Page 7 of Redeeming the Outlaw
“Come in, Mama,” Esther replied, hastily wiping away unbidden tears.
Margaret Billings entered the room, her eyes filled with concern. “Are you all right, dear?”
Esther nodded, trying to steady her voice. “Yes, Mama. I’m just... thinking about what Papa said today.”
“Change can be frightening, but God has a plan for each of us,” her mother reminded her, sitting down beside her on the narrow bed.
“Mama, sometimes, I wonder what my life would be like if I could choose my path,” Esther confessed, her heart pounding at her rare admission of her deepest desires. “I long for adventure and passion, something more than what is expected of me.”
“God has given us all gifts and desires, Esther,” Mama responded thoughtfully, the lines on her face deepening with wisdom. “But we must trust His plans are greater than our own.”
“Is it wrong to want more, Mama?”
“Wanting more is not inherently sinful, my dear.” Mama placed a loving hand on Esther’s shoulder. “But we must remember the importance of balancing our dreams with the responsibilities He has entrusted to us.”
Esther let out a shaky breath as she considered her mother’swords. She knew her duty was to her family and community, but it pained her to think her own desires might have to be buried beneath those obligations.
“Thank you, Mama,” she whispered. “I just... I hope whoever Papa finds for me will be someone I can love and respect, and someone who will share my devotion to God and help me grow in faith.”
“God hears your prayers, Esther,” Margaret assured her, brushing a stray lock of dark blonde hair from her daughter’s face. “Have faith He will guide you toward the life He has planned for you.”
Esther couldn’t hold the words in any longer. “I met someone in town, Mama,” she blurted out.
“Esther! Do we know him? Does he go to church?”
“I’ve not seen him at services, but it could be because he’s been so busy.”
“What does he do?”
Esther wrinkled her forehead. “I honestly don’t know. I see him sitting at the store drinking coffee. We’ve talked about books and the weather.”
“You shouldn’t have conversations with men in town, Esther.”
“Mama, there are plenty of people around.”
“What is this person’s name?”
“He goes by Whit.” She casually brought her finger to her mouth and started biting her nail. It was a nervous habit she’d had since she was a child. “I don’t know much more about him. He seems very smart and...”
Mama became silent for a moment. “Oh, Esther.”
“What, Mama?”
“You need to stay away from him. We’ve heard he spends time with the outlaw gang, which stays outside of town.”
Esther’s ears perked up.Outlaw?“He doesn’t appear to be an outlaw.”
“Looks can be deceiving. Just stay away from them. I mean him.” Mama stood and kissed Esther’s forehead. “I need to let your father know.”
Esther watched her leave and then leaned over the side of her bed to fetch the book from underneath the mattress. She felt her pulse quicken as she opened the worn pages of her penny novel.Outlaws! Here in Flat River!The thought sent a thrill of excitement and danger through her, even as she knew such men were not to be trifled with.
Whit, an outlaw?She thought back to their conversations, trying to recall any hint of disrepute. She had found him thoughtful even, not at all the brutish ruffian she would expect.
Perhaps her mother was mistaken. Whit seemed like a complex man, one who had known hardship and struggle. She knew she should heed her mother’s warning to stay away, but the thought of the handsome and intriguing man only heightened her curiosity.
This might be her only chance to talk to an outlaw, and she should seize it before any letters come from Reverend Dunn. She snapped her book closed and placed it under her pillow. She tried to sleep, but her mind was spinning with questions. Could Whit really be an outlaw? She thought back to their conversations at the general store. He had been polite, even charming, not at all matching the dangerous ruffians she imagined outlaws to be.
Yet, her mother’s warning rang in her ears. Esther knew she should avoid further contact with him, as propriety andher father’s wishes demanded. The allure of adventure called to her rebellious heart. What if she was meant to help redeem his troubled soul?
