Lightning and Lace

chapter 10

“If you would like to have the peace that passeth all understanding in your life, now is the time to come forward and ask Jesus to live in your heart.”

How many times had Travis given that invitation over the years? But this time it was Wednesday night prayer meetin’ at the Piney Woods Church. When he held revivals in other churches, folks used to come forward. But never in his own church. Ten years of preaching, and not one soul was saved in the Tennessee hills church. No wonder his brothers had asked him to leave—among other reasons.

Travis listened to Jenny Andrews play piano. She had the gift. He looked at the congregation. Mrs. Kahler wasn’t there, but he hadn’t expected her. Zack sat in the front row at Travis’s request. He looked like he’d rather be cleaning out horse stalls.

Suddenly his heart nearly stopped. In the middle pew on the left side, a young man rose and made his way down front. Could it be? Had God honored Travis’s prayers to bless this church and call lost souls to Him? He nearly cried. A soul for the Lord. Heaven must be singing.

Thank You, Lord, for allowing Your Spirit to move through this church.

“What can I do for you, son?” Travis said to the young man.

“I’d like to live for Jesus. I thought I was Christian, but I think I was only foolin’ myself.”

“What’s your name?”

“Timothy Detterman.”

Travis laid his hand on Timothy’s shoulder. “Let’s pray.”

*****

For the second night in a row, Travis lay awake praying—this time in gratitude for God blessing his ministry and for a new soul entered into the Book of Life. On Friday, instead of Saturday, he’d move into his new home with Zack. His original plans had been thwarted when problems arose first with Zack, then with Rosie. But being a preacher meant his hours were not his own. Interruptions came like baby rabbits in spring.

He started to sing—not too loud. Didn’t want to wake up the household. “Blest be the tie that binds . . .”

Sure would be nice if Zack started acting more civil. Truth be known, any change might take weeks.

“Our hearts in Christian love . . .”

The boy hadn’t gotten dinner again. The idea of writing something nice about his mother was more than he could handle. A growing boy needed his dinner, but it was Zack’s choice.

“The fellowship of kindred minds . . .”

Pete and MayBelle Kahler thanked him tonight for what he was doing for their grandson. Travis hoped he wouldn’t disappoint them.

“Is like to that above.”

Maybe he could talk to Mrs. Kahler about having Michael Paul join him for a song.

*****

On Thursday Bonnie fretted about Brother Travis and Zack moving into their new home without her there to help. She’d send canned fruits and vegetables along with a smoked ham, bacon, eggs, and beef for the pounding on Saturday morning. All the folks from church would be donating food and housekeeping items for Brother Whitworth’s new home. Mercy, Zack could eat a whole dozen eggs by himself. She nearly had to tie herself to a chair to keep from riding into town. One of the hands delivered a bed for Zack so he wouldn’t have to sleep on the floor, and her mother offered a small dresser for his clothes.

Come Sunday morning, she’d be in church, perhaps sitting in the back where her son couldn’t see her. She’d love to know if he missed her. Maybe she’d rather not know. Most likely his mean streak still ran strong. Her thoughts rolled to Brother Travis. Took a good man to take on a troublesome child.

“Miss Bonnie, Mr. Hillman is riding in,” Juanita said.

“Is Sylvia with him?”

“No. He’s by himself.”

Bonnie frowned. The thought of hiding toyed with her mind. That man must have memorized the moment and hour when Lydia Anne took her nap. Once he left today, she’d mention the problem to Thomas.

When a rap at the door announced his arrival, Juanita answered it. Bonnie glanced about the kitchen. The apples were ready for canning, and Juanita had beans and sausage simmering. She’d wanted to read the Cattleman’s Report and go over the latest figures of beef prices. Wasting time with the obnoxious Lester Hillman would put her in a surly mood. I’ll get rid of him and feel good about it.

With a deep breath, she untied her apron, hung it on a hook, and headed down the hallway.

“Good afternoon, Bonnie.” Lester removed his fancy hat. “I thought little Lydia Anne might be resting so we could talk.”

She forced a smile as Juanita set Lester’s hat on a small table in the hallway, then walked by. If only her sweet cook would stay by her side instead of bringing coffee for the two of them. “Yes, she’s resting. Is something wrong? Has Rosie grown worse? When I visited her yesterday, she appeared to be doing better.” She gestured toward the parlor, remembering his previous visit and the unwanted bottle of wine.

“Everything is fine, and Rosie is on the mend. However, she still refuses to name her assailant. My word, what is she afraid of?”

“I wish I knew.”

He waited for her to seat herself on an overstuffed chair, then sat on the sofa. Lester Hillman was no more a gentleman than the pigs wallowing in foot-deep mud. He might have the people of Kahlerville fooled, but not Bonnie.

“What brings you to the Morning Star?”

He smiled. “To see how the Widow Kahler is doing. With what happened to Rosie, Sylvia and I are concerned about your safety.”

“Thank you, but no need. My brothers have alerted Thomas.”

“Wonderful.”

“So you have ridden out here for nothing. I hope the bank doesn’t suffer in your absence.”

“It’s never for nothing when it comes to seeing your lovely face.”

Anger simmered near the top of her head. “Lester, your remark is not appropriate for a married man.”

He smiled, revealing all of his perfectly white teeth. “I have a gift for you.”

“I don’t want it.”

“You mean you haven’t finished the other bottle?”

“Truthfully, I destroyed it. I told you the last time not to bring me any more wine.”

A saddened look swept over his face. “What has changed your mind?”

“I sleep fine without it. Needless to say, it is another mark of impropriety.”

“I could say the same about you accepting it.”

“Perhaps I should confess my indiscretion to Sylvia.” She smiled. “I shall do so at the earliest convenience.”

Lester’s face reddened. Ah, she’d challenged him.

“I’ve already told her,” he said.

She recognized a lie when she heard one. “Then I have you to thank, but the apology will come from me.”

A hammer could not have softened the stone-hard look on his face. “I advise you to think twice about that. Sylvia is a genteel woman who believes the best in everyone. I’m sure you wouldn’t want your image marred.”

“So you lied and haven’t told her.”

“Does it matter? Gossip about you will damage the fine reputation of your entire family.”

Lester was right. Hurting Sylvia only served to make Bonnie look like a less than proper lady. Juanita brought in a silver tray of coffee and set it on the table between them.

“Thank you, Juanita.”

Lester repeated Bonnie’s gratitude. Usually he complimented Juanita about something, but his thoughts were obviously elsewhere. Once she left the parlor, he added sugar and cream to his coffee. Not Bonnie—she drank hers black and strong like the rest of her family.

“I do have a reason to speak with you,” he said. “However, your unappreciative mannerisms cast a shadow on my good intentions.”

“Lester, get on with it. Simply tell me why you’re here.”

“My, Sylvia would be appalled at your rudeness.”

“Some people bring out the worst in me.” Just leave, Lester.

“Tsk. Tsk. I heard you were looking for a military school for Zack.”

Irritation settled on her more than before. “And where did you hear that?”

“I overheard Pete and MayBelle discussing it before church started on Wednesday evening.”

“I doubt if those measures will be necessary.”

He chuckled. “Brother Whitworth isn’t even married. How do you expect him to handle an unruly boy like Zack?”

“God can do the impossible.”

“Sounds like you’ve been listening to the reverend. I have a friend who is affiliated with Fishburne Military School in Virginia. It’s a fine establishment. May be exactly what the boy needs. Sylvia and I talked last night, and I could write a letter of recommendation.”

“Why?”

He smiled. “My Christian duty.” He glanced around the room as though toying with his next words. “I’d like to help, Bonnie. That’s all.”

She doubted if the offer sprang from his relationship with God. “And what would you want from me in return?”

“Why do you question something Sylvia and I want to do for you?”

“Because I know you better than most people. You always have a reason for doing things, and it always benefits you.”

He opened his mouth to speak, but a knock at the door silenced him.

“My, what a busy afternoon this is,” she said. Whoever stood on the opposite side of the door was welcome.

She stood. “I’ll see to the door,” she called to Juanita.

Her heart pounded. Let it be Thomas. He’ll be able to tell that I’m uncomfortable. She swung open the door and silently thanked God.

“Brother Travis, how good to see you. Won’t you come in?” Her relief in seeing him caused her to relax. “I’ve been wanting to speak with you about Zack.”

He stepped into the hallway and turned toward the parlor. The autumn wind had whipped his unruly hair and bushy beard every which way. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Kahler. I see you have a visitor. Afternoon, Lester.”

“Afternoon, Brother Whitworth. How’s your charge?”

“Doing fine. I left him working on arithmetic.”

Bonnie wanted to throw her arms around the wild-looking preacher’s neck.

“I can come back at another time,” Brother Travis said.

She shook her head. “Nonsense. Mr. Hillman was just leaving.” Swinging her attention to Lester, she offered her most pleasant smile. “Thank you so much for your generous offer, and please thank Sylvia for me. I am grateful, but it won’t be necessary. Morgan and Grant are handling the situation.”

“I understand. Once I’m back in town, I plan to see Morgan. We might be able to do some business together for the bank. I’ll mention our conversation to him, too.”

Bonnie wanted to throw him out on his ear. She refused to be obligated to Lester, even if Fishburne was the finest school in the country. She picked up his hat and walked into the parlor. He tossed her a superior look and followed her to the door.

“Please tell dear Sylvia that I missed her today, and I’ll chat with her on Sunday about Rosie.”

Once Lester left, she realized that she never wanted him in her home again without Sylvia accompanying him. His words today had reinforced her sentiments about him. She neither trusted nor respected him.

“Kindly sit in the parlor, Brother Travis, and I’ll pour you a cup of coffee.”

“It’s not necessary. I won’t be long.”

“Nonsense. I would like to have a fresh cup. How do you like yours?”

“Black.” He hastily removed his hat, and she placed it on the small hallway table in the exact location where Lester’s had lain. “I wanted to talk to you about Zack,” he said.

“I see. Oh dear, I hope this doesn’t mean you are giving up.” She ushered him into the parlor. “Please excuse me for a moment while I fetch you a cup.” She could have asked Juanita, but Lester’s visit had shaken her, and she needed to regain her composure for Brother Whitworth.

Once she had the silver pot in hand and had poured each of them a hot cup of coffee, she seated herself in the same overstuffed chair where she’d conversed with the despicable Lester. “How can I help you?”

Travis rubbed his palms on his pant legs, then reached for his cup. “I understand this may be painful, but can you tell me about Zack’s relationship with his father? I took the liberty of asking the reverend and your mother, and they said the two were very close.”

“Inseparable.” Emotion welled up inside her, and she fought hard to dismiss it. “Ben believed in spending time with his children. He loved teaching them—everything from the value of education to fishing.”

“Does Michael Paul exhibit any of the same problems as Zack?”

“Not at all. He’s a peaceful boy, always wanting to please.” She hesitated. “Michael Paul cried at his father’s funeral. Zack has never shed a tear.”

Brother Travis appeared to ponder her words. “Have you two talked about how he feels about losing his father?”

His question probed deeper than she wanted to think. “I have had such a grievous period since Ben’s death that I—” A tear slipped down her cheek, then another. “I have neglected my children. I’m ashamed to admit this, but if Zack had wanted to talk to me, I probably wouldn’t have been able to listen.”

Brother Travis pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her. Their fingers brushed, and she realized that she had not touched another man aside from the reverend and her brothers since Ben’s death.

“Thank you. Seems you always have a supply of handkerchiefs. I have your other one done up.”

“Glad to be of service.” He shifted. “Perhaps I should go since this is upsetting you.”

“Please stay. This is for Zack, and I need to help my son.” She dabbed the handkerchief to her nose. “How is he?”

“Oh, about the same. I have his time scheduled so he won’t be idle. He has a sharp mind, and I think with time we’ll make progress. What are some of his favorite pastimes?”

“Fishing is his favorite. He liked riding with his father, and Ben had been teaching him to use a rifle and hunt. I gave him his father’s Springfield, one from the War Between the States. But it has a nasty recoil.”

He nodded. “Good. I want to reward him with those things.”

“Has he asked about us?”

“No. Right now he’s getting used to me. I think once we’re moved tomorrow, we’ll make more progress.”

“He is so angry with me.”

Brother Travis shook his head. “I don’t think he’s angry with you. I believe his bad feelings are aimed toward himself.” He paused. “Is there any reason why Zack would blame himself for his father’s passing?”

How horrible. “Absolutely not. Ben had a lung ailment. There was nothing anyone could have done. Have you had experience with a situation like ours before?”

“No. I’m simply counting on God to lead me. I want to help your son, and I won’t give up. I’ve said this before, but I believe a boy needs to be with his family.”

His compassion caressed her heart. What a dear man. “I sincerely appreciate what you’re doing—and for the handkerchief. I’ll have it done up for you.”

He stood, rather awkwardly. “Thank you, Mrs. Kahler. I sincerely didn’t mean to upset you. I hope you don’t expect a change in your son too soon. My guess is that it will take awhile.”

“I understand.” The heartache over losing Ben had taken longer to conquer than she’d ever anticipated. “I’d like to apologize for the way I treated you when we first met.”

“Well, I look more like a tramp than a man of God.” He smiled. “I’ll be leaving now.” At the door he hesitated, then slowly turned around. “Michael Paul is quite fond of music. I suggested to him that we might sing together for a service, but we need your permission.”

A sweetness floated through her. “He loves music, and I think it’s a fine idea. I’ll let him know.”

“He’s a fine boy, too. All of your children are good.”

Bonnie needed to hear those words. The town’s new preacher was a true blessing. If he looked half as good as the soothing sound of his voice, then he’d be one fine-looking man. She silently questioned why he kept all of that hair. Maybe he felt kin to John the Baptist or one of the ancient prophets. Instantly, she warmed at her thoughts.

“You are welcome anytime you choose to visit. Thomas said the roof never looked better.”

He laughed, a cheery sound. Reminded her of peace and wisdom and children, all in one. “I’ll make sure the reverend or your mother accompanies me the next time I come. I wouldn’t want folks talking.”

Oh, please, Lord, don’t let anyone gossip about any man and me. “A good idea. I think Zack is a very lucky boy.”

“Let’s wait until I have any success before thanking me.”

Once he left, she leaned against the door and slowly slid to the floor. Her precious babies—all of them had suffered because of her selfishness. Tears flowed swiftly, the ones she swore would not surface. Brother Travis had saved her from the ill-mannered Lester Hillman, and she realized he’d seen her disgust with the town’s banker. Bonnie had grown afraid of the man, who professed to be a caring Christian. His threats were serious, but if she went to Morgan or Grant, Sylvia would be hurt one more time, and the woman treasured her husband. Lester had nearly destroyed her with his illicit relationship with the owner of a brothel more than two years ago. This might push her into an early grave. Many times she wondered why Sylvia had stayed with him after his adulterous affair.

I’m being so judgmental. Lester did have some fine qualities, especially when it came to helping Sylvia at Heaven’s Gate or giving to the poor.

“Miss Bonnie, are you all right?” Juanita’s hand touched her shoulder.

Bonnie swiped at her cheeks and below her eyes. “I didn’t mean to do this.”

“You loved Mr. Ben. God doesn’t expect you to forget.” She sighed. “I thought Mr. Hillman or Brother Whitworth might have done this.”

She glanced up at Juanita. “Oh, no, not Brother Whitworth. I don’t think he knows how to be unkind.”

“Mr. Hillman is not like his wife. Excuse me, but I think he’s evil.”

“You’ve heard the things he’s said, haven’t you?”

“So sorry, Miss Bonnie. I will not tell anyone.”

So Juanita knew what Bonnie was afraid to say. Today she’d talk to Thomas about watching the house for Lester. A glass of wine tugged at her senses. It would settle her down, relax the trembling. But she neither had any nor wanted to give in to the temptation.