Reforming the Rebel (Cowboys and Angels Book 14) Read online

  Patience walked into the kitchen and found the slice of strawberry pie she had tucked away earlier for John. The cakes and pies often sold out, and she had wanted to make sure she could fulfill her promise to him. It was the least she could do after he had saved her from being trapped in the storeroom for hours.

  As Patience thought about her time in the storeroom, she remembered the strange woman she had seen there. It seemed completely impossible for the woman to have been there with her, but she had seen the woman, plain as day. Patience sighed and shook her head, trying to clear her mind. She put the slice of pie on a small white plate and carried it out to John.

  “Here you go.” Patience set the plate in front of him.

  John could feel his mouth start watering. “Thank you kindly.”

  “It’s my pleasure. Is there anything else you need?” Patience fidgeted, clasping her hands in front of her.

  “I don’t need anything, but I’d like for you to stay here while I take my first bite.” John smiled, and Patience saw a mischievous gleam in his eye.

  Patience looked around. Her mother and father were in the kitchen. She hoped no one would see her lingering at John’s table and accuse her of neglecting responsibility. “Fine. But you’d better hurry!”

  “I’ll try. But if it’s really good, I plan to take my time with it and savor it.” John hoped he wasn’t being too forward. He picked up his fork from the table and stuck it into the pie. He put the fork into his mouth and chewed slowly, enjoying the sweet tang of strawberry on his tongue. The pie was a perfect blend of savory and sweet. The crust was soft and buttery, and the strawberry was light and tart. “Mmm.” John sighed.

  Patience’s heart rate quickened as she saw how much John enjoyed her pie.

  “Patience Graham, I swear to you, I could eat that pie every day for the rest of my life.” John looked into her eyes, and Patience knew he was telling the truth.

  “Patience! They’re waiting for you at the table in the front! You know we don’t have enough staff to cover every table, and we need you to help out!” Patience’s father, Robert Graham, approached the table and looked at Patience sternly. He turned his gaze to John. “How are you enjoying your dessert, young man?”

  “It’s positively heavenly, Mr. Graham. You know, we sure do appreciate having your restaurant in Creede. Ever since you’ve come here, Graham’s Grub has become my favorite restaurant in the entire town.” John hoped his words would not come off as insincere. He meant every bit of what he said. The Grahams made amazing food, and it was clear that Patience had inherited the family skill.

  Mr. Graham looked back and forth between John and his daughter. He knew John’s father, and Mortimer Jackson was a good, fair, and honest man. But all he knew about John was that he favored alcohol. He knew his daughter had enough sense not to flirt with a man of disrepute, but he saw the way John had admired his daughter, and he was more than a little concerned. He tried to brush aside his worry. “Patience, you go now to the table in the front. I’ll take care of Mr. Jackson.”

  Patience looked disappointed but did what her father asked of her. “Have a good night,” she whispered to John as she walked toward the table in the front of the restaurant.

  John tipped his hat to her as she walked away. He admired how gracefully she carried herself and how sure and confident her movements were. He ate more forkfuls of the pie, wishing she had saved him another slice. He had meant exactly what he said about eating that same pie each day for the rest of his life. Both John and his father had a soft spot for sweets, and Toria kept them well-stocked in the Jackson household. But Patience’s strawberry pie was unlike anything John had tasted before.

  As he polished off his last piece of pie, John noticed that Mr. Graham was still staring at him anxiously. He looked up at Mr. Graham, and the older man looked guilty, like John had caught him doing something wrong.

  “Do you need anything else?” Mr. Graham asked in a rush.

  “No, thank you. I have everything I need.” John wiped his mouth with the linen napkin from the table.

  “Fine. I’ll mark this in the ledger, and you can settle up next time you come and make one of your deliveries.” Mr. Graham told him.

  Just then, Patience flew in from the other side of the room. “Oh, that won’t be necessary, Father. I invited Mr. Jackson here to try my dessert because he helped me earlier today.”

  A look of concern flashed across Mr. Graham’s face. “He did?”

  “Yes. I got locked in the storeroom. Did you know the door sticks? And John found me and found a way to open it.” Patience looked at John with gratitude.

  Mr. Graham frowned. “You should have told me. I’ll take a look at that door. You have my thanks, young man.”

  John didn’t think Mr. Graham’s expression looked very thankful, but he would take what he could get. He hoped that, in time, he could prove to the Graham family that he was a responsible, hard-working young man.

  Chapter Two

  The following day, John Jackson was all Patience Graham could think about. She bustled about the restaurant, attending to different chores and tasks, but her mind was on the handsome man who had helped her the day before.

  Even though he had flirted with her the evening before, he didn’t seem like the type who would be interested in settling down. Patience had always longed for a husband and a house full of babies. She was worried that if she waited too long, that might never happen. She tried to think of someone else. Surely there was another young man in Creede who was more suitable, but her thoughts kept returning to John and John alone.

  Meanwhile, on his delivery route, John Jackson fantasized about taking Patience Graham out on a proper date. He didn’t know how he would convince her father—or her, for that matter—that he was responsible enough to do so, but he knew that was what he wanted.

  He was so distracted that he made a wrong turn on the way to one of their usual delivery spots, and Willie, the young boy who assisted him on his route, had to point it out to him.

  “What did you do that for, John?” Willie cried. “We’re going to be late for Mrs. Franklin!”

  Mrs. Franklin was the kind woman who ran one of the many boarding houses in Creede. John was grateful there were good women like her in the town. He enjoyed his life there, but it had more than its fair share of problems. Greedy individuals came to Creede attempting to find wealth and fortune and ended up working grueling hours in the mines. Too many men turned to drink or women for comfort.

  That would have been bad enough, but there was also a corrupt sheriff, a crooked businessman, and the businessman’s cruel nephew, Archibald Grady. Archie had arranged for several women to be kidnapped, but he remained free from jail because of his connections. He had been arrested and then released, with the former sheriff claiming that he didn’t have enough evidence that Archie committed the crime. John was relieved that the women had been found alive, but he worried about something like that happening to Patience. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if anything happened to her. Even though he wasn’t her husband, he felt a sense of responsibility for protecting her and keeping her safe.

  “Come on, John! We’re here!” Willie pointed out, hopping out of the buggy while John just sat there, staring at something. Willie waited for John to step down and unload packages from the back of the wagon. John handed the packages to Willie, and Willie ran to the front door of the boarding house. He knocked on the door.

  A young woman answered the door with a baby in her arms. Willie recognized her as Becky Bowen, a young woman who had found herself in a precarious position after her fiancé had died just a week before her wedding. She and her fiancé had anticipated their vows, and she had ended up pregnant and alone, staying with Mrs. Franklin. Fortunately, Amos Bowen had been boarding with Mrs. Franklin and was taken with the beautiful woman. He hadn’t judged her for her mistake and instead had proposed to her on the day they’d met. Now, they lived just outside of town in a big house Amos had
built.

  “Hi, Willie,” Becky said softly, not wanting to wake the sleeping baby. “I’m just here visiting Mrs. Franklin. What have you got for her today?”

  Willie was quiet, too. “There are two packages. Where would you like me to put them?”

  Becky opened the door a bit wider. “You can set them right here on this table.”

  Willie came inside and set the packages down. “Goodbye, Becky!”

  “Bye, Willie.” Becky whispered. She watched him walk out the door and back to the wagon, and she waved at John Jackson. She was impressed. John looked much nicer than he usually did. She liked his father, Mortimer, a great deal, but all she knew about John was that he had taken up drinking after his mother’s death. He was a handsome man, but she had often seen him look sloppy and unkempt. Today, his hair was combed neatly, and he was wearing a crisp white shirt and pants.

  John waved back at Becky. She was a kind woman, and he was grateful things had worked out for her and Amos. Life would be hard for an unwed mother anywhere, but it would have been especially terrible in Creede, where women seemed to be in constant danger. If Becky had gotten a second chance, John mused, maybe he could, too.

  “John! Are you even listening to me?” Willie complained. “We are going to be late again!” He didn’t understand why his boss was so distracted. Willie and John were normally a great team, getting done with all of their scheduled deliveries by the end of the day. Sometimes, they even had time to stop by the mercantile, and Toria would sneak a few cookies or loaves of bread to Willie that he could share with his family.

  Since Willie’s father’s accident, his mother had struggled to keep food on the table for her five children. Luckily, she had fallen in love with a doctor who had come to serve the people of Creede, JT Thomas. Before his mother had remarried, Toria and Mortimer had provided a little extra food for the family. Now that generosity was no longer needed, but Willie still liked the treats Toria continued to offer him. He didn’t eat as many as Mortimer and John did, but he liked them just the same.

  “I’m sorry, Willie. I guess I am a little distracted. I’m thinking about a lovely young woman. I think I have feelings for her,” John admitted.

  “That’s gross! I don’t want to hear about it!” Willie put his hands over his ears, and John chuckled. Willie was too young to understand what it felt like to be in love. The thought startled John. Was he really in love with Patience Graham?

  “What’s our next stop?” John asked Willie, wanting to think about something else for a change.

  “Graham’s Grub,” Willie replied.

  John groaned.

  “What’s wrong with the restaurant? They make good food, and sometimes, Patience gives me a biscuit if they have extra.” Willie was puzzled.

  “I was there yesterday. I was hoping to have a little break.” John didn’t want to tell Willie that Patience was the young woman on his mind. Word got around town fast, and he didn’t want to tell Willie something the young boy might repeat.

  “Well, we should get going, if you want us to make it there before the end of the day.” Willie grumbled. He didn’t know what had gotten into his boss, but he didn’t like it. He enjoyed having a job and the responsibilities that came along with it. He did not enjoy being late.

  “You’re right, Willie.” John laughed, and they set off for the restaurant.

  When they arrived, John parked in his usual spot. Willie hopped out, but John held up a hand. “Actually, Willie, I’d like to make this delivery myself.”

  “But then I definitely won’t get a biscuit.” Willie pouted.

  “I’ll be quick. I promise.” John picked up the package that was addressed to Robert Graham and went to the front door of the restaurant. It was morning, too early for the restaurant to be open for lunch, so he knocked on the door.

  To his relief, Patience was the one who opened the door. Surprise danced across her pretty face. “John! You’re back again so soon?”

  “You fed me that strawberry pie. That was a mistake because now I’m going to be chasing after that for the rest of my life.” John smiled. She was even lovelier in person than she was in his mind when he was thinking about her. He held out the package. “This here is addressed to your father.”

  “Thank you, I’ll take it to him.” Patience took the package from John and paused, as if she wanted to say something else. Then she bit her lip. “Thank you, John.”

  “You’re welcome, Patience. You know, after last night, I was thinking . . . what are the chances I could take you out one night? We could go to the ice cream parlor or one of the other restaurants in town, if that wouldn’t count as betraying your parents.”

  Shock flooded over Patience’s face. John immediately felt like he had made a mistake. She looked down at the ground for a while, and then looked back up at John. “I feel I would need to get to know you better before I would feel comfortable with that. I also think my father might have something to say on the matter.”

  John nodded slowly. “I understand completely. I should get going.”

  “Goodbye, John.” Patience watched John walk away, his shoulders slumped and sagging. She felt awful for disappointing John. She had been taken aback by his question. She also hoped that as an only child himself, he could understand her perspective. Her parents were overprotective of her, and for good reason. She was their only child.

  Still, she had wanted badly to accept his offer. A real date with John Jackson! If he was asking to take her out on a proper date, did that mean that he truly cared for her? She had thought he just wanted to have a little fun, but if that were true, he could go to one of the saloons and find a woman to spend time with. She hoped she hadn’t scared him away with her rejection.

  Patience took the package back to the kitchen, where both of her parents were preparing lunch. “Package for you, Father.” She brought it over to him, and he smiled.

  “Thank you, dear.” Robert opened the package and began unloading its contents. There were jars and jars of exotic spices, and they didn’t all fit onto the crowded kitchen shelves. “I’m going to take the rest of these into the storeroom.”

  Patience sat down at the table in the kitchen her parents used to prepare food on. She loved to watch her mother prepare for lunch. Patience enjoyed cooking, but baking was her specialty. Her mother, on the other hand, was excellent at everything she set out to make. There were some men in Creede who dined there every single night; that was how much they loved her mother’s cooking. She hoped John would become a regular like that. Then she could see him every day!

  “Penny for your thoughts, dear?” Patience’s mother’s gentle voice interrupted her daughter’s daydreams. She was peeling potatoes and putting them into a pot to boil.

  “Oh, it’s nothing.” Patience wasn’t sure if she could tell her mother about the feelings she’d been having.

  “Patience! You do know you can talk to me about anything, right? It’s okay if you don’t want to. But if you want to, I’m here. I was your age, too, once, remember?” Lydia Graham smiled. She knew mothers and daughters didn’t always get along, but she and her daughter had always had a special kinship. It was more like a friendship than a traditional mother-daughter relationship.

  Patience thought about it. It would feel good to open up to someone. “Thank you, Mother. I was thinking about John Jackson.”

  “The young man from church who does deliveries? The one who was here last night for strawberry pie?” Lydia began to piece together what was going on.

  “Yes, that’s the one.” Patience couldn’t help but smile as she thought about him and his broad shoulders and silly grin.

  “Oh, my. I’ve never seen you this way about a young man before.” Lydia sighed. Her daughter really was growing up.

  “I’ve never felt this way about a young man before,” Patience admitted.

  “You know, he seems perfectly nice, but I don’t know John or his family very well. I know his father from the mercantile, of course
, but I would feel more comfortable asking some of my friends from church what they know about him.” Lydia was already planning ahead for what might happen down the road—courtship, marriage, grandchildren. She was hopeful for her daughter, but also cautious. She had heard more than a few stories about the wild and unscrupulous men of Creede, and she wanted to make sure John was not one of them.

  “Mother! Please don’t make such a fuss about this.” Patience knew she had made a mistake confiding in her mother. She didn’t want the entire town to know about her feelings.

  “I won’t make a fuss. My friends are very discreet.” Lydia seemed offended.

  Patience had to laugh. She loved her mother, but Lydia and her friends were everything except discreet. When one of their daughters was getting married or having a baby, the entire town knew within a day. News of her feelings for John would surely spread throughout all of Creede in a manner of hours. “Please, Mother. Don’t say anything.”

  “I won’t mention your name,” Lydia promised.

  Patience sighed. She wished she had a sister or brother to share the burden of her parents with. She knew they loved her and wanted what was best for her, but sometimes, being an only child was truly exhausting. “Mother, I have a feeling you are going to ask your friends no matter what I say.”

  “Darling, you know I only want what’s best for you!” Lydia protested.

  “Yes, Mother. I do know that.” Patience didn’t want to argue anymore. She was already exhausted.

  “Cheer up, Patience. You don’t want your face to get stuck in a permanent frown, do you?” Lydia smiled warmly at her only daughter. She hoped there was an upstanding young man in Creede who would make a good husband for her daughter. Patience was truly special, and she wasn’t going to stand idly by while some ordinary man tried to win her affections. Patience was young and inexperienced. Lydia considered it her duty as a mother to guide her toward the right husband. The problem was, she wasn’t sure who exactly that was or if he lived in Creede.