Providence (32 page)

“Easy, girl, we’ve got a lot of
riding to do today,” Kate spoke calmly.

Luke mounted the buckskin colt,
and they turned to head out to the east.

“How’s she doing for you?” Luke
asked indicating the new mare.

“I like her. She’s smooth and
fairly responsive. I wish I had more time to work with her, but so far we’re
doing fine,” Kate said. “How’s that buckskin working out?”

“He’s great, a little strong
minded sometimes, but that’s part of being young.”

“You want to let these two get a
little of this pent up energy out?” Kate asked, fighting to keep Hawk to a
walk.

“You’re on,” Luke replied,
loosening his rein slightly.

Kate touched her heels to the
mare’s sides, moving her rein hand slightly ahead of the saddle horn. An
intense surge of power flowed through her as the mare leapt forward covering
the ground in long strides. Kate’s body moved in rhythm to the undulating gait
of the horse as the landscape rushed by in a blur of green, amber and blue. She
was vaguely aware of Luke and the buckskin matching them stride for stride. The
very energy of life seemed to be caught in that ride, blowing away the fears of
the past as the wind blew her hair streaming behind her.

 The horses slowed their
pace as they crested the rise. Sitting deep in the saddle, Kate reined the mare
to a stop. Luke stopped beside her and they drank in the beauty of God’s
creation. The cattle grazed on the new-mown grass in the valley before them,
the homestead lay bathed in mist behind them, the sun just beginning to gild
the edges of leaves and buildings in the golden glory of an autumn morn. After
the exhilaration of the ride, the peaceful silence descended over Kate like a
gentle dew, nourishing her soul and bringing a deep seated joy that filled her
completely.

Turning to Luke she saw the same
joy reflected in his eyes as his gaze swept over the idyllic scene, then came
back to rest on her.     

“Kate, will you walk with me a bit?”
he asked.

“I’d like that.”

They dismounted, dropping the
reins allowing the horses to graze.

The sun continued its gradual arc
across the eastern horizon, bringing the rich red hues of another dawn and the
promise of warmth for the coming day.

“Words just don’t exist to
describe a morning like this,” Kate mused.

They walked a short distance in
silence, drinking in the peaceful beauty, then stopped at the top of the rise
and stood bathed in the radiant glow of the rising sun.

 “Kate,” Luke hesitated before
continuing, “I’m not a perfect men. You know the sins of my past, yet still you
accept me.”

“Yes, of course
B
“ Kate started. Luke laid a gentle finger on her
lips.

“Let me finish, please?” he
asked, taking both of her hands in his.

Kate nodded, her heart pounding.

“I feel a love for you that
denies explanation. I believe the Lord must have brought me here even through
the circumstances of my sins. I am so sorry for the hurt that I have caused. If
there is any way that you can find forgiveness in your heart, accept me for who
I am now,” Luke paused, his green eyes dark with emotion. Taking a deep breath,
he continued, “Kate, would you be my wife?”

Searching his face, Kate could
find only love there. Sending up a silent prayer, she sought God’s will once
again. The words of Proverbs 13:12 filled her mind:
Hope deferred maketh the
heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life
. Here was her
hope and her desire, a life with a man committed to God and to her. Unable to
speak for the tightening in her throat, she nodded, tears of joy marring her
vision as his lips claimed hers in a kiss that consumed her. She answered his
passion, enveloped within his strong embrace, her desires matching his. He
covered her face in sweet kisses.

 “Kate, oh, Kate how I love
you,” he whispered against her ear. “As God is my witness, I promise to love,
honor and protect you, always.”

Drawing back, she tilted her head
to gaze into his eyes, and she knew that he meant those words.

***

Feeding tinder to the small flame
trying to ignite the logs beneath the huge black iron kettle in the yard, Kate
could still feel the tender promises Luke had made early that morning. The
emotions taking root and growing strong within her heart were new as supple
green saplings. She wanted to nourish them and see the love emerge in glorious
growth like a new spring.

The fire caught, crackling flames
leapt forth. Kate jumped back. Even now the radiant heat of a fire brought fear
with the memories. Rubbing unconsciously at the scars beneath her sleeves, she
went in to help Jo carry out the laundry.

“You seem awfully happy today,
momma, for laundry day,” Jo said as they piled sheets and petticoats, pants and
shirts together on the kitchen floor.

“I am. It’s the very first day of
a whole new life, Jo!”

“Why?”

 “You’ll see,” Kate replied
smiling. She wanted to wait until Luke was there before telling Jo the good
news. He had ridden on to check the herds and fence lines while Kate had
returned to the house to see to Jo and the laundry. Then he would be joining
Jake and Jonathan harvesting the oats. Chances were, he wouldn’t be back before
supper, but the peace Kate felt didn’t require his physical presence. The
knowledge of his love ran deep within her.

Jo shrugged, and continued
sorting. “I can carry this pile out, it’s not too big,” she said, completely
hidden behind a mountain of sheets, only her legs peeking out below.

Kate laughed, “Let me take some
of that, why don’t you? We can make as many trips as we need.”

They spent the morning hours
boiling, scrubbing with soft lye soap, and rinsing clothes until their arms
ached and they were both soaked through. Everywhere they looked clothes
fluttered in the light breeze, hung to dry on lines, rails and any other available
space.

“I’d say we deserve a break right
about now. How about some lunch?” Kate asked.

“But there’s still those sheets
to hang, momma.”

“I can do that after we eat. I
want you to take a basket up to Nana and check on her,” Kate said. “Why don’t you
slip into something dry while I make lunch.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Jo replied running
into the house.

 Kate went in the kitchen
and made some sandwiches, packing one away in the basket along with herbs for
more tea and the rest of the apple tart still covered in the pantry. Jo
returned neatly dressed once again. They ate their lunch and talked of
everything and nothing as mothers and daughters are inclined to do on special
days.

“Why don’t you take your slate
and a couple of books with you,” Kate suggested handing the basket to Jo. “You
can stay and read with Nana, or just keep her company. I’m sure she’d like
that. It may be awfully lonely for her there.”

“All right. Maybe I can take my
doll and we can have a tea party?” Jo asked, the doll already tucked firmly
under her arm.

“That sounds wonderful,” Kate
acquiesced. “I’ll try to come down a little later to see Nana. Bye now.” Kate
kissed Jo on the forehead.

“Bye, momma,” Jo called, skipping
down the lane.

Kate sighed watching her daughter
disappear from sight. She was growing up so very fast, it wouldn’t be long
before she was a young woman. Kate wondered what Jo’s reaction would be to the
news of Luke becoming her step-father. She was sure Jo would be thrilled,
knowing how she felt about Luke already. Kate smiled and turned back to the
last of the laundry to be hung.

Wrestling with the last wet
sheet, still dripping and making puddles of mud in the dust at her feet, Kate
was startled by the sound of galloping hoofbeats growing ever nearer. Trying to
keep the wringing mass of muslin out of the dirt, she tossed it up on the rail,
heedless of where it landed.

 Aaron Hall rode into the
yard on his old brown mare. The horse was covered in foamy sweat, her sides
heaved as Aaron pulled her to a stop. “Miz Shaughnessey, ya gotta come quick.
Ma sent me to fetch you. The baby’s coming, and something’s terrible wrong.”

Kate’s mind whirled. Greta had
never had problems before, but every pregnancy was different, and her age could
cause complications. “Aaron, do you know if the doc’s in Fallis?”

“No, but I’m gonna go see if I
can find him.”

“Your mare’s done in. Go put your
saddle on that bay in the corral by the barn. He’ll take good care of you. I’ll
get my things and be on my way to your place as fast as I can.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Aaron said wheeling
his mare around and heading to the barn.

Kate ran in the house, changed
out of the suds soaked clothes she wore into a riding skirt and shirtwaist.
Filling her bag with everything she could possibly need, she dashed off a note
to explain her disappearance, anchoring it to the kitchen table beneath the
lamp. Kate saw Aaron through the window as he rode by on the bay heading at
full speed for Fallis.

 Hawk waited near the
garden, tied loosely to the low branch of a tree, still saddled since Kate had
planned to ride her later to the harvest, taking food and water to the men.
Shaking her head, she decided the men would have to fend for themselves as
Greta needed her more. Kate strapped her bags behind the cantle, tightened the
girth, and swung herself into the saddle. A quick squeeze with her knees, and
the mare picked up a fast trot. Reaching the main road they turned south toward
the Hall’s place.

The first several miles of the
journey were over a well-traveled road. Kate paced the mare, alternating
between a trot and a lope for much of the distance, slowing to a walk when she
felt the mare tiring, then urging her on again in her haste to reach Greta in
time. Nearing the turn off to the Hall’s homestead, Kate watched for the path
she knew led to the southwest. The sun was beginning to sink slowly toward the
western horizon by the time she saw the marker she had been looking for.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she
headed the weary mare down the narrow trail grown over with trees. The passage through
the dense growth kept the pair to a slower pace. It was nearly half an hour
before the cabin came into sight. Emerging from the woods, Kate urged the mare
into a lope. Arriving in the yard, Kate was met by Ross and Jeremy.

“I’ll take your horse, Miz
Shaughnessey, ma says to hurry,” Ross said, taking the reins as Kate
dismounted.

Nodding to Ross, Kate unstrapped
her bag from behind the saddle, and followed Jeremy into the dimly lit cabin.
As her eyes adjusted from the bright afternoon light without, Kate saw Kathy
Hall sitting near the large stone fire place holding a whimpering infant,
rocking it to and fro, humming a lullaby to calm the baby’s fretting.

“Kathy? Where’s....” Kate
started.

 “Kate, I thought you’d
never get here, hurry, please,” called Greta appearing from the bedroom.

“Greta, but I thought
B
“ Kate said in bewilderment.

“Oh! You thought I was having my
baby.” Greta said, realization dawning on her face. “Dear, no, I had my
beautiful little girl three weeks ago now, never a problem, you know me. It’s
Annie, she’s bad off, and I’m worried.”

Kate’s heart stopped for one
paralyzing instant. Annie. Luke’s baby.
God, give me the strength to see
this through
, she prayed. Following Greta into the dark room, she saw a
woman in agonized silence, eyes closed, jaws clenched against the pain. Her
hands clutched the sheets, knuckles white. Annie’s body relaxed as the
contraction eased.

“Annie,” Greta spoke softly.
“Annie, this is Kate. She’s come to help you through this.”

“No one can help me.” Annie’s
voice was barely audible. Her eyes fixed straight ahead, acknowledging no one.

Greta looked at Kate helplessly.

“Why don’t you go tend to your
own baby, Greta,” Kate said. “You look exhausted, I can take care of Annie
now.”

“All right,” Greta said with a
sigh. “There’s water in the basin there and more heating on the stove, clean
towels and everything else you might need.”

“We’ll be fine. I’ll call you if
I need anything.”

 “I’ll send Kathy in with a
lamp in a little while. Dark comes early now,” Greta said as she left, closing
the door behind her.

Crossing to the bed, Kate reached
for Annie’s hand. The pulse was fast but steady, her hand warm, offering no
resistance. Suddenly the hand clamped down on Kate’s as another spasm racked
the already tired body. Sweat ran down Annie’s temples, soaking the thick
auburn hair, and drenching the thin muslin gown she wore. She made no sound,
though her body was tense, fighting the paroxysm of torture that spread through
her.

A minute later the pain
subsiding, her body relaxed, and she began to breathe again. Kate took the damp
rag from the basin, bathing Annie’s forehead as she whispered soothing words.

“Annie, listen to me. The next
time a contraction comes, you need to breathe, breathe hard and fast, it will
help the pain not to be so bad,” Kate said. “This baby needs you to help it,
not fight it. Do you understand me?”