by Sarah Banks
The boy nodded.
David fought the urge to roll his eyes. “Well, I’m inviting you to go fishing with me but if you want to go, you can’t just nod, you have to say ‘yes I want to go fishing with you.’”
He was surprised when the boy immediately repeated the words.
David scooted to one side of the bench seat. “Well come on up then.”
The boy agilely hopped up into the wagon and settled beside him on the bench. David released the brake and urged the horses back into motion.
He glanced at the boy who was no longer looking down at the ground but rather at the horses. He looked as interested in them as he had been in fishing.
“You like horses?”
“I think so.”
“Never been around them then?”
He shook his head. “Not really.”
“Well, I guess I could teach you to ride sometime, but not today, today I’m teaching you how to fish. What’s your name anyway?”
“Lee.”
“No kidding. My best friend is named Lee. Well, actually his name is Leander, but anyone other than his grandma, mother, sisters or my aunt calls him that and he’d throw a punch at you, at least when we were kids.”
“He ever hit you?” Lee asked with interest.
“Nah, at least not for that.” He grinned at Lee. “But when the girl he was sweet on kissed me on the cheek after school one day, he gave it to me real good.” David rubbed the small crook in his nose.
Lee’s mouth dropped open. “He broke your nose?” He asked in astonishment.
“Yep.”
“And he’s still your friend?”
David nodded. “The best.”
“I’d never want a girl to kiss me,” Lee informed him with a wrinkle of his nose.
David laughed. “Maybe not yet. But one day you might risk a punch in the nose for it.”
Lee looked skeptical.
It was only a short drive to his home where he unhitched the horses from the wagon and left them with some feed and fresh water. Lee followed him inside the cabin where David grabbed a loaf of bread his aunt had given him the Sunday before, cutting off a few thick slices. He retrieved a hunk of beef tongue from the cold-room and sliced it thinly, making the simple sandwiches he ate every work day. Wrapping them in dish towels, he tucked those along with some apples and a flask of water into a pail they’d use to bring the fish back and handed it to Lee to carry. David collected two poles from one corner of the cabin that were probably older than Lee and they went out the back door toward the fishing hole. He avoided looking at the house he had built for him and his bride to share that still sat empty.
“Who lives there?” Lee asked curiously, pointing at the unoccupied house.
“No one.” He answered, picking up speed to hopefully avoid further conversation on the subject.
It was a short walk on a well-worn path to the fishing hole. After gathering up some worms which Lee took great delight in finding, he taught Lee how to fish. He listened attentively to David’s instructions and watched patiently for a few minutes before picking up his own pole and worming the hook. He didn’t get discouraged when his line tangled on his first few casts, only bit his lip and tried again until he got it right. It wasn’t long until he caught his first fish and David couldn’t help but smile at the pure joy on the boy’s face.
He clapped him on the back. “Good going.”
They polished off the sandwiches and apples while continuing to fish. He was surprised to see Lee match him sandwich for sandwich and apple for apple. David wasn’t around kids much, not since he was one himself. He forgot how much food they could eat. He remembered his aunt always saying he’d eat them out of house and home. Of course, she always said it with a smile on her face as she was giving him another helping.
David caught the next two fish and then Lee caught his second.
He finally set his pole aside, leaned back and looked at Lee who was concentrating on where his line disappeared into the water and asked, “You think Kate’s worrying about you?”
The boy bit his lip and looked down before finally muttering, “Probably.”
“Do you think after all she’s done for you and your sister that she deserves that?”
He barely heard his reply. “What’s that?” David asked, cupping his ear.
“No,” Lee repeated, a bit more loudly this time.
“What made you run off on her anyway?”
At first Lee didn’t answer. After a moment, he plucked his hook from the water with a sigh and carefully set the pole beside David’s. He sat down next to him, digging his fingers in the dirt.
“My ma’s funeral was today,” he said quietly.
“Ah, I didn’t know that. Listen, I was real sorry to hear about your ma.”
Lee nodded but didn’t look up as he continued to dig into the rocky, moist soil. “I almost made it all the way to the end. Kate cried, so did Olive and even Aunt Susan, but I didn’t,” he insisted, raising his chin. “Kate said it was okay if I cried, but I didn’t want to. I just wanted to be alone, so I started walking, then running, until I couldn’t run anymore. Until my chest stopped hurting and I felt like I could finally breathe again.”
David looked away from the boy and swallowed. He was familiar with the emotions Lee was describing. Not just the emotions but the physical feelings as well. When his father had died, David had been sad, but he still had his mother. When he lost her, he had felt so much more than sadness. He remembered feeling angry, scared and alone. He wouldn’t wish that pain on anyone let alone a little boy. David cleared his throat. “Well, you would have run into the ocean eventually.”
Lee looked at him incredulously.
David nodded. “Walking in that direction. In a few more weeks,” he added.
Lee shook his head in bewilderment and David smiled.
They sat silently side by side for a few minutes before David said, “You know I lost my ma too when I was close to your age. How old are you anyway?”
“Seven and a half.”
David nodded. “I was eight, almost nine, when she died. My dad passed away a few years before that. I remember being really sad when she died. More than sad. Afraid, angry, hurt. I ached too. Here,” he said rubbing his chest, “for a long time afterwards. I thought it’d never get better, but it did, eventually. It takes time, a lot of time. I was real lucky though because my aunt stepped in and took care of me. Next to my mother, I can’t think of a better woman. She loved me, even when sometimes I didn’t deserve it and took care of me when my mother no longer could.”
David looked away as Lee quickly swiped his sleeve across his eyes.
“And you’re lucky too,” he continued. “You have Kate. She reminds me a lot of my aunt. She wants to look after you and your sister. But she’ll need your help. She can’t do it by herself.”
Lee didn’t say anything, just continued to study the ground, his fingers once again buried in the dirt.
“You like Kate?” David asked.
“Yes.”
“You think you can help her with your sister?”
“Yes.”
David reached over and squeezed the boy’s shoulder before getting to his feet.
“Well, come on then, let’s take you back to my aunt’s and you can apologize to her as well as Kate.” He ruffled Lee’s hair. “Don’t look so scared. Kate doesn’t look like a spanker. I know my aunt isn’t. She’d just send me to my room, without dessert. That’s a worse punishment if you ask me. I’d rather be spanked.”
Lee gave him a small smile and picked up the pail of fish. He carried it back to the house like he was holding a treasure chest. David rehitched the horses to the wagon with Lee paying close attention to every detail like a young apprentice.
They drove back to town mostly in silence. The sun was getting close to setting and David felt bad for not bringing the boy back sooner, but he couldn’t regret the afternoon they spent together, the joy of seeing Lee catch his f
irst fish as well as the sadness when he spoke of losing his mother. Lee reminded him so much of himself at that age. It just felt right being there with him.
The house was in chaos when he returned with Lee. Lee’s sister wasn’t sucking her thumb for once, instead she was crying up a storm. Kate was trying to comfort her, but she wasn’t having any of it and Kate looked like she was at wit’s end. His aunt stood nearby, taking turns patting both Kate and the girl’s backs soothingly.
All three heads swiveled toward the door when he walked in followed by Lee who was dragging his feet. The girl immediately stopped crying and held out her arms for her brother, Kate gasped in relief and his aunt smiled at him as if she somehow knew he’d save the day.
Lee went to his sister and hugged her. Kate took the opportunity to hug them both before pushing him back. “Where were you? We were worried sick!” She scolded him.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t feel very good. I went for a walk,” Lee explained, mostly to the floor.
Kate’s mouth opened and then closed again. Finally she said, “I wish you would have told me where you were going at least. I was so worried. But we’ll talk about that later. I’m just so glad you’re back.” She pulled him into another tight hug, looking like she’d never let go. David took that opportunity to duck back out the door.
Chapter Four
That wonderful, foolish man left without saying goodbye again!
Kate looked up from hugging Lee, who for the first time sort of hugged her back, and smiled…at a closed door. She looked around in bewilderment, but David had indeed left.
She exchanged glances with Susan who had just set a large plate of food in front of Lee, more than most full-grown men ate, let alone a seven-year old boy but Lee picked up his fork in attempt.
“I’ll be right back,” she quickly told Susan. Susan nodded and Kate dashed out the front door. “David, wait!”
He was a step away from his wagon when she called his name from the front porch. He stopped and pivoted in her direction. She picked up her skirts and ran down the porch steps, skidding to a halt in front of him. She looked up at him, studying his face, his solemn eyes and mouth as he looked back down at her. Then she took a deep breath and another step forward and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him. He immediately stiffened in her arms, clearly not expecting her display of affection but after a moment, she felt his arms come up around her, holding her, and suddenly she could breathe again.
“Thank you for finding him and bringing him back,” she whispered against his chest. She had met him in person only two days ago but meeting him had solidified the connection they had developed in their letters. And despite his rejection of her, she still felt something for him, something she couldn’t deny. She wished he felt it too. Maybe he did. But if he did, his feelings about raising someone else’s children were stronger than his feelings for her.
She shivered as she felt him nuzzle her hair for the briefest of moments before he put his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her away.
“He’s having a rough time,” David said, his voice gruff.
“I know,” she replied, her voice wavering.
He reached up and gently traced the shadow under one eye with his thumb. “You’re not sleeping.”
She shook her head. “Not very much no. And not very well.” She shrugged. “There’s just so much happening so fast.”
He nodded but didn’t say anything. They stood toe-to-toe in silence looking at each other for nearly a full minute before he finally said, “I’d best be heading home.”
She took a step back. “All right. Goodnight. Thank you again.” Kate forced herself to turn and walk into the house, when what she really wanted to do was beg him to stay.
∞∞∞
David couldn’t stop thinking about her. He thought about her all day and even dreamed about her at night. He woke early Sunday morning after another night’s restless sleep. He really should have gone back to work immediately instead of waiting until the following week as planned. But he hadn’t wanted to face the naturally curious questions from his coworkers. So instead he spent the week chopping so much firewood he had gone through a pair of his best gloves and plowed a garden that he had no intention of planting.
He lay in bed and wondered what it would be like if she were lying beside him right now. He wanted her to be. She was supposed to be. Well, not in this cabin, but in the house he had built for them less than a hundred feet away. Yet a single event had changed the course of both their lives. If only she had been on an earlier train, or even a later one, then she would be his wife and he would be able to hold her in his arms right this very moment.
Was she even still in town? He hadn’t seen her in a couple of days. Not since he returned Lee to his aunt’s house. He knew the train heading east had come and gone at least twice since then. Had she and the children gotten on it? She didn’t owe him anything certainly but somehow it hurt to think that she would leave without saying goodbye. The thought intensified the ache he felt in his chest. He rubbed it for a moment before getting out of bed to start his day.
Because it was Sunday, he was expected at his aunt’s house for supper. He hadn’t missed a single one since she took him in all those years ago and he wouldn’t miss this one either.
Kate might still be there. Was she? There was no reason for her to stay now that they weren’t getting married. He would know if she left, wouldn’t he? He somehow thought he would feel it.
When he finally walked through his aunt’s door later that afternoon, the first thing his aunt said to him was, “You’re late.”
“Sorry,” he mumbled. “Unavoidably detained.” It was a tiny white lie. He had paced the barn a hundred times trying to decide whether or not to attend. Ultimately he decided he couldn’t miss it and saddled his horse. Not only would he not hurt his aunt for the world, if there was a chance Kate was still in town, he wanted to see her.
Kate stood near the counter, a dish towel in her hand. She smiled at him and he felt it hit him straight in his gut. He nodded at her and immediately looked away. She was still here. She hadn’t left town. He felt both relief and dread.
“Well sit down, we’ve kept it warm. But if the chicken’s dry, there will be no dessert for you,” his aunt warned.
David felt himself start to smile at his aunt’s typical threat. He glanced at Lee sitting beside him and winked. Lee smothered a laugh in his napkin.
David looked up to see Kate set down a platter of roasted chicken, already cut into pieces, in front of him. She looked back and forth between them curiously.
“Private joke,” he explained, reaching for a drumstick. Lee giggled and reached for a drumstick of his own.
“Hmm,” she said, before taking the seat across from him.
When he finally pushed his empty plate away, his curiosity had finally gotten the best of him and he said, “I thought you might have caught the train by now.
Kate set down her fork and pressed her lips against her napkin before replying, “No, I’ve decided to—ʺ
“She’s decided to stay! Isn’t that wonderful?” Aunt Susan exclaimed. She pushed back her chair with a wide smile, collected their plates and took them to the sink.
David sat back in his chair stunned. “You’re staying! But why?”
Kate gave him a wry smile. “Because I like it here. And because I don’t have anywhere else to go,” she added softly.
David felt a shot of guilt at her words. Dear Lord, she didn’t plan on staying with his aunt, did she? He didn’t think he could bear seeing her week after week.
“David, I’m sure you’re not intending it, but you’re coming across very rude,” his aunt gently scolded him from the counter where she stood cutting the pie for dessert. “I, for one, am ecstatic she’s decided to stay.”
David ignored his aunt and turned back to Kate. “What are your plans?”
“Well, I’m not exactly sure, I—”
“I’m helping her find a
husband,” his aunt announced excitedly as she set a plate of pie in front of Olive and another in front of Lee.
“Or I might get a job,” Kate inserted firmly.
Aunt Susan made a dismissive sound, returning to the kitchen for the remaining plates. “We’ll see. Two men have already shown an interest in her. Noah is teeming with eligible bachelors, not to mention nearby towns,” she said, returning with two more plates in hand.
Two men had already shown an interest in her? He couldn’t help himself from demanding, “Who?!”
“Meryl,” his aunt answered, sitting down at the table with her own plate. “Oh where’s my head, I forgot milk for the children.”
She pushed her chair back again but Kate reached over and stopped her with a squeeze of her hand. “Let me. You’ve been on your feet all day cooking Sunday supper, which was delicious by the way.”
“Thank you my dear,” she replied, settling back in her seat.
David knew he should take a moment and compliment his aunt’s cooking as well, instead he asked, “Meryl? Meryl Copeland?”
His aunt nodded, picking up her fork.
“He’s a drunk!”
Both women looked at him wide-eyed and unfortunately he realized he had caught Lee’s attention too, his fork frozen midway to his mouth, but David continued unchecked, “Who else?”
“Karl Olson,” his aunt responded slowly, narrowing her eyes at him.
“Karl! He has twelve kids!”
“He has six kids,” his aunt firmly corrected him. “Honestly David, what has gotten into you?”
He didn’t know or maybe he did, but he wouldn’t admit it, not to them or even himself.
“It’s not like you have any say over the matter anyway, not anymore,” his aunt informed him, casting him a meaningful look.
Her words felt like a slap and from the corner of his eye he saw Kate pale.
“Kate’s world has been upended. Everything she thought was happening has changed and she needs to plan for the future of her and the children,” his aunt continued, in a gentler tone. “If you can’t be respectful of that, then you should remove yourself from this table.”