Hope by Barbara Goss (best novels for beginners .txt) 📕

be able to spend the two hours left with Hope because she was packing. When she finally came downstairs with her bag, she went into the kitchen to say goodbye to Esther before meeting him in the foyer.

“I’m ready,” Hope announced.

Daniel felt like answering, “Well, I’m not,” but he kept silent. He took the bag from her, led her to his buggy, helped her up onto the seat, took his place, and picked up the reins. There was little sense in arguing. She’d made up her mind.

He purposely rode slowly to town as he wanted to give her the chance to change her mind.

Daniel walked Hope to the stagecoach office and gave the agent her ticket, which he punched. They sat on a bench to await the stage.

“Are you sure?” Daniel asked.

“Positive.”

“Is it something I did?”

“No. You asked me to stay until your father passed. I did that. Now it’s your turn to fulfill your end of the bargain.”

Daniel inwardly cringed. He wasn’t sure he wanted an annulment, but the locket seemed to burn against his chest—a reminder that he couldn’t make a move just yet.

“I’ll have the cottage built close enough to the farmhouse so you can visit Sam and Esther,” he said.

“I’d like that.”

He studied Hope’s face. She wore a resolute look, like she was doing something she needed to do, but didn't want to. Or maybe he hoped that was the case.

Their kiss that night had been brief, but he’d felt something. When he'd held her in his arms, he'd wanted to keep her there forever. If he confessed his love for her— and he was fairly sure he loved Hope—then it would feel as if he'd failed poor Nancy by not grieving long enough. Nancy had been the love of his life, and now…

Daniel was confused.

The rumbling of the approaching stage gave him a sinking feeling. Hope would be gone in just a few minutes. Of course, she'd be close to him again once he built the cottage. His grieving period would be over by then, and he’d feel free to tell Hope how he felt.

The stagecoach stopped in front of them and several people disembarked. Two men from the livery brought fresh horses while two others unhitched the tired horses.

“I guess this is it for now, Daniel. I enjoyed staying with you and Joseph. I’m sorry for your loss, but I’m glad you got to spend time with him.”

Daniel nodded. He watched as the sheriff led three men carrying a trunk to the stage, and watched as they fastened it to the top of the coach.

“It’s not too late to back out," Daniel blurted. "I’d like you to stay.”

Hope smiled sweetly at him. “I’ll be back as soon as you get the annulment and build my house.”

Daniel picked up her bag, handed it to the man on top of the stage, and helped Hope into the stagecoach. The two women who had disembarked came out of the stage office and got back into the stage. A man with spectacles got in and sat next to Hope. Daniel stood and watched as the man strapped the luggage to the top of the vehicle and jumped down when he’d finished. The driver flicked the reins, and the stage jerked forward.

Daniel saw Hope wave, and he returned it, sadly. He watched until the cloud of dust behind the stage vanished.

She was gone.

Daniel felt empty as he continued to stare at the spot where the stage had disappeared. If he hadn’t known before the stage left, he surely knew it now: he loved Hope.

Rather than return home, he grabbed a bite to eat at the diner and afterward met his lawyer for the reading of his father’s will.

The stage ride reminded Hope of her first stagecoach to Independence which was just as bumpy but less crowded. This trip wouldn’t be as long, and there were no rest stops. They’d arrive in Oregon City before nightfall.

Hope already missed Daniel. She’d grown used to his presence, but she had to get on with her life since Daniel would never get over Nancy. Even if he did, she’d always be second in his heart. She needed to fall in love with someone whose heart she didn’t have to share.

She leaned back and closed her eyes. Hope thought she’d hidden her true feelings well. Daniel had no idea she’d fallen in love with him. She wondered how many times a day he took the locket out to stare at Nancy’s likeness. Hope felt ashamed for being jealous of a dead woman.

The sound of gunshots jarred Hope from her thoughts. Who would shoot at them? The other passengers looked just as puzzled.

“What’s happening?” she asked no one in particular.

The man beside her stuck his head out the window and another shot rang out, causing him to pull it back in quickly. “We’re being chased.”

“Why?”

The man shrugged. The two women across from him screamed when the shooters came abreast of them. Hope felt the coach stopping though she couldn’t see how they stopped it. She saw two men climb on the top of the stage and heard what sounded like the large chest being removed.

A man who wore a kerchief over the bottom of his face, jerked the door to their compartment open and shouted, “Everyone out.”

Hope was shaking so badly she could barely step down from the coach. When she had both feet on the ground, she looked up and saw four outlaws with covered faces.

Two of the bandits strapped the chest to the back of a horse while another asked for their valuables.

Hope had no valuables.

One outlaw took the rings, necklaces, and a pin from the other ladies. He grabbed their reticules, and then he grabbed hers which was empty