Page 25 of Chloe's Christmas Escape
He had been cordial enough, treating her just as he did Mrs. Cross and her daughter. When Chloe mentioned it in Des Moines, he shot her a sharp glare before responding through gritted teeth. They would talk about it once they reached Omaha. She wished the Jackson Masters she met on the first day back in Chicago would make an appearance again.
Moving out of the way so the others could disembark, she stretched her arms and rolled her shoulders while surveying the busy town. It reminded her of home, but dustier. The city was alive and bustling with activity. The aroma of sweat, horses, and the smoky scent from the blacksmith’s fires filled her nose as she waited for Jackson to come fetch her.
This was Jackson’s home. She recalled his uncle mentioning it on the first part of their journey. She tried to keep her composure, but her heart raced as she anticipated what would happen now that he was home. Would he send her away, or did he want her to stay? There were so many things left unspoken, yet she could feel their weight hanging heavily in the air.
“Chloe!”
She turned to see Mrs. Cross and her entourage approaching. A tall man in a suit, who had his daughter tightly gripping his arm as she chattered about their trip, trailed the woman.
“Mrs. Cross, I see you found your husband.” Chloe laughed. “I’m not sure where mine has disappeared to.”
“I think I saw him go into the post office.” Turning to the man accompanying her, Mrs. Cross pointed to him. “Ethan, this is Mrs. Chloe Masters. Chloe, my husband, Ethan Cross. Mrs. Masters kept us entertained for the journey out here.”
“I don’t know about all that. It’s nice to meet you, sir. Your wife couldn’t wait to get home.” Chloe bobbed a half curtsey, but he wasn’t looking at her. Mr. Cross looked over her shoulder at something, or someone, just behind her.
“I don’t believe it. Jackson Masters, home again.” The judge’s eyes lit up and her cheeks flushed with pleasure as Jackson stepped up to her side, his hand warm against her back. She had hoped that he would show some sign of affection towards her, but he was still holding a grudge. Jackson’s eyes met hers briefly before he quickly averted his gaze, leaving her feeling disappointed and confused.
“Ethan, I should have known you would be the Judge.” Jackson offered a firm handshake. “Congratulations on the appointment.”
“Thank you. It’s good to come back home. Are you staying?” the judge asked hopefully.
Chloe made a subtle move to take a step backwards, but the fabric of her cape was suddenly taut in front of her. She looked down to see what her cape had snagged on.It was her husband.He clenched his fist at the back of her cape as if trying to hold her there, preventing her escape. The underlying anger in his expression made Chloe question what else was happening with her husband.
He cleared his throat twice before answering the judge. “You’ll have to tell me. I had planned to be here for a week, as I wasn’t sure if there would be a judge in town. I’m grateful that you are here.”
“Ah, home to settle the estate, then? I was sorry to hear about your Pa. He was a good man.”
“I appreciate that.”
“I’ll stop by tomorrow and we can go through everything. Where are you headed next? Running off to join Charlie in some God-forsaken prairie?”
Chloe’s ears perked up. She remembered Jackson mentioning his friends moving to a new town, but the judge made it sound like it was in the middle of nowhere.
“Not God-forsaken, Ethan. Remember, Omaha was once a small town in the middle of the prairie.”
“Sometimes I think it still is.” Ethan laughed.
“We need to head home. I want to shake the dust off our traveling clothes.” Mrs. Cross interrupted, giving her husband a sharp pinch while smiling at Chloe. “He will see you in the morning. Chloe, if there’s time for us to have lunch before you leave, I would love to see you again. If you leave before we can meet, you’ll have to send a letter once you’re settled.”
“I would enjoy that. Thank you for your kindness.” As she pivoted to face her husband, her expression became one of anguish and desperation. In her eyes, she silently begged him to see the hurt, exhaustion, and unease that consumed her.
He smoothed his hand down her back before bringing it to rest on her waist. Giving her a little squeeze to reassure her, he reached out his free hand to the judge once more.
“I will meet you in your office in the morning, Ethan. Your wife needs to get back home, and Mama Holstead is expecting us. We could all benefit from a hot meal and a full night’s rest.”
Chloe swayed on her feet and Jackson took her hand and tugged her towards the edge of town. They had traveled a block before she finally spoke. “If you knew the judge, why were you so concerned about his wife on the stage?”
“I am never certain until I can see it for myself.” He tucked her hand under his elbow and pulled her close. “We have to go two blocks that way.”
“Is that where your house is?”
“Nope. Mine is outside of town.” He crossed the street, pulling her behind him. “We need to go see Mrs. Holstead. She’s going to fuss over you, and we’ll probably stay for dinner.”
“Why aren’t we going to your house?”
“It’s being rented. We are going to my parents’ house.”
“You don’t want me to accompany you while you handle your affairs in town?” The idea of being separated again, even for a short time, hurt her heart. She had no intention of whiling away the time tinkering with her needlepoint while he ran off doing whatever he needed to do.
