Love Finds a Home (Anthologies) by Wanda E. Brunstetter Page A
Authors: Wanda E. Brunstetter
Tags: Fiction, General, Romance, Historical, Love Stories, Religious, Christian, Widows, Young Women, Clergy, Teachers, Widowers, Gamblers
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on a wooden bench in front of the train station. Glenna glanced about, tugging nervously on the strings of her handbag. I’m doing the right thing , she kept telling herself. I am a new creature in Christ now. I can never go back to my old way of life, no matter how much I might miss Daddy .
“You look pale. Are you all right?” David asked, eyeing her with a look of concern.
She gave a slight nod and kept her voice strong. “I’ll be fine once we board the train.”
Gazing down at the open Bible in his lap, David offered a half smile. “I hope so.”
When a familiar voice called out her name, Glenna jerked her head up. Daddy was heading their way. She jumped to her feet, clenching her fists in anticipation for what he might say or do.
“Glenna, I’m so glad I caught you before the train left,” Daddy panted. “I have something to give you.”
David was at her side now, and she felt his hand at the small of her back. “We have no need of tainted money, Mr. Moore,” he said evenly.
Her father laughed, shaking his head and reaching into his jacket pocket. “It’s not money I wish to give. I want my daughter to have her mother’s wedding ring.” He held up a delicate gold band and handed it to Glenna.
She stood there, mouth hanging open and eyes filled with tears. “This was Mama’s ring?”
His head bobbed up and down. “I’ve been holding it until you got married. Please take the ring, Glenna. Your mother would have wanted you to have it.”
Glenna glanced briefly at David. His brows were furrowed, and his lips were set in a fine line. “I had no ring to give you on our wedding day,” he mentioned. “I think it would be a good thing if you wore your mother’s ring, don’t you?”
She accepted the gift then, letting her father slip it on the ring finger of her left hand. The fact that Daddy had sought her out, offering such a fine present and not making a scene about her being married or going to Idaho City made Glenna feel guilty for her bitter feelings. She swallowed past the lump in her throat. “Thank you, Daddy. I’ll cherish this ring for the rest of my life.”
Daddy’s eyes filled with tears. She’d never seen him cry before and was taken by surprise. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but the words never came. With no warning whatsoever, an ear-piercing shot rang out. Daddy dropped like a sack of grain at Glenna’s feet.
CHAPTER 8
G lenna screamed, then collapsed to the ground beside her father’s body. Daddy wasn’t breathing. Dark blood oozed from a bullet wound that had obviously penetrated his back and gone clear through to his chest.
David spun around and raced off toward the gunman. There was chaos everywhere. Some nearby folks screeched in terror, others ran about calling for help, and a few stayed to offer comfort to a very distraught Glenna.
It was inconceivable, but in the short span of a few days, she’d lost her father twice. First when he’d jumped from the moving train and now from a bullet in the back!
“How could this have happened?” she sobbed. “How could God be so cruel?” She observed the faces staring down at her with apparent pity. They were all faces of strangers. Where was David? Had he abandoned her, too?
Glenna sat in her seat, ramrod stiff, barely aware of the irritating sway of the train and not noticing any of her surroundings. She felt cold and empty inside. Even the warm hand placed upon her own did nothing to console her anguished soul. Everything was so final. Daddy was gone, and there had been no chance to make amends or even say a proper good-bye. There hadn’t been any possibility for her to witness about God’s redeeming love either. She’d failed Daddy, and God had failed her. She would probably let David down as well. How could she possibly go to Idaho City and be a pastor’s wife when she felt so dead inside? Why had she ever agreed to
“You look pale. Are you all right?” David asked, eyeing her with a look of concern.
She gave a slight nod and kept her voice strong. “I’ll be fine once we board the train.”
Gazing down at the open Bible in his lap, David offered a half smile. “I hope so.”
When a familiar voice called out her name, Glenna jerked her head up. Daddy was heading their way. She jumped to her feet, clenching her fists in anticipation for what he might say or do.
“Glenna, I’m so glad I caught you before the train left,” Daddy panted. “I have something to give you.”
David was at her side now, and she felt his hand at the small of her back. “We have no need of tainted money, Mr. Moore,” he said evenly.
Her father laughed, shaking his head and reaching into his jacket pocket. “It’s not money I wish to give. I want my daughter to have her mother’s wedding ring.” He held up a delicate gold band and handed it to Glenna.
She stood there, mouth hanging open and eyes filled with tears. “This was Mama’s ring?”
His head bobbed up and down. “I’ve been holding it until you got married. Please take the ring, Glenna. Your mother would have wanted you to have it.”
Glenna glanced briefly at David. His brows were furrowed, and his lips were set in a fine line. “I had no ring to give you on our wedding day,” he mentioned. “I think it would be a good thing if you wore your mother’s ring, don’t you?”
She accepted the gift then, letting her father slip it on the ring finger of her left hand. The fact that Daddy had sought her out, offering such a fine present and not making a scene about her being married or going to Idaho City made Glenna feel guilty for her bitter feelings. She swallowed past the lump in her throat. “Thank you, Daddy. I’ll cherish this ring for the rest of my life.”
Daddy’s eyes filled with tears. She’d never seen him cry before and was taken by surprise. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but the words never came. With no warning whatsoever, an ear-piercing shot rang out. Daddy dropped like a sack of grain at Glenna’s feet.
CHAPTER 8
G lenna screamed, then collapsed to the ground beside her father’s body. Daddy wasn’t breathing. Dark blood oozed from a bullet wound that had obviously penetrated his back and gone clear through to his chest.
David spun around and raced off toward the gunman. There was chaos everywhere. Some nearby folks screeched in terror, others ran about calling for help, and a few stayed to offer comfort to a very distraught Glenna.
It was inconceivable, but in the short span of a few days, she’d lost her father twice. First when he’d jumped from the moving train and now from a bullet in the back!
“How could this have happened?” she sobbed. “How could God be so cruel?” She observed the faces staring down at her with apparent pity. They were all faces of strangers. Where was David? Had he abandoned her, too?
Glenna sat in her seat, ramrod stiff, barely aware of the irritating sway of the train and not noticing any of her surroundings. She felt cold and empty inside. Even the warm hand placed upon her own did nothing to console her anguished soul. Everything was so final. Daddy was gone, and there had been no chance to make amends or even say a proper good-bye. There hadn’t been any possibility for her to witness about God’s redeeming love either. She’d failed Daddy, and God had failed her. She would probably let David down as well. How could she possibly go to Idaho City and be a pastor’s wife when she felt so dead inside? Why had she ever agreed to
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