To Win Her Heart

Ch O

Spencer, Tex Spencer, Tex as February 1887

Af wo , h’d fll  h loo. Gv h  w  of  clothes and everything. Funny, though. The shame of the convict stripes still clung to him, as if tattooed horizontally across his skin. Lv G olld h hold d h lghl-oo-gh o h’d been issued and wondered how long it would take to get reaccustomed reac customed o od loh. O o g h ll of  o of h. A f hd l h d  h wgo d fo h l  l or so of his journey from Huntsville. Levi’s feet had welcomed the respite, but now now,, standing outside the parson parson’’s small box-shaped house, od hogh dld h. H f hgd o kg  good o. Th Bl d odo l  h kk fld h ho,  h  dragged behind him like the lead ball that used to be shackled to his leg. The Father might have forgiven his prodigal prodiga l ways, but the world was full

Karen Witemeyer 

of ol old oh who wold wo ld h  h od h h’d  gv o od h ogh. No h h wold l h. Ch h old ol  d o h o f. A g of ool F wd jd h fo h hogh d hd h fowd. Th Lod hd ld h o h h’ hhold—h l Lv old do w kok o h doo. He climbed the steps onto the porch, ducking under a barren rose trellis. Winter had temporarily robbed the latticework of its color, color, but the promise of spring lingered in the twining stems. Levi rapped a kkl g h doo d wd. Sod kd . . H hfd fo o foo o h oh oh.. A g o  god d h h l h lg fod  dffl o d. H lw o wh ll  w lf  h d d o h rail. Had he been wrong to come? Forcing himself to breathe evenly evenly,, he began to count the number of pickets picket s in the fence across acros s the yard. He’d He’d l d  o v wh h doo lkd o hd h. Lv  od. Sg  wo, h kd h h fo h hd. “Can I help you?” The tiny lady finished wiping her hands on h o d lookd   h, h  wdg ol lghl  h ook  h z. “Levi Grant, ma’am. I’m here to”—See? to”— See? No— “talk “talk to David Cfod.” Th    hd’ hd’  log,  h’d h’d lkd, l kd,   dd o h h’d h’d od. o d. Y Y of vod vodgg S od  h h hd made him adept at finding substitutes, but it still took his brain time to ogz d j h S wod h  o d oll. “Mr. Grant, of course. cour se. We’ We’ve ve been expecting expec ting you. Please, come c ome in.” A w l lood o h f  h lld h doo wd. Levi swiveled sideways to edge through the opening without grazg h ho. H z   hd wh odg o,   w  hd od dl ld  dl ho. She led him to a parlor full of treacherous knickknacks and spindly  h d lf h h wh h ol k of kg hlf  ofol whl h fhd h hd. 

To Win Win Her Hea rt 

Choosing the most substantial substantia l piece of furniture in the room, Levi ol lowd hlf oo h g  of, wg wh h k of h h ok lg. H lg h kk off h hold d o h l, h hd d fo h l fo h hl d o, Joh Wll. Sof foofll odd  h hll. Lv hovd h k d d lhd o h f, ll lhg h l. l. “Mr. Grant. Welcome to Spencer.” A thin man with dark hair gg  h l od o h lo , h hd ohd. “Joh wd h o w og.” Lv hdd ov h l d gd h ’ hd, fl o o qz oo hd. Th h w  good hd ho d ol  dd old h Lv’ h ,  h  dd kd d  l ho h od h kowldg of  Lv’  who g jdg. “Pl, .” Levi bent slowly to retake his seat on the sofa while David Cranford ld o  h. H od h l Lv hd gv h  l d h o fo foldg  k  d lg  o h o ok. “Yo’ll  gld o kow h vhg   l,” Cfod d. “Mr. Spencer accepted my recommendation and forwarded the lease  o o k. Yo hold     h d of h wk.” Levi swallowed what moisture he could summon from his arid oh. “No vw?” “No  fol o, o. W’ W’v v  who wh o  lkh lk h fo gh  gh onto four months now. And with spring planting around the corner . . . Wll . . . l’ j  h owfolk hv o  h  volzg their dissatisfaction. dissatisfa ction. Mr. Mr. Spencer was anxious to find a blacksmith, blacks mith, and I w h o od o o h. A log  h v v fd o glg fl  o, hg hold go oohl.” No glaring faults? Levi faults?  Levi nearly laughed aloud. His faults glared brighter than t han streaks exposed by sunlight sunligh t on a freshly cleaned window. window. 9

Karen Witemeyer 

His only hope was to hide them from this representative until he’d hd  h o ov hlf. hlf. “Did you tell him about a bout . . . ?” Levi cleared his throat but couldn couldn’’t q  o h  of h qo. The preacher shook his head. “No. And I see no reason to enlighten o  h o. I h o d g o o l o fo o d.” Lv ld o h hod of j  . H hd  h, h. “The truth tr uth will come out eventually eventua lly,, though,” the man cautioned, “d  wold   fo  o o fo o h owh l,  I lv   h h gh o do h h  h o d of g wghd oll  h  k. “I’ve known Jonathan Willis since our days at seminary semi nary,,” Cranford continued. “He speaks highly of you, Mr. Grant. And that’s good ogh fo . I’ll gldl od o o M. S’ g d   odo.” “Thank you.” Levi had not expected such generosity. Didn’t dv . Y Y h’d h’d o    o foolh foo lh  o j . H’d H’d  ogh  ogh   foolh . “ ‘There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are  Ch J.’ ” Th h d h lh ov of h Bl g o h od lo d w h  of h h d h sofa, his gaze intent. Almost as if he were trying to bore a hole through Lv’ hd o d h h of h wod o h ol. Levi turned his head away from the man man’’s scrutiny to stare instead at a porcelain shepherdess guarding a shelf on the front wall. He knew  h g fo Ro . H v lvd . Y o  how  hd h  d o ov h h, lf-oh ll lg o h lk  . “Yo’ “Y o’   w    kg k g  w .”  .” Lv jkd h hd od. “Lv h gl hd, o.” 0

To Win Win Her Hea rt 

0“Lv h oh ook o  dk. I’ll hlv  fo o l.” Eden Spencer Spencer tried to hurry hurr y her last patron out, an elderly woman who ovd low h  g o fl fl .. Noll h dd d d’’ d chatting with Pearl after closing time, but today she did. Norman Draper had strolled past her window five minutes ago, portfolio in hand—no doubt on his way to get the new blacksmith’s signature o h ldg l. Bfo h’d v hd  h o lk o h man. Eden pressed her lips together to keep her irritation at bay as h hld Pl wh h f. Wh w  h o o o h ow ol ook h ol  h father’s representative seriously? What if she found the new smith l? If h k jd h g wh h ,  wold k dg h  o h w vl o dffl. Thk goodness Emma had stopped by earlier to let her know the smith had arrived. Now, if she could just hurry Pearl along a bit, maybe she old dh o h  o h og   o v   h o o M. D’ . “Here’ss your book, “Here’ boo k, Pearl.” Pearl.” Eden placed plac ed the small sma ll volume of poetry  o h old wo’ hd. “Thank you, dear dear.. My afternoons would be dreadfully dull without ohg w o d v ow d g.” g.” “I’ “I’  gld I old hl.” Ed wg h doo o, gog go g h hll z  z h ffld ffl d h k. Sh ook Pl’ Pl’ low d gdd h dow o h , kg   o h . Th h d the woman a quick farewell and darted back into the house, where h hd h lk h hwl fo h hll  d flg  od h hold. Plkg  o o h hd, h l h o fl fl  h lod dow h fo wlk. Lod, o . Rg wold  l. “Who h, ll ld. Wh’ h h?” Eden groaned. Sheriff Pratt’s Pratt’s office was around arou nd the corner on Main 

Karen Witemeyer 

Street, and he had taken up the habit of watching for her from his  wdow. Th ow o fod  w h w h od h od ow. Ed fod   . “I’m afraid I can’t can’t talk, Sheriff. I’m late for a meeting.” m eeting.” She offered  olog wv  h ld  who lowg h . Sh had just about reached the churchyard when he lunged in front of her, fog h o hoo w hlg d olldg wh h o. Sh od fo h hl. “I h  w o lk o o ohd?” H  vo  h k o hg. Ed ghd h hwl   o ghl o h. “I’ o o ohd, Shff. I fd o ool h wk go.” “Ad l d  h  h o,  I fogv o.” Sh dd’ w o  fogv. Sh wd o  lf lo. Shff P P ld h ow of h fl h d dggd  fo h hd dow o h gl v of h h, o o l, l, h  ov h ll h. “I’m “I’ m just letting you know the offer’s offer’s still on the t he table. In case you dd o od.” H ld  h d wkd,  h g d vod of  ffo. Th  gh w o  h h,,  Eden doubted his reasons had anything to do with tender feelings. H ol fgd g hlf o  S wold  good fo h . H w  fo lo, f ll. “Thk o, Shff, —” “Cod, dl’. Cll  Cod.” Eden stiffened. “Sheriff Pratt . . .” She emphasized the formal address. “I appreciate your kind consideration, but my answer remains hgd. Now, f o’ll  ?” H l ghd,  l h gl  h wo o. H dd h h   wg oo  h d d. “I’ll wh o  good vg, h, M S.” “Thank you. And a good evening to you.” Eden nodded and moved past. Her conscience pricked a little over having been short 2

To Win Win Her Hea rt 

wh h,  f f  h dg dg  h’d h’d ffd fv fv   go, h w  o h o o hlf o oh . Ell o o o who wo  g. Vol ol ol  go o vol, vol , d h old old ’ g lgg hlf wh   who hd lood o h hd— v f h ood o h gh d of h lw. lw. Hvg hd h og, Ed h d ll hogh of  h hff d d h hd o kok. E Cfod wd wfl. “Th hv h v’’ gd hg  hg , hv h?” h ?” Ed kd  h zd  h h’ wf, fod oll o kg h w o h fo oo, wh h  w oggg. Sof lgh hod hd h. “A o lg o o h l, Ed?” Th Th w o g h hdg  h qo. Nvhl,  dd  lowg Ed’  d gg h o  od d f h gld ho. “I’ o, E. I dd’ v g o, dd I?” “Never mind,” she said as she shooed Eden toward the parlor. “We’ “W e’ve ve been friends too long for me to be offended offen ded by such silly details. details . I kow o o g  o w wh o’ o  o.” Sh ld in the forgiving way of hers that relieved Eden’ Eden’s conscience even while w hile  d h ll o v o  h fo. “Go o. G  h fo M. M. D ll h o gg who o.” Ed oddd h hk d  k owd h lo. Male voices grew louder as she approached, Mr Mr.. Draper’s Draper’s being the t he o d. “. . . o llg wh M S S wll g od o kg  .  . Yo Yo kow how wo . If Clv Clv  S gv h ovl, h’ ll I q.” “I’  h’ll  log ho—” “Well, I’ I’m m here now. now. But I won’t won’t be for long. I have ha ve a town council cou ncil g o d. Ad f M. G w o l h h, h’ll g h    ow.” ow.” Storm the castle, indeed . Bristling, Eden set her shoulders for battle ba ttle 3

Karen Witemeyer 

and swept into int o the room. “If Mr. Grant wants to lease the th e smithy, smithy, he’ll hv o g  ovl o h  wll  gl.” The banker turned hostile eyes on her and opened his mouth, o lkl o fo h h h  w lgl wh o who h ovl,  Dvd Cfod gd o foll h g  jg o h f d hg o h d. “M S! So good o  o.” o.” H wl ood hlf  h lf  w h d h k. “M I od o o h  who l ld o  o w lkh?” A Dvd hd h  o owd h of,   o o h f. Slowl Slowl . Wll, Wll,    w’ w’ o h  h h h ov ov  w low  low,,  h h w  g dl of h o fold fo wh h . At some level, her mind registered the preacher’s preacher’s voice as he made the formal introduction, but the rest of her attention remained riveted on the giant in Emma’s parlor. If the mythical Hercules had been d   l o, h  wold l   dd. Sh’d v  h od hold. H gz ovd fo h hold o h f. Sq jw. F l. Sgh o, g h  o h dg, wh  lookd like it’d it’d been broken. Everything about him was hard—except ha rd—except his eyes. Vulnerability shone in their gray depths. Or at least she thought it did. H hfd h gd o h floo o f, h old’  . David cleared his throat, and Eden blinked, realizing she was d o k. “Pl o  o, M. . . . h . . . M. G.” “Ma’am.” He nodded to her, his gaze barely brushing her chin fo fllg g o h floo. Good hv. How w h od o od  vw  wh   who z w o lg h old l g  oh gg?

4

Ch Two

Levi forced his gaze away from the auburn-haired beauty standing d Dvd Cfod. This  w M. S’ v? H’d  d o f   lk M. D—ofol, l, d o h   oo,   wo who lookd lk h logd  o h ’ dwg oo? H’d  lk o g  hdfl of wod ogh d h . I wold’ wold’  o d f  f h w old old ,, o hd-f  hd-fd d o othing. Even having her look down d own her nose at him would help. But, no. Sh hd o  og, d  h  g dow  h g d wh h flow ffl ffl. . Yh, Yh, h’d h’d od. o d. Nod h w h  wdd wh h go  look  h, oo. Whd h old ll f   w f o o h od h o. o. “Come. Have a seat, Eden.” David Cranford ushered her to a h  h ow d wvd Lv d D k o h. “W gh  wll g h  do whl vo  h.” Th k gld ohg o fg wo, 

Karen Witemeyer 

Lv god h g  h ook h  o h of. D might not think too highly of the female, but Calvin Spencer obviously  dd, d Lv hd o o of lg h ’ v, o  h gd. “Miss Spencer runs the library librar y down the street,” Cranford explained explai ned to Levi as the lady removed her shawl and bonnet, draping them across the arm of her chair. “And since Mr. Spencer resides in Austin, she lo v  h fh’ v o ow .” Draper heaved an audible sigh. sigh . “Let’s “Let’s forgo the explanations, explanat ions, shall we? All Mr. Grant needs to know is that Calvin Spencer owns the lkh ho h wh o l, d h, fo o fhol o, o fodg fh wh h dgh o gv h ovl fo h   gd.” Th k dd h h owd h og wo, h vo brittle. “If you’d be so kind as to get this interview underway, Miss S? So of  hv l o .” Lv dg h fg o h k, dgd  h ’ d. H wd o gl h o ,  d, h d owd M S d d o ologz olog z wh h . “I’d “I’d  gld o”—Answer your questions? —“ll —“ll o whv o d o kow, ’.” “Thk o, M. G.” Sh offd h  ll l, d h returned the gesture, relief uncoiling the knots in his belly belly.. “And “And please, ll  M S. Ma’am k  fl d.” Her smile widened, and Levi tried to match it while the knots d hlv hlv  h oh d ld o h ho. “Yo’ f fo d,” h d h. Her eyelashes fluttered as her gaze dipped to her lap, and Levi hld, gfl o hv d hlf fo h  g, v though he knew he was doomed to offend her in the future. Her  hd o  S’  , h’d h wo h  g kl f  h d o oo . Ad f ma’am go h dd , oo? Wll, h w k. 6

To Win Win Her Hea rt 

“So tell me about a bout your yo ur work experience ex perience,, Mr. Grant.” Grant.” Miss Spencer’s Spencer’s lashes lifted, and her eyes glowed with purpose. “I’ “I’m m sure Mr. Cranford h d o ow’ d fo  lkh,  l   o that I’d rather prolong our search than employ a smith who offers hodd fh.” Rgdl of h oo of h   h oo, h ld ook  Rgdl her responsibilities seriously. Levi checked his posture, rolling his shoulders back slightly to make sure he was straight, then met her gz hd o. T o g dow o . Deliberating over each phrase, he pieced together a halting answer. answer. “My father . . . taught my brother and me the trade. I’ve manned a forge . . . from the time . . . well, from the time I could hold a h.” “Ad wh  o fo?” He couldn’t say Huntsville. One, because he really couldn’t say  it. And two, because everyone knew of the state prison there. Such a response would provoke too many questions. However, he’d not dhoo h w o o Ch  lg, h. h. “I . . . gw   Cldwll. Cldwll.”” “Th’ oh of h, “Th’ h , ’ ’ ?” ? ” Lv oddd. “Y. N H.” H d w fo h fo  o, hog o  off h l of qog h w gowg increasinglyy uncomfortable. increasingl uncomfort able. The unspoken code of the West West was to let  ’  lo. H dd’ kow f h hld   lo vw,  h’ h’d d do h dd-lvl  o vok  f ol. Miss Spencer shifted in her chair, as if sensing his unease, but d of g h   h wold  fo  wo dmined to prove her mettle, she hesitated. hesitated . For For a time-stretching moment, momen t, h d o h f  f hg fo oof of h h, h, h lkd d d h ovo   dff do. “Yo od wokg wh o fh. Hv o v od o ow ho?” “No, ma’am.” ma’am.” As soon soo n as the ma’am left his tongue, Levi slammed 

Karen Witemeyer 

h l lod,   w oo l. M S’ ow whd, d Lv dod h gz lk  hoolo g o vod  h’ h’ oldg. “Mr.. Grant comes highly “Mr high ly recommended,” recommended,” the preacher interjected   ffo o ooh hg ov. “Yo fh fod h f q f fo o..” “I’ “I’  w of h. h .”” M S’ S ’ ow hd  hd v fh,   l h  h w lookg  oo l. “Y “Y   ll  o me to ascertain as certain the smith’s smith’s suitability suitab ility.. So, Mr. Grant . . .” Her attention attenti on fd o Lv o g. “Do o hv  w doo vohg fo h ql of o wokh?” Lv fod hlf o  h  who olog. “No.” He hadn’t actually plied his trade in close to six years. But his time as a bare-knuckle fighter combined with the eighteen months spent breaking rock at the Granite Mountain labor camp had kept h f. H dd’ do fo  o h h old wg  ldg  wll  h v hd. M . Sg  how h  od h ll wanted h jo. “Gv   oh,” Lv gd, glg  h k d h h  fog o h wo o fo h. “If o fd  wok . . . dq . . . o  k k o off.” off.” Eden held the man’s gaze. His offer was fair. More than fair, ll—g  how h old hv lvgd h kll g h obvious need in order to take advantage of the situation. But he hd’. No, h’d wd h qo fohghl, d d h wh . Th Th w   o h, oo, h d h want to trust him. Not that she was foolish enough to trust a man h’d j ,  h’d wl gv h l wh h dd o  — w o f hg d d. “C w w h o h l, M. D?” Th k owld  h. “Wold dog o g  o of h  h  ff ?” H dll lld h wh fo 

To Win Win Her Hea rt 

h v ok, hkd h , d lkd  h fo g h  k o h. Ed  k h o h  hvl o h og. Id she favored him with a tight smile. “Having such a stipulation st ipulation in place would assuage assu age my concerns concerning concer ning Mr. Grant’ Grant’ss lack of references. Sl,,  wold ol k Sl  k   o dd h  d  d o h l .” Sh d o Dvd Cfod. “Do o hv  d k, M. Cfod?” “Of course.” The preacher pushed to his feet and crossed to h dk h ood  h o. Wh  d gh, h k followd. Ed fddld wh h o g h dd ov h  of  h h d o h l. Ev hogh h d M. G w o alone in the room, it suddenly felt as though they were. She glanced in h do, d h gz olldd wh h. Th oh ld, h quickly looked elsewhere. Well, Mr. Grant looked elsewhere. Eden old’  o fd oh oj  h oo o whh o fo. B  w’  f h wanted o look  h. Th  w  g   o. Wh l w h od o look? H l od  d of w. Ed’ o fld ov h   h ld fowd d ld h fo f o o h k. Th f of h lv d oo g o o  o h l wh   hd ov h . Th hv  of owok wold  o hdh fo h . I w fo h h ll hd’ dvlod o h    h hq. Th g, h w’ vwg fo  oo  hool, o what did it matter? Except that it did matter—to her—a bit more h  hold. A vague feeling of disappointment had circulated through her when she first heard him speak. Why his halting verbiage should bother h, h hd o d. I w’  f h hd  ol h o h . Eden sat up straighter stra ighter in her chair, uncrossing her ankles and then 9

Karen Witemeyer 

crossing them again in the opposite opp osite direction. She forced her eyes away  from the blacksmith, glancing behind him to where wh ere Mr. Mr. Draper stood hunched over the desk, penning an addendum into the lease contract. Ufol, M. G ho h o o gh h ow o, h o of h hd ovg o lok  good oo of h k’ k d hlf of h h’  fo h vw. Ed  h d of h l. l . For heaven’s sake. She was tempted to think he had somehow  dd h o o go h d k o o v . B, o. Th  w j l. H lfd  hd d hd  spot behind his ear as he turned toward the window. window. When he finished,  ll f of h k o, ohow kg h gg  seem almost boyish. b oyish. Eden’ Eden’s lips curved cur ved slightly before she s he pressed them k dow o  dff l. H hk, dk ow h w od o ho wv. Sh wold’ ll h l; h do odd h oo f fo    ggd  M. G. However,, the strands looked as though However tho ugh they would easily wind around  o’ fg . . . hold  . . . h . . . o’ fg hv  o   h h. Th h gld k  h o, d Ed dod h gz o h l—wh h gh d fg hd l wod itself up in her bonnet ribbon while she’d been contemplating the ’ h. Sh dl d h qo dg d gv   f gl. Sh w’  h k fo  , d v f h w, h’d v  d o o who lkd w d llg. I w o that she didn’t respect a man who worked with his hands. Skilled tradesmen were crucial cr ucial to a town town’’s economy econom y. Nonetheless, she couldn co uldn’’t g dg h lf wh oo who w l o ov with her about a bout Dickens or argue the merits m erits of Twain. Twain. Love of literature liter ature ld oo lg   of h o o h. “I’ d, “I’ d, M. G.” G.” Th k ld h h  ho, ho , ffvl  ff vl  20

To Win Win Her Hea rt 

cutting off Eden Eden’’s wayward thoughts. t houghts. “Come, read over the lease agree. M. Cfod  v  w.” Th h o d od o h g owd h dk. Ed jumped up and followed, an insistent inner voice demanding that h  llowd o d h ddd fo h  gd . Sh clamped her teeth closed against it, though. Mr. Mr. Draper already thought her enough of a harpy without her questioning his honor. Besides, Dvd Cfod hd ovd h k’ d, d h d h ’  ’ g g .. Mr. Grant nodded to the men as he accepted the contract. He wfl vwd h g,  f h lgl jgo d o dffl  fo h, whh d  d Ed o     ow. ow. Th dd’ dd’ f h g  g of him. Then again, the man was eager to obtain employment. He w ol j g o  how—dg how—dg o d  od o k  good o fo gg h . O M. G d h  gd h , No D ffd h l o h ofolo d hld o h hd o h lkh. “Wlo o S.” M. G ld d gd h ’ hd. “Thk o. . . .” There he went again. He opened his mouth to say more, then dd’. “One of our council members, member s, Luther Colby, Colby, owns the local hotel and has offered to put you up tonight free of charge.” Mr. Draper olld h h d kd  o h ook of h . “Shold o require additional time to search for more permanent accommodao, ll q hg wll  o ol.” Th lkh oddd. “Claude Barnes Barnes down at the livery has been filling in as temporary  f, o h  how o od h ho.” “I’ll . . . o  ooow og.” A h  hook hd d hd h oh o h k, Ed d d fhd h hwl d o. Sh dd o  2

Karen Witemeyer 

gog, oo. V wold hv  oo f h howd  l fo d—wh wh h Ld Ad g ogh. She slid the shawl around her upper arms and wandered back  owd h kh o  h fwll o E. B fo h lf h lo, h   fl gl ov h hold—d fod h lkh whg h. “Hv  good vg, v g, ’.” ’.” Th d vo vo  vd hogh h ogh h lk h low  of  o llo. Th ol dod hg o  w h h ll lld h ma’am. Ph h hd fogo h q. H’d H’d  fod o g  g lo, lo , f ll, o ol oo. A ll d gh   od. od. “Congratulations on your appointment, Mr. Grant,” she said. “Ad l, do ll  M S.” A g look d ov h f, lo  f h w lg  g fo. Wh o h wold h  fd wh her ? Hd’ h j whd h wll? Sh d h o o o  ow h h h  h waited for him to answer, her hackles rising as each silent second kd . Fll, h gd o  o  “Thk o” od   one of those generic nods he seemed so fond of. Either Mr. Grant hd o o of l  l lokg lok g wh   o ,  , o h dd’ dd’ d h woh g. Eden turned and made her escape, telling herself in no uncer  h h  h  h h w  oh of dgo, ohg o.

22

Ch Th

Eden made every effort to banish Mr. Grant from her mind as she

welcomed the members of Spencer’s Spencer’s Ladies Aid Society into her home fo h wkl g l h vg. Howv, Howv, h w lkh d o  ll o old lk o. “My Chester told me everything over supper,” Hattie Fowler fod h ld who ld od h h  h vd. The woman hadn’t even removed her cloak. Yet she didn’t seem to

mind. She just flapped her wings and a nd gathered her chicks closer. Hattie lovd ohg o h  g h vo of ol foo. “Norman Draper reported all the pertinent details to the council, d Ch Ch  od h o . Th ’ ’   Lv L v G, d  d h d o wok  h fh’ h dow  Cldwll.” Idl,  g of M. G Idl G o  h h  o o , d o h og o h w  o d, h. No, hg h first name summoned the picture of him with his boyishly mussed

Karen Witemeyer 

hair made all the more charming when contrasted against his very  h l. The moment Eden felt her mouth begin to tip upward at the o, h hook off h ollo d d fowd o oh H’ . “L  k o w, M. Fowl.” “Thank you, dear.” Hattie managed to hand over her brocade lok d hg l  who fofg  o. A h ld o, wg qo d odg oo, Ed slipped into the smaller private parlor across the hall and gently deposd h  o h  wh h oh o d h. When she returned, she attempted to skirt the group of ladies standg  h  of h dg oo o h h old ol d hk o V V  h kh,  Mlod Coo lld o d od h. “There you are, Eden. Come here. Come here. here.”” Her hand rotated  ll, f l  h wvd Ed lo. “Yo  ll .” “Tll “T ll o wh?” Ed kd  kd  h ohd, ohd , og  h ho l wh   od of . “Wh h w h look lk. H old  o w h.” “Y, “Y , Ed. Ed . Tll Tll .  .” H d  h—o kdl kdl,    fashion that left Eden with the impression that the woman wished her o h d  do wh  o h old o holdg o. “Well, there’s not much to tell, really. He’s tall and looks to be fl og. I g h’ll do  f jo.” Sh g o dg w. “B  h hdo?” “Do h w  d?” “How old wold o  h ?” “Wh olo  h h?” The barrage of questions peppered her like tiny bullets. The firing qd lod lo d  o h, h g f wg  wg    Ed’ Ed’ vo   o  h h. Sh hold hv d  h lo wh h lok. God proved merciful, though, and sent rescue in the form of  E Cfod. Th ’ wf hd j d   of w 24

To Win Win Her Hea rt 

cider from the sideboard and started making her way back to the  of h oo wh Ed od h. “Oh look. Th’ E.” Ed dd h o wh ol  wg of gl fo jg h fd o h  od of  pecking. “Mr. “Mr. Grant was in her home all afternoon. I’m sure she could d h  h I.” The instant heads swiveled in Emma’s direction, Eden hied off  o h kh. “I got the fritters nearly done, done,”” Verna Verna informed her without looking up. Her housekeeper cranked a sifter over a pan of fried apple dogh, owg g o h oolg . “Tk o . Evo  ll llg od d lkg.” “Hh. Th’ll  lk lk ’ o how h ow h ’ ’ o food foo d  o o  f w do’ g h  fhd.” Ed wold’ d h  ovol hf,  V ook  pride in her service, and Eden couldn’ couldn’t sacrifice that for the sake of her mental comfort. So she took up a clean silver tray and began arranging h gd ol o . V gv h f f   fl hk d  d   d o ofg o fg h ow . “If I hd’ hd o w d o o, h hg wold  d  ow.” “I kow.” Ed qzd o o f o h  of h tray and wiped her sugary fingers on the towel draped over Verna’s hold.. “No o wll d. O h g   of h good, hold they won’t won’t care when they were set out. ou t. All they’ll be able to talk tal k about  how wodfl h .” “Ah. G o wh .” Ed ook  h   V hood h o of h kh. Verna and Harvey Sims had moved with her from Austin to S fv  go. Tho f fw oh w fo h oh d fh hd l do h ,  h S k h fo g hlf   ov h v h dov h fo h ho. Th  d h lk  dgh—dg wd dv, fg 25

Karen Witemeyer 

in her affairs, taking tak ing her to task when they thought she needed it—and h dod h fo . In fact, it was Verna Verna who had inspired the idea of opening a lending libraryy. She’d librar She’d been dusting the t he shelves and an d grumbling grumbli ng about how Eden hd o ook h  o o ogh o hv. Y Y hd h complaint, Eden recognized an unspoken challenge. Conviction seized h  h o, d wh  g  w  of o—o share her love of literature and learning with others in the community community,, ll h hld. As she mingled with her guests in the reading room, offering fritters from the tray she carried, Eden eyed the bookshelves that ld h of h fo wll, h h d l gll ld hogho h  of h oo d  h wdow, h o where she read to the children on Friday afternoons. Peace Peace settled into h h, hg w h l . Y, h w wh h Lod had called her to do. The path that led her here might not have been of  h hoog,   h od, God hd wokd  o fo good. “Ladies, if you would take your seats, please. It’s time to begin the meeting.” Emma Cranford stood behind Eden’s library desk at h fo of h oo d lld h g o od. “A hd of h Chl Ad Co, I wold lk o o know that we have prayerfully considered all the members’ suggestions for organizations we might support this year with monies collected dg o l fd dv.” Eden quietly placed her tray on the sideboard, a tickle of anticipation fluttering in her belly belly.. Last year they had raised over two hundred dollars and stitched nearly thirty t hirty quilts for the Seeds of Hope Foundling Ho d Ohg  A, wh h d o vol. Th ld gll ld dff oj h ,  h church that ran the home had been so appreciative that the com llowd h o    fo odo h . Af ll, who old ol  o dvg of d h ohd hld? 26

To Win Win Her Hea rt 

“W’v “W’ v ddd o fd  o  o h  h  l  l o d ol fod.” Yes . . . Ed ld fowd, g h l o h o of  h dod. “Th  w wll  flg  Bl dv fo h d of  h Hvll  o.” Ed’  w l, d h dd lo of o hw h off l. H k d h l, lg h  d   h d . A fw ld d  h k of h oo d oo look h w. w. Ed ld d hld   hd of olog   h ghd h o. “Now, I lz h ho gh  odd o o of o . . .” Odd? Make that completely nonsensical. Ed  h d of h cheek. How could the committee possibly favor helping criminals ov hld? “. . .  o o d o h ol. I hv oll  been in contact with the chaplain who serves ser ves in the Huntsville prison, and he has supplied me with several moving stories of conversions that hv k l dg h  h. Howv, h  od that without a physical representation of the gospel to cling to and immerse themselves in after they are released, these new believers wll fll k o h old w. W, W, ld,    oo o  h d.” E ok wh o d zl,  f h  of lg o h hd’ o hd d h wh h oo kll. Ad h w dg  wg ov h owd. Rlgo fvo fl  kld  h . “Now, I’  o of o hv qo, o I’ll o   fo do.” A d hd hd  o hlf-  h ddl of h oo. “Y, Bh?” The young woman stood. “Will we have to visit the prison or o o o wh  of h . . . ovd o?” 2

Karen Witemeyer 

Emma smiled and shook her head. “No. After the Bibles are odd d hd,  hd wll dlv h o h hl. O ol d  o oll o fo gho d fd h  S, j  w hv do  h .” Bh oddd d ook h . A oh d qo, Ed’ dgo l. Evgl was all well and good, but it seemed rather pointless to sow all of  o’ d  ok ol d  hg o k oo. Th w ov,  who wllgl ho  lf of . Vol —Ed wllowd h gowg l  h ho— lk h go of h o h hd l klld h fh wh h w wlv. J hkg o h wfl d d Ed’ o l dow lk   lw wh h ho. Wold’ old’   w o ow d  d, dvlod dvlo d god? Sol oo og o hv  od  dfl ho d o  h? Ulk ho who hd ld d h k o godl o d wold lkl do o g. Ed’ hd ho   h . E ogzd h wh  od of h hd. “I think the idea of raising money for prison Bibles is a lovely  d,  I f  gh   ll l.” l.” “How do o ?” Eden weighed her words. Emma was a godly, godly, kindhearted woman. woma n. Ad h fd. Sh hd o wh o l h   w, w,  h hd o gv vo o h o. “I  h oo  that led the committee to make this selection, but I wonder if it is h  wdh of h o w oll. Mo of h   uneducated and illiterate. What good will a Bible do them if they  can’t read the truth it contains? And let’s not forget that these men ld d h k o ol d gho o, f o dl, wh h ho o o lwfl .” Ladies bent their heads together, and low murmurs broke out o h oo. 2

To Win Win Her Hea rt 

“M S k  vld o,” E odd. “I f, those are some of the very issues we struggled with in making this choice. Jonathan Willis, the chaplain at the Huntsville prison, has assured me that he will only distribute copies of Scripture to men who hv dd h Bl d d woh v. B v f  of v   who v  Bl v o , ’  woh o o fo h o ol who do? J hlf d h h  o jo  hv ov o  who o o  h fo h -d- j o who d o .” .” Th f h hd d d Ed g o . “Wee are called to be sowers, ladies. It is not our business to decide “W whh ol  o lkl o gv , fo h Lod l of hlf o  dd  h wdo. W  o  d. God wll gv h . Ad I lv h wll gv g , dd, f w jo h  h dvo.” Her voice rose on a crescendo, and applause erupted. Without much enthusiasm, Eden joined the ovation, clapping her fingertips limply against her palm. Her heart still sided with the children at Sd of Ho,  h old o log g  good fh h h Huntsville cause had no merit. Her spirit had perceived too much h  E’ E’ df. df . So she would do her duty duty.. She would solicit funds f unds for prison Bibles d v o h l ol  o h ffo. Sh’d o ll jo ,  h’d do . Then another thought hit her, this one causing a whole differ  of d o Ed’ . H gd h o oh fo doo wold  h     , ho wh  o h w d of M S. Th ddl/oo k, h lv ow, ow, d . . . h lkh.

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