Restless Heart (27 page)

“You lie, Angeline. This man is beyond reproach, a humble man of God who was saddled with wives who disobeyed him.” Mr. Hunter turned his back on Angeline.

Sam heard her breath catch, but she didn’t move, didn’t back away.

“He is a sadistic bastard and I wish he’d been the one to die back there.” Her voice was full of pure hate.

Josiah had yet to say a word, but Sam could see he was itching to. Angeline walked toward him.

“I want you to leave here and never come back. Do you hear me? Don’t send any more gunslingers or killers either.” She pointed a shaking finger at him. “You will burn in hell for what you’ve done, but I refuse to allow you another moment in my life. I
refuse
.”

The man’s smile was feral as he witnessed her brave words. Sam was proud of her, but he was terrified something would happen. She was so small, and she had a babe in her belly. Sam would go loco if anything happened to either of them.

“You are my wife and will always be my wife.” He grabbed her so quickly Sam had no time to react. Josiah wrapped his hand around her hair and yanked, bringing her to her knees. “Now you’re not so brave, are you, little one?”

“Let her go.” Sam didn’t recognize his own voice as he aimed the pistol at the man who dared threaten his wife. His thumb landed on the hammer and cocked it.

Josiah’s grin widened. “Oh, no, I never plan on letting this one go. She’s perfect for my needs and she’s already my wife in the eyes of God.”

“You are an abomination in the eyes of God.” Sam pulled the hammer back. “Now let her go or I will put a new hole in your head. You will not hurt my wife.”

Angeline, however, had one more surprise up her sleeve. She twisted one way, then the other, and suddenly she was free of the man’s grasp. She scuttled away from him, hissing like a cat. When she got to the stall wall, she scrambled to her feet, unbroken and undefeated. She was a warrior at heart.

“You may never touch me again. Do you hear me, Josiah? You have no right. I’ve taken control of my life and my future and you have no place in it.”

Sam didn’t lower the gun because he could see Josiah wasn’t done yet. The older man had the look of a snake, one who would allow his prey some room to fight, but not escape.

“I have every right. You are my wife and you will obey.” Josiah circled around her and she backed away from him. “God has commanded you to be mine.”

“God did not command me.” Angeline glanced at her father. “My father did.” Mr. Hunter did nothing but keep his back turned to her.

“Be that as it may, you cannot change the past. And your handsome young man can’t either.”

Sam knew something was going to happen. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He felt a whisper near his ear that sounded like “gun.” In a flash he understood that although the Mormon elders didn’t carry guns or walk anywhere, Josiah was armed.

The older man brought the weapon out from beneath his coat, but instead of aiming at Sam, he turned it toward An-geline. A shot split the air and Sam screamed her name. Yet it wasn’t she who fell to her knees. Josiah did.

A hole appeared in his forehead and he pitched forward into the hay. Sam looked behind him to see Jonathan Morton with a smoking pistol in his hand. He had gotten cleaned up in the months since he’d been gone and his eyes were focused and clear.

“Jonathan.” Angeline stared at her old beau with astonishment. “You killed him.”

“You killed him!” Mr. Hunter picked that moment to start ranting. “Jonathan Aloysius Morton! Your soul will burn in hell for the crime of murder. You have committed a cardinal sin.”

Jonathan leveled the gun at the older man. “I can always make that two sins.”

Mr. Hunter held up his hands and looked at Angeline. As if she would help him because he was outnumbered and in trouble. “Daughter, tell your young man he cannot threaten me.”

“He’s not my young man and he’s obviously not concerned
about the Mormon church any longer.” She stepped toward Jonathan. “Thank you for saving my life.”

When she kissed his cheek, the young man closed his eyes for only a second, but Sam saw the longing in his gaze. The kid was still in love with Angeline, but he was too late. She was Mrs. Carver now and always.

“You’re welcome.” Jonathan frowned at Angeline’s father. “As for you, Silas, what are you going to tell the folks back in Tolson? That you sold your daughter to Josiah or that you hired a killer to bring back her body?”

Mr. Hunter paled. “You wouldn’t tell them that.”

“Oh, yes, I would. You will simply tell them Josiah died from a snake bite and you could not find Angeline. But you heard a tale she had died in a carriage accident going to visit a sick relative.” Jonathan grinned at Angeline. “She was always such an angel to everyone.”

“Thank you.” Sam held out his hand and to his surprise, Jonathan shook it.

“I did it for her, not for you. There’s no force on earth that could make me save your life.” At least the kid was honest. Sam had no doubt he’d like another crack at kicking his ass. “I’ll go back to Tolson with Silas, make sure he tells everyone the right tale. I think my mission is finally done and perhaps God has a new path for me to follow.”

“Good luck, Jonathan.” Angeline turned to look at her father. “Good-bye to you, Mr. Hunter. I wish you good journey.”

Like a true lady, she walked to Sam’s side and took his arm. Together they left the barn. Beneath her warriorlike exterior, her bloody dress and bruised cheek, she was trembling. Sam felt the same way and couldn’t wait to put all of this darkness behind him. First though, he had to bury his friend.

Angeline went back into the restaurant and found Karen and Marta scrubbing the floor. She couldn’t bear to look at
the bloodstain, so she walked quickly to the kitchen to find Lettie.

She found her beating the dough so hard, it might rise to a foot high. Lettie looked up at her when she walked in the door.

“Josiah’s dead.”

Lettie cried out softly and sank to the floor, her arms wrapped around herself. Angeline rushed over and crouched beside her.

“He and my father were trying to leave, to run like cowards, and Sam and I tried to stop them. Josiah tried to force me to go with them, but I wouldn’t allow it.” Angeline tried to tell the story without reliving every intense moment, but it was so hard to detach herself from the tale. “Josiah was about to shoot me when Jonathan killed him.”

Lettie’s head jerked up at that and she stared at Angeline hard. “Jonathan?”

“Believe it or not. If he hadn’t shot Josiah, I’d be dead right now.” Angeline began shaking as the reality of what had happened sank in. She had come close to death again. The man who had been her husband had tried to kill her, not only her, but her unborn child.

Lettie put her arm around Angeline’s shaking shoulders and pulled her close. They sat beneath the counter, giving each other strength, coming to terms with what was truly an end to the dark times. The man who had hurt them both, had hunted them, was dead.

They were finally free.

Sam walked back toward the lake after visiting the cemetery. He missed Jessup, who was now buried next to Michael Carver. It was a fitting resting place for the two men who had been important to him.

It had been a week since the old man’s death and Sam and
Angeline were moving into the new house that day. Sam arrived back at the house just as a wagon pulled up outside covered in a huge tarp. He frowned, wondering who or what was in there.

A driver jumped down and hailed him. “You there, are you Samuel Carver?”

“Yes, I am.” Sam walked toward the wagon, filled with curiosity.

“I got a delivery for you.” The man was a typical driver with a mouthful of chaw and a layer of dirt from driving a team across dusty ground. He could have been twenty or forty—there was no way to tell.

“What is it?”

“I dunno. I didn’t look ’neath the tarp. I just brought the wagon here.” The man started untying the ropes.

“Are you saying the entire wagon is the delivery?” Sam gaped at the enormous pile.

“Ayup.” He finished one side of the wagon, then yanked the tarp over to the right side.

“What’s going on, Sam?” Angeline stepped out on the front porch, a blue shawl wrapped around her shoulders.

“I think Aunt Jane has sent us a gift for our house.” No doubt his effusive aunt thought they could use something or a lot of somethings.

“What is it?”

Sam jumped up and started untying the burlap sacks and ropes on the back of the wagon. As he untied everything, he found furniture, including a sofa, a table and chairs, a wing-back chair, rugs, and even a kitchen stool.

“I think she’s furnishing our entire house.” He couldn’t believe the number of things on the wagon, but what really made him pause was the fact the furniture was all handmade and it was all exactly what he would have picked.

Jane had gone to a great deal of trouble to give them a gift
just right for their new home. He should send the wagon back, but he knew she meant it as a gift of love. He grinned at Angeline as she gaped at the pile.

“Makes your new rocking chair look small, doesn’t it?”

Angeline laughed. “What was she thinking? There’s so much here.”

“I think she wanted to make sure we felt at home.” Sam jumped down and pulled her into a hug. “You know, I think we’re going to need help with all this.”

Angeline grinned. “I think you’re right.”

She walked into town and asked for help from folks, and soon a small army arrived, including almost everyone from the Blue Plate and the sheriff. Like a team of people who were used to working together, they unloaded the furniture.

Angeline directed the placement of each piece, while the rest kept bringing more in. Soon the house was full of beautiful furniture. Sam looked around with wonder at how the empty house had become a home.

“It’s all so beautiful.” Angeline smiled at him. “We’ll need to send a wire to Jane to say thank you.”

“Mr. Carver,” the driver called from outside. “I got one more package for you.”

“Go on. I’m going to get some cold water and cornbread for our helpers.” She went into the kitchen and left Sam to deal with whatever else Jane had sent.

Sam stepped back outside and found the scruffy driver waiting for him at the door. The man handed him a small parcel wrapped in brown paper and twine.

An hour later, he watched as Angeline walked around the house, touching each piece of furniture with amazement. He should have expected something extravagant from Jane, but this went beyond anything he’d imagined. It was so much all at once.

Everyone had gone home and instead of the house feeling
empty, it felt warm and cozy. She picked up her new black-and-brass kindling bucket and headed toward the door.

Sam stopped her from leaving the house. She frowned at him and set down the bucket.

“What is it?”

“Sit down, Angel. There’s something I need to tell you.”

He led her to the kitchen table and sat down. It wasn’t bad news, but he wanted her to be sitting when he told her what he knew.

“Coffee?” She wiped her hands and headed for the stove.

“No, please just sit.” He set the papers in the middle of the table. “When we were in Denver in August, I asked Jane for a favor. Since I’d found my family, I wanted to give you the same gift and find your sister.”

Angeline’s face drained of color as she sank into the chair. “What are you saying?”

“If there is one thing money can do, it can make people talk. I knew that if I asked Jane, she could find Eliza.” Sam pointed to the papers. “This came with the wagon from Jane. I think you should read it.”

Angeline stared at the papers. “What does it say?”

“You need to read for yourself.” Sam knew what the papers contained, but it was her sister, therefore it was her right to know what Jane had found.

With shaking hands, Angeline opened the sheaf of papers and started reading. After she read the note on top from Jane, she gasped and looked at him.

“They found Eliza?”

Sam smiled. “Keep reading.”

She read through the rest of the papers, then read them again. Her hand went to her mouth and a sob escaped.

“She’s in Idaho?”

“Lives in a cabin in the mountains with her husband, a man named Grady Wolfe.” He felt nothing but love for his wife as joy spread across her face.

“Can we go visit them? Please? I need to see her.”

“And we will. I promise. I think we should wait until spring—”

“No, I want to go as soon as we can. I want to see them by Christmas.” She took his hands and squeezed tightly. “Please, I need to see her.”

Sam brought her to her feet and pulled her into a hug. “Yes, we can go visit them. I think we should at least finish moving into the house, then ask Lettie to stay here while we’re gone.” He looked into her beautiful blue eyes. “Are you sure you want to do this? You are pregnant and I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

She cupped his face. “Nothing is more important to me than you and this baby. We have months and months until I give birth, so this is a perfect time we’ll have to find them. From what I’ve read, their cabin is hard to find, so we’ll need to hire a guide.”

“Angel, I’ll do whatever you want. You’re my whole world.” He could still hardly believe she was his wife and that she loved him as much as he loved her.

Angeline ran her hands through his hair. “How did I get so lucky?”

He snorted. “Woman, I’m the lucky one. You are like a shining star, almost too bright and shiny for me. I’m just a half-breed who can swing a hammer.”

She pressed her forehead to his. “We are truly blessed, Sam. Truly blessed.”

He felt a breeze on the back of his neck and a whisper that sounded like “love.” Sam said good-bye to his mother’s spirit and hello to his new life with Angeline. Nothing had ever felt so right.

It took two months to track down the exact location of the cabin. On Christmas Eve, they trekked the ten miles from the small town at the base of the Rocky Mountains. Angeline’s
stomach jumped around like a fish, floppy and jittery. She told herself there was nothing to be frightened of. They had a guide, were wearing sturdy clothes, and had plenty of time to get there before nightfall.