Where the Wild Rose Blooms (43 page)

"Understandable." His voice was wonderfully kind. "I'm worse than a stranger. It's embarrassing because of our past, and at the same time she doesn't know me well enough anymore to really judge what I'll be like."

"Yes, I see what you mean. I'll go now and give her a moment to get used to the idea that you've arrived."

Eddie found Jackie on the sofa. She sat up rather tensely and looked toward her sister.

"He's here, Jackie."

Jackie came to her feet. "Do I look all right?" Her voice was low, and her hands smoothed down the skirt of her light gray dress. It was a perfect foil for Robert's dark burgundy office. Jackie's question was the first sign of vulnerability Eddie had seen for days.

"You look beautiful," she told her truthfully. It was amazing that the blindness had done nothing to mar the loveliness of Jackie's eyes or face. Her mouth was no longer given to smiling, but she was still gorgeous.
"I'll
send him in."

By the time Clayton arrived, Jackie was back in control. Sitting had seemed so awkward, so she had remained on her feet and forced herself not to appear tense when she heard his footsteps at the door.

"Hello, Jackie."

"Clayton?" He sounded so different. Some of her confidence left her.

"Yes, it's me. Are you ready to begin?"

"Yes," she answered without thinking.

"Okay. Why don't you come to the desk here." Clayton came forward to take her arm. "I have some books to show—"

"I can do it," she snapped at him. Clayton dropped her arm and swiftly stepped back.

"Of course," he said quietly. "I'm sorry. How would you like to handle this? Shall I assume you'll ask for help if you need it?"

"Yes," Jackie
replied coldly,
even as she told herself she would never ask him for anything.

Clayton waited until she was seated before he spoke, and in that moment he saw that she hadn't needed his help. She went directly to the table and sat down at the chair. Her actions reminded him of the calm way she'd come down the stairs the week before. It would have been nice if they could have engaged in some small talk, but Jackie's expression did not welcome it. Clayton felt he had no choice but to begin.

"I'm putting a book in front of you, Jackie. It's opened to the middle, and I'd just like you to touch the pages for a moment."

Clayton watched as she obeyed, and then studied her face as her brow furrowed in concentration.

"Have you ever heard of Braille, Jackie?"

"Braille?"

"Yes, it's a French name, and along with being a technique by which a blind person can read, it's also the name of the methods creator." Clayton nearly stumbled on the word "blind" but managed it. Other than a slight lift in Jackie's chin, she had no reaction. "As you can feel, it's a series of dots or small bumps, if you will. I'm going to teach you to read and write with this method."

Jackie's mouth went dry. She'd have told Robert or Eddie no and without discussion that she couldn't possibly learn such a thing, but not Clayton—never him.

"All right." Again the chin lifted.

"Here, let me have that book, and I'll give you another." Clayton slid the manual into her hands. "Now, we'll start with the alphabet. Right at the top you'll find A." He caused her to start when he took her hand and directed her finger. "Can you feel it?"

"Yes."

"What does it feel like?"

"Just one little bump."

"That's right. Read along to B and tell me what you feel."

Jackie's hand moved. "Two dots."

'That's right, but you've got to memorize their order. Are they on top of one another, or side by side?" On top.

"Good. Now go onto C and you'll understand why I asked."

Again Jackie's hand moved. "It's three dots."

"No, you've moved too far to D. Go back slightly."

"Oh." Jackie's voice actually sounded pleased. "It's two dots side by side."

"Right. You're doing great. Now go back to A and just go over A, B, and C one more time. Say them out loud."

Jackie did as she was told. The letters came slowly. "A, B, C."

"Excellent," Clayton praised her, carefully watching her fingers move.

The job done, her heart lifted for the first time in months. Claytons presence was forgotten. She could read these letters! It seemed like a miracle to her. Clayton could see the pleasure on her face and smiled but didn't comment. His
eyes
softened as he looked at her.

"Do I go on now?" she asked when he grew very quiet. Her question snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Yes. Go on to D, E, and F. They get a
little bit harder, but I know you'll get it."

And he was right. Jackie worked without complaint for the next three hours. Clayton was as excited as she was and never even thought about lunch. They didn't stop until Eddie came to check on them.

"Lunch is ready," she said when there was a break.

"Oh." Clayton looked surprised and then glanced down at his watch. "I brought something from home."

"Well, you can take it home with you," Eddie told him kindly. "When you're here at noon, we'll just expect you for lunch."

"All right."

"Coming, Jackie?" Eddie wished to know.

"Yes." She stood but didn't move from around the table. Clayton looked undecided, but Eddie signaled to him with her hand, and he followed her out.

Jackie heard them leave and, with a rush, the morning's work caught up to her. She felt as though she could hardly move. The sofa was behind her to the right and if she could just sit down a moment, then she would go eat.

Clayton offered to look for her when she didn't arrive in the dining room right behind them. He made his way back to the study and started to turn away when he saw the empty desk chair. His eye caught sight of his sleeping student just before he left. He changed directions and moved back into the room. Jackie didn't rouse when his steps sounded on the floor or when he turned his desk chair around to face her. It was all done very quietly.

Eddie was just as quiet when she came to the door a few minutes later. She looked in and saw Clayton sitting with Jackie, his
eyes
resting on her face. She left them undisturbed. Lunch was easy enough to reheat, and even if it wasn't, she wouldn't have disturbed them for anything short of a fire.

When Jackie awoke, Clayton was gone. She couldn't remember why she was alone on the sofa, but when she
softy called Eddies name and then Clayton's, there was no answer.

Right then her stomach growled and lunch came to mind. Eddie had called them to come to lunch, and she'd been too tired to even eat. Jackie stood and made her way to the kitchen where Lena spotted her immediately.

"Oh, Miss Jackie, I'm so glad you came. Lena's heart is heavy when you do not eat. Come, I have your food."

It was two hours past the time when Jackie should have eaten, and the loving housekeeper was not going to stand on ceremony. She sat the girl down at the kitchen table and fed her until she was ready to pop.

"Are you certain you don't want me to wake her, Tag?"

"Yes. I need all the time I can get to study this book, Eddie, and if Jackie's that tired, let her sleep."

"She's never napped before. It must be the mental effort of learning something so foreign." With that, Eddie went back to the quilt she was making for Roberts birthday. She actually preferred to quilt in the evening but wanted this to be a surprise. Her hands moved as
lightly as her heart. Clayton had finally come to eat lunch, and they had talked.

"How did she do?"

"Excellently. I know she'll have it down in no time."

"She didn't fight you?"

"Not the way I think you're talking about."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning, that if I read her face correctly, Jackie has decided to show me that she doesn't need me for anything."

Eddies eyes slid shut. Understanding dawned.

"I saw it in her," Eddie told him after a moment. "I mean, ever since Robert told her you were coming, she's been hardening her heart."

Clayton nodded. "It really makes sense, Eddie. She can't risk my rejection, so she's not going to let me close enough to hurt her."

"But what about you, Tag? What about your feelings?"

He'd been silent for long minutes. "Right now I'm here to teach Jackie, and that's all. If I don't watch my expectations, this is never going to work."

Eddie had done nothing more than nod and, once the meal was over, suggested they take coffee in the living room. Clayton had agreed, gone to the study for the manual, and been reading with very
little interruption since.

Now, some 40 minutes later, movement at the door and Jackie's voice raised both their heads.

"Eddie?"

"Right here, Jackie. Did you want some lunch?"

"Lena just served me."

"Good."

"Is my lesson over for the day, Eddie?"

"Not if you're up to more."

"Clay is still here?"

"Yes. Would you like to continue?"

Jackie nodded, her look unreadable.

"All right. Head back to the study, and Clay will be right behind you."

Why neither one of them mentioned Clayton's presence in the room, no one knew, but the experience was good for the new teacher. Jackie was remarkably different with her sister. Her voice and expressions were more open and softer than when she was alone with him. Seeing her thus, Clayton determined to bring his student out. He didn't have to teach the children of Boulder for another five-and-a-half weeks. As Clayton joined Jackie in the study, he asked God to work a miracle between him and Jackie during that time.

"Oh, Robert, it went so well." Eddies voice was breathless with excitement. They were already in bed for the night, cuddled together under a sheet and light blanket. The night was deliciously cool, and both could hear the familiar creaks as the house settled in the dark.

"She didn't really want to talk about it at dinner," Robert commented, pulling Eddie closer.

"No, but when I went in to say good-night she grabbed my hand. 'I did it!' she said. 'I read some words, Eddie.' You should have heard her voice."

"Did Clay say how it went?"