Train From Marietta (34 page)

The next morning, Yelena was pulling a pan of biscuits from the oven when a car drove in and stopped at the back of the house.

Kate entered the kitchen carrying the wash pan from Tate’s bedroom. She had washed his face and smoothed back his hair. After a full night’s rest, he was much improved. “Is someone here?” she asked.

“It Señor Lyle,” Jorge said from the window. “Someone with him.”

She went to the kitchen door. “Daddy!” she exclaimed, and dashed out of the door and across the porch, throwing her arms around the big, dark-haired man. “How did you get here so quickly?”

“I flew in an airplane, honey. I had to be sure you were all right.”

“So much has happened. It will take me all day to tell you.”

“I’ve got a few things to tell you too, but first I want to introduce you to someone.” John indicated the man who had been driving the car. “Kate, this is Lyle Holmgaard, my Texas Ranger friend.”

“It’s very nice to meet you, Mr. Holmgaard.”

“Nice to meet you, ma’am,” the man said with a tip of his hat. He struck her as an easygoing man that most people would find instantly likable; he had a smile that reminded Kate of a preacher.

“I suppose I have you to thank for sending Tate after me?”

“How is he?” Lyle asked, his smile changing to a look of concern.

“He’s resting now. The doctor came last night. He left us with some morphine for the pain. It will take time and plenty of rest, but he should be fine.”

“That’s good to hear. Tate Castle is one tough son of a gun.”

“I owe him my life,” Kate said softly.

“And I owe him a lot. The man is a hero,” John said.

“What about you, Daddy? What happened in New York City? Did the police arrest William?”

“He’s sitting in a jail cell right now, sweetheart. The police went to his apartment and found the ransom money hidden in his safe. He’ll get everything that’s coming to him.”

Their reunion was interrupted as Yelena came out onto the porch.
“
Hola, Señor Lyle.”

“Yelena, this is my father,” Kate said, introducing them.

“ Bienvenido, señor. Come in, come in. Biscuits out of oven.”

“Come on, John,” Lyle said as he slapped the other man on the shoulder. “All this talking can wait until after breakfast. Yelena’s biscuits are the best in Texas, and that’s saying a lot.”

John seemed completely at ease in the ranch kitchen. At first, Emily was quiet with the stranger, but after she found out the man was Kate’s father, she warmed up to him. As they sat down for breakfast, she surprised everyone by asking, “Can I sit on your lap?”

“Of course, you can, little honey.” John had a pleased grin on his face when he lifted Emily and set her on his leg.

“Kate told me a story,” she said proudly.

“I used to tell her stories when she was a little girl, just like you.”

“My daddy hurts.”

“I’m sure he’ll be all right, honey. He just needs to rest, and before long, he’ll be up and telling you stories.”

“Kate’s stories are better.” The little girl smiled, and everyone laughed.

Once breakfast was finished, Kate excused herself and went to Tate’s room. He was awake but didn’t seem to be in the best of spirits. “Your Ranger friend and my father are here. Do you feel like talking to them?”

“Did your father come to take you home?” Tate asked gruffly. The tone of his voice surprised her; he sounded angry.

Kate didn’t answer. “He’s eager to meet you. He’d like to thank you for all that you’ve done for me.”

“I don’t need his thanks,” he muttered.

A light knock on the door frame ended their conversation. Lyle eased into the room. “I see that Hayden finally caught up with you,” he said with a grin.

“Bastard would have killed me if Kate hadn’t shot him.”

“That so? Some hunters found his body and brought it into Muddy Creek. Everyone in the whole darn county’s talking about it. The buzzards had a turn with him, but it was definitely him.”

“He could have lain out there and rotted as far as I’m concerned …”

Tate fell silent as another man stepped into the room. He looked the stranger up and down before grabbing hold of Kate’s hand and holding it tightly. Kate felt confused at his reaction but smiled and introduced them.

“This is my father, John Tyler,” Kate said. “Daddy, this is Tate, the man who saved my life. He rescued me from the cabin and brought me all the way to Muddy Creek.”

John Tyler walked to the bed and extended a hand the size of a ham. “Pleased to meet you.”

“Likewise,” Tate murmured.

Tate’s eyes went from the big man to Kate. He could see no resemblance between the two. John Tyler was as big as an ox and had rough features, but his daughter was small-boned and dainty. Even his eyes were a darker blue than hers. Kate stood by while her father and Tate assessed each other.

“Saying thank you seems insufficient after all you’ve done for my daughter. There’s no way for me to adequately repay you.”

“It was my job,” Tate said.

Kate looked down at him.
My job?
She held her tongue to keep from voicing the question. “Here’s a chair, Daddy. I’ll go get another one for Mr. Holmgaard. I know you all have a lot to talk about, so I’ll leave you for a while.”

A half hour later the men were still talking in Tate’s room. Kate had tried to busy herself helping Yelena in the kitchen, but her thoughts were never far from what was happening in the other room. Finally she could stay away no longer. She knocked gently on the door and entered the room. “Are you all right, Tate?” she asked.

“I’m fine.”

“How about you, Daddy?”

“Splendid, but I will be leaving soon. My plane is waiting in Alpine.”

“Can’t you stay longer?”

“No, sweetheart, I can’t. There are many things that still need to be settled at home. I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but I’m afraid that your stepmother had a part in the kidnapping scheme.”

“Oh, no!” The shock of her father’s words felt like a blow to the chest. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “But why? How could she have done something like that?”

“For money, I would suppose. We found her in William’s apartment when we went to search for the ransom money. I was shocked myself, but what’s done is done. I haven’t pressed charges against her, but I’ve already asked my lawyer to file for a divorce. The sooner that I am free from her, the better. She’s moved out of the house. Sorry to say, Susan has chosen to go with her.”

“Why would Susan do that? Was she involved in what happened?”

“I don’t think so, but your sister is terribly confused. She’ll want what is comfortable. She belongs more in Lila’s world than in mine.”

“I’m sorry, Daddy,” Kate said, and sincerely meant it.

“This whole ordeal has been difficult for everyone. They’ve made their choices, and they’re the ones that will have to live with them.” Kate knew that what her father was saying applied to her as well. She had her own choices to make.

“Lyle,” John said, turning to the Texas Ranger, “did you remember to bring that train schedule with you?”

“I did.” Lyle pulled a small pamphlet from the breast pocket of his shirt. He handed it to Kate.

“What is this?”

“It’s a listing of arrival and departure times for the Southern Pacific Railroad. I’m not even going to try to talk you into coming back to New York with me.” John chuckled. “But your uncle is still expecting you to join him in San Francisco in a week’s time.”

“San Francisco,” Kate repeated, her voice trailing off. She looked up from the pamphlet to see Tate staring at her. This was it, the moment that had been destined to come. This was the time for her to make her decision and to live with it. She knew what she wanted to do; she wanted to be with Tate.
But what does he want?

“Kate?” The voice came softly from the bed. Tate had pushed himself up onto one elbow. He trembled from the effort. The hand that Squirrelly had stomped on was stretched out to her. She crossed the room and took it in her own hand, holding it gently. “Are you going to leave?” he asked.

“Do you want me to?”

“You know I don’t, but as your father said, you have to make a choice you can live with. We’ve talked about this before. Our lives are as different as night and day. I can only be what I am, and you can only be what you are. You’ve seen my home. This is all I can provide for you at the present. I won’t ask you to give up your dreams and the life your father has given you.”

“Do you love me?” she whispered. Her whole world hinged on the answer.

“With all my heart. If you stay with me, I’ll never let you go.”

“What’s going to make me happy is to be with you. You and Emily. This isn’t what I thought would happen, but I can’t change the fact that it did. You came into my life, and I don’t want to leave you.”

“Sweetheart, you’ve got to decide right now, before your father goes.”

She bent down and kissed Tate’s lips, then looked up at her father, her eyes bright with happiness. “I want to stay with Tate, Daddy. I love him and he loves me!”

“Is this what you truly want?” John asked.

“Yes. This is what I want.”

He smiled brightly. “Then I’m happy for you.” He held out his hand to Tate and said, “Happy for both of you. Welcome to the family.”

After the two men had shaken hands, Kate looked down at Tate. He had never been more handsome to her. Her heart soared with elation at the thought of them spending the rest of their lives together. All she wanted was to kiss him. As she bent down and their lips touched, she heard her father chuckle behind them.

“I guess this means that I have a granddaughter.”

Epilogue

September 1937

I
T WAS EVENING. Kate and Tate sat on the porch swing and watched Emily come from the side of the house, Old Bob at her heels. She walked easily on the shoe that Grandpa John had sent from New York.

“Hello, Mama. Hello, Daddy.”

Tate had his arm around his wife. “Look at the smile on her face. That shoe has done wonders for her.”

“Why are you always kissing Mama, Daddy?”

“Because I like to kiss her.”

“She’s prettier than Patty May’s mama.”

“Really? I was thinking about trading her for Patty May’s mama.”

“No,” Emily screeched.

“Stop teasing her, Tate. She’ll wake up John Amos.”

“He’s already awake and wanting his dinner.”

Emily came up onto the porch and leaned against Kate’s knee. Kate hugged the little girl. “Your daddy’s a tease.”

Emily grinned. “I know.”

Kate had not dreamed that her life could be so complete or that she could be this happy.

Tate had not been intimidated one bit by John Tyler and his wealth. Kate’s father came to visit them several times. The man had become very fond of his son-in-law and knew better than to suggest financial assistance. The only help Tate had accepted was John’s offer to find a shoemaker to make Emily a special shoe. The results had been amazing. It had changed the child’s life. She adored her Grandpa John.

From inside the house, they heard their son crying.

“He wants his mama, but so do I. I’m getting tired of playing second fiddle to a three-month-old cowboy.”

“Oh, you. You’re so terribly neglected.”

“I’m not used to sharing.”

“You shared me with Emily before John Amos was born.”

“That’s different,” Tate countered. “Emily has changed since she got her shoe and the baby came. She can go see why he’s fussing.” Tate laughed.

“Let me go in and check on him.” Kate got up off the porch swing and went into the house. She marveled at how much her life had changed from the time Tate rescued her. Much had happened.

William Jacobs had been convicted and sentenced to life in prison for his role in the kidnapping. The trial had frontpage coverage in the
New York Times
. However, all throughout the trial, nothing was ever mentioned about Lila Tyler; John Tyler had managed to keep her name out of the whole sordid affair. Lila and Susan had moved to Chicago, where Lila married a millionaire twice her age. Susan came to Pittsburgh occasionally to visit her father and to New York to see old friends.

Kate’s father was a doting grandfather to both Emily and John Amos. The baby had been named for both grandfathers, a fact in which John Tyler took great pride. He often called on the new telephone that had been installed at the ranch to see how his grandson was doing and to speak to Emily. He’d returned to the steelworks and worked hard to repair the damage William had done to the company’s reputation. Whenever they spoke, he sounded happy to be back at the mill in Pittsburgh.

Tate followed Kate into the house. “He’s either soaking wet or hungry,” he said as he picked up the crying child. He held him carefully against his shoulder and patted his back. “He must have wet a bucketful.”

“This is a joint venture, partner. I’ll feed him, and you change his diaper.”

“Fair enough, I’ll go first.”

After he had changed the wet diaper, he handed the child to Kate. Sometimes he had to pinch himself to be sure he was awake and not dreaming. All of this happiness had come unexpectedly.

While Kate was nursing the baby, she gazed lovingly at her husband. He and the children were her life, and she couldn’t imagine what it would be like without them. She kept her dream of being a nurse and worked part-time with Dr. Duval at his office in Muddy Creek, often giving medical advice when the doctor was at the hospital in Alpine. Kate had been accepted by the town’s population and was never thought of as an outsider. Living on the ranch with her family, Jorge, and YeIena was all she dreamed it would be.

Tate took the baby from Kate’s arms and returned him to the cradle. They both stood by and gazed at this child they had made together. “Isn’t he beautiful?” Kate said.

“Just like his mother.” Tate held her in a loving embrace. “Now it’s my time to be with you.”

“You’re spoiled, Tate Castle.”

“That I am, Mrs. Castle.”

“Oh!” she exclaimed. “I forgot to tell you I got another card from Eddy today! I picked it up at the post office. He said he’d found a girl and that she might be the one who will share his life. I’m glad for him, and I hope he will be happy.” Eddy had sent a card two or three times a year since he’d left for Mexico. They were all signed “E.”