Chapter 14
The Telegram
Tessa set her pen down for the third time, hands trembling above the blank sheet. She’d written half a dozen letters already, each one ruined by a shaking line or a sentence that didn’t feel right.
Sam stepped into the doorway, coat in hand. “We can ride to town whenever you’re ready.”
She swallowed. “I’m trying to find the right words.”
“For what?”
Tessa stared at the paper. “For telling them yes. That I’ll take Isaac. That I’m… able.”
Sam leaned his shoulder against the frame. “You already are.”
Her throat tightened. “What if he doesn’t remember me?”
Sam shook his head once. “He does. You saw it in the letter.”
She looked down. “Letters say a lot of things that aren’t true.”
“Not this one,” Sam said quietly.
Scout bumped her knee, letting out a breathy sound like encouragement.
Tessa exhaled, folded a fresh sheet, dipped the pen, and finally wrote:
Yes. Please send him.
I’ll meet him in Rawlins.
Tell him he’s safe.
Tell him I’m coming.
When she finished, Sam held out his hand. “Let’s send it.”
She hesitated only a second before taking his hand.
***
The ride into town felt different than the last—lighter, sharper, like every breath felt painful and hopeful all at once. Eli joined them, buzzing with excitement he tried, and failed, to hide.
At the posting office, Tessa stepped inside alone, letter clutched tight. The man behind the counter looked up and smiled.
“Morning, Miss Carver. Need a wire sent?”
She nodded, handed over the note. “Can you send this to Rawlins? As fast as you can.”
“Of course.”
He tapped it out; each click felt like a heartbeat.
When he handed her the stamped copy, something inside her steadied. Just a little.
Outside, Sam and Eli were waiting on the boardwalk. Sam studied her face the way he always did—quiet, perceptive.
“It’s done?” he asked.
“Yes.”
Eli grinned so wide it almost hurt to see. “How long until he gets here? Tomorrow? Tonight? Can we ride out now?”
Sam chuckled. “He’ll have to give Mrs. Jessup time to answer back.”
Tessa managed a thin smile. “He’ll need time to travel.”
“Good,” Eli said. “Then we’ll be ready.”
They’d barely tied off their horses when Jo hurried out of the mercantile, skirts swishing.
“You did it,” she said, reading Tessa’s face before anyone spoke. “You said yes.”
Tessa nodded, overwhelmed again.
Reed came out behind her, sack of flour over one shoulder. “Sam told me the basics. We’ll help with whatever you need.”
“Thank you,” Tessa whispered.
Reed met her eyes. “A good boy deserves a good home. Sounds like he’s coming to the right place.”
Her chest ached. “I hope so.”
Jo looped an arm through hers. “Oh, he is. You’ll see.”
***
Abby already knew—they could always tell when someone rode home carrying news. She stood on the porch with a quilt over her shoulders.
“Well?” she asked.
Tessa nodded. “The telegram’s sent.”
Abby’s smile warmed. “Good. We’ll set the spare room straight.”
Eli blinked. “Spare room?”
Abby winked at Eli. “He’ll need his own room.”
Eli nodded quickly. “Yeah. That’s better. He can have the spare.”
Then, quieter, he added, “But… he can stay with me if he wants.”
Sam hid a small laugh.
After supper, the house grew quiet again. Tessa washed the last plate by lamplight, trying to settle her restless thoughts.
Sam lingered in the doorway.
“You did something big today,” he said.
She shook her head. “I just wrote a letter.”
“No,” Sam said gently. “You opened a door for someone who needed you.”
Her breath caught.
Scout nudged her hand again, as if reminding her she wasn’t alone.
Sam hesitated, then asked, “Want me to check the road one more time?”
“Why?” she asked softly.
“Because you’ll sleep easier.”
She stared at him, throat too thick to answer.
He stepped out into the night without waiting for permission.
Tessa stood at her window long after the lamp was out, watching Sam’s lantern sweep across the yard. He checked the barns, the gate, the road—calm as ever, deliberate in every step.
He wasn’t looking for danger tonight. He was looking for reassurance, for her.
Hope and fear tangled together in her chest, and this time, it didn’t break her.
Isaac was coming.
She wasn’t ready.
But she had people beside her now—people who cared—people she trusted.
Isaac wouldn’t be coming into an empty life.
Neither was she.