Ever Faithful

by Karen Barnett

Mother tapped the table with her fingertips. “That’s not exactly what I said.”

  “Well, it hasn’t worked out, anyway. I liked the idea of perhaps someday marrying a ranger, but Teddy wasn’t the right man for me.”

  Her mother popped a quick nod. “I agree.”

  “You do?”

  “Of course. When I said you should open up to people, I didn’t mean Teddy Vaughn. That fellow is nothing more than an insecure boy.” She lifted her eyebrows. “He was over here so many nights in a row—I had your father ask him to leave.”

  “But you love having people over.”

  “Not one who’s determined to keep my daughter from her dreams. He kept speaking about the two of you as if everything was decided.” She lifted her cup and gestured toward Elsie with it. “I figured if that were the case, you would have come and told me yourself. And frankly, I didn’t believe you’d stand for it.”

  “He did seem a little concerned with getting things settled quickly.”

  “Then he stopped coming by altogether a couple weeks back, so I guessed you’d set him straight.” Mama leaned forward, touching Elsie’s knee. “Elsie, when I said you should open yourself up, I meant to life, dear. Not to some man. I wanted you to live without your past dogging every step, making every decision for you. See what God has planned for you. Though personally, I’d be delighted if you did find love one day.”

  Her mother went to the cupboard and brought out a box of cookies purchased from the bakery in Gardiner. “I’ve always liked to do my own baking, but in recent months I’ve learned to appreciate these as well.” She put some on a plate and brought them to the table. “I have a hunch that’s not all your news.”

  Elsie sighed. “Is it that obvious?”

  “I haven’t seen you smile this much in a while. Now who is it?”

  The back door swung open, and Elsie’s father walked in. “Both my girls are here? What a treat.”

  Mama stood on her tiptoes to place a kiss on his cheek. “You must be ready for lunch. There are sandwiches in the icebox. We’re having a cookie appetizer.” She turned to wink at their daughter. “Elsie was just telling me about the new man in her life.”

  “I could have told you that.” Her father chuckled as he retrieved the food. “He works for the Canyon CCC crew, am I right?”

  Elsie sat back, stunned. “How did you find out?”

  “The fellow was so jumpy last time I saw him that I cornered one of his buddies until he spilled the beans. Apparently dating the boss’s daughter makes a man jittery.”

  Mama had walked to the cupboard, getting plates for their meal. “You could have said something.”

  “Wasn’t sure it was true until just now.” He bent over and placed a kiss on the top of Elsie’s head. “Nate Webber. Good man, strong leader. Time will tell if he’s good enough for my little girl, but”—he shrugged—“it’s not my decision, is it?”

  The bands of tension that had gripped her heart since she’d gotten up this morning eased.

  “Just remember,” her mother said, as she laid three dishes on the table. “The key to a love that lasts is Matthew 7:12.”

  “The Golden Rule, I know.” She filed that away to consider on the long bus ride back to Canyon. Her parents had long modeled the philosophy of working side by side to provide for the other’s happiness. Could she have a relationship like that with Nate?

  * * *

  Nate read through the last two lines on the page, pushing through each word with the same effort he’d used on the crosscut saw earlier in the day.

  Elsie walked a circle around the log that had become their favorite classroom, pausing to gaze at the burbling creek.

  “You’re not hovering over my shoulder. Are you afraid to sit next to me?” Setting down the book, he got up and stood behind her. “What’s wrong?”

  Her shoulders bounced in a halfhearted laugh. “I’m a little distracted.”

  “Distracting you is my job.” He turned her around to face him. “But I must be losing my touch. I messed up at least four lines on purpose, and you didn’t even notice.”

  “You did?”

  “I don’t think bears actually have a diet of fish, berries, and cheesecake.”

  “I think they’d accept cheesecake if it were offered. They’d be silly to pass it up.” She pulled Nate close, wrapping her arms around his back.

  Her touch sent a jolt through his system. No man should be expected to read when a beautiful woman stood nearby. Nate kissed her, first with a gentle touch and then more urgently as the fire kindled between them. When she slid her hand along the front of his shirt, it fanned the flames.

  Maybe he should have stayed with the book. He lifted his face skyward for a moment to catch his breath. “You didn’t answer my question.”

  “Whatever the question was, the answer is yes.”

  He chuckled. “Then I should have asked something more important.” Like, will you spend your life with me? “I asked what was wrong.”

  She sighed and opened her eyes. “I’m worried about Rose. She didn’t take the news about Graham well.”

  “I can’t imagine she would. He should watch his back.”

  “No, it’s worse. She defended him.” Elsie wrinkled her brow.

  “Love can be blind sometimes.”

  “I’ve known Rose for years, and she tends to see the best in people. She also loves with her whole heart.”

  Nate brushed a curl from her face. “She loves her friends too. Maybe she just needs time.”

  “I’m not sure if I have the patience.”

  “You have it in spades. Look how far you’ve brought me with my studies—all of us, really. Having someone believe in me?” A lump formed in his throat. “No one has ever done that for me before.”

  She touched the button on her collar, a motion he’d seen her repeat countless times since the first day they’d met. He intercepted her hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss.

  “Nate.” Her voice sounded shaky. “I want to tell you something.”

  “Anything.”

  She wove her fingers through his and drew them close to her heart. “You’ve seen the scars my cousin has on his hands?”

  Nate remembered the day the gear jammer had driven him and the guys to the dance at the Mammoth Hotel. “He told me he was in a house fire as a child.”

  “I was there too.” She took a shaky breath. “My baby sister died in that fire.”

  The statement shook him. His heart stilled for a moment until he could think of something to say. “How awful, Elsie. Then witnessing the fire at the camp must have brought back horrible memories.” He recalled how she had stayed on the far side of the yard the whole time they were struggling to put out the small blaze, not even approaching after they’d doused the flames. Now it made sense.

  “Nothing scares me more. I freeze at the sight of flames, even now.”

  “I can understand that.”

  “And Nate—” She glanced up at him, her eyes wary. “As a child…If Graham hadn’t pulled me out, I would have died too.”

  Lost her sister. Nearly died. That was a lot to endure as a child—at any age, really. He tightened his grip on her hands. “Were you injured?”

  She pulled her fingers free and stepped back. Unbuttoning the cuff of her sleeve, she drew it up to her elbow.

  The sight of her twisted scars sent a jab of pain through his body. “Oh, Elsie.” He turned her hand palm up and slid his fingers along the puckered skin, breathing out a long exhale. “It doesn’t hurt, does it?”

  “Sometimes. Especially when I get too warm.” She undid the other sleeve and pulled it up to match. “It’s one of the reasons I don’t often work in the laundry or kitchen. I overheat easily.”

  The scars on her left arm weren’t quite as bad, but they still made
him ache. He drew her close, cradling her arms between them. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

  “There’s more, Nate.” She looked up at him, tears shining in her eyes. “I don’t want to show you, but there’s more.”

  His throat tightened. “More?”

  “It runs up both arms and along my neck and upper chest. I ran inside the house after my sister, and I was knocked down when part of the ceiling collapsed. The fire caught my dress—the lace collar and sleeves. Graham put it out with his hands.”

  Nate closed his eyes for a moment in order to resist glancing at the areas mentioned, his mind trying to accept what she’d just told him. “I’ll have to remember to thank him.”

  “He started the fire, and then he panicked. If he’d gone in and gotten Dottie right away…” She shook her head as if scattering the rest of the story. “But it’s in the past, and I’ve forgiven him.” She grasped his hand and touched it to her forearm again. “I needed you to know the truth about me.”

  “I want to know everything about you.”

  “Before I let myself fall in love with you.” She blinked away the tears. “They say beauty is only skin deep, but in my case—it’s not even that.”

  He felt the air rush from his lungs. Is that what was frightening her? “College girl, I fell in love with you ages ago.” He lifted her arm and kissed the inside of her wrist. “And it wasn’t for your skin. It was your heart—how you care for your students, for your friends, your mother. You even reached out to me, refusing to let me give up on myself. Your beauty isn’t skin deep, Elsie. It goes so much further than that.”

  With a sigh, Elsie pulled the sheet up over the mattress. “I can’t believe the summer’s almost gone.”

  “You say that every year.” Mary wiped the mirror. “But at least you’re coming to school with me this time. I’ve always hated leaving you behind.”

  “Not as much as I despised being left.” Elsie tucked in the corners. The excitement of the upcoming school year bristled around the edges of her thoughts, but it was tempered with the reality of leaving Nate.

  “Red says that a lot of the CCC men are heading home in September—the ones who didn’t sign on for the second six-month stint.”

  Elsie didn’t respond. She’d already heard as much from her father and from Nate. The Yellowstone camps would officially close in early October, depending on snowfall, and the men who stayed on would be reassigned. The idea of the camp being emptied left her hollow. But then again, she wouldn’t be here to see it.

  She laid the pillow on the top of the mattress. “Is Red going home or staying on?”

  “He’s committed to another six months. He’s hoping they send the company to California.”

  “Nate too.” A lump settled in her throat. “So far away.”

  “It might as well be the moon,” Mary agreed. “But we can write. I love receiving letters at college. It’s almost more romantic than dating, in some ways. It’s a sweet, sweet longing.”

  Elsie could write letters. But Nate? Dare she hope he could overcome his pride and ask someone for help? Perhaps she could pre-address some envelopes for him. He could at least send her cartoons. He’d been entertaining his sisters with caricatures of his camp mates for months. Elsie had started adding a few lines here and there for him, explaining some of the drawings to the girls. Three of his pictures hung from the edges of her mirror: him running from a black bear, her cuddling Hutch and Kit, and Red and Val boxing.

  Mary sashayed across the floor performing a waltz turn with the wicker broom. “We still have the end-of-the-year follies at Old Faithful Inn. It will be fun seeing some of the Mammoth folks again.”

  “Like Hal and Bernie?”

  Mary shrugged one shoulder with a smile. “I wouldn’t mind showing off Red to some of the Mammoth girls. They’ll be green with envy.”

  “I suppose.” Elsie placed a stack of folded towels on the end of the bed, all ready for tonight’s guests. “But don’t forget, the party at Mammoth ended up in a brawl and a fire. I’d really prefer that disaster not be repeated.”

  * * *

  Nate handed the last of the saws up to Val as the kid stood in the bed of the CCC truck. After the long night of thunder rolling over the park, reveille felt like it arrived hours earlier than normal. Unfortunately, the lightning had been nothing but empty promises. The fire danger had steadily worsened over the past several weeks. Ranger Brookes had told Nate and the other foremen to warn the men not to smoke while they were in the woods. If the lightning had started any blazes, they’d be hearing about it soon.

  The men wandered from the mess hall, laughing and talking as they clambered into trucks. They had been diverted twice to work on highway landscaping projects, so they were excited to get back to Mount Washburn. It had become their second home.

  Red jumped into the cab, taking his place behind the wheel. A toothpick dangled from the corner of his mouth. “Nate, did those rumblers keep you awake like they did me? I swear, I would start dozing and the thunder would start boomin’ again.”

  “I dreamt we had a grizzly nearby.” Nate climbed in beside Red and slammed the door shut.

  “I don’t know if I’m going to be able to keep my eyes open during class tonight. You’re lucky to be getting private lessons. When she starts in about nouns and adverbs, my eyelids start drooping.” He put the truck in gear and rolled onto the highway.

  Nate turned to look out the back window at the crew. Some fellows had taken to standing during the trip, hanging on to the wooden slats as they bounced down the road. As the wind ruffled their hair and shirts, they usually wore big grins. There was something about this place that inspired joy, no matter how tough the work. Homesickness was a thing of the past for most of them, and Nate heard more talk of the future than reminiscences of home. This experience had given them much more than what they’d signed up for. When he got home to Brooklyn, he’d have to pay O’Sullivan a visit and thank the man for giving him the push. Nate had thought he was saving Charlie. He never dreamed he was saving himself.

  Maybe he’d write the police chief a letter. Wouldn’t that be a shocker?

  He owed Elsie so much as well. They’d spent as many stolen hours together as they could, in between their long work shifts and her classes. If only it could be more. Soon she’d be leaving for school. The thought made him about bust with pride. His girl, at a university. Every time he called her “college girl,” he was sure his smile grew an inch wider. He might not be worth standing on the same ground she walked on, but at least he could bask in her glow.

  As Red parked at the trailhead, another truck was waiting. Ranger Vaughn leaned against the driver-side door. “About time you fellas got here.”

  Nate ran a hand over the back of his neck, the muscles tightening already. Since Brookes had returned, they hadn’t seen the younger ranger, and that had suited Nate just fine. Vaughn had every reason not to like him, but hopefully he wouldn’t take that out on the crew. “It’s good to see you again, Ranger.” He managed to greet the man without speaking through gritted teeth. “Ranger Brookes was here for an inspection just last week. Is there something we can help you with?”

  “We had lightning strikes overnight and smoke was spotted over on the east side.” The man’s eyes practically gleamed. “Your crew is trained and ready, right?”

  Nate ignored the sharp tone. “Happy to help, sir.”

  “Then follow me. We’re driving north, then hiking in.”

  “Yes sir.” He turned to the men. “You heard the ranger. Looks like the beetles get the day off.”

  Red grunted. “I hope fire duty earns us an extra day off. I wouldn’t mind spending some more time with Mary. I like working in the woods, but I’d rather it not be the kind that involves smoke and flame.”

  Nate climbed back into the truck, wishing they’d known about this before leaving cam
p. He’d have packed a few more canteens of water. Hopefully there’d be a creek somewhere along the trail.

  * * *

  The heat of the day showed them little mercy. They’d hiked for miles, searching for the lightning strikes. Thankfully, none of them were more than a smoldering tree or two.

  Each time they found one, his crew set to work, laboring side by side to smother the blaze before it could spread to nearby trees. Nate took great pride watching his crew work like a well-oiled machine.

  The men had come a long way since their first trips up Mount Washburn. Just a few months ago he could never have imagined a day when he’d see Poles, Irish, and Italians laboring side by side, sharing canteens like brothers. Out here in the pine forests, it didn’t matter if you grew up on pierogi or chicken tetrazzini—if you had a meal at all. When you got back to camp, Cook was going to feed you giant platters of meatloaf, green beans, sliced bread, and apple pie.

  Vaughn grew more surly as the day went by. He’d started out at an impossible pace, but now that they’d squelched three fires with just a couple of saws and shovels, the man appeared deflated and angry. Would he prefer a blazing inferno?

  Nate risked approaching him. “So what do you think? We going to make it home tonight?”

  The ranger removed his hat and wiped his forehead, leaving a smear of soot. “Thought we’d see more than this. The woods are as crispy as old toast.”

  “That’s good news, right?”

  “Of course.” His growl suggested anything but. “The rate we’re going, we’ll get your little boys all tucked in their beds before dark.”

  “A few of them were pretty worried about an English test this evening, so if you want to stall, I doubt they’d protest.”

  Vaughn’s eyes narrowed. “I can’t believe you guys. You don’t work weekends or holidays. You get free classes, food, clothing, beds. This program is less like work and more like nursery school.”

  Nate bit his tongue. The park didn’t pay a cent of their wages and purchased few of their supplies. It was a plum deal for the park service, but Vaughn wasn’t likely to see it that way. Especially after a long, hot day. “My crew works hard. Ranger Brookes has been pleased with the progress.”