Mountain Homecoming (9 page)

She wiggled in his grip. “Please, George…”

He tightened his grip on her shoulders. “We're alike, and we got lots in common. We grew up here, we've been in church together all our lives, and my folks would welcome you into our family.”

She blinked back tears. “I know they would.”

He released her and stepped back. “I ain't givin' up, Rani. Like I said, I'll keep comin' back 'til you change your mind. I want you for my wife, and I intend to have you.” He gripped the reins in his hand tighter and swung into the saddle, then looked down at her. “That's a promise.”

Without another word, he turned the horse and disappeared into the thick darkness. She stood still, her shoulders slumped, and listened to the hoof beats recede in the distance before she trudged back to the cabin.

She'd just stepped onto the porch when a noise to her right caught her attention, and she whirled. The dogwood tree next to the house cast dark shadows over the end of the porch. She squinted to see what had made the sound, then gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. She didn't know which shocked her more—the fact that Matthew Jackson was staring at her from the porch chair a few feet away or that Scout lay at his feet as if they were best friends.

She started to speak, and then her face grew warm. The truth hit her. Matthew's presence and Scout's attachment to him were the least of her concerns right now. Of all the people in the world, Matthew was the last one she would have wanted to overhear her conversation with George, and that bothered her most of all.

Rani and George had been too involved in their conversation to notice him when they came out of the cabin, and Matthew tried not to move as she came back up the steps. Just as she reached the top of the porch, Scout stirred in his sleep and whined.

Matthew's hopes that Rani would go back into the cabin without seeing him died when she turned and stared at him. Darkness shielded her face, but he could hear her gasp. He rose to his feet and took a step toward her. Beside him, Scout raised his head, looked from Rani to him, then lowered his head again.

She spoke before he could explain why he was on the porch. “What are you doing out here? I thought everybody had gone to bed.”

He shoved his hands deep in his pockets and nodded. “They have. I guess I was still too excited over being back home to sleep. I thought I'd get some air, but I wasn't spying on you and your friend.”

Rani walked closer, and now the light coming through the window lit her face. She glanced down at her dog. “It looks like you've made friends with Scout. How did you manage that?”

He chuckled. “I don't know. It seems like we just kind of drifted into a mutual agreement that we liked each other. He's a fine dog. I noticed that right away when you threatened to sic him on me this afternoon.”

Her eyes narrowed, and her gaze flicked over his face as if searching for some assurance he could be trusted. She arched an eyebrow, propped her hands on her hips, and nodded toward the sleeping dog. “I don't guess I can threaten you with that from now on.”

“I guess not.”

“Scout's always been a good judge of character. You should feel honored he took to you like he did.” Her mouth opened as if she was about to say something else, but she hesitated. She bit down on her lip and took a deep breath. “I need to apologize to you, Matthew.”

His eyes grew wide. “Why?”

She tilted her head to one side. “For one thing, I haven't been very friendly to you since you came. My dislike for Little River made me jump to conclusions about you this afternoon.”

“I'm glad to hear that. Maybe you're beginning to think I may not be the enemy in disguise out to buy up all the timber in the Cove. I assure you I'm not.” A slight frown pulled at his forehead. “Thank you for apologizing. I haven't known many people who would do that.”

She didn't flinch from returning his gaze. “Well, I didn't decide to apologize on my own. Mama told me to do it.”

At her words he threw back his head and laughed. When he'd calmed, he glanced at her, and her eyes seemed to sparkle in the lamplight. A slight smile pulled at her lips. “Then I suppose I have your mother to thank for getting to see that pretty smile on your face.”

He couldn't be sure in the dim light, but he thought he detected a slight flush on her cheeks. Her smile deepened, and she glanced down at her feet. “I suppose so, but I really am sorry. It shouldn't bother me that you used to work for Little River.”

“I told you I don't anymore.”

“I get so angry every time I think about those people and what they're doing to our mountains. What made you go to work for them?”

With a sigh, he walked to the edge of the porch and leaned up against one of the posts. He stared into the distance and at the dark outline of the Smokies. “I love these hills, Rani. All I've ever wanted was to come back here, but at times I thought I wouldn't make it.” He pushed himself up to his full height and faced her. “I lost my mother and Eli, the only family I had. You're a young girl. You've always had parents who loved you and took care of you. You can't begin to know what it's like to be alone.”

She stepped closer. “You're right. I don't. Do you want to talk about it?”

Something in the tone of her voice pierced the deep part of his heart where dark memories lay. How he wished he could rid himself of them, but he couldn't. He'd tried to bury them just like he had his mother and brother, but they returned to remind him of who he was and what he'd come from.

He shook his head. “You don't want to hear about my past and what I've been through. I'll just say this: When you're hungry and nobody's willing to give you a chance, you'll take whatever job you're offered. I took Little River's job, and it brought me home. I'm thankful for that.”

“I see,” she said. “You're right. I can't know what's happened to you since you left here, and I was wrong to judge you so quickly. But you're also wrong about something.”

“What?”

“I may be young, but I'm not a girl. Some folks think of me as a woman.”

The lift of her chin relayed the challenge of her words, and he smiled. In that gesture he saw a fleeting glimpse of his mother and the way she'd stood her ground at times against his father.

“George seems to think so. I couldn't help overhearing your conversation.”

She sighed. “George was upset with me.”

Matthew nodded. “I could tell something was wrong, but he sounded like he's mighty taken with you.”

“That's what he says, and I don't like hurting him.” A sad look flickered across her face. “He's been a friend all my life, but we don't think alike on lots of things. I know he's going to find someone who'll love him.”

Matthew's heart pounded. “Are you saying that someone isn't you?”

“Yes. All I want is for George to be my friend.”

A slow smile pulled at his mouth, and he let his gaze drift over her face. “I hope you'll be my friend too, even if I am a lot older than you.”

She tilted her head to one side and studied him. “I don't think there's any age limit on friendship. I was trying to figure out earlier how old you are, and I decided you must be about thirty.”

“I will be soon. And you?”

“I'll be nineteen on my birthday.”

He tried to remember where he'd been and what he'd been doing when he was nineteen, but it seemed like ages ago. Some of the things that had happened to him back then were too shameful to remember, but he couldn't change the past. All he could do was try to make the future better. But no matter how much he didn't want it to, the past did influence the future.

He took a deep breath. “Well, if George isn't the one, I'm sure there are other young men in the Cove who are just waiting for their chances with you. You'll find somebody.”

“Maybe, but I'm in no hurry.” She took a deep breath and stepped backward. “But it's late, and I need to get inside. Are you coming?”

He shook his head. “Not yet. I'll stay out here with Scout a little longer. I'll see you in the morning.”

“Goodnight, Matthew.”

“Goodnight, Rani.”

He watched her enter the cabin and then sat back down. He stared down at his shaking hands and clasped them in front of him. The conversation he'd just had with Rani had his mind whirling.

What was it about Rani that fascinated him? She was beautiful, to be sure, but there was something else that intrigued him: She shared his love of the Cove. From the moment he'd first seen her, she had occupied his thoughts. No other woman had ever done that. And even if he had called her a girl, she was right. She was a woman.

He shook his head. He shouldn't be thinking like this. Rani was Simon and Anna's daughter, and that was reason enough for him to keep his distance. The fact that she was so young also presented a problem.

There were already many obstacles to overcome if he was going to rebuild his life in the Cove, and he didn't need to complicate matters more. There was only one thing to do—thank Simon and Anna for their hospitality and insist on staying at his farm. If he was away from her, he could focus on other things.

A groan rose in his throat. He was only deceiving himself. No matter where he was, he knew he would never forget how the breath had almost left his body when he first spotted her by the mountain laurel bush.

R
ani came to a stop outside the henhouse door and counted the eggs in her basket. Satisfied with the number she had gathered, she turned toward the house but stopped and gazed into the distance.

This morning the hazy mists that hung over the mountains were not as dense as usual. She shaded her eyes with her hands and stared toward the hills that rimmed her valley. Today the trees that blanketed the hillsides glimmered in the sunshine, and it looked as if their branches were lifted in gratitude toward heaven and their Creator. With scenery like that and the sweet scent of wildflowers, like the honeysuckle that grew on the post at the end of their clothesline, you couldn't find a more beautiful place to live than Cades Cove.

She'd never seen a picture of another place that could compare with the sight of the sun filtering through the low-hanging clouds that gave the Smokies their name. She remembered sitting in her father's lap when she was a child and asking him what made
her
mountains smoke. He'd told her that even though she couldn't see God, she could be assured He was nearby every time she looked at the mountains. Then he'd taught her the words from the Psalms that she'd never forgotten.
He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke
.

Her father's words had proven true through the years. Even when she felt the sadness creeping back into her soul, she could look at the mountains and know God hadn't forgotten her. She closed her eyes and thanked Him for giving her that visible sign of His presence.

When she'd finished praying, she opened her eyes and turned toward the house. The whinny of a horse near the barn caught her attention, and she glanced over her shoulder. Her fingers tightened on her basket as Matthew Jackson, leading his saddled horse, emerged from the barnyard and walked toward her. Scout trotted alongside him.

His steady gaze locked on her, and he didn't waver as he approached. When he was a few feet away, he came to a stop, but Scout ran to her and jumped up on her. Rani pulled her gaze away from Matthew, leaned over, and scratched Scout behind the ears. “How are you this morning, boy? I thought you were probably off chasing a rabbit.”

She looked up slowly and stared into Matthew's face. He pushed the hat he wore back on his head and nodded. “He's been keeping me company at the barn.” His somber expression gave no hint of whether he was glad to see her or not.

Rani straightened, shifted the basket of eggs in front of her, and grasped the handle with both hands. “Are you leaving already?”

“Yes.” He squinted up at the sun. “I'm later getting off than I meant to be, but I got carried away visiting with Anna and Granny during breakfast. I was just on my way back to the house to tell them I was leaving.”