Earthly Vows (6 page)

Claudia’s bus arrived five minutes late. Angel’s eyes took in the stream of faces of the folks stepping off the bus, the people
carrying suitcases and store bags packed with traveling items. There was one pretty auburn woman who assisted her two younger
children down the steps and onto the street. Angel squinted in the hot sunshine and smiled at the lady. She walked around
Angel and met her family under the depot’s overhang.

Jeb gazed into the bus. After all those years, Angel said she feared that she had forgotten what Claudia looked like. A lone
woman sat three seats from the front. She was looking down, her hat all that was visible.

“She didn’t come,” said Angel.

“Hold on, don’t get yourself in a lather,” said Jeb.

The woman rose, said something to the driver, and then made her way to the front of the bus. She had two children by the hand,
neither as big as a minute. The driver’s eyes softened as he followed the frail woman out of the bus. His head was cocked
to one side, and when he saw Jeb and Angel waiting, he nodded as though he were handing off a fragile obligation.

“Claudia! Claudia!” Angel’s hands came together almost in a prayer.

The woman had a small face, small like Ida May’s, and eyes brown as pudding. She lowered her face and examined Angel. After
she got the children onto the street, she shook her head and said, “I can’t believe it. Angel?”

Angel trembled and her half smile gave way to, “Aren’t you a sight!”

Claudia embraced her and Angel nearly knocked her over, which was not hard, since she weighed about as much as her two young’uns
put together.

“I couldn’t believe it when Mrs. Coulter told me she found you!”

“You’re a sight too, girl. Daddy always said you’d be the beauty when you got grown, now look at you, all growed up.”

Angel stepped back and took in her round-eyed brood. “You’ve got two babies. I heard that you were expecting again.”

“I lost one, but no need to dampen the day with that kind of talk.” She turned her eyes on Jeb.

Jeb introduced himself and took her by the hand. “I’ll get your things if you’ll point them out.”

The driver alighted and led Jeb to the only remaining suitcase left near the bus on the street. Jeb thanked him. Angel heard
him say to Jeb so Claudia wouldn’t hear, “I give her my dinner. It was just some bread and cheese and an apple. She’s nearly
starved from hunger. I’m glad you-all are taking her in.”

Jeb thanked him and turned and looked at the two sisters. Angel was enamored of Claudia, and as she talked, she reached and
touched Claudia’s hair. She had outgrown her older sister by a good three inches. She walked her under the depot overhang
and then knelt next to the little boy, her nephew.

“This is John. John say something to your aunt Angel.”

John buried his face in Claudia’s skirt.

“He’s beautiful, Claudia.” Angel took the little girl’s hand. “I don’t know your name, Littlest.” It was the name Jeb had
given to Ida May.

“Thorne, give your aunt a smooch,” said Claudia.

Angel came to her feet. “You named her after Momma?”

“I’ve missed her so badly, and when she was born, I saw Momma in her eyes, so I just naturally called her Thorne.”

Thorne reached up for Angel and Angel took the little girl in her arms. She balanced her on her hip and said, “I’ll never
let go of you.”

Thorne kissed her face.

Jeb took Claudia’s suitcase from Angel. It hardly weighed anything at all. “This way to the car, ladies.”

The two sisters talked all the way back to the Coulter estate. Angel asked about her husband, Bo, and his railroad job.

“Bo went off to work last month like always. I’d fixed him cold chicken in his dinner bucket. He always liked that. That night,
I sat out on the porch like I always did, me and ’ese two waiting for Daddy to come home. It was a hot night. I could hear
the neighbors laughing over the picket fence out front, like everything was the same as always. We’ve had us a good house.
But Bo never came home that night.”

Jeb glanced obliquely at Angel.

“I went to the police, went around the train depot asking if anyone had seen Bo. Finally I saw one of his drinking buddies
standing in the unemployment line. He told me him and Bo had lost their jobs two weeks before. I guess Bo never had the guts
to tell me he’d lost his job.”

“So he left you and the children,” said Jeb. “Claudia, I’m sorry.”

“Rent’s come due. I was glad I had a little money put back, enough for a bus ticket. I know I should have spent it on the
rent. But I’ve been so lonely for my family. I had to see you, Angel. Where’s them other two?”

“Waiting at the Coulters’ house. I’ve missed you too,” said Angel. “I’ve been trying to find you for so long. You must not
have gotten any of my letters.”

“We moved around too much for that, I reckon. Aunt Kate says you been living in Nazareth. Small world. That’s where Bo and
I first lived.”

“I know. We came there looking for you. But your house was empty. You left this behind.” Angel pulled out a small toy, a cloth
rabbit.

Claudia laughed. “That was John’s. Never knew what happened to it. You did find our old place. Aunt Kate told me in a letter
Daddy sent you all off. I hated that. But Bo wouldn’t hear of taking in family. He said we had enough to contend with. After
that, we moved twice and I lost touch.”

“I wondered why you didn’t write to Aunt Kate, let her know where you were. I was worried sick, Claudia.”

“Bo stopped all that. He was not one to let people into our lives. He brought home the money, wanted me to keep house and
have babies. I figured I owed him that.”

Angel came face forward in the front passenger seat, quiet.

“We’re here,” said Jeb.

“Would you look at this place? Whose house did you say this is?” asked Claudia.

“It’s the home of my fiancée’s family, the Coulters,” said Jeb. “They’re fixing up a room for you for the weekend.” He drove
them under the shade of an oak and parked. “How long did you say you were staying?”

“In her letter, Mrs. Coulter said you would be here until Tuesday. If Angel can front me some cash, I can leave Tuesday,”
said Claudia. “I’m not one to overstay my welcome.”

Angel glanced at Jeb. “I’ll get Claudia’s luggage, Jeb,” she said. She fetched the suitcase and then corralled Thorne, leading
her up the brick walk to the back porch.

Claudia kept saying, “You’re doing well for yourself.” She followed Angel into the house.

Fern came out into the parlor. “Glad you’re all back. I’m Fern. Angel, you can put her things in my room.”

“I wouldn’t want to take your room, ma’am,” said Claudia.

“You’ll love my room. It overlooks the pond. Jeb and I are leaving today for Oklahoma City.”

“I live right outside there, Miss Coulter,” said Claudia. “You heard of Norman?”

“I have.” She turned to Jeb and said, “Jeb, Donna said she can come with us. She’s glad to get away. A friend of hers works
at the Skirvin Hotel and he’s getting us two rooms for the weekend.”

“Fancy place, the Skirvin,” said Claudia. “I heard of that place.”

“Jeb’s got a dinner there tonight,” said Fern. “We’ve got to get out of here. Jeb, you tried on those trousers Myrna fixed
for you, didn’t you?”

Jeb had forgotten. He pursed his lips.

“They’re laid out on your bed. I’ve packed everything else.”

“Angel, are you sure you’ll be all right here, don’t mind us leaving?” he asked.

“Claudia and I have a lot of catching up to do. Don’t worry about us. Are you going upstairs?” she asked.

Jeb caught a look in her eye that said that they should go upstairs. “To try on my trousers, yes.”

Angel followed him upstairs. Once they had made it to the upstairs landing, she said, “I don’t have any money to give Claudia.
How will she get home?”

“I’ll see she gets a bus ticket home.”

“Bo shouldn’t have left her like that. But she shouldn’t have come here counting on someone else to give her the money home.
I don’t know what she expects to do when she gets back to her place. Bo didn’t pay their last month’s rent and she found that
out only yesterday.”

“Maybe there’s work for her in Oklahoma City. I’ll ask around.”

“I knew you’d help,” she said, and hugged him. “I’m sorry as I can be about her, though. I didn’t expect she’d be so bad off.”

“I feel bad about leaving you all here with Mrs. Coulter.”

“I’ll see to everyone, Jeb.”

“I know. You always do, Angel.” She looked older than her years again. Her childhood slipped away once more when Claudia stepped
off that bus.

Donna lugged her suitcases across the lawn, a set of blue baggage, one small case and one large. She was blond like Fern,
but more deeply bronzed from a summer spent on the course at Dornick Hills. She walked with a wobble, wearing a pair of Grecian-looking
heels that laced around her ankles. But her head tilted the same as Fern’s, slightly back with her chin and nose up. It was
a sure bet that they developed that posture as teens when all the Dornick Hills boys were chasing after the Coulter girls.
She was pretty too, nearly as pretty as Fern.

“Let’s split this joint!” she yelled. When she saw Jeb, her smile widened, showing off her teeth, and they were perfect little
pearls.

Angel walked with Fern, following Donna and helping to carry one of Fern’s bags. “Stop looking so sick with worry,” she told
Jeb.

“We’ll come back Sunday instead of Monday,” said Jeb.

“Not on my watch,” said Donna. “I’ve got our rooms through Sunday night and Brian says they’re the last two available rooms.”

“It’s up to Jeb,” said Fern. She handed her luggage to him. “Donna, this is my fiancée, Jeb.”

Donna extended her hand to him. He clasped it. He felt a fool to kiss a woman’s hand. But she was standing there holding it
out like everyone was a hand kisser.

Fern said, “I’ve heard the hotel has chilled air.”

“It has everything. We’re going to live like kings for three days straight. So when are you two tying the knot?” Donna asked.

“Soon. When Fern’s ready,” said Jeb.

“I thought I was waiting on you,” said Fern.

“Why not marry here at the farm?” asked Donna.

Jeb turned and found Fern smiling. “Donna has a good idea. Want to marry here at your mother’s place?” he asked.

“Why not?” She surprised the dickens out of him.

Angel’s mouth fell open. “No, you mean it? When you get back from Oklahoma City?” She was waving her hands around, excited.

“Isn’t the dress you’re wearing tonight new?” Donna helped load the luggage into the trunk.

Jeb said, “Fern, we can do it Tuesday, here in your mother’s parlor.”

“So what are we saying, that we’re going to just up and do it?” There was a pause. “Donna, I’m getting married next week!”
said Fern.

Donna squealed.

Fern threw her arms around Jeb. “This is so spur of the moment! We’re nuts!”

“Not a moment too soon for me, Fern. I don’t think I could wait a minute past Tuesday,” said Jeb.

Abigail came out on the back porch. She opened the screen door, asking what in the world was going on.

“Can we do a wedding by Tuesday?” asked Fern.

“Jeb, she’s joking, isn’t she?” Abigail looked at Jeb.

“They’re serious,” said Angel.

Abigail met them out by the car. She kept saying that this was all a joke until she started crying.

The Skirvin Hotel was a crowned jewel in Oklahoma City’s downtown apex. The two towers boasted 525 rooms, a cabaret club,
a drugstore, a handful of retail stores, a rooftop garden, and the prestigious Venetian Room. An air-chilling system cooled
a coffee café.

A red-coated valet waiting under one of the hotel’s overhangs offered to park the Packard. Jeb handed him the key. Fern tipped
the man.

“I’m starving,” said Donna.

“May I suggest the Coffee Shop inside? You can enter from either the lobby or First Street. You’ll like the stores at the
Skirvin too,” said the valet. “The ladies all hit the dress stores first here.”

Jeb led the way through the glass doors into the marble-floored lobby.