She struggled to her feet, clasping the knife. She pushed upwards with her still-bound hands, tucked her snow-covered, damp hair under the hood of her cloak as best as she could, and bent over Andersen.
He moaned when she turned him over. With her bound hands, it was difficult to loosen his coat to see the wound, a bullet to the shoulder. Whether for good or bad, the cold seemed to slow the bleeding.
Penny’s petticoat was ripped, so she managed to pull loose a clean strip to make a compact. Only a little blood showed through as she pressed down. For now, she took that as a good sign.
As she pushed hard, Andersen moaned again and opened his eyes. “You? How did you get loose?”
She held up her bound hands. “I’m not completely free.”
She tugged his jacket together and pushed him to his side. “Can you stand? The search party will never find us tucked back in the woods like this.”
Andersen shifted so he could look at her. Snow fell between them and directly onto his upturned face.
Penny could see wonder and pain etched into his hard-bitten features.
“You’d do this for me…after what I’ve done, how I’ve treated you?”
Penny took a slow breath. “I don’t do it for you, Mr. Andersen. I do it because it’s what my Lord would have me do. Now turn over. Let’s get you to your feet.”
He rolled to his side and reached for the Bowie knife she’d dropped on the ground. With trembling fingers he lifted it towards her.
Penny caught her breath, but then he grasped her wrists and slid the long knife beneath the ropes.
It took them several long minutes to get Andersen on his feet. They moved towards the tracks left by the horses. It didn’t take long for weariness to overcome them.
The wind dragged at Penny’s damp skirts.
The snow was deep, the path rough, despite the horse tracks that had plowed through the snow earlier.
Penny got herself and Andersen over the dips and hollows by saying the road would be smoother. It would take less energy, be easier when they reached the road. They just had to get there. At last, they stumbled out of the trees.
The outline of the road could just be seen beneath the snowdrifts. Penny tripped in a dip and they both fell. She landed on her knees. Barely able to lift her head, her gaze skimmed down the road. Hoof prints headed in both directions…right and left.
She tugged the hood away from her eyes and squinted, but still didn’t know which way to go.
Andersen was near delirious.
Esmerelda was at least two hours away.
If she chose the wrong direction, they’d die.
Penny slumped, face down in the snow. She thought of Lexie and Alex…how Alex had made her feel cherished and beloved. Hot tears filled her eyes. The warmth was wonderful. Comforting.
She was beloved. Worthy. Even if she stayed right here and went to sleep, she wasn’t alone. God was with her and He loved her. She was His precious child. She’d waited all of her life to feel something like that, to know His kind of love. Surely, He didn’t mean for her life to end now that she knew Him?
Penny opened her eyes and blinked away the tears. Their warmth had eased the blurriness. She could see clearly. Right in front of her was a rounded hoof print, headed to her right. A thought clawed its way through the numbness overtaking her mind. She looked to her left. Those prints faced right, too.
Struggling to her feet, she hurried down the trail. All of the hoof prints on both sides led to her right. Holloway and his men were going to Esmerelda. That meant the way to Bodie was left.
God wasn’t done with her yet!
Laughing out loud, she lifted Andersen by his good shoulder.
“Leave me, Miz Penny. I can’t go on. Just leave me.”
“My God never gave up on me, Ben Andersen. I’m not going to give up on you.” She pushed and pulled him to his feet. Wrapping her now-sodden skirts over her arms, they hurried down the road.
The wind beat at Penny. Snow blinded her eyes. She lost track of time and stumbled on numb feet.
Afraid she might trip and fall on the knife, she dropped it along the road. She considered stopping long enough to wrap torn petticoats around her frozen feet, but she feared if she sat down, she’d never get up and would certainly not get Andersen up again.
Her feet and hands burned. She told herself it was a good sign. As long as there was pain, there was life. The time to worry would be when she couldn’t feel them at all. Still, the pain tore at her.
Alex said her singing helped him through his pain. Why hadn’t she remembered it sooner?
Her voice cracked. Picking up a small handful of snow, just enough to wet her throat, she tried again. This time the note rang out clear.
She sang all of her fun, happy songs. After that, she started on the hymns.
The wind tore at the words, whipped them away. She couldn’t hear her own voice, but she closed her eyes, stumbled on, and kept singing.
Finally, a noise floated back to her on the wind. A different sound.
She opened her eyes. Her vision was blurred, but she saw horses galloping towards her. She whimpered and faltered.
Holloway and Red had come back.
Blinking several more times cleared her vision.
Many horses narrowed down to one, churning up mud and snow as it charged towards her. The rider was hunkered down so she couldn’t see his face, but she was certain it was Alex.
He had come for her at last.
Relief overwhelmed her and she slumped to the ground.
Andersen never even made a sound.
In moments, Alex was beside her. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted. “I thought I’d lost you.”
She snuggled next to his warm body and tried to smile through cold, frozen lips.
“Not yet. God has a plan for me.”
Epilogue
Penny lifted her hands in praise as she sang the last words of her favorite hymn. The lyrics of “Amazing Grace” never failed to fill her with joy and thanksgiving. She was so glad God loved her, so glad to be alive.
Just as she finished, the sun made its first appearance at the Easter sunrise service. A golden glow flowed into the windows of the little church. It spilled over the congregation, lighting their faces and their hearts.
Penny looked at her husband smiling at her, at her daughter’s shining, copper-colored hair, so like her own, and knew she was blessed, not only with her loved ones, but with the generous, faith-filled friends around them.
That blessing was especially poignant when just a few short months ago, she’d come so close to losing it all.
Others had not been so fortunate. Holloway and Red never made it to Esmerelda. Several days after the blizzard ended, their frozen bodies had been found, far from the road.
Penny felt a certain compassion for the men, but her husband had a very different attitude.
His anger remained fresh and was punctuated by his own sense of guilt. He stoutly declared he would never again jeopardize his family’s well-being in that manner.
But Penny knew better. Her husband was a leader of men. It was his ministry. His destiny. She knew that now and accepted it.
Her time in the forest had taught her much. She did not regret her husband’s involvement in stopping Holloway and his men. But perhaps the biggest sign of her own healing was that she did not fear their future. She’d learned to trust.
The last notes of the piano faded away.
Penny looked around. Her joy in life must have transferred into her song. There wasn’t a dry eye in the congregation.
Tom rose and kissed her cheek.
Together they took a small bow.
Pastor Mathews invited the community to head outside to the beautiful early spring weather. The women’s hospitality team had prepared breakfast.
Well-wishers kept Penny in her place long after most of the crowd had gone. When the last person finally left her with her family, Lexie tugged on her dress.
“Can we go now?” Her tone sounded bored and irritated.
Alex frowned. “Alexa, don’t you think you should congratulate your mother? She just sang a very beautiful song for the Lord.”
“Mommy always sings beautiful songs, and I’m hungry.”
Alex gently pushed their daughter towards the door. “You and I will have a talk later, young lady. Right now I want a word with your mother.”
Penny placed her hands on her hips. “It seems to me one little girl is getting too big for her britches.”
“Well, it’s hard not to get a swelled head when your mother’s a celebrity.” Alex murmured.
“A celebrity? What nonsense!”
“No nonsense about it. I can’t tell you how happy it makes others…and me…to hear you sing with such joy.”
“No one has better reason to sing than I do.” She grasped his hand and brought it to her lips.
A noise at the door made them both turn.
Jewel hunched her shoulders as if she had a question.
Penny motioned for her to go on without them. After she’d turned back around, Alex frowned.
“What was that all about?”
“She just wanted to know your answer.”
“Uh-oh. What have you got me into now?”
“Well, Jewel, Tom, and I have a plan, and we need your permission.”
“For what?”
“To close The Copper Penny.”
“Close it?”
“Well, not the whole place. Just the saloon part. You see, now that you’re building a house for us, Tom wants to turn The Copper Penny into a fellowship hall. You know, he’s so good at connecting with people. He can play and he’s even thinking about preaching. What better place to have Christian fellowship than right in the middle of the saloon district?”
Alex shook his head. “Are you happy with his idea?”
“I think it’s brilliant. Ben Andersen has even agreed to give his testimony.”
“It will be quite a testimony. From sheriff to prisoner, and God along the way.”
“I think so. Tom is going to speak to the judge about releasing him from jail for occasional visits.
“Inga and Angus are thinking about closing his saloon, also.”
“Inga and Angus are in on this, too?”
“It’s been on Inga’s mind ever since Gina lost her husband. You know there are so many widows and desperate women out there. Inga was in the same position before I met her. She wants to make a shelter for women and their children. But since you’re co-owner of The Copper Penny and Angus’s place, I told them we can’t go any further without talking to you. Besides we’re going to need your help.”
“Oh, no.” Alex shook his head. “I told you, my crusade days are over.”
“And I told you white knights don’t get to put away their swords just because the fighting gets tough.”
“But I’m not a white knight.” He touched his finger to the tip of her nose. “I’m a simple man who only wants to spend time with his wife and daughter.”
“A simple Christian soldier with an obligation to spread the Good News. It says in Luke—”
Alex started to laugh. “All right. All right. I’ll do it. You know I can’t resist you when you start quoting Scripture. So you’ve explained to me everyone’s duties in this new project, except yours. What are you going to do?”
“Nothing.” She placed her hands over her tummy. “I’m going to have my hands too full with this little one.”
Alex tenderly covered her hand. “How is my baby today?”
“He’s just fine.”
“You’re so sure it’s a boy?”
“I’m sure.”
“It’d be all right with me if it’s another little girl.”
“Maybe next time. This one’s a strong-willed, mischievous little brother who’s going to give his sassy sister a run for her money.”
“Will there be a next time?” Alex raised an eyebrow.
“Absolutely.” Penny looped her arms around her husband’s neck. “And one after that, and after that.”
“Sounds to me like you’re going to be very busy, Mrs. Marsden.” His tone was low and rich.
“I am.”
Just before their lips touched, she whispered, “I told you. God has a plan for me.”
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