by Woods, Emily
There was a silence around the table that was only filled by the chatter of the children. Maddie made some quiet comments to Cole, but he didn’t think she was talking about him. Her eyes were too soft for that. More likely, they were just being sweet together.
“Working on the fence again today, boss?” Charlie finally asked, his voice neutral.
“Sure. At this rate, we’ll be done before winter, I suspect,” Luke replied, giving them an approving smile. “You’re all doing such good work that I’m going to have to see if there’s enough money for a raise.”
That cheered everyone up, and they all but forgot about Alex and his mysterious, temporary disappearance. When it was time to get to work, Alex lingered over his breakfast. He was hoping to get a moment or two with Kate and Luke.
When the other hands finally went out, he told them his plan.
“I’d like to tell the men one by one, or something like that. I want to tell Cole and Austin first.”
Maddie approved of that. “It was hard not telling him,” she admitted. “But it’s your news, so I controlled myself.” She grinned a little and he felt sure that they would become close.
“Are you sure you want to do it?” Luke asked. “I’m happy to do it for you.”
Alex shook his head. “I betrayed them, in a way. I mean, I didn’t do it to trick them, but they might feel angry. It’s up to me to take that on myself.”
He had an opportunity to talk to Cole and Austin an hour later. They were working in tandem on the fence on one part of the ranch. Approaching them slowly, he tried to think of what to say.
“Um, fellows? Do you have a minute?”
They shared a quick look before nodding. He wondered if they had been speculating on his news. “What’s on your mind, Alex?” Cole asked, wiping his brow with his forearm.
“Well, I don’t really know how to tell you this, so I’ll just come out and say it.” He took a big breath to shore up his courage. “I haven’t been entirely truthful with you all. The fact is that I came to the ranch to meet my father. I wasn’t sure if I was going to tell anyone who I am when I arrived, but then I told Luke the day before yesterday.”
“You’re Luke’s son,” Cole supplied helpfully, not looking overly surprised. “From Philadelphia.”
Alex felt his eyes go wide. “You guessed?”
Cole shook his head. “Not right away. I knew you had a secret, but I didn’t have a clue what it was until yesterday when Luke brought you back from town. He was so happy. I just thought maybe it was that.”
“Well, you could knock me over with a feather,” Austin replied with a grin. “I had no idea, but…what can I say, congratulations?”
Alex shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t know. It feels different from what I thought it would.”
They talked a little, and then Alex mounted the horse Luke had given him before and went to find the others. Boone and Charlie acted like they didn’t care much, but Mark seemed somewhat annoyed. He wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was because he had wanted to be part of the family not very long ago. Cole had told him about how he used to have a crush on Maddie. Maybe he was resentful of anyone getting close to the Winstons now.
“Does that mean you’re the boss of us now?” Charlie wanted to know. “Do we take orders from you?”
He nearly laughed. “Do you take orders from Maddie?”
Boone snorted at that. “Not hardly.”
“Well then, she’s more knowledgeable than I am, so I’m in no place to be giving out any directions. I know I don’t deserve it, but I hope you’ll treat me the same as before.”
They all either shrugged or grunted a little, so Alex decided to take that as a good sign.
That was one more burden lifted from his mind at least.
Chapter 12
Alex was about to ride back toward Austin and Cole to help them when he spotted a lone figure in light blue dress walking towards Falls Creek. The sight of the swishing skirts set against the beauty of the waterfall beckoned him, and he allowed the horse to trot towards the picturesque scene. Although he’d never been out this far before, he’d heard of the legendary falls where the family would often take a picnic in the summer. The falls were supposedly most glorious in the springtime when the runoff from the mountains made them rush over the edge of the precipice, but he rather enjoyed the gentle cascade that flowed now. The peaceful scene soothed his tattered nerves.
Then he recognized that it was Christina walking along the creek in the direction of the falls, but her bowed head and folded hands made her seem like a different person. She looked…vulnerable.
Putting that together with what he’d noticed about her yesterday, he suddenly felt drawn to her. Yesterday when he’d arrived back at the ranch, she’d been carrying one of the little ones, Amanda’s youngest maybe, and the little boy had been playing with her hair and pulling out the pins. She didn’t seem annoyed at all, but just smiled and talked to him. That didn’t fit with the pretentious princess he had once believed her to be.
He wondered if something was going on with her too and decided to stop and talk. It wasn’t that he was abusing his newfound privilege of being the owner’s son, but he really wanted a chance to tell her who he was firsthand.
“Miss Christina?” he called out, sliding off the horse and approaching her. “Good morning.”
“Good morning,” she replied demurely. “I hope you’re well today.”
Who was this fetching woman? Not the same one he’d meet less than a week ago.
“I’m better, thank you. Yesterday was rather a wild day, I’m afraid. I hope you weren’t too bothered about all the chaos.”
She looked up at him, tilting her head in what might have been a coy or flirtatious way, but he didn’t get that impression. Instead, she just looked thoughtful. “More than you can guess. I’m sure you have your own story, but yesterday marked a pivotal point in my life.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
“Yes.”
She clearly wasn’t going to give any more away, but it didn’t bother him. He knew that ladies like her were reserved. She would tell him in good time if she had a mind too.
“Well, I wanted to talk to you now to tell you something that you may have already guessed.”
“Do tell,” she replied, a small grin peeking out from under her serene expression.
Her response made him want to smile. Why did his heavy heart feel light suddenly?
“Well, ahem, Miss Christina, you asked me the other day if we’ve met before. Do you recall?”
“I believe I can be counted on to remember something I asked only a few days prior,” she replied, the grin spreading into an amused smile. “But go on.”
“Ah, yes, um, I didn’t confess it at that time, but you were somewhat correct.”
“Only somewhat?” She raised an eyebrow at him and he felt a blush work its way up his neck. Again, she wasn’t being improper, but even her gaze made him warm.
“I say that because we weren’t properly introduced at the time. You were traveling west and we met on the train. You were with an elderly woman and I entered your car.”
She nodded. “I remember.”
The air went out of his lungs. He thought that she recognized him, but not from where. His blush spread to his cheeks.
“I’m afraid I was somewhat deceptive…”
“Somewhat…”
“Yes, and I’d like to apologize.”
Now she rewarded him with a dazzling smile that nearly made him forget his own name.
“Well, I forgive you… Mister Rogers, is it?”
“Rochester, actually. Paul Alexander Rochester at your service.” He gave a slight bow as he’d been taught to do when meeting lady formally. When she giggled a little, he straightened up and blinked. Then he realized how silly it must seem for a ranch hand to be bowing like that and he chuckled a little. “That introduction might have been better suited to a different time and place,” he acknowledged. “In any case, I�
��m delighted that you accept my apology.”
“I do.”
For a moment, he seemed to hesitate.
“If I may have another minute of your time, I would like to confess one more thing.”
She eyed him curiously. “You may,” she replied.
Taking a deep breath, he struggled to find the words. “Well, you may have been wondering why I pretended not to know you before now, or why I looked so different on that day.”
A slight nod from her urged him on.
“You see, I believed I needed to keep my identity a secret, at least for a time.”
“But no longer?”
“No. I have told the people who need to know, and now I’d like to tell you.”
She nodded again, but kept her calm pose. “If you like.”
One more deep breath and he declared, “I’m actually the offspring of Luke Winston’s first marriage. He left me in the care of my grandparents when he was in a time of great distress. I came out here to meet him. I was actually meant to be studying business at Stanford currently, but I, ah, took a detour.”
The laugh that trickled out of her mouth was like a balm to his tattered nerves.
“That’s rather a significant detour, Mister Rochester.”
He nodded. “I agree, but it had to be done. You see, I’ve wanted to meet my father since I was very young. I saw the opportunity and took it.”
“And your grandparents? Do they know where you are?”
“I’ll be sending them a telegram shortly. Now, I don’t want to keep you from your contemplation or your lovely walk. Please enjoy the rest of your day.”
She nodded and gave him one more smile. It lifted his whole mood and made him forget all his worries.
What a wonder this day was turning out to be.
* * *
Christina could hardly believe it when Alex approached her. She’d been taking a short walk, clearing her mind as her sister had suggested, when she spied him riding up. Purposely, she pretended not to see him until he spoke. As much as her heart was softening, she was still a product of her upbringing.
How eloquently he’d spoken to her! As much as she enjoyed the civil banter, it seemed a tad silly given their environment, but if he didn’t care, she made up her mind not to either. The brief conversation had brightened an already beautiful day, and she took the revelation he’d made in stride. She’d already realized that he was a gentleman, but that he was Luke’s son was a surprise. She still didn’t quite understand why he’d engaged in such elaborate subterfuge, but perhaps he would tell her another time. She’d look forward to that.
The fact that she hoped to bump into him again surprised her. A week ago, she was looking down on him and annoyed by his attitude toward her. However, now she felt his behavior was justified. He probably had looked at her and seen an over-privileged woman who couldn’t see past the end of her own nose. And now she agreed.
“It’s another beautiful day,” Valerie exclaimed when she returned to the house. “I’m glad you took advantage of it.”
Here was another thing. She suddenly not only understood but appreciated her sister.
“Thank you for putting up with me,” she said humbly. “I’m beginning to see why Mother and Father sent me to you. I guess you would say that it’s all part of God’s plan?”
Valerie reached over and gave her sister a quick hug. “I most certainly would. He knows what’s best, and even though we can’t always understand it, we have to trust Him.”
At that moment, Jessica skipped into the room and grabbed her hand. “Can we sing some more, Auntie Chris?”
The title that had been so abhorrent to her on arrival now sent waves of warmth through her. “Absolutely, darling. What should we sing?”
“‘What a Friend We Have in Jesus’, of course!” She laughed and swung Christina’s hand. “It’s the best song ever.”
Christina laughed, joy filling her up from the inside out. She couldn’t remember ever feeling this way, so free, so light, so happy. “I agree with you. So, let’s sing!”
* * *
Alex rode away thinking about how different Christina was. Something had happened over the past few days, and although he was tremendously curious about what it was, he knew better than to pry. His own revelation hadn’t shocked her in the slightest. In fact, he’d say that his confession raised her opinion of him, or rather, he hoped it did.
Her words made him realize that he had to fulfill his duty to his grandparents, so instead of riding toward Austin and Cole like he’d planned, he headed back to where he knew Luke was inspecting a new foal.
Luke’s face lit up when he approached, sending a stab of something bittersweet through his heart. What would life have been like if he’d grown up with such love?
“Want to watch Thomas break in our newest horse?” he asked. “He’s a real pro.”
Alex shook his head. “I think that I should go to town and send my grandparents a telegram and a letter explaining my behavior, if that’s alright with you. I mean, I’m technically still your employee.”
“No, you’re not. Everything’s different now. You’re part of the family, and while I hope each person contributes to the running of the ranch, you can have much more freedom.”
The words were kindly meant, and perhaps later he would appreciate them more, but for now, he had to focus on the task at hand.
“Thank you. Then I’ll be off. I’m worried that they might have received word from Stanford that I never arrived and may be thinking the worst.”
Luke nodded and asked, “And what will you say, if I can ask?”
“I have the ride to town to think about that.” He wasn’t trying to be difficult. At that very moment, he wasn’t entirely sure what he wanted to say.
“I’ll write them a letter at some point. No need to overwhelm them.” He paused and took a long look at Alex. “You’re fine to travel? Not too tired?”
The conversation felt awkward. He didn’t feel comfortable with Luke being so fatherly, not so soon.
“I’m fine, thank you.” His voice sounded a cold, and he didn’t care for the hurt look it produced on his father’s face, but he didn’t feel like he could be close to him, not yet.
“Alright then. We’ll see you when you return.”
It occurred to him to take the minister’s horse along with him, so he tethered the two horses together and set off. As he rode to town, he was surprised to realize how well he’d adjusted to riding in just over a week. And to make the trip to town twice in two days was going to add up to nearly ten hours of riding altogether, but he looked forward to the solitude.
However, his heart was restless, and he felt the need to upbraid himself several times. He’d been given all that he could wish for, and yet he wasn’t satisfied. What kind of logic was that? But then he realized why he was feeling so unsettled. Somehow, he felt there should be a price to pay. It was all a bit too easy…on Luke. Even though part of him wanted to forgive his father for everything, he couldn’t quite bring himself to do it. More and more as he realized what he’d lost, he begrudged him all the years lost.
By the time he arrived in town, the streets were filled with people going about their business. The post office was closer than the church, so he took care of business there first. After sending a telegram telling his grandparents he was fine, he acquired some paper and wrote them a letter explaining what he’d done and why. He apologized for his deception and promised to repay the money he’d spent. At this point, he wasn’t sure about university, or if they would even pay for him to go now, but he didn’t even mention that. He would write more later.
Finishing that task eased his mind a little, but there was still an ache in the bottom of his stomach. As he rode to the church, it intensified.
“Excuse me? Preacher?”
The church was open like it had been yesterday, but no one appeared. Alex tied up his horse from the ranch and brought the other one around back.
“Go
od morning,” he called out, his eyes scanning the pretty piece of property. There were several fruit trees as well as a large garden beside a modest house.
“Well, that’s the quickest anyone’s returned something of mine!” the preacher exclaimed from some unseen place.
“Uh, I’m sorry, but I can’t seem to see you.”
“Up here.” Alex looked up and saw the man on a ladder with a pair of strange scissors in his hand. “Hello again. I guess you were very worried that I’d need my horse again?” he asked cheerfully.
Giving him a watery smile, Alex nodded. “Well, that and I had to make a trip to the post office.”
Preacher Howard climbed down the ladder and wiped his forehead. “Whew. Hot day. Come on inside and have something cold to drink, Alex. Do you have time?”
He thought about the work back at the ranch. Well, Luke had said that he had freedom now, and surely he would want him to have a short break before heading back.
“Thank you. I’d like that.”
As they entered the house, he was surprised not to see a woman about.
“You live alone?” he wondered.
Preacher Howard nodded. “Just for a year now. My good wife went to be with the Lord.” He passed a hand over his eyes as they misted over and cleared his throat. “I’m happy for her though, because she was sick. Of course it’s hard on me. Still, I trust the Lord.”
Alex squirmed in the hard, wooden chair. “How can you do that?” he asked before he could stop himself. When the preacher looked at him, he ducked his head. “I mean, how can you trust God when hard things happen, especially to someone like you?”
“I guess you think being a preacher excludes me from hardship? You are very wrong, son. In fact, the devil wants to discourage me more than average folks. How do I not let it get me down? Well, it takes practice. Also, being rather advanced in years helps. When you’ve been through as much as I have, you start to learn how to see God’s hand in life. I wouldn’t have thought it, but God has increased my ministry through this hard time. Over the past year, I’ve seen more people come to know the Lord, and it wouldn’t have happened if my Gertrude were still alive.”
