Hope Rekindled (18 page)

“I’ll tell him. I’m sure he’d enjoy that,” Mara said. “Until tomorrow.”

Deborah gave her a brief hug, then climbed into the back of the wagon unassisted and took a seat beside Darcy. “God go with you,” Deborah told Mara.

“And with you.”

Darcy looked up at Deborah. “Do you really think God goes with us when we say that?”

The question was simple enough, but it took Deborah by surprise. “I do,” she said as the wagon began to move out. “In fact, I think He goes with us whether we say it or not. Don’t you?”

Shrugging, the girl looked away. “Who can say? We can’t order God around like that.”

Deborah smiled. “I don’t think I’ve ever considered it ordering God around, but I can understand why you might. Truly, we’re just reminding each other to walk in God’s ways, and if we do that—we know He’s with us.”

C
hristopher looked at the note left at his door. He had presumed it would be from Deborah; instead, he found it a summons from Stuart Albright. Christopher figured Albright was going to demand he clear out. Zed had warned him to expect it, and so Christopher had already been hard at work, crating up his personal effects. Nevertheless, he left his horse hitched outside the office and made his way to hear what the man had to say.

As he arrived at the Albright house, Christopher found Stuart sitting on the front porch. He appeared to be engrossed in a handful of papers. He glanced up and greeted Christopher with an expression void of emotion.

“Dr. Kelleher, I’m glad you could finally make it over.”

“Had to set a broken arm. What did you want to see me about?”

“I would like you out of the infirmary by tomorrow evening.”

“All right.”

Stuart’s face pinched, as though he sought to identify a foreign odor. “All right? No questions? No complaints?”

Christopher shrugged. “Would it help if I did?”

Laughing, Stuart shook his head. “No. It wouldn’t change my mind, if that’s what you wonder.”

“Is that all you wanted?” Christopher asked, turning to move back down the steps.

“As a matter of fact, it’s not. I have something else to discuss—an offer, actually.”

Christopher could hardly imagine what Albright would want to propose. “What did you have in mind?”

Stuart gave a smug smile. “Why don’t you take a seat and I’ll get right to the point.”

Apprehension washed over Christopher. He briefly reconsidered. But the worries of the future compelled him to weigh all possibilities. All night and morning he had prayed that God would show him an answer. He tried not to look too eager, however, and ambled casually over to where Albright sat.

Sitting, Christopher raised a brow in question. “So?”

“I have in mind to give you a great deal of money.” Stuart put his papers on the table between their chairs. “Does that surprise you?”

“Do you have to ask? Of course it surprises me,” Christopher replied. “You give me twenty-four hours to vacate my residence, and now you want to give me money. Why shouldn’t I be surprised?”

“Well put,” Stuart said. “I like a man who isn’t afraid to speak his mind. My proposal will make you as wealthy as you are forthright. Given that you have five other people dependent upon you for their well-being, I think you’ll find this most lucrative. Perhaps one could even say an answer to prayer.”

Suspicion tensed Christopher’s muscles. Stuart Albright had proven himself to be a man who did nothing out of the goodness of his heart. Albright wanted something—wanted it badly enough to subject himself to this conversation.

“What is it you want, Albright?”

“It’s very simple, really. I will pay you two thousand dollars to do exactly as I say.”

Christopher couldn’t imagine ever having that much money in his hand at one time. He knew the deed Albright would request for that amount would, no doubt, be dear. “Get to the point. What is it you want?”

Stuart gave a small chuckle. “Leave this area and never return.”

The demand confused Christopher. Albright had to know that with no steady work to be had, such an idea would have already surfaced in the doctor’s mind. Christopher needed to make a living now more than ever.

“And where did you have in mind that I should go?”

“I don’t care,” Stuart replied. “Take your siblings and go back to Kansas City, for all it matters.”

“And if I do that, you’ll give me two thousand dollars? Just for taking my family away from here?”

“Well, there is one other requirement.”

Of course. Christopher nodded and looked Albright in the eye. “And that would be what?”

“Break your engagement with Deborah Vandermark. Leave her and agree to never marry her.”

The words fell like a lead weight, crushing any hope that Christopher might have taken the man up on his offer. Christopher rose and walked down the porch steps. He had reached the walkway when Stuart finally called out to him.

“Two thousand dollars cash is a lot to walk away from.”

Christopher turned. “You’re quite mad, Albright. If you honestly think to buy me off so that you can perpetuate your vengeance on the Vandermark family, you have another think coming.”

“Three thousand.” Stuart’s voice bore no hint of anxiety.

“No.” Christopher started walking toward home.

Albright came to the side of the porch. “Five thousand dollars. That’s my final offer.”

It was a great deal of money, more than Christopher could ever have imagined. He looked hard at Albright and shook his head. “I’m glad it’s your last offer, because my honor and love aren’t for sale.”

Deborah had returned from swimming with the children only a few moments earlier and was still trying to fix her wet hair into a long single plait. Her heart leapt and sank when she saw Christopher ride into the yard, two large carpetbags hanging over his saddle horn. With nimble twists and tucks, she finally secured the braid and got to her feet to go to him.

Arjan greeted Christopher first and offered to take the horse to the barn for him. Deborah was glad when Christopher agreed. He took the bags from the saddle and dropped them on the ground. She wanted to ask about them immediately, but she remained silent.

He turned and gave her a sheepish smile. “I’m back.”

“I see that,” she said, returning his grin. “I missed you at church.”

“Had a broken arm to set.”

Deborah nodded and cast a glance at the bags, then back to his face. Christopher shrugged. “Albright kicked me out. I’m supposed to vacate the property by tomorrow.”

“Oh, Christopher, I am sorry. G.W. is more than willing for you to take over the cabin. You can let folks know that you’re setting up there. We’ll get the word out.”

He stepped forward and reached up to touch her cheek. “I’m sorry for the way I behaved.”

“I know. I’m sorry, too. You’ve been carrying the weight of all this responsibility and I’ve done nothing to relieve your mind. I haven’t been a very good example.”

“In what way?”

She sighed. “I haven’t exactly been allowing you to lead in our courtship. A wife should be obedient and let her husband direct their plans. I didn’t do that.”

“You aren’t yet a wife,” he replied.

“Are you rescinding your offer?” she asked, surprising herself.

Christopher appeared just as surprised. In fact, he looked almost like he’d been caught doing something wrong. Was he contemplating that very idea? Had she forced him to comment on it before he was ready?

“I see I’ve perhaps touched on a nerve.” She started to go, but he took hold of her arm.

“Don’t go. If I seem awkward in dealing with your question, it’s just that . . . well, Stuart Albright asked me to do just that not even an hour ago.”

“What?” Deborah could scarcely believe her ears. “Stuart asked you to end our engagement?”

“He did. In fact, he offered me five thousand dollars,” Christopher said, grinning. “I should have thanked him, because, frankly, it put me in a much better frame of mind.”

Deborah didn’t know whether to be offended or happy. She looked at him and shook her head. “Five thousand dollars?”

Goodness, but that would resolve a world of problems. It would be enough to set up house elsewhere and establish his medical clinic. Why, with that much money, he could afford to send Jimmy to the university of his choice.

“He must really hate me.”

“Not as much as I love you,” Christopher said. “He helped me to realize that my moping about money was foolish. Money certainly isn’t anything compared to love. Oh, a person still needs to make a wage and support his family. But I can do that without worrying about the amount of cash it yields.”

“But that’s a great deal of money, Christopher.” What if they married and he later regretted not having taken it? Dread snaked through her veins like ice water. It left her feeling rather cold and clammy. She wasn’t a woman given to fainting, but suddenly it seemed like a possibility.

As if reading her mind, he steadied her shoulders. “Deborah Vandermark. You surprise me. You’re the one who has been trying to get me to see how God handles all things—even our financial needs.”

She drew a deep breath to clear her head. “I know. I suppose it’s just that . . . well, you were so angry at me last night.”

“No I wasn’t. You had nothing to do with it—well, very little. I was upset with myself. I was frustrated that I couldn’t seem to find a way out of this. I spent most of the night praying and asking God to reveal the truth to me—and when Stuart Albright gave me his proposal, it was like God had done just that.

“I could see the matter clearly, Deborah. It was such a freeing moment. I was wrestling with the wrong things. Remember those verses in Ephesians? The ones Pastor Shattuck preached on here a while back?”

She remembered them very well. “Ephesians six.”

“Yes, it says we aren’t wrestling with flesh and blood, but with the powers of darkness.” He shook his head. “I don’t remember the exact words, but the principle is fixed in my mind—at least it is after dealing with Albright. My battle isn’t for money or patients or a nice place to set up an office. It’s about putting the future in God’s hands and trusting that He will supply our needs.”

Deborah knew that what he said was right, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was keeping Christopher from a much-needed answer to his prayers. She looked at the ground to hide the tears that came to her eyes.

He put his arm around her. “Besides, five thousand dollars would never come close to the value of the love I feel for you. Now, if he’d offered ten . . .”

Deborah snapped her head up to meet his grin. How could he tease about something so important? Albright offered no mere pittance. Five thousand dollars was more money than most folks ever saw.

“How can you—” she started, but Christopher put his finger to her lips.

“Nothing equals the love I feel for you. I’m sorry I ever acted in a way that suggested otherwise.”

It wasn’t easy to remind herself that she’d been the one who’d had misgivings about their love—all based upon her fear of how children might interfere with her plans. What a fool she’d been.

“I love you, Deborah. I want you to be my wife—to share my life,” he said, tracing the line of her jaw.

“I want that more than anything,” she replied, finally knowing that it was the absolute truth. “I love you, too. I guess we’ve both allowed our fears to cast a shadow on our love. Oh, Christopher, I am so sorry for the way I’ve behaved.”

He kissed her with such tenderness that Deborah felt light-headed and swayed in his arms. Perhaps it was just the heat, but there was no denying this man had power over her.