to find employment in town. If you pay me no salary, I cannot continue to stay in this hotel. And how would I get back and forth each day? I have no horse.”
“I already thought of that. There’s a small cabin on my land, up the hill from the main house. It was the old homesite. A little bit of work, and it’ll be a suitable place for you to stay at night. Not even the worst of the town busybodies could object to that arrangement.” He leaned forward, arms resting on the table. “So, what’s your answer?”
Karola looked down at her hands, folded now in her lap. She could refuse. What could Jakob do to her if she did? Nothing really.
Or she could offer to pay him back once she found employment. She certainly didn’t want to be beholden to him. She even supposed it was fair for him to say she owed him. Regardless of the missing letter that might have stopped her from coming to America, the fact was she had come and he had paid her expenses.
I did promise God, only this morning, that I would trust him to show me the way .
Of course, this was not what she’d expected when she made that promise. Not even close. She didn’t like the idea of working for a man who was angry with her, who held an obligation over her head to get what he wanted.
“Karola?”
She glanced up. Jakob no longer looked angry, she realized. Instead, he looked … exhausted.
His next words confirmed the thought. “I need your help. I can’t afford to hire anyone else. I spent what I had to spare to bring you here. Once the harvest is in, I’ll be able to look for someone else to take care of the house and the children. It’s only about five months.”
Compassion tugged at her heart. Until harvest was in. That wasn’t such a long time.
“The children need you, too.”
That did it. The last of her resistance crumbled. “All right, Jakob. I will come to work for you. Until after the harvest.”
“’Tis a fine idea,” Tulley Gaffney pronounced when he heard the news from Ian. “A fine idea, indeed. ’Twill be a help to them both. More than either of them may know.”
“Is that a matchmakin’ twinkle I see in your eye, Da?”
Tulley laughed. “Could be. Could be. You know I’d be wantin’ nothing but the best for the lad. I loved Siobhan like she was me own daughter, and I’m sorry she’s gone, God rest her soul. But gone she is, and ’tis time Jakob found himself a bit of happiness.”
“And why is it you’re thinkin’ Miss Breit can give him that?”
“’Tis a feelin’, me boy. Just a feelin’.” Tulley winked at his son. “Haven’t I always had a way of knowin’ these things?”
“Aye, Da. That you have.” Ian smiled and shook his head. “But I’d not be too sure about those two. ’Tis a poor beginnin’ they’ve made, if you’d be askin’ me.”
Tulley rubbed his chin, as if considering his son’s words. “You’d be surprised the good that can come from poor beginnings, me boy. I’ll be having you remember I said so.”
Chapter Seven
28 May 1908
Shadow Creek, Idaho
Dear Father and Mother,
I write to let you know I arrived safely in America and am now in Shadow Creek. The ship crossing went without mishap as did the train ride across this vast country. I am still very tired after such a lengthy journey, but it is exciting to be here at last.
I want you to know that Jakob and I are not to be married, but you should not worry. I was not abandoned. It was a mutual decision. I am to have my own place to live, a small cabin near the mountains, and will have employment caring for three small children who lost their mother a year ago.
Jakob is their father.
I know that will surprise you as it did me, but Jakob is not to be blamed. He, too, was surprised that I did not know as he had written to me of the circumstances. Of course, I never received that letter, and I am left to wonder if I would have come if I had known the whole story.
For one more night, I shall stay at the hotel in Shadow
“I already thought of that. There’s a small cabin on my land, up the hill from the main house. It was the old homesite. A little bit of work, and it’ll be a suitable place for you to stay at night. Not even the worst of the town busybodies could object to that arrangement.” He leaned forward, arms resting on the table. “So, what’s your answer?”
Karola looked down at her hands, folded now in her lap. She could refuse. What could Jakob do to her if she did? Nothing really.
Or she could offer to pay him back once she found employment. She certainly didn’t want to be beholden to him. She even supposed it was fair for him to say she owed him. Regardless of the missing letter that might have stopped her from coming to America, the fact was she had come and he had paid her expenses.
I did promise God, only this morning, that I would trust him to show me the way .
Of course, this was not what she’d expected when she made that promise. Not even close. She didn’t like the idea of working for a man who was angry with her, who held an obligation over her head to get what he wanted.
“Karola?”
She glanced up. Jakob no longer looked angry, she realized. Instead, he looked … exhausted.
His next words confirmed the thought. “I need your help. I can’t afford to hire anyone else. I spent what I had to spare to bring you here. Once the harvest is in, I’ll be able to look for someone else to take care of the house and the children. It’s only about five months.”
Compassion tugged at her heart. Until harvest was in. That wasn’t such a long time.
“The children need you, too.”
That did it. The last of her resistance crumbled. “All right, Jakob. I will come to work for you. Until after the harvest.”
“’Tis a fine idea,” Tulley Gaffney pronounced when he heard the news from Ian. “A fine idea, indeed. ’Twill be a help to them both. More than either of them may know.”
“Is that a matchmakin’ twinkle I see in your eye, Da?”
Tulley laughed. “Could be. Could be. You know I’d be wantin’ nothing but the best for the lad. I loved Siobhan like she was me own daughter, and I’m sorry she’s gone, God rest her soul. But gone she is, and ’tis time Jakob found himself a bit of happiness.”
“And why is it you’re thinkin’ Miss Breit can give him that?”
“’Tis a feelin’, me boy. Just a feelin’.” Tulley winked at his son. “Haven’t I always had a way of knowin’ these things?”
“Aye, Da. That you have.” Ian smiled and shook his head. “But I’d not be too sure about those two. ’Tis a poor beginnin’ they’ve made, if you’d be askin’ me.”
Tulley rubbed his chin, as if considering his son’s words. “You’d be surprised the good that can come from poor beginnings, me boy. I’ll be having you remember I said so.”
Chapter Seven
28 May 1908
Shadow Creek, Idaho
Dear Father and Mother,
I write to let you know I arrived safely in America and am now in Shadow Creek. The ship crossing went without mishap as did the train ride across this vast country. I am still very tired after such a lengthy journey, but it is exciting to be here at last.
I want you to know that Jakob and I are not to be married, but you should not worry. I was not abandoned. It was a mutual decision. I am to have my own place to live, a small cabin near the mountains, and will have employment caring for three small children who lost their mother a year ago.
Jakob is their father.
I know that will surprise you as it did me, but Jakob is not to be blamed. He, too, was surprised that I did not know as he had written to me of the circumstances. Of course, I never received that letter, and I am left to wonder if I would have come if I had known the whole story.
For one more night, I shall stay at the hotel in Shadow
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