Love's Sweet Surrender (5 page)

Her thoughts drifted back to the meeting and the blue-eyed stranger in the back of the room. He had stood up for her, and she wondered who he was. “Why was he so willing to support me in front of the town? He doesn’t know me, except for the encounter on the train, and he didn’t let on to anyone that we had met before, or sort of.”

Obviously, he was an upstanding citizen here. No one seemed

concerned by his presence. When he had spoken up for her, they had listened.

The pain in his eyes on the train made her wonder what, or who, had made him so sad.

“And the gun.” Lily remembered with a shudder. He had drawn his gun so fast that she hadn’t even seen him move, much less draw it.

Surely at some point we will be properly introduced, and I can thank
him for saving me.

She moved back inside and locked the door before she headed for her bedroom to change into her nightgown. She sat in front of the small dressing table and brushed her hair out until all the tangles were gone. When she wore it down, it usually curled wildly around her head. When she had finished, she tucked it into a bun and went to the bed to pull the fresh covers down.

Sliding under the sheets, she leaned over and blew out the lamp on the bedside table. Lying there in the dark, watching the shadows dance on the Ebook piracy is stealing. It is a federal offense.

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Love’s Sweet Surrender

31

ceiling of her bedroom, she thought about her parents—her real parents.

What were they like? Did her mother have big green eyes like hers? Had they been tall? When she had asked where the few letters from her mother had been postmarked in California, they said they didn’t remember and that the letters had been discarded.

Maybe someday she would find her mother, or try to, but for now, she needed to concentrate on her future in Parkville. She drifted off to sleep with questions rolling around in her mind.

The next morning found her quietly humming in her kitchen, fixing herself something to eat and getting ready for church. This afternoon she would work in the little flower garden the ladies of the town had planted in front. She had always loved gardening while she lived in Boston, and since there were several weeds popping up around the pretty flowers, she would have to take care of them before they got out of control.

With the mornings still cool, she grabbed her shawl and purse before she headed for church. She was startled to find Madge on her front steps when she opened the door.

“Madge, it’s nice to see you.” Lily stepped aside and let Madge in out of the cold.

“I came by to see how you were doing.” Madge's gaze swept the room.

“I’m glad the town decided to let you stay. My goodness, you’ve been busy in here.”

Lily smiled at her friend’s remark. “Yes, well, I was up late last night getting things in order. I’ll probably be busy most of this afternoon getting lessons ready for the children tomorrow.”

Madge patted her arm. “No, that won’t do. Sunday is the Lord’s Day and a day of rest. You need to relax today.”

“I know, but I have so much to do before school starts tomorrow. I’m hoping to meet some of the children today, so I might have some idea of their ages before then.”

“I’m sure there will be several at church. Just about everyone in town comes every week. If you are ready, we can walk over together.”

“That would be very nice. Thank you.” They walked through the door together, and Lily locked it behind her.

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Sandy Sullivan

They walked in silence toward the church, but Lily's thoughts drifted to her savior from the train, and she wondered if she could ask Madge about him.

After several minutes she asked, “Madge, can I ask you a question?”

“Yes, of course, my dear. What’s on your mind?”

“Were you at the town meeting last night?”

“Yes. I was sitting near the back. Why do you ask?”

Perfect.
Madge should have seen the man in the back since she sat near
there.

“There was a man standing near the back of the church during the meeting. I believe that I might know him. Can you tell me his name?”

“Near the back of the church, you say?” Madge tapped her fingers to her lips. “Let me see if I remember who was back there. What did he look like?”

“Tall, with blond hair, blue eyes, a broad chest, and he was wearing a brown shirt and trousers, with a gun tied to his thigh.” After she gave her description, she realized she had described him perfectly, much to her embarrassment.

A knowing smile rippled across Madge's mouth. “Ah… that, my dear, is Seth Sanford. He is one of the most eligible bachelors in our little town.”

“Sanford?” Lily questioned, testing the name on her tongue. “I think the boy that I sent for my trunks at the train station the other day was a Sanford.

Johnny, I think.”

“Yes, he’s one of Seth’s children. Johnny is the eldest of three. Seth has two boys, Johnny and Jarod, and one little girl named Anne. They live outside town to the east. Seth runs cattle out there, but don’t expect those children to be at church today, even though they need to be—poor dears.”

Madge obviously thought the children needed the Lord's guidance, but Lily wondered why they wouldn't be there.

“Why is that?”
Children need religious structure in their lives too.

“Seth hasn’t set foot in church since his wife died about six months ago.”

When they reached the churchyard, they were swallowed up in the crowd waiting for services to start. All further conversation was cut off concerning Seth, much to Lily’s disappointment.

After church, she received several invitations for Sunday supper, and she wasn’t able to get to the weeding in her garden until much later in the Ebook piracy is stealing. It is a federal offense.

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day. Once she had returned home, she quickly changed into one of her more worn frocks in order to not ruin her good Sunday clothes. She wandered out to the garden and pulled up a small stool that she had found in the pantry so that she could sit comfortably while she pulled weeds.

Two hours later the weeds were gone. A tired sigh rushed from between her lips as she stood and arched her back, trying to relieve the kinks.

* * * *

With a load of supplies in his strong arms, Seth Sanford walked out of the general store toward the wagon parked nearby. His attention snagged on the new teacher across the road when she stood and stretched her back. Her back arched, pushing her breasts against the front of her dress, outlining them perfectly for his gaze. He stumbled over the step and almost dropped the supplies.

Johnny sat in the wagon waiting, but when Seth almost tripped, his eyes widened, and he asked, “Pop, are you all right?”

He pulled his gaze from the beautiful woman and turned back to his son,

“What? Yes, I’m fine, son. I just tripped. Are you ready to go?”

“Yep, just waiting for you. Hey, isn’t that the new schoolteacher over there?” Johnny pointed across the street.

“I think so, son. Why?”

“I helped her with her trunks the other day,” Johnny beamed as color splashed across his cheeks. “She came in on the train the day before yesterday, and she gave me a nickel for helping her with them.”

“I’m glad you were there to help her.” Trying not to look across the street again, Seth loaded the staples in the back of the wagon. The outline of her pert breasts pushing against her dress made his groin just a little too tight in his breeches.

“She’s real nice, Pop. Pretty too.” Johnny pushed his chest out a little farther, and Seth almost laughed. His son obviously had a crush on the new teacher already. “Maybe we could invite her out for supper sometime.”

“Well, I’m sure she would like that, son, but let’s not rush things. She just arrived, and she has a lot to do to get things ready for school.”

Seth climbed into the wagon seat next to Johnny and grabbed the reins before he flicked them over the rump of the horse.

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* * * *

Lily caught sight of the wagon when it rolled past her house, and Johnny waved enthusiastically. She lifted her hand to return the gesture, noticing how Seth didn’t even look in her direction.
Well, that’s a fine how do you
do.
Shielding her eyes from the sun, she frowned as she watched the wagon roll out of town. Grumbling under her breath about how rude some people could be, she grabbed the stool and headed toward the door. The sun had already started to set in the evening sky, and she really wanted to make use of the tub she had found earlier in the day. She needed to be refreshed and alert the next day when she met the children. Once the water sat on the stove, she pulled the tub out and gathered her toiletries. A nice, long, hot bath would feel wonderful.

After the water had boiled and she had filled the tub at least three quarters full, she sank into the steaming water with a heavy sigh. She had always loved her bath with all the smelling salts and bubbles. It had been her one weakness growing up. When she felt her muscles relax from the warm water, her mind drifted to Seth Sanford.

On the train he had been so chivalrous in making sure she was all right after their encounter with the robbers. Even though she was sure he remembered her from the train, now he seemed so distant.

At least I know his name, and Seth is a nice name. It seems to fit.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts of the man, she pulled herself from the tub, dried off and slipped on her nightgown.
I'll empty the water in the
morning. I'm too sleepy to do it now.
She pulled the covers down and turned to blow out the light. Sleep claimed her almost before her head hit the pillow, but her dreams were haunted by visions of sad blue eyes.

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The next morning Lily was up bright and early, flittering around her house like a butterfly, getting her things together to go to the school. The sun had hardly peeked over the horizon, and she was already out the door.

It was more like an attachment to the church than a school, but it would do. From what she could gather, there were only about fifteen children in the entire town, so it wouldn’t be too trying on her to start with, but she hoped others would come. She knew there were probably several that lived nearby who didn’t attend school.

As the sun rose a little higher in the sky, she started to hear the chatter of children coming closer. She'd already prepared lessons for the first few days, but she would have to judge the children on their abilities and their ages in order to plan further out. Having met a few of them in church the day before had given her some insight, but there were several she hadn’t met. They would be the challenge.

When it appeared that there wouldn’t be any more, she rang the bell on the outside of the door to tell the children it was time to start. Bright-eyed faces entered the schoolroom while she stood near the door to greet each one.

“All right, children. Some of you already know my name, but for those who do not, I'm Mrs. Backman. I am your new teacher, and we will be learning so much together but also having fun while doing it. I want each of you to tell me your name when we go around the room.” Lily smiled to herself at the expressions on the faces of the curious children as each said his or her name, until it came to the three in the back.

Lily recognized one as the boy, Johnny Sanford. She correctly assumed that the other boy was Jarod and the little girl, Anne. Jarod was a cute boy of about nine years of age, and Anne appeared to be about six or seven, but she Ebook piracy is stealing. It is a federal offense.

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didn’t talk. Johnny told Lily her name while Anne sat silently with her eyes downcast.

That’s odd.

She would have to get to know these children, all of them, very well if she was to be able to teach them accordingly. She wanted this job to last for a long time, so she had to do her best, and that’s exactly what she planned to do.

Lily spent the entire day talking with and learning about each child.

Many of them were well within what she considered to be their expected learning stage when the day was over. She had made notes on each child to keep it all straight and filed them alphabetically by last name.

As she packed up her things to head for home, the little girl named Anne tugged at her heartstrings. During the day, Anne hadn’t said a word, and at lunch Lily had pulled Johnny aside and asked him about her.

“Johnny, I don’t want you to think I’m trying to be hurtful toward your sister, but I need to know so I can teach her. Has she been able to speak before, or has she always not spoken?”

“Anne used to be a chatter box. Pop could hardly keep her quiet sometimes. She used to tell stories and read to Momma and Poppa when she was even just a little girl. She’s very smart, but since Momma died, she doesn’t talk.”

“What happened to your mother, Johnny?” Lily was afraid to hear the sad story, but deep in her heart she needed to know.

“Momma was out riding her horse one day. A rattler spooked the horse and threw Momma to the ground. Poppa said that she broke her neck. It’s been real quiet at home since then. We have Carmen who helps Poppa with the cookin’ and stuff, but it’s not the same.” He sniffed slightly and rubbed his eyes.

Lily tried to put her arm around the boy’s shoulder in comfort, but he pulled out of her embrace.