Laura Abbot

by Into the Wilderness

  Momentarily disconcerted, Lily wondered what to say, but then when all three Montgomerys laughed, she realized Caleb’s father was teasing.

  That was by no means the end of the joshing. This family was such a departure from the formal Dupree household that it took Lily a while to relax and relish the give-and-take of an affectionate, happy family. The first time she managed to make a joke, they acted as if she had won a blue ribbon at the county fair. In the first few days, she and Caleb walked or rode horseback around the countryside, lush with blue-green grasses undulating in the wind.

  Awakening one morning late into the second week of her visit, she was charmed by the melodies of a variety of birds, all trying to outdo one another. She had attended several concerts in St. Louis, but none had brought her the pleasure of this natural symphony. Gathering the blanket around her, she went to the bedroom window and opened it to a breeze fragrant with dewy grass, honeysuckle and wood smoke. Caleb had been gentle with her, giving her time and space to adapt to this new environment. She was grateful to Aunt Lavinia for once again calling in the dressmaker, this time to equip her with a wardrobe more suitable for the frontier. Already she and Sophie had spent hours together, weeding and planting in the garden and cooking. To her surprise, Lily found she enjoyed the food preparation Rose had customarily done. If she did say so herself, she was turning out light, feathery biscuits the menfolk seemed to enjoy.

  One day Andrew Montgomery took her aside and walked her out to a pasture where he explained about cattle breeds and the seasons of ranch life. As they strolled home, he spoke about Caleb. “He is a fine son, a good man. His mother’s death was hard on him, and the little I know about his war experiences sounds like it could do a fellow in. You probably are aware, too, that in the midst of that conflict, he got his heart broken.”

  “I know about Rebecca.”

  “Well, I reckon that match wasn’t meant to be.” He stopped walking and faced her. “Lily, I’m hoping this one is. Whatever you decide, though, make sure it’s final and forever.” He took off his hat, then repositioned it on his head. “Caleb can’t take much more sorrow.”

  Lily nodded, too moved to speak. She guessed Andrew Montgomery also had experienced more than his share of heartbreak.

  The second Sunday after her arrival, the men harnessed the buggy for Lily and Sophie and rode alongside them for the two miles to the community church. The white clapboard building with a small steeple surmounted by a simple cross was set on a corner near the general store. Horses, buggies and wagons pulled up to the hitching posts or stopped along the side of the street disgorging whole families of settlers who greeted each other with happy voices or claps on the back. In the first five minutes, Sophie had introduced Lily to several women who clucked over her and smiled their approval. Finally it was time to settle on the plain wooden benches, so different from the carved, high-backed pews of her St. Louis church.

  Caleb stood aside to let the two women enter the row first before taking his place next to her. Nestled between the brother and sister, Lily glowed with a comfortable sense of belonging. When they stood for the first hymn, Caleb tucked a hand beneath her elbow and leaned closer to share the hymnal with her. When the congregation began singing and she once again heard Caleb’s melodious voice, she could hardly squeak out the words, so perfectly did they pertain to the two of them.

  “Blest be the tie that binds

  Our hearts in Christian love.

  The fellowship of kindred minds

  Is like to that above.”

  With her free hand, Lily slowly withdrew her handkerchief, knowing she would soon need it. Verse two began and Lily couldn’t sing at all as her eyes sought Caleb’s while he sang tenderly as if only to her.

  “Before our Father’s throne

  We pour our ardent prayers;

  Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one,

  Our comforts and our cares.”

  Lily bowed her head and softly blew her nose. Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one, Our comforts and our cares. She thought of her friend Fannie who knew the truth of those words, of her father and mother who had lived them and of the man beside her who loved her with all his generous heart. With newfound clarity, she realized she could not go through life without him. She caught her breath, then looked up to find him studying her with blinding affection.

  * * *

  After a picnic lunch on the green beside the church, one by one, the families began hitching up and leaving. On their way back to the ranch, Seth commented about the gathering clouds. “Mighty tall ones. Storm’s a’comin’.”

  Sophie shook the reins, urging the horses into a quick trot. Seth and Caleb rode ahead to check on the stock and get the barn closed. The air carried the metallic hint of rain, and off in the distance a bolt of lightning speared the darkening sky. By the time the others reached the barn, secured the buggy and stabled the horses, rain had started to fall. Sophie and Lily raced for the house, belted by increasingly powerful gusts of wind. Shivering, Lily went to retrieve a shawl. When she came back into the kitchen, Sophie had stoked the fire and put on the kettle for tea.

  Caleb was the first of the men to arrive back at the house. “This is going to be a whopper.” He stood near the stove, drying his hands. Soon he was followed by Seth and Andrew. When they entered, the fierce wind nearly ripped the door out of their hands. Somewhere close by, Lily heard a loose gate whipping back and forth, and peering out the window, she saw bean plants lying flat, beaten down by the wind and rain.

  When the wind died and there was a sudden lull in the rainfall, Andrew moved into the front room to look out to the southwest. “I don’t like this,” he said. The others joined him. Outside, the sky had taken on a sickly mustardlike hue and the distant clouds were roiling and becoming convoluted as if they were rapidly outgrowing their bounds. Then out of one of the clouds emerged a wide corkscrewlike tail moving like a ravaging beast toward the ranch, accompanied by now deafening winds. Andrew pivoted quickly and shouted, “Cyclone! Get to the storm cellar.”

  Watching the terrifying cloud-creature advance, Lily went numb. She had never been more afraid in her life. “Lily!” Caleb grabbed her arm. “C’mon.” He pushed her in front of him out the back door where his father stood holding open the cover of the storm cellar. From below, Seth reached up and lifted her into the earthen cave, then Caleb and Andrew jumped in, pulling the heavy cover shut behind them. In the dark, Caleb found her and nestled her close, his warmth quelling her trembling. The dank quarters smelled of fresh earth and above them they could hear the thrashing and thumping of a violent wind.

  Sophie lighted a candle, throwing shadows into the corners. On each grim face, Lily read concern. What damage might such a storm inflict upon all the work these three had expended? Lily reached out and touched Mr. Montgomery’s hand. “Might we pray?” He nodded, managing a half smile.

  She sought the words. “Dear God, in Your mercy bless this ranch and those who have toiled so diligently to produce its bounty. Spare us and this place that we may go out from this shelter to continue the good work You have begun in us.” Before she could say “Amen” a particularly loud thump caused her to jump. “Amen,” the others echoed. Then they sat quietly, each lost in thought. After what seemed a long time, the winds died. Andrew withdrew his watch and leaned close to the candle, checking the time. “We’ll wait five more minutes. Then I’ll check outside.”

  When at last he opened the shelter door, a welcome rush of fresh air greeted them. The men left first, then assisted the women to the surface. Lily gasped. All around them were downed trees, shingles and broken fence posts, but, blessedly, the house and the barn still stood. “Praise be,” Andrew muttered.

  Before leaving to assist his father, brother and sister with the cleanup, Caleb ushered Lily into the kitchen. “You can help by fixing supper.” He lingered there, seemingly reluctant to leave. Then staring at his feet, he said quietly, “I guess your worst fears were realized this afternoon.”r />
  She was speechless. He had voiced exactly what she was thinking.

  “I don’t know how to make it right. You saw what happened, Lily. There’s no way I can control events like this. Cyclones, prairie fires or blizzards, it doesn’t really matter. Life on the prairie is perilous. The most I can promise is to try to keep you safe.” He looked up then, his face pale, his eyes reddened with regret. “I reckon you’ll want me to make arrangements for you to leave.”

  She thought about the inconveniences, the deprivations and the outright dangers. Then about these four dear people who had shown her nothing but acceptance and affection. About the one who loved her. Then a surprising insight came to her. In that storm shelter, she had not been afraid. How could she be, surrounded by the Montgomerys and comforted by prayer? With an ecstatic sigh, she realized I am home. At last.

  “Caleb, dear, I think that might be a bit premature. I haven’t even seen my first snake.”

  He looked at her with dawning incredulity.

  “Besides,” she continued, quoting the hymn, “‘our hopes, our fears, our dreams are one, our comforts and our cares.’”

  * * *

  Beautiful weather followed the storm—warm days and cool nights with the gentlest of breezes teasing the petals of the roses climbing the trellis beside the back door. Lily and Sophie had toiled in the garden to set things to rights while the men had checked on the cattle, repaired the roof, trimmed tree limbs and sawed broken trunks into firewood. A week after the storm, Caleb approached Lily early in the evening. “The almanac predicts a full moon tonight. Might I invite you for a buggy ride? I have something to show you.”

  Lily smiled. She had enjoyed watching him these past few days, looking at her when he thought she wouldn’t notice as if checking to be sure she was still in residence. “I would like that. Let me get a wrap.”

  She trembled with delight when he spanned her waist with his warm hands and lifted her onto the buggy seat. He climbed up beside her, gathered the reins and clucked to the horse. She laced her arm through his and snuggled close. Neither the horse nor the buggy occupants seemed in any hurry.

  “Where are we going? What is it you want to show me?”

  He chuckled, a warm, throaty sound. “There’s that curiosity of yours rearing its saucy head. Can’t you wait to be surprised?”

  She grinned. “It’s not easy.” She moved away from him briefly. “But I do like surprises, sir.”

  They rode in silence for several minutes, watching while the fading sun slipped behind the faraway hills. The only sounds were the regular clip-clop of the horse’s hooves, occasionally punctuated by the call of a mourning dove. They began an ascent through a patch of trees and emerged on top of one of the lower hills. Caleb stopped the buggy at a point where it faced east. Below, a lazy stream wound its way among the rocks. “Do you like this view?”

  “It’s beautiful,” she said, and in her heart she knew it was so. “Your Flint Hills are beginning to charm me.”

  He cuddled her closer. “Just you wait,” he whispered.

  Almost without warning, an orange ball rose in front of them glazing the landscape with moonlight. Lily shuddered with delight. “Caleb, I’ve never seen anything more lovely.”

  “I have,” he said softly. He turned and gathered her in his arms. “You.”

  In the pause that followed, she thought she might expire if he didn’t kiss her, but then his lips lowered to hers and all the moons and suns and stars in the skies couldn’t ignite in her the sheer joy of his kiss. “Oh, Caleb,” she murmured when they parted. She drew his face to hers to repeat the bliss.

  Abruptly, he leaped from the buggy and came around to her side to help her down, pausing in that effort for yet another kiss. Then he took her hand and walked her a ways down the hill. Locating a flat rock, he sat her down. “It’s time,” he said quietly.

  Lily glanced up at him, dismayed by his serious expression.

  “I need your answer, Lily. You have been here long enough to know your mind, and I cannot go on living beside you, all the time wondering whether you will stay. Either you love me enough to endure what you call a wilderness or you don’t.”

  She rose and took both of his hands in hers, gripping with all her might. “I know all about wildernesses now. I’ve lived in them. Here is what God has revealed to me.” She drew in a quick breath. “A wilderness, my dearest love, is any place without you.”

  He reeled a bit, then cupped her face in his hands, searching her eyes. “Does that mean you can’t say you don’t love me?”

  “I could never say that because it would be dishonest. I, Lily Kellogg, love Caleb Montgomery with all my heart.”

  She was crushed then in his embrace, and if she didn’t know better, she would think he was stifling a whimper. Finally, he whispered, “I’ve waited so long for you.” He drew back and held her by her arms. “Now then, please, do me the honor of becoming my wife.”

  Arms outspread, she whirled around and around, shouting to the moon resting over their heads, “Yes, yes, yes!”

  After more kisses, she looked up at him, her expression turning serious. Her next words, she knew, had to be said. “Caleb, before we say anything further, I want you to know that I understand, as much as it is possible for a woman, how your experiences in battle have affected you and how they will always haunt you. You did what you had to do then, but this is a new day. God knows your heart, and I know your heart. You are a good man. On this earth, we will never escape the bad things that happen or fully comprehend God’s plan, but perhaps we can agree to live each day in the hope of His grace.”

  Caleb placed his hands on her shoulders and fixed his eyes on hers. “You are part of His plan. Right now, that’s proof enough for me. Faith will grow as, together, we put our trust in Him.”

  Sensing, the need for a lighter mood, she said, “You mentioned a surprise. Is it time now?”

  “Follow me.” He took her hand and led her around a large clump of bushes. “There,” he said, pointing to a stone foundation.

  She walked closer to examine it. “What is it?”

  “Our house.”

  “Our house?” She spun around, her hand to her mouth.

  For a brief moment, he looked dubious. “You did say you liked the view.”

  “Yes, but—”

  “Hoping for the best, in my spare time, I’ve been working on it. Here is where our dream can begin—having babies, raising a family, growing old.”

  “It’s perfect,” she said, and knew it was so.

  “Perhaps I can make it a bit more perfect,” he said grinning mischievously.

  “It couldn’t be.”

  “You doubt me, Miss Kellogg? I have one more surprise for you.” He reached in his pocket and withdrew an envelope. “Read this.”

  Had it not been for the light of the full moon, Lily could not have recognized her father’s bold hand nor read the astounding message.

  Thank you, Caleb, for your kind offer to establish a medical practice in Cottonwood Falls. Rose and I have discussed the situation, so if, as I suspect she will, Lily accepts your proposal, we will make plans to relocate near you later in the summer.

  Lily sank to the grass, dumbfounded. Gathering her wits, she said, “You’ve planned this all along?” She shook her head in bewilderment. “How did you know I would say yes?”

  “I didn’t, but prayer can work wonders.” He held out his hand and assisted her to her feet.

  She leaned against him, knowing she would always feel safe in his arms. “Captain, you have thought of absolutely everything.”

  “Caleb,” he reminded her with a lilt in his voice.

  She laughed out loud. “Oh, yes, Caleb. My darling, dearest man. Caleb.” The love of her life. It hadn’t been an easy journey, but Fannie had been right about love. When a woman knows, she knows. And, thanks be to God, Lily knew.

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt from The Baby Compromise by Linda Ford.
r />   Dear Reader,

  What a blessing it is to write for Love Inspired, a change that has both reinvigorated my storytelling and freed me to explore some of the many ways God acts in the lives of people.

  I do not believe it was by accident that several years ago I found myself at Fort Larned, Kansas, a National Park Service Historic Site and a well-preserved example of a frontier fort. In the visitor center, I was captivated by a faded photograph of two young women who lived there for a time following the Civil War with their father, an army chaplain. My imagination rioted: What challenges would an isolated existence among soldiers present to females? How might the men stationed there react to them? Could romance flourish in such constrained conditions? Images of those two young women stayed with me for many months and ultimately gave rise to the characters of Lily and Rose Kellogg. This book is my response both to the uncanny sense of immediacy I experienced at the fort and to my ongoing speculation about the role of women in such a place and time.

  Into the Wilderness is Lily’s story. Rose’s must wait. Lily has her future neatly planned—she will escape to the cultured urban life about which she has long fantasized. Cavalryman Caleb Montgomery, scarred veteran of the Civil War and Indian Territory campaigns, looks forward to leaving the army and establishing a home and family. Their divergent paths collide, thanks to the unexpected power of love. The challenge for both is to determine how God’s will and their individual goals can come into harmony.

  Certain events in the book can be historically documented—the Battle of the Washita River, General George Custer’s service at Fort Larned and the role of the Buffalo Soldiers. Where I have exercised literary license, I have made every effort to depict events in a way consistent with the historical background and setting.