Authors: Noelle Marchand
She had to own that it was partially her fault for being thoughtless. She should have hidden most of her money in her boot or corset instead of leaving it all in her reticule for some villain to ride off with. It wouldn’t have been such a setback if the train went straight to California from Peppin. Unfortunately, she was supposed to transfer to another line. How could she do that when she didn’t even have money for a ticket?
She needed help, and she didn’t want to go to her parents for it. She was a grown woman on a trip of her own undertaking. She’d figure this out somehow, then write her parents from California to tell them exactly how wonderful her new life was. If this didn’t work, then fine, but she at least had to try to do it on her own first. She entered the bustling boardinghouse and went over to the woman who seemed to be checking people in.
“Welcome! I’m Mrs. Drake and I have a room all ready for you. May I have your name please?”
“Lorelei Wilkins, but I’m not here for a room exactly—”
“Wilkins,” the blonde woman repeated then smiled. “You’re from Peppin, aren’t you?”
“How did you know?” she asked with a bit of trepidation. Surely news of her wedding hadn’t spread this far that fast.
The woman tossed a dismissive hand. “Oh, I’ve visited family in Peppin once or twice during the past several years. I heard of your family while I was there. Perhaps you know mine. My aunt and uncle are Joseph and Amelia Greene.”
Lorelei easily placed the family connection. “Yes, I know them. My mother is friends with your aunt.”
The woman’s face lit up. “Isn’t that wonderful?”
“Yes, it is,” Lorelei said with a smile as she realized it probably wouldn’t be wise to mention that Mrs. Greene also had a reputation of being the town gossip. “As I was saying, I’ve run into a problem and I hope you might be able to help me. I was taking the train to meet my elderly great-aunt in California—”
“California!” Mrs. Drake frowned. “That’s quite a ways to travel alone.”
“Yes, well, I placed my reticule in my lap where I was sure no one would dare take it, but when I awakened it was gone. I’m sure that man sitting across the aisle stole it. To think he got close enough to steal my money and I never even felt it!”
“How unnerving! I’m sorry, dear, but what can I do?”
“I thought perhaps you might let me work for you so I can pay my room and board. It would just be until I’m able to get more money somehow.”
“I wish I could.” Suddenly the woman froze with some sudden thought. “Do you like children?”
“What?”
“I know of a job for you if you like children but— Oh, what time is it?” Mrs. Drake popped open her small pocket watch. “We just might be able to catch them.”
“Catch who?”
“The children.” The woman rounded the desk to survey her carefully. “Yes, I think you’ll do perfectly. Is that your only bag?”
Lorelei glanced down at her traveling bag. “Yes.”
“Good. You won’t take up much room.” Mrs. Drake grabbed her hat from the stand and opened the door. “Come on. We have to run to catch them.”
Lorelei followed her out the door and down the porch steps at a trot to keep up with her rapid pace. “But, Mrs. Drake, I really don’t understand. Where are we going? Who are these children and what sort of job is it?”
“I’m sorry. I get rather scattered when I’m in a rush.” The woman darted across the street with Lorelei at her heels. “The position is with a traveling preacher and his wife. They are very good friends of mine. James takes his family with him on his circuit once every few months or so. They’re going with him this time. Usually the young woman down the street goes with them to help see to the children, but her father is sick so she can’t go. James and his wife, Marissa, couldn’t find anyone else on short notice.”
“So I’m supposed to replace their neighbor?” Lorelei asked breathlessly.
“Yes, if we can catch them. They were supposed to be leaving now,” Mrs. Drake said. “Watch that hole in the road.”
Lorelei veered away from the hole just in time to save herself from a sprained ankle. “You said he’s a traveling preacher. Where are they traveling?”
“That’s the beauty of it, Miss Wilkins. They’re going farther west. Not to California, mind you but— Oh, there’s the wagon. Help me wave it down.”
Lorelei lifted her free hand to wave at the retreating covered wagon. The little boy who was practically hanging out the back of the wagon waved back with a grin, then turned around. He must have yelled something to his parents because the wagon pulled off the road and stopped. Mrs. Drake caught Lorelei’s arm and led her around the wagon to meet an attractive young couple. They listened patiently to Mrs. Drake’s breathlessly halting explanation and introduction.
Marissa Brightly smiled down at Lorelei, though her brown eyes showed compassion. “I’m so sorry this happened to you, Miss Wilkins, but I can’t help feeling this is all part of God’s plan.”
“It certainly is. We’d be delighted to have you join us,” James said. “I know that you want to get to California as soon as possible, but we are heading farther west and would be glad to pay you a small salary. Once you have the financial ability to continue your journey, we would send you on with our blessing.”
Marissa leaned forward. “Please, say you’ll come.”
Lorelei bit her lip for a moment, then smiled. “I suppose I will. I have nothing to lose and I think I’ll enjoy traveling with you very much.”
“Good,” James said with a satisfied nod. “Let me help you into the wagon.”
Lorelei thanked Mrs. Drake for her help, then followed James to the back of the wagon where the little boy she’d seen earlier peeked out from the large hole in the canvas. “Pa, is she coming with us?”
“She sure is,” James answered as her traveling bag disappeared inside. “Move out the entrance so she can get in, Hosea.”
Once inside, Lorelei glanced around to take stock of her surroundings and froze. “Are
all
of these children yours?”
“Yes. Starting with the oldest, there is Henry, Julia, William, Hosea and Lacy. Children, Miss Lorelei will be traveling with us. Mind her as you would your Ma and I. I’ll leave y’all to get acquainted.”
Each child lifted a hand when their name was called as though their father was taking attendance. They stared at her as she found a seat near the rear of the wagon on a cushioned wooden chest. She stared right back at them. Five children. She was going to be taking care of
five
children. She hadn’t even had any siblings growing up. What was she going to do?
The wagon started abruptly, and she fell off her seat onto the wagon floor. A few stifled gasps echoed under the canvas roof as the children waited for her reaction. They looked so shocked that she burst out laughing. That somehow gave them permission to, as well. As they laughed, relief settled into her bones just as tentatively as she settled back on her seat.
She was on her way again after only a momentary delay. Although her trip had been a disaster in some ways, it had been successful in its main goal. She’d barely thought about Sean since she’d left Peppin and certainly wouldn’t have a chance anytime soon, now that she was surrounded by five children. She tried not to wonder if he even cared that she’d left or what he thought about possibly never seeing her again. He’d probably been indifferent, or worse: relieved.
No, though the decision had been made on the spur of the moment, she knew she’d made the right choice in leaving. She only wished she’d made that decision sooner. If she hadn’t wanted so badly to prove she wasn’t a flighty, insincere heartbreaker, she might have done the right thing with Lawson a long time ago. She should have trusted her instincts from the beginning instead of spending so much time overthinking things. Usually her first thoughts on a subject were clearest anyway. She shook her head. That was in the past. She could finally look forward to a future without Sean’s distracting presence. In the meantime, it seemed she had a job to do.
The chortles finally died down enough for her to ask, “Who wants to play a game?”
All five hands eagerly went up. She grinned. Her new life without Sean O’Brien was going to be a cinch.
* * *
There she was—Lorelei Wilkins. Sean slid from his mount, then put a calming hand on Jericho’s nose to keep him quiet as they crept through the woods toward the banks of the river. He ought to walk right out into the open and give her a piece of his mind. That’s what he’d been planning to do for the two days it had taken to find her. Now that he’d found her, he decided to take a moment to gather himself.
Through the green veil of leaves, he could see her peaceful expression as she sat innocently reading under a nearby weeping willow. He noticed the soft smile at her lips and the dark curve of her downcast lashes. For some reason only one thought came to mind—she hadn’t married Lawson. Relief lowered his tense shoulders for an instant before he frowned. It shouldn’t matter to him that she was no longer engaged. It
didn’t
matter to him. The relief he felt at seeing her came only because it meant his task was nearly complete, and he’d soon be able to return home. Nothing more.
He gave a dutiful nod and began moving toward her. Suddenly she tossed her book aside. The soft hum of a melody drifted through the air as she practically danced into the river. He froze, befuddled yet transfixed by the sight. Her well-trained soprano arched over the quiet woods into the first lilting verse of “Beautiful Dreamer.” He was barely aware of leaving Jericho to walk quietly toward the woman wading in the thick expanse of river until he stood at its banks.
She hadn’t noticed his approach since her eyes were closed, so he tipped back his hat and crossed his arms to stare at her. Now, this was a side of Lorelei he’d never seen. Oh, sure, she sang at church occasionally but never with such passion. He’d seen her smile a hundred times but never with such freedom. Apparently, a weight of some kind had been lifted from her shoulders…and placed squarely onto his. His jaw tightened in aggravation.
His horse neighed. Lorelei froze. Her lashes flew open. Their eyes met. He heard her breath escape her lungs in a startled gasp as she instinctively backed away from him. Her blue eyes changed from alarm to dismay, then she stepped back one too many times and disappeared into the clutches of the racing river.
Chapter Two
L
ord, have mercy, it’s Sean O’Brien!
Water swirled
above Lorelei’s head as she tried to reconcile the man she’d just seen with the
fact that she’d traveled all those miles to leave him behind. No, it couldn’t
have been Sean. It just couldn’t. She’d been enjoying the first break she’d had
after two days of caring for five exuberant children when she’d heard a sound
like quiet footsteps. She’d ignored it, but then she’d heard that neigh. She’d
opened her eyes never expecting to see
that man
standing on the bank of the river looking for all the world as though he’d been
there for hours.
Her lungs began to hanker for air. Lorelei tried to swim to the
surface to satisfy them. She also wanted to make sure her imagination wasn’t
playing tricks on her, but her heavy skirts dragged her downward, subjecting her
to the twisting, turning pull of the current. She careened through the water and
away from the bank. Panic filled her. She fought the urge to gasp in air,
knowing it would only drown her. Her thoughts began to muddle together.
What a foolish way to die!
Suddenly an arm encircled her waist. A body came alongside hers
and pulled her upward. With one last thrust of energy, they surfaced. Lorelei
gasped for air. She met Sean’s vibrant green eyes as he held her tightly to his
chest.
“Don’t let go,” he commanded abruptly. She was too spent to
argue, so she allowed him to pull her to the riverbank. The water gave way to
solid ground. They both collapsed on the grass-covered banks. She turned her
face toward him and found that they were only inches apart, but she didn’t have
the strength to remedy the situation.
His arm lay across her stomach barring her from flight. He made
no effort to remove it. Instead, they stared at each other as they both took in
gasping breaths. A few days’ worth of golden stubble covered the base of his jaw
and met just above his mouth. A slight sunburn trailed down the bridge of his
nose drawing more attention to his unsmiling lips. Hints of gold and light hues
of green shimmered in his eyes like the sunlight reflecting off of a slow-moving
creek. Despite the disapproval she found there, her heart gave a familiar
thump.
What was he doing here? He couldn’t be here of his own
volition. That would be too unbelievable. More likely, he had been sent by her
father to bring her home. Well, that was not going to happen. She would not
stand passively by as he wrecked her plans. She glared at him.
The dashes of his dark gold brows lowered into a frown as he
rose onto his elbow to look down at her with a maddening smirk and finally
spoke. “The good news is you made it out alive. The bad news is you didn’t get
away.”
“I wasn’t trying to get away. You frightened me by appearing
out of nowhere. I responded as any normal person would.” Somehow she found
herself lifted into his arms as he stood and swept her up to his chest. She
kicked her feet. “Put me down. What are you doing?”
“You’re in no condition to walk.”
“Yes, I am. Put me down. What is wrong with you?” She could
count on one hand the number of times he’d purposefully touched her. Now, he
wouldn’t let her go. She kicked her legs again. “I said, put me down!”
“Hold on, you wildcat—”
A warning shot rang through the air. Lorelei screamed. Sean
froze, then whirled around to face his adversary. She peered through her wild
chocolate-colored curls to get a glimpse of Pastor James standing broad-legged
and determined. He cocked his gun again and aimed it at Sean. “You heard the
lady. Put her down.”
The tone of his voice was deadly. Not at all what she expected
from the gentle man she’d gotten to know over the past several days. She bowed
her head so neither man could see the smile that curved her lips. She allowed
her body to completely relax even as she felt Sean’s arms tense beneath her legs
and arms. He carefully lowered her legs to the ground but trapped her against
his side in a one-armed embrace entirely too close to be proper.
This man was determined to meddle with her head. She was too
smart for it this time. She wouldn’t let his protective instincts or plain
orneriness put ideas in her head or a silly feeling like hope into her heart. He
could hold her as uncomfortably close as he liked, but from the looks of James’s
rifle, this situation was about to become just as uncomfortable for Sean. She
vowed to enjoy every moment of it.
* * *
Sean kept Lorelei tucked against his side so close he
could feel her shaking. Was she shivering from her plunge in the river? The
water hadn’t been that cold. Perhaps she quaked from fear after nearly drowning
to death. He glanced down at her and found the answer in her mirth-filled eyes.
She was laughing at him.
He narrowed his eyes to stem her mirth, but that only seemed to
increase it. She dropped her head so the preacher couldn’t see her smile as her
body continued to shake in silent suppressed laughter. Annoyance led his hand
down to his revolver. It probably wasn’t any good as water-soaked as it was, but
it was nice to have some reassurance while staring down a shotgun. He widened
his stance to stare at the man intent on defending Lorelei from him. “Look, I
don’t know who you are or how this is any of your business, but the only
protection this woman needs is from herself.”
That got her riled up. She gave a pretty fierce little growl
for a woman her size and in her situation. He tried to fight back his smirk but
wasn’t quite successful.
“I am Pastor James Brightly and that woman is under my care. I
insist you release her this instant.”
“This instant, huh?” Sean glanced down at Lorelei. Her dark
blue eyes stared back at him, making him realize there was a lot of sanity in
doing just what the preacher commanded. He let go of her. She took a few
wavering steps away from him but somehow managed to stand on her own.
The preacher waved his shotgun. “Now, be on your way.”
Sean shook his head. “Oh, no. I’ve been searching for this
woman for days. I’m the sheriff of the town where she lives. I’m not trying to
hurt her, but I’m not leaving until she and I have a little talk, Preacher.”
“Lorelei, is this true? Do you know this man?”
He met her gaze squarely. He watched her tilt her head
thoughtfully as she considered her next step. He could almost read the thoughts
running through her head. All she had to do was tell the preacher that little
two-letter word. If she did, he’d be dodging bullets and receiving a nice little
prayer for safe travel courtesy of the preacher. Her smile grew.
He frowned at her. “Oh, come on, Lorelei. I just saved your
life. The least you could do is save mine.”
Her expression changed to one of reluctant resignation. “I know
him, Pastor James, but I’d also like to know what he’s doing here.”
Sean hid his relief when the preacher lowered the rifle to his
side. Lorelei didn’t bother to hide her disappointment when the two men shifted
into a less combative stance. She frowned at him. “Well?”
“You know very well why I’m here.” He shook his head like a wet
dog, then pinned her with a look. “Your father and Lawson sent me to bring you
home, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
Lorelei stiffened. “Oh, no, you won’t!”
“Oh, yes, I will.” He stepped closer to her. “Do you have any
idea how worried your parents are right now?”
“I left them a note.”
“That only compounded their fears. They knew that you were
traveling alone with very limited finances, no supplies and hardly any idea how
to get to California, let alone reach your great-aunt’s estate.” He caught her
arm, hoping to somehow transfer a little good sense. “Anything could have
happened, Lorelei!”
She wrenched her arm from his grasp but lowered her voice.
“Don’t you think I’ve realized that?”
“Then come home with me.”
She crossed her arms. “No. Not when I’m so close to getting
away from—” she seemed to catch herself and changed the sentence “—getting to
California.”
“Have you looked at a map lately? You aren’t even close to
making it out of Texas.”
Her hand made its way to her hip. “I will. Marissa and James
are paying me a fair wage. As soon as I have enough saved up, I’ll take the
train.”
“Alone? Haven’t you been preyed on enough?” He nodded in
response to her suspicious look. “I know all about your reticule being stolen.
That just proves I’m right. A young woman traveling without protection will
warrant the attention of every outlaw and charlatan from here to
California.”
“I’ll be careful.”
“That’s not enough.”
“Well, it will have to be enough because I’m certainly not
leaving with you!” She flipped her wet hair away from her face and stormed
off.
He’d nearly forgotten the preacher was still there until the
man spoke. “Do you know why she ran away?”
“I know enough to say she should stop this foolishness and go
home. Like I said, I’m Peppin’s sheriff, it’s my responsibility to keep the
town’s citizens safe—even when they’re being too pigheaded to see sense.”
James nodded patiently. “I understand that you’re trying to do
your duty, but that is her choice to make. You can talk to her about it, but you
can’t force her to return. In the meantime, you may want to think more carefully
about trying to bring her back to the situation that was uncomfortable enough to
make her leave.”
Sean hid a grimace at the preacher’s advice. There was nothing
wrong with the situation Lorelei was in that she hadn’t caused. His job was to
find her and bring her home. Her parents were supposed to deal with her after
that. Somehow he didn’t think the esteemed Pastor James would find his reasoning
particularly favorable, so he kept his mouth shut and nodded in agreement. He
needed a place to sleep after all and a way to keep an eye on Lorelei since she
had gotten into the habit of disappearing.
* * *
The leaves of the towering oak tree quivered above
Sean’s head as he placed his Stetson over his face. Four days he’d waited for
Lorelei to come to her senses. It seemed as if she was just sliding deeper into
her joyous little cloud of insanity. He could hear her now. She was playing with
the children in the gurgling brook and having a wonderful time while he tried to
cool his temper and not let the sound of her laughter set his teeth on edge.
He was glad James decided to give his family a day of rest from
traveling. Sean was pretty tired himself. He figured this was the perfect time
to craft a plan to change the mind of a stubborn young woman bent on getting
herself to California. If he didn’t figure out something soon, he’d be stuck
trailing her halfway across the country.
The ground beneath his back seemed to sway slightly. He caught
his breath. This couldn’t happen. Not here. He needed to ward off the panic now
before it got worse. Nevertheless, his heart began to quicken into a familiar
staccato rhythm.
The first time he’d noticed that beat had been the night of the
storm that had taken his parents’ lives. At ten years old, he’d lain awake in
bed listening to the wind howl past his window and trying to fight the sense of
foreboding that gripped him. Somehow he’d known they wouldn’t come back. The
next morning brought news of the accident, and with it the entire world had
turned on end for him and his two sisters. He’d tried to step up and be the man
of the house, but at such a young age there was so much that he couldn’t do to
help his eighteen-year-old sister, Kate, manage the farm, besides try to keep
eight-year-old Ellie out of trouble.
The next two years had passed with him in such a state of
stress that he would lie awake at night listening to his rapid heartbeat pound
in his ears thinking for sure it would burst from his chest. He never told
anyone that, especially not his sisters. To them, he’d remained stalwart and
dependable until his brother-in-law Nathan had stepped into their lives.
The burden had suddenly lifted from Sean’s shoulders, and he’d
thought that would be the end of the waves of panic that occasionally took over.
It wasn’t. Even now he could feel his breath shortening. It always did when he
found himself in a situation like this where he could do nothing but wait. He
forced himself to pray.
Lord, You know I’m trying to be patient,
but I need to get back to Peppin. This isn’t what I bargained for when I
agreed to bring her home. Help me change her mind.
It took a few
minutes for his body to settle down. Relief filled him. He shouldn’t have
another one for a while now. He’d just go on as if it hadn’t happened…like
always.
He slowly felt himself leaning toward sleep. Suddenly a small
fountain of water poured over the sides of his hat and settled around his ears
before soaking into the ground. Letting out an exaggerated roar, he sat up. His
Stetson tumbled to the ground, and Sean found himself face-to-face with a
six-year-old. Hosea stood in what would have appeared to be paralyzed terror if
not for the delight sparkling in his round eyes. His hand clutched a large tin
cup now emptied of the water he must have carried from the nearby brook.
Sean quickly surveyed the situation and realized that, while
Hosea may have been the culprit, he was only a small part of a much larger plot.
Watching with just as much glee were the rest of the children and one very
naughty nanny.
* * *
Time seemed to stop for the seconds it took Sean to
slowly rise to his feet. Perhaps that was simply because all the children froze
when he pinned them with a calculating stare. Then his gaze caught hers. His
smile said one thing. William yelled it. “Run!”
Suddenly the world was a blur of motion. Hosea tried to make a
break for it, but Sean was too fast for him. He scooped the boy under his arm
like a sack of potatoes. Henry managed to evade his grasp, but Sean lifted
William with his other arm and spun the boys around just enough to make them
deliciously dizzy before he set them down. He repeated the process with Julia
and Lacy.