Sean Donovan Read online

  Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to events or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Cover photos © Jose Luis Pelaez, Inc. / Blend Images / Getty; CampSpot / iStockphoto; Eva Serrabassa / iStockphoto

  Cover by Dugan Design Group, Bloomington, Minnesota

  SEAN DONOVAN

  Copyright © 1993 by Lori Wick

  Published by Harvest House Publishers

  Eugene, Oregon 97402

  www.harvesthousepublishers.com

  ISBN 978-0-7369-1947-0 (pbk.)

  ISBN 978-0-7369-3182-3 (eBook)

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Wick, Lori.

  Sean Donovan / Lori Wick,

  p. cm.—(The Californians: bk.3)

  Sequel to: Sean Donovan

  ISBN 978-1-56507-046-2

  PS3573.I237S4 1993

  813’.54—dc20

  92-31560

  CIP

  All rights reserved. No part of this electronic publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any other—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The authorized purchaser has been granted a nontransferable, nonexclusive, and noncommercial right to access and view this electronic publication, and purchaser agrees to do so only in accordance with the terms of use under which it was purchased or transmitted. Participation in or encouragement of piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of author’s and publisher’s rights is strictly prohibited.

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to my nephews, Derek Kolstad, Angus Wick, Bob Kolstad, Billy Wick, and John Wm. Wick.

  I pray that you will know God intimately, and serve Him with your whole heart.

  Visalia Families—1876

  Sean Donovan

  Charlotte Cooper (Charlie)

  Sadie Cox (Charlie’s Aunt)

  Sheriff Lucas Duncan

  Wife—Lora

  Santa Rosa Families—1876

  The Marshall Riggs Family

  Wife—Kaitlin Donovan Riggs

  Children—Gretchen

  Molly

  Extended Family—Marcail Donovan

  The William Taylor Family

  Wife—Mable (May)

  Children—Gilbert

  The Jeffrey Taylor Family

  Wife—Roberta (Bobbie)

  Children—Cleo

  Sutton

  The Nathan Taylor Family

  Wife—Brenda

  Children—William (Willy)

  Contents

  Dedication

  Visalia and Santa Rosa Families—1876

  one

  two

  three

  four

  five

  six

  seven

  eight

  nine

  ten

  eleven

  twelve

  thirteen

  fourteen

  fifteen

  sixteen

  seventeen

  eighteen

  nineteen

  twenty

  twenty-one

  twenty-two

  twenty-three

  twenty-four

  twenty-five

  twenty-six

  twenty-seven

  twenty-eight

  twenty-nine

  thirty

  thirty-one

  thirty-two

  thirty-three

  thirty-four

  thirty-five

  thirty-six

  thirty-seven

  thirty-eight

  thirty-nine

  forty

  forty-one

  forty-two

  forty-three

  forty-four

  forty-five

  forty-six

  forty-seven

  forty-eight

  forty-nine

  fifty

  fifty-one

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Books by Lori Wick

  one

  Santa Rosa, California

  May 1874

  That’ll be it for the night, Sean. Close up the back and head home.”

  The brooding young man nodded but did not speak. It was on the tip of his tongue to tell the livery owner that he would go home if and when he felt like it, but that remark would probably cost him his job, and that was something he could not afford if he was ever going to get out of this town.

  Carefully hiding his anger, Sean Donovan closed the rear doors of the livery with little more than a glance in the direction of his employer. He didn’t speak or bid his boss goodnight, even as he made his way to the front door and out into the street. Dozens of other Santa Rosa residents were closing up shop and heading home. Many knew Sean by sight if not by name, but he chose to meet no one’s gaze nor even return their greetings.

  His sister’s house loomed before him long before he was ready to face his family. He hesitated in the street for several minutes, hoping he could get upstairs to his bedroom without being noticed.

  “Sean?” His sister called as soon as the front door opened, and Sean worked to conceal the anger he felt.

  “Hi, Sean.” A very pregnant Kaitlin Riggs came from the direction of the kitchen, her voice as sweet and kind as her spirit, but it was totally lost on Sean. “How was work?”

  “Fine,” he replied sullenly, and Katie found herself fighting to keep her own feelings from showing. All they did lately was quarrel, and Kate did not feel up to an argument tonight. She couldn’t help asking herself, however, how long was he going to stay angry? How long were she and the family going to be made to suffer for something their father had done?

  “Supper is nearly ready. Why don’t you wash up?”

  Sean turned to the stairs without answering her, walking straight past his younger sister, Marcail, without even acknowledging her.

  Marcail and Kaitlin exchanged a look, but knew that more words wouldn’t change anything. When they entered the kitchen together a moment later, Kate’s husband was coming in the back door. Marshall Riggs, “Rigg” to everyone, pulled his wife close and kissed her. He then went to his sister-in-law to embrace her and kiss the top of her dark head.

  “Where’s Gretchen?” Rigg asked after his daughter, who was not quite two years old.

  “She’s playing on our bed,” Katie answered him.

  Rigg went in the direction of the bedroom, tossing the question over his shoulder as he went, “Did Sean get home?”

  Kate answered softly, “He’s here, Rigg. I can tell he doesn’t want to be, but he’s here.”

  Sean lay on his bed waiting for his sister’s call to supper. He didn’t care to join the family any earlier than necessary. In fact, if Kate would let him, he’d eat alone in his room. No one in this house understood him. He hated school and he hated work. Their answer for everything was “trust in God.” Well, he’d tried trusting in God, at least trusting Him to give the things he wanted most, but it never brought him anything more than pain and confusion.

  With these restless thoughts, Sean stayed on the bed for only a few moments. Rolling to the edge of the mattress and standing in one move, he went straight to the dresser, opened the top drawer, and removed a wooden box. He counted the money within, knowing the exact amount but somehow hoping it had increased from when he had counted it the night before.

  “Still not enough,” Sean whispered, rage bo
iling within him as he replaced the box. “Still not enough to get away from here.” Again his voice was whisper soft, but this time it held a hint of desperation.

  He stood for some time trying to calm down, knowing that if Kate called now he would be too angry to join the family for supper and they would want to know why. Suddenly the door opened. Sean turned with a furious word for the intruder, but what he was going to say died in his throat at the sight of his niece Gretchen. She stood on the threshold, an adorable smile lighting her face.

  For the first time that day, some of Sean’s fury drained away. He held his arms out toward the beloved little girl and smiled as she threw herself at him. With her small arms circling his neck, she chatted up into his face. Sean, very much enamored with this child, gave her his full attention. They were still talking when Rigg’s voice sounded from the bottom of the stairs.

  “Gretchen, did you tell Uncle Sean that supper is ready?”

  Gretchen, with a little hand to her surprised mouth, delivered the forgotten message, and the two of them made their way downstairs. Sean’s face, all smiles for Gretchen, was now shuttered as the family gathered around the table. He did not close his eyes or even bow his head for the prayer.

  Everyone save Sean talked with familiar ease throughout the meal. In the past Sean’s silence had been oppressive and even intimidated the family, but now they had learned to live around it. Rigg, never intimidated by anyone, talked to his young brother-in-law as though nothing was out of the ordinary, including telling him to help with the dishes at the end of the meal. Rigg ignored the black scowl Sean sent in his direction.

  “Do you want to wash or dry?” Rigg asked casually when the girls had emptied out of the room.

  “I don’t want to do either. Why can’t Marc do—”

  “That’s enough, Sean,” Rigg said easily. “She takes your turn more often than she should. And,” Rigg spoke quickly when Sean opened his mouth yet again, “if you dare suggest that Kate come back in here, I’ll flatten you. She could have the baby any time now and I don’t—”

  “Any time?” Sean’s voice was incredulous. “I thought she was due in June.”

  “Sean,” Rigg’s voice was long-suffering. “There are only three days left in May. The doctor told Katie yesterday that it could be any time.” Rigg wanted to add that if Sean would get his head out of his angry cloud and think about someone else for a change, he might have noticed how large and uncomfortable his sister had become.

  Rigg would have been surprised to know that such words were unnecessary. Sean was giving himself the same speech. Unfortunately, he didn’t believe his attitude to be his own fault; his father was to blame. If his father had kept just one of his promises, Sean believed he’d feel differently, but it was easier to blame his father than himself, and easier still to hide his pain behind a mask of fury.

  The next evening, just after supper, Kate announced that they had received a letter from Father. Patrick Donovan, father to Kaitlin, Sean, and Marcail, was a missionary in the Hawaiian Islands. He’d been away and promising to come and see them for several years. Katie and Marcail had both suffered with his absence, but not to the same degree as Sean. When their mother had died just before Patrick left, Marcail and Kaitlin had clung to each other. But Sean, try as he might to fit in, had felt completely on his own.

  “He says,” Katie began, “that it looks like he’ll be getting away in a few months. I’ll read that part. ‘I know I’ve said this before, but I’m sure I’ll be able to break away from here and be with you by midsummer.’”

  Kate fell silent then, praying that this time it would be true. So often he’d tried to come, but something always interfered. They were all beginning to believe that they would never see this man again; Sean was hoping he would never see his father again. Rigg, closely watching Sean’s face, realized with a start that Sean actually wanted to avoid his father. That night in bed, the house quiet, Rigg said as much to Katie.

  “I can’t believe that, Rigg,” Kate spoke in protest. “Sean has missed Father more than any of us. Seeing him again has been all he’s living for.”

  “I understand what you’re saying, Kate, but think about how betrayed he feels. You can feel his anger the moment he steps into the room. I don’t want to upset you, but I thought you should be warned.”

  In the dim lantern light, Kate studied Rigg’s face. “What are you not telling me,” she finally asked.

  “You might disagree with me, Kate, but I think he’s trying to gain the courage to leave here. I think if he had the money, he’d walk away from Santa Rosa right now.”

  Kate’s eyes grew to the size of saucers. “He has a box of money in the top drawer of his dresser,” she whispered, as though afraid of being overheard. “I came across it by mistake just yesterday when I was putting his clothes away. The lid flipped up, and I saw what was inside. I closed the drawer right away, so I don’t know how much there was, but—”

  “Shhh,” Rigg hushed her as she began to cry, his arms moving to surround her swollen frame. “It’s all right, Kate. You didn’t intrude. As hard as it seems, it just might need to be this way.”

  “Rigg, he’s not ready to be out on his own,” she sobbed.

  “I realize that, but as you’ve said many times, he might need to go through more pain before he sees that God has been in control from the very start.”

  Kate was out of words then, as she cried and prayed into her husband’s chest. Rigg held her until he fell asleep, only to be awakened once again, several hours later, with Kate telling him that he should probably go for the doctor.

  two

  The next afternoon Sean sat in his sister’s room and held his niece Molly. She was a tiny dark-haired bundle, ten hours old and looking just like Gretchen had at that age. His sister was resting in the bed, and Sean was unaware of her scrutiny.

  Help him turn to you, Heavenly Father, Kate prayed silently. Help him see that running will do no good. If it be Your will, use this precious baby to soften him, to show him that you are a God of love and tenderness, especially when we hurt.

  Rigg entered the room then, and Sean’s attention was drawn away from the sleeping infant. He surprised both parents with a compliment, something he hadn’t given in ages.

  “I don’t know how you do it, Katie, being married to a great hairy beast like Rigg, but Molly is a beauty.”

  “Beauty runs in my family,” Rigg told him, his voice amused.

  Sean snorted in disgust and startled the babe in his arms. Kate watched in fascination as he spoke to Molly in soothing tones and held her even closer to his chest. Husband and wife exchanged a glance after witnessing this tender act, their hearts praying for the same thing.

  The next two weeks were nearly idyllic in Kate’s estimation. Molly was a good baby, and Sean was as civil as she’d seen him in months. He was also very helpful and unashamedly in love with his new niece. He played with Gretchen every spare minute and appeared to be making an effort to once again join the family. All of this changed abruptly, however, when a letter came from Aunt Maureen in San Francisco.

  She was bubbling over with excitement over Patrick’s promised arrival, really believing that this time he would come. Kate read the letter to everyone after supper, and both she and Rigg took note of how tense Sean became, how shuttered his features.

  They talked that night and decided not to confront Sean, but to keep their eyes open for a while and pray for an opportunity to speak with him.

  But no such opportunity arose. Rigg was at work, Marcail was at school, and Kate was with the girls at Grandma Taylor’s house the day Sean wrote a brief note, left it in his room, and walked to the other side of town to catch a stage headed south. What never occurred to Sean was that his actions were exactly like those of the man he told his heart he most hated.

  Maureen Lawton Kent, sister to Patrick Donovan, stood in her library trying to calm the frantic beating of her heart. Her nephew Sean was upstairs in one of the bedrooms, a
nd she knew he would be coming back down for supper at any moment. She wondered how swiftly she could get word to Kaitlin and the family, somehow certain that none of them knew where Sean was. The thought had barely formulated when the subject of Maureen’s thoughts appeared in the door.

  Sean’s appearance surprised her. He’d filled out even more from when she had seen him at Christmas, losing almost all of his boyish looks in the process. His brows were low over his unsmiling eyes, and his mouth, even when he spoke, was set in a grim line.

  “Oh there you are.” Maureen hated how breathless she sounded. “Are you ready for supper?”

  Sean nodded and followed his aunt to the table. For the most part, the meal was silent and tense. Sean was starting to regret his decision to come here; in fact, he was starting to regret his decision to leave Santa Rosa. He knew he would have to force his family’s faces from his mind or there would be more tears. Sean’s anger rushed in and rescued him. There had been tears on the stage and then again in the room upstairs, but no more, he told himself.

  Maureen, who was watching some of the emotions cross her nephew’s face, quite frankly did not know what to say. He’d become a stranger since they were last together. By the time coffee was served she had gained some courage, telling herself that if he felt free enough to come here and live, then she was within her rights to ask a few questions.

  “Sean,” she began tentatively, “does your family know you’re here?”

  “No.” He answered without looking at her.

  “Won’t they be worried?”

  Sean shrugged. “I left a note saying I was leaving town. They’ll have to be satisfied with that.” It caused Sean more pain to say that than he let on, but Maureen was so surprised at his anger that she did not notice. In the face of that ire, some of her courage deserted her. A moment passed before she summoned a falsely cheerful voice and went on.