© 2015 by Vickie McDonough
Print ISBN 978-1-62836-952-6
eBook Editions:
Adobe Digital Edition (.epub) 978-1-63409-402-3
Kindle and MobiPocket Edition (.prc) 978-1-63409-403-0
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted for commercial purposes, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without written permission of the publisher.
All scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, and/or events is purely coincidental.
Cover Design: Faceout Studio, www.faceoutstudio.com
Published by Shiloh Run Press, an imprint of Barbour Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 719, Uhrichsville, Ohio 44683, www.shilohrunpress.com
Our mission is to publish and distribute inspirational products offering exceptional value and biblical encouragement to the masses.
Printed in the United States of America.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Drifting back to a different time and place, Joline Jensen hummed the words of a long-forgotten hymn, keeping tune with the peaceful organ music wafting through her window. Softly and tenderly, Jesus is calling. Calling for you to come home. She sucked in a sharp breath when she realized what she was doing and glanced at her open door, hoping none of the other women had overheard. She wasn’t in the mood for their teasing today.
“What’s a trollop like you doing singing church songs? You ain’t gettin’ religious on us, are you? God doesn’t hear the prayers of the likes of us.” Jo could hear their taunting in her mind.
Long ago, she’d quit singing church songs. They were for decent women—not ones like her. She’d made her choice when she ran away from her family.
She walked to the window of her second-story bedroom and looked down at the field next door. She wasn’t the only one who thought it odd that the traveling preacher had selected that particular spot to raise his tent, especially since the nearest church was only a block away. The man must have thought the “ladies” at the bordello needed to hear his revival messages—or perhaps he thought the presence of his tent would keep customers away for the duration of the revival. She quirked her lips to one side. Not likely.
The soulful tune haunted her, reminding her of better days—days she’d so easily cast off in the arrogance of youth. If only she could go back …
She instantly squelched that thought. There was no room for dreams or what-ifs in this place.
“You’re not listening to that pitiful music, are you?”
Jo stiffened at the sound of Ruby’s voice and lowered the window. “Of course not. I’m shutting the window so I don’t have to hear it.” Pasting on a smile, she spun. “Besides, it’s getting too chilly in here. I don’t want Jamie to catch cold.” She crossed to the left side of her bedroom and tugged the small quilt over her son’s shoulders. She wanted to tell the other ladies that today was his first birthday, but the less attention drawn to him, the better. Badger would like nothing more than to be rid of him.
“I’m glad to hear that.”
Jo stiffened. “I never had much use for churches or their music.”
Ruby, still dressed in her silk robe even though it was past one in the afternoon, leaned on the door frame. “Me neither.” She snorted and shook her head. “Maybe if’n we had we wouldn’t have ended up here.”
Jo wouldn’t admit there was truth to her statement. She glided closer to the door and gestured for Ruby to move into the hall, hoping the woman would leave before she woke up Jamie. He fussed when he was tired, and Badger didn’t like it when he could hear Jamie downstairs. “Did you need something?”
Ruby narrowed her blue eyes and jerked her head toward the stairs, smirking. “Badger wants to see you.”
Jo’s heart jolted. Badger rarely sent for her except in the wee hours of the morning. She nodded, backed into her room, and squirted perfume—the kind Badger preferred—on her neck. He hadn’t sent for her for several weeks, so why now? She tiptoed over to Jamie’s little bed and checked on him again. He should sleep an hour and a half still, so there was time, but she hated to leave him, even for a short while. He was her lifeline. The only good thing in her life.
“I’ll sit with the boy. Gotta stitch up a ripped hem. You go on.”
Ruby seemed coldhearted most of the time, but she had a soft spot for Jamie. Jo nodded and slipped out the door, heart pounding and her blue dress swishing. She used to love blue, because it matched her eyes, but she hated it now. If only she could wear a soft lavender or sunny yellow, but Badger insisted each girl be named for a jewel and that she only wear the color of dresses that matched her jewel name.
She paused outside his door, already smelling the stench of the smoke of his cigar. The first few times he’d kissed her, her mouth had burned as if someone had set it on fire. Shuddering, she sucked in a steadying breath and stepped inside.
Badger lifted his gaze from his desk and caressed her with his steelgray eyes. His lips lifted at one corner. “Have a seat, Sapphire.”
She didn’t want a seat. She wanted to run upstairs, snatch her son, and flee this horrible place, but she couldn’t. Instead, she glided in, pasted on a smile, and cocked her head. “Ruby said you wanted to see me.”
He leaned back, tugged the half-smoked cigar from his mouth, and blew out a ring of smoke. “I looked over the books, and things seem to be in order.”
Jo nodded. “You know they are. It’s why you gave the job of bookkeeping to me.”
He narrowed his gaze, setting Jo’s heart to fluttering like the wings of a trapped bird. “I don’t reckon you’d cheat me like Topaz did.”
She worked hard to keep her face neutral. Had he found a discrepancy somewhere? She thought she had covered her trail well enough that he wouldn’t notice the tiny pittance she’d been pilfering for months. If she ever needed to make a quick getaway, she’d have to have that money. Would he strangle her like he did Topaz, a lovely girl with dark blond hair and hazel eyes? What would happen to Jamie if something happened to her?
Badger chuckled. “You worried about something?”
“Um … no, just wondering if that’s all you wanted.”
He hooked one arm over the back of his chair and fiddled with his cigar. “Maybe I’m just lonely for your company.”
“You don’t get lonely.” He could have any of the women in the bordello whenever he wanted, but for some reason, he’d singled her out. As much as she hated spending time alone with him, she was grateful that he rarely made her be with the other men who came nightly. For some reason, he considered her his personal belonging. The only time he shared her now was when an especially high-paying client visited. She was grateful and yet the other women disliked her because of it.
“Would you like me to get you some coffee?” she asked.
He shook his head. “Sarah’s getting it.”
He stared at her for a long moment then flicked his hand toward a package on the side table. “Open that. I got you a present.”
Jo’s stomach clenched as if she’d gulped down sour milk. She didn’t want Badger’s gifts. They always came with expected payment. But she learned early not to disobey and to pretend compliance. She crossed the small room, opened the package, and curiously fingered the blue calico with tiny pink flowers. Badger had never before allowed such a common dress in his establishment. Why now? She glanced at him, brows lifted. “Calico? What’s this for?”
He slowly rose and stepped around his desk. “I’ve made an appointment for four this afternoon. You’re to wear that and take that boy with you.”
She tightened her grip on the fabric. “What? Why?”
He held her gaze but then looked away. “There’s a couple wantin’ a kid.”
Jo stepped back. She wanted to flee to her room, get Jamie, and leave. “No. I—I can’t give him up. You said I could keep him if I did what you wanted.” He was her only joy. The only thing in this wretched place that brought her any happiness.
Badger grabbed her throat. “That noisy brat has customers complaining. I want him gone.”
“No! Please! I’ll do anything.”
He shoved her against the table. “You’ll get rid of the kid—and you’ll still do anything I say. You belong to me.”
“Badger, please. Today is Jamie’s birthday. I can’t give him up today.”
Badger glared at her, but a shuffling at the door drew his gaze, and his expression softened. “Put it on the desk.”
Jo wiped her eyes and glanced at Sarah. Keeping her head down, the girl slipped in quietly, set the tray on Badger’s desk, and then turned to leave. She peeked up at Jo. “Birthday is special day,” she muttered as she fled the room.
Badger frowned and stared at the empty doorway. “Go meet them folks. If they like the boy, you can give ’im to ’em tomorrow.” He swiveled his gaze to her. “Just make sure to arrange a place and time to meet ’em again and hand over that kid. Am I clear?”
Jo nodded and swallowed back her argument. There was no disagreeing with Badger. She would pay dearly if she did, and she wasn’t certain that he was above hurting Jamie. Maybe he would be safer away from this place. She slipped from the room, her heart breaking. How could she bear to give away her son? It was an unconscionable thing for Badger to demand. Heartless.
She wouldn’t do it.
She couldn’t.
As she dragged her numb body up the stairs, she searched for another solution. There had to be something she could do besides handing Jamie over to strangers. She’d tried escaping before and suffered for it. She’d nearly lost Jamie before he’d been born as a result of the beating she’d incurred, and if she hadn’t stayed in bed for two months, per doctor’s orders, as she recovered, she probably would have.
Oh, why had she ever believed Badger? Believed he had wanted to take her away from the awful situation she’d found herself in when she learned the truth about Mark Hillborne’s deception?
If she’d known then what she knew now, she would have listened to her sister. She’d never have left her family. How could she have known her actions would one day cost her something so priceless—her son?
That afternoon, Jo clutched Jamie tight around his belly as the buggy bumped along the rutted street. The innocent child bounced and gurgled, enjoying the ride that was ripping out her heart. Stoney, one of Badger’s henchmen, drove the wagon. There’d be no escape for her with him along. Why couldn’t Garnet have driven? She would have been more sympathetic to Jo’s plight, but even she wouldn’t have allowed Jo to run, because it would have meant a severe beating for herself.
Jo sighed, blowing Jamie’s wispy blond hair. While her son had her coloring, his features more resembled his father. She scowled at the thought of Mark Hillborne. Why had she been so enamored with him? Why had she believed him when he’d said he wanted to marry her? He’d been a charmer, wooing her into his store. Into his bed after they’d repeated their vows to one another. It was only later that she learned the man who “married” them wasn’t a real preacher. She looked to the side, focusing on a general store, much like the one she and Mark had run together.
The man she thought she loved had deceived her. And he’d lied when she confronted him with the news she’d learned. He laughed it off as a rumor and had coaxed her to believe that he truly loved her and that they were legally married. Didn’t his ring prove that? But the last time he learned she was pregnant, he’d boarded up the store and left town. Left her. Left his son.
Jo pushed the morose memories from her mind. Today’s troubling thoughts were already more than she could handle. Dressed in the dark blue calico Badger had supplied and riding in a buggy she’d never seen before, she was able to study the town without receiving the censuring glares and huddled whispers she normally endured as one of the ladies from the bordello. Anyone might think they were a married couple. Though only a few years old, Oklahoma City had already surpassed Guthrie in size. One could easily hide among the crowds. She glanced down at her dress, her heart picking up its pace. In calico, she could walk the streets and fade in with the regular folk.
Stoney turned a corner and stopped the buggy at a small park. A couple sitting in a fancy surrey turned to look at them. The woman’s eyes lit up as they latched onto Jamie. Jo tugged her son against her chest. He reached up and patted her cheek. She’d never let that woman have Jamie, but she had to play the part now or Stoney would become suspicious and tattle to Badger.
The man helped his wife down then offered his arm and escorted her toward Jo. They were dressed in nice clothing, and their buggy was a newer model. In another situation, she might have liked them. Stoney jumped to the ground then lumbered around and helped Jo out of the buggy. He gestured with his head for her to go on. Sucking in a steadying breath, she pushed her feet forward. Just be an actress. Play the part. Then tonight, she and Jamie would make their getaway.
The couple cautiously approached, both of them looking at Jamie. Jo felt a little sorry for them, since they wouldn’t be gaining a son like they hoped. But Jamie was her son, and no one would force her to give him up. Besides, this was none of her doing. For all she knew, they’d paid Badger a fee to claim her son.
“Oh, Charles. He’s such a comely lad.” The woman’s gaze shifted to Jo. “The baby is a boy?”
She nodded. “His names is James, but I call him Jamie.”
“We’d want to change that, of course.” The man glanced at Jo. “I suppose I should introduce us. I’m Charles Willhite, and this is my wife, Cecelia.”
He looked at Jo as if waiting for her name, but she remained silent. Her name didn’t matter. And neither did Jamie’s, so it seemed.
“Could my wife hold the boy?”
Jo shuddered. Would the couple try to steal Jamie away now? They’d be upset when they learned they couldn’t have him today. Forcing herself to nod and her arms to loosen, she held out her son, hoping he’d cry and fuss and want her back—but she knew he wouldn’t. He’d always been such a good baby, and he was used to different women holding him.
“Oh, look. He has blue eyes like you, Charles.”
The man scowled. Maybe he didn’t like his wife comparing him and Jamie. Cecelia was obviously taken with him. Jamie reached for the woman’s gold necklace, but Mr. Willhite reached out and gently pushed his hand down.
“Mr. Worley informed us the boy is an orphan. Do you know anything of his background?”
Stunned, Jo didn’t respond at first. Badger had told them Jamie didn’t have parents?
Mr. Willhite lifted a brow.
Jo straightened. “Jamie is not an orphan. I am his mother.”
Behind her, Stoney coughed a warning.
Mrs. Willhite’s face turned white. “Why would you give away your child?”
Jo wanted to snatch her son from the woman’s arms and flee. She wanted to scream that she didn’t want to give him up. Instead, she kept her head down, hoping they couldn’t tell she was lying. “As much as I’d like to keep him, my circumstances are such that I can’t. I only want him to go to a good home.”
She peered up, watching the couple look at one another. The woman gave a slight nod and tugged Jamie up, resting her cheek on his head.
Mr. Willhite turned. “All right. We’ll take him, but there is to be no further contact from you or Mr. Worley, is that clear?”
Jo stepped toward them. “I understand, but there is one thing. You can’t have Jamie until tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” Mrs. Willhite took a step back.
Jo wrung her hands. “Please understand. Today is his first birthday. I can’t bear to give him up today. Please.”
Mr. Willhite scowled. “I was afraid of something like this. It’s why I didn’t like this harebrained idea from the start.”
“It’s only one more day, Charles. And then we’ll have our son.”
“Are you sure? What if something happens? I don’t want to see you disappointed again.”
“The young lady seems sincere. As much as I’d love to take Jamie now, I can wait one more day.” But when she looked down at Jamie and kissed his head, Jo noticed her lips quivered. She knew the agony the woman felt at the thought of parting with him.
Cecelia passed Jamie to her husband, and he handed him back to Jo. She clutched him to her.
“Same time tomorrow? Same place?” Mr. Willhite asked.
His wife placed her hand on his forearm. “Could we perhaps meet earlier in the day? I don’t think I can bear to wait all day, and it might be easier on Jamie’s mother?”
“Ten o’clock?” Mr. Willhite lifted a brow.
Holding her son tight, Jo nodded. She turned and fled back to the buggy, knowing she was going to break Mrs. Willhite’s heart. But Jamie was her son—and she wasn’t letting him go without a fight.
Baron Hillborne set his satchel on the steps and stared at the building that housed the store his brother once bragged about. Mark had dreams to make Hillborne’s the best general store in Guthrie, and from the tales he told in the few letters he’d written their mother, he had succeeded. But the place had been boarded up for well over a year and a half—ever since Mark had tired of it and returned to St. Louis.
The facade of the two-story building sported a coat of faded tan paint with windows trimmed in dark green. He needed to hire someone to repaint it while he took inventory and worked on getting the inside cleaned up. He blew out a sigh. Once again he was tasked with cleaning up a mess his brother had made.
Baron jogged up the stairs and yanked on one of the loose boards that covered the front door. A splinter from the dry, grayed wood pierced his skin and he winced.
“Can I help you with somethin’, mister?”
Casting a quick glance at his finger, Baron turned and faced a tall man with a badge on his vest. “Marshal?”
The man eyed him with a narrow gaze. “Hillborne?”
Baron nodded. “My last name is Hillborne, but I’m not the man you’re probably thinking of. That was Mark. I’m Baron, his older brother.”
“Ah … there is quite a resemblance.”
“Yes, but also a difference.”
The marshal’s expression relaxed. “Do you plan to reopen the store? Your brother did a brisk business here before he up and left town.”
“That’s my goal. How soon that happens will depend on the condition of things on the inside.”
“Well, I ain’t doin’ nuthin’ at the moment, so I can help get these boards off.”
Baron smiled. “I’d appreciate the assistance, Marshal.”
“The name’s Bob Myers. Most folks just call me Bob. I reckon you can, too.”
“Thank you. You’re welcome to call me Baron.” He bit down on the edge of the splinter, pulled it out, and spat it on the ground.
The marshal yanked on a board, creating a high-pitched screech as the nail pulled loose. “That’s a might fancy moniker, if you ask me.”
Baron chuckled. “My mother was enamored with British royalty. Mark’s real name is Marquis, like our father’s middle name, but he refuses to use it. He decided he wanted to be called Mark—spelled with a k at the end, not a q—when he was seven, and it stuck. Of course, Mother stubbornly refuses to call him that.”
The marshal tossed down a plank he’d pried loose. “Guess I’m lucky to be just plain ol’ Bob.”
“You’re not a Robert?”
“Nope. My ma believed in short names. My brothers are Sam and Jim.”
Working together, they had all the boards down in a matter of minutes. Baron pulled the key from his pocket and unlocked the door with a loud click. He pushed open the door while the marshal attacked the boards on one of the windows. A thick layer of dust coated everything, but the store looked intact. “It’s smaller than I expected.”
“That’s probably because of the size of the town lot,” the marshal offered from the back door. “The lots were mapped out prior to settlement.”
“I remember Mark writing that in a letter to my parents. My brother was fortunate to win this lot in the land rush.” But then, Mark always loved a challenge.
He glanced around the dark store. Clothing hung against the wall opposite the counter, tools and work supplies along the front windows, and canned food, cooking supplies, and other housewares sat on shelves on the rear wall.
He blew out a sigh. Dusting everything and airing out the building would take a while, but he was thankful that no one had broken in and stolen anything. He returned to the porch and started removing the boards from the last window.
Mark had never said why he left Guthrie in such a hurry, especially with the store being a success. Baron thought he’d stayed just long enough to prove to their father that he was capable of making something of himself, but as usual, Mark had started something and not finished the task. If he had to hazard a guess, Baron figured his leaving had something to do with a woman. It wouldn’t be the first time his brother had run from an upset female. Baron hoped no fuming father saw him and came after him with a rifle, thinking he was Mark.
“What do you want to do with these boards?” Bob asked.
Baron shrugged. “I guess we can put them out back.”
“If you don’t need them, I know a family that lives in a dilapidated shack that could put them to good use.”
Baron waved his hand in the air. “Help yourself. I’m glad someone else can use them. Once I get the ones off the back windows, you can have those, too.”
“Tell you what. I’ll take these over to the Borgmans then take a walk around town. If things are quiet, I’ll come back and remove the boards myself. I reckon you have plenty to do inside.”
Baron’s chest warmed. “That’s mighty kind of you, Marshal.”
“Bob, remember. And you’ll find most folks in Guthrie are kind.” He leaned against the doorjamb, looking relaxed, but his alert gaze scanned the buildings on the opposite side of the street. “Of course, there are always them that like to cause trouble, and with all the cowpokes that come in town on the weekends, we do get our fair share.”
Baron grabbed his satchel, anxious to get busy. The sooner he opened the store, the sooner he could make it profitable again. Then maybe he could sell it and go back to St. Louis. Guthrie was much larger than he’d expected, but it was still a young town. He longed for St. Louis and all the amenities it had to offer, especially its electric lights and indoor plumbing.
He set his satchel inside, found matches and a lantern, and lit it, as well as several others; then he took a walk down the aisles of the store. He had to admit the place was set up better than he’d expected and well stocked with supplies. His brother had done a decent job establishing the store, and he knew from his father that it had made a very nice profit. So what exactly had happened to send Mark packing so quickly that he just up and left everything?
Though Mark had returned to his wife, he and Abigail had never been truly happy together. Mark quickly lost patience with Abigail, saying all she cared about was owning the latest fashion in gowns and jewelry, and she had confided in Baron that she wished she’d married him instead of Mark. Baron shook his head. Women couldn’t seem to look past his brother’s handsome features and charming personality to see the shallowness of his character. As a Christian, Baron believed character was important, and he always tried to keep his word and treat people with respect. If only his brother did the same, but Mark was cut from a different cloth.
He snatched a feather duster off a hook in the storeroom and attacked the shelves. He and his brother closely resembled one another in looks, but there was no doubt Mark’s features were more comely. Baron didn’t care, but he despised how his brother used his good looks to charm women and how they all fell under his spell. He’d love to meet one woman who hadn’t been taken in by Mark’s magnetism. Why couldn’t they recognize a snake when they saw one?
Dust clouded the air. Baron coughed and waved his hand. He’d been so lost in thought he forgot to open the windows. Stomping across the room, he unlocked a window and lifted it up, allowing in the cool spring breeze. He did the same with the next one, but what he really needed was to get the back door open and create a cross breeze.
He unlocked the door and gave it a shove. Maybe he could jar the boards loose from the inside. After several hard shoulder shoves, the door moved.
“Hey,” the marshal hollered from the outside of the door, “I thought I was going to clear the boards.”
Baron chuckled. “The dust was getting to me, so I thought I’d try to break through from this side. I did loosen the boards, but my shoulder is telling me to stop.”
A few creaks later, the marshal pulled down the last board and opened the door. A refreshing breeze blew through, cooling Baron.
“Thanks for taking care of that, Bob. Guess I’ll return to my dusting.” He needed to get the store cleaned and up and running again; then he could place a for-sale ad in some area newspapers.
The sooner he finished things here, the sooner he could go home.
Jo held her breath as she hugged Jamie against her chest and descended the stairs. Moonlight filtered in through the windows, illuminating her way. She’d chosen the wee hours of the morning to make her escape because everyone had finally gone to bed. Even Badger should be asleep by now.
It was now or never.
She avoided the boards she knew would squeak and hoped that all the jostling wouldn’t awaken her son. He’d be fussy if he did awaken and would probably cry.
Her heart pounded. Her breath was so ragged she thought certainly someone would hear. She had to make it past Stoney’s room near the back door. She didn’t dare go out the front, because Badger was sure to notice. If Stoney woke up, she hoped he would assume it was one of the ladies on a trek to the outhouse.
She quietly opened the back door and tiptoed down the stairs and toward the shed where the rented buggy still sat. If she could get the horse hitched, they could easily make their getaway.
A thought dashed through her mind, and she made a quick turnabout. If Stoney was listening, he would expect to hear the outhouse door. Jo tugged it open, gritting her teeth at the creak.
A sharp squeal from inside nearly caused her to drop Jamie. Fearing she was caught, she peered in. The moonlight illuminated Sarah, already dressed for the day, staring back at her, wide eyed.
Jo’s mind raced. Would the girl cry out when she learned what Jo was up to?
Sarah’s gaze dropped to Jamie. “Why you bring boy to privy?”
When Jo didn’t answer, the girl’s dark eyes widened further. “You are leaving.”
Jo nodded. “I can’t give up my son.”
Sarah stared at her. “You should not have to. Badger is wrong to tell you to.”
Hope surged through Jo. “You understand?”
The girl nodded. “A child should not be separated from her mother.”
Jo didn’t miss the fact that Sarah said her. “Come with me. I was hoping to take you away from this place, too, but I was afraid to tell anyone about my plan. You don’t belong here.”
The girl shook her head. “I can’t.”
“There’s no future here. You know where you’ll end up if you stay.”
“Badger would not—”
“He would.” Jo stepped closer. “He doesn’t care about any of us. All he wants is money. I don’t want you to endure what I’ve had to. Come with us, Sarah. We’ll be our own family.”
“You would let me stay with you?”
Jo nodded. “Of course. You’re like a little sister to me.”
Nibbling her lower lip, Sarah glanced at the house. Her expression suddenly hardened, and Jo thought for certain the girl would sound an alarm. But Sarah turned her gaze on her for a long moment as if taking her measure, and then she nodded.
Once again hope warmed Jo’s chest. “Then c’mon. Let’s go before we get caught.” She headed for the barn, silencing the crickets and night creatures. “You can hold Jamie while I hitch the horse to the buggy.”
Jo reached for the barn door, but Sarah grabbed her arm.
“We should go in the back.”
Jo nodded then followed the girl. She’d been to the barn so few times she hadn’t even known there was a rear entrance. The door rattled a bit as Sarah opened it, making Jo grit her teeth. She stayed there, holding it ajar to allow moonlight inside. The horse nickered softly, as if complaining it was too early for a drive. Jo tapped her fingers on the wooden frame, watching the house. If she leaned slightly, she could just make out the edge of the back door. C’mon, Sarah. Hurry.
From inside the barn, she could hear the jangle of horse tack and movement. The seconds ticked by like hours. Jamie’s steady breaths warmed her face. Jo glanced heavenward. She loved her son enough to do about anything—and that included praying. “God,” she whispered. “If You’re up there, please help us get away. I can’t give up my son. I promise—I’ll even go to church if You’ll help us escape.”
A noise from inside the barn drew her attention. Sarah appeared, leading the same horse that had pulled the buggy yesterday, but this time the horse was saddled. Was Sarah planning on riding off without her?
“Why the saddle?” Jo moved in front of the horse to block him.
“Buggy too slow. We move faster if we ride.”
“How can we ride with Jamie?”
Sarah held up a canvas bag and some rope. “I fix.” She held out the reins to Jo, and she took them. Then Sarah lifted Jamie from her arms and laid him on the ground. She made quick work of sliding Jamie, quilt and all, into the burlap, leaving only his face showing, and then she hoisted him up. “You hold boy.”
Jo held her son to her chest, and Sarah moved behind her and tied Jamie to her, leaving both of Jo’s arms free to guide the horse. The concept was rather ingenious.
Sarah helped Jo balance atop the chopping block and held the horse’s reins while she clumsily mounted. She knew how to ride, but mounting with a heavy one-year-old attached wasn’t easy. Sarah, holding Jo’s pillowcase that contained Jamie’s diapers and clothing, stepped up on the block and lithely swung up behind her. A lantern flickered to life in Garnet’s room in the closest corner of the house.
“We go.” The girl kicked the horse.
Jo barely had time to get situated and gather the reins before the surprised animal broke into a trot. She turned him away from town, and as she did, the back door of the house opened.
Her heart jolted.
For the second time that night, she prayed. Let whoever it is think we’re someone from town. Or better yet, please don’t let them hear us.
Jo guided the horse to the north, keeping the house between them and the person out back. Sarah held on to Jo’s waist. She wanted to gallop but feared the horse might stumble. The animal was their lifeline. Without him, they were doomed.
When no one cried out, she allowed herself to relax. The money she’d managed to steal from Badger by manipulating the income records weighed heavy in the hem of her skirt. There wasn’t a lot, just enough for food for a few days, but it was something.
Where should they go? Badger knew people in many of the nearby towns. People who would gladly tell him if they saw her because they knew they’d get a reward.
There was really only one place she could go, and it was the last place she wanted to go—her sister’s home.
But Guthrie wasn’t all that far from Oklahoma City. Would Badger find them there? Or would he expect them to ride straight to the depot, catch the train, and go far away? If only they could. At least Gabe and Lara lived a ways out of town. But dare she go there?
She’d treated her family despicably, especially her older sister. But Lara would forgive her. It wasn’t her nature to hold a grudge.
She wasn’t so sure about Gabe. He would want to protect his wife from more hurt and might chase her away at gunpoint, because she’d certainly broken her sister’s heart with her childish behavior and cruel treatment. To think, she wouldn’t even stand up with Lara at her wedding.
She shook her head. If only she’d known then what she knew now.
Gabe wouldn’t send her away, not once he saw Jamie—and Sarah. She felt certain he would let them stay.
And if she went home, she could see her nephew, Michael, and Grandpa again—if Grandpa was still alive.
She rounded the corner of the last house before they hit open prairie. She allowed herself to relax a smidgeon. Suddenly, a privy door banged open. The horse jerked, shying sideways and nearly unseating her. Sarah’s grip tightened on Jo’s waist, and she felt the girl regain her seat.
A disheveled man stumbled from the privy, gawking at them. He rubbed the back of his hand across his mouth, eyes brightening. He staggered toward her. “Well now, what have we here?”
Jo sucked in a breath. She recognized the man from the bordello.
He stumbled and reached for the reins, missing and falling against Jo’s leg. She tightened the reins and turned the horse in a sharp circle. The man, obviously still drunk, grabbed for her skirts, but he slid away and fell to the ground. She turned the horse away from town. “Hold on tight,” she said, kicking the horse into a trot and then a gallop.
Had the man recognized her? Would he run to Badger and tell him he’d seen them? A bead of sweat trickled down her temple in spite of the cool temperatures.
The sky had already started to lighten, turning a brilliant hue of magenta. Soon the sun would chase away the remaining darkness. No one at the bordello, other than Sarah, normally stirred before noon. But Garnet had awakened. Still, she would have no reason to check Jo’s room. By the time anyone noticed they were missing, they should have a good head start—unless the drunk awakened Badger and reported seeing her. She glanced over her shoulder, relieved to see he was still lying on the ground. Maybe he would fall asleep and think he’d only dreamed about her.
Unless disturbed, Badger shouldn’t awaken until late afternoon. He had been drinking more than usual last night. He came to her room several times, and each time, she’d been holding or playing with Jamie. In spite of being a gruff, heartless man, he liked her son, but he had ordered Jamie sent away. Although, to be honest, he’d allowed her to keep him far longer than she’d expected.
Still, she didn’t owe Badger anything. He’d made promises just like Mark, but he, too, had lied.
She wouldn’t believe there were good men in this world if not for her grandfather. She barely remembered her father, but what memories she did have were good ones. And then there was Gabe. He had been a gambler, but he’d won her sister’s heart—and that was no simple task.
Jo shook her head. She never wanted another man to touch her. But Jamie deserved a father. She tightened her knees, urging the slowing horse to move faster. Finding Jamie a father wasn’t a topic she wanted to contemplate now.
First, she had to get him to safety.
And to do that, she had to go home.
Moaning, Badger grabbed his throbbing head and rolled onto his side. He enjoyed drinking as much as any man, but he hated how he felt afterward—hated losing control of his mind and body. The guilt at separating Sapphire and her son was eating at him. She adored that boy, as did all of his ladies, but he’d already indulged her far too long. She would hate him for what he’d done, but he was used to women despising him.
Someone pounded on his door.
“Go away,” he yelled, clutching his head.
The door creaked open. Badger flipped over and reached for the gun on his nightstand. With a shaking hand, he aimed it at the door. His eyes focused on Stoney, and he lowered the gun. “What do you want? Can’t a man get his rest?”
“Sapphire’s gone.”
“Gone?” Badger bolted to his feet, reaching out to steady himself on the nightstand. His eyes blurred then slowly refocused. “Did you check out back?”
Stoney nodded. “The kid’s gone, too, along with most of his belongings.”
Sapphire wouldn’t cross him. She wouldn’t dare. But she deeply loved that snot-nosed kid.
Badger kicked the leg of the nightstand, rattling his bowl and pitcher. “Is the buggy gone? Maybe she went to deliver the boy to that couple on her own.”
Stoney shook his big head. “The buggy’s still there, but the horse is gone.”
Badger lurched to the doorway. He needed coffee, and lots of it, to sober up. “We gotta go after her and bring her back.” He stepped into the hallway. “Sarah! Bring me a pot of coffee—and something to eat.”
Stoney cleared his throat, drawing Badger’s gaze. He shook his head. “Cain’t find her neither.”
Badger blinked. “What?”
“She’s gone, too.”
Grabbing the door frame, Badger shook his head. “She wouldn’t leave. She knows I have plans for her.”
Stoney rattled out a raspy laugh. “Maybe that’s why she’s gone.”
Badger narrowed his gaze. Stoney was a bigger man, but Badger was younger and quicker—at least when he wasn’t drunk. He’d never had call to fight the man, but he was sorely tempted to right now. “You know nothin’ about Sarah, so keep your trap shut. Go rent a horse and see if you can pick up their trail.
“I’ll find someone to stay here and run the place; then once you find their trail, we’ll go after them. I’m not losing two females, especially those two.”
Stoney lumbered off, and Badger dropped into his chair. The first time he met Jo Jensen, he was attracted to her, even though she had been hot and dirty at the time. Her man had left her, and she had nowhere to go. He was more than a little happy to help her, and once she got cleaned up, he’d discovered she was a beauty, as he had suspected. Her fiery spirit was something else that drew him to her. He knew back then that his customers would pay extra to spend time with a woman as fine as her, but then he’d discovered she was carrying a child. He should have turned her out then and there instead of supporting a woman who couldn’t work for months, but he knew how much his customers would like her, so he bided his time until the kid had been born and Jo had recovered. He hadn’t counted on being so attracted to her that he would have trouble sharing her, but that would change—as soon as he got Sapphire back. He owned a popular bordello that made good money, and he was foolish for allowing his own physical desires to overrule good business sense. Sapphire would pay dearly for runnin’ off.
When she’d first discovered what he had planned for her, she tried to escape over and over. He rubbed the back of his neck, hating that it had taken several beatings to teach her a lesson. He leaned back in his chair, smiling. Jo had finally accepted her plight and agreed to become Sapphire. But he had still coddled her because he fancied her—but no more.
He didn’t like beating her, and he’d never wanted to break her spirit. One side of his mouth cocked up. It looked as if he hadn’t. She’d simply been playing along and biding her time. If he hadn’t pushed her to get rid of the boy, she’d still be here, but people had been talking. Saying he was getting soft. He had to get rid of that kid or people would think he was weak.
If people learned Jo held a place in his heart, they would use it against him. He cursed. His mistake was letting her keep the baby in the first place, but when she turned those tearful blue eyes on him, he was putty in her hands.
But no more.
He needed to find her and show her who was boss. She’d taken Sarah—and stolen his horse. That was still a hangin’ offense in these parts.
After watering the horse, Sarah led him to a patch of grass near where Sapphire tended her son and secured him to a sapling so he could graze. She checked the saddle, anxious to start riding again. Every minute they weren’t on the move was a minute that Badger was probably closing in on them. He would come, she was certain.
With the horse tended to, she grabbed a fallen tree branch and walked back the way they’d traveled until she reached a fork in the trail. Using the branch, she blended the horse’s tracks into the dirt until there was no sign they had come this way. If anyone was following, they’d have to check both trails, and that would give Jo and her more time to get away.
And she had to get away. Badger was a hard man most times, although he had treated her fairly well since he took her from her dying mother, but she didn’t know if he would continue to do so. Though only twelve, she was starting to fill out, becoming a woman. How long before he forced her to move upstairs and earn her keep in that horrible way the other ladies did?
She shuddered at the thought. Many times she had considered slipping away while the others slept, but being so young and half-Cherokee, she knew getting by on her own would be difficult. Many people still looked down on anyone with native blood, especially half-breeds like her. Her mother had told her that many men thought they could have their way with a woman who carried Indian blood. Was that what had happened to her own mother?
As she approached Sapphire, the woman spun around. “Sarah, where have you been? I was afraid you’d gotten lost.”
Pausing, Sarah glanced at the horse, her heartbeat racing. She’d made a careless error. She hadn’t considered that Sapphire could have ridden off without her. She’d have to be more careful in the future, at least until the woman proved that she would keep her word. Bawdy house women weren’t exactly known for being honest. “I hide trail so Badger not find us.”
Sapphire smiled. “That’s a wonderful idea. I’m so glad you thought of it, but come, we need to be off now that Jamie is satisfied and has a dry diaper.”
Her stomach rumbled, but she wouldn’t complain. She just wished that she’d been able to collect some food before they left, but going back into the house was too risky.
“Could you tie Jamie on me like you did before?”
She nodded and attended to the task then watered the horse again. Mounting was harder without a stump to climb on, but they managed. Back on the horse, Sarah held lightly to her companion’s hips. “It is good you wore calico, Sapphire.”
She nodded. “Yes, it will help if we run into others. They wouldn’t look too kindly on us if I were dressed in a colorful low-cut satin gown.” She glanced over her shoulder. “I think it’s best if you call me Jo now.”
Sarah wrinkled her nose. “That is man’s name.”
Sapphire chuckled. “My full name is Joline, but no one calls me that except my sister—when she’s mad at me—and sometimes my grandpa. Besides, a man called Joe spells his name J-o-e, but mine is just J-o.”
“That almost same thing.”
“Yes, it is, I suppose. If you’d rather, you may call me Joline.”
Sarah thought it was odd to know the real name of one of the painted ladies. Badger always insisted they have a new one when they first arrived, and he never allowed a woman to keep her old name or let others call her by it. She’d been the only one to keep hers. She supposed having the new one made it easier to pretend you were someone else when living such a life.
“Sarah is a lovely name, but it isn’t a Cherokee one. Do you mind if I ask how you came by it?”
Sarah stared at the passing landscape. No one had ever asked her that before. “My mother say my father give me name. Same name his grandmother had.”
Jo looked back over her shoulder. “Did you know that Sarah means ‘princess’?”
Sarah’s gaze shot to Jo’s. “That true?”
Jo shrugged as she faced forward again. “I believe so. I once heard a preacher talk about it. The name is in the Bible, and it belonged to the wife of a man named Abraham.”
Sarah had never known what her name meant. Her father sure didn’t treat her like a princess. In fact, she felt as if he was ashamed of her, always making her stay in her room if the women were awake or anyone else was there. She’d lived mostly alone since Badger had brought her to the bawdy house. Working when the others slept as much as possible and staying in her room with the door locked after sunset, with only Jamie for company whenever Sapphire worked.
If only they could make their escape without getting caught, maybe she would no longer have to live that way. She longed to walk the streets of a town and not have people whispering behind her back because they knew she lived at the bawdy house. She’d finally found a way to leave that dreadful place. Dare she hope for a different life with Jo?
Would Jo keep her word? Or would she dump her somewhere, leaving her completely alone?
With each mile closer to Lara’s homestead, Jo’s stomach churned more. In the rebelliousness of youth, she’d treated her sister despicably. Still, Lara wouldn’t turn out her or Sarah, no matter what her living conditions were. Probably by now, Gabe had built her a decent house—at least Jo hoped that was the case. She refused to live in a soddy again, not after having her own room with a feather bed. She’d rather stay in a barn.
Jo sighed, knowing she really had no choice. She’d have to live wherever Lara did, and she couldn’t afford to be picky. If she could find some kind of work, maybe she could save enough money so that she, Jamie, and Sarah could move farther away from Badger. Just thirty-some-odd miles was far too close for her liking. And what was she thinking? How could she work in Guthrie when Badger would be looking for her?
The horse trotted down an incline, and Jo pressed her hand against Jamie’s back and held on with her knees.
Oh, why couldn’t she have been more like Lara? Less troublesome and stubborn? Why had she thought she knew what was best for herself when she was just sixteen? If she’d been more cautious, she wouldn’t have fallen for the likes of Mark Hillborne—but then she wouldn’t have Jamie, either. She bent and kissed her son’s head.
She’d paid a high price for her son. Life with Mark, except for the first few months, had been difficult. She’d thought him so kind and handsome when they first met, and she’d jumped at the chance to work in his store with him when she first left home.
Jo reined the horse to the right, following the trail. She glanced at the clouds, hoping it wouldn’t rain tonight. If only she could go back to the snug house Mark had built for them. If only …
She had far too many “if onlys.”
She thought about how she’d fallen under Mark’s charming spell while he was wooing her, but once he’d gotten what he wanted from her, life with him changed. After a few months, he became verbally and physically abusive. It seemed that nothing she did pleased him. Gone was the charmer, and an ogre took his place. Jamie squirmed, as if sensing her distress at the awful memories.
She gritted her teeth, remembering how hard she had worked in his store and how she’d endured his abuse. And then she learned she was with child—at just seventeen years old. She had hoped the news would make him as happy as it did her, but instead, it had the opposite effect. Mark nearly tore up their new house when she told him. Then she lost the baby and things settled back as they were in the beginning. Until she became pregnant again. Life repeated itself until the third time she told him she was expecting. She blew out a breath at the memory of how he packed her a bag and put her out of his home, then boarded up the store and left town.
A cool gust of wind slapped her in the face, yanking her from her thoughts. She had no idea why so many disturbing memories were assaulting her today. Probably because she had little to do at the moment besides think.
Why had Mark just walked out of her life? Most men would be happy to become a father, but not him. Stunned, ashamed, and humiliated, she had fled Guthrie and headed to Oklahoma City. Desperate and penniless, she easily succumbed to Pete Worley’s charm. The handsome man offered to marry her, but instead he took her to his bordello where she discovered he was better known as Badger. If not for Jamie, she never would have endured life there for the past year and a half.
She swiped at a tear running down her cheek. She’d never been a crybaby, but she had been sorely afraid those first months. At least Badger had let her keep the baby, once it became obvious she was carrying, but not until after he nearly beat the child from her body. Thank God he hadn’t succeeded.
“Why are you shaking?” Sarah asked.
Jo shrugged. “Just thinking about the mistakes I’ve made in the past and dreading the thought of having to ask my sister for help.”
“You do not think she will help us?”
“I do—I know she will. She’s a kindhearted woman, but I dread my family knowing how low my life has fallen.”
Sarah was silent for a long moment. “You were married. Yes?”