The Brides of Chance Collection (96 page)

By now you’ve spent enough time with Logan and Bryce to see what manner of family I’ve taken on and to know you cain trust ’em as much as I do. So I’m gonna ask you on yore honor to give it all to them. The Lord will show them what to do with it. It’s a jump of faith, but I know you both been stretchin’ yore legs all yore life!

Yore in my heart
,
Lovejoy

“That’s shore a relief.” Hattie refolded the letter and handed it back to Miz Willow.

“It’s a good decision, I reckon.” Miz Willow nodded. “So when we gonna tell ’em?”

“After supper, I’d say.” Hattie went over to the fire.

Someone knocked on the door.

“Did someone say ‘supper’?” Logan’s voice sounded so hopeful, Hattie had to smile.

“Yep. Come on in.” Miz Willow put the letter in her pocket, and Logan and Bryce tromped in.

“Good. I’m so hungry, I could eat Bryce’s cooking.” Logan grinned at the outraged look on Bryce’s face.

“Hey! You’ve got no call to—” Bryce thought for a moment before giving a sheepish grin. “Nah, there’s some truth in it.”

“Set down, then.” Miz Willow shook her head at their antics. They were just like the Peasley young’uns, scrapping around for a laugh.

Once the prayer was said, the food eaten, and the dishes cleared away, Logan went to bring out the checkerboard Otis Nye had made for them.

“Beautiful piece.” Bryce ran his hands around the smooth pine board checkered with walnut stain and varnished over to gleam in the light.

“These, too.” Logan held up one of the stained checkers and fingered the carved crown on the top. “Good craftsmanship. You’ve gotta give him credit—Otis Nye knows his way around a whittlin’ knife.”

“Shore does. It’d do him good to hear you say it.” Miz Willow rocked. “But now’s not the time for checkers. Why don’t you both sit down for a minute, and we’ll have us a little chat.”

Logan shot Hattie a quizzical glance, but she refused to give him an inkling of what was to come. The widow would have it out in her own good time.

“Now when we heard you boys was a-comin’ to Salt Lick Holler, Hattie here went and cleared up the barn an’ loft for yore sleepin’ space. Do you follow?”

“And a nice job she did, too,” Logan praised.

“Real comfortable.” Bryce nodded.

“What you might not know is that this ain’t my property. Lovejoy didn’t move in with me—I came to her home when it looked like she’d be marryin’ up with yore brother. So when Hattie found a trunk in the loft—you know what trunk I mean?”

“Yes.”

As Logan and Bryce agreed, Hattie could see interest light their eyes. They’d figured the general way things were headed.

“She came across a few things. I’ll let her take it from here.” Miz Willow leaned back and clasped her hands together as Logan and Bryce turned to stare at Hattie.

“I found a leather sack and a wooden box,” Hattie elaborated. “We opened ’em both, and the sack held some leather scraps. But the box was somethin’ we had to write Lovejoy ’bout.”

“It’s what we hoped Lovejoy would’ve written about in her letter to us that you boys brung on yore trip,” the widow broke in. “But it hadn’t been enough time.”

“Today we finally got word from her about it.” Hattie handed Logan the letter and watched as he and Bryce read it silently.

“So we’re supposed to see to whatever’s in the box,” Logan prompted.

“Right you are. So we’re honorin’ her wishes.” Hattie put the box on the table and opened the lid.

Chapter 16

L
ogan stared at the open box in front of him without speaking.

“Go on and shut that thing, Logan,” Bryce ordered. “You’ve been lookin’ at it since we got up here.” He tapped on the loft wall. “It hasn’t changed any, so stop lookin’ at it, and let’s talk about what we’re gonna do with it.”

Logan shut the lid on the money. Seventy-four dollars. It was a small fortune, and Lovejoy had just given it to them. But one thing bothered him. “Why didn’t she tell Hattie and Miz Willow to keep it?”

“I dunno.” Bryce shrugged. “But knowin’ Lovejoy, she prayed on it before she made the decision. Like she wrote, the Lord will show us what to do with it.”

“I don’t think Lovejoy reckons we’ll just keep it.” The glim-merings of an idea sparked in Logan’s imagination. “I think I might have a few things in mind.”

“Good.” Bryce put the box back in the trunk Hattie had found it in. “The way I see it, this is your adventure, Logan. I’m only along for the ride. I’m happy to help and curious about what you want to do, but that’s the most I’m going to say on this subject.”

“Lovejoy left it to both of us.”

“And I’ll help you with your plan, but I’ve got the feeling you’re supposed to make the actual decision.” Bryce pulled off his boots. “That’s all there is to it.”

“Fine.” Logan shook his head in disbelief.

God must have a purpose for this money. And I’m supposed to find it
.

“Bryce?” Logan wanted to run a few things by his brother. “I think we should use this money to help folks around here.”

“Sounds like a good idea.” Bryce paused. “Feels right. But how?”

“I don’t think we should give it away to one person. I don’t even believe we should divide the money evenly.” Logan talked through his thoughts. “We should take a good long look at the people around here and what they really need.”

“Makes sense.” Bryce seemed excited by the idea. “But I don’t think it’s the type of thing where we just buy everyone some canned beans. We need to do something to help that will keep on helping after we’re gone. Like the water pump you had us order for Hattie on our way home from Hawk’s Fall.”

“Yeah. Yeah, that’s good.” Logan chewed the inside of his lip and concentrated. “That’s improving on something they already have, though.”

“So what do the people of Salt Lick Holler have that can be used to make their lives better?”

Friday afternoon arrived far too quickly to Hattie’s way of thinking. Where was the summer going? It seemed as though spring had barely begun, but here they were in June. She changed into her Sunday best to get ready for the doings. She figured it ought to be a lot of fun.

She helped Miz Willow put her hair up into a pretty snow-white twist and gave her another cup of burdock root tea. She’d be sitting on those hard benches for a while, and Hattie didn’t want her rheumatism acting up. For good measure, she’d bring some more to the sang. Otis Nye might have use of some later on, and it wouldn’t be noticed with everybody bringing something to share.

When the menfolk knocked on the door, Hattie handed Miz Willow her shawl and cloak. “It’ll be evenin’ afore we come back.” She handed Bryce and Logan a pan of apple cobbler each before picking up her own cloak and satchel. With everybody excited by the doings, there would like as not be a few bumps and bruises. She’d be ready.

“Mmmm.” Bryce sniffed the cobbler. “I say we stay right here and eat these ourselves.”

“And you the guests of honor.” Miz Willow waggled her finger. “Now don’t you be tryin’ to sneak a taste, neither.”

“We would never!” Somehow Logan managed to sound affronted even as he chewed a piece of the crumb topping he’d broken off.

“Rascal.” Miz Willow shook her head.

Hattie thought Miz Willow had the right of it. Logan Chance might be handsome, mannerly, and charming, but there was still a bit of the scamp about him. A woman had to be careful about that. She thought of Nessie’s husband, a good-natured scapegrace who’d ducked out on her a year after the wedding. It just went to show—a boy made a mess; a man made a marriage.

Not that her opinion mattered much. As they drew near the schoolhouse, Hattie could see that every young gal from here to Hawk’s Fall was already in attendance. It would be an interesting afternoon.

Hattie steered Miz Willow over to a bench along the side of the schoolhouse so she’d be able to lean back. She tucked her satchel under the bench and took the cobblers from Logan and Bryce.

“You two go on and chat around before the sangin’ starts,” Hattie said, leaving them to go put the cobblers on one of the tables set up for vittles. The tables were heaped full of bread, biscuits, corn pone, deviled eggs, mashed potatoes, green beans, carrots, stews, a couple of baked chickens, and one suckling pig. Jars of jams and honey sat alongside crocks of butter and pitchers of fresh milk. Pies, muffins, and cake sat off to one side where Hattie put the cobblers, too. It looked as though everyone had gone all-out for the occasion.

The younger boys were putting together a bonfire in the middle of the wide circle of benches. They’d light it after the eating was done and before the singing began. By then it would be getting nippy, and the sun wouldn’t stay out too long. She cast a look around to see if anyone was missing.

Miz Willow was chatting with Silk Trevor. Abigail and Katherine were comparing notes, trying to decide which babe would come first. Hattie would reckon on Kat for that—her first two had been quick births. The twins were playing the spoons—on each other’s heads to make the children laugh. She didn’t see Logan and Bryce right away— they were surrounded by a whole passel of folk.

What did she expect? After all, the Chance brothers were the main attraction here today. Just because she wouldn’t set her cap for them didn’t mean others didn’t plan to. She could only hope Logan and Bryce didn’t return their regard.

“These are m’ daughters,” Bethilda Cleary said, clutching Logan’s arm like a dog with a bone. Bryce had wisely slid out of range, but loyalty kept him close.

Lily and Lark made awkward imitations of the curtsy their mother had made the previous Sunday. He and Bryce tipped their hats, but the girls looked disappointed. Had they honestly expected bows?

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Chance. Mr. Chance.” The younger one, Lark, giggled.

“We heard tell this is yore very first sang,” Lily chimed in. “We’ll be happy to git you anything you need.”

“We brung the possum stew o’er yonder.” Lark sidled closer. “I’d be happy to fetch you some.”

“Maybe later.” Logan pasted a smile on his face and looked around for a reason— any reason—to leave.

“My gals cook up a fine mess o’ vittles.” Bethilda smiled so widely Logan could count her teeth.

Lily was trying to talk to Bryce, who took a step back for every step she came closer. Any farther and he’d be cornered against the schoolhouse. Logan would’ve stepped in, but he was surrounded by Bethilda and Lark. He looked around out of pure desperation and caught the eye of one of the twins. Fred or Ted—Logan didn’t care which—sauntered on over and managed to step between Lily and Bethilda to snag his arm. Logan saw the other Trevor walking over to Bryce.

“Ted and I need to talk to you Chance boys for a minute. I’m shore the Clearys will excuse you.” Fred pulled Logan away before the women had a chance to protest.

When they were safely on the other side of the circle, Fred clapped him on the back. Ted burst out laughing. “Didn’t anybody see fit to warn you ’bout that Bethilda Cleary?”

“Yeah. Pa’ll sic his dogs on you iff ’n you upset him, but Bethilda’ll set her daughters after you!”

“I’m gonna ignore that since you helped us out of a tight spot.” Logan grinned.

“Yeah.” Bryce still looked a bit harried.

“No problem. ’Sides, Uncle Asa’s ’bout to say grace so we cain tuck in.”

By now Logan had lost track of which twin was speaking.

“Iff ’n you know which thing the Clearys brung, keep away from it,” one advised.

“Stew,” Bryce said, casting a dubious glance at the kettle.

Asa called everyone to attention to say grace, and then people began to crowd around the food. Logan noticed that the women and children hung back, waiting for the men to finish. When he got to the table, he saw that most of the corn bread was gone, so he put two pieces on his plate alongside chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans. He planned to have a healthy helping of Hattie’s apple cobbler later on.

He and Bryce went over to where Miz Willow and Hattie were sitting and gestured for the Trevor family and the Ruckers to come join them. There were no seats available on either side of them when Bethilda led her daughters over. No one responded when she glowered around at the people taking up the three benches, much less offered to make room. Logan let out a deep breath when they huffed away.