Mountain Homecoming (11 page)

Rani laughed. “He was so cute the other day when I helped Josie pack.”

Mrs. Davis dropped down in the chair across from Rani and grinned. “That was real sweet of you to go help Josie. I remember when me and Josie saw you for the first time after you was born. Josie was about three years old, and she said right then and there that you was gonna be her baby. She loved you from the start, and I reckon you and her been best friends ever since.”

“Yes, we have. I'm sure going to miss her. Maybe one of these days I'll get over to Townsend to visit her. Or maybe she'll come home for a visit.”

Mrs. Davis shook her head. “I don't know when that will be. I 'spect Ted's gonna be busy workin'. But he did say his folks might go over to Townsend for a visit sometime this summer. Maybe you could go with them.”

“Oh, I wouldn't want to intrude on a family visit.”

Mrs. Davis waved her hand in dismissal and chuckled. “Intrude? From what Josie been a-tellin' me you're practic'ly family with the Fergusons since you thinkin' about marrying George. That shore would be nice if'n the two of you could be sisters.”

Rani's mouth dropped open, and she shook her head. “I don't know where Josie gets her ideas sometimes. She's the one who wants me to marry George. I don't want that.”

“Why not? He's a good boy.”

“I know he is, and he's a good friend. But we're not getting married.”

Mrs. Davis tilted her head to one side and directed a penetrating stare at her. “You could do a lot worse than George. He comes from one of the nicest families in the Cove.”

Rani sighed. “I know. Josie's tried to convince me.”

Mrs. Davis reached over and patted her hand. “Then think about what she's said.”

“I know.” Rani straightened in her chair and smiled. “Mrs. Davis, I've changed my mind. I think I'll have a small piece of Granny's pie.”

“I knowed you couldn't pass it up.” She jumped to her feet and hurried to the cupboard to get a plate.

Rani tried to concentrate on what Mrs. Davis was saying as she cut her a piece of pie, but it was impossible. All she could think about was how sad Josie had looked when Rani discovered that Josie had married a man she didn't love. She wondered how often Mrs. Davis had told her daughter what a good husband Ted would be. And he was a good husband. The sad part of it all was that Josie's heart belonged to someone else.

She didn't want to live like that. She wanted a man who made her heart race every time she looked at him—the way it had when Matthew tipped his hat to her the morning he left for Townsend. She took a bite of the pie when it was placed in front of her, but even Granny's cooking couldn't pull her thoughts away today.

Thirty minutes later Rani breathed a sigh of relief when her father called out that it was time to leave. Her visit with Josie's mother had proved unsettling. It seemed everyone close to her had decided she would marry George. Even her own mother had hinted at it several times.

As she stepped into the buggy to leave, she couldn't help wishing for the first time in her life she hadn't come to the Davis home today. But as much as she missed Josie, she knew the turmoil she was feeling wasn't because of her friend's absence. It was because of the strange emotions just the thought of Matthew produced in her.

They'd only gone a short distance when her father glanced at her and smiled. “Cecil and Pearl seemed happy to see you today.”

“Yes.”

A frown pulled his eyebrows across his nose. “You don't seem very talkative. Did something happen?”

She ran her perspiring hands down her skirt to smooth it out and then clenched her fists in her lap. “Sort of.”

Her father pulled the horse to a stop and turned to face her. “Rani, if something's bothering you, I want to know what it is.”

“Oh, Poppa,” she said, “why do people think they have the right to tell you what you need to do?”

A surprised look flashed across his face, and he leaned back in the buggy seat. “I don't know. I guess that's a question people have been asking since the beginning of time.” He pushed his hat back on his head and propped his foot on the dash rail. “Maybe they think they're giving you good advice. Your mother and I have always tried to help you make good decisions because we don't want to see you get hurt.”

She pounded her fists on her knees and gritted her teeth. “But what if you knew you'd end up getting hurt in the long run if you followed their advice?”

“Then I suppose you should make your own choice.” He exhaled and shook his head. “Rani, are you going to tell me what's bothering you, or are you going to keep me guessing?”

A tear rolled down her cheek. “Everybody seems to think I should marry George, and I don't love him. He's a good friend, but I can't stand to think about living the rest of my life with somebody I don't love.” She swiveled in her seat and stared at her father. “I want a man that I love so much that we look at each other like you and Mama do.”

He lowered his foot to the floor of the buggy and met her gaze. “And you don't look at George that way?”

She shook her head so hard her hair whipped against her cheeks. “No.”

Her father reached over, covered her hand with his, and sighed. “Oh, darling, it's so hard for me to think about you being old enough to talk about getting married. But I have to face the fact you're growing up.” He cleared his throat. “But if my opinion means anything, I don't think you should marry George. You're young, Rani. You don't have to marry the first man who comes along. God is going to send you someone that He's picked out especially for you. Be patient and wait for him to find you.”

She blinked back more tears. “Then you're not disappointed.”

He threw back his head and laughed. “Disappointed? I'm thrilled. I've never thought George was the right man for you.” He reached over and chucked her under the chin. “Besides, I'm not ready to lose my baby girl to another man. And I doubt if I ever will be. You can be an old maid for all I care.”

Rani laughed and threw her arms around her father. “Oh, Poppa, I love you so much.”

“I love you too.” His voice choked on the last words. He released her and snapped the reins across the horse's back. “Now, we'd better be heading home. Your mama will wonder where we are. But first I'd like to stop by Matthew's place.”

“Why?”

“I want to see how much needs to be done to get the cabin in shape. Cecil said he'd organize a group to come one day when the men are caught up in the fields. If Cecil can get a crew to join John and me, we ought to get Matthew's cabin rebuilt soon.”

“I'm sure Matthew will appreciate that.”

On the other hand, she didn't know how she felt about Matthew being able to stay in his cabin. That would mean he wouldn't be at their house as much, and that troubled her. She sat up straight and gritted her teeth.
Stop it, Rani Martin. You don't need to be thinking about a man you've just met
.

Even as the thought drifted through her mind, she knew it was impossible. She couldn't get the image of him tipping his hat to her out of her mind.

Late that afternoon Simon walked from the barn toward the house. His talk with Rani earlier had occupied his thoughts most of the day. Although he wasn't ready for his little girl to grow up, he knew he couldn't keep it from happening. Sometimes he could hardly believe that she and Stephen weren't racing around the cabin like they had when they were children. No doubt about it, he missed those days.

As he approached the house, he spotted Anna sitting under the tree in the back yard. She had her back to him, and he crept up behind her. When he stood behind her chair, he leaned over and kissed her cheek.

She jumped and swiveled in her seat to look up at him. “Simon! I didn't realize it was you! Why, I almost cut my finger.”

He walked around to face her and glanced down at the pan of June apples in her lap. The skin of one dangled between her finger and the blade of her knife. He chuckled. “Maybe I could find something to bandage your cut like you did mine the first day we met.”

She laughed and shook her head. “You still haven't forgotten that, have you?”

He dropped to the ground and crossed his legs. “I haven't forgotten a thing about the most important day of my life.”

She held out a piece of apple. “Here. Eat this. I know your sweet talk is just a way of getting me to give you one of my apples.”

He accepted the offered bite and popped it into his mouth. “Thank you, Mrs. Martin, for taking such good care of your husband.”

She laughed again, then settled back in her chair and picked up another apple. “I didn't get a chance earlier to ask you how Pearl and Cecil are doing.”

“They're fine. Cecil is going to help Matthew with his cabin.”

“That's good.”

“Rani was upset when we left, though.” He pulled a piece of grass from the ground and stuck it in the corner of his mouth.

Anna paused in cutting the apple and looked up. Concern shadowed her face. “Did something happen?”

He rubbed the back of his neck and wrinkled his forehead. “I guess she and Pearl were talking about Josie, and the conversation turned to Rani and George getting married.”

Anna scooted to the edge of her seat and arched her eyebrows. “And?”

“It upset Rani. We talked about it on the ride home. She's concerned because she thinks everybody is trying to push her to marry George, and she doesn't want to.”

“I suppose everybody in the Cove knows that George has been calling on her for months. Anybody can look at him and tell he's in love with her. Did she say why she didn't want to marry him?”

“Because she doesn't love him.”

Anna propped her hands on her hips and frowned. “Well, I haven't seen any other young men coming around here. What did you tell her?”

“You know how I feel about this, Anna. I told Rani I didn't think she should marry George.”

Anna set the pan of apples on the ground and started to rise. “You know I don't agree with you about George. Rani has loved him since they were children.”

Simon grabbed her arm and pulled her back down into her chair. “Listen to what you're saying, Anna. It reminds me of a girl who grew up with a friend on the next farm. Paul Sparks was his name, I believe. Paul and all her family thought she should marry him, but she didn't want that. Do you remember why?”

Anna smiled sheepishly. “Because I didn't love him like a woman needs to love the man she marries. I loved him like a brother.”

“Exactly. And that's why we have to leave Rani alone to make her own choice.”

She clamped her lips together for a moment before she exhaled. “But George is so special to me because…”

“Because he was the first baby you helped deliver. But that's no reason for Rani to marry him.” Simon arched an eyebrow as he looked at his wife. “Promise me you won't interfere in this.”

She frowned and crossed her arms. “All right. I won't. But you make me sound like a terrible mother. You know I only want what's best for her.”

“I know.”

“Did she mention any other man she might be interested in?”

“No. I think she just wants to be left alone to make her own choice.” He stood up and pulled Anna to her feet. He wrapped his arms around her and drew her close. “She did say something that touched me, though.”

“What?”

“She said she wants a man she loves so much that they look at each other the way you and I look at each other.”

“Oh, Simon, how sweet,” she said. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his face close to hers. “And I hope she finds someone she enjoys kissing as much as I like kissing you.”

He covered her lips with his. He didn't know what he had done to deserve Anna, but he'd thanked the Lord every day for the last twenty years for sending her to the Cove. She'd worked by his side to minister to the people in this valley. In time she had earned their love and respect, but with him it was different. She'd taken over his heart the day she climbed out of her uncle's buggy.