The Women of Jacob’s Mountain Boxed Set

by Hining, Deborah;

  Snorting, he rolled away from her. “Woman, if you don’t beat all. I took you to all over Europe! I’m building you a house! I gave you a baby! Now you think I’m supposed to buy you a ring? What do you need one of those for?”

  “Hey, just because you got by without one when you married me doesn’t mean you can get by with it forever. It’s embarrassing, taking little Blue to the grocery store and people seeing me without a wedding ring. You know what they’re thinking.”

  He grinned, leaning in close. “They’re probably thinking you caught me back when you chased me around that barn. Don’t fret. I’ll get you that ring when I’m good and ready,” he said, then jumped up and hastened out the door as she threw a pillow at him.

  Raven Creek, West Virginia

  The party had already become noisy by the time Sally Beth arrived at Rachel’s house. The little ones were running around in what appeared to be a frenzied game of who could shriek the loudest, while the older children, most of them cousins two or three times removed, played kick-the-can out in the pasture. As she parked the car, John Smith pulled in behind her.

  “Hey John!” she called.

  He was glad to see her. It was going to be hard, seeing Geneva for the first time since that awful day when she had married Howard, and walking in with Sally Beth would ease the rough edges. He reached for her, squeezing her shoulders as they made their way up the steps. “Hey, Sally Beth. You doing okay?”

  She smiled warmly at him. “Yeah, we’re fine. Thanks for coming to the funeral and all. And the roast you brought was really good.”

  They made their way into the kitchen where Geneva and her sister, Rachel, were putting the last swirls of frosting on the pink and white birthday cake. It was evident to Sally Beth that neither John nor Geneva was quite prepared to see one another. She saw how the agony had flared in his eyes, and Geneva’s face had fallen with sadness and shame. Hoping to give the painful thoughts floating through the empty air a chance to scatter and hide, she rushed in with a bright “Hello!”

  “Rachel! So good to see you!” she said, laying two small packages wrapped in pink paper on the counter. “I can’t believe these babies are a year old already. I can’t wait to see them!” She glanced at John again. His face was pale with grief. He would not want Geneva to see him suffering like this, and it wouldn’t do her any good, either, knowing how much she had hurt him. Quickly, she stepped into her cousin’s line of vision. “Geneva! Welcome home! When did you get back?”

  Geneva hugged her. “Oh, honey! I’m so sorry about your mama, and I wish we had made it to the funeral. We didn’t call home but once, and it was already over by the time we did. I really hate that I wasn’t here to be with you.” She gazed over Sally Beth’s head toward John. “Hi John, good to see you again,” and her eyes met his briefly, sending a look that said, I’m sorry. I know I hurt you.

  He returned her smile as he willed the awkward moment to pass. If he had wondered if he should have told her how much he loved her, he realized now that it would not have mattered; she had moved far beyond his reach, so far that his longing could bear no weight upon her consciousness. The very fact of her radiance, large and luminous, made him understand that she was no longer simply herself, a spinning, dancing, free-floating planet, but that she had been pulled into a larger, completely contained galaxy that had no need for heat or light or life beyond itself. He looked across the vast expanse of cold space to her contented, connected heart and felt himself shrink into the loneliness of his own bruised one. After the briefest of glances at him, Geneva turned back to Sally Beth.

  “How are you? Really?”

  “We’re just fine,” Sally Beth said. “Did you know Lilly’s moving back home? Now, where’s little Clayton? I’ve been waiting all day to see him!”

  John saw the look of sympathy in Sally Beth’s eyes, which reminded him that she, too, was suffering with grief. Even so, she was mindful of the pain of others, going out of her way to extend comfort, even a kind of gladness to them, and he couldn’t help but feel his troubles ease in the light of her smile. She was like a Labrador who had just grown out of puppyhood, learning to be well behaved, not jumping all over people with kisses and goodwill, but wanting to, and restraining herself with sheer force of will. It saddened him to think of her boundless heart suffering with loss, and he felt small and petty as he realized that his own heartache was trifling compared to hers.

  “Really? That’s great,” replied Geneva. “It’ll be good to have her back. Blue is outside with everybody.”

  Sally Beth looked at her, puzzled. “You’re calling him ‘Blue’? I thought his name was Clayton. After Uncle Clayton?”

  “Oh, yes. Clayton Bluefeather Knight. Bluefeather because his hair is blue-black and looks exactly like little feathers. That got shortened to ‘Blue’, and it stuck. When’s Lilly getting back?”

  “In a month. Mama left us some money, so we’re fixing up the house. It needs a new roof, and some of the pipes are leaking, and, well, there’s lots to do. So I’m going to fly out to Las Vegas while they’re working on it, and then I’ll help Lilly drive back.” Her face split into a wide grin. “I’ll get to see some of the country!”

  “What a great idea. Do you want us to go by and pick up your mail while you’re gone? Feed the dogs? Our house won’t be finished for another few months, and I know Jesse’s getting sick of us all piled up at his place, so I’m always looking for excuses to get out of the house.”

  “Would you? Oh, you are so sweet! The folks at the nursing home say I can leave Kit and Caboodle with them, so you don’t have to worry about the dogs. I can take two weeks off, and it would be nice not to have to hurry back.”

  Geneva wondered what Sally Beth and Lilly hoped to accomplish putting that tumbled-down old house back together. Annilee could not have left her daughters much, certainly not enough to fully repair it, and while she wished she could do something to mitigate their hardship, pride ran so high in the Lenoir family, it would be insulting to even suggest she help out with expenses. She smiled inwardly while she contrived a plan. Although she could not spend money on Sally Beth and Lilly with their knowledge, she could make things happen without them knowing. If she had the keys to the place for two weeks, she and Howard could make Annilee’s money go farther than they might expect. She continued casually, “Maybe we can even stay there some, get out from under Jesse’s feet. Would you be okay with that?”

  Sally Beth lit up as she clasped her hands together with glee. “Thank you, Geneva! That would relieve my mind, knowing you’d keep an eye on things. I want to see the Grand Canyon! And the Painted Desert, and Carlsbad Caverns, and we’d love to stop at Graceland, and oh, my goodness! There’s lots to see between here and Las Vegas!”

  John spoke up, “Well, let me do something. Can I at least drive you to the airport?”

  “Would you? Oh, John, that would be just great.”

  “Of course I’m happy to take you. I’m out at the airport all the time these days anyway taking flying lessons, so that will work out just fine.”

  “John! You’re taking flying lessons? Wow, that’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” broke in Rachel.

  “Me, too!” exclaimed Sally Beth. “Ever since I was little.”

  “Yeah, it’s great, and I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I’m going back to Kenya. There’ll be a plane available to me, and it’s really the only way to get around—the place is so remote, and Africa is so big.”

  Rachel was surprised. “You’re going back to Kenya?”

  “Yes, I am. Things are happening over there right now with the program, so I wouldn’t be surprised if I stay six months this time.” He didn’t say that he needed at least six months or more to be away from Geneva before he felt he could resist the urge to take her in his arms and beg her to run away with him. He forced himself to keep his eyes on Rachel’s.

  “When are you leaving?”

  “Six weeks. Not long after Sally Beth takes off fo
r out West. I guess it will be a quiet summer around here without all of us.”

  Just then, Howard walked in with Blue in his arms. “Somebody says he’s hungry,” he began, but seeing Sally Beth, he stopped to put his free arm around her shoulders. “Sally Beth, I’m so sorry about your mother. We didn’t find out about it until too late, and—”

  She cut him off, “Howard, don’t you think a thing about it. I would have just died if you cut your honeymoon short to come back for the funeral, and we’re doing just fine. Lilly’s coming home! I’m going out to Las Vegas to help her drive back.”

  Howard grinned at her. “Did you know Jimmy Lee’s out in Texas right now? He’s got some cousins there, and—I guess Geneva told you about my oil well?” he said as he handed the baby to his wife.

  John did not miss the look that passed between them as Geneva took the baby from Howard before leaving the room. It was a look filled with secrets, secrets of pleasure, of longing fulfilled, the kind of look that passes between people who have shared hearts and minds and flesh and have discovered the magic of it. The implications of it lodged themselves deep in the crevices of his ruined heart, but he managed to nod at Howard. “Welcome back, buddy,” he said. “What’s this about an oil well?”

  “She didn’t tell you? Well… My grandfather left me some land out in Oklahoma a few years back. My mama’s family. It wasn’t anything but a truck farm, but they’re finding oil around there. I sent Jimmy Lee out to take a look, and, well, I’ll just say Geneva’s already made a list of all the things she’s going to buy.” He paused before chuckling. “She’s got an eye for pretty things.”

  From the living room, Geneva stifled a laugh. Without actually lying, Howard had managed to let everyone know they could expect them to start throwing a little money around, so there would be no suspicions of his enormous wealth, even after everyone saw the new house. Maybe she could even buy a new car. Maybe she could get that fancy dryer after all. She moved Blue to her right breast and settled into the indulgence of a heart drowned in happiness.

  Three

  August 6, 1978, Tucker, West Virginia

  It felt good to be able to do something kind for Sally Beth. Today she seemed to have shaken off the grief that had enveloped her since her mother’s death and was back to her sunny ebullience. John couldn’t help but inwardly chuckle at the rush of her monologue as he drove toward the airport through the bright mountain air.

  “I’m so nervous! I’ve never been on a plane before, and the farthest away I’ve been from Tucker is DC when we went there on our senior trip, and now I can’t believe I am going to Las Vegas! I’m real nervous about being there. You know they call it Sin City, don’t you? And I could tell Lilly had changed after living there. I’ve never gambled before. It even scares me to think about it. I’ve heard of people losing their shirts! But I want to see the Elvis impersonators, although I don’t think there are any Elvis shows going on. But we are going to see Frank Sinatra. And then, we’re going to go to the Grand Canyon. I can’t wait to see it!” She balled her fists, giving an excited little grimace and shiver, her eyes wide with the thrill of the thought.

  “I bet we will see some Elvis impersonators when we go to Graceland, and do you know he died a year ago? And that he and Mama are exactly the same age? They were both born on January 8, 1935! We’re going to put a flower on his grave from her, because she just loved Elvis, and we know she’d want us to. We might even get there on the anniversary of his death. Wouldn’t that be something?” She paused to take a breath. “That’s kind of silly when you think about it, putting a flower on his grave from her, because they’re both up in heaven and probably just having a good old time together.”

  She grinned at the thought before moving on. “There’s so much to see. I wish we had more time, because I’ve never seen the desert, and I want to see the place where you can see all the stars because there’s no light way out in the desert. Have you seen the Milky Way on a clear night when you’re away from town? I have. It’s like that up at Holy Miracle’s place up on Jacob’s Mountain, but I bet it’s different in the desert because you’re in a different place. Come to think of it, I bet you have seen a whole set of different stars out there in Africa.

  “Well, yes,” answered John. “The stars are beautiful there, and there’s no light pollution out on the plains so far from the cities. The Milky Way looks just like that—a milky wash spread out over the sky.”

  “I know! It’s that way up on Jacob’s Mountain. But I bet it’s even better out in the desert, and probably in Africa, too, because the air is dryer—is the air dry in Africa? Oh yeah, there’s desert there and all, isn’t there?”

  He smiled, wondering if he would be able to answer before she broke in again. “In some places. In others, it’s a rain forest. There’s lots of different climates and terrain in Africa. I haven’t seen nearly—”

  Sure enough, she cut him off. “Oh! I would love to go to Africa and see giraffes! I love giraffes. And elephants! Did you know they mourn when one of them dies?”

  “So how do you know so much about the American West, Sally Beth? And Africa? Have you ever thought about traveling?”

  “Oh my goodness. Daddy subscribed to National Geographic for years. And we’ve got stacks and stacks of them. I think we’ve been through them all about a million times! Mama and Lilly and me? And Daddy, too, before he died, and we would pretend we were going to all these places, and Daddy would make up stories about them, about tigers and walruses and flying pigs all living together, although I know they don’t live in the same place, and there’s no such things as flying pigs, but they were so funny.

  She then launched into one about a toad who fell in love with a mockingbird who taught the toad to sing, and they started up a traveling show, going all around the world singing at palaces and such, until the toad developed laryngitis and could only croak again. The story went on for some time, and John suspected that Sally Beth had gotten parts of it mixed up with another story, but he finally decided to just enjoy the telling of it because she seemed to get such a kick out of it. The tale was still going on when they pulled up to the airport curb.

  “Oh, my! You didn’t get to hear all of it, so I’ll just tell you how it ends so you won’t be worrying about it. Anyway, the toad recovered, although he never could sing as beautifully as before, so they learned another act, where he learned a hundred different croaking sounds and the mockingbird copied them exactly, and they turned the act into a comedy, and they lived happily ever after. It’s a great story. Oh my goodness—I’ve got to hurry!”

  Nearly in a panic, she bounded out of the car, yanking a suitcase out of the back seat before John had a chance to open his door. He rushed out to help her, and as he pulled the second bag out to place it on a waiting cart, she swung around, bumping her voluminous purse into him.

  “Ouch, Sally Beth! What do you have in there?”

  “Oh, just the usual stuff, and two canteens of water,” she said, hoisting the strap higher on her shoulder. “In case the plane crashes in the desert. Bye, John, and thank you. Have a good time in Kenya!” She hurried into the terminal building, leaving him standing at the curb, then turned and waved at him before the doors closed behind her.

  John felt a little dazed, as if a storm had just blown through and he had been hunkering down, knocking back tree limbs and bits of houses that flew in his direction. Sally Beth was different from anybody he had ever met. On the surface, she seemed like just a blonde airhead, always chattering near-nonsense, but he knew there were depths of her hidden below her milky skin. Ever since he had seen how coolly she worked to stop the blood streaming from Geneva’s leg while he stood aside, feeling sick, helpless, and weak with despair, he had learned not to judge people too quickly. And Holy Miracle Jones, the wisest person he had ever met, had loved and honored her above everyone.

  Yes, Sally Beth was unique. That was the only way to describe her. He smiled as he drove to the hangar where his instructor wa
ited for his flying session. After today he would be a fully licensed pilot, and Kenya, the new home he hoped would burn the ache out of his heart, would become smaller and more welcoming.

  August 6, 1978, Las Vegas, Nevada

  The first thing Sally Beth saw as she walked through the gate was Lilly’s smooth, pale hair, as sleek as a river otter and the color of winter sun. Her sister was the prettiest girl there, and she looked so much like Mama it was all she could do to keep from running to her with her arms outstretched. But Mama had taught her not to act like an ignorant hillbilly, but to hold her head up and be dignified. Las Vegas. Oh my! What would Mama think now? Both her girls loose in Sin City. She almost laughed aloud just thinking about it. But she glided over to Lilly with as much dignity as she could muster and squeezed her baby sister until Lilly protested, “Sally Beth—you’re choking me!”

  The airport wasn’t far from town, and Sally Beth was tickled that they got to drive right down the main drag so she could get a good look at the place she had heard such awful things about. It made a little shiver run up her spine. Even in the daylight, the Las Vegas Strip was wonderfully glittery, but in a tasteful way: not at all tacky and garish as she had anticipated. There were big signs of cowboys and stars and funny little glasses that looked like they were clinking together because they were made of lights that ran around and around, and Sally Beth thought they were the cutest things she had ever seen. It was all just so exciting! She squealed when they drove past a row of palm trees.

  “Lilly, look—palm trees!” She craned her neck around as they drove past them. “Do you think they have coconuts in them? Can we get fresh coconuts here? “Oh , look! There’s a big picture of Elvis and he’s swerving his hips around. Lilly! This place is amazing.”

  Half of her was in love with the glitter and excitement, the other half full of disappointed trepidation. Las Vegas was cleaner and classier than she had imagined. Truthfully, this disappointed her a little because she had anticipated being shocked by its tawdriness. No gunslingers sauntered down the streets, and there didn’t seem to be any prostitutes hanging out on the corners. She wondered if they only came out at night, like vampires, and if the place magically transformed into some apparition from hell once the sun went down and the lights shone brighter. She tingled all over at the thought.