Cade raised his eyebrows as the postmaster took her envelopes. “I didn’t realize you had so many friends waiting for your correspondence.”
Jolie grinned sheepishly. “They’re all for my mother. She enjoys seeing my sketches.”
Cade returned her smile. She must have missed her mother terribly. He remembered that feeling after first leaving home, and he wished there were some way to ease that pain for her. If letters helped, he would post a hundred for her every week if that was what it took.
The door opened behind them, and a well-dressed man stepped inside.
“Be with you in just a moment, Mr. Gilbert,” the postmaster said.
“Take your time, Thomason,” Mr. Gilbert replied. “I’m in no hurry.”
Thomason nodded to the man and sorted through Jolie’s envelopes. “You don’t happen to be related to a fellow named Lucas Harris, do you?”
Coming into this town was like dodging blows at every turn. Cade swallowed the lump in his throat. “He was my brother. He passed on a few months ago.”
Thomason paused and looked up at him with pale blue eyes. “Well now, I’m sorry to hear about that. He was a congenial fellow. And I believe something came for him. Give me just a moment.” He placed Jolie’s letters in a nearby crate and walked slowly to the rear of the space that served as an office.
“I was also sorry to hear of your brother’s passing,” the man behind them said.
Cade turned around to find the man holding his hat and giving him a friendly, yet sympathetic, look.
“Thank you,” he forced himself to say. He was halfway on the verge of never stepping foot into this town again. At least not until Lucas’s memory had faded from their minds and he could move through the town without being accosted by well-meaning folks. He knew they were simply being friendly, but every kind word was like another chink to his barely held together armor. “I’m Cade Harris. This is my wife.”
“Mrs. Harris.” The man gave her a smile and a quick nod. “I’m Jake Gilbert. I run the land office in town.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Gilbert,” Jolie said.
“Please feel free to come around my office any time. I’ll introduce you to my wife,” Gilbert said kindly.
“I would enjoy that,” Jolie replied. “I don’t suppose you sold Cade’s brother his land?”
Cade glanced at her, wishing she hadn’t brought Lucas into the conversation again, even if she was simply being friendly.
“I’m afraid I didn’t. I sold your parcel of land to a fellow called . . . Pound. Or perhaps it was Young. Forgive me, I’d have to look at my books to be certain. I do know the man grew desperate for money reasonably soon after the purchase, and quickly turned around and sold it to Harris before leaving the valley.”
That made sense. Lucas had mentioned in his letter that he’d gotten a good deal on the land. It was a lucky find for him, given that both of them started from nothing even approaching wealth. And yet it also made the fact that Lucas never really got to build the place he’d dreamed of even harder to stomach.
Seeing justice done might make it better. Cade dismissed the thought lurking in the back of his mind. Seeing justice done would draw this all out so much longer. Lucas was gone, and the sooner he could hear that without feeling as if the world was shattering around him, the better off he’d be.
“Found it,” Thomason said from the counter. He held out an envelope.
Cade took it from him. Lucas’s name was neatly typed on the front of the envelope, and the envelope bore a postmark from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Cade took the letter opener Thomason offered and sliced the envelope open.
Inside was a receipt for a kitchen stove. Bought and paid for, and, according to the receipt, due to be delivered within the next couple of weeks.
Chapter Eleven
“Youdon’tneedtodo that. Why don’t you go back and sit down?” Hannah Bennett said as Jolie reached for one of the dirty dishes.
“With the gentlemen who are currently in the midst of a riveting conversation about the price of beef?” Jolie replied as she dunked the dish into the water Hannah had heated on the stove. The stove felt like a luxury to Jolie. She could hardly wait for their own—the one Lucas had purchased months ago—to arrive.
Hannah laughed. “I imagine I’d prefer washing dishes to that conversation too.” She picked up a pair of forks and set to work cleaning them.
“How long have you and Mr. Bennett lived here?” Jolie asked as she scrubbed.
“Not very long. We arrived in the area last year. Josiah always wanted a ranch of his own.”
Jolie glanced at the woman she hoped would become a new friend. Hannah’s voice was somewhat wistful. “Well, hopefully that will happen for him soon. For you both.”
