by Danni Roan
“Will you can see it as plain as day,” Katie said. “I’m just not sure that they’ve figured it out yet.”
“Mr. Abrams told me that he’s starting a mission in Cheyenne.”
“I’m sure they need things like that there. He seems like a nice man.”
“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by all of this,” Will said leading Katie up the stairs to the main house. “Mary’s not a little girl anymore,”
“Mary’s the same age I was when I met you,” Katie offered pushing open the door. “Things have a way of happening as they should if you let them.”
“Seems to me what happened between us had a little help,” Will teased chuckling at the thought of Katie’s meddling father and family.
***
Barr slipped into a chair at the table and watched Mary fill the coffee pot with water. He wasn’t sure what to say so he just sat and watched.
“Do you like cinnamon rolls?” Katie asked. The room was quiet except for the crackle of the fire in the stove. It was good to be cooking at home.
Since coming home Katie had appreciated the warmth of her family home, the welcome of her brother and sister, and the ease of which she could prepare things.
In France it had been a cold cot, a heavy stove that was hard to start, and always short shrift.
“You have a comfortable home,” Barr said as Mary ground coffee in a little mill and poured the grounds in to the basket, placing it back on the stove.
“Thank you,” Mary said turning and smiling at the young man.
“I do like cinnamon rolls by the way,” Barr said grinning. It was surprising how hard it was to talk to Mary when he felt perfectly at ease with her most of the time.
Mary opened the oven peering in to check the overstuffed pan, smiling at how the warm gooey disks had puffed and swelled like half closed snail’s shells. “These aren’t quite ready,” she said. “How are you enjoying your stay at the ranch?”
“I haven’t seen much of it yet. I met your father in the barn and that’s as far as I made it.”
“Did Joan feed you breakfast?” Mary smiled.
“She did, those kids are sure cute too. They dote on their father. Little Josh looks at him like he might disappear at any moment.”
Again Mary smiled and Barr could see sorrow mingled with the cheer. “Josh is named after my grandfather Joshua James,” she said. “It was hard on the boy when his father volunteered. I know everyone is glad to have Eric home.”
“From what he said last night he’s glad you made it home as well. You’ve helped him and the men around these parts tremendously with that meeting you started. I think I’ll take a page from your book and invite folks in Cheyenne to do the same.”
“It just made sense is all,” Mary said taking a seat. “Eric needed someone to talk to who wouldn’t be horrified by what he had to say. Someone who wouldn’t pity him or gasp in shock at the damage to his arm.”
“Yes, unless you’ve been there, I don’t think you can completely understand and who would want to burden those they love with some of the things they’ve seen.”
“So what comes next for you Mr. Abrams?” Mary asked. “Where are you going next?”
“I’m going to Cheyenne to start a mission for the Salvation Army. I want to try to help others find their feet now that they’re back on home soil.”
“I’m afraid a number of soldiers will have a hard time adjusting to life back home. Not everyone can slip right back into the life they left. Some jobs have been lost; others have suffered injuries that might prevent them from getting work.”
“What will happen to them?” Mary asked her bright eyes compassionate.
“I don’t know,” Barr admitted. “I just know that if I can help, I will.”
Mary stood again moving back to the cook stove and pulled the door open lifting the hot pan out with a dish towel. As she angled the pan to set it on a rack on the stove it slipped touching her palm and she cried out with pain dropping it with a rattle.
“Are you hurt?” Barr asked rising and hurrying to the stove to take her hand.
“It’s nothing,” Mary said mentally chiding herself for her carelessness.
Gently Barr led her to the sink pulling her hand under a stream of cold water and examining it carefully.
Mary looked up in to Barr’s kind eyes. They were so different from the man she had met on the front lines. Compassion, care, and kindness seemed to emanate from him. Mary’s arm seemed to tingle as the cool water trickled over it chilling her palm even as his fingers seemed to send tendrils of fire up her arm.
“Better?” Barr asked.
“Much,” Mary said gazing into his eyes and wondering what it was that seemed to pull her to him. He was a nice looking man, his even features strong but no longer angry.
Barr looked up into Mary’s eyes and knew beyond any shadow of doubt that he wanted her in his life. He didn’t know how or even if he could make it happen, but he knew, he had to try.
His change of heart had done something to him, and he suddenly knew that he needed Mary Bridgette Robertson by his side. Now all he had to do was convince her.
“Is that feeling better?” Barr asked.
“Yes, I think it’s fine now,” Mary admitted pulling her hand back.
Barr released Mary’s hand and turned off the water while she dried her hands and placed a fresh rack of cinnamon rolls into the stove. “Those look pretty amazing,” he said.
“I’ll get the plates,” Mary said.
A few minutes later they were seated at the table nibbling hot rolls and drinking coffee as fresh snow began to fall.
It was cozy in the house, and Barr knew that he wanted this moment with Mary to last forever.
The door opened letting in a cold draft as Katie returned. “Oh, don’t those look delicious?” she said. “I got all the way to the house and realized I didn’t need any more cinnamon because we’d finished the dough. Still now we have extra if we need it.”
Mary stood, “Let me get you a roll and some coffee Mother,” she said, but Katie waved her away. “I’ll get it, it will warm me up,” Katie said. She quickly grabbed a plate and cup and served herself then joined them at the table. “Now what are we talking about?” she asked.
Chapter 19
“Will you have to find something for that young man to do here,” Katie said that night as they were getting ready for bed. “You saw the way he looked at her. Maybe Mary can’t see it yet, but that young man is smitten with her.”
“Katie, are you going to meddle in the affairs of your daughter’s heart like you father did?”
“If I have to, yes,” Katie said as she sat at her bureau platting her long hair.
Will shook his head. “What am I supposed to have him do?” he said. “I don’t think that man has been on a ranch in his entire life.”
“No, but he was a pilot right? Maybe he can teach you about those crop duster things we’ve heard about. We have more wheat every year and just think of what it could mean for the harvest.”
Will ran a hand through his graying hair. “I’ll think of something,” he said wishing he didn’t need to do this. Wishing he could keep his little girl at home forever. He’s just gotten her back.
Katie tied off her braid and made her way to the bed where Will was sitting. He was just as handsome as he’d ever been in her eyes and she wrapped her arms around him.
“She deserves someone to love her,” Katie said. “Someone she can work next to and have a family with.”
Will wrapped Katie in his arms. She had become the only thing he ever wanted for a long time, and for a while he thought she would never be his. “I guess you’re right,” he admitted. “We got our true love, why shouldn’t she? I just hope he’s worthy of her.”
Katie blew out the light and smiled. “I think he’ll prove he is,” she said leaning in and kissing Will. “I think together they’ll do great things.”
***
“You want me
to stay and help?” Barr asked the next day as Will walked with him to the barn.
“I need someone to advise me,” Will said. “Not for long, just for a month or so.”
“You know I have work to get to?” Barr reminded him.
“Yes, but when are they expecting you? You understand these flying machines and how they work. I need to know that it’s safe to have them spray the fields. What about the cattle? Will it hurt them, they could panic and stampede.”
“Well,” Barr began scratching his head. “I imagine they’ll be a little scared to begin with. Most animals are, but they might get used to it.”
Mary was secretly thrilled to find out that Barrister was going to stay on a while and help her father and uncles learn about crop dusters.
It made sense for the ranch to keep up with the modern trends. They had sold all of their wheat the year before and were looking for a good crop again this year.
The family had grown over the years, and though they were still largely self-sufficient, it was good to have cash crops as well.
Mary smiled that night at dinner in the big ranch house as Reg and Barr sat with heads together discussing airplanes. It was obvious that though Barr’s heart now belonged to God, he would always love flight.
After supper, the young man asked Mary if she would like to go for a walk, and she quickly agreed fetching her coat and taking him out the front door.
“It must be beautiful here in the summer,” Barr said offering his arm.
“It is,” Mary confirmed. “I love the spring as well when the wild flowers cover the grass land and new calves and foals fill the fields.” She pointed toward a house set in the pasture. It was different than most of the houses that dotted the surrounding land. This house was built low and like the big ranch house had a porch on all sides.
“That’s Meg and Clayton’s place. You met them last night at dinner.”
Barr raised his eyebrows. How did anyone keep track of Mary’s extended family?
Mary laughed. “The cowboy from Florida and the red head.”
Barr nodded understanding who she meant now. “Meg and Clay live there,” she said, “right in the middle of the horse pasture. Clay raises the horses for the ranch and a good number for sale as well.”
“Blake is their son right?” Barr asked confirming what he remembered.
“Yes,” Mary said with a smile.
“Who lives up on the hill?” Barr asked turning and following the line of the road to the dark cabin.
“My Aunt Mae and her husband Reese with their two children Matthew and Mattie. Reese is a doctor and has been very busy with the influenza out break last year. Recently though, he’s been thinking about how to fix Eric’s arm.”
Barr looked at Mary who blushed slightly. “I’m afraid I’m not supposed to talk about it. He doesn’t want to get Eric’s hopes up, but he truly believes that he might be able to bring some use back to that hand.”
“I don’t think I’ve met them yet,” Barr mused.
“No, Mattie has had a terrible cold, and they’ve stayed close to home.”
Mary pulled gently on Barr’s arm heading along the wide path that led to the stream.
“I know that’s Eric’s house,” Barr said pointing toward the two story house nestled in the trees next to brook.
“Yes, he took the house when he married Joan. Fiona and Hank moved into the house to help care for grandpa Josh.”
“You were very close to him weren’t you?” Barr asked.
“Yes,” Mary replied simply. “He had so many good stories to tell, and had lived an interesting life. He even fought in the war between the North and the South. He was shot and had to come home to his family.”
“Who else lives here on the ranch?” Barr asked.
“Isabella and Taylor live on the other side of the stream down toward the saw mill. They have four children. You’ll meet them on Sunday if you stay that long.”
“I think your father wants me to stick around a while. He and your uncle Reg seem very interested in learning what I can tell them about flight.”
Mary looked over at the young man. “I’m glad you can stay a while,” she admitted.
Barr placed his hand over her, a warmth filling him as he did so. “Where do Reg and Alexis live?” he asked not sure what else to say.
“They live half way between the ranch and the school,” Mary said. “Alexis is the school teacher there, and Reg is in charge of the wheat harvest.”
Barr shook his head. “You have quite a family,” he said. “I only had one brother.”
“I didn’t know you had a brother,” Mary said surprised that he hadn’t mentioned it earlier.
Barr nodded sadly. “We both volunteered to fly in 1916,” he said. “We’d been flying here for a few years and were thrilled at the idea of fighters. Benny signed up first, and I went right along with it. He was killed in the very first battle.”
Mary looked over, sorrow and compassion filling her chest as she gazed at Mr. Abrams. No wonder he had been so filled with rage and determination to take down as many enemy planes as possible.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered turning her hand in his and squeezing it. “That must have been terrible.”
“After I lost Benny, I just didn’t care about anything else but kills. I was going to single handedly take down the whole fleet.”
“How did your parents take it?” Mary asked. “I can’t imagine.”
Barr looked up into the luminous eyes of the woman he was rapidly falling in love with. After all, she had seen, all she had been a part of, she found such compassion in her heart.
“My mother never recovered,” Barr admitted. “My father won’t speak to me.”
“It’s not your fault,” Mary chided. “You said yourself that your brother signed up first.”
Barr shook his head. “It doesn’t matter,” he said. “Grief is not rational.”
Mary could see such pain, such sorrow in Barr’s eyes, and it shot to her heart squeezing it with a heavy hand. Without thinking she reached out and wrapped her arms around the man pulling him tight.
Barr leaned into Mary accepting her comfort, her kindness. A moment later his lips found hers and his whole world seemed to spin.
“I’m so sorry,” Barr said stepping back. Emotions roiled through him like black waves in a high sea.
Mary smiled her hand still firmly in his. “Don’t be,” she said. “I’m glad it happened.”
“You are?” Barr said still feeling like a heel.
“I’ve felt like there’s a connection between us,” Mary said. “Ever since the moment you opened your eyes and looked at me, right before your airplane blew up, I felt it. Every night in France, I prayed for your safety, and when the planes raced overhead, I wondered if you were in one of them fighting to end that senseless war.”
A slow smile spread across Barr’s face. He had felt that connection. Felt some deep and steady thread that linked them.
“What do you think it means?” he asked not sure if he really wanted an answer or not.
“I don’t know,” Mary confessed, “but I’d like to find out. I thought perhaps it was just some sense of responsibility to someone you helped but,” she hesitated tracing her lips with a finger. “Well that seemed to be a very different sort of connection.”
“I promise not to do it again,” Barr said wanting to nothing else. “It was ungentlemanly of me.”
Mary nodded but her heart was sad. She had wanted him to kiss her at least one more time.
A cool breeze blew across the prairie bringing with it a promise of new snow. “I think we’d better get back,” Mary said. “Maybe Nona will even let us have a second piece of pie.”
Chapter 20
Barr’s first week on the Broken J was confusing to say the least. His feelings for Mary seemed too new and yet familiar at the same time.
On top of that he found her family confusing and was always mixing up names. In his head he started m
aking call signs for the aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews and little by little was sorting them out.
He spent a good deal of time with Eric, and when Wednesday rolled around, he happily agreed to accompany Mary and her oversized cousin to the schoolhouse for the meeting.
Barr was convinced that a sense of community and connection was vital for the wellbeing of the soldiers who had so recently returned home.
As he entered the small school house that evening it was confirmed once again as the men quickly gathered into groups over coffee and treats as they reminisced about their experiences. It was apparent to the one time flyboy that being able to talk about the fighting, hardships and loss was therapeutic to all who were present.
Eric and Mary had created a place where men were reminded that they were not alone, that though they had suffered great trials, others had also suffered and were there to support and care for each other. They were not alone and that feeling of belonging drew them invariably to the little building each week.
“You have a good turn out,” he said moving up next to Mary and taking the coffee pot to help serve.
“We’ve never had so many before,” Mary agreed. “Some of these men have traveled to Tipton by train and drove out here. Eric told them they can sleep in the school tonight as long as they have the fire going in the morning for Lexi.”
“That’s kind of him. Are you sure no one will care?”
“Our family built this school house,” Mary said. “We actually built it twice,” she added. “No one is going to care if a few men spend the night here.”
“It’s good that they can be here and share,” Barr said. “I think many of them feel isolated and alone back in their normal lives again. It’s as if the whole world has just gotten on with living while we were cut off.”
“I hadn’t thought of it like that,” Mary said. “I just knew that when I got back to the ranch Eric had needed someone to talk to who understood. It helped him,” she stopped searching for the right word. “It helped him process everything and open up his heart again.”
