Midnight Rescue / The Proposal / Christy's Choice (12 page)

And she kept laughing even as the boat rocked wildly from side to side. Then suddenly the rowboat turned over, and she realized just how cold the water really was.

Two

W
ell, well,” said Doctor MacNeill as Christy and David struggled onto the shore. “Seems a little chilly for a swim, all things considered.”

“We did
not
intend to swim,” David muttered as he pulled off a shoe and emptied it of water. “And we wouldn't have had to, if you had just minded your own business!” He turned to Christy. “Are you all right?”

Christy plucked a wet daisy from her hair. Her beautiful dress hung like a wet blanket around her. Her hair was plastered to her face. Realizing what a pitiful sight she must be, she laughed again.

“I'm fine, David, really I am. And you have to admit—” she exchanged a grin with the doctor, “it
is
kind of funny, when you think about it!”

“Our perfect evening is ruined, the mission's rowboat is submerged, and my only suit is soggy. Forgive me if I fail to see the humor in this.”

“Perhaps I can help,” Doctor MacNeill offered. “You see, the humor came in right around the time you went flying—”

“What were you doing here, anyway?” David interrupted. “Why aren't you off somewhere healing the sick?”

“I was out for an evening walk, actually,” the doctor said. “I ran into Creed Allen awhile back, over past Turkey Ridge. He said he was worried you weren't quite seaworthy.

As it turned out, he was right. I thought you were probably trout fishing—not that you'd find anything this time of year. But Creed explained to me you were
appointin'
.”

David's mouth tightened into a line. The doctor smiled back with that charming, annoying half-grin of his.

This wasn't the first time Christy had seen the doctor and David at each other's throats. More than one person had told Christy it was because both men were interested in her. But she knew that wasn't the only reason David and Neil didn't get along. David was a young man of God, anxious to change the world. The doctor, on the other hand, had no use for religion. He was older and more cynical. But despite that, he had a charming sense of humor. When Christy was unhappy or confused, she could always count on the doctor to lift her spirits.

She grinned at the two men. David was tall and lean, with dark hair and wide-set brown eyes. The doctor was a big, burly man. His hair was always messy and his clothes were often wrinkled, as if he had better things to worry about. Most of the time, he did. He was the only doctor in the remote mountain cove.

“If you hadn't come along, this night would have been perfect,” David seethed. “I had it all planned—”

“Planned?” the doctor interrupted. “Not much planning is needed for a fishing expedition this time of year.” He winked at Christy. “I doubt anything was taking the bait. Or should I say anyone?”

Suddenly, Christy gasped. “Oh, no!” she cried. “No!” She grabbed David's arm. “David! The ring! Your great-great-grandmother's diamond ring! I must have dropped it!”

David closed his eyes. He took a deep breath before he spoke. At last he put his arm around Christy's shoulders. “Don't worry,” he said wearily. “We'll find it.”

“But how?”

“I don't know how. Somehow, it'll turn up. Come on. I'll take you back to the mission house. You'll catch your death out here.” With one last glare at Doctor MacNeill, he led Christy away.

As they left, Christy could hear the doctor chuckling behind them. “Diamond ring, eh?” he said. “Strangest bait I ever heard of. Whatever happened to worms?”

Christy sat on the mission steps the next morning. A dozen children were gathered around her. It was Saturday, and usually the children would have been helping their parents with chores. But word had spread quickly about the reverend's lost diamond ring. Ruby Mae Morrison, a talkative thirteen-year-old who lived at the mission house, had seen to that.

“For sure and certain one of us can find it,” Creed vowed. “And the boat, too, like as not.”

“That pond's pretty deep, isn't it?” Christy asked doubtfully.

“Nope,” said Sam Houston Holcombe, a blond-haired nine-year-old. “Deepest part's maybe seven, eight feet tops.”

“Trouble is, the muddy bottom,” Ruby Mae said, curling a finger around a lock of red hair thoughtfully. “That ring could be buried. It's soft down there, and squishy-like.”

“We'll go a-divin'!” Creed exclaimed. “It's purt-near summer warm today.”

“Well, be very careful,” Christy warned. “I don't want anyone going near the water who can't swim well.” She paused. “Tell you what. I'll give a reward to the person who finds that ring.”

“W—what's a re-ward, Teacher?” asked Mountie O'Teale. The shy ten-year-old was overcoming a speech problem with Christy's help.

“It's a present, in a way. A gift for doing something. How about my copy of
Huckleberry Finn
?”

“That would make a right smart re-ward,” said Orter Ball, Mountie's older brother. “Even if'n we can't read it all.”

“I'll help you with the hard parts,” Christy said. Creed nudged Sam Houston.

“Race ya,” he said, and a moment later the whole group was rushing for the pond.

Behind Christy, the front door of the mission house opened and Miss Alice Henderson joined her on the porch. “Beautiful morning, isn't it, Miss Alice?” Christy said.

Alice Henderson was a Quaker mission worker from Pennsylvania who had helped start the mission school. She was loved and respected in Cutter Gap and the communities around it. She had a calm, gentle way about her, but she was strong as the old oaks in the mission yard.

“There's an old saying,” Miss Alice said, patting Christy on the shoulder. “‘There are no accidents.'”

“What do you mean?” Christy asked.

“Losing David's ring that way.” Miss Alice gave a knowing smile. “Perhaps it wasn't entirely an accident?”

“Of course it was! David rocked the boat, and it overturned, and that was that.”

Miss Alice walked down the steps and examined the buds on a forsythia bush. “I wonder,” she said softly, “what you planned to say to David, if you hadn't been so rudely interrupted?”

“Well,” Christy said, “I would have told him I was very flattered, and that I cared for him very deeply, and—” She met Miss Alice's deep-set eyes. “And I'd love to stay and talk, Miss Alice, but I have a riding lesson planned. David's teaching me to take Prince over jumps.”

“I'll let you off the hook, then,” Miss Alice said as Christy started for the pasture. “Just be careful, Christy. Don't take on more than you're ready for.”

Christy paused. “Are you talking about riding? Or my romantic life?”

“Both.” Miss Alice smiled. “As dangerous as riding can be, romance can be far more painful.”

Three

W
ell, it's good to see you nice and dry again,” David called as he trotted across the field on Prince.

Christy laughed. “Maybe next time we should stick to dry land.”

“Does that mean you intend for there to be a next time?” David dismounted gracefully and reached for Christy's hand. “I never did get an answer to my question, Christy.”

Christy pulled her hand away, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “Actually, I don't think you ever finished your question.”

David hesitated. “Somehow, this doesn't seem like quite the right time or place—” He was interrupted by a loud, impatient snort from Prince.

“Prince seems to agree,” Christy said. She stroked the black stallion's silky mane. “I guess he's anxious for our lesson to start.”

“I suppose it can wait. Besides, it's hard to propose without a ring.”

“I'm so sorry about that, David. I feel like it's all my fault.”

“Don't be silly. I'm the one who tipped the boat.”

“Some of the children are diving for the ring right now. I said I'd give them a reward if they found it. A copy of
Huckleberry Finn
.” “It's worth more than that in sentimental value alone,” David said grimly.

“I know.” Christy patted his back. “But it's bound to turn up. The pond's pretty shallow.”

David helped Christy into the saddle and she settled into place. She'd learned to ride as a little girl, but that was always sidesaddle, on gentle, well-trained horses. Since the mission had acquired Prince, Christy had become determined to improve her riding skills. She still felt strange, riding like the men did. But after watching Ruby Mae win a recent horse race, Christy had realized that she could never control a powerful stallion like Prince while riding sidesaddle.

To make things easier, Christy had cut one of her skirts down the middle, then sewn up the split to make what amounted to a pair of very loose trousers. She felt very daring wearing them. Back home in Asheville, North Carolina, they would have caused a scandal. But here in the Tennessee mountains, women often wore men's trousers—for practical reasons, or because they were so poor they simply wore whatever they could get their hands on.

“All right,” David called, “let's start by getting warmed up. Take him around the field a few times at an easy trot.”

Christy gave Prince a gentle nudge. He responded instantly, trotting her around the field in graceful arcs. He was such a powerful animal, she couldn't help being a little afraid. But she reminded herself that if her students could ride this way, so could she. Besides, jumping was a skill that could come in handy here in the mountains. When she was tending to the sick, Miss Alice often rode her horse, Goldie, to remote areas. Knowing how to take small jumps was important, since there were plenty of creeks and downed trees to get around.

“How about a gallop?” David suggested.

Prince obliged by flying across the field. Christy's heart leapt at his speed. But once she let herself relax into the rolling movement of Prince's gait, she felt thrilled. She smiled at David as she passed him. He was watching her with that look he so often had around her—part admiration, part affection, part confusion.

Suddenly she recalled Miss Alice's question.

What
would
Christy have said, if things had turned out differently last night? She imagined saying the words.
Yes, David, I accept your proposal
. She imagined walking down the aisle of the mission church wearing a long white dress—maybe her mother's wedding dress.
And do you, Christy Rudd Huddleston, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?

“Miz Christy!”

Christy turned in her saddle. Creed and Ruby Mae and several other students had gathered by the fence. Their torn, oversized clothes were soaking wet, and their hair hung in damp strings.

“Any luck?” Christy called.

“Nope,” Creed reported as Prince came to a stop near the fence. “Not a lick.”

“It's awful muddy, Miz Christy,” Sam Houston added as he tried to wring out his overalls. “Like tryin' to find a needle in a haystack.”

“We'll keep a-lookin', though,” Creed vowed. “We just come on over to see your jumpin' lesson.”

“Ain't he just the nicest horse you ever laid eyes on, Miz Christy?” Ruby Mae asked as she perched on the fence. She leaned over and planted a big kiss on Prince's muzzle.

“Aw, don't go a-slobberin' all over a fine animal such as that,” Creed moaned.

“He's a-goin' to need a bath for sure now,” Sam Houston agreed.

With a laugh, Christy nudged Prince back into a trot. In the center of the field, David had positioned a small jump made of two crossed pine logs.

“Now, the important thing to remember about jumping is that you don't want to get in the way of the horse,” David instructed. “Let him do all the work. You're just the passenger.”

Christy smiled. “Easy for you to say.”

“Hey, I'm not exactly the world's greatest equestrian—”

“No,” Christy interrupted, “Delia is.”

“I hope the fact that you're bringing her up can be interpreted as a sign of jealousy.”

“I just have a very good memory,” Christy replied.

“The point is, I'm just telling you the basics.”

“That's all I need,” Christy said. “Enough to get around these mountains when I have to.”

“What I want you to do is take Prince around the field again, nice and easy. Then get a good, straight-on approach to this jump, lean forward, and give Prince lots of rein. He'll do the rest.”

Christy took a deep breath. Suddenly, this did not seem like such a good idea. She could see herself tumbling off Prince, doing endless somersaults all the way back to the mission house. It could be very humiliating. Not to mention painful.

“Don't worry, Miz Christy,” Ruby Mae called. “It ain't hard, I promise.”

On the other hand, it could be equally humiliating to fail at something so simple— something most of her students had been doing since they could walk.

“You won't fall,” David said. “I'm looking out for you.”

With a grim smile, Christy took Prince around the field. The children applauded as she passed them. “Pretend you're a-flyin'!” Ruby Mae called, and Christy took her advice. She took a deep breath, then another, as Prince approached the little jump.

“Give him rein!” David called.

Suddenly they were there. For a split second, the sound of Prince's thundering hooves vanished, and all Christy could hear was the whoosh of air as they soared over the logs.

The landing was harder. Christy had to grab a handful of mane for extra support. But as she turned back to see David's proud smile, she realized that she'd actually managed her first, official jump.

Ruby Mae let out an ear-splitting whistle. “Atta girl, Miz Christy!”