He was raised proper. Senda and Mac Kolby were the finest people on earth. But if Cade married Zoe, wouldn’t that be inviting all sorts of riffraff into town?”

“It would!” Ken Michael’s spoke up. “I don’t want to worry about having one of my children killed by a stray bullet from some wanted man’s gun.”

Voices of dissent swelled through the crowd.

“I don’t have anything against Cade. I think he’s a fine boy,” Roy Baker said. “But Lilith’s right. We don’t want trouble here in Winterborn.”

Complaints rose louder.

“Listen now! Quieten down!” Protests momentarily diminished as Pop took command. “What you’re saying are all reasonable concerns. And there are problems you haven’t even thought of yet. What about Cade? If we were to trick him into marrying Zoe, what about his safety?”

Expressions in the crowd sobered.

“What about his safety?” Pop repeated. “Cade has enemies, dangerous enemies. We all know he’s a good boy. Maybe his occupation isn’t to our liking, but Roy? Have you forgotten the time you were about to lose your business, and Cade sent money through Mac to pay it off?”

Roy hung his head.

“And Walt? Have you forgotten the time that storm blew out the front window of the barbershop, and you didn’t have the money to replace it? Who was it that sent that twenty-five-dollar wire a month later?”

“Cade,” Walt acknowledged. “Addy always kept him informed of the town’s doin’s.”

Pop’s gaze moved around the room. “Don’t none of us like the way Cade makes his money, but we don’t seem to have any objection to how he spends it. Lilith!”

The woman glanced up.

“What about the time your mother broke her hip, and Cade sent the money to pay her doctor bill?”

Ralph Otis chimed in. “Or the time my heifer died during the winter, and my kids didn’t have fresh milk. When Cade got wind of it, he had Mac buy another cow and bring it over that same month.”

Pop lowered his voice. “That’s what I’m saying. Cade is one of our own, and he needs our help. He just don’t know it. We all know he loved Addy. He’s got to be torn by the decision to stay or go, who to give the kids to, or to keep them himself. I say we’re his family. We need to help him out.”

“But how?” Lucy Ellen Black asked.

“Well, that’s where my plan comes in.” He briefly explained what he had in mind, and all but Perry nodded.

“If we go through with this insane plan, we’ll have to protect Cade’s back,” Walt warned.

A few of the men in the crowd seconded the suggestion.

“I’m a pretty good shot, if I do say so myself,” Lilith said.

“I can outshoot any man in this room!” Lucy Ellen declared.

“It’ll take every last one of us.” Pop’s face sobered. “And there’s no assurance we can pull this off, but if we’re going to keep Laticia from taking the children, we’ll have to act now. Seth, for the good of Cade and Zoe, you and Bonnie will have to go along with the plan. I know you want the children, but I think you’ll agree that Zoe will make them a good ma.”

Seth nodded. “Bonnie will be disappointed, but what you say is true. Zoe does a fine job with those kids. Bonnie and I only want what’s best for them.”

“It’s not that Miz Laticia wouldn’t treat the chil’un good,” Abraham said. “She’d see to ’em real fine, but kiddies need young folk to raise ’em. ’Fraid neither me or Miz Laticia got the energy anymore.”

“Then it’s settled,” Pop declared. “I’ll put the plan into action. As soon as the fever breaks, Cade will pop out with the measles. It’s not likely he’ll make a cheerful groom, but I doubt Zoe will notice.” Pop chuckled. “Hate to do it to those two, but who knows, they might take to marriage. There was a time they were sweet on each other.”

“The plan is insane,” Perry said. “Cade hasn’t the fortitude to stick around or be a husband and father. There has to be another way.”

“There ain’t no other way. Face it, Perry. Those two have been stuck on each other since they were young’uns. We’ll be doing them and the town a big favor.” Pop banged the gavel. “Meeting over.”