Chapter 11

Ada June Barton liked the snow even if her hands and feet were near to froze. The sun had finally made it up over the hill to shine down through the pines. The snow, not much more than ankle deep, wouldn't last long.

She shouldn't have even bothered with the cast-off boots Aunt Dottie had found her. Ada June had to stuff them with rags so her feet wouldn't slide out of them. Worse, when she slipped off a rock into a creek back a ways, they leaked. Now the rags squished with every step.

Some old socks worked for gloves, but they got wet too when she built a snow dog at the edge of the woods. Bo hiked his leg to add some color to the snow dog and then bit off its nose.

Ada June laughed out loud. She could do that when nobody was around to hear. Bo did his toothy grin and pranced over to her.

"Don't worry. You're my only dog." As she ruffled his ears, she wondered for the hundredth time why a dog's paws didn't freeze in the snow. Bo wasn't the least bothered by the cold. He pranced in a circle around her, his shaggy black-and-white fur bouncing. Aunt Dottie's husband said Bo's nose was too short and his ears too long. That Bo had got the worse of whatever shepherd-hound mix he might be. Ada June didn't care what Mr. Luther said. Bo was fine. More than fine.

Ada June stuck her hands under her arms. She ought to go back to Aunt Dottie's to thaw out by the fire before her fingers and toes broke off. Aunt Dottie probably needed some wood packed in. She wouldn't want to dig wood out of the snow, what with her baby on the way.

This was the first one to come along since they got Ada June to come help Aunt Dottie nearly two years ago. Emmy Lou was already born then. Babies could come along fast unless a woman was like Ada June's ma and didn't want a man around. Aunt Dottie wasn't nothing like Ada June's ma. She doted on Mr. Luther. Ada June couldn't see why, but Aunt Dottie said she'd figure things like that out when she got older.

What Ada June had figured out now was that Mr. Luther was somebody she'd best keep away from whenever he came in from his logging work. He aimed for her to earn her keep, fetching for Aunt Dottie and doing for Emmy Lou, but that weren't enough to please him. He must've thought she was like other girls, ready to say sweet words and not go wandering in the woods.

He got mad as all get out because she never spoke an answer if he asked her something. He took it personal. It wasn't. Back when she first came to Aunt Dottie's, she didn't talk to nobody. Hadn't since her ma died. Didn't seem anything was worth saying.

He tried to make her talk with his razor strop until Aunt Dottie made him stop. He wanted to kick her out. Aunt Dottie wouldn't let him do that either. Claimed it wouldn't look good to the neighbors after saying they'd take her in for good.

Ada June heard them fussing. She didn't rightly care how it turned out. But Aunt Dottie started crying, and Mr. Luther gave in.

She wasn't really her aunt but wanted Ada June to call her that anyway. At least to think of her as aunt since she wasn't calling anybody anything back then. She liked wrapping silence around her. Somehow kept things from hurting so much. But when she went to talking some not long ago, she did speak Aunt Dottie's name now and again. That pleased Aunt Dottie no end.

She thought Ada June ought to call Mr. Luther "uncle" so he might ease up yelling at her. But that wasn't ever going to happen. Her calling him uncle or him not being sorry he'd ever brung Ada June to his cabin, even if she did have a way of making Emmy Lou happy. Ada June sang to her some when they were outside away from any other ears.

Ada June's ma liked to sing. The songs never made much sense, but sometimes those were the best kinds. Her mother told her that.

So, she still had her place at Aunt Dottie's fireplace even if she was more at home in the woods. Right now a place by a fire didn't sound so bad. Bo would be glad enough to plop down in front of a fireplace too, even if somehow the Lord had made dog feet so they didn't freeze, like as how hers were. Mr. Luther was off logging and wouldn't be there to give her trouble. She could warm up a spell before Aunt Dottie named chores for her to do.

But Ada June kept heading down the hill toward where they were building the school. That morning Aunt Dottie said she figured Preacher Gordon would be home from the flatland by now, and Ada June was anxious to see if he brung a teacher with him.

She hesitated when she came to the trail that went over to Elsinore's cabin. She had to do Aunt Dottie's bidding first, but she made sure to go by Elsinore's place regular to see how she and baby Selinda were making out. Elsinore hadn't gotten her strength back from her baby-bearing time. On top of that, she was pining over her husband, Benny, who went off to hunt work and hadn't been heard from since. That was before she knew a baby was coming. Selinda, born back in the fall, would be a surprise if he ever came home.

Selinda was the sweetest little thing and lit up like a lantern whenever she saw Ada June. Elsinore did too, or would if she had the energy. She was droopy. Couldn't do much more than keep her fire fed. She didn't have any family around. Said they all died of the typhoid. Every last one. Same as Ada June, she'd been pitched around some before she married Benny.

Elsinore was the reason Ada June went to letting words escape her mouth. Her and Preacher Gordon and how he was always singing about Jesus. Preaching about him too. Ada June figured he'd told her about how Jesus loved her more times than a dandelion fluff had seeds.

Sometimes she thought it might be true. At least, she wanted it to be. She missed somebody loving her. Not just thinking she was handy because she had a way of making a baby hush crying. Her mother had loved her. She knew rock solid in her heart that was true, but then her mother had laid herself down and died on a day something like this one Ada June was traipsing through today.

More snow had been piled up that day. At least it seemed so whenever she let that time come up in her memories. Something she didn't often do. Seemed better to think on the now. At least, that was what Preacher Gordon said about Elsinore. Him and most everybody else in Sourwood figured Benny had gone down in one of those mines and never come out, and that it was just a matter of time before the news trickled back to Elsinore. But then Preacher had gone on to say some folks have a hard time looking ahead instead of behind.

Ada June didn't think he was talking about her. Preacher Gordon wouldn't know all that much about her past times seeing as her mother froze in the snow before he came to Sourwood. He wouldn't know about how that hunting man left Ma there in the cold and took Ada June off their mountain. Off Pap Leathers' mountain. Pap had died before Ma. He hadn't laid down to die. He was slumped over his Bible on the table in front of him.

When they found him and her mother saw the little bit of candle wax beside the Bible, she said his light had gone out. Ada June guessed that was why that burnt-down candle jumped in front of her brain's eyes whenever she thought about Pap Leathers dying. Her mother had sent her down off the hill to the nearest neighbor. Ada June was still talking then. She lost her words when she lost her mama.

She wasn't sorry she'd found some of those words now. She still didn't talk to everybody. Elsinore. Aunt Dottie when she had to. Emmy Lou. Selinda. Preacher Gordon. The preacher said she'd have to talk to the teacher whenever he brought one to Sourwood.

When she told him she wasn't sure she could, he told her to ask Jesus for help. He said she didn't have to talk out loud to Jesus, that he heard her whether she spoke the words or not. Jesus knowing what was going on in her head whether she let it out of her mouth or not was sort of scary.

Even though she didn't admit that out loud, Preacher Gordon seemed to know anyway. He had smiled at her. "Don't you let that worry you. Nothing you ever think can change how the Lord loves you."

Aunt Dottie said preachers didn't lie. Elsinore claimed that true too. But Ada June still wasn't all that sure about what the preacher said. Could be he wasn't lying. Just not looking at things straight on. Or maybe he was just so good, he couldn't imagine somebody having the kind of thoughts that might make Jesus shake his head and move on down the way to listen in on somebody with nicer thoughts.

She knew what kind of thoughts she had. Like wishing Connor Rayburn would fall in a well and be there for a spell before anybody came along to rescue him. She never hoped the well had water over his head, and sometimes she let there be a bucket on a rope he might grab to climb out. If he was strong enough.

Since preacher claimed the Lord loved everybody, even Connor Rayburn, she was pretty sure the Lord wouldn't like her wishing Connor trouble like that. Some thoughts were better kept hid under her hat.

Beside her, Bo growled low in his throat before a storm of snowballs came flying out of the bushes along the path. One of them banged into the side of her head so hard her ears rang.

Just thinking about Connor Rayburn must have summoned him up to torment her. Bo started barking like three bears were closing in on them. She wished it was bears instead of Connor. Marv would be with him.

She scooped up snow to fight back but stopped when she heard Marv's ornery hound bark. That big old dog might be itching for a fight. Better not to take the chance. Bo wouldn't have sense enough to know he couldn't outfight the hound.

She touched Bo's head. His ears flattened on his head. He looked up at her, and she could tell he was ready to take on that big old dog if she'd just let him.

"What's the matter? Scared?" Connor jumped from behind the bushes to throw another snowball.

She scooted sideways to let it fly by her.

Marv stood up too. Perfect targets. Waiting to see what she would do. She could forget snowballs and grab some rocks. That would make them think twice before they ambushed her again. She could bean Connor first throw. But Marv's dog was growling and appeared ready for Marv to sic him on Bo.

Thing to do was run before that happened. No shame in running from a fight they couldn't win with two against one for her and huge against small for Bo. She'd find another way to pay back Connor.

Pap Leathers used to tell her that brain beat brawn every time. She didn't doubt she had more sense than the boys, even if they were a year older than her. Even so, she did wish Pap had told her what her brain was supposed to think up to beat Connor Rayburn.

She turned and ran a few steps, with her boots flopping like she had buckets on her feet. She didn't look around, but the boys would come after her. They aimed to scare her.

She weren't scared. Not of them. Just of Marv's old hound. Bo danced around her, whining now, ready to run, but he wouldn't leave her.

"Hey, you," Connor yelled. "Ain't you got nothing to say?"

"I reckon the cat's got her tongue," Marv taunted.

"More like her witch of a mother put a spell on her," Connor said.

That was almost enough to make her forget the big hound and good sense. They didn't know anything about her ma. Nothing. She kicked off the boots. The snow poked icy needles up into her feet. She grabbed the boots and took off up the hill into the trees.

Behind her, the boys laughed, and Connor shot another volley of words at her. "Go hide, woods colt. Maybe you'll find your pa up there in the trees."

Dumb boy. Didn't he even know a girl was a filly? Not a colt. She thought about stopping to tell him so, but she didn't want to give him the chance to say something even dumber. Besides, she needed to keep moving before her feet froze.

She knew the woods better than Connor. Better than any other kid in Sourwood. She knew where a person could crawl under a big rock jutting out of the hill to sleep awhile. She could find blackberries in the summer and hickory nuts and chestnuts in the fall. She had a favorite sitting spot in amongst flowers Ma named trilliums. She knew the best trees for climbing and where springs bubbled up out of the ground. She especially knew the places she shouldn't go, where some man might be turning his corn into moonshine.

She had plenty of hiding spots too, but today she ran straight through the trees and around the rhododendron thickets toward Miss Nicey Jane's house. She thought about running to Elsinore's place, but she worried the boys would keep after her and cause Elsinore worry she didn't need.

Miss Nicey Jane didn't like Ada June much. She was some like Mr. Luther in that it upset her when she wouldn't talk. She wasn't mean like Mr. Luther, but she got some irritated if Ada June just nodded or shook her head when she was asked things.

Preacher said she ought to talk to Miss Nicey Jane, that she was a good Christian woman. Still, something blocked Ada June's words around her.

Didn't even matter that Miss Nicey Jane wouldn't give her a cookie less'n she said please. She didn't need cookies. But she did need Bo safe. Marv's hound started baying like as how he was trailing a raccoon.

Miss Nicey Jane wouldn't turn her away even if she didn't say please when she got to her door. She and Bo could shelter there. The boys would stop chasing after her when they saw where she was headed. Miss Nicey Jane was Connor's granny, and he wouldn't want her to know his meanness.

Miss Nicey Jane had a whole passel of grandkids. So a body could expect a rotten one or two in the bunch. Most of her grandchildren, at least the ones Ada June knew were kin to Miss Nicey Jane, weren't mean to her. They mostly ignored her, like as how she was just extra. Somebody that didn't belong nowhere.

Ada June dropped a boot. It slid down the hill toward where the boys were coming after her. Aunt Dottie would be mad if she lost one of her boots. Bo raced back to grab it to save her that trouble.

Minutes later she pounded on Miss Nicey Jane's door. Maybe Ada June would try to say "please." Her feet were really cold.

Miss Nicey Jane looked her up and down. "Land's sake, child, what in the world is you doing without no boots on?"

Ada June wouldn't have told her about the boys even if seeing Miss Nicey Jane staring down at her didn't steal her words. Folks didn't like hearing bad things about family.

She tried hard to push out a please, but it stuck. So she tried a different one. "Cold." Her teeth chattered to make the word sound all broke up and shaky, but Miss Nicey Jane still almost smiled at the sound of it. Almost.

"I reckon so. Git on over by the fire." She motioned for her to come in.

Bo whimpered and put his paw on Ada June's leg.

"I don't need no wet dog by my fire." Miss Nicey Jane looked down at Bo. "It can wait here on the porch."

Ada June could feel the heat from the fire drifting out toward her, but she couldn't leave Bo. Maybe she should walk on down to the preacher's house. It wasn't too far and she couldn't really feel her feet anymore anyhow. Could be they wouldn't get any colder.

She stepped back without letting Miss Nicey Jane grab her arm. She looked down toward the preacher's cabin, but no smoke curled up from his chimney. He must not be back yet.

Her insides felt all tight when she heard Marv's hound baying. Closer now. They would catch her for sure before she got anywhere else, and Connor would be mad that she went to his granny's house. She looked up at Miss Nicey Jane and pushed out another word. "Please."

Miss Nicey Jane looked out over Ada June's head. Maybe she heard that old hound too. Anyway, she pressed her lips together a second before she said, "Well, I guess this oncet, but it'll have to sit on a towel till you get thawed out." She shook her head. "Ain't no reason for you to be carrying them boots instead of wearing them."

She thought she ought to say thankee, but the two words she'd already said were all she could manage. Miss Nicey Jane studied her like as how she knew more than she was saying too.

"Put those boots by the fire and peel off your socks." She spread a towel by Ada June's chair.

Without being told, Bo sat on it and started licking snow out from between his toes.

"Them boots is man sized." Miss Nicey Jane clucked her tongue. "No wonder you come out of them. I can't fathom how you kept them on at all."

Ada June pulled out the wet rags to drape over the top of the boots.

"Well, times is we have to make do." Miss Nicey Jane wrapped a blanket around Ada June's shoulders. "Good sakes, child. You ought to have stayed in the house with Dottie and helped her keep the fire fed."

Ada June nodded. Could be Miss Nicey Jane was right. She generally was.

The woman sighed. "Your feet and hands is gonna hurt a right smart. I'll heat you up a cup of milk."

Again Ada June thought she ought to say thank you, but instead she stared at the fire, burning brisk like. Her hands and feet did go to aching as they warmed up. She didn't mind that so much. Pain on the outside helped her not feel the pain on the inside that never went away.