Taming the Wind

*** THREE

Carissa sat down for the first time that day and decided a bit of rest was in order. She'd risen at five that morning and now seven hours later was more than ready for a bite of lunch. She looked at Gloria, who was happily playing with a collection of wooden thread spools that Laura had been saving.

"Are you hungry?" Carissa asked, kneeling down beside her daughter.

"I want cookies," Gloria said, immediately putting the spools aside.

"How about some soup and bread first, and then cookies?" Gloria frowned and looked at Carissa in a most serious manner. "I like cookies."

Carissa smiled and pushed back the child's blond ringlets. "I do, too, but the soup is hot and ready for us to eat. Let's just have a little and then we can have cookies. Come on." She got to her feet and lifted Gloria in her arms.

34

Brandon and Laura had taken Daniel to town for his first real pair of shoes, so Carissa and Gloria enjoyed a bowl of vegetable soup from the big pot of it Carissa had put together that morning. Laura had promised to return as soon as possible, so Carissa had busied herself with baking and cooking most of the morning.

"Cookies now, Mama?"

She looked at her daughter and nodded. "Yes. We can have cookies now.

Why don't we take them outside? It's so nice, and you can play before nap time."

"Don't want a nap, Mama. I'm not tired." The blue-eyed angel looked up at Carissa as if expecting a reprieve.

"Well, you may not be tired, but I am. I want you to take a nap for me. But first, we play. Go find your ball."

Gloria scampered off, and Carissa went to the cookie jar. Choosing four sugar cookies, Carissa wrapped them in a towel and tucked them in her pocket just as Gloria returned clutching a gray-black ball as if it might get away from her.

Carissa led Gloria outside and down the porch steps. "Let's play over here,"

she suggested, leading Gloria farther away from the house in case the ball managed to get out of control. The last thing Carissa wanted to do was clean up a broken window.

They rolled the ball back and forth at first; then Gloria decided it was time to start throwing. She was awkward at best, and Carissa couldn't help but laugh. She chased down the ball and gave a weak toss to her daughter.

Gloria tried to catch it, but got scared and backed away. The heavy rubber ball fell with a bit of a thud and landed near the child's feet.

"Please, I want cookies now," she said, looking first at the ball and then back to her mother.

35

"I do, too." Carissa pulled a cookie for each of them from the towel in her pocket. "Here you go."

Gloria clapped her hands and then took the cookie. "What do you say?"

Gloria asked.

Carissa had to laugh. She'd been trying her best to teach Gloria the necessities of saying please and thank you, but the child always managed to turn it around when it came time to offer thanks.

"Thank you," she said, nevertheless. "When someone gives you something ... you say thank you."

Gloria nodded and started to run back to where she'd left the ball. Carissa called out, "Gloria, what do you say?"

It sounded as though a sigh passed from the child's lips. "Thank you." Her statement suggested that she was well aware of protocol, but had lost interest in the game.

Carissa walked around the yard, keeping Gloria in sight. It truly was a lovely farm. Someone had mentioned that it belonged to a Confederate-supporting family prior to the war. She felt sad at the thought that her family had somehow displaced another; after all, that's exactly what had happened to Tyler. She supposed it might be different if this family had left of their own free will. But if not, how grievous it would be to put a lifetime of hard work and dreams into a place, only to have it taken from you.

The sound of Gloria's laughter caught her attention. The little girl was crouched on the ground, looking at something.

Carissa couldn't see that there was anything for her daughter to be amused with, and after a moment, Gloria was off and running again.

Carissa turned at the sound of an approaching horse. She put a hand to her forehead to block out the sun in an attempt

36

to see who was coming. To her surprise it was Tyler. He gave a wave and Carissa found herself waving back without thinking.

"I was hoping you might want to go riding with me today," he said, bringing his mount to stop about ten feet away. He walked the horse the rest of the way to the hitching post and tied him off.

"I can't. Laura and Brandon are in town, and I wouldn't have anyone to watch Gloria." The little girl came running to join them.

"I could hold her. She could ride in front of me."

"Tyer," Gloria called. She was unable to manage the L in his name. "Tyer, I got cookies."

"Yum," he said with a grin. "Wish I had cookies."

"Mama give Tyer cookies," Gloria demanded.

"Gloria, his name is Mr. Atherton." Carissa saw the hopeful look on Tyler's face and forgot her rebuke. She reached into her pocket. "I just so happen to have two right here. If you need more, we will have to return to the house."

She handed the cookies to Tyler and replaced the towel in her pocket.

"Sugar cookies are one of my favorites. Did you make these?"

Nodding, Carissa felt rather self-conscious. "Esther taught me a long time back. You remember her, don't you?"

"I do. She was one of your family's slaves."

"Not a slave. Esther was paid to help. After I married, she taught me to cook."

"And iron," he added.

Carissa remembered him watching her iron and nodded. "Yes."

"Apparently you take instruction well. Hopefully you'll be 37

just as good at ridin'." He gave her a wink and glanced to where Gloria was playing. "Well, since you don't seem to be of a mind to go ridin' just yet, what say we just sit and talk?"

Carissa glanced at the porch. "We can sit up there. I have some crocheting to work on."

Tyler followed her, as did Gloria. "I want to play, Mama."

"Then go and play. We aren't going in just yet."

Gloria clapped her hands and hurried away as if fearful that her mother might change her mind. Carissa settled into a chair on the porch and picked up the bag she'd left there earlier.

"So what are you making?" Tyler asked. He leaned back on the porch rail.

"A tablecloth," she answered, holding up a square. "Of course it will have a great many of these pieces worked together eventually."

"Pretty," he said before biting into the cookie.

"I hope it will be. It's a gift for Laura. Her birthday's in August, and I wanted to give her something special, with her expecting the baby about the same time."

"When's your birthday?" he asked with a grin.

Carissa didn't think much of it. "November thirtieth."

"Good, then I'll have some time to figure out a present for you."

She looked up in surprise. "You can't get me a gift, Mr. Atherton."

"You promised to call me Tyler." He looked at her and shrugged. "And I can get a present for anyone I choose."

"But ... well, it wouldn't be appropriate for me to accept a gift from you." She lowered her face so that he couldn't see her embarrassment.

38

"I think it's perfectly appropriate to share gifts with anyone you like," Tyler countered. "Especially a friend. And we are friends, aren't we?"

Carissa tried to focus on her stitch. "You saved my life, so of course we are friends."

"A fella has to save your life to be your friend?" he asked in a teasing tone.

Realizing she hadn't seen Gloria for several minutes, Carissa glanced up.

The child was playing happily not far from the house. She tried to concentrate on her work, but all she could think of was the day Malcolm had tried to kill her. Her hands froze as the images flooded her mind.

She could very nearly feel the rocking of the small boat where Malcolm had her bound. He'd already committed murder earlier in the year and apparently had no conscience where such a thing was concerned.

"Carissa?"

She closed her eyes at the sound of Tyler's voice. It reminded her of when he'd revived her. She had nearly drowned when Malcolm had thrown her overboard. He had figured it would delay or distract the navy officials long enough for him to make his getaway. Instead, gunfire had erupted, and Malcolm had been killed.

"Carissa, are you all right?"

She lifted her head, but her eyes were still closed. "Sometimes," she whispered, "I can't help remembering."

"I know. Me too." Tyler's voice was gentle.

Her eyes opened at this. "You? Why would you think about that day ... about Malcolm throwing me in the water?"

"Because I was afraid you would die. I was afraid Laura would die."

39

"You were sweet on my sister, as I recall." She hoped the change of subject would push the memories from her mind.

Tyler chuckled. "I was sweet on most young women back then, except for you. You were already taken."

Carissa remembered her silly girlish notions and behavior with regret. "I was quite self-centered then. You must have thought me completely annoying.

It's a wonder you bothered to rescue me."

Tyler sobered. "Everyone deserves a second chance, don't you think?"

For a moment she considered his words. She did like to believe that second chances were available for those who needed one. She had tried to give Malcolm a second chance ... and a third ... and a fourth.

"It is God's way," she replied. "Although back then I wasn't overly concerned with God's way or anyone else's but my own."

"Back then, I suppose I wasn't all that concerned with His ways myself." He shrugged. "William and Hannah have helped me to draw closer to God. To learn what it means to forgive and forget--at least where some things are concerned. I'm still workin' on others."

"I wish I could forget."

Tyler started to say something, then stopped abruptly and turned. Carissa couldn't figure out what was going on. She looked at him oddly and started to speak, but he held up his hand.

Gloria had ambled over to the fence line and Carissa could see that she was once again trying to climb the posts. Without warning, however, Tyler bounded off the porch and pulled his pistol at the same time. "Rattler!" he cried, the single word sending a chil through Carissa.

40

The following gunshot was deafening, and poor Gloria immediately broke into tears. Carissa ran after Tyler and scooped up her child. The snake, indeed a large rattlesnake, lay coiled and dead not a yard away. Hugging Gloria close, Carissa calmed the child.

"It's all right. Tyler killed the snake. It can't hurt us now."

"Tyer, that gun is loud."

"It has to be," Tyler replied. "That way it scares little children away from ever touching it without permission. Promise me you'll never touch this gun."

Gloria stopped her tears and nodded. "I pwomise." Carissa checked Gloria for any sign of a bite. "The snake didn't hurt you, did he?"

The child shook her head. "I not hurt, Mama. Let me go."

Reluctantly, Carissa lowered Gloria to the ground. She straightened as the little girl ran back to where she'd left her ball. A wave of dizziness altered the horizon, and Carissa felt herself falling. Tyler easily caught her and just before she fainted dead away, Carissa was certain she heard him call her name.

The sound of a carriage could be heard approaching as Tyler climbed the porch steps. "Tyer carry Mama!" Gloria announced as the Reid family pulled to a stop in front of the house.

Laura and Brandon both looked shocked as Tyler turned to reveal Carissa in his arms.

Brandon quickly jumped from the carriage. "We heard the gunshot. What's wrong?"

"I'm afraid it was just a fright," Tyler announced. "I had 41

to kill a rattler before it could strike Gloria. Carissa made it through that and then fainted dead away."

Brandon helped Laura from the carriage and took their son from her. Laura immediately rushed to Tyler's side. "Bring her in the house. I'll get the smelling salts. Brandon, please see to Gloria."

"Unca Bwandon, Mama's bein' silly," Gloria said, clapping her hands.

He smiled as he lifted her. "Sometimes ladies are very silly."

Tyler placed Carissa on the front-room sofa and stepped back, reluctant to move very far from her side. Laura returned with a tiny bottle and pulled the stopper. She waved the salts under her sister's nose until Carissa began to come around.

"Oh dear," Carissa said, struggling to sit up. "I've done it again, haven't I?"

Tyler smiled. "It wasn't the first time I had to catch you before you hit the ground."

She looked at him and nodded. "Thank you." She closed her eyes and then, as if all reason had returned, she snapped them open again. "Where's Gloria?"

"She's with Brandon," Laura assured. "I'm sure she's showing him the snake."

"Oh, it was so horrible. She was so close to being bit." Carissa shook her head. "I'll never let her play by the fence again."

"Why not?" Tyler asked. "It's not like snakes limit themselves to the fence line. You gonna keep her from playin' outside altogether?"

"If it keeps her from harm, I will." Carissa struggled to sit up. "That's my duty and desire. I must keep her safe."

"But no one is ever completely safe from harm," Tyler replied gently. "That's why we need God."

42

"Well, God should have kept the rattlesnake from getting so close to Gloria,"

she said, her tone clearly irritated.

"How about just praising Him because He provided someone to hear the snake and then kill it?" Tyler could see that she wanted no part of reason and logic, but he couldn't help himself. "I figure it this way, Carissa. You pray for Gloria's safety, and God made provision for her. Doesn't much matter who He used to do the providing--does it?"

"No, but I just ... well ... I'm afraid." She shook her head. "I couldn't bear it if she were to get hurt because of my neglect."

Tyler nodded. "I don't think you have to worry about that, Carissa. You won't ever neglect that little girl. But neither will you always be able to keep her from harm. You need to remember that. Otherwise you might drive yourself to madness tryin' to be perfect. It ain't gonna happen in this life, so you might as well face facts here and now. God's got our days numbered. Yours ... mine ...

Gloria's. There's nothing we can do to add on more or cause it to be less. It's in God's hands."

She looked at him for a moment, and Tyler saw something in her expression soften. Had he been able to get through to her? Her next words left him with mixed thoughts on his success.

"It may be in God's hands," she replied, "but don't forget: God gave us hands, as well. We have a responsibility to right wrongs."

Her words penetrated something deep inside him, and Tyler found his mind going back to when he first learned of his father's murder. He had vowed to hunt down and kill every last Comanche in an act of revenge. That hadn't 43

happened, but not for a lack of desire. Had it not been for William's council, he would have stayed in the army to fight in the Indian Wars. He would have had a sense of satisfaction in killing those who had killed his father and friends--at least he told himself he would have. For so long he'd been able to put that anger aside and forget about revenge. Now Carissa's innocent words only served to stir up that need for vengeance--a need that Tyler feared might not go unresolved.

"So much for forgiving and forgetting."