Despite the threat hanging over our heads, Sam decided to move our household to the new hotel the next day. I had never seen him so lighthearted or happy, and whenever we were within arms’ length of each other, he managed to steal a kiss.
Johnnie and Hazel were eager to be back on the Hill, where life was less dangerous and they had a little more freedom. Their chatter filled the rooms of the hotel as I swept and dusted and prepared to open the next day, God willing.
Snowball, as the kitten had been named, made everything more exciting.
Beds had been built in all the rooms, and the kitchen was outfitted with all the things necessary to cook three large meals a day. Barrels of sugar, flour, oats, salt pork, and more filled the storeroom off the kitchen. Even Father was happy to return to Portsmouth Square where he could make connections with the businessmen who would help him start his school.
But none of the excitement could distract me from what I knew would happen sometime today. The fire that was supposed to takeour lives would sweep much of San Francisco away, and four Sydney Ducks would be executed for arson. I kept my eyes on everything that day, watching for any sign that might be a threat.
The wind had picked up, which I knew would only aid the fire. Sam had told me that the Sydney Ducks were familiar with bushfires in Australia and how destructive they could be if the wind was just right. I couldn’t stop thinking about Lulu and if Jim would start the fire in retaliation for Sam helping her. It was the only thing that made any sense. Sam had enemies, but none as evil as Jim.
By that evening, Sam and I were on edge. Darkness had fallen over San Francisco and with it a sense of foreboding. The wind continued to whistle around the hotel, rattling the windows, and there was no light from the moon or the stars to help us see beyond our building.
Father had lost all his books in the first fire, so he had resorted to telling stories at night from memory, recounting some of his favorites, likeThe Legend ofSleepy Hollow. As we sat in the kitchen with the potbellied stove emanating heat and the wind unable to reach past the sound walls and windows Sam had built, Father’s voice rose and fell like the waves of a sea while Hazel and Johnnie listened with rapt attention.
Snowball was curled up on Hazel’s lap, sleeping as the girl pet her.
“Do you know what happened the next morning, after the Headless Horseman chased Ichabod?” Father asked the children.
Both shook their heads.
“They searched for Ichabod’s body, but they never found it.”
Johnnie’s eyes opened wide. “What did they find?”
“A smashed jack-o’-lantern.” Father grinned as he searched their faces. “What do you think it means?”
He always loved asking children questions.
As the children discussed the end of the story, I glanced out the window into the backyard. I wanted to enjoy the warmth of the moment, but it was hard to stay present when my thoughts were focused on what might happen later.
“I think it’s time for bed,” Father said as he put his hands onthe table and started to rise. “Come, children. We’ll let Ally and Sam have a few minutes to themselves.”
Sam’s intense gaze found mine across the expanse of the table, and the electrical pull between us was almost palpable. No doubt Father had sensed it.
“Good night,” the children said as they hugged us and then followed Father up the stairs like the Pied Piper, another story he loved to tell. Snowball would sleep with Hazel and Johnnie as she had the night before.
“Where is Paddy?” I asked Sam as I rose to take my father’s abandoned chair next to my husband.
Sam took my hand and shook his head. “I don’t know. He left right after supper.”
Paddy had moved to the hotel with us, taking a small room just off the kitchen, but he came and went at leisure.
“We’re in for a long night,” I said, my attention returning to the window.
“Do you know when it’s supposed to start?”
“No. The history books were vague about the details.”
He pulled my chair a little closer, scraping it across the floor and causing me to smile as I held on.
“I don’t like when you’re so far away.” He kissed my neck just under my ear, sending a shiver of pleasure up my spine.
“We need to stay focused, Sam.”
“I’m very focused,” he said as he continued to kiss me. “All I’ve thought about today is you.”
I closed my eyes, trying to concentrate. “We need to focus on the threat.”
