Sarah My Beloved (Little Hickman Creek Series #2) (42 page)

She couldn't help but laugh. "You'd better say that since
you're about to claim a wife for yourself. You're very blessed,
you know. Nancy is a wonderful woman."

His face creased into a full smile. "I'm coming to love and
appreciate her more with every day. Perhaps I should thank
you for that."

"Why me?"

"When I finally reached the conclusion that there was no
hope for a future with you, my eyes opened up to other possibilities. That's when I discovered Nancy Belmont. To think she
was right there under my nose most of my life!"

"And what of your faith in God, Stephen?" Sarah had
learned long ago that the only way truly to reach Stephen
Alden was to go straight to the point.

His expression stilled, grew more serious. "It's been an
interesting journey.

"Nancy is a woman of great faith, as you know. I'm humbled when I think that she would love me in spite of my spiritual weaknesses. It seems I have quite a distance to travel to
catch up to her level of spirituality, but I've discovered that
God is faithful and patient. Although this may sound odd to
you, I've come to lean on both Nancy and God for my spiritual
lessons. Imagine me leaning on a woman, Sarah!"

She burst out laughing. "Oh, Stephen, I can't even picture
it.

Their laughter mingled for a time before Stephen moved
to the wicker swing on Emma Browning's porch and motioned
for her to sit beside him.

Sarah wasn't at all sure of the appropriateness of such a
move, especially in light of how late the hour was getting. Her
family was waiting for her. Her family. It sounded so right. She
pulled back her sleeve to look at her watch. "I should be leaving soon.

"We haven't had much time to talk, Sarah. Just give me a
few more minutes. I want you to tell me more about your husband and these children."

"Oh, well, I suppose a few minutes couldn't hurt, but then I must be going. We're going on a little family outing this afternoon. I'm sure Seth and Rachel are growing anxious for my
return. I had told them I wouldn't be long at all, and then with
your delay, well, at least I was able to make all my purchases
while I waited for the stage to come in."

"You're rambling, Sarah. Come and ramble beside me."

She laughed. "All right, but fifteen minutes is my limit."

He nodded. "Sounds perfectly fair to me."

Rocky dismounted his horse and tied him next to his
wagon, which he'd found parked behind the bank. No wonder
his parents hadn't spotted it earlier. He could think of no
reason why Sarah would have parked the rig back here unless
it was to keep out of sight, which he found unlikely. What could
his wife possibly have to hide?

He thought about the Boston lawyer his father had mentioned and the absurd notion that Stephen Alden might have
returned to claim Sarah for himself. "Ridiculous," he murmured. There had to be some other logical reason for her
coming to town alone.

"Mr. Callahan!" He turned in time to discover Mrs. Winthrop lifting her skirts in a hurried approach, a look of consternation etched into her already hard-lined face.

"Mrs. Winthrop, what can I do for you?" Something
told him she had plenty on her mind, what with the way she
marched across the street, her skirts whooshing to and fro.

"I wondered when you might put in an appearance."

"That so?" Rocky pushed back a wave of irritation. "Why
is that?"

"Why, to tend to your wife, of course. Word has it she is
cavorting with some dapper lawyer from Boston. I saw them
together in the bank myself tending to some transaction or
another. Of course, I stayed cleverly hidden."

The bank? "Well, I hardly think cavorting is a fair choice
of words, Mrs. Winthrop," he answered in a clipped tone. It
annoyed him plenty that the woman seemed to know more
about his wife's business dealings than he did.

"Piff!" she scoffed, her wrinkled countenance revealing
displeasure. "I should think you would have escorted her yourself rather than allowed her to meet with that smart-looking
young man from Boston. Why, I fear the rumors will fly, Mr.
Callahan."

"I'm sure you'll see to that," he mumbled between his teeth,
lifting his hat and swiping a hand through his hair.

"Pardon?" she asked.

"Nothing. Did you happen to see which way my wife
headed?"

"Of course. She and that man have gone to Emma Browning's boardinghouse. Sitting right there on her porch for all
to see." Mrs. Winthrop clicked her tongue in disgust. "They
might have at least had the decency to conceal their improper
behavior."

Rather than qualify her remark, Rocky tipped his hat at
the woman and turned on his heel.

Uncommonly bright sunshine filtered through afternoon
clouds, lending warmth to the early spring air. Rocky walked
along, his boot heels clicking on the wooden sidewalk as he
made his way down Main Street. Folks passed him and nodded,
withholding their opinions, he was sure, for they weren't their usual friendly selves.

What is Sarah up to? he wondered. Had she indeed connived
with Alden to make her way back East? But if that were the case,
why hadn't she told him? Weren't they on better terms than that?
Or were there things about him that intimidated her? He knew
he hadn't always been easy to live with. Still, he'd never forced
her to stay; matter of fact, he'd offered to send her back if life in
Hickman proved too much of a hardship and had even tried to
convince her that she wasn't cut out for farm life. Now he regretted those words. What would he do if she left them?

Suddenly, Sarah's laughter carried over the gentle breezes,
followed by Alden's deeper chortle. Rocky stopped short and
found himself hunkered down behind the trunk of a budding
oak, spying like some scheming adolescent on the two who
sat together on Emma's porch swing, acting as if they hadn't
a care in the world. Had she completely forgotten about her
promise to hurry home? Did it mean nothing to her that Seth
and Rachel waited eagerly for her return? A heavy dose of irritation played at his nerves.

Stephen Alden was as Rocky remembered-short and willowy, lacking much of a muscular build, no doubt a result of
having spent his days behind a desk pushing a pen. His welldressed manner exuded professionalism and wealth, as did
the gold chain adorning his lapels and the fine-looking hat
he held across his lap. His slicked-back hair, neatly parted in
the middle, had not one strand out of place despite the spring
breeze. Rocky hated to think how much grease it must have
taken him to set it in place. Rocky raked a hand through his
own longish hair and mentally scolded himself for not paying
a visit to the town barber.

"It's been wonderful seeing you again," Alden was saying.

Rocky's gut twisted into a tight knot. He wanted to march
onto the porch and haul the guy away by the nape of his
skinny neck. How dare he talk to his wife in such an intimate
manner!

"I've felt like such a heel," he said. "It was a nasty way to
part in January"

"That's over and done with," Sarah said. "We can be friends
from now on."

Just about the time Rocky intended to interrupt the pleasant conversation, the front door opened and Emma Browning
appeared. Rocky fitted himself behind the tree once more,
worried that Emma would spot him for sure if she planned to
leave the boardinghouse.

"Could I interest either of you in a glass of lemonade?"
she asked, innocent as you please. Did she not think it strange
that a married woman was entertaining a man on her front
porch?

"None for me, thank you," Alden answered.

At that, Sarah studied her watch. "Oh my, I must be getting back."

Now there's an interesting thought, Rocky mulled to himself.

Just then, footsteps from behind alerted him to the fact he
wasn't alone. When he turned he discovered Jonathan Atkins
breathing down his back.

"Spying on your wife, are you?" Jon whispered, highly
amused.

"Shh," Rocky hushed, yanking his friend up next to him,
miffed that Jon had come across him, yet angrier with Sarah
that she'd put him in this awkward position.

"What are you doing, Rock?" Jon asked in a loud whisper.

"I was looking for my wife."

"It seems you've found her. Why are you hiding?"

"She's entertaining her previous beau. Doesn't that strike
you as odd?" Rocky hissed.

"Not until I've heard her reasons for it."

"It can't be good."

"Why do you say that?"

"Look at them huddled together on that that fancy
swing.

"They're not huddled."

Something caught Emma's attention, for she glanced from
the porch and spoke loud enough for all to hear, "Isn't that the
reverend hiding behind the tree?"

Rocky squeezed his eyes shut and gave a low moan. All of
a sudden, Jon moved into clear view, pulling Rocky with him.
"I wasn't hiding. Matter of fact, I was enjoying my daily stroll
when I came upon my friend here." He whacked Rocky in the
arm, knocking him off kilter. "Afternoon, folks."

A loud gasp escaped Sarah's throat. "Rocky! What-are
you doing here? Where are the children?" Her wide eyes held
confusion and shock.

Filled with new resolve, Rocky approached the porch, pure
annoyance bubbling to the surface. "The kids are fine. Ma and
Pa are with them. As far as what I'm doing here, I might ask
you the same question."

"I-I can explain everything."

Stephen Alden rose to his feet. "Well, Callahan-we meet
again." The scrawny fellow stepped forward to extend a hand, but Rocky refused to take it, so he turned his attention on Jon.
"And this is the preacher?"

"Hickman's one and only," Jon answered, shaking Alden's
hand as if they were old acquaintances. "Name's Jonathan
Atkins. Jon will do. And you are?"

"Stephen Alden. I practice law in Boston, back where Sarah
hails from. She and I are dear friends. In fact, we've just been
rehashing old times-all quite innocent, I might add." The
man's eyes carried a twinkle that Rocky would have delighted
in gouging out.

After offering the shyster a distracted nod, Rocky eyed his
wife with suspicion while addressing the lawyer. "Is that so? I
can't imagine why she didn't inform me you were in town."

"I'm sure she'll be happy to inform you later."

"What's wrong with right now?" Rocky asked, his temper
flaring. He noted Sarah's mouth remained open, her eyes
unblinking.

"I believe you'll want to speak in private," Alden replied,
his tone surprisingly controlled, throwing Rocky for a loop,
considering his initial impression of the fellow had been that
he was a hothead.

Rocky gave Sarah his full attention. "Did you forget about
our plans for a family picnic?"

A flicker of apprehension flashed in her eyes. "I wouldn't
forget something as important as that." She took another hasty
peek at her watch as if to reassure herself. "There's still plenty
of time."

"The stage was delayed," Stephen put in. "If Sarah is tardy
it's only because she was waiting for me."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Rocky sputtered. "My wife tells me she has errands to run, and when
she doesn't arrive home in a timely manner and I begin to
worry, I discover that she's been keeping company with her
former beau."

"Unfortunately, I was never her beau," Stephen put in.

"Of course, it was Iris Winthrop who pointed me in the
right direction," Rocky said, ignoring Alden.

"Oh dear," Sarah gasped. "I'm sorry"

"Of course, that was after she informed me she had spotted
you at the bank together, making a transaction." It was hard
not to sound angry.

Sarah's shoulders dropped. "I can explain all that."

"You couldn't have enlightened me earlier?"

"I didn't that is, I wasn't sure-" She stopped when Jon
cleared his throat.

"Uh, I think perhaps I'll be on my way," Jon said. "Miss
Emma, would you care to walk with me?" Rocky sensed the
invitation had a twofold purpose: one, to escape the awkward
situation; and two, to discuss the possibility of taking a room
in her boardinghouse.

"Me?" Emma Browning clutched her throat in obvious
surprise.

As far as Rocky knew, the young woman had never set foot
inside a house of worship, much less associated with a man of
the cloth. A part of him wished he could tag along to eavesdrop on the tete-a-tete, but right now, he was too distracted to
care much what transpired between the two.

Jon gave a low-timbered chuckle. "Someone tell her I
promise not to bite."

"He won't bite," Rocky mumbled.

Emma's brow furrowed. "I guess a bit of fresh air couldn't
hurt."

Jon looped his arm for her, but Emma snubbed the offer,
sticking her hands in her pockets instead. Another day Rocky
might have laughed.

Everyone watched as the two strolled toward town. Stephen broke the silence when he stretched and yawned. "I don't
know what anyone sees in this town, but I'm pleased that Sarah
seems happy." That said, Alden actually smiled. "I suppose I
have you to thank for that, Callahan."