“They’re supposed to come in tomorrow evening. Micah and I plan to go to the station after dinner. I’m so excited to see them again. I’ve missed my mother terribly.”
“What of your father?” Judith asked, then frowned as if she realized she’d overstepped her bounds.
Kenzie smiled. “I’ll be glad to see him as well. I just know that whereas my mother will be beside herself in delight at our reunion, Father will be less concerned. I’m not sure he’d even have come, had it not been at Mother’s insistence.”
“But why? Surely he knows you would want him to give you away,” Camri replied.
Kenzie sighed. “Father wanted a son. A young man to carry on the family name and lineage. I have always been the greatest of disappointments to him, I’m afraid.”
“But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you,” Judith interjected.
Camri nodded. “Of course he loves her. Kenzie is easy to love.”
Kenzie smiled at their fierce defense. She put up a hand to calm them. “There’s no need to worry over me. I am used to my father’s regrets. Besides, I’ve found a man who loves me for exactly who I am—flaws and all.”
“Micah really is perfect for you.” Camri sighed. “Just as Patrick is perfect for me and Caleb for Judith. We are blessed, and all because of what some might consider a chance encounter on a train.”
“Nothing happens by chance,” Judith assured them. “I’m convinced of that. I can see now that God had a plan all along.”
Kenzie nodded. “I agree. It wasn’t the path I would have chosen had I known all the obstacles, but the place it has taken me is exactly what I longed for.”
“I think you’ll be happy to know that despite the sunny disposition of the mayor and Ruef,” Judge Winters told Caleb in a whisper as they left a meeting, “the evidence against them both is sufficient enough to move ahead.”
“Truly?”
The older man nodded. “I think we’ll see action within the next couple of months. How’s that for a wedding gift?”
“I think it’s wonderful.” Caleb could hardly believe the old man was right. Everything where Ruef was concerned seemed to be the same as always.
“I suppose you’re pleased that the city has approved all of your plans for the changes you’ll be making at the warehouse.”
“I think they were afraid to do otherwise. Once the newspapers carried the story about our plans, they knew that doing anything but supporting it would have spelled disaster. People are feeling generous right now, but it’s fading fast. Earthquakes and fires cause the masses to rally for a time, but they soon forget the need and start to think only of their own little part of the world.”
“Well, the donations have been significant. As a member of your board, I can honestly say that I’m impressed by the generosity.”
“I am too. I only hope we can make a difference. I know the city board makes noise about keeping the Barbary Coast businesses from ever coming to power again, but already there are dens of iniquity rising up all over the place.”
“Vice will always be with us, son. There’s no getting around that. Evil begets evil, and people will seek their entertainment in the darkest places.”
“They need God’s light.” Caleb glanced down the street as they stepped outside into the sunlight. “We all need God’s light.”
“And Solid Rock is a wonderful way to reflect that light,” the judge replied. “Perhaps you should even consider installing a beacon light. Imagine that.”
Caleb couldn’t contain a smile. “A beacon light? I like that idea very much. It will be a signal of both hope and warning.”
“A very appropriate symbol.”
When Caleb arrived back at the house, the chaos was more than enough to send him to his office. Before he could close the door, however, his sister appeared.
“Did things go well?”
He looked up as he removed his coat. “They did. We have the last of our permits in place and the city’s full approval and cooperation.”
Camri smiled. “That’s wonderful news. And what of Victoria? Have you managed to get any information on her?”
“I was just coming to ask that very question,” Judith said, sweeping into the room. She crossed to where Caleb stood, her eyes shining in adoration for him.
He kissed her hand before answering. “She’s in New York City. Apparently family friends have taken her in. She’s quite the toast of the town and has no less than twenty suitors vying for her attention.”
