by Lori Wick
“How do you know that?”
“Jackie,” Eddie’s voice held a note of rebuke. “I talk to the man. We visit every time he comes to the store, and whenever he’s home he stops here to see Mother and me.”
Jackie was frowning at her sister as though she didn’t have the right to Clayton’s company. Without speaking she took the jar from Eddie, replaced the cap, and set it on her nightstand. She settled her head on the pillow, her back to the sister who had just shown her such kindness.
“You’re going to be 16 in a few weeks, Jackie. Don’t you think it’s time you gave up this childishness?”
“What about Clay?”
“What about Clay?” Eddie asked back. “Honestly Jackie, you have no grounds. He couldn’t be kinder to us if he tried. He doesn’t even tease you anymore.”
Jackie was well aware of that fact but tried again to divert Eddie’s belief.
“Well, anyway, Clay’s too young to be teaching school. I, for one, would never respect him.”
“Clay is no child, Jackie. He was 19 in October, and by the time he finishes his training he’ll be even older than that. Like I said, you have no grounds for disliking him outside of your stubborn pride, and in my opinion that’s no grounds at all.”
With that Eddie blew the light out. The tender way the older girl had ministered to Jackie’s hand seemed to be forgotten. Both girls fell asleep without sharing another word.
“What are you doing?” Milly called down to her brother from her place in the hayloft. He’d just moved the ladder away and stranded her above him.
“Moving the ladder.”
“I can see that. Why?”
Clayton tipped his head back and stared at her. “You can come down when you’ve told me what’s bothering you.”
“Oh, Tag.”
“Don’t ‘oh, Tag,’ me. Now what’s going on that’s ruining your weekend, Milly? Even Dad and Mom have noticed.”
He heard Milly’s sigh from his place on the barn floor. A few more seconds went by and she said, “Let me down from here and I’ll tell you.”
Clayton did so, and after they had both taken seats on the bench by the stalls, Milly explained what had happened in the schoolhouse the day before. It wasn’t long before she was crying. Clayton put an arm around her.
“I feel just awful, Tag. Anyone can forget, and it’s so hard to stand up there and have everyone looking at you. I know Miss Bradley must have hurt her. Her whole body jumped, and Miss Bradley didn’t just do it once either. She must have hit her five or six times.”
She turned her face into her brother’s coatfront and cried. In so doing, she missed the clenching of Clayton’s jaw. He could hardly stand the thought of anyone being hit on the back of the hand, but with Jackie, somehow it was worse. He was certain her pride had taken a beating, but that wasn’t what bothered him. He had looked at her hands many times. For a girl who often helped in the general store, her hands were remarkably smooth and soft-looking with no jagged nails or calluses. He could well imagine what a few whacks with the ruler must have done.
The most frustrating part of this was realizing his position; he had no place in this situation. It was not his job to go to the teacher, nor could he even talk to Jackie and try to bring her comfort. Indeed, he was quite certain what her response would be if he tried.
“I think the worst part—” Milly had calmed enough to go on and voice Clayton’s own thoughts—“is that I’m not close to Jackie, so I can’t even tell her how sorry I am.”
“No,” Clayton agreed quietly. “She wouldn’t welcome that.”
“I could see that Danny was upset too. Lexa and Sammy probably were also, but they had their backs to me.”
“We’ll just pray for her, Milly. It doesn’t have to be one of us to help her. We’ll just pray that Danny or Eddie or maybe her mother will talk to her and make her feel better.”
Milly sniffed and Clayton produced a handkerchief. She thanked him and sat up straight to repair her face. The subject of Jackie was dropped, but she was still heavy on both of their minds.
The Saturday before Christmas brought heavy snows to the mountains in Colorado, but many made it out for church the next day. Christmas was on Thursday of that week, and excitement was high. The Fontaines planned to have Mitch and the Taggarts join them for Christmas dinner. Addy and the girls would be doing the bulk of the meal, and Elaine was to bring the dessert and rolls with fresh butter. Eddie was planning a splendid tea for the afternoon, and Danny and Milly already had their heads together about their own activities for the day.
At the moment, however, they were all bundled to their ears and getting ready to go home after the sermon. Pastor Munroe had ended his message with a tender prayer for blessings on his congregation in the week to come. He had asked God to remind them that His Son was to be celebrated all year long. Eddie had gone up to thank him for the reminder.
“And how are the wedding plans coming, Edwina?”
“Just fine.” She smiled. “Less than three months now.”
Pastor Munroe chuckled. “I may seem old to you, but I well remember the day when I counted the hours until my wedding.” Mrs. Munroe had come to his side, and he sent her a warm smile.
“Robert wrote and told me he’d been in touch with you and that you’d like to meet with us when he arrives.”
“Yes, I would. I met him of course last fall, Edwina, but I think it might be a good idea to see you both again.”
“Weather permitting, he and a friend plan to leave Boulder in time to arrive here on March 6.”
“Well, fine. Why don’t you come by and see me as soon as it works into your schedule?”
“Thank you, Pastor Munroe. I hope you both have a wonderful Christmas.”
“You do the same,” Ora Munroe told her kindly, and Eddie smiled her thanks.
Eddie turned to find her family gone. Indeed, Morgan was headed back inside to locate her. He hustled her into Mitch’s waiting wagon and took them all home. Eddie helped with Sunday dinner as usual, but she was slightly preoccupied. As soon as she could get away, she took her stationery to her room and lay on the bed to write Robert a long letter.
Christmas is Thursday, and I hope and pray with all my heart that it will be the last one we spend apart. How I love the snow and the way it turns the mountains white, but my true longing is to be snuggled together in our own home, watching it together. Even if the house cannot be complete, just to be with you will be enough.
I spoke to Pastor and Mrs. Munroe today, and they were very kind as we talked about the wedding. I’m looking forward to meeting Travis Buchanan since you’ve written so much about him. It’s a shame Jackie’s too young for marriage; he sounds wonderful.
And speaking of Jackie, I don’t know what Christmas day will be like with her strong aversion to Tag. Honestly, Robert, I don’t know what her problem is, unless it’s as you say, “She protests too much.” It’s nearly inconceivable that under all that antagonism she could be fighting stronger feelings for him, but you might be right. I do wonder what she would say if he got hurt or she was never able to see him again. Well, I guess time will tell, and a little growing up wouldn’t hurt, either. I keep praying about it.
Uncle Mitch says he has a surprise for us. He won’t tell me what it is, but he’s going to give it to both of us when you arrive. Do you remember the day you counted the weeks to our wedding? Well, we’re down to less than 12 weeks now. Eleven weeks and six days to be exact.
Eddie had to stop writing so she could roll onto her back, hug her pillow, and just smile at the ceiling. She was going to be married. She was going to be Mrs. Robert Langley. A huge sigh escaped her. It was wonderful, but the busy week was suddenly catching up with her; Eddie felt a certain lethargy creep over her. She might have fallen asleep if someone hadn’t knocked on the door. A moment later Sammy came in.
“Eddie, are you busy?”
“Not real busy. I’m writing a letter.”
“To Robe
rt?”
“Yes.”
“When you’re done, will you play a game with me?”
“Certainly. I’ll come down in a few minutes.”
Sammy smiled her thanks and started to leave, but then she stuck her head back in. “Tell him hello for me, Eddie.”
“I’ll do it, Sammy,” she told her with a huge smile. “I’ll do it right now.”
Boulder
“Well, that was the meal to end all meals,” Robert told his host as he rocked onto the back legs of his chair.
“Lavena is a real find, I assure you, Robert,” he said of his crotchety but faithful housekeeper. If your Eddie needs any help with the house or cooking, just pop out here to the ranch for a few tips.”
Robert chuckled, thinking of the scones and tea Eddie had prepared. He shook his head at Travis. “I think my Eddie will do just fine, but thanks for the offer.”
“Speaking of Eddie,” Travis continued, “what were her plans for the day?”
“She’s with her family, including Uncle Mitch, and I think Clay Taggart and his family had been invited to join them.”
“You’ve mentioned Clay several times,” Travis commented.
“Yes. I was very impressed. He lives in Georgetown, and he’s even a mine surveyor, but he’s not caught up in that world of trying to get-rich-quick. Eddie tells me that his dream is to teach school.”
“Well, we can certainly do with some well-qualified men and women for that profession,” Travis said fervently. “If the rumors in town can be trusted, Boulder’s new schoolteacher is not what they hoped she would be.”
“Yes, I’d heard that as well. It’s a large class, and I don’t think she’s assertive enough.”
Lavena chose that moment to scurry into the room. She was the tiniest woman Travis had ever known.
“That was a feast, Lavena,” Robert told her.
She managed to look pleased without smiling. “Did you save room for pie?” she demanded.
“Not at the moment,” he admitted, hands in the air.
Lavena speared Travis with her eyes. “You see that he stays around long enough to enjoy some of my pie, Travis Buchanan.” With that she was gone.
The two men shared a smile.
“Lavena has spoken,” Travis said with a false shudder.
Robert only laughed.
10
“Now, who is this?” Clayton asked, pointing to the daguerreotype in the album. He turned his head to study Sammy’s adorable profile as she answered.
“That’s Mother’s sister, Lacey. She lives in New York.” Sammy turned to him and added, “It was at Aunt Lacey’s house that Eddie met Robert.”
Clayton’s smiling eyes went to the glowing bride-to-be. “I haven’t heard this story,” Clayton told her. “I assumed you’d met Robert after you moved.”
“No,” Eddie said softly and would have elaborated, but Sammy jumped back in.
“Oh, no. She went to Aunt Lacey’s before we went to New York, and while they were having tea, a man knocked on the door; it was Robert. He had the wrong house, but when he saw Eddie, he stayed for three hours!”
“Well, now.” Clayton’s expression was warm and teasing as he rose from the kitchen table and poured himself some more coffee. “I had no idea.”
“Oh, stop it, Tag. And don’t tell him any more, Sammy. He’ll only tease me.”
Clayton laughed, and Jackie chose that moment to come moodily into the kitchen. Christmas dinner had been over for an hour, and Lexa had gone off with Danny and Milly to one of the rooms upstairs. All the adults were in the living room. Since Eddie, Sammy, and Clayton had taken the kitchen, she felt she had no place to go.
“We were just going to play a game,” Sammy told the sulking teen. “Want to join us, Jackie?”
“What are you going to play?” Her voice told of her disinterest.
“Across the Continent.”
Jackie studied the toe of her shoe and then glanced at Clayton. His expression toward her was as it had been all day, completely noncommittal, and as much as she hated to be in the same room with him, she hated her boredom more.
“All right,” she said after a moment. “I’ll play.”
Sammy had wanted to show the rest of the family photos to Clayton, but she thought Jackie would leave if she took the time. Across the Continent was always more fun with four players, and even better with six or eight. She quickly put the photo album aside and waited while Eddie took the game from the cupboard.
“I’ve never played this before,” Clayton admitted as they all took seats.
“I’ll help you,” Sammy offered, but Eddie did the honors.
“Your main objective is to travel across the continent and back. You see,” Eddie spoke as the board was displayed, “It’s like a map of the United States showing the large cities and the railway lines. You have a ticket and must pay travel expenses with the play money.”
Always good with numbers, Jackie had taken over as banker and was now giving everyone their allotted finances. Lining up his play currency as he’d watched the girls do, Clayton waited for someone to explain the first move. Rummaging in the box, Jackie muttered something about the game pieces being gone, and Sammy jumped up.
“Oh! I think they’re in my room. I’ll run up and get them.”
Jackie thought nothing of this until her father called to Eddie from the living room and a moment later she found herself alone with Clayton. Her eyes darted to him, but he was studying the board. Jackie relaxed until Clayton said out of the blue, “Does your hand hurt, Jackie?”
Jackie’s eyes flew to his, but he was looking at the faint bruises on the back of her hand. Jackie swiftly buried her hand in her lap, and then Clayton sought out her eyes. She looked defiant as usual.
“I’m not going to tease you, Jackie,” he said quietly. “You don’t need to worry about that.”
Silence hung between them for just an instant.
“Why did you stop teasing me, Clayton?” The question was out before she could stop it.
“It had gone too far.”
“What do you mean?” Jackie’s brow was furrowed; she honestly didn’t understand.
“I mean, if someone actually thinks that I want to see them hurt, then my teasing has gone too far.”
Jackie suddenly remembered the scene with the pitchfork in Taggarts’ barn. She felt the first inkling of softening toward Clayton Taggart; he really had been concerned about her. Unfortunately, he was about to unwittingly destroy this tiny seed before it could grow even a millimeter.
“I realized,” Clayton continued, “that either I was being too harsh, or you just couldn’t handle that type of jesting.”
Clayton watched Jackie’s eyes flash with dark-blue fire and knew he’d stepped on her pride.
“I can take anything you dish out, Clayton Taggart!” she hissed. “Just don’t you forget that.”
Sammy came back into the room just then, and Eddie was close behind her, so Clayton was not able to reply to Jackie’s venomous outburst. The game was played, and Jackie won hands down, but Clayton gave it little thought. However, he nearly mourned at how close he’d come to seeing her soften, only to have her turn on him again.
January 2, 1874, was Jackie’s sixteenth birthday. It was a Friday, and she went to school wearing new ribbons in her hair and new mittens, but she wasn’t feeling as ecstatic as she normally would have. The depression that had hit in the East in September ’73 had now spread toward the West. Her mother had managed to make Christmas feel normal, but just days after December 25, her parents had warned everyone that things would be different. Since Jackie’s birthday was the first in the year, she was the first to feel the changes.
There would still be a cake and a special meal, but the new dress she usually received, the book or game, and the special box of candy were going to have to wait for another time. Added to this was the upcoming wedding. One day while Eddie had been out of the house, Addy had sat down with the girls and t
old them her desire to make Eddie and Robert’s wedding everything it could be. It meant cutting back in many areas, and although Jackie was the first to agree wholeheartedly to help in this, she had not anticipated the way she would feel when she had so few gifts to open on the morning of her birthday.
Though she was careful not to let on to anyone, it did not put her in the finest of moods. Her father’s attitude was no help. He enjoyed birthdays but saw no reason to let them interrupt the workday. Friday the second was Jackie’s day to work in the store, and Morgan expected her to be on time. After school she came through the doors in a towering rage but was careful not to let her father suspect.
“Sweep out the back room, Jack,” were his first words, and when Jackie was finished, the room had never looked so good. She took out every ounce of resentment on that floor and had the dust flying so high she had to open a window.
Uncle Mitch came by at one point and gave her a birthday hug, but she was still out of sorts. The mood only worsened when her father told her she’d have to mind the front. Mitch had business at the bank, and Morgan planned to work in the office. Hoping with all her heart that no one would come in, Jackie obeyed and slowly walked toward the front. The bell rang just moments after she arrived behind the counter, and her heart sank when she saw it was Clayton.
He walked easily until he spotted the girl behind the counter whose eyes were hostile enough to make his step falter. Clayton had not had time to give the girls a ride home today, so he hadn’t seen that Jackie would have walked downtown and not accepted his offer anyway. Knowing that nothing he could say or do was going to help the relationship, Clayton almost turned and went back out. However, he was out of time. His mother’s birthday was in two days, and he had to leave the following morning.
“May I help you?” The question was asked with complete indifference. Clayton shook his head.
“I’ll just look around.”
“Suit yourself.”
Clayton turned away with a small shake of his head. Maybe it was time for a confrontation. They both shared the same faith in Christ, but Jackie was nothing short of hateful when it came to him. He knew that all believers struggled with certain sins, but this seemed out of control.