Tracie Peterson - [New Mexico Sunset 04]

by Come Away, My Love

  “Give it here,” John said, throwing the rag down.

  “You wanna be alone, Preach?” Flipflop asked hesitantly. The tone in his voice left little doubt that he hoped to be a part of the missive.

  “Naw,” John said, trying to keep his voice even. “Might as well stay. You’ve earned it just having to work with me these last few days.

  Flipflop smiled his gratitude and matched the way John sucked in his breath as the top of the envelope gave way. Unable to slow his fingers, John tore at the folds of the letter until it opened to his scrutiny.

  “His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend. . . .” The words of Song of Solomon 5:16 reminded me of you, John, and I could scarcely contain my joy when I received your marriage proposal. I will most happily rise up and come away, my love. I am yours, now and forever, and joyfully I will become your wife at the first possible moment.

  Your beloved Joelle

  John gave out a whoop that was loud enough to be heard, not only across the airfield, but throughout all of El Paso, as well. “She said yes! She’s gonna marry me, Flipflop!” John kissed the single-page letter and let out another yell. “She said yes!”

  Chapter 2

  January brought them mild and pleasant conditions. Joelle enjoyed a continuous flow of mail from John, as well as a new-found friendship in her soon-to-be mother-in-law, Lillie Monroe.

  “I can’t believe this weather!” Lillie exclaimed, coming into the house from outside. “I haven’t worn a coat all week, and today I’m even tempted to roll up these long sleeves, but Dan would skin me alive if he caught me.” Although Lillie teased as though her husband was a harsh man, Joelle had witnessed the deep love they held for each other.

  Joelle glanced up from the receiving blanket she was embroidering for Daughtry’s new baby. “I keep thinking how wonderful it would be if only John and I could get married now. Why, we could even have our wedding outside, like Angeline and Gavin did last fall.

  Lillie nodded, a faint smile crossing her lips at the memory of her youngest child’s wedding. She had seen very little of Angeline or Gavin since their marriage. Her smile broadened at the thought of the newlyweds.

  “What?” Joelle questioned, catching Lillie’s expression.

  Lillie shook her head. “It’s nothing really. I was just thinking how little I’ve seen of Angeline since she got married. Maggie says that Gavin is pretty scarce too, and except for working with his father, she doesn’t believe he ever leaves Angeline’s side.”

  “I feel the same way about John,” Joelle confessed. “I hate the separation, and I’d give just about anything if he were here. I’d pray for God to find a way to muster John out of the army, but I know how much he loves flying.” There was an unexpected heaviness in Joelle’s voice. “I think it will be hard being an army wife. I can’t imagine getting married, only to have to send him off for long separations.”

  Lillie sat down across from Joelle and picked up her own sewing. “I know. I wish neither one of the boys had run off and joined up the way they did. I’m so afraid we’ll be drawn into the war in Europe. Every day we seem to get that much closer to choosing sides. Of course,” Lillie paused, “there is really no contest in that. We can’t possibly support the way Germany has acted. Dan tells me that there is a great deal of propaganda, some of it true, some of it exaggerated, but nonetheless, it doesn’t come out in favor of Germany.”

  “I saw one of the posters at the post office,” Joelle confessed.

  “The one with the poor little children asleep in their beds with the outline of the Hun soldiers overshadowing them?” Lillie questioned.

  “Yes,” Joelle replied with a shudder. She took several tiny stitches and put the blanket down. “How can people be so cruel to children?”

  “I haven’t a clue. I wish I could extend the same cruelty to those who dish it out, but Dan says we must pray for even the cruelest of Germany’s soldiers. God doesn’t want our anger to turn into something just as ugly. Revenge belongs to God.”

  “I suppose he’s right,” Joelle said with a wistful look to the window beyond Lillie. “Still, it would seem justified. I mean, God can’t possibly expect folks to allow such horrors to go unchecked.”

  Lillie nodded with a smile. “I feel exactly like you do, Joelle. We’re going to get along just fine.”

  Joelle beamed, “Oh, by the way, I forgot to thank you for having me over today. I cherish our visits.” She paused for a moment to take in her soon-to-be mother-in-law. Lillie Monroe was a very stylish woman. She wore her blond hair in a short, yet feminine bob. There was just a bit of silver amidst the honey gold that betrayed her middle age. The thing that fascinated Joelle most, however, was Lillie’s seeming perfection. She was good at everything she touched and everyone in Bandelero loved her.

  Joelle suddenly felt insecure again. “ I was so afraid you wouldn’t want me for a daughter-in-law,” she confessed.

  With a surprised look on her face, Lillie looked up from her work. Her eyes softened as she considered the young woman across the table. “I feel quite blessed to have such a lovely young woman join my family,” Lillie said in reply. “I sincerely mean that, Joelle. I’m pleased with John’s choice for a wife. He’s a sound young man with a heart for God. If he’s prayed about this and sought the Lord’s guidance, which I’m sure he has, who am I to interfere?”

  “Not all mother-in-laws would feel that way,” Joelle said with a grin. “Maggie told me the other day that her son, Dolan, got a bit of a cold shoulder from Judy Miller’s mother. It seems that even though Dolan’s family has plenty of wealth, Dolan himself hasn’t proved a thing regarding how he would support a wife. Poor Dolan,” Joelle laughed, “he wasn’t even that far along in thinking, but Mrs. Miller sure gave him an earful.”

  “I think it’s well for a parent, a mother of a daughter in this case, to know what the prospective husband of her child plans to do with his life. After all, his life is no longer his own. He is suddenly a very important part of another human being. A human being on whom you, as a parent, have spent a great deal of time and energy to grow to adulthood.”

  “That does seem reasonable,” Joelle agreed. “So how come you haven’t asked me what I plan to do with my life?”

  Lillie laughed. “Because I don’t have to. You plan to love my son with all your heart. It couldn’t be any clearer.”

  Joelle blushed. “I can’t imagine not loving him, Lillie. He’s so important to me.”

  “I know. I’m not so old that I can’t remember what it felt like to fall in love.”

  Joelle looked rather surprised. “You mean you aren’t still in love?”

  Lillie paused for a moment to consider her answer. “In love, no.” Joelle looked crestfallen. “But I deeply and completely love my husband. You see, to me, falling in love is like jumping into a cool pond on a hot day. It’s shocking and exhilarating at first, then as you become accustomed to it, you find it more and more comfortable, even ordinary.”

  “My love for John could never be ordinary,” Joelle protested.

  “Good, I’m glad to hear it. You’ll do well in marriage if you work toward that end. It’s when things become routine and ordinary that you can get off track,” Lillie replied, leaning back in her chair. “But just like swimming in a pond, Joelle, you dare not take it for granted. When you take the water for granted, you drown. The minute you take love for granted, you lose something very precious. And, it’s extremely hard to get it back.”

  “I’ll remember that,” Joelle said, picking up her sewing again.

  Lillie started to say something in reply when a knock at the door distracted her thoughts. “I wonder who’s injured themselves now?”

  Joelle found life at the Monroe house more than a little bit interesting. Daniel Monroe was one of on
ly two doctors in the entire area surrounding Bandelero. And, given the fact that he had been the only doctor for over twenty years, people were still partial to his kind of doctoring. It was nothing for Lillie and Dan to see a steady stream of cut fingers, infected wounds, and hacking coughs, all in the same day. Of course, there were those times when the ailments were much more serious.

  It took only a moment for Lillie to return, but when she did, her face was ashen and in her hand was the unmistakable cause.

  “A telegram?” Joelle questioned, wondering at Lillie’s worried expression. When their eyes met, Joelle felt her breath catch.

  “It’s from the army.” The words lingered in the air for an eternity before Lillie added, “John’s been in an accident.”

  “No!” Joelle abandoned her sewing and crossed the room to Lillie. “No, it can’t be true. He’s not. . .? He isn’t. . .?” She could not ask the question.

  “No, he isn’t dead. At least not yet. Joelle, we have to send for Dan. John’s going to need him. We have to go to him right away.” Joelle worried that Lillie might faint, and so she gently led her to the chair.

  “I’ll get him myself,” Joelle said and pulled her shawl around her shoulders. “Where did he go this morning?”

  Lillie tried in vain to remember. “I don’t know. I think he had calls to make at Mrs. Brown’s and maybe Joe Perkum’s.”

  “I’ll go to Mrs. Brown’s house first,” Joelle said. “Will you be all right here alone?”

  “I’ll be fine, Joelle. Just get Dan. Please, just bring Dan home.”

  

  Joelle raced down the sandy dirt street outside the Monroe house. She was grateful that she had spent so much time with Maggie and Daughtry in Bandelero. She was rapidly learning her way around and now was confident in her mission to locate Dr. Dan.

  “Oh, God,” Joelle breathed, completely unaware of the tears that streamed down her face. “Please, God.” It was all that she could say, yet it made her feel better.

  A quick visit to the Brown’s red-brick residence revealed that Dan had been there earlier but had moved on to tend to another patient. Mrs. Brown had the presence of mind to pick up the telephone and ask the operator if she knew where Dr. Dan had taken himself.

  “He’s over at Morely Davis’s place,” the operator replied. “He just checked in with me not five minutes ago.”

  “Thank you, Sarah,” Mrs. Brown said, then turned to Joelle. “He’s with Morely Davis. Do you know where that is?”

  “I don’t think so,” Joelle replied, her voice near to a sob.

  The older woman nodded sympathetically, wondering at the young woman’s dilemma, but uncharacteristically, she kept her questions to herself. “You go past the bank and turn down the alley. You’ll come to Second Street, then turn left. Morely’s is behind the Red Dog Saloon.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Brown,” Joelle barely had the presence of mind to mutter. She quickly took off running, hiking her long brown skirt higher to accommodate her leggy strides.

  “Dan! Dr. Dan!” Joelle yelled, even before coming to Morely’s door. Several passing residents of Bandelero paused to consider her cries, waiting and watching to see what the trouble might be. In a town the size of Bandelero, one family’s troubles were quickly shared by all.

  Just as Joelle reached out to pound against Morely’s door, Dan himself opened the door and stepped outside. He was so like John in appearance, that seeing him caused Joelle’s tears to start anew.

  “Joelle! What is it, Honey? What’s wrong?”

  “Oh, Dan!” she exclaimed breathlessly. “You have to come home.”

  “Is Lillie hurt?” Dan’s face drained of color.

  “No,” Joelle’s voice broke. “It’s John. He’s been in an accident. Lillie says you have to come home. Please, Dan.” She reached up as if she might have to drag him back to the house.

  There was no need to beg. Dan quickly finished with Morely, retrieved his bag, and joined Joelle in the street. “Come on,” he said, putting his arm around the trembling young woman. “We’ll go home and find out what’s to be done.”

  Joelle nodded, grateful for Dan’s gesture. “I want to go with you.” She stated the words so quietly that she wondered if Dan had even heard them.

  “Of course,” he replied with a tender smile. “I wouldn’t dream of going to John without taking you with us.”

  

  After several telephone calls, Dan was able to ascertain that John had crashed his Jenny while testing flight loads west of El Paso. The rest of the details were sketchy, at best. All they knew for sure was that he was in the hospital in Columbus, New Mexico, and it would take the better part of a day and night to get to him.

  By evening, the Monroes, with Joelle in tow, were on the train headed to Santa Fe. From there they would catch a train on the Santa Fe main line and head south to Columbus.

  For Joelle, it seemed that forever separated her from her beloved. She paced the train until the steward and, finally, the conductor himself, pleaded with Dan to keep her seated.

  Around midnight, Joelle fell into a fitful sleep. She saw John in his biplane, circling overhead. She heard him trying to shout something above the roar of the Jenny’s engine, but she could not make it out.

  “What are you saying, John? I can’t hear you!” she cried out in her dream.

  John smiled down at her, and the engine fell silent. “Rise up my love, my fair one, and come away.”

  

  Joelle stirred, crying in her sleep. Dan wished silently that he could comfort her. Staring down at his wife, equally as restless but nestled against his comforting arm, Dan wondered at what they would find when they reached Columbus. Had John died already?

  Rubbing his weary eyes, Dan thought back to his conversation with the army doctor in Columbus. Afterwards, he had not shared the full details with Lillie, for fear that her own knowledge of medicine would leave her feeling hopeless.

  John had sustained severe breaks in his leg and back. It was even possible that the spinal cord had been severed, but the doctor was unsure. Casts had been applied both to the leg and to the trunk of John’s body. The doctor hesitated to say anything more. All he could tell Dan for certain was that John was conscious and had no feeling from the waist down. Perhaps, mercifully so, Dan reasoned and issued a prayer on behalf of his son.

  The foreign scenery beyond the windows of the train held little interest to Joelle or the Monroes. There were vast stretches of desert land where the only thing to break the monotony was the cactus. At each and every small town Joelle perked up when the train began to slow. Time after time this was not the case, and the conductor had come to merely shake his head at Joelle before even announcing to the other passengers the town in which they were about to stop.

  When the small border town of Columbus finally did come into view, Dan felt suddenly fearful. What if John had been too weak to survive? What if while they were traveling, he had died and the army had buried him?

  “Everything will be all right,” he murmured as if to convince himself.

  Joelle nodded. “I want to believe that.”

  “Good,” Dan said softly. Then looking from Joelle to Lillie and back again, he added, “then believe it. God has everything under His watchful eye. He controls our destinies, and He certainly controls John’s.” The women nodded but said nothing, and Dan was grateful for their silence.

  

  “We’ve given him the best facilities available,” the army doctor was saying. “We still know very little about his condition, but at least he is conscious. Coherent too. In fact, I must warn you he’s easily agitated and can be difficult.”

  Lillie smiled her first smile in days. “I’ve lived with him long enough to know that side of him, Doctor. Have no fear, I’ve seen my son’s temper on more than
one occasion. I’m just grateful he’s alive and capable of throwing his fits.”

  The doctor countered her smile. “Strange guy, your son, if you’ll pardon my saying so. He never curses, although he’s been in a great deal of pain.”

  “Pain?” Dan asked. “Has he regained feeling in his legs?”

  Lillie and Joelle both looked up with a start.

  The doctor shook his head. “No, but he has other injuries that are causing him discomfort. He rants and raves at all of us without regard to rank or duty. He’s entitled, though. It is a miracle that he lived through that crash. There was little left of his plane.”

  Lillie cringed. “He’s paralyzed?”

  “I’m afraid so,” the army doctor replied, hesitating only long enough to glance at Dan. “We don’t know if it’s permanent or not. Only time will tell.”

  “I see,” Lillie murmured, throwing an accusing look at her husband. “And you knew this and didn’t tell me?”

  “Look, Lillie, I didn’t want to worry you more than you already were. You know almost as much about medicine as I do, and I knew you’d understand the full implications.”

  “Which are what?” Joelle interrupted.

  All three turned to take in the small woman who looked more like a frightened urchin than anything else.

  “What does it mean? You have to tell me!” she insisted in a barely audible voice.

  Dan reached out and touched her gently on the shoulder. “John may have severed his spinal cord in the accident. We don’t know a great deal at this point, so speculating won’t help anyone. It may just be that the tissue around the spine is swollen, if not. . .well. . .”

  “What happens if the cord is severed?” Joelle insisted.

  Dan looked helplessly to Lillie, then to his colleague. “It means that John would never walk again.”

  Chapter 3

  Joelle took the news with surprising grace. “But John is alive, right?” She again looked to the three faces that stared back at her. “Yes, he is,” the doctor assured her. “And I haven’t any reason to believe he won’t pull through. He’s already passed through some of the most critical checkpoints. He survived the casting, which is always a delicate matter. However, I can’t begin to give you an accurate prognosis of his future condition.”