Favorite Wife (28 page)

It was late the next afternoon before I saw Verlan again. During the morning he had taken Beverly and Lucy to Ensenada to do the grocery shopping. While they were gone, I helped Charlotte's girls with the wash. Then I returned to my trailer and unpacked my clothes.

The guitar I had brought with me needed tuning, and I picked it up and fussed with it for a while. The melancholy sound of the instrument fit my mood, and I soon lay back against my pillows, lightly strumming a Mexican folk tune. When Verlan stepped in the door, I was startled.

“I didn't know you played the guitar!” he boomed, dropping down next to me.

“I don't, at least not much. Mom and Dad gave it to me years ago for my birthday.”

“It's a beauty,” he said, fingering the blond wood. He took it from my arms and fretted the strings, his broad forehead creased in concentration as he struggled with a forgotten chord. For the very first time, he was actually doing something in my trailer other than sleeping with me. He relaxed like normal people.

Verlan eased the guitar onto his lap and said, “Honey, I've been thinking. How would you like to go to Los Molinos for a couple of weeks? Your Aunt Thelma and Uncle Bud are there now, and I'll bet they'd love to have you stay with them. Would you like that?”

I sat up straight and stared, excitement stirring inside me. “Oh,” I exclaimed, “Oh, I would love to!” Then I thought of Lucy. How could I possibly leave her again? I hesitated, then added, “Verlan, I'd love to go, but what about Lucy? There is so much for her to do.”

“Rhea and Laura will just have to help more,” he said firmly. “And it wouldn't hurt for Beverly to help her, either.”

He set the guitar aside and pulled me close. “Do you have any idea how much you mean to me?” he said gruffly against my hair. I pulled back and searched his face, again noting a trace of anxiousness in his blue-green eyes. “I want you to be happy, my little charm, and I know you're not happy living here. I know that you're lonely, and I feel bad about it. Sometimes I wonder what right I have . . .” Verlan hesitated. “Having a wonderful girl like you waiting around for me to come home. It doesn't seem fair, yet I don't know what to do about it. If it weren't for the promise of a blessed eternity, I would never put you through it.”

I listened in shocked surprise. Verlan took a ragged breath, and as I looked up into his face again, I was astounded at the emotional struggle inside him that it mirrored. There was so much about my husband that I didn't know or understand. He had always kept his feelings hidden, at least hidden from me. His outburst was an involuntary revelation of his inner self, letting me see just a glimpse of his heart. He closed his eyes for a moment, and I could sense the tears just beneath the surface.“I have got to spend more time with my family,” he muttered. “I've got to work it out somehow. Beverly's just as unhappy as you are; she won't even speak to me half the time. I know it's because she's hurting, and I'm the one to blame.” He looked down at me, his eyes dark as they met mine. “Do you love me, Susan?”

I blinked, astounded at his question. “You know I do.” The words were almost a sob, coming from deep inside my soul. “I love you too much. So much that I ache inside, longing for you to be with me. How can you question it?”

He squeezed my hand and sighed, “You haven't told me for a long time, and I guess I wouldn't blame you if you didn't. I don't feel worthy of you. You've been so patient with me—so sweet and good. Susan, I will find a way to make a living in Mexico, where I can have my families around me. It's a priority, and I am making plans. My dream is to have my families all together in one place, where I can see each wife and each child every day. I've told you this before, but I want you to know that someday soon I'll make my dream into a reality. I've got to start putting my family first, and the church is just going to have to accept that.”

“Verlan,” I faltered, then continued, “Explain something to me. Why don't you let your wives take turns going with you to Las Vegas, so that we can spend some time with you? It seems so silly for you to spend so much of your life alone, when you could have someone with you. The Leanys wouldn't mind if you had a wife sharing your room. What would be wrong with it?”

Verlan shook his head. His jaw hardened in a determined line. “It would never work,” he said flatly. “I've explained it to you before. If I should be pulled over by a cop and have one of you underage girls with me, I could be slapped in jail on Mann Act charges. It's not worth the risk, especially now that you're pregnant.”

“Couldn't you pass me off as your daughter?”

“It wouldn't work. It's not worth the risk, my love.”

Verlan stood up. “I'm leaving for Los Molinos in an hour. Be ready to go, and have enough clothes packed for at least two weeks. We'll have a fun trip. It'll be just you and me,” he nuzzled his face against mine, kissed my forehead, and stepped out of the trailer.

C
HAPTER
T
WENTY-
F
OUR

"L
os Molinos is growing fast; you'll like it there, Susan,” Verlan sounded confident leaning back in his chair, his bright gaze languidly traveling the length of the tiny restaurant where we had stopped on the way to Los Molinos. He nodded to affirm his words. “You're going to feel right at home. I'll probably have to pry you away to get you back to Ensenada until we can move down for good.”

I smiled and murmured a response, baffled by the change in his demeanor. He seemed so relaxed and different from the nervous, troubled man who had arrived at Charlotte's in San Diego two days ago. His eyes sparkled with renewed life, as though a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders. I didn't begin to understand him. He had waved Ervil's latest schemes away as though they were nothing, completely confident that the Lord wouldn't allow His plans for His chosen people to be thwarted. Verlan was behaving as though his decision to move the rest of his families to Los Molinos was the answer to all of his troubles.

“I can hardly wait to get all of you girls moved,” he continued. “I've worried about this until my head ached, weighing the reasons for and against us moving on down. And, well, I've made up my mind to not put it off any longer.”

I nodded and took a sip of water. “I could never understand why you moved the family to Ensenada in the first place, so far away from the rest of the church.”

Verlan shrugged. “Joel thought it would be a good idea to have someone living there, and he was right. The place served its purpose for a while, but it's time I got my family settled. Of course, Los Molinos is a long old drive from Las Vegas, so I won't be able to see you girls as often as before. At least until I scrape the money together to build you each a house. Then I'll find a way to stay home a good share of the time. But for now, I can't have you girls and the kids in Ensenada suffering any longer without the association of the church.”

I nodded again, determined to enjoy Verlan's enthusiasm. But I wondered if the decision he had made to move us to Los Molinos was the only cause of his new excitement. I reached across the table and squeezed his hand. “I'm glad, Verlan, really glad. We'll finally all be together, as it should be. Especially Charlotte and her kids.”

“Charlotte's agreed to quit her teaching as soon as school's out in San Diego. I plan to have her house built by then. She and Lucy'll have to live together until Lucy's house is built, but they'll manage. They've done it before.”

I laughed, loving the way his eyes sparkled. “They're doing it now, remember?”

Verlan was quiet as the waitress served our food. Then he shook his head, “Can't please Irene, though. We finally got her house finished, and now she's complaining about having to live in it. She's just sick about having to give up her tent.”

“Oh, go on!” I stared at him.

His eyes glistened with mirth. “She said she didn't have to mop the tent floor or do windows, claims it saved her hours.” He chuckled and took a bite of his hamburger. “She's a true pioneer, that woman.”

I giggled. Irene and her children had camped out for months without a real roof over their heads—and she joked about it! Verlan had every reason to be proud of her, and he was; it showed in his eyes.

I wanted him to be proud of me, too. I wanted to see that same glint of admiration in his eyes when he looked at or talked about me. I wanted him to think of me as an asset to his family, just as he thought of Irene. Well, his pride in me would come. I would make it happen.

He suddenly squinted at me, his eyebrows drawing together in a scowl. “Why is all that black stuff on your eyelashes again?” he demanded. “You don't need it. I wish you'd quit wearing it. And I wish you hadn't cut your hair. I liked it better long.”

I looked away. Well! I thought. So much for copying Lillie's haircut. He just loves her shoulder-length hair and made up lashes, but not mine. A frown of annoyance crept onto my lips, but suddenly I remembered my plan to earn Verlan's respect. Forcing a grin instead, I drawled, “Verlan, my dear, perhaps my new hairstyle and makeup doesn't make me look any better, but it makes me feel like I look glamorous. That's important, don't you think?”

He blinked his eyes, an amused smile beginning to play around his mouth. “I see. I guess it is, my little charm. Only remember: Destruction follows those who ride with vain spirits in saddles of pride. Keep that in mind. Now, hurry up and finish your sandwich.”

At a small community called Guerrero we left the main highway. The winding dirt road that took us on over the hill to the new community of Los Molinos was rough. I held on to the door handle as I strained my eyes in the darkness for the first sight of the pioneer settlement I had heard so much about. The moon shone brightly, and as we came to the crest of the hill, its soft yellow light revealed the few scattered buildings below. I eagerly scanned the layout. To one side of the new colony, I could just make out a strange, round object suspended from the sky, like a giant spider on a strand of webbing. As we drew nearer I saw that there were three of the shadowy pendulums, at different locations across the valley.

“Verlan, what are they?” I asked in wonder.

He chuckled. “Hasn't anyone ever told you where Los Molinos got its name? They're windmills—
molinos
in Spanish. Joel and my brother Floren built them out of huge sheets of plywood. The wind blows constantly here, and those contraptions pump enough water to make this ocean-side desert blossom like the proverbial rose. Picturesque, aren't they?”

“That they are,” I agreed. As we entered the settlement, I continued to examine the gigantic windmills, craning my neck to see the top of them. They looked like something you would expect to see in Holland, and lent an exotic touch to this tiny, moonlit, new colony.

Verlan pulled the car off the main road, parking it next to a pickup camper sitting on jacks. It was Uncle Bud's camper, the one he had brought to Colonia LeBaron. His pickup was parked close by, next to a partially finished adobe building. The camper was shrouded in darkness, and I hesitated, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.

“We shouldn't wake 'em, Verlan,” I whispered. “Let's wait until morning.”

“Nonsense,” he whispered back, confidently tapping on the camper door. “They'll be glad to see you.”

Stirring noises came from inside the tiny camper, then a light came on, the door swung open, and Aunt Thelma's youthful frame stood silhouetted against the light.

“Hi, Aunt Thelma!” Verlan practically shouted through the still night. “See who I brought to visit you!”

“Susan!” she squealed. “Oh, Bud, its Susan and Verlan! Come in, honey. My goodness, what a surprise.”

As we crowded inside, Uncle Bud pulled on a robe and climbed from the bed. He planted a loud kiss on my cheek, then pumped Verlan's hand and playfully socked his shoulder. “It's about time you brought her down to see us,” he groused.

I threw a quick glance around. The camper was warm and homey. It smelled of spaghetti sauce and homemade bread, exactly as I remembered Mom's kitchen back in Colonia LeBaron. In minutes Verlan and I were seated with them at the tiny table. Uncle Bud's arm was warm around my shoulders as we sipped cocoa and listened to Aunt Thelma talk.

“It's been an experience, with all of us living in this camper, I can tell you,” she happily rattled. “Mark and Duane are sleeping under the stars, in what will be their bedroom once the house is finished. Rena's turned the storage shed into her room for the time being. Susan, you can sleep with her. It's crowded, but I'm sure the two of you'll manage. Oh, we're so glad to finally be here, Verlan. And we're having such a good time getting settled in. It's like playing house,” her eyes twinkled as she glanced at Uncle Bud.

I chuckled, realizing from whom Lorna had inherited her ability to make the best of things. Aunt Thelma had spunk and spirit and had turned what normally would be a time of hardship and backbreaking labor into an adventure. I was going to enjoy staying here.

“Has Lorna had her baby?” I broke in.

“Yes, the poor dear had another boy. They named him Aaron. Aaron Le­Baron. Isn't that awful?” Thelma shuddered. “I couldn't stay with her very long, since we were in the middle of moving. But she's doing okay. She's still in San Diego, waiting for Ervil to come from Colonia LeBaron to meet the new baby and take her back to that dump in Ensenada.”

She sniffed, shook her head, stood, and poured more cocoa. “I'm certainly not happy about her going back there. I wish she'd move here, where I can keep an eye on her. But Ervil's convinced her that he needs a wife living in Ensenada, so she's going back. She's really enjoyed having you close, Susan. She talked about you a lot.”

I felt Verlan tense at Thelma's words about Ervil. He drained the last of his cocoa in a quick gulp and stood. “I better go see how Irene and Ester are doing. I'll be back sometime tomorrow to see you, Susan. Thanks, Thelma, for letting her stay here.” He squeezed my hand, grinned at me, and stepped out of the camper. “'Night, everyone,” he called.

As I watched Verlan go, I realized that for the first time since our wedding I felt no emptiness at seeing him leave. I knew it was because I felt at home with my aunt and uncle.

“That Verlan's quite a guy,” Uncle Bud said. “Not as much sparkle as Ervil, but he's all LeBaron.”

Aunt Thelma frowned and glanced pointedly at me. I stared into my cup, my face turning red. It was like comparing a snake to a bunny rabbit, and I began to say as much, then quickly decided against it. Ervil was Bud's son-in-law, and I didn't want to get our visit off on the wrong foot.

“I think I'll turn in,” I said instead.

Rena's shed was drafty and cramped, the double bed barely leaving room to fit my body inside the door. I shivered as I undressed. The night air was cold and moist, and I crawled in next to my cousin's sleeping form, grateful for her body heat. I smiled in anticipation of the surprise on her face in the morning at finding me in bed with her.

I continued to smile as I settled into the soft pillow and began to relax. I was looking forward to spending time with my relatives. I would also get to see Irene. But mostly, my new happiness was because of the time I had spent with Verlan. The illusive closeness between us was back, and more wonderful than before. Again I felt in love with him. I had to cherish these feelings. Loving Verlan would carry me through the hard times.

Suddenly I jumped, my body tensing. What in the hell! There! There it was again, a tiny pair of pinchers on my thigh. Another nabbed onto my rump, and I howled as I scrambled from the bed and frantically shook out my nightgown.

“Rena! Rena, get out of the bed!” I screamed as my fingers reached for a match. Graphic pictures of spiders and centipedes flashed through my mind.

Rena turned over and blankly stared up at me, trying to focus her sleepy eyes. “Susan! What . . .”

“There's bugs in the bed!” I hissed. “Get out of there quick!”

Her eyes widened and she drew up her legs and began to roll. Then she stopped on the edge of the mattress and began to laugh. Sitting up, she pushed a mop of shiny brown hair from her eyes.

“They're sand fleas,” she explained, grinning. “We have lots of 'em.” She stood and tossed back the quilts. A tiny brown speck on the white sheet jumped. Another crawled under the pillow. Rena pointed to yet another one.

“See? I forgot to powder the bed this morning.” She looked at my white face with a sympathetic grin. “You'll get used to 'em. When did you get here?”

As I explained, I reluctantly eyed the bed, wondering if I had the courage to crawl back in and let the fleas have a go at me. Rena settled down without hesitation, casually scratching her leg as I talked. “Come on, get in before you freeze to death,” she chuckled. “They don't really hurt, you know.”

In spite of her assurance, I spent a rather sleepless night. My every sense was tuned to the tiny fleas jumping around under the covers, and it seemed that each time I drifted, a sound pinch woke me again. The bites itched, and I was soon joining Rena and scratching throughout the long night.

As we changed the bed the next morning, the tiny drops of blood that were scattered over the sheets evidenced the feast that had occurred through the night. Rena handed me a can of flea killer, and I powdered until I was satisfied that nothing short of a human could survive. As I dressed, I surveyed the red bumps on my body, the first drawback to Los Molinos.

After eggs and toast with Rena, my aunt, and my uncle, I followed Aunt Thelma to the outside of the camper for a look at the new colony. The smell of salt was in the air. The settlement sprawled on a rolling meadow about two miles from the sea. The land was barren, other than a few straggly eucalyptus saplings sprouting on the western edge of the lots for windbreaks. As we strolled around the acre parcel, Aunt Thelma pointed out the different homes that were situated around their place. She rattled off the names of the residents, some of whom were new to me. Most of the dwellings were ancient, single-wide mobile homes, with fields and gardens planted in between. But there were several adobe houses, and a few wood frame buildings under construction. Already I could hear the muffled sound of hammers and other tools. Just as Verlan had said, Los Molinos was springing up fast.

“Well, what do you think?” Aunt Thelma demanded, sweeping an arm around me. I chuckled, noting her smug gleam. The Chynoweths had only been living here a short while, but Aunt Thelma was as proud of Los Molinos as though she had planned and built it herself.

“I think I'm impressed,” I grinned. “It's beginning to look like a real town. And Lucy and Beverly and Charlotte and I will be living here soon. Verlan told me yesterday that he plans to move us down as soon as the children are out of school.”