Love Finds You in Daisy, Oklahoma

by Janice Hanna

  “I’m Carolina, honey. Gene’s mother.” The woman brushed back the loose gray hair around her face. “I do hope you’ll forgive the way I look. I had to make a quick dash to my place for some butter. I was only gone a few minutes.” She looked Rena over and shook her head. “I can see now that they just wanted to get me out of here to accomplish this dastardly deed. How they managed to get that bucket hung in such a short amount of time is nothing short of miraculous. We could fault their actions, certainly, but I’ve got to admit, they’re very efficient. They know how to get things done in a hurry.”

  Rena hardly knew what to say. Apparently a great deal of effort had gone into her welcome. The children must be delighted with themselves. Should she counter their move with quick, strong discipline, or turn a blind eye?

  The youngest of the girls smiled, and Rena’s heart melted like butter left out in the afternoon sun. She would turn a blind eye, at least for now.

  “Well, c’mon in, hon,” Carolina added. “I’m going to have the girls draw you a bath while I finish making your supper. You look exhausted. No point in feeding you until you’re clean and dry. Sound good?”

  “Sounds wonderful. I’m long overdue for a good soak.”

  Carolina sent the three little girls upstairs with Rena’s bags in hand. They were given specific instructions to draw her bath as well. Rena began to relax, finally letting her guard down. She gave the parlor another quick glance but then wished she hadn’t. Nothing about the place held any appeal, from the worn curtains to the torn paper on the walls to the uneven floors.

  “Gene, why don’t you give Miss Jewel the grand tour and then point her in the direction of her room? Her bath should be ready in a few minutes.” Carolina retied her apron and turned back toward the kitchen. “All this nonsense will wash away with a good hot bath, Miss Jewel. I promise you, you’ll feel better once you’re clean and dry.”

  Rena nodded, realizing how good that sounded.

  “I’d be happy to show her around first,” Gene said, giving his mother a nod. Then he turned to Rena. “You ready for a quick look-see?”

  “I guess.” She followed along behind the sheriff as he showed off the various areas of the old home. The downstairs areas were in great need of updating, especially the furniture. The sofa had broken springs, the wingback chair was barely standing, and the end table looked as if someone had taken a knife to it. Were those initials in the arms? There were no pictures on the walls and no flowers or any other decor in sight. Everything was stark and broken-down. Well, all but the sheriff. He appeared to be in great shape. Her cheeks grew warm as the thought flitted through her mind. Heavens. Who knew she noticed such things?

  Gene led her up the stairs and into the children’s areas. The section that housed the girls didn’t look too bad. It was small but cozy. She’d never seen so many beds pressed into one room, however, and the place was rather stark. Metal bed frames, white sheets, brown blankets…nothing at all like the bedrooms back home.

  “Has anyone ever given thought to painting in here?” she asked. “I do think a nice coating of soft pink paint would make it feel girlier.”

  Judging from the smile, he appeared to find great humor in the idea. “Don’t suppose anyone would mind.”

  The boys’ area left Rena reeling. For one thing, none of the beds had been made. The paint was cracking, the ceiling was leaking, and the floor was creaking. And those beds! Broken-down. Rusty. Missing pieces. Talk about hideous. How the boys could sleep on something so primitive was beyond her. She would have to arrange for new beds to be sent as soon as possible. A good night’s sleep would do wonders for the children and help them with their studies as well.

  Gene continued showing her around, focusing on the remaining downstairs rooms at the front of the house. The parlor was far too small for social gatherings. Where did the children play? Was there no space to gather with friends and share in an afternoon’s activities?

  “Where do the children socialize?” she asked after seeing the entire home.

  “Beg pardon?” He gave her a funny look.

  “Play. Where do they play?”

  “Ah.” He shrugged. “I guess you could say the town is their playground.”

  “But there’s no area here for them to just be children?” she asked. “No rope swings? No parklike areas to run freely and get the necessary exercise? However do you expect them to stay healthy if they can’t go outdoors to burn off energy and be in the sunshine?”

  He still looked perplexed. “There’s a small yard out back. They make do. But, as I said, they have the whole town.”

  “Surely you don’t mean that they roam about the town on their own.”

  “Oh, I…” He paused. “Well, I guess that’ll have to change. We’ve always just sorta expected it. They show up all sorts of places in town. Mrs. Wabash tried to curtail some of their extracurricular activities, but they were left to their own devices much of the time.”

  Rena shook her head, unable to fathom such a thing. If the children ventured into town, who watched over them to make sure they weren’t up to mischief? “I can assure you that will not be the case now that I’m here. I firmly believe in spending time with the children. Roaming about the town is not my idea of child’s play.”

  A little girl tugged on her arm and Rena glanced down, taken in by the welcoming smile. The youngster had a beautiful face, but seeing it through the unruly dark hair was not easy. “Miss Jewel, I’m Callie.”

  “Nice to meet you, Callie. And you can call me Miss Rena.”

  “Miss Rena, your bath is drawn.”

  “Yes, do go up and relax,” Carolina said, appearing from the kitchen. “You will feel so much better afterward.”

  Rena took a couple of steps away then turned back as she heard the sheriff’s voice. “I hope you will forgive the boys for getting you wet earlier. I feel sure it was just a prank to welcome you to the fold. It won’t happen again.”

  Rena nodded and turned to face him. “Guess I’d better go on up. Will I see you at supper?”

  “I’ll be the one roping the boys to their chairs.”

  She had to look twice to see the twinkle in his eyes.

  “We put your bags on your bed, Miss Rena.” The girl with the blond hair offered a sweet smile.

  “And put lots and lots of bubbles in your bath,” the littlest girl added. “Hope you like ’em.”

  “Oh, I adore bubble baths.” She offered the children a smile of thanks. “And I’m in need of a hot soak. That train trip wore me out.”

  “Well, take your time, honey,” Carolina added. “When you’re done, c’mon down for supper. I’ve prepared a meal fit for a king.”

  “Smells heavenly. I can’t wait.”

  Rena followed behind the girls, who led her up the stairs. With each step, her hands quivered and her knees grew wobblier. Probably exhaustion. Either that, or fear had suddenly locked her in its grip.

  “This is your room, Miss Rena,” the younger girl said. “Ain’t it purty?”

  “It’s lovely,” Rena said. She took in the room, somewhat surprised to find it in good condition, right down to the four-poster bed and chenille spread. Likely Mrs. Wabash had left it this way for her benefit. Rena would have to remember to send her a note of thanks.

  “Yer bath is just past that door.” As Callie pointed, the dirt under her fingernails came into full view. Rena would have to do something about that. Tomorrow.

  In the meantime, she just needed to bathe, eat, and collapse onto the bed. Rena nodded and thanked the girls as they left her alone.

  A yawn threatened to escape as she made her way into the bathroom and saw the large claw-footed tub overflowing with bubbles. The girls had outdone themselves. Double-checking the door to make sure it was locked, she slipped out of her clothes, readying herself for a good, long soak.

  She stepped into the tub then eased her way into the water. As she attempted to sit, something sharp jabbed her in the backside—and not just
in one spot, but several.

  Rena let out a holler then came shooting up out of the water, rubbing her bare backside. “What in the world?” She reached down into the bubbly water, coming up with several large pinecones. And pebbles. Dozens and dozens of pebbles.

  “Those children!” She wrapped herself in a towel, leaned over the tub, and fished out every last offending object Then, convinced it was safe, she climbed into the tub once again.

  Unfortunately, she’d somehow missed the biggest threat of all: a large, unhappy lizard.

  From the floor above, Gene heard Miss Jewel let out a yelp. At once he turned to look at the children. Lilly, the youngest of the girls, giggled. The other two girls turned red in the face. A couple of the boys began to cough, and William and Jacob snorted with laughter.

  “Okay, ’fess up. What have you done to her this time?”

  Lilly paled. “What do you mean?”

  “You know perfectly well. That was a holler I just heard, and it was coming from—” He never had time to say “Miss Jewel,” because she let out another cry from above. He sprinted up several stairs then stopped cold, realizing he couldn’t interrupt her bath to rescue her. “Mother!” He aimed his voice in the direction of the kitchen. “Mother, I need you.”

  She appeared in the hallway, wiping her hands on her apron. “What is it, Gene? I’m trying to make supper for this crew.”

  “Something’s wrong with Miss Jewel. Didn’t you hear her cry out?”

  “No, I couldn’t hear anything from the kitchen. Are you sure she—” Another piercing cry sent a shiver through the room. At this point, the three girls looked at each other, unable to hide their mischievous grins.

  Gene’s mother sprinted up the stairs and disappeared into the corridor. A couple of minutes later she reappeared, shaking her fist in the direction of the children. “You’ve done it this time, haven’t you? Don’t think you’re going to get away with this one. Putting pinecones and pebbles into her bubble bath isn’t a very nice how-do-you-do, now, is it?”

  Gene turned to face the girls, flabbergasted. “You put pinecones in the tub?”

  “That’s not all,” his mother added, easing her way down the stairs. She held out her hand and a wet lizard slithered off, dropping to the floor and disappearing lickety-split into the dining room.

  Gene’s mother ran after the lizard, and he turned his attention to the children. “I cannot believe you would do this to her, her first night here. Shame on you.”

  “It was William’s idea,” Lilly said, her eyes now brimming with trears. “He told me to.”

  “And I suppose if he told you to jump off of a bridge, you would do that too?”

  Lilly’s eyes widened and she shook her head. “No, sir.”

  Gene dropped onto the sofa in the living room, closed his eyes, and wondered if Miss Jewel would last the night, let alone till May.

  Chapter Eight

  TIPS FOR DEALING WITH UNRULY YOUNG’UNS—I’ve only been a father for two and a half years, and I have to confess, my situation is different from most because of my wife’s passing. Still, I can’t help but think that some folks just get too riled up where children are concerned. They make mountains out of molehills. My suggestion? When your children are naughty, don’t overreact, and don’t take their bad behavior personally. If you’re doing the best job you can as a parent, you can’t allow others to bring you down, even if the children thrive on disgracing you. Remember, all children act up. Even the best child has a rough day. It’s not the parent’s fault. Well, most of the time it’s not. Just do your best to build trust and establish authority, and the children will eventually outgrow their poor behavior. I hope.

  —Gene Wyatt, Local Sheriff and Father to William and Jacob

  In spite of the startling face-to-face encounter with the soggy lizard, Rena managed to calm down after Carolina carried him off to the great unknown. She somehow talked herself into climbing back into the tub, where she took the fastest bath ever. So much for relaxing. As she bathed, a thousand thoughts rolled through her mind. How would she ever manage with children such as these? Clearly, they were as far removed from Sadie as one could imagine. Add to that the fact that they seemed intent on bringing her down…

  A shiver wriggled down her spine. In all of her thirty-eight years she’d never encountered such opposition, and in such a short period of time too.

  “Reuben, you were right,” she whispered. “I wasn’t prepared for this.”

  Still, what could she do? There were choices to be made, and she was the only one to make them. After a few moments of silent prayer, she rose from the tub, dried off, and dressed for dinner in her most practical, clean, brown dress. No point in putting on airs when those around her were doing without.

  Staring at her reflection in the mirror, Rena felt herself emboldened with courage. “I can either let them win or beat them at their own game,” she said.

  Yes, she would face these children without flinching. She would show them…all of them.

  Rena did her best to pull her damp hair into a sensible style, gave herself another glance in the mirror, then headed downstairs for dinner.

  As she entered the dining room, the sheriff took one look at her and sighed. “I hardly know what to say in response to what they’ve done to you this time. ‘I’m sorry’ hardly seems adequate.”

  With a wave of her hand, she attempted to dismiss his concerns. There was no point in letting him think she was weak. “Think nothing of it.”

  “Nevertheless, the children have something to say to you.”

  He gathered them together, and Rena gazed down at their faces, innocent and sweet. Clearly a facade.

  “Go ahead.” The sheriff nudged the blond girl after introducing her as Josephine.

  The youngster shifted her gaze to the floor. “I’m sorry…,” she muttered, adding, “…we got caught” under her breath.

  Rena pursed her lips. After a second’s thought, she knelt beside the girl. “I’m not sorry you got caught. I always think it’s better to get things out in the open, don’t you?”

  Josephine shrugged.

  “Getting things out is for the best.” Rena gazed into the youngster’s eyes. “Sometimes we do things for reasons we don’t even recognize at the moment. Surely you didn’t realize your little prank would startle me so.”

  “Oh yes she did!” the littlest girl piped up. “We all did! We’ve been planning it for days. Henry showed us how to weigh the pinecones down with rocks. We even did a practice run on Mrs. Wabash.”

  The sheriff groaned and leaned against the wall, his slumped posture a sure sign that he’d given up on these children. Rena couldn’t really blame him. No doubt he’d seen many more of these types of shenanigans and had grown weary of it all.

  “Hmm.” Rena rose and looked over the group. “Well, you’ve had your fun. And I have to admit, you got me.” She offered a smile. “But it will be the last time. Have I made myself clear?”

  The boys and girls nodded.

  Carolina appeared, looking a bit winded. “Got that rascally lizard and showed him the back door. He won’t be back anytime soon.” A more relaxed smile took over. “Everyone ready for supper?”

  Rena wasn’t sure how they’d transitioned from “lizard” to “supper” but did find herself hungry. Hopefully the children hadn’t poisoned the food. The very thought made her sick to her stomach.

  She followed the crowd into the dining room. Gracious, however would they fit so many in such a small space? Why, this room was scarcely big enough for two tables, let alone one, two, three, four…twenty chairs.

  “Please be our guest.” Carolina gestured to the seat at the head of the table. “We want to welcome you in style.”

  “Pretty sure we already did that,” the sheriff muttered as he took a seat beside her.

  Thankfully, the meal passed with little incident. Carolina’s pot roast was every bit as good as Virginia’s, if not better. As they ate, Rena was peppered wi
th questions about her life in Gulfport. She did her best to answer them, though she grew wearier as the meal passed. Thinking of Gulfport reminded her that she needed to telephone Reuben, to let him know she had arrived safely. Surely there would be time for that tomorrow.

  By the time they reached dessert—a lovely strawberry shortcake—she could barely keep her eyes open. Still, she had no choice. The director of an orphanage must be alert, especially with children such as these. And she did want to make a good impression on the sheriff. No point in having him doubt her abilities, at least not yet. There would likely be plenty of opportunity for that later.

  When the meal ended, Carolina dismissed the boys and girls, sending them off to brush their teeth and change into their nightclothes. The sheriff—God bless him—began to clear the table. Rena would have to remember to thank him later. He disappeared into the kitchen with an armful of dirty dishes.

  “Let’s sit and chat for a spell,” Carolina said. “I’m sure you have a lot of questions for me.”

  She nodded. Above her head, the ceiling began to quiver and shake. She could hear the children running and shouting upstairs. A couple of the boys hollered out obscenities. Just about the time she started to rise to deal with it, Carolina headed for the stairs. Seconds later, the buffalo stomping ended.

  When she returned, Carolina gestured for Rena to relax. “Now, back to those questions. What can I do to help make your transition here smoother?”

  As Rena looked around at the mess the children had made, several questions ran through her mind. In all the years she had lived with her brother and his wife, there had always been housekeepers to keep things tidy. Who cared for such things here? Would that fall to her? And what about the cooking? Who would manage the meals?

  Fear swept over her. Why hadn’t she thought this through? Would she have to prepare meals for seventeen children, morning, noon, and night? Rena found herself in a panic at the very idea. Still, she couldn’t let her anxiety show.

  Take a deep breath.