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  She prayed until she got into the house, ran up the stairs and closed the door to her room. Her heart was still beating fast and she couldn’t tell if it was from the running, or because of being so close to Len.

  Ali poked her head around the door, “Everything all right, dear?”

  Vicki just stared at her with big brown doe eyes. Ali furrowed her brow and pushed open the door. She smoothed her skirt nervously, and sat down next to the young woman.

  “You’re beginning to worry me,” she said.

  Vicki opened her mouth to speak, but hesitated. She didn’t want Ali to think less of her or Len. Finally she told Ali what happened. As Vicki looked at her with pleading eyes, Ali started to laugh.

  “Oh my sweet, innocent girl. You are falling in love! There is nothing to be ashamed of! I just wish I had thought of the match sooner,” she said, and giggled to herself, hiding the fact that matching Len up with a bride was the real reason for the auction. She was surprised it had even taken this long.

  “Come help me tend to the garden. Some work will busy your mind,” Ali told her. Vicki grabbed her gardening apron and the ladies headed outside.

  Vicki opened the door and to her shock, Len was standing right there.

  “Vicki!” he blurted out, “I was just looking for Ichabod.”

  She started to stammer, and luckily, Ali intervened, “He’s in his study, Len.”

  Len walked down the hall and knocked on the study door.

  “Ichabod?” Len called. The older man looked up from his papers, and invited him in.

  “If you have a moment, I’d like to speak with you about something,” said Len.

  “I always have time for you, son. Take a seat. What’s plaguing you?” Ichabod replied.

  “You know that my whole life I’ve struggled with the weight of my mother’s death on my shoulders. I can’t help but fear that if I ever was to marry, that the same fate would befall my new wife,” Len blurted out suddenly, feeling the need to say those words which he had long realized to be his biggest obstacle in taking a wife.

  Ichabod took a deep breath and leaned forward. “It’s difficult to understand the mind of God. Many scholars and theologists before you have tried and failed, and many more will try, and fail after you. I can’t tell you why it was her time to pass, but what I can tell you is that she made the decision,” explained Ichabod.

  “She made the decision?” asked Len. “What do you mean?”

  “You’re birth was a very difficult one. Your father Coy and I waited outside the room, while Ali, your mother and the doctor were inside. After what must have been hours of labor, the doctor came out to speak to Coy. He said that the baby would not be able to pass through naturally and a Cesarean section would have to be performed. During the operation, the heart-wrenching question of whose life to save came up. There were complications and if the doctor saved you, your mother would surely perish, but if the doctor chose to try to save your mother, there was a small chance she would survive, and you would have perished.”

  The older preacher pulled his hands up to his chest and formed his fingers into a steeple, conscious or not of his movements, it seemed fitting.

  “Coy immediately told the doctor to save his wife with the reasoning that they could have more children, but your mother insisted on saving you. She chose your life over her own. She gave you the greatest gift of all – complete selfless love. So, instead of mourning your mother’s death in guilt, remember her love and live to make her proud. That’s what she wanted for you.”

  Len was stunned. “I never knew that,” he said. “I needed to hear that, thank you.” They sat together quietly for a while before Len spoke again.

  “Now, I’ve come to a point where I have feelings for a woman,” Len said softly. “And I needed to get rid of my fears before I let it go any further than it has.”

  “Really?” Ichabod asked, anxious to know more details, but confident that he already knew more than Len could realize.

  “Yes, Sir. It’s Vicki.”

  “Oh really?” the older man asked, wishing he had something more intelligent to say, but he knew it because Ali had predicted it would happen.

  “It’s true,” Len said. “I know that’s what is going on because everytime I’m around her, my heart just skips a beat. Today, she tripped over a log when she brought me lunch. I grabbed her arm to keep her from falling. It put us in a compromising position, and I really had to restrain myself to keep from kissing her, Ichabod! Kissing her!”

  Ichabod smiled again. “That wouldn’t have been a cardinal sin, son, although it is frowned upon unless you’re married. But, I know what you’re saying.”

  Len’s shoulder relaxed visibly. “Thank you for the encouragement and understanding, Sir.”

  “Pray to God for answers and follow your heart.” He knew it was still going to take Len time to overcome his fears and trust in God. He just hoped he would find his way before it was too late and someone else scooped Vicki up for a wife.

  That night, Ichabod told Ali about Len’s confession to having feelings for Vicki, although he didn’t tell her about them almost kissing. She smiled to herself as she fell asleep, finally knowing that her plan, although it had taken a detour, was finally starting to work.

  Ali awoke the next morning with a renewed mission to marry Len off. She adored Vicki and felt like she was the perfect match for him. She had become the daughter she always wished she had. Now that the two of them seemed to be falling in love, she knew she needed to tread carefully. Len was loyal, but he was overwrought with guilt over his mother’s death, and had vowed to never marry because of it. And, he was a very private person.

  It seemed though, that Vicki had gently coaxed him out of his shell and was giving him a reason to change his mind. Ali decided to invite him to dinner to discuss the schoolhouse building progress.

  “Vicki, would you come with me to get a few supplies for tonight?” Ali asked as the two of them were doing the breakfast dishes.

  “Certainly!” replied Vicki. She was excited to see Len again tonight, and wondered if he might ask to formally court her. The two ladies headed down the road to the store when they saw a very grand carriage pulled by a fleet of horses roll into town. It slowed to a stop in the town’s center and a very debonair gentleman stepped out.

  He was wearing the highest fashion of the time made out of the most expensive fabrics. Vicki noticed this because Milly had a great appreciation for fashion and discussed it regularly with her. His hair was a dark mahogany, and his eyes an icy blue. A decadent gold chain dangled from his pocket. He strode across the square with an air of arrogance that commanded attention, and entered the sheriff’s office.

  The ladies whispered to each other and hurried into the store, hoping that someone would know the gossip. They were in luck as the storekeeper’s wife had heard recent rumors.

  “He’s a big railroad tycoon from San Clemente. Apparently, he’s here because he’s procured a large plot of land just outside of town to the east. They say he can smell gold and tracked it to an undiscovered vein on that property. It’s all a real mystery.”

  Vicki looked at Ali and knew she wouldn’t be able to resist finding out more.

  They bought potatoes, onions and carrots for that night’s roast and left the store. Ali looked toward the sheriff’s office and hesitated.

  “I’m going to say hello. I am the preacher’s wife after all. It’s the polite thing to do.” Vicki followed Ali as she marched across the street and right into the sheriff’s office without a care in the world as to who might be inside it.

  “Well, hello there!” Ali called to the sheriff. The gentleman turned around and tipped his hat at Ali, and then noticed Vicki.

  “Hello, Mrs. Groin,” the sheriff answered, rising from his chair. “Please, meet Mr. Greg Hankins, Mrs. Groin. He’s going to be spending a lot of time around Jonesboro.”

  “Oh, really?” Ali asked, extending her hand to the handsome hunk. “Wel
l, you must come to church with us. My husband, Ichabod Groin, is the preacher.”

  “Good afternoon ladies,” he smirked, taking in both Ali and Vicki. They made pleasant conversation for a few minutes. He was terribly handsome up close with his chiseled bone structure and rakish charm.

  Ali appeared to be besotted with him, and Vicki had to admit his jaunty sense of humor was captivating. Before she knew it, Ali had invited him to dinner.

  That evening, Vicki fretted over what to wear to dinner. Normally, she wouldn’t have been worried because she knew Len didn’t notice fashion, so as long as she wore something tailored properly and clean, it would have been fine.

  But, this was different. Mr. Hankins was so fashionable that she had the urge to impress him.

  Ali had been rushing around the house insisting that “this won’t do” about everything she came across, but she was positively giddy.

  “It seems this Greg Hankins gentleman sure has the ability to bewitch women,” Ichabod teased.

  Vicki laughed. It does seem so, she thought. She settled on a dark blue satin gown, with a square front trimmed in lace and mother of pearl buttons up the back. The color of the dress against her fair skin and dark hair was dramatic, but beautiful.

  Greg and Len arrived at the same time and Len was obviously irritated with the addition of such a man to the dinner party. Greg was either oblivious or didn’t care because he was in high spirits. His personality commanded the attention of the room and Vicki found herself laughing quite often at his funny, but often very silly, outbursts.

  She tried her best to include Len in the conversations, but tonight he was very aloof toward her, which made for uncomfortable conversation.

  Greg, on the other hand, was an excellent conversationalist and kept the mood of the evening lighthearted. The candles were burning low by the time he told the story of the Union Pacific Big Springs robbery that had happened only a year earlier but was already legendary.

  Stu Batten and his gang of “Black Hills Bandits,” had stolen $60,000 worth of newly minted $20 gold pieces being shipped from the mint to a bank back east.”

  Vicki was riveted.

  “It’s the single biggest robbery the Union Pacific has ever seen and I’ll admit it made us look a little lackluster in our shipping security,” said Greg.

  Len had to roll his eyes. All Greg had done the entire dinner was brag about himself and the railroad he financed. He noticed the way the rich man kept looking at Vicki and the way she giggled at his jokes.

  Just when I was starting to think there was something between us, he thought to himself, this joker comes along and captures her attention and probably her heart.

  He knew he could never compete with Greg and decided he had misinterpreted Vicki’s friendliness the past few weeks towards him. When dinner was finished, he thanked Ali and Ichabod and bid the others farewell as quickly as he could, avoiding Vicki’s eyes as he left.

  After Vicki said her evening prayers, she sat on the side of her bed and thought for a moment before lying down. Len had mentioned nothing about wanting to court her and on the contrary, seemed to be angry with her. She feared that perhaps he had thought her too bold during their last lunch and she had offended him, but Ali had assured her that she had done nothing wrong.

  Oh no, she thought, maybe he thinks I invited Greg to dinner.

  However, Ali had told the story of their meeting and how polite Greg had been to accept a dinner invitation from strangers, so that couldn’t be the reason.

  She decided Len’s coldness that evening was just unexplainable, a strange singular event that she hoped would never happen again.

  Tomorrow, I’ll take him lunch and we will forget all about this, she thought as she fell asleep, comforted by her plan and her self-assurance that it was only her imagination and not a real problem at all.

  The next morning when Vicki went outside, there were flowers on the stoop with her name on them.

  They must be from Len apologizing for his mood last night, she thought. She carried them inside and set them on the kitchen table. She opened the attached card and read: “To Vicki, the loveliest woman I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. In admiration, Greg Hankins.”

  She gasped. Had she given him the wrong idea? She had feelings for Len -- not Greg.

  But, he was so intriguing though. She had been fascinated with the stories of his travels, however rugged some of them had been. She thought for a while, but decided that her feelings for Len were much stronger and true and any feelings she felt towards Greg were only a schoolgirl’s infatuation with a handsome man.

  Over the next few weeks, Vicki saw less and less of Len. He was always too busy, or sometimes just plain disinterested when she tried to speak to him.

  But, Greg started calling upon the Groin’s household frequently and on one particular occasion, asked to speak privately with Ali and Ichabod. Vicki had a slightly uneasy feeling as she waited for them to return.

  She looked out the window and gazed across the field toward Len’s cabin. She missed their friendship, and their conversation, but mostly she just missed being near him. She worried that he was jealous of Greg, but there was no reason to be.

  Maybe he’s just focused on finishing the school before it gets too cold outside, she thought.

  The days were getting shorter and the weather chillier. Everyone in their house had pulled out their woolen clothes that had been packed away during the summer. She wanted to come up with any reason to explain his sudden frigidness when it came to her. Vicki heard Ali shriek and she almost fell out of her chair.

  What in heaven’s name could that have been about? She stood up and smoothed her skirt nervously in anticipation as the door opened. Greg strode into the room and came up to her in his usual lively fashion. Ali and Ichabod hurried in behind him but they had conflicting expressions; Ali was stifling a smile and her husband looked defeated.

  Vicki opened her mouth to speak but Greg interrupted her by taking her hand above her head and spinning her around. She laughed at his silliness.

  “Vicki?” he asked.

  “Yes?” she said smiling, caught up in the merriment. He dropped to his knee with her hand still held gently in his and looked up at her with those dreamy blue eyes of his.

  “Will you do me the honor of marrying me, and make me the happiest man on earth?” he asked. Vicki was caught totally off guard and took a step backwards.

  Greg stood up. “I know it’s sudden, but my feelings for you are too great to keep inside any longer.”

  She was mystified. Never before had she ever even received much attention from men, and now there were two she had to decide between? Surely he wouldn’t expect her to answer right away.

  “Can I take some time to think about this?” she asked gently.

  Greg hesitated. “Of course. My love for you will withstand any test of time,” he assured her.

  Vicki lay in bed the next morning and thought about her predicament. She wanted to marry Len but now she was unsure of his feelings for her. Lately, he would barely look at her, let alone ask her to marry him. Greg was an exceptional catch and possibly just that much of a match.

  He was a highly educated, sophisticated, traveled and wealthy man.

  The list of his suitable traits was endless. In theory he was perfect -- everything Vicki had ever imagined in a husband. When he touched her though, she didn’t feel a spark, and when she saw him, her heart didn’t beat faster. She thought back on the time Len held her outside the schoolhouse.

  Just thinking about it gave her chills. That was passion. In addition, passion is what she longed for in a marriage. She gathered up her nerve and got dressed. She was going to tell Len exactly how she felt and trust in God that he would show her the way. She knelt down by her bed and prayed for strength and guidance.

  It was mid-afternoon and Len was painting the schoolhouse when he saw Vicki coming up the road. He hated feeling like this, but it was the only way he knew to protect
himself. She called up to him, shielding her eyes from the sun.

  “Len? Can you come down from that ladder and speak with me for a moment?”

  He could hear a sense of urgency in her voice, so he obliged.

  “What can I do for you?” he asked. She sighed at his apparent coolness. He had gone from addressing her by her first name back to just addressing her as someone he didn’t know. It was so impersonal. She started to waver but she touched the cross around her neck, stood up straight, and started to speak.

  “I’m going to say something that you may find unrefined and forward, Len, but I hope not. Over the past few months, we have developed a friendship that I have grown increasingly fond of. And that friendship makes my heart beat faster when I see you, and my mouth goes dry when you speak and my face flushes when you smile. I realized that I don’t just look forward to the times I see you, I live for them. You kindled a fire inside me that I can’t put out.”

  He was shocked. Never in his life had he heard a woman speak so openly.

  “Greg has asked me to marry him,” she blurted. The joy that was surging inside Len was instantly squelched. He turned back to the schoolhouse and took a deep breath.

  “So, marry him,” he said, trying to sound nonchalant. “I don’t see any reason you needed to tell me any of this.”

  His words cut her like a knife and she was devastated. How could she have been so dense? Clearly, he didn’t feel the same way about her as she did him, she thought.

  She turned and walked quickly away, trying to maintain her poise after such utter humiliation. She held her cross and prayed that she would grow to love Greg and that her feelings for Len would diminish over time, but her eyes burned with tears.

  Could it really be God’s will for her to marry Greg instead of Len?

  It had been one week since Vicki had agreed to marry Greg and still no one had even seen Len. The weather had been abysmal and work on the schoolhouse had stopped. She sat at the window in the drawing room and looked outside as the rain pounded the fields. She sighed. Ali appeared with a much-needed cup of tea. This woman has been my rock, she thought.