Mountain Homecoming (39 page)

Granny reached over and dabbed at his mouth with a napkin. “Now what makes you think that, child?”

“'Cause I asked Mr. Matthew if he was coming, and he said he didn't think so.”

Rani stared in stunned silence at Noah. He tilted his head to one side and closed one eye. “What's the matter, Miss Rani?”

“N-nothing, Noah. Finish your pie.”

She turned and hurried to the dry sink. Behind her, she heard her mother's voice. “Noah, I think it's time you were getting ready for bed.”

“Bed?” he whined. “It's not even dark outside yet.”

“Then when it gets dark, you'll be ready. Come with me.”

She turned and watched her mother pull Noah down the hallway toward the bedrooms. After a moment her father spoke. “Well, why don't the rest of us go in the front room for a while?”

The chairs scraped on the floor as they rose. Then she felt David standing behind her. He leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Hurry and join us. I'd like to spend some time alone with you tonight.”

A wobbly smile pulled at her lips. “I won't be long.”

As soon as the men and Granny had left the kitchen, her mother touched her arm. Rani turned to stare at her. “I'm sorry about what Noah said. He didn't realize he was saying anything wrong.”

Rani smiled and covered her mother's hand with hers. “It's all right. I knew it might be awkward at times while I was home, but I'm fine. I didn't really think Matthew would come to the wedding. In fact, I doubt if I'll see him at all.”

“I doubt it too,” her mother said.

Rani plunged her hands into the hot dishwater and began to scrub the plates her mother placed in the pan. After a few minutes of silence she took a deep breath. “How is Matthew?”

Her mother dried the plate she held and placed it in the cupboard before she responded. “He's doing well, Rani. He's finally faced up to his past, and he seems happy. He isn't the man you knew a year ago.”

Rani reached for a cloth and dried her dripping hands. “What do you mean?”

Her mother led her to the table, and they sat down. She reached across and clasped Rani's hand. “Your father has had the opportunity to guide him in Bible study this winter. I know he has told him about the years after his mother died, but Simon hasn't revealed anything to me. Whatever happened, Matthew seems to have peace about it now. He's mentioned several times that he would like to see you to ask you to forgive him. Granny said he was very upset when Noah told him you were getting married.”

“Why would he be upset? He rejected me as if I meant nothing to him.”

Her mother's eyes grew wide. “All your life I've told you to follow God's will in your life. Did you ever think when Matthew turned his back on you it might have been because God had something better for you?”

She nodded. “I've thought about it, and I know David is a wonderful man. I'm thankful God brought him into my life. We're going to be happy in our work and in our marriage. He loves me so much.”

“And what about you? Not once in the letters you've written home have you talked about loving David. It's always about his feelings for you. He's a good man, Rani, and deserves to be loved for who he is. You'll only end up making him miserable if you don't share his love.”

Rani pushed to her feet. “You're wrong, Mama. I do love David. Who wouldn't? Any woman would be lucky to have him, but he wants me.”

“And who do you want?” Her mother's stony gaze made her heart thud.

Her lips trembled, and she threw the towel she still held to the table. “I want to marry David. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to find him and spend some time with him.”

David glanced up and smiled as she walked into the front room. “There you are.”

She took his hand and pulled him to his feet. “Come sit on the porch with me. I want you to see what our mountains look like at night.”

He nodded to Simon and Granny. “If you two will excuse me, I'll go outside with Rani for a bit of air.”

They stepped out the door and stopped at the edge of the porch. David put his arm around her waist and drew her closer. She leaned against him and listened for the night sounds in the Cove. Neither spoke for a few minutes.

“My family likes you very much,” she finally said.

“Good. I like them too. They're the kind of people you meet and feel like you've known for years. I'm glad they're going to be my family too.”

“I think you won them over with the gifts you brought. Noah especially,” she chuckled

He tightened his arm around her. “Rani, who is Matthew?”

She stiffened. “Why do you ask?”

“You've never told me the name of the man you were in love with. Then tonight when Noah said Matthew wasn't coming to the wedding, I figured that must be him. Is it?”

“Yes,” Rani said, letting out a deep breathe. “Yes, it's Matthew.”

David turned her to face him. “Do I have anything to worry about?”

She swallowed. “Why would you have anything to worry about?”

“Don't answer my question with one of your own. Maybe coming back here to get married wasn't such a good idea. You can't seem to talk about him to me.”

Rani wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his chest. “I'm sorry. It's just that he's part of my past. You're my present and my future. We're going to be married the day after tomorrow.”

He kissed the top of her head and then held her at arm's length. “If you have any doubts, please let me know.”

She smiled. “If I have any, I will. Now quit talking like a silly fool and kiss me.”

He lowered his lips toward her, but before he could kiss her a loud barking interrupted them. Scout charged onto the porch and jumped on Rani. He bounced, yelped, and licked her like he'd gone mad.

Laughing, she dropped to her knees and clamped her arms around the dog's trembling body. “Where have you been, boy? Off chasing rabbits again? I missed you when I got home today.”

David bent over and reached out to pat Scout's head. A growl ripped from the dog's throat. Scout's lips curled back from his bared teeth, and he snapped at David's outstretched hand.

Rani grabbed the dog and pulled him backward. “No, Scout! Bad dog!”

David straightened and raised his eyebrows. “Did I do something wrong?”

Still holding Scout, she stood and shook her head. “No. He's very protective of me. He'll warm up to you before long.”

David held out his hand once more, and the dog tried to lunge at him. David backed away. “Maybe I'd better leave you with your dog for tonight.”

Rani tightened her hold on the wiggling dog. “I'll calm him down and then come inside.”

David stared at Scout once more before he backed away. “I think I'll get ready for bed. I'm going hunting with Stephen early in the morning, and I need to get some sleep. We should be back before noon.” He grinned. “Talk to your dog while I'm gone and tell him I'm really a nice person.”

“I will.”

David opened the door and entered the house. As soon as he disappeared, Scout whined and licked her face. She laughed, put him down on the porch, and propped her hands on her hips. He cocked his head to one side and sat back on his haunches. “What am I going to do with you? You've always scared off all my suitors.”

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, the truth hit her. She dropped down in the chair where she'd sat so many nights in the past. Scout settled on the floor beside her, and she reached down to pet him. “All of them except one.”

Matthew poured himself a cup of coffee and slumped down in the chair in front of the fireplace. He'd been awake all night trying to decide what he needed to do. Now that the sun was up, he was still as confused as he'd been after catching that brief glance of Rani yesterday.

One minute he wanted to charge up the steps of the Martin cabin and tell her she wasn't going to marry anybody but him. The next minute he berated himself for such thinking. She'd made her decision to marry David Brann. That had to mean she loved him.

But what if she didn't? He shook his head and jumped to his feet. She had to love David if she'd promised to marry him. He slammed the coffee cup down on the table he'd built and strode to the door. There were chores to be done, and he couldn't waste any more time trying to decide what he needed to do.

He stormed down the front steps of the cabin, stuck his hat on his head, and rounded the corner of the cabin. The sight of the chimney stopped him in his tracks. Could it be possible that she had only agreed to marry David because she thought Matthew had quit loving her? If so, he had to let her know that wasn't the case. That he would never stop loving her—not until he took his final breath.

Matthew spread his palms on the bricks Rani had made and leaned his weight against the structure that reached from the ground to high above the roof. “God,” he whispered. “Tell me what to do. I'm afraid of losing her, but I'm afraid to go to her and tell her how I feel.”

The L
ORD
is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the L
ORD
is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
The psalm he'd read a few nights before drifted into his mind.

Matthew inhaled and straightened to his full height. The fear he'd felt a moment ago had vanished, and he knew he had to see her. If she rejected him, he would be all right. The Lord was now the strength of his life, and with God's help he could face whatever life threw at him.

Rani wrapped the shawl around her shoulders and stepped onto the front porch. The crisp morning air did little to clear her head after a sleepless night. Being back home in familiar surroundings should have relaxed her, but for some reason she'd lain awake most of the night, her mind in a whirl.

Perhaps it was bridal nerves. She'd heard all women had them before they married. In fact, Josie had told her she hadn't slept for weeks before she married. Rani's heart lurched, and she sank down in one of the porch chairs. Of course, Josie probably hadn't slept because she was marrying a man she didn't love.

The door opened, and her mother stepped onto the porch. “I thought I heard you get up. Don't you want some breakfast?”

She shook her head. “In a little while. When did Stephen and David leave?”

Her mother chuckled. “Hours ago I'm sure. You know Stephen likes to get an early start. They should be back any time now. What are you doing out here?”

Rani smiled and pulled her shawl tighter. “I wanted to sit on the porch for a while and, as Granny would say, ‘soak up them mountains.' ”

Her mother laughed and sat down beside her. “I never tire of it either. The first time I saw the view from the Cove of those peaks, I knew this was where I wanted to live.” She shook her head. “Of course, I fought against it until it was almost too late.”

Rani swiveled in her chair to face her mother. “I know you love Poppa and you wouldn't trade your life for anything. But have you ever thought how different your life might have been if you had gone to New York to school instead of staying here?”