Sundown (9 page)

“Adam fell for Eve.”  Wyeth suggested.  “Even the bible tells of Godly men who have fallen from grace.”

Arabella smiled. 

“I believe God created sin so we might learn from our mistakes.  Besides, I think Parson Hanly has already had his fill.”

“Why would you say this?”

“Intuition.”  Arabella replied smartly, crinkling her nose at her father.

In the days following the town council meeting, news of Sundown’s new schoolmistress spread like wildfire.  Despite Mamie Hartley’s desperate insistence, the Sheriff of Sundown’s daughter was not respectable enough to hold a position of trust, the rest of the council had voted her in.

Arabella waited patiently, staring out the window, feeling the first sign of dejection. 
Not even one single pupil.
  Releasing a sigh, she wandered toward her makeshift desk. 

How could she blame the townspeople for their indifference?  She realized a female alone with an outlaw did not sit well with most folks in Sundown.  Reasoning with herself, she finally decided the town’s dismissal was a small price to pay, considering her own
culpability.  A sudden creak at the door diverted her thoughts. 

Whirling around, she felt her breath catch in the back of her throat.  There in the doorway stood the last person on earth she expected to see.  Though his blue eyes had not sought hers yet, she could tell by the turbulent set of his jaw his gaze already simmered. 

“Mr. Hanly.”  Arabella
respired.  Her voice grew still when he finally looked at her.  For a moment, all she could do was stare.  Nervous, she shook her head and forced a polite smile.  “What brings you here?”

Bray Hanly removed his hat. 

He did not answer. 

Instead, he stepped aside, revealing the adorable little boy she had seen at Sunday service the day before.  Holding a lunch tin, the youngster smiled, showing gaped teeth and a wealth of freckles showered his pert nose.  Arabella could not help but smile.

“And who are you?”

“Sam.” 

“Just Sam?”  Arabella laughed.

In return, the boy giggled.  Like a playful sprite, he set his lunch tin down aside the wall and escaped through the front door, leaving them alone. 

“Sam is my nephew.” 

Arabella decided his voice sounded
sinuous, almost
engaging.  Try as hard as she might, she could not ignore the fact the man was incredibly gorgeous.  She liked the way the sunlight magnified his dark mane, and how the golden aura set off his swarthy face.  She found herself ensnared by his puzzling gaze.

“Sam’s father, he couldn’t make it?”

Arabella immediately sensed her mistake. 

She noticed the way he flexed his jaw when cornered with such an intrusive question.  Looking away, he shook his head with a muted reply. 

“My brother’s passed on.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.”  Bray muttered.  “You didn’t know him.”

“I only meant I’m sorry for raising the issue.”

Miffed by his abrasive behavior, she felt her lips tighten.  “School lets out at three o’clock.”

Ignoring her subtle
discharge, he narrowed his gaze with speculation.  “Where’s the rest of your class?”

“Sam
is
the rest of my class.”  She responded, somewhat dejected.  “I guess most folks around here don’t want their children educated by a tarnished woman.”

“Tarnished?”

Arabella stared back at her desk.  Flustered, she realized she had spoken in haste.  She took a deep breath, forcing a smile she almost laughed at her own suggestion.

“Forgive me.  I should not hamper you with errant
hearsay, but being a fair person, I think I should forewarn you.  The reason none of the other children showed up today is because their parents fear I’ve consorted with an outlaw.”

“Have you?” 

Arabella
did not miss the way his voice nearly cracked.  Struggling to meet his pensive gaze, she withheld a shaky breath.  She avoided him by peering out the window.  Outside Sam pumped his legs beneath a swing.  Like any adventurous child, the boy flew higher and higher until finally, he jumped from the swing.  Landing flat on his stomach the boy yelped, knocking the wind from his gullet.  The sound, which followed, was nothing less than frightening.

Arabella screamed.  “Sam!” 

Rushing from the schoolhouse, she could hear his uncle’s heavy footsteps close behind her.  She found the child rolling around in the dirt, gasping for breath.  Tears streamed down his face while he grabbed at his belly.  After a long episode of groans and twisted contortions, the boy finally managed to speak.  “Hurts.”

“Suck it up, little man.”   Bray scolded.  Patting the boy on his back, she watched him slip his hand beneath the child’s rib cage, checking for damage.  Satisfied his nephew had not broken any bones he reached down, and grabbed the child by the cuff. 

“Son, if she bucks you off, you’d better find a way to get back on her.”  His uncle challenged.  With a playful shove, he sent the child back to the swing.  She did not miss the tenderness in his amused gaze. 

“He’s a boy, no harm done.” 

“Thank God, he’s all right.”

Bray nodded his head and replied.  “You didn’t answer my question.”   

“You don’t waste much time, do you?”  She answered.  Crossing her arms, she felt her mouth suddenly set in a tight moue.  “And I daresay it’s appropriate.”

“You’re the one who brought it up first.”

“I did, didn’t I?”  Arabella had to smile.  Throwing him an offhanded look, she shrugged her shoulders.  She was keenly aware of his scrutiny when she answered.  “All right then, if you must know I did whatever I had to do to survive.”

“I see.”  The timbre in his voice sounded hollow, almost distant.  She noted the strange set of his face, clamped mouth and fixed eyes.  Surely, she did not see regret spreading across his handsome face.  Feeling confused and somewhat
indignant, Arabella looked away not wanting to take a guess at what he thought.  Swallowing hard, she shook her shoulders, and cleared her throat.

“Mr. Hanly.”  She paused, closing her eyes for a moment, she felt unsure with herself.  “I’ll understand if you want to take Samuel home.”

“Why?” 

“I think you know the answer to the question.”   

“Sam needs an education.”  Bray clipped, his eyes roved over her icily.  “What you did or did not do with an outlaw,
are
really none of my concern.”

He had nothing else to say.  The man turned on his heel, while she stood admiring his fluid stride as he walked away.

Later in the afternoon, Arabella found out Sam Hanly was a delightful pupil.  Bright and inquisitive, he had an exceptional aptitude for learning.  Each time he pronounced a letter, Arabella rewarded the child with dramatic praise.  Nodding her head, she went with the boy’s rhythm as he zipped through the alphabet.  Finishing off with the letter Z, he cocked his head and gave her a toothless grin.

“Very good, Sam!”

“Momma says I’m excellent!”

“Did she teach you letters?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Well your Momma’s right.”  Arabella
praised.  “You’re so
very clever and she must be
proud of you.”

“Momma’s gonna have a baby!”

“She is?”

“Mm-hmm.”  Sam nodded his head.  “We’re gonna name the baby after my Poppa.”

“Poppa?”  Arabella asked, feeling her heart give way.

“He’s dead.”  Sam whispered.  With an edge of sadness, he blinked, looking back at her.  “Uncle shot him.”

“Uncle Bray?” 

“Mm-hmm.”  Sam returned.  “Momma said it was an accident, he didn’t mean it.”

Arabella closed her eyes.  The child’s heartbreaking confession was more than she sought to know.  However, the boy’s little insight helped her paint a larger picture of Bray Hanly.  How it must be to carry such a heavy load.  Feeling her throat constrict, she turned away not wanting the boy to see her tears.

In the distance, she heard the church bell ring, signaling three o’clock.  The clamoring sound somehow soothed her frayed nerves.  Releasing a shaken breath, she swiped at her wet eyes and set a children’s book down on the boy’s desk. 

“Sam.”  Arabella said.  “I’d like you to take this home so you can read to your Momma.”

“Momma loves books!”  Sam jumped up from his desk excited, hugging on to her skirt.

“I sure do.”  A woman’s pleasant voice interrupted the happy scene.  “Especially when she gets to hear how well her boy is reading them.”

There in the doorway stood Jenny Hanly. 

Like a porcelain doll, a wealth of blonde curls escaped her bonnet, and her powder blue eyes smiled back at them. 

“Momma!”  Samuel shouted.

“Mrs. Hanly.”  Arabella walked away from the child’s desk to greet the woman.  “Sam and I were just finishing his letters and I must say he has quite a knack for learning.  You should be very proud of him.”

“I am, Miss Gentry.”  Jenny beamed, resting a hand on her protruding belly.  “I want to thank you for taking your time with him.”

“You really don’t have to thank me at all.”  Arabella smiled as Sam maneuvered around her to hug his mother by the skirts.

“Momma!”  Sam piped.  Releasing his mother’s skirts, he scampered toward the door.  “Watch me on the swing!”

“Sam!”  Jenny tossed her head aside while still smiling at the other woman.  “Be careful!  I don’t want to patch up another knee!”

Both women strolled toward the front door, pausing to watch young Sam, who already on the swing pumped his legs back and forth.  Nervous, Arabella pressed her lips together.  Watching the child climb higher and higher, she glanced over at Jenny Hanly, but refrained from telling her about the accident on the swing just this morning when her brother-in-law had dropped the child off. 

“Since Sam’s father passed, Sam’s not been quite the same.  I thought by sending him to school it would give him a change he needs.”

Arabella nodded her head. 

“Perhaps, but then time has its own special way of healing.  It took my father many years to get over my mother’s passing.  The pain he felt was so immense one day he got up and left me with my aunt and uncle, and went west.  I never saw him again until twelve years later.”

“Sheriff Gentry abandoned you?”

“Do you blame him?”  Arabella turned away.

“No.”  Jenny replied her voice solemn as her gaze fell on her son churning his legs beneath the swing.  “It’s just he’s such a well-respected man in these parts.  I never thought him the kind of man to wander off and leave his daughter behind.”

“No one knows our plight.”  Arabella smiled at the woman.  “We’ve been making up for lost time.”

“Have no fear.  I will keep this between us.”  Jenny replied, nodding her head.  With a sad smile, she looked away.  “I would give anything to have my husband back.”

“I couldn’t imagine.”  Arabella tried to hide the tension in her voice.  “Your brothers-in-law must be a huge help now you’re on your own.”

“Yes.”  Jenny’s smile turned strained, a bit nervous.

“Especially Bray.  He works very hard to see to our needs.” 

Arabella felt her heart constrict.  Bray Hanly worked hard to provide for Sam and Jenny.  The act in itself was selfless.  She instinctively surmised either he was a good man, or he lived with an immeasurable amount of guilt.  Lifting her chin, Arabella drew a deep breath, and sighed.  Who was she to judge Bray Hanly?  She hardly knew the man, and preferred it this way.

“Mrs. Hanly, I do so apologize.”  Arabella murmured, locking the door behind her.  “It’s getting late, and I must get to the post office before closing.”

“No trouble at all.”  Jenny smiled.  “Miss Gentry, you must come to the ranch some time.  Perhaps you could visit next Sunday after church?”

“What a lovely idea.”  Arabella smiled back.  “I’d enjoy that very much.”