Chapter 37

Gordon had a bad feeling about why Miss Nicey Jane wanted to meet him at the church ever since one of her grandchildren brought her message. More a summons, he thought as he walked to the church on the second Monday in May. A somewhat ominous summons.

Miss Nicey Jane was one of his biggest supporters in Sourwood. She was instrumental in getting the church and school built, even if she never hefted up the first log. But that support came with a price. She expected things to be the way she thought they should be, and she had a very firm idea of how that was.

He pushed away his unsettling worries. A man shouldn't borrow trouble. She might simply want to show him something she wanted done to the building. It wasn't like him to conjure up trouble. And why should he? Wasn't he as happy as he could ever remember being? A baby on the way. A beautiful wife who loved children and opened up her heart and home to them. Ada June and Selinda had brought joy to their house.

Yet the worm of worry threatened to spoil things. Mira was so sick. Even sicker than she admitted. It wasn't only the nausea, although that was certainly enough. He noted how she caught her breath at times and then let her hand go to her back.

Just a few months ago his whole focus was on the people here in Sourwood. But then Mira showed up at that Louisville church and changed everything. An answer to Sourwood's prayer for a teacher, but also an answer to a prayer he had never offered.

His prayers had been all about his service here. Answered prayers as the people had embraced him. Still, in ways, he had felt set apart. Set apart for the Lord's work was good, but he'd also felt a lonesome setting apart. Part of that was the death of his mother and how he missed her letters of support. Part had been because no matter how the people accepted him, he would always be someone brought-in. Not born to the hills.

But now he had Mira. And two daughters. And his own precious baby on the way. He looked up at the sky, blue as only it could be in May. The same blue as the bluebird Mira had set on their mantel. He had been watching for the first bluebirds to return with the warming weather so he could share the sight with Mira. No bluebirds yet, but a mockingbird sang in the top of an oak. The green of the new leaves lifted up to touch the blue sky. Down lower, dogwood blooms speckled the woods with white.

He let go of his worry, but it rushed back when he saw Miss Nicey Jane by the church door and her husband, Riley, leaning against the railing at the bottom of the steps. This wasn't a conference about window curtains or hymnbooks.

If Riley Callahan was at the church, Gordon needed to worry. Not worry. Pray. Fervently. Riley hadn't been in the church since the roof was on. The man didn't withhold his labor. Only his approval.

"Good morning, Miss Nicey Jane. Mr. Riley. The Lord is sending a beautiful day our way." Gordon pretended nothing was unusual about meeting them here.

He held out his hand to Riley, who stepped forward to take it. He didn't bother with a smile, but then Riley rarely did. People claimed Riley was a rounder before Nicey Jane settled him down. Not completely, if the rumors were true about him making the best moonshine this side of Harlan or how once years back he had disappeared from Sourwood for the better part of a year.

He shook away those thoughts. A preacher couldn't put stock in rumors. True or not. He would leave any judgments up to the Lord.

Mr. Riley didn't say anything, but then he generally let Nicey Jane do the talking when they were together.

"Every day is a good day with the Lord, Preacher." Nicey Jane looked around. "But we best go inside for our talk. No need attracting unwarranted attention."

"Very well." He stepped past her to open the door. They never locked the church.

Inside the light was dim after the sunshine. The building had only three windows with glass. The other openings were shuttered until they could get more windowpanes.

He waited until Miss Nicey Jane sat down on the back bench before he asked, "What can I do for the two of you?" He wasn't sure he wanted to hear it, but no need in delaying whatever it was with talk about the weather or spring planting.

Nicey Jane looked at Riley leaning against the back wall instead of sitting down. When he didn't say anything, she twisted her mouth into an aggravated circle and huffed out a breath as she turned back toward Gordon.

He wasn't sure whether she was upset with him or Riley, but he was definitely the one most concerned about it. Riley looked as if he'd rather be up on his hillside doing whatever it was he did that most of the church folks, perhaps especially Nicey Jane, did their best to ignore.

"Well, it's about Elsinore's baby." Nicey Jane's eyes narrowed on Gordon.

"Oh." This might be worse even than he'd imagined.

"You know a child needs to be with her family."

"Elsinore didn't have any family as far as I know. And Elsinore wanted the baby to stay with Ada June."

Another huff, this one sounding even more aggravated. "You know that was ridiculous, Preacher Gordon. The girl is only ten, without the sense God gave a goose most of the time."

"I can't agree with that." Gordon couldn't let that go by without refuting it. "Ada June is a very intelligent girl. She loves Selinda and Selinda loves her. Ada June has been a wonderful help with the baby."

The woman's eyes tightened. "I'm not disputin' that. But a body can't leave a child to somebody like the baby is no more than a plot of land. You can't deny the truth of that." She pointed her finger at Gordon.

Gordon sank down on the end of a bench in front of Nicey Jane. She was right. "I suppose I should go to Jackson and find a lawyer to do whatever needs to be done to make Selinda legally ours."

Nicey Jane looked down and fingered the edge of her crocheted shawl. Gordon didn't like how her silence pressed down on him. He glanced up at Riley. His eyes were half-closed as if bored by it all.

"That's noble of you. Of your missus too, what with her struggling to carry." She raised her head and peered around at Riley a couple of seconds before she went on. "But whilst Elsinore didn't have family, that don't mean Benny Craig didn't have kin. Living kin."

"Oh?" Dread like a cold hand closed around his heart.

"The mister was off over the hill last week. On business. He run up on Benny's uncle, I think it was." She looked at Riley, who nodded once. "Anyways, he, the uncle, knowed Benny had a wife and he asked the mister how she was gettin' along. Well, we all know she ain't gettin' along at all no more. Come to find out from this uncle—Daniel Craig was his name—it appears that Benny's ma is still living. Not only that, Benny has a sister that don't have any young'uns. Riley says they were right excited to know Benny had left behind a baby. Ain't that right, Riley?"

Riley nodded again.

Gordon's heart sank. More heartache for Ada June. And Mira. Maybe especially Mira.

Nicey Jane must have guessed what he was thinking because she went on. "I know your missus has took to the baby. That's only natural and I'm thinkin' she might not understand how things is up here in the hills. But a child needs to be with blood kin if'n there's any willing to take an orphan in. And Benny's folks appear more than willing. Having his baby to raise will be comfort to them." She stood up. "Riley says they aim to come get the baby soon's they can. We figured it best you knew afore they come up on your porch."

As Gordon got to his feet, his lips trembled as he tried to force a smile. "Yes. Thank you."

Riley stepped away from the wall and spoke for the first time, his voice carrying more than a hint of disapproval. "If'n your woman is gonna live in the hills, she'd best accustom herself to mountain ways."

The man didn't appear to expect Gordon to say anything to that as he headed out the door without waiting for Nicey Jane to go first.

She followed her husband and then stopped on the top step to touch Gordon's arm. "I know you and your missus aimed good taking in Elsinore's baby."

"Yes."

She patted his arm with a little smile. "If'n Mira needs anything, anything at all, you send for me."

He didn't doubt her sincerity as she went down the steps and headed toward the road up to her house. But one of Nicey Jane's tonics wasn't going to be of any help for this.

With the school closed down until the next week when she would welcome any that wanted to keep learning through the summer, Mira enjoyed a relaxed morning where she didn't have to rush to get to school. She even kept down her breakfast.

Selinda giggled as she crawled after Bo. The dog let her touch him and then scampered away again. Ada June laughed as she trailed them to make sure Selinda didn't get too close to the fireplace.

Gordon came in and scooped up Selinda without a word and held her close even though she pushed against him to be let down. And that fast the joy drained out of the day. Ada June's eyes were big as she stared at Gordon. Bo put his tail between his legs and crept over to lean against Ada June.

They were going to lose Selinda. Gordon cried when he told them. His tears touched something deep inside Mira. He was grieved not only for himself but for her. His pain was her pain. Her pain was his. She knew in that moment if she asked him to, he would leave Sourwood and go wherever she wanted. Not that she would ever ask that of him.

Ada June stomped the floor. "They can't take her. Elsinore gave her to me. Me."

Bo growled as he spun around to find the danger.

Gordon handed Selinda to Ada June. She didn't seem to even notice when the baby grabbed a fistful of her hair.

"They can't." Ada June's words weren't much more than a whimper as she stared at Gordon. "Can they?"

"They can." Gordon's shoulders drooped.

Ada June sank down to the floor and clutched Selinda tight against her chest. Bo tried to push his nose in between her and the baby but gave up and leaned against Ada June.

Mira sat down beside them.

Gordon swiped away his tears and dropped to the floor to huddle with them.

The anger in Ada June's eyes must be burning away any tears. Mira's eyes were dry too. In time tears would come, but right now her sorrow went deeper than tears.

"Can't you make it not happen?" Ada June stared at Gordon and then Mira. "Selinda loves us."

"And we love her. We will always love her," Mira said.

"Elsinore wanted me to have her." A few tears finally slid down Ada June's cheeks.

"I know, but she didn't think about Benny's family," Gordon said.

"They didn't think about her." Ada June sounded angry again.

"Shh, sweetie." Mira scooted closer to put her arms around both of these girls she loved so much. She needed to find words to make this easier for Ada June. She moistened her lips. "You know how much Elsinore loved Benny."

Ada June gave a bare nod. "She thought he was coming home every night. But that don't have nothing to do with them taking Selinda."

"They're her family," Gordon said.

"But they never came to act like it," Ada June said. "Family is supposed to help."

"Maybe they didn't know about Selinda." Mira kept her voice gentle as she used the corner of her apron to wipe the tears off Ada June's cheeks. Selinda twisted away from Ada June and crawled into Mira's lap. Bo took her place in Ada June's arms. Mira stroked the baby's head, and she relaxed against her.

"But—" Ada June started, then didn't seem to come up with any more words.

"Don't you remember? Elsinore said Benny went away to find work before he knew a baby was on the way. She grieved that even the promise of Selinda was something he never knew. So it seems reasonable to think his family didn't know either."

Ada June sniffed. "Then how come them to know now?"

"Mr. Riley happened across Benny's uncle wherever he was last week," Gordon said.

"He didn't have to tell him about Selinda." Ada June thrust out her bottom lip.

"But he did," Gordon said. "We can't change that. And maybe it's better while Selinda is so small. It might be easier for her."

"She won't remember me."

"She'll remember in her heart." Mira touched Selinda's chest and then Ada June's. "And we will remember her in ours."

"Yes, always," Gordon said.

Mira swallowed hard and pushed out her next words. "How long before they come?"

"I don't know," Gordon said. "I'd guess not long."

Mira tightened her arms around Selinda. She wanted to keep her there forever, but she couldn't. The Lord gave and the Lord took away.

She kissed the top of Selinda's head. Her fine blond hair was finally growing long enough to comb, but she would never put ribbons in it. No need thinking of what couldn't be. Instead, if they only had this day, they needed to make it good.

Blinking back the tears finally filling her eyes, she managed a smile. "Then today and every day we have before they come, we will love this child completely." She looked at Ada June. "The sun is shining. We'll fix a picnic, and you can show Selinda and us your favorite places in the woods. Selinda needs to see the things you love."

"She won't remember."

"Maybe not, but you will. I will. Preacher Gordon will."

Gordon leaned over and kissed Mira's cheek and then Ada June's forehead. "Miss Mira is right. This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice in it."

Rejoice was a hard word to embrace, but for Ada June, for Selinda, she could try. Gordon reached down to help Mira up. And yes, for Gordon.