Brides of Arizona, page 46
“Let me carry this.” Josiah picked up the heavy basket as if it weighed nothing. Leading the way across the yard, Lavette remembered her morning’s discovery. At the time, she’d wanted to share the news with Josiah. Now, she wasn’t certain of his reaction. She whirled around, almost knocking the laundry from his arms.
“I about forgot to tell you, I think I know what to do about Mr. Mead.” Josiah’s eyebrows lifted, and she hurried on. “Glorianna brought me a Bible. I was reading about Joseph. Anyway, I read what happened with Potiphar’s wife. She tried to do to Joseph what Mr. Mead wants to do to me.”
Josiah nodded. “And?”
“Don’t you see? Joseph ran away. I can run away from here. Maybe I can hide somewhere, and you can come later.” Her voice died away. This had sounded so good when she’d thought of it, but as she put the plan into words, she could see the difficulties involved. How would she escape when she had so little money? Where would she go?
“Lavette, Joseph ran away from the sinful act. He didn’t try to escape from his responsibilities. Running away never works. Joseph stayed and faced his troubles. Yes, he spent time in prison, but he trusted God to work everything out, and He did.”
“But I don’t know if I have that kind of faith. I have doubts that God can work this out. I’m scared.” Her voice fell to a whisper.
Josiah set the basket on the ground and pulled her into his embrace once more. Her tears wet his shirt, but he didn’t seem to mind. She felt the gentle touch of his lips on her forehead. Peace stole over her. Josiah had such a strong faith. Could she trust Jesus as all her new friends suggested? She wiped her eyes and stepped back.
“I’m sorry. Sometimes I don’t think things through.”
“We’re all that way.” Josiah picked up the laundry. His stomach growled. “I believe I heard something about pie?”
She sniffed and gave a light laugh. “I hope I have enough. From the sound of things, you could eat the whole thing. By the way, why did you want to see Mrs. Sawyer?”
Josiah gave her a wide grin. “Because I have a plan to rescue a damsel in distress.”
“What? You didn’t tell me.” Lavette hopped up the steps to open the door. “What is it?”
Josiah stopped to give her a peck on the cheek. “It’s a surprise. You’ll find out after Mrs. Sawyer agrees with me.”
Chapter 18
Lavette danced on pins and needles, waiting for the ding of Mrs. Sawyer’s bell. Josiah refused to say more. He ate two pieces of pie and drank his coffee, acting like he didn’t have a care in the world. If he wasn’t so big, she would pick him up and shake him. He kept saying to be patient, but the anticipation wouldn’t let her.
She stirred the coals to life in the stove. The door screeched like a cat with its tail stepped on. Josiah’s chuckle brought her around.
“What are you laughing about now?”
“You.”
“Me?” She placed her hands on her hips in exasperation. “Why?”
“Because you’ve been waiting for something, and now you’ve missed it.”
She wanted to stuff her apron in his mouth. At the same time, his lightness of attitude made her long to join him. A bell dinged. She gaped.
“Is that what you’re meaning? Did she already ring the bell once?”
He nodded. Lavette gave him a withering glare before starting to stalk out of the room. Josiah grabbed her hand and pulled her onto his lap. His huge hand cupped her cheek, turning her to look at him.
“You aren’t really mad, are you?”
“Of course I am.” She crossed her arms and huffed. Her mouth twitched, and he grinned. He gave her a quick kiss and lifted her back onto her feet.
“I’ll wait until you have her up and ready for company.”
Lavette sped down the hall. She had to be careful, or she would be in such a hurry, she would jerk Mrs. Sawyer out of bed, throw her clothes on her, and rush her into the parlor to hear what Josiah had to say.
“Good afternoon, Ma’am. Did you have a good nap?”
“Yes, I did.” Mrs. Sawyer’s brow wrinkled. “I thought I heard voices. Is someone here?”
“Yes, Ma’am.” Lavette lifted her mistress into a sitting position and began to help her dress. “My friend, Josiah, is here. He’d like to speak with you when you’re ready.”
“Why certainly, although I was hoping Mr. Mead had stopped by. He’s such a charming sort.” She chuckled. “If I were years younger, I believe I might be taken with the man.”
Lavette bit back a groan. She picked up the brush and began to straighten Mrs. Sawyer’s hair. How could this woman be so deceived? The man must have missed his calling as an actor in one of those fancy theaters back East. He certainly could cover up his true self.
“There we go.” Lavette placed the brush back on the shelf, hoping Mrs. Sawyer didn’t notice her impatience. “Are you ready to go out to the parlor? The weather outside is beautiful. I already have the window open, and you can hear the birds singing.”
“That sounds wonderful.” Mrs. Sawyer eased up with Lavette’s help and began to shuffle down the hallway. “I think I’m still a little tired from my visit to Gretta. I don’t believe I’ll move in with them until Paul has my room done. Those grandchildren are fun, but they wear a person down.”
Lavette eased the woman into her favorite chair and arranged a blanket on her lap. “Can I get you anything?”
“I would take a glass of water.” Mrs. Sawyer smiled, the left side of her mouth sagging a little more than usual. “I seem to be parched after my nap.” Lavette turned to leave when her mistress spoke again. “Oh, and you may show your young man in to see me.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
Lavette almost tripped from excitement as she led Josiah into the parlor. “Mrs. Sawyer, this is Josiah Washington. He has a blacksmith shop here in town.”
Josiah nodded in greeting, his hat lost in his hands. Mrs. Sawyer indicated the chair next to her, and he sat down. Lavette didn’t know whether to leave or stay.
“If you don’t mind, Ma’am, I’d like for Lavette to stay. What I have to say concerns her too.”
Mrs. Sawyer glanced at Lavette, then back at Josiah. “That’s fine with me. How can I help you? I believe you’re the young man who rescued me yesterday. I thank you.”
Josiah twisted his hat, his fingers kneading the material until Lavette thought it might rip into shreds. “I’m not sure if Lavette has mentioned me, Ma’am, but I’ve taken quite a liking to her.” He hesitated and glanced at Lavette. “In fact, I love her very much.”
Lavette put her hands to her warm cheeks and couldn’t look at her mistress. She’d had no idea Josiah would say something like this.
“I believe Lavette loves me, too, and I would like to speak with you about purchasing the remainder of her contract. I want her to be my wife, but I know Mr. Mead wouldn’t allow that to happen.”
“I don’t know how you could know Mr. Mead’s thoughts if you haven’t spoken to him.” Mrs. Sawyer’s lips drew into a thin line, a sign that she wasn’t happy. “The fact is, Mr. Mead has already proposed to buy her contract, should I choose to sell it.”
“You mean you haven’t actually agreed to let him?” Josiah looked hopeful. “If not, could you give me some time to raise what we need? I have some savings, and I’ll work hard for the rest.”
“Mr. Mead has agreed to pay me fifty dollars for Lavette’s contract. Do you have that kind of money?” Mrs. Sawyer’s imperious tone made Lavette clench her fists. How could she talk to Josiah like that?
“No, Ma’am, I don’t have that much. Not even close.” The sparkle in Josiah’s eyes dimmed. He lowered his gaze. Bringing his head up, he smiled once more. “Could I give you what I have and make payments on the rest? I have friends who will vouch for me. I’m honest and I work hard. We could even postpone getting married until Lavette is free.”
“That will never work. My son-in-law is using the money Mr. Mead is paying to build a room on his house for me. He needs that paid all at once so he will have the funds for the project.”
Josiah nodded. Lavette wanted to cry. He’d tried his best, but it wasn’t good enough.
“How do you even know Lavette wants to marry you? Have you asked her?” Mrs. Sawyer leaned forward in her chair.
“No, Ma’am, I haven’t asked her yet, but I do know she loves me.” He glanced over at Lavette. His eyes pleaded with her to return his love. She moved away from the door where she’d been standing and crossed the room. She knelt down at his feet, took one of his hands in hers, and squeezed. His love was almost visible in the air. She could feel it surrounding her.
“Ma’am, I’d be honored to be Josiah’s wife. He’s everything I’ve ever dreamed of.” Lavette tore her gaze from Josiah’s and looked at her mistress. Mrs. Sawyer frowned at them.
“I’ll give you two weeks to earn the money. If you haven’t saved enough by then, I’ll allow Mr. Mead to have her contract.” She nodded, dismissing the two of them.
Tugging on Josiah’s hand, Lavette urged him out of the room. This would never work. Fifty dollars was an unheard of amount for people like them. She would have to convince him to give up the idea of the two of them being together.
In the kitchen, she turned to him. He put his arms around her and hugged her to him. “Somehow, I’ll get enough.” His whispered promise only brought her pain.
“No.” She too kept her voice low. “There’s no way for you to do that. You have to give up the idea, Josiah. It won’t work.”
He stroked her hair, smoothing back the loosened tendrils. “You’re a gift to me from God. I won’t give up.” He gave her a light kiss. “There’s a man outside of Tucson who wants me to come out and do some work for him. I’ll ride out there tomorrow. If he has some big jobs that pay well, I’ll stay and do them.”
“I wish I could help, but I have only a few dollars saved from my wages.” Lavette rested her forehead on Josiah’s broad chest. She longed to cling to him forever.
“I have an idea there, too.”
“What?” Hope began to push away the doubts.
“Quinn mentioned the other day that Kathleen has more work than she can keep up with in her seamstress shop. With her time so close for the baby, she doesn’t have the stamina she used to.”
“Josiah Washington, you make her sound like a horse.” Lavette giggled. “I can sew. I’ll stop by tomorrow and see if she would like some help. I’m sure the pay won’t be much, but I do want to help.”
“I’d be happy to walk you over there tonight after Mrs. Sawyer goes to bed.”
Lavette nodded, her heart full of love and hope for the first time she could remember.
Josiah couldn’t help whistling as he turned up the path to Lavette’s house. He could see her waiting in the shadows of the porch. Since Mrs. Sawyer always retired early, they had plenty of time to walk to Quinn and Kathleen’s house. The thought of going anywhere with Lavette set his heart singing.
“There is a fountain filled with blood, drawn from Immanuel’s veins.” Lavette’s voice rang out softly. He matched her volume since he didn’t want to disturb Mrs. Sawyer.
He jumped onto the porch, ignoring the steps. He felt like he could leap to the moon and back tonight. “Good evenin’, Beautiful.” Lavette stopped singing. Her head dipped as if she were embarrassed. He wanted to grab her and kiss her again, but kept his hands at his sides.
“Evenin’.”
“Ready to go?” Josiah stretched out a hand for hers. “I saw Quinn this afternoon and mentioned we might stop by.”
She slipped her small hand into his. He sighed with pleasure at the touch. “I’ve decided that I need to teach you another verse of my fountain song on the way.”
“I like the first two well enough. I’m ready for the third.” Her eyes were dark in the twilight. “How many verses are there?”
“I know five. At church we don’t always do all of them. Some of the folks have trouble remembering so many.”
“Okay, I’m ready.”
“Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood shall never lose its power, till all the ransomed Church of God, be saved, to sin no more: Be saved, to sin no more, be saved, to sin no more; till all the ransomed Church of God be saved to sin no more.” Josiah cleared his throat. Lavette walked in silence beside him.
“Okay, you’ve heard the words. Now join with me.” He opened his mouth to sing, but something wasn’t right. Lavette ignored him. A lone tear glistened on her cheek.
“Hey, what’s wrong? Was I that bad?” He pulled her around, put a finger under her chin, and lifted.
Her mouth quivered. She tried to smile but failed. He put his arms around her, hugging her close. He couldn’t think of anything he’d said or done to upset her, so he waited for her to gather her composure. When she was ready, she would tell him.
“I’m so sorry.” Her arms slipped around his waist, and she leaned her cheek against him. “Those words showed me something I think Jesus has been trying to tell me.”
“Well, I’m glad I didn’t do anything wrong.” Josiah gave her a light squeeze.
“No.” She drew in a ragged breath. “You know I’ve been reading about Joseph. I’ve been angry with God so many years for allowing me to be a slave, that I didn’t stop to think there are other forms of bondage than being in chains on a plantation. You tried to tell me that, too, didn’t you?”
“Mm-hmm.” Josiah leaned his cheek against the top of her head.
“Glorianna shared a verse with me the other day about being free in Jesus. That’s what true freedom is, isn’t it? Just like I can’t pay the debt I owe Mrs. Sawyer, I can’t pay the debt for my sins to God, either. Only Jesus could do that.” She sniffed. He could feel her tears wetting his shirt.
“When I asked Jesus into my heart years ago, I was as free as I ever would be.”
“There are many kinds of enslavement, and the worst is the bondage of sin.” Josiah rubbed her back as he spoke. “I’ve never been a slave in the sense that you were, but for years I was bound in sin. I couldn’t liberate myself. I had to have Jesus’ help. He’s the One who delivered me. I don’t care if I’m put in chains for the rest of my life, I’ll always be free because of Jesus paying the price for me.”
“We’re all ransomed like the words in that song say. By Jesus’ blood we’re set free.” She wiped at her cheek. “I’ve wasted so many years being bitter and angry when all along what I wanted was already mine.”
Cocking her head to the side, she frowned. “Another thing—I’ve always thought Jesus came for the white people. Now, I see He died for us all, didn’t He?”
“That’s right. He doesn’t see any distinction in color or race. He loved us all enough to die for us.”
She pushed back, and Josiah let his arms fall to his side. How he loved this woman. He planned to spend as many years as God gave him loving her and getting to know her better.
“We’d better get going, or the Kirbys may think we aren’t coming.” She held out a hand to him. “Let’s do that verse again.” She glanced up, and he could see the sheen of tears still in her eyes. “I may not be able to sing it aloud with you right now, but I’ll be joining you inside.”
Josiah set a leisurely pace as he began to sing once more. They repeated the hymn all the way to Quinn’s house.
The rest of the evening sped past. Kathleen was grateful to Lavette for the offer of assistance. She wouldn’t be able to pay much, but every penny would be put aside to add to what Josiah saved.
As they strolled home, Josiah couldn’t help the melancholy that came over him. Tomorrow he would ride out to see Eduardo Villegas about the work he needed done. From what Eduardo told him, there was plenty to do. He probably wouldn’t be back in town for at least a week. Not seeing Lavette for that long made him want to slow this evening down.
Back on the porch at Mrs. Sawyer’s house, Josiah took Lavette in his arms one more time. He marveled at how tiny she felt. She was so perfect.
“I’ll be leaving early in the morning.”
“You’ve said that at least six times now.” Her light tone told him she wasn’t chiding him. “I know because every time you say that, I can’t wait for you to return.”
“You’ll miss me then?” He brushed his lips over her forehead.
“Of course. Who else can teach me the words to the fountain hymn?” They both chuckled.
“I’ll miss you more than I can say. As soon as I can, I’ll get back to town. I’m hoping I’ll have the money we need.” He kissed her pert nose. “You start thinking about a wedding. Plan exactly what you want. I’m sure Glorianna and Kathleen will be glad to help.”
“I don’t care about a big wedding. I just want you.” Lavette reached up and gave him a light kiss. “Hurry back. I’ll be waiting.”
As the door closed behind her, Josiah bounded off the porch. Eager to get going so he could return faster, he ran most of the way home.
Chapter 19
Heavy gray clouds hung low in the sky as Josiah rode into town twelve days later. Huge raindrops spattered against him, the warmth of the air making them feel like ice water. He ducked his head and pulled his hat down tight. Nothing could dampen his excitement at being back in Tucson with enough money to pay off Lavette’s contract. By tomorrow morning, she would be free to be his wife. Working for Eduardo had taken more time than he figured, but the reward was earning enough for Lavette.
By the time he stabled his horse, darkness had fallen. The rain increased to a steady downpour unusual in this area, but welcomed to settle the dust. Josiah drew in a deep breath of the moisture-laden air. He’d never been fond of the downpours they had where he grew up, but now that he lived in the desert, he relished the infrequent showers.
Listening to the patter of drops outside, Josiah debated going to see Lavette tonight. He shook his head and sighed. It was late, and he needed some sleep. For close to two weeks, he’d worked long, hard hours. Eduardo had a nice forge already set up on his place. He’d said his father built it and knew how to do blacksmith work, but Eduardo never learned. With a sigh, Josiah blew out the lamp and climbed into bed, longing to see the woman he loved. He groaned. Every muscle in his body ached, but knowing Lavette would soon be his made all the discomfort worthwhile.
