“I can’t believe this. What kind of man would do this?” Her eyes searched mine. “And... he’s older than she is... or he looks it. Do you know how old he is?”
“I think he’s twenty-six.”
“And Laurie’s just eighteen! What kind of man is he to take our daughter, without asking us, without courting her?”
Aunt Jenny’s old-fashioned language invoked an image of Laurie that I had a hard time adjusting to reality. I looked down at my hands to hide my face. “I don’t know much about him, really.”
“Colt seemed to like him,” Aunt Jenny said.
“I doubt if he does now.”
“I’ve never seen Colt so angry. I’m so worried... I’m afraid he won’t find them, but I’m so afraid he will! And then what...”
“When it rains, it pours.” We sat in silence for a few more minutes before I climbed to my feet. “I reckon I’ll go cook supper.”
Aunt Jenny grasped my hand. “Before you go, let’s say a prayer.”
And I obediently knelt beside her chair, and we prayed.
Uncle Colt returned late the next day without Laurie. He had found no trace, and no one knew where they might have gone.
I stayed that night with Aunt Jenny and Uncle Colt and was there the next day when someone knocked on the door. The babies were napping. Aunt Jenny and I were in the kitchen, washing dishes.
When Aunt Jenny heard the knock, she hurriedly dried her hands on her apron and answered the door. She gasped but didn’t speak, simply held the door open for Laurie and Walter to enter. Laurie hung her head and didn’t even look at her mother. Walter followed, also with his eyes downcast, and we all went into the kitchen. They both took seats at the table. Aunt Jenny leaned against the counter and eyed them, with her arms crossed.
“Jay, go get your uncle,” she said to me, in the tone Momma once used when she sent me for a switch.
I scurried out of the house and down to the barn, yelling for Uncle Colt. He was working on the tractor, and he stood, wiping his hands on a greasy rag.
I was out of breath. “Laurie’s back.”
“With Walter?”
“Yes, sir.” Both of us ran back to the house. Uncle Colt stopped before he entered, taking a deep steadying breath. He went in, me on his heels.
They were just like I had left them. Uncle Colt did not look in his daughter’s direction but went to stand with his wife.
I knew I was intruding, so I backed up and went into the sitting room. I didn’t close the door so their voices carried easily to me, would have done so anyway, as loud as Uncle Colt spoke.
“Walter, leave my house,” he said, his voice gruffer than any time I had ever heard him.
“But Daddy!” Laurie protested.
Aunt Jenny spoke next. “He might be allowed back, but for now, until we know what has happened, he can wait on the porch.”
It took a moment before I heard the chair scrape back and footsteps. Someone had followed him, and for a second, I was afraid it was Laurie, and that she would leave and never return. But I knew it was not Laurie when I heard the screen door latch.
“Why did you do that?” Laurie asked.
“We want to know if he forced you to go with him.” Uncle Colt sounded as if he spoke through gritted teeth.
Laurie sounded surprised. “Of course not! I wanted to go.”
“You wanted to go?” Aunt Jenny sounded as surprised as Laurie.
“Yes, ma’am. I love Walter...” She began to sob.
Uncle Colt’s voice was incredulous. “You love a man who did not have the decency to come to me, your father, to ask for your hand?”
“It happened so quickly...” Laurie said between sobs.
I heard a baby’s cry and had to walk through the kitchen to get to the room where the babies napped. I shot Laurie a sympathetic glance. Her arms were folded on the table, and she had buried into them, sobs wracking her shoulders. I resisted the urge to reach out and pat her back but scurried through. Both babies were awake, but it was only James Colton who cried so. Joe Joe was quietly staring out the window that looked out over the front porch.
Walter was out there, pacing back and forth, stopping to peer in through the screen door, cupping his hands around his eyes. I changed both babies’ diapers and put a baby on each hip and went back to the kitchen, clearing my throat.
“Aunt Jenny, excuse me, but I need to get a cup of milk for J.C.”
She barely glanced at me. “Go ahead.” Uncle Colt reached out for Joe Joe, and I allowed him to take him from my arms. I held J.C. on my hip while I poured the milk. Instead of going back to the sitting room, I went to the corner chair, wanting to be there, for Laurie, for moral support. I kept as quiet as possible, and J.C. soon settled down to drink his milk.
Uncle Colt picked up the jug and poured Joe Joe a cup. Maybe the presence of the babies would help calm the situation.
“What I want to know is did that man out there...” Uncle Colt pointed toward the porch. “Did he marry you?”
Laurie’s head shot up. “Of course he married me! We’ve got the marriage certificate in the car if you don’t believe me.”
Aunt Jenny’s tone softened a notch. “We believe you.”
Uncle Colt handed Joe Joe to Aunt Jenny and pounded his hands on the table, leaning toward Laurie. “I want to be sure of this. Do not lie to me!”
Laurie burst into fresh sobs. “I wouldn’t lie about Walter.”
I heard a jiggling of the screen door. “I think Walter might break the door down,” I whispered to Aunt Jenny.
She held her palm up to me, her eyes on Laurie. “Tell us the truth, Laurie. You went with this man... he did not force you?”
She held her tear-streaked face up to her mother. “He would never force me... he is the gentlest man I know, except for Daddy.” She looked to her father’s red face.
I now knew the meaning of the words in the Bible, the gnashing of teeth, because Uncle Colt was doing it, along with clenching and unclenching his fists.
Uncle Colt’s muscles remained rigid, but he took a step back from the table. “Go let him in. He’s got some explaining to do.”
Laurie jumped up from her chair and ran from the kitchen. She mumbled something to Walter as they came back, but I couldn’t catch her words.
Uncle Colt motioned to the same chairs they had sat in before. Walter took Laurie’s hand in his and did not release it, even under the stares of his in-laws.
“Explain yourself, son. I hired you to work for me, and you run off with my daughter.” Uncle Colt threw his hands up. “Never mind. You can’t explain that. No decent man would do what you have done... taken advantage of his employer, ruined my daughter’s reputation...”
“No, sir! We did elope... but I love your daughter... I would do nothing to hurt her.”
“It’s not his fault, Daddy. I talked him into it.”
Her father stared at her as if he didn’t know her. “Why would you two do such a thing, especially when you knew what we’re going through?”
Walter’s presence seemed to give Laurie strength. She cast a glance in my direction before she tilted her chin up, her eyes going from her mother to her father. “I met Walter a year and a half ago. He and I hit it off, and he wanted to break up with his girlfriend. I persuaded him not to, told him I’d never marry.”
“I tried to talk sense into your daughter, sir. I truly tried. She’s a tad stubborn.” He smiled at his new bride, his face reflecting his pride.
Laurie’s eyes shone with happiness before she turned her gaze back to her father. “I never wanted to leave home. I wanted everything to stay the same. First Uncle James died and then Jay and Zeke moved away. And then Jay married Michael, and William and Michael left to fight this blasted war. And when Jay and Zeke came back, I was so happy, and I wanted to stay home, with you and Momma, and live here forever. But that... that... woman, Sylvia, had to move here and ruin everything, steal our happiness.” A stray tear rolled down her cheek,
and she wiped it away. “I never wanted to marry, told Walter I would never marry him, no matter how much he begged. I could never leave the farm and my family.”
Walter pushed back a lock of his dark hair. “I should have broken up with Velma, but, sir, I’ve always wanted to settle down, raise a family, and the woman I loved had turned me down. I thought I was stuck with Velma... sorry, I didn’t mean to say it like that.” He sighed heavily.
Laurie laid a palm against her husband’s cheek. “I’m sorry, Walter. I should never have treated you that way.” She tore her eyes from her husband and turned back to her parents. “Anyway, Daddy, the other day, after Sylvia ran off with Mr. Aaron, Walter came by, to tell me how sorry he was... and I realized I never wanted to lose him.”
Walter’s eyes were full of love when he looked at his wife. He straightened his shoulders and looked Uncle Colt in the eye. “We should have talked to you before we left, but I wasn’t letting Laurie get away this time. I wanted to marry her before she changed her mind again. I’m sorry, sir, for causing you and your wife any distress or pain.”
Aunt Jenny’s look softened, but Uncle Colt still stood with muscles rigid. “Your girlfriend... what was her name?”
“Velma, sir.”
“I’m sure you’ve caused her considerable distress also.”
Walter looked down at the table. “Yes, sir. I’ll talk to her.”
I smiled to myself. I doubted he’d get the chance to say two words.
Uncle Colt leaned forward again, his palms flat against the table. “What are your plans now?”
Walter turned startled eyes to his wife. Somehow, I didn’t think they’d planned this far ahead.
Laurie chewed her bottom lip before she spoke. “Reckon we’ll see if we can find a place to stay the night.”
Uncle Colt leaned back against the counter, folding his arms across his chest.
Aunt Jenny scoffed, whether at Laurie or Uncle Colt, I wasn’t sure. “You’ll stay here.” She glared at Uncle Colt, as if challenging him to dispute her, and then I knew the scoff was for him.
Uncle Colt rubbed his temples, as if he had a headache. “Well, y’all can stay one night. We can discuss this some more tomorrow.”
He walked to the doorway, mumbling under his breath before leaving.
Laurie looked at Walter and grinned, ignoring her mother’s hot glare.
Chapter 43—Aaron Returns
Laurie and Walter lived in Laurie’s old room while they built a house halfway between me and her parents. Laurie continued taking care of both boys and supervised the building of the house. J.C. was doing great so I went back to work.
Velma had quit. She had told Dr. Driscoll to fire me, that she could not stand to see me, knowing my cousin had stolen her boyfriend. Dr. Driscoll refused, and Velma had left. Marla, since Mr. Drake had died, didn’t have much to do. At first, I thought she might move back to Plainsville, but she seemed content to stay where she was.
So, I suggested to Dr. Driscoll that he hire Marla. He did and she worked out great. She knew, intuitively, how to handle both the pets and their owners. She only worked part time so she could spend more time with her sister. Sometimes Grace came to work with her.
It was September when Marla came in, an unreadable expression on her face. She was fifteen minutes late, something that was unusual.
“Is there anything wrong?” I asked.
“Aaron’s back.”
For a moment, my heart wallowed in the pit of my stomach. I did not want Sylvia back in my life, along with all the trouble she would bring.
Marla was watching my face, and she spoke again. “He’s alone. Sylvia’s not with him.”
Relief bubbled up before curiosity overcame me. “Where is she?”
“I don’t know... I haven’t spoken to him. I heard it through the grapevine.”
“Oh... I wonder if Aunt Jenny and Uncle Colt know...”
She shrugged one shoulder.
“What’s on the agenda for today? Maybe I can run home and talk to them... prepare them... in case they see him. Or, maybe I should go see Mr. Paul... just drop in on him and act surprised to see Aaron... What do you think?”
“There’s nothing pressing today. So, go on, if you want to, but be honest, Jay. Tell them why you came by.”
She was right, but the thought of confronting Aaron made me nervous. I rubbed my sweaty palms on my overalls. “Is it really any of my business?”
“Maybe not. But you’re not going to rest until you find out. I would go with you but someone needs to stay in the office. Dr. Driscoll is going out to the Cohan farm today.”
“Okay. I’ll go. If Aaron doesn’t want to tell me where he’s been for the last three months, that’s fine. But I think we have a right to know.”
“I’m not sure about a right... but we do have the desire to know.”
“He may be home temporarily... planning to go back to wherever Sylvia is.”
“Well, you’ll never find out unless you go.”
“All right, all right. I’m going.” I took off my lab coat and took it to the back to hang on a hook. I walked to the front door. “I’ll get back as soon as I can. I know how curious you are.”
She was behind the counter and looked up, shaking her head at me. “You’re not funny.”
I laughed and went out. The old truck cranked right up for a change. I drove slowly, with the windows down. It was a warm September day, warmer than normal, with no hint of fall in the air. I mulled over what I would say, my uneasiness intensifying at the thought of going into my father-in-law’s house and asking Mr. Aa... no, he was still Aaron... asking Aaron where he had been and where was Sylvia. He probably would tell me it was not any of my business.
So my hands shook when I knocked on the door. Aaron himself answered it.
“Jay! It’s good to see you!” He grabbed me before I had a chance to back away from his embrace.
When he released me, I stepped back and looked into his face. He grinned at me, with no sign of embarrassment.
“Paul and I were fixing to go to your aunt and uncle’s. Wanna come along?” His brown eyes sparkled as he waited for my answer.
Mr. Paul had stepped to the door, and he was smiling, too, like the cat who had swallowed the canary... no, like a canary who had swallowed a cat... at least, that was Laurie’s twisting of the saying.
“Sure. I’ll follow you over there.” I had to know why they were both grinning and why they were going to see Aunt Jenny and Uncle Colt.
Mr. Paul hurried me out onto the porch and pulled his front door shut. He settled his hat on his head with a firm tug. “See you over there.”
I walked into the yard and put a hand on the truck door, watching the two brothers. Mr. Paul slapped Aaron on the back before he went around to climb in on the passenger side of a new truck.
I got into Michael’s old truck... no, it wasn’t Michael’s... this truck was so much like his that I sometimes forgot. I cranked up and followed Aaron’s new truck onto the red, clay road. The news coming out of Europe suggested that the war was still in full force. It had been almost two years since Michael had joined the Marines. How much longer would the war last?
I sighed as I followed the trail of red dust. I pulled up right beside Aaron’s truck, and Mr. Paul was there, opening my door for me. I thanked him and followed him and Aaron to the front door. Aaron knocked, and we waited until Aunt Jenny came and peered through the screen.
Her hand went to her chest. “My goodness.” She hesitated only a moment before she threw the door open and waved us in.
The men removed their hats and both nodded at Aunt Jenny.
“Is Colt around?” Aaron asked.
“As a matter of fact, he’s out at the barn. Do you want me to get him?”
But there was no need. At that moment, Uncle Colt came through the door.
His eyes narrowed as his gaze came to rest on Aaron. “I thought I heard a truck pull up.”
He walked ov
er and gave me a hug and looked at the two brothers, giving a nod to Mr. Paul but not speaking.
Mr. Paul twirled his hat in his hands. “Mind if we have a seat? Aaron has some news for you.”
Aunt Jenny waved her arm in an arch. “Y’all come on and have a seat. We can sit at the kitchen table... that way there will be plenty of room.”
“Where are the boys?” I asked.
“They’re in the sitting room... let me go get them before they get into something.”
I went with her, and she looked at me with curiosity brimming in her eyes.
“What are they doing here?” she whispered.
“I don’t know. Where’s Laurie?”
“She ran to town for a few groceries.” She picked Joe Joe up and swung him onto her hip.
I got J.C. and we went back to the kitchen. Mr. Paul and Aaron were talking about farming and how much easier it had become since the advent of the tractor. Uncle Colt sullenly watched them.
We settled in our seats, and Aaron had to see both babies and exclaim how big they were getting. Finally, the nicieties were over, and we all fell silent.
“I’ve got to get back to work,” I said, hoping to hurry Aaron up.
The warmth of his brown eyes radiated to me. “I’d forgotten you were working.”
I simply nodded, hoping he would get to it.
Aaron ran his fingers through his hair. “Well, I guess y’all are wondering what I’m doing here.” He looked at each of us with a grin on his face. He stopped at Uncle Colt’s face. “I have a proposition for you...”
Chapter 44—The Uktena
Uncle Colt’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “What?” The one word radiated anger. Ever since Walter had run off with his daughter, he wasn’t the most trusting of men. And here he was being confronted by the man who had run off with his daughter-in-law. Who could blame him?
Aaron, unruffled by Uncle Colt’s sullen look, unfolded the paper he held in his hands and flattened it out with his palms. He pushed it across the table to Uncle Colt who picked it up and looked on both sides, as if it might have something unsavory hidden in it. Only then did he begin to read. Aunt Jenny scooted closer and read over his shoulder. She was the faster reader and surprise registered on her face. And then tears sprang to her eyes.
Thunder's Shadow Page 22