My Heart Belongs in Castle Gate, Utah

by Dicken, Angie;

  “Ah, just who I was looking for, the Pappas brothers.” With arms wide, Anthis met up with them.

  Alex shoved past the labor agent. “We can’t talk now, Anthis. It’s time to work.”

  “It’s a funny thing, that.” Anthis wiped his forehead with a handkerchief. “On one hand, you mustn’t neglect the mine, but on the other, you won’t have a mine to work if your fees are tardy.” He rubbed his thick fingers together.

  “Now?” Alex gritted his teeth. He had been wrong about Coffey and the Turks being his only nuisances. This man was just as much of a weed, and a stubborn one at that. “You come for fees now?”

  “You should thank me. I save you a trip to Salt Lake City, eh?” Anthis said.

  Alex motioned to Yanni to continue gathering their equipment. He then faced the agent, nose nearly touching nose, only to get a whiff of soured feta on his breath.

  “I don’t carry my wages in my pocket like a fool,” Alex sneered. He was a fool, though. He’d listened to Anthis eight years ago and left his wife in Greece. All for fortune.

  “Perhaps you know where that Scotsman is off to?” Anthis picked his tooth with his pinky nail. “He owes me a wager. If he pays up, perhaps it will give you some time.” He chuckled, surveying the area. “Where is he? His wife is a mute, it seems.”

  “Mrs. McKee?” Alex blurted. Had Anthis pressured her to pay up for Jack?

  “Neh, neh.” He nodded then snorted. “She is not a happy woman.”

  “Jack McKee is dead, Anthis.”

  “Oh, really?” He scratched his jaw. “Well, no wonder she wouldn’t speak.” He burst with a roaring chuckle. Wiping his eyes, he said from the corner of his mouth, “End of the month, Alex, no later.”

  Of course. Had he once skipped payment to this man? Many meals he skipped before Momma and Papa had come over and set up the restaurant. But, no, he had never denied Anthis the ridiculous amount of money that he demanded for Greeks to keep their jobs.

  Anthis was almost as much to blame for Helena as—

  Alex glared at the colorless sky above then sighed and ran to catch up to his brother.

  “Jack was a good man.” Yanni shook his head. “It’s a shame that Anthis had suckered him into his money-making schemes.”

  Not only had the fat slime taken money from his own people all these years, but now it seemed he was finding ways to cripple Jack’s widow, also. What did Mrs. McKee think of his people with a man like Anthis trying to settle her dead husband’s gambling debt?

  Alex shouldn’t care what she thought—although she was mysterious to him. He’d seen pain and hope and kindness dance across her face yesterday. They shared more in common than this mountainous town. If only Mrs. McKee knew that he had walked the same valley of loss that she was walking now.

  Alex was glad that he’d helped her find some hope. He knew how important that was at such a time. Second best to having a comforter and a friend. But Alex Pappas could not be anything of the sort to Leanna McKee. What a dangerous notion that would prove to be.

  After they replaced their fisherman caps for helmets and gathered their tools and carbides, Bill Coffey cut them off at the mine’s entrance, his long spindly legs and wiry neck stretched up like a gangly rooster protecting the henhouse.

  “That Mrs. McKee’s a pretty gal, don’t you think?” Coffey seethed.

  Alex took in a deep breath. “Out of my way, Coffey.”

  “You’ve found quite legitimate reasons to weasel your way up our hill,” he snorted. “Enough. You hear me?”

  “Your imagination is carried away.” Alex spoke quietly but with clarity. “Mrs. McKee’s husband was a friend, and my niece and nephew are her students. I visited her for these reasons only.” He pushed past the man and followed the glow of his lamp into the earth.

  His reasons were innocent, and he had dismissed the idea of becoming anything more than an acquaintance to her. But he couldn’t disagree that the fair-haired schoolteacher was pretty—beautiful, to be more precise. He’d tried to divert his attention from her loose golden curls and sparkling blue eyes, but he was as mesmerized as if he had discovered a diamond beneath all the coal. No doubt she was as strong as a diamond—in her decency to ignore Coffey and in her firm kindness with the children.

  If he was not devoted completely to his family’s success, he’d consider the tempting distraction of befriending Mrs. McKee, despite Mr. Coffey’s warning.

  A second chance to care for a woman—could he risk it?

  He sucked in an aggressive breath through his teeth, the stagnant cavern air giving little relief to a sudden bitter taste on his tongue.

  Risk it? This new life was full of enough perils. He didn’t need one more.

  Yanni laid a firm hand on his shoulder. “Coffey is worse than a Turk, and I don’t even know what he said. But just the look of him makes me want to—” He took his fist and squeezed it in the dim light, twisting it like he was breaking a chicken’s neck.

  “You are lucky he can’t understand Greek. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s nearby.”

  “And you want me to learn English?” Yanni prodded his eyebrows up. “See how our secret language gives us a chance to spite our enemies?”

  Alex chuckled and pushed his brother playfully.

  Enemies. They left their country, the Turks, the poverty, and hardships, only to come to this land and make more enemies along the way. Alex mustn’t let the beauty of a woman weaken him. He’d already found shame in such weakness and had proved to everyone that his heart was not to be trusted.

  24 October 1910

  My Dearest Anne,

  I write this letter with dire news, even more than when I forfeited my position at your school to come to Utah. My husband has passed away suddenly, and I am left desolate in this godforsaken place. Fortunately, I have retained my position as teacher at the small coal-town school, and I have acquired a small job that will provide me with the funds needed to make the journey to San Francisco.

  Do you still have a position available for me? I am sure, as headmistress, you hardly have time to worry about your desperate cousin, but I am just that, desperate to leave this place, to start anew in your well-reputed school.

  As we have corresponded before, Mother and Father have not revoked their disownment, and I am forever thankful that you are sympathetic to my circumstances.

  You are a dear friend, and I look forward to your reply.

  Your loving cousin,

  Leanna

  She placed her fountain pen next to the ink bottle and waved her letter to help it dry. Confidence coursed through her shoulders, and a smile nearly sprouted on her lips.

  Thank You, Lord, for this new plan.

  Maria and Teddy waited by the door of the classroom, their large brown eyes staring in question.

  “Just a moment, children.” She popped up from her seat. With a quick tap of her finger she made sure the ink was dry before folding the letter. It would be mailed first thing in the morning.

  “Come now.” She shooed the children through the door and sailed down the stairs, lighter than before. She would leave all this behind, forget about this miserable chapter in her life, and continue on to a dream that she’d once cast off because of Jack’s foolishness.

  Leanna shook her head and shoveled in air. No, she would not allow bitterness to ruin this moment of clarity.

  “Meesus McKee?” Maria came up beside her as they left the school building.

  “Yes, Maria?”

  “You dance in America?”

  Leanna raised a brow in her direction.

  With all the English words she didn’t know, Maria knew dance. Of course, after seeing her dance in a most Greek way with her mother on their walks home from school, Leanna understood how this might be of particular importance to the little girl.

  “We do dance. Not like you, though.” She recalled her last ball as a debutante. It was a Lawrence ball, and her dance card dangled from her wrist while she chatted with her
dear friend. Mary had just completed her first year at Simmons College. Leanna’s dress was an appropriate green silk to match the envy that filled her torso as Mary gabbed about the lectures she attended and the courses she would take to complete her degree in domestic science.

  Well, who needs a degree to be a housewife? A comforting retort for her jealous heart.

  She had yet to fall in love with Jack, then. Perhaps she’d chosen the wrong rebellious path. Fighting her family’s tradition of pomp for a college education might have put her in better circumstances than as the widow of a gambling man.

  She swallowed away the ache in her throat. Regret was not beneficial, but it certainly was persistent.

  Maria slipped her hand into Leanna’s, pleading with large chestnut eyes. “How?”

  Leanna sighed. “What is it you would like to know, Maria?”

  “To know?” She crinkled her brow and twirled a curl with her finger.

  Teddy’s small feet carried him in a silent tune. “How you do?” He waved a hand to his feet then wiped his dark brown hair out of his eyes, giving a sideways grin.

  Her heart melted. She couldn’t help but laugh.

  “I cannot show you how to dance here in the middle of the road.” By the confused looks on their faces, they didn’t understand. “I am a teacher of words, not of fancy footwork—”

  A freckled child ran past her from behind, stopping and peering at Teddy with widened eyes. “Is that a jumping-bean Greek?” He poked Teddy with a scrawny finger. “Jump Greek, jump!”

  Distant laughter carried down the road from some children looking on in the schoolyard behind them. Leanna glared at the gaggle, but it didn’t stop their teasing. One little boy called out, “Don’t touch him, Billy! Your mother will scrub you for a week!”

  Billy sniffed his fingers and scrunched up his face. “Eew, greasy Greek, you stink.”

  “That is quite enough, child,” Leanna erupted and nearly boxed his ears right there. “Who are your parents?” She grabbed his arm. Billy bit his lip. “Well, who?”

  “Mrs. McKee.” The headmistress’s high shrill pierced her ears. Mrs. Rudolf stood with the rest of the children. “That is my student. If you would kindly leave him be.” Her thin spectacles slipped down her long nose, and her gaze bore through Leanna as if she were the naughty child.

  Leanna released her grasp of Billy but cautioned him with an icy glare. He ran up to his friends. Leanna trailed behind him and said, “Mrs. Rudolph, I must tell you, their manners were quite unbecoming—”

  “Thank you, Mrs. McKee. I trust you to provide for your own students as I provide for mine.” She curled her lip as her gaze bounced from Maria to Teddy then to Maria again. She swiveled on her heel and disappeared into the school.

  Leanna steamed with anger. How dare she excuse such behavior? And reprimand her in front of the students? Gathering the children’s hands again, they nearly ran down the hill.

  “Meesus McKee?” Teddy whined.

  “What is it, child?”

  “That boy, want friend?”

  Her anger fizzled, and she slowed her pace. Maria didn’t look up, but Teddy waited with round eyes glistening up at her.

  “He is no friend,” she mumbled. Her throat knotted. These children would always fight such torment against their kind. Perhaps they would return to Greece with their family, as so many other Greeks did. The thought settled her nerves. The Pappas children deserved better than Castle Gate could offer.

  They walked the rest of the way to the restaurant in silence.

  When they arrived, Maria hopped onto the front step and her brother followed.

  “You teach us American dance.” Teddy’s wide smile flashed in the afternoon sunlight.

  “Will you?” Maria jumped up and down, her round face tilted upward.

  “You’d be better off learning English. Dancing is not useful.”

  “It make you happy, though.” Maria sighed, smiling like a lovesick woman. “It make everyone happy.”

  “Good-bye, children.” She waited until they disappeared inside their grandparents’ restaurant, then continued home.

  Happy. What a thought. These children had just faced the unhappy truth in that bully. The boy reminded her of the snobby schoolboys at home, the same children who received nothing but accolades for their schoolwork and a blind eye for their ill behavior.

  Her parents had been just like Mrs. Rudolf—but with a wealth of investments behind their attitude. There’d been a time when casting off that kind of snobbery and elitism had made Leanna happy. But now? She could hardly consider herself happy regardless of where she resided. Perhaps if she hadn’t been deceived by Jack, if he had proved his remorse by working their way out of this place, maybe then she could have been happy again.

  Would she ever look back on her marriage with the joy she’d once felt in Jack’s arms? He’d encouraged her long ago, sparking her desire to make a difference in the lives of children. But she didn’t know his secret vice then.

  Leanna was certain. Happiness was nowhere to be found in Castle Gate.

  Alex spied his nephew on the porch of the restaurant as he returned from work. “Hello, Teddy.”

  “Where’s Papa?” Teddy ran up, his nose pink with the evening chill.

  “He’s at home with your mother. We’ll take dinner to them later.” He hooked his finger beneath the boy’s chin. “Did you learn good English today?”

  “I learned dance.” He thrust his arms to either side of him and began the traditional wedding-dance footsteps.

  Alex chuckled. “That is an interesting topic for an English lesson.”

  “And he learned jump.” Maria leaned up on the porch’s post, her arms crossed and her nose scrunched up.

  “Really?” Alex tilted his head. He was familiar with that look. One of contempt mixed with a challenge. Every Greek woman had mastered it, and it seemed Maria learned quickly at ten years of age. “What is the matter, kookla?”

  She stepped down into the road. “The other children tease us.”

  “What have I told you?” Alex crouched down and patted her nose. “We are as American as they are. I’ve worked hard for you to have a home, and a restaurant, and—”

  “A good teacher,” Maria said. Her face relaxed, and she patted his shoulder. “Mrs. McKee was kind, at least.”

  “Yes, it is kind that she walks you,” Alex said, surprised by the leap in his chest at the mention of the schoolteacher.

  “No, she reprimanded the boy who made fun of Teddy, on our walk home.” Maria offered her hand, and Teddy took it. “I just wish the boys would listen to her. And that Mrs. Rudolph.” They began to walk back to the restaurant. “Mrs. McKee is our only friend.”

  Alex stood up, rubbing his stubbled jaw. “I don’t doubt that. Jack was just as kind to me.”

  A long whistle pierced the air, and the rumble of a train shook the ground. As it grew louder, the children covered their ears and ran inside the restaurant.

  “You’ve got to get used to that, children,” Alex bellowed in the chaotic noise as the train approached from Price Canyon and the rest of the world. The engine’s steam rose and clouded Alex’s view of the two spires of rock that gave their town its name.

  He continued through the restaurant’s door and a waft of Momma’s cooking filled his nostrils. His stomach’s grumble matched that of the loud train passing through the coal town.

  The dining room was already filled with crowded tables of hungry miners. Momma bustled out of the kitchen, her graying ebony hair swept up in a bun, and all four feet ten of her slumped with the weight of the filled tray in her arms. She worked her way to the front, setting down bowls for Greek miners with black fingernails and dust-covered faces.

  “Alex, where have you been? Your avgolemono is cold.” She nodded toward the back where the children were sitting.

  He wormed his way through the men, anxious for the frothy lemon soup to coat his dusty throat and empty stomach.

  As
he scraped the last of the rice and meat from the bottom of his bowl, Momma returned with a tray full of empty dishes. “The children tell me that teacher is kind to them. I have some chicken for you to take to her.” She nodded her chin toward the kitchen, gesturing for him to follow her.

  He set his bowl on the tray. “Now?”

  “Of course.” Momma threw up one hand as she balanced the tray on her shoulder. “Before dark, Alex. Go.”

  “I cannot go now, Momma. It’s not right for me to be in that part of town at this hour,” he said. The thought of Coffey soured his contented belly.

  Her brown eyes narrowed with concern. “You’ve been here for many years, and still you’re not welcome?”

  “Thios Alex, you just told me that we’re as American as those people.” Maria’s reminder encouraged Momma’s eyebrows to a high arch.

  “You are right.” He pointed a finger at his niece, forcing himself to grin. He couldn’t allow them to see weakness. He was the one person who’d given them this fresh start, this chance to prosper. He was their rock, and he could not allow anything to shake him. Not again.

  How weak to abide by the lines drawn by men like Coffey. Alex was an upstanding man whose sweat and toil not only brought his family to this place but also contributed to the prosperity of the coal company.

  “Okay, Momma. Make me a plate,” Alex said, glancing out the window to note dusk falling at a rapid pace on Castle Gate. “It is best if I get there before dark.”

  The blaze filled the coal stove as Leanna stretched out her hands for warmth. She spied the unmade bed, the tangle of sheets from restless nights. Not much longer now and she’d be off to the rest of her life. Her heart fluttered with excitement—only for a moment. The shadows of regret began to crawl from every corner of her two-room shanty. How many times had she prayed forgiveness since Jack’s death? Yet how many times had she thought ill of the man since he’d been laid to rest?

  The single noise in her home erupted from her empty belly. “Hunger is not discriminatory,” she mumbled, cradling a warm bowl of bland stew in her lap.