House on Diablo Road: Resurrection Day (The McCann Family Saga Book 3) (23 page)

Winter had finally ended, and the fields were filled with wildflowers and the trees were that tint of pastel green before the heat of summer deepens their color. Along the fence-line, the honeysuckle infused the air with its fragrance, and the deer feasted on the tender new shoots of new grass. On such a balmy Saturday, the McCann family made good use of the sunshine an had brunch on the front porch.

Annie had spread a cloth over the wicker table, upon which she set a glass of bluebonnets
,
because her daughter loved them. Katie was still with them, even though Nathan was trying to reconcile and had even begun construction on a new house for her
,
there on the old plantation site. However grand and modern the house he built, it would never have the same effect upon him, as the one that Lucinda had burned to the ground. That was indeed a good thing.

Jesse deliberately, methodically, cut his ham into tiny pieces, without looking up. “What are your plans?” he asked Katie, with what he hoped was an even tone. “Have you decided to reconcile with your husband?”

“I don't know what to do about Nate. He was less than honest with me, after saying I could trust him. Right now, the one thing I'm sure of is that I want to go back to the mill. Maybe take on more. I thought you and Mama might want to spend more time together. You know Daddy, you could retire, or a least work shorter hours. Let me take some of the burden off your shoulders...and don’t give me that comment.”

“Which one? I have several.”

“The one where you say 'a young lady has no business being in charge of a saw mill'.”

Jesse smiled. “I wouldn’t think of it. One more question. if you and Nathan don’t make it, will you and that Yancy boy take up where you left off?”

“Daddy that’s so
gauche
, and must you always refer to him as 'that Yancy boy'. His name is Tom. You've never, in his life, called him by his given name.”

Jesse chuckled, but Annie remained lost in thought. He knew when something was on her mind. He gazed at her across the table from him, sipping her coffee. The sunlight had turned her eyes to a light heather, and he felt as if could see clear through to her soul. Those eyes had none of the cloudiness he had seen lately. She pursed her lips and folded and refolded her napkin. He waited for the words to come, and at last they did:

“While we're on the subject of plans, Jesse, I may have some changes in mind. You know, I've taught Tobias at home for his first two grades, but now I think it would do him good to go to the primary school in Morgans Bluff. Maybe it's time I let go of him a bit. My hovering might be part of the behavior problem.” Then she took a breath and continued: “I've thought of taking up practical nursing at the hospital, during school hours. Rachel's capable of taking care of Granny until I get home.”

“Even better
...
why not stick to your tried and true herbal potions and home remedies? Nowadays, they have licenses for that kind of thing. Make your rounds again for the people of Shanty Town. Those were
your
people. It's where you grew up. You're not likely to see them at the hospital.”

He was already picturing her flying around the back roads in her wagon, giving the horses a good run. He remembered the sight of it had been one of the things he loved.

She was looking at him with a soft smile, her head to one side, studying him. “You know, I forgot how competent a man you are, and how good you are at many things.”

“Maybe I need to show you 'how good' more often.” He held her eyes with his and smiled at the blush on her cheeks.

The sweet and peaceful moment was not to last. At the sound of a loud humming clatter, they looked up to see Tobi coming across the yard, attempting to control Buck's old Lizzy. Calvin was in the passenger side, hollering for all he was worth. “Use the brake, you little blockhead. You're about to hit that tree!”

The Lizzy swerved and came to a screeching stop, a foot short of the porch and in the middle of the azaleas. “Did you see me, Mama? I can drive now!” Tobi shouted.

“Don’t take that thing out on the road, son. Stay on the drive with it!” Jesse said.

Annie was unfazed, much to Jesse's surprise. “You did just fine, Tobias.
Just fine
.” and then, under her breath: “Don’t be so
overprotective
, Jesse.”

They would never be likely to agree on that rusty machine Buck had left the boys. It all began when Jesse found a piece of notebook paper in Buck's box of keepsakes, and it turned out to be an informal will. All Buck had was fifty dollars cash and the Lizzy. The money was split between his godsons, and the Model T was left to both, so that, in Buck's words, “they might learn to share and get along”.

Having heard the commotion from the front parlor, Granny took a notion to come out to be part of the family, and so Rachel rolled her out onto the porch. Everyone was amazed to see her wearing a touch of badly applied face powder and the colorful Native beads that had been stashed in a dresser drawer for decades.

Annie was delighted. “Look who's decided to join us today.”

Granny looked serene for the first time in a long time. Refusing Annie's attempts to spoon feed her, she managed to use her one good hand to feed herself, clumsily plowing through scrambled eggs and fig preserves on a biscuit. Her days of refusing food had obviously come to an end.

Katie, however, picked at her food and remained on her own track: “Life is not always about happy endings, Daddy,” she sighed.

“Not always, but we can make our own happiness sometimes. It changes with age, any way. We end up finding it in small, unexpected ways that take us by surprise. As for happy
or
sad endings...we don't really want to know beforehand. If I pick up a book to read it, I don't turn to the last page and skip the rest. Thomas Monet has the ability of seeing ahead, and it
seems more burden than gift.”

All that needed saying had been said, for the time being. Much had changed, but some things stayed constant, above all the drama. The pulp wood trucks continued to run in and out of the piney woods, the Big Muddy still flowed as lazy as molasses. And on the hill above them, the Animal Spirit Guide still watched.

If the future seemed unclear and the ending uncertain, there was a remedy. Locked inside the china cabinet, lay the wondrous pieces of taffy from the magical City of New Orleans.