Under the Distant Sky (28 page)

W
hen Amanda’s sobs finally subsided, she felt completely drained yet somehow peaceful. She and Hannah continued to sit at the kitchen table and talk.

In the parlor Mary Beth held Matthew on her lap. Jason and Caleb sat beside her on the worn-out old couch and watched Lloyd Marlin and Tony Cuzak work on the ceiling where the roof had collapsed. William Perryman and George Winters were approaching it from the roof side.

Patty Ruth, who sat on the floor at her sister’s feet, making faces at baby Matthew, kept him giggling. Mary Beth smiled at her little sister’s natural talent for entertainment.

At one point, Matthew stretched out a hand toward Ulysses. Patty Ruth’s smile vanished and she turned her body away from the baby’s reach. Matthew let out a high-pitched wail.

“Patty Ruth,” Mary Beth said in a low tone, “let Matthew see Ulysses.”

“No!”

“Mary Beth…” Hannah called from the kitchen, “what’s the matter with the baby?”

“He wants to play with Ulysses, and Patty Ruth won’t let him.”

Scrape!
went the chair, followed by rapid footsteps, as Hannah entered the room with Amanda on her heels.

“Patty Ruth, I thought we settled this selfishness thing. Now, let Matthew play with Ulysses for a while.”

“Why can’t he play with his own toys, Mama?”

Amanda looked down with a smile and said, “Honey, Matthew doesn’t have any toys. His daddy and I were working hard so that one day we could buy our sons some playthings, but then his daddy died. I just don’t have the money to buy toys right now. Jason and Caleb have some rocks and sticks they play with, and sometimes I let Matthew play with a wooden spoon I have in the kitchen. But there’s another reason Matthew likes Ulysses.”

Patty Ruth’s eyebrows lifted. “What’s that?”

“Matthew used to have a stuffed bear, something like Ulysses. But when the roof collapsed, the bear was over there in the corner where all the rain came through. It got wet and began to fall apart, and I had to throw it away.”

Patty Ruth thought how bad she would feel if something like that happened to Ulysses. Reluctantly she said, “Matthew can play with Ulysses for a couple minutes.”

Matthew giggled as he closed his fat little fingers around the bear. Immediately he stuck a stuffed paw in his mouth. This galled Patty Ruth, but she held her peace.

Tony Cuzak turned from the corner, where he and Lloyd Marlin were working, and headed for the door. He paused and smiled at Amanda. “We’ll have this fixed for you shortly, ma’am.”

“You’ll never know how much I appreciate it,” she said.

“Amanda,” Hannah said, “this is Tony Cuzak. My husband led him to the Lord after we started this journey.”

“Wonderful! I’m so glad for you, Tony. I’ve been a Christian since I was ten years old. It gets sweeter the longer you walk with Jesus. There are many heartaches and trials
along the way, but nothing can compare with knowing Jesus and living for Him.”

“I’m finding that out already, ma’am. I’m sorry about your husband’s death. And I want you to know I admire your spunk. Not many women would have stuck it out like you have.”

Amanda smiled warmly. “Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Cuzak. I don’t recall meeting a Mrs. Cuzak out there. Are you not married?”

“No, ma’am. I realize most men my age already have a wife and two or three children, but I’ve just never found the right woman.”

“You will. The Lord knew you would be saved on this journey, so He no doubt has a very special Christian lady picked out for you. He’ll bring her into your life when He’s ready.”

A wide smile spread over Tony’s mouth. “Thank you for the encouragement, ma’am. It’s good to know the Lord has a plan for each of us. Mr. Cooper is teaching me about the way God works in the lives of His children.”

“Yes… God’s hand is on our lives,” Hannah said. “We don’t always understand everything that comes our way—like the Lord’s taking Barry home—but we know He never makes mistakes.”

Ezra Comstock and Dave Croft rode onto the Kline place in late afternoon, dragging two buck deer. Everybody would have venison that night.

While the hunters strung up their bucks on cottonwood limbs and dressed them out, the rest of the men continued their repairs on the Kline farm.

Back at the wagon, as Hannah did some cleaning and prepared food for supper, her mind went back to those few
moments earlier in the day when Tony had stopped and talked to Amanda in the parlor. She knew the look in a man’s eye when he was attracted to a woman, and that look was in Tony’s eye. Of course it was too soon after Barry’s death for Amanda to think about romance, but what would it hurt to let them get better acquainted? After all, Tony was footloose and fancy free. He could come back and see Amanda later if she agreed to it.

Hannah smiled to herself.
Why not?

Hannah looked around and spotted Chris, who was helping his father and B. J. with the corral gate.

“Chris!”

“Yes, Mama?”

“Could your father spare you for a few minutes?”

Chris looked at Solomon, who nodded, then ran to the wagon. “What do you need, Mama?”

“Tony is working inside the house. Would you ask him if he’d like to eat supper with us tonight?”

“Sure. Be right back.”

Hannah returned to the wagon and was dipping flour from a small barrel when her eldest stuck his head over the tailgate. “Tony said he’d be delighted to eat supper with us, Mama… and he said to thank you.”

“Fine, honey. Thank you for your help. You can go back to your father now.”

“Guess I’d better. Papa might mess it up if I’m not there to show him how to do it.”

Hannah laughed. “You’re a case, Christopher Cooper. I love you.”

“I love you, too, Mama. See you later.”

By the time the sun was setting, the aroma of roasting venison filled the air. The men continued to work, taking advantage of what daylight was left, and the women merrily prepared supper. Everyone in the wagon train was eager for this meal. It had been a while since they’d had fresh meat.

Amanda had joined Hannah at the Cooper wagon to help her with supper. Mary Beth and Patty Ruth were looking after the Kline boys inside the wagon.

Little Matthew learned that if he reached for Ulysses and Patty Ruth refused to let him have him, all he had to do was cry, and she would give in.

While the two mothers worked side by side, Amanda said, “Hannah, could I ask you about Tony Cuzak?”

“Certainly.”

“Well, call it feminine intuition or womanly insight, but even though Tony shows genuine joy in his newfound salvation, there seems to be a shadow of sadness in his eyes. Do you know anything about it?”

“Yes. You see, he started out this journey with his father and four older brothers. They were bad, Amanda… all the way to the core. Even though Tony was not a Christian, he was nothing like them.”

“You speak in the past tense. Are they dead?”

While they continued to work, Hannah told Amanda the whole story of the Cuzaks and their horrible end.

Amanda’s heart went out to Tony, and she marveled aloud at the way God had preserved him out of such an evil family life. Twilight had settled when the Cooper boys showed up, looking famished. They greeted Amanda, calling her Mrs. Kline, and then turned to their mother, wanting to know how soon supper would be ready.

“In about twenty minutes. You boys need to go do what your father and Tony are doing right now. Wash your hands.”

B. J. started to protest.

“No washee handsee, no eatee, Mr. Cooper. Understand?”

“Yes, ma’am,” the eight-year-old said, and followed his brother toward the well at the stock tank.

Amanda chuckled. “I think all boys are alike.”

“Well, my three are.”

“Three? I thought you had two.”

“The third one is thirty-six years old.”

“Oh. I understand. Husbands
are
just little boys in large bodies, aren’t they?” Amanda’s smile faded at the thought of Barry. Quickly, she said, “Both of your sons strongly resemble their father. And I can see you in Mary Beth.”

“Mm-hmm,” Hannah said with a smile. “And Patty Ruth?”

“There’s a slight resemblance to you, but she’s pretty much her own little person.”

“In more ways than one,” Hannah said, and chuckled.

Tony arrived with Solomon and the boys. When they all sat down to eat, he looked at Amanda and smiled, an appreciative look in his eye. Amanda smiled back, and Solomon noticed the exchange.

“So, Tony,” he said, “I think it’s time you learned to pray aloud before a meal.”

Tony’s face blanched. “Well, I… ah… I…”

“First time’s always the hardest.”

“Yes, sir, but—”

“You’ve heard others pray before meals since you got saved, haven’t you?”

“Well, yes, but—”

“Are you thankful for the food?”

“Sure am. The venison’s got my mouth watering.”

“Then just thank the Lord for it, and say it out loud.”

Tony swallowed hard and bowed his head.

“Lord,” he said, “I sure am thankful for this venison… and all the other things we’re about to eat. Ah…and drink. Thank You for letting us meet Mrs. Kline. She’s a nice lady. Ah…in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

“Why, Tony,” Hannah said. “You did great.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

“Everybody dig in!” Solomon said, and laughed.

That night, as Solomon and Hannah settled in their bedrolls beneath the wagon, Mary Beth and Patty Ruth slept in the farmhouse by special invitation from Amanda. The boys were asleep inside the wagon.

Solomon took Hannah in his arms. “Mrs. Cooper…”

“Yes, Mr. Cooper?”

“Did you observe something in Tony earlier today while you were inside the house?”

“Like what?” she asked innocently.

“That he has great admiration for Amanda?”

“Well, since you bring it up, I did.”

“And I assume she was as nice to him as she was at the table tonight.”

“Of course. Amanda’s a very nice person.”

Solomon gave her a squeeze and started to laugh.

“What’s so funny?”

“You.”

“What do you mean?”

“When we get to Fort Bridger, I’ll file papers to have your name legally changed from Hannah Marie Cooper to
Cupid
Marie Cooper!”

The more they tried to muffle their laughter, the more hilarious they felt, until Solomon covered her mouth with his and they kissed long and sweetly.

When he released her, Hannah said, “I’ve gone as far as I can. I realize it’s too early in her widowhood for falling in love, but I just wanted to do what I could to set things up. The Lord will have to take it from here.”

By the end of the next day, the barn roof was completely repaired, and the only fences in need of attention were at the
back of the property, where a few men continued to work. Most of the men were concentrating on completing the repairs to the sod roof.

Tony Cuzak went out of his way to hoe the weeds in the garden and clean out the barn, pig shed, and chicken coop. He also did some work on the screen door at the back of the house and found time to play with Jason and Caleb, who were on the back porch, watching him.

When Amanda carried little Matthew to the back door to observe the fun, she felt a strange elation as Tony tickled Matthew under the chin, making him giggle.

“These boys have really taken to you, Mr. Cuzak,” she said. “You’ll make a wonderful father someday.”

“I sure hope so, Mrs. Kline. The Lord knows I certainly want that. I can hardly wait to meet that special young woman the Lord has picked out for me somewhere in California!”

Amanda smiled. “You can call me Amanda.”

There was no relief from the heavy-hanging sun for the men working at the back of the property. They were tamping dirt around loose fence posts, and with each breath it felt like they’d taken fire into their lungs.

Ezra looked up as Solomon straightened and leaned the tamping bar against a post. Time for a breather. Solomon stepped back into the thick grass, and removed his hat to wipe his forehead. The sound of tamping filled the air.

Suddenly Ezra drew his revolver and swung it toward Solomon. No one noticed his action until a bullet plowed the dirt. Solomon jerked around and saw a wriggling, headless rattlesnake. The body continued to move from side to side, as though the snake had another set of eyes…another brain. A cold chill slithered down Solomon’s spine when he realized
how close the snake had come to biting him.

“He was coiled up and ready to strike,” Ezra said, holstering the gun. “We didn’t hear its rattles because of the tamping.”

At sundown the repair work was all finished. The wagon train would pull out the next morning.

Hannah had invited Amanda and Tony for supper again. Later in the evening, when all the people gathered around the central fire to talk with Amanda, she wept as she expressed her thanks for what they had done.

When the conversation drifted to Solomon’s close call with the rattlesnake, Amanda said she was aware they were in the vicinity, but she had never seen one on her place before.

Ezra warned everyone to be careful from now on, and to watch where they stepped.