Favorite Wife (23 page)

I jumped up and began to pace, rage at Ervil causing me to lose control. “It's not fair!” I whirled on Lorna. “It's unforgivable for him to do this to you, and you know it. Boy, how I wish he was here so I could give him a piece of my mind!”

I stopped and searched Lorna's face. She sat pale and quiet; slowly wiping crumbs off the table and letting them fall onto the floor. “It's not that big a deal,” she finally sighed. “He'd be here if he could. It's just that I was so looking forward to it. I'll be okay.”

She glanced at me, her eyes puffy. “I'm going to write to Mom and see if she can come down to be with me. It'll be a bad time for her to leave home, but I think she'll come. They're packing right now, getting ready to move to Los Molinos. Their house in Utah finally sold, did I tell you? They have to be out in a month.” Lorna gave me a tight smile. “I should be thrilled right now, instead of so down. Just think, Susan, in one month, Mom, Dad, and the kids will be living in Los Molinos, only four hours away! Isn't that fantastic?”

I put my arms around my cousin and patted her arm. “It's wonderful!” I exclaimed. “I'm not just happy for you, I'm happy for me, too. I can't wait to spend some time with Aunt Thelma and Uncle Bud. And Mark, Lorna dear, is a total babe. I pity the poor girls who live in Los Molinos.”

She sniffed, then grinned—a real, genuine act of mirth, and I laughed out loud with relief. She was going to be all right; she was strong; she would make it.

“Lorna,” I hesitated, then I smiled wide, little thrills running down my spine as I whispered, “I have a secret. I'm going to have a baby, too.”

It was late in the afternoon before I got home, and within minutes, I wanted to shout with happiness. Lucy had handed me a letter from Jay, and my eyes quickly scanned the page. He was coming! He would be here, in Ensenada, in a week! Oh, Glory!

“A general priesthood meeting, to be held in Ensenada, was called by the Prophet Joel,” his scrawled writing said, “and he sent me a personal invitation, saying he wants me to be there. I think he plans to reinstate me into the fellowship of the church and restore my priesthood. I'll be there with bells on. Can you put me up?”

I closed my eyes and smiled in anticipation. How could I stand to wait for a whole week? I wondered if he would bring Carmela.

Verlan was also coming to the meeting, which would be held in a rented building in town. Charlotte had delivered his message in her usual curt manner. “Verlan phoned me from Las Vegas, said he couldn't get away now. He'll be here next weekend, when the men hold their meeting; he asked me to tell you all; he sends his love.”

I had hurried to my trailer to hide my tears. After waiting for two weeks to tell him about my pregnancy, now I would have to keep on waiting. No one knew but Lucy and Lorna. I had toyed with the idea of telling Rhea and Laura but had decided against it. I didn't want Verlan to accidentally hear about it from anyone but me.

I had it all planned how I would tell him. We would be alone in my trailer, and the mood would be just right. I would tell him about the baby, and the shock on his face would turn to joy. He would grab me and hug me, his hand going to my tummy, “Our child,” he would whisper. “Yours and mine. We're a family now, my charm.”

I wiped the tears away as I thought about it. It was going to be so wonderful when I finally got to tell him. Just one more week.

The vehicles started filling the yard on Friday night. Joel and his wife, Gaye, were the first to arrive. “Lucy,” Joel said, “If you have room, we'd like to stay with you. If you don't, we'll get a motel downtown.”

“Don't be silly, we'll make the room,” Lucy smiled. “The boys will let you have their room, and they can sleep on the living room floor.” She trotted off to tell the boys.

Within minutes, Brother Castro and Brother Zarate arrived. “Think Lucy maybe can put us up?” Brother Castro asked Joel anxiously. “If she doesn't have the room, maybe we could sleep in the back of your truck.”

“Nonsense!” Joel said. “Lucy said the boys' room is available; you men can sleep there.”

“That sounds better than your pickup,” Brother Zarate laughed, rubbing his hands together.

“Joel,” I heard Gaye furiously whisper as Brother Castro left the living room. “That was to be our bedroom . . . ”

“Shh,” he whispered, “We can sleep in the truck. Come on.”

“Wait, Joel,” I interrupted. “You and Gaye can have my trailer. I can sleep in the big house with the girls.”

He grinned and patted my shoulder. “That big brother of yours is coming tonight. You'll need to put him up. We have a bed all made in the back of the truck, and it's romantic under the stars.” He winked at Gaye.

She stared at Joel and shook her head. A smile tugged at her lips. “Well, I hope you plan on cuddling real close to me, darling, so we don't freeze to death while we admire all those stars.”

I watched, amused, as Brother Zarate and Brother Castro happily carried their bags into the boys' room. Lucy stopped short, looking confused, then shrugged as Joel motioned her to silence.

Soon the living room was wall to wall blankets, pillows, and boys. Once they had all settled down, I left. I wondered what time Jay would arrive.

It was the wee hours of the morning before he tapped on my trailer window. “Oh, JAY!” I kissed his cheek over and over, my tears running freely as I held on to him. “It's so darn good to see you, I don't even know how to act,” I croaked. “I've been so lonesome, and I'm so, so glad you came.”

He held me back from him, peering at my face under the poor light. “Are you all right, Sis? Everyone treating you okay?”

“Oh, yes, it's not that. It's just that Verlan is gone most of the time, and I get so lonely. I miss having family around. I've missed you so much, and I miss Mom and Dad . . . ” I choked again and hid my face against his chest.

“Hey!” he said softly, “Cheer up, would you? You'd think somebody had died.”

I grabbed a tissue and blew my nose. “I'm sorry. I just haven't felt well for a while. It's good to see you.”

As I turned up the lamp, Jay looked at me. “What do you mean? Are you sick?”

I nodded and grinned. “Morning sick. Morning, noon, and night sick.”

Jay whistled, his eyes twinkling. “Now, ain't that something? So is Carmela.”

“You're kidding!” I squealed. “Oh, Jay, we're both going to be parents!” I shook my head with the enormity of it. Jay solemnly shook my hand. “Congratulations, Sis. I'll bet Verlan's happy.”

“I haven't told him yet. He's been gone . . . I can hardly wait for him to get here, so I can tell him.”

Soon Jay was snuggled in, on my tiny couch, gently snoring away. We visited over breakfast the next morning, then Jay borrowed my trailer so he could take a spit-bath. I went into the big house to help prepare food for the guests.

It was noon before Verlan and Charlotte arrived. I badly wanted to take Verlan aside so I could tell him about the baby, but there were too many people, all demanding his attention. Lucy, Charlotte, and I were constantly running to fill the many plates.

By early afternoon the yard was empty of vehicles. All of the men were at the meeting in town. I watched the clock impatiently, hoping that it wouldn't last too late. It was my night with Verlan, and tonight was going to be special.

Car after car arrived right after dusk. As the men shuffled into the house, Lucy and I served them food. I glanced out the living room window whenever I had a spare moment. Soon Jay and Brother Leany trudged through the door. “Come get some food, you guys,” I called to them.

“Don't worry about us, Suze,” Jay said as he entered the kitchen. “Theron and I stopped with some of the other guys to get a taco in Ensenada. Verlan and Lillie showed up there, too. So I don't think you need to fix any more food.”

“Verlan and Lillie?” I said blankly.

“Yeah, you know, Joel's stepdaughter. Lillie. They came in just as we were leaving. Lillie sure has grown up pretty, don't you think?”

I could feel the color leave my face. Verlan and Lillie? Together?

Don't be silly, I thought quickly. That's absurd and you know it. Lillie is Verlan's niece, at least by marriage. Just because he takes her to supper doesn't mean anything. But it was strange. Especially since he hadn't taken me to supper since our honeymoon. And, why was he eating in town, without me, on my night?

Jay and I visited in my trailer until past ten, catching up. I told him how sweet Lucy had been, and about the girls being my friends. And I told him about Lorna and her situation. I also told him how we had to catch the bus into town for groceries because we had no transportation unless Verlan or Charlotte was home, and, how the last time Verlan was here, we'd all gone to the beach and had a great time. And I said how sad it was to me to be living only three miles away from the ocean and so rarely see it. I didn't tell him about Beverly, or how she still didn't speak to me, or how infrequently we all saw Verlan.

Jay told me that the family at home was well. Our sister Rose Ann had given birth to another boy. Carmela was living in the colony at last, in the little house Jay had built across from Mom and Dad's. He also told me that Ervil and Dan were in Colonia LeBaron, openly criticizing Joel and his teachings to anyone who would listen. “I don't know what is going to come of it all,” Jay sighed. “Ervil's absence here, from this general priesthood gathering, tells me that he refuses to back Joel anymore. I hear that he's succeeded in recruiting some of our church members to his way of thinking. Has Verlan said anything about it?”

I shook my head. “Verlan doesn't talk about church business in front of me very much. I guess he thinks it's not something for the women to worry about. Who has Ervil swayed to his side?”

Jay hesitated. “I don't want to say anything until I'm sure, but I have a feeling that if things don't change soon, there is going to be a real split in the church.”

I looked at him, stunned. “You mean, Ervil might start his own church, apart from Joel's?”

“It's heading in that direction, Sis.”

I leaned back, shocked and dismayed, and the conversation lagged. Soon Jay excused himself to go to Lucy's to sleep. After he left, I mulled over what he'd told me about Ervil. It was so crazy! I couldn't imagine any of our members choosing to follow Ervil instead of Joel except for, of course, Dan Jordan. The whole thing was unbelievable. I would ask Verlan about it tonight.

I peered out the window. It was almost eleven, and Verlan's car was still missing from the yard. The meeting was long over, the other men who were staying with us were settled into various corners of Lucy's house, and yet Verlan was still not home. Worry and uncertainty knotted my insides as I got ready for bed and blew out the lamp. The trailer was chilly, and I tossed under the covers, shivering. Nausea added to my discomfort.

Suddenly the lights of a car moved across the curtain at the side of my bed and came to a stop only yards away from my trailer. It had to be Verlan. I felt a mixture of relief and annoyance, and waited expectantly for him to swing my door open. I waited and waited. Maybe he'd gone into the big house to tell his wives goodnight, or to Beverly's. Sitting up in bed, I pulled the curtain back and peered out. No lights were on in the big house. The only light at all, was coming from a single bulb over the front porch, plus a small sliver of moon. As I dropped the curtain, a movement inside Verlan's car caught my attention. Startled, I pulled the curtain back again.

The porch light was dim, but it was enough to catch the reflection of Verlan's broad forehead. He sat behind the steering wheel, and cuddled next to him, so close that the two bodies almost looked like one, was Lillie's slender form.

I dropped the curtain as though it were on fire, and scooted away from the window, wide-eyed with shock and too stunned to mentally process what I'd seen.