REFINING FIRE by Carol Cox

REFINING FIRE

Heartsong Presents
Barbour Publishing
HSB 592
ISBN: 1-59310-097-3
May 2004

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REFINING FIRE
by Carol Cox

May 1, 1869
Prescott, Arizona Territory

“Two bowls of venison stew, one order of roast beef, and one of fried chicken. And some of whatever the couple at the next table are having for dessert.”

“That’s dried peach cobbler.” Jenny Davis smiled at the man seated with his young family at the front table of the Capital Restaurant & Bakery.

“Mmm. Can I just skip the stew and start with that, Pa?” the older of two freckle-faced boys asked.

Jenny laughed along with the boy’s parents. Heading back to the kitchen, she repeated their order to Elizabeth O’Roarke, the restaurant’s owner and Jenny’s dearest friend.

“I’m going to set aside four pieces of this cobbler,” she told Elizabeth. “That little boy’s eyes lit up like he hadn’t had a sweet in months!” She didn’t mention the pleasure she felt at knowing one of her own baked creations had produced such a craving.

Elizabeth grinned at Jenny, her hazel eyes glowing with pride. “If he thinks it looks good, just wait until he tries a bite. You’ve developed a real knack for improving the recipes we started out with.”

Jenny basked in Elizabeth’s praise while she served the family their supper and tended to the other patrons in the crowded dining room. In the two years she’d worked at the restaurant, Elizabeth had taught her a great deal—not only the finer points of turning out mouthwatering pies, cakes, and pastries, but the meaning of friendship and loyalty as well.

She owed a lot to Elizabeth and her husband, Michael. Far more than she would ever be able to repay by waiting tables and helping in the kitchen. Being rescued carried a high price.

And the O’Roarkes had come to her rescue more than once. First from the local saloon keeper her unscrupulous guardian had traded her to for a supply of whiskey. Then again after her former guardian and the saloon keeper kidnapped her in an effort to regain their lost “property.”

It had taken many months for Jenny to make the transformation from the frightened girl Elizabeth and Michael had taken under their wing to the more confident young woman she had become. During those months, she had learned what it was like to belong again, to feel like part of a family—a person of worth. Despite her initial sullenness and mistrust, both the O’Roarkes believed in her. And that belief had made all the difference.

She smiled at Elizabeth when she pushed through the swinging door to the kitchen. “If it wasn’t almost closing time, you could probably keep on serving for hours yet. Business is going well.”

Elizabeth beamed. “Isn’t it wonderful how God has continued to bless us?”

They believed in God, too, something Jenny didn’t begrudge them in the least. She just wished they wouldn’t try to keep pushing their perception of Jenny’s need for Him down her throat. Faith was a wonderful thing, as long as the object of your faith lived up to His obligation to take care of His people. When He allowed awful things to happen to them, as He’d done with Jenny and her family, it was hard to muster up the unquestioning trust that seemed to come so easily to Elizabeth and Michael.

That topic had been the only real point of disagreement Jenny and Elizabeth ever had, a point on which Jenny adamantly dug in her heels and refused to budge.

“But everyone has faith in something,” Elizabeth had argued more than once. “What do you have faith in?”

That was easy: herself. She didn’t tell Elizabeth that, though. She knew all too well the look of sadness that would fill her friend’s eyes. Instead, she always shrugged and said she was still trying to figure that out.

The truth was, she had settled the issue in her mind a long time ago—back when she cowered in a root cellar, listening to the screams of her dying parents and little brother at the hands of three Apaches.

Back when Martin Lester, her guardian, decided he wanted to treat her more as a wife than a foster daughter. . . Back when he tired of her fending him off and traded her to Burleigh Ames, the owner of the Nugget Saloon. . .

Back when she knew beyond a doubt that if God had loved Jenny Davis once, He didn’t any longer. How could a God of love allow all the things that had happened to her?

She wet a rag and carried it to the dining room, where she proceeded to wipe down the empty tables. The family at the front finished their meal and got ready to take their leave.

“That was sure good cobbler,” called the little boy. “I hope Pa brings us in again soon.”

Jenny smiled at the departing family. The door opened again just after they left, and Michael O’Roarke strolled in.

“Is Elizabeth ready to go? We can enjoy a twilight stroll and still get to the Bible study on time for once if we leave now.”

Jenny laughed and nodded toward the rear of the room. “She’s in the kitchen. She should just about be finished now. If she isn’t, I’ll take care of anything that’s left so you can be on your way.”

Michael grinned at her offer. “Thanks. I appreciate it. You’re sure you don’t want to go with us?”

“Not this time.” It had been her standard answer for the past two years. Thankfully, neither one of them seemed to take offense.

Elizabeth hurried in from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel. “I think I have everything put to rights back there. The dough is rising for tomorrow morning.” She patted her hair into place and turned to Jenny. “You’re sure—”

“I already asked her,” Michael put in with a smile. “Not this time.”