Chapter 9   

Forty-five minutes had passed, supper was over and cleaned up, and Connor still hadn’t returned Jamie. Keeley walked to the front door and looked out. No sign of the marshal.

Katie joined her. “I know the sun has set, but ’tisn’t totally dark yet. Why don’t we run over to Connor’s office and see if he got tied up with something?”

“Aye, let’s go. Jamie is sure to be hungry and getting tired.”

Both women hurried down the street then turned onto Main Street. Several dozen saddled horses were hitched all along the street. There was little doubt where their owners were. Keeley was glad the saloon noise was barely noticeable at their house. Though it was at the far end of the street, the saloon sounded even louder than it had earlier. She opened the door to the marshal’s office, stepped inside, and noticed Connor wasn’t at his desk. She turned to face her sister. “Now what?”

Katie shrugged. “He left the lamp on, so he must be coming back. We could walk down Main Street a bit, but I don’t want to get too close to the saloon.”

“All right. I wonder if Connor went to see Brian and got tied up talking to him?”

A screech sounded from one of the cells in the back, and Keeley jumped the same time her sister did. They looked at one another. “Do you suppose Connor has a drunken man back there?”

“It sounded more like a bird.” A wail echoed through the office. Keeley eyes widened as she glanced at her sister, who had the same flummoxed expression. “That sounds like Jamie!” She rushed to the door separating the two rooms, and there was the wee laddie, standing up in the cell, holding on to the bars, tears running down his cheeks. When he saw her he started sobbing.

She yanked open the door, relieved to find it unlocked, and lifted the baby into her arms, cuddling him. Scowling, she turned to her sister. “Connor must be an eejit. How could he leave Jamie alone? Why didn’t he return the boy to us if he had to go somewhere?”

Katie rubbed her hand over Jamie’s head. “Poor little laddie. Let’s take him home, get him fed and into bed.”

“Should I leave Connor a note?”

Katie shook her head. “’Twould serve him right to be worried about the boy after what he did.”

Jamie had already stopped his crying and had laid his head on Keeley’s shoulder. They hurried home, and by the time they got there, Jamie was asleep. “I’ll change him and put him to bed.”

“I’ll prepare his bottle.” Katie headed to the kitchen. “Perhaps he’ll wake enough to drink it.”

“Thank you.” Keeley quickly changed Jamie and sat in the chair, patting his back. Her anger with Connor grew each moment. How could he have put an innocent baby in jail and left him alone? What kind of man did such a thing? How could she ever trust him to watch Jamie again?

The baby squirmed, as if he could sense her annoyance with Connor. She closed her eyes and took several steadying breaths, willing herself to relax. There would be time to deal with Connor later, but right now she needed to care for the little boy who’d so quickly stolen her heart.

Half an hour later Jamie had drunk a good bit of his bottle and was sound asleep. Keeley laid him in his bed and covered him with a lightweight blanket, and then she walked back to the kitchen. “I’ll probably have to get up with him more tonight since he didn’t have his supper.”

“I can do it if you like. I’m not welcome at the store, it seems.”

Keeley set the half-empty bottle on the coffee table and sat next to her sister. She tucked one leg under her and turned to face Katie. “What are we going to do?”

Katie shook her head. “I think Brian will come around. Once he gets over being angry, I’ll go talk to him. Perhaps I’ll wait a couple of days. At least that will give me time to finish this dress while he simmers down.”

Keeley pulled her handkerchief from her sleeve and wadded it in her hand. “Do you think we’ve made a mistake coming here?”

Katie looked up from her sewing with wide eyes. “Do you?”

“I don’t know. Everything seemed to be going so well, and then Brian got mad and Connor abandoned Jamie. I thought he would make a wonderful father from the way he’s so attentive to Jamie, but leaving a baby alone is inexcusable, especially since the laddie’s father did the same thing to him. How will Jamie ever learn to trust people?”

“He trusts us.” Katie laid her hand over Keeley’s.

“But unless one of us marries, we probably won’t be able to keep him. Connor told me how some ladies had come by his office, complaining about him leaving Jamie with us.”

“You never told me that.”

“I didn’t want to worry you.”

“My skin is thicker than you think.”

Keeley smiled, even though her heart wasn’t in it. “Did we do the right thing leaving Chicago?”

Surprise etched her sister’s face. “Do you want to go back? You remember how hard life was with Aunt Colleen and how she was so often bringing men home who leered at us.”

“There’s nothing wrong with Chicago itself. There are many grand places to visit and beautiful sights to see, but I don’t want to go back there. I never liked the cold winters, for one. Perhaps if Aunt Colleen had been kinder. I’ve been surprised by how much I enjoy living in Texas, even though ’tis hot here.”

Hard footsteps hit the porch, and a pounding on the door brought both women to their feet. Katie was the closest and beat Keeley to the door. “Who’s there?”

“It’s Connor. Open up.”

Keeley nibbled her lip. He sounded frantic. Even though she knew she should be forgiving, she wasn’t quite ready to let him off the hook. Katie gave her a bracing look then opened the door.

Connor strode in. “Is Jamie here?”

Keeley hiked her chin. “I left him with you. Don’t you have him?”

Connor’s worried gaze searched the room. Then he walked over to the coffee table and picked up the half-empty bottle. “You’ve got him, don’t you?”

“No thanks to you.” She marched up to him and thumped him in the chest. “How could you lock a baby up in a cell? What if something had happened to him? The poor laddie was frightened and wailing when we found him. Jamie’s own father left him alone. How could you do the same? What kind of man are you?”

His eyes widened, and then he scowled. “I’m a good man, and you well know it. I had an emergency to deal with, and I didn’t have time to run Jamie home. I couldn’t very well take him into a fistfight at the saloon. The cell was clean, and there was nothing to harm the boy. I thought he’d be fine until I returned. I had planned to send word to you, but the fight was worse than I expected, and it took awhile to get things settled.” His chest rose and fell from his lengthy defense.

Keeley crossed her arms. “It would have taken only a minute to run Jamie home.”

Connor’s shoulders drooped. “Was he really crying?”

“Yes. And he was standing, holding on to the bars. What if he’d let go and had fallen backward and hit his head on the hard floor or the bed frame?”

Connor dropped onto the closest chair, his face pale.

Remorse flooded Keeley for being so hard on him, but something like that could never happen again. “Babies should never be left alone.”

He set his hat on the table then forked his hands through his hair. Keeley felt sorry for him. She looked around and noticed her sister had left the room. She sat on the edge of the settee closest to him.

“I’m sorry, Keeley. It all happened so fast…. I really thought Jamie would be safe for a short while.”

“I know, but you can never leave him alone again. I don’t like the thought of him at the saloon, but I’m sure one of the girls who work there would have been happy to hold him.”

“I’ve learned my lesson, and you can be sure it won’t happen again.” He looked up with pleading brown eyes that begged her to believe him.

“All right.”

He reached out and took hold of her hands. “Was Jamie really upset?”

“He was crying, as I said, but I don’t think he had been for long. His face hadn’t yet turned splotchy.”

“Good. I gave him a cup and spoon to play with, hoping that would keep him busy. Could I see him?”

“He’s asleep in my room. I don’t think that would be proper.”

“Please? It’s not that I don’t trust you, because I do, but I need to see him for my own peace of mind. Otherwise, I fear I’ll worry all night.”

“Fine then, come on.” She rose, and he followed. Keeley was glad to see Katie’s bedroom door was closed. She entered her room and turned up the lamp.

Connor bent down and watched Jamie for a moment, then pulled up the blanket and gently patted the baby’s back. As soon as he rose, Keeley backed into the hall and hurried to the parlor with him following.

He put on his hat and walked to the door. “I’m really sorry, Keeley. Please don’t be angry with me.”

“I forgive you.”

A relieved smile brightened his countenance. “Thank you.” He brushed his hand across her hair then slowly down the left side of her face, sending her heartbeat flying. He bent down and kissed her long and slow. Then he pulled her into his arms and deepened the kiss. When he stepped back, they were both breathing hard.

“Oh my.”

He grinned. “‘Oh my’ is right. Just wait until we’re married.” He frowned suddenly. “We’re still gettin’ wed, aren’t we?”

Keeley nodded, unable to hold back her happy expression. She had hated being upset with Connor, and while she still disapproved of what he’d done, she understood why. If they could always work through their disagreements so quickly, they’d have a fine marriage.

He pulled down his hat and blew out a loud breath. “Now I’ve got to go talk to Brian.”

He bent down and gave her another quick kiss. “Don’t forget to lock the door.”

She shut the door and secured it, once again warmed by his protectiveness. As she prepared for bed, she prayed that God would settle the situation between Brian and Katie as quickly as He had her and Connor.

Katie held up the lavender calico dress she’d just finished hemming. It would be nice to have another cool one to wear. She had already learned the value of donning the lighter-weight fabric, and a benefit she hadn’t expected was how much easier it was to move around and do things without all that bulky clothing. She still needed to make some cotton petticoats, but that would have to wait until she made the navy skirt to go with the shirtwaist she’d gotten at the store.

She frowned at her reflection in the mirror. Two days had passed, and Brian hadn’t yet come to talk to her. Was he still angry? Or was he merely busy? Of course, there was no reason she was aware of that he couldn’t come by in the evening after work.

She hung the dress on a peg in her room. It still needed to be pressed, but she’d wait until tomorrow morning when the weather would be cooler. With a loud sigh, she left her room and walked into the empty parlor. Keeley had taken Jamie to have lunch with Connor. She looked around for something to do, but everything was tidy. Feeling bereft, she picked up her Bible, went out to the porch, and sat in a rocking chair.

Katie gazed up at the cloudless sky. Connor had told them about the terrible thunderstorms they often had in Texas. He’d mentioned the booming thunder that rivaled the sound of a stampede and warned them to be sure to stay indoors if there was lightning. But so far, not a drop of rain had fallen since they arrived. If she missed anything about her past life, it was the pretty flowers. A few brave wildflowers dared to stick up their heads along the sides of the streets, but sooner or later they’d get stomped or eaten by a passing horse.

Bemoaning the demise of the white daisies outside their house, she opened her Bible and continued reading in John 14. After several minutes, she read verse twenty-seven out loud. “‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’”

She gazed heavenward, mulling over the verse. On Sunday afternoon, when she and Brian had sat beside the water, she’d felt so peaceful. She didn’t want him to be angry with her. Though she wanted him to come to her, she realized now that she had unwittingly wronged him. And then he thought she had lied to him. No wonder he was upset.

Katie sat there praying and asking God to repair things between her and Brian, and she prayed for peace—for both of them. Several minutes passed as she prayed, and then finally she felt the peace she’d longed for. Rising, she returned the Bible to the coffee table and hurried to her room to check her hair. She rearranged several pins then pinched her cheeks.

In the kitchen she took a plate off the shelf, placed a half dozen cookies on it, then covered it with a clean towel. With a steadying breath, she stepped outside and started toward the store.

As she rounded the corner of Main Street, she stopped suddenly. Brian strode toward her, holding a lovely bouquet of flowers. Where had he gotten them?

He paused in front of her, gazing at her with uncertainty. “Were you headed somewhere?”

“To see you.” She held out the plate. “I brought you a treat.”

A gentle smile lifted one side of his mouth, and then he looked around. “I’d prefer not to say what I need to say right here on Main Street.” He motioned to the lane behind her. “Shall we?”

Katie nodded then followed him back to her porch. He indicated for her to have a seat, but she shook her head. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to put those lovely flowers in some water before they perish.”

“Of course.” He held them out to her, and she took them.

“Now, if you’ll take the plate and have a seat, I’ll be right back.”

Feeling more nervous than on the day she arrived in town, Katie hurried into the house, filled a glass with water and the flowers, then set them in the middle of the kitchen table. The bright purple, butter-yellow, pink, and white lit up the room. She prepared a glass of water for Brian, because if he’d eaten any of the sugar cookies, he was bound to be thirsty.

Outside, she took a seat and passed him the glass. Two of the six cookies were already gone.

“Thank you. Just what I needed. These are delicious, by the way.”

She smiled her appreciation for his compliment. “Who’s minding the store?”

“Nobody. I closed up.”

“You did?”

Brian set the plate and glass on a small table on the far side of his rocking chair. “I had important business to see to.” He cleared his throat. “I owe you an apology.”

“No, ’tis I who owes you one.”

“Let me go first, if you don’t mind.” He stared at her for a long moment. “On rare occasions, I have trouble with anger. When I was a kid, I was smaller than the other boys my age, and I was often picked on and knocked down. Once Connor started growing taller, he put an end to that, but it left its mark on me. Every so often when things pile up or I get overly stressed, I erupt. I generally get over it quickly, and I promise that it really doesn’t happen very often. I’m sorry that I took out my anger on you and lashed out at Keeley. I hope you can forgive me.”

“Of course I can. Everyone gets angry sooner or later. I’m guessing Connor told you that it was actually Keeley you lambasted.”

“He told me, and I feel awful. I need to apologize to her too.”

“That’s why she denied taking the dress. She had no idea what I’d done at the time.” Katie ducked her head, wishing she had talked to Brian before she helped that woman, but he’d been busy in the stockroom with the man looking at suits. “I took pity on Miss Pettigrew. Her dress was in such sad shape, and her hands were red and chafed from doing laundry. She paid half of the money for enough yards of fabric to make a dress and is going to bring in eggs for us to sell until she works off the balance. I loaned her the rose-colored dress to use as a pattern. She promised she wouldn’t wear it, but I’m guessing she did if you saw her in it.”

Brian pursed his lips. “She did, but you’ll be happy to know that she returned it this morning, freshly laundered and pressed.”

“Oh good. I am relieved to hear that.”

“I’m truly sorry for getting so upset. I honestly don’t know why I did. I trust that you know we can’t constantly be giving things away, or we’ll soon go out of business.”

She liked how he used we when talking about the store. “I do. Next time I want to help someone, I’ll talk to you first.”

He rose and moved closer then reached for her hand and tugged her up. “So we’re both forgiven. Now what?”

Katie frowned. “What do you mean?”

Brian rubbed a hand across his jaw. “Are things all right between us? Can we proceed with our weddings plans?”

For the first time in two days, Katie smiled. “There’s nothing I’d like more.”