Changing Seasons

by Christine Sterling

  He was hoping that Lacy Lou would be available to go for a picnic and pick apples with him. He already had the boxes in the back of the wagon and had ordered a box lunch from the new café in town.

  It was just after noon when he stopped by the clinic. The bell on the door announced his presence.

  Chelsea was sitting behind the counter. The clinic had moved into the apothecary. The apartment, which was once where Hattie lived, was now used for patient rooms. Marty often wondered if he had been able to get his mother to the clinic, if she would have survived.

  He let the thought escape his mind. Chelsea greeted him as he came to the counter.

  “Marty, I’ve not seen you in a long time. Is everything alright?”

  “Yes ma’am,” Marty said taking off his hat and holding it in his hands. “I was wondering if Lacy Lou was getting off soon?”

  “You can ask her yourself,” Chelsea replied and called out for Lacy Lou.

  She came out of the back room with a handful of supplies. “Marty,” she said. “What a pleasant surprise. What brings you by the clinic? Are you alright?”

  Marty wrung his hat until the brim was creased. “I was wondering if you would like to go on a picnic with me today.”

  “A picnic?” she repeated.

  Marty nodded. “I mean, you don’t have to if you don’t want to. I just promised Miss Hattie I’d get her some apples.”

  “Apples?” Chelsea piped up. “Would I be able to get a dozen?”

  “Sure thing, Doc Chelsea.” He turned back to Lacy Lou. “I don’t want to put you out or anything.”

  Lacy Lou smiled and Marty thought his entire world lit up. “I’d like to go with you, Marty. Very much. I still have a few things to get done before I can leave.”

  “Give me those,” Chelsea said, holding out her hands. “You go and have fun. I’ll make sure the cabinet is restocked.”

  “Are you sure?” Lacy Lou asked.

  “Positive.”

  Lacy Lou turned to Marty. “Let me get my wrap.”

  When she had her wrap, Marty led her to his wagon that he had parked next to the clinic. She stopped to rub the horse’s head at the front of the wagon. “Hello, Sugar,” she cooed. Reaching in her pocket she pulled out a white cube and offered it to the horse. Sugar made the cube disappear behind greedy lips.

  “Don’t be spoiling her,” Marty said.

  Lacy Lou laughed. Everyone knew that Marty loved and spoiled his horses. Especially, Sugar. She got her name because she could tell if anyone had sweets in their pockets. She wasn’t above nipping someone to make her demands known.

  Marty assisted Lacy Lou onto the seat before climbing in beside her.

  “I can’t believe that shop is almost done,” she said looking at the painting on the window. “I had hoped it would take longer to get done.”

  “Why’s that?” Marty asked. He was happy to see that Charlotte was opening the tea shop.

  “I guess I’m just not prepared to move yet.”

  “Maybe you won’t have to… yet.” Lacy Lou didn’t say anything. Instead she seemed deep in thought.

  The dormitory was nearly finished, so Lacy Lou would have a place to stay.

  Marty gave a giddyup to Sugar and they were off toward the café. Marty parked the wagon and went inside to pick up the picnic basket he ordered.

  He was placing the basket in the back of the wagon when he saw a group of women walk by.

  “Ladies,” he said, tipping his hat like his mother had taught him.

  He turned around to climb back in the wagon when he heard the voices.

  “Would you look at that?” one of the women said.

  Marty’s back stiffened.

  “I wonder what his mother would think, him consorting with a tainted woman,” said another.

  He gripped the reins tightly as he climbed onto the wagon seat.

  “I still can’t believe that Doc Childs allows her to work at the clinic.”

  He glanced over at Lacy Lou. She was looking straight ahead with her back upright in the seat. He could see her lower lip trembling.

  “I know I won’t have her look at me when I’m there. I wait for Doc Chelsea or Doc Childs.”

  Marty slapped the reins and Sugar took off with a jerk. He saw Lacy Lou grip the seat as they started to move away.

  “No good will come from having a soiled dove in the clinic.”

  Marty was furious. He was about to say something, but Lacy Lou put her hand on his arm and shook her head.

  Instead, he glared at the women gossiping, memorizing their faces. They stared back at him, not one even shifting uncomfortably.

  He could hear the sniffles coming from Lacy Lou as they rode towards the outskirts of town. “Ignore what they said.”

  “I try,” Lacy Lou said. “But it isn’t always easy.”

  “They are just a bunch of gossiping old biddies.”

  Lacy Lou barked a laugh. She pulled out her handkerchief and wiped her nose. “Marty… please,” she begged. “Why don’t you just take me back to the clinic?”

  “Why?”

  “Because I’m not someone you should be with.”

  “Why don’t you let me decide that?”

  Chapter 4

  Marty looked at her. “I’m not going to have you hide at the clinic.”

  “I’m not hiding,” Lacy Lou insisted. She wouldn’t meet his eyes. “What would you call it? It is hateful and mean. You’ve certainly never experienced that before.”

  “You’d be surprised.”

  “It isn’t the same, Marty. You were a child. You couldn’t be responsible for your father’s leaving.” Lacy Lou returned her hand to his arm. “You are still a child in many ways, Marty.”

  “I just turned eighteen, Lacy Lou. I’m a man,” he responded quite emphatically. “In fact, I was the man of my family before I was ten.” He gave Lacy Lou a side glance. “How old are you?”

  “I’m twenty-one.”

  “So you aren’t that much older than me.”

  “But I’ve lived a lifetime longer than you.” She thought about what he said. “When did you turn eighteen?”

  Marty shifted in the seat. “Just a few days ago.”

  “I wish I had known,” she said softly. “I would have baked you a cake.”

  “Naw, I didn’t tell anyone.” He placed his hand on top of hers, covering her fingers with his warmth. “How about you go apple picking with me, instead?”

  “I could use a distraction.”

  Distraction. If that was what he was, so be it. He could live with that as long as he was with her. He led Sugar up the side of the mountain. The incline slowing her pace. They continued past the Winter’s cabin, where Brawny and Chelsea lived with Brawny’s mother. He could see Mrs. Winters hanging laundry on the line.

  She saw them and waved. Marty and Lacy Lou returned the greeting. The apple trees were a little further ahead in a clearing.

  Marty looked around the landscape, he could identify many of the plants and animals that they encountered. He felt more alive when he was out with Miss Hattie, than at any other time. Perhaps he just needed to get back to nature.

  “Look,” Lacy Lou said, pointing to the sky. “There are more birds. I wonder where they are going?”

  “South. Probably somewhere warm.” He looked at the leaves changing color on the big oak trees. “It is going to be cold this winter.”

  “Have you ever thought about heading South to somewhere warmer?”

  “Sometimes, but then I remember what I have here. My friends. The people at the clinic.” He slid a glance at Lacy Lou. “You. It would take a lot to get me to leave Silverpines.”

  “I’m glad you wouldn’t think of leaving.” She wrapped her hands through his arm and laid her head on his shoulder.

  They soon came to the clearing where the apple trees were. Fortunately, they hadn’t been damaged in the landslide over a year ago. Marty could tell they were old because of how wide the trunks were.
Gnarled branches, heavy with fruit, were sloping towards the ground.

  He pulled the wagon into the shade and set the brake. Lacy Lou hopped down and took a look around. “I’ve never been here,” she said.

  “I used to come here with Hattie.” He took the basket and blanket from the back of the wagon and put them on the ground.

  “You spent a lot of time in these woods, didn’t you?” Lacy Lou asked, picking up the blanket and shaking it out.

  Marty nodded, taking one end of the blanket. Lacy Lou gave it a snap before letting the cloth float to the ground. She sat on the blanket and laid herself down, so she was fully in the sun.

  Marty placed the picnic basket right beside her. “Would you like to eat now?” Lacy Lou opened one eye and looked at him. “Or would you like to rest. You look rather tired.”

  “Would you be alright if I took a little nap? Just for a few. The sun feels so lovely.”

  “Of course. I’ll make sure nothing disturbs you.”

  He watched Lacy Lou close her eyes again. Her long black hair floated around her face. Marty noticed she had dark circles under her eyes. She must not be resting very well. He decided to just leave her alone and went to get the boxes for the apples.

  He placed boxes under each of the first four trees and started from the one that was farthest way. He started pulling the fruit from the tree and placing it gently in the box. He didn’t want any of the apples to become bruised, in case he wouldn’t be able to finish them all that evening.

  It didn’t take long to fill one box. He returned it to the wagon and then headed to the next tree. Several pieces of fruit were covered by yellow jackets.

  They would attach to a piece of fruit and eat a hole in it, until they had their fill. Then they would fly away. Honeybees would then come and sip the fruit nectar from the areas where the skin was broken.

  He shooed the bees away and continued to search for ripe, unblemished fruit on the trees. He had the box about half way full when Lacy Lou appeared and offered him a boiled egg.

  “Do you feel better?” he asked, popping the egg in his mouth.

  Lacy Lou nodded. “I didn’t realize how tired I was.” She stretched her arms over her head and her back gave a crack. “Oh my, sleeping on the ground is really hard!”

  “Remind me to never take you camping.”

  Lacy Lou dropped her arms. “Would you do that?”

  “Do what?”

  “Take me camping? I’ve not been in years.”

  “Have you been before?”

  “Just with my brothers.”

  Marty pulled an apple down from the tree and handed it to her. “I didn’t realize you had brothers.”

  “I don’t talk about them much.” She took a bite of the apple. Juice was running down her chin. “In fact, I don’t talk about them at all.”

  “Where are they?”

  Lacy Lou shrugged. “I don’t know. They dropped me in New Hope and left. Miss Flora found me there and took me to Timber Town.”

  “They just left you. Couldn’t you go home to your Ma or your Pa?”

  “Ma and Pa died. I guess it was too much for them to have a sixteen-year-old girl with them.”

  “I didn’t realize.”

  “Miss Flora treated me really nice. And I was able to save up some money too.”

  “I don’t know her very well, but she seems nice.”

  The only interaction he ever had with Miss Flora was when he was delivering supplies from the saloon in town to the one in Timber Town. That, and helping Hattie after the disaster. They had turned Flora’s saloon into an infirmary.

  It was during that time that Lacy Lou started helping as a nurse. When the last person left, Lacy Lou decided she didn’t want to be a soiled dove anymore, so she went to go work for Hattie to learn proper nursing.

  Marty had met Lacy Lou when he was making deliveries to Timber Town and he was smitten the moment he saw her. But it was seeing her take care of the town folks next to Hattie that cemented the way he felt.

  “Well she is really nice to all the girls that work for her.” Lacy Lou started to walk back to the blanket. Marty noticed she had taken her shoes off.

  “Do you do that often?”

  “Do what?” Lacy Lou asked.

  “You walk around barefoot.”

  Lacy Lou looked down and wiggled her toes. “I guess I do. I used to love the feel of grass between my toes.”

  “And mud?” Marty asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “And mud.” She gave a little laugh. “How about we eat and then I’ll help you pick the rest of the apples?” Marty nodded and followed her to the blanket. “I took a peek. It looks like sandwiches, eggs, tea and cookies.”

  “I don’t know what she made, I just told her to put a basket together.”

  Lacy Lou reached out her hand to pull Marty down. She handed him a thick sandwich wrapped up in a checkered napkin and placed another one on her lap. “Would you like another egg?” she offered. “I could peel it for you.”

  Marty shook his head. “Maybe later.”

  He was about to take a bite from his sandwich when he noticed Lacy Lou had her head bowed and her hands folded in her lap. He placed his sandwich down and did the same.

  His mind was blank. He didn’t know what to do. Then he heard Lacy Lou say a soft amen, and he did the same.

  They finished their sandwiches and drank the tea without saying too much. Marty was content in the silence. Most people tended to talk a lot, but not Lacy Lou. She was content to sit as well. That might have been one of the reasons he enjoyed her company so much.

  Lacy Lou cleaned up from the meal and put everything in the basket. “Would you like a cookie?” she asked.

  “How about we get the rest of these apples picked and you can take another nap before we head home?”

  Lacy Lou allowed Marty to pull her up. He pulled her so hard, she gave a little jump as she landed, falling into his arms.

  Marty’s arms immediately wrapped around her. She paused and put her hands on his upper arms. Marty looked down into her dark eyes.

  Her hair was falling out of its chignon, so he lifted a hand and pushed it out of the way. Lacy Lou turned her cheek, cupping it in his hand. Her lips parted and he could see her pink tongue peek out to wet her lips.

  Marty cupped her chin in both of his hands and tilted her head towards him. Her eyes went wide as he brought his mouth down on hers.

  He kissed her as though he was dying of thirst and she was water. She hesitated only a moment before her arms were around his neck and she lifted herself up on her toes.

  She was flush against Marty and he was starting to feel things. Things that he shouldn’t be feeling unless he was married. Ma’s words still rang in his ears.

  He wasn’t treating her any better than some of the others in town, kissing her like this. She was no longer a soiled dove, and Marty didn’t want her thinking that he thought of her as anything less than a lady.

  A lady that he loved.

  He pushed away from her and removed his arms from around her neck. Lacy Lou’s eyes were glazed over, and she had a contented look.

  She went to lift her arms back around his neck, but Marty grabbed her hands.

  “Maybe later,” he said, giving her a quick hard kiss before reluctantly letting her go. He took her hand and didn’t let go until they were at the apple tree. “Let’s fill this box and then we can do the others.”

  As they were putting the last of the apples in the box, Marty noticed Lacy Lou running her fingers along the tree trunk.

  “What is it?” he asked her, lifting the wooden box up.

  “I was just looking at all these markings on the tree. I wonder who carved them?” she said, her fingers running over the bark. Marty moved over and saw she was tracing a heart with initials inside of it.

  “Some of them look like they have been there a long time,” he observed.

  “Have you ever carved a girl’s initials in a tree, Marty?”
/>   He liked the way she said his name. Her tongue rolling the r.

  “No, I’ve not.”

  Lacy Lou dropped her hand. “Me either. Their love must be something special if they wanted to memorialize it for all eternity.”

  Marty looked at her and dropped the box to the ground. He pulled out his pocket knife. “Well let’s fix that right now.”

  Lacy Lou couldn’t remember when she had a lovelier time. She was glad she went with Marty to pick the apples. He promised that he would show her how to make applesauce the next day.

  She never had anyone want to be with her just to be with her, and frankly, it unnerved her a little. How could Marty be so kind, caring and not expect anything from her?

  The only thing he had done was kiss her twice and Lacy Lou hadn’t put up too much of a protest. Marty’s kisses affected her in a way she had never felt before. He was so caring. So kind, and she still couldn’t fathom what he could be thinking being around a girl like her.

  Why even this morning, several folks called her out on what she was. She saw that it upset Marty just as much, and she was touched that he wanted to fight for her.

  She admitted there were times when she daydreamed about being able to have a normal relationship with a man. But then again, she wasn’t exactly normal.

  She was not the kind of woman a man would take home to his mother.

  When her brothers dropped her off in New Hope, she was scared. They gave her enough money to keep her fed for a week, before they skirted out of town.

  Lacy Lou didn’t know what happened, just that they were afraid of something. Maybe one of her brothers’ harebrained schemes caught up to them. She admitted that she enjoyed traveling with her brothers.

  They took odd jobs, slept under the stars, and spent their free time doing whatever they wished. They didn’t have roots anywhere.

  When her parents died, her brothers decided to sell the small dirt farm they lived on and split the proceeds. That is when their nomadic lifestyle began.

  After Lacy Lou was left in New Hope, she took her mother’s parents’ name, just in case anyone might be looking for her brothers.

  It was a wise decision as no one would expect the younger sister of a notorious gang to be right under their noses. It was one of the reasons she never spoke about her past. It brought up too many questions.