Long Trail Home

by Vickie McDonough

  Why did he get the feeling she was speaking from experience?

  “Please, Riley.” She lifted her hand as if to touch his arm then dropped it to her side. “I told Josh I would take care of him. How can I do that if he isn’t even here? I’ll help you.”

  He glanced up at the ceiling. His heart ached for the poor, little guy who hadn’t yet said a word, but keeping him was out of the question. “I can’t. I have work to do.”

  “If you could just keep him with you until I leave, I’ll take him with me.”

  Riley couldn’t help the sarcastic laugh that slipped out. “Annie, be serious. It’s one thing for you to tend children here, where you know every inch of the house, the barn, and the yard, but what happens when you leave? You have to be realistic. Where are you going to live? Who will take care of you?”

  She hiked that pert chin in the air. “I can take care of myself. I don’t need help.”

  He stepped forward and clutched her upper arms, giving her the tiniest of shakes. “You are not invincible, and you have to stop thinking that you are. Yes, you’re an amazing woman who doesn’t let your inability to see get in your way, but it’s a whole different issue when you’re caring for a child.”

  “Ha! What do you think I’ve been doing for the past seven years?”

  “Yes, but you haven’t been doing it alone. You’ve had Laura and Mrs. Alton to help out.”

  She hung her head as if finally defeated, and it nearly broke his heart. “What if Josh gets put with a family who’s mean to him like that saloon man? Could you live with that?”

  His grip tightened. “How do you know he was mean to him?”

  “Mrs. Alton said Josh was the dirtiest child she’d ever seen, maybe except for me when I first came here. He has bruises on his arms and legs. Too many to be from a normal child’s activities. That poor little boy needs someone to love him.”

  Riley closed his eyes. She wasn’t playing fair, and he suspected she knew it. “Annie, I don’t have anything to give a child.”

  Her head snapped up, and her hands lifted to his waist. “Don’t say that, because it’s a bald-faced lie. You have lots to give. You’re kind to the children and gentle with them, and I know it’s true, so don’t bother denying it.” A fire burned in her eyes that ignited a flame in his soul. “You’d make a wonderful father, even if the child wasn’t your own. And you have a nice house, too. All it needs is a bit of work.”

  Ah, he finally had a legitimate defense. “I’ve decided to sell the ranch.”

  Annie’s eyes widened and she gasped. She stiffened and jerked back, forcing him to release her. “You can’t be serious. How could you sell your home? All my life, all I’ve ever wanted was a home. I finally have one and it’s being taken from me.” Tears glimmered in her eyes. “You have one, and don’t want it or appreciate it. I just don’t understand that.”

  She pushed past him, but he couldn’t let her go with her so upset at him. He gently grabbed one arm, making her stop.

  “What do you want?”

  “Annie, a home is not a house. It’s people who make a house into a home. All of my family is gone, and I don’t want to live in that house with so many memories of what I did wrong. I want to start fresh with a place of my own, where I can make my own memories. Can’t you understand that?”

  She shrugged. “I never had much of a family until I came here, so no, I can’t understand it. I just know there’s a little boy who needs you, but you’re too focused on your own losses and hurt to see that. You have a good heart, Riley. Don’t be afraid to love again.”

  She pulled away, and this time he let her go, but he couldn’t turn loose of what she’d said about never having much of a family. Just what did that mean?

  An hour later, as Riley was repairing the barn door, Annie walked toward him with Josh in tow. He wasn’t sure what her game was, but he was prepared. There was no way this side of the Brazos River that he would adopt that boy. It wasn’t fair to the child.

  Annie’s smile wobbled a bit as she approached. “Um … Miss Laura needs to talk to the children to tell them about … well, you know. She asked me to see if you might be willing to take Josh for a short ride on Gypsy.” She turned her face toward the boy, and Riley studied her pretty profile. Short sprigs of light-brown hair curled around her forehead while her long braid lay along the back of her yellow gingham dress. Her nose was straight, not too long or too short, and her chin turned up just the slightest bit on the end. “Have you ever ridden a horse, Josh?”

  As far as he knew, Josh had yet to utter a single word. What had the poor child experienced being around the rough people one encountered in a saloon? His heart hurt for the boy, not enough that he wanted to accept responsibility for him, but he could give Josh a ride on Gypsy.

  The boy peeked up at Riley then glanced past him and into the barn. He’d brought Gypsy in from the pasture so he could give her a good rubdown, then he’d planned to ride out to the house and do a little straightening up. He could still do that with the boy along, he supposed. But he wasn’t going to go all softhearted and change his mind.

  He stooped down to make himself look less intimidating. “Would you like to go for a ride on my horse with me?”

  Josh shrugged one shoulder and leaned against Annie’s skirt. His gaze shot between Riley and the open barn door again, looking more interested than scared.

  Annie stroked Josh’s short, blond hair. “All the other children have already had a chance to ride. You want your chance, don’t you?”

  Riley smiled at her tactic. Josh shook his head.

  Annie slid her hand down the boy’s arm and took hold of his. “Let’s go have another look at Gypsy. She’s the horse that you fed a carrot to yesterday.” She led him into the barn, and Riley followed. He couldn’t help admiring how her soft speech and gentle touches made the shy boy more comfortable. He made a mental note to do the same so he wouldn’t frighten the child.

  Annie held her hand out flat, and Gypsy sniffed it looking for a treat. “See, isn’t she a nice horse?”

  Josh watched her with wide blue eyes and tucked his hands behind his back. From his viewpoint of standing just about three feet tall, the horse had to look gigantic. Riley stooped down next to the boy. “Would you like for me to pick you up so you can pet Gypsy?”

  Josh backed up against Annie, but didn’t look overly frightened.

  “Maybe he could help you saddle the horse.” Annie lifted her brows as if saying he should have thought of such a thing.

  He stood there trying to decide just what a boy so small could do, when Annie offered another idea.

  “Why don’t you let him sit on your saddle before you put it on the horse, so he’ll get a feel for it?”

  Now that was a good idea. Riley stooped down and held out his hand to Josh. Bright blue eyes only a few shades lighter than his stared at him, as if judging his trustworthiness. Riley couldn’t help wondering again if the child had faced cruelty at the hands of men. He seemed far more comfortable with the women. Riley had smiled at him at their mealtimes but hadn’t approached him.

  Josh glanced up at Annie, then ever so slowly, reached out and laid his hand in Riley’s. The child’s was dwarfed by Riley’s bigger one, but his trust stirred something deep within. Smiling, Riley gently closed his hand and pulled the boy toward him. “My saddle is in the tack room on a block. I’ll need to lift you up to set you on it. Is that all right?”

  Josh tightened his lips. Annie patted his shoulder, and the boy nodded and held up his arms. Riley smiled at how quickly Josh overcame his obvious apprehension. “Thatta boy.”

  Riley swung him up into one arm and smiled at Annie when Josh didn’t make a fuss.

  “Oh, before I forget, Miss Laura wants to know if you’d ride into town and post these letters for her.” She pulled a collection of nearly a half dozen letters from her apron pocket and held them out.

  He didn’t want to take them, certain they were the summons for the children�
��s parents, but he did. If Annie was aware of their importance, she did a great job hiding her emotions. His throat thickened at the thought of saying a final good-bye to her, so he carried the letters and the small boy into the tack room, where he lay the missives on the bed and set the boy on the saddle. Josh’s eyes went wide and he seized the horn, his short legs spread wide across the saddle, feet dangling more than a foot above the stirrups. He sat there for a moment looking as if he were wishing he was anywhere else, but then his lips turned up in a charming smile that revealed matching dimples.

  Looking over his shoulder, Riley wanted to share the boy’s happiness with Annie, but the little sneak had vanished, leaving him alone to care for Josh. Well, it was his own fault. He had agreed to watch the boy for a short while.

  He shook his head. What a big mistake that was going to be. The moment he lifted Josh in his arms, it was like adding coffee grounds to water. The two together blended, fit. His heart reached out and connected with the young orphan. He was afraid his plans to give Josh back to Annie were going to be far more difficult than he hoped.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Laura wrung her hands as she paced the parlor, waiting for Annie to return from the barn. They both thought it would be less traumatic for Josh to not be present when she broke the news that the school was closing. The children all waited patiently, as they did when their teacher was about to begin class or read to them, but this time the story wouldn’t have a happy ending.

  Tess perched on the settee with Lissa, Camilla—still not fully awake from her afternoon nap—and Becky on the far end. Henry sat in a side chair, while Rusty pumped the rocking chair, forward and back, as if trying to break a wild mustang. She loved each of them so much. Tess for her mothering, Becky so quiet and shy until there was a competition, sweet Lissa with hair almost the color of Annie’s, and darling Camilla with her charming accent and insatiable curiosity. And then there were the boys. Henry was always quiet and such a hard worker, while Rusty with his loud exuberance kept everyone smiling. Oh, how she would miss them.

  She batted back the sting of tears and stiffened her spine. The back door opened and closed when Annie walked through the dining room. She smiled halfheartedly and stopped at the wide doorway to the parlor and leaned against it. Mrs. Alton had prepared dinner early, preferring not to be present when the sad news was broken. The fragrant aroma of chicken soup and biscuits filled the house and would soon fill their bellies.

  A highly fulfilling era of her life was quickly coming to a close, and while she definitely was sad, there was an excitement building. Something new was on the horizon, she just knew it. Laura took a deep breath and began. “Children, Miss Annie is already aware of the news I have to share with you this afternoon, and I want to assure you that I’ve done all I know to do to prevent it. There is no easy way to say this, but in two weeks, the Wilcox School for Blind Children will be closing.”

  An audible gasp circled the room then Tess and Becky started sniffling and their chins trembled. Annie and Henry hung their heads.

  Rusty slowed the rocker. “What d’ya mean the school’s closin’? Where’re we gonna live?”

  Laura looked at the girls, all cheerless except Camilla, who probably was too young to grasp the ramifications of the announcement. “I’ve sent letters to the girls’ parents, so they should all be coming soon to pick you up and take you back home.” She walked over to the boys, stooped down, and took hold of their hands. “There’s a wonderful school for blind children in Austin. I’m sure you both will love it, and Henry, Austin has several colleges. I know how much you love learning. Maybe it will be possible for you to attend one when you’re old enough.”

  The dim light in the older boy’s eyes sparked. “You think they’d allow someone like me to go?”

  She squeezed his hand. His useless blue-gray eyes looked to be staring straight at her. “I think it’s a good possibility. We’ll find out more when we get there.”

  “A new school?” Rusty asked, as if the news interested the smart five-year-old. “How will we get there?”

  “I’m not sure just yet, but we will somehow. Do you girls have any questions?” Laura stood, relieved they were all taking things so well.

  Footsteps echoed across the porch, and a knock sounded at the door. Annie pushed away from the wall she leaned against. “I’ll get it.”

  She opened the door, and Laura caught a peek of a man dressed in a white shirt, black pants, boots, and a straw hat—a new wide-brimmed style that some of the ranchers were wearing. He yanked the hat off when Annie answered the door.

  “Can I help you?” she asked.

  “I’m looking for Riley Morgan. Heard in town that he was working here.”

  Annie nodded. “You might find him at the barn, but he may not be there. He was taking one of the children for a ride on his horse.”

  “I want to ride Gypsy, too!” Rusty cried.

  Laura shushed him so that she could hear the stranger.

  “Thanks, ma’am. I’ll check to see if he’s there,” the man said. “In case I don’t find him, could you tell him that Gerald Brown was here, and I’ve got something of his pa’s that I need to give him.”

  Laura’s heart jumped. A memento of his father would be such good news for Riley.

  “Thank you. I’ll be sure to tell him.” Annie closed the door then sat in the last remaining chair.

  “Miss Laura, why is the school closing?” Tess ducked her head and worried her fingers in her lap, pulling Laura’s attention away from the door.

  “It has nothing to do with you children, be assured of that. I try to shelter you-all from things you don’t need to know, but I won’t lie to you.” From the corner of her eye, Laura saw Annie grimace. “The man who owns this house wants to sell it, and I’ve been unable to locate another suitable place nor find the funding I need to continue the school since Mr. Morrow died. I’ve run out of options and have no choice but to close.”

  “Thank you for explaining, Miss Laura. Knowing that it’s not your choice to close makes it easier to accept.” Tess offered a tentative smile.

  “All right, now.” Laura clapped her hands. “I knew you’d be sad, so I asked Mr. Murphy if he’d come for supper this evening, and right after the dishes are done, he will take us for a hay ride.”

  Cheers rang out, but they were not quite as enthusiastic as usual. At least the news put smiles on most of the children’s faces.

  Laura walked Sean out to his wagon, remembering the wonderful evening. After a delicious supper, they had all loaded up into his wagon. Laura had smiled to herself as Riley lifted Annie up on the gate of the wagon then sat beside her, their legs dangling down, and Josh nestled in between them. All of the children had crowded together, smiles again lighting their expressions. They sang and called hellos to people who were just leaving after the final night of the revival as they drove through town. Many of the townsfolk smiled and called hello back. She had a feeling if finances hadn’t been so tight for everyone because of the war, the town would have rallied around them.

  “Why so quiet? Didn’t you have a good time?”

  Laura smiled. “Of course. Just thinking about tonight and a few other things.”

  Sean’s brawny torso stood out in the light shining from the parlor window. “What other things? Maybe I can help?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know how I’m going to do everything that needs doing. Mr. Ramsey wants us out in two weeks.”

  “I thought you had three weeks until the deadline.”

  “We did, until Annie brought Josh home and Mr. Ramsey found out a sighted child was living in the house. He said the boy had to leave or he’d shave a week off. I made him angry, so he did it anyway.”

  “Is that why I saw Annie heading to the barn with an armload of bedding?” He chuckled. “Leave it to the two of you to finagle a way to keep the boy.”

  She lifted her chin and gave him a mock glare, rather proud of how they remedied the situati
on. “All that greedy coot said was that we had to get Josh out of the house.”

  Sean laughed heartily. “So you put him in the barn with Riley?”

  “Well, isn’t that better than giving him to someone who’ll make him work for a meal or two a day like that saloon owner did?”

  “It is, but what happens in two weeks?”

  Laura glanced over at the barn, a conspiring smile lifting her lips. “I’m hoping for a miracle.”

  “I didn’t think you believed in those.”

  “This time I do. Haven’t you noticed how Riley and Annie are attracted to each other?”

  “Laura.” Sean’s deep voice scolded. “You’re not meddlin’, are you?”

  She shrugged and grinned. “Maybe. But don’t you see, they’d make the perfect set of parents for that boy.”

  “Do they know this?”

  She swung her skirts back and forth, like a schoolgirl. “Annie thinks we’re trying to get Riley to keep the boy, but I want to see them get together. They need each other.”

  “And Annie needs a home. I’m just not sure that’s the best thing for her.” He shook his head. “How can she run a home and care for a young child alone if she can’t see?”

  Laura’s heart pounded like the spoon Rusty often hammered on the table when his meal didn’t arrive as fast as he expected. “Well, everyone is going to find out soon enough, so I might as well tell you now. Annie—she isn’t … uh … blind.”

  Sean frowned. “You mean she can see some, like lights and shadows?”

  “I mean she isn’t blind at all; she can see everything.”

  His eyes widened, and he turned and stalked over to his horses, leaning against the back of the closest one. That was hardly the reaction she’d expected. “Aren’t you happy for her?”

  He was silent for a long moment, and all she could hear was the chorus of night creatures. Stars covered the sky, winking at her, as if telling her everything would be all right.

  “Of course I’m happy for Annie, but you lied to me.” He turned back around, his wounded expression barely visible in the faint lighting. “I never thought you’d do such a thing.”