Beyond These Hills (37 page)

Andrew's heart thudded at the news. “A fire? How bad is it?”

Lieutenant Gray shrugged. “Any fire's bad here on these slopes, but they're trying to keep it from reaching Tremont.”

At the mention of the name Tremont, Andrew's heart constricted.
Laurel. Was she still there? No, she should be home by now. He was sure she was.

He realized Lieutenant Gray had said something, but he hadn't heard him. Andrew blinked and shook his head. “What?”

“I asked if you want to come along and help out. You know, since you work for the Park Service, you may want to experience a fire for yourself.”

Andrew shuddered at the thought. Experience a fire? He'd done that when he was a child, and it had left a memory that still haunted his dreams. He opened his mouth to decline, but his eyes grew wide as he heard the words he spoke. “I'd like to go with you. Let me go put this suitcase in my car that's parked beside the station. I'll be back in a minute.”

Andrew ran to his car, unlocked it, and shoved the suitcase in the backseat. He was about to relock the car when he froze at the small voice niggling in the back of his mind.
You really don't want to do this
, it said.
Get in your car. Go to Cades Cove to see Laurel. You can tell Lieutenant Gray later you changed your mind
.

A whistle blew, signaling the departure of the train for Maryville. Andrew stood, unsure what to do. Should he board the next train to Tremont, or should he hop in his car and drive to Cades Cove?

Then he remembered the day he had asked Granny if faith could give him power to face things that seemed impossible. He recalled how she'd smiled as she answered him just hours before her death. “If you put your trust in God and believe in Him, He'll give you the power and strength to face whatever comes your way, Andrew.”

He looked up into the sky and breathed a prayer of thanks for the lessons Granny was still teaching even after her death. Then he locked the car and ran toward the platform so he could be ready to board the train when it arrived.

Chapter 18

I
t had only been thirty minutes since they'd seen the first evidence of fire on the mountain but already clouds of smoke were pouring into the sky. Laurel blinked back tears and grasped Josie's hand as they stood on the porch of the hotel and stared at the darkening sky. Somewhere out there Jimmy and his father were engaged in fighting the inferno that appeared to be spreading.

The front door of the hotel opened and Josie's parents stepped onto the porch. Josie's gaze swept them. “Where's your suitcase?”

Mr. Davis shook his hand. “Got no reason to pack. We ain't going nowhere 'til you and Ted and Jimmy come along with us.”

She shook her head. “I don't want you in danger. Please go to Townsend. I'll come as soon as they're back.”

Mrs. Davis put her arm around her daughter's shoulders and hugged her. “This is our place, Josie. You're all we got left in this here world, and we ain't a-leavin' unless you come with us.”

Josie's face crumpled and her body shook with sobs. “Oh, Mama,” she wailed. “What if something happens to Ted or Jimmy? I don't think I could live without them.”

Her mother grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. “Now let's have none of that talk. There are a lot of men out there fighting this fire, and they got family worryin' 'bout them too. We just got to pray that God's gonna bring all of them back safely.”

Josie's wild-eyed stare reminded Laurel of an animal that couldn't escape the trap it was caught in. “But Mama, I've heard all these stories about what happens to men when they're fighting a fire. It's not just the flames that kill them; it's the heat in the air. They breathe it in, and it melts their lungs before the fire reaches them.” More tears flowed down her face. “I don't want that to happen to Ted or Jimmy.”

Mrs. Davis frowned and shook Josie harder. “Get control of yourself, Josie. The guests who're leavin' on the train could come out here any minute. We don't need to go upsettin' them. And you need to start thinkin' about trying to save this place if the fire comes this way.” Her features softened, and Mrs. Davis pulled Josie into another hug. “Besides, your pa and I are gonna be right here with you until Ted and Jimmy come home.”

Josie hugged her mother, then pulled free and wiped at her eyes. “Thank you, Mama and Poppa. I'm glad you're here.” She sniffed and glanced at Laurel. “Now you need to head down to the depot. Do you want me to walk with you?”

Laurel shook her head. “There's no need for that. It's just down the road, and I'll be fine by myself. I'd rather you stay here and get things ready in case the fire shifts this way.” She stepped closer to Josie and hugged her. “Your mother's right. Ted and Jimmy are going to be fine. We just have to believe that.”

Josie smiled through her tears and kissed her on the cheek. “Tell your mama I love her, and I'll write to her as soon as this is all over.”

“I will.” Laurel hugged the Davises, picked up her suitcase, and tramped down the steps. As she stepped onto the footbridge, she glanced over her shoulder and waved to the three who stood watching her depart. “Goodbye.”

“Take care,” Josie called as all three waved.

A train whistle echoed through the valley. That had to be the train with the men from the Cades Cove camp on board. She might recognize some of them who had attended Sunday services at their church. Laurel increased her speed so that she might arrive at the train stop before the train did.

As she approached the small building that served as a depot, she saw a large group of men milling about. The ones who would board the train for their trip up to the fire, no doubt. A smaller group of women and children, holding boxes and suitcases, stood to the side of the building. They had to be the ones who would climb aboard with her when the train returned.

She walked to the front of the building that faced the tracks and watched the train slide to a stop a few feet away from her. The first train car appeared to be empty. She walked alongside the next and peered at the windows in an attempt to see a familiar face, but she didn't recognize any of the men sitting by the windows.

Satisfied she knew nobody from the Cades Cove CCC camp, she turned to walk back to the front of the train. The engineer hung out the window of his locomotive and yelled to Mr. Mercer, who stood next to the train. He hollered something in return and then signaled the loggers from the base camp to board. The group surged forward and jostled each other as they waited in line to climb the steps to the vacant car.

Laurel had almost reached the small depot when she heard a voice calling from the other direction. “Laurel, wait!” She jerked to a halt at the familiar voice. Andrew? It couldn't be. Then she heard it again. “Laurel!”

She gasped, dropped her suitcase, and whirled to see Andrew running toward her. Her heart pounded like striking an anvil at the sight of him. His eyes sparkled, and his face radiated joy like she'd never seen before. Her mouth dropped open as he skidded to a halt in front of her. “Andrew?” she gasped.

“I couldn't believe it when I looked through the train window and saw you walking by.” He grabbed her by the shoulders and stared at her as if he was memorizing every detail of her face. “What are you doing still here? You should be in Cades Cove.”

She opened her mouth to reply, but no sound came out. She swallowed and tried again. “I've been with the Fergusons, but I'm leaving on the train back to Townsend.”

His hands on her shoulders relaxed, and he breathed a sigh of relief. “Simon told me you were here, but I hoped you'd already left. You need to get as far away from here as you can. They say this fire is destroying everything in its path.”

She licked her dry lips and frowned. “What are
you
doing here?”

He nodded toward the train. “I'm with the men from the Cades Cove camp. I saw them at the station in Townsend when my train arrived from Virginia, and I came up here with them.”

“Virginia?” She squinted her eyes and shook her head. “What were you doing there?”

His eyes danced with excitement, and he threw back his head and laughed. Not only did he look happy, but his laughter sounded like that of a man at peace with the world. Something had happened to Andrew since the last time she saw him. “Oh, Laurel. I have so much to tell you. I was so upset after our argument that I went to see your grandfather. While I was there, I turned my life over to God, and I've never been happier. The first thing I wanted to do was talk to my father and try to make things right with him. So I went to Virginia, and I was headed back to Cades Cove to tell you how my life's changed when I ran into these fellows.”

The train whistle blew, and Laurel glanced over her shoulder. The men no longer stood beside the train. “Andrew, the men are on board. They're ready to go. You need to get back on the train.”

He gripped her shoulders again and shook his head. “Not until I tell you I'm sorry for the way I acted and the things I said to you the last time we were together. I was angry. I was jealous. I was all the things I've never wanted to be. And I took it out on you. But that's all changed. I'm a different person now. God did that for me. I promise you I'll never act that way again. I love you, Laurel, and I want us to have a life together. One like your parents have.”

Her throat constricted, and her eyes filled with tears. “Andrew…”

He pulled her to him and pressed his lips to hers in a demanding kiss that told her he had missed her as much as she had him. The
train engine lurched forward, and the cars hooked to it rattled as they began to move. He pulled her close and nuzzled her ear. “I love you, Laurel, and we belong together. I need you so much. Put me out of my misery. Tell me you'll marry me.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his face down to hers. “I love you, Andrew. Yes, I'll marry you.”

She pressed her lips to his once more and then pulled away. She caught a glimpse of one of the train cars as it rolled past. “They're leaving. Get on board.”

He backed away, never taking his eyes off her. “Wait for me at your parents' house. I'll come as soon as this fire is under control.” He turned and ran toward the train as it picked up speed. She held her breath and closed her eyes as he leaped for the steps of the last car. When she opened them, he stood on the bottom step, clutching the handrail. “I love you,” he yelled as the train moved up the mountain.

“I love you too,” she cried.

She waved until the train disappeared from view, and then she picked up her suitcase and walked back to the front of the depot. Andrew's words still echoed in her mind. He had turned his life over to God, he loved her, and he wanted to marry her.

In the span of a few minutes her entire life had changed. The man she'd seen today wasn't the same person she'd first met. That man had seemed unsure of himself and fearful of what the future held for him. Today Andrew had the appearance of a man who'd suddenly been pardoned from a death sentence. He was happy, excited, and on his way to confront the inferno blazing up the mountain.

At that moment a sudden gust of wind swept through the town and sent debris flying in its path. Trees swayed as if they might bend to the ground, and Laurel stiffened. The smell of smoke drifted from the direction of the fire. She closed her eyes and said a prayer for the safety of Andrew and the men on their way up the mountain and for those already there.

A sudden thought sent shivers up her spine, and her eyes popped
open. The fire. Andrew was on his way to fight fire, the one thing he feared most in the world. Her body began to shake, and she thought of Josie's words about how the hot air could suck the life out of a firefighter. A bench sat at the edge of the platform next to the small depot. She stumbled toward it and dropped down on it.

She clutched her hands in her lap and beat them against her knees. Now she understood why Josie had refused to leave when she knew Ted and Jimmy were in danger. She wanted to keep watch for the return of those she loved. And so did she.

Andrew faced great danger, and there was no way she would go back to Cades Cove and wait for what might be days until she knew if he was all right. She would be here in Tremont to meet him when he came back down that mountain.

Taking a deep breath, she picked up her suitcase and began to walk back to the hotel.