Bride's Dilemma in Friendship, Tennessee
Page 16
She did not want to be one of those women—ever.
The cedar trees thinned as they reached town. From the distress in the messenger’s verbal demands about getting the doctor to town quickly, she’d expected to find everything flattened. Instead, she could see a path were the tornado had touched down. The tops of some of the trees were snapped in half, while those around them bent as if trying to bow to those untouched by the wind.
“What’s it look like? Is the store still there? The post office?” Angel bounced on the seat next to her as the wagon dipped in and out of the low spots on the road.
“We aren’t quite there yet,” Travis said. “I can see rooftops though.”
Heaven straightened her back and lifted her head, trying to see what he could see, but couldn’t. He was much taller. “I hope it skipped most of the town—all of the town would be even better.”
“It might have; tornados are odd like that. Taking a house and leaving the barn or …”
“Do you think it took Mr. Jackson?” Angel’s voice, no longer demanding, had faded to one without hope.
Heaven squeezed her sister’s hand. “I’m praying that didn’t happen.”
“Me, too,” Travis said as he reached over Heaven’s lap and covered their hands with his.
Heaven didn’t know what surprised her most—that he was praying to find Mr. Jackson or the warmth and security flowing through his touch. That he cared about her sister woke something in her heart she’d thought long gone.
As the wagon reached the crest of the hill, Heaven gasped as a man darted across the street and climbed into a buggy.
“What? Tell me, is it all gone?” Angel squeezed her sister’s arm with both hands.
She watched the buggy pull away from the hitching rail and head out of town.
“Why’d your arm go all stiff? What aren’t you telling me? Are there dead bodies on the street?” Angel tugged hard on Heaven’s sleeve. “Were you two doing something naughty ‘cuz you think I can’t see? Did he sneak a kiss?”
“Hush, Angel. There aren’t any dead bodies, and no kisses have been exchanged. Please be still. All that bouncing around you’re doing hurts my ankle when you bump it, that’s all.”
Could there still be some of that laudanum in her brain causing her to see things? Maybe she was tired. Sleep hadn’t come easily this week. Jake was dead, right? Or had his death been a mistake? She’d heard of that happening, but the war had ended last year. If he was alive, he would have come to her by now. Wouldn’t he? And if it was Jake, why wasn’t her heart singing love songs?
Annabelle snuggled in her coat, secure in the knowledge she still had her money and her plan was intact. She had left Mrs. Miles behind as she raced upstairs. The coat wasn’t where it had fallen from her arms, and prickles of fear had raced through her. Then she noticed it draped across the store counter. Some kind soul had placed it there, and he or she hadn’t discovered the secret in the hem. She wouldn’t take it off again until they reached the farm. She was glad it was cold again. Now there would be no need to pretend it necessary to wear it.
“We’ll be there soon.” Jake put the horses in motion. “When I exchanged the carriage for the buggy, I asked the livery man where the Wharton’s farm was located. He said it’s about a mile out of town.”
Annabelle tapped Jake’s arm. “Did he think the tornado hit their farm?”
“I asked, but he didn’t know. He said a few homes on the west side of the town got hit hard. He hadn’t heard about the outlying farms.”
“Jake, maybe we should stay and help these people.” Mrs. Miles twisted her gloved hands in her lap.
“No, we need to get to the Wharton’s farm. If they’re fine, I’ll leave you as soon as I speak to Heaven and then come back to help.”
Annabelle wondered if he would come back to the Wharton’s if he went into town. She needed to talk to him. It was time to tell him she wouldn’t be returning to Nashville either.
Heaven waited for Travis to help her down from the wagon in front of the church. His strong hands surrounded her in security. Except there was no secure place or person. She knew that now. The cabin hadn’t been flattened by the tornado but might as well have been. With the back room ripped off and an open wall exposing them to the elements, she knew there wasn’t a way she could repair it. She didn’t have the funds or the skills. Her father was right to leave the farm to Travis. But to leave her and Angel without means was unthinkable.
Travis carried her over the small muddy stream that had formed in front of the church and placed her on the wooden porch. He waited until she was steady on her feet. “I’ll get Angel.”
Her heart was turning to Travis, but she was afraid. Did she want to love him because he could save her and Angel? Or was she truly falling in love with him as Angel had suggested on the drive into town? She watched him carry her sister to her as gently as he’d carried her. She touched her lips and remembered this morning’s kiss. It had been more than pleasant. It had warmed her in places that never before felt heated. Not even with Jake.
Dear Jake. She did miss him, and when she thought she’d seen him, she’d been glad. But not in a way that shouted love. It didn’t matter anyway; the only man she had to choose was Travis. Things had changed much since she’d had her coming out party in Nashville.
“Thank you, Dr. Logan.” Angel slid from his arms and stood next to her sister. “Don’t forget we have to go back soon to find Mr. Jackson. You promised.”
“I’ll not forget, Little Miss.” He tipped his hat to them and climbed back on the wagon. “I’ll tie Charlie up by the post office, since that looks like the only place where the wagon won’t sink in the mud. I’ll come back here to find out where they need me.”
Heaven stiffened. She didn’t consider answering all the questions alone, without Travis. “We can wait for you.” She shifted the basket to her other arm.
He cocked his head and grinned. “I’d like that, Miss Wharton, but don’t you think that would fuel the gossip about us?”
She bit her bottom lip. He was right. It wouldn’t help matters if she walked into the church holding onto his arm. She nodded and touched her sister’s shoulder and turned away from him. “Are you ready, Angel?”
“Of course. Why, shouldn’t I be?” Angel held her hand up for her sister to grasp. “I like being at church. You’re the one who gets upset.”
“You didn’t like it when the Rush boys were pulling your pigtails and making fun of you not being able to see.” She held tightly to her sister’s hand, directing her to the door.
“They’re stupid boys. Dr. Logan says when boys make fun of you, that means they like you.”
Heaven looked at her sister’s smiling face and wanted to hug Travis. She wished she had remembered that from her youth. “When did he tell you that?”
“The other night when we were checking on Mrs. Jackson.”
Heaven pushed open the heavy door. The enchanting smell of fried chicken made her mouth water. How long had it been since she’d had some? She could taste the crunchy skin mixed with the salt and pepper. Her stomach begged for a piece.
“Do you smell that, Heaven?” Angel inhaled. “It smells like the best part of church.”
“I think God is the best part, Angel.”
“I know. But doesn’t it smell like church—the dinners on Sundays and all the starched, clean clothes?”
She took a deep breath. “Yes, you’re right, it does.” The sanctuary was full of apron-wearing women. The high-pitched voices seemed overwhelming after the quiet of her home. She glanced about the room for someone she might know.
Mrs. Reynolds caught her eye. With a load-bearing smile, she squeezed through a group of women to get to them.
“You came! I’m so glad you did.” Mrs. Reynolds cut off any more discussion Heaven might have had with her sister.
Heaven thrust out her basket of green beans. “I hope this is okay. We didn’t have anything baked, and then the tornado to
ok off part of the cabin.”
“It did? And you came to help anyway? Thank you.” Mrs. Reynolds gathered Heaven in a hug. “You two have been through so much this year. You’re such very strong—yes, strong—women.”
Heaven felt the moisture in her eyes gathering reinforcements. “Ma used to say that to us.”
“I hope it didn’t make you sadder to hear it from me then.” Mrs. Reynolds stepped back. Concern crinkled around her eyes.
“No, it’s a nice memory. Thank you.”
“Is your ankle better?”
Angel piped up. “Heaven’s better, but she’s going to get tired fast. We’ll have to go back to our farm soon because Mr. Jackson is lost.”
“Mr. Jackson? You have another man at the farm?” Worry worked the preacher’s wife’s brow.
“He’s my best friend, and he’s going to be a daddy soon, so he needs to get on home,” Angel continued.
Mrs. Reynolds’s lips pursed, and her glance shot from Angel to Heaven.
“Mr. Jackson is our goat.” Heaven stifled a laugh. Had the woman really thought they had another man hanging around the place?
“My goodness, Angel! Bless your heart. You had me worried that there was a missing man out there at your farm.” Angel giggled. “I’m sorry.”
“If you two will help me and the others, we can get this noon meal together. I have some of the older boys assigned to set up some chairs along the walkways. It’s a bit too wet to have people sitting on the ground. As you can see, they’ve already moved the pews around. My husband won’t like that, though I suspect God wouldn’t mind.”
“There isn’t much choice is there, since there isn’t a school building?” Heaven said as she followed Mrs. Reynolds.
“Not yet, but there has been plenty of talk about getting one started.”
“Angel!” A bouncing blond girl about Angel’s age wove through the women. “Remember me? I’m Cassie.” Angel straightened. “I do.”
“Come help me cover the tables. It’ll be fun.” Cassie grasped Angel by the hand. “Say you will. Please.”
“Heaven?” Angel tipped her head, waiting for her sister’s answer.
“Yes, of course.” She listened to the girls’ lively chatter as they moved away. Guilt slammed her. They should have been coming to church. Angel had friends here, and maybe Heaven did, too.
Mrs. Reynolds held out her hands. “Let’s get those green beans heated up. I bet you are getting tired of eating these.”
“Great-Uncle Neal seemed to enjoy them more than we do. I am grateful to have them, especially now that we won’t be leaving Friendship.”
“Neal was a bit odd, but our church family loved him and still misses him. Do you know why there are so many green beans?”
“No, do you? Angel and I have been wondering why he didn’t can anything else.” Heaven picked up her steps to match Mrs. Reynolds’s quick ones.
“He was a funny man. He loved those green beans, and one day he announced that’s all he was planting since he couldn’t find a wife to make him anything else. He said they were a life-sustaining vegetable. We never could figure that out. They must not have been, since he died not long after canning his crop.”
“Maybe not for him, but they’ve been keeping Angel and me alive. Pa, in his grief, didn’t plant a good garden last spring, and what he did plant, I didn’t know how to can.” Heaven wanted to slap a hand over her mouth. Why was she telling this woman about their lack of food? Maybe it was the motherly way Mrs. Reynolds had about her.
“Goodness, child! We’ll have to see what we can do for you. Might be some people willing to trade green beans for peaches and such.”
“That would be lovely. Thank you so much for thinking of that. Angel and I don’t want to take help from others, but trading would work out right nice.” Her gaze landed on a basket of fried chicken. She wanted some of that, and Angel needed to get her hands on a leg or two as well. Her stomach growled.
Mrs. Robinson stopped. “Dear, why don’t you find your sister and get something to eat and then come help us? I imagine what with the tornado hitting your place, you didn’t have time for eatin’ before you came here to help.”
Heaven hoped the relief didn’t shine like a full moon on her face.
A tiny hand escaped the tightly wrapped bundle and brushed Travis’s cheek as he handed it over to Mrs. Shaw. “She’s a pretty one, and looks healthy, too.” This was the best part of being a doctor. A healthy newborn baby fresh from God always made him happy. That perfection could be formed unseen in the womb was something only the great Creator could do.
Mrs. Shaw rubbed a thumb across the baby girl’s cheek. “I’m so glad you came, Dr. Logan. She wasn’t supposed to be here for two more weeks. I don’t know what we would have done.” She looked at him for a second, then her attention fixated on her daughter.
“I’m sure Mr. Shaw would have figured out how to get you some help. Babies seem to pick to be born during the oddest times.” Travis stood back. “You take care now. Let the others do the work around here while you get your strength back. I’ll ride over later and check on you unless you’d rather your doctor come.”
Mr. Shaw patted his wife’s hand. “We don’t have a doctor in town. There’s a midwife that helps with birthing and minor cuts. The town’s been trying to get a doctor to hang his shingle. Trying to get a school started for all these little ones we have running around town, too. It’s time to get on with living now that the war is over.”
Travis slipped his coat over his shoulders. “A school’s a sure sign of a prospering town.” He slid his arms in and buttoned two buttons. “I need to head back to the church and see if there’s anyone else needing help.”
“I’ll walk you out.” Mr. Shaw gently touched his wife’s hand. “Be right back.”
Travis took note of the sparsely furnished cabin. It didn’t hold near what Heaven’s cabin did, but he could see touches of love sprinkled in the room. A hand-carved cradle waited next to the hearth, and a quilt of blue and yellow squares rested in the rocker. That’s what Heaven and Angel had been missing. He understood their need for moving that furniture around and saving their father’s stories. Even that ugly threadbare rug made sense to him. And now their home was ravaged by the storm. He’d see to fixing that right away. For tonight he wasn’t sure they should sleep there, but he had a feeling he wouldn’t be able to keep Heaven in town. Or Angel, at least not until that rascal Mr. Jackson was found.
Mr. Shaw held out his hand.
Travis took it in his and shook it.
“Thank you again for coming for my Etta. We were both unnerved when she started having those pains. And this being the first one … well …” Mr. Shaw’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “Helping your wife is not the same as helping a cow along. You wouldn’t be thinking of settling down here, would you? You’d have plenty of patients.”
“We’ll see, although my heart is leaning toward raising horses rather than doctoring.”
“Me and the missus are going to be praying that you’ll stay and take care of our little girl as she grows up.”
Travis hopped on Charlie, glad he’d left the wagon in town. He’d be able to get back to the church faster. His work for the town folk was done, and the sun was still shining. He’d pick up Heaven and her sister and begin the process of finding pieces of their home.
Angel hadn’t been this excited in quite a while. Cassie introduced her to Debbie and Luanne. They didn’t treat her like she couldn’t see, and they made sure to tell her where to be careful. Not that there had been a lot of opportunities for making friends with Heaven hovering close by.
“I’m sure you could still be in the play. We have to ask Mrs. Reynolds. You could be the angel that doesn’t speak,” Debbie said. “That’s what I’m doing. I get to wear wings, and I don’t have to say any lines. Mrs. Reynolds said my role is to look angelic and smile.”
A tablecloth flapped, and Angel heard it swoosh across the smooth tabletop.
Angel took in all of the back-and-forth conversation, cherishing the closeness of her new friends.
“So do you want to be an angel?” Debbie touched her arm. “It would be fun.”
“I’ll have to ask my sister.”
“Go with me, Debbie, to get the rest of the cloths,” Luanne said. “Angel, if Mrs. Reynolds isn’t busy, we’ll ask her if you can still be in the play. We’ll be right back.”
Angel listened to their footsteps and giggles fade.
“I think Robert’s brother is cute,” Cassie whispered to Angel. “But they say he’s even meaner than Robert.”
“Thomas was mean to me. He didn’t even know my name, and he pulled my hair. Then he called me a dumb blind girl.”
“Then I’m not going to like him.”
Angel covered her lips with her hand and leaned close to where Cassie was sitting. “It’s okay. It means he likes you if he’s mean.”
“Then you can have him, since he’s been nice to me. I guess he doesn’t care for me.”
Angel didn’t know what to say to her new friend. Dr. Logan didn’t say anything about what to do if a boy likes you. “Maybe when a boy really likes you, he starts being sweet to you.”
“Do you think so?” Cassie’s voice trilled with hope.