Mountains Between Us

by Jenny Proctor

  “I do make a mean chocolate chip cookie. They’ve been known to soften hearts before.”

  “I’ll have to take your word for it,” Henry said, “since you ate all of my cookies.”

  Eliza smiled. “They’re better fresh anyway. I’ll make you another batch this afternoon.”

  “That’s kind of you to offer,” Henry said. “Another time though. My Sunday afternoons are generally pretty occupied.”

  Snubbed. Again.

  Maybe it was just as well she’d eaten his cookies.

  Henry turned his full attention to the road as the car approached a dizzying series of switchbacks that wound down the mountain into town. Eliza leaned her head back on the seat and closed her eyes, trying to avoid a threatening wave of carsickness.

  “Ugghh, these roads are terrible,” she said. “They don’t make them like this where I’m from.”

  “Try rolling the window down. I’ve heard that helps.”

  Eliza cracked the window and leaned into the cool air that whipped across her face.

  “That does help,” she said. “A little.”

  “Where are you from?”

  Eliza wasn’t sure if Henry thought distracting her might help or if he was unaware of just how desperately she was trying to not throw up in his car. She paused a moment before answering, breathing slowly, deeply. They rounded the last bend, and the road straightened, at last giving Eliza a slight reprieve.

  “Ashland City,” she said. “It’s just west of Nashville.”

  Eliza released her grip on the door and tried to relax into her seat. Henry was a good driver, taking the curves at a reasonable speed, but this was the first time Eliza had ever made the trip into town as a passenger. She thought the worst was over, but just in case, she kept her head back and her eyes closed.

  “Are you all right?” Henry said. “You look . . . pale.”

  She opened her eyes, only slightly, and looked in his direction. “I always look pale. It comes with the red hair.” She tried to smile, though she guessed it looked more like a grimace. “Are we getting close?”

  Most of Rose Creek was still unfamiliar to Eliza. She didn’t recognize where they were, but it appeared they were approaching civilization. The endless trees and mountains were giving way to scattered homes and mailboxes.

  “Just a few more miles,” Henry said. Eliza was surprised when Henry pulled onto a narrow gravel drive just moments later. He parked the car in front of a redbrick, ranch-style home with a narrow porch and rickety white railings on either side of a set of concrete steps.

  “I’ll just be a minute,” he said.

  Eliza nodded. She watched as he hurried up the cement walkway of the house and rang the bell. A small blonde woman answered the ring and smiled briefly through the screen door. She turned behind her and gestured to someone inside the house. As she ushered a small boy out onto the porch, she must have noticed Eliza’s presence. She called to Henry as he and the boy walked to the car. He turned and answered her question, giving her a dismissive wave and a shake of the head. Eliza was sure the woman was asking about her.

  “This is my son, AJ,” he said to Eliza as he helped the boy into the backseat. “AJ, this is Sister Redding. She works with me at Rockbridge and needed a ride to church this morning.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” AJ said. The boy looked much like his father. His hair was lighter than Henry’s, but his eyes looked like a mirror reflection. He wore a neatly pressed white shirt and tie, polished shoes, and a tailored suit coat. With his hair neatly slicked to the side, AJ looked like a man in miniature. In his hands, he reverently carried a set of scriptures that looked brand-new. The gold lettering on the front bearing AJ’s name was still shiny.

  Henry placed AJ’s backpack on the floor of the backseat. “Are you all set?”

  “Yeah, I’m good.”

  Of all the things she’d speculated about Henry, casting him as a divorced father had never been one of them. It occurred to her why he might be less than willing to shuttle her to and from church every Sunday or spend an afternoon eating her chocolate chip cookies. Henry lived alone at Rockbridge during the week, which meant he probably spent his weekends with AJ. She felt foolish for having so brazenly forced her way into Henry’s Sunday plans.

  Eliza willed herself to be silent, listening instead as Henry asked AJ about soccer, about his dog, about his grandparents. The short, lifeless tone of AJ’s answers surprised her. He was trying to say the right answers, but both father and son seemed uncomfortable. For a moment, Eliza thought the tension might be because of her presence, but the routine of Henry’s questions and AJ’s answers wasn’t new. It seemed a familiar pattern—one she guessed played out over and over again. Whatever the history of their relationship, something was amiss.

  Eliza wondered if anyone at Rockbridge knew Henry had a son. Flip most certainly didn’t know. Surely Henry’s coworkers wouldn’t poke fun at his lack of social interactions if they realized he was turning down dinner with them to attend soccer games or Cub Scout pack meetings. Of course, fatherhood itself wasn’t generally an excuse for social exclusion and solitude, but broken marriages and strained parental relationships could go a long way toward damaging a man. Perhaps Henry was simply too preoccupied to invest in friendships.

  He pulled into the church parking lot, giving Eliza her first view of the chapel. It was a small building situated on a nicely wooded lot with a large green lawn. Henry pulled his keys from the ignition and glanced at AJ in the rearview mirror.

  “You ready to go?”

  AJ nodded and unbuckled his seat belt. Henry turned to Eliza. “Are you feeling any better?”

  “I think so, though I think I’ll sit here for another minute or two, just to make sure the nausea has passed.” Eliza had a suspicion that for Henry—a single father—to show up to church with a woman no one had ever met might turn a few heads. Sparing him the task of explaining who she was, where she came from, and why she happened to show up to church with him seemed the very least she could do.

  As Henry got out of the car, he glanced back and gave Eliza a small smile of acknowledgment. She couldn’t be certain, but she thought she saw gratitude in his eyes.

  * * *

  Just after sacrament meeting, an attractive brunette approached Eliza as she stood at the back of the chapel. The woman was young—probably not much older than Eliza—and appeared to be very, very pregnant. She smiled. “You look lost. Can I help you find Sunday School?”

  “That would be wonderful,” Eliza said. “I’ve just moved into the branch, and—”

  “Moved in? Here? That’s wonderful!” The woman’s enthusiasm took Eliza by surprise. She must have noticed because she quickly explained. “A lot of people vacation in the mountains, but nobody ever stays. I’m sorry,” the woman continued. “I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Kate Porterfield.”

  “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Eliza Redding.”

  Kate waved at a man heading toward the rear door of the chapel. He smiled and came over to join them.

  “Andrew,” Kate said. “Come meet the newest member of our branch. This is Eliza Redding. Eliza, this is my husband, Andrew.”

  Eliza recognized his name from the sacrament program. He was the branch president and had addressed the congregation at the close of the meeting. He smiled and extended his hand. “Eliza, welcome. What brings you to Rose Creek?”

  “I’ve started a new job at Rockbridge Academy,” Eliza said. “I’m a counselor there.”

  “Ah, so you must know Henry Jacobson.”

  Eliza nodded. “I do. Henry was actually kind enough to give me a ride to church this morning.”

  “Henry’s a good guy.” Andrew glanced across the room at another man, gesturing toward the hallway. “I’ve got to see what Brother Phelps needs. It was nice to meet you, Eliza, and welcome.”

  “Brother Phelps always needs something,” Kate said. “He’s the nicest man you’ll ever know, but don’t start a conversat
ion with him when you’re on the way to the bathroom. You’ll never make it in time!” She took Eliza by the arm. “Come on. I’ll take you to Sunday School.”

  Later, in Relief Society, Eliza stood and introduced herself at the start of the meeting. When she mentioned her work at Rockbridge, a ripple of excitement seemed to pass from one woman to the next until the entire room was filled with an audible buzz.

  Eliza sat back down and looked at Kate, her eyebrows raised in question. “It’s Henry,” Kate whispered. “He grew up here, and everyone loves him. You’re young and pretty, and you work with him. The mere possibility of romance has them excited.”

  Eliza’s cheeks flushed with warmth at the thought. “I hardly know him.”

  Kate smiled. “That doesn’t matter with this crowd. There aren’t many prospects around this place—they feel obligated to consider every eligible female when it comes to their beloved Henry.”

  While the Relief Society president continued with the announcements, an elderly woman sitting to Eliza’s left leaned over and whispered, “Do you like working with Henry Jacobson? Did you know he was divorced? His wife left him—that foolish girl. I never did care for her, but Henry is one of the finest men I know. Perhaps you’re getting to know him already?” The woman raised her eyebrows and smiled, nodding her head conspiratorially.

  Eliza hardly knew what to say. She looked back at Kate, disbelief all over her face.

  Kate shrugged her shoulders. “It was the same way when Andrew brought me to church for the first time. It’ll pass.”

  * * *

  After church, Eliza found Henry leaning against his car, his hands thrust into his pockets.

  “I hope you weren’t waiting for me,” she said.

  Henry shook his head. “AJ will be right out. He just ran back in to get his scriptures.” He stifled a laugh. “He’s probably too young to have his own set. He leaves them inside almost every single Sunday.”

  “I don’t know; he seemed pretty proud of them this morning,” Eliza said. “And I overheard him telling Sister Porterfield all about how you got his name printed on the front so people would always know who they belonged to. He seems like a sweet kid.”

  Henry smiled the first real smile Eliza had seen on him. It changed his face in a way that made her breath catch. She’d found him handsome from the start, but his smile definitely took things to a different level.

  “He is,” he said.

  “A sharp dresser too,” she continued. “He must feel some pride in coming to church dressed like you.”

  Henry looked surprised. “Do you think so?”

  “Of course. Most boys want to look like their fathers, don’t they?”

  She couldn’t be certain, but a shadow of doubt seemed to cross Henry’s face. He cleared his throat. “Maybe so.”

  “Henry, I’m sorry if I’ve ruined your plans with AJ today. I feel awful thinking that now you have to take me home instead of spending time with him.”

  “Actually, AJ is coming up to Rockbridge this afternoon, so it works out. I think I’ll take him up into the forest, maybe drive on the parkway.” There was an entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway just a few miles away from Rockbridge.

  “Oh, well, that’s good, then,” Eliza said. “Do you only get to see him on the weekends?” she asked tentatively, hoping it wasn’t too personal a question.

  “I can see him anytime,” Henry responded. “But with my schedule at Rockbridge and the drive being what it is, it’s mostly on the weekends, maybe once or twice during the week.”

  “That must be hard.”

  Henry looked at Eliza, locking his eyes with hers. “It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”

  * * *

  Over the next several weeks, Eliza settled into the routines and rhythms of life at Rockbridge. She loved her job, loved getting to know the students and working with them through the ups and downs of their therapy. Occasionally, she struggled with the constant demands of being on call even when she wasn’t working, but each week that passed made her unusual schedule feel a little more normal.

  Sometimes there was no rhyme or reason for when one of the students needed her help. She’d been called upon early in the morning, after dinner, even in the middle of the night. Though she was far from city life, from the noise and people and demands of her previous job, she actually felt busier at Rockbridge. At the same time, when she did have time off, the beauty of the mountains around her made it that much easier to find peace.

  The deep colors of the forest and the constant hum of wildlife infused Eliza when she felt her own strength diminishing. She loved the mountains for that reason. They filled her. Even though she was stretched and challenged far more than she ever had been before, everything about Eliza’s life at Rockbridge seemed richer, from her work to her time alone to the time she spent getting to know her fellow staff members and friends.

  Six weeks after she started at Rockbridge, Eliza and Jeff, along with Flip, Natalie, and several level four and level five students hiked to the top of Silar Bald, a mountaintop that boasted spectacular 360-degree views. Not all students were allowed off campus. Day trips were only for those who earned them through good behavior and positive attitude.

  Eliza enjoyed the opportunities to get off campus with the kids. Sometimes she felt like she learned more about them as individuals during day trips than she did in a solid week of regular therapy.

  She turned and looked down the slope of the mountain behind her. It was well worth the two and a half miles they’d hiked to reach the top. For the most part, the trail had meandered along the side of the mountain, switching back and forth as it climbed through the dense forest. But the last quarter mile opened into a large field that climbed steeply to the top of the bald.

  Others might find it disheartening to see so clearly how far they had to go to make it to the summit, but Eliza found it invigorating to see the finish. Excited to take in the view for the first time, she had plowed ahead of the group, reaching the crest ahead of her companions. She waved at Flip, who was still several hundred feet down the hill at the back of the group. He waved back, then motioned for several students directly in front of him to pick up speed. From Eliza’s vantage point, they looked less than enthusiastic about the remaining uphill stretch.

  When everyone had finally made it, they stood together in silence and soaked up the view. The sky was a vibrant, summer blue directly overhead, then blended softly into the smokier blues and greens of the mountains at the horizon.

  “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Flip moved up so he and Eliza stood side by side.

  “I’ve never seen anything like it. It looks like the mountains go on forever.”

  “Not quite forever,” Flip said, “but far enough that we could explore them for months and not come close to seeing everything.”

  “I want to see it all,” Eliza said. “I don’t think I could ever grow tired of living here.”

  “You’re turning into a true mountain girl. I like that about you.”

  “I suppose. I’m happier here than I was in Tennessee, that’s for sure. It’s everything though, not just the mountains. I love the job too, and the people.”

  “I’m sure the feeling is mutual, Eliza. I know I’m happier now that you’re here.”

  Eliza looked at Flip, trying to make eye contact, but he’d already turned his attention back to the group. She followed his gaze and watched as the kids settled onto the ground, forming small groups, pulling out their lunches from their day packs. She made sure everyone had someone to sit with, hoping to get a sense that all were happy and included.

  Momentarily satisfied, she pulled out her own lunch and sat down next to Flip, who was already halfway through his sandwich. Natalie and Jeff joined them, forming a row so it was easier to keep an eye on the students while they ate. It wasn’t likely that this far into the mountains, with nothing but a day pack, a student would try to break away from the group, but stranger things had happened in the
past. The counselors couldn’t be too careful.

  Handling themselves responsibly on several day trips was necessary before kids were approved for one of Flip’s lengthier ten-day wilderness excursions. The outings were tremendously therapeutic, but if a student posed a flight risk, they could also be very dangerous. Sending a student on excursion was never a decision anyone took lightly.

  “I remember when I hiked Silar for the first time.” Flip finished his last bite and wiped his fingers clean before continuing his story. “I was fourteen, down for a visit with my parents, and we went on a night hike sponsored by the outdoor center in Rose Creek.”

  “A night hike?” Eliza was incredulous. “Doesn’t that defeat the purpose if you can’t see the view?”

  “Well, sure, if hiking is only about the view. We had a good time though. It felt like an adventure to hike by moonlight, and they had a big bonfire at the top.”

  Eliza still didn’t get it. The view was her favorite part.

  “I was a teenager the first time I hiked up here too.” Natalie paused. “I was a student at Rockbridge.”

  Eliza turned and looked at Natalie. “How did I not know this about you?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess it never came up.”

  “Eliza, the next time you see Frank, ask him to tell you the story of when Natalie found a stray dog on campus,” Jeff said with a mischievous grin.

  Natalie’s eyes went wide with shock, but she never lost her smile, so she must not have been too upset. “Oh, you did not just bring that up.” She gave Jeff a playful push. “Eliza, as a woman and a friend, I expect your full loyalty in this matter.”

  “I don’t know,” Eliza said. “Flip, have you heard the story? Is it a good one?”

  Flip laughed under his breath. “One of the best I’ve heard.”

  “Oh, fine,” Natalie said. “I found a dog. He was really sweet, and it was cold outside, and he was wet, so I decided to save him. He could have died out there in the woods! So I snuck him into the admin building to get him something to eat, and then he . . . well, he sort of . . . got away.”