Faith of the Heart (24 page)

             
“Why thank you, you’re looking quite nice yourself.”
Her face glowed in the soft lamp light.

             
Tom had freshened up and changed into a clean set of
clothing. He’d combed his black wavy hair and even trimmed his generous mustache. His navy shirt set off his very blue eyes and his dimples were showing.

“Well, my
dear
, since we’re both so fetching
,
let us retire to
the dining room, shall we?” They both laughed
as Tom took Claire’s arm and led her to the exquisitely set table.

             
A
crystal decanter of
apple juice
cider waited.
Maxwell poured
the juice
into delicate glasses
and
Claire noticed his hand tremble ever so slightly. She started to remark on it but checked her tongue.

             
“Shall we have a toast Miss Secord?”
Tom peered at Claire so intently she blushed.

             
“Why yes, Sheriff Maxwell, that would be lovely. To what shall we toast?” She raised her goblet high.
Her own hand was trembling slightly.
         

             
“Why
,
to cunning and courage; to honor and justice; and to you my dear and… to us and our future together. That is…” His voice faltered and Claire held her breath, the glasses in mid
-
air.

             
He set his
glass
down, Claire followed suit, her mind racing.
What is he trying to say? Could he possibly be proposing?

             
“
Claire
,
”
his voice trembled.
“Claire Secord
,
I love you. I have loved you
ever since you and I swam in the Missouri.
When I got
P
ercy’s telegram, that you’d been kidnapped
,
I thought of nothing else but you and your safety, of bringing you home to Omaha, to me. Claire will you marry me?”
He leapt up from his seat and knelt by her, taking her hands in his large
strong
ones. Claire looked into his eyes, seeing warmth, tenderness
,
and the promise of a loving future. Her heart soared with joy and love.

             
“Yes, Thomas Maxwell,
o
h yes!
I love you
too! A
nd I would be proud to return back to Omaha and become your wife.”

             
“Then may I kiss you?”
h
e asked joyfully
.

She replied solemnly, her shining eyes encouraging him. “Of course
you may.”

             
Tom,
still kneeling, gently cupped her face and brushed her lips with his.

The tenderness of his touch surprised Claire
.
She didn’t realize that
such a large man could be so gentle.
He learned forward, kissing her again long and slow
.
She began to feel as if she were melting. When he released her, she nearly toppled from the chair. Trying to regain her composure
,
she gave him a weak smile.

             
“I guess this school teacher has a lot to learn
.
”

             
Tom chuckled, “I’ll be
honored
to be the one to teach you
.
” Claire blushed furiously.

             
“Sweetheart
,
we have all the time in the world.
The rest of our lives to learn about each other.
” Grasping her left hand he nodded at her ring finger. “When we get back home my grandmother’s wedding band will look beautiful on you. I’ve been keeping it for just that special woman and my dear, that woman is you.” Claire glowed in the candlelight
. For so long she’d
dreamed
of
a life, a home, a marriage. Everything she’d prayed for was coming true.  
   

             
The sound of a fork on a plate broke her reverie. Tom was cutting into his steak with relish. “All of a sudden I’m famished
,
” he said, lifting a bite to his lips while grinning at her.
“
I swear I’m the happiest sheriff around
,
a
nd
the hungriest!” Claire
giggled and
realized she was starving
as well
.
It was a wonderful meal. Between sips of
sweet cider
and bites of tender beef and roasted potatoes, the newly engaged couple began to plan their future.
 

CHAPTER
NINETEEN

Omaha, Nebraska,
Aug
ust
1869

             
“Connie, wake up! Connie
,
wake up!” Deputy Simons
on
pounded
on the door of Connie’s living quarters behind
the
café
, far too loud
,
for the middle of the night
,
in his excitement at the news of Claire’s safety
.

             
“What? I’m coming
!
” Connie pulled a wrapper over her
nightgown and opened
the
door.

             
“
Land sakes,
Percy
, it’s the middle of the night!
W
hat is it?”

             
“She’s alive
!
Claire’s
all right
, Tom’s got her
.
” He waved the telegram at Connie and she snatched it from his hand. She hurriedly read it and threw herself into Percy’s arms
,
laughing
as tears streamed down her face.

             
“
Oh, I can’t believe it!
Come in
,
I’ll put some coffee on
and you can tell me all about it!
”

             
They stepped into her cozy kitchen and she bustled about
,
making a new pot. Percy sat down and glanced around at the pristine room.

             
“Read it again to me, slowly, read it again
,
” she insisted.

             
Claire fine. Withme. Columbus
.
Two wounded by Claire. Meet at ranch two days. Tom.

             
“Two wounded, how could she have done that? Why is Tom taking her to the ranch? How’d she end up in Columbus?
”
Connie fussed
, wanting the whole story instead of a short telegram.
“Honey, how would I know? I have the same information as you do. You’ll find out
everything
in a few days, same as everyone
else.”

             
“But Percy
¼
”

             
“Enough. Now come here. You sure
do
look fetching in that nightdress.”

             
Connie giggled like a school girl. “Now drink up your coffee and get out of here before the neighbors notice and start talking. I
have a reputation to uphold.
You know.
”

             
“Well someday I mean to live here and hang what the
neighbors say.” 

             
“
Why, Deputy Simons
on
! Do you mean what I think you mean
?”

Connie batted her lashes coyly, playing along with Percy.

             
“
Aw, doggone it, Connie, I’m serious!
Someday, when I can afford a wife, I want you to be
it
. That is if you’re willing
to have me
.”
The usually boisterous Percy
turned red from his collar to the roots of his blond hair.
S
taring down at his toes instead of into Connie’s eyes
he shuffled his feet like a small boy caught with a frog in his pocket.

             
Connie squealed, returning the blush.
“Oh Percy, nothing would make me happier
!
Does this mean we’re engaged?”

             
Percy swallowed. “I guess it does, kinda.”

             
Connie stepped back
, her hands in the air, arms flailing.
“Kinda?
Kinda?
Well, when you figure
out whether it
kinda
means we’re engaged or
actually
means we’re engaged, you let me know
. For now I think you’d better leave.”

             
“But Connie, honey. . .”

             
“No. Out. I don’t want none of that “Connie, honey
,
stuff until you’re ready to
commit
to it. Not
kinda commit
.”

             
She opened the door and pushed him out,
sliding
the bolt
with a solid
thunk
behind him. Percy
stared at the door bewildered, wondering how he had managed to propose to the only girl he ever loved and instead of getting a “yes
,
” he got a door slammed
in his face.
He stomped away to the jail house
, confused.

***

             
Claire awoke to sunlight streaming through the
boarding house
window.
F
or a moment she wasn’t sure where she was. Then it all came back to he
r.
Tom cradling her in his arms, the thieves trussed up, riding to Columbus and Tom’s proposal. She was engaged! 

             
Leaping out of bed and hugging herself
,
she danced around the room.
Mrs. Thomas Maxwell
,
Mrs
.
Claire Secord Maxwell, Claire Maxwell. Oh what a wonderful feeling. He loves me and I love him!
I truly
,
truly love him!
 

             
Blushing at the memory of their kisses, Claire whirled around the room again.

             
Oh, this is what it feels like to really be in love. I thought I loved Caleb, but it wasn’t like this. This is laughter, warmth, excitement and…and a feeling of being on equal footing
.
With Cal I always felt I’d be in the shadows. Our life was going to be about him and his ambitions.

             
Suddenly she stopped in the middle of the room, a frown forming. “Why, he never once asked me what I wanted to do with my life. He always assumed I’d be a politician’s wife
.
” The words seem to reverberate in the quiet room.
Her hands reached for the half
-
heart necklace tucked inside of
her
new nightgown.
She began to unclasp it and stopped, not wanting to lose it on the ride home.
After all
,
it did have sentimental value.
Vowing to remove it back in her own bedroom
where she could put it away for safekeeping
,
she began to dress for the long ride back to Tom’s ranch.

             
             
After a quick breakfast and a meeting with the local sheriff
,
Tom and Claire pointed their horses east. Making plans for their future was fun and the couple talked
animatedly
for many miles.

             
“Claire
,
what would you think about adding a couple of bedrooms and maybe a small parlor to the main house?”

             
“Why
,
I think that’s a fine idea. I’d love a sunny little parlor if that is possible
,
” she replied
glancing over at the tall handsome man riding beside her. “But first couldn’t we do something for Linus? His room in the barn seems so small.”