Mountain Homecoming

by Sandra Robbins

  She propped a hand on her hip and sniffed. “You think I’d let you come all the way home and not have your fav’rite cake a-waitin’?”

  He laughed and rushed up the steps to Granny. Anna turned back to Simon, but he was already on the other side of the buggy helping her uncle climb down. “Wait a minute, Doc,” he said. “I’ll help you.”

  Simon held the reins in one hand and the other gripped her uncle’s arm. Anna reached for his other arm and helped him step to the ground. When he steadied himself, she put her arms around his shoulders and gave him a hug. “Uncle Charles, I’m so glad you’re here. It seems like ages since I’ve seen you.”

  His mouth curled down in the familiar smile that reminded her of her father, and he pushed his spectacles up on his nose. “I’ve missed all of you and couldn’t pass up this opportunity to come back to the place I love.”

  Simon stepped around him and climbed into the buggy. “And we’re glad you did. Now I’m going to take care of your horse. You go on inside with Anna and Granny, and I’ll be back shortly.”

  Anna looped her arm through her uncle’s and guided him to the porch where Stephen and Granny still stood. As they approached the steps, he frowned and glanced down at her. “Where’s Rani?”

  “Probably out at the fire pit getting ready to fire her next batch of bricks. She’s making them for the chimney at Matthew’s cabin.”

  Uncle Charles chuckled. “That girl never ceases to amaze me.” He reached over and chucked Anna under the chin. “But with the mother she has I shouldn’t be surprised.”

  Anna stared up into the faded eyes of the man who had brought her to Cades Cove all those years ago, and her heart filled with gratitude. “I was lucky. I had a wonderful uncle to guide me after my father died. Sometimes I shudder when I think what my life might have been like if I’d been accepted to nursing school the first time I applied. You never would have brought me here, and I never would have experienced the happiness I found in these mountains.”

  He smiled. “I was only God’s instrument to let you find out the plan He had for you. I’m thankful you listened to Him.”

  “I am too, Uncle Charles. I am too.”

  Chapter 10

  Simon leaned back in his chair and smiled. The buzz of conversation drifted through the room and filled him with a contentment he hadn’t felt in a long time. Besides Stephen and Uncle Charles, John, Martha, and two of their children had joined them for supper.

  He studied the faces of each person seated around the table tonight. Rani was laughing as Matthew leaned over and whispered something in her ear. A rosy glow covered her face tonight, and he wondered if it was because her brother was home or if it was something else. After Stephen’s visit, he needed to find out what had caused her newfound happiness.

  Then there was Stephen, the son who had stayed away from home this past year because of heated words between the two of them. No one would ever know how he regretted the words he’d spoken and how much grief it had caused Anna. It was time to do something about it.

  He cleared his throat. “Could I have your attention for a moment?”

  The conversation halted, and everyone turned their heads to stare as Simon rose to his feet. He let his gaze drift over each one. When he didn’t speak, Anna frowned. “What is it, Simon?”

  He cleared his throat and tried again to speak. “All the people I love most in the world are seated at this table tonight. I’m thankful for Anna and my two children, for my brother and his family, for Doc who brought Anna to me years ago, for Granny who’s taken care of all of us, and for Matthew—who returned just as he promised.”

  He paused and blinked back the tears filling his eyes. “I’ve tried to be the kind of man God wanted me to be, but sometimes I’ve failed. All of you know how hard I’ve been on Stephen about wanting him to follow me in the ministry.”

  Stephen’s eyes grew wide, and he leaned forward. “Poppa, we don’t need to talk about this in front of everybody.”

  Simon shook his head. “No, I have to say this, Stephen. After much soul-searching and prayer, I have realized what I should have known all along. God’s plans for Stephen don’t lie in guiding people in their spiritual lives. The gifts God gave him are for a different ministry, for helping heal their bodies. I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you, son, and I want you to know I support your decision to pursue medicine.”

  Stephen’s eyes grew even wider. “You…you do?”

  “Yes. You did what I asked and completed a year at Milligan College. Now if you still want to go to Vanderbilt, I’ll help you get there.”

  Stephen pushed to his feet and rushed toward Simon. He grabbed him and hugged him, then held him at arm’s length and stared into his eyes. “Poppa, thank you so much. I’ll work hard and make you proud of me.”

  Simon squeezed his son’s arms. “I’ve always been proud of you. All I want is for you to be the best doctor you can be and take care of me when I’m old and sick.”

  Laughter echoed around the room, and Simon glanced at Anna. She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and smiled. Her mouth formed the words I love you, and he let out a deep breath. I love you too, he mouthed before he released his son and glanced at Granny.

  “Now how about some of that jam cake, Granny, and maybe a helping of Martha’s blackberry cobbler? I feel like celebrating tonight.”

  Granny chuckled as Anna and Martha rose and began to clear away the plates and prepare for dessert. “When it comes to eatin’, preacher boy, you celebrate ev’ry night. But I always liked to see a man with a healthy appetite, and yours is ’bout the healthiest I ever seen.”

  He laughed and clutched at his heart. “Wounded again by one of the women in my house. I don’t know if I’ll survive to old age.”

  He rose, picked up some of the plates, and carried them to the dry sink where Anna stood. When he set them down, Anna reached out and squeezed his arm. “Thank you for doing that in front of everyone, Simon. You’ve made Stephen very happy. Uncle Charles says he’s going to make a great doctor.”

  He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “Never let it be said I doubted Doc. After all, I wouldn’t have you if he hadn’t talked you into staying with me.”

  She laughed and punched him playfully on the arm. “He didn’t talk me into it. I decided on my own because I loved you so much.” She glanced over her shoulder at the people gathered around their table. “And God has really blessed us, Simon.”

  He followed her gaze and nodded. “Yes, He has.”

  When Stephen returned to his seat, Rani leaned across the table and stuck out her hand. Stephen grabbed it, and they squeezed their hands tight together.

  “I can’t believe Poppa did that in front of everybody, Stephen, but I’m glad he did.”

  “I am too,” he said. “I had come home intending to tell him that I had already been accepted at Vanderbilt for the fall. Uncle Charles had promised to help me with the expenses, but we were afraid of how Poppa would react.”

  She smiled. “It doesn’t look like you have to worry anymore.”

  Uncle Charles laughed and slapped Stephen on the back. “I told you that God would work it all out, and He did.”

  Stephen nodded. “He sure did.”

  Uncle Charles glanced at Matthew and smiled. “Matthew, how’s the rebuilding coming along?”

  Matthew shifted in his chair. “It’s slower than I’d like. But Simon thinks in the next few weeks he’ll be able to get a group of men together to come and help me. Cecil Davis is going to build the fireplace.”

  Uncle Charles’s eyebrows arched. “And I hear Rani is making the bricks for it. How’s that going?”

  “I’m just about finished,” Rani said. “I dug an extra pit so I can bake more at a time. I’ll have them ready by the time Mr. Davis comes to Matthew’s farm.”

  Uncle Charles shook his head. “Your brother has a gift for medicine, and you have a gift for making pottery. I’m very proud of you both.”

 
Matthew glanced at her, and the smile on his lips made her pulse race. “She’s quite a woman all right. I’ve never seen anything like the pottery she makes.”

  “Which reminds me,” Uncle Charles said. “I wish you’d come to Maryville and visit me soon. The grandson of an old friend of mine has moved to town and opened a studio. He makes pottery and fires it in a kiln he built in the back yard. He’s making quite a name for himself at the resorts in the mountains.”

  Rani’s mouth widened. “He has a kiln? I’ve read about them and wished that I could see one.”

  “Well, come visit me, and I’ll take you to his studio.”

  Matthew swiveled in his seat. “I told you there were people who wanted to buy mountain-made crafts. Maybe you should go to Maryville and meet him. You might be able to sell some of your pottery through him.”

  She waved her hand in dismissal. “I’ve told you mine aren’t good enough to sell.”

  “Well, I think they are,” Matthew said.

  A slight smile pulled at the doctor’s mouth. He looked from Rani to Matthew before he pushed his spectacles up on his nose. “Well, if you ever come to see me, I’ll take you to his studio.”

  She nodded. “All right, but I don’t know when I’ll be able to get away. I have too much going on here right now.”

  Uncle Charles’s mouth twitched. “That’s what I thought.”

  She started to ask him what he meant, but her mother’s voice caught her attention. “Rani, come help us serve dessert.”

  She jumped up from her chair and hurried to help her mother and aunt. She didn’t think about Uncle Charles’s words again until she was in bed later that night. Had he detected something between her and Matthew? If so, he was more observant than her parents. Granny said she couldn’t understand why they couldn’t see it, but neither had asked her about it.

  She smiled and slipped under the covers. For now, the fewer people who knew how she felt the better for her, but she had promised Granny she would tell her parents when Stephen left. She wanted to keep the secret tucked away in her heart for now. Maybe Matthew would declare his intentions, as Granny said, before long. Then they would tell her family together.

  Sighing in happiness, she closed her eyes and said a prayer of thanks to God for bringing her brother and uncle home. Tonight had been one of the best nights she’d had in a long time, and she was glad Matthew had been there to share it with her.

  With breakfast over, Matthew stepped out the back door of the cabin and stared at the dark clouds hanging over the mountains. Even the threat of rain couldn’t dampen his spirits this morning. He was still thinking about the good time the family had enjoyed the night before with Stephen and Doc. The laughter and the love he’d seen around the supper table made him wish that he could really be a part of the Martin family, not just a guest in their home.

  He shook the thought from his head and walked toward the barn. He would have liked to linger at the breakfast table longer and listen to the stories Doc and Granny were telling about their early days in the Cove, but he needed to be on his way.

  He’d almost reached the barnyard when a wagon rattled into the front yard, and a woman’s voice rose in a scream. “Anna! Anna! I need help!”

  Matthew turned and ran back to the cabin and around the side to the front yard. The front door flew open, and Simon and Anna ran onto the porch at the moment he rounded the corner of the house. He stopped in surprise at the sight in front of him.

  Laura Ferguson pulled back on the reins of the team pulling a farm wagon and set the brake with her foot. He shook his head in disbelief that a petite woman like Laura had been able to hook the horses to the wagon, much less drive them here. But mountain women were used to filling in where they were needed. And from the fear on her face, he knew she was in great need today.

  Anna and Simon ran down the steps. “Laura, what’s wrong?”

  She wrapped the reins around the brake and scrambled over the seat into the back of the wagon. “It’s Pete. He’s hurt bad. Help me, please.”

  Matthew ran to the back of the wagon, released the tail gate, and peered into the bed of the wagon where Pete lay unconscious. His stomach roiled at the pool of blood that surrounded Pete’s body. Anna was already climbing in, and he and Simon gave her a boost.

  “What happened?” she asked.

  “Pete was outside a-cuttin’ wood this morning when he made a mislick with the axe. It came down and cut his leg real bad. I didn’t know what to do, but I brought him here to you and Granny ’cause it’s closer than Doc Harrison’s house. Kin you help him?”

  Anna raised the blood-soaked cloth that covered Pete’s leg. She bit down on her lip and replaced the cloth, then reached out and grasped Laura’s shoulder. “You did right, Laura. He might have bled to death before you could have driven all the way to Dr. Harrison’s house. Besides, Uncle Charles is here, and he’ll help us.”

  Laura glanced toward the house and breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank the Lord for Doc a-bein’ here. I reckon I done the right thing.”

  Matthew glanced toward the house and saw Doc and Rani step onto the porch. “It’s Pete Ferguson. He has a bad axe wound.”

  Doc pursed his lips and turned to go back inside. “Bring him in the kitchen, Simon, and I’ll get my bag.”

  Anna motioned for Matthew and Simon. “Pick him up, but be careful of his leg.”

  Stephen ran down the steps and joined them as they pulled Pete’s limp body from the back of the wagon. The three of them carried him up the steps and into the kitchen where Granny waited with the table ready for them to lay him down.

  When Pete was settled, Stephen turned to his mother. “Can I stay and assist? This is my first time to see an injury like this, and I want to help out.”

  She and Simon exchanged quick smiles. “I hope you make out better than I did the first time I had to help Granny with a similar case. But Matthew, why don’t you go on to your farm? I know you’ve got a lot to do today.”

  He shook his head. “I’ll wait to see how Pete makes it.”

  Granny poured some hot water from the kettle into a pan. “Then go on out on the front porch and help Rani settle Laura down. We don’t need her bustin’ in here while we’re working.”

  He nodded. “All right, Granny. Call me if you need me.”

  He cast one last glance at Pete before he turned and hurried back to the porch. Laura was seated there, and Rani knelt in front of her and held her hands. “Mrs. Ferguson,” she was saying, “would you like something to eat or drink while we’re waiting? We have some coffee left from breakfast.”

  Laura shook her head. “Thank you kindly, Rani, but my stomach is just tied up in knots right now. I heared Pete a-screamin’ for me, and I nearly fainted when I seen what had happened.” She cast a worried glance in the direction of the front door. “He’s gonna be all right, ain’t he? I don’t know what I’d do if’n anything happened to him. He’s all I got now.”

  Rani patted Laura’s hand. “Now, now. Don’t talk like that. You have a wonderful family. There’s Ted and Lucy and George. They love you so much and you know they’d do anything for you.”

  Laura’s eyes filled with fresh tears. “Lucy and Ted done moved out of the Cove. I won’t hardly ever see them again. And only the Lord knows where George is.”

  Matthew and Rani exchanged surprised glances. “What do you mean?” Rani asked.

  Tears trickled down her cheeks. “George ain’t been home much lately. He’s taken up with a bad crowd, and he came home drunk a few times. The last time it happened Pete told him not to come back ’til he was ready to settle down and act like a man.”

  “Oh, Mrs. Ferguson, I’m so sorry.”

  The woman wiped at her eyes. “Pete’s been real upset about it, and he’s a-blamin’ me for a lot of it. Says I was always too easy and always made excuses for George ’cause he was my baby.” She leaned forward and gazed into Rani’s eyes. “But you know he’s a good boy, Rani.”

  Rani
nodded. “Maybe he’s just lost his way right now. But I know you raised him right, and he’ll come around in time.”

  A sob escaped Laura’s mouth. “If’n he don’t get killed first. The last time he come home drunk Pete found bottles of moonshine in his saddle bags. He said it was for a feller over to Wear’s Valley. Pete asked him if he was a-workin’ at somebody’s still, and they had a terrible argument. George said what if he was making moonshine, it paid better than scratching out a living in the dirt. That’s when Pete told him to leave, and we ain’t seen him since.”

  Rani’s face paled, and she swallowed. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Ferguson.”

  Her lips trembled. “I’m so a-feared the sheriff’s gonna ride up one day and tell us he raided a moonshine still and George is in jail for making illegal liquor. Or worse yet, that he was shot and killed trying to get away from the law. I don’t know what I’ll do if that happens.”

  Rani cast a helpless glance in Matthew’s direction. “You can’t think like that.”

  Laura nodded, and then clamped her hands over her eyes. “That’s what Pete says, but I cain’t help it, and now Pete’s hurt real bad.” She took a deep breath. “Oh, Lord, please don’t let him die,” she wailed.

  Matthew eased down into the chair next to Laura. “That’s what we’re all praying right now. But he couldn’t have a better team working on him than Doc and Granny, and Anna. I think God led you to bring Pete here today because He knew this is where he’d get good care. I know they’ll do everything they can for him.”

  Laura lowered her hands to her lap, and a brief smile flickered on her face. “That’s right nice of you, Matthew. I seen you at church a few times, but I ain’t talked to you since you come home. Are you glad to be back?”

  “I am.”

  Rani grasped Laura’s hand and leaned closer to her. “And we’re all going to sit here and pray until Mama comes out and tells us how Mr. Ferguson is.”

  Laura looked from one to the other. “Thank you for bein’ so good to me today. I guess we just have to leave this all up to the Lord.”