“Eat.”
“Yes, eat.” Wyatt sat down. “I’m sure Rosalinda will be bringing it in soon.”
He had no more than finished speaking when the door to the kitchen opened and Rosalinda came in with a platter of fried chicken. Juan followed with bowls of potatoes and gravy. The Garcias made two more trips getting everything on the table, then they disappeared in the kitchen.
“Eat, Gapa.”
“Yes, boy. Gapa is sure going to eat. He’s hungry.”
“That’s precious,” Mildred said. “I’ve never heard a baby say Gapa.”
“He came up with that himself,” Ben bragged. “We’re buddies, aren’t we, Adam?”
“Eat,” Adam said as he opened his mouth for the mashed potatoes his mother was holding up for him.
“Ben, you look like you’re doing well,” Mildred said as she passed him the platter Wyatt handed her.
“I’m feeling the best I’ve felt in years. Edwina won’t let me lay around and feel sorry for myself. She keeps me hopping.”
“Good for her.” She smiled at him. “Thourgood told me you’d lost interest in the ranch, but I think he may have been wrong.”
“He sure is,” Wyatt said. “Dad’s getting more active in the business every day.”
“I’m sure you appreciate his help. This is really a big place.” She put green beans on her plate and passed them on. “Thourgood was under the impression…I mean… It’s not important.” She glanced at Edwina.
“Don’t mind me, Mildred. I know your husband was set on Cora Sue marrying Wyatt. Of course, that can’t happen. I don’t want my husband going to jail for bigamy.”
Wyatt reached over and took her hand. “That’s for sure. I have all the wife I can handle.”
“I see you have. She’s a nice lady.”
“Thank you, Mildred.” Edwina smiled at her.
“I just don’t understand why Thourgood thought you marrying Cora Sue would give him access to your ranch. And why he wanted it, I’ll never know.” Mildred bit into her chicken leg without noticing the glance that passed between Wyatt and his father.
Chapter 31
“Dad, I have some business to discuss with you this morning,” Wyatt said as the family sat down to breakfast. “I don’t want to bore Edwina and Adam, so can you come into the study after we finish eating?”
“Sure, Son.”
“You don’t mind if we hide for a while, do you, honey?” Wyatt looked at Edwina.
“Of course not. I think it’s wonderful that you and your father are going to discuss business. It will be good for both of you.”
“You’re right about that and I have you to thank for it.”
She turned her head to the side. “What do you mean?”
“If you hadn’t brought Dad down to eat meals with us when you first arrived, I don’t know if we’d ever gotten back to this point.”
“He’s right, Edwina. You and Adam have brought a breath of life back into this house. A breath that had been missing for a long time.” Ben wiped his eyes with his napkin. “It’s almost like it was when Wyatt’s mother was alive.”
“I thank you, gentlemen, for the compliments, but I’m sure you would’ve worked something out sooner or later.”
“Maybe so, but you made it happen faster.” Ben dug into his eggs.
“Gapa,” Adam said and pointed his hand full of eggs toward Ben.
“Oh, Adam. I’ve got to start teaching you to use a spoon.” Edwina grabbed his hand and wiped the eggs into her napkin. “I’m glad Mildred decided to have her breakfast in the room with Cora Sue. She was impressed with you last night, but this morning she might change her mind.”
Wyatt laughed. “Don’t worry, boy. I ate with my hands until I was at least ten years old.”
“Dada. Horsie.”
“We’ll see the horsie later, Son. You need to eat your breakfast.” Wyatt was still grinning.
Adam slipped his hand away from Edwina and scooped up another handful of eggs. “Eat.”
Wyatt and Ben laughed out loud and Edwina shook her head. “How do you two expect me to teach him manners when you laugh at his actions?” She was doing her best to hold back a smile.
Rosalinda came into the dining room. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but Doctor Donavan is here to see Miss Reeson and I showed him to the room where she is.”
“Thank you, Rosalinda.”
“I wanted to let you know that when I let the doctor in I saw another wagon and a buggy coming down the road.”
Wyatt looked at her. “Don’t let anyone in until we finish eating. Then, will you take Adam to his room and either stay there until I call you or find Mrs. Kerr to stay with him?”
“Why, Wyatt?” Edwina asked. “I can take care of Adam.”
“It may be your uncle and I don’t want him to see Adam.”
A look of horror spread across Edwina’s face and Wyatt reached for her hand. “Don’t worry. He can’t hurt you or Adam. I’ll see to that.”
“We both will, honey,” Ben said.
“And I’ll protect little Adam with my life, Miz Edwina.”
“I know you will, Rosalinda. I just…I don’t know…I’m just afraid.” She put her fork down. “Why don’t you go ahead and take Adam? You can feed him and I don’t want him to see me upset.”
“Juan’s in the kitchen. Let me send him to the door and I’ll be right back to take little Mr. Adam.” She slipped through the kitchen door.
Almost immediately Juan appeared. Rosalinda took Adam and said, “We’ll go through the kitchen and take the back stairs. Now don’t you worry.” She patted Edwina’s shoulder.
“Ossie,” Adam said as they walked through the kitchen door.
“Yes, baby. Ossie is going to take good care of you. Ain’t nobody ever going to get you out of this house.”
“I’ll keep them outside while you folks finish eating, Mr. Wyatt,” Juan said.
“I don’t think we’re going to be able to eat any more, Juan. I want you to take care of Dad. I’ll go to the door. I don’t want that man in my house and I may need you and Dad to back me up.”
“I’ll be there, too, Wyatt.”
He smiled at Edwina. “I know you will, darling.”
There was a clatter of wagon and buggy wheels outside and shortly a sharp rap on the front door.
He stood and kissed the top of her head. “You stay here with Dad. I’ll let you know when, if I need you to come out.”
When he opened the door, Wyatt was surprised to see Thourgood Reeson and the Reverend Hezekiah standing on the porch. Mrs. Thorn was sitting on the wagon.
“I’ve come to see my daughter, Singleton,” Thourgood said. “I don’t expect you to keep me away from her.”
“You can see her in a little while. The doctor’s with her now.”
“I want Reverend Thorn to come in with me. He is going to pray for Cora Sue and I think it’ll be a good thing for her.”
“He can pray for her on the porch. He’s not welcome in my house.”
The reverend fingered the brim of his hat. “I can’t believe you’d keep a man away from someone who is need of having her immortal soul saved. You don’t want the girl to die without accepting the Lord.”
“Cora Sue is unconscious. She’d never know you were there.”
“I demand to see my daughter now.” Thourgood’s voice raised an octave.
The door opened and Mildred Reeson came out. “What are you yelling about, Thourgood?”
“I want to see Cora Sue.”
“The doctor is with her now. He sent me out of the room.”
“Surely you don’t want that man in the room without someone there to supervise. I don’t care if he is a doctor,” Hezekiah said. “You never know what he’ll do to her.”
“You have an evil mind, sir.” Mildred glared at him. “I trust Michael Donavan with my daughter. He brought Cora Sue into this world.”
“That shows he can’t be trusted,” Hezekiah boomed. �
�It ain’t natural for a man to be in the room when a woman gives birth. She needs a midwife. Not a man doctor.”
Mildred began to shake and Wyatt reached out and took her arm. “Don’t listen to him, Mildred. His mind is warped. You should hear the things he’s tried to make Edwina believe over the years. It’s a wonder she turned out to be the wonderful woman she is.”
“Edwina Thorn is an evil, selfish woman, who has the devil in her. She stays on the wide rode to hell, no matter how much I’ve tried to save her.”
Wyatt stepped forward. “You spew any more of your evil venom about my wife and you’re going to find yourself lying at the bottom of those steps with a busted nose.”
Hezekiah backed up. “You wouldn’t hit a man of God.”
“If you’re a man of God, I’m the king of the world.”
He backed up a little more. “You’ll not talk so big when I prove to the world you and my niece are living in sin.”
“I’ll only warn you one more time.”
“It’s the truth. I have the paper where she divorced you a year ago.”
“Edwina never signed any paper to divorce me.”
“She didn’t have to. I told the court she wasn’t responsible enough to sign it.”
“You fool!” Wyatt raised his fist.
For the first time Hezekiah showed how frightened he was. He hurried down the steps and climbed in the wagon beside his wife.
“Wyatt, why don’t you listen to the man? You know you don’t owe Edwina anything. Get rid of her and then you can marry a suitable woman.”
Before Wyatt could answer, Mildred said, “Thourgood, you’re acting like an idiot. Wyatt and Edwina are happily married. They have a beautiful son and neither of them intends to end the marriage. Not now. Not ever. Why don’t you listen to what they’re saying to you?”
“But look at this place. It needs to be overseen by a beautiful woman. Not some little gal from Virginia.”
“Do you want to end up with a busted nose?” Wyatt stared at him.
He shook his head and Wyatt went on, “Thourgood, even if I wasn’t married to Edwina, which I definitely am, there’s no way anyone will ever get their hands on an inch of my ranch. This entire place will go to my son, Adam, someday.”
Thourgood looked shocked. “You mean you won’t make plans for your wife to inherit it?”
“No. My wife will share this ranch with our son, but he will be the ultimate owner. That’s the way my father, Edwina and I want it to be and that’s the way it will be.”
Thourgood moved to one of the chairs on the porch and sat down. He looked like a defeated man.
Mildred went to him and put her hand on his shoulder. “Things will work out, Thourgood.”
He shook his head. “No, Mildred. Things will never be the same again.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I know you don’t. Just drop it.”
The doctor came through the front door. He saw the Reesons and moved toward them. “I have good news for you.”
“What is it, Doctor Donavan?” Mildred’s eyes widened.
“I’m pretty sure Cora Sue’s over the hump. She actually opened her eyes when I was examining her.”
“Can I see her now?”
“Sure. Go on in. I need to get over to the Hill’s place. Her baby’s due.”
“Come on, Thourgood. Let’s go see our daughter.”
He stood and followed his wife through the door.
Reverend Hezekiah Thorn must have regained his courage because as soon as the Doctor left, he climbed from the wagon and headed up the steps.
“Now that everyone’s left, I’d like to see my niece.”
“Your niece may not want to see you.”
“Listen, Singleton, Edwina is my niece. She’s not married to you and the child she has belongs to a member of my church. You have no right to keep them here.”
Wyatt turned toward the door and called, “Edwina, would you come out here, honey?”
Chapter 32
Edwina smoothed her hair, which she was wearing down and tied with a blue ribbon matching the blue skirt and blue striped ruffled blouse she wore. She knew her uncle wouldn’t approve of her outfit. For the first time in her life, she didn’t care.
She opened the door and stepped outside.
Hezekiah started toward her, but Wyatt shoved him backward. “You stay away from her.”
She moved close to Wyatt and he put his arm around her shoulder.
“Edwina, Edwina, look at how you’re dressed. Just like a Jezebel. How can you turn your back on all the good and truthful things I’ve taught you over the years?”
“I’ve learned that much of what you tried to force me to believe is a lie.”
“Oh, how that must hurt your precious aunt! You know she wanted you to grow up to do the Lord’s work and here you are living with a man you’re not married to and dressing to attract men’s attention.”
“I am married to Wyatt. Even you witnessed my wedding.”
“But it has been dissolved. I took care of it. Don’t you know how that hurts the woman who was a wonderful mother to you?”
“If she’s so wonderful, why have you left her there in the hot sun to suffer, while you stand on this shady porch?” Wyatt eyed him. “No decent man would treat his wife in such a manner.”
“I…well… She can get down if she wants to.”
“You should help her down and see that she’s comfortable in a chair. That’s what I’d do for Edwina. I’d never treat her worse than I would treat my dog. I’d even see the dog got water after a long wagon ride.”
Hezekiah looked perturbed. “My wife is of no concern of yours, Singleton. It’s your whore I’m—”
Before he could finish, Wyatt had him by the shirt collar. “I told you if you insulted my wife again, I’d smash—”
Edwina took his arm. “Don’t hit him, Wyatt. His words can’t hurt me. They used to make me quake, but no more. Now I realize what a sad and foolish man he is. All I want is for him to get back on the stage and leave Cool Wood forever so I’ll never have to see him again.”
Wyatt let him go. “Did you hear her? She wants you gone and I think it would be wise for you to leave quickly.”
“All right, I give up on asking you to return to your home and the people who care for you.” He stared at Edwina. “Bring me the boy and I’ll leave Cool Wood today.”
“Are you crazy? There’s no way I’ll give you my child.”
“He’s not your child, Edwina. He belongs to the Clarks. I promised him to them and I have to make good on my promise.”
Wyatt interrupted. “I’ll be damned if you’ll ever get your hands on my son. You and your evil teachings have done enough harm. We don’t want or need your kind in New Mexico. We already have enough rattlesnakes.”
The door opened and Juan rolled Ben’s chair to the porch. Anger was clear in Ben’s face and tone as he spoke. “I back up everything my son and daughter-in-law say. You’re not wanted around here.”
“It looks like God has already punished you for your sins,” Hezekiah said. “If you’ll repent I’ll be willing to pray the devil out of you and you’ll be able to walk again.”
“You fool. God never punished me. A damn wild horse slammed me against a fence and tangled my legs in the boards and began trampling me, breaking every bone in my lower body. It was my foolishness, thinking I could break a horse at my age. If God wanted me punished, He would’ve killed me.”
“But it was all in God’s plan. If you’ll repent—”
“Shut up, you idiot. I’ll not allow you to talk to my father that way.”
“I’m so sorry for you people. I know you don’t like me, but I will pray for your souls, though I’m sure it’ll be a lost cause.”
“I don’t need—”
“Aunt Callie!” Edwina screamed and headed down the steps.
Callie Thorn had slumped over and was falling out of the wagon.
Wyatt jumped
off the porch and was beside the wagon before Edwina reached it. He swooped Callie up in his arms and carried her up the steps.
“Leave her be,” Hezekiah said. “I’ll pray for her and she’ll be all right.”
“You pray all you want to, but in the meantime, I’m going to get this woman some water. It looks like she’s had a heat stroke.” Wyatt went inside with Edwina at his heels.
In the parlor Wyatt put Callie down on the sofa. Edwina ran to the kitchen and returned with a pitcher of water. Dena followed her with a towel.
“Dena, go upstairs and watch Adam and send Rosalinda down here,” Wyatt said. “Don’t come out of Adam’s room and don’t allow anyone in until I call you.”
“Yes, sir.”
Hezekiah came into the room. “Is she awake yet?”
“What do you care?” Edwina snapped. “You’ve always treated her like a slave, so don’t pretend you care now.”
“The Bible says a woman should submit unto her husband.”
“Yes, it does,” Ben said as he came in. “Do you know the next verse?”
“Of course I do.”
“Then why don’t you believe and practice it?”
Hezekiah stared at Ben. “I believe and practice every verse in the Bible.”
“Then you must have forgotten this particular passage. To refresh your memory, it says a man is to treat his wife the way Jesus treats his church. I never read where Jesus let his disciples pass out from heat stroke because he only cared for his own comfort. I think it was the opposite. He never lifted himself above anyone. In fact, He made sure those around him were comfortable before he thought of Himself.”
Rosalinda came to the door where Hezekiah stood. “Get out of my way. I’m going to try to help this poor woman.”
“How dare a servant talk to me like that?”
“I’ll have you know Rosalinda’s not a servant. She’s a member of this family as well as an employee. I’ll not have you trying to lord it over anyone in my household.” Ben pointed his finger at Hezekiah. “You’ve now proven my point about the Bible. You think you’re something special when all you are is a despicable individual.”
“I’m a servant of God and God alone,” Hezekiah screamed. “We have a special relationship.”
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