Sarah's Surrender (10 page)

“I can see a man wanting to do that, but not a woman. So … what will you do if you don't get a homestead?”

Good question. Could he ride off and leave Sarah alone? He shrugged. “Haven't decided yet. I can always go back to Gabe's ranch, where I worked before, but I'm not getting any younger. I'm ready for a place of my own.”

Nannette cocked her head, and her lips tilted in a beguiling smile. “Why don't you come to Kansas City? I'm sure there's a farm for sale that you could buy.”

“I'm a rancher, not a turnip planter.”

She pushed out her lips in a pout he was sure most men would find intriguing. “Oh pooh. I don't see that there's all that much difference. One milks a cow while the other chases them around. Besides, if you came to Kansas City, we could get to know one another better. Wouldn't you like that?” She fluttered her lashes as if she had something in her eye. “Father might even be able to help you get a respectable job.”

Luke frowned. Ranching was a perfectly respectable job. And he wasn't about to work at some place where he had to wear a suit and shiny shoes. He was more than happy with his dusty boots and cowboy gear. He tipped his hat to her. “I'd best be gettin' back. I sure wouldn't want to miss out on hearin' my name called.”

Her frown deepened. “I thought we might get some tea and chat for a while.”

He shook his head, gently pried her hand loose from his arm, and backed away. “Mornin', Miss Hawkins.”

“Lu–uke, wait.”

He spun around so fast he nearly knocked down a couple entering the lobby from the dining room. “Sorry.”

He couldn't get away fast enough. Why was it the woman he longed for wanted little to do with him, and the woman who grated on his nerves like fingernails on a chalkboard was nearly begging him to move to her town? He shook his head, unable to make a lick of sense out of it. Why did he have to lose his heart to Sarah?

He strode down the street. He'd always been happy and content being a cowboy and working for Gabe—at least he had most of his grown-up years. But now he wanted more, and that included a black-eyed woman who stirred his heart like no other. He had to find a way to win her over.

He paused then gazed at the town's businesses. Women were fond of jewelry and frilly baubles. Sarah rarely ever bought anything special like jewelry, but maybe if he got something nice for her, she'd realize the depth of his love.

He changed directions, crossed the street, and stopped outside of McElmore's Jewelers, gazing at the sparkly display of rings, bracelets, and necklaces in the windows. Jingling the coins in his pocket, he stared at the fancy gold, silver, and platinum creations, wondering if he had enough to buy one and still pay for his half of the hotel bill and food he'd eat before returning to the ranch. He hadn't expected to need a passel of cash in El Reno, so he hadn't brought all that much with him. His eyes landed on a gold flower with an onyx jewel in the center. The black-eyed Susans that grew all over the ranch reminded him of Sarah's eyes. The gold flower in the window did, too. His decision made, he stepped into the store.

J
ack leaned against the wall as another name was drawn—not his. He had a feeling in his gut that he wouldn't get land. That he wasn't in El Reno for himself but merely to escort Sarah. He wasn't sure what he'd do if he
did
win a homestead. He certainly wasn't a farmer. He could ranch, but he didn't have the funds needed to buy stock or to build a house and barn.

The more he thought and prayed about things, the stronger he felt that he'd be returning to his church—eventually. He felt sure, though, that he needed to help Sarah first. Maybe when she returned to claim her homestead, he could come and bring Cody. The boy would think it an adventure to live in a tent and cook by campfire. His heart fluttered as he thought of his son.

How different things would have been if Cora and their baby had lived. He wouldn't be here, for one. He'd be home, holding his little daughter and kissing his wife, telling her how good she'd done in giving him little Emily. He remembered the night they'd decided on names for their baby, just a week before Cora—he swallowed back the tightness in his throat—died.

He shook away that sad thought and grasped for a happy one. Cora had laughed so hard at the silly names he'd thrown out, like Marusha Mephibolitz, that she'd had to get up and go to the outhouse. When she returned, he warmed her cold feet, and they had settled for Christopher for a son or Emily if the new baby was a girl.

Glancing around to see if anyone noticed his eyes watering, he lifted up his arm and swiped them with his sleeve. He sure missed Cora. Missed her welcoming smile when he returned after a hard day's work. Missed lying in bed, holding her close and talking about their day. Why hadn't God saved her?

He blew out a loud breath, and Sarah glanced up, smiling. He returned her smile, not wanting to cause her to worry. She was a kindhearted woman who would make Luke a good wife, if she ever realized that she loved him. He just hoped Luke would have the patience needed to wait until she did.

Shifting his stance, he gazed toward the hotel. Luke was on his way back without Miss Hawkins. She sure was one chatty lady. How did a man live with a woman who talked so much? He certainly didn't know.

His gaze traveled over the massive crowd of people. Several thousand, he'd guess. More people than he'd ever seen gathered in one spot. For the most part, they'd been an orderly group. Few troublemakers causing problems, although he had seen a number of swindlers trying to entice folks into their games of chance. He prayed for the people that he felt prompted to. Just as with the land run, so many would be heartbroken when they didn't win land.

“Excuse me, please.” A short woman in a dark blue calico dress pushed through the crowd. The babe she carried lay limp in her arm, its face pale. “Let me pass. I must get to the doctor.”

As she drew near, Jack opened the door and stepped back to allow her to enter.

She mumbled a thank-you and hurried past him.

Jack closed the door, saying a prayer for the woman and her child. He knew the pain she would face if her baby died.
Please, Father, spare the child. Give the woman strength and grace.

Luke squeezed past the people in front of the doctor's office, joining Jack and Sarah again. There was an unexpected gleam in the man's eyes. Jack figured his friend would be discouraged since Sarah had won a claim and he hadn't, especially since Luke had seemed so stunned when Sarah's name was called. What had that been about? Luke wasn't the type to be jealous, but maybe getting land meant more to him than Jack realized. He
had
worked for Gabe for a long while—more than twelve years.

Maybe Luke was just relieved to be free of Miss Hawkins. She didn't let much space come between her and Luke whenever she was around. Luke's gaze dropped to Sarah, but Jack couldn't see her reaction since he stood slightly behind her.

Sarah had a good head on her shoulders, but she'd never lived alone, as far as he knew. How would she manage when the time came for him to leave? He hoped Luke would get land so he'd be in the same vicinity as Sarah, although unless his name was drawn soon, they might get claims that were miles and miles apart—and that would not help her.

His jaw tightened as he thought again of the day he'd have to leave. She was like a sister to him, and he felt compelled to make sure she was safe. Since Sarah had won land, God must have something planned that Jack wasn't privy to. Though the idea of a homestead excited him at first, he'd realized how hard it would be for Cody to leave his cousins. Right before Sarah won her claim, he'd pretty much decided that the three of them would come to the lottery but go home empty-handed.

“Yee-haw!” Luke shouted, pumping his fist in the air.

Lost in thought as he'd been, Jack jumped at his friend's caterwauling. Sarah bounced up from the bench and hugged Luke. The crowd turned their way as Luke flashed him a gigantic grin and headed for the stage.

Sarah grabbed Jack's arm and shook it. “Can you believe it? Luke won a homestead too!”

He smiled at her and nodded, wondering how he missed hearing Luke's name called. He'd certainly been wrong about them winning land, but he felt a peace wash over him knowing Luke and Sarah would be close together. The last number he remembered Colonel Dyer calling had been 547. That meant after Sarah picked her homestead, only thirty-five people would get to choose before Luke got his chance. Jack leaned back against the wall.
You don't owe me anything, Lord. You know that better than me, but I'd sure appreciate it if You'd work things out so that Luke and Sarah could get land close to one another. It would greatly ease my concerns about her safety.

With cheers resounding all around, Luke ran up the tent steps then jumped about, waving his clenched fists in the air like a boxer who had just won a fight. Jack couldn't help smiling at his friend's excitement and enthusiasm.

Two things Dr. Carson Worth despised were crowds and noise, but they were in overabundance today. He supposed he'd have to get used to both since he'd decided to buy a town lot and resume his medical practice. He wiped a trickle of sweat that slid down the side of his face. He'd miss the quiet, wide-open spaces of the Texas plains where he'd herded cattle for the past year, but God had made it clear that he was a doctor, not a cowboy.

He shifted his stance a foot to the right, stepping back into the shade offered by one of the few trees in the area that had been designated for the Anadarko courthouse. Popping open his pocket watch, he checked the time. Two minutes to nine. Good. The auction for town lots would soon be under way. He returned his watch to his vest pocket and tugged his list of lot selections out. The ones he'd chosen were mostly along the edges of the new town of Anadarko as far away from railroad tracks as possible in the small area. Trains created a ruckus, spilled soot everywhere, and brought with them the noise of many people congregated in a small area: three things recovering patients didn't need.

A cheer rang out all around him, and he focused his gaze on the men standing in front of the land office. Excitement raced through Carson, surprising him. He prided himself in being a levelheaded man, and few things other than medical books and a successful surgery made his heart race. The memory of his father's sudden demise reminded him of the main reason he was in this virgin town, but he shoved that unpleasant thought away. Today was a time for new beginnings not past nightmares.

“All right. Listen up, folks.” A tall man with a wide mustache pushed his hat back on his head, revealing his pale forehead. It looked odd compared to the leathery tan of the rest of his face. “This here auction is for three hundred and twenty acres of town lots. Residential lots are fifty feet wide, and business ones are twenty-five feet. The proceeds of this sale will go to improving streets, building bridges over the Washita River and other places, as well as the construction of the county courthouse. You can purchase one business lot and one residential one, and that's it. You cain't buy two business ones. Is that clear?” He scanned the crowd as if searching for dissenters. “I didn't make the rules, but I will enforce them. All right, now. Let's get this show under way.”

The throng roared its agreement, and Carson found himself uncharacteristically letting loose and joining in. This was an historical day, one that would set the future of many of those in the crowd. More, though, would go away disappointed. He didn't intend to be one of those. All he needed was a business lot since he planned to have a two-story building erected. He would live upstairs so he could be close to patients who needed to stay overnight.

Fierce bidding began for the first lot—not one of his selected ones.

“Twenty-five dollars,” a man in front of him shouted.

“Thirty!” A woman in a blue-flowered sunbonnet waved her hand in the air.

“Fifty!”

He watched with interest as the amount rose to seventy dollars—quite an astounding amount for a lot on the barren prairie. He couldn't decide if he should bid on the first of his chosen lots or wait until the end. If he waited, the selling price may be lower because those with more money would have already gotten their land, but then again, prices could rise as there were fewer and fewer lots left and people grew more desperate. No, better to go for the first and hope he got it. He had confidence he would because God had led him here for the purpose of reestablishing his practice. It was just a matter of which lot and how much. The less he had to pay meant more funds for purchasing needed supplies and medicines, so he needed to be frugal.

The auctioneer hollered out one of the lot numbers on his paper, and Carson's heartbeat shot up as it had the first time he'd sliced into a live person with a scalpel. He was tempted to shout out a bid but chose instead to watch and wait. If he called out too soon, it could cost him.