Montana Morning (28 page)

“Woman, I’d be
happy to, but there’s something we need to do first.  Come with me.” He
led her across the street and into the park.  They walked quietly down to
the pond. He took her to the top of a small arched bridge over the creek. As
they watched the ducks floating in the water below, Jack took the ring out of
his pocket and put it on her finger.

“I love you,
lady.” He kissed her gently and stood cradling her in his arms. 

“It’s so
beautiful.” Addy ran her fingers over the Black Hills Gold band inlaid with
hearts entwined.

“It belonged to my
mother.  Pops gave it to her on their fiftieth wedding anniversary,” he
explained, as they walked by the pond.  “He gave it to me the day after
she died; he said he wanted me to have it in case someday I found ‘my
Emily’.”  He chuckled and squeezed her hand. “I remember how I argued with
him about it; I figured that would never happen and he should keep it. 
He’ll be tickled plum to death when he sees it on your hand.  He loves
saying ‘I told you so’!”  He stopped walking and stirred the grass with
his foot.  “Addy, it isn’t new . . .”

“It has a history
of love and affection, caring and sharing.  That’s better than new!”

“When do you want
to tell the kids and Maggie?”

“We can tell them
at dinner tonight. Mark and Red will be there too.”

“How do you feel
about telling them there, in the house you shared with Jed?” He’d been
wondering about it all day and he might as well find out now. 

She ran her hands
over his beard and smiled.  “I love you more than life itself. 
Listen to my words carefully, Cowboy,” she instructed.  “I’ve loved you
for so long; I can’t remember when I didn’t love you.”  She searched the
depths of his eyes. Did he understand what she was telling him?
‘That life
was yesterday.  This life is today and tomorrow and forever.’ 

He gave her a
lopsided grin.  He understood exactly what she was saying.  “I sure
wish there weren’t quite so many people around right now.”  Addy could
feel herself blushing again.  “Oh Lord, now I know I’m in trouble; the
woman can read my mind.”

“Was it your mind
I was reading, or mine?” she asked as they headed for the mercantile.

“Addy!” he
pretended to be shocked, but they both knew he wasn’t.

***

“About time you
gave in and admitted what the rest of us figured out months ago.”  Maggie
hugged Addy as they came in the door.

“What are you
talking about?” Jack asked, trying to hide the grin that just would not go
away.

“Don’t play
innocent with us,” Mark advised them.  “We were standing by the window
watching as you drove up.” 

Addy gave Jack a
quick sideways glance.  “Well, so much for making announcements.” She was
watching Amy’s face, hoping for a smile.

“Mom.” Amy walked
slowly across the room and Jack could feel his chest tighten; her children were
so important to Addy. “I can’t begin to tell you how happy I am.  How I’ve
prayed for this day.  Don’t act so surprised for heaven’s sake!” she said
as she saw the look pass between Addy and Jack, “I love my mom and want more
than anything for her to be happy: a blind man could see she is.”

“Hope Chad sees it
that way.” Jack put in, as he hugged Amy and shook Red’s hand at the same time.

“Speaking of our
young man,” Maggie raised her eyebrows almost into her hairline, “who’s going
to break the news to him and when?”

“That would be my
job.” Jack squared his shoulders, as if he was preparing for a fight. 
“When’s dinner?”

“In about an
hour.” Maggie said as she turned toward the kitchen.

“Now’s a good a
time as any.” Jack squeezed Addy’s hand and kissed her softly on top of the
head.  “Can I use the phone in the office?”

“Sure, his number
is four on the memory key.” Maggie told him.  Addy started to go with him,
but he gave her a smile and told her to show the ladies her ring.  This
was something he wanted to do himself.  He sat staring at the phone for a
long time, trying to come up with a good way to tell the young man he was going
to marry his mother.

***

“Chad Banks,
here.  Can I help you?”

“Maybe you
can.  This is Jack Kilbourne.”

“Is my mom okay?”
Chad’s voice rose with alarm.

“She’s just
fine!  But yesterday she was standing in the spring, up to her neck in
water, with mud all over her face, and hair stringing down into her eyes. Have
you got the picture so far?”

“Yes, Sir . . . I
guess so.” came the cautious reply.

“Good, now as I
was saying, your mom was standing in the spring covered with mud, her hair in a
mess and looking probably just about as big a disaster as she is capable of
being. You got that?”

“Yes Sir!” Jack
could almost see Chad’s grin over the phone.

“Well, she still
looked beautiful to me, so I asked her to marry me.” There it was out in the
open.  Jack held his breath.

“And being a woman
of sound mind, she said no.”  Chad’s laughter filled the air.

“I take it you’re
okay with this then?”

“Are you seriously
asking for my blessing?” Chad’s tone was suddenly very serious.

“Yeah, I guess I
am.” Jack admitted.

“And what would
you do, if I didn’t give it?”

“I’d marry her
anyway.”

“Just what I
wanted to hear.  Thanks, Jack.”

“For?”

“For loving Mom
enough to try to please me.  You’re a good man, Jack Kilbourne. I’d be
proud to have you marry my mom.”

“Would you like to
talk to her, now?”

“I insist. 
It’s my job, as her son, to give her a hard
time.”             

“And mine to
protect her, so take it easy, Son,” Jack warned him.

 Addy had
been listening carefully for any sign of a raised voice from the office. 
She was so relieved when Jack called to her, winking as he handed her the
phone. 

 When Jack walked back into the living room,
Amy was pacing up and down like a caged lion. 

“Was my brother a
butt?”        

“Amy!” Mark
growled at her. 

“Oh, don’t act so
shocked, Parson.  We all know he’s perfectly capable of being a  . .
.”

“He was great,”
Jack assured them.  “I imagine he’s doing a good job of teasing Addy right
now, but she can hold her own.”

 Amy and
Maggie went to the kitchen to finish dinner as the men sat down to visit.

“So it’s ‘Parson’
is it?”  Red laughed at Marks obvious discomfort. “Relax Mark; we all have
our pet names for each other.  “Mine’s ‘Hothead’.  Maggie’s called me
that for years, because of my red hair.

“And his hot
temper!” Maggie threw in from the kitchen.

“Let me guess . .
.” Mark began studying Jack.  He liked this game.

“Cowboy!” Amy
announced from the stove. “Weren’t any of you listening at Easter?  Mom
must have called him that a dozen times.”

“What’s your pet
name for Maggie, Red?” Mark asked, deciding it was payback time.

“I call her . . .”

“You won’t go
there, Hothead, if you know what’s good for you.” Maggie yelled.

“Tell you later,”
Red whispered.

“We’d better
change the subject before we all get in trouble.” Jack grinned as Addy came
down the hall.  “Red, Addy tells me you know a fellow who does horse
logging.”

“Fred Connelly
from Spencer.  You know someone who wants to hire him?”

“Is he a good
man?  Honest and hardworking?”

“Some of the best,
he and his boys.  They support three families and their farm with that
operation.  Real professionals.”

“Could you
introduce me to him?”

“Tomorrow
afternoon too soon?  I know he’s looking for work.”

 “I’ll swing
by and pick you up after Addy and I finish up our business.”

“Done! 
Speaking of done, is supper ever going to be ready?  I’m starving out
here.”  Red yelled in the general direction of the kitchen. “Where are you
staying, Jack?”

“I’ll get a room
at the hotel.” Jack watched Addy moving around the kitchen.  He sure hated
the thought of spending even one night away from her.

“Wrong, you can
stay with me,” Red insisted.

“That’s not
necessary.”

“Sure it is. 
We’re family.” Red looked at Maggie standing in the doorway listening to the
men talk.  “At least, we’re both working at it.” He laughed and slapped
Jack on the back.  “Let’s go eat.”

***

“So when is the
big day, or do you know yet?”  Maggie asked, as they put the last of the
dishes in the cupboard.

“Not long from now
would be my bet.”  Amy was having a wonderful time teasing her
mother.  Still Addy was giving as good as she was getting.

“Oh and how long
do we have to wait to make it a double ceremony,
Missy?”       

“Longer than you
want to wait, that’s for sure.” Amy pouted.  “The parson hasn’t got around
to asking me yet.” 

“Probably thinks
it wise to wait until you finish school next spring,” Maggie said, as she
brought the tea to the table.  “Did you notice how slyly your mother
changed the subject?”

“We have to get some
things straightened out first.” Addy sipped the tea and smiled at her
daughter.  “Thanks honey, for tonight.  I  really . . .”
 ‘How
did she explain how important it was to her that her children
came to care for Jack.  How do you put into words the desires of your
heart?’

“I know, Mom.” Amy
gave her mom a grin and got up to turn off the whistling teapot. “Sure a good
thing I’m here to keep Aunt Maggie in line, she’d forget her head if it wasn’t
attached.”

“Quit picking on
me girl, I have other things on my mind.  Addy, what things need to be
straightened out?” Maggie asked.  When Addy didn’t answer right away, she
thought maybe she’d butted in where she shouldn’t.  “I’m sorry, Sis, it’s
really none of my business.”

“Of course, it’s
your business, we’re family; I just don’t exactly know where to begin. The fact
is Mary and Jeff were head over heels in debt.  Jack used what reserves he
had to meet his daughter’s obligations.”

“He couldn’t have
been held legally responsible for those!” Maggie was outraged.

“No one said he
was, Maggie, but Jack felt he was morally responsible, and he paid them.” 
Maggie and Amy could hear the pride in Addy’s voice.  “Then when Jack took
custody of Scotty, he also got a stack of medical bills insurance didn’t cover.”

“How bad is it?”
Amy asked, as look of concern flashed between her and Maggie.  Addy stared
out the kitchen window.  Jack was only six blocks away, but it seemed like
miles.  She smiled remembering the good night kiss they had shared only an
hour ago.

“Mom?”

“We’ll never live
long enough to be out of debt,” she told them without emotion.  “If things
don’t go exactly right, and real soon, Jack may lose the ranch.”

“Oh, No!” Maggie
couldn’t believe her ears. “What would he do? Where would you go?”

“Wherever God sends
us,” she said simply, “And maybe it will all work out and we’ll get to stay.”

“How can you be so
calm?  Jack must be at his wits end.  I would be,” Amy admitted.

“Jack is working
day and night to find answers.  We’ll be fine.”

“As long as you
have each other?” Maggie guessed.

“As long as we
have each other, our family, and our God, we’ll be just fine.”

***

Addy woke up to
the sound of rain on the roof and someone knocking at the door.  She threw
on her robe and ran to the back door.

“Morning, Cowboy.” 
As she opened the door, she stood on tiptoe and gave him a kiss on the
cheek.  He was soaked with rain and the water from the brim of his hat ran
down her nose. 

“Morning, Woman.”
He slid out of his coat and put his hat on the table.  “Miss me?”

“I felt like you
were a million miles away.  Would you like some coffee?”

“I’ll make the
coffee, while you get dressed, then I’m taking you out to breakfast . . . but
first, come here.”

“I haven’t even
combed my hair!”

“Don’t make me
come get you!”  He grunted, giving her a lopsided grin that told her he
would love it if she did just that.

“Jack,” she
pleaded and backed away a step or two.

“Now, Woman!” he
growled and held out his arms.  She walked into them and put her arms
around his neck.

“Now what?” she
teased.

“Now I intend to
kiss you, like I intend to kiss you every morning for the rest of our lives,”
and he did.  When Addy finally came back down to earth, he was waiting
with a smile.  “Now that you’ve been properly kissed, you may get
dressed.”      

Maggie smelled the
fresh coffee brewing in the kitchen, and joined them for a cup before they
left.  “Will you be here for supper?”  Addy looked to Jack for the
answer.

“I hope we’ll be
on our way home by then.  Can we call you this afternoon to let you know?”

“Why don’t we meet
at the Stockman for an early dinner?  That way you can come or go
depending on how your day went.” Maggie suggested, as they put on their
raincoats.

“Sis, will you ask
Mark and Amy to join us?”

“They have youth
group at the church tonight, remember?”

“I forgot. 
Just you and Red then?”

“Speaking of Red,”
Jack plunged in, “when are you going to give the guy a break?  He’s crazy
about you and you know it.”  He laughed at the look he was getting from
Maggie.  “Is this your
‘run for the hills, buster’
look Red was
telling me about?”

“Yes, and if
you’re smart you’ll do just that.”

“We better leave
before you get us in bigger trouble.” Addy said, as she handed him his hat.

“Maggie,” Jack
took her by the shoulders gently and looked her in the eye, “all kidding aside,
I really do care about you, friend.”

“I know, I kind of
like you too.  Now, get out of here, before I kick you in the seat of the
pants.”