Beyond These Hills Page 6

  A gentle laugh alerted Matthew that his daughter was near. He watched as she appeared around the side of the church with Andrew Brady beside her. When she saw him, she smiled, and Matthew narrowed his eyes. Laurel’s face beamed, and her eyes danced. She reminded him of another girl, one he’d first encountered at the mountain laurel bush over twenty years ago.

  When had Laurel grown up? It seemed like only yesterday he was picking her up and swinging her onto his shoulders. Now she walked beside a young man, and he’d never seen her so animated. He wondered how she would feel when she found out the truth about her new friend. He took a deep breath and brushed his hand across his eyes.

  Laurel stopped beside him. “Poppa, Andrew is going to follow us to Nana’s house.”

  He nodded. “Fine. Since your mother is riding with us, I’m sure I’ll be going slow enough that he’ll have no trouble keeping up.”

  Rani walked around the church in time to hear his last words. “What’s that you’re saying?”

  “Nothing to concern yourself with, my dear. Just waiting for all the family to get here. Where are those boys?”

  As if in answer to his question, a loud whoop echoed across the churchyard and Willie ran around the side of the church, his brother chasing him. “Willie, I’m going to thump you good when I catch you.”

  Willie squealed and ducked behind their mother’s back. “You have to catch me first!”

  Charlie dived toward Willie, but his mother grabbed him by the arms. “What’s wrong?”

  Charlie snarled at his brother, who was sticking out his tongue. “He chucked a rock at me. It hit me on the leg.”

  Matthew grabbed Willie by the arm and hoisted him into the back of the truck, then jerked his head in Charlie’s direction. “Get in the truck, Charlie. And you two settle down. Try to remember this is Sunday and act like you’ve been to church.”

  Rani suppressed a giggle and shrugged in Andrew’s direction. “I’m sorry about that, Andrew.”

  Andrew smiled and shook his head. “I like to see boys having a good time together. It reminds me of how I used to aggravate my older brother.”

  “Then you’ll feel right at home around our family.” Laurel’s words were laced with laughter.

  Matthew’s body stiffened as he studied his daughter’s face. There was a glow about her he’d never seen before. It reminded him of how Rani had looked at him when they were young and just getting to know each other. His teeth clenched and the muscle in his jaw flexed. Laurel hadn’t been around any young men in a while. It was only natural she would be excited to have male company, but if she had any romantic notions rolling around in her young head he had to put a stop to them right away.

  He turned to Andrew. “Simon tells me we misunderstood why you’re here. You aren’t with the CCC group. You really work for the Park Service, and you’ve been sent to persuade us to sell our land.”

  Andrew blinked and his mouth dropped open. He cast a quick glance at Laurel, whose stunned look made Matthew’s heart lurch. Andrew took a deep breath. “Yes, sir, that’s right. I didn’t mean to mislead you.”

  Laurel took a step back from Andrew. She frowned and shook her head. “You’re here to persuade us to give in to the government?”

  Andrew nodded. “Yes. I didn’t mean to give the wrong impression, Laurel. I just wanted to get to know all of you first.”

  “I see.” Her lips trembled, and she closed her eyes as she placed her hand on her forehead. “It’s getting hot out here. Poppa, isn’t it time we were going?”

  Matthew tried to think of something to say that would ease the tension that crackled in the air, but nothing came to mind. Laurel whirled and headed to the passenger door of the truck, her mother right behind her.

  Andrew, his lips pursed and his eyes narrowed, stared after her. When she climbed into the truck, he turned to Matthew. “Mr. Jackson, I can understand how you must feel about the government right now. Promises you were given when the park was in the planning stage weren’t honored. I’m sorry about that.”

  Matthew nodded. “Back when the promoters of the park brought prospective donors here to show them the land, I let them stay in my lodge. We were assured our homes wouldn’t be touched. Once the final bill was passed to create the park, that promise was forgotten.”

  “I know, sir, and I’m sorry. But now we have to deal with the present. That’s why I’m here, to help the last of the people in the Cove do that.”

  Matthew snorted. “I don’t think we’ll ever be able to deal with it.”

  Andrew glanced toward the truck, where Laurel’s straight back was visible through the window between the cab and the bed. “I’m glad I came to church today and met all of you. I want you to know I didn’t come to Cades Cove to cause any problems, especially in your family. I liked Laurel when I met her yesterday. When I saw her today, I hoped we might be friends. That doesn’t seem too likely now. Maybe I shouldn’t go to the Martins for dinner. Will you make my apologies to Mrs. Martin and to your wife?” He swallowed. “And to Laurel?”

  Matthew opened his mouth to tell Andrew he agreed it would be better for him to go on to the CCC camp instead of coming to Simon and Anna’s home, but the way Andrew’s glance darted to the truck window where Laurel was visible stopped him.

  The day he had ridden into Cades Cove over twenty years ago popped into his mind. It had been a June day then, and he had returned with the fear that the son of one of the most notorious men who had ever lived in the valley wouldn’t be welcomed. Simon, Anna, and Rani had helped him to face the problems he’d encountered. They’d been his friends even when he hadn’t deserved them. Now another young man had arrived in the Cove, and he faced an even greater chance of being despised. What would God have him do about this unhappy-looking boy standing in front of him?

  The answer rang clear in his mind. He took a deep breath and shook his head. “If you give up that easy when a young woman gets upset with you, what are you going to do when an angry farmer threatens to blow your head off if you don’t get off his porch?”

  Andrew’s face paled. “Well, I guess I never thought…”

  Matthew laughed and slapped Andrew on the shoulder. “Well, son, you’d better start thinking or you’re gonna have a mighty tough time in the Cove. Now you get in your car and follow me all the way to Simon’s house. Today we won’t talk business. It’ll just be a time for us all to get acquainted. There’s time for you to worry about your job this coming week.”

  Andrew grinned and glanced toward Laurel once more before he stuck out his hand. “Thank you, Mr. Jackson. I’d like to get to know your family better.”

  Matthew shook his hand. “Then let’s go.”

  He watched as Andrew hurried back to his car and climbed in before he got into the truck. Rani studied his profile as he started the engine. “Well?” she said, her eyebrows raised.

  Matthew faced her. “Well, what?”

  “Did you tell that boy not to come to Mama’s house for dinner?”

  Matthew frowned. “Now why would I do that? Just because we disagree on what the government’s trying to do to us is no reason not to be neighborly. Lots of folks with strange ideas have stayed at our lodge, and we treated them like they were friends.”

  “But this is different, Matthew. He’s a…”

  Matthew held up his hand to stop his wife. “He’s a boy who’s come here not knowing how folks are going to treat him. But he’s come anyway. I remember another boy who came to the Cove wanting folks to give him a chance. I guess it’s time for me to return the favor. He’s got a hard road to hoe if he’s going to try and persuade the folks still here that they have to leave.”

  Rani’s eyes glistened with moisture and a smile pulled at her lips. She squeezed his arm. “You’re a good man, Matthew Jackson.”

  He covered her hand with his. “It’s because I had a good teacher.”

  “Hey, Poppa, are we gonna sit here all day, or are we going to Grandpa’s for dinner?”
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br />   Matthew grimaced at Willie’s loud voice and turned to see his nose pressed against the rear window of the truck. Matthew sighed and put the truck in gear. “Sit down, Willie, before you fall out.”

  “Well, I was just wond’rin’ if you was asleep or somethin’.”

  “Sit down, Willie.”

  “Okay, don’t get mad. I’m just asking.”

  Matthew’s face grew hot and then hotter at the sound of Rani and Laurel’s giggles. “Willie…”

  “I’m sittin’.”

  Matthew took a deep breath. “All right, everyone. If you’re all ready, we’ll go to Simon and Anna’s now.”

  As the truck pulled out of the churchyard, Matthew cast a glance at his wife and daughter beside him and then to his two sons in the back of the truck. Laurel’s obvious unhappiness over her discovery about Andrew troubled him. He needed to think of something to take her mind off the young man who’d appeared in their valley.

  Then there was Willie. He had no idea how he was ever going to tame that boy, but even more of a concern was Charlie. The older he got, the more sullen he became. He never knew what Charlie was thinking. There was something in Charlie’s eyes that frightened Matthew. It was a look he remembered from his childhood—the cravings and wanderlust in his father’s eyes that had led to his destruction as well as that of Matthew’s mother and brother.

  The fear he’d harbored for several years rushed through him, and he gripped the steering wheel tighter. He’d vowed he would be a better father than his abusive, drunkard father had been, and he’d tried. But there were some things born in a person you couldn’t fight. Rani wasn’t aware of his concern about Charlie, and he hoped he would never have to tell her.

  Andrew pulled his car to a stop behind the Jacksons’ truck in the yard of a log cabin. He studied the sturdy structure with a chimney at one end that reached from the ground to far above the wood-shingled roof. A black two-door Chevrolet coupe sat underneath a tree at one end of the front porch where Simon Martin sat in a rocking chair. He rose to his feet as they pulled into the yard, walked to the edge of the steps, and smiled.

  “Get out and come on in,” he called out.

  The two boys jumped from the back of the Jacksons’ truck and raced toward the porch. The younger one said something Andrew couldn’t hear. Their grandfather answered and pointed to the corner of the house. Both boys whooped and dashed around the house.

  Andrew inhaled a deep breath, opened the car door, and stepped out. His stomach churned as he walked toward the front porch. Now that the family knew about him he couldn’t believe they still had insisted he come. This just didn’t seem right. He couldn’t imagine his father extending an invitation like this to one of his opponents on an important matter before Congress. In fact, he’d do everything in his power to find the person’s weak spot and use it against him. Was that what Reverend Martin had in mind?

  Laurel and her mother stopped to give the reverend a hug. “Where did Charlie and Willie run off to?” Laurel asked.

  Reverend Martin laughed. “They asked where Noah was. I told them he was checking on Molly’s new litter of puppies at the barn, and they took off to find him.”

  Mr. Jackson turned to follow his sons. “I’d better go down there too. I promised Willie we would get one of the puppies. I’ll go see if he’s picked out the one he wants when they’re weaned.”

  Mrs. Jackson shook her head and laughed. “That Willie. He’s been so excited over the expected puppies and Noah’s visit. All he and Charlie have talked about is getting him to take them for one more ride in his car before he leaves this afternoon.”

  “Maybe he will.”

  Laurel had already disappeared inside the house. Her mother followed. Andrew swallowed his disappointment when Laurel didn’t even look back at him. Reverend Martin stood at the top of the porch steps, his hand resting on one of the posts. When Andrew reached the top of the steps, the old reverend held out his hand. “Welcome to our home, Andrew.”

  Surprised again, Andrew grasped his hand and shook it. “Thank you, Reverend Martin.”

  The pastor’s dark eyes twinkled as he laughed. “None of that Reverend Martin stuff. I’m Simon to my friends, and I sure hope you’re going to be my friend.”

  Friends? That was totally unexpected. He had hoped he would make friends in Cades Cove, but the reality was that he probably wasn’t going to be welcomed by many of the residents. Maybe this invitation was a pretense to put him at ease. Simon Martin and Matthew Jackson didn’t want him to succeed, and he was sure they would do everything they could to keep their neighbors from selling their land.

  He arched an eyebrow. “Why would you want to be friends with me?”

  Simon laughed again. “Because you seem like a nice young man.”

  “But that doesn’t make sense. I’m here on a mission that you oppose.”

  Simon’s eyes narrowed and his hand squeezed Andrew’s shoulder. “Andrew, when I was a young man, God called me to the ministry. I’ve tried to serve Him ever since. That calling has put me in opposition to a lot of the things that go against the teachings of the Bible. I’ve come in contact with people who have let sin take over their lives to the point where they’re almost destroyed, but I’ve always let them know I hate the sin in their lives, not them. Now you’ve come here on a mission I don’t support. It’s your job, and I respect that. I don’t like your job. I don’t want you to succeed, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like you. I was honest when I said I wanted to be your friend. We all do. You may not understand that now, but maybe in time you will.”

  Andrew shook his head in amazement. “That’s quite an amazing statement, sir. I’ll think about what you’ve said.” In an effort to change the subject, Andrew pointed to the car beside the house. “Nice looking car. Is it yours?”

  Simon threw back his head and laughed. “Heavens, no. You won’t catch me driving one of those things. I’d probably run over somebody. It belongs to Noah Campbell, our adopted son. Noah came to live with us when he was just a boy. He’s a preacher over at Pigeon Forge now, but he’s been visiting us for the last week. He’s going home this afternoon.”

  Before Andrew could respond, a raspy voice called out from inside the cabin. “Simon, I hear we got comp’ny. You gonna bring him inside so’s I can meet him or not?”

  Simon laughed, walked to the front door, and held it open for Andrew to enter. “Come on inside and meet another member of our family.”

  As Andrew entered the house, he inhaled the most delectable smells he had encountered in a long time. His stomach growled at the scents drifting into the room. He’d overslept and skipped breakfast this morning, and his stomach was reminding him of it. His face grew warm and he glanced at Simon. “Something sure smells good.”

  Simon nodded, walked across the room to a chair where an elderly woman sat, and put his hand on her shoulder. “Anna sets the best table in all the Cove, and we have this lady here to thank. She taught Anna everything she knows about cooking and about a lot of other things. Andrew, this is Granny Lawson.”

  Andrew’s gaze raked the woman as he eased across the floor and came to a stop in front of her. Even seated and with her shoulders stooped, Andrew could see that she had once been a tall woman. Her white hair was pulled back in a bun at the back of her head, and her eyes sparkled behind the lenses of her wire-rimmed glasses. She held out a wrinkled hand and Andrew grasped it.

  “Hello, Mrs. Lawson. I’m happy to meet you.”

  A cackle burst from her lips. “Land’s sakes, boy, I ain’t been called Miz Lawson since the preacher hitched me and my husband ’bout seventy years ago. Ev’rybody in these parts just calls me Granny, and that’s what you need to do too.”

  Andrew smiled and nodded. “All right, Granny. I’m still happy to meet you.”

  She shifted in her chair and tilted her head to stare up at him better. “Laurel tells me you’re the latest one the gover’ment done sent here to make us give up our homes.”

/>   His face warmed, and he glanced at Simon. The preacher shrugged. “I wouldn’t quite put it that way, but I have come to talk with the people in the Cove about their options.”

  Granny’s eyes grew wide, and she pushed her glasses up on her nose. “Options? We ain’t got no options, son. The gover’ment says we cain’t live in the middle of no park and that we have to move. Now that may sound easy to do to folks up in Washington who ain’t never had to face losing their home, but I’m here to tell you it’s a hard, hard thing for somebody who done lived as long as me in this here valley.”

  Her voice trembled on the last words, and Andrew’s heart pricked. Simon motioned to a chair beside Granny, and Andrew eased into it. “How long have you lived in Cades Cove, Granny?”

  “Why, I was born here. I’m gonna be ninety-one years old this week, and I remember about eighty-eight of those years in the Cove. It was always like a big fam’ly a-livin’ together in this valley. We knew each other, and we took care of ev’rybody. I was a midwife here ’til I got too old to handle the job. That’s when Anna took over for me. She asked me once how many babies I’d delivered, but I lost count years ago of how many I brung into the world in these mountain cabins.”

  “A midwife? That must have been interesting work.”

  A laugh rumbled in Granny’s throat. “I guess you could call it that. Sometimes it got real inters’tin’ when a baby decided to be stubborn. But I reckon ev’ry cabin in the Cove had one of my babies a-livin’ in it at one time or another.” A sigh rippled from her lips. “Now they’s all gone. Just scattered like leaves in the wind.”

  Andrew glanced up at Simon. He was standing behind Granny’s chair, his hand on her shoulder. She reached up and squeezed his fingers, and Simon’s Adam’s apple bobbed. A twinge of sorrow for the plight of these people flowed through Andrew. What would they do when they left their homes? They would be strangers in new communities without the support of friends they’d known all their lives. Outside their remote valley the only thing greeting them was a depression where jobs were scarce and many families struggled every day to put food on the table. Even with the small amount of money the government would pay them for their farms—and Andrew knew they wouldn’t get nearly what the farms were worth—it would be a hostile new world for them.