A Moment in Time (23 page)

With a weariness that seemed to grow by the minute, Alice followed the woman. She longed to be back at the Barnett ranch, enjoying an evening of checkers with Robert and some of Hannah’s tasty cinnamon rolls.

I can’t let
my thoughts take over like that. I have to put
Robert from my mind.

Though it seemed an easy enough task, Alice knew it wouldn’t be as simple to put him from her heart.

Later, as she shared a bed with her mother, Alice stared in the darkness at the ceiling. She couldn’t sleep in spite of being exhausted.

“Why don’t you share your heart with me,” Mother told her. “It might help.”

“I’m sorry,” Alice said. “Did I wake you?”

“No. I’ve been awake and praying for you. I know you’re deeply troubled. Are you sure this is the right thing to do? Leaving, I mean.”

“I’m only certain of one thing, and that’s that I love Robert more than life.”

“Then perhaps you should return and give him a chance to speak his mind. Seems to me he cares for you, as well.”

“But if he does, it would mean I came between him and his intended.” Alice contemplated the matter further before speaking. “It would mean . . . well . . .”

“It would only mean that you fell in love with him without any thought to hurting anyone else. I know you wouldn’t have set out to cause harm. You were never that kind of a child, and I can’t believe for one minute that you’ve become that kind of woman.”

“I’m not, but I can’t help thinking how messed up everything has become. Why would God let me fall in love with someone—someone who doesn’t care about how hideous I look—and then take him away?”

“First of all,” Mother said, rolling to her side to face Alice. “You aren’t hideous looking. You are a beautiful young woman with a scar. But that scar does not define you. Everyone has scars to bear. I have mine. And your father left me with a great many. Although you can’t see them.

“And second, I’m not convinced that running away from a problem is the proper way to resolve it. I felt at first, selfishly I must say, that you should return with us to Chicago. But upon reflection, I’m not at all convinced. I can’t help but think God has put these delays in our path to give you time to reconsider.”

“But I can’t stay and watch him marry another,” Alice replied.

“Who says you will? What if Robert feels exactly the same way about you that you feel about him? Wouldn’t it be better for him to end his engagement to someone he doesn’t love and marry the woman he really loves? How fair would it be to Jessica Atherton if he married her only because he could not have you for his wife?”

“I don’t know, Mother. I have no answers, only questions. I don’t know anything anymore.”

Her mother reached out and pulled her close, as she had done when Alice was a child. The warmth of her mother’s arms gave Alice a moment of comfort.

“Then pray about it, Alice. Pray and ask God to show you the answer. He has already seen tomorrow, and He knows exactly what you need and to whom you should be wed. Pray on it tonight and see if you have an answer in the morning.”

Robert tossed and turned in his bed all night long until finally he pushed back the covers and got up. There was no sense in pretending he could sleep. By the time the tiniest hint of light showed on the horizon, he was saddled and ready to ride.

“I’ll be back as soon as possible,” he told his father and Jake before putting his heels to Rojoe’s flank.

All the way to Cedar Springs, Robert kept thinking about the wasted time.
If the bank robbery
hadn’t taken place, we would have been home much
sooner. I might have been here to stop her—to
show her the ring and convince her of my love.

The miles seemed endless, but it gave him more than ample time to pray. He’d tried to pray during the night. Every time he woke up, he issued another plea to God. But he didn’t feel as though his prayers went any higher than the ceiling.

“I know you’re with me,” Robert said aloud, glancing heavenward, “and I know you hear me. So why do I feel alone in this?”

The cloudless sky offered no reply, and even Rojoe seemed to ignore him. Why was it that God let people find each other and fall in love, only to separate them again?

“Why, Lord?”

There was still no answer, no comfort, no understanding. Robert tightened his grip on the reins. He had to find her. She was already such a part of him that Robert felt as if he’d lost a limb.

“I need your help, Lord. I need to find Alice. I need to tell her that I love her.”

“So there we were,” Will related at the breakfast table, “about to go into the jewelry store, when shots sounded from the bank across the street. Robert and I ducked into the alleyway to figure out what we might do to help, but we had no weapons.”

“And I’m certain that wouldn’t have stopped you,” Hannah said, shaking her head.

“Well, we were tryin’ to figure things out when two of the robbers ran out from the bank to the man holdin’ the horses. They mounted and just then three shots rang out, and they dropped like dead weight.”

“Were they dead?” Marty asked. The thought of such a thing gave her the shivers.

“No, they’d only been wounded. A Texas Ranger we know got ’em.”

“All three of them taken down by one man?” Hannah asked in amazement. “He must have been a very good shot.”

“His name is Austin Todd, and he plans to pay us a visit
this fall,” Will interjected. “He’s interested in buying a small piece of land so he can build a house. He doesn’t want to ranch or farm but also doesn’t want to live in the confines of a town. Thought I’d take him around to some of the various ranches and see if anyone wanted to sell him some acreage. He’s going to look at a parcel we have, as well.”

Marty tried to ignore the conversation but found herself hopelessly drawn in once again when Will mentioned the bank manager.

“He and the teller had been shot and killed by the two bandits who robbed them. They both had families.”

Hannah passed her husband a platter of ham steaks. “That’s so sad. Such a violent end to a person’s life.”

Marty grimaced. The uneasiness she’d felt at the start of the conversation was magnified by the comment regarding the bank employees. She pushed the eggs and grits around her plate but had completely lost her appetite.

“I don’t care to ever endure such a thing again,” Will admitted.

“I’m with you,” Jake agreed. “When you told us the story on the trip home, it made me glad we don’t live in a city. I doubt I could ever live there again. Too many people and too much noise. Not to mention all the added dangers.”

Hannah raised her coffee cup and took a sip before responding. “I lived in a city once. Nothing good came from it. I prefer the life we have here.”

Marty thought about Denver and all that she had known there. If a person had plenty of money to spend, the city could be quite entertaining. On the other hand, the poverty she’d known in the months before leaving convinced her that without adequate funds it was sheer misery.

She hadn’t really considered the problems of the city in comparison to her life here in Texas. Marty had to admit
there was a peacefulness here that spoke to her spirit. Perhaps Texas wasn’t to blame for her sorrows. Just then the baby moved as if in agreement.

“Seems with the economy continuin’ to be bad,” Will continued, “folks are gettin’ more and more desperate. I imagine there will be quite a few more bank robberies before it’s all said and done.”

“I have to admit,” Jake threw in, “there were several times in Denver when I had grave concern about our little bank. Anywhere you have money, you’ll also find someone who wants to take it away. When everything started fallin’ apart financially, we had so many angry customers that we all feared for our lives.”

Marty’s head snapped up at this. “You never told me that.”

“I didn’t want to worry you.” Jake gave a shrug. “There wasn’t anything you could do to help.”

“But I should have known about the danger.” She pushed back her plate and got to her feet. “I’m not hungry. Please excuse me.”

Marty moved as quickly as her expanding figure would allow. She departed through the kitchen and out the back of the house with no real destination in mind. All she knew was that she had to get away from the conversation and the idea that Jake’s life could have been taken at any moment during his bank work.

I was so sure banking was safer
than ranching and now this. Why does life have to
constantly threaten us with death?

“I’m sorry, Marty.”

She turned to find Jake had followed her. Looking at him as if truly understanding him for the first time, Marty drew a heavy breath and let it out. “I never realized. I’ve been such a fool.”

“I didn’t want to frighten you. You were already so much against ranchin’ because of the dangers. I figured you’d have a real hard time of it if I told you about the bank’s situation.”

“I should have known. I knew that things were bad, that men were rioting because they couldn’t get their money. Grief, I knew people were abandoning their children, so why wouldn’t they also kill and rob?”

Jake reached out and touched Marty’s cheek. “Danger is everywhere. It’s a reality we have to face no matter where we live or work. I don’t want you livin’ in fear, Marty. The Bible says that perfect love does away with fear. I know my love isn’t perfect, but God’s love is, and He’s the only one who can do away with your fears.”

“I know,” Marty said, shaking her head. “But it’s so hard. I love you and I love our child. I love Wyatt and Samuel and little Benjamin and can’t wait until they are with us. I love my family. I can’t bear the thought of losing any of them.”

“Marty, folks die every day. Family and friends aren’t immune to death just because we love them. But we know that death can’t hold us. By givin’ our hearts to Jesus, we have eternal life with Him. He’s the door into heaven. If we don’t go through Him, we can’t get in. But you and I, we’ve already been accepted. There’s a place for us up there.” He glanced at the cloud-strewn skies. “It might take a little while before we can join up with our loved ones, but it won’t be forever.”

Marty nodded, knowing he was right. “I suppose death has always seemed like . . . well . . . the end. My mother died when I was born, and I never knew her. When I lost my father, I never thought about seeing him again. I just knew he was gone, and that seemed final.”

“But you will see them again one day. They loved Jesus
just as you do, just as I do. Death isn’t the end of anything. Instead, it’s a beginning.”

She gave Jake a smile. “You always seem to know just what to say to make me feel better.”

He pulled her into his arms. “That’s my job.” He kissed her lightly and then put his hand on her stomach. “Baby’s gettin’ mighty big. Sure lookin’ forward to this little one.”

Marty marveled at the love he clearly held for their unborn child. “Me too.”

“Have you been thinkin’ on names?”

She nodded. “I have a name in mind for a girl. Johanna—after my father John and sister Hannah. Then maybe Frances for a second name—after your mother.”

“I’d like that name very much. You know my middle name is Frances—after her.” He smiled and tried the name out. “Johanna Frances. Has a good strong sound to it. But what if this is a son?”

Marty considered the matter for a moment. “I still wouldn’t mind using the name John.”

“I wouldn’t, either,” Jake replied. “I was thinkin’ maybe we could call him John Jacob.”

“That’s a perfect name. John Jacob Wythe.” Marty leaned forward and kissed Jake. “That way he would be named after you, as well.”

“I was thinkin’ more of him bein’ named for my grandfather and father, but you’re right.”

“I usually am,” Marty countered.

He chuckled and finally released his hold on her. “I don’t know about that, Mrs. Wythe. I seem to recall several occasions when you were dead wrong.”

Marty’s gaze traveled across the distant pasture land. “I can’t imagine what you’re talking about, Mr. Wythe.”

“Are you sure they haven’t been here?” Robert asked the young man at the ticket counter.

“I haven’t seen anyone like that around here. Stationmaster might have seen them earlier, but he had to leave. Word came that there was a death in the family. Closed the window down until I could take over. Had a bunch of angry folks, even though it wasn’t much more than ten minutes.”

“I am sorry about that, but I’m desperate to find my friends.” Robert looked around the Cedar Springs depot. The place bustled with activity, but there was no sign of Alice or her mother and brother.

He turned back to the ticket window. “They were headin’ to Chicago.”

The man nodded. “Well, they could get there any number of ways. There’s still one train due out late this afternoon that’s headed north. They might be taking that one.”

“What time does it depart?”

“At 5:45. Heads north to Kansas City. They might take it and change trains there. Why don’t you come back then. Maybe they’ll be here, waiting to board.”

There was really nothing else he could do. If he left to go in search of them, Robert had no idea where he would start. There were numerous hotels and restaurants. He didn’t have time to visit them all.

“I think I’ll just stick around here until then,” he said. “Thank you for your time.”

Robert crossed to the waiting area and took a seat. The gentleman across from him offered a newspaper.

“I’ve already read this, if you’d like to take a look,” the older man declared.

Robert took the paper. “Thank you. I’m much obliged.”

He looked through the pages, trying to focus on anything but the worry in his mind. What if they’d arrived in time to take the train out the night before? The stationmaster didn’t think that possible, but what if they had?

The minutes ticked by as slowly as any he’d ever known. People came and went, seemingly with no cares at all. A group of gentlemen stood at one end of the room smoking cigars and discussing something that seemed of great importance. A woman with a brood of children took a seat not far from the ticket window and immediately began to share food from a basket. It reminded Robert that he’d not eaten since the night before.

He checked the clock. Still another hour to go. He tried to relax and refocus on the newspaper, but it was no use. He didn’t care about the local happenings or comments on the ongoing financial troubles. He had no interest in various sales offered by Dallas merchants, and he certainly didn’t care about the opinion of the editor. Folding the paper, he handed it back to its owner.

“Thank you.”

The man nodded and smiled. “Where are you headed?”

“I’m not,” Robert replied. “I’m waiting for someone.”

“Ah, I’m Kansas City bound myself.”

Robert nodded, but had no desire to keep up with the small talk. “If you’ll excuse me.” He got to his feet and headed outside for a breath of fresh air.

Clouds had begun to build. It looked like they might be in for a storm before nightfall. Robert didn’t like the idea of having to return to the ranch in the rain. If he managed to find Alice and her family, he’d suggest they wait it out until morning. It was getting much too late to travel all the way home.

Pacing the depot platform, Robert tried to think of what he’d say to Alice. It was important that she understand his heart. He didn’t want her thinking she’d done anything to come between him and Jess.

As if anyone could come between two people
who truly loved each other.

A whistle sounded from one of the locomotives several tracks away. A freight train moved forward ever so slowly. The rail yards seemed just as busy as the depot. Robert looked at his pocket watch. Half an hour. In half an hour he would be with Alice again. In thirty minutes he would propose to the woman he loved. At least he hoped as much.

But what if she isn’t taking this train?
What will I do then? No one has the address
for her mother’s place in Chicago. I don’t
even know what train she might be on so I
could wire ahead and have her return to Texas.

There was no sense borrowing trouble. If they didn’t show up, Robert knew he would figure something out. He wasn’t going to lose Alice—not if he had anything to say about it.

I’m just gonna keep a
positive attitude. I’m gonna expect the best.

But in thirty minutes nothing had changed. Robert returned to the waiting area to search for Alice, but she wasn’t there. More passengers arrived by the minute to board the train, but none of them were Alice. By the time the 5:45 pulled out, Robert felt his hopes drain away.

There was nothing left to do but head back home. Dejected, Robert exited the depot to find it had begun to sprinkle. His stomach growled. The hollow feeling seemed appropriate.