by Jodi Barrows
“We also have a signed contract for our teaching position. Miss Abigail Wilkes has accepted the assignment.”
Parker held the contract up for all to see. Whoops and hollers came from parents and children alike, while Abby blushed over the attention.
“I don’t think anyone has ever been so welcomed into a teaching position before,” she told Liz.
The pastor held his hands in the air to calm the crowd. “We will announce the first day of school soon. We plan to let the harvest hands start at a later date, so let us know what suits you and we’ll take that into consideration.”
This time, the older boys sent out a cheer of excitement, and members of the congregation chuckled.
“May I introduce to you our new teacher, Miss Abigail Wilkes?”
Liz watched the color bloom to Abby’s cheeks again as Parker made the announcement. She felt so happy to see her cousin welcomed, privileged to be teaching in this community. Their children really wanted to learn, from what she had assessed, and she looked on as Abby approached the front where the pastor stood and faced the expectant crowd.
The sun had started its descent in the west and a warm yellow glow surrounded the town. Abby looked out over the crowd, lingering on her sister and cousins with big loving smiles, clapping and cheering for her. Liz’s heart beat fast inside her.
“I want to thank you,” Abby announced to them, “for the opportunity you have awarded me to give knowledge to your children. I take this privilege seriously and I hope you will help me by encouraging them to keep up with their assignments.”
The parents laughed in unison as some of the children groaned.
Abby began to walk away, but Pastor Parker stopped her. “One more thing.” He paused. “Mrs. Longmont and the others have a welcome gift for you.”
Katie Longmont came to the front with a large fabric bundle. With the help of another lady, they opened a beautiful schoolhouse block quilt.
“We want to welcome you and give you this quilt in appreciation,” Katie spoke softly but with confidence. “Each family made a block for each child that you will teach. We quilted each of those names into the block. I would like for each student to step forward when I read your name.”
She called her own three children last. “Daisy, Lillie, and Daniel Longmont. Daniel will start next year, but he really wanted to have a block in the quilt.”
Katie smiled as her children acknowledged the new teacher.
Daisy spoke out. “The setting stars in the quilt are for good luck and good marks on our assignments.” She smiled shyly and twisted at the waist.
Liz’s heart squeezed as she observed Abby’s reaction, obviously overwhelmed as she looked into the faces of her pupils. The quilt was more eloquent than any speech could ever have been. Thomas moved beside Liz and touched her hand with his as Abby thanked them.
“Thank you so very much.” Abby beamed. “I will treasure this beautiful quilt always.”
“Well, this certainly is the night for surprises.” Thomas said, nudging Liz toward the east. “Look who’s riding in as we speak.”
A chestnut mare stirred up the dust as it galloped closer to the festivities at the church. The rider turned the horse toward the congregation and pulled back on the reins to slow down. Even in the dusky darkness, Liz knew it was her grandfather. The other three granddaughters along with Liz picked up their skirts and ran to greet Lucas Mailly.
Liz reached him first as he dismounted, and she threw her arms around his neck “I didn’t expect you so soon, but I was just thinking about you.”
“You didn’t think that I would let you have all the fun, did you?” Lucas gave her a firm hug and turned to the others who had now reached him.
“You look well,” Megan said as she hugged him.
“As do you,” Lucas replied as he kissed her cheek.
“We didn’t expect you so soon,” Abby said as he put a large arm around her and Emma and pulled them to their toes in a big bear hug.
“Sir, it’s good to see you.” Thomas shook hands with Lucas. “Looks like the trip went well for you.” Looking around, Thomas asked, “Did you come alone?”
“Yes, I traveled alone. I figured I’d make better time that way. The timber contracts didn’t take as long as I thought and I didn’t want the girls to have all the fun without me.”
Thomas slapped him on the back and laughed.
Lucas Mailly and his kin walked closer to the group who had been watching the reunion. Liz realized that the people of their new town now saw a family unit that was complete, knitted together in love and respect. This gentle giant of a man had big ideas and was not afraid to live them and share them with the people he loved and cared about. This man would not allow the women in his life to be weak or dependent. He gave them strength, courage, and the desire to take life by the reins and direct it in the direction they wanted.
Liz felt stronger with his presence. She could feel it in her bones. When she’d been a little girl, Liz and Megan had come to live with their grandfather. Lucas Mailly, a kind and loving man, had calloused hands and wise eyes. He’d been gentle with them and instilled strong values of character and wisdom. He encouraged his granddaughters and they grew to be well-educated women of strength and perseverance.
She grew nostalgic as she watched Lucas move about the crowd, making introductions and shaking hands. She remembered how he used to read books to them and discuss politics from the prominent newspapers of the day. Their grandfather always found time for them no matter how busy he was at the timber mill. Grandpa Lucas always knew just how hard to push to get the best out of them. He never restricted them just because they were women, and Liz loved that most about him. Just being around him made her a better person, and she didn’t think she’d been fully aware of how much her grandfather strengthened her until now.
She’d never been apart from him before. She’d been able to make the trip without him largely because he expected her to and believed she could do it. She looked at him now as he walked across the church yard, placing his arm around Megan as she scurried along with him.
When Liz joined them, her grandfather gazed down at her as one lone tear crept out of the far corner of her eye. He reached over with his rough lumberjack thumb and gently took the tear from her.
“I’m here now, Liz. None of that.”
“Luke!” Liz called out, and Luke stopped playing catch to look over at a group gathering around a tall, stately gentleman that he realized was his great-grandpa. He dropped the ball and ran to greet his namesake.
Liz thought for a moment that Luke might knock him down. Grandpa Lucas messed his hair and gave him a good-natured shove.
“You should have seen what Mom just did. She saved a little girl’s life by shooting the head of a snake clean off!”
“You must be the famous Lucas Mailly,” Pastor Parker greeted him with an outstretched hand. “It’s good to finally meet the man that raised the fastest gun in Fort Worth.”
“Someone tell me about this snake. It sounds like I just missed all the excitement!” Lucas said.
The men were all gathered to make acquaintances with Mr. Mailly and the story of the snake was told. Lucas smiled with pride as he heard how Liz had saved the child.
“It doesn’t surprise me much. Liz has always been a woman of action!” Lucas smiled. “Where can a man get something to eat around here? It sure smells better than what I’ve eaten on the trail.”
As the sun began to sink on the edge of the Texas plains, the barbecue was in full swing with an abundance of good food and music. The tables were spread with tasty dishes brought by the townspeople to welcome the new Mailly family, and a bubble of pure joy lifted inside of Thomas at the realization that Lucas had arrived just in time to join in on the fun and fill his belly.
The same man from the morning’s church choir played the harmonica along with several other men with fiddles, guitars, and a banjo. He couldn’t help tapping his toe, and he looked around for Li
z in hope that she might want a dance companion. He noticed Luke filling his plate again as others around him grabbed the hands of their partners and hurried out to the makeshift dance floor.
Megan especially loved meeting all of the single men of Fort Worth and swirling around the floor with them. One particular man, twice her age, kept coming back for dances. Finally, when Megan had danced enough, Thomas watched her head off for a break and to pour a cool glass of water. He got his first glimpse of Liz, standing there next to Megan.
“Megan, you’re spending a lot of time on the floor with that older man,” Thomas observed as he joined them.
“Well,” she tried to catch her breath and take a drink, “he is a really good dancer and I can let my guard down with him. He’s very nice.”
Liz shook her head at her impish sister just as another cowboy approached and wheeled Megan off to be his partner as the Virginia Reel started.
Thomas bent down close to Liz’s ear and said, “Would you mind if we stepped away from the music for a while?”
He placed his hand on her elbow and steered her over to the steps of the church where they could still hear the distant music.
“Are you having a nice time?” Liz asked, still tapping her boot to the song and looking over at the dancing couples. “This has been a wonderful day, hasn’t it, meeting everyone and Grandpa Lucas arriving? I’m relieved that he arrived safe.”
Her head bobbed with the music that danced on the night air. Thomas wanted and needed a little of her attention, and he touched her arm lightly. She looked up into his eyes and smiled. Instinctively, he bent down and gently brushed her lips with his. He just needed a moment to reconnect and be reassured of her feelings for him.
“I’m sorry, you wanted to tell me something and I’m just going on.”
“I talked with Lucas and told him of our plans to marry.” Thomas rested one arm behind her on the porch railing as he stared into her eyes. “He gave us his blessing.”
“Did you expect him to say no?” Liz inquired. “I think he stayed behind and planned this trip intentionally so we could discover and talk about our feelings for one another.”
Thomas thought that one over. “Well!” he reflected. “Maybe he did. I guess it worked.”
“I guess it did,” Liz stated, still in the euphoric mood of the festivities.
They listened to the music and laughter for a few minutes while Thomas screwed up his courage. When he couldn’t wait another minute longer, he reached under the steps and pulled out the special gift he had purchased earlier from the peddler and had hidden there to await just the right moment.
“I have something for you,” he said, and he handed her the large bundle.
Liz untied the end, her eyes glimmering as she asked him, “What is this?”
She pulled out the familiar circling wreath quilt that she had seen several months ago, and Thomas could see that she recognized it at once. Her mouth couldn’t form the necessary words, but her questioning eyes inquired how he’d come by such a perfect gift.
“I bought it from the peddler. He told me Mrs. Sewell passed on the information that you seemed to be drawn to it when you saw it at Fort Polk.”
She was speechless as she ran her hand over the tiny quilting stitches. She placed her hand affectionately on Thomas’s smooth cheek.
“I can’t believe my eyes. What a perfect coincidence that you would come across him and make this happen. But Grandpa Lucas always says there’s no such thing as coincidences.”
Thomas was delighted that she was so touched by the gift. The peddler was right. Liz did indeed love the quilt.
“Mr. Skelly told me Mrs. Sewell only sold it to him after he told her that he was coming this way. She sent the letter to deliver to you, and it was just luck that I met him first and discovered the quilt before he found you to deliver the letter.”
“Thomas, I don’t know what to say. This gift means so much to me. I’ll always treasure it, especially since it came from you. Thank you.”
Thomas was encouraged enough to boldly ask, “Liz, will you accept this bridal wreath quilt as your engagement gift?”
“Oh! Thomas! It’s a beautiful and perfect gift, but I don’t have a gift for you.”
“Don’t worry about that. The best gift you could give me is if you’ll agree to marry me without waiting any longer. I’ve already waited so long. Now that Lucas is here, we could marry right away.”
He saw the conflict in Liz’s beautiful eyes. He imagined that her heart tugged at her from two very different directions, the past and the future. Could she really walk forward into Thomas’s life without looking back?
He repeated, “So, Liz, what do you think? Do we have to wait any longer?”
“I … I just thought I would have a little time is all. Thomas, you are so special to me, and your gift has touched me so. I don’t want to hurt you, but it’s only been a few days. I’m sorry that you planned this moment to be so special and now I have ruined it. I’m so sorry.” A tear slid down her cheek.
Thomas didn’t know what to do. What was Liz saying to him? She pushed away just as he thought things were moving in the right direction. He had made her cry just by loving her. He felt confused and turned to step away. If he was pushing her, then he would step back.
She turned away, and Thomas placed his hands on her shoulders. Her back to him, he leaned into her hair and whispered, “Liz, I love you and I want to marry you right now. I don’t want to wait anymore. I don’t see the need to court you. You have known me longer than you knew Caleb. You know me, the man that I am. I told you that I could live with the memory of Caleb. All you have to do is try to love me half as much. But you have to decide if my love is enough. I have already waited a lifetime to love you and I don’t think I can wait any longer. I’m sorry, but I think you need to make a choice.”
“Oh, Thomas …”
“In the morning at dawn, put the engagement quilt in the chair at the back door where I can see it and we will move forward with our plans to marry. If I don’t see the quilt, I’ll know your decision. I love you, Liz. My heart is yours if you want it.”
Thomas kissed her hair where it remained warm from his words. Without another moment of delay, he turned and walked away.
If she turned back to look after him, she didn’t call out to stop him, a fact which just about broke Thomas’s heart. He stopped to speak to the pastor and made every effort not to look Liz’s way again before heading home.
He sat in the rocker by the upstairs window above the mercantile with a perfect view of the house where Liz now lived. He watched as she came home moments after he settled into his spot. Abby and Emma arrived next, chatting as they went inside. Last came Megan, walking home with the tall cowboy who had kept her on the dance floor most of the night. She thanked him for walking her home and turned to go inside. He took her by the arm and said something close to her face. She frowned and tried to wiggle free from his grip.
Thomas saw the exchange and could only guess what the cowboy had said. He decided the cowboy might need a little schoolin’ on the proper way to walk a lady home. He jumped up and took the steps three at a time down to the back door. He caught the man by surprise as he bolted from the door and crossed the yard. The cowboy immediately turned Megan loose.
“It’s time for you to go home, Cowboy, and tell your friends to stay home with you!” Thomas said firmly.
“I didn’t mean any harm,” the cowboy said. “Just making the lady feel welcome is all.” He tipped his hat to Megan. “Thanks for the dancin’, ma’am.”
He backed away and turned to walk across the yard.
“Megan, don’t be a flirt. The men will get the wrong idea,” Thomas chided her more firmly than he guessed Megan had ever heard from him before.
“Thank you, but I can handle myself fine,” Megan bristled back.
“Megan, you don’t weigh more than his leg. You are going to get caught in some trouble. Why didn’t you walk home with Jack
son or the others?”
Thomas began to settle down, but he could see that Megan had only begun to get fired up.
“I was,” she snapped, “but they left without me, and Tex took Jackson and Colt back to the bunks because they are riding out early. Thomas, what’s wrong? Did that cowboy really make you that upset?”
Thomas turned to leave then hesitated. “Just be careful and watch out for the others. You’re like a sister to me and I don’t want to hear of anyone hurting you.”
“Thomas, you talk like you’re leaving. Are you going somewhere?”
Thomas took his hat off and held it in both hands, twisting it a little. He looked back toward the distant sound of the music where the festivities were coming to an end. “Just watch yourself and take care of everyone.”
He nodded goodnight and went to the back door of the mercantile.
Thomas returned to his chair by the window, watching the chair where he hoped a quilt might appear by dawn. As night pushed its way in, Thomas swung his leg over his mare and rode north from Fort Worth.
Liz rubbed her eyes as the morning sun peeked in between the gray clouds. Normally, the warmth of the sun would wake her at daybreak, but not today. The cloudiness and the late night had caused her to oversleep. She stretched and tugged back the quilt to swing her legs free, and she pulled herself upright. As she ran her fingers through her loose hair, she saw the circle quilt still laying where she’d left it. Liz bounced out of bed to the window.
How long has the sun been up? she wondered.
The gloomy morning had tricked her. Liz gathered the gift from Thomas and scurried barefooted without her wrapper to the back door. She passed Megan in the kitchen, already dressed and cooking breakfast, singing to herself as she flipped the bacon sizzling in the cast iron skillet.
“What time is it?” Liz asked as she stepped outside and spread the quilt across the chair near the back door. She wanted to make sure it was easy to see from Thomas’s window. She stood in her nightwear and looked to the back of the mercantile. She saw no sign of him. It was breezy and cool for late summer, and gray clouds loomed overhead. Liz folded her arms across her chest for warmth and modesty. She looked into each direction but saw no one.
