Love Finds Faith

by Martha Rogers

  Heat rose in Levi’s face. How did Lucky know about Miss Bradshaw? They’d only been together a few months and that mostly on Sunday afternoons. He planned to ask her father about marrying her, but no else knew that. “What gives you that idea, Lucky?”

  A smirk crossed the man’s face. “I seen you at the general store when we were there for supplies last week. She come in, and suddenly you was all thumbs and rosy cheeks.”

  The incident replayed itself in his mind. Seeing her that morning had sent his heart to racing, but he’d been too surprised to say anything intelligent to her. “She’s a very nice lady and a good teacher far as I’ve heard.” Better to keep them talking about Ellie Bradshaw than his attitude toward Micah.

  Grubbs set food on the table. “Time for you to quit your jawin’ and get to eatin’.”

  They didn’t need to be told twice to dig in for their meal. All talk ceased as the cowboys filled their stomachs with Grubbs’s food.

  After the meal had been eaten and dishes cleaned, a group of the men headed for the stables to saddle their horses for the day’s work. Fences needed mending and strays rounded up. Levi started that way to join them, but Grubbs’s hand grasped Levi’s arm.

  “Wait a minute, son. You and me need to have a few words.”

  Here it came . . . the scolding. Levi didn’t want to stay and listen, but respect for the long-time ranch hand bade him stay put.

  They sat down at the deserted dining table. Nothing the old man said would change Levi’s mind or attitude, but he’d let Grubbs have his say.

  “Levi, son, I’m near twice as old as you, and I’ve been around long as you’ve been born. It sorely grieves my heart to see you acting this a way towards your brother. You two is different as day and night, but you’re both Gordon boys. That means somethin’ in these here parts. People like and respect your pa because he’s an honest, hardworking man. What you’re doing is going to break his heart as well as your ma’s.”

  Grubbs paused, but Levi had no comment. He narrowed his eyes and waited for the old man to continue.

  “I know my thinkin’ don’t make no difference to you, but you think about what the good Lord says you should do. Jesus done told a story about a son that went away then came back. His pa welcomed him home too, but the other son didn’t like it one little bit. You’ve heard that story, and it jest might do you good to read it again.” He pushed back from the table and stood. “That’s all I’m a gonna say about it. It’s between you and the Lord now, son.”

  Levi’s jaw clenched at the truth in Grubbs’s words, but it still didn’t make right Micah’s coming back and thinking he could just take up his old life without any consequences for abandoning them.

  He rose from his chair and strolled out to lean against one of the railings on the bunkhouse porch. The smell of frying steaks and the chatter of his sisters as they dressed spilled from the open windows of the house across the way. Soon his family would sit down to breakfast without him. Remorse nibbled at his soul, but it’d take a heap more than missing a few home-cooked meals to change his mind about Micah.

  Ruth Gordon wiped her hands on her apron and reached for a towel to remove a pan of biscuits from the oven. The aroma of frying meat and hot bread filled the air as she opened the oven door. She looked forward to serving her long-lost son Micah a hearty ranch breakfast. Homemade strawberry preserves would top the biscuits to perfection.

  “Mmm, that smells heavenly.” Joel wrapped his arms around his wife’s waist. “What else are we having?”

  She nudged him away with her elbows. “Nothing if you don’t let me get it finished.” She turned a smile his way. “Hug me again, later, and I might return it.”

  Joel stepped back with a grin. “Hope that’s a promise.” He leaned around to snag a warm biscuit.

  Ruth swatted at him. “Keep it up and you won’t get anything.” She glanced over her shoulder as she spooned scrambled eggs into a large bowl. “Where are the girls?”

  “They’re coming. I heard them fussing over their hair. I guess they want to make a good impression on Micah this morning.”

  Ruth chuckled. “I’m not sure Micah will notice.” She wiped her hands on a towel. “I just wish Levi would get over his resentment of Micah and try to make amends. Those two didn’t even acknowledge each other last night, much less speak. I do think Micah would have, but Levi didn’t give him the chance. Walked right on out of here like Micah didn’t exist. What’s gotten into that boy?”

  “I don’t know, but it needs to get resolved soon if they’re going to work together.” Joel had told her in bed last night about his conversation with Micah. She had been relieved to hear that Micah planned to stay at least for a month. Perhaps in that time they could all rebuild their relationships and put the past behind them.

  “They’ll work it out eventually. You know how boys can be.” She handed Joel a stack of plates. “Here, make yourself useful until the girls get here.”

  “We’re here now, Ma.” Margaret entered the kitchen and donned an apron then took the plates from her father. “Why don’t you go call in Levi? Apparently he slept in the bunkhouse last night.”

  Ruth, Margaret, and Joel shared a sober look before Joel shrugged. “I’ll see if he’s willing to come, but I won’t push it. Besides, I don’t have the strength for an argument. My stomach can’t stand the deprivation much longer.” He grinned and scurried from the room when Ruth swatted a towel toward him.

  Rose came into the kitchen. “What was Pa doing in here? Sampling the food?”

  Ruth laughed and moved the steaks to a large platter. “He tried, but he’ll have to wait like everyone else.”

  Rose looked around. “Where’s Levi? I saw Micah upstairs getting ready, but not Levi.”

  Ruth pursed her lips. “Levi slept out in the bunkhouse. Your pa is calling him in right now.”

  Ruth began stirring flour into the fat from the steak to make gravy. Her heart ached with the pain of the separation between her two boys. So different they’d been growing up. Micah liked to have a good time and got out of work whenever he could to go into town, while Levi roamed the outdoors and worked the ranch with his pa. Perhaps she needed to have a talk with Levi. It had helped in the past, but now that he was older, he might not be as prone to listen.

  Margaret handed Rose the bowl of eggs and some silverware to take out to the table in the dining room. Then she scooped the biscuits into a bowl and covered them with a towel to keep them warm. Before she followed Rose to the dining room, Margaret leaned over and whispered, “What are we going to do about Micah and Levi, Ma? What if Levi won’t accept Micah’s return at all?”

  Ruth blinked back tears. “I don’t know anything we can do except pray for them to make peace with each other. Your pa wants them both working with him. That’s always been his dream.”

  “And he never gave up on Micah’s coming home. I heard Pa praying so many times for him to come home.” With a sigh, she left the kitchen to deliver her food to the dining room.

  Ruth stirred the gravy to remove all the lumps of flour, but nothing could dissolve the lump in her throat. She loved her two boys with a depth they would never understand until they had children of their own.

  The difference in the two that bothered her more than their personality traits was their attitude toward God. Micah had never been one much for church and had to be all but forced to go each Sunday. Levi, on the other hand, loved the Lord and didn’t miss any opportunity to worship Him whether at church or at home. With both their personalities and ill feelings keeping them apart, she’d have to be on her knees in prayer even more in the next few days or weeks or however long it took to reconcile them.

  Margaret poked her head through the door opening. “Is that everything?”

  Ruth finished pouring the gravy into a bowl and handed it to Margaret. “This is the last. I’m coming.” She untied her apron and hung it on the hook by the pantry door. One returned face would join with her and Joel at the table
today, but the latest missing son grieved her soul. Lord, touch his heart today. Levi loves You, and only You can melt his heart of stone toward Micah and make it again a heart of love.

  She straightened her shoulders and pushed through the door to the dining room. The matter lay in the Lord’s hands, and that meant she’d be praying every day for reconciliation and forgiveness. It would happen even though it may take time, because her Lord was bigger and stronger than any disagreement between two brothers.

  After washing and shaving, Micah gazed around the bedroom he once shared with Levi. His brother’s bed sat empty, all neat and tidy. Levi had not come back to the house last evening, choosing to sleep in the bunkhouse instead.

  That rejection gnawed at Micah’s insides this morning. Last night Pa had listened to his story and then in his own way had welcomed his wayward son back into the fold. The fact that his father didn’t condemn and throw him out gave Micah hope for reconciliation with Levi. He hadn’t quite made his point strong enough, but he’d have a month or more in which to show his father the skills he picked up the past five years and how they could be used on the ranch. He also hoped to observe Pa to make sure his health wasn’t as bad as it appeared.

  Even his sisters’ warm reception and love failed to alleviate the pain of Levi’s rejection. The main goal for Micah now would be to regain the trust of his brother and assure him that he would help run the ranch, but not take over. Since Micah had no desire to take control, he must somehow make Levi see and believe that.

  He had dug around in the cedar chest and pulled out an old shirt and a pair of pants from years ago. They were a mite short, but his waist had stayed trim, so they should button up with no trouble. He’d promised Pa to ride with him this morning and see the changes that had been made on the ranch in his absence.

  He pulled on the boots he’d worn here last night. Now he looked more the part of a ranch hand and would be more comfortable in the hot sun that beat down on summer days in Texas.

  He sniffed the air, and the aroma of frying meat filled his nose. Ma must be frying steaks for breakfast. She’d have gravy and biscuits along with eggs, more than likely. A hearty home-cooked breakfast was a treat he’d missed all these years away.

  He sauntered into the dining room where Margaret and Rose finished placing food on the table. Ma came in just as he sat down, and her smile warmed his insides. “Whatever you fixed, I can hardly wait to eat it.” He stood and slipped his arms around his ma’s waist and kissed her cheek.

  Her face, still rosy from the heat of the stove, flushed even more as she tilted her head. “Go on with you, boy. Compliments won’t get you an extra helping.” Then she grinned. “But maybe the kiss will.”

  Margaret poured out mugs of piping hot coffee. “And you didn’t miss us, your sweet sisters?” Her eyes sparkled with mischief and her face glowed with love, but it wasn’t necessarily for him. He’d learned last night that she and the mercantile owner’s son were courting.

  “Hmm, you weren’t so grown up and nice back then. You gave me more trouble than necessary if I recall correctly.” He grabbed Rose in a hug. “And this one was not much more than a baby when I left.”

  “I was not a baby. I was already eight years old, and I’m thirteen now.” She swatted his arm with her dish towel.

  Pa came through the kitchen door. “Now this is what I like to see, my family having a good time.” He leaned toward Ma. “Levi’s already eaten.”

  He spoke low, but Micah still caught the words and his stomach lurched. No peace could come to his heart until he talked with Levi and made amends. He’d see that it happened this morning. Ma’s eyes revealed the hurt Levi’s absence caused, but she attempted a smile as she clasped Micah’s hand for the blessing. He gave hers a squeeze to let her know he understood and it was all right.

  Pa completed the prayer and passed around the platter of fried steak after helping himself to a piece first. Very seldom had they served anything but beef when Micah had been at home before, and from the looks of things, that hadn’t changed. Pa always said that those who raised and sold beef should always have it on their table to support their business. After all, who would want to buy a product the producer didn’t eat? The only exception was Thanksgiving, when Ma insisted on a turkey because that was the tradition of her family.

  Conversation during the meal steered away from Levi, but Micah enjoyed the talk about their activities. One thing he’d learned in a hurry last night, he needed to call his sisters Margaret and Rose. Calling them by their given names would not be easy, but he’d promised them he would try.

  After breakfast Micah followed Pa out to the corral where their horses waited. Pa’s horses were some of the finest in all of Central Texas, known for their ability to round up cattle and for their endurance on the cattle drives to market.

  Regret for having sold Red Dawn filled Micah, but the payment for the horse and odd jobs had brought enough to live on until he found the job at the livery. If he decided to stay on the ranch for any length of time, he’d have to pick out a new mount and return Gray Mist to the livery in Stoney Creek.

  Levi sat atop his own horse and glared at Micah. Somehow he’d have to get his brother to see how sorry he was for leaving them. And he was eager to talk to Levi about the future of the ranch and their relationship. If Pa would trust Micah with the business end of buying and selling cattle and keeping the books, Levi could take care of the branding, roundups, and cattle drives. It seemed like an ideal setup, but if Pa and Levi didn’t agree, Micah would have no choice but to leave and find work elsewhere. He had no desire to be a hands-on rancher. A businessman, yes. But a cowboy—never.

  CHAPTER 5

  HER FIRST FULL day in Texas Hannah awakened late to sunlight streaming through the window. Her sister must have known she would be tired from her long journey and let her sleep in. She stretched as joy and anticipation filled her soul. Today she’d begin her new life working with Manfred in his office. She threw back the covers and planted her good foot on the braided rag rug next to her bed. She stood, balancing on it until she could limp across the room to wash the signs of sleep from her face and eyes.

  Leaning against the washstand, she used the toes of her shorter leg to help stabilize her stance. If she walked too much without the built-up shoe, her hips and toes ached with the effort of balancing. In the last few years she had learned to ignore her disability until Micah Gordon saw it for the first time and pity filled his face.

  With a sigh and a shrug of her shoulders, she dried her hands and hobbled back to the bed for her stockings. After pulling them on, she slipped her feet into the black lace-up boots. They were more comfortable than they looked because of the special cushions Papa had the cobbler insert in each shoe. The heaviness of the right shoe was the only drawback. Someday maybe someone would invent a way to make the shoe lighter.

  Hannah finished dressing in one of her new uniforms and hurried down to the kitchen. The aroma of frying bacon and something sweet filled the air and caused her stomach to growl. After that huge dinner last night she shouldn’t be hungry, but her stomach said differently. She had planned to help this first morning here, but Sallie was already at the stove when Hannah arrived.

  “I’m sorry I’m late. I should have come to help you sooner.”

  Sallie waved her hand. “Don’t worry about it. I see you’re all dressed for your first day. That’s good. Manfred will be pleased.” She turned back to the frying pan. “I fix breakfast like this every morning. Well, maybe I don’t make cinnamon buns every morning, but I do the rest. One more plate won’t make a difference.”

  “You made Grandma Woodruff’s cinnamon buns! I can’t wait to eat them. It’s been a long time since she fixed them at home. Mama tried, but they just didn’t turn out the same.” The fragrant smell of cinnamon coming from the oven already teased her taste buds, and her mouth watered with the anticipation of eating one. “I hope you made plenty.”

  Sallie’s laughter caused Dani
el, in his chair by the table, to bang his spoon on the table and babble his own brand of language. Hannah knelt beside him. “How’s our big boy this morning?” She leaned in and inhaled his baby fragrance of powder and soap. Her lips touched his forehead before she sat back in a chair next to him.

  “Is there anything I can do to help? I see the table is all set and ready for us.” How long had Sallie been up? She must not have slept long last night after their late bedtime.

  “Here, the bacon and eggs are done, and the rolls are ready to come out of the oven. Take these to the dining room while I get the rolls.” She handed Hannah two platters. “Oh, and you might give a call up the stairs to let the children know breakfast is ready.”

  Not five minutes later the family had gathered around the table, the blessing said, and food was served. Hannah devoured hers as though she hadn’t eaten just yesterday. If she kept this up, the new clothes made for her new life wouldn’t fit. She’d brought home one of the uniforms she’d worn in nursing school, and the dressmaker in Woodville had made two more of blue cotton along with several aprons in white cotton. Mama had starched them and packed them to bring to Texas along with a few nicer dresses for Sunday church.

  Molly swallowed a gulp of milk and wiped away the stain left on her upper lip. “You look nice in your uniform, Auntie Hannah. I like to help Pa, but he says I have to wait a few more years.”

  “That’s wise of your pa because you might catch something from a sick patient.” Of course she didn’t need to see the kinds of injuries that would come into the office either. It had taken Hannah a few tries before she became accustomed to seeing blood.

  Hannah saved her cinnamon bun for last, and when she bit into it, memories of mornings in Grandma Woodruff’s kitchen swept her back to her childhood. They were perfect. She allowed the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat her mouth with its goodness before swallowing and taking the next bite. “These are so good. You have the gift of Grandma’s culinary skills, and I envy that.”