Home's Promise (Oregon Trail)

by Mildred Colvin

  Neil turned his back on Blanche.

  She glared at him before storming away.

  Jed Spencer picked up another box. "Now, looky here at this pretty box. I heard someone say the young lady who comes with this is single. And that ain't the half of it. They also said she can cook better than yore own ma.”

  Laughter rippled through the crowd.

  Jed held the box high. “Okay, boys, what’ll it be? Who’ll give a dollar?”

  Several boxes sold, the successful bidders walking away with lunch and a companion to share it. Neither Tommy nor Neil bid on any until Jed picked up the large box with the green ribbon. He pretended to stagger beneath its weight. “You boys’ve been waiting for this one, haven’t you? Can’t say I blame you a bit.”

  Jed held up the box. “What’ll you give for the largest meal on the table? Can’t say what’s in it, but—”

  He held it to his nose and sniffed. “Sure smells good.”

  As the bidding climbed, Rachel watched. She knew Neil wanted it, but he’d already given the last bid of three dollars and Jed asked for more.

  “Come on now, boys, let’s not stop there. Three dollars for a meal like this one? You can do better than that. Do I hear four?”

  A man across the crowd shouted, “Four and a quarter.”

  Neil countered. “Four fifty.”

  “Four seventy-five.”

  “Five.”

  “Five fifty.”

  “Six dollars.” Neil mumbled, “And that’d better be enough ’cause it’s all I’ve got.”

  Rachel wished she could help. He knew Neil wanted to feed his family, but she knew there was more to it. Because of his confrontation with Blanche, he needed to buy this box.

  Tommy slipped something to Neil who promptly shoved it back.

  Tommy shook his head. “It goes to the church. My donation.”

  Neil hesitated before grabbing the coin. “Thanks.”

  “Six dollars. Do I hear more?”

  “Six and a quarter.”

  “Six fifty.”

  Rachel held her breath with Neil’s last bid. How much had Tommy given him? Would it be enough?

  Jed waited a few moments. “Six dollars and fifty cents, it is. Sold to Neil Douglas.”

  Neil stepped forward followed by his children. He took the box and paid for it, stepping to one side while Jed picked up Rachel’s box.

  While Tommy bid her box to three dollars, Rachel watched Amorita Preston join Neil. She smiled at him and then at each of the children as she knelt on their level and spoke to them. A tight knot gathered in Rachel’s throat. How could she have ever been so jealous of someone like Amorita? Tommy and Katie were right. Amorita was, without a doubt, the most selfless and beautiful person she had ever seen.

  “Come on, I just bought your box.” Tommy gave her his special smile. “It looks like your neighbor bought Amorita’s. Would you like to eat with them?”

  Rachel nodded. “That sounds fine.”

  Tommy leaned close and whispered. “Who knows? Maybe this will be the beginning of something permanent for your neighbor. He seems to be a decent sort. Amorita could do worse—and so could he.”

  Rachel glanced at Blanche and shuddered. Yes, he certainly could.

  Amorita turned as they approached. “Tommy. And Rachel Morgan, isn’t it?”

  She opened her arms for a hug, which Rachel just that morning would’ve rejected, but now welcomed. As they pulled back, Amorita said, “I’ve wanted to meet you for ages. I’ve heard so much about you from this fellow and from his sister.”

  She smiled at Tommy, and Rachel didn’t feel a bit of jealousy. She glanced at Neil who watched with a grin and a sparkle in his eyes she hadn’t seen lately. Maybe Tommy was right. This could very well be the beginning of something special for her neighbor.

  Chapter 23

  Rachel relaxed against the leather seats of Amorita’s buggy as Tommy took her home. She’d had a wonderful time getting to know Amorita who had insisted Tommy keep her buggy and horses until Monday.

  “I’m glad I was finally able to meet Amorita. I really do like her.”

  Tommy grinned. “I knew you would. She’s a wonderful girl.”

  “Why do you call her a girl? Don’t you realize she’s several years older than you? She’s more Neil’s age.”

  “I know, but she has such a young outlook on life. I always think of her as a girl.”

  “You do know she’s too old for you, don’t you?”

  Tommy looked at Rachel and laughed. “Are you jealous of Amorita?”

  Rachel smiled. “Not now.”

  Tommy’s arm slipped around her shoulders. “How could you ever think I’d look at another woman when I have you? God brought us together. I love you and only you.” Tommy pulled back on the reins, stopping the horses. His eyes roved over her face. “You are so beautiful.”

  Warmth crept into Rachel’s cheeks. She loved hearing Tommy say such things. “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Amorita and Neil—”

  “Hey, you sound like a match-maker.”

  Rachel snuggled closer to Tommy. “All girls in love want the same for their friends. Maybe we can have a double wedding with them.”

  “I don’t know.” Tommy tilted his head. “How soon can you get ready for a wedding?”

  Rachel coughed as air went down the wrong pipe.

  Tommy didn’t seem to notice. “We have plenty now to start building the church. I’ll bring a load of lumber out next weekend. Mr. Wilson said I could stay in the hotel for free until I get a cabin built on our land.”

  “How soon can you do that?”

  “After the church is built.”

  Rachel’s breath came out in a slow sigh. She still didn’t know any more than before and she was afraid to ask. Did Tommy mean they could get married as soon as the cabin was built?

  ~*~

  Rachel was so glad when Tommy moved from the Blackstone’s spare room into an unfinished room in the Wilson’s hotel. He worked with as many others as could spare time from early morning until late at night sawing boards and pounding nails.

  As close as he was, she seldom saw him and was glad when the last nail was driven and the clutter of board ends and debris had been cleared away. The Willtown Community Church stood ready.

  Amorita arrived the day before to help with the first service and Tommy spent the evening with the Morgans. After supper, as Tommy got ready to leave, Rachel walked outside with him. “I have something to show you.”

  She pulled him to the corner of the house where the rose bush he’d given her grew. There, among the leaves, was a single bud. “We’ll soon have a rose.”

  In the gathering darkness, he pulled her close. “I’ll be glad when it blooms outside our own house. We’ll be able to marry soon, Rachel.” He kissed her, and her hopes soared at his words. “I won’t be working with the Indians anymore. I’m sorry for the bumpy road I’ve led you over, but that’s a thing of the past. When I found Wesley and saw him with the other Indian boys, God spoke to my heart. He revealed things to me I hadn’t understood before. I talked with Brother Blackstone and we prayed together. God has released me from my resentment toward the red man.”

  “Your what?” Rachel shook her head. “I don’t understand.”

  Tommy laughed. “People are strange, Rachel. Me included. When my dad died from an Indian arrow, I allowed hatred to enter. I covered my feelings with good works toward the very people I resented. I don’t fully understand it, but I know God has touched my soul and has set me free to minister here in our church now. I’m eager to begin.”

  Rachel shook her head. “I don’t understand, Tommy, but I’m glad. Really glad.”

  He pulled her closer and dropped a kiss on the corner of her mouth before taking her lips for a long, heartfelt kiss. “We’ll get a cabin built soon. I love you, Rachel.”

  He mounted Midnight and looked down at her. “I’ll see you in the morning, sweetheart.”

  Rachel laugh
ed as she watched him ride away. She needed to finish her hope chest. They would be married as soon as Tommy’s cabin was finished. The long wait was over.

  Later, after the house grew quiet and Susanna slept, Amorita whispered, “Rachel, are you still awake?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m really glad you invited me out to stay with you. You have a wonderful family.”

  “Thank you. Maybe you can come again—often. I’d love for you to come every weekend. We really need some music in our services. Jed can’t play his harp and sing, too.”

  “Maybe I can.”

  After a moment’s silence, Amorita said, “The Douglas children are so sweet.”

  “Yes, they are.”

  “They’re very well behaved for children without a mother, aren’t they? How long has Mr. Douglas been alone?”

  Rachel smiled in the darkness. “His wife died when Natasha was born.”

  “Doesn’t he live near here?”

  “Just a half a mile through the woods.” Rachel couldn’t stop smiling and was glad Amorita couldn’t see her. “He’s a very nice man. I hope he finds a good wife and mother for his children someday.”

  “M-m-m. Maybe he will. ’Night, Rachel.”

  “Goodnight, Amorita.”

  The new church had little room left Sunday morning even before the last family filed in and found a place to sit. After a taste of Amorita’s bubbling personality and welcome music, a crowd formed around her, begging her to return the next Sunday.

  Amorita laughed. “I’d love to come.”

  “Good, then it’s settled.” Neil stepped close to her. “Pastor Donovan and I have agreed to take turns escorting Miss Preston out from town on Saturday and back on Monday.”

  Color mounted in Amorita’s cheeks. She smiled at Neil. “I’m sorry to be such a bother, but I accept your offer.”

  Over the next few weeks, as Amorita spent each weekend with the Morgans, Rachel grew to love her. A friendship also developed between Amorita and Neil’s children. Rachel suspected the Saturday afternoon picnics with the children, impromptu fishing in the creek, and long walks through the woods were a cover for a rapidly developing courtship between Neil and Amorita. She hoped so.

  One Saturday morning after Susanna had gone downstairs, Amorita and Rachel put away freshly laundered clothing. Amorita opened her satchel to get the dress she would be wearing to church the next morning. She took it out and hung it up then returned to the bag.

  “Rachel, would you like to see a picture of my parents?”

  “Yes, I would.”

  Amorita pulled a velvet wrapped package from the bag and laid it on the bed. She carefully pulled the red velvet back, revealing a painting of a man sitting in a white wicker chair with a woman standing behind him, her hand on his shoulder. “I painted this just a few months before their deaths.”

  “You painted it yourself?” Rachel scarcely believed the talents of her friend. “How wonderful. You have a rare gift to paint so realistically.”

  Amorita shrugged. “I had a good teacher at the academy in New York.”

  “Yes, but God first gave you the gift of art.”

  Amorita smiled. “God is the author of all gifts. Without Him, we can do nothing.”

  Rachel looked closely at the painting. “Your mother is beautiful. She reminds me of my mother in that way.”

  “Yes, she was very beautiful.” Amorita laughed. “My father, on the other hand, was a masculine version of me. Or should I say, I’m a feminine version of him?”

  Rachel looked again at the painting. “You do look a lot like him.” She looked up and sighed. “I, too, look like my father. I’ve always wished I could look like my mother.”

  Amorita’s gaze locked with Rachel’s. “Why?”

  Rachel thought the answer was obvious. “Because my mother is beautiful. I’m so—plain and brown. I have brown hair, brown eyes, and most of the time, light brown skin. Brown looks fine on a man, but I’m a woman. All my life I’ve lived in my mother’s shadow. And of all things, Daniel looks like her.”

  “Rachel, when I was about your age, I was a lot like you. My mother attracted attention everywhere she went. I always heard comments about how beautiful she was. I heard it so often, I got sick of it. I was jealous.”

  Rachel sat on the bed, holding the painting in her hands. She stared at Amorita.

  “Can you imagine? Jealous of my own mother. I didn’t even notice my father. He was just homely, like me. Then, I came to the Lord and He took over my life. I’d been so bitter against my mother I had to ask her forgiveness.”

  Amorita sat beside Rachel. “Mother hadn’t known about my jealousy. She asked how I could be jealous of someone like her when God had given me not only my dear father’s looks, but also his personality. She honestly didn’t understand.”

  Rachel scarcely moved.

  “I looked at my father. He was a wonderful man, and no one seemed to notice or care what he looked like. They loved him, anyway. I decided as long as I kept myself clean and neat. . . .” She laughed and patted her fly-away hair. “That is, as neat as possible, no one would care how plain I am.”

  “But you’re pretty.”

  Amorita smiled. “Did you think I was pretty the first time you saw me?”

  Rachel looked down. “No.” She looked up quickly. “I don’t mean you were ugly. It was a first impression. You really are pretty.”

  “No, I’m not pretty as the world calls it. What you see is what’s inside. I consider that the best compliment possible. My father was like that. He was a beautiful person inside.”

  “Your father was a man. Do you think it matters what men look like?”

  Amorita became serious. “Whether man or woman, God made us the way we are, and He loves us, Rachel. I hope it doesn’t take you as long as it took me to find this out. You’re the only person in this entire world who cares whether you’re beautiful on the outside or not. No one else cares. If you’re ugly as a mud fence, they don’t care. All they care about is how you look inside.”

  “Inside?” Rachel barely whispered the word.

  “Yes.” Amorita nodded. “They want your love and concern. A self-centered person has very little love for others because he or she is too busy thinking about himself. Many beautiful people like that lose their beauty in others’ eyes.”

  Blanche’s behavior at the box social came to Rachel’s mind. Amorita was right. Neil was certainly not blinded by her outward beauty.

  “I admire you.” Rachel shook her head. “You seem to have so much freedom. You aren’t hampered by the fear of failure and inadequacy like I am. Tommy wanted me to lead the song service at church, but I couldn’t. I was afraid to.”

  “I heard you singing last night when you washed dishes. It sounded to me as if you can carry a tune.” Amorita smiled.

  “Each person has their own talents.”

  Amorita nodded. “Yes, that’s true, but sometimes there are not enough talented people to go around. That’s when you need to step forward into whatever God asks of you. Let Him worry about how foolish you might look if you make a mistake. I make them all the time. I just forget about it and go on.” She shrugged. “I have an idea everyone else forgets them, too. After all, only conceit would make me think my mistakes are that important to other people.”

  Rachel hugged her friend. “Amorita, you don’t know how much you’ve helped me. You’ve given me a lot to think about. Thank you.”

  Amorita grinned. “Any time. We’d better shake a stick if we don’t want to be sitting here looking at each other this afternoon.”

  Rachel giggled. “The Douglas family has been keeping you pretty busy, haven’t they?”

  Amorita sighed. “Yes, and I’m not complaining.”

  “Oh, really? About which? The children or their father?”

  Amorita laughed as a telltale blush spotted her cheeks. “Neither.”

  That afternoon as Amorita left with Neil and his children, Tommy rode Midn
ight into the yard. Rachel met him at the door. “Can you come in a minute before we go? Susanna has baked her first batch of cookies, and she wants you to taste them.”

  He grabbed her hand and whispered as he followed her through the door. “Let’s not spend too much time.”

  Something in his voice and the intimate way he kept her near caused Rachel’s heartbeat to race. They each ate a cookie and took a few extras to Susanna’s pleasure. As they walked outside, Tommy again took Rachel’s hand.

  “Let’s walk to town. Today’s a beautiful day and it’s a short two miles for a man in love.”

  She matched her step with his before glancing sideways at him. “Are you in love?”

  “I most certainly am.”

  “Anyone I know?”

  “I think so. She’s very close to you.”

  Rachel turned and looked around. “Really? I don’t see anyone.”

  Tommy dropped her hand and put his arm around her waist. “I know a little girl who’d better be good or she’s going to get kissed right here and we’re still in sight of the house.”

  By now Rachel’s heart beat hard and fast. Warmth from the color staining her cheeks burned her face as she looked up at Tommy.

  “Looking at me that way isn’t helping. Or do you want to be kissed?”

  “Tommy!” Her knees felt weak.

  Tommy laughed. “Don’t worry. I won’t give in to temptation here. I know a spot about halfway to town that—”

  “Tommy!”

  Again he laughed. “All right I’ll be good—for now.”

  As their conversation turned to safer subjects, Rachel relaxed. What had come over Tommy? He seemed excited and happy. Maybe he was ready to set the date for their wedding.

  So many changes had taken place in town since Rachel had been there just the week before. The hotel was now open for business. At the far edge of town construction had been started on a new building.

  “What is that?” Rachel pointed to the large barn-like structure.

  “That will be the livery stable and blacksmith. Two brothers are building it and will share the businesses. “Mr. Wilson gave them the land since we need their services so much.” Tommy smiled. “I have a surprise for you. Would you like to see it?”