A Pony Express Christmas. Rhonda GibsonЧитать онлайн книгу.
homestead.”
Will, Cole and Ike followed him to the front door where they gathered coats and gloves and left.
Mrs. Frontz excused herself and asked Molly to carry her plate into the kitchen. Jake appreciated the fact that everyone gave him and Leah a few moments alone.
He walked to her side of the table and knelt down beside her chair. She turned to face him. “I hope you don’t mind that I announced our upcoming wedding like that.”
She gave him a smile. Her hand came up and she brushed the hair off his forehead. “No. We were going to have to tell them later, anyway.”
He enjoyed the sensation of her warm fingers on his brow, almost too much, and pulled away. Jake stood. “Good, I’m glad.”
Leah rose and began gathering dirty dishes from the table. “I have offered to help Agnes out around here. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Of course I don’t. She needs the help. It was nice of you to offer.” Jake walked to the front door and pulled on his own coat and gloves. “I’ll see you later.” He stopped and looked at her.
Cheeks flaming now, Leah said, “Have a good day.” She didn’t make eye contact with him but simply continued gathering the dishes. He wondered if she’d embarrassed herself by sweeping the hair out of his eyes.
“You, too.” Jake felt the blast of cold as he opened the door and stepped out onto the porch. Storm clouds hung low in the sky, promising snow.
He reached up and touched the spot where Leah’s fingers had grazed his forehead. Had he made a mistake asking someone he’d just met to marry him? What if she expected to someday fall in love? Jake dropped his hand. He ducked his head against the cold wind and walked toward the old homestead.
As he went, Jake silently prayed. Please Lord, don’t let her fall in love with me or try to make me fall in love with her. You and I both know that can never happen. I can’t allow my heart to be broken again.
“Have you set a date yet as to when the wedding will take place?” Agnes asked as Leah walked into the kitchen carrying the breakfast dishes. She handed Leah an apron to wear.
Leah tied the apron around her waist and shook her head. “No, we haven’t really talked much about it.”
“A spring wedding would be nice.” Agnes began grating slivers of soap into the tub of hot water.
“I would kind of like to have a Christmas wedding. When I was ten years old, a couple got snowed in and had to stay at the orphanage. They wanted to get married at Christmas and the headmistress let them have the wedding there. The bride wore a white dress and had red flowers with big petals. We got to decorate the dining hall with strings of cranberries and popcorn. I thought it was the most beautiful wedding I’d ever seen.” Leah felt heat fill her face.
Agnes tsked as she placed coffee cups in the now-soapy water. “That does sound lovely but I’m not sure that’s possible. Parson John isn’t due to come back this way until the early part of the year.”
Leah picked up a dish cloth and began drying the cups as Agnes handed them to her. “Parson John?”
“He’s our traveling preacher. We see him about every three months or so.”
“Oh.” Disappointment squeezed Leah’s chest. If the preacher wasn’t due to return for several months, then she wouldn’t be having a Christmas wedding.
Agnes handed her a plate. “Don’t fret, child. It’s not that long, and that will give us plenty of time to plan the wedding.”
Leah nodded. “Are there any other preachers in the area?”
“Nope.”
“Normally Parson John would be here during the holidays, but his sister is sick and he wanted to spend time with her and her family, so he left town last week to be with them.”
The two women continued cleaning the kitchen. Agnes showed Leah where to place the plates, silverware, pots and pans. Just as they finished, the sound of the stagecoach pulling into the front yard drew their attention.
A beautiful rosewood mantel clock that sat on a shelf above the sink gonged out the time. Leah realized it was already ten o’clock.
Agnes set the coffeepot back on the stove and grabbed several cups. “Leah, look out the front window and see how many passengers are on the stage.”
Leah hurried to do as she was told. The stagecoach driver was already down and placing a small stool in front of the door. She felt a stirring of excitement. The stool could only mean a woman would embark. The men never used a stool to step down on. The driver didn’t look like the same man who had delivered her a week earlier. Expecting to see a woman descend the steps, Leah was surprised when the door to the stage opened and a small man stepped out, a bowler hat perched on his head. He wore a business suit and shiny black boots. She waited a minute longer to see who else might disembark. Seeing no one, she hurried back to the kitchen. “Looks like just one gentleman,” she said.
Agnes pulled an apple pie from the pie safe and sliced two pieces. She poured steaming hot coffee into two mugs.
Leah watched her work with the skill of a practiced hand. “Do you think they will stay for pie and coffee?”
“The stagecoach driver, Mr. Porter, hardly ever leaves without a slice and a hot drink.”
Leah searched her memory for the name of the stagecoach driver that had dropped her off and came away empty. “Why didn’t the man who dropped me here stay for pie and coffee?” she asked.
Agnes pulled a tin of dried beans down and carried them to the table where Molly sat. She dumped them out in front of the child before answering Leah. “I suppose Mr. Edwards didn’t want to get trapped by the snow. But, to be honest, he hardly ever comes inside. He drinks something stronger than my hot coffee or tea. Mr. Edwards just drops folks off and hightails it back to Julesburg.” She walked to the cupboard and found a big pot. “He’s probably at the Beni ranch now enjoying the wilder side of life.”
Leah remembered Julesburg. They’d passed through the town without stopping but what she’d seen out the stagecoach window hadn’t impressed her much. It was small and dirty, and loud music and shouts could be heard coming from the large sod house that sat beside a small trading post. She was thankful Thomas had told her to come to South Platte and wait for him here.
Agnes placed the pot next to Molly. “Think you can go through those beans and put the good ones in my pot?” she asked the little girl.
Molly smiled and nodded. She stood up on her stool and began sorting beans.
“That’s a good girl,” Agnes said, grinning at the child. “We’ll make a fine cook out of you in no time.”
Leah didn’t recall a ranch being in or near Julesburg. “The Beni ranch?”
Agnes turned to Leah. “That’s Jules Beni’s place. He’s the pony express station master in Julesburg.”
“Oh, I didn’t realize that there could be two home stations so close together.” Then again, Leah realized she knew very little about the pony express.
“Julesburg is the main pony express home station in these parts. We’re considered the swing station. Jake and some of the boys didn’t care for the rowdy town, so when Mr. Slade, the division superintendent for the pony express, asked if we’d be willing to house some of the boys and a stock tender, we agreed. And here we are.” Agnes took a wet cloth and returned to the dining area. She vigorously wiped the table clean.
A few moments later she called out to Leah. “Would you mind bringing those plates and coffee cups to the dinner table?”
Leah did as she was asked, happy to feel as if she