Mountain Homecoming (19 page)

She tried to tug free, but he tightened his grip. “George, you're hurting my arm. Please let me go. I don't know what's come over you. I've never seen you like this before, and I don't like it.”

He gritted his teeth and glared at her. “Well, get used to it. I expect this is all you'll get from me from now on.”

Her eyes widened in fear, and she tried to pull away again. “George, have you forgotten that we're friends?”

“Friends? Is that what you think? Well, friends don't treat each other the way you done me.”

Rani quit struggling against him and stared up into his face. “I am your friend, George. I've only tried to be honest with you. I didn't mean to hurt you.”

His eyes glazed, and he released her. He staggered backwards a step and stared at her. The pain in his eyes pierced her heart. “Hurt me?” he murmured. “You nearly killed me, Rani. I feel like somebody done carved my chest up with a big knife and cut my heart right out. I've loved you since we were young'uns, and you acted like it meant nothing to you.”

She reached out toward him, but he swatted her hand away. “It does mean a lot to me, George. When you're sober, you'll understand I did it for your own good.”

“I ain't never gonna feel better, and it's your fault.” He grabbed hold of the saddle and pulled himself back up. When he was seated again, he pointed his finger at her. “I hope someday you know how I feel. I reckon your time's a-comin' if you think Luke Jackson's son is gonna make you happy. It ain't gonna happen, Rani, and I'm gonna be there to rub it in.”

Before she could respond, he grabbed the reins and dug his heels into the horse's side. She watched as they galloped down the road. George had been a part of her life for as long as she could remember, and now it was as if he'd turned into someone she didn't know.

Suddenly she didn't want to share the noon meal with Matthew. All she wanted was to go home and talk to Granny. She would deliver Matthew's food, but then she was heading right back to the cabin where her life had always been peaceful and filled with love. Maybe she could find help for her troubled heart there.

Matthew had no idea what was troubling Rani, but he could tell something had happened. When he'd left this morning for his farm, she'd met him at the barn and told him she would bring the noon meal for him. But when she'd arrived, she had been elusive and wouldn't talk. Then she'd left without eating.

Now with supper over, she had disappeared. For the past week they'd spent the time after supper on the front porch. Scout would lie between their two chairs, and they'd talked at length about the mountains they loved, the progress he was making at his farm, and his future plans for the lodge.

Tonight, though, she didn't join him, and it worried him. Alone, he listened to the voices of Simon, Anna, and Granny drift through the open front door. Rani hadn't joined them either. Where could she be?

Scout, who lay beside him, suddenly rose, shook his body, and ambled down the front steps. Matthew rose and followed Scout around the front of the house and into the field next to it where the smell of burning wood drifted on the night air. Their destination now obvious, Matthew moved toward the spot where he knew Rani would be.

He found her sitting beside the fire pit, the glow from the embers giving a soft glow to her body. She turned and smiled when he eased down beside her. “What are you doing out here?”

“I missed you after supper and couldn't figure out where you'd gone. Scout seemed to know, though.”

She laughed and rubbed the dog's head before he settled on the other side of her. She stared into the sky. “Aren't the stars beautiful tonight?”

He followed her gaze and nodded. “They are.”

“I like to sit out here at night sometimes and look at the stars. I wonder about God and how He made such a beautiful creation for us, and I thank Him for letting me live in this valley. And I try to sort out things in my head.”

“What kind of things?”

“Oh, just things that worry me.”

He reached for her hand and clasped it in his. “And what are you worried about tonight? You were so quiet at supper I could tell something was wrong. Can't you tell me what it is?”

“I don't want to upset you.”

“I want you to be able to tell me anything. If something's bothering you, I want to know what it is.”

She sighed. “It's George.”

His body stiffened, and he straightened his shoulders. “George?”

“Yes. I met him on the road to your farm today.” She turned to him, and the fire reflected in the tears in her eyes. “He was drunk, Matthew. I know his parents are upset, and I don't know what to do.”

“But why was he drunk in the middle of the day?”

“I think he must have been drinking for a long time. He smelled awful, and he couldn't even stand up.” She slipped her hand free of his and wiped at her eyes. “But that's not the worst part of it. He told me it was all my fault.”

“Your fault? But why?”

“He said I had cut his heart out.” She spoke the words without looking at him, and then fell silent.

“Oh, I see. He wants you to think because you won't marry him you've turned him into a drunk.”

“I guess so.”

He stared into her eyes. “Rani, you didn't hold a gun to his head and make him drink. He made that choice. You can't accept the blame. It sounds like he wants you to feel sorry for him.”

She thought about that for a moment before she nodded. “I think you may be right. He's always sulked when he didn't get his way. But I never meant to hurt him. I only wanted to be honest with him. I don't love him, and I don't want to marry him.”

His heart leaped at her words. “I'm glad,” he whispered.

“So am I.” She leaned forward, cupped her hands around his face, and stared into his eyes before she brushed her lips across his cheek in a feathery kiss. “Thank you, Matthew.”

He swallowed and willed himself not to pull her into his arms. He didn't want anything to ruin this tender moment. “For what?”

“For listening to me and helping me find some peace. My Uncle Charles always did that before he left the mountains.”

“I have a lot of respect for Doc. I don't think I could ever be the man he is, but I'm glad I was here to help you now.”

“So am I. I can't wait for him to see you and for Stephen to meet you.”

She smiled, laid her head on his shoulder, and turned her attention back to the fire. He stared up at the stars again and said his own silent prayer of thanks to God for bringing him home.

Then he placed his arm around her waist, and they sat side by side staring into the fire, flaming around the bricks that would soon be a part of his home. He had begun to hope that the woman who'd made them might also have a place in his future. She already had a place in his heart.

The day Anna had looked forward to for weeks had finally arrived. Stephen and Uncle Charles would arrive any minute. It had been too long since she'd had them together at one time. It could only be better if her brother Robert and his family and her mother were also coming. Maybe she could plan a family reunion of sorts in the fall.

She pulled her dress from the wardrobe in her bedroom, slipped it over her head, and moved to the mirror her brother had given her when she married. As she squinted at her reflection, her gaze traveled over the tiny wrinkles around her eyes. Her skin no longer resembled that of the young girl who'd come to Cades Cove. The years had transformed her into a person that at times she hardly recognized.

Where was that girl who had jumped out of a buggy twenty years ago ready to take on whatever life threw at her? Sometimes she wondered how that girl who'd led such a sheltered life on her family's farm in Strawberry Plains had survived the hard years in the Cove.

The door opened, and Simon walked in. A warmth filled her, and she knew it would never have been possible if he hadn't been with her. She pulled her hands away from her face, took a deep breath, and began to button the bodice of her dress. Simon's reflection appeared behind her in the mirror, and she smiled.

He put his arms around her waist and nuzzled her neck. “Don't you look pretty this afternoon.”

Her fingers stilled, and she stared into the mirror. “Do you really think so?”

He chuckled. “I do. I wouldn't trade you for any other woman in the world.”

His arms tightened, and she leaned back against him. “But I'm getting older, and I don't look like the girl I used to be.”

He kissed her ear and then laughed. “I'm not the young man I was twenty years ago either. I like to think that we're just getting better with age.”

“I do too.” She turned in his arms and hugged him. “We're getting older, and our children are grown. Sometimes I wonder where the years went.”

“Me too.”

She took a deep breath. “But this is a happy day. I can hardly believe Stephen will be here soon. It seems like ages since we've seen him and Uncle Charles too.” She pulled away, turned back to the mirror, and smoothed her hair into place. “What time is it?”

He pulled out his pocket watch and opened it. “It's three o'clock. What time are John and Martha coming?”

“Martha said they'd be here about five. She's bringing her blackberry pie and green beans and squash from her garden. I've got the chickens roasting in the oven, and the peas and new potatoes are simmering on the stove. We have the jam cake Granny made yesterday, but I still have to cook the corn and slice the tomatoes.” She bit down on her lip. “Do you think that will be enough food for everybody?”

Simon laughed. “As long as you don't invite the rest of the neighbors to eat.” He laughed and smiled at his wife. “I think I'll go find Rani. Have you seen her lately? I couldn't find her before I came in here.”

“I think she's checking on the bricks out at the pit. Why are you looking for her?”

He put his watch back in his pocket and sat down on the edge of the bed. “I'm worried about her.”

His tone of voice stirred a warning in Anna. She turned around from the mirror and walked over to where he sat. “Why? Has she said anything?”

He shook his head. “It's just a feeling I have. She's seemed a lot happier lately, and she smiles a lot like she has a secret. Do you think she's up to something we don't know about?”

Anna propped her hands on her hips and laughed. “Simon Martin, quit looking for trouble. You should be glad she's happy. After the way she moped around here all winter and fussed about Little River Lumber, it's time she perked up. You know she's always happier when summer comes. And she's really excited about Stephen and Uncle Charles coming.”

Simon pushed to his feet. “Maybe it's nothing, but still…”

Anna held up her hand to quiet him. “Let's not think about anything except Stephen's homecoming today. Are you still planning to talk to him while he's here?”

“I am.” Simon took her hand and pulled her toward the door. “Let's go wait with Granny. Maybe Rani will come inside soon.”

Granny sat in her chair in front of the unlit fireplace just as she had all winter. She smiled when they walked into the room. “Now I know what you're a-gonna say. Of course there ain't no need for a fire in July, but I shore do like a-sittin' here and thinkin'. And today I'm a-thinkin' 'bout Stephen and Doc a-comin' home. Reckon when they gonna git here?”