Renegade Husband

  Copyright

  ISBN 1-59310-523-1

  Copyright © 2005 by DiAnn Mills. All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the permission of Truly Yours, an imprint of Barbour Publishing, Inc., PO Box 719, Uhrichsville, Ohio 44683.

  Our mission is to publish and distribute inspirational products offering exceptional value and biblical encouragement to the masses.

  All scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

  All of the characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events is purely coincidental.

  One

  Spring 1885

  “Mama, I want an adventure. Something real. And something more exciting than the Nebraska prairie.” Audra Lenders stood in the doorway of their soddy and gazed out over the flat land to where the earth and sky met. A pretty sunrise in shades of pink and purple blended together until she could not tell where one color ended and another one began. Birds welcomed the day, their song a bit sweeter this morning. “There is so much of this world I want to see.”

  “Mercy, Audra. Have you been thinkin’ about Pastor Windsor’s son again?” Her mother’s shrill voice pierced Audra’s ears. She loved Mama, but when she became exasperated about something, her voice rose like a screech owl.

  “A little. After all, I did tell him I’d think about it.” Audra turned to study the worry lines around her mother’s eyes as Mama labored over a list of supplies for her and Papa to purchase this morning.

  Mama glanced up and shook her head. “You know Papa and I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to travel all the way to Colorado by yourself and then possibly be disappointed. Why, you don’t even know this man. Look around you. Archerville has fine men who’d be honored to have you for a wife.”

  “None of the young men from Archerville interest me. I want a love like in the Bible. The men around here treat me fine, but I can’t picture myself married to any of them.”

  “You’re asking for the impossible. Take your mama’s advice and stay where you are.”

  “If Pastor Windsor’s son isn’t right for me, I’ll find a job and earn the money to come home.” Audra crossed her arms and returned her attention to the peacefulness outside.

  “As stubborn as you are?” A lock of Mama’s light brown hair with wisps of gray slipped from her bun onto her neck. She laid her pen aside to tuck back the stray lock. “I’m afraid you’d stay in Colorado rather than admit a mistake.”

  “My stubbornness is exactly why I wouldn’t marry a man who wasn’t fittin’.”

  Mama glanced up. “I do hope you’d return to a family who loves you.” Her pale blue eyes softened. “But isn’t where we live enough of an adventure?”

  The hot grueling summers and the winters that delivered whirling snow and freezing temperatures were not Audra’s idea of an exciting journey. The only home she’d known was this soddy—dark, damp, and smelly. Oh, for something different! “Remember when you were younger? Didn’t you want to do something more than what everyone expected? See more of our country?”

  Mama laughed. “That’s why I left Kentucky and married your papa.”

  “See, you do understand.”

  “I loved your papa, and heading into new territory with my husband was quite different from boarding a train and stagecoach. You don’t know a soul in Colorado. Strangers, all of them.” She held up a finger. “Outlaws roam that territory—horrible, evil men who care about nothing or no one but themselves. I refuse to think about what might happen to you. How will I ever rest knowing you’re there? What if Pastor Windsor’s son is not kindhearted?”

  “Mama, I already told you what I’d do if we didn’t suit each other. Besides, all we’re talking about are the ‘ifs’ and not a word about God’s plan.”

  Her mother picked up the pen and dipped it into the ink well. “Are you reading His Word?”

  “Of course I am. I want to be in God’s will.” By now, Audra felt an inkling of doubt, not with her desire to leave or the surety of God wanting her to go but with her parents giving permission. Perhaps they had decided the matter and no amount of talking would persuade them.

  “You keep reading,” Mama said. “Sometimes we overlook what God is saying, because we seek permission to do something rash.”

  Audra gasped. “I’d never do such a thing. Why, that’s pure selfishness.”

  Mama tilted her head. “You could be in the middle of sin and not recognize it at all.”

  Audra bit back a remark. Her thoughts strayed far from respectful, but she understood her mother spoke out of love. Mama and Papa’s reservations must stem from the fact that she was the youngest of their eight children.

  Hours later while Mama and Papa were gone for supplies, Audra reflected on her mother’s words. The thought of looking for a passage in the Bible to clear her way to Colorado unnerved her. She had searched the scriptures for an answer and felt confident of God’s blessings. In the quiet of her spirit, she sensed her heavenly Father urging her to make the journey and to consider a role as Christopher Windsor’s wife. Not one single passage had convinced her but rather several had spoken to her. All gave her strength and reassurance to trust God above all things. She’d read about Abraham and Sarah setting out for the promised land and understood not everything about Colorado would be perfect. She’d read about Isaac and Rebekah, and Jacob and Rachel—and attempted not to dwell on their problems. But Audra sensed the greatest blessing in reading about Ruth. Whither thou goest, I will go: and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.

  Those words pressed against her heart. Surely this was Pastor Windsor’s bidding—God’s bidding—to become a pastor’s wife. Christopher Windsor had to be a good man. How could he be any different from his father?

  Audra busied herself in the warm sunshine and finished her chores. She relished the fact that winter was now behind them. She’d always treasured the first gentle snowfall but, as the months plodded along, she grew tired of the endless drifts and biting cold. Promises of spring put those dreary days aside and birthed new ideas for the future.

  Her mind drifted back to Pastor Windsor’s last visit.

  “Audra, consider marrying Christopher. He’s a fine man who loves the Lord. His church is growing, and he needs a wife, a pretty one like you to walk beside him.” He reached inside his jacket and pulled out a photograph. “Twins.” He grinned and handed her the photograph. Indeed they were identical. Pastor Windsor pointed to the young man on the left. “That’s Christopher. The other one is Caleb, and he’s a rancher.”

  The young men resembled their father. Thick hair, large eyes, and wide smiles drew her instantly into a dream world. They looked to have dark brown hair like the pastor, maybe his midnight blue eyes, too. Audra never met Mrs. Windsor; she’d died giving birth to the boys.

  Having the pastor speak for his son wasn’t the kind of proposal she’d always dreamed of. But the idea of it all challenged her. She wanted the opportunity to meet this Christopher Windsor and see if they could learn to love each other.

  With a sigh, Audra strode toward the sod barn to gather eggs. Mama had taken several with her to trade for supplies in town, depleting the ones they had for their own use. Audra found a half dozen and took them into the house before heading for the garden. After pulling a few weeds from around sprouting vegetables, she picked up a pail. The thought of fresh, tender greens for tonight’s dinner made her mouth water. Glancing about at the pastel-colored wildflowers shooting up from the spring earth and the s
ight of new calves and colts exploring the world, Audra had to admit she’d miss the prairie’s spring beauty. This was all she’d ever known, but a yearning deep inside compelled her to move beyond the familiar boundaries to the western mountains. The idea of green valleys and aspen trees with an abundance of different kinds of animals and birds made her feel giddy. She’d never seen bighorn sheep or water roaring so fast it foamed up white.

  “Give me your answer as soon as you can,” Pastor Windsor had said during the last evening visit. They’d been sitting at the table after dinner. Papa enjoyed discussing the Bible, but the pastor obviously had other things on his mind. “I’d write Christopher and make all the arrangements for you. In his last letter, he said he was looking for the Lord to give him a wife.”

  “I can’t go without Mama and Papa’s blessing,” she said.

  Papa cleared his throat. “I promised myself that my daughter would never marry sight unseen. I want her to be happy.”

  “I understand, and I agree,” the pastor said. “I’d make sure Christopher provided a place for Miss Audra to stay until they got to know each other.”

  “It’s not what I envisioned for my Audra,” Papa said.

  “Then I’ll be praying God reveals His plan to all of us.”

  O Lord, please let all of us be in agreement about this. And I do so want to go.

  Audra’s mind continued to replay Pastor Windsor’s request. As late evening took on the colors of sunset, she fed the animals and milked the cow. On through preparing dinner, she wished she knew Mama and Papa’s decision. Most girls her age were married and had families. At twenty, she saw her dreams of a good husband slipping through her fingers.

  Long after dark, Audra heard the wagon creaking across the prairie. She’d been rocking on the front porch when the sun finally rested for the day. The insects serenaded her as the darkness brought on the quiet. She tugged at her shawl. The night had grown chilly. She believed her destiny lay in Colorado; now she prayed God gave her parents the same revelation.

  “Are you waitin’ dinner?” Papa said.

  “Sure am. It’s ready and still hot.”

  “What are we having?”

  Audra laughed. Papa must be powerful hungry. “Smoked ham, fresh greens, cornbread, and a sweet berry cobbler with lots of cream—and fresh coffee.”

  “You’re going to make some man a good wife.”

  With those words, he caught her attention. If not for the darkened shadows, she would have tried to read his thoughts by the look on his leathery face. Silence leaped between them. Not willing to let a light-hearted moment vanish, Audra scrambled for words. “Me? A wife? Papa, who would have me? I’d rather go hunting or fishing than stay indoors.”

  “Perhaps Christopher Windsor can tame your wild spirit.”

  Audra startled then trembled. Had she heard correctly? “Papa?” Her voice came out barely above a whisper. All she could see of him was his tall lean frame, not the dark hair and bushy eyebrows or the set of his jaw.

  Not a word passed between them. She tore her attention to Mama, who appeared to be shivering in the evening breeze.

  “What do you say we get these supplies unloaded so we can eat?” Papa made his way to the back of the wagon, and she followed alongside Mama. “While we’re enjoying that fine cobbler, we have much to talk about.”

  Mama sniffed, and Audra knew for certain it had been decided. She’d go to Colorado.

  ❧

  Six weeks later, a letter arrived from Earnest, Colorado, addressed to Mr. Samuel Lenders. While they sat around the fire before bed, Papa read the letter. Audra longed to hear the contents, but she knew Papa needed time to think on what Christopher Windsor had to say. Finally he folded the missive and placed it in his Bible.

  “He has an older couple for you to stay with—a Jed and Naomi Masters. They’re good folks and are looking forward to having you in their home. You can live with them for as long as you like. The parsonage needs a little repair, and he’s already begun work on it.”

  Audra nodded and refused to look at Mama. The tears had flowed much too frequently during the past weeks. A home of her own? A real home?

  “One more thing. He sent money for your travel and mine. He thought it only fittin’ that I accompany you to Earnest. We’ll take the Union Pacific out of Omaha and ride it to Denver. From there we’ll take a stagecoach south to Earnest. I do say he must fare well as a preacher to afford this luxury.” He eased back in his chair and stared into the fire. Taking a puff from his pipe, he continued. “And. . .he thanks you for considering marriage and me for allowing this unusual courtship. He promises to love you proper like the Bible says.”

  This time Audra felt her eyes moisten. She quivered at the mere thought of the future. She felt certain of God’s hand in this, and now Papa would make the journey with her. What more could she ask?

  “I wish Colorado were closer.” Mama dabbed her nose with a handkerchief. “The thought of never seeing my little girl again is hard, real hard.”

  Audra took Mama’s hand. “You have all of your other children and grandchildren close by, and with the railroad we can visit.”

  “The trip would be costly, I’m sure.”

  Audra forced a smile. She hadn’t anticipated the pangs of loss to cut her so. She wished the money was there for Mama to come, too. “I will make sure I have chickens for egg money, so I can come home.”

  Mama sighed. “Promise me.”

  “I promise.”

  Papa took the letter from his Bible and reread it. Audra wished she knew the many thoughts rolling around in his head; even more so, she wondered what Christopher had written. Papa was prone to a serious nature, and she understood her leaving grieved him.

  “If something goes wrong out there,” he said, “if this man is not what he seems and you don’t want to stay there, I’ll come after you. I have a bad feeling about this, but I can’t seem to discern if it’s a papa not wanting his daughter to leave or a warning from God.”

  A chill swept over Audra, and her stomach twisted. This is what I’m supposed to do. This is God’s purpose for my life.

  Two

  Caleb Windsor woke with a start. Sweat streamed down his face. His heart pounded like a trapped rabbit’s, and his mind grappled with reality. He rubbed his face and attempted to focus in the utter blackness. The same nightmare plagued him again, the fifth time in the last month. He’d been accused of stealing horses, and someone had swung a rope over a tree limb and around his neck. That someone was his brother Christopher.

  He moaned, not in physical pain but in spiritual anguish. Wanted posters throughout the territory publicized Caleb’s picture as the “bad Windsor twin.” The brothers shared identical looks but little else. Caleb had always shouldered the blame for Chris’s actions. Each time Caleb hoped and prayed his younger brother would change. Each time he was disappointed. But Caleb hadn’t given up, although the thought of swinging from the end of a rope left a mighty bitter taste in his mouth.

  Folks compared them to Jacob and Esau—with Caleb as the wayward brother who rebelled against God and all their father had taught. He refused to deny the accusations, and each time he took the punishment. Now he wondered if all those years of covering up for Chris was wrong. He’d pleaded with his brother to stop the lawbreaking, but the last time they talked Chris merely laughed. The next Sunday, he preached on forgiveness and gave the example of his outlaw brother Caleb Windsor. Chris had to be stopped, but how?

  Chris could resolve this very minute to start living right and stop hiding behind his title as pastor. Every robbery and cattle rustling report would end if he’d repent and mend his ways.

  Caleb knew one of his worst mistakes came in convincing his brother to take a wife. In the beginning he thought the idea might work. He’d always heard a good woman settled down the worst of characters. But now his conscience screamed at him. How stupid to bring an innocent woman into the heat of this ruse.

  “Get married,” Cal
eb had said. “Take a wife and settle down. Leave this life behind. Start a family, and stop thinking of ways you can steal from honest folk. I’ll even head to Mexico, and you can start over. No one will ever know the truth.”

  Chris eyed him for several long moments. A wide grin spread over his face. “I think I will. A pastor needs a wife, makes him look good in the community.”

  Caleb wanted to land a fist up alongside his brother’s jaw. “The purpose is to stop this thieving life of yours. I’m giving you a chance to be an honest man.”

  His brother laughed long and hard, and it further served to feed Caleb’s frustration. “You forget. I am the honest man.”

  “You mean you’d use our father and a God-fearing young woman to continue what you’re doing?”

  Chris chuckled, the devious low laugh that had become a part of him since they were little boys.

  “I’ll find a way to stop you,” Caleb said. “You never have enough. It’s always one more job—a little more money or cattle or horses to drive south.”

  “Be careful. I haven’t gotten this far by being stupid. I have everything worked out, and getting caught isn’t part of the plan.”

  That was over three months ago.

  Caleb rested his head in his hands and stared up at the starless night. How many nights had he slept in the open, on the run for crimes he hadn’t committed?

  At first he wondered why his brother requested a bride of his father’s choosing rather than select one from Earnest, then he realized Chris’s method made him look like a saint in the eyes of their father and the townspeople. Chris didn’t care for anyone but himself. The woman due to arrive in less than a week didn’t stand a chance for happiness, and who would listen to her complaints? No one in town had any knowledge of her—another part of his brother’s scheme.

  Caleb knew how cruel his brother could be; he’d lived with the treachery for twenty-five years. The only folks who knew the truth were Jed and Naomi Masters, but they were smart enough not to let on to Chris. The older couple kept Caleb informed of the goings-on. Good thing they did, or he’d have swung from a tree a long time ago.