Twice Promised (The Blue Willow Brides Book #2): A Novel (13 page)

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Take your hand out of your pocket, nice and slow,” Zach ordered.

He did as he was told and put his hands on his hips. “Do I know you?”

“Quit the pretense, young man. You robbed us earlier this afternoon, and we’re going to haul you down to the sheriff’s office now that you’re all nice and cleaned up.” Zach grabbed the man’s arm, forcing it behind his back, and he yelped.

“Wait! Please, I have your money . . . or what’s left of it,” he said, struggling against Zach’s forceful arm. Passersby slowed down to see what the commotion was about.

The frightened look on his face made Greta almost feel sorry for him . . . almost. He couldn’t be much more than sixteen, only a boy.

Jess stood legs apart, hands on his hips. “What do you mean, ‘what’s left of it’?”

“I spent money on a new set of trousers and a shirt, shoes, a bath, and a shave, then a meal. I hadn’t had anything to eat in three days.”

“So you’d rather steal than work for a living?” Jess’s jaw worked in agitation. Cora made a move to say something, but Jess stayed her with his hand.

“I can’t get nobody to hire me.” He looked down, studying his new boots, and sighed. “I’ll pay you back . . . somehow.”

“Well, stealing is not the way, young man.” Jess eyed him.

“I’m sure if you’d gone to one of the town’s churches, they would have been more than helpful,” Cora offered, smoothing the front of her dress. “Jess, maybe you could give him a part-time job sweeping or hauling orders. Something.”

“Are you crazy? He just robbed us. He needs to pay for his mistakes.”

“Please, mister, don’t turn me in to the sheriff. I never stole a thing in my life until today. Your money’s right here in my coat pocket.” Perspiration beaded along his mouth and brow as he chewed the inside of his cheek, and he avoided meeting Jess’s eyes.

While Zach still held his arm, the lad used his other hand to open his coat, indicating for Jess to reach in and retrieve the envelope of money. Jess opened the envelope, counting the contents. “You owe me fifty dollars,” he said.

“Jess.” Greta moved to touch his arm. “Cora’s got a point. What if you give him a chance to make it up?”

“Yes, Jess. Think of all the good it’ll do to help a young man down on his luck. We prayed for him, and now we’ve been given the opportunity to set it all straight,” Cora pleaded.

“Are you two forgetting that he threatened to blow your brains out and shoot the puppy just hours ago?” Jess looked at Zach for support, who cocked an eyebrow.

“I don’t believe he meant one word of it. It was all just talk.” Greta looked back at the robber, whose face was contorted with nervousness at being caught.

Jess shook his head. “Heavens above. This goes against my better judgment
again
.” Jess nodded to Zach to release the boy’s arm. “Why do I let myself be persuaded by you two?” He turned and scrutinized the young man. “Boy, do you have a name?”

12

The lengthening shadows rolled rapidly over the purple peaks, and the warm day disappeared amid gathering clouds, which slid like a curtain over the sun against the western sky. Cora pulled her shawl tighter about her shoulders to ward off the chill and watched the young lad, tenderness in her heart. She mustered all her self-restraint to keep from commenting while Jess questioned him. The young man, who only an hour before had seemed so sure of himself, now stood shaking in his boots after being caught red-handed. Cora somehow felt sorry for him, but that was still no excuse for what he’d done.

“My name’s Caleb—Caleb Zuckerman,” the lad stuttered, raising his eyes to meet Jess’s.

“How old are you, Caleb?” Zach asked, still blocking him in the event he might bolt.

“Almost eighteen.” Caleb shuffled from one foot to the other.

“Nearly a man, so it’s time to start acting like one,” Jess said. “Tell you what, I’ll give you a chance to pay me back and make amends . . . maybe find something for you to do that’s respectable. But first we have to let the sheriff know because there’s a warrant out for your arrest. If you want me to call it off, then you need to come with me.”

“Yes, sir, whatever you say.”

“Ladies, you can stay here and wait or follow us down to the sheriff’s office,” Jess said. “Then we’ll see about getting you a room.”

Cora touched Jess’s arm. “This is a good thing you’re doing for this young man, and I’m sure he’ll be grateful.” She smiled up at him and caught a glimmer of warmth in his brown eyes as he returned her smile.
He’ll make a good father. He has a soft heart.
When Jess had said grace before supper, she’d added a prayer for the man who’d robbed them, much to everyone’s surprise. Now she silently thanked God for the outcome of this evening. The kid just needed a sense of direction and maybe an older man to guide him.

Jess leaned in close to Cora and quietly said, “That was a nice prayer you said at supper.” Cora’s face softened when she looked up at him.

“Excuse me.” Greta interrupted the cozy moment. “We’ll just go along with you two,” she suggested, and Cora nodded her agreement. She wondered what Greta thought about the situation, but that could wait until they were alone. Perhaps tonight they wouldn’t have to stay at Jeb’s cabin, which would suit her just fine. She breathed deeply of the fresh night air, comforted and sure now that God had sent her here to fulfill the purpose in her heart.

Zach nudged Caleb forward with Jess flanking Caleb’s side. They started down the sidewalk, and Cora and Greta followed.

An hour later, after withdrawing the charges against Caleb, the group inquired about a room at several places but were met with no vacancy. Zach decided on the Teller House on Eureka Street after all. But the women would have to share a room with the hope that another room might become available later on in the week.

“We don’t have to move from the cabin, you know, now that you’ve found the robber,” Greta said. “I’m not afraid to stay there.”

“Maybe you’re not, but Jess insisted on it,” Zach answered.

That satisfied Greta, and she knew Cora was more than happy to eschew the cabin. Greta marveled at how everything had turned out during the course of the evening, though she had her doubts about Caleb’s sincerity. Time would tell soon enough.

“I thought you said this place was out of your range,” Greta commented when they entered the foyer of the hotel, which boasted 150 rooms within its five stories. It was magnificent and plush, with rich mahogany details and tapestry hangings. She could see that Cora was impressed too as she looked about with wide eyes, taking it all in.

“I think we can afford a few nights now that we’ve recovered most of our money,” Zach said, grinning. “This hotel was built by our senator, Henry Teller, whose law practice is across the street.” He strode up to the front desk, and the exuberant clerk looked up as he approached. “Bill, these are the two young ladies I told you about earlier.”

Bill turned the registry around to face them. “Howdy! If you would, please sign the register and I’ll give you two keys for the room that you’ll be sharing.” His eyes swept over the ladies with an admiring look.

Greta lifted the pen and scrawled her name on the line, then stepped aside for Cora to do the same. From the corner of her eye, she saw Jess talking with Caleb, then the two sauntered over to Zach.

“Why don’t you go to the cabin and get their belongings, Zach? Caleb will go with you. I’ll meet you back at home.”

Zach gave him a quizzical look. “Well . . . sure, we can do that.”

The thought of anyone looking through her personal items and undergarments gave Greta pause. “I think we’ll go with you, Zach. It’s just a short walk, so it’s not a bother.”

“Good idea, Greta. My things aren’t packed, and I’d rather do that myself,” Cora said, giving Greta a grateful look.

Jess shrugged. “Suit yourself. In that case, Caleb, you can come back with me. I’ll drag a cot out for you. I’ll bid you ladies a good night and see you in the morning.” They left, one tall, robust man who walked with a purpose, and one young lad, shoulders slumped, head down.

Greta watched them go, thinking Jess had seemed subdued since supper. Was it because of finding the robber, or something else?

The clerk handed one key to her and another to Cora. “Ladies, anything you need, you just let me know. We pride ourselves on taking good care of our customers. Will you be staying a week or a couple of days?”

“It hasn’t been decided yet, but it could be a week or longer. Just charge it to Gifford’s Mercantile,” Zach replied.

“I see . . .” The clerk’s eyes narrowed. “In that case, you’ll need to pay in advance to secure the room for a week. We don’t extend credit for such a long stay.”

“Oh.” Zach reached in his back pocket for his wallet. Red-faced, he looked over at Greta and Cora for help. “Could one of you loan me the money? It seems I forgot to get some of the bills from Jess,” he murmured in a low voice.

The clerk gave a little cough and cleared his throat. He probably didn’t believe Zach one bit, Greta thought. She dug into her purse, but Cora was quicker and handed him the necessary amount. Zach plunked it down on the counter. The clerk counted it and smiled.

Zach turned to her. “Thanks. Don’t worry, I’ll give it back tomorrow. Now let’s go get your things. It’s been a very long day.”

“I couldn’t agree with you more,” Greta said.

“I’m so glad things turned out the way they did with Caleb. You won’t regret helping that young man. You might even be able to turn him around,” Cora said, walking with them out to the sidewalk. “It was the Christian thing to do.”

“I’m not so sure being a Christian had anything to do with it.” Zach scratched his beard absentmindedly while the ladies walked on either side of him.

“What do you mean?” Cora appeared shocked. “Don’t you have a relationship with the Lord?”

Zach quirked an eyebrow. “I’m more interested in a relationship with Greta at the moment,” he answered with a wink at Greta. “It’s just Jess has a soft spot for young folks. Comes naturally after . . . ” Zach’s voice trailed off. “Anyway, he’ll teach Caleb a thing or two or my name’s not Zach Gifford.”

“Jess has a soft spot for young folks?” Greta asked, thinking he might tell them more, but he didn’t seem inclined to share for whatever reason.

It took little more than twenty minutes to retrieve their bags and return to the hotel. Greta and Cora carried their carpetbags while Zach carried their luggage in either hand. Though they trudged back uphill to the hotel, he never broke a sweat. Greta watched his broad back muscles stretch the fabric of his coat and noticed his strong forearms as he climbed the stairs and placed the luggage in front of their hotel room.

“I’ll just grab my key and you can set those inside,” Cora instructed him.

When the door swung open, Greta was pleasantly surprised at the nicely furnished room and the warmth of the dark wood used for the twin beds and dresser. To her delight, her feet sank into plush carpet, and a light fragrance of lemon and beeswax polish indicated that the room had been freshly cleaned. Cora walked over and lowered the shade against the darkness, and Zach placed their luggage next to their beds.

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll be on my way.” Zach moved toward the door.

Cora lifted her suitcase to her bed, and Greta walked him to the door. “Zach, thanks for hoisting our luggage for us,” she said, standing in the doorway. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course. Anything.”

Greta cast a glance over her shoulder to see if Cora was listening, then stepped into the hallway, pulling the door to. He stood close, and the scent of his aftershave tickled her nose, making her very aware of his manly physique. He was strongly built like Bryan and was about as tall as Bryan had been, but more muscular and a couple years older, perhaps. She fixed her eyes on his and said, “I wondered why Jess appears to be so sad sometimes when he doesn’t suspect anyone’s watching. Is it because you brought us here? If so, then maybe I should leave . . .”

Zach reached out and took her hands in his. “Oh no. It’s nothing like that at all. Jess . . . well . . . he’s had his heart broken twice. Once by Agnes Cartwright, whom he courted for a while, but who stopped seeing him when a wealthy entrepreneur came to town.”