Forever by Your Side (Willamette Brides #3) - Tracie Peterson Page 0,60

was a chance to share his heart with Connie. He opened his mouth to speak, but just then Isaac called to him.

“Hey, Tom, do you have time to lend me a hand?” He came into the dining room, where Tom and Connie had been working. “I’d like to get some fence up before dark.”

“I’d be happy to help.” Tom knew his declaration of love would have to wait for another time. He looked at Connie. “Sorry to leave you to work on this alone.”

“It’s no matter. Mama and the others will be back soon, and then there will be no time for it. I promised that when they returned with the berries, I’d help prepare them for making jelly and jam tomorrow. I guess we each have our promises to keep.”

Tom nodded. He followed Isaac out to the pasture, but he left his heart with Connie.

Chapter 14

Are you certain everything is ready on your end?” Mr. Smith asked Elias Carter.

The squat, fat man mopped his perspiring brow. “We’re ready when you are. The men are more than anxious to see this thing started and finished. As soon as word comes of the uprising, we will do our part and storm Salem with our demands.”

Smith smiled. “Good. I’m glad to hear everyone is being so cooperative. I was rather concerned that some of our men were less than committed.”

“No, no. Everyone is of like mind. We all want to see the Indians removed.”

Smith could see the poor man was nearly ready to have a heart attack. “Look, Carter, it might suit you to have a few drinks. You look nervous.” Only then did it dawn on Smith that perhaps Carter was anxious for another reason. “You haven’t chosen to abandon our side, have you?”

The fat man’s eyes widened. “No. No, sir. These things just always make me a little nervous. Are you sure we’ll be safe enough in Portland? No need to send my family east for a time?”

Smith studied him for a moment, then shook his head. “No, they’ll be quite safe here, I can assure you. Besides, if you were to do that, it might start a panic amongst the others. We wouldn’t want that to happen when we’re so close to victory, would we?”

Carter shook his head and swallowed hard. “No, sir.”

“Good.” Smith picked up his walking stick. “I’m counting on you, Elias.”

Smith made his way from the building and hailed a cab. The driver opened the carriage for him. “Where to, sir?”

“The Grand Hotel.” Smith settled back into the worn leather seats of the hired conveyance. It wasn’t the quality he preferred, but it would get him where he needed to go.

He thought about the meetings he’d had and wondered if he’d covered every possibility. He was determined that nothing go wrong. He’d worked too long and hard to see this thing to fruition. Now they were heading into the final days, and the thrill of the game was driving him forward in a frenzy of excitement. Once it was all said and done, a new world would dawn in Oregon. A world in which they would finally be rid of the Indians.

Smith smiled and began to hum a tune he’d heard at the opera the night before. Life was good, and it was about to get so much better.

“I thought I might never see you again,” Faith declared as she embraced her old friend Red Deer. The Tututni woman, who was now called Ann, was the mother of Mary, Faith’s playmate when she lived on the Rogue River. “I didn’t know you were here. I looked for you once when I came to spend the summer with my aunt and uncle, but they said you were at the Siletz Reservation.”

Ann cupped Faith’s cheeks with a fond smile, then dropped her hands. “I was. After my husband died, I went to live with Mary and her family.”

Faith shook her head. “It’s so hard to imagine Mary grown with children of her own.”

“She has four and is expecting another. She’s been blessed that their health has been so good.”

“I married a few months ago and am hoping to have children of my own one day,” Faith said. “Family is everything to me.”

“Mary feels that way too. She is quite happy, even living on the reservation. Her husband is a hardworking man who has learned to farm.”

“I want to hear all about them, but first let me introduce someone.” Faith stepped back. “Do you know my cousin Connie? She