Love Finds a Home (Anthologies) (7 page)

Glenna swallowed hard, steeling herself for what was to come. It was done. She was married to Reverend David Green. Would her husband’s kiss be as gentle as his melodic voice? Would it send shivers of delight up her spine, causing her knees to go weak? She’d seen many women swoon after being kissed by a man, yet she’d never experienced any such thing herself. In fact, except for her father’s quick pecks, Glenna had never known any man’s lips.

Much to her surprise, and yes, even to her disappointment, David merely bent his head and brushed a fleeting kiss across her cheek. She was sure he had his reasons for marrying her, but love was obviously not one of them.
Does he find me unattractive or too unappealing to kiss me on the mouth?
she cried inwardly.
Did he marry me only out of obligation?

Taking her by surprise, David bent down and whispered in Glenna’s ear, “You make a beautiful bride.”

Self-consciously, she lifted a hand to touch the soft curl that lay next to her ear. She’d pulled her long hair away from her face and secured it with the tortoise shell combs she often wore. However, unruly curls had a mind of their own, and a few had managed to escape.

“How would you like to have dinner in the hotel dining room before we check into our room?” David asked.

Her head jerked up. “Hotel? Are we spending the night in Granger?”

A soft chuckle escaped his lips. “Of course. There won’t be another train heading west until midday tomorrow.”

Glenna nodded, feeling suddenly foolish and more than a bit flustered.

A short time later, David and Glenna said good-bye to Pastor Hunter, his wife, and their son. Soon they were seated at a table for two in the Hotel Granger’s dining room. A gold-colored tablecloth graced with a cut glass vase full of daisies created a cozy, yet romantic scene.

Glenna had been subjected to some luxuries over the course of her eighteen years, but that was only when Daddy had been winning big.
Winning or cheating?
a little voice niggled at the back of her mind.
Did Daddy ever win any money in a fair game of cards?

“What appeals to you?” David asked, breaking into her disconcerting thoughts.

She shrugged and stared blankly at the menu lying before her. “Whatever you’re planning to have is fine.”

When the waitress came, David placed for each of them an order for pot roast with potatoes and carrots on the side, along with a plate of fresh greens. They had coffee and tall glasses of water to drink, and a basket of freshly baked bread was brought before the main part of the meal.

“You seem rather quiet and withdrawn this evening,” David noted with a look of concern. “Is everything all right? You’re not having second thoughts about marrying me, are you?”

Glenna took a sip of coffee, then glanced at him over the rim of her cup. “It’s not that. I’m just missing Daddy. If he hadn’t jumped to his death, the two of us would have been here in Granger right now. This is where we’d planned to get off the train, you know.”

David reached across the table and placed a gentle hand on top of hers. “I know you’re still grieving, but remember, you have a new life with me now. We have a church and people waiting for us in Idaho City.”

Glenna stared into his green eyes, so sympathetic and full of understanding. She swallowed past the lump in her throat and was about to reply when some boisterous voices caught her attention. Her gaze darted to the left. Two men were heading toward their table, arms draped across each other’s shoulders, bodies swaying carelessly.

One of the men was looking directly at Glenna, and her mouth dropped open. Disbelieving her eyes, she looked down at the table then quickly back again.
Daddy?

CHAPTER 7

D
addy’s eyes glazed over, and he stared at Glenna as though he’d seen a ghost. “Glenna? Baby, is that you?”

Trembling, she could only nod. This had to be some kind of a dream. She’d seen Daddy jump from that train. Even if by some miracle he had survived the fall, there was no way he could have made it to Granger on his own steam—not to mention as quickly as the train had brought them there.

“Mr. Moore, we thought you were dead,” David said, scraping his chair away from the table but still remaining seated.

“It would take a lot more than bailing off a train and rolling down a prickly embankment to kill someone as ornery as me,” Daddy replied with a hearty laugh.

“But—but—how did you get here?” Glenna stammered.

“Some good folks came by in a wagon and picked me up.” Daddy leaned against his friend for support and riveted David with a hard gaze.

David’s face was a mask of suspicion, and Glenna noticed the muscle in his cheek had begun to twitch. “I hardly think a wagon could have beat the train here, Mr. Moore,” he said evenly.

“And what about your injuries?” Glenna interjected. “Surely you must have been hurt after that fall.”

Her father grinned and gave his goatee a few tugs. “I was kind of banged up but not too much worse for the wear.” He took a few steps closer to their table, then leaned his weighty arms on the corner nearest Glenna. “Those folks with the wagon had an extra horse. They were kind enough to let me borrow it. That’s how I made such good time.”

For the first time, the man beside Daddy spoke up. “That’s right. My old friend Garret galloped into town yesterday afternoon, and we’ve been havin’ ourselves a good old time ever since.” He pounded Glenna’s father on the back, causing them both to wobble unsteadily.

“Yep,” Daddy agreed. “Alvin and I go way back.”

Glenna knew Alvin must be the friend Daddy had planned to link up with when they arrived in Granger. From the looks of things, Daddy cared more about his drinking partner than he did her. He hadn’t even asked about her, nor had he seemed that interested in the fact that she was sitting in the hotel dining room having dinner with a man.

Swaying slightly, Daddy leaned over and stared David right in the eye. “Say, you’re that preacher fellow who was on the train, aren’t ya?”

David nodded and opened his mouth, but Glenna cut him right off. “David’s my husband now, Daddy. We were married today … by a
preacher
here in Granger … in a
church.”
Why Glenna was emphasizing the words preacher and church, she wasn’t sure. Maybe it was to be certain Daddy knew the marriage was legal and binding, and there was nothing he could do about it. If he cared so little about Glenna that he would jump off the train and leave her all alone, then he had no right to interfere in her life now.

“You’re what?” Daddy bellowed.

She lifted her chin and held his steady gaze. “I’m a married woman.”

Daddy’s fist came down hard against the table, jostling the silver and nearly upsetting the vase of daisies. “You can’t be married!”

David jumped to his feet, quickly skirting the table to stand beside Glenna. He placed one hand on her trembling shoulder. “Glenna’s my wife. We’ll be leaving on the train tomorrow, heading for my new pastorate in Idaho City.”

Daddy’s face reddened further, and he shook his fist in front of David’s nose. “Glenna is
my
daughter, and you can’t have her! She’s staying here, not traipsing off to Idaho with some high-and-mighty Bible-thumper!”

Glenna’s ears burned, and her eyes stung with unwanted tears. Her father and her new husband were arguing over her. She’d been Daddy’s girl for eighteen years. She’d only been Reverend David Green’s wife a few hours. Anxiety gnawed at her insides, but she knew she had a choice to make. Who should she stay with? Her chin quivered as she considered her options. “David is my husband. I’m going with him.”

David tensed protectively when Garret Moore grabbed Glenna’s arm. “Have you taken leave of your senses? You’re my daughter, and I’ve always met your needs.”

“The way you did on the train?” David asked between clenched teeth.

“Glenna wouldn’t have a father right now if I hadn’t jumped,” Garret snarled, though he did release his grip on Glenna’s arm. “Those card sharks were gonna kill me. I had to make a quick escape, and I figured I’d make it to Granger, then meet up with Glenna when the train stopped here. How was I to know she’d go and do something so foolish as gettin’ hitched up with the likes of you?”

David stepped closer to Garret, nearly knocking him into his buddy, Alvin. “I’m sorry about all your troubles, Mr. Moore, but if you hadn’t been gambling in the first place—”

“Don’t you go preachin’ at me, sonny!” Garret shouted. “I’ve made a fair-enough living at my trade, and my daughter’s never done without.” He perused Glenna a few moments and frowned. “Are ya comin’ with me or not?”

David’s spirits slid straight to his boots. What if Glenna had changed her mind? What if he had no wife to take to his new pastorate after all? Relief bubbled up in his chest when she shook her head, but it ripped at David’s heartstrings to see her so shaken and torn. He knew she’d always been “Daddy’s girl,” and deciding to stay with him rather than go with her father could not have been an easy decision.

Garret shrugged his shoulders. “Suit yourself, daughter, but if you change your mind, I’ll be at Mrs. O’Leary’s boardinghouse.” With that, he grabbed his pal’s arm and practically pushed him out of the room.

As Glenna stood staring out their hotel-room window, her thoughts became a tangled web of confusion. She hadn’t been this upset since Daddy jumped off the train three days ago. It was hard to find any joy over her marriage, especially after learning that her father was alive. Knowing that she and David would be leaving tomorrow and she’d probably never see Daddy again didn’t help her mood either. Even if she and David ever returned to Granger for a visit with David’s friend, what were the chances that Daddy would be there? Daddy never stayed anywhere very long. He’d get bored and decide to move on to the next town. Or someone would catch him cheating, and he’d be run out of town with the threat of jail or a bullet in his back.

Glenna wished Daddy could find forgiveness for his sins and know the sweet sense of peace she’d found by asking Jesus into her heart. She knew there was nothing she could do for Daddy now but pray.

Forcing all thoughts of her father aside, Glenna concentrated on her new husband. David had seemed a bit distant since they’d left the hotel dining room and come upstairs to their room. Was he sorry he’d married her? Had Daddy’s unexpected appearance marred their future? Maybe David thought she really wanted to go with Daddy and was only staying with him out of obligation. Despite the fact that she hardly knew David Green, Glenna was certain of one thing—her husband was a good person. He was a man of God, not some drunk who thought nothing of gambling away his money as though it were no more than a jar of glass marbles.

Goose bumps erupted on Glenna’s arms as David stepped up behind her, wrapping his comforting arms around her waist. She’d thought he was still sitting in the cane-backed chair across the room, reading his Bible.

“Glenna, I think we should talk.” David’s words came out in a whisper, caressing her ear with the warmth of his breath.

She leaned into him, relishing the closeness of his body and the way his embrace made her feel so protected. She drew in a deep breath, letting it out in a lingering sigh. She knew it was ridiculous because they barely knew one another, but she had fallen hopelessly in love with this man. The question was, did David return her feelings, or was he merely being kind? Did David see her as a woman he could love or just a needy person he felt obligated to care for?