Gingham Mountain (30 page)

“You wrecked it! I remember the day all you had to do was smile at a man, but you’re getting old and tired and ugly.” Horace had followed her into the back part of the store.

Prudence kept her eyes on Horace’s fists and moved to the far side of the table in her back room. She was leery of him, but she was also thinking. “We’re not beat yet.”

“How’d’ya figure that?” Horace’s eyes, cold and watchful as a rattlesnake, could have cut her flesh.

“So he won’t come in here by himself. Not willingly. Well, we’ll just bring him here unwillingly. You’re out and about his place working.”

“Digging in that stinking black tar, filling buckets, breakin’ my back!” Horace picked up a chair in front of him and heaved it across the room, snapping its legs.

Prudence swallowed and talked fast. “You sneak out there next time, wait until all those brats leave for school, and you knock him senseless. Tie him up and hide him away, then keep him until dark and sneak him in here. We’ll keep him overnight. Maybe we can even force some liquor down his throat while he’s out. The next morning he’ll have to come out, and I’ll make sure there’s a lot of ruckus. I’ll stage a scene right in front of the whole town, crying and saying he promised to marry me, that he spent the night. He’ll be forced to marry me on the spot.”

Prudence went to close the door that separated the living quarters from the store. The heavily curtained front window had a slim opening, and through it she saw that snippy schoolteacher stalking away from Grant. Prudence knew human nature enough to recognize the light in Grant’s eyes as he watched her go. If Prudence didn’t move fast, she’d lose Grant to Hannah. She didn’t have much time to stake her claim.

Grant followed the schoolmarm into the alley, and they disappeared from sight.

Seeing the teacher reminded her of all the fuss Sour Springs was making over this stupid passion play at the school. Her mind, always sharp, focused on that now.

“Wait, I’ve got another idea, an idea that’ll catch him good, right in front of the whole town. We’ll try that before you dry gulch him and drag him in here. He’s a tough one. I can see it in his eyes. Catching him won’t be that easy. But he’s soft in the head on collecting children.” She leaned forward and outlined her plan.

Horace’s fists relaxed.

A floorboard creaked in the front of the building, and Prudence’s eyes went to the closed door. She swung a hand at Horace. “Someone’s out there. Get behind that curtain.”

Horace concealed himself quickly. The fat old coot could move fast enough when he was swinging a fist or hiding out. Too bad he was so slow with his digging. She wouldn’t have to put up with the nuisance of people wanting sewing done. She was sick of working for pennies.

She smoothed her skirt, plastered a smile on her face, and went out to the front. No one was there. She looked around the room then strode to the door. She pulled it open and noticed it squeaked. If someone had come in, she’d have heard for sure.

Shutting the door again, she scanned the room then shook her head as she studied every shadowy corner of her dumpy little business. Her eyes caught a crack of light coming from beneath the window that opened onto the alley between her store and the mercantile. She went to it and raised it a bit. She didn’t remember ever opening it, so why hadn’t it been closed?

Maybe Horace had wanted a breath of fresh air? And maybe if she asked him, he’d use those fists of his this time.

She slid the window open and closed and noticed it moved silently.

A rattle of a wagon drew her attention and she saw Grant drive away with that blond boy that had ruined her plans. She’d delight in seeing that child be sent down the road.

After they drove away, she stayed in the front, piddling with her fabric and a shirt she was overdue to deliver, giving Horace plenty of time to calm down.

G
rant got home to a warm supper and cold shoulders. The girls slapped food on like they were trying to give the table a good beating. Even Joshua, Charlie, and Benny were mad at him. Libby seemed a little huffy in her silent way, too.

Well fine! He’d managed to head-butt Shirt Lady. Hannah hated him. His children were furious. And he might as well admit he was good and sick of himself. He ought to form a club for people who hated him and charge membership. He’d be a wealthy man.

The only sound besides pottery on wood and the clink of silverware was chewing.

Grant wolfed down his food as fast as he could swallow to keep them from burning him to a cinder with their glaring eyes. He got done eating long before they did and practically ran out of the house toward the barn. Once there, he found the chores were done perfectly, and when he came out, he saw the young’uns had managed to get two rooms’ worth of logs stacked and ready for building while Grant had been in town making enemies. He grumbled over all the help. He’d intended for this job to take him years.

He stepped into the kitchen to overhear his children settled down to their dinners, speaking at last. “Miss Cartwright has the pageant planned for the Saturday night before Easter. We’ll have to drive into town at night.” Benny spoke around a mouthful of roast beef.

Grant resisted the urge to hammer his head good and hard on the door. If he could only get through one night without hearing Miss Cartwright this and Miss Cartwright that. He saw a look pass between Charlie and Sadie and decided Charlie had told what went on in town, and since his dealings with Shirt Lady had turned into a disaster, they seemed ready to talk to him again.

Sadie wiped Libby’s mouth with gentle hands and tucked the napkin more firmly under Libby’s dimpled chin. “I’ve been asking and asking for Miss Cartwright to come out after school or on a Saturday or Sunday to work on her sewing. She needs a lot more practice. But she is really busy with the pageant.”

Grant gripped the doorknob until it seemed likely to snap off.

“You’re doing a wonderful job as Mary,” Marilyn told Sadie as she served Benny more mashed potatoes. “There’s a little nativity scene included as part of the Easter story. Miss Cartwright calls it a passion play.”

“We’ve all been given really good parts, Pa.” Charlie sat next to Benny. Charlie’s shoulders were straighter, and he barely resembled the hostile, defiant boy who had moved in here such a short time ago.

“I get to sing a solo,” Sadie added.

“Thanks for going in to help Miss Cartwright the other day.” Joshua reached his long arms halfway down the length of the table and snagged the meat away from in front of Benny. “The risers are going to be great for the singing. All of us can get in rows and nobody’s head is lost behind the person in front.”

Grant sighed as the children chattered happily. Libby still remained silent, but she smiled and had a good appetite. He heard Gladys Harrison’s name several times. It seemed that Hannah’s chief critic had become her right hand. Everything was going fine at school. More than fine. Fantastic.

Grant wanted to scream!

He had no excuse to take his family out, and that meant he had to
listen to All-Hannah, All-the-Time. And that meant he could never forget about her or how much he wanted to spend more time with her. If he did, sure as shooting he’d end up kissing her. He’d already proved he wasn’t equal to the task of behaving himself in that area. And someone would catch them, and he’d end up married to her, which meant, in a world full of children, they’d add a few more.

Stirring restlessly, Grant forced his thoughts away from the stunning temptation of having children with Hannah and thought of all the unwanted children who needed him. He’d promised himself and God long ago that he’d devote his life to helping these lost little ones. He was
not
bringing more children into the world.

So that left marriage out. That left Hannah out. That left Grant with a lot of unruly thoughts and feelings that he had no idea what to do with. And that left him with some rooms to build.

“I know it’s late, but I think I can level the ground and lay the first few logs for the foundation of the new rooms while you young’uns are doing your studies.”

A mighty cold night, he’d rather be out building than listening to his children talk about Hannah.

“I don’t have any homework, Pa.” Joshua had always been an exceptional student. Right now, Grant wished the boy was dumb as a fencepost because he didn’t need this house addition to go up any faster.

“I don’t have any either.” Charlie stood from the table.

“Maybe you two should stay in and help Benny and Libby with whatever homework they have.” Grant pulled on his coat and listened to a rising wind whip around the cabin. Good, this oughta about kill him—which should keep his mind occupied.

“No need, Pa,” Sadie said as she cleared the table off. “I’ll wash up, and Marilyn can watch over the studies. As soon as we’re done, we’ll be out, too.”

Marilyn began settling the little ones at the end of the kitchen table
Sadie had already cleared. “Miss Cartwright and Mrs. Harrison both say I’m old enough right now to be a schoolteacher. If it wasn’t for Wilbur, I might consider it. I could probably take a term somewhere while Wilbur is making up his mind about building a cabin. Mrs. Harrison is going to ask around and see if there are any openings in the county. I could even teach a spring term.”

Grant flinched to hear of one of his children growing up so soon. “I think this spring is too early, Marilyn. You’re just sixteen.”

“I’ll be seventeen in a month, Pa. We’ve had teachers younger than that at school and there’s a real need.”

Grant looked at his daughter and thought of how well she did running his house and caring for her little brothers and sisters. He knew she could handle a school. “I don’t want you out on your own just yet.”

“I could help a lot of children who might not get an education otherwise. Besides, I’m almost through all the books. Miss Cartwright says I’ll graduate this spring. And the schools are real careful to find a good place for the teacher to live.”

“All except Sour Springs,” Charlie said. “Working at the mercantile is kinda fun. I run all over town, carrying packages. I’m getting to know a lot of people. When I made some deliveries to the diner, I peeked in Miss Cartwright’s room to see where she lives.”

“Charlie, you shouldn’t be sneaking around.” Grant spoke sternly then ruined it by adding, “What’s it like?”

“It’s hardly bigger than our loft.”

Grant looked up at the tiny triangle of space over his head. “That small?”

“Well, she can stand up straight in the middle, but it’s not much bigger. Her room is cold, too. There’s no heat except what comes up from the diner, and they shut that all down at night. I saw half a loaf of bread and no other food. I don’t think she had enough money to feed herself at all until her first pay came in. Now, it’s barely enough to make do. Most schools let a teacher live with a family, and then they can have
their meals and a warm house. It’s no wonder this town can’t hang on to a teacher.”

“Hannah’s cold and hungry?” Grant’s heart started beating too hard. He hadn’t known. She’d never said a word. Of course, when had they exchanged normal words? They were either fighting or. . .

“I’m sure she’ll be okay. Warmer weather is coming. She’ll only have to be cold a little while longer.” Sadie smiled at him, but it wasn’t a friendly kind of smile. “And after all, she’s an orphan. I’m sure she’s
used
to being cold and hungry. I’ll bet she doesn’t even mind suffering anymore.”

Grant’s eyes narrowed. Sadie and Marilyn exchanged another one of those confounded female glances.

Joshua pulled on his coat. “Miss Cartwright said I’m going to graduate this spring, too, Pa. Ian offered me a job at his blacksmith shop.”

Grant thought of his son Ian, who’d gone out on his own black-smithing after living with Grant for only a year. As soon as he was set up in business, he’d come back and scooped up Megan, one of Grant’s daughters, to marry. That had been a first. Ian and Megan had two children and one on the way. The blacksmith shop was a success, and Ian hustled to keep up with all the work. It was a fact Ian could use the help.

Joshua’s dark eyes flashed with excitement. “I’m thinking I can work for him and file on a homestead. I’ve already got my eye on a good spot out near Will’s ranch.”

“You have to be twenty-one to do that.” If Joshua and Marilyn left, he’d be down to four kids. He wouldn’t even need to add on to the house.

“Who’s to say how old I am, Pa?” Joshua buttoned his coat up to the neck. “You always make us pick a birthday for ourselves so we can have birthday cake, and all I know about my age is what I guessed at. I don’t have any record of being born. If I say I’m a full-grown man and do the work of a full-grown man, then I don’t see why the people filing homestead claims should disagree.”

Grant saw Joshua slip a quick look at Sadie and Sadie looked back. Grant was shocked. Sadie did know her birthday. She’d be sixteen in a few months, the same age as Megan when Ian married her. Sadie’d been with Joshua since before Grant found them in Houston. She’d have her birthday about the time Joshua graduated from high school, got a job, and had his house built. If Sadie hauled off and married Joshua, Grant would be down to three kids.

“When we’re done here we can start building a cabin for Josh.” Charlie went out the door following Joshua.

The boys disappeared, closing Grant inside with the girls and Benny. If he wasn’t careful, they’d build on to the blasted house without any help from him at all!

Sadie, Joshua, and Marilyn all growing up right in front of his eyes. Grant pulled his old Stetson on tight against the cold wind, saving his new one for going to town, and went outside to add on a room before his whole confounded family moved out on him.

There wasn’t another orphan train due for two years.

Jogging to catch up with his boys, he thought desperately that he was getting plumb short of children!

T
he day Gladys Harrison dropped in unexpectedly at school and caught Hannah handing out the award for champion speller to Emory, Hannah knew her position as teacher was secure for life