by DiAnn Mills
“I want to go fishing when I get home.” Zack picked up a stone and threw it.
His request nearly soured Bonnie’s stomach. “I don’t think so.”
“Why not?”
“Excuse me, but I believe you need to mind your manners, young man.”
“I need to get away by myself after this horrible day.”
Why was her heart pounding so hard? “I said no. You and I have a few things to discuss.”
“Like what?”
“Zachary Hayden Kahler, the conversation is finished. Now you may go sit in the wagon while I talk to Mama.”
His eyes flashed rebellion unlike she’d seen since he was a toddler, but she wasn’t in the habit of refusing his requests, either. Zack stomped off to the wagon, and she started to call him back for his insolence, but she already trembled from the confrontation.
Mama’s eyes met hers, and the smile there calmed her a little.
“Please let Zack go fishing,” Michael Paul whispered. “He’ll be mad if you don’t.”
Bonnie took Zack’s place on the step beside her middle son. “He will not go fishing.” She tilted her head. “Why do you care if he’s angry with me?”
“’Cause he hits.” Lydia Anne brushed the cookie crumbs from her dress.
Bonnie clasped her hands in her lap. She’d cry, but tears were useless with no answers to the problems. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m going to be a better mother. I promise. Zack will not bully you or Michael Paul from this day on.”
All the way back to the ranch, Zack’s surly mood pushed her to the brink of exhaustion. He drove the wagon while complaining about his miserable day. By the time they arrived home, she decided her dealings with him could wait until tomorrow.
“Why did Grandpa have that beggar inside the parsonage?” Zack said. “I started to tell him how the man had threatened me, but I thought you would.”
“Mr. Whitworth is the new reverend,” she said. “But no matter if he is a poor man in need, he deserves your respect. And I don’t believe he threatened you today.”
“You’d take a stranger’s word over your son’s?”
Determination gave Bonnie fresh courage. She nodded at Michael Paul and Lydia Anne. “Run along and let one of the ranch hands know we’ve returned so they can unhitch the wagon. Your brother and I are going to have a talk.”
“About what?” Zack said.
She peered into the face of her son, and her heart plummeted. So much like Ben on the outside but so angry on the inside. “Walk with me to the back porch.” She seized the opportunity before losing nerve. “We are going to settle a few matters right now. The fight at school today and your behavior of late . . . has to stop. Miss Scott will not tolerate any more interruptions in her class.”
“I told you what happened.”
His voice rose, and she inwardly admitted the husky sound frightened her. When had his voice begun to change?
“I believed you in the past when it was your word against that of another child, but today proved to me that you’ve been lying.”
He started to protest, but she raised her hand to silence him.
“No more fighting, no matter what the reason. You will mind your manners in the presence of adults and obey your teacher. And if I find one more bruise or mark on Lydia Anne or Michael Paul, I swear I will take a switch to you.”
“Why should you care what I do?” he said with a toss of his head that sent his dark hair spilling across his forehead. “You don’t care about any of us anyway. When Papa died, you crawled into his grave with him.”
“Inside the house. To your room.” Emotion burned her throat.
“No, I won’t.” He planted both feet firmly in front of her. His gaze met hers squarely. “I’m going fishing.”
Quivering uncontrollably, she clenched her fists. “You will be punished.”
“You never whipped me before, and Mama, if you haven’t looked lately, I’m the same size as you are.”
He whirled around and raced toward the barn. And she was powerless to stop him.
*****
Travis heard the grandfather clock from downstairs chime, and he prepared himself for dinner at six thirty, his first night in Kahlerville, Texas. He’d offered to help Mrs. Rainer, but she’d refused. The older woman staunchly stated the only male she permitted in her kitchen was her husband.
Travis removed his spectacles and set them on his well-worn, black leather Bible resting on the dresser. He didn’t need the eyeglasses to see but rather to give the impression that he couldn’t. While waiting to board the Northern Pacific in Fort Smith, Arkansas, he’d found them in a general store. They were perfect for what he needed to complete his new look.
He hesitated before descending the stairs. An image of Bonnie Kahler flashed across his mind. What a beautiful woman, but the pain in her eyes told of her unhappiness. He’d do his best to help her, but her son Zack already had the upper hand. Travis could see the rebellion with his eyes closed. She’d have to get strong before the boy took over the household. Not a good situation for any of them.
He sighed. Maybe he was sensing things in the Kahler family that weren’t there, but he’d watched a lot of widows get overrun by strong-willed sons. The situation reminded him of wildflowers in a briar patch.
A man wanted a pretty wife with good children. Made him feel fulfilled and happy. And children needed a father. But unless Mrs. Kahler found a way to settle down her oldest son, she’d have nothing to look forward to but heartache.
He’d pray for Mrs. Kahler and her little family. He’d also shepherd Piney Woods Church and do a little carpentry work. Nothing else. Praise God, he had enough sense not to step into her life with two left feet.
Chapter 4
That evening after dinner, Bonnie sat in the parlor with Michael Paul and Lydia Anne. She tried to concentrate on her middle son as he read his little sister a story, but Zack hadn’t returned, and her mind and body churned with every ticking of the clock. Michael Paul said nothing about his brother’s absence. Why should he? She’d already broken her promise. If she couldn’t stop Zack from going fishing, how could she stop him from bullying his brother and sister?
Outside, she heard a wagon stop in front of the house. Her worst fears assailed her. What if something had happened to Zack, and she’d been unable to hinder his plans? He could have slipped on the riverbank or been bitten by a cottonmouth. Why hadn’t she gone looking for him? Had she become so afraid of confrontation that she didn’t care what happened to her son?
“Would you like for me to answer the door?” Michael Paul said.
She glanced his way and saw the compassion in his eyes. Dear Michael Paul, at eight years old, wanted to shelter his mother. “I’ll see who’s come to visit,” she said. “But thank you. Your reading is very good.” Although she hadn’t heard a single word.
She made her way to the door. Footsteps sounded on the porch, and then the knock startled her. Bonnie took a deep breath and opened the door.
Oh, no, not the Hillmans. “Good evening, Sylvia, Lester. How kind of you to stop by.” She opened the door wide and smiled as they walked into her home.
“Oh, we won’t be long,” Sylvia said with a voice so soft and sweet that it must rival the heavenly host. “We simply wanted to see how you and the children are doing.”
“We’re managing very well. Come on into the parlor. Michael Paul has been reading to us.”
Lester glanced around, his contemptuous attitude dominating the room. “Where is that other strapping son of yours?”
“Zack went fishing and hasn’t returned.”
“I always catch the best fish at night.” Lester seated himself beside his wife on the sofa.
Bonnie held her breath and hoped her daughter didn’t say anything that Lester
and Sylvia Hillman didn’t need to hear. “Lydia Anne, would you like to help me with coffee and apple pie for our guests?”
Juanita stood in the doorway. “No need, Miss Bonnie. I’ll bring it for you.”
“Thank you.” Bonnie continued to smile after Juanita disappeared. “I don’t know what I’d do without her.”
“I’m glad Mr. Kahler was able to provide for you long after his passing,” Sylvia said.
“Yes, ma’am.” Oh, why couldn’t she have visited without Lester like she’d done in the past?
Lester cleared his throat. “How is the ranch?”
“My foreman, Thomas Reynolds, does an excellent job of running things—and keeping me informed.”
“I’d be glad to go through the books for you,” Lester said. “You could bring them to me at the bank, or I’d be glad to ride out here.”
“I appreciate your offer, Lester, but I’m really fine. My time of grieving needs to end, and that means becoming more involved with the ranch. Actually, I’m excited about it.”
Bonnie didn’t need or want he town banker meddling in her affairs. She had enough problems without adding more.
“Your children are beautiful,” Sylvia said. “And they always look so nice.”
“Grandma made me a new dress,” Lydia Anne said.
“I’d love to see it.” Sylvia smiled into Bonnie’s face. “May I?”
Bonnie understood the woman’s need to be around children. She and Lester had none of their own, and the town’s children became a substitute. “Of course. Lydia Anne, would you like to show her?”
The little girl’s blue eyes danced. She slipped her hand into Sylvia’s and started up the stairs. A moment later, the back door slammed, and Bonnie realized Zack must have come home.
“I’ll see how many fish Zack caught,” Michael Paul said.
In the next moment, Bonnie was alone with Lester.
“I have a fine bottle of wine for you,” Lester said. “It’s in the back of the carriage.”
“Please, I don’t need any more. I’m sleeping quite well on my own without it.”
“Nonsense. It will calm you down after dealing with the children. I’ll get it and be back before Sylvia returns.”
He slipped out the door before she had an opportunity to protest further. Lester was used to people doing what he said, and Bonnie worried that he might tell others about supplying her with wine. She’d simply store it somewhere. She shuddered at the thought of her family discovering she’d been drinking. It was bad enough she’d begun accepting Lester’s gifts with the “just between us” agreement, but the drinking had gotten out of hand as the empty bottle proved this morning.
Lester returned with the wine, and Bonnie set it in the sideboard. Whatever would she do if Juanita found it? As soon as the Hillmans left and everyone was in bed, Bonnie would move the bottle upstairs.
“Please, no more,” she whispered. “I have no use for it.”
He chuckled. “Show me the full bottles, and I’ll stop bringing them.”
“This is the last time that I ask you politely to stop.”
“And how would the good reverend and his wife feel about your indulgence in spirits?”
A shiver raced up and down her arms. If Ben were alive, Lester would never speak to her in such a way. Voices from the kitchen seized her attention, and her thoughts flew to Zack.
“Six big fish,” Michael Paul said. “Where did you go?”
“Upstream a little,” Zack said. “Next time I’ll take you with me.”
Bonnie swallowed hard. How long before Michael Paul no longer sought her permission to do things? Suddenly life seemed to spin in all directions, as though she were a child’s toy. Her resolve from this morning flashed across her mind. She must reach out and grab hold of her life and those she loved. But how? Jesus, help me.
“Let’s see those fish,” Lester said. “I’m glad you allow Zack to do a few things on his own. He’s growing up, and a young man needs time to think about life and what he wants to do. I’d be glad to take him fishing or hunting.”
She clenched her fists. “Morgan and Grant can do those things.”
“But your brothers are busy men. Morgan’s law practice and Grant’s medical responsibilities don’t offer much time outside of their own families.”
“The reverend is looking forward to spending his days with the children.”
Lester smiled. She used to think he was a pleasing man to look at with dark eyes and hair like Ben. He and Sylvia had been through a rough time when he had fathered two boys by a woman who once owned the town’s brothel. The woman had left town with the children, and Lester had become more involved with church. He and Sylvia appeared happy, but Bonnie wondered. What would she do if he turned his affections to her? The possibility had not crept into her thoughts until tonight. His persistence with the wine alarmed her.
“I gave the reverend a sizable check this afternoon,” Lester said. “He said it would help with the orphans and widows—not you, of course.”
She despised the implication. This ended tonight.
I’m an Andrews. My daddy started the biggest ranch in the area before he died, and my mama built it on her own while raising three children.
If Mama did it, so can I.
*****
Travis had been in Kahlerville for two days. He’d been introduced to more people than he could remember. Most of them were skeptical about his new position, if not downright rude, and he understood taking the reverend’s place might ruffle a few feathers. Looked like he’d have to prove himself. The reverend had apologized more than once for the way he’d been treated, but each time Travis had reassured him that the transition would take time.
In a few short minutes, the reverend and Mrs. Rainer’s family were expected for dinner. He’d met Mrs. Kahler but not Morgan and Grant Andrews and their families. They were influential in the community, and he hoped to make them friends. The tantalizing aroma of roast beef and potatoes swirled up the stairs and moved him not to delay a moment longer. His stomach had rumbled for hours, and he’d spent a good bit of the afternoon in prayer for tonight. The sound of voices told him the time had come.
Travis made his way down the stairs and into the dining room. The reverend stood with his back to him amid a swarm of people. He saw Mrs. Kahler, but she was talking to another woman. Lord, help me here. He touched the reverend on his back. The introductions were about to begin.
“The food smells wonderful,” Travis said.
The reverend turned and grasped his hand. “Good. You’re here. Let me introduce you to everyone.”
“Do you think the new preacher is ready for us?” a man said. “After all, you’re asking him to put up with seven stubborn, independent adults and eight lively children.” He stuck out his hand. “Morgan Andrews. I’m the oldest of the clan. This beautiful, auburn-haired woman is my wife, Casey, and these are our children: Chad, Lark, and Daniel.”
“Pleased to meet you.” Travis listened to Grant Andrews introduce his dark-haired petite wife, Jenny, and their two little girls, Rebecca and Rachel. At least he’d already met Mrs. Kahler and her children.
Near the end of dinner, Travis placed his fork beside his plate and focused his attention on the reverend at the head of the table. “The folks here refer to you as Reverend Rainer or just Reverend. I’m not used to using that title and hoped you might suggest something.”
“What did they call you back home?” The reverend picked up a jar of apple butter.
“Mostly Brother Whitworth by the congregation and Brother Travis by close friends. Although some did call me Preacher.”
“What do you prefer?”
“Brother Whitworth to start with and then Brother Travis as soon as folks feel comfortable. I also think the name difference wi
ll help make it look like I’m not taking your place. What do the rest of you think?”
Heads nodded, and Travis relaxed slightly.
“I think that will work fine,” the reverend said.
“Do you plan on getting a haircut before Sunday?” Zack sneered.
“Zack Kahler.” Mrs. Kahler stood from the table. “Leave the room this instant.”
“Can I take my plate?” he said.
“No. You are finished with dinner.” Her face matched the white tablecloth.
Zack scooted his chair back, still snickering. He grabbed a biscuit and left the room, banging the outside door in his wake.
“I’m so sorry,” Mrs. Kahler said. “I need to take the children and go home.”
“Sit down, Bonnie. Leaving is exactly what Zack wants,” Morgan said. “I’ll go talk to him in a little bit.”
She slowly sat. Her shoulders lifted and fell.
“Perhaps I’m the one who needs to talk to him,” Travis said. “He and I started out badly.”
“Zack doesn’t get along with anyone,” Morgan said. “Don’t waste your time.”
Tension sparked the air.
“He’s grieving over Ben,” Mrs. Kahler said. “I know that is no excuse for his behavior, but—”
“You’re right.” Grant tossed his napkin on the table. “Every family dinner we have is spoiled by Zack’s impudent behavior.”
“And he’s getting worse. I heard what happened at school,” Morgan said.
“Maybe we should simply stay away.” Mrs. Kahler’s voice rose, and her lips quivered.
Travis wanted to hush the rising voices. He didn’t think this was the first time the siblings’ words had flown at each other over Zack’s behavior.
“What good would that do?” Mrs. Rainer said. “I’d rather we not discuss this any further tonight. Brother Travis is our guest, and the children don’t need to hear any of this.”
Travis stood. “I could take the children for a walk if you need to talk.”
“Are you saying that we should talk about Zack? I am quite capable of taking care of my own son’s behavior.” Mrs. Kahler’s cheeks flamed red.
