Angel of the Cove (31 page)

Anna's heart raced. A setting hen! Just what Granny needed.

Granny's face broke into a big smile, and she looked from the hen to Cecil. “That's mighty neighborly of you, Cecil. I don't know when I had a better gift.”

He rose to his feet and pointed to the other sack. “And this here is a ham. I 'spect I better put the hen in the henhouse so she gets used to the place, and I'll hang the ham in the smokehouse.”

When Cecil disappeared into the henhouse, Anna ran to Granny and grasped her arm. “Oh, Granny, I can't believe it. I saw what was in Cecil and Pearl's smokehouse when I was at their house, and he's given you half of what he had. That's a very generous gift.”

Granny patted Anna's arm and smiled at her. “Darlin', I done tole you the Lord was a-gonna take care of us, and He done it. I jest never figured he'd use you saving a child's life to do it.”

Cecil walked out of the henhouse and walked toward the smokehouse. When he reappeared, he pointed to the henhouse. “Better make sure this here place is closed up good at night. Them foxes been bad this year.”

Granny nodded. “They sure have.”

Cecil glanced up at the sun and back at them. “Well, I guess I better be a-goin'. Got lots of work to do. But I jest wanted to thank you agin for savin' my little Josie yestid'y.”

Anna could see the difficulty Cecil was having in speaking, and she hastened to make him feel comfortable. “I'm so glad I was there and that the Lord showed me what to do.”

His chiseled features cracked a bit, and for the first time Anna saw in the man's eyes what Simon had been trying to tell her. He did care.

“It's jest that me and Pearl set a big store in that child, and I wanted to tell you in person. I couldn't talk in front of all those folks at the barn raisin'.”

Anna smiled. “I understand. Josie is a precious little girl, and I can see why she's the apple of her daddy's eye. Only a daddy who loves a little girl so much would take the time to carve her toys like you do.”

For the first time since she'd met Cecil Davis, a smile lit his face. “Well, thanks agin, Miss Anna, and I hope to see you and Granny a lot more at our house.”

Granny slapped him on the back. “You can count on us, Cecil. And thank you kindly for what you done shared with us today. I won't be forgettin' it.”

Cecil nodded and pulled the brim of his hat lower over his eyes. He walked across the yard toward the side of the house but stopped and turned back to them before he left. A frown wrinkled his brow. “There's jest one bad thing come outta this whole mess.”

Granny took a step toward him, concern etched on her face. “What's that?”

“Lavinia's gonna stay another week.” Smiling, he disappeared around the side of the house.

Granny and Anna stared at each other for a moment and then collapsed against each other in laughter.

Right after breakfast the next morning Simon knocked on the back door. “Granny, I got a string of fish for you.”

Anna opened the back door and motioned for him to enter. “Come on in. There are still some biscuits left.”

Simon shook his head. “My shoes are muddy. I've been fishin' this morning and I wanted to leave these.”

Anna stepped outside and eyed the catch. “Those are big. Where did you catch them?”

“Over to Abram's Creek.” He laid the fish on the ground, and Anna thought she detected a faraway look in his eyes. “It's one of the prettiest spots in the Cove. Has all kinds of rock formations along the creek bank. I'd love to show it to you sometime.”

Granny stepped out of the house at that time. “What's this yore a-wantin' to show Anna?”

“Abram's Creek.”

Granny picked up the string of fish. “Oh, my, yes. No place in the Cove like Abram's Creek.” A smile creased her face. “Say, preacher boy, why don't you take Anna and me fishin' over there soon? You catch it, and I'll cook it right there on the creek bank.”

“That sounds like a lot of fun. When can we go, Simon?”

Simon's eyes softened as he stared at Anna. “Anytime you want.”

“How about…” Anna hesitated and tilted her head to listen. “Did you hear something?”

Granny glanced back toward the house. “Like what?”

Anna stood still a moment. “There it goes again. Somebody's knocking on the front door.”

“Well, let's go see who's come so early in the morning.” Granny strode across the yard and around the house with Simon and Anna on her heels.

Anna's breath caught in her throat at the sight of Matthew Jackson standing at the door. Without a word he stepped off the front porch and walked toward them. His dark eyes stared at Anna from underneath the brim of a straw hat.

“Matthew, you comin' to see me this mornin'?” Granny called.

He shook his head. “No'm. I come to fetch Miss Anna.”

Anna's reminder to Matthew to come for her if his mother needed help flashed into her mind. His presence could only mean something was terribly wrong. Anna stepped around Granny. “Did your mother send you?”

“Yes'm.”

Anna heard Simon suck in his breath, and then he walked over to the boy. “You've come a long way to do what your mother asked. What does she need?”

Matthew took a deep breath and blinked at the tears he was trying to control. In that movement Anna saw what Simon had been telling her about the reserve she'd seen in Cecil Davis and others. The impulse to cry warred with the unspoken Cove principle. Mountain people were proud, and they'd rather hide their emotions than share them.

Matthew straightened his shoulders and Anna knew pride had won out. “The sheriff came this morning and brought my pa home. My ma wants you to come.”

Anna smiled at Matthew and squeezed his shoulder. “Of course I'll come. Is your pa hurt? Does Granny need to bring her medicine bag?”

Matthew shook his head. “Won't do no good now. They brought my pa home dead.”

“Dead?” Anna and Simon spoke at the same time.

Simon grasped Matthew by the shoulders. “What happened to your father?”

The boy wiped his sleeve across his nose. The tears had now disappeared from his eyes. “Pa went off to that there tavern over to Wear's Valley. Ma begged him not to, but he wouldn't lis'en. The sheriff said Pa got drunk and was gonna shoot a man, but he kilt Pa first. Said it was self-defense.”

Anna could hardly believe the nonchalant manner in which the boy related the news of his father's death. A stab of pain pierced her heart for Naomi and her two children, and she put her arm around the boy's shoulders. “Matthew, I'm so sorry. How's your mother doing?”

Matthew stared up at her, his face now impassive. “She been cryin' a lot, but I told her to never mind. Leastways he won't be hittin' her no more.”

Tears filled Granny's eyes, and she pointed toward the house. “Tell you what, Matthew, you come on in whilst Anna and I git ready to go. You kin eat some breakfast, then we'll all leave.” She turned to Simon. “You a-goin', preacher boy?”

He nodded. “I'll go home and get cleaned up and meet you there.”

Granny put her arm around Matthew's shoulders and drew him toward the house. “And, Simon, git those fish and take 'em to Naomi's. I 'spect we kin cook 'em up over there.”

Simon's mouth hardened into a grim line. Without answering, he headed to the back of Granny's house where he'd left the fish.

Anna waited, but he didn't reappear. When several minutes had passed, she frowned and went to search for him.

Simon stooped over and picked up the fish, but he couldn't make his feet move. Rooted to the spot, he stared across the field toward the mountains. Defeat consumed him and he closed his eyes.

“Oh, Lord, I don't understand why You let this happen.”

“Simon.” Anna's voice startled him, and he clutched the string of fish tighter. He turned slowly and faced her. Her questioning eyes stared at him. “What's the matter?”

Ever since he'd been forced to return from seminary, he'd prayed for someone to share the struggles of his ministry—someone who could understand his desire to pastor a large church. Someone who could understand his belief that God had brought him back here to reach Luke Jackson. Someone like Anna. Standing with her now, he longed for her to wrap her arms around him and tell him everything would be all right. He wanted her to whisper in his ear that no matter what disappointments came to him in his work, she would be by his side helping to ease the burden. But he knew that was impossible.

He'd failed to convince her of how much he needed her, how much the people here needed her. His efforts with her had been as futile as his desire for Luke Jackson to come to know God. Every time he tried to reach her, she'd rebuffed him—just as Luke had. He had failed with her, and now he had failed with Luke. He was tired of being a failure.

After all, he was a product of the Cove and shared the characteristics of his proud neighbors. Sometimes it was better to bury your
emotions deep inside instead of exposing them and risking more heartbreak.

He shifted the string of fish to the other hand. “Nothing. I'll see you at Naomi's. Tell her I'll bring John. We can build a coffin for Luke.”

She nodded. “I'm glad you thought of that. You're such a help to the people in the Cove.”

Her words, meant to compliment him, had the opposite effect. His shoulders slumped, and he pushed his hat farther down over his eyes. “Yeah, that's what they tell me. I just wish I could have helped Luke more.”

He strode past her without waiting for a response. There were things to be done for the Jackson family. Maybe afterwards he would find a way to live with how he'd failed Luke, but he doubted if it would ever happen. He would probably live with his guilt for the rest of his life.

G
ranny guided the buggy over the rough road leading to the Jackson cabin. Anna braced her feet against the floor to keep from bumping against Granny or Matthew, who were sitting on either side of her. Wedged between the two, she darted a glance from time to time at Matthew, but the boy appeared to be lost in thought. She wondered what he was thinking.

Her two encounters with Luke Jackson had left her with memories that still sent chill bumps up her arm each time she thought of them. She could only imagine how much worse Matthew had fared living with his drunken father every day.

She clasped her hands in her lap and said a quick prayer for the right words before she spoke. “Matthew, I'm so sorry about your father's death.”

His long lashes blinked, and he inhaled before he turned to stare at her. The dispassionate look in his eyes almost took her breath. It was as if she were staring into the face of an old man who'd waged battles no other human could understand and had emerged with no visible scars. But this boy had wounds that cut deep into his soul, and Anna knew none of Granny's herbs could ever heal what he'd endured.

“Bound to happen sooner or later,” he said.

Those few words told her the mountain pride had taken over again. Whatever he was thinking, he wouldn't share it with her.