Chapter Nine
Molly was the kind of student every teacher dreamed of. She practiced her lessons and played with enthusiasm, making the most of her God-given talent. After an excellent lesson, Laurie served her milk and cookies at the dining room table just as her brother Adam arrived to help Tolley work on the bathroom. Before he went upstairs, he took Laurie aside and told her this would be his sister’s last lesson.
“She needs to be learning to sew so she can help Ma with her dressmaking business.” The deep sorrow in Adam’s eyes revealed a broken heart over this change.
Laurie touched his arm. “Adam, you can’t do this. Molly has real talent. She needs to develop it.”
“Yes, ma’am, it’d be real nice if she could.” He shook his head. “But with the new baby, Pa still sick and Jack too young to work, she has to help Ma and me support the family. We can’t be spending food and rent money on piano lessons.”
Laurie thought of Tolley’s insistence upon paying for Mrs. Foster’s bathroom. She could do no less for her most talented pupil.
“This is too important for Molly’s future, Adam, so I won’t charge you for her lessons. It’s a rare thing to teach such a gifted student. Please don’t deny me that privilege.” She wouldn’t think about what would happen with Molly’s lessons after she left in the fall. Could Mrs. Foster continue providing them for free when she had so little money herself?
Adam stuck his hands in his pockets and stared at the floor. “I don’t think so, Miss Laurie. The folks of Esperanza have done a lot for us these past two years. Ma says it’s time for us to stand on our own.”
“I’ll speak to your mother.” Laurie lifted the young man’s chin and stared into his dark brown eyes. “In the meantime, I forbid you to let your pride prevent your sister from developing her prodigious talent.”
Adam stepped back, one hand over his heart. “Ma’am, I don’t mean to be proud—”
“No, of course not.” Laurie’s eyes burned. For Molly’s sake, she must win this disagreement. “And I don’t mean to be hard on you. Please help me convince your mother this is the best course. Molly can continue to practice on the piano in the church fellowship hall.” An idea came to mind. “If it’ll make you feel better, she can help me with the dusting.” She waved a hand toward the parlor. “I could also use her help in the kitchen. That would be worth more to me than your paying for her lessons. What do you think?”
Adam’s eyes lit up. “Trading work for lessons? Yes, ma’am. Ma would like that just fine. Thank you.” He grabbed Laurie’s hand and pumped it. “When would you like for her to start?”
Laurie thought for a moment. “How about right away? She can dust the parlor and dining room.” That would be enough for today. She would figure out more small tasks for Molly later.
Adam glanced toward the hallway. “I guess I’d better get upstairs and help Tolley. The bathroom won’t get itself built.” He took the front stairway three steps at a time.
Laurie’s heart soared with joy. “Thank You, Lord,” she whispered.
* * *
Tolley lay on his bed wondering why he hadn’t been able to propose. Old Reverend Harris would probably say the Lord had intervened, maybe to slow Tolley down. In spite of her talk of returning to Denver, he figured Laurie really wanted to get married like her three older sisters, who’d all lassoed husbands. By offering a marriage of convenience, he’d be making it easy for her. He could see in her eyes that she liked him. Maybe to make sure about how deep her feelings went, he should consider courting her, but he needed a plan for how to go about it.
He should bring her flowers, but Esperanza didn’t have a florist like the ones in Boston. Occasionally folks brought in their garden flowers for Mrs. Winsted to sell. And of course Mother grew roses at the ranch, far out of his reach. Maybe he could bring Laurie candy from the mercantile. For now, he’d have to come up with some other reason for trying to talk to her earlier.
A soft knock on his door interrupted his musings, and he felt a little kick in his chest. “Come in.”
To his disappointment, Adam Starling opened the door.
“Afternoon, Tolley. I know it’s late to get started, but are we working on the bathroom today?” The boy’s well-tanned face lit up with eagerness.
How could he forget? “We are indeed. The plumber will be here around five o’clock to tell us how to prepare for him to install the pipes.” He clapped Adam on the shoulder. “Looks like we’ll both be learning about plumbing.”
“Yessir. It’ll be a good skill to have. I expect more people out here will want indoor plumbing soon.”
“Yep.” He’d enjoyed such conveniences in Boston, but not enough to keep him away from his Colorado home. “Folks moving out West will want what they had back in the city.”
Bud Cummings arrived a half hour later to evaluate the small bedroom they would transform into a bathroom. “Shouldn’t be too hard. These are good drawings, Mr. Northam. You mind if I make a few changes?”
“Not at all. I was just guessing.” In the past he would’ve basked in the man’s praise, but he’d learned not to be so full of himself.
“Vent pipe there.” Cummings pointed to the ceiling and then looked out the window. “Leach field out there, well away from the artesian water supply. The men are ready to dig when we give them the word.” He went on to discuss the timeline for various phases of the work.
With all in agreement about the details, Cummings and Adam left. Tolley returned to his room to ponder the expenses. When he first came up with the idea for the bathroom, he’d only thought about buying the fixtures and doing the work himself. With Garrick providing those, Tolley would be able to pay the experienced workmen and buy various supplies, including a stronger hydraulic pump than the one in Mrs. Foster’s kitchen. If careful, he should be able to afford everything.
Good thing he’d saved his allowance while in Boston instead of spending it on gambling and carousing with his fellow students. The one time he’d gone drinking down on the waterfront, he’d been pulled from the gutter by Reverend Harris and brought back to health at the man’s Grace Seaman’s Mission. The experience changed his life forever. From then on, he’d spent his free time under the good reverend’s godly influence.
Why couldn’t the people of Esperanza give him a chance to prove himself? Hadn’t he been a part of the posse that stopped Hardison and Smith’s bank robbery three years ago? Two years ago, hadn’t he organized the building of the high school for Rosamond? Hadn’t he helped put out the fire at the hotel? Instead, they’d remember his accidentally burning down George’s haystack, his mischief at school, his cheating in the Independence Day horse race, his temper tantrum over the shooting match Garrick won. The shameful memories brought an ache to his chest. The Lord might have forgiven him, but Tolley doubted the people of Esperanza would ever be so generous.
* * *
At supper that evening, Laurie had never seen Tolley so glum and his posture so stiff. While he kept his eyes on his plate and ate slowly, the other two boarders focused all of their conversation on the smallness of the chicken pie slices, the thinness of the gravy, the thickness of the crust, the softness of the peas. When she could speak without interrupting them, Laurie inserted some cheery tidbits of news into the mix.
“Mrs. Foster enjoyed a short trip downstairs today.” She smiled at Mrs. Runyan and Mr. Parsley. “She wishes you all well and hopes to be back in the kitchen by September.” Laurie fervently hoped the same thing.
“Won’t be soon enough for me.” Mrs. Runyan, in spite of her complaints, held out her plate for a second piece of pie.
Mr. Parsley echoed a similar sentiment and presented his plate to be refilled.
As the two gobbled down their seconds, Laurie managed to catch Tolley’s gaze and wrinkled her nose at him, as she used to when they were children.
After staring at her for a moment, questioning her with one raised eyebrow, he seemed to understand her attempt to cheer him. He responded with a sweet grin and a wink. She couldn’t catch the giggle trying to escape. It came out as more of a snicker, which brought glares from the two older boarders.
“Something amusing, Miss Eberly?” Mr. Parsley sniffed with disdain. “It is rude to laugh without sharing the cause of your mirth with the rest of us.”
For one reckless moment, she wanted to shout that she and her childhood friend had just enjoyed a happy moment in the face of these boarders’ grumpiness. Good sense prevailed, however. “Please accept my apology. I’m simply happy.”
“Humph. Seems you’ve little reason to be.” Mrs. Runyan must think everyone should be as unhappy as she was.
Laurie wouldn’t dignify her words with a response.
* * *
Tolley kept to his plan for tending to all of his responsibilities. Early each morning, he rode Thor for an hour, though both he and his stallion wanted to run longer. Then, after taking care of the chickens and eating breakfast, he spent the rest of the morning in his office. Effie Bean had secured Homer’s permission to work, but she didn’t have much to do. In spite of his own discouragement, Tolley kept up a good front, telling Effie business would pick up soon. In the meantime, she kept the office spotless, and she’d changed her older dress for a dark blue one, as befitting a lawyer’s receptionist, and softened her severe hairstyle.
At the boardinghouse, he remained vigilant in case the prowler returned. He considered asking Nate for one of the herding dogs to help him keep watch but consulted Laurie first.
“What do you think? I’m sure at least one of them is housebroken.”
On her way upstairs with a pitcher of water, she appeared harried. “I don’t think so. Mrs. Runyan has voiced her dislike for animals in the house.”
“Would that include cats?” Tolley grinned at her.
She gave him a wilting frown. “Pepper stays. He can be our watch cat.” She proceeded up the staircase.
Tolley shook his head. Watch cat. Whoever heard of such a thing? Other than chasing mice, cats were useless critters.
By week’s end, the plumbers made significant headway on installing the inside pipes, and other workers had dug the leaching field. Each day when Doc came to check on Mrs. Foster, he brought a report about the Colonel. Seemed the old man responded to Mother’s constant care. He’d wakened but still couldn’t speak.
While the news encouraged Tolley, he still felt the sting of rejection. How he longed to go out to the ranch and sit down with his family for Sunday dinner. As much as it would hurt his pride, he made up his mind to ask permission of whichever brother came to church on Sunday. Turned out almost the entire clan except Mother showed up. Before the service, he met up with them in the churchyard.
“Hey, Tolley!” Nate shook his hand and clapped him on the shoulder. “I saw your shingle. Congratulations on setting up your office.”
Before Tolley could suggest his oldest brother should bring him some legal business, Nate’s seven-year-old daughter flung her arms around Tolley’s waist.
“Uncle Tolley, when are you going to teach me to ride? You promised.” She challenged him with round blue eyes.
“I don’t know when, sprout.” Tolley resisted the urge to tousle her neatly braided hair. Instead, he lifted her up on his hip. How could he keep his promise if he couldn’t even go out to the ranch? “Let’s ask your dad.” He looked at Nate.
“How about this afternoon?” Nate glanced down at his wife, Susanna. “You don’t mind if he gives her a riding lesson, do you?”
“Well.” She drawled out the word with her Southern inflection and stared up at Tolley, worry creasing her smooth forehead. “I don’t know. Which horse were you going to use?”
Tolley thought for a moment. Other than Thor, he didn’t know the Four Stones horses anymore. “What do you think, Nate?”
“Gypsy’s a good, steady mount.” Nate’s expression held no accusation. “I trust her with my daughter.”
Had Nate forgotten how Tolley had put a burr under the mare’s saddle for the race two years ago? Or had he chosen Gypsy to show he had put the past behind him?
“Gypsy it is, then.” Tolley hugged his niece while she hugged his neck. Her innocent acceptance of him felt mighty good. “I’ll come out after dinner.”
“Nonsense.” Susanna smacked his arm. “You’ll come out for dinner, too.”
A lump formed in Tolley’s throat. Was his exile about to end? “Sure. I’ll let Laurie know so she won’t set a place for me.”
Excited about seeing Mother, seeing home, Tolley couldn’t concentrate on the sermon. Something about God’s grace, Reverend Thomas’s favorite topic. Reverend Harris’s, too. While in Boston, Tolley tried to grasp the idea that the Lord forgave him, but when the Christian people he knew here in Esperanza held his past against him, it made it hard to believe. Even now, as he sat in the pew, several folks gave him sidelong glances without greeting him. He tried to give each a smile and friendly nod, but often they frowned and turned away before he could. Or so it seemed.
Finally, the service ended with the popular hymn “Amazing Grace.” As the congregation filed out of their pews or clustered with friends to visit, Tolley made his way to the front. After Laurie played the final chord of her exit hymn, she gathered her music and gave him an expectant smile. His heart jumped. My, what a pretty lady. A bit prickly sometimes, but overall real sweet. He remembered his plan to start courting her today, but first things first.
“Just wanted to let you know I’m going out to the ranch for dinner, so don’t—”
“Oh, Tolley.” She grasped his hand, and her eyes reddened. “I’m so glad. I’ll be praying for a wonderful visit. Give my best to your folks.”
Her rush of emotion caught him off guard, and he cleared his throat. “Thanks.”
Yet as he rode Thor southward toward his family’s ranch, he pondered her remarks and the emotions they’d caused. She truly did care for him, which bode well for his courting her.
The fine weather also seemed to bode well for a good visit with his family. The sun shone brightly, and the brilliant blue summer sky boasted a few puffy white clouds. Blue-gray cranes stuck their long beaks into the roadside stream fishing for frogs, red-winged blackbirds chased insects that flitted over the marshy landscape and an occasional rabbit scampered about on drier ground seeking edible vegetation for its Sunday dinner. In the distance off to the right, Tolley saw the upper level of George Eberly’s red barn and the brown roof of his house. Less than a mile down the road on the left, the front gate to Four Stones Ranch came into view.
As he turned down Four Stones Lane, a war erupted inside him. How he loved this beautiful piece of land where his family had settled after the War. Although just five years old, he’d helped to build every structure, including the white two-story house now gleaming in the sunlight. He longed to be out here working the ranch alongside his brothers instead of setting up a useless law office where no one would seek his services and he had only one outlaw client to defend.
Four Stones Ranch was his very life, yet against that love and conviction came the assault of his all-too-familiar shame from being rejected by his father. Would he be fully welcomed back into the family only if the Colonel died, an idea he abhorred? If so, maybe he should continue to stay away. Should turn Thor around and head back to town.
Too bad he hadn’t thought of it sooner, for as soon as he reached the kitchen yard, Lizzie and her brother, four-year-old Natty, ran from the house to greet him. Too late to escape.
“Uncle Tolley!” Lizzie barely gave him a chance to dismount and tie Thor’s reins to the hitching post before she sprang into his arms, Natty right behind her.
“Unka Dolly,” Natty cried. Tolley would have to work wit
h the boy on pronouncing his name.
“Hey there, partners.” He shook away his self-pity, tucked a child under each arm and jogged toward the back door. “I’m starving. Let’s go eat.”
Both children squealed with delight. They were met in the mudroom by Rand’s eldest, three-year-old Randy, who jumped up and down in borrowed excitement, although he hadn’t seen Tolley since his first year of life.
Tolley knelt and gathered all three children in his arms. “What a fine bunch of cowboys—” he looked at Lizzie “—and a pretty little cowgirl.” How blessed his brothers were to have these precious children. One day, he’d like a half dozen of his own.
“Tolley.” Mother stood in the kitchen doorway, arms extended. Behind her, Rosamond, Susanna and Marybeth waved and continued their dinner preparations.
“Hello, Mother.” He disengaged from the children and stood to embrace her.
She rested her head on his chest and held him tightly. She’d lost weight, and dark half-moons under her eyes revealed her weariness.
“How are you?” He held her back and brushed a hand over her cheek.
“As well as can be expected.” She glanced at her grandchildren. “You three run along. I need to speak to your uncle.” She returned her gaze to Tolley. “How are you? I understand you’ve already set up your law office.”
“Yep.” He shrugged, unwilling to talk about it when a more important question needed to be answered. “How’s the Colonel? Doc said he woke up, so I’d like to see him.”
She emitted a long sigh. “Only somewhat awake. He doesn’t seem truly aware of anything. He—” her voice broke, and she cleared her throat “—he does seem to enjoy it when I read the Bible to him.”
“Sounds promising.” Tolley hugged her close and kissed the top of her head.
“Come sit with me in the ballroom while the girls fix dinner.” She led him through the back hallway to the large room the Colonel built seven years ago so Mother could entertain as she had in their large home back East.
Cowboy Homecoming Page 12