Her mother nodded, leaned over, and kissed her father on the cheek. “You get some rest now. I’ll be back in a little while. I love you.”
He closed his eyes and nodded. “Love you, Rani. Love all of you.”
Laurel waited until her mother backed away before she kissed his forehead. “I love you, Poppa. I’ll be back later.”
He nodded but didn’t open his eyes. Willie patted his hand, turned, and ran out of the room. When Laurel and her mother entered the waiting room, Willie stood staring out the window. He didn’t turn around as Andrew rose to face them.
“How is he?” Andrew asked.
“I’m not sure,” her mother replied. “I’m afraid we’re in for some hard times ahead.” She sank down into one of the chairs. “We need to make some plans about what we’re going to do.”
Laurel glanced at her mother in surprise. “What do you mean? I thought we were going to stay at the hotel.”
Her mother shook her head. “I’m not leaving this building as long as your father is here. But we only intended to be in Gatlinburg for the day. There are things to be done at home. The cows need to be milked and the chickens put up for the night. And we need some extra clothes for a few days.”
Andrew stepped closer to her mother. “Mrs. Jackson, I’d be happy to drive out to Cades Cove and take care of everything at your home. I admit I’ve never milked cows, but maybe Willie could go along and show me how.”
Willie’s eyes lit up. “I sure could teach you, Andrew. I reckon I been milking cows since I was old enough to tote a bucket of milk.”
Laurel smiled and mouthed a silent thank-you to Andrew for making her brother feel so important. Her mother, however, shook her head. “You must have other work to do here in Gatlinburg. I don’t want to cause you any trouble. Besides, you and Willie wouldn’t know which clothes to bring for Laurel and me.”
Laurel watched the smile disappear from Willie’s face at their mother’s words. “Then I’ll drive Willie and me home. We’ll come back tomorrow.”
“Land’s sakes, no,” her mother cried. “It’s a long drive out there, and I’d be worried out of my mind with you two driving alone.”
“Mama, you know I can drive. Please…”
Andrew held up his hand. “We could argue about this all day. So let me suggest this. I’ll drive Laurel and Willie home. Willie and I will take care of the chores while Laurel gets some clothes for all of you. I’ll then take them to Simon and Anna’s house. I think they need to be with family tonight. And then I’ll pick them up in the morning and bring them back to Gatlinburg. How’s that?”
Her mother regarded him with a somber expression for a moment. “Are you sure it won’t take you away from your work?”
“No, ma’am. I still have a few days’ work to do at headquarters with Superintendent Eakin, and I can be back here in the morning for that. It’s no problem. And I want to help you any way I can.”
A weary smile creased her mouth, and she nodded. “All right, Andrew. I appreciate you doing this for us. And I’m glad I’ll be able to get word to Mama and Poppa about Matthew. They’ve both thought of him as a son since he was nine years old. I expect this is going to hit them mighty hard, especially after losing Granny.”
He pulled his watch from his pocket and stared at it. “I need to go back to the office and let them know I’ll be staying out at the CCC camp tonight, and I’ll tell the hotel staff to send some supper over for you, Mrs. Jackson.”
“Thank you, Andrew.”
He slipped his watch back in his pocket and nodded. “Laurel, I’ll take care of those things and drive back over here in about twenty minutes. I’ll see you then.”
He was out the door before Laurel could respond. She walked to the window and watched as he walked toward the footpath that led to the hotel. Her mother’s arm circled her waist, and she turned toward her.
“The more I’m around Andrew, the more I like him.”
Laurel smiled and turned back to stare after Andrew. “Did you notice how his voice sounded a lot like Poppa’s when he stopped all the bickering about who should go back to the Cove? There was something about him that sounded like he was in charge of the situation.”
A sob tore from her mother’s throat, and she covered her face with her hands. “Oh, Laurel, what am I going to do?”
Laurel whirled and wrapped her arms around her mother. “Mama, we’re going to get through this fine. Poppa will rest for a few days, and then we’ll take him home. We’ll be back to normal in no time.”
She glanced across the room to where Willie sat, his face buried in his hands and his shoulders shaking. From the doorway Dr. Pearson gazed from one to another. After a moment he closed the door.
The click of the latch made her shiver. A battle between life and death was being waged behind that door, and she felt helpless. Her father had always been the rock of their family. He was the one who’d offered comfort for childhood injuries and the one to sit beside her bed when she’d been ill with high fevers. He’d also been the one who’d always listened when she had problems. What would she do without him?
She hugged her mother closer and stared past her to the door that stood between them and her father. All she could do was pray that God would see fit to heal her father and not let their time together end in that room.
Rani’s head dipped down to her chest, and she jerked upright. She sat still for a moment to see if her quick movement had disturbed Matthew. When he didn’t say anything, she reached over and straightened the quilt that covered him in an attempt to ward off the night’s temperature drop.
His hand stuck out from underneath the cover and she rubbed his fingers before she pulled the quilt over him. She rose from her chair, put her hands in the small of her back, and stretched. What time could it be? It seemed like an eternity since she’d settled in the chair the clinic’s nurse had brought for her.
She walked over to the window, pulled back the thin curtains, and stared out into the night. The full moon glowed like a beacon in the night sky and reminded her of evenings spent with Granny on the front porch as they tried to find the brightest star God had sent their way that night. When they found it, they would each name the blessings God had given them, and Granny would end their night with a prayer of thanks for all the blessings that came from His hand.
As a child, she’d recounted blessings such as a new dress her mother had made her or a toy her father had brought back from a trip to Gatlinburg. Later, when Matthew had returned to the Cove, it had been about God sending him into her life and the blessing of his love.
Tonight she stood alone staring at the stars. Granny was gone and her husband lay close to death. A sob caught in her throat. How could she live without him?
She tiptoed back to his bed and dropped down on her knees. The rough plank floor scraped at her shins, but she remained still. She bent over and pressed her forehead against the edge of the bed as she began to silently pray. God, I come to You as a broken woman tonight. I have never been as afraid as I am right now. I love this man so much, and I don’t want to lose him. You have brought him through so much in his life. You were with him in all the dark years following his father’s death, and You kept him safe so he could return to the place and the people he loved. I want him to live so he can see Willie grow up and Laurel get married and Charlie come back home. But even as I pray for what I want, I know Matthew would tell me to pray for Your will in this matter. So, Father, be with me as I surrender my will to You. I know I can face his loss if You walk beside me. Thank You for the time we’ve had together. Be with our family in this trying time. Amen.
Rani stayed on her knees long after the prayer was finished. She placed the palm of her hand on Matthew’s chest and took pleasure in its rise and fall with each breath he took. As long as there was breath, there was life. Finally satisfied that he was resting comfortably, she eased to her feet, settled back into her chair, and began to nod.
Sometime later she stirred at a
sound in the room. She opened her eyes and blinked into the darkness. What had awakened her? Then she heard it again. Matthew was calling her.
“Rani?”
She bolted to her feet and bent over him. “Yes, Matthew. I’m here.”
A sigh of relief drifted up from the bed. “I’m glad. I thought you might be somewhere else.”
She cupped his cheek with her hand and smiled. “Where would I be except at your side? That’s the only place I ever want to be.”
“I’m sorry I woke you up. I just wanted to see you.”
“Then let me get some light in here so we can see each other better.” An oil lamp and a box of matches sat on a table next to the bed. She turned her back to him so he couldn’t see how her hand shook as she removed the lamp’s chimney and held the struck match to the wick. When she replaced the chimney, the soft glow of the lamp lit the room. She turned back and smiled. “That’s better. Now I can see you.”
She pulled the chair closer and sat down. He stared at her for a moment before he spoke. “I’m sorry I gave you such a scare today. I’ve known for a long time I wasn’t well, but I didn’t want to worry you.”
The memory of him wincing in pain and rubbing his chest flashed in her mind. Why had she been so blind? Maybe she could have gotten him to a doctor sooner. Then another thought struck her, and her eyes grew wide.
“Is that the reason you gave up the fight to hold onto our land and insisted we get started building the new house and studio?”
“Yes. I didn’t want you to have to deal with everything alone if something happened to me.”
A tear ran down her cheek, and she wiped at it. “You should have told me, Matthew. You didn’t need to carry that burden alone.”
He sighed. “Well, I guess my secret is out now.” He reached for her hand. “I don’t know if this is my time to die or not. If it is, everything is taken care of. The lawyer who handled our court case has all the papers you’ll need to sell our farm. And everything’s arranged about building the new house and studio. He’ll also help you sell all the livestock and whatever you won’t need when you move to Gatlinburg.”
She reached over and placed her hand over his mouth. “Don’t talk like that. You’re going home with us, and I’m going to take care of you just like you have done for me for all these years. We’re going to finish raising Willie, and we’re going to see Laurel married, and…” She choked up and cleared her throat. “And we’re going to be together when Charlie comes home.”
He wrapped his fingers around hers and squeezed them. “I hope so, Rani. I sure hope so.”
Chapter 16
It was a glorious afternoon. Or so Laurel thought. She kicked at a rock in her path as she walked to the house from the lodge that had probably seen its last guest. She clasped her Brownie camera tighter and mulled over her plans for developing and cataloguing the pictures she’d just taken. By the time she left the Cove she wanted to have pictures of everything she’d known all her life.
As she approached the house she caught sight of her father sitting in a rocker on the front porch. He stared down at the Bible in his lap. It didn’t seem possible that three weeks had passed since his attack. After a week at the clinic he’d been allowed to return to the Cove, and so far he was getting better every day.
Laurel tiptoed up the steps, raised the camera, and stared through the view finder. She smiled at the image of her father. The color had come back to his cheeks, but he looked like he’d lost weight. He glanced up when he heard the camera click and scowled at her.
“Did you just take my picture?”
Laurel laughed and dropped into the chair beside him. “I did. I thought I’d see what you were up to out here on the porch by yourself. I couldn’t help but take your picture.”
“I figured it was about time for your mother to send somebody to check on me. If it’s not her, it’s either you or Willie. You’re all treating me like I’m an invalid.”
She laughed and patted his arm. “We’re so glad to see you doing so well that we can’t stay away from you.”
“And you can’t quit taking my picture,” he growled. “Every time I look up that thing is aimed at me.”
“It’s because I’m so glad to have you home. It wasn’t the same around here without you.”
He grunted and closed the Bible. “Sweet talk will get you nowhere with me, young lady.”
She set the camera down next to the chair and grinned up at him. “My, my. Aren’t you grumpy today? Have you had your medicine?”
“Yes. I’m full of those vitamins Dr. Pearson gave me.” He patted his shirt pocket. “And I’ve got my nitroglycerine right here.”
“Good. Keep it close at hand in case you need it.”
He smiled, leaned back in the chair, and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry I gave all of you such a scare.”
“Well, everything turned out all right.”
He looked at her and arched an eyebrow. “All right? I’ve been practically retired from working and I have to spend part of the day in bed. Not to mention all those vitamins I’m taking.”
“Now, Poppa, you know Dr. Pearson said medical science still knows very little about the heart. You’re lucky to be alive, so you need to follow his orders. We want you around here for a long time to come.”
“I want that too, darling. One of the things I kept thinking about when I was at that clinic was that I wanted to see you get married.” He frowned and glanced toward the corner of the house. “That reminds me. Where is Andrew? I heard him drive up before I came outside, but I haven’t seen him.”
“He’s at the barn with Willie. They’re doing the milking, although that’s not a very big job since Mama sold all the livestock except that one cow. But Andrew keeps coming to help out.”
“That boy has sure been good to help out since I’ve been sick.” He sat in thought for a moment. “It reminds me of the time I went over to help Jimmy’s grandmother Laura with the chores when Pete got hurt chopping wood. It was the beginning of a great friendship with Pete.”
“I’ve heard you tell that story, but you were probably better at what you had to do than Andrew was at first.” She swiveled in her chair to face her father. “Oh, Poppa, I wish you could have seen him that first day. He had no idea how to milk a cow. Willie had to show him. In fact Willie has really amazed me at how he’s taken over the chores. You’d be so proud of him.”
Her father’s chin trembled. “I am proud of him. He’s growing up.”
“You sound like that makes you sad.”
He smiled. “I know I’ve said he needed to grow up, but now that he is I find I’m missing the mischievous boy that he was.”
Laurel laughed. “Oh, don’t worry. I have a feeling that little boy is still around somewhere.”
Her father nodded and gazed toward the mountains in the distance. They sat in silence for several minutes until he turned to her. “I haven’t asked you how things are going with you and Andrew. Have there been any changes since I got sick?”
“No. For the last few weeks the only thing on my mind was getting you well. In fact Andrew and I have hardly talked. He’s been busy every day finishing up the sale agreements with some of the last holdouts in the Cove. Then by the time he’s through with the chores in the afternoon and has supper, he’s ready to get back to the camp.”
“I’ve enjoyed having him here at supper. I’ve really gotten to like that boy.” He paused and cast a quick glance at her. “I’m still concerned that he questions whether or not he can ever turn his life over to God.”
Laurel sighed. “I know. That concerns me too, as well as his relationship with his father.”
“Why? Is there a problem?”
Her father listened intently as she related her meeting with Andrew’s father. When she finished, she glanced at him. He pursed his lips, propped his elbows on the arms of the chair, and tapped his tented fingers together.
“I’ve prayed and prayed about this, Poppa, and I don�
��t know what to do. I don’t want to be the reason for Andrew to be alienated from his father.”
“It sounds to me like there was a problem before you came along. Maybe you just helped it come to the surface.”
“I’ve thought about that, but it still worries me. The Bible says for us to honor our father and mother. I want Andrew to be able to work out his problems with his father.”
“Maybe he will. Keep praying about it. That’s all I know to tell you right now.”
Before she could respond, Andrew and Willie walked around the corner of the house, and Willie hopped onto the front porch. “Mama says for me to take you for a walk before supper. She thinks you need some exercise.”
A growl escaped her father’s throat. “Oh, she does? And where does she suggest we walk to?”
“I thought we could walk down to the creek. Maybe we’d see that big fish that stays around that log in the water. How ’bout that?”
Her father smiled and pushed to his feet. “I think that’s a good idea. Let’s go.”
Laurel watched them go before she turned back to Andrew. “Come on up and have a seat on the porch.”
“Okay.” He stepped onto the porch and dropped down in the chair where her father had sat a few minutes ago. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes for a moment. “This has been a busy day.”
She reached over and squeezed his arm. “We really appreciate all you’ve done to help out while Poppa’s been sick. I know it hasn’t been easy for you on top of all your responsibilities at work.”
He straightened in his seat and faced her. “I wanted to talk to you about that. I talked with your mother when we brought the milk from the barn. I have to go back to Gatlinburg for a few days. I hate to leave, but the superintendent wants me there.”
“Don’t worry about that. We’ll make do just fine. We understand you have a job to do.”
He nodded and grinned. “Willie can milk that cow by himself. He’s quite a boy. I think we’ve become close since I’ve been helping out here.”
“I’m glad. I want you to like my family, but I worry about your relationship with your family.”
Beyond These Hills Page 22