“NO! Absolutely not. No way will I marry Horace,” Violet stubbornly shook her head, not worrying that the action would loosen the pins holding her hat securely to her hair.
“Violet. He’d give you a good home, security for life. I paid money to check out his background, and he’ll make you a good husband.”
“Mr. Westin is so old, he could have been my father,” Violet argued, then closed her eyes when her mother stiffened beside her.
“I’m sorry, Mama. I was just mentioning his age difference is all.”
Because Faye wasn’t positive who Violet’s father was, her mother was sensitive about the subject. Faye worked in a brothel and had baby Violet before Faye left to find her family at the Cross C Ranch. Rusty Tucker, the foreman of the ranch, had taken over the role of Violet’s father when she was three months old.
Her father cleared his throat. “I’m almost a decade older than your mother, but it didn’t make any difference to us.”
“But you’re physically fit working on the ranch, Papa. Mr. Westin’s got a big gut from sitting at his desk all day long.
“Mr. Westin sent a photo with his letter, and he looks like a nice young man, Violet,” her mother tried to placate her.
“Then he sent you a photograph from years ago because he’s as bald as an egg now and he’s got to weigh as much as a yearling heifer!”
“Faye, we sent you to school to learn manners. Please don’t slip back into rough talk as soon as you get home,” her mother asked.
“Papa,” Violet pleaded, “why can’t I work the ranch like the rest of the family?”
“You’re not going to be a cowhand, Violet. We saved our money through the years, so you could go to school and find a rich husband.”
“I’d prefer to break green horses than be saddled to that old man.”
“Violet quit whining and get in the wagon. We’ll talk about your wedding later. We need to get home to tell the Connely’s and Brenner’s about Dan’s accident and funeral,” Rusty ordered.
“Yes, sir,” Violet climbed in the back of the wagon and sat on the top of one of her trunks. Her mother motioned to sit on the wagon seat with them, but Violet preferred to act like the child they apparently considered her to be and rode in the back. She’d prefer listening to the rumbling of the wagon wheels than hear the praises of the man they’d picked out to be her husband.
But what was Mr. Westin’s plan by showing up here in the prairie town of Clear Creek? Why didn’t Westin think the marriage certificate was real?
Probably because Westin attended the same church as the seminary students and Violet and knew all of them. The man even attended the student’s ceremony.
Mr. Westin was a kind soul, and Violet always enjoyed talking with him at church, but she never meant to encourage him or hint she wanted to marry him.
A simple prank had turned into a giant misunderstanding and mess for her, and for Tully.
Now she had something else to spring on Tully after the funeral tomorrow. Violet looked back as the town disappeared from view. How was Tully handling his grief about Dan as he consoled Edna, the man’s wife? At least the old couple lived with their grandson, Nolan, his wife, Holly, and their children.
And Violet bet Holly felt guilty for not keeping track of Dan in their kitchen.
Birth circles on to death. No one could change the outcome, but it still caused one to grieve.
Violet had longed to return to the ranch and its open range, but right now she wished she was in town with Tully as he consoled the Clancy’s.
And not for the first time in a week, she wished their marriage certificate was legal.
Chapter 3
“How are you doing, son?” Tully’s father asked as they walked toward Clancy’s house.
Should he be truthful? Just as well to get some guidance for the overwhelming situation he was going to walk into.
“I feel like running to the outhouse and puking up my breakfast,” Tully muttered and waited for his father’s stern lecture.
Tully glanced sideways as he father chuckled and broke out in a broad grin.
“I’m serious, Da. I’m afraid I’m going to throw up or break down and cry when I see Edna.”
“Well, don’t worry about crying with Edna. She’d expect it from one of her ‘grandsons’ as she called the lot of you.”
His father sighed and stopped to turn to Tully.
“I’ve never told this story to any of you boys, but now that you’re a pastor, I’ll share it with you. And I expect you to keep it confidential.”
What big secret was his father going to tell him?
“I really botched my first funeral. I didn’t know the elderly man that had died before I arrived at my first congregation.
“During the church service, I mispronounced his last name. I lost my place when reading the Bible verse and skipped to another page, not making a lick of sense by reading half of two different chapters. And how do you tell a eulogy about a man you never met? I mumbled through the usual ‘he was a good man’ I thought I should say.
“And,” his father stopped to chuckle again, “at the burial, I dropped my service book into the grave. Plunk, right on top of the casket.”
Tully stared at his father, surprised his calm parent would ever do something like that.
“What happened then?”
“Of course, everyone gasped in horror as we all stood looking down into the hole. Then one of the man’s grandsons, about seven years old, hopped down on the casket as he called out ‘I’ll get it!’ I thought the boy’s mother, the daughter of the man I was performing the service for, was going to faint from shock and embarrassment.
“And the boy wasn’t big enough to get out without caving the soil down off the side of the grave, although he tried. A couple of men reached down and pulled the boy out before the loose soil buried him too.”
“And the moral of this story is…” Tully asked as the tension eased out of his shoulders.
“You may be a preacher, but you’re not perfect, especially until you get some experience. Expect the unexpected to happen, good or bad.”
“But this was Dan. What do I say to Edna!?”
“You’ll cry and laugh with Edna and Dan’s family as you remember a wonderful man. You’ll listen as Edna curses Dan for crawling up on a chair when he clearly shouldn’t have, and you’ll wrap your arms around her when she cries. And laugh as you drink coffee and eat the cookies Dan was known for…although Edna will tell you her recipe for oatmeal cookies was better than his,” his father said as he shrugged his shoulders.
“But my final advice is don’t stand too close to the grave as you give the blessing.”
“By that part of the service you’ve closed your service book and have handed it to Ma,” Tully realized, thinking of the funerals he’d attended in their community’s cemetery.
“And now you know why. I’ll forever hear that plunk as my book hit that casket.”
His father turned and started walking again, and Tully had no choice but to follow.
“Come on. Dan asked you to do this for him. The man fed you enough food over the years that it’s time you pay him back.”
Tully took a deep breath as he knocked on the Clancy’s front door. Nolan opened it and hugged him before he had a chance to say anything.
“Thanks for coming right away, Tully. Or should I be saying, Pastor Tully? Boy, that seems strange, but I guess that’s right now.”
“And you’re the first one that’s called me that, so it’s a shock to me too. How’s your grandma doing?” Tully asked Nolan as the men stepped away from their embrace. Tully’s father had stayed back on the porch, letting the two friends meet. Nolan was Angus’ age, but Tully followed both older boys around whenever he could get away with it.
“After the initial shock…” Nolan moved his outstretched hand sideways to indicate the woman’s up and down mood. “She’ll cry, then yell she’s going to hit him on the head with her frying pan f
or doing something so stupid.”
Tully couldn’t help but smile, thinking of the good-natured squabbles he’d witnessed between Dan and Edna over the years. The mentioned frying pan to Dan’s head was a threat he’d heard before.
“Actually, she's done okay. Grandma says, ‘death happens when you’re old.’”
“Good philosophy,” Tully answered, feeling at ease for the first time since hearing of Dan’s death. It felt good to stand in a home he’d spent so much time in over the years. Visiting the couple with his mother when he was young. Running through the house trying to keep up with his brothers, Nolan, and his sister, Daisy. Who knew Dan’s granddaughter, Daisy, would become Tully’s sister-in-law, Angus’ wife.
“I’ll go into the kitchen and check on the coffee pot while you talk to Edna,” Tully’s father said after greeting Nolan. “I’ll let Tully listen to this round of stories,” he said good-naturedly, and Nolan nodded with a smile, but Tully didn’t. He’d prefer his da to be with him.
“I’ll join you, Pastor. Tully, Grandma, is in the back parlor with Daisy and Holly,” Nolan pointed to the back addition to the house the family added on when Dan and Edna couldn’t maneuver walking upstairs anymore.
But yet Dan thought he could climb up on a chair…
Tully nodded his thanks to Nolan, and he hesitantly walked to the back rooms. He relaxed when laughter reached his ears. At least his entrance would start on a good note.
“Tully! Come here and give me a hug. I’ve been waiting for you,” Edna said from her upholstered highbacked chair. Rather than waiting for Edna to struggle to stand up, Tully leaned down on one knee beside the old woman and let her embrace him. He didn’t want to squeeze too hard and hurt her arthritic joints.
“I’m so sorry, Grandma Edna,” Tully said against the woman’s fine silver hair. She still smelled like cookies or the Vanilla Toilet Water he’d spied on her dresser one time when he was looking for someplace to hide in the house.
“I’m grieving Tully, but death happens when a person gets old. Dan and I were together a long time, and I thank the Lord for that. But, the old coot wouldn’t listen when I told him not to climb up on the chair. He was looking for a box of old cookie cutters and—”
Edna stopped talking and sobbed into Tully’s jacket. He couldn’t do anything but silently cry along with her as he gently hugged her.
Edna pulled away and blew her nose on the damp-looking handkerchief. “You need to greet your sister-in-law and Holly too.”
Tully stood up and hugged Holly first, offered his condolences, and then turned to Daisy. “Big Sis, I’m so sorry.”
“Thank you, Tully. Grandpa was so excited that you were coming home as a pastor. He was looking forward to your first sermon…”
Tully drew back, nodding to Daisy because he didn’t know what to say. Would Dan be upset Tully didn’t want to lead a congregation or understand? Dan was the one person who always told him he could do whatever he wanted, rather than try to catch up with his brothers. Of course, Dan’s words might have caused some of his reckless behavior too, now that Tully thought about it.
“Tully, let’s go over my notes for Dan’s service,” Edna said as she patted the ottoman in front of her. Tully sat down on the footstool, much like he did when he was little. Tully was overwhelmed with memories because Dan wasn’t there to give his usual running comments.
Edna’s hand shook with age as she held out a piece of paper for Tully to look at. With her crooked index finger, she pointed to the first item on the list.
“The songs. Dan wanted the Reagan boys, minus you, of course, to sing ‘How Great Thou Art.’” Dan loved how the men’s voices resonated the notes.
“The congregation is to sing ‘The Old Rugged Cross’ and Holly to play ‘Amazing Grace’ as a solo on her violin as Dan’s casket is being carried out.”
Edna’s voice wavered a second as she bit her lip, trying not to cry.
Tully looked over at Holly, her belly swollen with her fourth child.
“Holly, will you be all right playing for your in-law’s funeral?”
“Dan asked me to play ‘Amazing Grace’ for his funeral the first time he heard me play it seven years ago when I traveled home with Nolan from the Montana Territory. I can do it.” Holly acknowledged with a sad smile.
“Edna, do you want a song sung at the burial?”
“Not a song to sing but I want Marcus Brenner to play ‘Extinguish Lights’ on his bugle.”
“Has anyone asked for him to do that yet?” Tully looked between the women. Daisy shook her head.
“Well, I’ll check in with him then,” Tully said then cleared his throat. “I’m sure he’d be honored to play for Dan.”
“Scripture verses? I see you’ve written down your choices,” Tully noted as he followed Edna’s finger. He’d be sure he’d mark the pages in his Bible, so he didn’t flub them up.
“Most important is the eulogy, Tully. I know you could reminisce about Dan forever, but please keep it under thirty minutes,” Edna said as she got her composure under control again.
She was worried he’d talk over thirty minutes? Tully was afraid he’d stand in the pulpit, staring at the casket and not be able to utter a word.
Edna must have seen the worry in his eyes as she leaned forward to whisper, “Don’t worry, Tully, Dan had faith you’d get through it, and I do too.”
Faith? Right now, Tully’s faith was at an all-time low.
Chapter 4
Tully’s face lit up when he spotted Violet in the line of people outside the church waiting to go inside.
Father and son stood side by side to greet the parishioners as they met for Dan’s service.
The older pastor was broader in his middle section than Tully because the man was in his fifties, but the two standing side by side…Tully would look so much like his father in thirty years it was startling.
“How are you doing?” Violet and Tully said at the same time when Tully grasped her hands. Violet smiled up at Tully, glad to see he was in better shape than he was at the depot a little over twenty-four hours ago.
“Ladies first,” Tully squeezed her hand before letting go.
“Loving being back on the Cross C, visiting family, and putting on a split skirt and going for a ride yesterday evening. How are you holding up?”
“Much better after visiting with Edna. Hopefully, her planning of Dan’s funeral and confidence in me will get me through the funeral.”
“You’ll do fine, Tully. Now let Violet and her family go in,” Pastor said softly out of the side of his mouth. “We’re going to have a packed church, and you’ll be late starting the service if we don’t greet people and get them inside.”
Tully rolled his eyes, then winked at Violet. They both knew services never started until Tully’s mother quit visiting and finally sat down.
“We’ll visit after the service, Tully. You’ll do fine.”
“Sit where I can see you from the pulpit, Violet. You’ll be my focal point when I needed to get my bearings.”
Violet’s father took Tully’s hand and gave it a firm shake. “We’ll be in our usual pew unless we’re late and it’s already filled. Move on, Violet. You can visit later with the new preacher.”
Violet looked back at Tully as her family entered the sanctuary, but she couldn’t see past her brothers’ matching heights. Luther and Anton had grown since she’d seen them a year ago, now taller than their father.
Everyone left the ranch early, knowing it would be a big funeral, but the church was already three-fourths full. Their family, the Brenner’s, Isaac and Cate Connely, and a half dozen ranch hands that came along with the families, could easily pack another two rows.
“Let’s squeeze in on the Wilerson’s row. Our usual seats are taken,” Violet’s father motioned for Violet to go in the pew first. Then her mother would come in next with her father, then the boys would sit by the aisle.
“No, go ahead and sit down. I want to sit on the
end by the aisle,” Violet stepped back so the others could move in front of her.
Her parents might have argued with her, but there was a line of people looking for places to sit, and they needed to get out of the aisle.
Now she had a clear view of the altar and pulpit, and Tully could see her too.
Dan’s immediate family sat on the front left pew, leaving space open for Kaitlyn and Pastor to sit with the Clancy’s when they were done welcoming the guests for the service.
Dan’s closed casket was already in place in front of the altar.
Violet thought the pallbearers might be the Reagan brothers, but instead, other men sat in the first pew on the right. Gabe Shepard and his younger brother, Tate. Elof Lundahl. Marshal Adam Wilerson. Jasper Kerns.
And…Kiowa Jones? The blacksmith rarely stepped inside the church, but if Edna asked him to be a pallbearer, he’d do it.
The quiet murmur among the congregation fell silent as the ushers closed the entrance doors and Pastor, Kaitlyn, and Tully walked up the aisle. Violet turned to look back, hoping to catch Tully’s glance, but he was staring at the casket in front of him.
Pastor and Kaitlyn sat down with Edna. Tully walked on to pick up the service book laying on the edge of the altar and then turned to stand with the casket in front of him.
Violet stared at Tully and took a deep breath along with his own before he started the service.
“We’ve gathered today to say goodbye and bury Daniel Clancy. Until I arrived in Clear Creek yesterday as a newly ordained minister, I had no idea Dan had died, let alone requested that I conduct his funeral service.
“But before Dan died from his injuries, he asked that I perform his service. I am touched and honored to so do for the man who touched all our lives, with his stories, and his cooking.”
Violet smiled as a few people chuckled as Tully started his service. There probably wasn’t anyone in the church pews who hadn’t eaten at Clancy’s Café over the past twenty-plus years.
The service continued with Tully reading scripture passages, the Reagan brothers singing a soothing harmony version of “How Great Thou Art,” and the congregation singing “The Old Rugged Cross.”
Grooms with Honor Series, Books 10-12 Page 7