Love Finds a Home (Love Comes Softly Series #8) (10 page)

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Belinda ached to just flop across her bed, as was their fashion of old, and talk and talk with her two nieces.

Belinda took a few short rides through the familiar countryside on Copper. He proved to be just as self-willed as ever. Belinda never dared dismount to try to tie him up while she investigated a bush or patch of flowers. She knew how skillful Copper was at leaving for home without her. She did enjoy her outings, regardless, and always returned home with flushed cheeks and shining eyes.

One fall day when the wind was rattling the tree limbs and sending showers of autumn leaves scurrying to the ground, Luke turned his team into the farm lane.

"You busy?" he asked Belinda.

"Why, no," she answered, and Marty swung around to question her son with probing eyes.

"I'm not kidnapping her, Ma," teased Luke. "Just wondered if she'd like to make a call with me."

Marty nodded encouragingly as Belinda reached for a warm shawl.

"Is it cold?" she asked. By the expression on her mother's face, Belinda guessed Marty was hoping this little outing with Luke might somehow bring her back to them.

"It's a bit chilly," Luke responded. "I think you'd be wise to take your coat."

Belinda went for her coat and soon joined Luke in the buggy.

"Do you still make a lot of house calls?" she asked him. "Not like I used to before Jackson came, but yes, I still make my share of them."

"Where are we going today?" asked Belinda.

"Little Becky Winslow has a bad throat. Her mama wants

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it checked. Didn't want her in my office in case it was contagious," Luke explained.

"I hope it's nothing serious," Belinda commented. "Doesn't sound like it is, but one always needs to be careful," Luke replied.

They rode in silence for a time, then Luke spoke again. "Well, it's official. Dr. Jackson Brown and Nurse Flo have announced their coming marriage."

"How nice for both of them!" Belinda exclaimed with a smile. She had seen Jackson on one occasion since she had been home. To her relief it had not proved awkward. They had chatted sociably, easily, as two old friends. Belinda was truly happy for Jackson.

"How soon?" Belinda asked.

"Next spring. May. So I won't be losing my nurse immediately. Still, we are training another woman to help in the office. We don't want to be left with no one in an emergency. We had decided long ago that we should have at least two nurses who know the procedures at all times."

Belinda nodded.

"Remember that place?" Luke pointed with a finger. Belinda recognized the Coffin farm. The one that Josh had rented to the Simpsons.

"Pa said that Mr. Simpson passed away," Belinda said, her mind suddenly churning with many other thoughts.

"He did. It was sudden--and unexpected. By the time

Jackson got there, it was too late."

"That's too bad," Belinda commented soberly.

"Mrs. Simpson and Sid still live there," Luke went on. "That's what Pa said. Looks like they've fixed things up quite a bit," Belinda noted.

"They have. Mr. Simpson worked awfully hard to get it back to what it once was. Say what you like about the family

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they can't be accused of being lazy. Hard workers, every one of them."

Belinda kept her thoughts to herself for a few minutes as the team traveled on down the road, leaving the Simpson home behind.

"You mentioned Jackson," she said at last. "Jackson was called when Mr. Simpson died. Does that mean they still haven't forgiven you?"

"Oh no. I've been there several times. I just was out on another call when it happened, that's all. Why, Drew himself was in to see me a while back. He was here to visit his ma."

Belinda nodded. "Pa told me," she admitted.

There was silence again. Belinda finally broke it. She wasn't sure what to ask--how to ask--but she did want some answers to all her questions.

"Was Drew. . . has he . . . has he changed much?"

Luke shook his head and clucked to the team. "Well, yes . . . and no," he answered. "He's grown-up . . . filled out. . . gotten to be a good-looking man."

Nothing different about that,
thought Belinda to herself. He was always good-looking.

"He's . . . he's very mature," Luke continued. "He'll make a good lawyer. A real good lawyer. Just wish we had him here." "He doesn't plan to . . . to come back?"

"I don't expect so. Guess he really didn't say one way or the other. . . but he did say that he's happy where he is. He's working in a good firm. Getting lots of good experience. . . making good money, too, I'd expect. Not much to come back here for."

Belinda nodded.

"He asked about you," Luke surprised Belinda by saying. Belinda's eyes widened. "He did?"

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"Said he never did thank you--properly--for your part in his surgery."

Belinda felt a swirl of emotions that came with the memory. It had been one of the most difficult experiences of her life.

"What did you tell him?" asked Belinda.

"Just said that an elderly lady had been brought from the train to us and that you'd gone off to the city to become her private nurse. He seemed happy for you."

A few more minutes of silence slipped by.

"Luke," asked Belinda slowly, "do you think the city is where I really belong?"

He was quiet for a while, then said, "That's a question only you can answer." He turned his head to look into her face, and Belinda nodded.

"It's just . . . just . . . I don't know anymore," she admitted. "I . . . I don't seem to fit here."

"What is 'fitting'?" Luke asked. "How does one feel when one 'fits'?"

"Well, I . . . I guess like I used to feel," Belinda stammered. "I never used to even think about fitting before."

Luke nodded. "When I'd been away .. . to get my training," he said slowly, "and came home again . . . well, I wasn't quite sure if this was the place for me or not. I sure didn't fit in the same way I had before, but I decided that there was little use looking back. That really wasn't where I wanted to be anyway--a young squirt tagging along after Doc. So it seemed like the only thing to do was to make myself a new place, a new 'fit.' One of my very own. And I set to work doing that. I feel quite comfortable in my little spot now. . . and Abbie and the kids, they seem happy, too."

"I guess that's what I'm going to have to do," agreed Belinda, and she thought of Boston. She didn't really look

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forward to settling permanently in the big city, but to her thinking there was really nothing else that she could do--at least for now Aunt Virgie needed her--and she certainly didn't seem to have a place here in the country anymore.

She sighed deeply. Life could be so complicated.

"Hey," Luke said, reaching across to squeeze her folded hands. "I have faith in you. You'll know the right thing to do when the time comes."

"But . . ." began Belinda, "I . . . I can't just put it off forever . . . and . . . and drift. I have to make up my mind sooner or later."

"And you will," said Luke. "I'm counting on it."

They had reached their destination. Luke hopped down and turned to help Belinda, then tied the team and lifted his black bag from the buggy.

"Let's take a look at Becky's throat," he said to Belinda, and they entered the house together.

It turned out to be simple tonsillitis, and Luke left some medicine and soon they were on their way again.

"It's always a relief when it isn't something serious," Luke said, and Belinda nodded in agreement.
If only life could always be so simple and straightforward,
she thought.

Marty asked Belinda if there were any neighbors she wished to visit. Belinda pondered for a few minutes. All her school chums were married women, and a number of them had moved from the area. She shook her head slowly. "Only Ma Graham, I guess. I don't really know who else is still around."

And so Belinda and Marty hitched the team again and started to the Grahams'.

"It's been a while since I've been over to Ma Graham's myself," Marty confessed. "I keep tellin' myself thet I must git

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goin', but then somethin' more comes up thet needs doin', and I put it off again."

Marty had been "doin' " all the time Belinda had been home. The garden produce had to be brought in and put in the root cellar, and the apples had to be picked and stored and the kraut had to be made--and on and on it went. Her hands were always busy, yet she had not allowed Belinda much opportunity to help.

"Now, you don't want to go back to Boston with yer hands all stained an' rough," she would scold mildly. "You jest sit there an' talk whilst I work."

Belinda had not cared for the arrangement, and she had usually found some tasks, such as churning butter or mixing up a cake, while the two of them shared the kitchen.

But now it was visiting day. Marty seemed to look forward to the break.

"Ma's been a mite poorly," she informed Belinda.

Belinda quickly turned, concerned, to ask what the problem was.

"Luke says it's jest old age, plain an' simple. She's had a busy life--a hard life, Ma has, an' I guess thet one can't help it when it shows. She blames it all on her gallbladder," Marty went on.

"Has she thought of having surgery?" asked Belinda.

"Well, to do thet, she'd hafta go to the hospital over to the city, an' Ma don't want to do thet. Says she'd rather jest put up with it."

"That might not be a good idea," Belinda continued.

"Well, wise or not, thet's the way us old folks think sometimes," said Marty, and Belinda smiled at her mother putting herself in the same age group as Ma Graham.

They were welcomed with love and enthusiasm by the older woman. "Belinda, let me look at ya!" she cried. "My, don't ya look nice. So grown-up and pretty. My, how the years

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have flown. Seems jest yesterday ya was here delivering me another granddaughter."

Belinda remembered. It had been the first delivery Luke had allowed her to help with.

And it was on my way home that Drew stopped me,
she silently remembered and felt her cheeks flush slightly.

Like Ma said, it had been a long time ago.

"An' you, Marty," Ma teased. "Seems it's been almost thet long since I've seen even you."

Marty laughed and the two women embraced.

Tea was soon ready and the three sat down for a good chat. Time passed quickly as Belinda caught up on each member of the Graham family. Ma even had some great-grandchildren. She beamed as she spoke of them.

All too soon it was time to go. Marty left with the promise that she wouldn't wait so long to be back again, and Ma promised to have one of her boys drive her over to the Davis farm one day soon.

"Thet was a good idea, to visit Ma," Marty said to Belinda on the way home. "I'm so glad ya thought of it. Ma always did hold you as somethin' special."

"I've missed her at church," Belinda said. "It seemed strange not to see her there."

"Well, it's her bad leg thet keeps her from church," Marty informed her daughter. "Ya notice how she can't take a step without thet cane--an' she can't climb steps at all anymore."

Belinda had noticed, and it bothered her. It was just one more thing that was changing--and she was helpless to do anything about it.

Eventually the day came for Belinda to return to Boston. It was cold and windy, and Belinda shivered as she pulled on her

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coat. She realized now she should have brought something warmer. The weather had been so much milder when she had left Boston that she hadn't thought of what it might be six weeks later.

Her simple country frocks had all been hung back in the closet. Belinda noticed Marty's eyes lingering on them there.

Belinda commented carelessly, "Who knows when I might be back again?" But she couldn't help wondering if Marty thought, just as she did, that she might never wear those dresses again.

"Ya better wrap this heavy shawl around yer shoulders," Marty said, handing her one, and Belinda did not protest.

The trip into town was a quiet one. They seemed to have said everything there was to say. Now the thought of the separation ahead made talking difficult.

"Yer sure you'll be warm enough?" Marty asked. anxiously as Belinda returned the shawl.

"It's plenty warm on the train," Belinda assured her. "Ya won't need to git off?"

"Not until I get to Boston."

"Do they know when to expect ya?"

"I left the schedule with Windsor," responded Belinda. "He'll be there with the carriage to meet me. He is most dependable, Windsor is."

Marty nodded.

The family gathered, as it always did, at the station to see her off. Even the youngsters had been allowed to leave school early so they could be on hand for Belinda's departure. Also, as always there was a great deal of shuffling about and making small talk while they waited for the minutes to tick by.

At last they heard the shrill of the whistle in the distance. The train would soon be pulling into the station. Belinda began her round of good-byes, leaving her ma and pa for last.