Wings of Promise (24 page)

“I’d better wash up.”

He passed Patrick in the doorway. His brows furrowed, he stared at his daughter. “Is she going to be all right?”

Paul pressed a hand on his friend’s arm. “She’ll be fine.” He kept saying the words, but he was afraid.

“And the baby?”

Paul wasn’t about to lie to Patrick. “I don’t know. We’ll have to wait and see. It’s pretty early.” He moved into the hallway and hurried down the stairs and to the kitchen, where he washed his hands thoroughly in the sink.

Sassa had washcloths and towels draped over her shoulder and a heavy blanket folded in her hands. “I’ll come back for the water.”

“I’ll get it,” Paul said.

Sassa headed up the stairway.

Paul toweled dry, lifted the cast iron pot off the stove, and headed up the stairs. When he walked into the room, he set the water on the bureau next to Lily’s bed. Paul helped Lily off the bed and allowed her to lean on him while Sassa removed the bedding and replaced it with the birthing blanket. Paul kept a hand on Lily when she lay back down.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” she said and then groaned. “Oh, I have to push.”

“Okay,” Sassa said, stroking Lily’s forehead. “Listen to your body. It will tell you what to do.”

When the contraction passed, Paul said, “Lily, I’m going to have to check you to see where the baby is.”

She nodded. While Paul examined her, Lily stared at the ceiling.

He couldn’t see the head, so he felt to determine the infant’s position. It hadn’t moved very far into the birth canal. “Everything’s fine, but it’s going to take some extra work to get this baby down. It’s in a posterior position.”

“What’s that mean?” asked Sassa.

“Most babies come out looking at the floor, but he’s facing the ceiling. It’s more difficult to birth a baby in that position and more painful. I may have to turn him.”

Lily labored two more hours and finally her little boy entered the world. His cry was weak, but he was breathing on his own and his color was good. Relief filled Paul.

“Oh, thank the Lord,” Sassa said, pressing her palms together.

“You have a little boy, Lily,” Paul said, clamping the cord and cutting it. He listened to the baby’s heart and breathing. “He sounds healthy.” He handed the infant off to Sassa.

She cleaned and swaddled him and then placed the little one in Lily’s arms. “He’s perfect.” Her eyes brimmed with tears as she looked at her daughter. “All babies are a blessing from God. This little boy is God’s creation.”

Lily took her mother’s hand and squeezed it. “I love you.” She turned her attention to her son, then smiled up at Paul. “Thank you for helping.”

“Glad to.” Paul gazed at the baby. “He’s a fine-looking boy.” His heart stirred at the sight of mother and son, and a longing for his own son welled up inside of him. What would life have been like if he had lived?

“Do you have a name for him?” Patrick asked.

“I have been thinking on that. I think I would like to call him Theodore Patrick Warren. I had a good friend in Seattle. We worked together and he had great faith. His name was Theodore.” Her eyes moved to her father. “And your name will bring honor to my son.”

Patrick’s eyes glistened and he leaned down and kissed Lily on the cheek. “I love you. And no matter what anyone might say, you are a daughter to be proud of.” He hugged her, then quietly left the room.

After checking the baby over and making sure all was well with Lily, Paul said, “It’s time for me to get home and for you to get some rest. You stay in bed unless it’s absolutely necessary to get up, at least for a few days.” He closed his medical bag. “I’ll be back tomorrow to check on you.”

Lily nodded without looking at him. She stared at her baby, a soft smile on her lips.

Paul’s throat tightened at the sight. He longed for someone to love. He longed for Kate.

K
ate walked into the kitchen and pulled off her work gloves. “Hi, Mom.” The mix of sweet and tangy smells wafted through the room. “It smells good in here.”

Joan lifted the lid off the canner and steam whooshed into the air. Wearing cooking mittens, she used canning tongs to lift out hot jars, then she set them on a towel on the counter.

“I love canned rhubarb.” Kate pulled off a flannel shirt she’d worn over her blouse and draped it across the back of a chair. “When I went out this morning it was cold, now I’m sweating.”

“I like that about October. Cool mornings and warm afternoons.”

“You mean hot afternoons. Poor Angel is lying in the yard under the weeping willow, panting away. Sometimes I wonder if it was wise to bring her.”

“She’ll adjust. You both will. It’s just that you’re used to the cooler weather up north.” Joan set the last jar on the counter. “And it’s not going to stay hot. I heard the temperatures could drop into the twenties tonight. I’m worried we’ll lose a lot of our apple crop.”

“Dad’s ready. He has the oil and pans all set just in case.”

“A letter came for you, from Helen. I put it on the occasional table in the living room.”

Eager for news from Alaska, Kate headed into the front room and picked up the envelope. Dropping onto the sofa, she settled back to read.

Helen had a lot to say. She talked about the annual fair in Palmer and the fun they’d had. And she gave details on a storm that blew in, dropping snow on Anchorage. The store had nearly sold out of kerosene and oil. Muriel’s husband, Terrence, had brought down a moose his first day out, and the baby was getting fat and was already rolling over. She talked about what a happy little boy he was and how much she loved being a grandmother.

Kate smiled. Helen would be the world’s best grandmother. Returning to the letter, she read about Lily and the baby. Helen was happy for a new life but was concerned for Lily and the stigma that would follow her and her son. Even though they lived out at the creek, gossip about Lily’s circumstances had been bantered about the bush and even been carried into town.

Melancholy swelled inside Kate. It was true that Lily had stumbled, but she was still a fine person and she’d be a good mother. She hated how unfair people could be—as if
they’d
never sinned.

She wondered how Paul felt about it all. He’d helped deliver the baby. Did he have special feelings for the infant? And what about Lily? Had the two of them grown closer? Sadness enfolded Kate. Would there ever be anyone for her? Would she ever be a mother?

She returned to the letter.

Helen and Albert planned to expand the store. Business had picked up and they needed more space. Kate wondered if they’d utilize the back room that had been her home. The idea made her a little sad.

Kate folded the letter and slid it back inside its envelope. Just as she headed for the stairs, she heard the sound of a car out front. Wondering who had stopped by, she glanced out the window. It was Richard. What was he doing here? She opened the front screen door and stepped onto the covered porch as he climbed out of his truck. Angel greeted him, her tail wagging.

He stroked her head. “Hi, girl. How you doing?”

In answer, the dog leaned against him.

Richard looked up at Kate. “Hi. I was just going by and thought I’d drop in.”

Kate pushed the envelope into her back pants pocket. “Where you heading?”

“I was on my way home from work.”

“Isn’t this a little out of your way?”

He grinned and placed a foot on the bottom step. “There’s a double feature playing in town. You want to go?”

“I’m a mess. I just got in from working all day.”

“There’s plenty of time. I can run home, clean up, and then come back.”

“I don’t know. Daddy might need me tonight. The temperature is supposed to drop, maybe into the twenties. If it does, we’ll have to set out smudge pots.”

“We wouldn’t be late. And I doubt that it’s going to get that cold. It’s still hot.”

Richard was probably right. Her father had a tendency to be extra careful when it came to his trees. Kate wasn’t sure she wanted to go, no matter what the weather did. Swimming on a hot afternoon was one thing, but the movies felt more like a date.

“
Captains Courageous
is playing along with the new Shirley Temple movie,
Heidi
.”

“They’re both s’posed to be good.” Kate blew out a breath. “Okay. What time?”

“How about an hour?”

“All right.”

Richard glanced at his watch. “I’ll be back at five. Maybe we can get some dinner afterward?”

“Okay. See you in an hour.”

Kate was putting on lipstick when she heard a car pull up. She went to the window and looked down at the yard. Richard climbed out of his pickup. Her father met him at the end of the yard and they talked. Maybe he’d convince Richard to stay and help in case of bad weather. But while Kate watched, her dad clapped the young man on the shoulder and then headed for the barn. Richard walked up the yard toward the porch.

Kate took a last look in the mirror, ran a brush through her bobbed hair, and then headed downstairs with Angel at her side. When she made her way down the stairs, Richard was visiting with her mother in the front room.

“You’re just on time,” she said.

He looked at her and she could see admiration in his eyes. She wished she hadn’t accepted his invitation. He might get the wrong idea.

“Kate, you look lovely.” Her mother folded her arms across her waist and studied her. “Richard said you two are going to the movies.”

Trying to sound nonchalant, Kate said, “There are a couple of good ones playing, so we thought why not.” She smiled at Richard, hoping she wouldn’t see any expectations in his eyes. Thankfully she saw only fun.

“Ready?” he asked.

“All set.” Kate grabbed a sweater out of a closet near the front entry. “We won’t be late,” she told her mother and walked to the door. Angel followed. Kate stroked the dog. “Sorry, girl, not this time.”

Richard reached around Kate and opened the door. “Night, Mrs. Evans.”

All the way to town, Kate wondered if she’d made a mistake in accepting Richard’s invitation. What if he expected something more than friendship?

She seemed to be the only one worrying. He was relaxed and talked about inconsequential things. By the time they reached the theater, Kate felt more comfortable. Maybe they could be just friends.

When Kate stepped into the line of people waiting in front of the theater, she spotted Mr. and Mrs. Parkins from church. She groaned, knowing Mrs. Parkins would jump to conclusions about her and Richard.

Wearing her sweetest smile, the woman approached. “Kate. Richard. How wonderful to see you two.”

“Evening, ma’am,” Richard said.

“Hello.” Kate had heard the excitement in the woman’s voice. She would tell everyone she knew that she’d seen them together. Kate frantically searched for some way to explain why she was with Richard.

“Kate and I are crazy about Shirley Temple movies,” Richard said. “So, we decided since we’re friends we might as well see it together.” He smiled. “Friends. We’re just longtime friends.” He grinned.

“Oh. Well of course.” Mrs. Parkins took a step back. “Enjoy the movie.” She walked toward her husband.

Kate buried a giggle beneath her hand. “Thanks, Richard. I appreciate that.”

“No problem.” He paid for their tickets and opened the theater door. Kate stepped inside. She loved the atmosphere. It reminded her of Saturday matinees as a child. “Do you remember when we used to come down on Saturday afternoons?”

“Oh yeah. Silent movies. I never was a fast enough reader.” He leaned against her. “But I liked it when you read the captions to me.”

“You liked the snacks,” Kate said.

“Still like Hershey bars.” He grinned. “Figure I’ll get myself one before we sit down. You hungry?”

“Maybe.” Kate moved to the snack bar and studied her options. “Milk Duds sound good.”

Richard stepped up to the counter. “One box of Milk Duds, two Hershey bars, and a bag of popcorn.” He looked at Kate. “You want something to drink?”

“How about a Coke.”

“Two Cokes, please.” Richard slid the change across the counter.

As they headed for the theater, Kate looked at him. “Some things never change.”

“What do you mean?” he asked, stuffing the candy bars into his shirt pocket, while supporting the bag of popcorn against his chest and holding his pop with the same arm.

“You love to eat.” She chuckled. “You won’t want anything afterward.”

“Wanna make a bet?” he chuckled.

When Kate dropped into her seat, she felt relaxed and happy. It seemed like forever since she’d done something as simple as go to a movie. Life in Alaska, with its joys and sorrows, seemed far away.

After a rousing ending to
Captains Courageous
, the screen went black and the theater lights came on. Richard and Kate headed for the lobby.

“That was a good movie,” Kate said.

“They both were.”

“What about the cartoon? You’re not a fan of Donald Duck?”

“I absolutely am.” Richard draped an arm over Kate’s shoulders and gave her a teasing hug.

When they stepped out of the theater, cold night air nipped at them. It had settled over the valley in a hurry, and now frost glistened in the car lights on the street.

Kate bundled deeper into her sweater. “It’s cold. Too cold.” She hurried her steps. “I need to get home.”

Richard ran around and opened the truck door for her, then slid in behind the wheel and started the engine. They hurried toward Kate’s.

“I should have stayed home.”

“Calm down,” Richard said. “It’s not that cold yet. I’m sure everything’s fine.”

“I hope Dad has help,” Kate said, gazing at the rows of trees as they drove past. Lights bounced through the orchards and most of the farms had smudge pots burning already.

When they headed up the driveway, Kate saw her father and mother out among the trees. “Stop here,” she said. The truck was still moving when Kate opened the door and stepped out. Richard left the lights on so Kate could see as she ran across the orchard to her parents. “How bad is it?”

“We’re staying on it,” her father said. “The only trees we’ve got to worry about are the late apples. Can you grab some of those cans and set them out?”

“Sure.” Kate hurried to her father’s truck and grabbed a batch of buckets.

Richard picked up two cans of kerosene and followed her. “I’ll pour the fuel.”

“Thanks.” Kate set a bucket down in the center of the row. She wished she weren’t wearing her dress shoes; they made walking difficult. Richard poured fuel into the bucket and Kate lit it off. The flame illuminated his face. “Even though it wasn’t the best timing, thanks for tonight.”

“I shouldn’t have asked, not with the possibility of a freeze.”

“I wanted to go.”

He smiled. “Okay. So let’s save as many apples as we can.”

Working frantically, Kate and Richard moved down one row and then on to the next.

Two laborers who’d been staying on at the farm set out pots several acres away. Kate’s parents joined forces in the next orchard. It took more than an hour to get the pots out and lit. By the time they’d finished, Kate was exhausted. She stood with her hands on her hips and gazed out over the farm. It looked eerie with flickering flames and smoke illuminated in the light.

Her father joined her. “Good work, Kate.”

She leaned against him, enjoying the feel of his arm around her. She felt safe. “Will the apples be all right?”

“I’ll tell you in a minute.” He picked an apple off a tree and using a pocket knife, cut it open. He studied the fruit. “This one looks good, just a little frozen around the outside edges. Didn’t get into the core.” He moved to another tree and picked an apple, cut it open. “Same here.”

Kate sat on the tailgate of the truck. Even in the cold she felt hot. She took in a deep breath of gratitude. She exhaled and the air fogged. “Where’s Angel?”

“We thought it would be better if she stayed indoors.” Kate’s father leaned against the side of the truck. “Thanks for your help.” Taking off his hat, he rotated it in his hands and then resettled it on his head. “I think we’re going to be fine.”