by Lori Wick
"I'm going up to see Marc. And Kaitlin," he paused to make sure she was listening. "If you call me Mr. Riggs again, I'll kiss you." With a look that said he hoped she would, he turned back to the ladder.
Kate's mouth swung open and she stood like a statue as he climbed and disappeared into the loft. She doubted he would do as he threatened-but she couldn't be certain.
'And I have to go to work for him tomorrow." The words were said just above a whisper, as Kaitlin's heart thundered in her chest. Was it fear or something else entirely?
forty-one
It didn't take Rigg more than a second to see that Kaitlin was terrified. He knew it was not what he'd said to her the day before because even though she'd been cautious, she had been fairly relaxed around him for the rest of the day.
No, this morning's nerves must have been the job and Rigg went out of his way to make her feel at ease.
"Here is your desk. And these are the books I want you to start with. Marcail took me by surprise when she found an error in my addition. I want you to check these books for mistakes-January through May of this year.
"This will also help you understand my system. I'm going to be working on an order so if you have questions, just ask."
Rigg went immediately and sat in his desk chair. Kate stood for a moment before doing the same. The extra desk was just a little smaller than Rigg's and he had pushed them so they faced each other. After sitting down, Kaitlin was painfully aware of Rigg directly across from her. She tried to look everywhere but at him and in doing so discovered what a wonderful view the office had of the store.
Kate opened the first book cautiously and began to read, pencil ready. Rigg's handwriting was a bold script, easy to read and a bit like her own in style. Kaitlin mentally congratulated the teacher who taught him the skill.
She worked for almost an hour, correcting some columns and putting a check by all she'd re-added, before she had a question. She loved numbers and once involved, it was an effort to drag her mind away. Rigg had been up and down and Kate, who would have said that no one could distract her, was finding out how wrong she was.
She tried not to stare at Rigg's dark hair and the way it curled slightly on his collar as she stood up with the January book and moved toward him. He looked up immediately, giving her his full attention.
"What do these letters mean?" Kate pointed to the side of the ledger next to the names of the brands.
"Those are my suppliers. H is Hicks, B is for Bates, Br is for Brenner and so on. They don't have any bearing on your work right now, but if at some point I show you the ordering, you'll have to know them. I'll write out a list of my suppliers for you over the next few weeks and give the letters for each one. Then if you need to refer to it you can." Kate thanked him and he smiled at her.
The remainder of the morning went by in similar fashion and Kaitlin was surprised when Rigg told her it was time for lunch.
"I was going to head down to the Binks, would you care to join me for-lunch?"-
Kaitlin was startled, not because his offer was such a surprise but because she'd once again forgotten to pack something for her noon meal. No wonder she and Marcail had both taken off weight. She kept forgetting to feed them!
"Yes, I would," Kate answered, and a moment later they were walking down the street to the Binks Hotel and Boarding House, the place where Kaitlin, Sean and Marcail had spent their first night in town.
The Binks was one of Santa Rosa's older lodging establishments and it was well managed. The food in the dining room was said to be the best in town. Rigg had gone to school with the present owner's son, Darrell Kolstad. Darrell ran the hotel with help from his wife, Jane. Darrell was on hand to greet Rigg and Kate when they came in and to see that they found a table.
Rigg asked Kate if he could order for them and she readily agreed. She wondered if he'd noticed her weight loss when he ordered the day's special. A mammoth plate of roast pork, mashed potatoes and gravy, brussels sprouts and green beans was placed before her. Kate stared at it and then at Rigg. He grinned at her.
"You don't really expect me to eat all of this, do you?"
"Not if you don't want to. I just thought you might be hungry. There's apple cobbler for dessert," he added, with another grin, and Kate shook her head at him and picked up her fork.
Their conversation was relaxed and when they were finished Kaitlin asked if she had time to go check on Sean and Marcail.
"Sure. Are you worried about them?"
"Not really. I just want to make sure that Sean gave her some lunch."
"I don't think you have anything to worry about-if Marcail is with Sean, she'll eat."
Kate agreed wholeheartedly. "You're certainly right about that. Sean's best friend is his stomach. But I'd like to see them just the same."
As they walked back to her cottage, she told him a little of what her father said in his letter. Rigg was a good listener as Kate shared some of her feelings about how suddenly she had become the main provider for the family.
"I really have been ignorant as to what it costs to house and feed a family. Sometimes I panic about what would happen to Sean and Marc if I got sick. Do you feel that way about the store?"
"I did when I was younger. My father opened the mercantile and he and his brother ran it. They were partners on a very unbalanced scale. Not that that ever bothered either of them, but my father owned around 90 percent of the business and Uncle Leo the other 10 percent.
"When my father died, Uncle Leo naturally stepped in and took his place. I started working there when I was Sean's age. Uncle Leo taught me everything, making it plain from day one that someday the business would be mine.
"It happened sooner than we all thought. I was just 19 when a rich Texas widow came into town for a visit. It was love at first sight for my uncle and the next thing I know he's handing the entire operation over to me. He's never been back, but we get a letter from him and Aunt Ruth at Christmastime each year.
"I told you all of that so you wouldn't be discouraged. In the early days, when I'd just taken over the store, I nearly lived down here for fear something would happen if I was away. Nothing had changed really. Uncle Leo had pretty much handed the reins over to me. I see now that it was the best thing he could have done.
"You're experiencing the same thing I did. The suddenness and the newness can be frightening, but you're doing great. If you're like me, you'll find yourself turning to God more and more about the doubts and fears. He's taking care of everything, just like you knew He would."
They were at the house now and Kaitlin turned before opening the door. "I need to give myself time, something I'm not very good at. Thank you for all you shared, Mmmrr-Marshall." She had come so close to saying Mr. Riggs that she had used the first name she could think of.
Rigg's brows were halfway to his hairline. The only person who ever called him Marshall was his mother and that was when she was getting after him over something. Kate hadn't used his name in an endearing way, but he rather liked the sound of it.
Kaitlin was watching to see how he would respond. She had made an effort all day not to call him anything lest she make the very mistake she dreaded, but it never occurred to her to call him Marshall until that moment and she wondered if he minded.
"Are you going to go in and see if they're here?" Rigg's question propelled Kate through the door and also told her he wasn't upset.
As it was, Sean and Marcail were not there but Kate wasn't really worried. As they walked back to the mercantile, she guessed they were at Marshall's.
The rest of the day went by very well until almost closing time, when Kate spotted Joey Parker passing by the window. She hadn't had time to think about him all day and now as she prepared to leave for the day, her heart ached for him.
That ache continued through the evening and Kaitlin opened her Bible and asked God for comfort. She had just finished reading through 1 Thessalonians. It was on her mind to go on to the next book but she stayed in 1 Thessalo
nians and reread the first two chapters.
A half hour later Kate closed her Bible. She was surprised at the words she'd missed the first time through. Kate hugged the Bible to her and asked God to give her wisdom in applying the truths she had read.
forty-two
"Are you headed home Katie, or out to Taylors'?"
"I'm going to walk out to Joey Parker's and then to Taylors'. I'll see you when you get there."
It was the Saturday afternoon of Kaitlin's first week at the mercantile and she and Sean had both worked that day. Marcail was with May. Sean watched his sister head out of the store, his heart a little doubtful about what she was doing.
Sean had more work to do and he told himself, as he headed back to the loading platform, that Katie wouldn't do anything stupid.
Kaitlin's first view of Joey Parker's home made her wonder if it had been such a smart idea to come. It wasn't the house itself, but the location. Kate knew that the church was not too far away-but no one would be there on a Saturday night. There was a wooded area that bordered two sides of the house, giving it a feeling of being closed off from the world.
She had prayed very seriously about coming here and just how God would want her to handle her relationship with Joey, or if she was even to have a relationship with him.
The event that clinched the decision for her was remembering the way he had hung around the church. He hadn't been back since she took him in and sat with him but Kate was sure he was interested. This little boy needed Christ.
Her thoughts kept her feet moving toward the rundown building. Kate stepped carefully around the junk in the front yard and at one point caught her dress on some rusty barbed wire. Her hand returned again and again to her nose and she tried not to think about what might be causing the dreadful odor that hung in the air.
Her knock at the front door brought furious barking from within. If Kaitlin hadn't been frozen in terror she'd have bolted for her life. She thought she might faint when the door was thrown open and a dog the size of a small horse, stood in the doorway, barking as though he was going to devour her on the spot.
"Stop it Frank, be quiet," Joey maneuvered himself beside the huge animal and was shouting almost as loud as the dog barked. It took Kate a moment to realize they'd been joined by a third person.
You must be Joey's father." Kaitlin had to shout to be heard. "I'm Miss Donovan, Joey's-"
"Shut up!" the man suddenly bellowed, and Kate, Joey and Frank all halted in their tracks. The dog lay down next to the stoop with his head on his paws, looking for all the world like an innocent pup.
Kaitlin's hand had gone to her throat and she was hoping Parker wouldn't ask her in because she didn't think she could move her legs. She was also conscious of Parker's eyes on her, so she tried to collect herself enough to speak.
"I hope I'm not coming at a bad time, but I really wanted to see Joey. I'm his teacher, Miss Donovan, and I've missed him since school let out. I came to see how he was doing." Kate made an instantaneous decision about returning to this place.
"Mr. Parker, would you have a problem with Joey coming to visit me in town?" There was no reply. In fact, Kate was beginning to wonder if he'd understood anything she said.
If Kaitlin thought the yard smelled bad, she didn't know what to think of Parker himself. His shirt had holes in it and was covered with grease and dirt. His boots hung open and Kate could see no socks on his dirty legs. His binders hung down around his knees and she was a little worried he was going to lose the filthy pants he wore.
Most of his teeth were missing and his hair and beard needed trimming. He wasn't that much taller than Kaitlin but looked a good deal heavier, with a stomach that protruded far over the waistline, of his pants. His eyes were dark and watchful and they looked Kate in the eye witha keen intelligence she'd not been expecting.
When a full minute had passed and Parker had still not spoken Kate tried again, this time with Joey.
"How have you been Joey?"
"Fine." His voice was carefully neutral but his eyes revealed that he was glad to see her.
"Joey, would you like to come and visit me? I work during the day, but if you want to come any evening during the week, I'd welcome you. Do you know where I live?"
"Yes, Miss Donovan."
"Good! Then all we need to do is get your father's permission." Kate turned with a smile she didn't feel and looked inquiringly at the man. When he still did not give an answer, she managed to stretch her smile a little farther and say with false cheerfulness, "Well Joey, it seems your father has no objections so I'll expect to see you sometime next week." Kaitlin watched as the little boy looked to his father. He must have seen something affirmative because he looked back at Kate and gave a slight nod, his face lighting briefly with a look of yearning.
"I'll look forward to seeing you. It was nice to meet you, Mr. Parker. Bye now."
Kate forced herself not to look back until she was just about to step out of sight. When she did turn around, she saw that they were both as she'd left them-even the dog was still lying quietly. She gave a small wave that Joey returned. A few seconds later the trees hid her from view and her tears began to fall.
"You can't have him, Kaitlin. As much as you want to go back and steal that little boy and cherish him forever, you can't."
Kate cried and walked in the direction of the Taylors', praying as she went that Joey would come next week. She didn't think she could ever go back to that place. But then Joey's dirty little face and yearning eyes swam before her. She told the Lord that she had to reach that boy, that she'd do whatever He asked of her if it would give her a chance to tell him of Christ's love.
"Did Kate head home to get her things?" Rigg asked. He and Sean were closing up for the night.
"No, she sent everything out with your dad this morning when he picked up Marc. She went to see Joey Parker."
"Is that what she said?"
"Yeah. She plans to walk to your folks' after." Sean felt uncertain and then fearful at the look on Rigg's face. What was this Parker guy like? Sean didn't ask the question aloud, but followed Rigg as he made a beeline for the wagon.
Kate had her tears under control by the time Rigg's wagon rolled into view. The horses were approaching so fast that Kaitlin thought something might be wrong. Rigg jumped down almost before the wagon stopped and ran toward her through a cloud of dust.
"Are you all right?" He grasped her upper arms and waited for her to answer.
"Yes. What's happened?"
Rigg didn't answer. His relief was so great that he pulled Kate into his arms and held her almost fiercely. She was too surprised to be upset and looked at him with wide eyes when he once again held her away from him.
"Was Parker home?"
"Yes, he was there."
Rigg's hold tightened and Kaitlin flinched.
"I don't want you to go there again." Rigg's eyes had gone black and he strove desperately to control his voice. "It's not safe for a woman alone and I want your promise that you won't go back."
"I can't do that. I mean, I invited Joey to come and see me but if he doesn't, I just might have to come back out here. So I can't make you that promise, Marshall."
It was more than clear to Kate that Rigg was not satisfied with her response. She watched as he pulled in a deep breath and relaxed his hold on her arms.
"Will you make me this promise-that you won't come out here again without telling me?"
"Yes." Kate was able to answer him right away. The pain and worry in his eyes were very real.
"Please tell me why it's so dangerous," Kate said softly.
Rigg hesitated and then glanced at Sean who had come to stand with the horses.
"A woman was raped in these woods a few years back. There was no proof as to who did it, but the description the woman gave and everything she said pointed to Parker. He was even arrested but the woman was afraid to come in and identify him. Without some evidence they had to let him go."
Kate's ha
nd had come to her mouth and Rigg pulled her into his arms one more time. This time, when he released her, his hand came up and the backs of his fingers stroked feather-light down her left cheek, his eyes once again telling her how frightened he'd been.
They were all a little drained as the wagon moved toward the Taylors' and Rigg found himself touching Kate as they talked.
"Did I hurt your arms?"
"No," she assured him softly.
He leaned forward slightly to see her face better and for a long moment their eyes met. It was Kate's turn to touch Rigg when she saw the caring in his gaze. And he briefly covered the hand she put on his arm with his. own, thanking God as he did for this woman and also asking Him to keep her safe.
forty-three
Sunday passed in a relaxed fashion. The next day both Kate and Sean had to work so Marcail stayed with the Taylors. After work on Monday, Rigg asked Kate to join him and Sean for supper. They planned to collect Marcail a little later in the evening.
Kate told Sean that she was going home to clean up and that she'd see them at the house. She was totally unprepared, but thrilled, to find Joey Parker on her front step.
"Hello Joey." Kate's smile was genuine.
"Hi," was all the boy said, but his eyes told Kaitlin he was glad to see her.
"How are you today?"
"Would you like to go somewhere with me, Joey?"
"Sure." He looked confused but agreed-anything to be near his beloved Miss Donovan.
"If you'll just wait right there, I'll go inside for a minute and then we'll go to Mr. Riggs' for supper. How does that sound?"
"Fine." Kate watched his small face carefully lest he be intimidated about going to Rigg's and leave when she was inside. But she need not have worried; he was waiting patiently for her. Within minutes they were standing on Rigg's front porch.
"I brought a guest with me," Kate said to Sean when he opened the door.
"Hi, Joey," Sean greeted the boy and opened the door wide. Rigg was in the kitchen and everyone headed that way. Kate silently thanked Rigg for the way he handled Joey, treating him as though his coming to supper was an everyday occurrence.