Long Trail Home

by Vickie McDonough

  Laura smiled and turned her head away, but not before Annie saw it.

  “What?” Annie crossed her arms over her chest.

  “Annie.” The bed creaked as Laura pushed to her feet and walked over to where Annie stood. “He’s just trying to be a gentleman.”

  “Huh, well, he has a funny way of showing it.” Annie paused, looking Laura in the eye. “And you know what else he does that drives me loco? He tips his hat to me—even though he thinks I don’t see it. Isn’t that just plain silly?”

  Laura lifted her hands to Annie’s cheeks and stared into her eyes. “You like him, don’t you?”

  “What! No! That’s absurd. How could I like him when everything he does annoys me?” Annie wanted to wipe that knowing smile off her friend’s face. Was Laura completely daft?

  “Methinks thou doth protest too much.” Laura cast a wily look over her shoulder as she walked to the table. Tiny insects scattered as she lifted her hand to the lantern’s globe, and blew out the flame.

  “Methinks you don’t know what you’re talking about.” Glad for the darkness, Annie turned back and stared out the window. Lightning danced across the far horizon in zigzag lines that didn’t touch the ground, and she waited for the thunder to boom, but it never came. Sweat trickled down her back, and she longed for a cooling rain.

  “Annie.”

  If she’d been lying in bed, she’d be tempted to feign sleep, but she could hardly do that from the window. “Yes?”

  “Riley Morgan comes from a good family. He’s kind to the children and polite to women. He’s just spent the last four years away from home fighting in that dreadful war, risking his life as a soldier. From what I’ve read, the soldiers lived in squalid conditions much of the time, and he came home to find his parents dead and his fiancée married to someone else, yet Riley doesn’t seem bitter or hardened. A woman could do far worse than a man like him.”

  “Good night, Laura.”

  Morning would come far too soon, but with so many things on Annie’s mind, sleep would not come easily. If only she could take a pallet outside and sleep on the porch where the breezes were stronger. Moisture beaded on her forehead, and she leaned farther out the window, looking toward the barn where Riley lay sleeping.

  Laura’s words drifted through her mind. Could Riley have designs on her? What if such a ridiculous thing were true?

  She’d never once had a man—or a boy, when she was younger—show the least bit of interest in her—at least not once they discovered she was blind. They could never see past her supposed disability. She rested her elbow on the windowsill and placed her chin on her hand. It didn’t matter if Riley liked her. In a few weeks she’d be gone from here—unless a miracle occurred. And she had never seen a miracle.

  Annie climbed into the front of the wagon as Riley lifted the last child into the back. Each youngster’s face had been scrubbed clean, and each was dressed in Sunday best.

  Miss Laura clapped her hands. “Quiet down and give me your attention, children. I need to tell you something.” She waited for the din to silence then continued. “I have a surprise. I talked to the minister who is holding tonight’s revival, and he told me that he was riding past the school this morning and overheard you singing during music class. He invited you-all to sing tonight.”

  Excited cheers spilled forth. Annie turned on the wagon’s bench seat and saw Riley standing behind Laura, with a broad smile. He sure was handsome when he smiled—which he seemed to be doing more and more lately.

  “So I want you to be on your very best behavior. Reverend James will start the service with several hymns. Then we will go up front and introduce you-all. Mr. Morgan and I will help you get lined up, and then you’ll sing ‘All Creatures of Our God and King’ and ‘Amazing Grace’, just like we’ve done at home. Any questions?”

  Rusty’s hand shot up, which didn’t surprise Annie in the least. “Will there be food afterwards?”

  Riley chuckled and shook his head.

  Laura smiled. “I don’t think so, but if you-all perform well and sit quietly during the service, I imagine we could have a snack before bedtime.”

  Cheers from the children rang out.

  Riley escorted Laura to the front of the wagon and helped her up to the seat. Annie realized that getting in the wagon first would put her in the middle, sitting next to Riley. She tucked her skirts under and crossed her arms, holding them tight in her effort to make herself as thin as possible on the seat. Laura sat down and leaned toward her ear. “He doesn’t have anything contagious, you know.”

  Annie frowned and poked her friend in the side with her elbow. Laura chuckled and straightened her skirt.

  The other side of the wagon dipped and creaked under Riley’s weight. Annie hadn’t spoken to him since the previous night, and she dreaded being so close to him now. She was half embarrassed and still half angry. It was beyond her how saying someone’s eyes resembled a cow could be construed as a compliment.

  He clicked out the side of his mouth at the same time he snapped the reins, and the horses plodded forward. His arm pressed against her shoulder. She leaned toward Laura, but her friend pushed back as if purposely trying to force her closer to Riley. Annie sat straight as a broom handle and kept her eyes straight forward. She would endure the short ride into town and try not to think of the clean-shaven, fresh-smelling man next to her.

  A few long, uncomfortable minutes passed, and the public square came into view, the courthouse rising up tall and proud at the far end. Wagons and a number of saddled horses lined the streets surrounding the square. A canvas shelter had been erected over a temporary stage, where a makeshift pulpit had been erected. Rows of benches—some newly made of fresh wood and others borrowed from the Baptist church—were spread out before the small stage. Behind the benches, people sat in clusters on their quilts with their families. Annie was tempted to smile at several grannies who sat in rocking chairs that family members had hauled in their wagons, but she caught herself.

  How many similar events had she attended here? Town gatherings and celebrations were frequent, shopping among the local farmers selling fruits and vegetables out of the backs of their wagons, and buying cotton. The one that stood out most in her mind was when Sam Houston came to town and gave his antisecession speech to a crowd in front of the courthouse. Texas seceded anyway, but the speech sure had stirred up the townsfolk for a long while.

  She couldn’t miss the number of women clothed in various stages of mourning dress, from solid black to gray and lavender, and the men with black armbands. So many people had lost loved ones in the war.

  Riley pulled the wagon to a halt, set the brake, and wrapped the reins around it. He hopped down and held up his hands to her, but she kept her face straight ahead. He cleared his throat. “Miss Annie, if you’ll scoot over to the left, I can help you down.”

  Oh fiddle. She hadn’t even thought about having to get down.

  “Go on, Annie. We need to get seated before the service starts. The reverend is saving us places on a couple of the benches he borrowed from the area churches, but if we’re not there before the meeting starts, we’ll lose them.”

  Annie scooted over on the seat, wondering why they hadn’t come earlier if Laura was so worried about losing their seats. She held out her hand, and Riley took it and placed it on his shoulder. When she’d settled her other hand, he took her by the waist and lowered her to the ground.

  “There are a lot of folks milling about here this evening. If you’ll wait until the children are unloaded, I’ll help you get to your seat.”

  She wanted to snap back that she didn’t need his help, but the tone in his voice conveyed concern rather than condescension. Annie nodded.

  Turning slightly, from the corner of her eye, she watched Riley help Laura to the ground. He didn’t lift her down but rather held up his hand to assist her, and though he smiled, it was a different kind of smile from the one he gave her. She fell back against the wheel, trying to grasp
hold of the idea that maybe he did like her.

  The children’s excited chatter invaded her thoughts. She was grateful for this happy evening. The youngsters would soon be informed about the changes ahead, if Laura couldn’t find a way to keep the school open.

  Riley helped the children to form a line behind Miss Laura, and she walked toward the seating area, looking like a mother mallard with her ducklings. People stared as usual, but most were kind glances. Riley stopped beside Annie and stuck out his elbow. “Here, take my arm.”

  Her cheeks warmed at the thought of allowing him to escort her in front of so many people. Since Laura had gone on ahead, there was really no other option. She reached for his arm and looped hers around it. If she was completely honest with herself, she had to admit she liked the man. He was just as Laura had said—kind, helpful, courteous, handsome—and now that she had thought about it some, she realized her anger with his helping her stemmed from her need to be independent and not needy.

  She’d never had a beau before, but for this one moment, she pretended he was hers.

  She took her seat, and this time didn’t fuss about sitting next to him, but she did bemoan the fact that she’d led most everyone to believe she was blind. If not for that, she might actually consider attempting to win Riley’s heart. But why would a man like him allow himself to be attracted to a blind woman? Not that he was—but she was starting to hope he might be.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Riley glanced at Annie sitting more relaxed on the church bench than she had in the wagon. She hadn’t yet talked to him—not since he’d made that stupid remark about her eyes resembling Bertha’s. He shook his head just thinking about his careless words.

  He’d only wanted to compliment her—to tell her how pretty her eyes were—dark like Bertha’s, fringed with long lashes. It didn’t sound all that bad to him, but she sure had taken offense. He leaned forward with his elbows resting on his knees and glanced at the children. The oldest three sat on the bench with him and Annie while Miss Laura sat in front of them, in the middle of the younger ones.

  A large crowd had already gathered. People squeezed closer together on the benches while others spilled out around the outskirts. Any kind of a gathering always brought out people eager to visit with neighbors, but they seemed especially glad to get together now that the war was over. People could relax once again and go about the business of life. The buzz of conversation filled the air as farmers and ranchers, merchants and businessmen, all speculated on the future and how things would change now that the slaves had gained their freedom.

  He suspected cotton growing would probably wind down now that the workforce wasn’t there to harvest it, but how would that affect the economy of Waco? Several men to his left raised their voices in differing opinions until one man’s wife shushed him. His neck and ears turned red, but he settled in his seat and faced the front. Riley grinned but then sobered. The action reminded him of his parents. Everyone thought Calder Morgan was the boss of the family, but most of the time his ma ruled the roost. His heart clenched. He missed his parents. If only he’d had a chance to see them one more time—to tell them how much he loved them.

  Ducking his head, he widened his eyes when they started stinging then blinked away the unwanted tears. With his head down, he noticed Annie’s hands folded in her lap. Her nails were not the clean, polished nails of a debutante but rather chipped and even had a bit of dirt under them. He wanted to take hold of her hand—to tell her not to worry about things at the school, but how could he make such a promise? He couldn’t even decide what he wanted to do himself.

  And he certainly didn’t want Annie to think he was interested in her. He’d learned his lesson where women were concerned.

  Keeping his head down, Riley stared at the dirt and crumpled grass at his feet. A spot in his heart still ached at Miranda’s defection from their betrothal. She had always been a bit of a flirt—a pretty woman who seemed to crave the attention of men, and he’d fallen under her spell. He was dimwitted to think she’d wait for him, especially after he found her in the arms of Nate Watson that time. But he’d believed her story that Nate had corralled her and forced his attentions, and he had defended her honor with a fistfight. Now he wondered …

  Riley shook his head. What did it matter now? It was part of the past. Miranda was married, and there was no sense pining over her. Besides, Annie wasn’t Miranda, and it wasn’t right to compare the two. Annie was sweet, loved the children and Miss Laura dearly. Yes, she had a temper, but he was sure she could never be deceptive like Miranda had been. Lying wasn’t in her nature.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a tall, slim man stepping toward the front. Riley leaned toward Annie. “When he calls up the young’uns, I’ll help Miss Laura. Why don’t you stay seated?”

  She made a face as if she were annoyed by his suggestion, but after a long moment, she nodded. Her need for independence resonated as loud as cannon fire. How difficult was it for her to know that many young women her age were already married and some even had children? A physical pain pierced his chest. If he could give her his own sight, he felt sure he would do so. She ought to have a chance to live a normal life, not one where she was trapped in darkness. All of the sweet children deserved that too, but it was not the hand they’d been dealt in life. Still, if he hadn’t lived near them and watched them doing chores, dishes, and other daily tasks for the past few weeks, he’d never have believed how capable they were.

  “Welcome, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for coming tonight. I want to welcome back all of our soldiers and offer my condolences to those families who lost someone during the war.” He paused in respect for the families whose soldiers had not returned. Then he leaned forward on the pulpit, his eyes smoldering with excitement. “And thank the Good Lord, the war is over.”

  Claps and loud cheers rang out all around Riley, and several of the children jumped at the sudden ruckus. He started to comfort them, but they didn’t seem overly worried, so he settled down on the bench again.

  The minister lifted his hands to quiet the crowd. “My name is King James.”

  Murmurs and chuckles echoed through the crowd. Behind Riley, Rusty shouted, “Did he say he was a king?”

  Miss Laura hurried to shush the precocious boy who’d set the crowd heehawing.

  The minister laughed too, but lifted his hands again. “My parents had no idea how much trouble that name would cause me. My Christian name isn’t a whole lot better than my brother’s though. Most folks call him Jimmy or J.J., but his full name is James Josephus James.”

  “James James,” a man in back repeated. “What a hoot!”

  The reverend waited for the laughter to die down again, then continued. “I’d like to start this evening in prayer. Would you please bow your heads with me?”

  He thanked God for the nice weather and the town’s hospitality, and then he offered a prayer of praise to the Good Lord for seeing the nation through the war. He prayed again for unity and for God to comfort those left homeless or injured and for those in pain over their lost loved ones.

  After all his shocking news when he’d first come home, Riley hadn’t thought to thank God for protecting him during the four years of war. At first, he’d been so angry and hurting over Timothy’s death that he’d just wanted to die himself. But then he witnessed his fellow soldiers dying, one after another, and he realized how much he wanted to live—to return home and make up for deserting his family in the time of their greatest need. For so long, he’d been angry at God. Why should God listen to his prayers now that he was safe?

  Riley sat up and stiffened his back. He had only agreed to come to help Miss Laura with the children, but he would have been better off saying no. A long time ago when his brother died, he’d decided God had turned His back on him—even after Riley had pleaded with God to save Timothy. It was too late for him to change.

  Annie liked the minister right away. His kind eyes seemed to look straight into her heart.
His gaze roamed the crowd, as if he were concerned that someone might need a special word from the Lord. And whoever heard of a man named King James—a preacher no less!

  He leaned against the pulpit, as if trying to get closer to the congregation. “We’ve been through hard times, folks. Some people much harder than others. There are women in the South who have lost their husbands and sons. Their daughters have been mistreated by cruel men, and their homes destroyed. I’m saying this so that we can be thankful things aren’t worse here in Texas than they are.”

  He pushed away from the pulpit and walked around to stand in front of it. “I’m asking you to set aside your opinions of the war and what the next steps for our country should be. Let’s put aside for now the debate over whether or not Texas should rejoin the Union. Let’s don’t be worrying about what’s to become of your cotton farmers whose slaves have been set free—farmers who have acres of crops to be harvested and no workers. No, I’m asking your thoughts to dwell on your heavenly Father now. Open your hearts to Him and hear His word to you tonight.”

  He beckoned the musicians, two fiddlers and an accordion player, who joined him onstage. “We didn’t want to move one of the heavy pianos outside, on the off chance it might rain, so I’ve asked these gentlemen to join me as we sing several hymns to our Lord.”

  The fiddle players looked to Casper Hornsby, who pulled his accordion apart on a wheeze, and nodded his head. The minister lifted his face toward heaven and sang the chorus of “Crown Him with Many Crowns,” followed by “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name” and “Rock of Ages.”

  Annie closed her eyes and joined in singing the familiar hymns she often sang at Sunday services. Riley Morgan’s deeper voice stayed surprisingly on key. Just one more thing to like about the man, especially since she herself couldn’t hold a tune.