Wanted: A Trusting Heart (Silverpines Book 12) Read online

  WANTED: A Trusting Heart

  Barbara Goss

  A Silverpines Series Book

  Copyright: All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  All scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.

  This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this book is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage system without express written permission from the author.

  Copyright © 2018 Barbara Goss

  All Rights Reserved

  Kindle Edition

  Cover design by: Josephine Blake

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter One

  White Oaks Ranch was a grand horse breeding establishment, with huge stables and a large, immaculate two-story home. The ranch had been in the Brooks family for years. After the stables had burned to the ground in June, Laura Bennett Winters and her husband, Max, had rebuilt it four times as large as the original.

  Dawn stirred her tea slowly, staring into it as if looking for answers. Things had changed drastically since she'd first arrived at the ranch. She’d been overjoyed to have joined the Brooks family and delighted to have found a sister in Laura. They'd shared secrets, built forts, fished, and shared a bedroom, even though the house had four of them.

  Laura’s father, Albert Brooks, had saved the life of White Eagle, the ailing Chinook chief, by using medicine designated for horses. The chief had been so thankful, he'd gifted her father with Dawn, a twelve-year-old orphan girl from the tribe. The chief had told him she’d make an excellent slave. Her father had never held Dawn in bondage but had raised her along with Laura. Dawn did most of the housework, but they often worked side by side. Dawn had told Laura, many times, that though she'd loved the work, she'd feel guilty if she didn’t work to pay her way.

  Though petite, Dawn had a strong structure. She wore her ebony hair in a braid wrapped around her head, which gave her a regal look. Her doe-like, brown eyes were large and expressive.

  When Mary and Albert Brooks died, Laura married Edwin Bennett, and Caroline came along about a year later; everyone called her Caro. When she was four, Edwin was killed in the mine cave-in, caused by an earthquake. Laura had sent for a mail order husband and eventually married Max Winters. There had been so many changes.

  Dawn witnessed the love the couple shared on a daily basis. Max and Laura truly loved one another, and Caro idolized them both.

  Dawn sighed and finally withdrew her spoon from the tea. She felt like the fifth wheel on a wagon. What might her future hold? Would she stay with Laura and Max and eventually become Caro's spinster aunt?

  Max’s brother, Jake, had visited a few months back and had liked Oregon so much that he'd decided to stay. He bought the local livery and…

  Dawn sighed again. He visited often. Jake, with his blond hair and big blue eyes, drew her to him like a magnet, yet she knew there could never be a future for them.

  Laura walked into the kitchen, bringing Dawn back to the real world. “I didn’t hear you call me down for tea, Dawn."

  Dawn jumped up, grabbed the teapot and poured a cup of tea for Laura. “Oh…sorry.” She sighed again. “I'd meant to call you, but I…I just got caught up in my thoughts and forgot.”

  “Happens to me a lot.” Laura patted Dawn’s arm. “No matter. I’m here now.”

  “Is Caro asleep?”

  “Yes. She was exhausted from our long walk today.” Laura spooned honey into her tea. “You look so pensive. What were you thinking about?”

  “My future.”

  “Oh. Well, I could help by inviting Jake for dinner tomorrow.” Laura winked.

  “I always enjoy Jake’s company but…Laura, there can’t ever be a future for us. He’s white and I’m Indian, remember?”

  “Dawn! He’s always very attentive to you when he visits. He smiles at you constantly. I think he wants to court you.”

  “I’d have to refuse him. He’d be ostracized from society for courting an Indian. An Indian without a tribe.” Dawn shook her head. “No, I care too much for him to put him through that.”

  Laura stood and hugged Dawn’s shoulders. “Don’t you think that decision should be his?”

  Dawn shook her head. “No, Laura. Not when I don’t even have a last name.”

  “That’s right, you don’t. I’d forgotten.”

  “I’ve never forgotten.”

  “How do Indians get a last name, then?” Laura asked, returning to her seat.

  “They never needed them, but now that they're being recognized by the government, they’ve just made them up.”

  “You could do that, too, Dawn.”

  Dawn sighed. “I could, but it wouldn’t change my heritage.”

  “You could change your name to Brooks, my maiden name.”

  Dawn smiled lamely at Laura. “I could, but I couldn’t subject Jake to all that. He is such a wonderful, caring man that I wish for him to marry a beautiful, white woman and have adorable, blond-haired, blue-eyed children.”

  “You’re really fond of him, aren’t you?”

  Dawn nodded. “But nothing can ever come of it, so don’t even think along those lines anymore. Jake's a friend; that’s all.”

  *******

  “Dawn actually told you that?” Max asked Laura as they lay in bed together.

  “She did, and I wanted to cry. I know Jake would have no qualms about courting or even marrying an Indian, especially who’s lived with a white family for years and is quite accomplished in all our ways.”

  “I agree. If Jake has feelings for Dawn, he’d walk through fire to make things work, I’m sure of it.” Max leaned over and kissed Laura’s forehead. “Maybe we can find a way to help things along.”

  “I already have some ideas,” Laura said. “but first you need to have a talk with Jake and see if his feelings for Dawn are what we think they are.”

  *******

  Jake had been so busy getting his livery up and running that he hadn’t spent much time in town. Now that he had more time, he ventured into town to get a haircut and was amazed at how the women’s heads turned wherever he went. Then he remembered the earthquake, and the fact that most of the menfolk had been killed in it, leaving so many lonely women behind—and some of them were mighty good looking, too. His mind kept turning to sweet Dawn who perhaps wasn't the prettiest woman in town, but she was surely the kindest and most caring one. She was wholesome, too, the type of person he knew he could trust. She was attractive enough, though, with her long, jet-black hair that glimmered when the light hit it. She had the type of smile that invited immediate friendship. He planned to ask Dawn if he could court her. The thought brought a grin to his face. He’d never even kissed her, but he knew she was the woman he wanted to spend his life with. When he’d first arrived, he'd lived with Laura and Max which had given
him plenty of opportunity to get to know her, and they’d talked often, for hours after everyone else had gone to bed.

  “Excuse me,” said a woman’s voice, interrupting his thoughts as he untied his horse from the post in front of the barbershop. “You’re new to Silverpines, aren’t you?”

  Jake spun around to face a pretty, blonde-haired woman with deep dimples in her cheeks. “I am fairly new, yes.”

  She offered him her hand. “I’m Mercy Logan.”

  Jake couldn’t help but wonder what she could possibly want with him. He shook her hand lightly. “Jake Winters.”

  “I just wanted to let you know that there’s a barn dance Friday night at the Spaulding ranch out on North Road. It would be a good opportunity to get to know folks.”

  “Thank you. I’ll give it some consideration.”

  Mercy curtsied and walked away.

  Jake returned to the livery to find Max in his office, sipping coffee and reading the newspaper.

  “Max! What are you doing here?”

  “I’ve come for a visit. I’ve brought you a mare that doesn't seem able to reproduce.”

  “Thank you. The barber in town told me I’ll be busy next month. A local couple's getting married and there’ll be dozens of out-of-town guests, so that mare will come in handy.”

  “I can always lend you more horses if you need them.”

  Jake sat behind his desk. “I appreciate that. How are Laura, Caro, and Dawn?”

  Jake noticed that the mention of Max’s family always put a smile on his face. “They're terrific! Speaking of Dawn…um…Laura and I wondered…if you had more than a passing interest in her.” Jake opened his mouth to answer, but Max held up his hand. “Wait! Before you answer, you need to know that we ask for a reason—a very good reason, so be honest.”

  “I’m sure you already know, but the answer is that I’m going to ask to court her as soon as I get up the nerve.”

  “Laura and I want to help.” Max stood and walked to the office door. “Stop over today around three and play it by ear.”

  Jake followed Max through the livery. “What? Tell me what you’re planning.”

  Max opened the outside door. “Nope. Just be there.” He mounted and rode away before Jake could ask any more questions.

  Jake returned to his office. He rinsed out the coffee cups that had accumulated from Max and his workers. He had no idea what to think of Max and Laura helping him or what they were planning, but the thought made him half excited, and half suspicious. Could he trust them? Of course, he could. Max had his back and Laura had Dawn’s; what could possibly go wrong?

  *******

  Dawn flipped the picnic basket lid shut. There would be plenty of food for Max, Laura, Caro, and herself. That morning, Laura had suggested they have a picnic since it was such an unusually warm and sunny October day, and it might be one of their last picnics before winter. Dawn frowned. She wasn’t looking forward to winter because it forced most people to spend much less time outdoors. True to her heritage, Dawn loved the outdoors.

  When she’d lived with the Chinook, they’d lived in longhouses, but as a female, she'd been forced out into the cold during the winter to gather clams, shellfish, roots, and berries. If the weather was too blustery, she'd sit inside with the women and weave baskets. It wasn’t a bad life, until her father, mother, and siblings had become ill with a fever and died. The same fever would have killed their chief had Albert Brooks not come along with his medicine.

  At first, she was hurt and saddened at being given to a white family, but after a week with the Brooks family, she knew she’d been one lucky girl. She was treated so well, and in return, she'd offered to help around the house. When she discovered she'd loved working in such a pretty home, she stopped missing the Chinook and their drafty longhouses.

  Dawn removed her apron and hung it on the hook by the door just as Laura and Caro rushed in.

  “Bad news, Dawn. One of our mares is foaling and Max needs my help, so we can’t go on the picnic.”

  “Oh, no!” Dawn sunk into a kitchen chair.

  “I want to go on a picnic!” Caro cried. “Please, Mother.”

  “You can still go, Caro,” Laura said, patting Caro’s head. “Dawn can take you.”

  Dawn sighed tiredly. “I hope she’s hungry.”

  “Yes, yes, yes!” Caro exclaimed, jumping up and down. “Can we go now, Auntie Dawn?”

  “Of course, we can, but you need to take a sweater. The weather might be cooler by the river.”

  Dawn grabbed her own sweater from the hook on the wall as Caro ran upstairs to get her hers.

  “Did I hear someone ride in?” Dawn asked as she donned her sweater.

  “I’ll go and see,” Laura said.

  Caro came down with her sweater just as Laura returned, pulling none other than Jake Winters with her.

  “Look what I found!” Laura pushed Jake gently forward. “He doesn’t have to be back to the livery until six. He’s agreed to go on the picnic with you and Caro.”

  Dawn hid her elation and simply smiled at Jake. “That would be wonderful since I’ve packed enough food for a small army.”

  “Yes, yes, yes!” Caro cried, gripping Jake’s arm. “Uncle Jake’s coming, too!”

  Chapter Two

  Jake and Dawn approached the green area by the river. Caro skipped along in front of them.

  “Is this spot all right?” Jake pointed to an area beneath a large oak tree.

  Dawn smiled up at Jake, causing his stomach to twitch. “It’s perfect.”

  “Caro,” Dawn called, “come and help me spread out the blanket.”

  Once the blanket had been spread out, Dawn emptied the picnic basket while Caro passed out metal plates and utensils.

  “Is that fried chicken?” Jake asked.

  “Yes. It’s leftover from last night’s supper. Do you mind eating it cold?”

  “Not at all. It looks delicious.” Jake sat down on the blanket cross-legged style, and Caro scrambled to sit beside him.

  “It’s my favorite,” Caro said, smiling up at Jake.

  Jake couldn’t believe how good everything tasted. He’d always enjoyed Dawn’s dinners—she was an excellent cook. If she agreed to marry him, he’d be getting a bargain: a wonderful woman who also happened to be the best of cooks.

  After they’d eaten, Caro settled a few feet away from them with her metal sand bucket and shovel while Jake helped Dawn pack the remains of the meal away. Once that had been done, they sat on the blanket opposite one another with Jake's back to Caro as she played.

  “Do you mind if I sit beside you, Dawn? My neck's stiff from watching Caro from this position.”

  “I don’t mind at all.” Dawn moved over to make room for Jake.

  They sat in silence for a while, but Jake was ever so aware they were sitting close enough for their shoulders to touch. The heat from her body radiated onto his.

  Caro was wearing a pink cotton pinafore dress with a pink ribbon holding back her golden tresses. She seemed busy, scooping up sand and dumping it in a large pile. Jake thought she was one of the most beautiful children he’d ever seen. He knew if he married Dawn, their children would be golden-skinned, with dark hair and eyes; another recipe for beauty.

  As if reading his mind, Dawn said, “Isn’t Caro beautiful?”

  “Yes. She’s quite stolen my heart.”

  “Mine, too.”

  Jake pulled his legs up and rested his chin on his knees. “I wonder if Laura will have a boy or girl in April.”

  “I don’t know, but Laura’s hoping for a boy. Max said it doesn’t matter to him.”

  “Dawn…” Jake paused, trying to build up courage. He stretched his legs out in front of him and sat up straight.

  She looked up at him expectantly. Her brown eyes seemed to speak to him, letting him know that she was as fond of him as he was of her, so he bent down and kissed her lips. Dawn didn’t pull away but returned the kiss. It was several moments before she pull
ed away with a blush. She glanced quickly at Caro who had stopped playing and was staring at them.

  “Oops,” Jake said in a whisper.

  Caro gave them a wide grin and turned back to her sand.

  Jake took Dawn’s hand in his. “May I court you, Dawn?”

  *******

  Jake’s kiss had left Dawn breathless. It had been everything she’d imagined it would be. She should have stopped him, but to do that she’d had to have been immune to him. She loved him. Loved him so much she knew she couldn’t saddle him with a burden such as herself. Jake deserved better. She’d come to know him so well when he’d lived with them. His presence in the same room had always caused her to tremble.

  She was sure Jake thought he wanted her, but when he realized how people treated Indians and especially white people who became romantically involved with them, he’d be sorry.

  Why did things have to be that way?

  Jake searched her face, waiting impatiently for an answer. He wanted to court her, and she wanted to say yes, but what she really wanted was to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him again. As it was, his light blue eyes begged for an answer. What should she say?

  Dawn squeezed his hand as it rested on the blanket. “I’m sorry, Jake. I don’t think it’s a good idea since I don’t plan to ever marry. I love life just as it is.”

  Jake’s expectant face fell into a sorrowful look. “You don’t feel the attraction between us?”

  “I feel friendship,” Dawn lied, “no more.”

  Jake sighed soulfully. “Is there something more I can do or say to change your mind?”

  Dawn shook her head. “Just continue to be my friend.”

  The ride home was quiet.

  Max and Laura met them as they disembarked the carriage. Caro jumped down from her seat and called out: “Jake kissed Dawn on the lips!” before giggling and running into the house.