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Prologue
Daniel McKenna swept his sanding stone over the edge of the new pew he was working on. It was perfect. The same color and style as the other pews in the church. He stood up and admired his work as the front door of the little chapel burst open.
He spun around, his shoulders relaxing slightly when he recognized his friend and the church’s pastor, Thomas.
Thomas came to a stop near the new pew. He crossed his arms, looking down at Daniel’s work.
“What do you think?” Daniel looked over at him, raising an eyebrow. Unlike his usual calm and cheerful self, Thomas looked agitated, worried even. His expression was fixed in a frown, and he didn’t seem to have heard Daniel’s last words.
“Huh?” Thomas asked, looking up.
“The pew, what do you think?”
“Beautiful as always.” Thomas grinned, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “If you discovered something terrible about someone you trusted, would you keep it to yourself to keep the peace, or risk upsetting everything to make sure it comes to light?”
“I don’t know. I guess it would depend on what happens if it stays hidden.” Daniel tilted his head, studying Thomas. The church’s pastor was one of the calmest people he knew, with an answer for every situation. It wasn’t like him to be asking Daniel for advice. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing, I guess, just something I was looking into but … I don’t know,” he sighed. “I don’t want to worry you if it doesn’t turn out to be what I think it is. I’ll have to take a trip in a couple of days, look into some documents.”
“Does this have to do with whatever you’re looking into?” Daniel watched Thomas, trying to figure out what had his friend so worried.
“Something like that.” Thomas turned toward him, his expression turning urgent. “If I take longer to come back than I’m anticipating, or … heaven forbid, something happens to me, promise you’ll watch out for the church and the congregation.”
Daniel shook his head with a chuckle.
“Now you’re getting a little too serious for nothing.” His laughter died as soon as it started when he realized Thomas wasn’t joining in or joking as he’d thought. “Seriously, Thomas, if you think something is going to happen …”
“Forget I said anything. You know me, paranoid.” He shrugged, but the worry didn’t leave his green eyes. His brown hair, bordering on red, was a mess, like he hadn’t put it together in a full day at least, and the troubled look still haunted his features.
“You’re not usually paranoid. You’d tell me if something serious were going on, right?”
“As soon as I know it’s serious, I’ll tell you.” Thomas reached out and patted Daniel’s shoulder in a friendly gesture. “Thank you for your work on the pews.” He turned and, without another word, left the church.
Daniel stared after him for a long moment. What had made him so worked up? No one would hurt Thomas. Plenty of townsfolk didn’t like him for his work with the Chinese immigrants, but they knew better than to mess with the pastor. At least Daniel hoped so.
—*—
As soon as Daniel arrived at the church, he knew something was wrong. He was there to keep working on the new pew to complete the church furniture. Daniel expected to see Thomas up and about in the church. He lived in a room connected to it, and usually when Daniel arrived to help with the grounds or work on some furniture, he’d be there, waiting with a cup of coffee and a welcoming grin. Daniel knew something was different as soon as he reached the steps. The front door stood open at an odd angle. An eerie silence settled over the small building. At the front of the church, papers were scattered all over the floor.
Daniel quickened his pace as he hurried toward the little room off the side of the church building. It was a simple one-bedroom space where Thomas had lived since he arrived in town.
“Thomas?” His eyes picked up all the little details of the room. A plate of half-eaten food lay on the little table in the corner. Thomas’s bed was overturned, and the crates of papers and records that Thomas usually kept so organized had been torn apart, as if someone were searching for something.
“Thomas?” Daniel called, even though it was useless. Both the church and the room that Thomas stayed in were so small that it would be impossible for his friend to hide.
Something had happened. Thomas would never leave his breakfast uneaten. He wouldn’t tear his room apart. Daniel turned on his heel and rushed from the church, heading downtown to send a telegram to the territorial marshal and report Thomas missing.
He should have taken his friend’s behavior the day before more seriously instead of brushing it off. He should have realized something was terribly wrong instead of believing Thomas was exaggerating. What had happened to his friend?
Chapter One – Five weeks later
Seraphina Carver gripped the ring she wore around her neck. It was the only thing she had that belonged to her mother. She stared out of the stagecoach window.
Willow Creek, Wyoming, was the place her brother had come to become a pastor almost three years ago. She swallowed hard. It was hard to get used to living without her brother. He had essentially been her parent for the years after her mother died. Their father was always gone on business or busy when he was home.
The town was small, compared to where Seraphina had grown up. She swallowed hard.
“I can do this.”
She’d gone back and forth on whether she should come west or not when her brother’s letters became strange. He made it clear that he didn’t think it would be a good idea for her to come, for her to travel west and expose herself to the danger, and the journey.
Ever since he’d left out west, she’d received a letter a week from him, consistently, without fail. That was until two weeks ago. The four letters before that had grown increasingly more concerning.
Something had happened to Thomas, something terrible, she was sure of it. The stagecoach slowed and stopped in front of a little post office. It was so different from the big train platform from which she’d departed New York City. She’d switched to the stagecoach three days ago, after a day on the train.
The journey had felt endless, and it almost seemed hard to believe that she’d actually arrived in Willow Creek. She waited for the other two passengers in the stagecoach to depart before she followed.
The sun beat down with a steady heat, burning through her. She was there. Whatever had stopped Thomas from writing to her, it wouldn’t stop her from seeing him and getting to the bottom of what had been going on with him.
If she calculated the days from when she should have received the letter to when Thomas would have had to write it for her to receive it, he could have stopped writing up to four weeks earlier, or even six weeks beforehand. The thought sent a chill down her spine. Thomas watched out for her in every way, and he wouldn’t just ignore her because he was a bit distracted.
She waited to gather up her small satchel, then headed down the dusty street right through town. She hadn’t packed much; she didn’t need much. Just a couple of changes of clothes, her Bible, and a few personal items, like her comb and undergarments. She didn’t have many possessions back home, and now she had even fewer. Little by little, she’d lost all connection to New York City. First, her father passed, then only six months ago, Mrs. Farlow, the nanny who had helped raise her since her mother’s passing when she was a child.
She’d listened to Thomas when he said the frontier wasn’t safe for her yet, and he wanted to prepare a better place for her to come live before she joined him, until she couldn’t assure herself of his safety any longer. So she’d sold her home and gotten rid of everything save for what she had in her satchel. None of her possessions were due to her own merit. She did have some small savings from giving music classes but had only been able to keep that money because of her father’s wealth. He’d made sure she never worried about money.
It wasn’t that she couldn’t get more; she could buy whatever she needed. When her father passed away, he’d left both her and Thomas a fortune. Perhaps that helped Sera be more frugal with what she had, appreciating the work that went into it but also knowing that she didn’t have to worry about replacing anything she owned if she were to need it.
Sera made her way through the town, trying not to show how uncomfortable she was. She’d never done anything like what she was doing now, traveling to a strange town, on an adventure to discover trouble that would be bad for her.
Sera swallowed hard as she approached an older woman on the side of the road. She was talking with a young lady, perhaps only a few years her senior.
“Excuse me, where can I find the church?” Sera asked, looking between the two. They smiled warmly at her, pointing down the road.
“Keep going for a few more minutes. Turn down the road to the left, and then it will be about another fifteen minutes on foot. It’s a small white building on the left after that. You won’t miss it.”
“Thank you.” Sera smiled at the woman, then hurried on her way. Her brother had written countless times about the town he’d settled in. He’d written her pages about how he loved the little town. The people had taken some time to warm up to him, but the Chinese workers especially came to his services. Thomas felt that he was making a real difference in Willow Creek, part of the reason that Seraphina was so confused by his cryptic letters during the last few months. They’d turned short and hard to decipher, with indications of Thomas feeling uneasy, and something sinister happening. She wished she had asked more directly, instead of thinking that the problem would go away on its own.
She found the turn to the left and continued toward the church. When she spotted the little white building, she could see why Thomas had loved it so much. It was simple, and yet perfect for him. He’d always spoken about how he wanted a small chapel, where he could teach every week, and feel the love and community of God through his work.
He wanted to feel as if he were doing something good, something needed for the townsfolk.
Sera quickened her steps up to the church. He was there, or at least she hoped so. He’d been staying in the small rooms attached to the church, toward the back. Apparently, two rooms had been built onto the building to accommodate a pastor.
She climbed the steps and knocked on the church door, but there was no answer, so she reached out and tried the handle. It was unlocked, and Sera stepped into the church. It felt empty, haunting. The pews lining each side of the building were carved intricately and looked fancier than anything Sera thought possible to find out west.
She’d read many stories in the newspapers and heard talk from others in the city, of how primitive some places were in the West. She’d made it to the front of the church when she heard something outside. It sounded like the soft scuffle of footsteps, and she drew in a sharp breath.
Perhaps it was Thomas, returning from the morning walks he wrote about in his letters. Her gaze darted around the room, landing on the piano at the front of the church. It was regal and calling her name. Without thinking for another second, she plopped her satchel down and took her spot at the piano, trying to find her footing in a song. She thought it was a proper way to greet Thomas, to surprise him with the music he’d always admired so much back home.
Her fingers danced gracefully across the keys, masking the growing excitement in her chest as the footsteps approached the door. It had been so long since she’d seen her brother in person, and the very idea practically brought her to tears.
She half turned as the door creaked open, hoping to see her brother, but instead, a strange man’s gaze caught hers. Dark brown hair, tousled and poking in every direction, fell over his forehead and into his bright blue eyes that seemed to stare right through her. His eyebrows bunched together, and his eyes narrowed on her. He certainly was not her brother, or anyone she knew or trusted.
Chapter Two
Daniel frowned as clear notes drifted through the breeze to his ears. Someone was playing the piano. How many times had Thomas lamented that there was no one to play the piano? Pianos were rare for most churches, but especially for a tiny frontier church.
He’d come to check on the church, as he did every morning and noon ever since Thomas had gone missing. In between that, besides taking care of his ranch, he tried to consider new ideas on where to look for Thomas. There had been no sign of him since he’d gone missing.
Daniel pushed the church’s door open slowly, his eyes jumping to the piano bench.
There, on the edge of it, sat a woman. She had shoulder-length auburn hair, and concern etched on her face as she turned to look at him. As her gaze met his, her eyes widened.
She seemed to falter, and the notes playing from the instrument stopped as she scrambled to her feet, turning to him.
“I … good afternoon. I, um, am the new pianist for the church.” She bit her lower lip, her face growing pale, and for a moment, he thought he saw panic in her eyes, and then it was as if she’d remembered herself, the panic vanishing, and her shaky voice stabilizing into one clear, smooth statement: “Is the pastor here? He’s the one who wrote to me.” Sparkling, clever green eyes surveyed him, sweeping him up and down, as she put her hands behind her back, rocking on her feet once or twice, before stopping.
“I’m afraid … he’s not. He’s been away for a bit. I’m sorry. I didn’t know he’d spoken to someone about playing the piano.” Daniel frowned. “Do you have a letter offering employment?” While Thomas had complained about it countless times, he had never told Daniel he’d actually employed someone.
Daniel took a few steps closer to the woman. She was unlike most of the women he encountered in town, wearing a dark blue skirt – navy blue, he’d heard someone describe the color. A white shirt peeked out from her matching blue sweater, which looked as if it were tailor-made for her. She wore white gloves, and every strand of her hair was perfectly in place. The red copper coils that fell around her face and behind her shoulders were too much to focus on and had his heart racing slightly.
She was not from town. She was a city girl. City living was written all over her slender frame and delicate features.
“I … don’t. I’m sorry. On my trip here, one of my bags was misplaced when I left the train and boarded the stagecoach. My correspondence with Pastor Thomas was in that bag. Where is the pastor? I really do need to see him, as he promised we’d work out some living arrangements, and perhaps something for me to do in my extra time while not playing for church on Sundays. I’m sure he could clear up any of your questions.” The woman took a step back and motioned to her satchel. “I’ve just arrived a while ago from New York City.”
“He … hasn’t exactly been around recently,” Daniel said, finding his voice. “He left without telling me where he was going, but I’m doing everything possible to find him. I’m keeping an eye on the church for now and trying to keep the services going. I could help you find accommodation in town until the pastor returns, and the two of you could discuss new terms when he arrives.”
The woman stooped to pick up her satchel, uncertainty flickering in her eyes. Daniel fought against the urge to send her packing. He didn’t have time to settle her in town right now, while looking for Thomas, despite his offer. But she’d clearly traveled a long way, and from what she said, Thomas could have sent for a pianist.
“Oh. How long has it been since you’ve seen him?” She tilted her head, catching a couple of sunrays through the window on her hair. Her green eyes held his, and the depths of them, for a moment, made him wonder why it felt like her question held so much more than what she was saying. He studied her. Something about her set him a bit on edge, but he couldn’t quite place it. He was probably overthinking it because of his desperation to find Thomas.
“It’s been four weeks and two days.” Daniel swallowed hard. He hadn’t told anyone in town that Thomas had just vanished as if he’d never existed in the first place. He’d contacted the marshal, spoken to the sheriff, and then he’d waited. The marshal said he just needed to be patient, and when they started making heads or tails of what had happened, they would tell him immediately and start an investigation with the sheriff.
And yet, there had been no clues or information since he’d reported Thomas missing.
“I’m sorry. Were the two of you close?” She watched him closely, as if she were trying to figure out something perplexing. How could he so easily describe his relationship with Thomas? After losing everything, Thomas had been the one who helped him find new purpose in his life. The only reason he had his ranch now, or any sense of normalcy was because of Thomas.
“We were … are friends. We’ve known each other for a while, and he’s helped me through some hard times.” Daniel swallowed hard. Hard times didn’t start to encompass what he’d been through, or what Thomas had pulled him from, but it wasn’t a story he shared with strangers. “Why don’t I walk you back to town? There should be room at the boarding house. You are more than welcome to come and practice the piano, as well as to play for every service we still manage to conduct until he comes back.” Daniel forced a little smile, but the woman didn’t seem too convinced.
“What was your name again?” he asked. He couldn’t help noticing she looked worried, afraid even.
“Sera Thorne.” She gave a faint smile. The name sounded oddly familiar, and he tried to place it. Seraphina. Thomas’s sister. But this woman had a different surname, and their first name differed slightly.
“Very well, my name is Daniel McKenna. Feel free to call me Daniel. If you need anything at all, you can find me here at the church in the mornings and evenings.”
“Thank you.” Miss Thorne gracefully came forward, her satchel gripped in her hands. “I should think it would be good to get settled for the night before it gets dark. Perhaps tomorrow, I could come and use the piano.”
“Of course. Thank you for being patient with the unexpected … welcome to our town.” He forced a smile, his stomach turning. He wished that Thomas had been there to greet Miss Thorne. He would have been so happy to finally have someone to help with the music. “There is a boarding house not too far from here. Mrs. Henderson. It would be much more economical and comfortable than the hotel. She has many long-standing guests, and it is a good distance from the saloon.” Daniel wasn’t sure that someone like Miss Thorne should be staying in town on her own in the first place. It seemed rather odd that such a dignified young woman would be traveling to a place such as his town with no escort. “How did you know Pastor Thomas?”
Miss Thorne followed him out of the church and down the steps, back toward town.
She glanced up at him, then gazed back toward the road.
“The boarding house sounds lovely, and perfect, considering I intend to stay for some time. We knew each other back in New York City. I used to teach music there, so perhaps that is why my name came to mind when he decided to find someone to provide music for the church. When I received his request, I felt as if God was calling me to do something more with my life rather than just teach, so I accepted.”
She smiled, but he couldn’t help noticing she didn’t look happy. It was as if she were trying to look and act the part for his sake, and it confused him. He pushed the feeling away, rounding the bend.
“Oh. I see.” He frowned. “Did Thomas discuss how much he would pay you?” He figured that she had intended to live on some income when she’d come west. Who would pay her salary if Thomas were not there to do so? Thomas never seemed to be short of money, he noticed. While his friend had never really mentioned where he got his funding, past something about family supporting him, Daniel wondered if the little church could afford a pianist. Miss Thorne’s arrival had brought so many questions. They’d come to the little clearing, where Mrs. Henderson’s boarding house came into view.
“He did, but it’s all right. I have sufficient funds to care for myself until he comes back, and then we can discuss our terms further.” Miss Thorne looked toward the big cabin up ahead. “Is that Mrs. Henderson’s boarding house?”
“Yes. She’s a widow. She and her husband were some of the first permanent settlers here. She knows everyone and everything in this town. I’m sure she’d be more than willing to help you get situated.” Daniel quickened his pace. He had to get back to town and talk with Sheriff Brooks, the only other person in town who knew the extent of Thomas’s disappearance. Not that people wouldn’t start to suspect.
Thomas had been a faithful pastor in their church for years. He’d been missing for a month, and the excuses weren’t sounding so convincing anymore.
Daniel came to a stop at the bottom of the porch as the door opened, and Mrs. Henderson stepped out. She was a plump woman with mousy brown hair, piled in a bun on the top of her head, and a worn cream apron that was a size too big for her, wrapped around her waist.
She looked the two of them over, a warm grin on her face.
“Daniel, what’s brought you my way?” she asked, a friendly twinkle in her eye.
“Mrs. Henderson.” Daniel tipped his hat to her. “This is Miss Thorne. Apparently, Thomas hired her as a pianist for the church. She just arrived today.” Uneasiness swiveled through Daniel. How long would it take for Thomas to return? Would he ever come back? Perhaps he should be a little more honest with Miss Thorne and tell her that he had no idea where Thomas was, and when he would be back.
Mrs. Henderson motioned for the two of them to enter.
“If it’s a room you need, you came to the right place. I happen to have a vacancy. Come in, please come in.” Mrs. Henderson took a step back, and Miss Thorne hurried up the steps and straight into the house. Daniel threw a look over his shoulder as he followed her. Perhaps his check-in with the sheriff to report on these sudden changes could wait for a little while.
OFFER: A BRAND NEW SERIES AND 2 FREEBIES FOR YOU!
Grab my new series, " Faith and Love on the Frontier", and get 2 FREE novels as a gift! Have a look here!
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