Chapter 13

Leaning against the open door of the mercantile, Angus watched his brother escort Lena to Lucy’s place with her sons clinging to Kerr’s hands. He rubbed the center of his chest. Once again, he felt something deep inside twitch sharply, not a pain, not an ache exactly, just something different.

He jerked upright when someone tapped on the wooden part of the door. He looked sideways to see if a late customer needed something then swallowed hard. Amelia, wearing a fancy blue dress with black trim stood before him, twirling a matching lace-trimmed parasol over her shoulder.

“Hello, Angus.” She gave him a sweet smile. “It seems I have been forgotten. As you surely know, your mother invited me to come and visit with her for a bit. She is such a sweet lady. How could I refuse her? She seems so lonely with your father passed on to his reward.”

The parasol stopped moving as she reached out and rested her fingers near his on the door. “You hurried away so fast the other day at your aunt’s house that we didn’t have a chance to talk.” She rolled the handle of her parasol, causing it to move again. “And there’s so much we need to discuss.”

Angus kept his voice level and empty of any feeling. “I can’t think of a single thing that we need to discuss.”

Her eyes narrowed the tiniest bit. “Well, it seems that your mother has forgotten me here in town.” She twirled the parasol one way then the other. “I was wondering if I could rely on the good manners that your granny taught you and ask you to take me to your family farm. It’s going to be dark soon, and I’ve heard several reports about outlaws around here. I’m sure your family would love to have you spend the night. I know I would.” Her smile grew wider, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “That way, you can ride into town tomorrow for church with the whole family. With more men to protect us women, those outlaws will think twice about attacking us.”

He wiggled his cane just a bit. “As you can see, I’m not up to traveling about yet, thanks to those outlaws. And I never carry a gun so I wouldn’t be much protection for you. I hear the hotel is a good place or you might get Kerr to take you out to Art’s farm. Kerr’s the sheriff after all, and you’d be safe with him.”

Her lips pulled up into a pout. “But I want to talk to you. I have such plans for the two of us.” The pout twisted back into the sweet smile. “Wonderful, exciting plans. Don’t you want to hear them?” Her smile now reached her eyes. “If I stay at the hotel tonight, will you join me for supper so we can talk afterward about those plans?”

Angus swallowed back a chuckle. She actually fluttered her eyelashes at him.

Kerr moved up onto the boardwalk, puffing a bit. He stepped beside his brother and tipped his hat to Amelia. “Ma’am.”

Figuring Kerr must have seen Amelia headed down the boardwalk and hurried back, Angus knew when help had arrived, and he wasn’t worried about being a coward in this matter. “Kerr, Amelia needs you to take her out to Art’s farm. I’m sure you’ll take her. Thanks.” He didn’t wait for Kerr’s agreement—Angus knew he would agree. He nudged his bother away from the door as he glanced back at Amelia. “Have a good trip. See you around town.”

With a quick step back and a flip of his wrist, Angus closed and locked the door, then headed to the storeroom.

And if he did see Amelia around town, he’d head the other way.

Saturday night baths had been taken. The boys were asleep in their bed, but Lena was too wide awake to lie down. The moon filtered through the thin calico curtains that covered her bedroom window and across her empty bed. She sat in the rocking chair that she had brought upstairs and pressed her bare toes up and down, causing the chair to move ever so slowly back and forth.

The events of the last week kept playing in her head. She could excuse the words of Mrs. MacPherson—almost. As a mother herself, she knew how protective she was of Chad and Archie. Still, the woman’s son wasn’t a little boy any longer. And that was one of the thoughts that kept Lena up. But shoving that aside, she kept going back to the difference of the image she had of the author of that beautiful book she had read and re-read many times and the man she worked with each day. A. Campbell and Angus MacPherson.

She had always imagined A. Campbell as an old white-haired gentleman, soft-spoken, kind-hearted, opening his heart and home to all those around him—a man living as close to Jesus as any man could.

Memories of the first day she worked at the store flashed into her thoughts. Angus MacPherson definitely had not been her image of A. Campbell at that time. But then as she thought of his actions in the following days, she suddenly realized that he was more like A. Campbell than she first thought. Angus looked after Quinn and his sister—helpless children of the town drunk—by making sure they had food to eat and other needs. He hadn’t had to hire her to work in his store or extend her credit as he had. She had seen other acts of giving, of helping since she had come to Ainsley. And today, with her boys. But then there had been the war. How had that changed the man who had written that wonderful book several years ago?

As the moon rose high enough to cease from shining in her bedroom window, Lena pulled herself from her chair and crawled into bed. Maybe tomorrow would bring her more answers to the two sides of the man.

Lena covered her mouth with her gloved hand to hide a yawn as she walked to the church building Sunday morning. Her sons ran ahead of her with Lucy’s two younger children.

“Did you have a hard time getting to sleep last night?” Lucy glanced at her with a gentle smile on her face. “I’ve had plenty of those myself. Is something bothering you, if you don’t mind me asking? And please don’t think I’m prying. I’ve learned it helps to have someone to talk to. Is it Mrs. MacPherson? I heard she came to the mercantile yesterday while Angus was out.”

Lena felt the bonds of true friendship grow stronger the more time she spent with Lucy. They had so much in common, and their children grew closer each day. Lena chuckled. “News spreads so fast in this town. Yes, she came to the store, but that’s not what kept me up last night.”

She tried to figure how to say what had kept her up without revealing that Angus was the writer she had admired for so long. The difference in the words of the books and the actions of the man seemed so far apart.

Lucy kept silent. That was one of the things Lena admired most about the woman—how she usually kept her counsel to herself unless she was asked for advice.

A few minutes later, they entered the small wooden church building and sat on one of the pews in the middle of the room. Lucy and Lena greeted those around them. Suddenly, silence filled the building, followed quickly by rapid, low chattering. Mrs. MacPherson and a beautiful woman came down the aisle, followed by Art. The women greeted a number of people as they came up the aisle, then sat together two pews from the front.

The whispering had nearly died down when it picked up again. Lena looked around to see who had entered. Angus, Kerr, and Fergus stood at the back. Heads turned from them to the front of the building as Mrs. MacPherson slipped out of her pew and sailed down the aisle, like a battleship with orders to take no prisoners. She greeted her sons, then linked arms with Angus and tried to tug him toward the front—in a somewhat ladylike manner.

Silence reigned in the room as everyone waited to see what Angus would do. Gasps and twittering filled the room when he kissed his mother on the cheek, removed her arm from his, and sat on the back pew. His mother, red-faced and huffing, turned back to the front with her head held high and returned to her seat.

Kerr and Fergus—two large men—sat on either side of their smaller brother as if daring anyone else to attempt to hassle him.

Lena couldn’t hide the grin that tugged at her face when Kerr winked in her direction. Maybe their talk the other day had changed his mind a bit.

The rest of the service passed with singing, praying, and a sermon that Lena couldn’t remember. But when it ended, most of the people stayed in their pews as Mrs. MacPherson hurried to the back, only to find the last bench empty.

With her head still held high, Mrs. MacPherson waited for the young woman who had come with her. Together they left the building. A whoosh of many people letting out their breaths followed them out.

Hoping to escape Ma as she left the church building with Amelia, Angus hurried toward the mercantile where he didn’t have to unlock the door for anyone for the rest of the day. Suddenly, he heard his name being called out. He looked backward and saw the daughter-in-law and great-grandson of one of the oldest citizens in Ainsley hurrying down the boardwalk towards him. He hoped it wasn’t bad news about the elder Mrs. James, especially since her husband passed recently.

“Angus, Angus, can you wait a moment?” Mrs. James waved an envelope in her hand. She stopped near Angus and puffed for a moment. “I’m sorry to bother you on Sunday, but my husband insists we leave within the hour so he can return to his business with my father tomorrow now that we have someone to stay with his mother in that big house of hers. Mrs. Reed will be staying with my mother-in-law.”

“I’m sorry for your loss. I greatly admired your father-in-law, and the whole town will surely miss him. He built most of it” Angus would miss the old man. He had been a good friend of Grandda’s. But old age takes everyone. That thought sent a cold chill down his back as he thought how old Grandda and Granny were getting.

“Thank you.” The woman took a deep breath and held out an envelope. “I wanted you to know that Mrs. Reed is authorized to make purchases for Mrs. James. Please charge whatever she orders to my mother-in-law’s account. Here is a list of supplies they need now and twenty dollars to be applied to her account. My husband says we will be returning to Ainsley every other month. He said to tell you he will settle anything owed when we come. He wants you to be assured that you will not be out anything if for some reason he is delayed in his visit.”

Angus tucked the envelope in his pocket. “Have no worries. I’ve known Cyrus for years, and I trust him. Please let him know that the MacPhersons will help the elder Mrs. James in anything that arises.”

“Thank you, that takes away a heavy burden. How I wish my mother-in-law would leave her house and move in with us. We have more than enough room for her. And our children would love to have her nearer.” She smiled down at her grandson. “As would our grandchildren.” She glanced back at Angus. “Well, we must be on our way. Cyrus should be ready to leave by the time we return. He wanted to spend a few last minutes with his mother, trying to convince her once again that she should move, but I don’t think it will ever happen.”

Angus stared after the woman as a new thought entered his head. People were always moving into and out of Ainsley. Maybe he could find the house he wanted and not have to build one. He needed to check around—no, better yet—he needed to ask Kerr if he knew of any houses that might be available.

Suddenly, the day seemed much brighter.

And would be, if he could get to the mercantile before Ma and Amelia saw him.