Vow Unbroken (36 page)

Oh, Father, thank You! Lord, save his soul now, please. Draw him to Yourself. You know I cannot live without him.

Though it seemed to take forever, Henry reached the boat at last, and the men pulled him aboard. He gasped again and again, like he'd never get enough air. Sue fell to the floor beside him and held his face between her hands. “Henry, Henry, I was so scared.”

She bent down and pressed her cheek against his, whispering in his ear, “I thought you were going to die. I couldn't bear losing you. I don't want to live without you.”

He rubbed the back of her head. “I'll never leave you, Sue. Never, I promise.”

She collapsed on him and bawled.

Becky fell across her shoulders. Her little arms wrapped around Sue. “It's all right, Mama. It's all right now. Daddy's safe. He didn't die. See?” She patted and rubbed her mother's back. “Don't cry, Mama.”

Blue whimpered. Sue looked up. Bleeding himself, the dog licked his master's arm. She rose off Henry. Bright red blood covered his arms and oozed from a gash in his scalp, too. “Henry, you're hurt!” She sat up and turned to the captain, who had joined them. “Do we have any clean rags? Fetch me something!”

Levi came stumbling out of the center room. He rubbed his eyes as though he couldn't see well. He blinked, then stared at Henry bleeding on the deck. He walked next to Bitty Beck and kneeled. “What happened?”

“A bad dog was after Blue, so Daddy jumped in to help him. It was a huge mongrel, twice Blue's size, and it was fighting
Blue; then it tried to kill Daddy.” Becky's eyes filled again with tears. “He went under the water, Levi, and he didn't come out. Not for a long time.”

“He's safe now, though; he'll be fine, sweetheart.” Sue appreciated Levi comforting Becky and continued trying to clean Henry's wounds.

The man looked at them both. “I'm fine.”

“Well, you don't look even fair to middling, much less fine.”

“I'm so sorry I was asleep. I could have helped.” He turned and retreated into the cabin's darkness. It wasn't long until he reemerged. “Auntie?”

“Yes, Levi?”

“Soon as you can, could I speak with you a minute? In private?”

What in the world? Why was he acting so strange? “Of course, dear—at least as private as we can get on this glorified raft.” She smiled.

“I—uh—I have to tell you something.” He ducked back into the shadows.

Henry sat up, holding a clean rag to his head wound. “I'm fine, Sue. You go ahead.”

She stood and followed the boy inside the cabin. “Well, what is it?”

Levi hung his head. “The reason I was sleeping and didn't help Mister Henry.” He looked into her eyes without lifting his chin. “I'd been up most all night.”

“Why, honey? Was there trouble at the livery? Something happen I don't know about?”

“No, ma'am, I mean, yes, ma'am. Well, there wasn't any trouble. Nothing like that. See, I, uh, bought a pint of whiskey, and I got soaked. That's all.”

She pushed him back. “That's all? That's all! What in the world were you doing drinking hard liquor, Levi Bartholomew Baylor?” Her eyes bore into his until he looked away.

“I only wanted to see what it tasted like. Bought me a bottle with some of my winnings from playing mumbley-peg at Cap Daingerfield's Springs. I'm sorry, Auntie. I am so sorry. I didn't mean to drink it all. It burned at first, but then it got to tasting kind of good. Made me feel like I was grown-up or something, I guess. It was gone before I knew it. Can you forgive me, Aunt Sue?”

Her heart melted. She extended both arms, and he walked into her embrace. She spoke into his ear, “Of course I can. We all make mistakes that we're sorry for later.” She held him out at arm's length. “But promise me you'll never do that again.”

“I promise. I never felt so bad in my whole life. I don't know what I'd have done if Mister Henry hadn't bought me a bath and poured coffee down me.”

So Henry knew and hadn't told her? How dare he keep such a thing from her? Levi was not his nephew—not yet—and she certainly had a right to know what was going on with her children! She gave Levi another hug and a little peck on his cheek, then went to gathering all the clean cloth she could find.

She insisted Henry let her see to his wounds properly but didn't mention the incident with Levi. She wanted to think on it before spouting off. She smiled. Maybe she had learned something at least. She led the man to the mess table and went to work on him.

Becky marched in holding out the sewing kit. “Are you going to need this, Mama?”

“I don't know.” Sue looked at Henry. “What do you think?”

“Wrapping should do.”

She liked that answer. She would hate hurting him even if
it was to help him, but perhaps that was exactly what she needed to do. She needed to bring up the subject again and try to share her testimony or something. Tell him she couldn't marry him unless . . .

Might as well get it over with. Hurt him to help him. Tell him that even with her father's blessing, she could not marry him; not until he accepted the Lord's sacrifice and free gift of salvation. She wet a strip of cloth, then wrung it out and went to cleaning the first gash near his shoulder.

But should she mention his sinner's state at all? Would it only serve to make him mad? Especially when he actually acted more like a Christian than she did. He'd proved that over and over again. Daubing the cleaned wound with coal oil, she remembered all the times on the trace when he'd acted like Christ and she was the one who didn't.

But she'd have to let him know that the issue wasn't resolved just because he'd said he and the man upstairs were fine. It would rip his heart in two—and hers as well—if she just refused to marry him.

But could she really do that? Moving on to the next deep cut, she dipped the cloth and began again. How could she live the rest of her life without him if he absolutely refused salvation? Then again, what if today had been a warning of what might happen if she did go ahead and marry him no matter the consequences?

Would God really punish her if she conceded to unequally yoke herself to this most wonderful man? And what about His grace and mercy and forgiveness—all that Henry had said? She couldn't think about it; she couldn't bear to, not now. She must put it all out of her mind, far away from her innermost heart, and force herself to focus on the task at hand.

Once she finished, he extended his left arm, the one with
the most and worst wounds, and examined her doctoring. “I think that will do fine.” He smiled. “Thank you.”

“You are welcome, sir.” She faced her daughter. “Please put the kit back where it goes; unless we need it to see after Blue. Have you checked him out good?”

“Yes, ma'am.” The girl took the small box and stood. “He's fine; I made him a pallet next to my side of the bed.”

Sue nodded, waited until Becky had left the room, then took a deep breath and held it. She exhaled slowly. “Henry, there's something we need to finish talking about.”

He laughed. “I've already promised not to ever do anything stupid like that again.”

“That's good, and I do appreciate it, but it's Father—”

“Sweet Susannah.” He patted her hand. “Don't worry about him. I'm sure he'll be reasonable. We'll convince him; there's not anything we can't accomplish together.”

“Henry. Listen to me, please. You saying that everything's fine with you and the man upstairs does not make it fine so far as I'm concerned. I've tried to tell you again and again, but you don't listen.”

‘I want you to quit worrying about me, Susannah.”

“But—”

He held up his hand. “No buts. Everything will be fine. I promise. Don't you trust me?”

With her whole heart, she wanted to believe him, wanted to trust him, but he didn't know her daddy, and he didn't know the whole story of why he'd refused his blessing when she married Andy. How could she insult Henry by saying he didn't have enough money? Or that he had no trade? And without him being truly born again, there was no chance.

Oh, God, dear God, save Henry's soul!

L
IKE ALWAYS, HENRY HEALED FAST.
The third day out from Jefferson, he and Levi took to helping push the boat. Working the long poles stretched out his wounds and caused him to catch thunder from Sue each time she changed his bandages, but it gave him and the boy something to do. Contrary to what the old ladies back home thought, he hated lying about doing nothing.

That third evening, a bit before sunset, he walked toward the front of the boat for another push. His relief man caught up with him and took the long pole. “Miss Sue says your supper's ready.”

“Good, I'm hungry.” Henry strolled toward the mess galley that Sue had made her own. When he got there, he was amazed with the feast. He would love her even if she didn't know how to cook, but what a bonus. While he enjoyed a cup of coffee after his meal, the captain hurried in and grabbed a plate. After a few quick bites, he set his fork down.

“Mister Buckmeyer, sir.”

“Call me Henry.”

“Yes, sir.” The captain grabbed another bite and bolted it
down. “Sir, the men and I have been talking, and, well, if you're agreeable, we'd like to buy the boat from you when we arrive in New Orleans.”

“Why not? I was planning on selling her once we got the cotton sold.”

“I thought I heard you say something like that. We have a problem though.”

Henry smiled. “Not enough coin?”

“Yes, sir, that's it on the nail head. We're hoping to make some good profit on the beeves and a few other trade goods we've got, but I don't think it will be enough.” He looked at his hands for a second, then faced Henry again. “Sir, would you consider taking a note from us for the remainder?”

Henry leaned back and glanced again at Sue. She lifted one shoulder a bit, then pulled one corner of her mouth into a lopsided smile. He liked this man, and his crew seemed top-notch. The risk would be high, but nothing compared to what the Lord had blessed him with. “No notes.”

The man's face fell.

“But I will consider partnering with you.”

“Partners? How would that work?”

“I was thinking to ask three hundred gold for the boat. Can you and the men cover half that?”

The captain nodded. “Yes, sir. That shouldn't be any problem. I'm thinking we should be able to come up with even a little more.”

“No. Keep any extra for trading and supplies.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Can I trust you to do that?”

“Absolutely, sir.”

“When you get back to Jefferson—and don't take my half of
this boat anywhere else—find a banker and give him my half of any profits.”

The captain looked as though he was replaying Henry's conditions in his mind, then started nodding with a smile. “Why, yes, sir. I understand.”

Henry stared into the man's eyes. He neither flinched nor seemed to be making himself stare back. Henry stuck out his hand, then remembered the unequally yoking that so bothered his beloved. “If you're a God-fearing man, then it's a deal.”

The captain grasped Henry's hand in his and shook heartily. “Yes, sir, I am. So, it is a deal indeed.”

SUE TRIED TO ENJOY THE
carefree days on the flatboat, floating down the Red River, but the unrelenting realization that she must speak with Henry stole her peace. Each time she convinced herself of exactly what to say and when and how to say it, her heart ached at the possibility of losing him.

And the resolve tied her tongue into knots. When she'd try to start, she couldn't form the words or push them over her lips. One thought kept surfacing, though. The question he'd asked the captain. Replaying the incident, her mind's eye watched Henry say, “If you're a God-fearing man, then it's a deal.”

Why had he said that? What would it matter to him if the captain was God fearing or not? Hmmm . . .

Finally, the fifth morning dawned. The captain said they should reach port before noon. After a good scrubbing, Becky got her hair braided, and then she put on her new blue dress, matching bonnet, and white ruffled apron. Sue also got her
own bath. Having a river full of water at her disposal was nice after nine long, dirty days on that hot, dusty trace. If only the water could wash away the ache that grew in her heart.

About a mile out, the captain ordered the pole men to reverse. Sue found Henry on the bow. “What are they doing?”

“We've got to slow down; he's going to steer us to that stretch of bank where the cattle are. Livestock has to go into holding pens, so we'll off-load the beeves there, then get in line behind the other flatboats to deliver the cotton.”

“Oh, I thought we could—” She stopped herself, since naïveté might expose stupidity. She wished getting the boat unloaded could go faster, but no doubt it would take all day anyhow. Oh, well, by the end of it, she'd surely have her cotton sold.