Chapter Seven

Rex was avoiding her.

It was in the way his gaze slipped past her as if she were nothing but a shadow on the wall.

In the manner he turned his back to her whenever she entered the room.

His avoidance was palpable, like a stiff wind that swept through the kitchen door every time he strode out of it. Tillie felt it like a punch to her heart each time.

Never had she experienced such an icy reception, not from him.

She tried to engage him in small talk, but he just ignored her questions.

It was peculiar that she hadn’t seen Petunia around the ranch, either. Normally, the two of them were like peas in a pod. Thanksgiving was just a few days away, and Rex hadn’t even mentioned hunting for turkeys. She only knew about it because Annamae asked him when he was planning to go.

He responded with a grunt.

She knew something was off, but she couldn’t put her finger on the exact reason.

A heavy exhale escaped her lips as she trudged towards the gurgling creek. She hoped Midge had a fresh pot of coffee brewing. Someone to talk to, especially someone her own age, was a rare treat. It was a relief to have someone nearby who understood her struggles; someone within walking distance was a bonus.

It took about thirty minutes to get to the clearing, and she had just rounded the bend when the sight of Baxter’s homestead sprawled out before her. Trees surrounded the house which was set far enough back from the creek to avoid flooding. A small apple orchard basked in the midday sun on one side and there was a plot of dirt where a garden once stood. Midge told her that the house was a replica of the houses back east. A man specifically made it for his wife. When he died, she packed up and moved back home, leaving many of her belongings behind.

Baxter bought the house as a present for Midge, knowing she needed space to take care of her younger siblings. Tillie couldn’t help but envy their close-knit family dynamic. Midge stayed behind to care for her siblings when her dad left, and it was even more incredible that Baxter stepped up to help.

George wouldn’t have done that for her. If she had been younger, he would have dropped her off at the orphanage so quickly it would have made her head spin. The only reason he kept her with him was because she was old enough to have proven herself useful.

As she walked by the small barn towards the house, she saw Peter chopping wood. The fabric of his plaid shirt stretched tight over his bulging biceps as he hoisted the axe above his head. With a controlled swing, he brought it down with a loud thud, splitting the log neatly in half. His muscles rippled with the effort and sweat glistened on his forehead as he leaned in to grab another log.

“Hey, Peter!” she called, waving at the young man. His head jerked up from his task, surprise flickering in his eyes before a wide grin split his face.

“Tillie!” he said, dropping the axe and sauntering over to her. “You’re lookin’ pretty today,” he said when he finally reached her.

Tillie forced a smile onto her face. “Thank you, Peter.”

It was clear as day that Peter was smitten with her. The way his gaze lingered on her face, the way his voice softened when he spoke to her, and the way he seemed to hang onto every word she said. But Tillie had no desire to encourage him. He was too young, and her heart belonged to someone else, someone who had recently started avoiding her for reasons unknown.

“Is Midge inside?” she asked, attempting to steer the conversation away from herself.

Peter nodded, his smile fading slightly as he glanced towards the house. “Yeah, she’s baking pies for Thanksgiving.” Then he perked up again. “You want to help?” He held part of a splintered log out towards her.

Tillie hesitated. She could use the distraction, but she also didn’t want to lead Peter on more than she already had. “No. I’ll just go visit Midge.”

His shoulders slumped down as he nodded, shyly scratching the back of his head. “Alright then,” he said, a saddened smile on his face. “I’ll see you later.”

Her feet thudded against the wooden steps as she ascended the porch, her gaze drawn to a weathered swing swaying in the gentle breeze. She pictured herself sitting there, with children laughing and playing alongside her, while Rex worked hard to provide for their family. At night, they would sip coffee and share intimate conversations before retiring to bed. But those dreams were just that. Dreams. She shook her head, trying to push away the thoughts that only brought sadness.

As she reached her hand for the door, she caught a shadow from the corner of her eye.

“I saw you.”

“Oh, my land.” Tillie dropped the doorhandle and put her hand against her chest as Petunia stepped out of the shadows. The last time she saw the girl, she ran inside the house sobbing and disappeared into her room. “Petunia, you scared me to death.”

“Maybe you need to be scared,” Petunia replied bluntly, crossing her arms over her chest. “I was in town the day you were supposed to go gather acorns with Rex.”

Tillie stiffened. She wasn’t sure what Petunia had seen, but if she had been there... “What are you talking about?”

“I saw you with George,” Petunia accused, her voice flat. “You were talking to that man.”

The air around her seemed to constrict as Tillie recoiled from her words. It was like being sucker-punched in the gut, leaving her winded and reeling. Her eyes darted around for a moment, unsure of how to respond.

“I’m not sure who you are talking about. George and I went to get a few things at the mercantile.”

“The man was burned something terrible. I’ve seen him a few times before. He was waiting for you in the alley next to the mercantile. He was trying to make it so people wouldn’t notice, but I could tell on his neck and his hand. I saw him give your brother some money.”

“I see,” she finally muttered, her throat tight. Avoidance had seemed the best course then, not wanting to jeopardize Rex’s safety or stain his reputation with her own sins. “I wasn’t doing anything wrong. He was an old friend from Texas that owed George some money, that was all.”

Petunia was looking at her in a way that said she saw right through those excuses. “That’s not what it looked like.” Petunia said, spitting over the edge of the railing. “It looks like you and your brother are out to ruin Rex’s hard work. I don’t know exactly what you are doing, but you better come clean, or I’ll tell him myself.”

Tillie’s cheeks flushed with shame, but her pride and desperation pushed her to lash out. “You think he’ll believe you?” she spat, her voice dripping with scorn. “A wild, uncivilized girl like you? What do you know about anything? You’re just a child playing at being a grown-up.”

Petunia’s face crumpled, clearly wounded by Tillie’s harsh words. But she stood her ground, her chin raised defiantly. “I may not know much about nothing,” she admitted, her voice shaking slightly, “but I know what’s right and what’s wrong. And this is wrong, Tillie. It’s not too late to make things right. We take care of our kin around here. Rex may not think much of it right now, but no matter what he says, we are still kin.”

Tillie choked on a sob. “Stay out of this, Pet. Please. You do not know what you’re meddling in.” She moved closer to the young girl. “These men are dangerous.”

“You need to tell Rex.”

“I can’t.” Tillie left the porch and started walking across the clearing. She expected to see George or the man from town appear from behind a tree. Tears filled her eyes as she made her way to the edge of the trees. A hollow feeling settled in her chest as guilt gnawed at her conscience.

“God help me,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “What have I done?”

As she stood there, lost in her thoughts, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d caused irreparable damage. And as much as she wanted to believe in redemption and forgiveness, she feared she might be beyond saving.

“No one is beyond saving. Not even you.”

Tillie didn’t realize she had said the words out loud. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Petunia had followed her.

Not able to come up with a reply, Tillie turned and fled away from her sins.