A Great Catch (30 page)

Marguerite led them to the shop area, through the large doors in the back, and onto the boat dock. Trip waved and hopped off the deck of his
Endeavor
.

He hooked his arms around his wife’s waist. “We’re all set.”

Emily nodded toward Marguerite. “Are you coming?”

“I’m afraid she’s been docked for a while.” A broad, dimpled grin broke out on Trip’s face. “I’m not letting her near a sailboat.”

“Letting her?” Emily’s blood pumped. How dare Trip tell Marguerite she couldn’t participate in something she clearly loved! Well, he wouldn’t get away with it as long as Emily was there. “You’re not
letting her
go out?”

Marguerite laid a hand on her arm. “Emily, it’s okay.”

“No, it’s not okay. He should not be telling you what you can and cannot do. You are as capable a sailor as he is—or at least that’s what you’ve said—and he has no right to take that from you on some overprotective whim.”

Laughter seemed to start in Trip’s belly, rise to his chest, and explode from his lips. Carter soon joined in.

Emily’s jaw dropped. “And what, gentlemen, is so funny?”

“I’d have to agree with everything you said.” Trip chuckled again. “She’s probably a better sailor than I am, and I shouldn’t tell her what to do, but I’ve got to think of the baby.”

“Baby?” Emily’s gaze dropped to where Trip’s hand now rested. “You’re . . . that’s why . . . oh my goodness.” She covered her mouth with her hand, and tears filled her eyes. “You’re going to have another baby.”

“Finally.” Marguerite pulled Emily into a hug. “But God’s timing is always perfect.”

Emily stepped back and dropped her gaze to Trip’s shoes. “I’m sorry, Trip. I jumped to conclusions.”

“Jumped?” Carter chuckled. “You took a flying leap on that one.”

“It’s not a problem.” Trip faced Carter but tilted his head in Emily’s direction. “You sure you know what you’re getting into?”

Carter patted her hand. “I sure hope so.”

“Then let’s get you on board.”

Emily seemed different.

She had yesterday too, but unable to put his finger on why, Carter simply watched her as the sailboat traveled over the soft swells of the lake. The crew, consisting of Trip and three mates, went about their work. They left Carter and Emily alone in their seats in the ship’s stern. Emily used a lace-edged handkerchief to dab at the spray hitting her face, then glanced at him. Her lashes drooped shyly over her slightly freckled cheeks.

“What’s wrong?” She raised a hand to her bun and tucked an errant strand behind her ear.

“Nothing’s wrong. I was admiring the view.”

She smiled and swept her hand toward the shore. “The view’s out there.”

“I happen to like the one I was enjoying.”

Her cheeks blossomed, but then she sighed. “Carter, we need to talk.”

“I know.” He draped his arm around her. “You said you had something to tell me, and I have some news to share with you too.”

“That’s not the part I meant.”

“I know that too.”

She licked her lips and inhaled deeply. “I need to apologize for doubting you and to tell you that you were right.”

The sailboat leaned slightly to the right, and Carter tightened his grip on Emily. “I like how that sounds.”

“Don’t get used to it.” She swatted his arm. “I’m being serious.”

“So what was I right about?”

“I was building a broken cistern, trying to fill myself up. Even though I never felt like I was good enough, I was prideful in my own way.”

His heart did a little jig. So that’s why she seemed different. God’s touch had a way of changing His children.

“You wanted people to acknowledge you and make you feel worthy. I think we all do that.” He flicked the annoying mop of curls from his forehead. “I was prideful too. I didn’t speak to you in love, and I said some hurtful things.”

“I accused you of stealing from my grandmother. You had a right to be upset.”

One of the crewmen unlashed some lines.

“Boom coming across,” Trip called out.

As instructed earlier, they both lowered their heads until the sail had swung to the other side.

“I could have told you what I suspected, but I was afraid my brother was the one doing the stealing. He and I don’t see eye to eye on everything, but he’s still my brother. I was hoping to persuade him to put the money back, and then I’d tell your grandmother I found the error.”

“But that wasn’t prideful.”

“No, the prideful part was not wanting to look bad in your eyes and not trusting God to work out a way for us to be together.”

Tears pooled in her eyes. “You could never look bad to me.”

“Excuse me?”

“Well, at least you won’t ever again.”

“That’s good to hear.” He winked at her. “So, before I share my news, tell me yours.”

“Well.” She shifted in her seat so she could face him. “You’re never going to believe what happened. This morning I got a visit from Mary Jane Coggeshall.”

“That suffrage lady from Olivia’s tea party?”

Her eyes dancing, Emily nodded. “And she was so pleased with the idea of the Bloomer Girls’ game, she contacted Carrie Chapman Catt, the president of the National Woman Suffrage Association.”

“Honestly?”

“And Mrs. Catt wants me to come work on the national level.” Her smile widened further. The wind picked up, and she held her hat on with her hand and raised her voice over the noise. “I’d go around to colleges and try to recruit young women to the cause. She said they need someone like me with innovative ideas.”

The news punched him hard. His chest heaved, but he forced a smile. Emily wanted this. It was her dream. He should want it for her. But how could he?

The sailboat heeled deeply to the left. Emily lurched forward and Carter grabbed her arm.

Emily clutched at his grip. “Thank you for catching me.”

“I’ll always catch you.”

The words tripped in his throat. It wasn’t true. She was leaving, and he couldn’t—rather, he wouldn’t—catch her before she left for Washington DC. It wouldn’t be right to steal her dream.

“So what did you want to tell me?” Her eyes still sparkled with excitement.

“Never mind. It’s not important.”

Not important?

Under star-filled skies, Emily sat on a park bench beside Carter, watching a hot-air balloon inflate on the open field outside the Grand Pavilion. The thickness of his voice when he’d spoken those words haunted her.

As the balloon inflated, its breathtaking, vibrant colors contrasted with the darkness of the night, making the craft appear to glow. Soon it would lift, and she wished it could carry the heaviness that had descended between the two of them after she’d shared her news.

“It’s beautiful.”

“It is.”

She removed her hat and set it beside her on the bench. In a few minutes, the hat would have blocked her view of the balloon’s ascent.

A chasm of silence settled between them.

Long.

Sad.

Painful.

And oh so vast.

Her eyes filled with hot tears. He didn’t love her enough to stop her. He hadn’t told her not to go. If he wanted her to stay, he should at least say so.

Carter squeezed her hand. “Emily, do you really want to go?”

A tear hung on her lashes for a second, then made its way down her cheek. The wind blew across it and cooled the narrow streak. “Yes and no. Does that make sense to you?”

“Completely.”

The hot-air balloon, now filled, lifted into the air. As it rose above the trees, the red, yellow, and blue stripes were backlit by the balloon’s furnace. Several stories in the air, the pilot released his harness and dropped from the balloon. Seconds later, his parachute opened and he floated to the ground while the balloon continued on without him.

“Pilotless?” Emily turned to Carter. “What will happen to the balloon?”

“It’ll fall eventually. Then someone goes and picks it up.”

Falling eventually. She’d fallen. God had picked her up, and here she was flying pilotless again, only days after telling Him He had control of her life. Even though she’d told Mrs. Coggeshall she needed time to pray, she had yet to ask the Lord what she should do.

She squeezed Carter’s hand. “Can we pray together about whether I should go to Washington DC?”

“Now?”

“Yes. I don’t want to wait.”

“I’d like that.” The thickness in his voice was back when he spoke. “Lord.” He paused and she heard him swallow. “I don’t know what kind of plans You have for Emily. She’s such an amazing woman, and You placed the desire to change the world in her heart. Maybe it’s selfish, but I don’t want to let her go. Not now. Not ever. I love her. I made some plans, but I didn’t include You either. So here we are, asking You to help us make our paths straight.”

He finished the prayer, and Emily swiped the dampness from her cheeks. He loved her.

The voices of the other balloon watchers faded as she pondered his words. Her emotions whirled like a tornado.
Lord, I’m Yours. For whatever You want me to do. Stay. Go. Marry Marion Wormsley. Thank goodness You don’t want that. But I have to know.

Carter stood and pulled her to her feet. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and she leaned against his chest. Her aunts would be mortified, but it felt so good to be in his arms. So safe. He would catch her. She knew it.

They watched the hot-air balloon climb farther into the inky sky. “Carter, what was your news?”

“It doesn’t matter now.”

“It does to me.” She tipped her face to his.

“My dad and brother want to invest in a baseball team I would manage.”

“That’s wonderful!”

“A Bloomer Girls’ team.”

She dug her fingers into his arms. “Are you considering it?”

“I already started making a list of places where I can recruit.”

“But what about the major league?”

“I realized I like teaching and coaching more. When I was with those boys and teaching you, I loved every minute. I had an offer for a club team in Des Moines, but I turned it down already.” He took a deep breath. “I was hoping my wife and I could manage the Bloomer Girls’ team together. I thought you could travel the country with me and preach suffrage to every crowd we draw.”

She gasped.

“Emily, I’ve been trying to be noble and not ask you to give up your dreams. I’m praying this is what God wants me to do and that I’m not being selfish. But I want to marry you. You’re a great catch and I don’t want to let you go. I want to take a chance on us. Please tell me you do too.”

She opened her mouth, but the words stuck in her throat.

He rested his chin on the top of her head. “I understand. You want to go.”

“No!” The word finally broke free. She jolted her head up, and it struck Carter’s chin.

He jerked back.

“I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”

His chuckling broke the quiet. “I guess I’d better get used to that.”

“Life with me can be threatening to one’s health.” Her heart twirled. “Can you handle that? I’m headstrong, stubborn, and I want my way far too often. I hate the word
obey
, and I can give Independence Day a whole new meaning.”

“Are you trying to scare me? Because it isn’t going to work. I’m aware of those things.”

“Then do you know this?” She placed her hand on his whiskered cheek. “I love you, Carter Stockton. I love how you want to follow God, I love your trustworthiness, and I love the tumble of curls on your forehead.”

“Is that a yes?”

“That, my love, is a grand slam.”

With a whoop, he lifted her from the ground and spun her in a circle until the dizziness in her head matched the dizziness in her heart. He set her down and she stumbled. Instinctively, he caught her, and then before she’d regained her balance, he lowered his lips to hers.

Excitement and joy, passion and love all fought for her heart, swelling inside her until she feared she’d burst. Was this what it felt like to hit a ball out of the park?

She doubted it.

This had to be much better.

Author’s Note

The turn of the century marked many changes for women. Before then, the lives of most women centered on the home. As a wife and mother, the woman spent much time doing such things as cleaning, sewing, and cooking. By 1900, the industrial society was drawing more and more women out of the home and into the workforce. These women had more freedom than ever before. They were exploring a new world full of possibilities.

The Bloomer Girls’ teams are a product of this time period. They crossed the country playing against men’s teams from the 1890s to 1934. Hundreds of teams including the Chicago Stars, the All Star Ranger Girls, and the Philadelphia Bobbies provided entertainment for the crowds while showing the world they could hit, field, slide, and catch as well as any man.

Maud Nelson (born Clementia Brida) not only pitched for the Chicago Stars and other teams, she was also a scout, manager, and owner. Her forty-year baseball career should make her a household name, but because she worked with women’s teams, history records little of her. Even the newspapers of the day record the Bloomer Girls’ teams more as spectacles than the serious athletes they were.

Although Iowa was one of the states leading the fight for woman suffrage, the women of Iowa would not receive the right to vote until 1919 (ratified in 1920) along with the rest of the country. It is odd that a state that gave the movement such leaders as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Mary Jane Coggeshall, Amelia Bloomer, and Carrie Chapman Catt was unable to pass a state amendment granting women the right to vote prior to that. In addition, Iowa was known for its progressive attitude toward women. For example, Iowa State Agricultural College (now ISU) was coeducational from its beginning in 1869.

Can you imagine the excitement of these women, who worked tirelessly for the right to cast their vote, dropping a ballot in a ballot box for the first time? I like to think Amelia Bloomer and the other suffragists who had already passed on would have rejoiced in heaven on such a day.