A Family for Christmas

Now that was an interesting question. Just how would the very proper Miss Pickering answer?

Chapter Three

The knots inside Eve tightened another turn. Surely he wouldn’t dismiss her if she had no official relationship with Leo. If he did, who would stand up for the boy and look out for his interests? Mr. Dawson had been kind in a neighborly sort of way, but she wasn’t at all certain she could count on him to go the extra mile for the boy.

She tilted her chin up a bit higher. “Not officially, but I consider myself his friend and temporary protector.”

To her relief, the lawman nodded. “I see.” He turned and picked up a piece of paper from his desk. “I received this telegram earlier today. Officials from Bent Oak sent similar ones to lawmen all along the train route asking us to be on the lookout for a boy named Leonard Haskins who stole a valuable pocket watch. There were indications he might have slipped on board the train at Texarkana.”

He eyed Leo. “The boy’s description is a pretty good match for your young friend here.”

Just what kind of trouble was Leo in? “That doesn’t mean Leo is the boy in question, or that the charges are true. He needs to have an opportunity to speak for himself.”

The sheriff folded his arms with a nod. “I’m listening.”

Eve turned to Leo, placing a hand on his shoulder. “It’s time to tell us your side of the story.” She put as much support and encouragement in her expression as she could, but Leo looked more angry and desperate than reassured.

She tried again, this time adding firmness to her tone. “It’s always best to tell the truth. I promise I’m going to help you no matter what. But you need to do your part, as well.”

“I am Leonard Haskins,” he finally said.

“And the watch?” the sheriff pressed.

Leo reached into his pocket and slowly pulled out an ornate gold watch. He stared at the timepiece for a long moment, then held it out to the sheriff without a word.

The lawman took it and set it down on his desk.

Eve tried to maintain her composure. She was determined to stand by Leo, but would she be allowed to? Almost involuntarily, she glanced Mr. Dawson’s way and found her spirits buoyed by the encouraging look he gave her.

As if he’d been waiting on a cue from her, Mr. Dawson turned to Sheriff Gleason. “What happens now?”

“I’ll contact the sheriff responsible for Bent Oak and let him know we’ve recovered the watch and have the boy in custody. I imagine both Leo and the watch will be sent back to Bent Oak and—”

“No!” The exclamation exploded out of Leo as if from a gun. He would have darted out the door if Mr. Dawson hadn’t grabbed him.

“Whoa now.” Mr. Dawson stood solidly in place as Leo struggled frantically to get free.

It was all Eve could do not to rush over and try to still his struggles with an embrace.

When Leo finally gave up, he glared defiantly at the sheriff. “Lock me up for what I done if you have to, but don’t send me back there. I won’t go back to Mr. Belcher, I just won’t.” He was shaking with the intensity of his feelings.

“Leo, who is Mr. Belcher?”

Leo looked Eve’s way but for a moment he didn’t seem to really see her. After a heartbeat, though, his tension eased and his gaze met hers. “He’s the neighbor who took me in when my folks died. Only he wasn’t doing it ’cause he was feeling particularly kindly toward me.” The bitter edge to his voice was jarring coming from one so young. “After the funeral he told me my pa owed him a lot of money and since he couldn’t collect from him anymore, he aimed to see that I worked it off.”

Eve’s stomach clinched as she studied the boy’s raggedy appearance and bony frame in light of what he’d just said. She resisted the urge to reach out to him, knowing instinctively he’d shy away from physical contact just now. “Leo, did he treat you badly?” she asked gently.

The boy shrugged, not meeting her gaze. “I found out he was a mean old coot, especially when he was drunk.” He lifted his chin. “But I never let him see me cry.”

Everything inside her cried out at that telling statement. Who would treat a child like this? She saw Mr. Dawson’s jaw tighten, indicating he shared her outrage.

But Leo hadn’t finished saying his piece. “I finally figured two years of my working sunup to sundown should have paid off any debt my pa owed him, if he actually owed him anything in the first place. So a few nights ago I just up and left while he was still sleeping.” He gave them all a tight-jawed look. “And I don’t aim to go back, no matter what.”

“And the watch?” the sheriff asked.

Leo drew himself up. “I ain’t no thief. I took it because it was rightfully mine.”

“Yours?” The sheriff retrieved the timepiece and examined it. “This is a mighty expensive-looking item for a kid to own.”

“It was my pa’s. His great-granddad brought it over from England before he sailed here. He saved the life of some kind of nobleman and the man gave him that watch out of gratitude. My pa told me the story lots of times. He also said it would be mine someday.” His face twisted into a dark glower. “But then Mr. Belcher took it from me—said it would serve as pay for my upkeep.”

“That’s a fine story, son, and I’m not saying I don’t believe you, but can you prove it?” The lawman’s tone was firm without being confrontational.

“Look inside,” Leo answered. “Mr. Belcher tried to scratch them out, but there’s the initials CLH and the year 1807 in there. That’s my pa’s great-granddad Charles Lewis Haskins and the year he received the watch.” Then Leo shrugged. “If you still don’t believe me there’s likely someone back in Bent Oak who still remembers my pa carrying it when he went to church on Sunday.”

Satisfied, Eve turned to the sheriff. “You can’t arrest this boy for taking back what belongs to him. Especially after all he’s been through.”

The lawman raised a brow. “How do you know he’s telling the truth?”

“I ain’t no liar.” Leo’s tone reflected his indignation.

Mr. Dawson stepped in again. “Look, Ward, you must have some way of checking out his story. Until you do, we don’t need to be in a hurry to send him back, do we?”

The sheriff rubbed his jaw. “I suppose I could make some inquiries. But until I hear back, I can’t just let the kid run loose. I mean, there’s no one to keep an eye on him while we wait.”

“I’m old enough to take care of myself.” The boy drew his shoulders back and stood up straighter. “I been doing it the past two years anyway.”

Sheriff Gleason shook his head. “Even so, I can’t just let you out on your own until we get this matter straightened out.”

Eve laid a hand on Leo’s shoulder. “I’ll take responsibility for him.”

The lawman gave her a look that was both sympathetic and uncompromising. “No offense, Miss Pickering, but I don’t know you. I don’t know what kind of caretaker you’d make for a boy who might just get it in his head to run off again.”

Eve turned to Leo. “Will you give me your solemn word that you won’t run away again as long as you are in my care?”

The boy stared at her for several moments and she could see the internal struggle in his face. Finally he nodded. “Yes, ma’am, so long as I’m in your care, I won’t run away.” He glanced back at the sheriff. “But I ain’t going back to Mr. Belcher’s.”

She turned back to the sheriff with satisfaction. “There. Leo won’t be any trouble for me to take care of while you work on getting this whole disagreeable situation put to rights.”

Sheriff Gleason, however, didn’t appear to be convinced. “Miss Pickering, until we get to the bottom of this, we don’t really know how good his word is, do we?”

She could understand the sheriff’s attitude. After all, it was his job to be suspicious and cautious. But deep in her heart she believed every bit of Leo’s story and she couldn’t bear the thought of him having to spend time locked up in jail, especially given what he’d already been through.

How could she convince the man to see things as she did? Dear Jesus, please help me find a way.

Aware the sheriff was waiting for her to speak, Eve took a deep breath, still not certain what she would say. But she knew she had to—

“How about I help Miss Pickering keep an eye on the boy?”