Beneath the Heavens

by Barlow, Lindsey;

  Finally Jeff cleared his throat, clasped his hands and leaned his forearms on the table. “And are you doing the right thing, Joseph?”

  Joseph frowned. “What are you talking about, Jeff?”

  Jeff broke eye contact for a second before reaffirming his gaze. “Joseph, your mother and I, well, we are reaching that age where handling such a large ranch is tiresome. I would like to have the time to take her to New Orleans or New York, have more nights with us reading quietly together, knowing that we don’t need to be up at the crack of dawn.” He paused, turning slightly red. “We would like some holidays with… with grandchildren.”

  Joseph raised his eyebrows. “Well, then maybe sending Abby to Colorado wasn’t the wisest choice—”

  “I’m talking about you Joseph,” Jeff said suddenly. “I’m worried about you, about your future. If you even have a future. You’re a good Ranger, a fantastic Ranger even—”

  “But?” Joseph asked warily.

  Jeff opened his mouth and hesitated for a breath. “But, I don’t think, I don’t feel,” he growled in frustration unable to find the words he wished to express. “Maybe what I feel is that although you are a fantastic Ranger and helping this world, maybe you would be an even better rancher, husband, and father.” Jeff let out a weary sigh.

  “You are telling me I should quit the Rangers and have your life?” Joseph asked with no sarcasm, but a slight dryness in his voice. Being a Ranger was who he was, his love was his work, and his life was fighting injustice. There was no room for romance, no room for family. He had the opportunities, beautiful women sighing as he passed by and fathers of marriageable daughters offering jobs when he had helped them in a matter. Being a Texas Ranger though was his soul. It was what his father had wanted him to be, and it was the only thing that made Joseph feel he still had, or ever had, any bond with his father.

  “I know this sounds controlling or even arrogant on my part, but Joseph I want you to be happy, and there is no greater happiness for a man than having a woman to love and a family to work for. You feel a satisfaction every time you drag a criminal into court, or save a man’s family and livelihood, don’t you?”

  Joseph nodded.

  “Well son, I feel that every minute. I feel it when I look at your good mother and see Abby’s bravery. ‘Cause no matter how scared that girl is, she is in Colorado right now.” He glanced at his hands. “And, when I see the man you have become, my heart swells with pride. Every ounce of sweat I ever dropped, every sleepless night when I went over cattle numbers, was an honor.” His eyes locked on Joseph. “I want you to have that same satisfaction Joseph, that same pride and,” he swallowed. “I want you to have half my ranch and eventually all of it.”

  Joseph choked on a piece of steak. He pounded his chest. “What? No, Jeff.” He shook his head. “That honor belongs to Abby.”

  Jeff waved a hand in the air. “Right, I give Abby the ranch, or even half a ranch and it falls into the hands of some gold digger or one of those dreamers who swear there is oil in this state and tears apart the ranch, diggin’.” He shook his head in disgust. “Abby will get part of the ranch, maybe, but a good number of years after she’s married so I can see the true intentions of her husband.”

  Joseph gave a half smile. “Listen Jeff, I am honored, truly, by your offer, but I’m not the type to settle down. And I’m certainly not the type to chase after a woman, marry her, and then have a family.” He touched the star pinned to his chest. “Ranger at heart, always have been, always will be.” He lowered his hand, suddenly remembering his mother saying that only God could change a man’s heart, but Joseph didn’t need God. He never did. “Besides, the ranch should go to your real child. It should be Abby’s. She is your daughter, your only child; I couldn’t take that from her.”

  Jeff’s face fell, and his eyes clouded over. Joseph caught that he had said something hurtful, although he wasn’t exactly sure what it was.

  Jeff shook his head. “Oh, Joseph,” he sighed. “When will you understand?”

  Two

  A sudden bump in the road jolted Abby forward. She awoke with a small yelp and shook her dizzy head. Had she fallen asleep? She looked over at the pastor. The smug look on his face and the wide boyish grin confirmed that not only had she been asleep, but she had fallen asleep on his…

  Abby glanced at the pastor’s shoulder. Abby never slept with her mouth closed; hence, she was always battling chapped lips. And, sometimes she even—

  “You snored,” Will blurted out with a strange mix of a laugh and snort.

  “I… I,” Abby was at a loss. She had fallen asleep, on his shoulder, and snored. She snored in front of a handsome man who she was pretty sure already thought her ridiculous. “I did?” she asked with a trembling voice. Maybe he was just joking.

  “It was a cute little snore. Like a kitten,” he said and looked over and gave a sort of half smile, “but, a snore none-the-less.”

  They were pulling into a desolate and grim looking town. Abby’s heart plummeted. Was this Tall Pine?

  “This is a mining town, mostly abandoned, but they got a watering well for the horses. So I’m going to give them a break before we make the final ride to Tall Pine,” he explained as he pulled the horses to a stop.

  Abby nodded. If she had been cold, she was not any more; her entire body was blushing with the knowledge that she had snored, and fallen asleep, on a pastor for crying out loud.

  Will pulled the horses to a stop and then sat for a moment looking around him at the depressing place. He sighed and then jumped off the wagon in a fluid move.

  Abby looked around. It was dirty here, and the mountains looked frightening. A sudden homesickness overtook her. It had been a long journey, a hard one, and she had barely begun.

  What am I doing?

  How could she—a silly Texan who read too many fashion periodicals and obsessed over facial creams—how could she teach in a small valley school where the educational laws and regulations were fifty years behind the current times?

  As if to increase her sour mood, Abby’s stomach suddenly growled. She was hungry, and the cold was now returning, seeping through her lightweight clothing. Colorado so far was cold, and certainly not amiable. She’d been so preoccupied trying not to fall off the bumpy wagon and trying not to sleep, that, besides the light sprinkling of rain and the large mountains, she had hardly noticed the scenery. In her welcoming letter from the Mayor of Tall Pine, he’d spoken of the beauty that Colorado had to offer. So far, all Abby had noticed was a depressed city, overcast skies, and a pastor to whom she was doing a fine job of presenting herself as a fool. All in all, it wasn’t the glowing sunset and welcoming adventure she had optimistically hoped for.

  It’s only been a week of travel, not even that. Abby reminded herself brightly, and the good thing about a bad start is that it could only get better.

  The smell of cooked meat sent Abby into a dizzy spell as her stomach growled. A small bar that had several men cooking fatty pork out in front caught her eye. She needed food, badly. Opening her small purse she almost cried in disappointment to see that she had finished all her little sweets and the stale roll from the train. The smell reached her nose again, this time sending her stomach into spasms. Coins! She had some coins left. Surely she had time to go buy something to fill her stomach.

  Abby counted out just a few cents. She didn’t want to spend too much just in case there were some things she needed for her school. There was no way she would ask her parents for money. She’d sworn an oath to herself not to do so, especially since she’d been teased that she wouldn’t make it without “Daddy’s money.” She looked down at her palm and put back three pennies. She’d eat only a little something.

  Abby stood up steadily to lower herself from the wagon, but was stopped as a hand braced her elbow. It was Will, looking up at her with his striking blue eyes.

  “Miss?”

  A man this handsome should not be calling her “Miss.” “Please call me Abby
.”

  Did his mouth twitch?

  “Miss Abby, what are you doing?” He nodded to the coins.

  “I, uh,” there she went stuttering again. “Do I have time to go get something to eat?” she asked, trying to hide the slight catch in her voice. By golly, why did she always cry when upset? Her mother was right. She needed to grow up.

  “Don’t really have time, Miss. We are already gonna have to quicken our pace to get you there before nightfall,” he explained, looking around him uncomfortably. Clearly he did not like this town.

  Abby’s stomach suddenly growled like a thunderstorm as she sat back down. She was sure the wagon shook from it. Will’s eyebrows lifted just about to the top of his forehead and Abby felt her cheeks heat up as hot as a rock in the sun. Goodness, could anything more embarrassing happen?

  “You didn’t bring anything to eat?” he asked in disbelief.

  “I brought some sweet jellies, but I already finished those.”

  “Jellies?” he asked, scrunching up his face in confusion.

  “Yes, jellies,” Abby answered shamefully. She wanted to disappear, or have someone throw a giant quilt over her head to escape his scrutinizing eye.

  “You brought jellies on an all-day wagon ride but no other food?” he asked again.

  Abby frowned feeling anger rise up in her. Why did he have to make her sound so stupid? She felt foolish enough as it was.

  “Yes, Pastor Will, for a treacherous journey into the frontier, I brought sweet little jellies in different colors because they were yummy and pretty,” she said, stubbornly folding her hands on her lap and straightening her back.

  Will pressed his lips together in a crooked line for a second and then burst into laughter. Not just laughter but a loud, bubbling laughter that seemed to echo through the small town. Abby felt her own lips twitch. His laugh was contagious and wonderful to hear. She bowed her head and let out a giggle, which seemed to amuse Will even more, because more laughter erupted from him. Before she even realized it, Abby was laughing along with him ‘til tears filled her eyes and her sides hurt.

  “Well, I don’t have no sweet and pretty jellies.” Will gave one last chuckle and rubbed the back of his neck. “However,” he left her, holding up a finger to signal he’d be back. Walking towards the rear of the wagon Abby could hear him shifting through the gear and her luggage. She took the opportunity to stretch out her aching limbs and massage her neck. She must look terrible right now, and was rather surprised that the thought didn’t unnerve her.

  “Here you go, Miss.” Will suddenly appeared handing her a basket.

  “What’s this?” she asked, wanting to know what was in it before opening it.

  “It ain’t jellies, if that’s what you want.” He gave a half smile and climbed in beside her.

  Curious, Abby opened the basket and let out an exclamation of joy. Slices of ham nestled between thick bread, delicious smelling cheese and fat pickles crammed the basket. There were even a few apples. It was like manna from heaven.

  “My temper isn’t the best when I get hungry, so I make sure to pack a lot of food when I do this trip.” He nodded for her to scoot over and she did. He climbed up smelling of pine trees and rain; he took the reins and gave a soft click with his tongue, sending the horses off. Abby imagined what they must look like the way they sat up front together sharing a meal. The thought made her flush. Not that Will wasn’t handsome; in fact, if she were honest with herself, he was by far the most handsome young man she had ever met. Yet despite his good looks, this pastor had the uncanny ability to make her feel even more silly than usual. It was just that he was so different from the usual men she chose to fraternize with. She glanced up at him—different, yes. Worse? Definitely not… not with those eyes.

  “So, I was thinking,” Will muttered, “I am glad that we don’t have any passengers riding in the back.”

  Abby frowned. “And why is that?”

  “Because I wouldn’t want them to witness a woman sleeping on me. I have a reputation to uphold,” he said sternly.

  Abby’s mouth dropped. Was he really scolding her by saying that she would slight his reputation?

  “Pastor Will, I swear that was an accident. I would never—”

  She stopped when Will’s face brightened with a smile that melted into a chuckle.

  Abby laughed nervously. “Oh, you are—teasing?”

  Will laughed louder. “Of course I am.” He shook his head, pleased with his wit. “I suppose I ought not to tease, but it’s a long ride.”

  “Teasing keeps you occupied?” Abby asked with a slight arch in her brow.

  Will shrugged. “More or less.”

  Abby shrugged to herself. It was a good enough explanation. “So tell me about the scary town we were just in. You seemed unsettled.”

  Will shifted uncomfortably. “I used to live there. My father was a miner.”

  Abby’s ears perked up in interest, ready for a good story. When Will said nothing more she leaned forward. “And?” she asked.

  Will frowned. “And, that is all.”

  At her disappointed look, Will laughed. “What’s that look for?”

  “Well, that you used to live there, which implies that you no longer live there. How come?”

  Will had a puzzled expression on his face when he glanced at Abby. “Well… you really want to know?”

  Abby nodded. “Of course I do. Why else would I ask? What brought you from growing up as a miner’s son to being a pastor in Tall Pine?”

  Will nodded. “Alright, uh, well, my father was a silver miner. No wife. Three children. Me, and two younger sisters.”

  “No wife?”

  “Yeah, she died of influenza. I stayed at home and raised my sisters.” His jaw tightened and Abby noticed he held the reins a bit tighter.

  “Do they live in Tall Pine as well? Your sisters, I mean.”

  Will laughed wryly, bitterly. “No, they left Colorado as soon as they could. The eldest, Emily, couldn’t wait to leave. She wanted cities and excitement.” His expression saddened. “The youngest, Rosie, left to watch out for Emily. She was a good girl, smart, too.” He swallowed and shook his shoulders. “I don’t hear from them as much as I’d like.”

  Abby studied Will’s face for a moment. It was steady, too steady to belong to the hurt in his voice.

  “And your father?”

  Will looked away from her. “Oh, I don’t want to bore you…tell me about Texas.”

  “Texas is hot. Tell me about your father,” she insisted.

  Again the puzzled expression.

  “Do you really want to know?”

  Abby nodded. “Of course I do. Most pastors are pastors because it’s a family occupation. The fact that your father is a miner and you raised two sisters is intriguing and admirable.”

  Will smiled thinly. “Was a miner,” he corrected. “My father was a miner.”

  Abby tilted her head. “You mean, he changed his line of work, or—”

  “He passed away. Cholera… it took a good part of the town, you know. Besides, I think when my sisters left, well, he gave up.”

  “I’m sorry,” she murmured.

  Will shrugged. “Sorry for telling a depressing story.”

  Abby frowned. “It’s not depressing, just sad. Depressing would be if you became a drunken misfit who wandered around lost and hopeless, but you are a handsome, semi-amiable pastor, yes?” Abby said brightly.

  Will’s lips twitched and he looked mischievously over at her. “Did you say handsome?”

  Abby’s eyes went wide. “No,” she lied. She had said it. This is why her mother was always trying to get her to control her tongue. She was so used to saying her thoughts that she rarely censured them.

  “You did. You said I was handsome.” He grinned broadly. “You, Teacher, not only slept on my shoulder, but you think I am handsome.”

  Abby stammered. “What… what I meant was that you are not… not handsome.” She tried to remedy without
success. “I mean, your looks aren’t bad to look at, well, I mean, I’m sure there are others more handsome. Not that you are not, but…” Oh why did she keep talking? Abby shut your mouth. Abby snapped her lips together and looked forward, praying that she would disappear.

  Will didn’t say anything for a good minute, but then broke the silence with another chuckle. “Teacher thinks I am handsome.”

  Abby looked down at her lace gloves. Why had she acted like such a silly girl around him? With most men, she was the confident and witty Abigail Silver who was never flustered and always knew what to say. Right now, she felt like a little duckling trying to swim but instead managing only to flop around in circles. She leaned back to close her eyes. She just needed a bit more sleep, and no matter what, she would not fall onto Will’s shoulder again.

  /

  It must have been at least two hours later when Abby sat up with a jolt. It was near evening time and Will had slowed the wagon to a stop.

  Abby yawned and followed his gaze to what looked like a little farm with a white and yellow painted house, settled back behind a garden. A pinto was tied to the fence with a brightly-colored cart next to it.

  “Are we… are we in Tall Pine?” she asked sleepily.

  Will nodded. “Yeah, that’s Miss Esther’s horse and cart. I didn’t think Melissa was due for another month.”

  “Who is Miss Esther?” Abby asked, noting the gentle attentiveness in Will’s voice.

  “Esther is the—”

  His words were interrupted by an ear-shattering howl that echoed from the house.

  Abby gasped. It was a cry of pure pain.

  To her surprise Will smiled. “Esther is the midwife.

  /

  Esther placed some ice, wrapped in a towel, on Melissa Todd’s back as the contraction started. This was back labor, one of the hardest kind in terms of pain and length. Melissa was a slight woman whose body could barely handle a plow let alone a hard labor.