Redemption

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Another long day of riding seemed shorter with Colt and Doc around. They amused Jessie with stories of what they had done through the years, making her laugh harder than she had in a long time. She found that they had a way of making a story come to life. She hadn’t expected Colt to be an animated storyteller, but he was quite entertaining.

There was something strange about the man. Her mother had taught her to look deeper into people, and though Jessie was not a good judge of character, she found that reading people was something that she possessed her mother’s knack for. Something about Colt Kidd spoke of an underlying heartache that had aged the young man that he was. He put on a convincing brave front, but beyond that, in the deep, searching looks that he sent upward every once in a while with a few blinks of his eyes spoke to the contrary. Her curiosity had nearly gotten the better of her a few times, but she had managed to restrain the flow of questions that had threatened to burst from her mouth.

She knew all to well how hard it was to conceal a broken heart. Her hand flew to her abdomen in an effort to conceal her stomach at the thought.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have tea cakes today, sweetheart.”

“You know, you might catch a good man someday if you’d lay off the sweets some, Jess.”

“You sure you want all of that, honey?”

These things had been uttered periodically from her family over the years. Though she knew that they meant well, that fact didn’t stop the words form stinging. Even worse had been things that Adam had said to try to discreetly hint to her figure.

“We’ll split dessert tonight, dearest.”

“I was thinking we could take brisk walk today instead of riding. It’s better for us.”

While his words had hurt her, deep down she thanked him for bringing the truth to light. Her current state of being plump wasn’t desirable to a man, let alone a fiancé. She had taken great efforts to making herself look skinnier while he was around. She would sit at a certain angle, stand with her hand placed in front of her in an effort to draw attention away from her stomach, and she had even tried squeezing into a smaller dress once. That had proved to make her appear even fatter than she had originally been. Someday she would have to figure to make Adam proud. She wouldn’t stop until she was desirable.

*****

“Myra! Myra!” Missy burst through the front door of the Steele home without as much as a knock.

Myra turned in her seat at the piano in the parlor to get a better view of her friend as she burst into the room.

“What’s happened, Missy? You’re causing such a scene!”

Missy inhaled deeply. “Myra, I’ve come with news of an important nature.”
Myra stood calmly from her seat and smiled. “I’d love to hear it. Would you like some tea or coffee?”

“Throw your hospitality out the window and listen to me, Myra! Sheriff Adam has returned and there is no other person with him. Either he has lost your daughter or has given up on the search altogether. I doubt that he even looked further than New Mexico…” Missy continued her rambling as Myra’s thoughts turned elsewhere.

Adam hadn’t found Jess? Whatever would they do now? There was nothing more that they could do if Jess’ own fiancé hadn’t found her trail.

“What is the meaning of the commotion?” Jacob’s voice echoed down the hall and Myra composed her thoughts as her husband entered the room.