Love Finds You in Groom, Texas (26 page)

“Glad you think so.” He gave her hand a squeeze then reached up and brushed a loose hair out of her face. “There,” he whispered. “Don’t want anything to block those beautiful brown eyes.”

She felt her face grow hot and quickly looked the other way. “Are—are you getting hungry? We could set up a picnic spot here by the creek. It’s nice and quiet.”

“I would love that.”

They worked together to spread a blanket. Jake pulled the picnic basket from the back of the truck and Anne opened it. Her delight grew when she saw that Maggie had packed not only sandwiches but lemonade and homemade cookies as well.

“It’s a feast fit for a king,” Anne announced, settling onto the blanket.

“For a king and queen,” Jake corrected.

Her heart seemed to come alive every time he looked her way, and she felt young and giddy. And a little nervous too. She almost dropped the bottle of lemonade. “Oops.”

“Here, let me help with that.” Jake reached for the glasses and poured them, his hand steady. Anne marveled at his composure. Either he was more confident, or he did a better job of hiding his nerves.

For nearly two hours they sat at the creek’s edge, eating, talking, and laughing. In that glorious place, Anne felt herself transported. No longer was she the woman carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. No, in this place she was free to be Anne—Anne, who happened to be crazy over a boy named Jake.

The afternoon hours at Palo Duro Canyon passed far too quickly for Jake’s liking. He wanted this day to stretch out as long as the Red River itself. What would he do, just a few days from now, when Anne left? His heart twisted every time he thought about it.

And so he did his best not to think about it. Not today, when anything seemed possible.

By five o’clock he had driven to most of his favorite spots in the canyon and they’d picked enough wildflowers to finish off the garlands. That meant there was only one spot left to go—his favorite lookout point. He drove as far as the road would take them then took her by the hand and climbed the rest of the way to the bluff.

While they made the journey, Jake gripped her hand as if it might be the last time. Many times he found himself wishing he would never have to let go.

All too soon they reached the spot. “Turn to your right,” he whispered.

As she turned to face the colorful mesa walls, Anne released a little gasp. “Oh, Jake! I—I hardly know what to say.”

“It’s something else, isn’t it?” He slipped his arm around her waist, and they stood side by side.

“I’ve truly never seen anything of this magnitude in my life. Those colors. And that stone wall. It’s unbelievable.” She paused, and her eyes filled with tears. “Doesn’t it just overwhelm you to think that people have stood on this very spot for hundreds of years, looking out at this magnificent view? And here we are, drinking it in. It’s lovely.”

“Yes, the canyon has a rich history,” Jake said. “Lots of people have come through here. In fact, a very famous battle took place right here in the canyon back in ’74.”

“The sort Emily would want to write about?” She turned and gazed into his eyes, almost causing him to forget the story he’d been telling.

“Oh yes. Lots of Indians—Comanche, Cheyenne, and even Kiowa. They’d come to the canyon to seek refuge and had been stockpiling food and other supplies to get them through the winter. The 4
^th
US Cavalry made their move up from the south, hoping to trap them in the canyon.”

“Oh my.”

“There was a Comanche chief named Red Warbonnet involved in that battle.” Jake smiled. “I was always fascinated by that name as a boy. So were my brothers. They would dress up like him and pretend they were on the attack.”

Anne chuckled. “I’ll have to tell Emily. She’ll use his name for sure.”

“He didn’t survive the battle,” Jake said. “When the cavalry reached the canyon, they gained the upper hand. The Indians fled to the plains, and the battle brought about an end to the Red River War.”

“It’s hard to believe all of that took place in this area. It seems so peaceful now.” She snuggled a bit closer and his heart felt like bursting.

“That’s how life is…after the fact,” he said. “We go through battles and then we look back to where we’ve been and see no sign of death or destruction.”

“I pray you’re right.” She released a little sigh. “I’m so tired of fighting, to be honest. I feel like it’s been one battle after another ever since Mama died.”

“You’re a tough warrior, Anne.” He gazed at her with great admiration.

“Not always as tough as you might think.”

“For one so young? I’d say you’re pretty tough. And you’ve taken on the huge task of caring for your sisters. You’d have to be tough to handle children.”

“I’m nineteen.” She took a little step away from him, breaking the spell that had held him captive for the past few minutes. “I know some people would say that’s old enough to raise my sisters by myself without moving to my uncle’s place. But…the truth is, I’ve never had to work. Not at a real job, anyway. Until Papa’s drinking got really bad, he managed to earn a nice living. But it didn’t take long after his death to see that any illusions of life going on as normal were over.”

“Anne, I’m so sorry.” He reached for her hand and laced his fingers through hers.

“At first I thought we would be able to stay in the house. I thought, perhaps, that I could get a job to sustain us in the home we’d always loved.” Anne shook her head. “But apparently there were creditors who felt otherwise. Less than three weeks ago, they sold off the furnishings to pay his debts. The home is gone.” She paused, and her eyes filled with tears. “We were blessed to be able to keep our personal belongings. We’ve got our clothing and a few small items, but that’s about it.”

“That’s why you’re going to stay with your uncle.”

“Yes. I didn’t know what else to do. We have no other relatives—not that we’re close to Uncle Bertrand, as you’ve likely noticed. We’ve only seen him three or four times up until now. He’s never been much for children, but he did come for a visit last year. Honestly, I think his last visit probably had something to do with Father’s debt. I’m pretty sure Uncle Bertrand bailed him out of a predicament. He’s as hard as a rock with the girls and so stern with me. But what other choice do I have? He’s willing to let us come, and I’ve run out of options.”

“You don’t have to explain anything to me. I understand, and I sympathize.” He pulled her close and they gazed out over the canyon together.

“If I’d known a place like this existed, I would have arranged for the train to stop here permanently,” Anne whispered. “But you and I both know that life is hard and we don’t always get what we want.”

“That’s true,” Jake said, “but I also know that God doesn’t want us to give up on our dreams. He would prefer we pick up the pieces and go on.”

She began to tremble, and he held her tighter. “That first night at O’Farrell’s Honor, when we stood underneath the stars, I thought that maybe I was dreaming,” Anne said. “The whole thing seemed rather surreal. Now—getting to know you and your family—it’s very real to me. Painfully real.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, it’s just too…perfect. It’s like we were given a little taste of heaven on earth, but it’s an unfair taste because it’s only temporary.”

Jake could not explain the protective feelings going on inside of him. He only knew that every time she mentioned leaving, his heart constricted. “Let’s just enjoy this moment,” he said at last.

“It is beautiful. I want to close my eyes and commit it to memory so that when I’m far from here, I’ll be able to summon up this portrait in my mind.”

And when she closed those beautiful eyes, Jake felt his courage take hold. Though he’d never considered himself terribly brave, he did the bravest thing he’d ever done in his life. Jake planted a half dozen tiny kisses in her hair. And with each kiss he offered a prayer to soothe her troubled soul and heal her broken heart.

Anne felt Jake’s nearness and could almost sense his heart beating alongside hers. As her eyes drifted shut, she reveled in the fact that he cared enough about her to pull her into such a comfortable embrace. Then, when she felt that first tiny kiss in her hair, she found herself tempted to open her eyes. She fought the temptation and remained in a quiet, blissful state, allowing him to comfort her with his kisses. Afterward, she reached to take his hand and then opened her eyes, catching her first glimpse of the sunset over the canyon.

“Oh, Jake! It’s heavenly.”

“Yes, it is.”

She looked his way, thinking he must be talking about the sunset. Instead, he gazed directly into her eyes and she caught his true meaning.

“I…well…” Embarrassment took hold and she turned back to look at the sky, the brilliant reds and oranges capturing her imagination. “Oh, I’ve never had a happier day.”

“Neither have I.”

Her heart began to sing a triumphant song, one filled with the wonder and majesty of God’s creation and the sheer joy of sharing with someone who truly understood her heart’s cry. He gave her hand a squeeze as they gazed into the sunset together. Maybe, if she stood here long enough, her feet would plant themselves to the ground and she would be forever rooted in this magnificent place. A girl could certainly dream, anyway.

All too soon, evening’s shadows began to fall and Jake led the way back to the truck. He drove up the embankment and turned on the road toward home.

By the time they arrived at the ranch, Maggie and her sisters were finishing supper. Maggie insisted they join them at the table for fried chicken and corn on the cob. Though she’d eaten a lot at lunch, the walking—and the crying—had taken the strength out of her, so Anne readily agreed. She and Jake sat down and told the others about their day. Emily seemed most impressed with the story about Chief Warbonnet and the Indian battle.

“I’m glad you enjoyed the canyon, Anne,” Maggie said. “There’s something about it, isn’t there? So majestic. When you see it with your own eyes, you realize we serve a very creative and powerful God.”

“Indeed.” She paused, realizing just how true those words were and how close to Him she’d felt standing on that bluff, overlooking the canyon. Oh, how good it felt to be able to put her trust in the Lord once more.

Still deep in thought, Anne almost missed Emily’s words.

“Anne, you missed it!”

“What did I miss?” She turned to face her little sister.

“After you and Jake left, we went to town so Maggie could go to the store. Uncle Bertrand drove us in his big, fancy car.”

“I’m sure that was quite a sight to see—his Cadillac rolling down the main street of Groom.”

“Yes, but that’s not the best part. It’s what happened when we got to the store. You’ll never believe who was there. Never in a million years.”

“Who?”

“The person whose name we’re never allowed to speak in Uncle Bertrand’s presence.”

“Cornelia Witherspoon?” Anne put her hand up to cover her open mouth. Still, she could hardly wait to hear the rest of the story.

“Yes.” Emily giggled. “Oh, Annie, it was just like a scene from one of my books. When he saw her, he knocked a whole row of canning jars off the shelf. It was brilliant, I tell you.”

“Gracious.” Anne reached for her glass of water. “I can’t imagine what provoked that.”

Emily leaned forward and whispered, “They used to be in love.”

“How do you know this?”

The youngster rolled her eyes. “I’m a writer, Annie. That’s how I know it. The expression on his face told me everything I needed to know.” She paused. “Well, that and the questions Maggie peppered him with all the way back to the house.”

“I see.” Anne glanced Maggie’s way.

“From what I can gather, Mrs. Witherspoon was in Amarillo visiting her new husband,” Maggie said.

Emily interrupted her. “The man she just married six months ago. He’s there on business and she joined him for a holiday. That’s why Uncle Bertrand was so put off. He’s heartbroken.”

“No.” Anne could hardly believe it.

“I could tell the man was wounded, but he wouldn’t speak of it.” Maggie looked a bit sad. “I did my best to get him to share what he was feeling, but apparently he’s not one to do that.”