Clovis went for a hug but Silas was sensitive to Levi’s feelings, and when the boy held his hand out Silas shook it, even though he wanted to crush the child in his arms. He also ached to hug Mandy, but she stayed across the room from him and thanked him with her heart in her eyes. Silas knew that for now it was enough. She accepted what he said as well as the gift of fabrics, and someday he believed they would be close enough to share an embrace.
He was careful not to look at Amy during any of this, knowing how close to the surface her tears would be. She rescued them both when she said Mandy needed the wagon. They were able to go their separate ways without awkwardness.
16
“Okay, Mandy.” Silas lifted her easily onto the wagon seat and handed her the reins. She blinked in surprise, but he didn’t notice. “I’ll see you when you get back.”
When Amy had mentioned taking the wagon, Mandy hadn’t really heard the words. If she had, she would have told her immediately that she’d never driven a wagon before. And now as she looked over her shoulder and watched Silas move in his long-legged stride across the yard and back to the house, she wished she’d been more attentive.
“How hard can it be?” She asked the question after a moment’s thought and noticed the horse’s ears flicked a little. She tried to remember what she’d seen Silas do and almost without realizing it, began imitating him. In the next few seconds she was headed down the road toward town, thankful that the team had been pointed in the right direction.
Ross sat astride the horse he had borrowed and made mental notes on the land before him. Why would Aaron Marks be interested in this lot? It wasn’t very remarkable—Baxter offered much better. From what he could tell after studying the map, it was owned by a man from Reedsburg.
The land to the north was not only owned but occupied. If Ross turned in his saddle he could see the Jackson place, its rundown condition evident from the short distance. Marks had wanted information on that land also. The map showed the Jacksons only owned about six acres. Why would Marks bother? The question nagged his brain as he continued to survey the land.
Vibration on the ground that traveled through the horse and to its rider caused Ross to look for someone approaching. Surprisingly a wagon that looked very much like Silas’ came toward the Jackson house at a very brisk pace. The driver sawed on the reins in an abrupt movement that caused the horses to stop but not rest. They tossed their heads and one animal brought his front hooves off the ground.
As Ross heeled his own mount into motion he could easily picture those horses bolting if the holder of those reins did not let up and quickly.
“Ease off on your hold,” Ross commanded as he came aside the wild-eyed team. “Easy now.” Not until the team was completely settled did he turn to look at who was on the seat.
If he’d thought the horses were frightened and upset, he wasn’t sure what to think of Mandy’s wide-eyed stare at the animals she obviously had no idea how to handle. Her knuckles were white on the leather straps within her hands, and she didn’t seem capable of taking her eyes off the now-calm horses.
“Amanda,” Ross called to her from his place by the wagon. His horse stood docile as he’d dismounted and stepped to where he could help her from the seat.
“Amanda.” He called to her a second time and reached to take her hands. She let the reins go easily after feeling the pressure of his hands and then stood, still shaken, in front of Ross after he had lowered her to the ground. He watched her cross her arms as though cold and finally knew why he had not been able to dispel her from his thoughts since the day of the funeral. He had never seen a creature in such need of cherishing. He suspected she’d never experienced special treatment or loving care.
“Are you alright?”
“I should have told Silas that I’d never driven a wagon before, but I didn’t want him to have to take me. And we were doing fine until a gun went off at the edge of town and the horses nearly broke into a run. I don’t think they liked the way I was handling them because they’re always calm for Silas. He makes it look so easy.” She came to a rather breathless halt and simply looked at Ross. Even though she was a little upset about the horses and wagon, he was a feast for her eyes.
His face was tan and his hat pushed back on his head showed the shine in his hair and the clear blue of his eyes. As Mandy studied him she felt her heart turn over. In the last few days she had convinced herself that he really hadn’t been that good-looking and thinking of him had been disrespectful to her Mama. But he was so kind, and Mandy was drawn to him no matter what her head told her heart.
Saying nothing during her scrutiny of him, Ross was still working on the fact that she hadn’t told Silas of her inexperience with horses. She could have been seriously hurt. When Silas and Amy found out, he was sure they would be quite upset. And they would find out, because when she was finished with whatever business had brought her here, he’d drive her back.
“Thank you for taking care of the horses. I have to go in now and get some things.” She turned away and heard him say he’d wait for her.
Mandy didn’t argue, even though she felt it unnecessary. She was a little shook but she knew what to do now, at least she thought she did.
There was no sign of her father having been present, but when Mandy stepped through the door she noticed an unfamiliar smell. Assuming the house was musty after being empty, she placed the note on the table and the moved into the bedroom toward the dresser. Mandy reached in the top drawer to a small bundle of papers held together by an old string. She wasn’t sure what all would be in the sheaf but she wanted to wait until she was back in her room at Camerons to open it.
Closing the drawer, Mandy stopped as the corner of an old photograph caught her eye. She lifted it carefully from beneath an old shirt of her father’s and stared in awe.
“Amanda?” When she didn’t answer his summons from the kitchen Ross stepped to the door of the bedroom to find her. She didn’t look up from the photo, and Ross moved behind her to see what held her attention. He sucked in a quick breath when he saw the image on the paper. It was Amanda, a beautiful Amanda.
“It’s my mother.” Mandy spoke as though she could read his thoughts. “I’ve never seen it before. I can’t think why she never had it out.”
The woman in the picture was not the woman that Mandy knew, recognizable, but not the way she remembered, and Mandy was fascinated by what she saw. The woman in the picture did not have deep lines of disappointment, hard work, and grief etched on her face. Her cheeks were not sunken and loose. The children had never seen this face, a face that radiated happiness and peace with no worries of where the next meal would come from, or how cold the next winter would be and whether the wood box would hold.
Mandy hugged the picture to her for just a moment before making her way back out to the wagon. As she walked, her mind conjured up a fleeting memory of the young woman in the picture smiling at her.
Ross was right behind Mandy, and she saw instantly that he’d turned the team around and tied his own mount to the back.
“You really don’t have to ride with me, Ross, although I thank you for your trouble.”
“You could have been hurt if this team had run away with you. Your family needs you right now, and I will see you back to Silas’ to make sure you get there unhurt and in one piece.” Ross immediately regretted his tone with her.
He watched Mandy take a step away from him and eye him warily, her papers and photo clasped to her as though they could offer some sort of protection.
Ross realized then that he had never experienced anything like this before. There were no games in her, no pretense. The girls back home would have said such a thing just so he would insist, knowing all along that the gentleman in him wouldn’t let them go alone. But Amanda Jackson put on no act. She honestly believed she could get herself home and didn’t want to trouble him.
She didn’t say anything or offer any resistance when he helped her into the wagon, but her body w
as very stiff and she sat like a statue on the seat beside him. Ross was at a total loss for words at the moment, thinking anything he might say would only make matters worse. So he moved the team forward with a prayer in his heart that he hadn’t just scared this girl away forever. Why that was so important to him, he was not in the mood to analyze.
17
They rode all the way through town before Mandy broke the silence. Ross would have been surprised to know that she wasn’t pouting or upset with the way he’d spoken to her. In fact he probably would have chosen for her to be upset rather than so accepting of the way he’d talked to her.
“I wasn’t sure if I’d see you again, Ross, but after my mother’s funeral I realized I reached over and held your hand during the service, and I wanted to thank you for not slapping my hand away or anything when we were all having such a hard day.”
He wondered if she would ever stop surprising him. “You’re not upset with me then?”
“No, of course not; I just thanked you. It was a very kind thing for you to do. After all, we hadn’t even met yet.”
“No, I’m not talking about your hand at the funeral, although if it was a comfort I’m glad. I’m talking about at your house today.”
It took Mandy a moment to answer. “I’m not upset that you saw my mother’s picture. What made you think that?”
Ross brought the wagon to a complete halt in the road outside of town. She really didn’t know. He looked at the face so close to his shoulder and saw nothing but curiosity.
“Are you okay, Ross? Oh,” she blushed suddenly. “Maybe I shouldn’t call you Ross. I figured us to be the same age and you were introduced as Ross but maybe I’m out of line.”
For the first time in Ross didn’t know how many years, he wanted to cry. “Amanda,” he spoke in an almost hoarse voice, “I’m glad you call me Ross and we are, I think, about the same age. But I thought you were upset with me because of how high-handed I was about driving the wagon home.” Ross desperately wished he’d kept his mouth shut.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“In that case it’s not important, as long as I didn’t upset you.”
“No, I’m fine. It’s not as if you hit me or called me a name or anything personal. People are more important than wagons, and if you feel better driving then that’s fine.” She was so matter-of-fact about it all that once again words deserted Ross and he moved the wagon on.
When they were in the yard a few minutes later, Ross stayed in his seat and helped Mandy to the ground with one hand. She thanked him with a smile and a few words that he barely heard and went toward the house as if she didn’t have a care in the world.
Ross slapped the reins once more and moved the wagon up to the barn. Stepping down, he hoped to find Silas inside.
“Well, Ross!” Luke spoke with surprise as both he and Silas approached. “What brings you out this way?”
“I need to talk with you, Silas.” Ross was very obviously upset.
“Why don’t you boys go out and swing? And take turns,” Luke called after the swiftly retreating backs of Levi, Clovis, and his own Josh. “Should I make myself scarce?”
“No, Luke, I don’t think that’s necessary. It’s just that I was surveying some land out by the Jackson place when Amanda drove up. She’d never driven a wagon before today but didn’t want to trouble Silas with having to take her, so she decided not to mention it.”
“Oh no! Is she okay?” Silas’ entire body had tensed and Ross was quick to assure him.
“She’s fine. But the horses were just short of being out of control after a shot was fired near town. She nearly split their mouths open when she stopped them. It was God alone, I’m sure, that kept them from bolting and taking Amanda on the ride of her life.
“But that’s not all I’m upset about—it’s Amanda herself. I’ve never known a girl with so little fight in her. I told her that I would drive the wagon back, and because she’d scared me I wasn’t very nice about it. She’s completely accepting of any order given to her, and this thing today tells me it never even occurs to her to ask for help.
“Maybe you think I’m overreacting, but she scares me. We can’t assume anything where she is concerned, and I just thought with her beneath your roof, Silas, you’d want to know.”
Silas was shaken. “You’re sure she’s okay?”
“I’m sure.”
“It never even occurred to me that she wouldn’t know how to handle a team. There’s so little about her, all of them, that I know. The little ones are easy, but Mandy, and Carrie too, to some degree, are a little out of my range. They can’t be treated like children, and handling them gently is tougher.
“And Ross, I don’t think you’re overreacting. Amy has cried at some point every day that they’ve been with us. The worst time is at meals when they look at the food as if they’re afraid it’s going to disappear right off the table. Mandy always looks to make sure the other kids have food on their plates before she eats her own. I know she’d go without for them and probably has many times.
“Did you know that they thought no one would be at the funeral? They said they didn’t get out much and that we shouldn’t go to the trouble to plan food for so many.” Tears gathered in the big man’s eyes, and he did nothing to hide them.
“I’ve never gone without food a day in my life. You should have seen the looks on their faces when they found out we have three meals a day, every day.” A tear spilled over then, and Luke reached for his own handkerchief.
The men stood in silence then, each collecting himself. Silas had just thanked Ross for coming and telling him about Mandy when a loud scream split the air.
18
“Get it out of here, Levi!” Mandy ordered her brother in a furious voice. “Can’t you see you’re scaring everyone to death?”
“Well, that’s dumb. There’s nothing to be scared about. He’s just a baby.”
Levi held the snake in his hands a little bit higher and examined it with pride. Clovis looked at Amy in something akin to awe; he’d never heard a sound quite like that scream before. He almost hoped she’d do it again, but not because she was scared. He didn’t want her to be upset as she obviously was now.
“We better go out, Lee.”
“No, I want to take Henry to my room.”
“No!” The word came from Amy, Mandy, and Carrie in unison just as the men hit the back door at a full run. They stood just inside and took in the scene in silence.
Amy and Carrie were both behind the kitchen table as far as they could get from the three little boys and their newfound pet. Mandy looked like an enraged warrior in front of them with a look that clearly said she’d had enough.
Levi looked thoroughly offended that no one was the least bit proud of the great catch he’d found in the yard. Clovis, always at Levi’s side, was taking it in stride while five-year-old Joshua looked as if Levi and Clovis were the answers to all his prayers.
Silas’ hand went up to rub at his mustache in a manner familiar to both Luke and Amy.
“Silas!” Amy’s voice was outraged that he was actually thinking of laughing at this horrible situation. She wondered if her heart would ever beat normally again. She looked over at Luke and Ross, but they had both taken a great interest in the floor. Amy told herself she would never forgive them.
“I’ll say it one more time, Levi. Get that snake out of here!”
“No! Silas make her listen to me. It’s just a little one and I want to keep it in my room.” This little announcement momentarily sobered Silas faster than anything else could have, and he shook his head no.
“Take it outside, Levi.” There was no argument this time and the boys filed out—the fun was over.
Silas did not immediately go to his wife, but he watched her with the laughter back in his eyes.
“I can’t believe you’re laughing about this.” Her outraged, flushed face was too much for the men and their laughter shook the room. Luke dropped heavily in
to a chair and Ross leaned against the wall. Silas made an attempt at sobering, but each time he looked at Amy he dissolved again into laughter. He knew he was going to be in big trouble for this, but he couldn’t seem to contain himself.
By the time Amy and Carrie came out from behind the table, Mandy was seeing the humor herself. Her eyes met Carrie’s and they both smiled. Amy didn’t miss the look and said, “I can see I’m hopelessly outnumbered.”
Silas went to her then and pulled her into his arms. “You looked so cute, sweetheart. I thought your eyes were going to come right out of your head.”
She tried to look angry but couldn’t muster a glare. She gave Silas a soft punch and he released her. He went to Carrie next and offered her a hug after which she smiled at him good-naturedly. It seemed the most natural thing in the world to go to Mandy next and hug her. To his surprise she was receptive to his embrace and smiled when he praised her.
“Mandy, I’m very impressed. You stood right up to Levi, snake and all. I’m also glad Becca is with Christine and Kate.”
“That makes two of us and Silas is right Mandy, you were very brave.”
“For all the good it did me. Levi was determined to have Henry in his room.”
“I had a snake named Henry.” Ross’ voice was so matter-of-fact that the laughter was rekindled.
“Where did they find it?” Silas finally asked Amy. She said she didn’t know and she didn’t care but she wanted it out of the yard and far away from her garden before she went out to water later.
Silas said he would see to it. The men, still chuckling, took their leave to check on the boys and get back to their jobs.