Tracie Peterson - [Land of Shining Water 02] (25 page)

Just when she figured she might as well head back into the house, he spoke. “Do ye think me a man to be forced into anythin’?”

She considered this a moment. “No, I suppose I don’t. But Mother said—”

“Yer mother says a lot of things. It doesnae make them so.” He paused again for a long moment, then finally added, “I married willingly.”

“So then you loved her once?” Emmalyne asked, her heart beating hard at her boldness.

“Aye. I loved her then . . . and I love her now.” He gave a heavy sigh. “Nae that ma ways would prove it. Tonight I
saw her fear, and it shamed me. I hinnae been a guid man. I dinnae bide the stour well.”

“Bearing struggles is always hard without turning to God,” Emmalyne dared to say. She stepped closer to where her father stood. “But the Bible says we can always come back to Him.”

“Aye.”

Her father said nothing more, and Emmalyne knew what he’d already offered was more than she could have hoped for. Without asking, she leaned over and kissed his cheek.

“Good night, Father.” She left him then, but paused on the porch steps. “I’ll be praying for you—for all of us.” For the first time in her life, Emmalyne felt hope for her father to finally find peace. She wanted to sing and shout in praise to God but knew it would only frighten her mother and brother, who were no doubt sleeping by this time.

She smiled to herself and all but danced up the stairs to her small room. God was at work, and it would be difficult to sleep just imagining all the possibilities that might await them all.

Tavin was surprised to find his father sitting at the kitchen table. It was late, nearly midnight. A single lamp and an open Bible were in front of him.

“Seeking answers?” Tavin asked.

“Aye, and seeking wisdom,” his father replied.

Tavin nodded. “I’ve been remiss in that.”

“There’s no time like the present,” his father said with a smile.

Sitting down across from him, Tavin met his father’s weary gaze. “And where has God led you this night?”

“To the Psalms. Psalm one hundred nineteen. It’s a long one, and my eyes are weary,” he replied, rubbing them as if for emphasis. “But I am compelled by the words there.”

“Yes,” Tavin said. “Words of wisdom.”

“And of grace,” his father said, looking back at him. “Grace and mercy, truth and hope. ’Tis all there for man if we will but seek it.”

Tavin looked away, then back at his father. “If we will but seek it,” he repeated.

His father smiled and pushed the Bible toward his son. “I’ll be headin’ to bed now,” he said as he rose. “Mayhap you’d like a moment to seek for yourself.”

Tavin turned the Bible to view the Scripture his father had been reading. Because of the hour the sixty-second verse caught his attention.
At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments.

He read on silently as the clock chimed the hour.

I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts. The earth, O Lord, is full of thy mercy: teach me thy statutes. Thou hast dealt well with thy servant, O Lord, according unto thy word. Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments. Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word. Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes.

He breathed deeply, feeling the Word of God in the very depths of his soul.

He continued through the verses like a starving man. How could he have neglected this for so many years when it had once been so important to him? How could he have set up a wall of anger between him and the only hope he’d ever known?

The last three verses of the chapter stirred Tavin, and he found himself murmuring them aloud as a prayer.

“‘I have longed for thy salvation, O Lord; and thy law is my delight. Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; and let thy judgments help me. I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.’”

He glanced into the flame of the lamp. “I have gone astray like a lost sheep, Lord,” he said aloud. “But now I long to come home. Please, Lord . . . take me back.”

Warmth spread throughout his body and comfort washed over him like a gentle summer rain. Tavin closed his eyes and rested in the peace of the moment. For the first time in a very long time he could feel God’s pleasure.

He had come home.

“Tavin will take the lead wagon,” his father instructed. “The others will follow.” There were eight wagons in all, and each was loaded to capacity with granite ready for shipping on the railroad. Despite the accident, they were meeting their contract deadline with time to spare.

In the days that had passed since the Knox barn burned down, Tavin and his father had gone with Luthias Knox and the local authorities to confront the union leader in St. Cloud. The man had been unhappy to hear what had happened, but both he and the sheriff were of the opinion there was no way to prove who the arsonists were.

Tavin disagreed, reminding them that Mrs. Knox had been present when the barn had been set afire. But the sheriff countered that it would be her word against theirs, and without further supporting evidence, he could do nothing. Mr. Knox promised that should the men step foot again on his property, there would be evidence enough because he would shoot all three without regard.

This announcement still brought a smile to Tavin’s face. He didn’t believe that Knox would really shoot them, but he
had no doubt that the older man would find some way to restrain them long enough for the law to arrive. The union man had been less amused. He declared he would speak to his men to ensure such incidents didn’t happen again. Tavin looked at the sheriff to see if the man had also picked up on this near admission of guilt by the union boss, but there was no sign he’d noticed it.

“Might I ride with ye?”

Tavin looked down from the wagon seat to Luthias Knox. He couldn’t hide his surprise. “You can, but may I ask why would you want to?”

“I have business in town and with ye. If ye donnae mind, I thought we could talk on the way.”

Nodding, Tavin offered the man his hand. “Come on up.”

Mr. Knox quickly complied. He took his place beside Tavin and said nothing more until the caravan of wagons was headed to St. Cloud. Even then, they were a few miles down the road before he spoke.

“Ye ne’r answered my question,” Knox said without turning to look at Tavin.

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand. What question?” Tavin was most acutely aware of Emmalyne’s father beside him and had been waiting anxiously to hear what he wanted to discuss. He looked to Knox and waited for him to answer.

The older man cast a sidelong glance at Tavin, then returned his gaze to the road ahead. “Ye know, the one I asked a while ago. Do ye still love ma daughter?”

Tavin grew thoughtful. He could again refuse to answer the man’s question, but to what purpose? “I do, sir,” Tavin finally said in a barely audible voice.

Knox nodded and continued to stare at the landscape.
Tavin considered pressing the man for an explanation, but he held his tongue. He’d known Luthias Knox long enough to know the man wouldn’t say anything before he was good and ready.

“Emmy still loves ye, as well.” The statement was not said in anger or accusation. Knox cleared his throat and added, “She always has.”

The breath caught in Tavin’s chest. He didn’t know what to say. He knew Mr. Knox was not a man to speak lightly about such things. His bringing the matter up would not have been done without a great deal of thought.

“It isnae easy for a man like me to admit his mistakes,” Knox continued. His expression was still hard and fixed, but his voice had softened. “I did ye and Emmy wrong. I ken that now, but back then . . .” He sighed and rubbed his hands back and forth on his thighs.

“I cannae take back what’s been done,” the man finally said. “I’ve been the cause of a great deal of sufferin’. Emmy and the others, yerself included, have had to live with ma bad decisions.” Knox fell silent then. His sigh seemed to indicate that the truth of his words was too much to bear.

Tavin felt awkward, wondering what he should say or do. The team handled well together and was easy to drive, so Tavin couldn’t use that as an excuse to busy his mind. He thought to pray and started a silent request for understanding when Knox once again began to speak.

“Emmalyne is a guid lass. She keeps her word and isnae mindful of her own . . . heart. On the other hand, I hinnae had consideration for anyone save maself. I thought only to see to ma own needs and concerns.” He finally looked at Tavin. “I’ve always been a willful and prideful man. I thought
it served me well at times, but nae with ma family. They grew to despise me, jest as you must.”

Tavin drew a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. “I don’t despise you, Mr. Knox. And neither does your family. I used to, I have to admit, but no longer. My battle was more with myself . . . and God.”

Mr. Knox nodded in a meaningful fashion. “Aye. It’s been so with me, as well.”

They were very nearly to town and to the railroad depot where they would off-load the stone. Tavin had a million questions running through his head—not the least of which was why Knox had chosen this moment to say something.

“A selfish man doesnae care about the pain he causes,” Knox said before Tavin could pose his question. “He serves himself. ’Tis ashamed I am of the man I’ve become.” He looked away, shaking his head. “I ken the truth, and it cuts me deep.”

Turning the horses toward the tracks, Tavin noted a half dozen men standing around the loading platform. They carefully watched the approaching line of wagons and moved out to the road as Tavin drew closer. Two of the men held rifles.

“Hold up there, MacLachlan,” one of the men called out.

Tavin reined back on the team and held up his hand as a signal to the wagon behind him. “What’s the problem?” he asked the man. He noted that the other men had formed a line across the road.

“We know you folk aren’t union men, and while we respect that,” he said with a sneer, “this is a union loading dock. We can’t allow you and your wagons to cross our lines.”

“That makes no sense. We have a contract and have already arranged transport with the railroad,” Tavin countered. He heard a rider approaching and knew it would be his father.

“What’s going on?” Robert MacLachlan demanded.

“As I was telling your son,” the sneering man began again, “this is a union loading dock. No one’s allowed to off-load here unless they belong to the union.” He crossed his arms against his chest and fixed them with a stern stare. “That’s the rules.”

“We have rock that’s expected in St. Paul by the end of the week,” Tavin’s father stated. “I have already arranged for this load to go out today. These men are dependent upon this contract for their pay.”

“We know that. That’s why we’re here,” the man replied. “See, our union boss said we shouldn’t go out of our way to force your hand in joining the union. Instead, he suggested we show you the merits of such an arrangement. See, we’re not a bad bunch.” He motioned to the men behind him. “We’re hard workers, just like you and your men. But we know the power we can have if we join together in the union. With you running along all independent of our organization . . . well . . . it sends the wrong message to some.”

“You mean others might not want to unionize?” Tavin asked, knowing the answer.

The man nodded. “See, I knew you fellas were smart. We’re stronger together than separate. Even the Bible talks about how a house divided against itself can’t stand. The union is looking out for everyone’s best interest.”

“Except ours,” Robert MacLachlan said flatly.

“Even yours,” the man countered. “It’s you who don’t seem to be concerned about what’s best.”

Tavin looked to his father. “What do you want to do?” he asked quietly. “I could go for the authorities and bring them back here.”

Robert MacLachlan considered that a moment. He looked back to the man. “Look, our livelihood is at stake here. We need to honor our contract and get this granite to St. Paul. Why don’t you let us ship our load, and then I promise to meet with my men. We’ll put it to a vote. If the majority wants to join up, we’ll comply.”

The man stepped forward and took hold of the team’s harness, shaking his head. “No, sir, I have my orders. By joining the union you’ll have access to all that the union affords, including the loading platform and workers who will ensure your product reaches its proper destination.” He gave a shrug and added, “I’d suggest you go home and have that meeting with your men. I’m sure if you give this a good think, you’ll see things our way.”

Tavin could see his father’s jaw clench and unclench in anger. He started to speak again, then shook his head. Looking at Tavin, MacLachlan pulled back on his horse’s reins. “Turn around. Head for the quarry,” he growled.

His father took off before Tavin could question him. Luthias Knox muttered an oath, and for a moment Tavin thought the older man might well climb down from the wagon to take on the union man. Instead, he sat fast.

Tavin squinted at the man holding his team. “I can let the team run you over, if you’d like. Or you can let go and give us room to turn around,” Tavin said in a measured manner.

The man released the harness. Joining his confederates where they blocked the road, he touched his finger to his hat in a mocking salute. Tavin yanked hard on the reins and
called to the team. The horses strained against the weight of the rock, but in a few moments they had the load turned and headed back down the road.

They were more than a mile away from the rail lines when Tavin remembered that Mr. Knox had mentioned having business in town. He slowed the horses and turned to the older man. “I forgot that you had business in town.”

“’Tis nocht that cannae wait.”

Tavin nodded and kept the horses moving. Though he wanted to ask Knox about their earlier conversation, the problems that they’d met up with put a damper on further discussion. He couldn’t say that he blamed the man for his silence. The union men’s interference couldn’t have come at a worse time: Every man at the quarry was awaiting his pay, Knox included. Not only that, but Knox was the man handling the bookkeeping. He would know full well just how grave the situation was. He would know that Robert MacLachlan’s entire future depended on delivering this rock.

Back at the quarry, Tavin and the other men unharnessed the horses and cared for them before gathering back in the office as requested. Tavin could see the defeat in his father’s expression.

“Men, you ken we’ve talked before about the quarry and whether to unionize.” Robert MacLachlan paused and leaned back on his desk. “It would seem the time for decision making has been forced upon us. We can either join the union or we’ll be forced to haul our granite to St. Paul on our own.”

“We could take matters into our own hands,” Tavin’s brother interjected. “Maybe give back a little of what they’ve
been giving us. They won’t be expecting it, and we could catch them by surprise.”

“And do what, Gillam?” Tavin asked, turning to face his brother. “Burn down the union office? Destroy the loading dock? Kill a few of them?” He paused a moment to let the words sink in and turned to face the other quarrymen. “I’ve belonged to the union, and I know it can be a powerful ally. My father has never been against the unions so much as he’s been against being forced to join. He wanted each of you to have the freedom to decide for yourselves. So now we have to decide. That load of granite needs to be delivered to St. Paul. If we have to take it ourselves, it will be difficult at best and delayed. We’ll lose money. You’ll lose money.”

“We’re gonna lose money either way,” one of the men declared. “I’ll be payin’ money to the union or havin’ it taken out of this load’s pay.”

“I suppose that’s one way to look at it,” Tavin said. “However, I have another thought. We aren’t going to change the minds of those men, and right now they hold all the cards. It would appear that even though the management of the union has come down against violent acts, they are not against illegal tactics that prove their strength.”

“So what’s your suggestion, lad?” Tavin’s father asked.

“The union has some very good things to offer us,” Tavin said. “I say we join and take advantage of those things.”

“And just let them get away with bullying us?” Gillam spat out.

Tavin smiled. “Not exactly. It seems to me the best way to have some control over this union is to be an active part of it. We can better influence the way things are done from the inside, wouldn’t you agree?”

There was a murmuring of comments around the room, but the general consensus seemed to agree with Tavin. His father nodded and came to stand beside him.

“I donnae wish to see any more damage done to you men or to the quarry. I cannae abide being forced into a thing . . .” He paused, shaking his head. “But I think Tavin is right. And . . . well, selfishly I need this contract fulfilled. I dinnae want to influence ye with ma own troubles, but truth is I put everythin’ I had into this.”

Tavin knew it had humbled his father to be so honest. He put his arm around the older man. “Each one of us needs this contract fulfilled.”

The discussion continued for another half an hour, with Gillam raising the biggest protests. But in the end the men agreed to unionize. Tavin knew the decision came hard for his father. It wasn’t all that easy for Tavin to swallow defeat, either. However, he had seen the way men with know-how could influence the union to better meet their needs. Tavin felt confident that, in time, they could find a way to make the union work for them rather than against them.