Love Inspired Historical October 2013 Bundle: A Family for Christmas\The Secret Princess\Taming the Texas Rancher\An Unlikely Union (12 page)

Then the sheriff pushed back from the table and cleared his throat. “Well then, I think that will settle matters with this Belcher fellow. There won’t be any need to deal with him further.”

Chance gave a short nod as the men rose.
Amen to that.

Eve stood more slowly, giving the sheriff a bright smile. “I want to thank you for handling this matter so quickly and so effectively. I know Leo will appreciate it, as well. And I’m sure he’ll sleep better tonight than he has in a long while.”

“Just doing my job, ma’am.”

As Chance escorted his friends to the door, he relished again that admiring glance she’d sent his way. It was kind of nice to be noticed for something he’d done, rather than as part of a flirtation.

Chance assured Adam and Ward that he’d send the fifteen dollars today to Reverend Ferris to deliver to Belcher. He didn’t trust Leo’s former “caretaker” enough to send it directly to him—much better to have a witness to the fact that he did indeed receive it.

“For someone who just got good news, you don’t look very happy.”

Chance turned around at the sound of Dotty’s voice. He’d all but forgotten she was in the room. Her comment, however, had been directed toward Eve.

“Oh, I
am
pleased,” Eve replied. “Very pleased that Leo’s been vindicated. I always believed he was innocent, but now everyone else will know it, as well. And he won’t have to feel as if he has to keep running.”

She fiddled with a button at her throat. “I was thinking about the fact that I’ll have to leave here on Monday. Turnabout was just starting to feel like home.”

For some reason, Chance’s spirits lifted at her admission that she was enjoying her stay. Perhaps he was finally getting through to her.

She turned to him. “But of course this is not about me. I think the first thing I must do is have a talk with Leo when he returns.”

“
We
must have a talk with him, you mean. And I agree. Do you want to take the lead or should I?”

To his surprise she didn’t argue the point with him. In fact he thought he detected the merest hint of relief in her expression. “If you don’t mind, I think it best if I do.”

He executed a short bow, willing to concede that point to her. “Of course.”

“If I might make a suggestion?” Dotty interjected.

“Absolutely.”

“From what I’ve observed, that boy seems so set on striking out on his own that he might not react well initially to the idea of others determining where he’s going to live.”

Eve frowned. “But he’s a smart boy. Surely he’ll understand that we can’t leave him to fend for himself.”

“Still it might be a good idea to give him a reminder of how nice family life can be—if he had the right kind of family, I mean.”

Chance had an idea where she was headed, but preferred to let her explain. “Do you have something specific in mind?”

“Perhaps the two of you could take him for a ride in that motor carriage of yours this afternoon,” Dotty said. “It’s a mild day—perhaps you could even have a little picnic or at least find a nice spot for a stroll. Really enjoy the afternoon. And then break the news to him before you return.”

“An excellent idea,” Chance said.

“That may not be such a good idea,” Eve said at the same time.

“Why ever not?” Chance gave her an exasperated look. Was her objection to the plan the fact that it might involve some frivolous fun?

“I don’t want to sound self-centered, but I’m afraid Leo may be forming something of an attachment to me,” she said. “And while I share that affection, I don’t want to encourage a stronger attachment. He’s already been so hurt and disappointed by those who are supposed to be his caretakers—I don’t want him to feel abandoned again when I leave on Monday.”

“My dear,” Dotty said with a wry smile, “I’m afraid that chain has already been forged. The attachment Leo feels for you is very real—you are, after all, the champion who stood up for him on multiple occasions. One more outing is not going to change things significantly.”

Chance nodded. “Dotty’s right. And I agree that an outing is a good idea.” Then he gave her a challenging smile. “Unless you’re afraid to ride in my motor carriage.”

Eve straightened. “Of course not.” She chewed at her lip and touched the button at her throat a moment, then nodded. “Very well. We’ll take him for an outing and break the news then.” She looked at Chance, her expression troubled. “How do you think he’ll react?”

“Leo’s a tough kid—he wouldn’t want us to mollycoddle him. But he’ll probably argue that he can fend for himself.”

Eve grimaced. “Then, as Dotty has so wisely stated, we’ll have to show him how much he’ll miss if he doesn’t let himself be part of a family again.”

Chance envied the way she spoke so highly of family. Had her own life been such a happy one? If so, why had she left it all behind?

He suddenly realized he’d gone from wanting to change her way of looking at fun, to wanting to learn much more about what was really driving this very hard-to-figure-out young lady.

* * *

As Eve moved toward the kitchen, she realized again what a truly good man Chance was. He’d stepped up to do that kind thing for Leo without any second thoughts. She and Leo had been truly blessed to cross paths with him when they arrived in town.

Thinking of Leo, she felt the uncertainty wash over her again. Could they really find a good home for Leo in so short a time? Could she leave on Monday if they hadn’t?

Truth to tell, she would be sad to leave Turnabout even if they
did
find a family to take Leo in. She’d made so many friends in the short time she’d been here. And she’d gotten a glimpse of what life could be without the cloud of her past hanging over her.

But there was no changing that past. If she made a permanent home here, she couldn’t keep her history secret forever, and when that changed so would the way folks looked at her. No, the important thing was to focus on what was best for Leo and then to move on as she’d originally intended.

But would it be so wrong to enjoy this freedom and relative anonymity while she had it?

Chapter Fourteen

L
eo returned thirty minutes later with a pail full of persimmons.

Eve spent time carefully examining his pickings with fulsome admiration. She was pleased to see his chest puff out in a show of pride at the praise.

After several minutes of this Chance cleared his throat. “I thought I’d take the motor carriage out today for a little drive.”

Eve smiled as Leo immediately set the persimmons aside. “Oh, boy! Can I come along?”

“Certainly.”

Leo turned to Eve and Dotty. “Did y’all want to come, too?”

Dotty shook her head. “No, thank you. I want to get a little further along on my knitting project.”

“I’ll go,” Eve said. “I’m ready for a bit of fresh air and according to Mrs. Epps, riding in that vehicle is something everyone should try.” Truth to tell she was actually looking forward to the experience. It seemed such an adventurous thing to do, which appealed to her just now. “And since we haven’t eaten lunch yet, why don’t I fix a picnic basket to take along?”

Chance nodded. “Sounds good.” Then he put a hand on Leo’s shoulder. “But we’ll take care of packing the basket. You need to fetch a shawl or wrap—it’ll be breezy riding in Tizzie.”

“Tizzie?”

Was that a touch of self-consciousness in his grin? “It’s what I call the motor carriage.” He made a shooing motion with his hand. “Now, while you’re upstairs getting a wrap, I suggest you also find something you can use to tie your hat on securely.”

Ten minutes later they were climbing into Tizzie. Eve insisted Leo sit in the front next to Chance and she settled into the backseat. She listened with interest as Chance explained in simple terms how one started the vehicle and then demonstrated each step. When at last the engine was puttering, she felt that she almost understood the process. Not for the first time she thought he’d make a remarkable teacher. Perhaps he could work with Leo on his reading and writing skills until the boy was able to go to school again.

The vehicle jerked forward, eliciting an elated yelp from Leo and loosing a flock of butterflies in Eve’s stomach.

Then as the vehicle turned into the street and made its way through town she settled into the experience. Most of the folks they passed seemed to take the vehicle in stride as a familiar sight. A couple of dogs gave chase with excited barking. But by the time they reached the edge of town, the animals had given up.

Like Leo, Eve found the ride exhilarating. She closed her eyes and lifted her face, thrilling at the feel of the wind rushing by and the sensation of moving with such speed. It was something like riding in a small train with no sides or roof.

She was almost sad to see the ride come to an end when they finally reached their destination.

“So, how did you like it?” Chance asked as he handed her down.

“It was quite invigorating,” she admitted. “I can see why you enjoy it so much.”

Her answer drew an approving grin. Then he reached down and pulled three small sacks from under the seat. “I thought while we were here we’d pick pecans.” He winked at Leo. “It’s late in the season, but if we find enough, perhaps we can talk Miss Pickering into making some more of her candies.”

Leo turned to her with a pleading expression. “Would you?”

Eve grinned at them both. “I can probably be persuaded.”

As they moved across the meadow to the pecan trees, Chance made them a dare that he could pick the most in thirty minutes’ time and Leo eagerly took up the challenge. Even Eve found herself getting into the competitive spirit.

Sure enough, thirty minutes later when they stopped for lunch, Chance was the clear winner. The outcome surprised Eve since he seemed to be doing as much chatting and posturing for their benefit as working.

But as they settled down on the blanket for their picnic, she had to admit he was an entertaining and charming companion. He amused them by pointing out cloud pictures, teaching Leo how to make stars and other figures from sticks and string, and trying to show them both how to whistle, though Leo was a more adept pupil than she was.

When there was a lull in the conversation, Eve turned to Leo, deciding it was time to ease him into thinking about family and belonging. “Tell me a little about your parents.”

The boy got a look on his face that was a bittersweet mix of pain and longing. “Pa was a farmer and he could make just about anything grow. He was always teaching me things—how to ride a horse, or milk a cow or start a fire. He said it was never too early for a boy to learn things a man ought to know. But we had fun, too, ’cause he said it was okay to be a kid while I was going about learning to be a man.”

“Sounds like he was a great father,” Chance said.

There was a note in his voice that Eve didn’t quite understand, but now was not the time to figure it out. “What about your mother?”

“Ma was the best cook in the world and pretty, too. Pa always said she was prettier than a springtime meadow. And she liked to pick fresh flowers to put on our Sunday dinner table. She sang when she cooked or sewed. And Christmas was her favorite time of year.”

The boy’s parents had obviously surrounded him with love.

Leo gave the two of them a look that dared them to disagree. “This year I’m finally going to have a real Christmas again.”

“What do you mean by a
real
Christmas?” Chance asked.

The boy didn’t hesitate. “One where I can really celebrate. I know it won’t be like the ones I remember from when my ma and pa were around, but at least I won’t be locked up in the shed by myself.”

Eve couldn’t stop the sound of her indrawn breath. How could that horrible man have treated Leo so harshly? A quick glance toward Chance showed he felt the same.

But right now they needed to focus on the happy times. “Tell me about the Christmases you remember,” she said. “What are your favorite memories?”

That brought Leo’s smile back. “Ma always went all out to decorate the house for Christmas. Pa used to tease her about it. There would be sprigs of evergreen and holly tied up with red ribbons on the mantel and around the doors. Then there was a Nativity set that Pa made. Ma always set it next to the fireplace—she said it was to keep the holy family warm.”

What a lovely thought. Eve thought she would have liked Leo’s mother very much if they’d ever met.

“And we would make decorations to put on the tree—like angels out of cornhusks and cloth, and paper stars and popcorn garland. Then, when Pa brought the tree home on Christmas Eve, we had everything ready. And we would sing Christmas songs while we decorated it.”

“Those all sound like nice traditions, Leo.”

Leo nodded. “And Ma had a special cloth angel with shiny tin wings to put on top of the tree. Pa used to lift me up so I could put it on myself.”

“Well, those are all wonderful memories. I can see why you cherish them.” Eve gave him an affectionate smile. “Perhaps this year you can start making pleasant new memories to add to those.”

Was this the right time for her to bring up the subject of his finding a new family? Before she could say anything, Leo popped up and ran across the meadow. When he stopped, he excitedly called them over. Eve looked around but could see nothing but trees. “What do you suppose he wants us to see?” she asked Chance.

He stood and held out a hand to help her rise. “There’s only one way to find out.”

They crossed over to Leo, but Eve was as clueless when they reached him as she had been before. “What is it?” she asked.

“Will you look at that tree?” There was a touch of awe in his tone.

Eve studied the tree in question. It was a cedar, well formed and about seven feet tall. But there was nothing to mark it as anything special. Still, Leo was slowly walking around it, studying it appreciatively from every angle.

Eve glanced at Chance, seeing if he had any idea what was going on. But Chance merely shrugged.

“Is something wrong?” she asked the boy as he reappeared from behind the tree.

He turned to her, his expression hopeful. “I was just thinking, wouldn’t this make the perfect Christmas tree?”

Luckily, Leo didn’t wait for a response. “It’s a good height and it’s full all the way around. It would look great inside the front room.”

Chance studied the tree critically. “It’s a fine specimen, all right.”

“It reminds me of the last one my pa cut down for us,” Leo said wistfully. “Mr. Belcher never bothered with decorating or anything. He never had visitors and he spent Christmas day in town.”

Eve’s grandmother had never bothered with a tree, either. But if having a tree would make Leo happy, then he should have one. The problem was, she wasn’t certain where he would be come Christmas, so it would be hard to promise him that he would be decorating this particular cedar.

“This year will be different,” Leo said with absolute confidence. “I can go to church if I want to and celebrate proper.”

“It most assuredly will.” It warmed her heart that he considered church service a part of the celebration, especially after all he’d been through. And Christmas was still four weeks away. Surely they could find him a good home before then.

They moved back toward the picnic blanket to begin packing things up and Leo gave her a dazzling smile. “So can we have a tree like that one and decorate it?”

Eve hesitated. She didn’t want to disappoint him, but she couldn’t make promises she couldn’t keep, either. It was time to have that talk. “Let’s put everything back in the vehicle then there’s something Mr. Dawson and I need to discuss with you.”

The boy’s happy expression vanished like snow in fire. “Did I do something wrong?”

“Oh, no, sweetheart. It’s nothing like that.”

He didn’t seem reassured. “Then what? You both look so serious all of a sudden.”

Chance hefted the picnic basket and led the way back to the motor carriage. “Sheriff Gleason paid us a visit while you were out with Jack and Mr. Peavy.”

Eve touched Leo’s shoulder briefly. “He heard back on that telegram he sent to Bent Oak.”

Leo stiffened, and that braced-for-a-blow look that had all but disappeared the past couple of days was back in full force. “What did he find out?”

“He heard from a Reverend Ferris, who supported your story.”

“He did?”

“Yes, of course.”

“So I’m not going to jail?”

Is that what he’d been afraid of? “Of course not. The sheriff now has enough information to confirm that Mr. Belcher has no legal claim to you and you don’t have to go back there ever again.”

Leo’s expression immediately lightened. “Then I can stay here with you if I want to.”

Eve mentally winced. Is that what the boy thought, that they would continue the current arrangement indefinitely? How would he take the news that it wasn’t going to happen?

Chance covered her lack of response by reaching into his pocket and pulling out the pocket watch. “Mr. Belcher is no longer laying claim to this.” He held it out to Leo. “It’s now yours, free and clear.”

Eve noticed that Chance didn’t make any reference to his having paid for the heirloom.

Leo clutched the timepiece as if he’d never let it go. “So that means now I can do what I want?”

Eve took a deep breath. It was time to explain the situation to him. “Not entirely.”

“What do you mean?”

She rested her hand on his shoulder. “Leo, you must know that you’re too young to be left to your own devices. You need an adult to look out for you.”

His expression turned defensive.

“I’m not a little kid. I can take care of myself just fine.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll make very certain you aren’t put into the care of someone like Mr. Belcher again. We’ll find you a good home with a loving family.”

That answer didn’t elicit the hoped-for smile. Instead, Leo met her gaze with a pleading one. “Why can’t I live with you and Mr. Dawson? Don’t y’all want me?”

“Oh, Leo, it’s not that at all. Of course I care for you very much, and if there was any way I could offer you a home, I wouldn’t hesitate. But it’s just not possible.”

“Why not?”

“Well, for one thing, I’m not going to be here much longer.”

Leo blinked and then his eyes widened in disbelief. “You’re leaving?”

“Of course. You
know
I have a job waiting for me in Tyler—that hasn’t changed. I made promises to be there.”

“But can’t you get out of it? I mean, don’t you like it here?”

“Of
course
I like it here. And as I said, I care about you, a lot. But I can’t continue to live off of Mr. Dawson’s charity. And there’s no work for me here, no way for me to earn my keep. If there was—”

“But there is,” Leo interrupted eagerly. “You could open a candy store. Everyone likes your candy—I heard them say so.”

“Oh, Leo, that’s a nice thought, but that’s all it is. I couldn’t—ˮ

“Why not?”

Startled by Chance’s question, Eve turned to him with a frown. He definitely wasn’t helping any. “You know good and well why not. And I’ll thank you not to give Leo any false notions.”