Kristin gasps, “What are you asking me, Eli?”
Eli laughs, drawing his Mother and Rooster into the hallway outside the kitchen. “I’m asking you to marry me, Kristin Taylor. I’ll love and protect you and your son with all that I have and all that I am.”
“Yes,” Kristin sobs and throws herself into his arms. Rooster whoops causing Felicia to jump and scaring Lucas awake. Eli lifts her into his arms and buries his face in her neck.
“Mama why is Mr. Eli crying, did the bad man hit him too?” Lucas asks from behind them.
Rooster turns and squats down, “You tell Rooster all about this bad man and I promise to take care of him, so you never have to worry.”
Lucas touches Roosters cheek with a trusting hand, causing the old man to tremble. “Are you gonna tell me your real name first?”
Rooster grins, “You drive a hard bargain.” He gently picks him up and walks him to his Mama.
“We’ll tell you everything we know,” Kristin says, “Just as soon as Eli releases me.”
“Not gonna happen,” Eli swoops Kristin legs up into his arms and carries her into the living room to sit with her.
Felicia laughs and follows them into the living room.
Chapter 25
Savannah walks down the busy street to the post office to send a telegram to her brother, Glenn, in Pennsylvania. Rooster dropped her trunks and bags at the train station for her earlier this morning, and she will be going there next to buy her ticket home. It’s incredible how lighthearted she feels without the weight of her promise.
Her smile comes easier as she finishes sending the telegram and walks with more confidence back to the station. The future is before her with no strings holding her to the past. Has it only been three days? It feels like an eternity. Standing in line, she vibrates with excitement. Kentucky promises to be exciting. Racing is addictive, and she knows what a win could mean for her brother’s breeding business. Perhaps she will see Dayton Patrick while she’s there.
“Next,” the clerk calls.
“Good Morning,” Savannah says to the young woman with a smile. “I’m S. E. Ward, my bags were dropped earlier. I need a ticket please to Paris, Kentucky.”
“Excellent, Miss Ward, give me one minute please to check on your bags.” The clerk walks away, and Savannah turns to look around. It is busier than she would’ve imaged.
A few minutes later she returns. “Yes, your bags have arrived and are going to be loaded as soon as the train arrives. The Central Pacific Railroad is running behind. I’m afraid you’ll have a four-hour wait for the next train to Kentucky. I have you booked in coach. You’ll have three connecting trains along the way.”
Savannah smiles, “That’s quite alright, I’ll take it.”
The clerk smiles and hands her the tickets after she pays. “Enjoy your trip, Miss Ward.”
“Thank you, have a nice day.” Savannah puts her tickets into her small bag and walks out of the station. Glancing around she shields her eyes against the morning sun, and that’s when she notices a man with a wounded face staring at her. Her stomach drops and she looks behind her to see if she’s mistaken. No one. Okay, time to go, Savannah, she whispers and pays a driver to take her to the Black Eagle Hotel.
She’d planned to have lunch and visit the gardens but noticing the man she suddenly realizes she forgot to tell Eli about the man Kristin told her about. Perhaps she’s just paranoid? Savannah twists in her seat to look behind her as the driver snaps the reins and finds the man stepping into the center of the dirt street, watching her.
Savannah is oblivious to the beauty of the hotel lobby this time. She pays the driver and hurries inside, walking straight back into the gardens.
What’s going on? Why would this person come all of this way over some tintypes? It doesn’t make sense.
She feels the press of eyes on her, is it him? What will she do? Savannah frowns and thinks. Go back to the train station and take the first train out, it doesn’t matter to where. She can always jump trains along the way. Perhaps she could get to Indiana and find shelter with Mrs. Kruger? “I can’t go back to The Irwin’s, they’ve been through enough, and if he’s watching me, I can lead them away,” she tells herself.
What exactly did Oliver get me into? She hurries inside the garden and sits down, trembling.
“Times up, Miss Ward.” Fred grins and waves down a wagon. “Take me to the Black Eagle Hotel,” he orders.
Fred follows Savannah from the train station to the Black Eagle Hotel, aware of the glances. Kristin missed his eye, but damn near blinded him. The stick sunk into his cheek just below the eye and broke off. He was lucky, but she gave him a hell of a wound and leaving him with a constant headache.
Senator Buren will not tolerate a mistake. He has to finish this, or it will be his neck on the line next. Fred walks inside and glances around, looking for a woman with bright red hair. She won’t be hard to miss he thinks with a grin and hisses as the pain in his face reminds him of the wound.
“Welcome to the Black Eagle Hotel, how may I direct you,” an older woman asks.
Fred nods, “Yes, ma’am, I’m meeting my sister for lunch, perhaps you’ve seen her, bright red hair, she’s hard to miss.”
“I saw a young woman with red hair walk into the gardens a few minutes ago.” She points directing him to the gardens.
Fred rushes through the lobby, thinking he should’ve stayed here instead of
