Lacy Williams (19 page)

“That’s true,” Susie whispered. “Some tools disappeared and one of our milk cows died.”

Sarah squeezed her shoulders, saddened that this family had gone through so much. She so desperately wanted to give them a new start. In Bear Creek.

“My brother confronted the man who did these things—Paul Allen—but the man refused to admit it. Later that night, my brother was murdered in cold blood on his own land.”

Again, murmurs spread through the crowd. Someone behind Sarah said, “I thought he drowned in a creek.”

“I heard he fell and banged his head on a rock—drunk as a skunk.”

Beside Sarah, Susie sniffled.

Cecilia turned around in her seat, hissing, “My father—my real father—never drank a day in his life!”

“Cecilia,” Sarah cautioned. “Be still.”

“You’ll want to be respectful of the deceased,” Oscar said, turning, as well, to give a stern look to those behind them. The pews behind them went silent, and then the judge banged his gavel again and the room went quiet once more.

“You can’t know all of that—you ain’t—haven’t even lived here. Where’s your proof?” Mr. Allen sputtered. His stumbling over his words showed his obvious upset.

“I only came to visit my brother’s homestead yesterday, but when scouting around, I found this.” Mr. Smith held up a fancy tooled pistol, dirty and rusty as if it had been left outdoors for a long period of time.

Mrs. Allen gasped audibly.

“Do you know what that is?” the judge asked her pointedly. “Stand up.”

She stood, her face gone white. She clutched the back of the pew in front of her. “It is—at least, it looks like my husband’s prized pistol. It went missing...a while ago.”

The judge now turned his gaze to Mr. Allen. “Any idea what it was doing on this other man’s homestead?”

Mr. Allen opened his mouth, then closed it. Opened it again, but this time all that escaped was, “I—” He shook his head, features drawn and pale eyes wild. Weaker than Sarah had ever seen him.

Mrs. Allen wilted onto her seat, looking as if she might faint at any moment. “Is that why...why you’ve stirred up trouble for those poor girls, that poor family all these years? I thought you held a grudge because of their Indian blood, but...you just wanted...you just wanted this other woman?”

The crowd began to murmur in earnest. Mr. Smith began railing at Mr. Allen, who fell onto the pew beside his wife.

“Order!” the judge shouted, banging his gavel repeatedly. “Silence!”

Still, no one seemed to be listening to him. “Sheriff!” he finally shouted, and the room went still.

“It seems,” the judge began, “that we have need of a trial, after all. Will you escort this man and keep him contained until the details can be settled and any other witnesses tracked down?”

Mr. Allen went with the sheriff without another word, shoulders hunched and head down. His wife followed a few paces behind, openly weeping into her hands. Sarah’s heart ached for the woman. She’d never have guessed her boss was capable of murder. Cruelty yes, but outright murder? How Clara must be suffering...Perhaps they would have time for Sarah to check on the woman before they headed to Bear Creek.

The judge had lost all semblance of order over the crowd now, and rapped his gavel loudly, then finally let loose an earsplitting whistle.

“I’ll ask the majority of the crowd to leave. Now. There’s nothing more to be seen here today. I’ll need a few witnesses, though. Preacher, you and your family stay. And you—” He pointed to someone else in the room, Sarah couldn’t tell who.

The room emptied with a large amount of shuffling feet and murmuring.

Finally quiet once again, the judge rubbed his forehead as if he had a headache. “Now for the matter of these three orphans. Am I to understand that you have no desire to take care of your nieces?” He directed the question to Mr. Smith.

“I am a single man. They are half-white. What would I do with three girls?”

Sarah didn’t understand how the man could be so selfish to come to town for his own gain—hoping to gain something from his brother’s death, but not care about these three precious girls. Just like Mr. Allen hadn’t cared.

She forced herself to stand on shaking legs. Immediately, Oscar was there beside her, his hand beneath her elbow. Steadying her.

“Remember your first day of school?” he whispered. She immediately recalled his horse lesson and his idea that acting as if she wasn’t afraid was the best solution.

Her trembling and her voice steadied. “Your Honor, I would like to take responsibility for the girls.”

The judge steepled his hands on the lectern in front of him. “Ah, yes. The young woman. And you are?”

“My name is Sarah Hansen. I have been the schoolteacher here for four years, until...” She faltered. “Until my employment ended recently. I’m twenty-four years old and I assure you I am responsible. I had charge of my two younger sisters until they married. I’ve known and taught Cecilia and Susie for several years, and recently become much better acquainted with Miss Velma. They deserve better than to become wards of the state or even to be thrust upon a family who doesn’t want them.”

“And you believe you can give them that, eh? A single woman?”

Sarah glanced at Oscar, who gave her an imperceptible nod and spoke clearly. “Miss Hansen and I are getting married.”

Susie gave a soft gasp, but Sarah didn’t turn to the girl, only reached out her hand and Susie clasped it tightly.

“Is that so?” The judge stared at them both for a long moment, eyes squinting slightly. “Mighty convenient.”

Sarah’s heart sank. Her impending marriage to Oscar was the one thing she’d counted on to sway the judge in her favor. But it sounded as if he either didn’t believe them or didn’t particularly care.

“Miss Hansen, is there anyone here who will vouch for your character? Other than...eh, your fellow?”

Sarah glanced behind her, to see the preacher and his family and the local carpenter—who thought she was a shrew. She swallowed hard. “No, your Honor.” She doubted anyone in Lost Hollow would speak for her, even after the revelations about Mr. Allen and how he’d stirred up trouble.

“Sir, if I might speak,” Oscar said. “This woman loves those little girls. When the school board threatened her job if she chose to take care of them, she chose Cecilia and Susie and Velma’s best interests, not her own. She was fired because of it. Even though she could’ve been upset and worried, she worked hard to give these girls a decent Christmas. And then, when she thought they would be taken away from her and her only chance was to marry this cowboy, she rode halfway to Bear Creek— Sir, this is a woman who is deathly afraid of horses. Yet, she rode a far distance to track me down, and proposed to me, just for those little girls. She loves them.”

Sarah stared at him as his passionate speech closed, throat clogging with tears. No one had ever stood up for her like that before. Could this really be the same person who had teased her mercilessly back in school?

Then she glanced at the girls. Susie was still clasping her hand, but now Cecilia had stood, Velma on her hip, and was watching Sarah with wide questioning eyes.

“It’s true,” Sarah said softly, a soft sob escaping her lips, emotion she couldn’t contain overwhelming her. “I love all three of you. And I want us to be together, be a family.”

For once, Cecilia didn’t hold herself distant. She threw herself at Sarah, dislodging her sister’s hand as they embraced, baby Velma squished between them. Sarah laughed through her tears. Did the girl finally believe what Sarah had been trying to show her all along?

Susie joined in the embrace, as well, sliding in between Sarah and her older sister. Sarah squeezed them both tightly.

The judge cleared his throat. “This may be a moot question, but what do you girls want to do?”

“We want to stay with Sarah!” the girls chorused, without loosening their arms from hugging their former teacher.

“And do you have the means to support these children?” the judge asked Sarah.

Thinking of the money her sister had sent her, and what savings she had, she now believed it was possible. “Yes, sir.”

He banged his gavel on the lectern, startling Sarah. The girls giggled at her.

“Then my ruling is that the girls remain with Sarah Hansen from now on.” He pointed at Mr. Smith, who’d been silent and sullen on his pew. “You’ll need to stay in town until we can get this other mess sorted out.”

Joy flowed through Sarah, expanding in a bubble of laughter. They had done it! Somehow, the judge had been convinced to let Sarah keep custody of the girls.

She shot Oscar a joyful look that was mirrored in his crooked smile.

“We’ll be married right away,” he said.

“I see no need for that,” the judge said. “In your words, Miss Hansen has already been taking care of them alone.” He picked up his gavel and moved to one of the front pews where a black case lay open. The preacher moved forward to talk to him and they spoke in hushed voices.

Stunned, Sarah could only look up at Oscar while the girls crowded around them. “We don’t have to get married,” she said numbly.

* * *

Oscar felt as if someone had cinched his chest cavity far too tightly. He couldn’t breathe.

They didn’t have to be married. Sarah looked down, embraced the girls with joy. And she didn’t seem upset about the judge’s last words.

But he wanted to marry her. He loved her. He couldn’t go back to the solitary life he’d thought he wanted before, not when he’d felt what it was like to be with someone who lit up his whole life with joy.

Doubts threatened him, crowding in. Had Sarah only wanted to marry him to save the girls? She’d rejected him once before. Would she want to part ways now?

Remembering what his pa had said—was it only yesterday?—he took a deep breath and all the courage he could drum up to blurt out, “I still think we should get married.”

Sarah went still and Cecilia and Susie looked up at him with wide eyes. As usual, Velma was too little to realize what was going on and babbled excitedly in her sister’s arms. Cecilia seemed to understand the gravity of the situation and pulled Susie back to sit farther down on the pew, giving them a semblance of privacy.

Heart drumming in his ears, face on fire, Oscar confronted the hardest thing he’d ever done. “I’m—I’m in love with you, Sarah.”

Now it was her turn for her eyes to widen, blue irises going big and making her face look younger and vulnerable.

He rushed on, hoping he wasn’t making the biggest fool of himself. “I know you’ve said before you didn’t want to marry a cowboy, but this cowboy promises to do anything within my power to take care of you. And our family.” He nodded toward the girls, including them. “In the beginning, I thought you were prickly, and bossy, but really you were trying to protect yourself and take care of yourself when no one else had ever done that before. I want to take care of you, Sarah.” He took her hands in his shaking ones. “I love you, and I want to marry you for
me,
not because we have to.”

She was still and silent, looking up at him with luminous eyes. His heart was in his throat, he was afraid of her rejection—

She squeezed his hands, smiling slightly, and somehow he knew that she was aware of his struggle. His tenderhearted schoolteacher would know that he had been afraid to say the words, though he’d said them, anyway. “I love you, too, Oscar. And yes, I’d love to marry you. Even though I’m still a little afraid of horses. You’ll have to teach me they can be trusted.”

He reached for her and she came into his embrace. With her head tucked beneath his chin, he finally noticed the girls behind her, whooping and hollering. Baby Velma started fussing at the noise and Susie dissolved into laughter.

He turned, Sarah still in his embrace, and spoke to the judge. “I think we’re in need of your services after all, sir.”

The man grinned, the first sign of positive emotion he’d shown all day. “It would be my pleasure.”

He motioned them forward, calling for the preacher and his wife to stand as witnesses. Sarah gathered the girls around her, bringing them forward, as well.

“We’re a real family now,” she murmured as explanation.

He clasped her hands between his and pressed them. It was right, having the girls here with them.

The judge joined them and got right to it, turning to Oscar. “Will you have this woman to be your wedded wife? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her in sickness and in health, so long as you both shall live?”

Oscar couldn’t tear his eyes from the woman he loved, the woman God had blessed him with. “I will.”

* * *

Sarah’s eyes filled with joyful tears at the conviction in Oscar’s voice.

From the side of her vision, she saw the judge turn to her. “Will you have this man to be your wedded husband? Will you obey him and serve him, love, honor and keep him in sickness and in health, so long as you both shall live?”

After Oscar’s declaration, her heart was sure, even if her voice trembled a little. “I will.”

She was gratified to see his eyes get a little moist, too. He pressed her hands in his warm wide ones.

“Do you have a ring?” The judge’s voice broke their intimate moment, and for a second, Oscar looked panicked.

“I don’t.” His voice shook. “We’ll get you one, I promise.” And then his expression brightened. He let go of her hands to reach into the breast pocket of his shirt and pulled out a little pouch. From the little leather pocket, he removed a silver chain and locket.

“This was my mother’s. I’ve been carrying it around since Christmas,” he said meaningfully.

She wasn’t sure she could take it, not when it must be one of the only things he had left of his mother. And then she realized he meant he’d wanted to give it to her on Christmas...perhaps when they’d shared their first kiss? Had he loved her even then? The thought warmed her.

He swept it around her neck and fastened it.

“I’ll treasure it,” she whispered.

“You my kiss your bride,” the judge intoned.

And Oscar did.

Sarah blushed and broke away when the girls’ giggles became a little too loud. Her heart was full.