Authors: Julane Hiebert
FIFTEEN
A shaft of noonday sun shone through the gap in the rafters of the barn, revealing the lingering dust in the air. John smiled down at the impish, dirt-covered face of the boy standing in front of him. “I tell you what, Jacob. I’d say you done a man’s work this mornin’. Why don’t you hustle on in the house and see what you can find to eat? How ‘bout it?” He picked a piece of straw off the boy’s shoulder and flicked it to the floor.
“What you gonna do? Aren’t you hungry?” Jacob imitated John and wiped a finger under his nose then on the seat of his pants.
“
Phew
.
Robin missed all the mans’ work, didn’t she?” His forehead puckered. “Are you gonna yell at her again?”
John knelt in front of him. “I was wrong to get so all-fired foolish actin’, Jacob. Sometimes even grown-up people like me have to say they’s sorry. So, while you’re a gettin’ you something to chew on, I’m gonna go talk with Robin. I need to ask her to forgive me for them mean things I said.”
“Where is she? Didn’t she go with that lady to the house? She’s real purty––that Anna lady––ain’t she?”
John shrugged. “Guess you might say that. But if there’s one thing a man has to learn, it’s that sometimes purty ain’t what’s on the ouside. You run on in now. Then stay put. You hear me? Don’t go wanderin’ off by yourself. Stay in the house ‘til I get back.” He gave him a swat on the behind and scooted him out the door.
“I will. Promise.” Jacob scampered away.
John waited to make sure Jacob entered the house. He’d watched his niece limp her way to the creek after Miss Blair’s buggy rolled from sight and determined then he would follow her as soon as he got the boy situated. He did need to apologize. That was plain as the nose on Albert Harvey’s face. But somethin’ a whole lot more important stirred around in his head. Why did the boy think he was gonna hit Robin? Was it because he’d come to think of her as a real ma? Or could it be some man hit that poor lady what laid out on that prairie?
From a distance he spied Robin with her back against a big cottonwood tree, hands in her lap. And she was still wearin’ them men’s clothes. Things must not have gone so well with Miss Blair. She gave him a sad smile when he reached her. His throat tightened with the knowledge he’d caused her pain. He lowered himself to the ground beside her. “Bad day get badder, did it?”
She nodded. “When I left the barn I thought the day couldn’t get any worse. But it did.”
Don’t put it off, John
.
He took her hand. My goodness, did all ladies have such small hands? “Before we talk ’bout another thing, Robin, I need to say I’m sorry for shootin’ off my big mouth like I did ’bout the way you was dressed and all. You caught me by surprise, and I guess I don’t like surprises much.”
She squeezed his hand. “I’m not without fault, Uncle John. I think I knew how you would feel. Emma warned me when I went to buy the clothes.”
“That woman knows a lot about people’s feelin’s, don’t she?”
“Did you hear Jacob refer to me as Mama?”
John scooted so he could see his niece’s face as they talked. “I surely did, and that’s another thing I want to talk to ya ‘bout. But first off, I guess I gotta know if you forgive me or not. Sure hate to go to bed with anger in the house.”
“Oh, dear man. You’re forgiven. I’m not angry. I’m scared. I’ve been scared from the first day I got here. I didn’t know what was ahead for me. I’m not sure I would have taken you up on your kind offer if I had.”
“Would you rather be married to William Benson?”
“I don’t know. No. I don’t think so. When I think about it, things swirl around in my head. William doesn’t know about Jacob. His offer may not stand if there is a child to consider. But as far as I’m concerned, that little boy and I come as a package.”
“You mean, if he wants yo
u
an
d
the boy, you might consider leaving?” He didn’t much like the idea of that city fella takin’ them away.
Robin smiled. “No. I’m just thinking aloud. Right now, my biggest fear is Jacob. Did his outburst mean he saw his mama being abused? I was so loved by my papa. Why would anyone put a child through such a thing? It was clear he wanted to protect me.”
“And I didn’t help none. Me and my thinkin’ if I threatened to whup ya, it would change things. You gotta remember, I ain’t used to havin’ nobody but me to watch out for, and nobody else to boss around. Ain’t no other woman ever lived in this house but my ma.” He patted her hand. “I’m sure wishin’ I could talk with Emma. See if she could shed some light on that whole thing with the boy.”
“Are you going to town?” Robin picked at her fingernails.
“Nope. Too late in the day to start now. Ain’t ‘bout to leave you and the boy here all by your lonesome with someone nosin’ around. See what tomorrow brings, I reckon.”
“Where’s Jacob? He won’t wander off, will he?”
“Sent him to get somethin’ in his belly. You hungry?”
“No, but I’ll come in and help clean up the mess like I should’ve in the first place.” She related the scene with Miss Blair, including the pesky rodent. “You were right about the pack rat. At least this creature was larger than any Chicago mouse I’ve ever seen.”
“I’ll plug them holes first thing. I never should’ve left the kitchen in such a fix. Reckon I was playin’ the same game as you. Wanted to see how long it took before you hollered.”
Robin laughed. “Then we’ve both learned a lesson, huh?”
“Yep. Did you find out what that Blair woman wanted so early in the morning?”
Robin nodded then wiped at tears spilling down her cheeks.
He studied the bark on the tree behind her
.
What’s a fella supposed to do? This havin’ a woman around sure is different. One minute she’s smilin’ the next thing she’s got water fillin’ her eyes.
“She and Ty are getting married. Anna and her Mother have a big party planned for the Fourth of July, and they will announce their engagement then. She asked me to ready the big house at the Hawk for the special event.”
“She asked you to clean Ty’s house? What right does she got to do that?” He slapped his knee. “Looks to me if Ty thought it needed cleanin’ he’d ask you himself.”
“Would he, Uncle John? Is that how Ty sees me, too? As a housemaid?” She palmed away her tears.
“Oh, girly. I didn’t no more mean that than I meant I’d whup ya. Just an old man a talkin’ again. You ain’t nobody’s housemaid. Especially Ty Morgan’s. And for sure not someone Anna Blair can order around. Ya told her no’ didn’t ya?” He lifted himself from the ground and pulled Robin to her feet.
“I tried. Miss Blair is obviously not accustomed to having her requests denied.” She dusted off the seat of her britches. “Let’s go get that kitchen cleaned up.”
He shook his head. “No. Me and Jacob made the mess, we’ll clean it up. You take your time comin’ in. Might be surprised what this old man can do.”
“You know what I’d like to do? I’d like to try my hand at cleaning the barn. It would help work off my frustrations. But could you see that Jacob stays away? I need some time alone.”
“Doggone it, girly. Didn’t mean for this day to come a fallin’ down on ya like this. I’ll keep Jacob with me, you can bet on that. And I’ll stay out of your way, too.” He laid his arm across her shoulders. “I probably ain’t supposed to be showin’ you this, but if you was to go around to the other side of this tree you’d find what Ty calls his ‘leanin’ spot.’ Might be good if you was to spend some time there a leanin’ and thinkin’.”
Robin peered at the tree. “Ty showed me the day we came fishing with Jacob, but I didn’t recognize it. It’s his place, Uncle John. I’m not sure, with all that has happened, that I should intrude on a private spot like that.”
“Pshaw, girly. It ain’t no more his private spot than it is mine. It’s a hole in a tree. I don’t see no reason you can’t lean there if you was a wantin’ to.”
“That day we were here, Ty recounted some of the times he spent in that hideaway. Most of them were sad. I think he was even going to tell me about Anna Blair that day, but I interrupted him. In retrospect, I should have allowed him to talk.”
“Well, you do what you’ve a mind to do. I’ll keep Jacob away, and I don’t think you’ll have to worry none about Miss Blair finding ya. You know, my ma is the onliest woman I ever put my arms around, or my lips on, but sure if I don’t feel like givin’ you a hug right now.” He pulled her to him and held her while she sobbed then dug in his pocket for his handkerchief and handed it to her. “I sure do hope you stick around, Robin. I imagine you’re ‘bout the best thing to happen to me for a long time. Your grandma Wenghold would be proud. Mighty proud.”
John kicked a rock ahead of him and shuffled to the house. His ma would like this spunky daughter of Lionel’s. It would break her heart to watch the little gal limp like she did, but it was strange how you forgot about it after you were around her a while. And the longer you were around her the prettier she got. Maybe because it wasn’t only outside beauty. No, it went clear through. Like Emma.
He picked up the rock and chucked it at a fencepost. That Emma—she was some lady. He always wondered how George Ledbetter came to win her heart like he did. You’d never guess it. Why, the guy must have measured as much around his middle as he did from head to toe. But every inch of him was packed tight as could be with goodness. Did Emma miss that man as much as he did? Maybe he should ask her. But it was strange—when he was around that lovely lady he hardly even gave George a thought. Land’s sake.
Maybe the best thing would be to take her to the hotel for a right nice steak supper. Now that would set tongues a waggin’. But it wouldn’t bother him. Nope, wouldn’t fret him at all.
###
Robin watched Uncle John trudge back to the house, and her heart swelled with the same kind of love she’d felt for her pa. Times like this she missed Pa so fierce it ached. But it had helped to have flesh-and-blood arms around her while she cried. Her uncle said he didn’t want her to leave. And she didn’t think it was just because he’d grown fond of Jacob either.
When Uncle John disappeared from sight, Robin slipped around the huge trunk of the tree and tucked herself into Ty’s leanin’ notch. Had he ever shown this special place to Anna?
Was it wrong to hope he hadn’t?
###
Ty dismounted and wrapped Patch’s reins around the hitching rail in front of John Wenghold’s big stone house. The setting sun cast a golden hue to the surroundings. A magic time of day when everything seemed right and worries or problems disappeared in the beauty of it. But this evening he had too much on his mind.
Do I still love Anna? Could I be in love with Robin, too? Does Jacob have a pa? Does Robin know about John’s quest to find her a husband? Does Anna
?
The questions assaulted him from every direction, like the hailstones the first night he’d met Robin. But that storm had ended. With no answers, tonight’s questions continued to twist through his mind.
Ty knocked on the kitchen door. Ordinarily he’d walk right in, like he’d been doing since he’d begun his daily visits to the Feather. But he was hesitant to do that this evening. With all that had transpired in the last couple of days, he may no longer be welcome. Jacob answered, and when he saw it was him, the lad squealed and jumped up and down. “Ty, you’re here! I been missing you. Did you come to read me a story?”
“Let him sit down before you try climbin’ on his lap, boy.” John pulled Jacob off Ty’s leg. “Thought I told you to stay away.” He grinned and motioned for Ty to sit. “Ya look plumb tuckered. Care for a glass of something cool? Me and the other man of the house was puttin’ the last bite around supper.”
The kitchen was nothing like Anna described. Floor clean. Stove clean. Nothing, except the dishes they used for their meal, seemed out of place. “Buttermilk sounds mighty good, John. It’s been another hot one, hasn’t it?”
He sat and took Jacob on his lap. “So, my little buddy, what have you been doing today?” He poked his fingers in the boy’s ribs, and Jacob wriggled with laughter. “You smell like a horse barn.”
“I know. Me and Uncle John worked like mans do. I pitched horse––”
“Jacob.” John’s voice was stern.
“I learned how to sling a pitchfork.” The lad glanced up at John.
John winked at him. “He sure did. Was a big help, too.” John set the drink on the table for Ty. “Got a few sweets left if you care to have one.” He pushed a plate of cookies his direction.