by Janice Hanna
“Are you thinking about making trips to Dallas, then?”
“Anne, I really think that—”
“Because I honestly don’t know if my heart could handle it if I don’t see you every single day. This whole thing is just too much to take. Too much to think about.”
“Then do me a favor and stop thinking.”
“W–what?” She looked perplexed.
He paused, mortified by the words he’d just spoken. “I’m sorry. Didn’t mean that quite the way it sounded. And if I ever picked a good time to say the wrong thing, it was now. Figures.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, I have the answer to the problem. It’s been the right answer all along, and the only one that makes sense. You’re not going anywhere and neither am I.”
“I’m not?”
“No.” He pulled her close and whispered, “Don’t you see? The reason the Lord brought you here wasn’t for a temporary visit. And it wasn’t so that I could trek back and forth to Dallas. I have no desire to go to Dallas. Never have.”
“But…”
“Who was it that once told me the only buts were the ones left behind after a fella finished a good cigar?”
She sighed. “Me. But you’re not a smoker.”
Emily let out a whistle from the front porch. As they turned to face her, she waved. “Papa used to smoke cigars. Tell him, Anne.”
Jake shook his head. “Anne, you’re not listening to me. We can stop all of this right here and now and just do the most obvious thing.”
“O–oh?”
He knelt and took her by the hand. Emily and Kate began to whoop and holler from the front porch. Anne looked as if she might faint.
“Maggie!” Emily let out an ear-piercing squeal and then yelled, “Maggie, get out here! He’s doing it! He’s proposing!”
Anne’s eyes grew wide. She looked at Jake and whispered, “Is that what you’re doing?”
He nodded and gave her a little wink.
“Oh my goodness.”
“Please wait just a minute, Jake,” Emily called out from the porch. “I want to get my writing tablet so I can take notes. And Maggie’s on her way. I can hear her.”
“Hurry, if you please,” Jake said, shifting to the other knee. “I can’t stay in this position forever.”
His mother came out to the porch, wiping flour-covered hands on her apron. “What’s all the fuss about out here?” She took one look at her son on bent knee and immediately began to weep. “Praise the Lord and pass the potatoes. He’s really done it!”
“Not yet,” Jake called out. “But I’m trying to.”
“Well, don’t let me stop you. I’ll just sit right here and watch.” She waved a hand then took a seat on the swing and pulled Kate next to her.
Emily returned to the porch that same moment with her pad in hand. She began to scribble. “Okay, start over. Say it all again.”
“Oh, for pity’s sake.” Anne slapped herself in the head with her one free hand.
“Have you got a ring?” his mother called out.
Jake shook his head. “No. Didn’t think that far ahead.”
“Hold that thought. I’ll be right back with your great-grandma’s opal ring.” She looked at Anne. “Will that work for you, honey?”
Anne nodded and gave him a little wink, which sent his heart sailing straight to the clouds.
Seconds later his mother came rushing across the yard with the ring in hand. “Could stand a bit of cleaning, but we’ll take care of that later.” She passed it to him then went back to the porch.
Jake looked into Anne’s eyes, doing his best to keep the focus on the two of them and not their audience. His hand trembled in hers. “I would be honored if you would do me the great honor of becoming my wife.”
“I would have posed it as a question,” Emily called out. “Don’t you want to give her the option of saying yes or no?”
Jake groaned as he turned to Emily. “Give me a chance. I’m not done yet.” He gazed into Anne’s eyes, and for a moment he was reminded of the first time he’d laid eyes on her, when she was wearing that beautiful lavender dress. She had looked like a princess then. The past ten days had proven that she actually was one. In every conceivable way, she was his Guinevere…a stranger from a foreign land who had been dropped from heaven into his world.
“Annie, I hope you don’t think this is too impulsive. I assure you, it is not. I’ve given it a great deal of thought and even more prayer.”
“Prayer is the solution,” his mother called out. “It’s the only answer for the problems we face in life.”
Jake sighed. The only problem he happened to be facing at the moment was the obvious one. If things kept going the way they were now, he might never get this out.
“I’ve been praying,” Anne whispered. She gave his hand a squeeze.
“Me too.” He spoke the words, his heart fully alive. “Will you marry me, Anne? Will you live at O’Farrell’s Honor in the house I plan to build right over there?” He pointed to the east field.
“You always said you wanted the field west of Joseph’s place when you got married,” his mother corrected him.
“The west field,” he echoed. “Will you? Because if you don’t, I’m pretty sure we’re going to be written up in that book of Emily’s as evil villains. And I’m really, really sure my brothers are never going to let me forget it.”
“No doubt.” Anne giggled.
“Say yes, Annie!” Emily called out.
Anne’s hands trembled in his. She turned to face her sister. “Emily, if you don’t mind, I would like to answer this one myself.”
“All right, all right,” Emily huffed.
Anne turned to face Jake and, with tears streaming down her face, whispered her response to his question. “I can’t think of anything I would love more.”
With joy flooding his soul, Jake slipped his great-grandmother’s opal ring on Anne’s finger and rose to kiss her. Though he couldn’t be certain—what with his eyes closed and all—Jake was pretty sure his mother and the girls did a little celebratory dance on the porch. He only wished his father could have been there to join them.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Hoping for a career as a door-to-door salesman? Wishing you owned a mercantile? Interested in carpentry work, or do you have a hankerin’ to work for the railroad? Are you ready to take on a slew of children in a classroom? Considering life behind the pulpit? There are jobs aplenty in the Texas Panhandle. No matter which occupation you choose, the Panhandle is the perfect place to begin a new career. Here in Texas’s far north corner, we’ve got both the inner zeal and the encouragement of our friends and neighbors. What more do you need to succeed? —“Tex” Morgan, reporting for the Panhandle Primer
After Jake’s proposal, Anne’s hands trembled so hard that she could barely see the ring. “I…I…”
“It’s all right,” Jake whispered in her ear. “You don’t need to say anything.”
“Oh, but I do. This is all too…perfect.”
“Yes.” He paused and gazed into her eyes. “It’s the right thing to do, Annie.”
She nodded, unable to think of one intelligent thing to say. Then Anne gestured for her sisters and Maggie to join them in the yard, and before long they were all in a tearful embrace.
“I don’t believe it.” Maggie dabbed her eyes. “Jake, you really caught me off guard. This is the best news ever.”
“Do you know what I think?” Jake turned to face them. “None of this was a coincidence—the track being out, you girls choosing not to go to the hotel with the others, ending up at O’Farrell’s Honor…. God has arranged every step of this. How can we ignore the obvious? The Lord couldn’t have made it any plainer if He’d written it down for us to read.”
“I wrote it down,” Emily said. “Every word. And now my story’s coming true!”
Anne slipped her arm around Jake’s waist. “And I’m so glad… about all of it. Living here i
n Groom is going to be a chance for all of us to start over.” She’d no sooner gotten the words out than she clamped a hand over her mouth. “Oh, Jake.”
“What?”
“Uncle Bertrand. You don’t suppose he’ll try to take the girls back to Dallas with him, do you?” She pulled Emily and Kate close.
“I don’t want to go, Annie.” Kate began to sniffle.
“I’ll bury him in the backyard if he tries to make us.” Emily crossed her arms at her chest. “I’ll do such a good job of it that no one will ever find his body.”
“Now, I don’t believe that will be necessary.” Maggie patted Emily’s shoulder. “God has an answer for all of this, I’m sure. One that won’t require a burial.”
Jake took Anne’s hand. “Don’t you think—and I don’t mean this in a hurtful way—that he will be relieved?”
“Oh.” Anne paused to think about that. “I never really thought about it from that angle before, but maybe you’re right. He’s never been keen on having children underfoot, and it’s clear he’s got his own work to keep him busy. Perhaps he will see this as positive news.”
Maggie’s eyes grew a little misty. “Anne, there’s something you need to understand about your uncle. I…well, I’ve had a few days to get to know him. I know he’s a crusty old soul on the outside. I daresay you could take an ice pick to him and chip away for hours without making much of a dent.”
“No doubt.” Anne nodded. “But what were you going to say?”
“Like most folks who’ve been wounded, there’s the exterior and the interior. And the two don’t always match. I can see, upon further examination, that the man on the inside is not as cold or hard.”
“What do you mean?”
“Just yesterday we had a marvelous conversation about his store. You did know that he runs a store in Dallas, didn’t you?”
“I knew he had a business, but I don’t know much about it.” She shrugged, unsure of where this conversation was heading.
“Well, he has a store. And he’s been thinking of branching out to neighboring counties, and we talked about his plans to do so.” Maggie smiled. “Funny thing. When you get a man to talking about his dreams and goals, his eyes light up in a way you wouldn’t expect. That’s what I wanted to tell you. He might be an old codger on the outside, but on the inside I saw a little boy with dreams. Someone who wanted to make a difference through these department stores of his.”
“Department stores?”
“Well, that’s what he called them. They’re stores with different departments. There’s a section for clothes, one for shoes, one for household items…. Like a general store, only much larger.”
“Ah. We had a store like that in Denver. I always loved shopping there. Very convenient.”
“I don’t know about the rest of you, but proposing sure makes a fella hungry. Anyone ready for some food?” Jake took a couple of steps toward the house and then looked back. “What do you think, ladies? A little food to celebrate?”
Maggie paused. “Well, there is this little thing I’d like to discuss before we go inside.”
“What’s that?”
Maggie faced Annie. “I’m going to be your mother-in-law soon.”
“Yes, that’s right.” Anne smiled. “And I’m so excited.”
“Well, I’m wondering if it would be inappropriate…I mean, I don’t want to offend you in any way because I know you had a perfectly wonderful mama. But I wonder if you would consider calling me ‘Mama Maggie’ like my other daughters-in-law do.”
“I would be honored.”
“What about us?” Emily asked, crowding into the space between them. “Can I call you Mama Maggie too?”
“Me too?” Kate asked.
“Technically, if you’re Mama Maggie to her, then you’re our Mama Maggie,” Emily said. “Because she’s our sister. And sisters have the same mama.”
Anne’s heart began to twist. For a moment—just a moment—an image of her mother’s face flashed in front of her. But just as quickly it faded, and then all she could see was the heavenly glow surrounding Maggie’s wild red hair.
“What do you think, darlin’?”
“Mama Maggie it is,” Anne said. “And we’ll all call you that. It will simplify matters. Right, girls?”
“Oh, it’s wonderful!” Kate pressed into the spot to Anne’s right and did her best to get her arms around Maggie’s waist.
Maggie swept Kate up into her arms and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “So there you go, little miss.” She turned to Anne. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to ask a favor.”
“Of course.” Anne looked at her future mother-in-law with a smile. “What is it, Maggie?”
“Well, I’ve been thinking.” She ran her fingers through her messy hair.
“Yes?”
“Here are my thoughts.” Maggie’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “You know that Jakey’s my youngest. And he’s kept me company all these years since his brothers got married.”
“Of course.”
“Well, I just love the chatter of voices in the house—all the more since you and your sisters came to live with us. So I got to thinking about a solution that might just work for all of us.”
“O–oh?” Anne drew in a deep breath, trying to anticipate the direction of the rest of this conversation. Would Maggie try to talk them into living with her, perhaps? Ask Jake to give up on his dream of building a home on the family property? She glanced his way, and his eyes grew wide. She could almost read the fear in them.
Maggie’s nose wrinkled and she put Kate down. “Now, listen, Anne. You know I love my son.”
“Well, of course. I love him too.” She gave Jake a shy smile, and he returned it with a wink.
“And I know he loves this place.” She turned to face him. “Don’t you, Jakey?”
He offered a tentative nod.
“It’s been his home, well, forever.”
“Yes.” Brace yourself, Anne. Here it comes…
“But to be honest, he’s a real mess.”
“W–what?” Jake looked stunned. “Mama!”
“Well, it’s true.” Maggie put her hands on her hips as she faced Anne. “You might as well know, he drags in mud on his boots and eats enough food for two men in spite of his small size.”
“Mama!” he said again.
“He wouldn’t know how to wash a dish if it jumped up and bit him, and he’s never washed an item of clothing in his life. In other words, he’s just like every other male I’ve ever known.”
Jake continued to shake his head, but Anne couldn’t keep a smile from spreading across her face. “So what are you saying, Maggie?”
“Are you trying to talk her out of marrying me, Mama?” Jake asked.
“No, son. Not at all. I just had an idea that might make everyone happy.”
“What’s that?”
“You know what I’d really like?” Maggie asked. She gestured to Emily and Kate. “Daughters.”
“Daughters!” Emily and Kate spoke the word in unison.
“It’s about time, don’t you think? The good Lord blessed me with five sons and I tolerated them the best I could.”
“Tolerated?” Jake looked stunned.
“Well, loved ’em, of course.” She grinned. “But as I said, they’re a lot of work and not much help around the house.” Maggie paused and her eyes twinkled. “I—well, would it be presumptuous to ask if the girls could stay on in the main house with me? It would give you and Jakey the privacy you need and me the companionship I crave.”
A sense of relief flooded over Anne. Still, she didn’t know how her sisters would feel about this. She turned to face them. “Girls, what do you think?”
Emily nodded. “I like it here, Annie. In this house. You’re going to be a honeymooner.” She stressed the word and giggled. “If we stay here, I can have my own room…and a writing desk. Imagine the stories I could write in this house!”
Anne fought to keep from rolling her
eyes. They’d already had enough stories in one week to fill a half dozen novels. Still, she could well imagine the new chapters Emily could add to her ever-growing story…and she could also imagine the positive influence Maggie would have on Emily’s life.
“Oh, Annie, this is too wonderful to be true!” Kate danced a little jig and laughed.
“Hmm.” Anne turned to face Jake, who gave her a little shrug. No doubt. This was her decision, after all. She took Maggie’s hand. “If Jake and I were going to be living elsewhere, I’m not sure I could have stomached the idea. My sisters and I are so close. But since we’re on the same property and I am going to be newly married…” She felt her face heat up. “I suppose it would be all right.” She was quick to add, “If Uncle Bertrand approves of all this, I mean.”
“Oh, posh, he’ll approve.” Maggie grinned. “I think I know that man pretty well. And in case you haven’t noticed, I’m pretty good at talkin’ folks into things. So I think I can handle one skinny little man whose bark is worse than his bite.”
Anne had to laugh at that image. However, she had to wonder if she would still be laughing once her uncle got wind of the idea. Sure, everyone else was celebrating, but what about him? Would he offer congratulations—or snatch up the girls and carry them off to Dallas without her? A shiver ran down her spine at that last option. She quickly pushed it out of her mind and focused on the good. Yes, today the good surely outweighed the bad. And she would enjoy it while it lasted.
Later that afternoon, Jake slipped back out to the barn to check on Frances. Sure enough, things had progressed rapidly for her. Before long, a new colt had made his arrival, standing to his feet almost immediately. Looked like this day was going to be pretty unforgettable on several fronts.
“What’ve we got there?” John’s voice rang out from behind Jake. “Did she deliver?”
“She did.”
“Well, now, that’s a mighty fine-looking colt.” He patted Frances. “You did a terrific job, Frances.”
Both Jake and John remained with Frances and the newborn for several minutes, making sure they had everything they needed. Then, as they left the barn, John patted Jake on the back.