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 Waltzing
With the Light
By Marnie L.
Pehrson
LDS
Historical Fiction
Paperback ISBN: 0-9729750-6-3
Suggested Retail: $14.95
268 pages
"Once
again, Marnie Pehrson adeptly whisks her readers into the past,
providing escape through this delightful romantic adventure!" –
Marcia Lynn McClure, author, www.MarciaLynnMcClure.com
Nestled
within the valley of the Appalachian mountains, Daisy, Tennessee,
seemed like a sleepy little town until depression-era drifter, Jake
Elliot, entered it and knocked on the front door of the yellow farm
house and met Mikalah, the oldest of the Ford children. Little did he
know how his life and his heart would be affected from that moment
forward.
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In Love We Trust by Marnie Pehrson for FREE!
Fun Facts & Quotes
Miracles occur naturally as expressions of love. The real miracle is the love that inspires them. In this sense, everything that comes from love is a miracle. --Marianne Williamson
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Although
Daisy seems peaceful and inviting, for a member of the LDS faith it
has its ruthless characters and dangerous moments which threaten Jake
& Mikalah’s plans and their very lives. The misconceptions over
Jake’s beliefs test the metal of everyone he encounters, bringing
out the best in the most loveable characters and the worst in those
with more treacherous motives.
Within
the riveting excitement of moonshiners and the down-to-earth lifestyle
of the South, this Latter-day Saint conversion story is a unique blend
of Southern Church history and romance. It is an exploration of what
happens when a young LDS man enters 1938 rural
Tennessee
and starts spreading the restored gospel. This entertaining and
inspiring novel will keep you turning pages while glued to the
edge of your seat.
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"The town of Daisy, Tennessee comes to life
when Mikalah Ford falls in love, faces extraordinary challenges and
discovers gangsters are real live people. Marnie Pehrson’s
characters draw you in and hold you in an earlier time when indoor
plumbin’, telephones, electricity and even a certain religion was
new for Mikalah. A satisfying read as well as a peek into the lives of
members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who lived
outside the Intermountain West. I recommend this to anyone looking for
a good love story." - Joyce F., Book Club Member
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Chapter 1
Beads
of perspiration glistened on Jake Elliot’s bronze muscular biceps as
the ax descended in a heavy blow, splitting the log in two and
cracking loudly through the hot early autumn air. Mikalah Ford stood
at the kitchen window, dunking a ceramic cup into the sudsy water as
she stared mesmerized by the man her mother had hired to chop wood,
help with the apple harvest and perform much-needed repairs.
Mikalah’s
father left nearly a year prior when he found work as a telegraph
operator in
Athens
and
sent most of his paycheck back to his wife to clothe their four
children and pay the debts that he had accumulated through speculating
before the stock market crash. Laurana Ford was a strong woman who
never let her children see the tears that watered her pillow at night
as she lay awake missing her husband Bill. Seventeen-year-old Mikalah
was an incredible help to her mother. She cleaned, cooked and tutored
the twelve-year-old twins, Hank and Hannah, with their homework every
night and made sure that five-year-old Matilda got her bath and stayed
out of trouble.
Mikalah
dried her hands on a dish towel and brushed back a stray strand of
strawberry blonde hair. Mikalah’s thick locks hung in naturally
curly ringlets to her shoulders, and her baby blue eyes remained
riveted on the workman as he sauntered toward the house, buttoning up
his plaid shirt to cover his white undershirt. Unconsciously, she
brushed at her skirt making sure she was presentable as he approached.
Jake
stood outside the open kitchen door and tapped on the wooden frame
with his knuckles.
“Come
in, Mr. Elliot. I bet you’re thirsty. Would you like some
lemonade?” she offered.
“Oh,
yes, thank you, Miss Ford,” his voice was rich and deep. He ran his
fingers through his dark brown hair and his emerald green eyes
twinkled in appreciation. She handed him a tall cool glass of
lemonade, and he gulped it down.
He
extended the glass to her, “Thank you, Miss.”
“You’re
welcome. Would you like another?”
“Ya
know, I’d really appreciate that,” he smiled and thought to
himself what a pretty girl she was. There was something about her big
blue eyes and long eyelashes that drew him in.
Mikalah
turned toward the counter and poured him another glass. His eyes
followed her as she turned from him. She was tall, nearly five foot
nine, with long shapely legs and a tiny waist that was further
accentuated by the way she filled out her blouse. Jake caught himself
and quickly looked down at his feet fumbling with his shirt, buttoning
a couple more buttons.
“Here
you go,” Mikalah extended the glass to him, and he took it
gratefully. As his hand brushed against hers, Mikalah felt a warm
shiver run up her spine, taking her by surprise.
“Thank
you, Miss,” he nodded and sipped the lemonade slower this time.
“Would
you like to sit down and rest a spell?” she offered pointing to the
kitchen chair as she held a glass of lemonade for herself in her other
hand.
“I
probably shouldn’t. I’m pretty smelly,” he mumbled.
“Oh,
have a seat. It’s hot out there, and you need to rest,” she
offered.
Jake
hesitated, and Mikalah motioned again toward the chair, “Go ahead,
Mr. Elliot, rest yourself.”
Jake
pulled out the chair, sat down and crossed his long leg over his knee.
His dungarees were patched at the knees, and he wore large leather
boots that laced up to his calves. “Is your mother around, Miss? I
need to ask her if I’ve chopped enough wood or whether she’d like
me to do some more.” Mikalah sat down at the table across from him.
“Mama’s
out back in the garden. She’ll be in shortly, I suspect. She
doesn’t like to work too much in the heat of the day.”
Mikalah
found herself staring across the table at him. She was curious about
this tall, strapping young man. His wavy brown hair was neatly
trimmed, his square jaw and dimpled chin clean-shaven. She found him
so incredibly different than the men who normally came around looking
for work. Besides being the handsomest man she believed she’d ever
seen he also had an air of honesty about him that seemed to radiate
from his countenance. Maybe that’s why her mother had hired him when
she never would hire the others. Laurana was a generous woman and
would gladly share what she had with the men who stopped by, giving
them a meal and sending them on their way, but she never hired them to
stay. She didn’t want strange men boarding in her house. But when
Jake had appeared at her doorstep this morning and asked if he could
help her in exchange for room and board, she agreed.
Mikalah
had been flabbergasted, raising her eyebrows in disbelief as her
mother told the young man, “I do need some wood chopped. There’s
some loose roof shingles, and the house needs painting before winter
hits. Can you do those types of repairs?” Jake informed her that he
could, and she immediately set him to work chopping wood to stock the
wood pile for winter.
“So
where are you from originally, Mr. Elliot? You don’t have a Southern
accent, so you can’t be from ‘round here,” Mikalah quizzed him
as he sat sipping his lemonade slowly, enjoying his second glass.
“I’m
from
Utah
,” he
answered.
“
Utah
? How
in the world did you manage to get all the way out here to
Tennessee
?”
she asked incredulously.
“My
father owned a general store in St. George, and he let too many people
buy on credit. When times got hard, he lost everything – the store,
the house, the land – everything. So he moved the family to
Oklahoma
where
his family’s from. He
got a job with my uncle doing road work. There wasn’t enough work
there for me too, so I started doing odd jobs for people and have
gradually worked my way across the country, helping a lot of folks
like your family – where the man of the house has left to find work
and the women need help.” His eyes took on a far away look as if he
were replaying a memory, “I’ve enjoyed traveling the country and
meeting nice folks along the way.” Mikalah liked the way the dimple
in his chin deepened when he smiled. In spite of her conscious
decision not to let this handsome stranger get to her, she was
completely unnerved by him.
“When
was the last time you saw your family?” she asked.
“Let’s
see here, I was twenty when I left, and I’m twenty-two now, so two
years, yep, two years since I’ve been home – well, since I saw my
parents anyway.
Oklahoma
doesn’t really feel like home to me. It’s been about three years
since I was in St. George.”
“Do
you plan to go back?”
“I
miss my family, but I really like it here in the South. People are
friendly, and there’s so much color. It’s so beautiful here that I
just might stay,” he mused aloud.
Laurana
Ford appeared at the kitchen door, brushing her feet on a mat outside
the door with her three blonde-headed children behind her. She
entered, carrying a basket full of beans. Her children followed her
carrying bowls of squash and okra.
Jake’s
back was to her as she entered, and he turned around and stood facing
her, “Afternoon, Mrs. Ford. Your daughter was kind enough to offer
me some delicious lemonade.” He raised his glass and nodded at
Mikalah with a smile, “I’ve chopped the wood and piled it outside
in the woodshed. Would you like me to chop down those two dead trees
that are standing by the entrance to your property? They might make
some good firewood.”
“Yes,
those two trees are an eye sore. Please do that,” she nodded her
head in agreement.
Mikalah
peeked in the oven to check on her casserole. She grabbed a pot holder
and pulled the pan from the oven and placed it on top of the stove,
“Everyone ready for lunch?” she asked.
“Boy,
that sure smells delicious!” Jake marveled, “I don’t believe
I’ve smelled anything that good since I was back home.”
Hank,
Hannah and Matilda poured into the room setting their bowls of produce
on the kitchen counter and gathering around Mikalah, “I’m
starved!” Hank rubbed his hands together anxiously awaiting his
plate of food.
“Settle
down, children. I’ll get you some,” Mikalah scolded. She counted
six plates, pulled them from the cabinet and began dishing out
casserole and garnishing the plates with sliced garden fresh tomatoes
and cucumbers.
“
Wash
up,”
Laurana directed.
The
children and their mother gathered around the sink as she poured water
to wash their hands. Mikalah handed each of the children a plate first
to get them out from under her feet. They grabbed forks, clanging them
onto their plates and plopped down at the kitchen table while Jake
washed his hands and forearms. Mikalah served Jake a large portion and
then served her mother and herself. As everyone gathered around the
table, Hank started shoveling his lunch into his mouth.
Jake
cleared his throat and ventured, “Mrs. Ford, would you mind if I
offered a blessing on the food?”
Laurana
Ford patted her hand on the table, motioning for Hank to put down the
fork of food he was about to shovel into his mouth, “That would be
nice, Mr. Elliot,” Laurana answered, “We haven’t had a man in
the house to offer grace in so long, that I’m afraid we’ve gotten
out of the habit. But if you’d like to, go right ahead.”
Jake
began to pray, offering a blessing not only on the food but also on
the Ford family, including Mr. Ford and asked for special protection
for Mrs. Ford and each of the children by name. After closing the
prayer, Laurana’s eyebrows raised as she looked at Mikalah and then
turned to smile at him, “Thank you Mr. Elliot, that was – that was
lovely.”
“Can
Hannah and I go swimmin’ at the creek, Mama?” Hank tapped
excitedly on the table as he looked hopefully toward his mother, his
blue eyes twinkling with anticipation. His twin sister Hannah matched
his anxious expression and shared his same wavy blonde hair, fair
countenance and sparkling blue eyes.
“That’s
fine. Just a few hours though,” Laurana agreed.
“Can
I go too? Can I go?” begged Matilda, bobbing her little blonde head.
“Mikalah,
why don’t you go with them? You’ve been cooped up in here all day,
and you can keep an eye on Matty.”
Mikalah
looked up from her lunch toward her mother and grinned at her baby
sister, “That sounds fun, let’s go.”
After
lunch, Jake smiled as the children scampered from the table gathering
their swim clothes and towels. He wished he could tag along. A swim on
this hot afternoon would be refreshing, but there was too much work to
be done.
Soon,
Mikalah and the children came down the stairs carrying their towels
and headed toward the door.
“We’ll
be back in a few hours, Mama,” Mikalah waved at her mother.
“Race
you to the end of the road,” Hank called out. “The last one
there’s a rotten egg.” Everyone took off running as fast as they
could – including Mikalah. She lifted her skirt slightly and ran
toward the end of the road. Mikalah was a fast runner. She had played
basketball at
Daisy
High
School
and
often ran in races at the county fair. She soon passed up Hank and
Hannah as little Matty trailed behind. When she reached the end of the
road, she leapt around to face them.
“Aha,
Matty’s the rotten egg!” Hank teased.
“Am
not!” Matilda’s bottom lip puckered.
“Are
too! You’re slower than a turtle stuck in molasses!” Hank jeered.
“Micky,
make Hank stop callin’ me names!” Matilda whined.
“All
right, ‘nough o’ that Hank, let’s try to get along today. It’s
too pretty to fuss.” Mikalah scolded.
Hank
rolled his eyes, “She’s such a baby!”
Mikalah
picked little Matty up like a sack of potatoes and plopped her onto
her hip as she placed her other arm around Hank’s shoulder, “Come
on Matty, give me a smile,” Mikalah kissed her little sister’s
rosy cheek. Matty smiled back at her big sister and returned her kiss.
Mikalah
set her down, and the four of them walked along Highway 27 toward
Chickamauga Creek. One rarely saw a car drive up Highway 27 in the
afternoon and this day was no different. The highway sliced through
the open fields of farmland, and the occasional farmhouse dotted the
landscape. Mikalah smiled at the sea of long stemmed daisies and
vibrant orange black-eyed-Susan’s that swayed in choreographed
rhythm to the melody of the autumn breeze. Enjoying their last days of
life, they stretched their colorful heads skyward, basking in the
vibrant sunlight. As the children turned the corner and descended the
embankment to the creek, the breathtaking beauty of the stream
appeared before them. Crystal clear water leading back to the green
mountains babbled over creek rocks rounded smooth from years of wear.
Several little cabins nestled amongst the woods on either side of the
creek.
Matty
pointed down into the water, “Look Micky, somebody’s weft their
meowk and buttow down in the cweek.”
“That’s
Mrs. Morton’s things, Matty. She lives over yonder, and she keeps
her milk and butter down in there to keep them cool.” Mikalah looked
toward the Morton’s little house and saw five-year-old Jack running
toward them.
“Why
doesn’t she just buy ice for her icebox?” Matty asked quizzically.
“Ice
can get expensive. If we lived this close to the creek, Mama would be
havin’ us put ours down in there too.” Mikalah explained.
As
Jack trotted toward them, he waved, “Hi Matty! You goin’ swimmin’?”
“Yep,
you wanna come?”
“Sure!”
he dropped in stride with the Ford children, and they ventured further
down the creek where the water was a bit deeper. Hank, Hannah, Matty
and Jack hopped from rock to rock as Mikalah drank in the beauty of
the autumn colors that exploded from the trees on the unseasonably
warm fall afternoon.
The
children tossed their towels that were made from old feed sacks down
on the rocks and skipped into the creek, splashing and squealing with
delight. Mikalah sat down on a large boulder, removed her shoes and
socks and let her feet dangle in the cool water.
Matty
gathered brightly colored stones from the bottom of the creek bed,
collecting them in her pocket. She carried them to the large rock slab
where Mikalah sat and laid them out in the sun to dry, and ran back to
the other children to play.
“My
daddy’s buildin’ a big new house up the road,” Jack stated
proudly as he balanced himself on a small creek rock in front of
Mikalah.
“He
is?” Mikalah asked, “When will it be done?”
“Daddy
says in a few weeks,” he answered.
“Are
you excited to move?” she asked the blue-eyed child.
“It’s
big an’ fancy, even got ‘tricity, but I’m gonna miss bein’ on
the creek - ‘specially gonna miss my stump,” he seemed a bit
melancholy all of a sudden.
“Your
stump?” Mikalah could hardly keep from giggling.
“Oh,
yeah, I have the best stump in the whole wide world. Rain water gets
in it, and it gets all musty smellin’ and I can stir it with a
stick, hide treasures in it and even collect frogs there.”
“Now
that sounds like somethin’ you’re gonna have a hard time doin’
without, Jack,” Mikalah affected a sympathetic expression of
concern. “Maybe you’ll find a stump at your new place.”
“I
hope so, but I’ve looked all over up there and ain’t seen one
yet,” Jack flung a rock into the water, emphasizing his frustration
over losing his stump.
“I’m
sure you’ll find lots of other fun things to do – nice big house
like that with ‘tricity an’ all.”
“Daddy
says there’s not many people in Daisy’s got ‘tricity in their
house. Did ya know that, Miss Micky?”
“That
right?”
“Yep.
Mama’s all ‘xcited cause we’re gonna have indoor plumbin’ and
a telephone and everythin’,” Jack related the details as if there
wasn’t much to it all in his opinion.
“Really?
A telephone!” Mikalah was impressed. While larger cities in 1938 had
electricity, the little town of
Daisy
lagged
behind.
“Nobody
else in Daisy’s got one a them in their own house,” Hank chimed
in.
“You
gonna let me come visit and see this new house o’ y’all’s,
Jack?” Matty asked.
“Sure,
come on over any time,” he grinned. Jack covered his eyes to shield
them from the sun and peered off in the distance behind where Mikalah
sat, “Who’s that a comin’?”
Mikalah
looked back over her shoulder and nervously began straightening her
skirt and hair.
“Why,
it’s Hal Craig, Mikalah’s beau,” Hannah answered.
“You
got yourself a beau, Miss Micky?” Jack asked.
Handsome
brown-eyed, brown-haired, Hal Craig was a stocky fellow about the same
height as Mikalah. All the girls in Daisy had a crush on him, but he
only had eyes for Mikalah.
“Good
afternoon, Micky!” he called as he strode determinedly across the
rocks along the side of the creek.
“Afternoon,
Hal!” she called back.
He
came up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders, leaned over and
gave her a peck on the cheek. “Care if I join ya?”
Mikalah
scooted aside on the rock making room for Hal to sit down next to her,
“Please do.”
Hal
seated himself, pulled off his socks and shoes, rolled up his pant
legs and plunged his feet into the icy water, “Oh, now that sure
feels good! What’s up with this hot weather?” he asked
boisterously.
“Indian
summer,” she answered. “What ya doin’ at the creek in the middle
of the day, Hal? You’re usually at work ‘bout now.”
“Got
too hot. I gave the workmen a long lunch and most of ‘em headed over
to the Blowin’ Hole to cool off, but I spied you over here and
figured I’d come see my girl.”
“Oh,
let’s go to the Blowin’ Hole, Micky!” Hank suggested excitedly.
“We
told Mama we’d be at the creek, not the Blowin’ Hole.”
“Come
on, Micky, let’s go! It’s close by!” Hannah begged. Matty and
Jack shook their heads in delighted agreement as they saw Mikalah’s
determined expression begin to weaken.
“Why
not? Let’s go!” Mikalah grabbed her shoes and stockings and stood
up on the rock. The children were jumping stone to stone, crossing
over to the other side of the creek before she could barely stand.
Mikalah and Hal followed behind them. Hal grabbed her hand and helped
steady her as she crossed. The group traveled along the creek and then
back toward the mountain, into the woods a bit to the cave that
everyone called the Blowin’ Hole. A group of men sat around the
mouth of the cave. The chilly air coming from inside wafted out,
cooling the weary laborers who had come to rest for a spell.
The
children ran ahead into the cave, and Mikalah called out, “Now, no
goin’ down deep in there and gettin’ lost! You know how ya can’t
hear a thing back in there. When
I say it’s time to go, you’ve gotta get out o’ there quick and
come along home.”
“All
right, we won’t go too far,” Hank called back to her as the
children giggled and ran into the cave.
Mikalah
and Hal walked hand in hand to the cave, passing the men outside who
turned their heads, gawking at Mikalah. One of them, the son of a
prominent moonshiner, whistled in her direction, and Hal glanced over
his shoulder. A confident yet amiable look in Hal’s eye told Jeb
Bailey that Mikalah was Hal’s girl. A hair-raising tremor shuddered
along Mikalah’s spine. The moonshiners made her nervous. They
somehow managed to rise above the law in the little town of
Daisy
. Their
feudal rampages went unchecked by local county authorities, and many
felt it a matter of time before innocent people were harmed in their
vengeful shootings.
The
pair entered the cave a few yards and crossed to a small alcove. Hal
motioned for Mikalah to sit on a rock, and he scrunched in next to
her.
The
cool breeze wafted through Mikalah’s curls. The cave was nearly
twenty degrees cooler than outside, and the chill of it caused her to
rub her bare arms warming them in the friction of her hands.
“Boy,
this sure feels good!” Hal kicked his feet out in front of him,
wiggling his toes. Mikalah
laid her shoes down on the ground beside Hal’s.
“Jeb
Bailey gives me the willies,” Mikalah muttered.
“Ah,
Jeb won’t hurt nobody unless they’re a Richards,” Hank soothed.
“I
don’t know about that. All of ‘em make me nervous. They’re
merciless,” Mikalah insisted.
“Ah,
you’re worryin’ for nothin’. You know good ‘n well that the
Richards and the Baileys have always kept their goin’s on between
themselves. They don’t bother the rest of us. Heck, they’ve been
feudin’ for years. Only time they stopped was when they got on that
big radio show, shook hands and agreed to put it all behind ‘em.”
“Yeah,
those silly radio people thought they could stop a feud like that.
That lasted about a week!” Mikalah rolled her eyes in disgust.
“Then they were back to shooting each other. They love killin’,
Hank, and I say that kind of meanness isn’t selective.”
“You
needn’t worry your pretty little self over such matters, Micky. If
we stay out o’ their way, they’ll stay out o’ ours,” he
reached over, put his arm around her shoulder and leaned in to kiss
her. She returned his kiss that soon became more heated and demanding
than she found comfortable. She put her hand to his chest and pushed
him back, “Stop, Hal.”
He
pulled her closer. “Oh, come on, Micky” he almost whined as she
quickly stood up and retreated a few steps with her back to him.
Before
she had a chance to say anything, Jack and Matty ran up to her. Matty
chased Jack as he ran behind Mikalah’s skirt, dodging Matty who
tried to grab hold of him.
“Save
me Miss Micky!” Jack giggled.
“You’re
gonna need savin’” Matty scolded.
“What’s
up you two?” Mikalah grabbed Matty by the shoulders.
“Jack
stow my pwetty wed wock I found at the cweek,”
“I
did not steal it. I was just a lookin’ at it! I was gonna give it
back,” he held a small red stone in the palm of his hand extending
it to Matty who quickly snatched it.
“A
likely stowey, Jack Mowton!” Matty stuck her tongue out at him.
“Now,
now, Matty. If Jack says he was gonna give it back, then he was gonna
give it back. You need to learn to share.” Mikalah’s hands went to
her hips as she scolded her little sister.
“You’re
always takin’ his side,” Matty rolled her eyes and stomped away.
“Where
are Hannah and Hank? It’s time we got home,” Mikalah rounded up
the children. She wanted to put some distance between herself and Hal.
While she found him attractive and fun to be with, he made her uneasy
when he got too close to her. Mikalah was no prude, but something in
his kiss made her uncomfortable and nervous.
“Hank!
Hannah! Come on, we’re leavin’!” Mikalah called, and the two
came running.
As
Mikalah led Jack and Matty out of the cave – a child holding each
hand, Hal called after her, “We’re goin’ to the ball game
tonight – right, Micky?”
Mikalah’s
head hung down momentarily as she closed her eyes, “Oh, that’s
right.” She tried to hide the frustration in her voice, “Sure,
yes, pick me up at seven.” She exited the cave and accompanied the
children home.
Jake
spent the afternoon chopping down one of the old dead hickory trees in
front of the Ford property. He was unloading the last few logs onto
the woodpile as Mikalah and the children passed him. The children paid
him no mind, but raced into the house. Mikalah followed them at a
slower pace and studied Jake as he unloaded the logs. Something about
him made butterflies flutter in her stomach. He nodded at her as she
passed and wiped the perspiration from his brow with his shirt sleeve,
“Have a nice swim, Miss Ford?”
“Yes,
we did. Looks like you’ve been workin’ hard. I can smell Mama’s
bread bakin’ from out here. Come on in and have a bite.”
“Thank
you. I will in a few minutes - as soon as I finish unloading these
last few logs.”
As
Mikalah entered the house her mother pulled two loaves of homemade
wheat bread from the oven. The Fords typically prepared a big
breakfast and lunch and then ate only bread and milk for dinner each
night.
The
children gathered around their mother anxiously awaiting the bread,
“Run along upstairs and change out of those wet clothes.”
Mikalah
came up behind them, steering them along toward the stairs, and then
turned toward her mother, “Hal asked me to go to the ball game with
him tonight. Is that all right?”
“That’s
fine dear,” her mother answered as she sliced the bread and placed
it in a basket.
Mikalah
turned and retrieved some butter and milk from the icebox and placed
it on the table next to the basket of bread. Soon the children came
tromping down the stairs and gathered around the table grabbing slices
of bread and drinking glasses of sweet milk.
Jake
tapped on the door frame as he watched the family gather around to
eat.
“You
don’t need to knock every time you enter, Mr. Elliot. Start makin’
yourself at home here,” Mrs. Ford wanted him to feel welcome. There
was something about him she liked, something about him she felt she
could trust. “Come on in, get washed up and have some bread and
milk.”
“Thank
you, Ma’am,” Jake entered, washed his hands, sat at an empty
chair, poured himself a glass of milk and buttered a piece of bread.
Mikalah found herself staring at him again until his eyes met hers,
and he smiled nervously.
She
quickly looked away, finished her bread and turned to her mother,
“Mama, may I be excused? I need to get ready.”
“Yes,
dear.”
Jake
helped Mrs. Ford clear the dishes and then sat down in a chair to rest
after his long work day.
Matty
pranced up to him, “Lookie, Mr. Ewiot, lookie what I found at the
cweek.” The child started pulling the creek rocks from her pocket
and placing them in Jake’s outstretched palm.
“Huh,”
she let out a frustrated sigh.
“What
is it, Matty?” he asked.
“They
ain’t near as pwetty and shiny as they was when I found ‘em.
Ain’t nothin’ special ‘bout ‘em now, ‘tall.”
“I
bet they’re shiny when they’re wet,” he patted the little
girl’s head and then took her hand. “Let’s go over here to the
sink and put some water on them. I bet that’ll make ‘em shine
again.” He led the child to the kitchen, doused the rocks, and
handed them back to her. “See there, all nice and shiny again.
They’re beautiful, Matty.”
“Oh,
thank you, Mr. Ewiot!” she exclaimed excitedly and ran to her
mother, “Lookie at what I found at the cweek. Mr. Ewiot made ‘em
shine again.”
“Those
are lovely dear,” Laurana caressed the child’s chubby cheek.
About
that time, there came a knock at the front door, and Mrs. Ford opened
it to find Hal standing outside, “Why come on in, Hal. It’s good
to see you!”
Hal
nodded at Mikalah’s mother and entered the house, “Evenin’, Mrs.
Ford.”
Jake
rose to his feet, and Mrs. Ford introduced him, “Hal Craig, this is
Jake Elliot. Mr. Elliot is boarding with us for a spell and helping us
with some repairs. Mr. Craig helps supervise a group of farm hands at
the
Springfield
place.” Jake extended his hand to shake Hal’s.
“Is
Micky ready?” Hal asked as he released Jake’s handshake.
“She’ll
be down in a minute.”
Jake
was a bit surprised to hear Hal refer to Mikalah as “Micky.” The
graceful and feminine young lady, who descended the stairs to join
them, certainly didn’t look like a “Micky” to him. He felt a
twinge of emotion as he watched her leave the house on Hal’s arm. If
he didn’t know better, he would have thought the feeling was
jealousy, but what right did he have to be jealous? And why would he
be jealous of a girl he didn’t even know? He shook it off and walked
to where Hannah and Hank were playing checkers.
“Ah
checkers, how ‘bout I play the winner?” he suggested.
Hank’s
bright eyes looked up at him, “Sure
- and that will be me, of course.”
Hannah
rolled her blue eyes, “Oh gimme a break, Hank. You are the
bragginest boy I’ve ever known. I’ve beat you plenty o’
times.”
“When?”
he protested.
“All
right you two, just play the game without the fussin’,” Laurana
scolded.
~*~
Jake
sat down on the cot in the storage room where Mrs. Ford had cleared a
place for him to sleep. He unbuttoned his shirt, removed his shoes and
socks and reached down into his bag to pull out a book. He sat up on
the cot with his head propped against the wall and began reading by
the light of an oil lamp. Jake read for about an hour and then heard
Mikalah and Hal talking outside the kitchen door.
“All
right now, Hal, I’ve gotta go! Tomorrow’s Sunday, and I need my
beauty sleep for church,” she giggled.
“I
don’t think you could get any more beautiful,” he flattered.
Jake
tried not to pay attention to their conversation, but their voices
carried clearly into the storage room that was directly off the
kitchen. He studied his book more intently, but found himself only
gazing at the words without comprehending their meaning.
There
was silence for a minute and then he heard a loud smack, “Hal Craig!
That was entirely improper. I’m going inside,” anger seethed from
Mikalah’s voice.
“Oh,
come on Mikalah,” Hal whined.
“No,
Hal. If you can’t keep your wanderin’ hands to yourself, then I
can’t see you anymore,” she scolded sternly.
Jake’s
eyebrows rose, and his eyes widened. Without thinking, he put his feet
to the floor, stood up and walked toward the kitchen. As he reached
the doorway, he saw the kitchen door fly open and Mikalah hurry to
push it closed. Jake could see Hal’s hand in the door, that narrowly
escaped before Mikalah slammed it, shut and bolted it. Jake leaned
against the doorway, his muscular arms folded across the chest of his
white t-shirt, his right bare foot crossed over his left leg and
propped on his toes.
“Everything
all right, Miss Ford?” his deep voice asked softly.
She
jumped and turned toward him, “Oh! You scared me!”
“I’m
sorry” he whispered.
She
stared at him, almost forgetting what they were talking about, so
distracted was she by him standing there with his tousled hair and
concerned handsome expression. Her eyes moved to his well defined arms
that were still folded across his muscular chest.
“Uh - Everythin’s fine, Mr. Elliot. Hal can just be a bit
of a tease,” she understated.
“Let
me know if you ever need help. Men like that…”
“Oh,
Hal’s a good fellow. He’s just a bit full o’ himself,” she
wondered why she found herself defending Hal in front of this
stranger.
“Uh
huh,” Jake agreed. He couldn’t help but notice that her dress was
slightly pulled down to expose her shoulder, and her hair was mussed.
She
followed his gaze and quickly pulled her dress back onto her shoulder,
“If you’ll excuse me, Mr. Elliot, I need to get to sleep. It’s
late.”
“Yes,
Ma’am,” he nodded and watched her as she ascended the stairs. Then
he turned and went back to his cot. Mikalah glanced back over her
shoulder to see him enter the room and shut the door behind him. How’s
a body supposed to sleep with somethin’ that good lookin’ under
the same roof? she thought to herself and then shook her head, What
in the world are you thinkin’? Shake it off, Mikalah! She shut
her bedroom door softly behind her.
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