Bouquet for Iris (17 page)

Adam cleared his throat. “Yes. It was a wonderful story.” His voice sounded gruff even to his own ears. He glanced at Iris. Could she tell how much her story had affected him? Somehow she had brought the scripture alive this afternoon. No wonder it was the children’s favorite story. It was well on the way to becoming his favorite, too. Of course it was only that. A sweet story. It would be nice if the real world worked that way. But he knew all too well that it didn’t.

How wonderful it would be to feel so loved, so prized. But Adam’s mind balked at the idea of God trying to return him to the fold. Not when he’d been so eager to blame God for all his problems. Not when he’d strayed so far from the path. He didn’t deserve that kind of love, and he knew it.

The next few weeks passed in a whirl of activities. Adam rode over to Dallas, a community some miles to the north where they had a telegraph office. He sent queries out to the nation’s capital as well as to Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina, where records of land grants were recorded and should be housed. The documents he was trying to find out about, however, were neither listed by location nor by owner, making his task harder.

Iris came to town to visit him at least twice each week, and they would spend hours poring over faded land grants, old deeds, and ambiguous records. He would always regret not kissing her that day by the stream. She’d been so close. If only the Spencer children had not been there, he might at least have dropped a peck on her cheek.

Since then he’d been careful to keep a discreet distance between them. He didn’t want to scare her into avoiding him altogether. At first she had been stiff and wary of him, but that had eventually worn off as they worked side by side toward the same goal. She usually brought something for them to eat, and Adam made certain nonchipped crockery and clean surfaces were available for their shared meal.

The two of them created a list of dates and facts substantiated by the documents still in Lance’s possession and the reports they received from Adam’s queries. He would have liked to have the original deed in hand, but since it had disappeared so mysteriously from Lance’s home, he suspected it would never again surface.

The court date was only a week away. It was time to pack up the evidence and say good-bye to Iris. He rolled up the last map and tamped it into a tube to take with him to the courtroom. “I will be back in less than two weeks.”

“I don’t know why I cannot come with you.” Iris frowned at him over her plate of yams and sliced ham.

“Yes you do. Wayha will have to go with me so he can testify on his own behalf. He trusts you to watch over his grandchildren while he is away.”

She rolled her eyes. “I know, but still I want to be there.”

“I know you do. I’d like it, too. But you know you cannot go.” He put a hand over hers and squeezed it gently.

She allowed her hand to stay there for a moment before pulling back. “Maybe Camie could stay with them.”

“No, Iris.” He sat down across from her. “It’s far better for you to stay here. We have a strong case. Please trust me to see that Wayha’s rights are protected.”

“I do trust you, Adam. Why would you do all this work and not defend him well in court?” She smiled at him. “No matter the outcome, I’ll always be grateful for the effort you’ve put forth on his behalf.”

Adam wished he had the right to lean across the table and kiss her. She had such faith in him and his ability to save her employer. He only hoped it was well placed. If he won, maybe he would tell her how he felt. He could tell her how much he admired her spirit and her positive outlook. He could tell her how he wanted to bury his face in her hair and drink in the delicate aroma of her perfume. He would explain how she’d brought him back to life and given him a reason to continue, a reason to stay away from alcohol. He’d not been tempted to go to the bar once, even when he had to attend council meetings at the tavern.

“I hope you know how special you are, Iris.”

She blushed at his words. “Dozens of women are more special than I am. You should talk to my great-aunt Dolly. She’ll tell you that I have never been a proper female. Parties, fancy dresses, and exchanging recipes hold no interest for me.”

“Believe me, the women who are interested in such things are not worthy of consideration.”

Her expression became serious as it often did if she was concerned about something or someone. It was another of the qualities he admired in her. “Adam, I think we’ve grown to know each other fairly well over the past weeks.”

He nodded.

“May I ask why you are so cynical about women?”

It was his turn to blush. He could feel the hot blood rushing to his cheeks. He didn’t want to think about what had happened in Washington, much less explain it to Iris. But if he ever hoped to have a future with her, he had to be honest with her about his past. He took a deep breath and released it slowly. “There was a girl who I thought loved me, but it turned out she loved her comforts more.”

“I’m so sorry. Did she break your heart?”

He nodded, choosing his words carefully. “Sylvia was the beautiful, sheltered daughter of a powerful attorney in Washington. And I was a radical newcomer with lots of lofty ideas. It wasn’t her fault. I swept her off her feet. For a little while, everything was okay. I thought she needed time to understand how reprehensible it was to remove the Indians from their land.” Adam stopped when he felt Iris’s soft hand cover his for a moment. The gesture warmed him and gave him the strength to continue. “But she thought I would give up on Indian rights, take a job in her father’s firm, and escort her to all the right political galas.”

“She expected you to give up your principles?”

“She thought her world would appeal to me. And when it didn’t, she looked around for another candidate. Someone her daddy would approve of.” Adam still remembered the shock of finding that his best friend and business partner was going to take his place as Sylvia’s fiancé. But the memory had lost its sting. He looked into her eyes, hoping Iris could see the love he now felt for her. “I once thought I’d never love again, but it turns out that a heart can mend.”

Her eyes widened, and she leaned away from him.

Her reaction made him clamp his mouth shut. She was not ready for him to declare his love. Maybe she never would be. That’s when he realized that a mended heart could shatter again.

Adam was glad to be back in familiar territory. His heart pounded with anticipation as he knocked on Wayha Spencer’s front door. He had missed Daisy while he was away. Or rather he had missed one of Daisy’s inhabitants, namely Iris Landon. Although Wayha would have told Iris the outcome yesterday when he got home, Adam wanted to celebrate their victory with her.

He was let in by the house slave and shown to an empty parlor. As he waited for Iris to appear, he thought about the last time he’d come here and the thrill of holding Iris in his arms as he showed her how to skip rocks. And then the time they’d spent together in his office. Nathan might be a better prospect as a husband, but no one else knew Iris the way Adam did.

In a way, he could hardly believe it had been two weeks since he’d left Iris to go to court. The time had been very busy—more than a week traveling and four days in court arguing Wayha’s position. It had taken all his legal skills and Wayha’s sincerity to convince the judge, but it had been worth their efforts. He paced from one end of the parlor to the other, eager to tell Iris how the evidence they had collected together had convinced the judge that taking Wayha’s land would be a terrible mistake. Wayha and his granddaughters were safe.

The door opened. She stood, a vision in her pale lavender gown. He let himself savor the moment. An expectant, hopeful look filled her beautiful face. Her glorious hair wase scaping from the restraint of pins and ribbons as always and framed her face.

He was drawn closer to her as a moth to an irresistible flame. “Iris, you are more beautiful than the flowers you are named after.”

A becoming shade of red flagged her cheeks, and she smiled at him. “So we were victorious?”

He nodded and took three long strides across the room to stand next to her. Taking hold of her hands, he leaned back and started to spin, causing her to swing around and around until they were both breathless and laughing. Her eyes were luminous with joy, and a wide smile showed her even teeth. She looked just the way he’d imagined.

He described the twists and turns of the trial, how grasping Mayor Pierce had appeared on the stand and how well Wayha had answered every question asked by the plaintiff’s attorney.

“I wish I’d been there,” said Iris. “I would have loved to see you in the courtroom.”

Adam had dropped her hands while talking about the trial, but now he took them in his again. “Maybe we can do something about that.” He drew her a few inches closer.

Her laughter disappeared instantly. “Wh–what do you mean?” Her breathy voice, so near his ear, sent his heart soaring. She seemed as affected by their nearness as he was.

“Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” He knew the words were a mistake the minute they were out of his mouth. Where was the eloquence that had helped him win in the courtroom? He’d meant to start by telling her how much he admired her. She was the kindest, most endearing woman he’d ever met. Her honesty was like a breath of fresh air blowing away the doubt and betrayal of his past.

Iris’s whole body stiffened, and she pushed against his chest.

Adam wanted to hold on to her long enough to say the words that crowded in his mind, but he didn’t want to frighten her. So he let her go. She sprang away from him with all the force of a ricocheting bullet. In an instant she had moved to the far side of the room, strategically putting the settee between them.

“I’m not any good at this, Iris. I want you to know—”

“Please stop, Mr. Stuart.”

He noticed that she had gone back to using his last name. Not a good sign. He closed his eyes, his mind going back to another beautiful woman who had broken bad news to him. Was she going to break his heart as Sylvia had done? This time he wasn’t sure if he would recover.

“I blame myself for this situation. I probably led you on by allowing informality to creep into our relationship because of the hours we spent together before the trial.” She stopped talking for a moment and looked toward the empty fireplace.

“You could never lead me on, Iris.” He intentionally used her first name. Maybe her hesitance was an indication that she did love him. Maybe if he could prove his case to her, she would judge him worthy. “I have changed so much because of you. Look at me. I’m sober and ready to fight once again for the rights of the Cherokee to keep their lands. I have even been thinking about moving back to Washington so I can once again work with John Ross and the other Cherokee leaders to overturn the treaty signed at New Echota. My home and my whole life are clean and orderly because of your influence.”

Her gaze turned back to him, and Adam could see the sadness. She opened her mouth to answer, but he knew he had lost before she uttered the first word.

“Adam … Mr. Stuart, while I am flattered and touched by your declaration, I cannot accept your kind offer.” Her voice broke a little on the last word. She cleared her throat before continuing. “The things you mentioned are important, but I cannot link my life to a man who has not allowed God to clean him up on the inside.”

Her words stung like an angry wasp. Could she not see how much he had changed? Why did she have to ask for his total commitment? God hadn’t argued Mr. Spencer’s case or obtained a favorable ruling. Adam had. It was the logical outcome of their hard work and intelligence, not some benevolent figure protecting the innocent.

Adam hardened his heart to keep it from breaking beyond all hope. “I am sorry you don’t think me worthy. I’ll take my leave now.” He dropped the deed to the Spencer holdings on a convenient table. “Please see that Mr. Spencer gets that.”

“Wait, Ad—”

It was the last thing he heard as he slammed the parlor door on her. Would he never learn how quickly a woman could send him from the heights of joy to the depths of despair?

Iris walked into Richard Pierce’s store with her head held high. She wasn’t sure how Nathan would react to his uncle’s loss in court. They’d all nodded to each other at church last Sunday, but the two men had disappeared soon after the services were over.

She lifted her chin as she passed through the front door. A quick glance told her Nathan was working at the counter. She wandered to the fabric section of the store, fingering several bolts as she tried to decide what would be suitable for making new dresses for the girls and herself.

“I’ve been saving a special bolt of material in the back, in case you came by, Miss Landon.” Nathan’s voice tickled her ear.

Iris jumped slightly in surprise. She turned, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw his welcoming expression. Tension she had not even realized she harbored drained away from her shoulders. “That’s very sweet of you, Mr. Pierce. I would love to see it.”

He smiled, showing his even, white teeth. “I’ll bring it right out.”

She browsed through the rest of the material as she waited for his return, wondering why Nathan did not make her heart stutter or beat faster in spite of the fact that he had startled her earlier. It wasn’t fair. He was a good man. A good
Christian
man.

She’d only had to pass Adam Stuart’s shuttered office to set her traitorous heart thumping. He was the opposite of all the things she held dear. She would simply have to get over her feelings for him. Why had she ignored the danger until it was too late?

She thought back to the day Nathan had come to warn her about working with Adam. A sardonic smile curled her lips. She should have listened to him and avoided putting her heart at risk.

Iris had been certain she was immune to romantic notions. No Nashville suitor had ever roused the least interest. But then, no man in Nashville had Adam’s zeal for justice. No one else had invited her past his crusty exterior to see the warm, vulnerable heart underneath.