Keli Gwyn - Her Motherhood Wish

Callie jerked her chin up. “The Good Book says that ‘all things work together for good to them that love God.’ I firmly believe that. Don’t you?”

He wasn’t in the mood for a theological debate, tired as he was after his harrowing task, but she deserved a response. “I believe God can bring good out of bad, but He doesn’t promise that life will be easy.” He had a hard time seeing how anything good could come out of losing his entire family inside of one week or Jasper and Rudy being robbed of their father.

Callie wandered over to his workbench, one of three in the spacious woodshop, where he’d set his toolboxes. She trailed a fingertip over the lids as she walked past each one. “No, but He does promise to be with us no matter what comes our way. That’s a promise that fills me with hope.”

Hope. Callie embodied it. He admired that, but her rosy-hued outlook could keep her from accepting the harsh realities of life. And they were facing one now. As much as he’d like to spare her, he couldn’t. “I’m afraid trouble could be coming our way.”

“What do you mean?”

“In his letter, the landlord assured Mr. Tate that a safe would be installed before his arrival so he’d have a place to store the gemstones he was picking up in Sacramento City. The attempted robbery doesn’t strike me as a random act. I think it was planned by someone who’d learned about the shipment.”

She stopped and gave him her full attention. “You think it was premeditated, then?”

“I do.” But there was more to it than that. “I’m not sure they got the jewels.”

Her clear blue eyes bored into him. “Why? It seems to me they wouldn’t have left until they did.”

He disagreed. “Since his attackers beat him before taking his life, it makes sense they hadn’t found what they were after and used force to get him to talk.”

She challenged his supposition. “But why kill him if he hadn’t revealed their whereabouts? Wouldn’t they have kept him alive until he told them? I think it’s more likely that he told them what they wanted to know, thinking they’d take the jewels and leave. They could have killed him so he couldn’t report the report the theft or describe them. Since they didn’t pursue us, I think they’ve probably left the area and are busy trying to sell the stones somewhere else.”

He saw her point, but... “If he had the jewels, wouldn’t he have given them up right away? I think it’s more likely he didn’t have them with him and that’s why they did him in.”

She placed her palms on his workbench, looked across it and studied him with narrowed eyes. Skepticism and concern waged a war in their depths. Concern won out. “If what you believe is true and he didn’t tell them because he didn’t have the jewels, where are they?”

“I don’t know. Perhaps he entrusted them to Wells, Fargo and Company. I hope that’s the case.”

“Why?”

A simple question requiring an answer he was loath to put into words, but he must. “Mr. Tate’s attackers were willing to resort to murder in order to get his gemstones, so I expect they won’t stop looking until they find them. If they don’t show up in an express delivery, I’m afraid his killers might come looking for the children and try to get information out of them.”

He waited for Callie’s reaction, expecting anger, shock or fear. Instead, she laughed.

“You can’t be serious. They have no idea where the children are now since they took off when we showed up.”

“I’m quite serious. It wouldn’t take them long to find out, and once they did, they could try to find them.”

“Why would they do that? They left the children behind so they wouldn’t have to witness the...crime. That tells me they must have scruples.”

Her positive outlook was admirable, but he dealt in facts, and those he’d collected had decided his course of action. “Given their history, it seems more likely they would stop at nothing to get what they want and wouldn’t let the fact that Jasper and Ruby are children get in their way. We have to protect the youngsters, which is why Tess changed the plans. In most cases, she puts a new child in with the others right away to help them adjust as quickly as possible, but she wants us to keep a close watch over Jasper and Ruby. He and I will bed down on the third floor of Jack and Jill House, and Ruby will share your room on the second. I’ll bring beds over from the bunkhouse to use tonight until I can get those we need done.”

Callie sobered. “If Tess is concerned, she must believe the children are in danger.”

“We don’t know that for sure, but she agreed that taking precautionary measures would be wise.”

“I understand why you’re doing this, but I still think the murderers got the jewels. Even if they didn’t and they came looking for the children, I believe they’re safe here.”

He wanted to believe that, too, but unlike Callie, he’d seen what Mr. Tate’s attackers were capable of. The fatherless children were now in Chip’s care, and he would do everything in his power to protect them.

But what if it wasn’t enough?

Chapter Three

The dining hall was abuzz as scores of children sat at the long tables, carrying on animated conversations. Jasper was on Callie’s left, his eyes roving over the scene. Although the room was large, it had a friendly feel, with paintings of characters from Mother Goose tales on the brightly colored walls. Older children wearing ankle-length white aprons and smiles carried in platters and bowls heaped with an assortment of mouthwatering dishes and set them on the tables.

Jasper’s chin dropped. “I never seen so much food in one place before. And it smells real good.”

That it did. Callie hadn’t realized how hungry she was. Thankfully, no one could hear her rumbling stomach over the hubbub. “I’m sure it will taste good, too.”

Ruby, seated on Callie’s right, pointed. “Chicken.”

“That’s right, sweetheart. Fried chicken. Do you like it?”

The little girl nodded.

“She likes drumsticks,” Jasper volunteered. “So do I.”

Chip, seated on Jasper’s other side, grinned, a playful gleam in his eye. “I do, too. I hope there’s more than one left when it’s our turn to pick. I wouldn’t want to have to fight you for the last one.”

The young fellow scowled at Chip. “Fighting is wrong. Papa says so.” His face pinched with pain as reality rushed in. “He said so.”

Callie sent a disapproving glance Chip’s way and hastened to reassure Jasper. “Mr. Chip was teasing. He wouldn’t take the last drumstick. He’d let you have it. But you don’t have to worry. There’s plenty of food.”

“Miss Callie’s right, Jasper. I was just having some fun with you, but it wasn’t the right time. I’m sorry. Can you forgive me?”

The boy studied Chip intently, his forehead creased in concentration. A slow smile spread across Jasper’s boyishly round face. “I’ll forgive you—if you give me your drumstick, too.”

Chip laughed. “Jasper, my boy, you drive a hard bargain, but if you think you can polish off two drumsticks, you can have mine.”

Luke stopped behind the vacant spot next to Ruby. “Do you mind if I sit here?”

Callie smiled. “Not at all. We’d love your company, wouldn’t we, Ruby?”

In answer, the little girl scooted closer to Callie.

“It’s all right, sweetheart. This is Luke. Don’t you remember? He’s the one who rode on the seesaw with us.”

Jasper chimed in. “I remember. He’s not an orphan. He’s Mama Tess and Papa Spencer’s son.”

“That’s me, all right.” Luke smiled, plunked himself down on the bench and leaned close to Ruby. “I know I’m big and scary, but I won’t hurt you. I like girls. I have three sisters. I think one of them is your age. How old are you?”