Woman of Courage (Four Full length Historical Christian Romances in One Volume): Woman of Courage Series

by Cynthia Hickey

  “The only thing I know is that you are asking for me to put a bullet in your gut.” Pa jammed him with the rifle.

  Phoebe’s hands shook as she clutched the doorframe. She wanted to dash out and scream that Eli was the last man on earth she’d ever want to marry. There was no longer any need for pretense. He’d ruined her. There was nothing left for her but to stay behind and raise her siblings. That and help Pa bring down the ring of moonshiners. She couldn’t help but feel a bit of pleasure knowing that could also result in Eli’s demise. Marry him? She’d rot in hell first.

  Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she plopped onto the bed. Had she given up all hope in her Heavenly Father as well as her hope in finding a husband? Possibly. Why would God let Eli take the one thing Phoebe had of any worth?

  “Phoebe.” Pa yelled from the front room. “You want to marry this skunk.”

  “No! I’d rather see him dead.” She buried her face in her hands.

  “Then I suspect you’d best skedaddle, Eli.”

  “You’re threatening the wrong man,” Eli said. “I might have made a mistake, but I’ve come to apologize. That’s the Christian thing to do, just as it’s the Christian way for y’all to forgive me. Don’t forget I got powerful friends. People that will side with me if it comes down to the two of us. It don’t make one bit of difference to any of them that you’re in this gang with us.”

  “Get the hell off my property, Eli. That’s the last warning you’ll get.”

  The door slammed. Phoebe released a shuddering breath as a new plan formed in her mind.

  15

  Jacob entered Dixon’s store. Five heads turned to glare at him. What unimagined slight had he done now? He nodded. “Folks.” Not one person returned his greeting. A chill ran down his spine that had nothing to do with winter.

  Dixon stood behind the counter, his normally cheerful face dour. “What can I do for you, Mr. Wright?”

  “He’s here to stir up more trouble,” one of the men in front of the potbellied stove, said. “He ought to go back where he came from.”

  The others nodded.

  Jacob frowned. “I’m confused, gentlemen. Have I slighted you in some way?”

  “You slighted Eli Coffman. You slight one of us, you slight us all.” More head nodding.

  Jacob had to bite his tongue not to blurt out the truth of the man’s evil. “We had a gentleman’s understanding regarding the courting of Phoebe Lillie. I’m sorry if Eli feels cheated.”

  “It’s been understood that Eli and Phoebe would get hitched for a couple of years,” the man said, spitting into a nearby spittoon. “Until you moseyed into our hollow.”

  “I honestly don’t believe Phoebe intended to marry Eli. That was all in Eli’s head.” Not having anticipated a store full of angry hill folk, he was no longer in a gift-buying mood. After purchasing the items he needed personally, Jacob headed back into the watery afternoon sun.

  He pulled the collar of his jacket around his neck, and shivered. The temperature was dropping with every hour. Hopefully, Viola and her beau would hit town before snow fell.

  He turned the mule toward the Lillie place. Someone had to let them know that Viola had run off. Otherwise, Phoebe would worry, and Jacob couldn’t let another hardship rest on her shoulders.

  When he spotted Eli shuffling in his direction, Jacob was tempted to pull into the trees instead of facing the man. But, he’d chosen to stop running from the unpleasant things of life, and halted in the middle of the road instead. If life could go on after Jacob was responsible for a woman’s death, he figured he could handle an ornery cuss like Eli. He tightened his hold on the reins to keep from sliding from the mule’s back and punching the man.

  Eli dragged his feet, head down, not seeming to care that he staggered across the road. Had he been drinking? His love of the whiskey he helped make and sell was what caused him to hurt Phoebe. That and the man’s foolish pride.

  “Morning, Eli.” Jacob narrowed his eyes, searching to see whether the man had a weapon. Not seeing one, he relaxed his hold a bit on the reins.

  “I reckon you’re pleased with yourself.” Eli glared, crossing his arms. “Seems Phoebe is done with me.” His lips thinned in a sneer. “But maybe she’s done with all men now.”

  Jacob shoved the old enemy rage deep inside. He thought he’d left that emotion behind when he quit law enforcement. Now, heat rose up his neck, calling his name. His fingers itched to clamp around the pistol in his waistband. There were no innocents to get in the way, no one to know other than the evil man who needed to be stopped. And Jacob. The thought left a bitter taste in his mouth. Even with the almost consuming desire to take Eli down, he knew taking the other man’s life would wound God, and that was something Jacob couldn’t do.

  “Cat caught your tongue, Teacher or are you afraid to stand up to a real man?”

  “When I see a real man, I’ll let you know.” He clicked the reins and moved past Eli.

  The man’s taunts hung in the cold air like a fog, choking Jacob’s spirit. The skin on his back tightened, expecting an ambush. When he reached the turnoff to the Lillie place, he relaxed. But he wasn’t fool enough to believe that Eli wouldn’t make an attempt to harm him should the opportunity arise.

  The Lillie’s hound barked a welcome when Jacob stopped in front of the house. The front door opened and Ben stepped out, sawed off shotgun in hand. “Howdy, Jacob. Thought you might be Eli Coffman come to stir up more trouble.”

  Jacob slid to the ground. “I passed him half a mile back.” From the murderous look on Ben’s face, the other man’s visit hadn’t been a pleasant one. “How’s Phoebe?”

  “Fine, but she ain’t up for company.”

  “I figured as much.” Only time and God’s love would heal what ailed Phoebe. Jacob would have to be patient. “Do you have a minute to talk?”

  Ben nodded and motioned to the steps. “What’s on your mind?”

  Jacob sat next to him, hands hanging between his knees. “I’m in quandary about how to get through to these mountain people. You know them. What am I doing wrong? They’ve taken sides between me and Eli and I’ve come out the loser.”

  “They still sending their young’uns to school?”

  Jacob nodded. “I want to help the families as a whole. Not just book learning for the children.”

  “That, my friend.” Ben clapped him on the shoulder. “Will take time. Eli was born and raised in this hollow.”

  “But he’s bringing evil here.”

  “He brings money. Something these people have very little of.” Ben picked up a stone from beside his scuffed boot and tossed it skittering across the ground. “Still, I’m hoping to put a stop to it all, even at the risk of turning my neighbors against me. The problem is … I don’t think Eli is the boss man. There’s someone higher up I’m trying to draw out.”

  “What can I do?” Jacob shivered against the cold and hooked the top button on his coat. Ben’s fervor against the moonshiners filled the air like a frigid wind. Lots of mountain people brewed the stuff. Why was Ben so set against it? Why didn’t he just warn his family to stay away and mind their own business? Much like Jacob wished he could. The law was the law, and obviously Ben had morals despite his simple upbringing.

  He bit his tongue to keep from blurting out the many questions. “I used to be in law enforcement. I might have connections that will help.”

  Ben shook his head. “Not yet, and keep your past job a secret if you value your hide. Let’s find out who is top of command, and then, if you still want to help, we’ll make our plan.”

  *

  Phoebe let the faded curtain fall into place. She wasn’t sure her plan would work if Jacob joined their efforts. The man might carry a gun, but it was as plain as the mountain that he was afraid to use it.

  The man. Tears stung Phoebe’s eyes. Eli had taken more than her virtue, he’d taken her heart. Jacob, the man she loved was now delegated to two words.

  She eyed the ri
fle over the fireplace. She’d reclaim what was lost or die trying.

  “Planning to commit murder?” Grandma lowered into her rocking chair and picked up a pair of coveralls that needed mending.

  “I might.” Phoebe pulled a cane-seated chair up to her quilting frame.

  “Don’t say as I blame you much, but it won’t set a good example for your siblings, nor will it make God smile.”

  Phoebe picked up her needle and jammed it through the top layer through to the bottom. Grandma was right, but Phoebe couldn’t change the way she felt. “Eli took the only thing of worth I had to give a husband. I aim to make him pay.”

  “You have your love to give, child.” Grandma narrowed her eyes. “There’s always that. If you’re thinking Jacob Wright won’t want you anymore, then maybe you’re right. Maybe you aren’t fit for a fine man like that.”

  Her head shot up, and she locked gazes with her grandmother. “That’s a cruel thing to say.”

  Grandma shrugged. “Sometimes the truth hurts.”

  “But what if I can’t give a man my love any longer? What if I can’t bring myself to let a man … touch me? What if I can’t perform my … duties?” Phoebe swallowed back the tears clogging her throat.

  “A man who loves you, well, his touch will make you forget all that. Trust your old grandma.” A smile spread across her weathered face. “I still have a bit of wisdom left in this old body of mine. Why don’t you go outside and check on the young’uns? They’re quiet, which means they’re up to no good.”

  Phoebe slipped the needle into the quilt fabric and headed outside, thankful Jacob and Pa weren’t in sight. By the time she reached the barn, the children’s voices reached her ears. Her heart sank not hearing Viola’s. Where had that girl gone to?

  “Now, this is what we’re gonna do.” JJ traced in the dirt with a stick. “The babies won’t be any help, but us boys are going to head up to that still and set fire to the shack. Pa needs all the help he can get, and I aim to give it to him.”

  “You will not.” Phoebe grabbed her brother by the collar and yanked him to his feet, not caring that he stood several inches taller than herself. “You want to get yourself killed?” She glared at each of the little ones. “You let Pa and me handle this.”

  “You?” JJ yanked free and crossed his arms. “You’re nothing but a girl.”

  “Get in the house.” Phoebe pointed and watched as all but JJ dashed away. “You want to be a man? Then don’t take children to do a grownup’s job.” She grabbed the hog’s leg from where her brother had leaned it against the barn siding and shoved it at him. “Make a plan. Talk with Pa. Don’t run off willy-nilly to get killed.”

  Once JJ stormed off, Phoebe leaned against the barn wall and closed her eyes. What was happening to their happy hollow? What evil had someone brought into their midst? An evil that threatened children and tore families apart? Thankful Pa had seemed fit to come out of hiding and tend to his family, Phoebe knew she still had a part to play in it all.

  The question was—what would happen to her when she followed through? There were only two outcomes. One was success, the other death.

  The deep rumble of men’s voices drifted around the corner, and Phoebe scooted into the sanctuary of the barn. When would she feel safe enough to face Jacob and not fear the pity she’d see in his eyes?

  Her life now had more questions than answers, and her soul had a rift she didn’t think could be healed. She glanced at the high-raftered ceiling above her head. Was God there for her anymore? How could He be when her heart held such bitterness and despair?

  Always the strong sister, the weakness that drowned her frightened her. She hadn’t been awake for Eli’s assault, yet darkness engulfed her, making it hard to breathe. Ma would have told her to seek counsel, but now that Pine Ridge didn’t have a permanent pastor, who could Phoebe talk to? Certainly not Jacob. He’d once told her he preached on occasion, but part of her despair concerned him. She couldn’t.

  Grandma was wise, but she would tell Phoebe everything would work out in time. Phoebe might not have a lot of time left. She had decided to put her plan into action the next time Pa headed up the mountain. If he said no, she’d go herself.

  The hollow had to get back to normal before all was lost.

  16

  “Afternoon, Sheriff.” Pa’s voice rang across the yard.

  Phoebe peeked out of the barn to see the middle-aged man with a paunch saunter across their yard. Sheriff Johnson might come up from Compton once in a while to establish law and order, but something about the way the man leered at every female in sight always put Phoebe’s nerves on edge.

  “Ben.” Sheriff Johnson removed his hat and propped one foot on a sawed off stump. “I’m here to speak to your Viola.” His gaze flicked to Jacob.

  The sheriff wasn’t saying everything he needed to say. Phoebe could see it in the way his eyes shifted across the yard, always settling on Jacob. She moved to the barn opening.

  “Why’s that?” Pa squared his shoulders. “She done something wrong?”

  The sheriff shook his head. “I don’t know. The Woods family is looking for their eldest boy, and they seem to think he might be with Viola.”

  “We haven’t seen Viola since yesterday.” Pa squared his shoulders. “I’m sure she ran off with that boy.”

  Jacob stepped forward. “She did, Ben.”

  What was he saying? Disregarding the fact she would be surrounded by men, Phoebe shuffled forward and stood just behind her pa.

  “When I was headed to Dixon’s, I saw Viola duck into the woods. I followed her and was run off, at gunpoint, by John Wood. They were headed to the city to get married.” He directed his attention to the sheriff. “You probably passed them in Compton. I’m sorry, Ben.”

  Pa shook his head. “No apology necessary. Viola is my wild one. I never could control her. Well,” he hitched his rifle higher. “If she don’t come back wed to that whelp, I’ll make sure they get hitched. You tell the Woods family that.”

  Sheriff Johnson nodded. “I’ll tell them. There’s something else I’ve driven up here for and that’s to talk to the teacher. I’m glad I found him here.”

  “Sheriff?” Jacob frowned.

  “Seems I’ve had some complaints about you meddling in people’s private affairs.” The sheriff’s lips stretched to a thin line in his ruddy face. “And Eli Coffman said you accosted him on the road.”

  “I did no such thing.” Jacob crossed his arms. “The man made threats and taunted me until I was out of sight. I never got off my mule.”

  The screen door squawked. Phoebe glanced over her shoulder to see JJ step outside, his dark eyes wide. She motioned for him to go back inside, but he shook his head and glared. Fine. Foolish boy. Pa could deal with him.

  “Still,” the sheriff said. “I have to give you a warning to stay away from Eli.”

  Phoebe rushed forward. “Pa, tell the sheriff what Eli did to me.” Heat infused her face. “The man needs to go to jail.”

  Sheriff Johnson removed his hat and ran his fingers along the brim, not meeting Phoebe’s eyes. “The way Eli tells it, you came on to him while taking a walk in the woods.”

  The lie strengthened Phoebe’s resolve to do something. “He’s a bald-faced liar, and I aim to make him pay.” She whirled, twisting her knee and tried to march into the house without showing pain.

  Inside, she stormed to the bedroom, yelled at her sisters to leave, and then slammed the door. She threw herself face down on the bed, not caring that she acted like a child. Sometimes tears and tantrums were all that would make a girl feel better. Ever since Ma died, Phoebe had been the strong one. The person who was there to pick up the slack. Now, she ached with a pain that weighed upon her, filled her with anger, an emotion she had previously had little experience with.

  She rolled over, and stared at the ceiling. Tears rolled down her face, soaking into her braids. She wanted to feel God’s presence again. She wanted Him to take away the hurtful feel
ings that wounded her. She wanted life to go back the way it was. But, she was old enough to know that a person didn’t always get what they want.

  Jacob’s voice, raised in anger, drifted through the thin wall, and her heart ached a little more. Last week, Phoebe had thought she’d found her husband. Now, she was resigned to being an old maid. Nothing more than a castoff.

  If Pa didn’t marry the widow Williams, Phoebe would spend the next few years raising her siblings, never to have children of her own. If Pa did marry, where would that leave Phoebe? Maybe she could stay here and care for Grandma while Pa moved into the widow’s place.

  A draft blew through the boards forming the rooms walls, and she rolled up in the quilt, feeling very much like a swaddling baby. Through the closed door came Grandma and the children’s murmurs as they pitched in to help with supper.

  Someone banged on the door. “Grandma said come help!” Callie’s voice pierced Phoebe’s fog. “You’ve pouted around enough. If you don’t start doing something your bones will freeze up and you’ll be an old lady.”

  Phoebe groaned and unrolled from the warm blanket. She was already an old lady. She opened the door and stepped into the toasty front room.

  “About time.” Grandma shoved a wooden spoon in her hand. “Finish up this stew and make some biscuits. My feet are killing me.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Phoebe stirred the flour and milk in the bowl.

  “I don’t want no more moping around.” Grandma poked the fire with a stick. “Enough is enough. You’re a strong girl. Act like it.”

  Oh, she intended to at the first opportunity. Only retaliation would ease the burning in her heart. She smiled without humor, anticipating Eli’s face when she made him pay.

  For a second, the faces of his children flashed across her mind. They’d be orphaned if something happened to Eli. She shook her head. He had family farther up the mountain that would care for them.