Chance Of A Lifetime (12 page)

“I’m not cutting myself off,” Daisy denied. “I don’t have to prove anything to these people. They all seem so nice, but I know what’s under it.” She squared her shoulders. “Jamie and me don’t need their pity.”

“That’s jist what I mean,” Miz Willow declared. “Yore rejecting the folk around here without even trying. You been cut off so long at Hawk’s Fall, busy with Jamie, you ain’t spent much time with others. You know a lot of these people. It ain’t been five years since you moved from Salt Lick Holler with yore husband.”

“Six.” Daisy’s voice cracked.
And nearly five of being alone. Taking the responsibility for a household and my son
.

“And now, here you are surrounded by good people. Are you talkin’ to any of ‘em?” Miz Willow demanded. “No. Yore retreating in silence while that attitude jist rolls outta you.”

“What attitude? I’m simply minding my own business.”

“‘Zactly. You mind yore own business and expect ev’rybody else to mind theirs.” Miz Willow kept on. “So you tell yoreself how you and Jamie don’t need folks’ pity. How do you know they pity you? Do you pity yoreself?”

“No! I’ve worked hard for what Jamie and I got.”

“Yore full of pride at yore own self-reliance, Daisy. You don’t open yore heart and let people care about you.” Miz Willow rested a hand on Daisy’s shoulder. “We’ve all known loss, Daisy. We all need something.”

“We lost our home, but we’ll still make our way.” Daisy spoke aloud the words she lived by. “We survive no matter what.”

“Let me tell you somethin’ I’ve learned from bein’ around longer than yore pa cain remember.” Miz Willow headed for the door. “Survivin’ ain’t livin’.”

Bryce looked around. The Trevors, Pleasants, Peaseleys, Ruckers, and Clearys had all shown up, along with some faces he recognized but couldn’t put a name to.

“Looks like we’re about to begin.” Bryce found Logan, who was clanging a cowbell to get everybody’s attention.

“All right. Looks like everybody made it.” Logan surveyed the crowd with satisfaction. “I’d like to thank you all for comin’ here today to help us raise this barn. I know it’s a bit late in the year, but together we can get this done!” A few calls and whoops of agreement filled the air as he paused.

“We need the barn for the horses and cattle I’m having brought up. Now that I’ve decided to stay in Salt Lick Holler with my beautiful bride, Hattie.” He stopped to blow Hattie a kiss. She blushed scarlet and motioned for him to continue.

“I’m fixing to set us up with my share of Chance Ranch. So it seems to me that you fine folks who’re helping us out deserve something in return.” While Logan paused to let that sink in, Bryce marveled at his brother’s dramatic flair.

“We’re asking the men to divide into teams. We’re building on to the existing barn, so we’ll have three walls. That means three teams. Bryce and I will make up one team—it’s only fair we put up at least one of these walls! That means we need two more. When you have your teams together, Miz Willow will write your names down. First team to construct their wall wins the little mare.” Logan pointed to the pretty brown pony tied to a post. The rest of the animals were grazing in makeshift corrals over the hill. The hastily made fences wouldn’t hold them for too long, but they wouldn’t have to after today.

Murmurs of surprise and excitement filled the air as people sought out friends to form teams.

“We’ve got a team right here, Logan!” Ed Trevor waved his hammer in the air. “Me, m’ boys, and their uncle Asa.” He turned to the crowd. “And we aim to win that pony!”

“Not if we have anything to say about it!” Nate Rucker called out the names of the men on his team.

“All right then. Otis Nye’ll be our judge. Watch yourselves. He’s got the keenest eyes in the holler.” Logan set out the rules, listed the dimensions of the walls, and explained how the lumber had already been divided. “Everybody ready? Let’s go!” The race was on. Bryce grabbed a bag of nails and strode up to Daisy.

“Our team’s a bit short on manpower. How ‘bout if you let Jamie here hold our tools for us so we can get to them real fast?

“Shore thang.” Daisy set Jamie down on a small patch of grass just outside of the range of swinging lumber. She sat down next to him and arranged the drills, saws, hammers, and such in front of them where it would be easy for Bryce and Logan to see them. “Thanks, buddy.” Bryce winked at Jamie and Daisy and ran to help Logan heft the lumber. They were already behind, but that didn’t matter. He didn’t aim to win this race.

I don’t want the pony
. Bryce glanced over at Daisy and Jamie.
I’ve got my eyes on a sweet little filly who’s a much finer prize. Too bad she’s so dead set on running the other way
.

“And the winner is …,” Otis Nye bellowed grandly, “Team Two! Ed, Ted, Fred, and Asa win the pony!”

“Yea!” Ted jumped in the air while Fred whooped. The rest of the men grumbled good-naturedly and threw a few overblown glowers toward the winners.

“That don’t mean yore done, men!” Otis squawked. “Everybody get back to work!”

Ted and Fred joined Logan and Bryce, who lagged far behind, in part because it was just the two of them but also because they’d taken on the wall with the door, which made things more complicated. With the extra help, they began to catch up. The twins proved to be nimble climbers and swift workers as they poured all their considerable energy into the task at hand.

The scent of fresh sawdust coated the air as hammers rang and saws scraped. Men yelled back and forth for whatever they happened to need at the moment. Occasional “ow’s” punctuated the rhythm of hard work. The women drifted around the work site with fresh water to drink and cool rags to mop overheated brows.

“Nails.” Bryce took the small pouch from Jamie’s hand and traded him an empty one. Daisy filled the small pouches so Jamie didn’t ever touch the sharp points of the nails. “Thanks, buddy. We make a good team.”

He rushed back to lift a heavy piece of timber with Logan. They’d nearly finished constructing the bents; now they’d need to raise the skeleton of the wall. He looped a strong rope around the topmost bar while Logan did the same. The twins were ready with the long, spiked stockades to brace the fledgling structure while Logan and Bryce pulled it upright.

His muscles strained at the weight. If this barn were any bigger, he and Logan couldn’t have raised this wall even with the twins’ assistance. Nate Rucker ambled over and grabbed an extra rope Bryce had thought to tie in case one gave way. With the help of the burly blacksmith, the frame rose far more quickly.

“Thanks, Nate.” Bryce grinned at the enormous man, affectionately called “Li’l Nate” because his father, the blacksmith of the holler before him, was “Big Nate.” Bryce had been in the holler for just a few days when Li’l Nate’s wife, Abigail, bore him a son. Bitty Nate looked to be taking after his pa already.

“Any time,” Nate grunted, holding tight while others rushed over to help secure the frame. Finally, they could let go.

Bryce gave a mighty stretch to work out the kinks. He took a few deep breaths, fanning himself with his hat.

“Have some water.” Daisy’s voice floated to his ears as she walked toward him.

“Much obliged.” Bryce took the cool drink and downed it in three gulps. “Ah. That’s better.”

“I cain get some more,” she offered. “Yore working terrible fast.”

“I’m fine.” He grinned at her.
She’s been watching me
. The thought took his mind off his weary muscles.

“I wanted to thank you.” Daisy leaned close enough that he could smell the fancy soap she used. “For includin’ Jamie. It meant a lot that he got to holp the men instead of only watching.”

“And help us he did. You, too. Having everything at the ready made things that much easier.” Bryce slapped his hat back on his head and tipped the brim toward her. “I’ve got to get back to work. We’ve got to get the rafters up before dinner, and I’m mighty hungry.”

“You always are!” Daisy’s laugh followed him as he joined the other men.

Daisy got some more water and brought it to Jamie. She tipped the cup to his lips. Usually he could do it, but today he’d already used a lot of his strength. She wiped his chin and cuddled him close.

She knew he was tired but didn’t press him. He wouldn’t doze off until after the rafters had been raised and he had a belly full of lunch. Daisy hummed softly as she ran her fingers through his soft blond hair, so like his father’s.

She raised her head to see Miz Willow watching her. A surge of anger at the old woman’s scolding welled up.

How dare she criticize the way I behave!
Daisy stewed.
I know I’m beholden to her for her hospitality, but I don’t intend for it to be permanent. Does sharing her home give her the right to berate me for nothing? I don’t cut myself off from others. I’ve established a friendship with Bryce, haven’t I?

Only in spite of yourself
. Daisy didn’t like the niggling voice in the back of her mind, but the tiny seeds of guilt wouldn’t rest.
You didn’t reach out to Bryce until he was kind to Jamie. Even then, you accused him of cruelty not in his nature. If the friendship has grown, it is not due to yore tender care in nurturing it. Miz Willow said those things to open yore eyes, not to hurt you
.

Well, she did hurt me. And if she feels that I’m so difficult, it’s all the better that I’ve taken Logan up on his offer to sell my lace. His deal puts far more money in my pocket. The more I save, the sooner I cain leave the old woman’s charity, and me and Jamie cain get on with our lives
.

I’ve wasted too much time already. After the fire, we spent two days searching the rubble before moving here. Sewing new clothes
was necessary but cost me a lot of time, and holping with that behemoth of a stove ate up still more time. I need to focus on the important things. How am I going to put a roof over Jamie’s head and food in his mouth? By making lace. That’s how I should be spending my time
. Her resolve strengthened, Daisy vowed to work more quickly.

While she’d been lost in thought, the men had finished putting up half of the rafters. The noontime hour had passed, so when the skeleton of the barn was up and ready, everyone would break for dinner.

“Mama’s gonna go set out the food,” Daisy told Jamie. “I want you to stay right here where I cain see you, okay?”

“‘Kay, Ma.” He nodded, happy to be watching everything around him.

Daisy walked over to the cabin and began carrying out dish after covered dish. They hadn’t set it all outside before now, so the sun wouldn’t spoil the food and insects wouldn’t swarm around the tables. Logan and Bryce had constructed two huge tables and numerous benches in preparation for the day.

Daisy, Hattie, Silk Trevor, and a few other women scurried back and forth while Miz Willow passed them dishes. Before long, the first table groaned beneath the weight of sliced ham, a pot roast, two chickens, rabbit stew, egg salad, vegetable salad, mashed potatoes, gravy, steamed carrots, and hunks of cheese. Baked goods filled the second table to bursting. Bread, rolls, biscuits, corn bread, pies, coffee cake, and cobbler spread in a tantalizing profusion.

Logan called for silence before blessing the meal.