Wanted Preacher

by Renea Westlyn

  “Miss O'Byrne, I’m sorry, I mean Mrs. Bates. I just wanted to offer my deepest condolences to ya and if there is anything at all that you need,” he reached out and touched her arm, “you just let me know.” He patted her arm gently and strolled away. A broad grin forming beneath his full beard and as he smoothed it down he caught the scent of Abby’s delicious skin upon the tips of his fingers. Soon, she would be his...

  Abby shivered and brushed her hand down her arm, trying to rid herself of creepy crawlies that had climbed onto her skin with his touch.

  “I don’t like that man,” Hattie stated boldly as they watched him swagger out of the church.

  “I don’t either. I hadn’t seen him since the stagecoach when he claimed to be coming here to help out. I don’t recall seeing him at the service either. Do you?”

  “No, I didn’t see him. I’m not even sure he was actually inside the church. It’s as if he were standing here waiting all along,” Hattie replied.

  “Well something about him makes me very uncomfortable. Samuel had gone to talk with Marshal Sewell about him before…”

  “I take it Reverend Bates didn’t make it to his meeting with the Marshal?”

  “No, he didn’t.” Abby shook her head.

  “That’s a shame, though I do believe several of the women in town have already made their complaints quite clear to the Marshal. I’m sure he’s keeping an eye on him.”

  “I certainly hope so, even more so now with Samuel gone. That man scares me,” shuddered Abby.

  After the meal Abby walked home alone to the parsonage, feeling completely lost. She couldn’t believe her sweet Samuel was gone already. Their marriage had barely begun, they hadn’t even… Well, that was a good thing she supposed. She didn’t know what she was going to do with herself, how on earth would she manage if she were with child? She couldn’t even imagine.

  Fannie Pearl had told her not to worry about the church elders, but Abby couldn’t help it. She’d already been forced from one home, she didn’t want to be forced from another. She’d taken a liking to her little home. She knew though, that eventually, they would hire a new Reverend and he would require the use of the parsonage. She only prayed they would not hire that slimy Reverend Skinner.

  If only her sister Kitty were here now, she would cook up a plan. She always had the best plans. Kitty would arrive soon enough though and help her muddle through. She just needed to stay in Silverpines for as long as possible, as she had no idea why Kitty was late and could not send word to her. Kitty would put that Reverend Skinner in his place too. Abby always wished she were more like Kitty—brave and bold enough to speak up.

  Abby awoke to the sun shining and no rain for the first time since her arrival. She hurried out of bed, dressed and rushed outside. She could not believe it was not raining at all, not even a light drizzle! She rushed back inside for her shawl and decided to take a walk to enjoy the morning sunshine.

  Perhaps, Samuel sent it from above knowing how much she longed for warmer weather. Abby smiled at the thought. Though they were still in the beginning stages of their courtship after marriage, Abby knew in her heart Samuel would want her to be happy and today she would choose joy.

  She walked past the park and saw Fern out there with Opal, but Reuben was nowhere in sight. Millie had been by every day to check on Abby and every day Abby asked about Reuben. Millie had told her that Reuben had taken to refusing desserts, claiming he didn’t deserve them. The poor boy was blaming himself so harshly. Abby wished he’d talk with her, but Millie said he wasn’t ready yet.

  Abby approached the bakery and the sweet smell of baking bread filled the air. She’d have to stop and purchase a fresh loaf on her way back. She walked past the telegraph office and thought of sending one to Kitty, though she knew she could not send it to Rosedale. Perhaps, she’d receive one from Kitty soon. She could use Kitty’s advice; with Samuel gone, their plan was failing. However, Abby had made friends in Silverpines and that gave her a sense of comfort and security, something she hadn’t always had back home.

  She looked up as she crossed the railroad tracks and realized she was nearing the river. The same river that claimed her Samuel. The current seemed to have fallen asleep, as if it had been fed and was now satiated.

  She walked past the Woodson Lumber Mill and sat on a large stump. She enjoyed basking in the sun, the calming sounds of the once deadly water and the birds singing. When she looked around she could still see the devastation caused by the earthquakes and the mudslide. It was still worn on the faces of the women and children who’d lost their loved ones, but today, for the first time, Abby thought Silverpines just might have a chance at recovery. She hoped she would be able to continue to be a part of that.

  Abby was sitting lost in her thoughts when she heard the sound of a small animal crying out. She stood up slowly and began making her way toward the sound, not wanting to frighten it off. There were a lot of logs and trees that had fallen during the earthquake and mudslide, and she carefully climbed over a few, pausing to listen for the sound.

  When she didn’t hear it again, she sat down on a log and waited. Only this time the little cry seemed to be coming from below her. She turned to her side and looked down. There was a hole in the log and a small, wet, grey and brown little face with a pink nose popped out. It was a unique looking kitten, who was shaking so violently he could barely stand. Abby put her fingertips near the hole to see if the kitten would sniff them before she tried to pick it up.

  The kitten eagerly tried to climb out, only to fall back in the hole of the large log, his tummy growled loudly as Abby reached down and lifted him out. She cuddled him to her lap and began to stroke his wet fur.

  “So, you're the culprit. The one Reuben was trying to rescue, huh?” She rubbed his face and he purred loudly. Abby laughed, “You’re awfully cute. I can see why Reuben wanted to catch you, and had you let him, you wouldn’t have been shivering in that hollow log. I wonder if Hattie has any experience with kittens?”

  She stood up, wrapping the kitten in her arms. “Let’s go see, shall we?” The kitten purred in agreement. Abby made her way back towards the parsonage and then turned right down Sixth Avenue to the apothecary building, knowing she’d find Hattie there.

  “Good morning, Hattie!” She walked in just as Hattie was standing up from her work station. “I have a new friend, but I’m afraid he might have a bit of a cold,” she said, stroking the kitten’s now mostly dry fur. “Have you ever worked with kittens?” she chuckled.

  “Well I”— she paused, examining the kitty carefully, “I don’t think that’s actually a kitten, Abby. Where did you find him?” Hattie petted his damp head. He gave her a loud purr of approval, as he stretched his back legs, his tiny nails catching on Abby’s dress.

  “He was hiding in a hollowed-out log near the river. I heard him crying when I went out for a walk. Took me a bit to find him.” She smiled sadly, “do you think he has a cold?”

  “I haven’t treated animals before, but I imagine if you just take him home, feed him, and keep him warm, he’ll be just fine,” she said as she looked him over.

  “Well, that sounds easy enough.” Abby grinned and raised the kitten up to her face, rubbing her nose against his.

  “I wouldn’t tell Reuben you found this kitten, he might blame it. I don’t think it’s the right one for Opal either.”

  “Why not?”

  “I think it’s a baby lynx, Abby.”

  “A baby what?”

  “Basically, it’s a wild cat, Abby. Lynx’s don’t usually make the best of pets,” explained Hattie as she looked closely at his ears, “See these little tufts of black hair at the top of his ears?” she asked as she pointed them out, “Only a Lynx would have these.”

  “I’ve never had a pet or been around any wild animals, surely it’s not a terrible pet to have? He acts just like a kitten.”

  “I don’t know, but that’s why I wouldn’t give it to Reuben or Opal,” Hattie said, glan
cing out the window, “Oh dear!”

  “What?” Abby rushed over to the window and watched as Reverend Skinner walked past, a stunning bouquet of pink and yellow roses in his hands. “Where did he get those?!”

  “There is only one house in town with roses like that and it belongs to the Spinster sisters.”

  “The who?”

  “You know, Miss Edie and Ethel Howard? They run the orphanage for girls. Katie lives there.”

  “Oh! The little ladies that want her to walk around town with a stack of books on her head?” Abby laughed, “Where do you think Reverend Skinner is taking those flowers?”

  “It looks like he’s heading to the parsonage! So, to you, I’d bet. If the Howard sisters catch him, they’ll skin that man alive!”

  “To me?”

  “Well, he’s headed to your house,” Hattie said, as she craned her neck out the window to see.

  “Perhaps having a lynx or bobcat, or whatever you called him, will keep the creepy Reverend Skinner off my porch.”

  “Well, I guess you better name that cat then,” Hattie chuckled.

  Chapter 2

  Ryder Mountain, Kentucky

  Akecheta James stood on the train platform, telegram and ticket tucked in his shirt pocket waiting to board. He hated trains, and after the way Genesis had acted during boarding, he feared that the feeling had rubbed off on his horse. He could only pray he was making the right decision for them both and not merely accepting the opportunity simply to be closer to his blood brother, Alexzander.

  The two had been inseparable until Alexzander’s father had died and his mother chose to return to Beckham, Massachusetts. Alexzander had not wanted to leave Kentucky, but he had felt that his father would have wanted him to care for his mother and his sisters. It had been ten long years, and Akecheta missed the brother of his youth. When he first received the telegram, he had wanted to run straight to Oregon, mostly to hug his brother. He’d often prayed the Lord would once again bring them into one another’s path.

  Recently, he’d felt as if he were lost and alone in the wilderness without a friend in the world. His loneliness likely had something to do with his desire to run to Oregon as well, for he never dreamed he’d consider what was being asked of him. Not after Nancy, his fiancée, had died. After her death, his position as Pastor in Harlan had evaporated into thin air. He’d been aimlessly wandering for some time now, longing to feel God’s spirit anew within him.

  The telegram from Alexzander offered him the position he craved, the ability to share the word of God with others. It was the second part, the “must be willing to marry” part, that had stopped him in his tracks. What if the woman was no saner than Nancy had been?

  The community of Harlan had tried to warn him against Nancy. They had discouraged his pursuit, and rumors of her mental stability had spread like a wildfire upon an open prairie. Still, her alluring green eyes had called to him. He had ignored the small inkling in his spirit trying to draw him elsewhere as he ran directly into the fire.

  The memory of his wedding day still tormented him, and he wasn’t sure if he was ready to attempt marriage again. Though he had nothing to do with Nancy’s death, the reason behind her demise left him carrying a heavy load of guilt and more rejection than he had ever felt in his life.

  He’d stood so proudly at the front of the church, watching the pews fill with the smiling members of his congregation as he awaited his bride. He’d been surprised when she’d accepted his courtship. While he waited for her to arrive he reflected over their short engagement and smiled. He was truly happy.

  He was preaching the word of God, he had a beautiful woman that was about to become his wife and for the first time he felt truly accepted. It was an odd thing to be half-white, half-Indian and called to preach God’s word, but Akecheta felt the spirits of his people, all his people, and though it had been a struggle he’d not been able to ignore the call upon his heart to serve the Lord.

  The sound of the congregation had drawn him from his musings as they shuffled in their seats impatiently. He’d looked to his father, who would be presiding over the ceremony.

  “Shouldn’t Nancy have arrived by now?” he questioned, wiping his hands nervously on his trousers.

  “Be patient my son. Brides like to do a little extra primping on their wedding day.” Henry James winked at his son, but Akecheta had already begun to worry. Perhaps, the congregation was not here to show their support but here to see if Nancy would actually marry the half-Indian preacher. Akecheta acknowledged the doubts for what they were and began to pray, turning them over to the Lord as he awaited his bride’s arrival.

  He was deep in prayer when the doors of the church burst open and Nancy’s father, Richard stumbled in, his white dress shirt and hands covered in blood. “My baby! My little girl, she’s gone,” he cried as he fell to his knees.

  Akecheta ran down the aisle to Richard, dropping to the floor in front of him.

  “What has happened? Where is Nancy?” he begged.

  Marshal Gordon joined Akecheta on the floor in front of Richard. “Mr. Bloomberg, where is your daughter? Was there an accident?”

  Richard pointed his bloody finger at Akecheta, “He killed her. He killed my baby girl!”

  “Last Call!” shouted the conductor, jerking Akecheta from his memories.

  He looked around, making sure Mr. Douglas Bloomberg, Nancy’s long-lost brother, had not followed him. Then he rushed for the train, boarding at the very last moment.

  Akecheta took his seat knowing the war still raged within him over the experience, and it was fighting for his very soul. He struggled through his grief and anger at the loss of his congregation, the loss of his fiancée and the loss of what he thought was to be his future. Could he still preach the word of God? Would the congregation of Silverpines accept him? Would he be a good husband? Akecheta couldn’t fathom the answers to these roiling questions and so he had sought the wisdom and knowledge of his elders.

  After speaking with his white father, Henry James, who preached nearby, he had traveled up the mountain to visit his mother’s tribe. Though she was long gone, his connection to the tribe remained intact, and he sought the wisdom of their spiritual leader as well. The following day he traveled higher into the mountains, praying as he walked among God’s creations. Then he sat and was still for some time awaiting the knowing peace to fill and settle the stirring in his soul.

  The following morning, he’d traveled down the mountain, sent a telegram to Alexzander, and purchased his train ticket. He would go where God called him and marry whomever God asked him to. He’d learned his lesson and prayed he would never again ignore the smallest of whispers brushing against his spirit.

  Silverpines, Oregon.

  Fannie Pearl had been about to rest her eyes for a moment in the chair when she heard the chatter of young women approaching her home. She had just risen from her resting position when they knocked on the door. Opening the front door, she found five young women on her doorstep chattering away like school girls excited about the spring dance.

  “What are you five up to?” Fannie leaned against the doorframe and placing a wrinkled hand on her hip.

  “Oh, Fannie Pearl! We need your help,” exclaimed Sarah Gillham as she entered.

  “Well now, that sounds like trouble, Miss Gillham.” She winked and waved them on inside. “Would you like some tea?”

  Betsy patted her arm and moved toward the kitchen. “I’ll get it, Fannie, you rest. I know my way around.”

  Fannie Pearl returned to her chair and sat down. “Now then, do we have to wait for Betsy or are y’all gonna tell me what has you in such a tizzy?”

  “We don’t have to wait for Betsy,” Ella Grace said, taking a seat.

  “We need your help convincing Betsy!” Laura Bennett stated, shifting her daughter Caro from one hip to the other.

  Fannie Pearl laughed, “Well now, I’m afraid Betsy has a rather strong mind of her own. There ain’t much that can con
vince her to do something other than herself.”

  “You could do it, Fannie Pearl, we know you could,” Millie Messer encouraged as she took the seat next to Ella Grace.

  Betsy entered the living room with the tea and serving tray, “Did they talk you into it yet?” she asked as she poured Fannie a cup of her favorite lavender tea.

  “Well seeing as I don’t rightly know what it is, I’m afraid not.” Fannie Pearl smiled in amusement.

  “I’ll tell you what it is, and I don’t see why I’ve got to be the one to do it either,” huffed Betsy as she paced around the room.

  “Now Betsy, it can’t be all that bad, can it?” Fannie Pearl looked questioningly at the others who now refused to make eye contact with her.

  “They want me to convince Abby to place an ad for a groom... for a new preacher! Reverend Bates has barely been in the ground two weeks!”

  “Betsy, I do recall Ike’s passing and not to be insensitive but just how long was Ike in the ground before you sent your letter? How long have their husbands been in the ground?” Fannie Pearl pointed to the ladies in the room, “Yet you convinced them, did you not?”

  Betsy stopped her pacing and stared at Fannie Pearl. “Well, yes! But Fannie Pearl, that was different!”

  “Not the way I see it. Silverpines needs a Reverend and Abby needs a husband.”

  “You truly think I should talk to her about it?”

  “Unless y’all want Mr. Skinner as your new Reverend, then yes! That sneaky fox keeps sniffing around our Abby and we need to put a stop to it, now!”

  All five women cringed at the mention of Mr. Skinner, but readily agreed with Fannie Pearl. Betsy flopped on the sofa deflated, “I guess you're right, Fannie. I’ll try and have a talk with Abby.”

  Ella Grace clapped her hands excitedly while Millie shot Betsy a knowing look. Laura smiled as she tickled Caro’s tummy, “Now, we won’t have to leave Silverpines to get married, will we?” Caro laughed not really sure what all the fuss was about.