Promise of Blessing (4 page)

“Then we’ll pray.”

Clae paused.
 
He put down the brush he was using on Thanksgiving and stepped out of the stall.
 
He slipped his arms around Josie’s waist and pulled her close.
 
Overjoyed, she laid her head on his chest, listening to his breathing.
 
She felt safe in his strong arms.

“I don’t tell you often enough that I love you,” he said.

“You told me yesterday, when you gave me my wedding present.”

“But I want to tell you – speak the words – every single day.”

She smiled up at him, her face glowing.
 
He lowered his head and kissed her.

After a moment, they were interrupted by the scuff of boots on the packed earth at the entrance to the barn.

“Are we having a party out here?”
 
It was Harland.

Josie sighed.
 
“We were,” she thought, but she said nothing, instead turning her face away from the light to hide her disappointment.
 
Clae stepped back inside Thanksgiving’s stall, and Harland wandered over to him, leaning his tall frame casually against a post.

“I’ll go fix supper, then,” Josie murmured, rubbing briskly at an imaginary spot on her skirt.
 
She hurried back to the house, her emotions muddled.

After the men left the following morning, Josie fed and watered Rachael, who was recovering well from her ordeal, then set about preparing the midday meal for Clae and Harland.

She felt unsettled, even irritable, but her mood seemed to give her energy.
 
By rights, it was wash day.
 
Perhaps she was well enough to tackle such a physical task today.
 
As she looked at the large pile, though, her enthusiasm waned.
 
She could not help but think how much smaller it would be without Harland’s things.
 
If there was mud or grease to be found, Harland would find it.
 
In this he was the opposite of his brother, who liked to be as neat and clean as it was possible for a farmer to be.

Josie was surprised at herself.
 
She loved Harland, of course, and had always appreciated his good company.
 
She had never before resented doing housework for him as well as Clae.
 
After all, his hard work in the fields help to provide for her.
 
Lately, though, it was true, she had begun to feel as if she were married to both twins.

She wandered to the window to check the skies for signs of further rain, but saw instead Millie and Beth arriving in their wagon.

“Josephine, my dear, I declare I didn’t think we’d make it, the roads are so muddy!” said Millie, stepping daintily around a puddle.
 
“What a storm!
 
That big old tree by the general store fell down and a branch came right through the roof of Mr Wilder’s place – right into the room where he was keeping Mrs King in her coffin, all ready for her burial this afternoon, God rest her soul!”

Josie made the appropriate response with her eyebrows – getting a word in edgewise was sometimes difficult around Millie.

“Well, Mr King came to see my William, saying that it was a sign from the Lord, or maybe from the Devil – he wasn’t sure which.
 
Now, I say you’ve got all kinds of trouble if you can’t tell one from the other!”

She embraced Josie warmly.
 
“You’re looking much brighter.
 
Have those boys been treating you well?”
 
To Millie, Clae and Harland were always “those boys”.

Josie hugged Beth and then gestured for them to come inside, saying, “Come and see.”
 
With shining eyes she led them to the new sewing machine.
 
There followed the appropriate exclamations of rapture.

“Oh, Josephine,” said Beth, “you will teach me to use it, won’t you?”

“Of course I will!”

Beth turned to her mother.
 
“I could make all kinds of things for the new bab—”
 
She stopped suddenly, choking on her words.

Millie chuckled.
 
“Well, you’ve let the cat out of the bag now.”

“I’m sorry, Mama.”

“I’m sure our Josephine would have been the first to guess, anyway.”

Truthfully, Josie was bewildered.
 
The new…what?
 
Baby?
 
Helena was the only expectant mother that Josie could think of.

Millie sank into the rocking chair.
 
Her tiny feet didn’t even reach the floor.
 
“Look, she’s in shock,” she said, nodding at Josie.
 
“Well, I’d like to say that I don’t know how it happened, but I’d be lyin’.”
 
She winked cheekily.

Suddenly Josie understood.
 
“You’re expecting?”

“Oh, now, there’s no call to be quite so surprised.
 
I ain’t sending out for a coffin just yet.”

It was true.
 
Beth, the Drescher’s eldest, was nearly seventeen years old, but their youngest, Tom, was only eight, and Millie herself had barely a line on her face.

“That’s wonderful!” said Josie.

“Well, it’s early days yet but, Lord willing, it’ll arrive come new year.”

“You haven’t met our new arrivals.”

The fat little puppies were presented, with Rachael looking on, watchful but proud.
 
Every now and then she nudged one of them with her nose, as if to say, “And this one.
 
Have you seen this one?”

“What will you do with so many?” asked Beth.

“You can have one, if you like, when they’re old enough.”
 
The voice came from behind them, near the front door.
 
Harland stood there, holding his hat awkwardly.
 
He ran his fingers through his hair, making it stick up in all directions.

It was only then that Josie realised it was past noon.
 
“Heavens, my bread!” she exclaimed, and dashed to the oven.
 
Fortunately, the loaf was only just beginning to blacken at the edges, and the meal was saved.

Beth came to help her with the final preparations.
 
It did not escape Josie’s notice that she kept her gaze low and barely spoke a word for the rest of the visit, except to thank Clae and Harland again for the promised puppy.

Josie and Clae had just waved goodbye to Millie and Beth when Clae said, “Who’s that, now?”
 
He looked down at Josie with a raised eyebrow.
 
“Are you expecting a gentleman caller?
 
Is there something I should know about?”

Josie strained her eyes and saw a lone horseman coming out from between the two low hills that acted as a gateway on the road to the McKinley farm.
 
She clicked her tongue.
 
“I told him not to come by today.”

Clae grinned.

She linked her arm through his and gave it a squeeze.
 
“You can’t see who it is?”

“No, not yet.
 
Wait, yes, I think it’s that new policeman I was telling you about.
 
What business does he have out here?”

The rider came closer and Josie could make out a heavy brow and a luxurious moustache under his well-worn hat.
 
He entered the barnyard, dismounted in one smooth movement and led his horse towards them.

Clae stepped forward to shake his hand.
 
“How d’ye do, sir?
 
You’re most welcome.”

“Thank ye,” he replied, giving Clae’s hand a firm shake.
 
“Most kind.”

Clae turned to Josie.
 
“This is my wife, Josephine McKinley.
 
Josie, this is Mr Wyatt Earp, the new deputy.”

Mr Earp raised his hand to the brim of his hat and nodded at Josie.
 
“Pleased to meet you, Ma’am.”
 

“If you follow me,” continued Clae, “I’ll show you where you can water your horse.”

“Thank you, Mr McKinley.
 
I won’t stay long.
 
I was hoping to have a word with you and your brother.”

“I’ll get Harland for you,” said Josie, turning back to the house.

She dispatched Harland, then sat and pretended to work the sewing machine so that she could watch the three men surreptitiously out of the front window.

They stood together in the shade of the chicken coop, one dark head and two golden ones bent in grave discussion.
 
Harland chewed on his unlighted pipe, as he was in the habit of doing when he was listening intently.
 
Clae kept rubbing his hand through the front of his hair, pushing his hat further and further back on his head.
 
There was much nodding and gesturing.
 
The gravity was soon broken, though, by Pea, who tried to chew on Mr Earp’s bootlaces.
 
She was swiftly pulled away by Clae, but Mr Earp just smiled, his moustache twitching in amusement.
 
Very soon afterwards, he departed and the brothers came back to the house.

“—if I had to make a guess, but it’s not right to voice an assumption and tarnish the man’s name further,” Harland was saying as the door opened.

“Sure,” said Clae.
 
“It could be somebody from out of town.
 
We’d do best to keep a closer eye on things, though.”

“Ain’t that the truth.”

“Did something happen?” asked Josie.

Clae hung up his hat, his face unusually serious.
 
“Mr Earp says that folks around here and in town are reporting their stores stolen.
 
Mostly food, and sometimes something even more valuable.
 
He’s investigating; wanted to know if we’d missed anything lately.”

Josie swallowed a sudden lump in her throat.
 
“Do you think…?”
 
She couldn’t finish the sentence.

Clae and Harland exchanges glances.
 

“Well…” said Clae, “I’m afraid that’s what we were thinking, but we didn’t say so to Mr Earp.
 
It don’t feel right to accuse a man like that, what with so many outsiders moving through Wichita every day – who knows what they get up to – but….”

He trailed off.
 
There was a thoughtful silence.

Finally, Josie got up and laid her hand reassuringly on Clae’s arm.
 
“Why don’t I make us some coffee, before you two head back out?”

“We won’t say no to that.”

A
S
J
OSIE
AND
Clae were preparing to turn in that night, Josie passed on Millie’s news.
 
A pang of envy began to rise as she spoke, but she pushed it back down, disgusted with herself.
 

Clae gave a surprised whistle.
 
“Seven children in that little house,” he said.
 
“Millie will be looking to see Beth settled as fast as she can.”

At first Josie said nothing, then suddenly she burst out, “What on earth is Harland playing at?”

Clae held a finger to his lips.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, “but I just don’t understand him.
 
If he’s not in love with her, why has he always singled her out?
 
She’s been clearly smitten with him since the day I met her, but lately she’ll barely look his way.
 
Has something passed between them?”

“I confess, I have no idea.
 
Whenever I’ve tried to bring up the subject, Harland waves it off like I’m just teasing.
 
The two of them practically ignored each other in town; then he promised her a puppy.
 
I can’t make heads nor tails of it.”

“He is going to lose her if he doesn’t declare himself, and soon.”

“I guess she is full young to be marrying….”

“You know as well as I that she’s wise well beyond her years.”