Angel of the Cove (18 page)

An hour later Anna opened the bedroom door again and stepped into the kitchen. Her heart plummeted to her stomach and she drew back in surprise. Simon sat at the table with Andrew.

Before she could say anything, Andrew jumped up and ran toward her.

“Can I go see Gracie and my boy now?”

Anna tore her gaze away from Simon and smiled at Andrew. “Go on in.”

The lines in Andrew's tired face dissolved into a big smile. He grabbed Simon's hand and pumped it up and down. “Thanks for coming.” With a whoop, Andrew disappeared into the bedroom. His voice drifted into the kitchen. “I been 'bout to go outta my mind, Gracie. You all right?”

Granny stepped out of the room and smiled at the sight of Simon. “Well, if it ain't the preacher come to see the new baby. Why don't you give the family a few minutes 'fore you go in?” She glanced from Simon to Anna. “I think I'm gonna git me some fresh air.”

She walked out the back door and left Anna and Simon alone in
the kitchen. Simon turned away from her and sat back down at the table. The silence beat on Anna's ear, piercing her heart.

With hesitant steps Anna moved to the table and slipped into a chair next to Simon. “It's good to see you. You haven't been to Granny's lately. We've missed you.”

The muscle in his jaw twitched. He folded his hands on top of the table and stared at them. “I've been busy. I've had lots of visiting to do.”

“Granny's been wondering what happened. She said you'd never stayed away from her house for this long before.”

He fidgeted in his chair. “I'll make it up to her.”

“How's Martha doing?”

“Fine.” His fingers rubbed at a spot on the table, but he didn't look up.

Anna frowned. “Simon, are you angry with me?”

He shook his head. “What makes you think that?”

“Because you haven't been back to Granny's since…since the day we raced. I've missed you.”

Simon let out a long breath and stood up. He pulled his watch out and glanced at it. “I've just been trying to pay more attention to the rest of my congregation. I don't want anyone to think I have favorites.”

Anna blinked back the tears that were already threatening to fill her eyes. “Oh.”

“In fact I have another visit to make before I go home. Tell Andrew and Gracie I'll come back and visit later. I don't want to disturb them now.”

He picked up his hat and strode to the door, but Anna jumped up and ran after him. “Wait. Don't go.”

His hand reached out to open the door. “What is it, Anna?”

She stopped beside him. “I'm going to cook supper for everyone in just a bit. Why don't you stay?”

He shook his head. “I can't. I'm sorry.”

She took a little step away from him. “Are you eating with someone else?”

“No. I just need to get home.”

Her chest tightened as if a heavy weight sat on it, and she struggled to keep from groaning with the hurt his cold attitude inflicted.
“Then please stay. I've hardly gotten to speak to you at church, and we can catch up on what's been going on with each other in the past two weeks.”

“I've told you I can't stay. Now I have to go.” His expressionless face gave no indication that the Simon she'd known lived within the man facing her.

He reached for the door, but she grabbed his arm. He recoiled and shook free of her. Confused, Anna stared up at him. “Simon, what's wrong?”

His eyes bored into her. “I think it's best if we stay away from each other.”

She wiped at the tears that were starting to spill from her eyes. “You don't want to be my friend anymore?”

His lips trembled. “I can't be your friend.”

He jerked the door open and walked out, leaving her alone. An emptiness consumed her, and she covered her face with her hands. She didn't think she'd ever hurt so much in her life.

Simon mounted his horse and galloped away from the Long farm. He fought the urge to wheel his mount about and dash back to Anna—to tell her he wanted to be more than her friend—but he couldn't. Since he'd met her, he'd yearned to share with her what Andrew and Gracie and John and Martha had, but that would never be.

If she only knew how hard it had been for him to stay away from Granny's these past few weeks. Seeing her at church had been agony for him, and today had even been worse. When she'd walked out of Gracie's bedroom his heart nearly burst with joy, but he couldn't let her know.

Lost in thought, he raced down the familiar road through the late afternoon shadows. As the Simmons' farm came into view an idea crossed his mind. Why not stop? They'd invited him to supper whenever he was passing, and today was as good a day as any. Maybe spending some time with them would take his mind off Anna.

The minute he tied his horse to the tree in the front yard of the farmhouse, the door opened and Linda Mae emerged on the porch. She waited on the top step as he walked toward her. “Ev'ning, Simon. You decide to take us up on our invite?” Her brown eyes flashed from underneath long lashes, and a bun at the back of her head held her long brown hair in place.

There was no doubt about it, he thought. Linda Mae was an attractive woman. She was taller than Anna, and her complexion was darker than Anna's creamy one. He shook his head to clear it. There was no need to compare Linda Mae to Anna. No one would ever measure up to Anna. But if Linda Mae's manner toward him was any indication, she was definitely open to a friendship with him.

A voice inside urged him to get on his horse and leave, but he ignored it. “I hope I'm not imposing on your mother stopping by like this.”

She looped her arm through his and leaned against him for a moment before she drew him toward the door. “You's always welcome at our table, Preacher. C'mon in and talk to Pa whilst I help Mama git supper on the table. I done made an apple pie this afternoon, and I'm jest dyin' to show you what a good cook I am.” She squeezed his arm as she guided him inside.

Suddenly his visit didn't seem like such a good idea. He felt like a victim being pulled into a web, and Linda Mae was the spider dragging him with her. His stomach churned. What was he doing here?

F
or the next few days after arriving home from the Long farm, Anna immersed herself in Granny's teaching. She wrote so much in her journal she wondered if she was going to have to send to Gatlinburg for a new one. Every day Granny told her something new to add to her growing knowledge.

Anna was happy to have her mind occupied so that she wouldn't dwell on Simon and how much she missed him. In her heart, though, she understood his reasons for not visiting at Granny's anymore. If he wanted more from her than friendship, perhaps it was best they stay away from each other. After all, she would see him at church on Sundays. That would have to be enough.

On the third afternoon after being back at home, Anna prepared for another long session of study with Granny. They'd worked in the garden all morning, and this was the first time they'd taken a break from their everyday chores. Anna sat at the table where the herbs hung on the wall. Her open journal lay before her, and her pencil skimmed across the page as she tried to record everything Granny said.

Straightening from leaning over the table, Granny propped her hands on her hips and stretched her back. “So, how you feelin' 'bout them yarbs? Think you're a-larnin' 'em?”

Anna looked up from writing in her journal and nodded. “I feel much more at ease than I did the first day I came, but I'm more
comfortable just watching you use them on a patient. I still worry I might make a mistake. How long did it take before you felt like you knew what you were doing?”

Granny walked over to the chairs in front of the fireplace and pulled one to the table. She eased down beside Anna. “I don't know if'n I feel that way even after all these years. But I larnt a long time ago that the Lord's in control. I jest turn ev'ry birthin' over to Him. I'm there to let 'im work through me.”

“I want to be the same way, Granny. I pray every night that I'll be more like you, but I still have a long way to go in gaining confidence. I know a lot can go wrong when a woman's having a baby. I wonder how I can handle that when it happens.”

The pencil slipped from Anna's fingers to the journal. Hoping Granny would dismiss her greatest fear with some witty words, Anna gazed up at her. Granny's somber expression frightened her even more.

“It's always pos'ble somethin's gonna go wrong during childbirth,” she said. “That's why I thought we'd jest set a spell, 'cause there's some thangs I need to tell you and you'll prob'bly want to be a-sittin' when I talk about it.”

Anna's eyes grew wide. “Have I done something wrong, Granny?”

Granny laughed and patted her arm. “Lands, no, child. You done a good job. 'Specially takin' care of the mother after the baby comes. That's a mighty important time.”

“I know.”

“That's why I try to keep thangs clean. Always remember to wash your hands a lot and put clean bedding on after the birth. We gotta be real careful with the mother 'cause we don't want no infection to set up. Most women what die in childbirth act'ly die from puerperal fever.”

Reminding herself to check with Uncle Charles about the correct spelling later, Anna grabbed the pencil and wrote down the word. “What's that?”

“The first month after birth they's all kinds of germs kin git in the mother's womb then jest go all through her body. Ain't much I can
do if that happens, so's I try to head if off at the beginnin' by keepin' the birth room clean as I can. And like I said, you been doin' a good job of that.”

Anna's skin warmed with pleasure at the compliment. “Thank you, Granny.”

Granny straightened in her chair. “But they's lots more you need to know. So far the birthin's you've seen been real easy ones.”

Anna tilted her head and thought about the babies she'd seen born. “Easy? I thought Gracie never would have her baby.”

Granny shook her head. “That ain't what I'm a-talkin' about. Gracie's time warn't near as long as you thought it was. Sometimes it's hours and hours. Don't know why. Some women jest take longer. But sometimes there's real problems, and I want you prepared if'n we have one.”

Anna swallowed back the fear that rose inside her. “What kind of problems?”

Granny hesitated a moment. “Well, most times everythin' works out—maybe nine times outta ten you got no problems. Then along comes one you wish hadn't happened. Those are the time I'm a-talkin' 'bout.”

Anna tightened her fingers on the pencil, poised her hand over the journal, and took a deep breath. “All right. I'm ready.”

“Ev'ry once in a while you gonna have a breech birth. Now they's diff'rent kinds, and you need to know what to do.” Granny hesitated. “Fact is most times there ain't much you can do. If the baby is a-comin' faceup or crosswise, it's real bad.”

Anna frowned and wrote the terms in her journal. “Faceup I understand, but how will I know if the baby's crosswise?”

“You'll see the arms or the feet a-comin' first. If this happens, the first thing you try to do with a faceup or crosswise birth is to turn the baby. I'll show you later how you can try on the mother's stomach by a-pressin', but if'n the baby's settled, it prob'ly ain't gonna work.”

“What do you do then?”

“Then you gotta try to turn 'im in the birth canal. You understand?”

“Yes. I've seen my father do it with our animals on the farm.”

“Good. But it's a diff'rent feelin' when you gotta do it for a woman.
You jest pray the good Lord's gonna guide your hands.” Granny thought for a moment before she went on. “If'n you cain't turn the baby, there's one more thang I've tried, but it don't always work.”

“What's that?”

Granny pointed to the bedroom. “I sewed me a stuffed baby doll one time so's I could practice. When we git through, I'll go git it and teach you. But before I do, there's somethin' else you need to know about breech births.”