Wanted: A Family (17 page)

Tears sprang to Callie's eyes. “Jail?”

He swallowed past the lump in his throat. “Because I didn't have an alibi and with that wallet as evidence, the jury found me guilty.” He sucked in a gulp of air, trying to get enough oxygen to finish. “I spent almost a year behind bars for a crime I didn't commit.”

“Oh, no!” Her hand covered her mouth her eyes wide
with horror. “That must've been terrifying.” She tightened her hold on his hand.

“I'd be there still, except Lloyd got careless. He gave a necklace to Susan. She recognized it from the description on the list of stolen items I'd supposedly taken and went to the police. They searched Lloyd's room and found more stolen property. I was released. Lloyd stood trial and now he's in jail.”

Tears slid down her face.

“Life behind bars was…” He shook his head, refusing to return to that place, even in his mind. “It wasn't an easy time.” He swiped the tears off her cheeks with his thumb. “I've allowed those months in jail, those years in an orphanage to make me bitter, to keep me in a prison of sorts.”

“Those experiences would wound anyone.”

Suddenly, unable to meet those sad, compassionate eyes, he jumped to his feet and turned away. Did she see him as pathetic? He wanted her respect. But could she respect a jailbird? Even one falsely accused? Or would the indignities he'd suffered in jail disgust her? Build a wedge between them?

She rose and put her arms around him. “I'm sorry, Jacob. So very sorry.”

“Don't pity me.”

“Pity you? Never! If I could, I'd erase that nightmare.” She gazed up at him, her eyes glowing with what looked like admiration. “You survived a terrible ordeal. I'm proud of you. Of the man you are.”

The snap of a broken twig.

Jake spun on his booted heel, searching beyond the screened enclosure. He didn't see anyone, but someone had been there.

“What's wrong?” Callie whispered.

“Someone may have overheard me. I'm sorry. That'll only complicate your life.”

She shrugged. “I can't see how that'll make the attitude of this town any worse.”

He wished he shared her opinion. “I've never known anyone like you. You're brave and kind and good and strong. Yet your life hasn't been easy. Your example has made a huge impression on me.” He cupped her jaw in his palm. “I've learned to trust again, Callie, because of you.”

“Don't put me on a pedestal. If you knew all the anger I've struggled with, the doubts about God's leading, you'd know how much I fail.”

“Your actions say otherwise.” He grinned. “You're even humble. See? You're perfect.”

“Hang around long enough and you'll see the real me.”

“I'd like that,” he said, his heart in his throat.

“You would?”

“Yes, I would.”

“I wish you could've trusted me with this sooner.”

“I'm sorry. Nothing in my life made me believe I could trust anyone.”

“I'm the one who's sorry. Sorry Susan and Lloyd betrayed you.” She laid her head on his chest. Surely she could hear the wild beat of his heart. “But if all that hadn't happened, I would never have met you.”

He'd never thought of it that way.

“Thank you for sharing your past, Jacob. Now no secrets lie between us.”

As his throat constricted, Jake pulled her to him, wrapping her in his arms. He had one more secret. But if Callie knew why he chose Peaceful, she wouldn't rest from the search until she'd turned over every stone and examined
it under a magnifying glass. With the controversy over the unwed mothers' home, Callie was coping with enough. Now with the strong likelihood that someone had overheard his confession, she'd face even more trouble.

She'd come to him determined to uncover his secret. He could only hope the price she paid for that discovery wasn't too steep.

 

At the entrance to Mitchell Mercantile, Callie tightened the hold on the bag she carried and released Jacob's arm. If only she hadn't pushed him into talking about his stint in prison. Whoever had overheard hadn't taken long to get the word out. The news had spread faster than wildfires on an arid prairie.

At the grocery yesterday, several people had come up to Callie, warning her to send that jailbird packing before he robbed her blind. She'd made it clear that she stood by him. Eventually, the gossip would die down. And Peaceful would once again live up to its name. Or so she hoped.

“I'll just be a minute,” Jacob said, then headed toward the hardware section of the store. As he strode past aisles milling with customers, they put their heads together, no doubt whispering about his time in prison.

It didn't seem to matter to anyone that Jacob had been falsely accused and released with an apology. How could people add more pain to the injustice he'd endured by gossiping?

Sighing, Callie moved to the counter teeming with jars of every size and shape crammed to the top with gum-drops, peanut brittle, taffy, hard candy and pretzels. Fresh-baked goods were tucked under glass. Barrels of pickles and crackers lined the floor. One barrel with a spigot held vinegar.

On the other side of the counter, her father-in-law sat at
his desk, examining a ledger. As if he felt her presence, he looked up. “Hello, Callie.” Smiling as if he were glad to see her, he shoved back his chair and stepped toward her.

Seeing his good mood, hope leaped inside her. Perhaps he'd accept her proposition. “You look busy.”

“Taking care of these books is a full-time job.” He thrust the pencil he held behind his ear. “What brings you out today?”

She pulled the blanket Elise had made from the bag. “I'd like to barter Elise's hand-knit items like this lovely blanket and jars of my jams and maybe some pies, in exchange for store credit.” She forced a smile. “Or, better yet, for cash.”

“You're looking to raise money for the unwed mothers' home, aren't you?”

“That's true, but…” Her hands trembled on the blanket. “Frankly, I'm not sure I can put food on the table for me and my child, much less others, unless I get a steady income.”

“I see.” His brow furrowed as if her words pained him. “I don't agree with your plan, but I'd never let you or my grandchild go hungry.” He sighed. “I haven't been as generous as I should've been, hoping you'd give up this foolishness.” His jaw jutted then eased. “Reckon you're even more stubborn than I am.” He chuckled. “I'll buy as many of your jams, pies and knitted items as you two can make. Pay a good price for them, too. They'll fly off the shelves.”

“Thank you.” She slid the bag toward her father-in-law. “In that case, I'll leave these with you.”

Commodore opened the cash register and took out a wad of bills. “I'll let you know when we run out.” He handed her the money. “You've always been able to stretch a dollar.” His eyes filled with misery. “The ones my son didn't spend. This is a small way of saying thanks.”

“You're a blessing, Commodore.”

At that moment, Jacob laid his purchases on the counter and wrestled his wallet from his hip pocket. From Commodore's cold, penetrating stare, trouble brewed between the two men. Jacob suspected that Commodore had spread the news of his imprisonment and looked ready for a showdown.

Her father-in-law rang up the wood fill and plaster, bagged them and took the money, all without saying a word to Jacob.

As Jacob reached for the sack, Commodore covered it with his hand. “I can see you're trying to get close to Callie. No jailbird is raising my grandchild. Look at you, drifting from town to town. You really think you can stop here and become a father?”

“Commodore!”

“Let me handle this, Callie.” Jacob turned to her father-in-law. “I'm innocent. My record's been erased. I'm no more a criminal than you are.”

Leaning close, Commodore put his face mere inches from Jacob. “So you say, but this town is up in arms about that stint in jail. I won't have Callie's good name dragged through the mud. I want you gone.”

“My name isn't being tarnished by befriending Jacob. He's done nothing wrong.”

Jacob fisted a hand. “I've got an urge to plow a fist into your yakking jaw. But my principles won't allow me to harm Callie's baby's grandfather.”

Commodore took a step back, no doubt suspicious of the strength of Jacob's principles. “Your reputation in this town is ruined. Gossip about you two is rampant. If you care about Callie, you'll leave.”

“He can prove he's innocent,” Callie said.

“Innocent or not, the damage is done.” Commodore
pointed a finger at Jacob. “Who'd hire you in this town? Who'd trust you in their home? Who'd want to share a pew with you in church? You've seen enough of Peaceful to know I'm speaking the truth. If you truly care about Callie,” Commodore went on, “you'll get out of town. Her baby's future is what's important.”

The uncertainty filling Jacob's eyes tore at Callie. “You might want to consider your stance, Commodore, if you care about seeing your grandchild.”

“See what you're doing, Smith? Because of some misguided loyalty to you, she's threatening to cut me off from my son's child. Are you proud of yourself?”

“Don't blame Jacob for that. You're the one causing the problem.”

“Only a few minutes ago, I was a blessing. Maybe you should remember, young lady, which side your bread is buttered on.”

The threat squeezed against Callie's lungs. Before she said more than was prudent, she thrust the money in her pocket, took Jacob's arm and rushed from the store.

Outside, Jacob laid a hand on hers. “What Commodore said is true, whether it's fair or not. I won't be the reason this town hurts you and your baby.”

“You could leave? That easily?”

In the end, didn't everyone leave?

Or deceive her at every turn?

Commodore had accepted her proposal, paid her well even praised her cooking and management skills, and then threatened to retract their deal unless she toed the line.

“I'm sorry, Callie, but sometimes a man has to make hard decisions to protect those he cares about.”

No doubt Commodore believed he was doing the same thing. “If you could toss me aside at the first hint of trouble, that's evidence of how little you care.” She yanked free of
his hand then clipped along the walk, refusing to look back, every step thudding against her bruised heart.

Well, she needn't have worried. No steps sounded behind her. What did it matter? Without faith in God, Jacob was the wrong man for her. They had no chance of a future together.

This impasse was for the best. With Jacob out of the picture, Commodore would keep his end of the bargain, ensuring that the unwed mothers' home would survive. She needed nothing more than her baby and to help these women.

So why did a future without Jacob leave her feeling so lost and alone?

N
othing. Not a single clue.

Jake stretched his arms over his head. He'd been sitting here with Callie for hours, flipping through past issues of
The Peaceful Chronicles,
looking for some nugget of information that would reveal his mother's identity or help Callie write the town's history.

To restore the peace between them, Jake had come clean about his reason for landing in Peaceful. As he knew Callie would, she'd joined his search, eager to find any detail that might lead to his mother's identity. If Callie learned during that search that his mother had no interest in a relationship with him, Jake knew she'd never think less of him.

Grace had gone next door to clean Mildred Uland's house after Mrs. Uland's cleaning lady had quit. Elise had helped for a while, then said she wasn't feeling well and went upstairs to lie down, leaving just the two of them holed up in the library.

Across the way, Callie hunched over a newspaper, caught up in some article. He drank in the curve of her cheek, her upturned nose and tendrils of hair curling around her neck. Memorizing each small detail, storing them in his mind for the day she sent him packing. Though they'd forged a
modicum of peace, thanks to some fast talking on his part, he didn't doubt that day would come.

Still, he'd been wrong to fall for Commodore's ploy to get him out of town. Not that Peaceful would ever accept him. On that much he and Commodore agreed. But he'd see the quest of finding his mother to the end and help Callie make her dream a reality. During one of his chats with Mildred, he'd given Callie's neighbor money for the home's support, asking her not to reveal the source. Mildred had added her own funds, then opened a bank account for Refuge of Redeeming Love.

That much Jake could do for Callie.

He returned to skimming titles, searching for names of the men and women who'd played a role in settling the town and helping it grow and flourish. He looked for significant dates, events and even human-interest stories that would bring Peaceful's history alive on the page. They'd clipped anything that looked promising and tucked each one into labeled boxes. From those clippings, Callie hoped to condense it into an interesting narrative. But to Jake, most of this information was as dull as unvarnished wood.

Callie took a sip of tea, then pointed to an article. “This lists the winners at the Marion County Fair. My grandmother's quilt won a blue ribbon.” She swept a hand over the clippings. “Find anything of interest to you?”

Yes, nothing held his interest like Callie, but he wouldn't say that. “Not yet. But I'm grateful for the chance to look.”

She picked up another issue of the newspaper. “I'm keeping an eye out for clues to your mother's identity. Have you been reading the Society page?”

“No, I'm sick of reading descriptions of ladies' hats and who attended the latest tea. I'm saving those tidbits for you.” He pointed to the box labeled
Gossip.

“Oh, I found something.” Callie picked up the paper to read the words to him. “Listen to this: ‘Occupants of a house on Serenity Avenue may wish to dub the street Stressed Avenue, since a young man from the wrong side of the tracks has been seen calling on their daughter.'” Callie laid down the paper. “Could that be a clue?”

“To what?”

Callie rolled her eyes. “If the columnist is referring to
this
house, then the daughter would be Senator Squier's.”

“And?”

“That could mean some young man was courting Irene Squier.”

“There're lots of houses on Serenity. But I suppose it's possible.”

“And he could've… Well, might've gotten her pregnant.”

Jake reached a hand. “What else does it say?”

“Nothing.” She thumbed through the stack of issues. “Let's see if more is said about this in later columns.” She turned to the next paper's Society page and read the gossip column. “Nothing in here, but I'll look through the next several issues.”

Jake picked up the column and reread it. “Even if the gossip referred to the occupants of this house—and we have no evidence that it does—Irene moved away from here. Remember?”

“True. What's the date of that paper?”

“September 1876.” Jake's breath caught as he did the math. “I was born in May of the next year.”

Callie gasped. “Could Irene be your—?”

“Mother.” Just hearing the word off his lips, a desire to know Irene Squier sprang to life inside him.

The date of the family's departure and this column were significant. He thought back on his conversation with the
state senator in Indianapolis. The man had said Wesley and Lillian Squier had moved back East. He'd assumed Irene had gone with them. If she had, she couldn't have mailed those postcards.

But what if she hadn't left?

What if she resided in Peaceful? His heart pounded. What if he'd passed her on the street?

Callie gathered a stack of newspapers. “I've looked at the gossip columns for the remainder of the month. No mention of this relationship. But until we read them all, we can't be sure we're on the right track.”

Jake grabbed the box labeled
Gossip
and leafed through the clippings they'd snipped earlier. A few minutes later, he found another mention of a romance on Serenity. “Here's another one! With a later date.” He half rose from his chair. “‘Young love on Serenity Avenue will find a way—better under the watchful eye of a chaperone than under cover of dark.'” Jake cleared his throat. “Sounds like they were sneaking off together.”

“I wish we had more to go on.”

He flipped through the rest of the gossip articles. “No sorrier than I am. I've looked at the columns in May, near my birthdate. There's no mention of a baby born to someone on Serenity.”

“Wouldn't it be something if the young woman who lived in this house was your mother?” She glanced around the room. “It's as if this house were meant to shelter unwed mothers.”

“Perhaps we're making too much of this. Serenity's a long street. Several families could've had a daughter.”

“Of courting age? It's the first lead we've had.”

He reread the article. “Where was the wrong side of the tracks?”

Callie pointed south toward the downtown area. “The
Monon railroad tracks cut Peaceful down the middle. Mildred might know more about the area south of those tracks.”

“I'll see what she knows. She hadn't remembered Irene courting anyone, but this article might trigger her memory.”

Again Jake thought about his visit to Indianapolis. He hadn't shared that trip with Callie, thinking that what he'd learned amounted to nothing. But now he was tempted to return. See if Senator Davis might have an address for the Squier family, something more to go on.

Callie jumped up and shot around the desk. “What an adventure this is turning out to be! Let's go see Mildred.”

He gazed into her lovely, animated face. Callie appreciated the importance of family. Combing the newspapers had become important to them both. When had anyone cared that much about him?

“We'll go.” He tugged her into his arms. “But before we do, I know another quest that interests me.”

He lowered his head. The softness of her lips under his elicited a groan. She melted against him, encircling his neck with her arms. The gentleness of the kiss intensified with an urgency that set his heart knocking in his chest.

The door banged open. Jake and Callie jerked apart.

Elise stood on the threshold, her face twisted in pain, her hands supporting her bulging belly. “I think it's time,” she ground out.

Springing into action, Callie rushed to Elise's side. “I'll help you upstairs.” She motioned to Jake. “Get Doc Wellman. On the way, stop at the Langleys'. Tell Sarah that Elise has gone into labor.”

“Consider it done.”

Callie shot him a smile, then wrapped an arm around Elise and walked her out of the room.

On the way to the front door, Jake's stomach plummeted like a runaway wagon on a downhill slope. Not just about the arrival of Elise's baby, though his disquiet that her time had come surprised him. But after almost giving up on finding his mother, Callie had stumbled upon gossip columns that might be a clue to his roots. Who would've thought gossip would ever have merit?

Soon life would change forever. Certainly for Elise. And perhaps, if the clue meant anything, life would change forever for him. Where would those changes lead?

 

Jake paced the kitchen floor, tending the teakettles on the cookstove, as Callie had asked. With no idea what else he could do, he felt lost, like a man in the backwoods without a compass. He wanted to shut out the moans from upstairs, yet couldn't leave—as if his presence made an iota of difference. Poor Elise was suffering. The doctor had been here for ages. Her mother had arrived. Why wasn't that baby coming as well?

Maybe the baby was like his grandfather—too stubborn to come. How Mark Langley could refuse to be there for his daughter baffled Jake. “Jacob.”

He whipped around. Callie stood in the doorway. “What's wrong?”

“Nothing. Nothing at all.” Callie's calm demeanor eased his stomach, righted his off-kilter world. “Doc Wellman says it won't be too much longer. I came down for hot water.”

Wanting to protect her from that kind of pain, he touched her cheek, soft beneath his fingers, “Are you afraid? Knowing you'll go through that in a few months?”

“Bringing a baby into this world can be hard, but I'm not afraid.” She laid her hand over Jake's. “Some things are worth any amount of pain.”

“I've heard of women having ten-pound babies.” He glanced at her petite frame. “It could be difficult to—”

She laid her fingers across his lips. “When did you become such a worrywart?”

He wasn't. Normally. When had Callie become his world?

He tugged her to him. She laid her head against his shoulder and snuggled close. Jake rested his chin on her forehead and soaked up the peace he felt at having her near. With Callie in his arms, life's concerns faded. All felt right with the world. This is where she belonged.

“Callie.” She glanced up at him with those startling sea-blue eyes of hers. “I care about you—”

Abruptly, she broke away, clearly avoiding his declaration. “I'd better get that water,” she said, not meeting his gaze.

Everything that had softened inside him, hardened. Callie didn't want him. He couldn't blame her. “I'll get it.”

Jake followed her upstairs, carrying a hissing teakettle and a steaming pot by the handle. Outside Elise's bedroom door, he handed them over to Callie. “Let me know if there's anything else I can do.”

“Pray all goes well and this baby arrives soon. Elise is tired.” She sighed, no doubt remembering he wasn't a praying man. That sigh nearly did him in.

Jake knew one thing he could do. He raced down the stairs and strode out the front door, all feelings of abandonment inside him shoving to the surface. He'd do what he could to ensure Langley didn't abandon Elise.

At his knock, Mark Langley opened the door, looking as lost as Jake felt. “Is Elise all right?”

“The baby hasn't arrived yet. Callie says it's normal for babies to take their time coming.”

Her father nodded, but didn't look comforted. Obviously, he cared for his daughter. But what about that child she would bring into the world?

“I'm here to tell you what it's like to spend your childhood in an orphanage.” Then, not waiting for Mr. Langley's permission, he proceeded to do so. When he finished, he looked deep into Langley's eyes. “Be a father to your daughter. Be a grandfather to her child. The only thing you have to lose is your pride. If you don't, you'll lose everything that matters.”

Without a word, Langley headed for the door. Jake had to hurry to catch up.

In Callie's parlor, Elise's father perched on the edge of a dainty chair. “Thanks for telling me about your childhood. It's got me thinking about a lot of things—”

A shriek from above brought him to his feet. “What's taking so long?” Pacing the rug like a caged coyote, he rubbed a hand over his eyes. “If anything happens to that girl, I'll never forgive myself.”

“She'll be all right.” Jake gulped. She had to be.

Langley stopped and looked at Jake. “Things aren't good between us. Haven't been in a long time. I wanted a boy,” he said, choking out the words. “Never could relate to Elise and all that girly stuff. I loved her…but didn't show it much.” He shuddered. “I wonder if I drove her into that scalawag's arms.”

Langley feared his daughter had fallen for a smooth-talker to fill the void of a distant father. Jake had expected families to be warm, loving, supportive, never failing one another. He'd seen that few people had picture-perfect
families. Yet they managed to go on and forge their way, hopefully as Elise and her father would do.

Langley went on pacing. “I couldn't deal with Elise having a baby.” He sighed. “My baby having a baby. Just couldn't take that in. I wanted the problem to go away. That's how I saw the baby—as a problem.”

“It's not too late to set things right between you and Elise. She's a generous, forgiving person.”

“I said a lot of things I shouldn't have.”

“What about the baby?”

The eyes he turned on Jake filled with misery. “That's my grandchild Elise is bringing into this world. A baby, not some shame I can shun.” His voice broke. “Elise and I got to the point that I couldn't figure out how to mend things.”

Jake would give anything if he had a relationship with his parents. Even with all that had happened. Even with the hurts he'd buried inside. If he ever found them, and they showed him one bit of interest, he'd forgive their abandonment. Family mattered. Families stuck by one another. Families worked it out.