Ever Faithful

by Karen Barnett

  A shout from farther down the line sent all the men scrambling to their feet in the swaying vehicle. “Something’s underneath there. Can anyone see it?” Bukowski bent to peer around the crates.

  Val pulled a flashlight from one of the boxes. He aimed the flickering light between the stacks of supplies, the light swaying with the movement of the truck.

  A pair of eyes gleamed from the gap.

  He dropped to his knees. “What is that thing?”

  Nate scooted closer. “It’s one of the kits. Did you make sure the container was secure?” He held out a hand to the critter, hoping the animal wouldn’t nip him out of fear.

  Val frowned. “I opened it for a minute to get a look at them, but I closed it back up.”

  “Not well enough.” Red snorted a laugh.

  Moretti clambered over the boxes. “The other one’s still in there.”

  Hutch poked his head out, the tiny mask surrounding the glittering black eyes. He crawled up into Nate’s hand, then up his arm, burrowing into the area between his neck and shoulder.

  Nate cradled the raccoon against his chest. “It’s all right little fella. We’ll be home soon.”

  * * *

  The sight of Teddy striding up to her parent’s house sent a flutter through Elsie’s stomach. She’d finished packing an hour ago and was reading a book on the porch while she waited for Mary and their ride. She hadn’t expected a visit from the good-looking ranger. In fact, she’d done a pretty good job of ducking him since the dance.

  The fire had put her in such a state that she’d left the hotel without even saying good night to Teddy. And she couldn’t get his comments about settling down out of her mind. Elsie had allowed herself a date or two in the past, but never let it go beyond that. She touched her collar, her thumb brushing the top button.

  Teddy grinned as he climbed the three small steps to the front porch. “I was hoping I’d find you here.” He pulled out a small gift box tied with a red ribbon, then passed it from hand to hand for a moment before holding it out to her. “I know you’re leaving today. I got you a going-away present.”

  “I’m only going to Canyon.”

  “I know, but…just open the box. I think you’ll like it.” He sat beside her on the porch railing, a few inches closer than she’d like. “I’m excited for you to have this, Elsie.”

  His deep voice almost seemed to rumble in his chest as he said her name. She shivered slightly, squeezing the tiny box between her fingers. She barely knew the fellow and he was bringing her gifts? Hal bought Mary trinkets all the time—but they’d been together for two summers, off and on.

  Elsie swallowed. “I’m going to miss Mammoth. I’ve lived here a long time. After this summer, I’ll be heading off to Missoula for college.”

  “I’ve only been here a couple of weeks, but it already feels like Yellowstone is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” His eyes caught hers.

  “Wonderland has that effect on people.”

  He smiled and gestured toward the gift. “Please, open it.”

  Elsie untied the ribbon, slid a trembling finger under the top flap, and pulled it open. A glint of light sparkled off a small silver case. Drawing it out, Elsie turned it over in her hand. “How lovely.” She traced a fingertip over the flower engraved on the shiny surface. “Is that an evening primrose?”

  “Herma said you liked them.”

  “I do. They remind me of the sulfur spring with the same name. It’s one of my favorite places.”

  “Maybe you can show it to me sometime.” He leaned in close and pointed at the etching. “I engraved it myself. It seemed so functional and masculine without some kind of adornment. I’d hate for you to think I’d gotten you something practical without an ounce of sentiment.”

  Practical? Elsie turned the case over, the silver warming in her palm. On the opposite side he’d etched the word “Wonderland.” Popping open the hinged lid at the top, a tiny gear and lever appeared.

  Teddy placed his hand over hers. “Let me show you how it works.” His touch was warm. He pushed on the lever, clicking it a few times. A tiny flame shot up from the front of the gadget.

  Elsie gasped, shoving it toward him and scooting away. “A lighter! I haven’t seen one like it before.” She put her shaking hands behind her.

  “Isn’t it perfect?” He turned it over in his fingers. “You’ll never need matches again. It’s fueled by naphtha.”

  The strong odor of spirits accosted her, burning in her throat. Seeing that spark so close to her fingertips had turned her stomach. “Th-that’s very generous of you, but I couldn’t possibly accept this. It must have been very expensive.”

  “It will come in handy. Look, I purchased one for myself too.” He straightened and drew a matching case from his trouser pocket. “Only, no flowers. I etched a pine cone on mine. And ‘Wonderland,’ for where we met.” Teddy’s brown eyes shone, like an overeager child. “Please, Elsie. I want you to have it.”

  His expression melted her resistance. She brought out her hand, opened her fingers, and let him set the dreaded thing on her damp palm. He had no idea of her fears, of her past. Why would he? Elsie snapped the lid shut and ran a thumb over the tiny flower. It truly was a thing of beauty. Horrible beauty. She swallowed, her mouth dry. “Thank you, Teddy. You’re very kind.”

  He sneaked an arm behind her. “I hope it’s not too presumptuous, but I’d like to think of this as a little piece of me going with you.” He smiled, the dimple in his cheek catching her eye even while his touch sent her thoughts into disarray. “And I’d like your permission to visit you sometime.” He slid his fingers up her wrist. “Would that be all right?”

  “Y-yes. Of course.” She pulled her hand away, lest he brush the scars on her inner arm.

  Elsie pressed the silver case close to her heart. As long as she didn’t think too much about what the object contained, she might be able to love it. Perhaps, in time, she could learn to appreciate the gadget’s usefulness as well. “Thank you, Teddy.” She lifted her head, not quite able to meet his eyes. Maybe she could learn to appreciate this tenderhearted ranger a little bit too. With his help, she might get past some of her fears. “I’m sure I’ll treasure it.”

  The first few days in the new camp had been a wake-up call. If the CCC men thought Mammoth was rustic, the muddy clearing at Canyon was a shock. All that awaited them were stacks of supplies. No buildings, no latrines, no mess hall. Thankfully, some of the men had construction experience, and the rest were pretty motivated to learn. Hard work meant they’d at least have a decent place to shower and eat, so they were all willing to break their backs to make it happen.

  As the main group worked on the mess hall and latrine, a smaller crew tackled the large army tents where they would be quartered for the summer. It took the men a few hours to arrange the tents into long lines. Nate plunked his footlocker at the end of one of the cots and straightened his aching back. “Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home.”

  Red grinned. “Or as my ma would say, ‘May you always have walls for the wind and a roof for the rain.’ It might be canvas, but it’s still a roof.” He spread the wool blanket across the mattress and tucked the corners.

  Val sorted a stack of novels. “With how it’s howling today, we’ll be lucky not to blow away.”

  “Or have one of those pine trees land on us.” Nate pulled the two folded letters from home out of his shirt pocket and ran his fingers across the lines of Eva’s handwriting. Lucy had added her name in scrawling print at the bottom of the page. So far, he’d done a decent job of hiding his problem from his buddies. If he could just keep his head down, he might make it through the season without anyone knowing.

  He tucked the letters into a small box he’d stashed in his footlocker. He could read a few short words. When things were quiet, maybe he’d try again. Eva
was only seven, so she couldn’t know that many.

  Bukowski stuck his head through the tent flap. “Lieutenant Stone wants everyone in the mess hall, pronto. Captain Dahl is here for an inspection.”

  Nate snatched his jacket from the foot of his bed, then followed the men into the new building and fell in line with the others standing at attention. Pride surged through him as he watched Dahl tour the room. The crew had done a fantastic job under less than optimal conditions. This facility would serve the Corps for years, assuming the president decided to continue the program.

  The hint of a smile softened Dahl’s stern visage as he ran a hand across the smooth boards framing one of the small windows. “Fine work. And in record time too.” He turned to face them. “There’s still much to be done to finish the camp—shower buildings, storage facilities, and recreation hall.” He folded his arms across his broad chest. “But those will come in time.”

  Dahl paced up the aisle, nodding to each man. He clapped Val on the arm as he passed, a twinkle in his eye. “Good work, son. I always meant to ask you when we were at Mammoth—how old are you, anyway?”

  The younger man’s eyes widened. “I’m eighteen, sir.”

  “Sure you are.” He faced him, his gray eyes twinkling as he stared up at the gangly youth as if just seeing him for the first time.

  Val swallowed hard. “Sir?”

  Nate felt for his friend. He’d suspected the same. Many of the men were thin from months of lean living, but Val had the look of a spindly beanstalk that had grown faster than his ravenous appetite could maintain. He was seventeen, at most. But a confession like that could get him sent home to his mama’s arms. Likely one who struggled to feed a growing boy. Nate had never seen such meals as they served here. Bacon, fruit, steak, cheese, bread, pie—and always enough for seconds, thirds, and beyond.

  Dahl’s shorter stature forced him to gaze up at Val. “I was eighteen when I signed up for the army, just before the Great War—or so I told them.”

  “I…” The rod in Val’s spine seemed to loosen a notch and the tension in his shoulders eased. “Yes sir.”

  The captain moved down the row, pausing at Nate’s side.

  Nate straightened under the man’s intense gaze. There was no questioning his age. Had the captain discovered something else about him?

  Rather than addressing Nate, Dahl turned to face the room. “As I was saying, we still have work to do here. But our job is out in the park, not designing window dressings and planting flowers.” He studied the group. “We’ll leave a skeleton crew here to continue camp construction—those of you with experience in the building trades in particular. Lieutenant Stone has given me a list of names of the men who have been most useful to the process.”

  He shot a glance at Nate. “I’m placing Webber in charge of the forestry crew. He will serve as your area foreman and will liaise with the park rangers, Lieutenant Stone, and myself.”

  Nate locked his jaw to keep his mouth from dropping open. Foreman? A charge of electricity shot through his body.

  “Webber, I expect you to handle any problems on the site—disputes, equipment, safety. Can you do that?”

  Nate managed a nod. “Yes sir. I’m honored, sir.” He’d failed in so many aspects of his life, but he’d always had the ability to make friends easily. Now to figure out how to work that skill into leadership.

  The captain lowered his voice, injecting an unexpected note of warmth. “The boys will answer to you, but you answer to me. Understand?”

  He sensed the double meaning in Dahl’s words. There was a mild warning, but it was also a reminder of support. He wouldn’t be flailing out there on his own. The thought went a long way to steady his racing heart. “Yes sir, I understand.”

  “Good.” He turned to face the others. “And listen up, men. Webber will be writing me weekly reports. I expect good news on your progress.”

  Nate’s stomach dropped, a cold sweat breaking out across his skin. Weekly reports? Written?

  “The camp teacher also arrives in a few days. We’ll hold the classes in the mess hall after supper three nights a week, for now.” The captain lifted his brow. “We’d hoped to have a male teacher from one of the local universities, but that hasn’t panned out. I have a couple of men coming in to teach some basic machine repair and other trades on the weekend. But for your three Rs, it will be a local gal who has assisted at the Gardiner school. I expect you to be on your best and most respectful behavior with this young lady. She’s the daughter of one of the park’s rangers, and any reports of disrespect or lewd behavior will be dealt with in a swift and severe manner. Savvy?”

  A unanimous answer of assent filled the room.

  Nate struggled to sort through the mixture of news that had been dumped at his feet in the past five minutes. Reports? Classes? Reading and writing?

  Dahl headed for the door. “Then I’ll let you get back to your evening. Welcome to Canyon.” He paused at the door, one hand on the frame. “Miss Elsie Brookes will come in on Monday to teach the first class and get a sense of your educational needs. Don’t miss this golden opportunity to better yourselves.”

  Elsie Brookes. Nate splayed fingers over his aching temples. Why was it that every golden opportunity came with a steep price tag?

  * * *

  Elsie walked through the camp entrance, her shoes sinking into the two-inch deep mud. The clearing had once held a series of outbuildings that served those working on the construction of Canyon Lodge. Now the clearing was a gaping wound in the dense lodgepole forest, and the earth seemed to be trying to reclaim its ownership.

  Her stomach churned. Nothing she’d learned working with children had prepared her for this. Teaching letters and numbers to a group of streetwise New Yorkers? They were going to laugh in her face.

  The smell of fresh-cut wood tickled her nose as Elsie slogged her way toward the smaller building. Would that be an office? Where were all the men? The camp seemed quiet, except for a distant hammering coming from a skeletal building on the far side of the encampment.

  Elsie paused at the steps leading up to the door. Her father had said that a Lieutenant Stone would be there to greet her. She checked the timepiece hanging from her pocket. She was almost twenty minutes early. She juggled a box of books and paper tablets, twisting to adjust the heavy bag dangling from her shoulder. She couldn’t set them in the mud, but the strap dug against her tender skin.

  Elsie lowered the box onto the bottom step and wrestled her way out of the shoulder strap. A teacher had to come prepared, and she’d done her best to think through every situation. She’d hardly slept the past few days as her mind played through every horrible scene she could imagine—the men erupting in laughter, throwing rotten fruit, drawing rude pictures on the blackboard, and starting fights. Or worse—they were better educated than she expected, expecting her to teach lessons on Latin and advanced geometry.

  It would be somewhere in the middle. It had to be.

  A door slammed on the larger building across the clearing. “Miss Brookes!” Red loped toward her, his unlaced boots slapping against the mucky ground. “Over here.” He gestured toward the long, squat building, windows nothing but gaping holes in the side of the structure.

  Of course it would be Red. Mary had spoken of no one else since the party. Elsie crouched to retrieve the crate, trying to hook the bag over her shoulder in the same motion. Her balance shifted under the uneven weight and the box slipped from her fingers, crashing back to the step.

  “Let me get that for you.” He grinned, bending to lift it.

  She stepped out of his way. “Thank you. It’s rather heavy, I’m afraid.”

  “No problem. After all the buckets of nails I’ve hauled this week, it feels like cotton candy.” He gripped it against his chest and faced her. “I suppose I’m probably about the last person you want to see after what happe
ned at the hotel. That was quite the rhubarb, wasn’t it?” He hoisted the box up higher and started across the clearing toward the other building. “I shoulda realized that little gal was playing me.” He shrugged one shoulder. “A looker like her would never settle for one of us. After all, what’ve I got to offer?”

  “Mary wasn’t…” Elsie paused. Wasn’t what? Wasn’t playing with Red’s and Hal’s feelings? She couldn’t defend her roommate on that front. Elsie readjusted the bag, holding it in her hands rather than letting the strap dig into her neck. “Mary still speaks of you.”

  He stopped and turned, his eyes bright. “She does?”

  “Yes.” Endlessly. Every minute of the day and half the night. Elsie studied Red, his quirky grin causing her to smile in return. He wasn’t the typical well-heeled man Mary chased after.

  “Well, I’ll be.” He straightened, almost gaining another inch in the process. “Miracles do happen.”

  Some of her anxious thoughts about teaching this group faded. Red was just a fellow, like any other. Maybe if she could think of each pupil as an individual rather than as one of a pack of nameless men, she’d be able to face them.

  “We’re over here in the mess hall for now. Windows go in tomorrow, so that’ll make things a little quieter.”

  “The mess hall?” She pointed at the other building. “What’s that one?”

  “Latrine.”

  Good thing she hadn’t gone inside.

  “We’re building a recreation hall next. It’ll have two classrooms in addition to a camp store and game room. Captain Dahl has promised us a Ping-Pong table. I’m thinking we can figure out how to make a pool table too. How hard can it be?”

  She entered the wide space filled with long tables. No blackboard. Of course—why would there be? Elsie lowered her bag to a corner table. “The camp seems very quiet. Where is everyone?”

  Red placed the box beside her other things. “They’re out in the field with Webber, cutting beetle-infested trees. They should be back soon.”