The Chapel Car Bride Page 7

  “Some of the young boys have talked about fishing at the river, but I don’t recall anyone mentioning a pond. Is this a secret spot no one else knows about?”

  “It’s not a secret, but most of the fellas like to fish down at the river. Truth is, there’s not many fish in the pond, and most folks who go fishing want to come home with their dinner, so they go to the river.”

  “And you don’t want to catch any fish?”

  He shrugged. “Not when I go to the pond. When I go out there, it’s mostly when I have something I want to think on without being disturbed. I can do my thinking and get closer to God out at the pond. That’s hard to do when the young’uns are running around wanting you to bait their hooks.” He shook his head. “And if I don’t keep a close watch on Susie, she’d jump right in the water. That girl loves to get herself soaking wet.”

  “She’s a sweet child. Your brothers are lots of fun, too.” She hesitated a moment. “There’s quite a gap in age between you and the little ones.”

  He nodded. “Ma had another baby between me and Nellie and then two other babies between Nellie and Joey. They died. Losing them was hard, and when Pa died while she was still carrying Susie, well, I think she would have sat down and died if it hadn’t been for Uncle Frank. He made her face the fact that Pa wouldn’t have wanted her to give up on life or on their family. Took a while for Ma to get back to her old self, but by the time Susie was a year old, she was doing better. Uncle Frank spent a lot of hours reading the Bible and praying with her—with all of us. He’s the one who encouraged me to search and memorize God’s Word.”

  “So he never married?” Hope arched her brows when he didn’t immediately answer. “Your Uncle Frank, was he ever married?”

  “Yes. Both his wife and only child died in childbirth about a year after their wedding. He never married again. When I asked him why he’d stayed single all these years, he told me that after Aunt Louise died, he vowed to stay single unless the Lord pushed him to the altar. So far that hasn’t happened.” He inhaled a deep breath. “Guess it’s selfish of me, but I’ve always been glad he didn’t remarry. I don’t know what we’d do without his help.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up unpleasant memories.”

  “No need for apologies. Besides, all those memories aren’t unhappy, and there’s lots of laughter in our house nowadays.” He shifted the fishing poles. “What about you? What was it like growing up without any brothers or sisters?”

  “Lonely. I always wanted a sister. There was a girl about my age who lived next door to Aunt Mattie for a couple of years. We had fun together, but then they moved away.” She looked up at him. “Speaking of sisters, where’s Nellie today? Didn’t she want to come along? She told me she liked to fish.”

  “She does like to fish, but whenever she’s around I can’t get a word in edgewise.” He hesitated a moment. “I wanted you to myself for a little while.” He chanced a quick look at her.

  “So you didn’t ask her?”

  He shook his head. “Do you mind?”

  “I’m sure her feelings will be hurt if she thinks she wasn’t wanted. I know mine would be.”

  “She couldn’t have come even if I’d asked her. Ma needs her to help with the canning the next couple days.”

  “I feel much better knowing she couldn’t have come along.”

  He pointed to a spot along the edge of the pond. “Always thinking of others, aren’t you?”

  “No, not always. My thoughts right now are only on enjoying your company—and maybe catching a fish.” She grinned and looked into his eyes.

  Could she hear his heart thumping beneath the fabric of his shirt? He wanted to tell her how he adored her laughter and how he loved the way her hazel eyes seemed to change color each time he looked into them. He wanted her to know how much he’d come to care for her since they’d first met. And yet she’d likely think him a fool for speaking his feelings so soon. After all, she wasn’t from these parts where men didn’t wait long before speaking their piece and staking their claim on a gal. Luke couldn’t be certain, but he figured things were different in big cities. Men likely courted for months and months before stating their affections to a woman.

  He cleared his throat and shifted his attention to the fishing rods. “You bait your own hooks or do you want me to do it?” He moved the can between them, then picked up his rod. “There’s a lot of good night crawlers in there. They work best.” He dug his fingers into the dirt, pulled out one of the wiggling worms, and threaded it onto his hook before glancing up at her.

  “Since I’ve never baited a hook, why don’t you go ahead? I wouldn’t want to cause the worm more pain than necessary.”

  He laughed heartily. “Never in my life have I heard anyone worry about the pain of a worm. You do confound me. I didn’t realize your concern for others would extend even to a worm being used as bait.”

  “Well, they’re God’s creatures too, and while I don’t know if they feel pain, the process looks like it would hurt.” Splotches of pink inched across her cheeks, and he longed to snatch back his laughter and words. He’d obviously embarrassed her.

  He quickly baited the hook, stepped close, and extended the rod. “I’d be glad to help you cast if you’d like.”

  “Let me try on my own first.” Before he could move, she swung the rod in a wide arc. Luke dove for the ground. Instead of casting the line, the rod went flying into the pond. Hope let out a yelp and pointed at the slowly sinking rod.

  Without thought to his shoes, Luke jumped up and ran into the pond, high-stepping his way through the murky water that splashed around his legs. When he finally captured the rod, he lifted it high in the air and slogged back to the bank holding it like a prize catch. Water sloshed in his shoes, and his pant legs were soaked through when he made his return to dry ground.

  “I think you might need a lesson or two before you try that again, but you do have a good throw.” He smiled as he went to her side.

  “Oh, Luke. Look at you.” She pointed to his feet. “Your shoes are going to be ruined.”

  “They’ll be fine.” He dropped to the ground, removed his shoes and socks, then glanced up at her. “Don’t worry. I won’t remove my pants.”

  “Oh, my! I hope not.” She covered her mouth with her palm.

  He placed his shoes in the sun and hung his socks on the branches of a nearby bush. “The socks will dry in no time, but we may have to stay here a day or two for the shoes to dry.” Seeing the look on her face, he burst into laughter. “I’m only joking. They’ll dry out soon. Besides, I can always go barefoot.” He reached for the fishing pole. “How about I give you your first lesson?”

  She nodded. “I think that would be helpful.” He stepped to her side and then, after a few verbal instructions, moved behind her. She glanced over her shoulder. “Why did you move?”

  “To provide a little more instruction.” He glanced to be sure her hands were properly placed on the rod, then reached around her and wrapped his hands over her own. He lowered his head and spoke into her ear. “Just keep your arms loose enough for me to help you cast the line into the water.” With a slight turn of her head, she gave him a sideways look that caused his pulse to quicken. “Here we go.”

  Holding her from behind, he directed her arms in an arc while the two of them watched the worm fly in the air, skip across the water, and lower into the depths of the pond.

  “Let’s hope my earlier mishap didn’t scare the fish away,” she said.

  “Like I said, no one has much luck in this pond, so there’s no need to be concerned if we don’t catch anything. Besides, I don’t much enjoy cleaning fish.” He nodded toward the pond. “If you feel like something is tugging on your line, jerk back and then reel it in.”

  He’d just prepared to cast his own line when Hope jerked her pole and squealed. Luke dropped his pole and once again assumed his position behind her. “That’s it. Pull back and turn the handle on your reel.”

 
; She was doing her best but making little progress. He moved forward to help her, and together they hoisted a large turtle into the air. No sooner did they pull the turtle from the pond than it broke the line and dropped back into the watery abyss.

  Hope sighed. “I don’t think fishing is ever going to be one of my talents.”

  When she made a quick turn toward him, his lips unexpectedly brushed her cheek. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean . . .”

  She smiled and shook her head. “No need to apologize.”

  Luke’s pulse quickened. Did she already have feelings for him, too? Maybe city and hill-country courting weren’t so different after all.

  Hope’s excursions up the hillside had soon become the bright spot in her days. Even though the men still considered her an interloper, the women and children welcomed her visits. At least Luke’s Uncle Frank had been quick to accept her. He’d done his best to convince the other men that she had no intention of wrongly influencing their wives. But even Uncle Frank’s words didn’t ease their attitudes. They considered her a varmint that needed shooing from their door.

  Her father hadn’t met with much more success. The men weren’t totally convinced her father wasn’t a revenuer with a smooth tongue who’d brought along a young woman to lessen suspicion. Mistrust further heightened when her father had been seen speaking to one of the managers of the mining company at the general store. A story soon circulated that he’d been hired to flush out miners favoring a strike. Little did they know that the manager had accused her father of being a representative of the union and warned him against stirring up trouble. It seemed Hope and her father were met with resistance and wrongful accusations at every turn.

  Every week a new tale spread among the locals, though a few families had been approachable. Along with the Mintons, Burnses, and Winters, Luke’s family, including Uncle Frank, had accepted them. But even with Luke and those four men vouching for Hope and her father, they’d had little success winning over other men in the small community. Most of the men now accompanied their families down the hill, but rather than attend meetings, they gathered in a grove on the other side of the chapel car and typically rejoined their families afterward. At first her father had been encouraged by their appearance, except the men hadn’t relented in their decision to remain at a distance.

  While her father continued to pray for the men’s acceptance, Hope took a more ambitious approach. Invited or not, she believed that going to the homes of the locals was more beneficial. Although her father’s uninvited appearance might be met with a shotgun, her knocks were met with squeals of delight from the children who’d learned to expect a piece of candy when she appeared. And the women became as animated as their children when she produced a spool of much-needed thread or a packet of sewing needles.

  After a glance out the train window, Hope picked up a small basket, tucked a handkerchief into the pocket of her skirt, and kissed her father on the cheek. He looked up from his writing. A slight frown wrinkled his forehead. “Going up the hillside again, are you?”

  She nodded. “Yes. Nellie and Luke are going to walk me up. I want to visit Celia Fisher’s family. She’s a sweet little girl who’s been at every meeting since we arrived. Neither of her parents has attended, but they live near Nellie and Luke. Nellie brings Celia with her each evening. The little girl is quite withdrawn. I’ve been somewhat concerned because several of the children are unkind to her, and I’ve had to come to her defense. I think their unpleasant behavior may be the cause of Celia’s shyness.”

  Her father folded his hands in his lap. “I hope you had a talk with the children who have been unkind to the girl. They need to learn how to treat others with love and compassion.”

  She smiled down at him. “I’ve corrected them, but a few of the older boys brushed off my remarks. If they don’t obey, I’ll have you visit with them.”

  “Just let me know. I’ll be glad to have a word with them.” He cocked an eyebrow. “Did Nellie think the child’s parents would welcome a visit from you?”

  “I know Mrs. Fisher wants to meet with me. She sent a note with Celia and asked me to call on her. I’m not sure about Mr. Fisher. He works for the mining company, so I don’t think he’ll be at home.” She squeezed her father’s shoulder. “You don’t need to worry. I’ll be back in plenty of time to prepare dinner.”

  “Wait!” A look of sudden realization flashed in her father’s eyes. “Did you say Luke was going to meet you?”

  Hope nodded. “Yes, Luke and Nellie.” She edged toward the door. If she didn’t hurry, they’d think she wasn’t coming.

  Her father leaned back in his chair. “Why isn’t Luke at work?”

  She tipped her head to one side, surprised by the question. “Because he was laid off again. I assumed you knew. Miners with the least seniority were laid off a few days ago. I thought he’d told you.”

  “No, he never mentioned it.” His tone of disbelief affirmed she’d caught him unaware. Her father hesitated a moment. “He did say he’d be available if I needed any help with my carpentry projects, but I figured he’d been assigned a different shift at the mine. He probably thinks me completely insensitive.”

  “I don’t think he’d believe you uncaring, Papa. He knows you want only the best for the people who live here. I’m sure he simply doesn’t want to burden you with the problems going on at the mine. He hasn’t told me much, but Nellie confides in me. I think there’s growing unrest among the men.” She stepped to the door. “I really must go. We can talk more when I return.” She pushed the iron door handle and shoved her hip against the heavy door before her father could further detain her.

  By the time she arrived at the stand of elderberry bushes near the path leading up the hillside, beads of perspiration were trickling down the side of Hope’s face. “Sorry I’m late.” She gasped for air after sputtering the words. “Thank you for waiting.” She clamped her palm to her waist.

  Nellie’s gaze followed the movement. “Got a stitch in your side from walking so fast?”

  Hope bobbed her head. “My father stopped me on my way out the door.” She turned toward Luke. “He didn’t know you’d been laid off at the mine.”

  Luke’s brow furrowed. “I thought he’d figure it out when I told him I could help out with his carpentry work.”

  Hope shook her head. Folks took it for granted that outsiders understood how things worked in the mining camp, but Hope wasn’t certain why. Most of the families remained uncommunicative, especially the men. When her father inquired about their work, they immediately turned the conversation to talk of the weather or crops. Nellie said it was because some folks still believed she and her father were company spies who passed information to the mine manager.

  Though she hadn’t pressed Nellie for details, Hope had difficulty believing the girl’s explanation. After all, they’d been here for more than six weeks, and other than her father’s one brief conversation with a mine manager at the general store, they’d not had contact with the hierarchy at the mining company. To her knowledge, none of the managers or supervisors had ever visited any of their chapel car meetings. Perhaps that wasn’t enough to convince folks; perhaps they never would win the trust of these people. Then again, maybe rebuilding the church would help persuade them.

  She pushed aside the thought when Nellie skipped ahead of them toward the path, her faded print dress swishing and catching on bushes as she led the way. “Come on, you two.”

  She and Luke dutifully followed behind. Nellie was much more accustomed to climbing these hills, and Hope soon found herself gulping down air in her attempt to keep pace. Thankful that Luke had remained by her side, Hope smiled at him when he guided her around a muddy hole in the path, then slowed his pace.

  Once her breathing had returned to a normal rate, Hope cleared her throat. “My father may need your help before long. He wrote to the association headquarters and asked if they would fund the rebuilding of the local church. The one that was destroyed by a fir
e.”

  When he grinned and nodded, she immediately realized there’d been no need for her explanation. The only church in the town was the one that had been destroyed by fire. She could feel the heat climbing up her neck. No doubt her cheeks were now a bright shade of pink.

  “That’s wonderful news. I’ll be praying the association will decide to help. We’ve tried to raise money to rebuild several times, and folks want a new church. Problem is, for most of us, it’s hard making enough money to put food on the table, much less having any extra to give toward building a church.”

  “My father explained that the miners and their families didn’t have additional funds to help with the rebuilding. The board of directors were to meet this week, so he’s hopeful he’ll hear from them soon.”

  Nellie, who had slowed her own pace, shifted and looked over her shoulder. “Did you say your father is going to rebuild the church? Folks are going to be so excited!” She clapped her hands together. “I can’t wait to spread the word.”

  Hope sighed. This was how inaccurate chatter spread among the families. One person heard only bits and pieces of a conversation and spread it as gospel. “Wait, Nellie. That’s not what I said, so please don’t tell anyone the church is being reconstructed.” Hope reached out and gently caught the girl by her arm while she detailed what she’d told Luke. “So you see, nothing is certain, and we don’t want to give rise to hope until we’ve heard back from the association. I know they don’t have an excess of funds, so there’s a possibility my father’s request will be denied. All three of us need to pray they’ll understand the importance of helping the residents of Finch.”

  Nellie’s smile faded. “I’m willing to pray, but I have to admit I have my doubts they’ll want to help. Seems we’re pretty much forgotten by everyone.”

  Luke placed his arm around his sister’s shoulder. “Come on now, Nellie. Don’t be such a doomsayer. Let’s put our faith in the Lord.” He held her tight until she smiled at him. “That’s the sister I know and love.” He released his hold as they neared the top of the hill. “You go ahead and take Hope to meet Mrs. Fisher. I need to get back out to the field and weed the garden.”