Heart Charms
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The sun was high in the sky when Ben came riding into town. It had taken him three days to get there from the mountains. His mind had been on finding a wife, and not about anything else. The moment he saw her standing at the end of the street waiting for him, his heart stopped beating—and started again with a rush it could never have matched.
“Ben!” She rushed toward him and threw her arms around him as if she couldn’t hold back any longer. “I’m so glad you’re here,” she whispered against his cheek. He lifted her up onto the horse. Then he swung himself up behind her, holding her tightly to him.
They rode down Main Street, where most of the buildings were closed because it was Sunday morning. A few people walked by and gave them strange looks. They passed a sign advertising that an auction would be held on Monday. That’s what Ben wanted to know more about.
There were lots of items listed—a stove, a washing machine, some furniture. When they reached their destination, which looked like a store but was open, Ben asked, “What are we doing here?”
She smiled proudly. “We’re getting married.”
“You already did that. You didn’t wait long enough. We’ve already had our first kiss.”
Her smile faded away. He hadn’t realized how much he’d come to love her until she left him alone. Now all he felt was an emptiness inside.
He led the horse over to the building, then went in and took a look around while Rachel stood outside holding the horse reins. Inside the dusty room, he spotted several boxes full of junk, but when he picked one of the lids off a box, he saw that it contained jewelry.
He turned to tell her that he was looking for something special to give her when she came out. She looked nervous and upset. “What’s wrong? What do you see inside?”
“Jewelry. I’ll have to ask the owner to let me take one of these rings.”
His heart sank. This wasn’t good. “Why not just buy yourself something nice?” He knew nothing about buying a woman jewelry, except that women liked diamonds and other precious stones. “You don’t need my money.”
“It’s not that easy. You won’t understand—”
“No, no, I’ll try to,” he said quickly before she got started telling him about wanting to surprise her by giving her the ring herself.
“All right, listen.” She leaned closer to him to make sure he heard. “I can’t wear any rings here in town because it would attract too many unwanted glances. In the mountains, I wouldn’t feel that way, but here…” Her voice trailed off as if she couldn’t find the words she needed to explain herself.
“But what does that matter?”
“My husband is dead, Ben. We’re going to his funeral this afternoon. The whole town will be there.”
That brought him up short. “Your husband is dead? I didn’t even hear that news.”
She looked uncomfortable but nodded yes. “His name was Jake. He died in the mines.”
Suddenly, the only thought running through his head was, How did Jake die? Was it an accident or a mine cave-in? Or murder? His thoughts raced ahead of his mind; he had to calm himself down before he said anything else. “Where is your house? Can we stop by later?” He’d go home to talk things over with her father. “We can decide then whether or not we’re going to get married.”
“Yes, we will.” She put her hand to his mouth. “Don’t worry, Ben, everything’s fine now.”
Everything was not fine. Nothing was ever fine when a man died in the mines. But he didn’t want to upset her by saying anything. Instead, he pulled her close to him as if they were two old friends who’d known each other for years. “How about this place? It’s nice and private.”
“Let’s just stay here until I figure out what’s going on.”
After lunch, Ben and Rachel sat at the kitchen table eating sandwiches and drinking coffee. Ben had offered to walk her to the funeral, but she insisted that he stay and help her finish preparing for it. “I know Jake’s family isn’t exactly thrilled about our marriage.”
She seemed so young and vulnerable sitting across from him. All he could think about was how badly she must miss him. He couldn’t imagine being away from her for more than ten minutes without feeling empty and hollow. He wished he’d never sent her away. If only he’d known she wouldn’t leave, he would’ve made her promise to marry him.
Then he’d have known where she’d been during the night. He tried to push those feelings away. He knew why he hadn’t wanted her to tell him that she was pregnant. She’d done the right thing by leaving because that was all she could do. Now she had no choice but to live with a man she hated. “If you’re not happy, you shouldn’t be marrying him.”
She shook her head. “Jake loved me, and he was very kind. You can’t know what it’s like to live in poverty, working day after day for someone else. That’s the life I lived before coming here.”
Now he knew better. No one forced her to marry Jake, least of all, him. “There are plenty of ways to help people in need other than marriage.”
Rachel smiled sadly and looked toward the door, probably hoping that someone was standing there to interrupt them. “I’m sure you’re right.”
When they finished their lunch, she thanked him for taking care of the horse and asked if he wanted to join her. He didn’t hesitate in accepting her invitation. When the church doors opened and people began filing into the pews, she turned back to him with a puzzled expression. “Aren’t you going to come to sit with me?”
He hesitated, unsure what to do next. The last time he’d gone to church, he’d been chased out of it. “I’ll stand in the doorway if you don’t mind.”
She glanced at him, obviously relieved he’d decided to stay out of sight. “Of course not, I’d rather you be safe than sorry.”
Ben followed her to the front pew behind the pulpit. She stood quietly beside him, neither of them talking as the organ played a mournful tune. A single candle flickered above the altar, casting a flickering shadow against the white-painted wood.
As they listened to the minister give his sermon, he felt himself becoming restless and impatient. Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore. “What did you say to the reverend? You know, that he’s not a true Christian because he’s a Methodist preacher.”
The look on her face confirmed his suspicion that he wasn’t going to like her answer. “You mean Reverend Brown? Of course, he’s a good man who preaches the truth.”
“So he’s not a Methodist preacher?”
She shook her head. “He doesn’t belong to any denomination. He believes in God, so he preaches to everyone, including us.”
“Why would I believe in something I know nothing about? What kind of preacher says he knows all the answers?”
“Reverend Brown does not claim to know everything, Ben. He knows what he knows and trusts that others will find what they need in religion.”
“But I won’t listen to some stranger.”
Rachel’s lips formed an amused smile. “Are you saying that you don’t even know how to pray?”
That was a hard question to answer. Prayer had become a routine in the mines, but only in times of trouble or danger—not in times of happiness and safety. But Rachel was right about one thing. He’d lost his way long ago. “Maybe I should start somewhere.” He prayed silently, asking God to forgive him for the sins he’d committed, knowing that if he didn’t, he might lose Rachel forever.
He glanced over and saw Rachel watching him intently. Her eyes were filled with compassion. “I can see your faith in you, Ben. Don’t let anyone tell you differently.”
His throat tightened up as soon as she said those words. How much of himself had he buried along with the men trapped in the mine? It must’ve been terrible for Rachel to witness such horrible things when she came looking for him.
“You have to forgive yourself for what happened,” she continued. “You’re still grieving for the lives lost, and that’s all right. But if you carry all this anger and hate inside you, you’ll go crazy.”
“I know it sounds impossible, but you just have to try.”
“Is it really that easy?”
He nodded, realizing there was no reason not to trust her. “It is, for some people.”
She leaned closer and touched his arm. “I know it seems like there’s no way out, but there is. There has to be.”
She reached over and squeezed his hand. “Let me show you.”
***
As soon as the service ended, Ben left the church and hurried back to his boarding house. He found her in the kitchen, chopping vegetables and putting them into a pot. She wore the same dress as earlier that day, but now she wore a wide-brimmed straw hat with a blue ribbon around it. She looked like she’d stepped out of a magazine cover from the 1890s. He’d never seen anyone as beautiful as her.
When she glanced over and smiled at him, he felt the blood rush to his cheeks. Why was it that women made him feel so awkward whenever they showed him kindness?
“Can we talk somewhere else?” he asked. He didn’t want to bother the cook and servants with their conversation.
She put down the knife and picked up a pan from the stove. “There’s a small garden near the side of the house. If you follow the fence around to the back alley, you’ll come to the little gate where we can sit.”
He followed her outside to the back of the boardinghouse, admiring the well-kept lawn and the two rows of rosebushes. They walked to the corner of the house, and she opened the gate. “This was my parents’ place before they passed away.”
They sat on one of the stone benches facing each other across the wooden planter. The wind blew lightly through the trees, causing the branches to flutter. He watched Rachel, hoping that she would reach over and touch his hand; instead, she pulled back her sleeve and held it out to him. When he took her wrist in his hands, she closed her eyes and sighed. “Look at these scars.”
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. His voice sounded so weak.
“Forgiveness is all you need,” she said softly, her eyes glistening with unshed tears as she gazed deeply into his face. “And that goes for you too.”
Ben swallowed hard, unsure of what to say to comfort her. All he could think of was that the man she loved died because of him, leaving her alone and brokenhearted. He wanted to ask her more about it but couldn’t find the words to do so. Instead, he traced a scar that ran along her arm. “How did you get these?”
“An accident in school,” she explained as she turned to look up at him. Then she reached over and touched his cheek with her hand, turning his head toward hers. “Don’t let anything stop you, Ben. I want to help you with your healing.”
The sound of a train whistle drifted through the air, causing her to jump up from the bench. She rushed back inside the house and returned with her suitcase. “Come on. Let’s go home.”
“Where are we going?” He started after her, trying to figure out what she was planning.
After opening the gate and stepping out onto the sidewalk, she said, “I have an idea.”
He followed her down the street until they reached another house near the railroad tracks. It was smaller than his own, and the paint on the front porch looked faded and chipped. The house was built from a pale yellow brick that matched the white picket fence.
They walked straight to the door and knocked. A woman answered, and Rachel introduced herself as Ben’s landlady. She gave Mrs. Pender good references, saying that he always paid his rent on time and never caused any trouble.
Mrs. Pender unlocked the front door and gestured for Ben to enter. As they walked into the entryway, Ben saw an elderly couple sitting on a couch watching television. He thought he recognized the man, who had once owned the building where he boarded, but he was sure it was wrong.
“Good afternoon, ma’am.” He nodded to Mrs. Pender and the older couple. He hadn’t expected anyone to see him arrive. He was used to being anonymous.
“Please excuse us for interrupting your afternoon,” Rachel said as she shut the door.
“You’re welcome anytime,” Mrs. Pender said kindly. “My husband, Mr. Pender, is still working on a story about the town’s history. We’d love to have you stop by again if you ever want to learn more about Staunton.” She waved over her shoulder as she went back upstairs.
Rachel led the way down a dark hallway toward a stairwell at the far end of the hall. She stopped in front of a door. “This will be our room.” She put her key inside and tried the handle. When it didn’t turn, she pushed her fingers against the wood, then turned the knob. “It’s not locked.”
She stepped back and opened the door wide enough to squeeze through. “Come on, before someone sees us.”
She took him to a room off the main corridor and turned to close the door behind them. “I don’t know why it won’t latch.”
He walked up to it and tried the lock. “Looks like we’ll be spending a lot of nights together.”
“That’s what I hoped for,” she said, smiling.
“But how can we trust each other?” He turned around and faced her, knowing that he would only hear her answer from behind. “Your father—”
“He doesn’t matter anymore,” she said firmly.
Ben studied her face as she stared down at the floor, waiting for him to speak. He knew there was something more she wasn’t telling him. And now that he was alone with her, he found himself wanting to take advantage of their situation. To kiss her or hold her in his arms.
Then she raised her gaze, her eyes meeting his in the dim light. “We have one thing in common, Ben. We both lost people very important to us.” She paused. “And when I look into those beautiful green eyes of yours, I realize it’s you whom I should be helping heal.”
His heart jumped, and warmth spread throughout his entire body. He moved closer and reached over, taking her hand in his. “I feel the same way.”
They stood looking into each other’s eyes for several moments. Then he pulled her against his chest and kissed her tenderly, letting the kiss linger longer than it should have. But he couldn’t seem to stop himself.
Not when every time he got near her, his mind and emotions were confused—and his feelings for her were confusing too. Did he really feel this strongly for a woman he hardly knew? Wasn’t it foolish to hope for something better between them?
Her lips parted slightly. The softness of her mouth made his stomach tighten. The scent of lavender and rose filled the air and soothed him. His hands slid across her waist and hips, and he felt the warmth of her skin beneath his fingertips.
He wanted nothing more than to hold her and feel the gentle touch of her fingers on his cheek. But she broke away from his embrace and walked back down the hall toward the stairs. She reached the bottom and disappeared into a bedroom just off the main corridor.
Ben waited until he heard her footsteps moving up the steps before hurrying after her. They climbed the steps quickly without talking about anything except the case. They passed two doors, and when they came out onto the second-floor landing, she stopped in front of a closed door.
“Here we are.”
She took her key out and unlocked the door. It swung open, and Ben entered first, looking around at the small but neat room. A bed covered by a red quilt sat against one wall, next to an armoire full of clothes. A dresser held books, magazines, and a few boxes of clothing. There was no television.
He walked over and looked out the window to see that they were in the middle of a square block surrounded by shops, stores, and restaurants. “Nice view.”
“Yes, it’s much better than the rooms I stayed in while working for my father,” she said quietly.
“Why did you leave him?” Ben asked, feeling protective toward her even though he didn’t know her well enough yet to understand the reason.
“I didn’t want to work for him anymore.” Rachel crossed the room and picked up a box off the floor. “I thought maybe I could help you find your brother.”
A lump formed in his throat. “Thanks, but I already hired two private detectives to do that.” He pointed to a small bookcase beside the bed. “Those are copies of all three articles I’ve written about the search so far.
I’m sure you haven’t read them all, but perhaps if you saw a photo of me with the sheriff or a newspaper clipping of my story about the train robbery, you might recognize me. Maybe you could give me a call.” He smiled hopefully. “After all, it wouldn’t hurt to have another pair of eyes searching.”
Rachel nodded and walked over to sit on the edge of the bed. “There is something else I’d like to show you.”
“What is it?”
She pulled a folded letter from her pocket and handed it to him. “This was delivered to the desk downstairs a little bit ago.”
Ben unfolded the note to read:
The police suspect you’re involved in the train robbery. They’ll arrest you soon unless you do something to prove otherwise. Don’t worry about the reward. My family will pay the money to anyone who brings you in alive. Do not let the marshal catch you or you will spend the rest of your life in prison. I don’t care what happens to you—as long as you return my son to me!
“It’s signed ‘Ruth.’ ” Rachel’s voice shook. She put her hands to her face and leaned against the bedpost. “That’s Ruth’s signature, isn’t it?”
“Looks exactly like it.”
“Did she say where the boy is?”
“No, but I’m sure there’s no doubt about it now. That note is from her. If she thinks I’m responsible for kidnapping her child, then I think we can safely assume that she knows everything.” He glanced around the room, suddenly uneasy about what he’d discovered. “Where are you going?”
“Back downstairs to tell Sheriff Tabor everything.”
“No, wait!” He ran after her, catching up when they reached the top of the stairs. “I need some time alone. Let me think about this. We need to talk about something very important before we go any further with our investigation. Something I didn’t mention earlier.” He hesitated before continuing. “We may both be in danger because of my past.”
Rachel turned and studied him carefully. “What kind of danger?”
“Someone tried to kill me last night. The only reason I survived is that I had to run fast to get out of town. If he had followed me here, I would have been dead in the woods instead of being able to hide in the hotel.”
Her jaw dropped. “Are you serious?”
“Yes.” Ben rubbed his hand over his chin. “I was just coming back from a meeting with the mayor at the train station.” He paused briefly to look around again. “Maybe if we left town right away—”
“What? What about finding your brother?”
“That will take longer than two days, anyway. We should get out of here and start making phone calls. I called a few people this morning and told them about the ransom demand, but I didn’t get through to many others.”
“Then why did you come here?” she asked with a frown.
“I had hoped I might find your brother here.”
“You did?” Her expression brightened, and hope lit up her brown eyes. “How did you know he was here?”
“I saw him at a party on Tuesday night,” Ben admitted. “He came with his mother, Ruth.”
“Oh!” She jumped off the bed and hurried to his side. “Then we really can find him.” She looked up and smiled. “Let me make a call to one of my cousins who works as an attorney in Boston. Perhaps he can contact someone close to Ruth and try to negotiate a ransom payment with her.”
Ben smiled at her determination. He hadn’t seen that much fire in a woman’s eye since he was married. “Do you think your cousin would agree to act as our legal representative?”
“Of course.” Rachel nodded. “If it means saving your life, he’ll do anything.”
“Good, that’s good.” He held out his hand to help her down the last step, but she took a quick step back. “Why don’t I do that by myself?”
“I’m not leaving you alone.” She stopped short on the landing. “Come on, I won’t let you leave me behind!”
Ben grinned. “Fine.” They crossed the hall and went into the living room.
They sat at opposite ends of the sofa facing each other. “My name is Ben Winters. I’m the son of Judge Winston Winters.”
She nodded without smiling. “You’re the marshal?”
“That’s right. And I need your help. There was another robbery yesterday in Denver.” He gave her the details of how he happened to be the marshal who responded to the crime scene. “And I’m afraid I may have a connection with all these robberies.”
“A connection?” Rachel frowned. “Like maybe you were the one who robbed the bank at St. Louis last year?”
“That’s right. You probably heard the story in the papers.” He described his past criminal history and his involvement in the robbery of the First National Bank at St. Louis.
Rachel listened intently to his words, her eyes darting between him and the window. He wondered if she thought he’d murdered the banker, but the silence lasted only until he finished his narrative. “So you see, I have a bit of a reputation.” He shrugged. “It’s not so bad, really. No one ever died from the robberies, and besides, that bank robbery wasn’t my fault.”
“But you killed the guard,” she reminded him. “Don’t you want justice?”
“Not really. As long as no one else dies because of my actions, I’m happy. It’s not as if I planned to rob the bank to begin with, and I never hurt anyone. Well…” He lowered his voice. “Except for that one time in Chicago…” He laughed nervously.
“Well, that was different—I didn’t mean—” He shook his head and changed the subject quickly. “Anyway, what I really wanted to say is that I need your help to keep us alive while we are working together to find out who killed that man in Chicago.”
She stared at him for a long moment. “The police already arrested three men?”
“Yes, and now someone has sent a letter demanding money for their release or they’ll kill you.”
“Me? You’re saying someone wants to kill me?”
“No.” He tried to look reassuring, but his heart thudded in his chest. “Someone else might end up dead first.”
“Who could possibly be after me?” Her brown eyes widened, and her hands trembled.
Ben stood. “We can talk more later, but we should get started on looking for your brother right away.”
The End