Lincoln County Series 1-3 (25 page)

She’d succeeded in scrambling up before he reached her but it appeared her ankle would not cooperate as she tried to stand. She hopped over to the nearest post, but clumsy as she was, tripped over her skirt and landed face down, catching herself with her hands. Jake squatted down to her level. “Are you finished?”

She nodded.

He lifted her upright before him. The reason was obvious why she was skittish. Many times after that occasion when they were alone in the saloon he’d surprised himself by wanting to apologize again and again. But seeing her here before him right now, he knew he could not ever do so, for he was not sorry.

“Thank you, Jake.” Her voice was soft and uncertain.

He couldn’t take her saying his name and he couldn’t take her standing so close, peering up at him, uttering thanks—not when his thoughts were on the kiss and, her lips. Everything about Cameron Jackson was forbidden. It was best if he said nothing and disappeared fast.

*** *** ***

Without a word Jake brushed passed her, leaving behind the scent of cigarette smoke, sweat and leather for her to breathe in. Unable to stop herself, she compared those smells to Andrew. He never had a whiff of this type of incense about him. He was squeaky clean, always smelling of pine soap. Suddenly, her face scalded and it wasn’t from the intense heat of the sun. How dare she compare the scents of a man, namely Jake, to those of her husband? She looked around as if someone might hear her guilty thoughts. Frantically she began picking up items and she thanked God above that Jake was no longer a gentleman and had not stayed to help her.

Cameron headed to Lacey’s and numbly sat in the first available booth. Lacey did not come to her empty-handed. She brought a tray of little sandwiches, frosted shortbread cookies and tea.

“It’s a tad hot for tea, but there is no fresh lemonade.”

“This is just fine, thank you.”

“Finished early with your shopping?”

Cameron held up the palms of her hands. “I fell.”

“Oh, you poor thing. I’ll get those splinters out of your hands.” Lacey went to fetch some tweezers then settled in across from Cameron.

Blushing furiously, she relayed the story of her incident and Jake.

“He’s a beast!” said Lacey while she plucked out the slivers.

“I’ve never been so humiliated!”

They burst into laughter so hard that tears rolled down their faces.

Cameron dabbed the corners of her eyes with splinter free hands. She placed a cube of sugar in her now lukewarm tea and stirred it thoughtfully. It was about this time last year that she began to listen to Andrew and attend church. Her life was so fulfilled now and she couldn’t help but wonder where she’d be without knowing God’s unconditional love. Compassion for her dearest friend in the world came forward and she could no longer keep such a wondrous gift to herself.

Although she felt emboldened, she wanted to choose her words carefully. “Do you think it’s time you started listening to Andrew about church?”

Lacey sat back—annoyed.

“I know how you feel about church and God and the Bible, Lacey. You had a terrible experience with your parents growing up, but they were so wrong!”

“I’ve heard enough.”

Cameron bit her lip, willing herself to be silent, but then had a change of mind. At times she felt older than Lacey, who was sitting across from her stubbornly and in blatant defiance. How would she ever hear it if everyone always played the coward to her extreme moodiness?

“Why not give yourself a chance for hope? You’ve said so yourself that I have changed.”

“I think you’ve just matured. Married life will do that to you!”

“How do you think I managed after I lost our baby?”

“You hardly managed. You were a hermit, never letting anyone, especially me, come and see you.”

“I meant eventually. I have a lot to learn about my life and about God. Now, wait a minute, you can’t get upset every time I say
God
… He’s my life. If you can’t accept that, then I suppose you can’t accept me.”

“Don’t be silly. Of course I accept you.”

Shaking her head Cameron continued, “What I’m trying to say is that, yes, something terrible happened. I know now that if I didn’t have faith, I would have been even more devastated than I was. I might have never come out of it and would have ruined my life and my marriage. It took a little longer for me than it does for some, I imagine. But learning to overcome is what causes us to grow in all of our relationships. Nothing and nobody is perfect.”

Lacey sat quietly in contemplation while Cameron lifted the teacup to her lips, unbelieving of what had just spilled out of her. She was trembling inside, but it felt good and it felt right. For now, it was time to let it be. And as she’d had her own moment of reconciliation with God, she knew with all of her heart that someday Lacey would share one as well.

Chapter Eighteen

As another month rounded the corner and began to settle upon the town, it was rumored that Bethany Hoffman was indeed in a heap of danger. While Andrew was making rounds on a family who’d lost their farm to the bank, Cameron felt it her duty to lend support where she could, and went to the saloon.

Bethany appeared surprised to have the preacher’s wife walk in bold as the light of day and take a seat as if she belonged there. Cameron smiled in spite of herself. If Bethany had only known her history, she’d be truly astonished. Being morning, the saloon was empty and she had the impression she’d just happened to catch Bethany at the perfect moment.

“Good morning.”

Bethany looked upon her cautiously, seeming eager to be out of reach from any conversation.

Liam was drying drinking glasses and stopped to motion for Bethany to answer.

“Afternoon to you… Cameron.”

“It’s Mrs. Jackson,” Liam said in a curt tone.

“Cameron is fine. Please, join me a moment?”

Bethany frowned slightly but made her way to the table. Cameron gestured for her to have a seat.

“How can I help you?”

“I’m sure Sheriff Ed Randall has mentioned to you that you are in potential danger.”

Bethany shrugged.

“Do you have family?”

“Not here. Why are you asking me this?”

Cameron leaned forward. “You lost your husband on that stage. I should have spoken to you sooner and truly asked how you were doing—I’ve wanted to befriend you for a while now. Please forgive me.”

“You’re here to make yourself feel better, then.”

Although that was an untrue statement, Cameron supposed she had a right to be angry.

“I can see how it could appear that way. To be honest, I didn’t know how to respond once I’d heard you turned down working for Lacey to be a… well to work at Liam’s.”

“That woman is arrogant and I needed to earn enough money to move on as soon as I could, that’s why.”

“And do you have enough money to go home?”

“Somewhat. But I don’t see what concern that is of yours.” Bethany began to rise from the table, discussion apparently over.

“I don’t want those men to find you, Bethany. You are a witness to their crimes and if they find you before the law finds them, you will be harmed or killed.”

“So you care for me all of a sudden?”

Cameron stood. “I only want to help, truly I do.”

“My family doesn’t want me back.” She looked down. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“I might understand more than you think. Try me.”

A clanking sound echoed from the bar as a glass fell on its side.

“Apologies, ladies,” Liam said and continued stacking glasses into a pyramid.

After recovering from being startled, Bethany explained, “I ran away from home when I was sixteen. I took off with someone my father labeled a trouble maker.” Her eyes watered, the first sign of emotion Cameron had seen. “He was right. The man was twenty and I was attracted to his looks and to his rebellion.”

“Your home is Missouri,” Cameron recalled.

“Yes. My father told me if I ran off, he’d disown me. I have never been back.”

“But surely if he knew you were in danger, that you are now a widow, he’d want to help?”

Bethany bit her lip, unsure. “I don’t believe so.”

“Perhaps you should wire home? It can’t hurt to send a telegram to see where he stands with your new circumstances?”

Hope seemed to fall upon her. “I think I might do that.”

“Please let me know the outcome?” Cameron inquired. “If it’s not in your favor, although I will be praying for you, then we will figure something else out.”

“Thank you for the encouragement.”

“You just need to be safe and be home with family.”

*** *** ***

Cameron needed to get to Dr. Grover’s and back before Andrew returned home. It was the one stop she’d been procrastinating on making and it could no longer be avoided.

No sooner had she stepped out from her visit with Bethany, than the wind whipped up a flurry of dry dirt before her. Cameron peered at the darkened sky.

Miles, the postmaster, was walking by, holding his hat tight to his head. “Might be a tunnel making its way.”

“I’m not walking very far. Where did everybody go?”

Miles teased, “The smart ones are at home.”

She smiled and hustled on regardless. She must find out if she was right about her condition.

 An hour later, Cameron exited Dr. Grover’s office with both dread and hopeful anticipation. She rushed to her wagon at the livery and clucked the unnerved team of horses onward. She was expecting a baby again. She wondered what Andrew’s response would be. She had grown stronger physically and spiritually and together they should account for something. She could now handle whatever was to come of it. She stilled the horses at the eerie calm around her and took note again of the sky. She headed back to Lacey’s. With the sudden turn of the weather, the hotel was by far safer.

*** *** ***

Jake had finished up a late breakfast, and after folding the newspaper in his grasp, he saw Cameron attempting to tie her horses to the railing. They were skittish and her control of them was weak. He had no choice but to get out there and help her.

“What are you doing out in this storm?” He cursed.

She held on to that ridiculous bonnet she wore. “I didn’t think the weather would turn so fast, although I suppose I should have.”

“Yes, you should have! How long ya been here anyway? Two years or more?” He knew exactly how long she’d been there. He’d never forget the day Cameron Engel stepped foot in Lincoln County.

“Well there’s no cause for yelling at me about it.”

If she’d been angry and hollered back at him, he could take it. But she scolded him so gently because he could still hurt her feelings. His stomach twisted and he cursed again.

“Blast it, Cameron!”

Her skirts blew up and a look of mortification crossed her cheeks fast. With a hand on that stupid bonnet and the other fetching her skirts in place, he took a small level of pity on her. She was as uncomfortable in his presence as he was hers. It shouldn’t be like that. He didn’t want it to be that way between them, not anymore.

“Come on then, let’s not stand out here in the storm like idiots, get inside. I’ll take your team to the livery.”

“Thank you, Jake.” As she turned to go in she paused and placed a hand on his arm. He looked at it, her touch incredibly unsettling. “You are still kind, you know?”

He wanted to hold her, but if ever things did get back to somewhat normalcy for them, he’d have to tame his wanting of her, make her feel it would be safe to call upon him as a friend, should she ever need to. Now seemed a good time as any to respond in a halfway decent manner. “I can’t travel in this either. I have a table already if you’d care to share a coffee with me upon my return.”

She was at the entrance. “I would like that, thank you for the offer.”

Chapter Nineteen

After getting the news from Dr. Grover, it seemed odd she would be in Jake’s company instead of her husband’s. Cameron wasn’t sure how she felt about that, but there was no other alternative at the moment—she couldn’t get home.

She thought she might be nervous about sitting across from Jake over a cup of coffee, but as she awaited his return, she found she was not. Rather than be ruled by the intimidation and unkindness he’d been shoving on her, she prayed, wanting above all else at the moment for Jake to come to know God’s love as she did. She went into the kitchen to brew some fresh coffee and snatched a couple of shortbread cookies from Cook’s supply, then went to seek his table. As she did, dry thunder pounded overhead and then came the blackness.