“Would you please excuse me, Mrs. Harrison? I feel the need for a walk.”
She nodded. “Very well, Olivia. Hold on to the word that God is our ever-present help in times of trouble. He will see you through.”
“Thank you.”
Olivia rose from the bench and crossed the courtyard where the children were still chasing each other. Although a smile tugged at her lips and she loved that she was back there, she couldn’t quite capture the happiness she had felt before she left. How could she when her heart was with the man she loved?
Oh, Adam, where are you?
Olivia, with a heavy heart, walked down the trail to where she and Adam had sat and talked some time ago. She sat under a tree with brown leaves, a testament of the forthcoming autumn.
She pulled her wrap tightly across her shoulders. Her thoughts remained with Adam. Not knowing what else to do as she missed him terribly, she bowed her head in prayers.
“Father, I come to You seeking for Your help for Adam. Please comfort him in his period of grief. I do not understand why this happened, but I place my hope and trust in You. Help him at this point to see how much You love him and for him to know You’re the way, the truth, and the life.
“I pray also concerning Gabe and his accomplices. Father, You know how shaken I was by what he did and how You helped me get past it. So, I come to You today, praying for them. I have always believed anyone can change with prayers and a heart of repentance. Please speak to them today in Your still small voice to wring repentance out of them. Let them see the errors of their ways so that they’ll confess their atrocities and Adam will be reinstated.
“Please take control of the situation. Help everyone involved to find peace and redemption. Amen.”
Olivia felt better after praying. She wondered if it would be too forward of her to go to Stephen’s ranch to find out if he had returned home.
She chewed on her bottom lip as she pondered on the wisdom of going there. What if Adam treated her shabbily again? What if he bluntly told her he didn’t want anything to do with her because of her God?
Olivia decided to save herself the embarrassment, even though her heart longed for him. If they were truly meant to be together, God would make a way. She took consolation in that.
Chapter 34
“Oh, Adam! Thank God you’re home! I’ve been so worried about you,” Annie cried when Adam walked into the kitchen two days later.
Not minding her heavy carriage, she waddled across the kitchen to throw her arms around him as far as her protruding stomach would allow. Emotion flooded Adam at the show of relief by his sister-in-law.
She pulled away and searched his face. “Are you all right?”
He nodded and offered her a grim smile. “I’m fine, Annie.”
“We were so worried about you,” she mentioned, causing guilt to shoot up his body.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get everyone worried.” He raked his finger through his hair. “I just needed to get away to think about the next step to take.”
“I completely understand.” She moved away and pointed at the table. “Are you hungry? I’m just preparing breakfast.”
Adam hadn’t eaten much in the past three days. For Annie not to be more worried about him, he nodded even though he didn’t feel like eating.
She smiled at him and waddled to the wood stove where she was making hash browns.
Remorse surged inside him as Annie moved about the kitchen. After receiving the letter that shattered all his hopes and dreams of justice for the Indians and the downtrodden, he had ridden out of town with a few supplies to camp out in the forests. He had needed to get his head straight so he wouldn’t give in to the urge of beating up both Gabe Winters and Joe Tate until they couldn’t stand again. And that would have only acquired for him some time in jail which he wanted for the duo.
He opened his mouth to tell Annie how disappointed he was in the law for failing him and turning its back on him. But then he clamped his mouth shut. Of what use would it be? Annie would only talk about him turning to God instead. And that was something he didn’t want to hear.
I guess it serves me right for thinking the law was everything.
It still rankled the way the U. S Marshal treated him. He never for once thought they would be complacent. Just a few interviews from the folks and they had believed them with no doubt. He who had been known to be an upright lawman suddenly turned to an enemy. He knew he ought to file a complaint so he would at least redeem his image if not get his job back, but he knew it would be a waste of time.
Perhaps he should go to Virginia and meet up with his bosses face to face to question them.
“What’s the point?” he muttered.
Annie turned from stirring the food on the stove. “Did you say something?”
