The crowd had gone eerily silent. Many hung their heads, avoiding eye contact with their neighbors, or with the man who’d been unjustly forced to deal with such hardships in his life.
Jade felt her heart break. For the little boy, who’d had no one to turn to when his world collapsed. And for the man, who was still standing alone against an entire town.
“I think,” Doc Prentice said aloud, “that we should ask the reverend’s forgiveness for the wrongs this town committed. I, for one, would ask him to stay on as minister of Hanging Tree.”
“What he’s told us doesn’t change a thing,” Lavinia shouted above the rumble of voices. “He’s still a man who preaches peace while practicing violence.”
“She’s right,” Nevada said. “I had thought I could turn my back on my old life. But when Ned’s gang of outlaws, my former gang, shot the stage driver and kidnapped Jade, I wasn’t strong enough to rely on faith alone. I resorted to the only thing they respected. Guns.”
“If that’s a fault,” Marshal Regan said, “then I should be condemned, too. I don’t know much about preaching. But I know a lot about outlaws and violence. And I know what that gang would have done if they’d been allowed to continue their reign of terror. If the reverend hadn’t stopped them, who knows which one of us would have been their next victim? I think the town of Hanging Tree is indebted to the reverend for what he did. And I hope you good folks will ask him to stay.”
“I want you to stay, Reverend,” Mrs. Purdy said. “Not just for my sake, though it would comfort me to have you here until I leave this world. But for the sake of my daughter and all the others I leave behind in Hanging Tree, I hope this town welcomes you back. It’s clear that you’ve become a man of love and compassion. A man worthy to be called reverend.”
“I agree with the widow Purdy,” Doc Prentice said above the roar of voices. “He’s been fair and honest with us. And that’s more than many of us can say about our own behavior.”
Despite Lavinia’s objections, Rufus Durfee called for a vote. One by one the hands went up. Jade watched as Millie Potter and her three daughters lifted their hands. Rufus Durfee raised his hand, followed by his sons, Amos and Damon. The marshal joined them, and Doc Prentice, along with Farley Duke and Samuel Fisher and his wife and four boys. Soon the entire town was voting in the affirmative.
Lavinia and Gladys exchanged looks, then reluctantly lifted their hands to make it unanimous.
With a smile Rufus announced, “Looks like you’ve got a few friends, Reverend. The whole town of Hanging Tree would like the Reverend Wade Weston…I mean, the Reverend Danny Simpson, to stay on and minister to their needs.”
The widow Purdy squeezed Nevada’s hand, then hugged her daughter. Doc Prentice and Marshal Regan clapped Nevada on the shoulder.
Jade, her smile radiant, whispered, “Now do you believe in miracles?”
Before he could reply, the crowd surged forward to offer their congratulations.
Nevada surprised them all by raising his hands and calling for silence. When the crowd finally settled down, he said, “I want you to know how much I appreciate your vote of confidence. It’s something I’ll carry forever in my heart.”
“You make it sound like you’re leaving,” Mrs. Purdy said.
He nodded. “I’m afraid so.” Out of the corner of his eye he saw the wounded look on Jade’s face. It took all his willpower to keep from reaching out to her. He knew his words would cause her pain. But there was no other way to do this. It would be quick, clean, final. Wasn’t that what he’d tried to do in San Francisco, when he’d taken his unexpected leave?
“I’m sorry you went through all this for nothing,” he said. “But you never asked me if I wanted to stay.”
“It’s because of the past, isn’t it?” Mrs. Purdy asked. “You can’t really forgive us.”
He shook his head. “Believe me when I say that I’ve finally managed to put the past behind me. But it’s time I moved on.”
The murmur of voices began to grow, until he lifted his hands for silence. “Before I go, I would ask one favor.”
The crowd fell silent.
He glanced at Jade, then away. The sorrow in her eyes was too painful to see. In a loud, clear voice he said, “I hope you will remember the danger of becoming a mob. And that you will show compassion to Miss Jade Jewel, even if you disagree with her plans for her new building.”
“You see,” Lavinia shouted, jumping to her feet. “Even now he’s trying to use his influence to protect that… woman.”
He nodded. “Just as I’d use my influence to help you, Lavinia, if you ever needed it.” He turned to the marshal. “I’m trusting you to protect Miss Jewel, no matter how you may disagree with her.”
Marshal Regan nodded. “You can count on it, Reverend.”
Nevada shook his hand. Then, with a quick wave, he started through the crowd. With shouts of good luck and Godspeed, many reached out to shake his hand, or to clap him on the shoulder.
As he walked out the door, Jade hurried after him. Outside, he was pulling himself into the saddle.
“Were you going to leave without a word to me?” she cried.
“I think it’s best.” He hated himself. But there was no turning back now. Quick and clean. It was the only way he’d get through it. “Goodbye, Jade. I hope…” No. He wouldn’t ask her to think of him. He had no right to ask anything of her. “You know that I wish you… only the best.”
He nudged his horse into a trot. And refused to look back.
Jade stood on the wooden walkway and watched through a blur of tears as he rode out of town. And out of her life.
Chapter Twenty-Two
A storm was threatening. Already thunder rumbled in the distance.
Nevada stared around the little cabin, strewn with broken furniture and bits of pottery. He’d needed to come here one last time. To say goodbye to his past and contemplate his future.
He piled logs on the grate and started a fire with kindling, then stood, wiping his hands on his pants.
He still couldn’t believe he’d just turned his back on everything he’d ever wanted. It was all there in the little town of Hanging Tree. With the widow Purdy’s admission of wrongdoing, his family name had been vindicated. The vote of confidence by the townspeople had restored his integrity, his self-respect. And most important of all, the woman he loved was in that town.
The woman he loved.
He had to close his eyes against the pain. Their situation was impossible. The minister and the madam. Still, as impossible as it was, he was tormented by thoughts of what his life would be like without her.
All his life he’d mourned the loss of his family. And though he’d tried to deny it, he’d begun to weave dreams about Jade. Impossible dreams, of course. But that didn’t stop them from spinning around in his head. Dreams of her as his wife, making a home for him, even having his children.
What nonsense. Next he’d be picturing her giving up the opulent life-style she’d been born to and ministering alongside him to the people of Hanging Tree. For that was how he wanted to spend the rest of his life. As a simple preacher. It was the work he was meant to do. No one better understood pain and anger and the healing power of forgiveness than a man who had paid so dearly for his mistakes. But Jade’s life was another story. She’d been trained to offer healing of a different sort.
He picked up another log and tossed it onto the fire with a vengeance, causing sparks to leap and dance. The thunder was closer now, and he thought he heard the spattering of raindrops.
He should have kept right on riding until he was clear out of Texas. It had been a mistake to stop here. There were too many memories. Too much pain. And he was helpless to do anything about it.
His head came up. What he’d first thought to be the sound of rain was now clearly distinguishable. A team and carriage. Approaching at a run.
He hurried to the small window and watched as a slender figure raced through the downpour.
/> A moment later the door was thrown open and Jade hurried inside, closing the door against a rush of wind.
She leaned against the door, taking several deep breaths. Her silk gown was rain spattered, her hair wind tossed.
“I should have known this was your cabin.” Her voice trembled. “From the look in your eyes that first time we walked in. And from all the feelings that were still so alive, so unsettled in this place. I could feel them like ghosts. But it wasn’t until now that I put it all together.”
“You shouldn’t have come.” He stayed where he was. It would be dangerous to get close to her. He’d never have the strength to walk away again. “We’ve already said our goodbyes.”
“No,” she said quickly. “You said yours. But you gave me no chance to say mine.” She took in another deep breath and struggled to calm her jumping nerves. She’d been so afraid he wouldn’t be here. So afraid that her last chance would be lost. And now that she was here with him, she was terrified.
“Something happened last night,” she said softly. “After everyone was asleep, I came into town. It was my intention to come to you, to make you see that, however impossible our situation, we could find a way to be together. But something caused me to stop first to see the progress of my building. And while I was there I had a visitor. A visitor who changed my life.”
“I don’t under-”
“Birdie Bidwell came to see me about a job.”
His puzzled look turned to one of outrage. “But she’s only—”
“I know. A child. But a desperate one, willing to do anything necessary to help her family. And that made me realize that I couldn’t turn my back on her. Or on anyone else who needed my help.”
“Are you telling me you’re going to hire her?” His voice was low with fury.
Jade gave him a strange, mysterious smile. “You say you’re leaving Hanging Tree. But it’s obvious that you still care very much about its people.”
“Answer me,” he demanded. “Are you going to hire Birdie?”
“That depends on you.”
When he arched a brow in surprise, she said softly, “Lavinia Thurlong once told me that what the town of Hanging Tree really needed was a house of worship, not a house of pleasure. I hate to say it, but Lavinia is right. And since I’ve just built a very big structure, it just might serve the purpose. That is, if you wouldn’t mind living above a church.”
He studied her face for some sign that she was teasing. “You’re offering me the Golden Dragon…as a church?”
“I am. Of course,” she went on, “there are some stipulations.”
“Such as?”
“I’m thinking of calling it the Golden Rule.”
“The Golden… Rule?”
“I hate waste,” she said, her expression serious. “And the workmen have already painted in the word Golden in very expensive gold leaf.”
“I see.” Nevada was struggling not to laugh. “It wouldn’t occur to you to just cover up the word Golden with a few swipes of paint?”
She shrugged. “I’ll need time to think about it. But it’s possible, if you prefer another name. Now, there is another stipulation. The building is very big. You might want to use some of the rooms for other things, like town socials and meeting halls, instead of using Durfee’s Mercantile.”
“I think that’s wise. However, all of this sounds like a pretty big undertaking.” He tried to look as serious as Jade. “I might need an assistant. Do you know of anyone who’d be up to the task of seeing to all those socials and meetings and such?”
She took a step closer and saw the way his gaze was drawn to the sway of her hips. That gave her the courage to draw even closer. “I know of someone who had an excellent tutor,” she said with a straight face. “A woman who was groomed for a life of service.”
“Is church work the sort of service her tutor had in mind?”
She shrugged. “Service is service. Of course, she would need some help.”
“Help?”
Jade nodded. “That’s where Birdie Bidwell comes in. She’s very good at cooking and cleaning. And there may be other youngsters in the town in need of steady employment. You might want to think about hiring them, as well.”
“You have a very devious mind, Miss Jewel. But very efficient. As usual, it looks like you’ve thought of everything,” Nevada muttered. “Of course, there is just one problem. The assistant you have in mind is quite acceptable to me. But I don’t think the town would approve of the two of us sharing that church building without benefit of marriage. You see, a preacher can’t have an… arrangement. So it would have to be marriage or nothing.”
“Oh,” she said with a look of complete innocence. “Didn’t I mention that?”
“I guess you forgot.”
She took another step until she was directly in front of him. Lifting a hand, she smoothed the collar of his shirt. “You’d have to marry your assistant. It’s the only thing a woman like that would consider.”
“A woman like that?”
“Mmm-hmm. A woman like that.” She couldn’t help it. The words brought a smile to her lips.
His mouth opened, but no words came out. He’d just been handed the most precious gift of all.
“And I’d like children,” she added, growing bolder. “At least four or five. You see, until I discovered three sisters here in Hanging Tree, I was an only child, and I always thought it a lonely life.”
“I see.” He dared to touch a finger to her lips. At once he felt the flare of heat. He traced the outline of her lips, before his fingertips rested on her cheek.
She felt the jolt clear to her toes.
“I know this sounds like a lot, but it has to be all proper and legal.” She knew she was jabbering, but she couldn’t seem to stop. Not when he was touching her like this.
“Proper and legal?” He pretended to contemplate, all the while watching her eyes. Sweet heaven, how was it possible to love one little woman so much?
“Well?” She gave him what she hoped was a challenging look. “What do you have to say?”
Instead of words, he dragged her against him and covered her mouth with his. The kiss was hot and hungry, and filled with such need it sent her heart spiraling out of control.
She pushed a little away. “I guess that means yes.”
“Yes,” he muttered. “Yes. Definitely yes.”
“Then we’d better get back to town and tell everybody that they have their preacher back. When I left, they were all bemoaning their loss.”
He dragged her close and kissed her again, this time long and slow and deep. “Tomorrow is soon enough,” he breathed inside her mouth. “It isn’t a fit night to be out in that storm.”
“You mean…?”
“Mmm-hmm.” His mouth nibbled hers until she sighed with pleasure. “Looks like we’re stuck here until morning.”
Jade blinked to hide the tears that sprang to her eyes. At this moment her heart was so full of joy she thought it would surely burst.
“Danny Simpson, you belong here, in the town that once shunned you,” she whispered. “You need these people as much as they need you.”
“And it’s only right that Onyx Jewel’s daughter should find happiness in the land that nurtured her honorable father.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave herself up to his kisses.
Together they would heal all the old wounds. And mend some broken hearts. Starting with their own. Right this very minute.
Epilogue
“Jade,” Pearl commanded. “Hold still while I finish your hair.” She twined ivy and delicate wildflowers through Jade’s ebony tresses.
“Stop wiggling, chérie,” Ruby said sharply, “so I don’t stick you with this needle.” She put the finishing touches on Jade’s gown, then stepped back to study the bride with a critical eye.
“Wait till you see the wedding supper the ladies of the town have prepared.” Diamond, just stepping into the room with a bouquet of wildflow
ers, turned around and stopped in midstride. “Oh, my,” was all she could manage. Then, recovering, she said, “I almost forgot. There’s a man outside your room. Insists he has to see you right away. But I told him it wasn’t proper for the groom to see the bride before the wedding.”
“Nevada.” Jade started toward the door with a laugh of delight.
“I think you’d better get used to calling him Dan,” Diamond said dryly. “It wouldn’t do for the town preacher to be called by an outlaw’s name.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Jade said, coming to a halt. “But it was Nevada I fell in love with on my sixteenth birthday.”
“And I hope I’m still the one you love when you’re one hundred,” he said, striding into the room without waiting for an invitation.
“You know what I told you…” Diamond began. But a look from Jade had her shaking her head in defeat. She signaled her sisters, and the three of them left the happy couple alone.
He closed the door and leaned against it, studying the woman who stood facing him. Her gown of white silk, with silver frog fasteners, skimmed her body and fell to the tips of white kid slippers. Her only jewelry was her father’s gift to her, the rope of gold on which dangled onyx and jade. Her dark hair, dressed with ivy and wildflowers, had been pulled to one side with his mother’s comb and spilled over her breast. He felt as he had that first time, when he’d seen her in the Golden Dragon in San Francisco. She was so lovely she took his breath away.
“Have any guests arrived yet?” she asked shyly.
“Only the entire town. Even Lavinia, and her daughter, Agnes, who brought her latest cowboy. Doesn’t anyone bother to stay at home and do their chores?”