A Pony Express Christmas. Rhonda Gibson

      “Thank you, Mrs. Frontz,” Mr. Porter said, picking up his fork and digging into his pie. Around a mouth full of crust and fruit he asked, “And who might this lovely lady be?”

      Agnes put her hands on her hips. “Now, you behave yourself, Porter. That’s Miss Hollister, soon to be Jake’s bride.”

      Mr. Porter gulped down his pie and smiled. Both his front teeth were missing. “I’ll see that I do, Mrs. Frontz.” He turned to the gentleman who sat across the table from him. “Ladies, I’d like for you to meet Mr. Isaac Dalton.”

      “It’s nice to meet you.” Agnes and Leah spoke in unison.

      “The pleasure is mine.”

      Mr. Dalton wasn’t a tall man. As a matter of fact, in comparison to Jake, Leah found him to be short. He was small boned and looked like he belonged in an office out East rather than here in rugged Colorado. Leah checked her thoughts. What was she doing, comparing a complete stranger to her future husband?

      Agnes slipped into one of the chairs. “Are you staying the night, Mr. Porter, or heading to Denver?”

      “Mr. Dalton and I have discussed it and with the storm coming in, we’ve decided to head on out. I take it you have no other passengers staying right now?”

      She shook her head. “No, Miss Hollister and sweet little Molly are our only boarders at the moment.”

      Leah felt an anxious tension shiver down her spine. She turned to find Mr. Dalton studying her. She felt uncomfortable under his green gaze. “Speaking of Molly, I should go check on her. If you gentlemen will excuse me.” Leah didn’t wait for their answer. She hurried into the kitchen.

      Standing on the other side of the door, she heard Mr. Dalton say, “She seems awfully young to have a daughter.”

      Agnes ignored his statement and asked a question of her own, “What do you do, Mr. Dalton?”

      “I am taking a position at the bank in Denver,” he replied.

      Leah thought she heard a great deal of pride in his voice. Everything about Mr. Dalton screamed “businessman.” She pushed away from the door and went to help Molly sort beans. There was something about the man that made her feel uneasy. He was nothing like Jake.

      How could she think such a thing? Leah realized she knew very little about Jake. She tried to picture him in business attire. A smile touched her lips. She’d soon see him in both, Leah thought. At their wedding surely he would dress in a suit and shiny boots. Or would he? Truth be told, she had no idea what her future husband might or might not wear to their wedding. She just prayed he’d take off the gun belt for their special day.

      Leah picked at the beans. Maybe it was a good thing the preacher was out of town. She knew nothing about Jake Bridges, other than he was a stock tender for the pony express.

      A flicker of uneasiness swept through her. Did anyone really know him? How long had the Frontzs known him? Hadn’t Thomas said in one of his letters that the pony express had just started up in April?

      She looked to Molly who seemed focused on picking rocks and blackened beans from the pile. Had her feelings for the little girl gotten her into a bigger mess than she’d already been in? A tiny flicker of panic began to take root in her thoughts.

      Leah bowed her head and silently prayed. Lord, if I’ve made a mistake, please help me to get out of my promise to marry Jake. And if it’s not a mistake, please help me feel your assurance and help me to get to know him better. Amen.

      * * *

      Jake dug into lunch with a feeling of accomplishment. He and the others had worked on the cabin all morning. So far, they had cleaned out the chimney, reinforced the windows and the door, swept the floors and removed cobwebs that had developed in what seemed like every corner of the house. Then they’d mixed hay, dirt, water and rocks to pack the cracks in the log walls.

      His gaze moved to the stagecoach passenger, Mr. Dalton. The man’s eyes followed Leah’s every move, much the way a hungry cat watches a sparrow hop from branch to branch. At the moment she was carefully cutting Molly’s meat into tiny pieces. Jake wondered if he should start sitting closer to her and the little girl. After all, they would soon be a family.

      Mr. Frontz took a sip of hot coffee and then said, “Mr. Dalton, Agnes tells me you’re a banker.”

      Mr. Dalton wiped his mouth. “Yes, sir. I’m looking forward to beginning work at Clark, Gruber and Co.” He, too, pushed his plate back and picked up his mug.

      Jake thought of the money he had stashed in his room. He’d considered putting it in the bank, but in all honesty, he just didn’t trust them. He’d heard of banks being robbed and folks losing everything.

      “That’s that two-story building they built back in July, right?” Will asked from his position at the table.

      “I don’t rightly know what it looks like. This will be my first trip to Denver,” Mr. Dalton confessed as his gaze slid back across the table to land on Leah, who gently wiped Molly’s face.

      Jake cleared his throat. “Leah, if you and Molly are finished eating maybe you’d like to come down to the stables with me and check on the horses.” He hadn’t planned on taking them, but he also didn’t want her in the same room with a wealthy banker, either.

      Leah looked up at Jake and grinned. “I think we’re about done, aren’t we, Molly?”

      Molly nodded and pushed out of her chair.

      Leah looked to Agnes. “I’ll be back in a few minutes to help clean up the kitchen and this mess.”

      Agnes waved her away. “Don’t worry about the dishes, they’ll be here when you come back.”

      Leah offered Jake a small, shy smile. “We’ll go get our coats and be right back.” She pushed Molly along in front of her toward the stairs.

      “Would you like a slice of pie while you wait?” Mrs. Frontz asked Jake.

      “No, thanks.” Jake pushed away from the table. “Lunch was wonderful. Thank you, Mrs. Frontz.”

      Agnes smiled. “It was my pleasure.”

      “I’d like another slice of that pie, Mrs. Frontz, and then Mr. Dalton and I will need to be on our way. I’d like to beat the storm into Denver.” Mr. Porter held out his plate for her to put the pie on.

      She took his plate. “You’re welcome to stay overnight,” Agnes said, cutting out a large section of the apple pie.

      Jake silently prayed the stagecoach would be on its way. He didn’t much care for Mr. Dalton, even though he’d just met the man. He moved to the door and pulled on his own coat and gloves.

      “Thank you, but I’m sure Mr. Dalton is in a hurry to get to work. Besides, with the storm coming in I really don’t want to get snowed in here.”

      Mr. Dalton’s eyes moved to the top of the stairs, where Leah had disappeared. For a moment, Jake thought he’d argue with the stagecoach driver. He turned back to the table and said, “He’s right. I appreciate the hospitality, but the sooner I get to Denver the sooner I start my new job.”

      Jake felt himself exhale. The sound of little feet pounding down the stairs alerted him to Molly’s return. He looked to the little girl and grinned. She ran to him and jumped. Instinctively Jake caught her up and swung her around. He marveled that she didn’t squeal with joy.

      “She sure is a lively kid, isn’t she?” Disapproval dripped from Mr. Dalton’s voice.

      Jake turned to glare at the man only to find him staring up at the stairs and watching Leah descend. Her skirt swished as she crossed to him.

      “She is very lively, but we love that about her, don’t we?” Leah replied, looking Jake in the eye. Or was she looking at Molly?

      He lowered Molly to the floor.