He continued forward, though he must have seen them because he said, “One of them is married to the bank president at Wells Fargo. I’ve seen the others before, but I don’t know who they are.”
“So they’re not new to San Francisco?”
“At least not since we left.”
We continued to Sam’s hotel, but when he put his hand on the doorknob, he paused, his gaze finding mine. “Ally.”
I swallowed the nerves that fluttered up my throat. “Yes?”
“These past few weeks...” He let the sentence trail off, but from the look in his eyes and the tone of his voice, I knew what he meant. “I hate that it’s ending.”
“I do, too.”
“If you stay...” His words lingered, as if he wasn’t sure he should complete the thought.
“If I stay?” I was holding my breath.
He cleared his throat. “I just hope you do.”
After he opened the door, he put his hand on my lower back as I passed by, following me into the hotel. My heart felt like it could explode within me, and I wanted to press closer to him.
I’d had a lot of time to think about my two lives over the past week. I knew exactly what to expect from 1929. My life would be more of the same. Struggling to keep Bennett Studios afloat, even with an influx of money, perhaps acting in movies until I was too old or no longer drew audiences. Living in an overpopulated city, unable to afford more than the simple necessities of life.
Yet I would be surrounded by my loving, supportive, and understanding family.
Life in 1849 wouldn’t be so predictable. It was wild and uncertain, perhaps filled with more hardships but also with more possibilities. And I had Father and Hazel—and possibly Sam and Johnnie. The picture that formed in my head flooded my heart with unexpected warmth. A little cabin near the Yuba River, coffee in the mornings with Sam, days filled with meaningful work, maybe more children. And then evenings with Sam, like those we’d spent on the trail, talking about our days, dreaming about our future, sharing our ideas and our uncertainties. Life was hard and full of struggles, but it was also beautiful and colored with blessings. I could think of no person who had weathered the good and the bad like Sam Kendal. To stand next to a man like that as I walked through life would be an honor.
But the truth dashed against me like a tidal wave.
I couldn’t have any of it.
If I wanted to save Sam, I would have to forfeit my life here.
Despair quickly replaced the hope I’d felt, shading the picture in my mind with doubt and uncertainty. Surely, there had to be a way forward. Why would God dangle this future before me, only to tear it away?
“What’s wrong?” Sam stopped in the main hall, his voice filled with concern.
I wanted to smile, to reassure him, but I was too overcome with my emotions. I had to distract us both, so I asked, “Is anyone here?”
Nothing had changed since the last time we’d been there. I looked through the stud walls toward the back of the hotel and could see all the way through.
“Ally?” Father asked from somewhere in the building. “Is that you?”
“It’s me!”
“Ally!” Hazel appeared from around a corner, running toward me. Her hair was uncombed, and her face was dirty, but she looked happy and healthy.
“My darling,” I said, crouching down as I held out my arms.
She jumped into my embrace and wrapped her arms around my neck, speaking quickly. “I missed you so much, but we had a lot of fun while you were away. Father has taught me how to multiply, and he readThe Count ofMonte Cristoto me and Johnnie, and we made swords out of sticks, and I’ve learned to fence. We went on a treasure hunt, like the count, and we went to church, and Mrs. Green is ever so nice. She says I must treat her like a grandmother. She and Reverend Green are helping Father start a school, and Johnnie has learned how to write his name.” She continued to ramble as Father joined us in the front room.
He looked like a new man. His color had returned, and he walked toward us without any trouble. There was no sign of exhaustion or illness, though he was still thin and looked older than when we had left Massachusetts.
“What is this about a school?” I asked him, setting Hazel on the ground, thrilled that he appeared to have regained his health.
“There is much to tell you, daughter,” Father said as he glanced from me to Sam, displeasure on his face. “And I’m sure you have much to tell me.”
I frowned at his cool greeting, but I nodded. “We do have much to say. But where is Johnnie?”
