“Megan.” Jesse’s kisses strayed from her mouth along her jaw. Shivers of delight coursed through her. His arms tightened. The next thing she knew, he swung her up and strode to the bedroom. Her heart thundered loud enough to be heard miles away. Jesse glanced down, a question in his eyes. Megan smiled, her fingers tracing the outline of his face. She barely noticed when he kicked the door shut behind them.
❧
A slight breeze lifted the strands of hair that had worked loose from her braids, sending them dancing across her forehead and cheeks. The fresh scent of spring was in the air. Bright green shoots of grass were poking up from the ground, as if over-night an artist had run his brush across the landscape, adding color to the brown. Megan wanted to throw her arms in the air and twirl in a wild dance of delight that winter was at an end. She settled for taking a deep breath and thanking God for the new life He’d given them.
“Meggie, wait.” Seana darted after Megan, her long braids flying behind her. One month had passed since Seana had been burned. Except for the slight pink color on her arms, you couldn’t tell where the burns were. Seana scampered up to Megan, her eyes sparkling, her cheeks flushed with excitement. “Meggie, can I go to the creek and play? I finished the chores you gave me. Please?”
“You know you can’t go to the creek by yourself. Especially this time of year, when we’ve had so much rain.” Megan stretched out her hand to Seana. Her sister’s health had been improving as winter faded. As she felt stronger, Seana had also been showing some rebellion. Megan thought Seana missed their parents more than she would let on, but she hadn’t been able to get Seana to admit that.
“I’m old enough to go there. Matt could go by himself.” Seana put her hands on her hips. “I know how to swim if I fall in. I only want to see if I can find some frog eggs. Matt showed me how.”
“Matt was a lot older than you. When he was your age, he couldn’t go to the creek by himself, either.” A lump wedged in Megan’s throat. Matt had always taken Seana with him on his jaunts to fish or hunt for tadpoles and frogs. Their age difference didn’t seem to matter. Matt doted on his younger sister.
“Why don’t you come with me? I’m taking some water and a piece of corn bread out to Jesse.”
“Why?”
“He’s been working hard, and supper is still three hours away.” Megan studied Seana’s defiant stance. “Don’t you think he deserves a little something? Remember how Momma used to do this for Papa?”
“Jesse isn’t my papa.” Seana hurled the words like stones. Megan flinched. Seana whirled and ran back to the house, but not before Megan could see the tears brimming in her eyes.
Jesus, I don’t know what to do here. She’s hurting so bad. Do I just wait, or do I punish her for insolence? I’m not a parent, Lord. Help me.
The joy seemed to have gone from the day as she trudged on to the field where Jesse plowed the soil. Megan attempted to erase the concern from her face, pasting on a smile when Jesse waved at her, then strode in her direction, leaving the team to rest.
“Hey, Beautiful. This is a pleasant surprise.” Jesse brushed a sweet kiss across her lips.
“It is not a surprise.” Megan couldn’t help the giggle that escaped. “I do this every day.”
Taking a long drink of water, Jesse winked at her. “Maybe the surprise isn’t seeing you, but realizing how much more I love you every day.”
Megan waved her hand in front of her face. “Whew, it’s getting hot out here. It must be all the blarney floating around.”
Jesse laughed and drew her close for another kiss. “That was the honest truth, even if you don’t believe it.” He released her. “Now why don’t you give me that piece of corn bread before it’s completely squashed and tell me what has you so upset.”
Megan glanced down at what had once been a beautiful square of corn bread, but now looked more like something the horse stepped on. She flushed and handed the flattened piece to Jesse. “I’m sorry.”
“You’re avoiding the real issue.” Jesse undid the cloth covering and took a huge bite. He didn’t seem to care about the shape of his food.
Megan sighed and glanced back toward the house. “It’s Seana again. I don’t know what to do, Jesse. She’s so moody lately. I thought she would have been rebellious over losing her parents months ago. Instead, she acts like they died yesterday.”
Jesse took another long drink of water. “Hey.” He pulled her close. Megan rested her head against his chest, listening to the steady thump of his heart. “She’s been sick and hurt, Megan. I don’t think she felt well enough to understand the loss. Give her time, Angel. She’ll come around.”
“But she resents your being here.”
“That’s natural, I think. She sees me as trying to take her father’s place. Maybe in her child’s mind, she wonders if she gets rid of me, maybe they’ll be able to come back.” He gave her a tight hug, then handed her the water container. “I’ll try to quit a little early tonight. Maybe I can take her to the creek and do some fishing. Fresh fish for supper might be a nice change.”
“Okay.” Megan sniffed and wiped her nose. She gave Jesse a sly smile. “If she pushes you in, can you swim?”
“Nope, you’ll have to come along and rescue me.” He gave her a quick kiss and headed back to the horses. “I’ll stop in about an hour. Don’t say anything to her. She might think of an excuse not to go.”
❧
His hair still wet from washing up, Jesse whistled as he opened the door to the house. Seana sulked in the corner while Megan chopped something for supper. The tension in the room could stop a train.
“Seana, I need some help.” Jesse didn’t glance at Megan, not wanting to give their conspiracy away.
“I’m busy.” Seana grabbed up her doll, pretending to do something important with the toy.
“You can bring Ennis with you.” Jesse paused to frown and rub his chin as if in deep thought. “The problem is she might get dirty and wet.” He shrugged. “Oh well, I’m sure you can clean her up.”
“What do you need me to do?” Seana was trying hard not to be interested.
Jesse sighed. “Well, there’s some fish down in the creek, hollering to be caught. I hoped to find someone who could show me the best place to dig up worms and maybe even the best fishing holes.”
Seana stared down, silent and still. Jesse turned to Megan. “Will you go with me, Megan? I really don’t know where to go, and I’m hungry for a mess of fresh fish. I’ve been thinking about that all afternoon.”
Megan opened her mouth to answer when Seana jumped to her feet. “She doesn’t know. She never wanted to go fishing. Only Matt and me did that.”
Jesse swung back around to face Seana. “Well, if you won’t help me out, then Megan’s the only hope I have. Will you help me?”
Seana shot a look at Megan that might have been triumph. “Come on, I know the best spots. Matt showed me all of them.”
“Do we have some fishing poles?”
“They’re out in the shed.” A seed of excitement shone in Seana’s eyes. “There’s a can for worms out there, too.”
“Why don’t you go look for them while I instruct your sister on the fine art of getting ready to cook fish?” Jesse winked at Seana. She did her best to wink back, then darted out the door.
He heard the sniffle before he turned around. Megan wiped at her eyes with a corner of her apron. “Thank you.”
“Thank me for what?” He went to her and wrapped his arms around her. He arched his brow. “Say, have you been chopping onions? You seem to be crying.”
Stretching up, Megan dragged his head down and gave him a kiss. Jesse kissed her back. “I’d better go before I forget what I’m doing.”
“Aren’t you going to instruct me in the fine art of cooking fish?” Megan’s gaze was wide and innocent.
He chuckled and kissed her again. When she was breathless, he stepped back. “Those were my instructions. Now you have to figure them out.” Laughing, Jesse
headed for the door. “We’ll be back in an hour, Angel.” He winked. “If you hear me hollering, come to my rescue.”
Fifteen
“I give up.” Jesse sank down on the bank of the creek. “There aren’t any worms to be found here. The only way to catch a fish is to try to grab one out of the water, and I’m no good at that, either.”
“Matt did that once.” Seana perched on a rock near the creek, her arms crossed, her back rigid. She’d been bouncing and excited until they stood on the small hill leading down to the winding stream. She froze, and Jesse could almost see the memories of fun times spent with her brother parading through her mind. He’d tried everything he could think of to reach her, but nothing worked. Acting as if he couldn’t do this was his last resort.
“I’ve heard of people being able to do that, but not when the water is so cold.”
Seana’s chin tilted up a notch. “Matt did it in the summer. If it was warmer, I could show you how.”
“Did you catch fish with your hands, too?”
She shook her head. “No, but I watched how Matt did it.”
Jesse could see the sheen of tears in her eyes. “Me, I have to have a fat, juicy worm, or I can’t catch a thing.” Jesse plucked a blade of grass, taller down here by the water, and stuck it in his mouth. “Of course, I didn’t have much chance to fish in the city.”
“Matt said city folk don’t know nothing about living.”
“Matt could be right.” Jesse’s thoughts strayed to the values embraced by the people he knew. How many of them were miserable trying to keep up with fashion, wealth, and the status of their neighbors? They didn’t have any idea how precious life could be until too late.
“Why don’t you go back to the city?”
Jesse stilled. He’d almost missed the words, they were so quiet. Lord, what do I say? He studied the set of Seana’s shoulders and thought of all she’d lost since he’d arrived. How could he have been so insensitive? She needed love and understanding—attention. That’s why she was lashing out.
“Seana, I don’t want to take Matt’s place or your papa’s.”
“Then why did you come here?” Her chin trembled.
“Because this is where the Lord brought me. I was lost in the storm. He led me to you.”
“Why?”
Jesse sat up. “Maybe because I needed your help. Maybe because you needed mine, too.”
“I don’t need you. I need Papa and Matt and Momma. They can take care of me just fine. I want them.” She bent her knees and wrapped her arms around them, huddled in a ball. “Megan doesn’t want you, either.”
“I don’t believe that’s true, Seana. Have you talked to Megan about this?”
Seana shook her head and swiped the tears from her face. “It’s true, I know. We don’t want you here.”
“If I leave, who will plow and plant the fields for you?”
“I can do it.” Seana gave him a fierce look. “I’ve watched Papa.”
Jesse quirked one eyebrow. “You can hitch a team to the plow? Have you ever done that?”
“No, but Momma always says there’s a first time for everything. I know I can do it.”
“Okay, I’ll make you a deal.” Jesse waited as Seana narrowed her gaze a moment before nodding. “You help me find a worm and catch a couple of fish for supper, and tomorrow I’ll let you help me do the plowing.”
He tried not to hold his breath or look anxious as she considered his offer. Seana jumped down from the rock and walked over to him. “Deal.” She held out her hand. “Then when you see how good I am, you’ll leave, right?”
“Fair enough.” Jesse nodded. “But only if Megan wants me to go. She has a say in this, too.”
They shook hands, and Seana walked to the edge of the creek bank. Taking a stick, she pried a rock loose and dug in the soil for a minute. With a grunt of triumph, she slipped a couple of fat worms free from the dirt, holding them aloft for his inspection. Jesse prayed he’d done the right thing. He wanted to reach Seana and help her through her hurt.
Threading a worm onto his hook, Jesse followed Seana downstream. She pointed to a spot in the creek, and he landed his bait there on the second try. The water swirled and eddied around the rocks and brush, the sound as soothing as a mother’s crooning to her infant. He settled back against a tree, the rough bark poking through his shirt. Seana sat on a rock, her gaze glued to the spot where his line dipped below the surface of the stream.
Within minutes Jesse felt a hard tug on the pole. He sat up, his gaze going to Seana. She leaned forward, an excited expression making her look like the child she was. Jesse fought back a grin and began to work the fish to the edge of the water, where he could flip it up on the bank.
A squeal escaped Seana as she pounced on the flopping fish. For the moment, she seemed to have forgotten her dislike of Jesse. He could see her having done this many times in the past with Matt. She held the trout as high as she could.
“Bring him over here.” Jesse pointed to a spot away from the creek in case the fish wiggled loose from the hook. He’d had many fish flop right back into the water before he could grab them.
Putting a new worm on the hook, Jesse ignored the wriggling fish and looked at Seana. “Do you think we can catch another one in this spot?”
She frowned at the swirling water, then nodded.
“All right. You toss the worm in, and I’ll work on cleaning this fish while you catch the next one.” He tried to act nonchalant about the proposal, but didn’t miss the widening of Seana’s eyes as she glanced from him to the worm dangling from the hook to the stream. It took her several tries and a little assistance to land the bait in the right spot, but Jesse couldn’t help the satisfied feeling that welled up inside as he went a little way downstream to clean the first fish.
“Jesse, I got one.” Seana’s voice squeaked. Jesse crashed through the brush just in time to see her flip a trout onto the bank.
“This one is even bigger than the one I caught.” Jesse placed his cleaned fish alongside hers. “I think you beat mine by at least two inches.”
Seana clapped her hands. Jesse was amazed that the sulky girl of a few minutes ago could be so changed. Maybe her anger would pass as she learned he wasn’t trying to replace her family—or the cause of them being gone. Jesse determined he would have to win the girl over. She deserved loving, and God sent him here for a purpose.
They caught two more fish before Jesse declared they had plenty for supper. Both of Seana’s fish were bigger than Jesse’s. She skipped ahead of him all the way back to the house. The sun hung low in the west. Chores needed doing before supper, so Jesse sent Seana to the house with the catch while he headed for the barn. Although tired, he worked fast. He couldn’t wait to eat some fresh trout. Plus, the thought of seeing Megan again made the chores a breeze.
❧
“Meggie, look.” Seana rushed through the door, a string of fish in one hand, poles in the other.
Megan shut the oven door and set the pan of biscuits out to cool. “Those are nice, Seana.” She left the kitchen to admire them.
“I caught two of them all by myself. These two.” Seana pointed out the two biggest trout. “Jesse couldn’t even figure out how to find worms. I had to show him where they are and then show him the best spots to fish.”
“Sounds like without you we might not have had any supper tonight.” Megan bit back the urge to caution her sister not to brag. Right now Seana needed encouraging, not discouraging. “Why don’t you wash up? You can help me with supper. We should try to have everything ready when Jesse gets in from doing the chores.”
Seana’s face clouded over. Her lower lip stuck out a bit. “All you ever think about anymore is Jesse. You don’t care about me. You don’t even miss Momma, Papa, and Matt.” She threw the fish on the table. “Well, I hate him.” Seana rushed to her bedroom, leaving Megan stunned and in tears.
Her hands shaking, Megan picked up the stringer and carried it to the basin of water s
he had prepared to wash the fish. It wouldn’t hurt them to soak for a little while so she could take care of this matter. Taking a deep breath, she headed for Seana’s room, wishing that she could take with her some of her mother’s wisdom in handling these matters. This was going too far and needed to be addressed.
“Seana?” Megan stepped into the bedroom. Her sister huddled on the bed, rolled into a ball. Her shoes, still damp from being near the creek, dripped pieces of dried grass on the bed and floor. “Seana, take off those shoes. You know better than to have them on the furniture.”
“You’re not my momma.” Seana’s voice was so muffled, Megan wondered if she’d heard right.
Taking a deep breath, Megan tried to count. She shouldn’t have begun this conversation by pointing out her sister’s faults. Her mother and father both told her she was too bossy with her sister and brother. Closing her eyes, she tried to think of how her mother would have handled this. “What did Momma say right before she left for town?”
A sob racked Seana’s thin frame. “She said you were in charge while they were gone.”
“That’s right, Seana. I’m still in charge.”
“I don’t want you to be. I want Momma and Papa.”
The bed rustled as Megan sat down beside her sister. “I don’t want to be in charge any more than you want me to be. I want Momma and Papa and Matt home, too.” She smoothed Seana’s hair away from her tear-streaked face. “The problem is, they won’t be coming home. We have to be brave and live like they want us to. Do you think they would be happy to see you acting like this?”
A hiccupping sob shook Seana. “No.” She flung herself at Megan. “Meggie, it’s his fault. I know it.”
“What? Whose fault?”
“Jesse’s.” Seana’s eyes met Megan’s. Megan could see her sister pleading for understanding.
“You think our family died because of Jesse?”
Seana nodded.
“Why would you think that?”
Truly Yours Historical Collection December 2014 Page 57