by Merry Farmer
“I love my son,” he said. “In spite of the fact that he can be a fool. He’s young. He’ll learn.” Howard swallowed. “I love my wife and my dear Lucy too. Oh, Alice, I miss them so much.”
Alice surged toward him as Howard burst into tears. She took his hand and squeezed it. Howard did his best to recover himself and went on.
“It broke my heart when Elizabeth told me she didn’t want to stay here. I know that it was the wilderness, but it felt as though she was leaving me, that she didn’t want me. And Lucy. Lucy wanted to stay, I know, but she was loyal to her mother. I was beside myself the day they left. I stood there on the porch and watched their wagon drive away, watched until it disappeared over the hill. Then I stood and watched the empty horizon. Not a day goes by when I don’t miss them.”
“I’m so sorry,” Alice whispered.
Howard shook his head and drew in a breath. “I was standing there on the porch right after they left, my heart in pieces around my feet, when Ginny came riding over. She was upset that she’d missed them. She wanted to say goodbye. Ginny has always been tart. I love her for it.” His voice cracked, but he covered it by clearing his throat. “She snapped at me, as though it was my fault Elizabeth had left without saying goodbye, that she’d left at all. I was weak, Alice,” he explained. “I shouted at her, accused her of being harsh and unfeeling. Ginny left in a huff.”
He broke away from Alice and went to lean against the mantel above the unlit fireplace.
“I love my sister,” he admitted, agony in his voice. “I have always loved her. It was just the two of us growing up. We were as close as if we were twins, though Ginny is a year older. We did everything together. I taught her to ride, she taught me to darn socks. We came out to the frontier together in the earliest days, intent on making a world for ourselves, and for Cyrus. Cyrus was both of our friend, but when he and Ginny fell in love….” He trailed off.
It took several long seconds before Howard sucked in a breath. “I married Elizabeth for much less romantic reasons. I was looking for a helpmate, knowing I would go west, but I fell in love with Elizabeth as soon as I saw her. We married, Lucy and then Franklin came along, and as soon as I had the money, we came here. For a few years, everything was perfect. Then Cyrus died. I had lost my sister once to love. I lost her a second time to grief. After that, nothing was the same. Elizabeth came and went between here and Cincinnati as frequently as she could, which was no easy feat in those days, I can tell you. Then she went and that was that.”
He turned away from the mantel, meeting Alice’s eyes. “You don’t know what kind of pain I felt then. My wife gone, my sister not speaking to me because of one moment of heartbreak in which I lashed out. I couldn’t bear it. I couldn’t. I’ve never felt so alone in my life. The frontier can be a terribly lonely place with no one to share it with, and from that horrible day, I had no one.”
“How sad,” Alice said, stepping forward to take his hand.
He let her take it and squeezed hers in return, but he shook his head, shoulders pressed down with guilt.
“Heartbreak can make you do strange things, my dear,” he said. “It worked me into a towering temper over nothing. I confess to you now, I invented this dispute with Ginny. Fabricated it completely.”
“Why?” Alice asked.
Howard replied with a mirthless laugh. “Ginny refused to speak to me. She wanted nothing to do with me after the way I snapped at her when Elizabeth left. The only way I could get her to talk, the only way I could convince her to see me, was to accuse her of trespassing. This stupid dispute is the only way that I am able to see my beloved sister.” His voice broke, and tears streamed down his cheeks. “I miss her. I love her. I would do anything to have her as part of my life, even if that means making an ass of myself. I just want to spend time with her. Sometimes I feel as though she’s all I have left.”
“Oh Howard. Why didn’t you tell me?”
Alice and Howard both jumped and spun to see Ginny standing in the doorway to the hall, Jarvis at her side. Tears glistened on Ginny’s face, and she held a hand to her heart.
Howard coughed and sputtered, face going bright red. “Ginny. I didn’t see you there.” He stepped to the side, almost putting Alice between them as a barrier to hide behind.
Alice stepped subtly out of the way, joining Jarvis in the doorway as Ginny walked closer to her brother.
“My dear boy,” Ginny said, then sniffled. “Did you really start all this because you miss me?”
Howard shifted uneasily, humming and mumbling before any words could be formed. “You dealt me a harsh blow when I was at my lowest, Ginny.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, stopping right in front of him, within arm’s length. “I was hurt too. Elizabeth was my friend, or so I thought, and the fact that she left without saying goodbye to me was a lot to bear.”
“But you didn’t speak to me for weeks after that,” Howard said.
“I was still hurt,” Ginny replied. Together, the two of them looked like younger versions of themselves, hearts on their sleeves, emotion bright in their eyes. “You know me. I’m a stubborn old cow. Always have been.”
“And so am I,” Howard said, the barest hint of a smile fighting to come out. “Too stubborn to tell you the truth when I knew it would make me look like a fool.”
“No.” Ginny shook her head. “You’re not a fool. You’re a man with a heart as big as the mountains. I should have seen it then. I see it now.”
“My dear sister,” Howard sighed. He opened his arms, and Ginny surged into them. The two of them wept and held each other, years’-worth of emotion pouring out and resolving itself around them.
Jarvis tapped Alice’s arm. She gasped and brushed away her tears at the scene in front of them. Jarvis took her hand and led her away from the intimate moment and out of the house to the yard. Alice’s heart pounded with sympathy for Howard and Ginny, but above all, she was filled with confidence that, at long last, the dispute between them had been settled.
Chapter Nineteen
The midmorning sun was shining brightly as Alice and Jarvis walked down the front porch steps and ambled across the lawn. An unfamiliar wagon, likely belonging to Doc Shaw, was parked near the stable, but aside from that, the area was empty. Alice could see cattle roaming in their corral behind the barn and a few of Howard’s men tending to them. It was as if the ranch had gone back to normal after the trauma of the morning.
“You’d almost think it was a nice day,” Jarvis said, quiet and respectful.
Alice turned to him as they walked, not heading in any particular direction. “But it is a nice day,” she said. She reached for Jarvis’s hand.
He took it, his whole face lighting up as though he’d been handed a prize. “I suppose it is.”
They continued walking across the lawn toward a tall oak between the barn and the stable. It looked slightly out of place, as if it’d been brought from back East and planted deliberately as a reminder of something. Its wide branches spread shade over a large area. Jarvis steered Alice toward that shade. It felt cool and delicious against her tear-heated face. At least this time, her tears had been tears of joy for Howard and Ginny.
“I’m so happy that Franklin’s accident had a good outcome,” Alice said.
“I’m surprised that it did,” Jarvis said. “If you’d asked me yesterday, I would have said that nothing, not even the stupid fences, could have made Howard and Ginny see things eye-to-eye.”
He leaned his back against the tree’s thick trunk. Alice tucked herself against him, and Jarvis closed his arms around her. She took a deep breath. It was so full of peace that a wave of exhaustion washed over her.
“I should have seen it,” she said.
“You think?” Jarvis asked. He smoothed his hand along her back in tender, soothing circles.
Alice peeked up at him. “Howard confided a few things about his wife and daughter to me. I should have seen that loneliness and heartbreak were at the center
of his troubles.”
Jarvis laughed gently, kissing her forehead. “If you had, you would have been the most perceptive and compassionate woman I know.” He paused. “No, you are the most perceptive and compassionate woman I know. And, Alice, I love you for it.”
She smiled. He’d told her before that he loved her, but this time, with her heart fully open after letting Harry go, it was as if she was hearing it for the first time.
“I love you too, Jarvis,” she confessed. A happy blush painted his cheeks. “I never thought I would hear myself say that. I didn’t think it was possible to fall in love with someone so quickly.”
“But you have?” he asked. His hand tensed on her back.
A wide smile broke out on Alice’s face. She nodded, then lifted onto her toes to kiss him. His lips were warm and ready for her. Their kiss pulsed with love and longing, far beyond simple passion that could find a physical outlet. This kiss was a promise, a song.
Jarvis broke the kiss, leaning back and studying Alice’s face with wonder.
“What changed?” he asked. “In my heart, I’ve known that you love me, but all those times you said you weren’t ready yet made me wonder. I’m glad I don’t have to be patient anymore,” he quickly added, “but something is different.”
“You’re right,” she smiled.
“It has something to do with Franklin’s injury, doesn’t it?” Jarvis went on. “I saw the change in your eyes as we were driving him back from the fences.”
Alice tilted her head to the side and nodded, considering how to answer his unasked question. She drew in a breath, testing the newfound peace in her heart, and hugged Jarvis tighter.
“Sometimes it takes an extraordinary event for you to hear the wishes of those who you’ve lost,” she said, doubting that any words would be enough to explain that final communion with Harry. “Watching Franklin in so much danger made me realize how young he is, how much of his life is in front of him. It made me realize that even though Harry died, even though his life didn’t go on, that doesn’t mean that other people can’t live in honor of him.”
“That’s beautiful,” Jarvis said. He brushed his fingertips along the side of her face, sending prickles of desire along her skin.
Alice smiled. “It made me realize that I need to move on too.”
“Of course you do.”
“But….” She paused, now at a complete loss for how to explain. She drew in a fresh breath. “Franklin is going to be all right,” she said. “I know it. It’s… it’s as if Harry told me he would be. It’s as if he is there on the other side, making sure that he will be.”
Jarvis let out a shuddering breath. “That’s amazing.”
Alice thought about it for a moment. Then she smiled. “It’s amazing and wonderful. And Howard and Ginny are talking again. Which means that we might have accomplished the purpose we came here for.” Joy filled her at the thought.
“It certainly looks like I accomplished the purpose that I came for,” Jarvis said, teasing her with his smile.
“Which was?”
He laughed, kissing her lips. “To find a way to help you move on,” he confessed. “To give you something to do so that you could see that you have much, much more life ahead of you to live.”
“That’s why you made sure I came with you?” Alice didn’t think it was possible for her heart to expand more, and yet at that moment, it was positively overflowing.
“I love you, Alice,” Jarvis said again. He moved to hold her at arm’s length, taking her hands in his. “I don’t need months or years to know it, I know it now. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, if you’ll let me. And if you’re still not ready, I’ll wait. I’ll wait as long as I need to for you to feel the same way about me.”
Happiness beyond anything Alice could have expected squeezed her throat tight. She gasped in a breath, tears stinging at her eyes all over again. This was certainly a day for happy tears.
“I don’t need to wait anymore,” she said, voice breaking. “I know what I want, and that’s a life where I can be useful and make a difference. I want a life that I choose, full of purpose and joy. I want a life with you. I want you, Jarvis.”
“So… so you’ll marry me?” he asked, eyes filling with hope.
Alice laughed aloud. His uncertainty was so endearing.
“Of course,” she said, smiling as though she would burst. “Of course I’ll marry you.”
She launched herself into his arms, hugging him for all she was worth and kissing him with a passion that welled up from the bottom of her soul. Jarvis kissed her back just as fervently, humming with relief and love against her lips. It had taken so long, but at last, everything felt right.
“We should tell Howard and Ginny,” he said at length, breathless from kissing her. “And we should see if the doctor has anything to say about Franklin.”
Alice nodded, reluctant to let him go, but eager to see how their friends were faring. “We should.”
Hand-in-hand, they made their way back to the house. When they entered the parlor, Howard and Ginny were sitting on the sofa together, holding hands. They spoke in low, soft voices. Both of their faces were tear-stained, but rich with emotion and love. As soon as they saw Jarvis and Alice, they jumped up to greet them.
“We wondered where you’d gone,” Howard said, striding forward to take Alice’s hand and squeeze it.
“I told him he didn’t need to worry,” Ginny followed. “I told him that our Alice was in good hands with Jarvis by her side.”
Alice laughed. It was hard not to with so much hope and peace in the room. “We just went for a walk, to let the two of you have some time alone,” she said.
“Unnecessary,” Howard blustered, though his eyes shone with gratitude. “The two of you are like family now. It would have been no intrusion.”
“Although we did have some things to discuss,” Ginny said.
“Like that blasted fence,” Howard went on.
“It’s coming down tomorrow,” Ginny continued his thought. “The whole lot of it is good for nothing but firewood.”
“And property borders are for fools. We both own this property, and we’ll proceed as though we both have a right to it,” Howard said.
“And we’ll help each other make improvements as needed,” Ginny added. “Besides, I hear the railroad might build through this way. If Howard and I work together, we could stand to make quite a bit of money providing them with land.”
“That we could.” Howard beamed and puffed up with pride, patting his stomach.
Alice exchanged a joyous smile with Jarvis. “I’m so glad to hear it.”
“You’ll also be glad to hear,” Howard continued, “that Ginny and I are both going to write to Elizabeth to convince her and Lucy to come home.” He smiled at Ginny, full of confidence, and she returned his smile.
“I’m glad to hear it,” Jarvis said. “I don’t see how she couldn’t love this place.”
“Me neither,” Alice agreed. A twist of concern pierced through her overflowing joy. “Oh, but what about Franklin? Has the doctor come down yet?”
“No he hasn’t come—”
“Until now,” Doc Shaw interrupted Howard, coming down the stairs. He joined them in the parlor. “I heard you talking and thought I’d come down to give you a progress report.”
“How’s my son?” Howard asked, smile melting to heart-wrenching concern.
“Yes, is Franklin going to be all right?” Ginny seconded, surging forward, full of concern.
Doc Shaw shrugged. “I don’t know how he managed to do it with all those rails falling on him, but as far as I can tell, Franklin hasn’t suffered any irreparable internal damage.”
“What does that mean?” Howard asked.
“It means that, aside from two badly broken legs, which I plan to treat as soon as my assistant arrives with the proper equipment, and some bad bruising, Franklin will recover.”
Sighs of joy filled the room. Ginny pressed
a hand to her mouth, her eyes shining with tears of relief. Howard let out a breath, his shoulders sagging even as he smiled. Alice caught Jarvis’s hand and squeezed it. She had never been in any doubt, but it was good to hear a doctor say it.
“Granted, it will be a hard recovery,” Doc Shaw went on. “Those legs are a problem. Franklin will be bedridden for weeks as they heal. He might have a limp even once he’s on his feet again.”
“But he’s alive,” Howard said, “and he’ll stay that way.” He paused and a mock frown creased his brow. “Unless, of course, I murder him for whatever he was doing tampering with those rails before dawn.”
“Oh, Howard.” Ginny slapped her brother’s arm. “The boy was just trying to figure out clever ways to get ahead. I seem to recall someone else who used to get into trouble like that all the time.”
“Yes, well.” Howard coughed and sniffed, then winked at his sister.
“I have no doubt that young Franklin is a chip off the old block,” Doc Shaw said. “But I should get back to him. He’s conscious and in pain, but the laudanum is easing that a little.”
Doc Shaw stayed at Howard’s house for the rest of the day, and even overnight. Alice helped Hattie prepare a room for him. She helped out wherever she could, and so did Jarvis. True to Howard’s words, it was as if they were a part of the family. Alice stayed nearby when Doc Shaw’s assistant, an eager young man by the name of Elijah Hammer, just out of medical school, came with Shaw’s bone-setting supplies. She had to admit that it was a blessing that Franklin had been given the laudanum and had passed out as his legs were set and splinted. It wasn’t a pretty sight. By the next day, though, Franklin had come to, and in spite of being in pain, he was aware of his surroundings and what had happened.
“I’m sorry I caused so much trouble,” he told Alice as she brought him breakfast. “I was stupid.”
“No lasting harm was done,” she assured him.
Franklin nodded with a solemnity that hadn’t been there before his accident. Alice made sure he was comfortable, but as she was about to leave, he stopped her.