Promise of Yesterday (19 page)

Zedikiah pointed to a verse. “Read this.”

Chester glanced at the chapter. Luke. He began, stumbling over the harder words but taking Zedikiah’s gentle correction and forging ahead. As if from a great distance, he heard the same words falling from the lips of his mother when he was but a child. A Samaritan man who showed mercy to a stranger when other men passed the stranger by without more than a glance.

Zedikiah was that stranger, just as he, himself, had been a stranger before this night, kneeling in the grass beside Marylu. God had brought him back from his wanderings and shown him mercy when all else had failed him. He was to show Zedikiah. Tend to his physical needs and spiritual.

He left after reading the passage, the voices of the women assuring him they had much to talk about and Zedikiah’s exhaustion visible in his face. Chester wrestled with the hows of doing what he felt led to do. Zedikiah wasn’t his son. He could show the young man some things, but he could not take the place of his real father.

It didn’t matter, though, he supposed. God would show him what to do one day at a time.

Marylu heard the men moving around in the kitchen but felt compelled to stay and listen to Jenny’s excited chatter about the show. What could have been a dismal evening for her friend had turned into a wonderful experience.

“Then he sang another song, and his voice brought everyone to their feet.” Jenny rubbed a hand over her forearm. “It gave me goose pimples to hear him. Oh, I wish you would have come.”

“Maybe next time me and Chester will go along. Did you see Mr. Walck and Sally again?”

Jenny nodded. “Abigail Cross made sure to point them out as we made our exit.” A faraway look came into her eyes. “They didn’t appear very excited to be together. Nothing like the excitement Sally showed at the store.”

Marylu wondered if it had anything to do with her visit to Aaron Walck. Good, maybe it had begun to sink in. He was headed for a heap of trouble with Sally clinging to him.

Jenny stretched and covered a huge yawn. “I’ll be asleep in no time.”

She moved as if to rise, but Marylu caught the material of her skirt and gave a light tug. “There’s something I need to ask you.”

“Ask away.”

“Might want to be sitting.”

Jenny sat back down on the chair she’d just vacated. “Now you’ve got me curious.”

Marylu gathered her thoughts and rolled right into the subject. “Cooper’s been acting strange. Tonight he started sobbing when we were reading the Word.”

“Is he not feeling well?”

“Right as rain. But troubled.”

Jenny’s expression became grave. “And you think I know what’s wrong with him.”

Marylu noted that it wasn’t a question but a statement. “I haven’t missed how the two of you keep communicating with each other in a way that excludes me.”

Jenny stared down at her hands. “Was Zedikiah there when you were reading?”

Her heart stumbled and picked up speed. “Sitting right across from Cooper.”

A little sigh escaped Jenny’s lips. “It’s not my secret to tell, Marylu. I promised Cooper I’d be quiet about it, and I can’t go back on my word.”

Marylu understood the position it put Jenny in and tried another angle. “It seems ridiculous, but Chester is convinced that Cooper was in love with me years ago. Around the time Walter was here.”

If she expected Jenny to smile and laugh, it didn’t happen. Her friend’s reaction solidified Chester’s assumption. “I’ve always known it. The way he watched you and talked about you, but you never seemed to care. He told me one night that your heroism had elevated you to a level he could never hope to reach.”

Deep in her stomach, something fisted and froze. “That’s plain nonsense. I never acted different. Never took to all those who called me Queenie.” Marylu cast about for some explanation. Why would her friend think such a thing?

“I’ve always thought it was your hurt over Walter that made him feel that way. You were pretty distant after he left.”

“You know why.”

“Yes”—Jenny reached out to clasp her hand—”I understood that, but …” She pressed her lips together. “Let’s let Cooper explain.”

Chester stretched and greeted the blue sky. A lone wagon bobbled down the street in front of the hotel, driven by a man encouraging a horse that seemed disinterested in arriving anywhere, at anytime. The sight brought a smile to Chester’s lips.

He went north on Washington Street and took a left onto Madison. In the distance, he made out the form of another man headed his way and realized it was Zedikiah. The boy had made it through another night sober. He rejoiced in his heart for the accomplishment and, as they pulled even with each other, offered his hand.

Zedikiah slapped his palm against Chester’s, but no smile appeared on his lips.

“Ate Marylu’s breakfast, and you’re frowning?”

The young man paused before replying, and Chester knew it took him a moment to make out some of the blurrier words he’d spoken aloud. “Mighty good cook, that one. Miss Jenny made biscuits that’ll make you miss your mama.”

Chester nodded and felt a stir of sadness. “Not hard to miss my mama.”

Zedikiah winced.

Chester wanted to ask so much more, to sit down with the young man and talk him through the grief and disappointment, but his hesitant speech held him back.

Zedikiah lowered his head and started down Madison, retracing the steps Chester had just taken.

He let the boy go. They could talk later, when it wouldn’t risk Zedikiah being late for work.

As soon as Chester set foot into the kitchen, Marylu slid a plate, heaped with biscuits, butter, and gravy, in front of him.

“Been expecting you.” She smiled into his eyes.

He leaned toward her so Miss Jenny wouldn’t hear. “Miss me?”

Marylu laughed and swatted at him, casting a wary eye over at her friend, but Miss Jenny didn’t seem to notice them at all. “She probably got her head in the clouds over last night’s doings.”

He slipped onto the bench and pulled the steaming plate of food toward him. “Where’s Cooper?”

Miss Jenny turned at that. She shared a look with Marylu, who finally looked back at him and shrugged. “Still sleeping.” Marylu set a cup of coffee in front of him. “What you going to do now that you don’t have work?”

Chester winked at her and waggled his brows. To his delight, she looked abashed.

Miss Jenny crossed to the table and joined them as Chester stabbed his fork into a piece of biscuit.

Marylu passed Jenny a plate with a biscuit. “Marylu told me you gave up your job for Zedikiah. Did you check down at the railroad?”

Chester bobbed his head and took a small sip of the hot coffee so he wouldn’t embarrass himself if it was too hot. He found it easier to handle liquids since he’d been working his tongue more and more. Guessed it was getting stronger after all. “Wanted to work for you,” he said to Miss Jenny but, realizing how it sounded, rushed to add, “pay for my meals.”

Miss Jenny’s soft smile spilled over him. “No need for that, Chester. You’re welcome at this table any time. Any day.”

“Sure could use help taking up greens, though,” Marylu added, a twinkle in her eyes.

Jenny stared at her friend, obviously confused. “You could ask Cooper to help you. Or Zedikiah.”

Chester guffawed, and Jenny pursed her lips, her gaze darting between him and Marylu. “I’m guessing this is a secret joke of some sort?”

Marylu joined them at the table. “What I’ve been wondering is what we’re going to do with Zedikiah. Him sleeping over at the hotel means we can’t keep an eye on him, and Cooper’s place is hardly big enough for
him
.”

It was the dilemma Chester had struggled with as well.

Miss Jenny’s eyes scanned the kitchen, the doorway that led to the rooms downstairs, and then back to Marylu. “He needs a space of his own.”

Chester latched onto the idea. He set his fork aside. “Zedikiah”—he held up a finger—”Marylu”—another finger—”Cooper”—and then the third finger went up—”and Miss Jenny. But three rooms.”

“
You
need a place to stay,” Marylu reminded him.

He shook his head. “I find somewhere.”

“What about the shop?” Miss Jenny brightened. “You and Zedikiah can stay there. There’s that big back room that we use for storage, but I think it could be turned into a decent bedroom.”

“I work for place,” he said, then folded his hands and lay his head against them to indicate he meant a place to sleep. It would work though, he knew. He could keep an eye on Zedikiah, and the boy could help him with his reading and speech.

“And I’ll feed us all up real good.” Marylu threw out the offer, her expression showing her deep satisfaction at the prospect.

Chester beamed at her, his heart full.

Underlying her happiness, Marylu felt concern for Cooper and Zedikiah. The old man never did come out of his room to eat. At her insistence, Miss Jenny had knocked on his door to make sure he was fine. But Zedikiah, too, had seemed sad, and Marylu hoped it didn’t mean the boy was going to seek out the only comfort he’d known for all these years.

As Miss Jenny worked a beautiful blue silk through the sewing machine at the dress shop and Chester worked on hammering together a wall to separate the storage room into two rooms, Marylu put her worry to words. “If that Cooper doesn’t show himself tonight, I’m going to drag him out of there.”

Jenny’s foot stopped pedaling the machine. “Where did that come from?”

Marylu opened her mouth, then pressed her hand to her lips and swallowed hard over the lump there. Through the night and all morning she had dodged the guilt, but now, with the afternoon settling into a slower pace, it came rushing down on her. “I just wish I’d known. Maybe …”

Jenny must have sensed her despair, for she stood and came to her. “Cooper made his choice, Marylu. And I’m sure he will talk to us, but give him some time. I think the Lord is dealing with him.”

It took Marylu by surprise, but it made sense. Between Cooper’s sickness and his strange behavior of late, God’s hand and timing had to be acknowledged and respected.

The door to the shop opened, and Marylu raised her head to see Aaron Walck come through.

Behind her, Jenny did a little gasp. She slipped out from behind Marylu and approached the man as she would any other customer. “Can I help you?”

“Yes.” His eyes skipped over her face then away. “I—I—” He stared at Marylu a minute.

She nodded at him and raised her brows.

A small smile tugged at his lips, and he inclined his head, cleared his throat, and locked his gaze on Jenny. “I came to talk to you, Miss McGreary.”

Chester ambled into the room, holding a fistful of nails, a question in his eyes. When he saw Aaron and Jenny, his mouth curved into a small smile.

Marylu placed a finger against his lips and backed him toward the storage room.

He grinned down at her. “Miss Jenny have caller?”

“Yes, and I’m not about to let you go out there and ask her a question about boards or nails or anything else to mess up what he’s come to do.”

Chester arched an eyebrow at her. “What he come to do? You know something?”

Marylu ducked her head and wondered how it was the man could so easily read her. It was at once troubling and reassuring. “She’s loved him for a long time.”