Love's Story (34 page)

“Rachel, why don't you let Chase and Robert go with you? It's not always safe out there…” Maria's warning was unheard by the preoccupied young teacher.

“What on earth did you do to that poor woman?” Robert Lathrop asked of his friend as they stood on the porch watching Rachel walk away toward the forest.

“I saved her from a saloon brawl.” The brevity of Chase's explanation left his companion vastly unenlightened.

“Yep. That'll do it every time.” The two men laughed at the incompleteness of the answer.

Something told Chase that Robert's ignorance of the rift was best, for Rachel's sake. “It seems I spend a fair amount of time watching Miss Phillips' backside.” Chase referred to Rachel's huffy exits, but Robert seemed to misunderstand.

“It seems to me you're enjoying the view.”

The light from the day was beginning to dwindle. It was only three in the afternoon, but the mighty redwoods drained the sun's rays from the sky and below. Rachel was a bit spooked by the phenomenon as the eerie darkness enveloped her. Being in the forest surrounded by these giant wonders, Rachel questioned how anyone could fell them, and yet she knew her own livelihood depended upon the industry. Finding a soft spot, padded with moist needles from the trees, Rachel knelt down to pray.

“Dear heavenly Father, I have been so proud lately. I have allowed angry feelings toward my stepfather, and now this Chase Dylan, to take over. Heavenly Father, I feel so ugly at the thoughts I've had about Marshall. Mother told me it was Your will that she marry him. Who am I to question that, Lord? I know You must have me in Searsville for a reason, and I pray I am worthy of Your calling. Please forgive me for my arrogance and help me. Help me to lose this animosity toward Marshall and Chase and the women of the sewing circle. Help me to remember that Marshall secured this position for me, that Chase prevented me from being hurt in Redwood, and that the women of Searsville have tried to include me in their socials, while I only passed judgment upon them. Lord, be with me tomorrow as I start teaching. I pray that Your Holy Spirit would be present in my classroom and that my words would be guided by You.”

It was a short prayer, but it took its toll on the young woman. Her dark green eyes were lost behind the tears, and her body was void of energy.

A sudden crackle alerted Rachel that she was not alone, and her body stiffened. The words she hadn't really heard Maria utter now echoed in her mind,
“It's not always safe out there.”
Rachel's head swam with the possibilities: A bear? A hermit? Loggers?
Oh Lord, what?

Scruffy and dirty, a man with a tattered beard and unkempt hair emerged from behind a tree. His clothes were filthy, hanging loosely from his scrawny frame, and an evil grin shone with intent. Rachel was frozen with fear and tried to speak, but found her voice was gone.

Just then another man, equally disheveled and wild-looking, approached her from the opposite side; Rachel was trapped. She tried to scream, but once again found she was without speech. Soon another crackling came from behind her, and Rachel knew there was nowhere to run.

The men laughed, enjoying the anxiety and dread they saw upon their prey. “This must be Chris'mas. She's sure pretty,” one of them announced before spitting to his side.

“She'll make a right fine wife if she can cook,” The other snickered, but Rachel knew holy matrimony was not their intention.

They were closing in and Rachel saw no escape. She instinctively prayed,
Father, help me. In Jesus' holy name, I ask You to clear a path for me.

A sudden gun shot peeled through the air and Rachel fell to the ground in fear. “This is private property. Can you give me a good reason why I shouldn't shoot you for trespassing?” Rachel turned to see Chase's towering, muscular form looming with threatening strength, gripping the smoking rifle. She sighed heavily with relief before dropping limply further into the ground.

The two men cowered as they reeled off excuses. “We didn't mean no harm,” offered one.

“We thought she was lost,” piped in the other. The defenses continued until Chase spoke sternly once again.

Chase lifted his rifle and aimed between the men. “If I catch you on this property again, I won't be asking any more questions. Is that clear?” The two men nodded in agreement, waited for Chase's signal, and contorted their bodies in clumsy confusion to hasten their getaway.

Chase dropped his intimidating stance and walked tentatively toward Rachel. He put his hands tenderly under her arms, lifted her from the ground, and looked deeply into her forest-green eyes. “Are you all right, Rachel?” In answer, her shivering frame sought refuge in his powerful arms, and she seemed to melt into his chest. The use of her Christian name provided an instant peace, an impassioned feeling of security.

“I… I'm fine.” After finding her voice had returned, Rachel began to sob. The emotions from the incident were overwhelming. Chase pulled her closer and let her cry.

“It's okay, Rachel. I'm here now. I won't let anyone hurt you.” Rachel felt his grasp tighten and she allowed herself to be held, relishing his shelter and clinging tightly to his wide shoulders.

Rachel looked up and was lost in the cool depths of his eyes. He came closer, and she soon felt his lips brush hers. His touch sent a wave of emotion throughout her body, and her awareness returned abruptly, forcing her to pull away. “I'm so sorry, Mr. Dylan. That was completely inappropriate; my emotions got the best of me.” She wiped the tears roughly from her face and sniffled.

Reluctantly, he let her go. “It's quite all right, Miss Phillips. I understand.”

“How did you know where to find me?” She looked up, her eyes still glistening with tears. Rachel now knew she had been wrong; Chase Dylan was a man she could trust.

“When I heard where you went, I followed at a distance. I didn't think you'd want my company.” Rachel closed her eyes, stung by the comment, yet she knew he was right. She would never have let him accompany her, her foolish pride would have seen to that. How thankful she now was that Chase had not allowed her silly haughtiness to bring her harm.

“I thought your property was farther south, in Portola,” Rachel commented, referring to his threat to the men.

“It is, but this is
somebody's
private property, after all.” Chase grinned and quickly changed the subject. “We should get back. Maria's waiting dessert for us.”

Rachel shyly took the arm offered to her, and the two walked silently back to Searsville, each content with the mere company of one another.

T
he weather for the first day of school was splendid. Rachel awoke to the bright sunshine enveloping her room in a brilliant golden glow. She breathed deeply with excitement at the sun's warm rays and the realization that today she was “Miss Phillips, teacher.” Rachel opened her Bible to pray and prepare for her day. She took special care to dress appropriately for her first day: a long, navy blue skirt and a pressed white shirt with a smart blue ribbon tied at the neck. When the outfit was complete, the young woman went downstairs for a bite to eat and found Mrs. Hopper already busy in the kitchen.

“Well, good morning. What lovely weather for your first day of work.”

“Isn't it though? What are all these baskets, Thelma?”

“They're for your students. I've been told many of the children don't have proper lunches during the day. I've packed five baskets full of food. Should you see someone without a meal, you can hand the child a basket in confidence.”

Rachel marveled at her thoughtfulness. “Oh Mrs. Hopper, thank you. I would never have known, and how helpless I would have felt if I didn't have anything to give.”

“Think nothing of it, Rachel. I will be happy to refill the baskets daily. If you find you need more than I've provided, please let me know.”

“I had better get going. It wouldn't look very good to have the new teacher late on the first day.” Rachel picked up the baskets and headed for the back door. The walk to the schoolhouse was short and pleasant. On the way, she looked over the roster Mr. Lathrop had given her; it stated she would have forty-two students.

Forty-two students. How will I ever handle such a number, especially with the older boys? I promised myself I would never use a ruler for anything other than measuring, but with those numbers, I hope I'll be able to keep order.

Little Henry Steele was one of the first students to arrive. “Good morning, Miss Phillips. Can I help you?”

“Well, Henry, yes you
may.
Would you like to ring the bell?”

“Yes ma'am!” Henry shouted with enthusiasm.

“Very well, the cord is right over there.” Rachel pointed to the vestibule of the schoolroom. Soon, the school bell was clanging away and children of every size flooded the room. She looked at the clean-scrubbed faces, all gazing expectantly at their new teacher.

“Children, my name is Miss Phillips, and I'd like you to take a seat anywhere. I will assign desks as soon as we get settled.” Once all the children had taken their chairs, Rachel counted only thirty-four heads. She began to take roll, and asked if anyone knew the missing students.

An older girl raised her hand. “Miss Phillips, it's because the weather is so nice. The older boys won't come to school until the rain starts.”

“Very well, thank you…” Rachel paused waiting for the girl's name.

“Veronica. Veronica Thorne.”

“Thank you, Veronica. I believe I met your mother at last week's sewing circle.” It was going to take an effort not to judge Veronica harshly because of her mother, and Rachel was determined to be fair.

Rachel began the school day by asking each student to stand and state their name, age, where they lived, and their favorite pastime. Rachel was surprised at a few of the answers to the last question, including “shootin' 'coons” and “watching the races.”

When Rachel questioned the children further, she learned that raccoon hunting was a local sport because the animals ate food destined for the livestock. She also discovered that a popular Sunday activity in Searsville was horse racing, complete with wagering. Whether teacher or student received a better education this first day of school remained in question at the end of the day.

The men stood at attention. The giant could go at any time, and everyone now prepared for the fall. The chopping continued for a good ten minutes until the first snapping sounds were heard high above.
“TIM-BERRR!”
Several cracks like the pop of a rifle were heard until the slow thunder of the branches roared through the forest, followed by a ground-shaking blast as the tree hit the forest floor; then silence.

“It never ceases to amaze me.” Chase shook his head in awe.

“Peelers, let's get to work!” Jeremiah yelled. A group of young men standing by with sharp iron tools ran, mounted the giant, and began stripping away the bark.