Title: Unexpected Love Author: Robin D. Disclaimer: The beautiful words, stories and characters of Christy, by Catherine Marshall, are owned by the Marshall-LeSourd families. This is for fun, not profit. UNEXPECTED LOVE CHAPTER ONE Christy Huddleston stood not far in front of the Reverend David Grantland. Her feelings had been doing flip-flops all day. A few minutes ago she'd been sure that her heart belonged to Neil MacNeill... but did it? A relationship with Neil would be impossible, yet none of the questions Fairlight had asked earlier applied to David. Christy bit her lip. She was still confused about feelings for the two men who loved her. Jumping to the conclusion that she was in love with Neil was wrong, Christy knew. But she also knew that she didn't love David the way he needed to be loved. "David." Christy said, her voice love. "I'm sorry... I... ." Ruby Mae Morrison watched the entire scene as it played out. She couldn't understand Miz Christy's hesitation. Ruby Mae always thought that the Preacher and Miz Christy made the perfect couple. Their titles even rhymed, Preacher and Teacher, it just seemed so right. Then again, Ruby Mae had noticed that the Doc was sweet on Miz Christy, too, so maybe that's where the true love was! Ruby Mae wouldn't admit it, but she'd had a secret crush on the Preacher since he and Doc MacNeill had rescued Miz Christy and some of the younger children from a cave. They had been stranded and scared when Ruby Mae learned that her Great-Great-Great Granny had helped the O'Teales when they were in hiding. Ruby Mae remember the Preacher's kind words at the funeral the cove had. Her crush started that day. Ruby Mae turned around. She knew Miz Christy was confused. Slowly Ruby Mae began to walk away. Feelings jumbled, Ruby Mae thought of Rob Allen. At one time the redheaded teenager was convinced that she loved Rob Allen, but now...well... Preacher was gonna marry Miz Christy! Ruby Mae remembered a dream she had a while back. In the dream, David had been holding her tightly, and they were clearly celebrating something. The words from this dream rang through her ears: "I can't wait to tell everyone!" Ruby Mae began to run. It was all so confusing. She ran as fast as she could. Christy held the ring out to David. "I'm sorry." she said, her voice shaky. David hoped that he had heard wrong, or that he hadn't heard her at all. "No." Christy said softly. David's blue eyes clouded over. It was as though they'd filled with tears. "Christy... ." David said. Now his voice was shaky. Christy held her hand up. "David, we don't have what a successful marriage needs, at least we don't yet. Right now, my feelings are too jumbled for anything. I can't give you a yes, because I know it's not right yet, and I can't give you another maybe, because that wouldn't be fair. So the only answer I can give ... is No." Christy said. The tears in David's eyes started to spill over, but he grabbed the ring box that Christy held out to him, spun around and walked off quickly. Christy walked toward the school building and the students filed in after her. Suddenly a question came to her mind. Where was Ruby Mae? Ruby Mae ran in no direction in particular. Suddenly an explosion sounded in the distance. Ruby Mae looked in the direction of the explosion. With a shock, she realized that every time her father went to work with Bird's-eye Taylor on anything, they'd go in that direction. Ruby Mae knew at once what had happened. The still had blown up! Running as hard as she could, all the thoughts of confusion that had filled her mind before were gone. "Pa!!!" Ruby Mae screamed. ***************************************************************** UNEXPECTED LOVE CHAPTER TWO Ruby Mae ran so fast that her side ached. It was a longer distance than she thought. She gasped for air as she clutched her side in pain. "Paw!" she screamed as loud as she could manage. Ruby Mae's lungs burned and she could feel her pulse in her lower legs. Breathing heavily, fear gripped the red headed teenager and she worried frantically. What if her Paw hadn't survived the explosion? Was there no hope that Ruby Mae's father would become the kind of Paw she could be proud of? These thoughts spurred her on, even though her legs were sore and she had run for more than a mile. Ruby Mae knew that she needed to find and help her Paw! Ruby Mae finally arrived at the spot. The moonshine ran all over the ground. At first, Ruby Mae didn't see anyone.... she kept looking and suddenly she saw someone lying on the ground. Ruby Mae tried to run faster to this person; that had to be her Paw! She had to know if he was still alive. Running as fast as she could, Ruby Mae felt as though her legs suddenly had minds of their own. One of her legs twisted out from under her and in her speed Ruby Mae lost her balance and fell face forward. In a moment, dizziness overwhelmed the girl and everything went black. While Ruby Mae lay unconscious, word spead among the cove residents that there had been an explosion. David, Neil, Christy, Dan and MIss Alice rushed to the site. David looked down in shock at Ruby Mae while Neil ran to her side. He took her pulse and listened to her heart. She seemed exhausted, the wind knocked out of her. Neil asked Christy to sit at Ruby Mae's side until the redheaded teenager was able to raise her head and open her eyes. Next Neil ran to Ruby Mae's father's side. The doctor evaluated the man's injuries. Dan Scott had talked Neil into letting him sit with Bird's-eye Taylor and Miss Alice sat next to Nathan O'Teale. David kneeled next to Ruby Mae. He reflected on everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours. He had proposed to Christy, he had been turned down and now he was helping at the site of a huge accident. He gently ran his haand along Ruby Mae's arm. She was lying on her side and curled up slightly. David wondered why he had decided to sit with Ruby Mae. Most of the time she annoyed him. Ruby Mae began to stir. David smiled down at her. He had plenty of questions to ask. Meanwhile, Nathan O'Teale was also starting to stir. "Miz Allace?" he asked softly. Miss Alice looked down at him. He was covered with burns over most of his body. Alice doubted that he would survive. There was nothing the doctor could do for him. Christy left Ruby Mae in David's hands. She rushed to sit at Nathan's side, Nathan looked up and he glanced at Christy. "Miz Christy." he mumbled. His eyes were full of confusion, pain and fear. "Miz Allace, ah'm a-feered. Ah don't wanna die. God'll never have me. Ah'm scared." Nathan rambled. MIss Alice looked at Christy, knowing that her young friend needed to be able to share the truth. And perhaps this was the time for her to learn. Christy took the hint from Miss Alice's glance. "Mr. O'Teale, you know that's not true." Christy said in a shaky voice. She'd never had to spell out her beliefs before. "God loves all of us, He loves us so much that He sent his son to give his life for us." Nathan sighed. It seemed to take all of his strength. "Ah know that, Ma'am, an' that's why God won't have me. Ah've known ah was doin' wrong when ah was ahurtin' ma wife and chillens, but ah did it anyway." Nathan said haltingly. Christy bit her lip. "God can forgive even the worst of sinners." she told Nathan. Christy glanced at Miss Alice, looking for some reassurance. Miss Alice smiled at Christy. "In the Bible, Jesus asked a tax collector, Matthew, to be his disciple. Matthew was as bad as they come. He was greedy and he stole from both the people and the government. And Jesus forgave him." said Miss Alice. Nathan lay silently for a few minutes. Then he smiled, taking great effort. "Iffen Jesus could forgive him, ah reckon he could forgive me. How do ah git him ta do that?" Nathan asked. "Just ask." Christy said softly, as though she was telling him a secret. Glancing at Miss Alice, Christy knew that she had said the right thing and she felt good about it. Meanwhile, Ruby Mae rolled onto her back. She looked up into David's worried face. "Preacha?" she whispered. David nodded. "Ruby Mae, you were unconscious! What happened to you?" David asked frantically. Ruby Mae thought for a moment. "Ah heered an explosion and ah knew what it was. Ah ran there and ah ran as fast as ah could,,, then ah fell." she explained. David sighed. He knew that Ruby Mae was trying to play the heroine and the role would get her into trouble. David was about to say something but suddenly he realized that he had tried to play the hero more than once since his arrival in Cutter Gap and more often than not he got in trouble, too. David smiled. He was anxious to tell Ruby Mae that they had something in common. Then all of a sudden David realized something. Christy would have reacted the same way, wouldn't she? David continued to smile at Ruby Mae, even though he felt extremely confused at that very moment. ***************************************************************** UNEXPECTED LOVE CHAPTER 3 David helped Ruby Mae to her feet. "Lordy." she murmured. "Ah'm all muddy." David chuckled and Neil walked up to them. "Ruby Mae." Neil began. Ruby Mae looked at him. She knew that the Doc would like know how her paw was doing. "Your father's conscious, but he's having quite a bit of trouble moving." Neil told the redheaded teenager. Ruby Mae slowly pulled away from David's grasp on her arm. Then she said, "Is he gonna live, Doc?" Neil nodded. "I believe he is going to live, Ruby Mae. We're bringing him to the mission." Ruby Mae began walking in the direction Neil had walked from. As she passed him, Neil called out, "Dan's with your father right now." Ruby Mae nodded silently to signify that she had heard the doctor. She started walking with a purpose toward where Dan Scott was sitting beside her paw. David looked at Neil. "How are the other two?" he asked. Neil glanced down uncomfortably. "Nathan is severely injuried. Burned all over his body. We're going to try and take him to the mission as well, but the chances of his surviving... ." David nodded, and he bit down hard on his lip. David had always believed that the O'Teales deserved better than moonshiner Nathan O'Teale, but now it hit him that Nathan probably was going to die. David couldn't resist sucking in his breath. Neil nodded slightly and he said, "What baffles me is that Bird's-eye is nowhere to be found." Later, at the mission, Neil moved at a fast pace. The phrase, "Help or get out of the way!" had popped out of his mouth several times. Christy was helping. She came out of Nathan O'Teale's room more often than Neil did. David sighed. Ruby Mae was talking to her father and Miss Alice was with them. Dan was nowhere to be found at that moment. He was probably re-building his cabin, David thought as he sat down. The preacher was alone, it was the right moment for some serious prayer time! Meanwhile, Christy sat at the edge of the bed, watching Nathan. He let out a quick breath, then he seemed to focus on something Christy couldn't see. "Who are you?" Nathan asked. Christy tried to follow his gaze; she saw no one. "Mr. O'Teale." Christy said softly. Nathan didn't respond. He just chuckled and looked at Christy. After a moment, Nathan said, "Miz Christy, ya was right. Ah'm goin' ta heaven fer sure." Nathan leaned back and said, " My first first class ride." The tone of his voice made it sound like he was repeating it to make it sink in. "Mr. O'Teale." Christy said again. He had suddenly gone limp. Neil walked into the room quickly. He looked at Nathan and then he sat by his side. "Neil." Christy whispered. She suddenly realized that she was shaking. Neil took Nathan's hand and checked for a pulse. "Christy." Neil said, his voice hoarse. Christy didn't hear Neil's words. Nathan's words seemed to ring in her ears. "Ah'm goin' ta heaven fer sure." UNEXPECTED LOVE CHAPTER 4 Sam Houston fidgeted in his seat in the schoolroom. His brain was moving at one hundred miles per hour and he couldn't help but move his body a little. Besides, the English lesson was boring! Sam Houston was lost in his thoughts about what had been going on a year ago at this time. One year ago that day Sam had been talking excitedly, trying to guess about the new teacher who was coming from Asheville in just a few short weeks. Now Sam Houston wanted to talk to his good friends again because now Miz Christy had been in the cove for almost a year. Sam thought that the fact that a city gal had been there for an entire year called for a Jolification. Fidgeting, Sam Houston tried to concentrate on the lesson, but it was no use. He had other things to think about. Sam Houston began scribbling on a piece of paper. "Burl." he wrote. "Do you remember what we was doin' a year ago this minute? How about a year ago October 10? Think it calls for a Jolification?" Sam Houston dropped the note to the floor and pushed it with his foot over to Little Burl. Sam Houston took a deep breath. He hoped neither of them would get caught. Meanwhile, Dan Scott leaned against a tree. The bark scratched his arm, but Dan barely noticed. He stood there, the knot that he'd felt in his stomach the second he touched the letter had melted into an almost physical pain that spread to his chest. Dan didn't know why, but he pulled the letter out to re-read it. "Dear Dan." it began, just like the other few letters he gotten from his mother. "I don't understand why I have to tell you, but I suppose this is the only way you'll find out. It breaks my heart to have to let you know something like this and I pray I'll never have to do this again. Now, I'll just get right to the point. Cecile is no longer with us. About a day ago, she was riding in a wagon with Jim, going to town to pick up some supplies. It got really bouncy at a point and Cecile held on to the edge. I don't know how, but she toppled out. I'm so sorry. Dan, I know this hurts, but whatever you do, don't blame God. Blaming God can make a person bitter inside, so please don't. The entire settlement is in shock right now and no one is sure how Cecile fell out. Please, if it isn't too much with your own grief, pray for the children here and pray that we get another good schoolteacher to come here. Please do remember to turn to God in prayer in this hard time. Your loving mother, Esther Scott Dan felt like he was about to fall over, the news hit him hard, too hard. Dan bit his lip and he felt tears come to his eyes. His voice sounded choked as he prayed softly. "God, help me... help me through this." he said. Dan couldn't hold back the tears any longer; he began to cry. David Grantland sat at a desk in his bunkhouse. It had been a long time since he had written to his sister, Ida. Grabbing a pencil and some paper, David began writing. "Dear Ida." David wrote and then he was unsure of where to go from there. Finally he started writing again. "I proposed to Christy again and she turned my proposal down. Since then I've been filled with confusion. I wonder is I was completely wrong all along in wanting to marry Christy. Perhaps I'm destined for someone else. Maybe... ." David stopped. He couldn't tell Ida this. David crumbled the paper and tossed it into the trash can. He fought back tears, full of confusion. David held back his tears; he buried his face in his hands and started to pray. Back at school, Little Burl read Sam Houston's note and he responded with a short on of his own. "Sam Houston, I do 'member and I agree, let's talk ta preacha about it." it said. UNEXPECTED LOVE CHAPTER 5 David wished he had another project to work on. Right now he would have given anything to hold a hammer in his hand and pound on something. David just wanted something to do. He wanted to work on something that didn't involve sitting. David decided to go for a walk. At least he'd get a chance to move his legs! As David walked, he wracked his brain on what he could do here for a little while, until he could get his emotions straight. David prayed silently for something to do. Little did he know that two boys were debating whether or not to tell him the answer to his prayer at that moment, or later. Sam Houston and Little Burl stood by a large tree. They watched the preacher; he looked agitated. "Ah don't think we should talk ta him rat now, Burl." Sam Houston said. "He looks like he don't want no company." Burl shook his head. "Preacha ain't angry. He's jest a-walkin." Sam Houston sighed. "Burl! Don't ya think that he's upset that Teacha told him she wouldn't marry him?" Burl looked at his friend. "Still, even iffen Preacha's angry, he wouldn't hurt us none. Factually speakin', iffen Preacha hurt a body, he'd know the Doc would be a -comin'. And he and the Doc don't git along." he said. Sam Houston couldn't argue with Burl's logic. He wished he'd talked to Creed about this. Creed would agree this was more a topic to discuss with Miss Alice than the preacher. Dan Scott was working, hard. He wanted to think about something other than the grief he felt over Cecile's death. Dan thanked God for the ability to work. "I've got to carry on." he said to himself. "For Cecile." Suddenly Dan heard Christy's voice. "Dan!" she called. Dan stopped for a moment. Christy came out carrying a cup of water. "I saw you working." Christy explained. "I thought you might be thirsty." Dan smiled at his friend and he took the cup. He remembered how he referred to Christy as a mama bear once, and now he saw again how she tried to look after everyone at once, even those who were older than she was. Dan also thanked God for just the ability to smile. He felt such a deep pain that he doubted he'd be able to smile again, but now he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that God would see him through this. Dan fought the urge to confide in Christy about everything, although he felt that Christy would understand. Yet, he didn't want to burden her with his troubles, instead he just said, "Thank you." to his friend. It was obvious that Christy thought he was thanking her for the water. "You're welcome." Christy said. Then, as though she could read her friend's mind, Christy continued. "Dan, you keep to yourself so much. If you ever want to talk to somebody... I'm here." As Christy walked away, Dan fought back tears again. How had she known? Sam Houston and Little Burl approached David. Sam Houston was still uneasy about talking to the preacher. So Sam decided it would be best to get it over with. So the boys interrupted David's walk to share their ideas with him. David walked toward where Dan was re-building his cabin. Suddenly the two little boys ran up to him. "Preacha!" Little Burl called out. Christy sat at her desk. She wondered what had made her go and give that water to Dan. She had a feeling it had to do with what she felt compelled to say right before she walked away. She offered to be a sounding board. Christy rested her head in her hands, thinking. Something strange was going on, but she couldn't put her finger on just what it was. David listened to the boys' idea. He liked the idea of having a party to celebrate the fact that Christy had been in the cove for almost a year. They all agreed that they should spread the word to everyone but Christy. David smiled at last! A project he could get into! The reverend decided that while he was waiting, he could help Dan Scott re-build his cabin. UNEXPECTED LOVE CHAPTER SIX Neil MacNeill stood at the river. It seemed like only yesterday... everything had happened so fast! There were times Neil wished that he could go back to when he was 16 and the doctors came from New York and offered to help him become a doctor. It seemed like only a few months ago that that had happened. So much had happened in the years since then. Neil had met Margaret, he had graduated from medical school, he married Margaret and he came back to the cove to practice mountain medicine. Then Alice arrived, Margaret left, Reverend Grantland showed up, followed by Christy Huddleston. And then Margaret suddenly returned and now everything was up in the air. Neil stood by the river, fishing pole in his hand. Neil was confused. He was a married man, yet he didn't love his wife. Christy had taught him how to love and now Margaret was back. It seemed too convenient on the surface, but there was more to the story. Christy had taught him to love, and in the process had created a deep love for inside of him, but was it real love? Margaret had been deathly ill the last time Neil saw her but now she appeared perfectly healthy. Was Neil now supposed to go back to his wife? To Neil that idea seemed crazy. Margaret left him to think that she was dead! And now Margaret expected Neil to just forget it? Neil felt anger boil inside him. Slowly he breathed in deeply, then let the breath out, hoping to calm himself since he was going to head back to the cabin in a minute. Meanwhile Margaret MacNeill stood inside the cabin. She had gone inside when Neil ran off. Margaret also resolved to pretend that it was just like it used to be until Neil wanted to talk to her. As far as she knew, that would never happen. If she knew her husband as well as she did, she figured that he would avoid the issue and by the time he was ready to talk, she would be too sick to talk or she would be dead. Right now Margaret was in remission, but she knew the sickness would always come back. Margaret decided to get the kitchen ready because she knew that Neil would soon be back with fish to cook. Margaret wrinkled her nose. The very thought of cooking reminded her that cooking was a source of disputes between her and Neil. Hopefully, if she couldn't live like a wife to Neil, she'd be more of a maid. At the moment, either was satisfactory to Margaret. Neil always kept her waiting, so Margaret walked around the cabin to keep the knot from forming in her stomach. Neil was right outside... there was nothing to worry about. No matter how much Margaret tried to tell herself otherwise, it didn't seem perfectly normal for her to be waiting for Neil. Neil walked into the cabin and Margaret stared at him silently. "I caught two fish." Neil said quietly. Margaret held out her hand, still silent. To a point she wanted to give Neil the silent treatment for awhile. Just to be sure he made the first move toward conversation about their little problem. Neil was surprised at Margaret's blunt offer to clean and cook the fish. He let his surprised be known by his facial expression. Margaret broke her resolve not to say anything with a single sentence to her husband: "Somebody has to do it, and you want to work." Neil was amazed that she still had the ability to read him like a book. He'd never be able to understand her if he lived to be 1000, and she'd been away from him for several years and still knew what he would like to be doing. Neil handed the bag with the fish in it over to her. Margaret took it silently and walked into the kitchen. Neil shrugged, and under his breath he muttered, " Women!" and he unlocked the door to his laboratory and walked in. Meanwhile, Swannie O'Teale's evening wasn't half as organized. Young Beckie was helping her mother make dinner and only the Lord knew where the rest of her young'uns were. Swannie knew that Mountie was doing her spelling homework or cleaning the floor. Smith was out hunting; he was gone overnight at least. Orter Ball was with George in the garden at the moment. Swannie knew that her boys were grateful to feel they were doing something. Swannie was doing her best to keep the place clean, for Beckie's eyes. But with food to cook and children to entertain, Swannie was exhausted. She hated to admit it, but she was going to need help, and soon. A thought occurred to Swannie. She could keep her young'uns out of school until Miz Christy came looking for them, worried. Knowing the young schoolteacher, it would be less than a week until that happened. Then Miz Christy would offer the mission's help, and Swannie could refuse. Christy could give her a job at the mission in return for help. Swannie liked the idea. Christy sat at her desk, still grading test papers. Christy smiled, she was amazed at Mountie's talent for her lessons. Christy scribbled 100 % on Mountie's test paper. Christy smiled at the thought of her smart little girl. Mountie was so tiny but so smart! Moving on to the next paper, Christy's thoughts stayed on the O'Teales. Swannie was a widow now. Christy was convinced that an angel had taken Nathan to Heaven. Christy wondered why she was thinking about the O'Teales so much. Maybe they needed some help. Christy decided to check in on them. She would love to visit them. Her excuse would be that she came by to help Swannie clean up a little. UNEXPECTED LOVE CHAPTER 7 Ruby Mae walked around the kitchen. She thought about how the still blowing up had been a blessing in disguise. Now, her father had realized how lucky he was to be alive. Ruby Mae was in the process of convincing him that he had someone to thank for that. Right now he realized that he'd been a horrible person and he thought his injuries were punishment for that. Ruby Mae hated the idea of her father being afraid of something, but since he'd vowed to be better... . On top of all of that, Ruby Mae had realized, along with the fact that her father would have to permanently live at the mission or she would go back home to live with him. Word had gotten around that Miz Christy had been in the cove for almost a year, and there was going to be a Jolification to celebrate that fact. Ruby Mae couldn't wait until the eighth; it was a Sunday; and the Jolification would be held after church. Christy got home from the O'Teales and she could tell that Ruby Mae was keeping something from her, something that David also knew about. Christy was curious, but she had bigger things on her mind. It was clear that Swannie still needed help, and now that Nathan was gone, Swannie wasn't so afraid to accept help. Christy needed to talk to Miss Alice. It would be good if the O'Teales could stay at the mission. Christy wondered if she could get both Miss Alice and Swannie to agree with that. Mind spinning, Christy decided not to jump in and ask. Instead, she would drop subtle hints until Miss Alice noticed. Almost two week passed. Christy noticed more and more signs of a secret. It was Sunday and church was almost over. Christy noticed that David kept looking directly at different people and they would nod back at him. Among them were Ruby Mae, Sam Houston, Fairlight and little Mountie. Christy decided to ask Fairlight about it after church. David had just finished his sermon and he seemed to be searching for something more to say. Christy was confused watching him, normally David would just say that church was over, and give a comment about continuing to live for God. Now, David seemed that there was one more thing he needed to get out of the way. David took a deep breath, for the past few weeks he'd been planning on how to let Christy know about the celebration; everything was in order outside. Now all he needed to do was announce it to Christy. "And now." David said. "All of you remember a day exactly one year ago. I know I remember. I'm sure Bob Allen and the Spencers remember it especially. Someone came to the cove and that someone changed many things here." Stepping down, David stood by the front pew, where Christy was sitting. "Christy." David said. "I don't think it has occurred to you, but you arrived here on October 8, 1912 and today is October 8, 1913." Christy sat, shocked. Why was David reminding everyone. Suddenly it became apparent. David continued to talk. "Almost two weeks ago, I was approached by two boys, two boys who remembered that the day was coming up. Since then we've gotten several people involved, all of them eager to help. Christy, everything's all set outside, there's going to be a party in your honor." David said. Christy just sat there, her mouth open. She never expected anything like this! Christy was surprised to hear people standing up. Christy looked around and everyone was smiling at her. David smiled at her, too, and he motioned toward the door. Christy obviously was supposed to be the first one to se what had been done in her honor. When Christy left the church, she saw that tables had been set up all over the church yard. It looked like a jolification was going to take place! Christy couldn't move for a moment; she was too surprised. Then her friends in the cove got some music started. To Christy's surprise, Neil walked up to her and smiled. "May I have the first dance with the guest of honor?" he asked. Christy smiled and took Neil's hand. She was surprised that all of her friends in the cove were here for her party, and she was happy to see Dan Scott mingling with the rest of the cove for a change. The biggest surprise of all was that Margaret was there. And even Ben Pentland had somehow found the time to show up... and he asked Miss Alice to dance many times. Suddenly Creed Allen interrupted the music with a loud shout. "Us young'uns got presents fer Miz Christy... at least some-a of do ." Creed yelled. Some of the younger children formed a line and then some older ones mixed in. The first one to approach Christy was Beckie O'Teale. "Miz Christy." Becky said. "Ah drew you a picture." Christy unfolded a piece of paper and Beckie explained a little before she saw the picture. "Ah kinda drew it lak part of the story the doc told us." Beckie explained. Christy looked at the paper. There was a picture of the Selkie and the girl. Christy smiled down at the picture, refolded it, and she bent to hug the little girl. As the line went on, Christy opened all the gifts, read the stories and poems, and listened to the songs. And she even let Sam Houston put flowers in her hair. Now it was Creed's turn. Christy thought it was odd that he waited until last. Usually Creed liked to be the first one in line. "Miz Christy." Creed said. "You member when Ah said Ah might git ya a baby coon of yer own?" Christy nodded and Creed pulled his gift out from behind his back. It was a tiny animal. At first Christy didn't recognize it. Then Creed said, "It's a little coon, probly jest 'bout three weeks old. Should be seein' soon. Hit's mama's dead." Christy let Creed put the little creature in her lap. Gently she ran her hand along the tiny animal's back, its hair was just beginning to grow on the little tike. Christy let out a little "Oh," when she felt the coon move around a little on her legs. Picking the little raccoon up, Christy looked at the little critter's face. Then Christy heard Creed's voice say, "Ya can be its mama now, Miz Christy." Christy smiled. She already loved the little raccoon. And the possibility of having her own pet! Tears formed in Christy's eyes. As she hugged Creed with one arm, she held the coon in the other arm. "Thank you, Creed, thank you all." Christy said gratefully. UNEXPECTED LOVE CHAPTER 8 That evening, Christy sat in front of the fire. Holding her new pet on her lap, she stroked its back gently. Suddenly Christy heard a sound behind her. She turned to look and she saw David walking up. David took a seat a few feet to her left. "I see you're already attached to your coon." David said. Christy smiled and looked down at the animal. She'd been bottle-feeding the little critter earlier. The slight sounds coming from her pet told Christy that the little animal was asleep. "She's such a sweetie." Christy whispered. David smiled at Christy. "She? How do you know that this coon is a she?" he asked. Christy chuckled. "I don't know... it just looks like a she." David laughed. "How can you tell?" Christy shook her head. "I have to call her a she...so I can pick a name." Christy replied. David smiled and then he said, "You know...I'm really sorry about putting you on the spot a couple of weeks ago." Christy sighed and David continued. "But you handled yourself very well." Christy was surprised that David said that. "I did?" she said. "I've never been more confused in my life." David smiled at Christy. "I guess after you officially turned me down, I began realizing things. Things like... ." David said. Then he felt a strange confusion come over him. "Things like just because you feel like you love someone doesn't make it true love." he continued. Christy nodded. David had just expressed her thoughts and her confusion all in one simple sentence. "Christy," David asked, "do you remember when we first got the bell for the church?" "How could I forget? That day was really special for you." Christy replied. David looked at Christy. He'd been keeping emotions bottled up since that day and now he felt it was safe to let them come spilling out. "That day," David said, "all the men were cheering and I looked out at them. I realized just how precious these people are. My heart's always gone out to them. But that day... it was like God whispered in my ear. "These are your people, they love you, they respect you, you are called to serve here." After that, Christy, I've just felt this unbelievable care for these people." Christy nodded. She remembered having a similar experience. "I know what you mean. When I first came here, after I sewed buttons onto Mountie's coat... and I saw all the children by the door. I heard Little Burl ask if I was leaving...and I suddenly realized that I belonged here; that these children were my children." Christy said. David looked at Christy and then he spoke. "At that point, after we put the bell up, I thought that God had given us both a love for the cove so we could be together, here. But that day, when you refused my proposal, I realized that a relationship between us would never last." Christy looked at him and suddenly she felt movement in her lap. She realized that she had woken the baby coon with her constant stroking. "Soooooo." David said. "What are you going to name that coon?" Christy thought for a moment and then she answered. "Ida." David laughed. "I wonder what my sister would say if she knew that someone named a raccoon after her?" he asked. While Christy and David talked, someone had listened at the door. Ruby Mae heard the conversation. Ruby Mae remembered a little more of her dream. In her dream, David pulled away from the embrace slightly and he gently placed his hands on her belly. That was Ruby Mae's dream flashback, it was all she could remember. Ruby Mae shook her head quickly...it was her imagination. It had to be. "UNEXPECTED LOVE" CHAPTER 9 The next morning, Christy was still in her bed. She was in the place between sleeping and awake. She could still dream, but she heard what was going on around her. Suddenly Christy was roused by the feeling of a little nibble on her nose. Moving slightly, she opened her eyes a little and she saw her little raccoon sitting on the bed, leaning forward to nibble on her nose. Sitting up a little, Christy said, "Ida!" in a slightly firm voice. Then she noticed something. The little critter's eyes were open. Ida could see! "Oh!" Christy said, gently rubbing her hand along the baby coon's back. "You can see!" she said happily. Later that morning, in the classroom, Christy found herself anxiously awaiting the noon break. She felt strange knowing that Miss Alice was "baby-sitting" for her little pet. The geography lesson she was teaching was almost boring to her, too, so Christy understood when Creed stopped paying attention. Christy walked over to Creed's desk and she told him to pay attention. "Sorry, Teacher, but why should Ah care 'bout what shape India's in?" Creed asked as he shrugged. "Don't rightly know when Ah'll be usin' information like capitals of other countries any time in my life." Christy smiled at Creed. "Yes." she said as she walked to the front of the classroom. "You will use this information." Turning around, she said, " On this Friday's test." Creed moaned, along with a few other students. Christy thought for a moment, and then she said, "You know, this lesson isn't very interesting, but what if you knew that the people who get the best grades on the test will get a prize?" A stir went up around the classroom. Christy wondered suddenly why she said there would be a prize. Sure, she did that sometimes, as an excuse to give things to the children, but not all the time. Where was her mind? At noon, Miss Alice brought Christy's raccoon to the schoolhouse. Christy sat on the porch, holding Ida, and several of the smaller children gathered around her to look at the baby coon. Christy listened to the children's comments about Ida's just-beginning-to-grow-hair, her tinyness, and her big black eyes. While Christy smiled at the children, Mountie was busy petting the little animal, Beckie had a pad of paper and she was drawing Ida and the other children were talking and reaching out to touch Ida. "Alright." Christy said. "Why don't we all go over there to play?" She pointed to a grassy area in the yard. All the children followed their teacher and her coon to the grass. Meanwhile, Bird's-eye Taylor finished hammering. Miss Hattie was letting him get back to doing repairs around her place. Sitting up on the roof, Bird's-eye rubbed his sore ankle, the only remnant of his injuries from when the still blew up and he had to run to save his life. Sliding down, he winced slightly. He couldn't let Miss Hattie notice that he was in pain. Bird's-eye shook his head. How did that woman do it? She didn't miss anything. She was just as observant as the doc, despite her blindness. Lately, Bird's-eye's emotions had been flip-flopping but his pride kept him from admitting it. He had gone from total fear, to total anger, and then back again. Then he couldn't remember what he was feeling, probably because he had been unconscious for about 30 hours. Now he felt totally up in the air. "Ah'm done with fixin' yer roof." Bird's-eye announced. "That's good, Mr. Taylor." said Miss Hattie, smiling. Bird's -eye nodded a little. "Ma'am... Ah'd be ableeged iffen ya could handle ma front name." Bird's-eye said. Miss Hattie nodded. "I'm sure I could, if I knew what your real front name was." Bird's-eye felt tears well up in his eyes for the first time in years. It had been so long since he was called by his real name. Should he tell anyone? He'd gone as Bird's-eye for so long. It was almost as if he'd forgotten his real name. But he hadn't. "Michael." he said, extending one hand. Hattie reached for both his hands, and she said, "That's a front name I'm certainly able to handle... Michael." "UNEXPECTED LOVE" CHAPTER 10 Disclaimer: The story of "Christy" is by Catherine Marshall and it is owned by the Marshall and LeSourd families. This is for fun. Christy sat at her desk in the mission house. She had to read some fairy tales for the next day's class. She couldn't believe how many times she'd read the same paragraph. She practically had the first few lines memorized. Christy bit her lip. Her mind kept wandering after the second or third line. Suddenly Christy heard a sound behind her. Looking up from her book, she saw that Dan Scott was there. Christy smiled at him. Since Dan hadn't finished re-building his cabin, he'd been staying at the mission. "Dan." Christy said softly. Dan smiled back at her. "Hello, Miss Christy. What are you doing up so late?" he asked. "I could ask you the same question." Christy responded. Dan sighed. "I couldn't sleep. I felt so... ." Dan struggled for a word. Christy decided to take a stab at what Dan was trying to say. "Guilty?" she suggested. Dan nodded. "Exactly." he said. Then they lapsed into silence. Christy sighed. "Dan." she said. "You know you reacted normally." "I reacted with hate!" Dan snapped. "The hate I've been trying to avoid!" "Dan." Christy said. "You did make a mistake. But we all do." Dan slammed his hand onto her desk and brought it back up to his chin. "But I could've killed someone!" he said. Christy felt helpless. Dan seemed so angry with himself. Christy wanted to do something to calm him. Before she got a chance, Dan suddenly became calm and quiet. "I'm sorry." he said softly. "But that's only part of what's bugging me." Christy tilted her head. That confused her. "Cecile died." Dan said flatly. Christy gasped. Her hands flew to her mouth. The nice young schoolteacher in Freedom... Dead? Dan nodded. "Cecile got angry that an important package from town didn't get to the mission. She was riding to town to ask for an explanation. She thought that they ignored her orders simply because of the color of her skin." Christy let out the breath she'd taken in through her gasp. "Dan." she said softly. "I'm so sorry." Dan swallowed. "I was the only one who could calm her temper." After a brief hesitation, he added, "and vice-versa." Dan bit his lip and then he continued. "I just wish I'd still been there to calm her down so she wouldn't have insisted on going so fast." Christy suddenly realized that he felt a double guilt. "Dan, it wasn't your fault. You couldn't have done anything to stop it." Dan nodded. "I guess you're right. But I still wish I'd been there with Cecile." Christy sighed. And Dan said, "Well, I guess I'd better try to get some sleep." "Good-night." Christy said quietly, nodding at her friend. "Night." Dan whispered. Christy got back to her reading. She wondered why she felt a connection with Dan now. What was this strange feeling she had deep inside her. It was driving her crazy! UNEXPECTED LOVE CHAPTER 11 Early the next morning, David was beginning to wake up. He didn't want to get up ... until he remembered. Ruby Mae had received a recipe book from Ida. Ruby Mae promised to make the muffins exactly according to the recipes. If there was something David never missed out on, it was freshly baked muffins made from his mother's recipe! David flung his legs off the bed. He wondered why he'd been sleeping in his clothes. Then he remembered, the muffins had been on his mind last night. David chuckled. He'd never been an early bird. As he straightened the wrinkles on his pants, he tried to clear the fog from his mind. He couldn't wait to get to the mission house. He just couldn't let anyone know how silly he was . Sleeping in his clothes! Ruby Mae had spent the majority of the early morning in the kitchen. The recipe she gotten in the mail was the most important thing in the world to her, well, expect maybe for the shoes Miss Christy had bought for her. The muffins were baking and they smelled wonderful! They would be the best part of breakfast that morning. Ruby Mae also scrambled up some eggs, and of course she added the bacon that had been bought in El Pano a day or so ago. She finished cooking the bacon and eggs. It was really breakfast time. Ruby Mae wondered why she hadn't thought to use a recipe book before this. It was fun to gather just so much of certain things and then to follow the directions carefully. It was just like working on art projects in school. Only cooking smelled better! Just then, Ruby Mae heard David's voice from outside the kitchen. Suddenly it hit her, she referred to the preacher as "David" and not as "Preacher." Ruby Mae held her breath, praying that no one was there who could read her thoughts. She had to talk to Rob Allen about his obvious attraction to her. Maybe at school that day, during the dinner spell, they could talk. David smiled when Ruby Mae walked out of the kitchen. Her normally wild hair was held back with a ribbon. And she was grinning at him and holding a large pan. Sure enough, right smack in the middle of the pan was a bowl full of muffins. David felt his stomach gurgle. He hoped no one had heard, particularly Ruby Mae. That day at noon, Ruby Mae walked around slowly. Then she saw Rob Allen. Ruby Mae began walking towards Rob with a purposeful stride. Then she hesitated. She wanted to tell Rob the truth, but what was the truth? She liked Rob Allen, but then there was David. Ruby Mae shook her head. Why did she keep referring to the preacher by his front name? Maybe it was because she liked him, too. Ruby Mae sighed. She was about to go crazy! Meanwhile, David kept glancing at the doorframe. The thought of pounding his head against it was very appealing. David hoped to knock some sense into himself. Ruby Mae was only a kid, barely into her teens. Yet, at the same time, by cove standards she was considered almost a woman. David sighed, stood up, and then he smacked his head with the palm of his hand. "Get hold of yourself, Grantland. She loves Rob Allen." he muttered to himself. David sucked in a breath and said, "And what would Christy say if she knew I was attracted to one of her students?" David realized what he was doing and he flopped down in his chair. "I can't believe I'm talking to myself!" he exclaimed. David shook his head and again he spoke aloud. "I'm going crazy." was all he said. UNEXPECTED LOVE Chapter 12 Neil sat at the table. Margaret had insisted that he eat the lunch she made before he headed back on his rounds. Neil was afraid he would become spoiled. He and Margaret had avoided any meaningful conversation. Instead, they used small talk and sometimes they were silent. Neil found himself growing more and more comfortable with the silence. At first it was awkward, but now Neil was used to those moments. Meanwhile, Margaret was having similar thoughts. It was a comfortable silence. Margaret wondered if Neil felt as though he was living with his wife or with his maid. As talkative as she had been before, Margaret made the best of the quiet now. But she was still relieved whenever Neil spoke. "I'm going to check on Becky O'Teale today. The chances of Swannie keeping a neat and clean cabin are about 1 in 4." Neil said. Margaret's response was quick, but unlike the sarcastic responses she used to dish out a such a comment, she said simply: "25 percent." Neil smiled and said, "Well, it seems you did pay attention in school during mathematics." Margaret smiled back. "No, knowledge of mathematics just comes naturally to a physician's wife." Neil stiffened at the mention of a physician's wife. That answered Margaret's lingering question. He saw her as a maid, not a wife. Or...was it something between a wife and a maid? Neil finished his delicious sandwich. He wasn't going to ask what kind of sandwich it was for fear it would ruin the good taste for him. "Well," he said, "I best be going." He paused for a moment, then he added, "Thank you for lunch." Neil quickly walked outside. Where had that come from? It sounded like a comment he'd made back when they'd been courting. As he walked down the steps, he wondered what he was doing. Courting his wife? Had they moved on without discussing the past? It had only been a couple of weeks since Margaret had come back. Things could be this right this fast. Neil felt that something big was about to happen. And he wanted to know what. But he couldn't know until it happened. Meanwhile, Swannie O'Teale sat at her cabin. Mountie was slightly upset at being kept home. Swannie prayed that Christy would offer some kind of help. Mountie had not settled down and she was peacefully writing something on a piece of paper that Christy had given to her as a prize for getting all of her spelling words right. Swannie was surprised when she heard the doc ride up. No one could mistake Neil MacNeill for anyone when he was riding Charlie at full speed. And his call of "Hello" confirmed the fact for Swannie. A few minutes later, Neil was seated at the table across from Swannie. "I'm really proud of you, Swannie." Neil said. "You're doing a really good job of keeping this cabin spotless. But isn't it hard on you?" Swannie couldn't lie. She nodded. "Ah've been a-thinkin' on askin' the mission folk for help. That's why my young'uns ain't in school. Ah hate ta do it, but I wanna worry Miz Christy so she'll offer the help." Swannie explained. Neil remembered a time when he would have done the same thing. But now he had a thought. He had to check with Margaret first. How strange. That almost came as a natural thought. Neil decided to ask Swannie first. "Swannie." he said slowly. "Would it be easier for you if someone took care of Becky for awhile?" Swannie shook her head so quickly her hair flew in both directions. "Ah couldn't be beholdin' ta anyone." she answered. Neil sighed. He thought that would be a problem for Swannie. Now he had to check with Margaret. And, he had to find a way around Swannie's pride. He left the O'Teales' cabin and headed home. Neil walked back into his cabin. He looked at Margaret. She was doing her best to master knitting and she was getting impatient and irritated. Neil walked over to her and he gently pulled her hands down into her lap. "Margaret. You're getting frustrated. Why don't you stop for awhile?" he suggested gently. Margaret looked into her husband's eyes. He had something he wanted to talk about; she could tell. "What do you want to talk about?" she asked directly. Neil smiled at his wife. "How did you know?" he asked. Margaret just looked at him. Neil decided to just accept the fact that she knew. He took a deep breath before he continued. "Swannie O'Teale has her hands full. She's having a hard time keeping up with everything. It would be best for Becky to be in close proximity to me since her eyes may begin acting up at any time. It would really help Swannie if Becky could stay here for awhile." Neil explained. Margaret fought to keep her eyes from lighting up. If Becky were there, she could find out what it was like to be a mother. Margaret nodded, fighting her enthusiasm. "That's a good idea, Neil. Have you talked to Swannie about this yet?" she asked. Neil looked at his wife. "No, I wanted to check with you first." Margaret was surprised at how naturally their conversation had come about. They needed to talk. Maybe they could go back to having a happy marriage someday. Neil stood. "I guess you agree." he said. Margaret nodded. "Now to find a way to keep Swannie from being prideful so I can take Becky in!" he said. Margaret looked Neil in the eye and she spoke one word. "We." she said softly. That was a perfect idea, Neil thought. "Good idea." he said, pointing up at his wife. Neil walked to the door. Margaret said, "Neil?" He paused and turned. The door was half open. Margaret hesitated, then she said, "We can't stay like this forever." Neil knew what she meant. "That's true." he answered. "We can't." With that, Neil walked outside. Once the door was shut, he leaned against it. Did he dare confide in Swannie about the trouble he was having? Even if it was to help her? He would have to give her some details. Meanwhile, Margaret sat inside the cabin, staring at the door. It was true, Becky could help bring her and Neil close again. She closed her eyes imagining what it would feel like to have a child around - to have to think about two people other than herself. She hoped that Neil could convince Swannie that Becky should come and stay with them. UNEXPECTED LOVE CHAPTER 13 School was out and John Spencer started walking home alone. Zady decided to spend a little extra time at school, she would walk home with their mama later. Clara and Lulu stayed with Zady. John heard someone call out for him. "John!" He half-turned; it was Bessie. John quickened his pace. Bessie was the last person on earth he wanted to see at that moment, or at any moment, for that matter. But Bessie ran to catch up with him. At one point, John was sure he wanted to marry Bessie. Then he started having feelings for Miz Christy... and he changed his mind about Bessie. John hoped he could get to his property in a hurry so he could keep Bessie away by telling her not to trespass. But Bessie moved quickly. She knew that John hated her, but she still loved him. She prayed constantly that there was some hope for them. Finally, Bessie caught up to John and she grabbed his shoulders. "John Spencer! I need to talk to you!" she said. John stared at Bessie coldly. "Quit it, Bessie. I need to get back home." he said angrily. Bessie stood her ground. John tried to pull away, but Bessie held on tight. "John," she said, "You can't keep avoiding me forever. It don't work!" John reluctantly stood still. Bessie spoke what she'd been practicing every night. "I'm sorry, John. I'm so sorry I lied about Miz Christy. I miss what we had, John. I miss you. I love you." she said as she looked into his blue eyes. John's hard gaze softened. "Bessie, I can't trust you. You can't get my trust back just like that. You gotta earn it." he told her. Bessie eyes pleaded with John. "Then let me earn it, John. Let me earn it!" she begged. John took a deep breath. Bessie eyes bore into his. How could he refuse? "Alright." he said, finally. Bessie smiled at him. "Thank you, John!" she said and then she kissed him on the cheek. "You won't regret it!" Bessie ran off. She couldn't believe it! John was giving her another chance. Bessie couldn't wait until she had his trust back. "Please, G-d." she prayed. "Don't let me mess up again." UNEXPECTED LOVE CHAPTER 14 Ben Pentland rode to the mission. He had a letter for the preacher, but the person he wanted to talk to was Miss Alice Henderson. Over the past few months, Ben had talked to Miss Alice every time he came to the mission. Occasionally she would invite him to stay for dinner and he'd refuse. But today if she invited him, he'd accept. Since the mission was his last stop for the day, it would be okay. Ever since they'd spoken of Ben's attempts to court a young girl named Susan, he'd felt an unusual bond with Miss Alice. He made his usual call of "UuuuuuunNited States Mail!" It wasn't surprising at all when Miz Christy came running out. Ben also wasn't surprised to see Miss Alice right behind the schoolteacher. Ben gave the ladies his usual smile. Then Christy said, "Mr. Pentland, what a nice surprise!" "Indeed." Miss Alice echoed. Ben held out the letter. "Just one letter today, fer the mission. It's fer the preacher." he said. Miss Alice took one end of the letter and Ben studied her hand for a brief moment. So fragile, yet she could accomplish much with just that hand. On the surface, Miss Alice's hand seemed like the type that should be sheltered, never used for work, but Ben knew Miss Alice better than that. He knew that she would never settle for a citified life again. Ben slowly let Miss Alice take the letter in its entirty. His resolve to stay for dinner if invited broke. He had to get out of there! If he didn't leave now he would probably break down and cry. Ben fumbled with his hat for a moment, then he said, "Well, I best be goin'." Ben swung up on his horse. "Oh, Mr.Pentland. Please stay for supper." asked Miss Alice. Ben shook his head. "No thank ya, Ma'am. I need ta get back." Ben rode off quickly, not giving Miss Alice a chance to respond. Someday he'd have to tell her the truth about how he felt. But was he brave enough?" Miss Alice watched Mr.Pentland ride off. There was something about that man... something she couldn't quite place. He was at any rate an interesting soul. Miss Alice shook her head, thinking about Ben Pentland. He was a good friend and nothing more. Suddenly she remembered something Christy had said once. "There is nothing between Doctor MacNeill and me but respect and friendship." was what the schoolteacher had said. Miss Alice avoided using that tone in her mind when she referred to Ben. But why was she putting her relationship with Mr. Pentland in the same category as Christy's relationship with the doctor? It didn't belong there. And wasn't Jacob Ferrand the man Alice really cared for? Miss Alice turned around and began walking toward the mission house. Something was amiss with her feelings and she didn't want to find out what it was. UNEXPECTED LOVE CHAPTER 15 As he rode to the O'Teales' cabin, Neil thought about how he would explain his situation to Swannie. He was hesitant to tell Swannie everything about his relationship with Margaret. Maybe I could just tell Swannie that Margaret and I have things to work out and that it might help if we could play the role of parents for a few days, Neil thought. Neil approached the cabin. At the last moment he remembered to call out, since Smith had nearly shot him when he'd come near the cabin without calling out. "Hello!" Neil called loudly, hoping that Smith heard him. As Neil was dismounting, Becky O'Teale appeared at the door. "Howdy, Doc. Whatcha doin' here?" she called. Neil walked to the door so he answer Becky's question without shouting at the girl. "Well, Becky," Neil began. "I need to talk to your mother about something that concerns you." "My eyes are doin' fine, doc. What ya come ta talk about?" Becky said. Neil smiled at Becky. "Well, you'll find out soon, Becky." Neil answered. Neil found Swannie in the kitchen. He stood next to her at the sink while she washed dishes. Neil told Swannie that he and Margaret thought it would be a good idea to try parenthood for a few days. Swannie thought about the doctor's request while she finished washing the dishes. Finally she put her wash rag down and she walked to the table, where she sat. Neil came and sat next to her. He waited for Swannie to speak. "Doc, Ah ain't sure 'bout doin' you and Mrs. MacNeill a favor so personal lak." Swannie said. Neil bit his lip for a moment while he thought about her reply. He'd always been able to soothe Swannie's fierce pride by making it seem like she was doing him a favor. Suddenly an idea came to him. "Margaret isn't quite used to the household chores of a mountain woman, Swannie." Neil said, choosing his words carefully. "She's not too good of a cook and she has problems with the laundry. Don't you remember when Margaret first came to live here with me? The two of us were always going to the Spencers' for supper." Swannie smiled at the memory of the newly married MacNeills. Then she said, "Well, Ah reckon Becky kin help Margaret with all that. And she'll be helpin' ya git right in yer marriage. Ah guess it's alright." Neil smiled at Swannie. He just hoped that Margaret wouldn't be too angry at him if she ever found out what he said about her housekeeping abilities. A little while later, Neil and Becky rode back to the MacNeill cabin. They walked into the house and Neil showed Becky the spare room where she'd be sleeping. "Ah'll have a room all ta maself!" Becky exclaimed. Neil smiled and nodded. He didn't tell the girl that Margaret would be moving to his room and he would be moving downstairs to sleep on the narrow cot in his laboratory during this parenting experiment. That night, Becky curled up on the big bed in the spare room. Suddenly she felt lonely. At home at this time of night, she'd be saying her prayers with Mountie. Becky couldn't say her prayers alone. She had never been alone at night; there had always been siblings there with her. When Becky saw Neil walk by her room, she called out for him. "Doc!" Neil glanced at Becky and she spoke to him. "Doc, will ya say ma prayers with me?" Neil smiled and fought off a chuckle. He should have known this was coming. When Neil was young he would recite the Lord's Prayer right before bedtime every night. Sometimes after that he would pray for something specific. He let the thought slip from his mind. Right now Becky was just lonely, he knew, and she wanted to say her prayers. Becky and Neil said their prayers and soon the little girl was asleep in the spare room. Later, Neil stretched out and tried to get comfortable on the narrow cot in the laboratory. It had been so long since he had referred to God as "Father" even when he repeated the words of a prayer. Neil had never felt comfortable with the Lord's Prayer. He remembered the reason all too clearly. Neil would usually fight back the tears, but he was alone and he didn't have to hide his tears now. Neil buried his face in his pillow as tears poured out of his eyes. Soon he just couldn't stop sobbing. Neil was grateful for the pillow that muffled the sounds of his sobs. Neil finally began to feel sleep taking him over. He had a few seconds to be glad that sleep would take him away from his problems before he was in a deep, dreamlike state. Soon he was in the gazebo at the end of the mission. What was he doing here? In his dream, Neil saw Reverend Grantland standing at the edge of the gazebo. David was leaning against the railing and it looked to Neil that the preacher would fall over at any moment. Neil was about to open his mouth to ask where he was when he suddenly heard his Aunt Hattie's clear, strong voice singing to him. "O Perfect Love, the love that knows no ending... ." sang Aunt Hattie. This was his wedding, Neil knew immediately. Yet, it couldn't be his wedding to Margaret. He and Margaret had eloped... and of course Reverend Grantland hadn't come to the cove yet. Hattie's voice was joined by the sounds of the wedding march. Neil turned around to see his bride. Who was she? He couldn't see her face and her dress hid her figure as well. Only one part of his bride stood out, her eyes. They were blue. When Neil tried to look at her; his vision was too blurred. He attitributed that to his tears. But it was only his bride that he couldn't see; when he looked back at David Grantland, he could see the young reverend clearly. Then something strange happened in Neil's dream. David's smile disappeared, Aunt Hattie's voice dissolved and when Neil turned around all he could see was the blue of his bride's eyes. When Neil faced David in the dream, Neil looked closely and he could see that the man he faced was no longer David. For one thing, the man was too tall. Or had Neil suddenly gotten shorter? Neil looked into the face of the horrifying figure. He managed to squeek out one word, sounding like a 9 year old boy with a mountain accent. "Pa?!" His pa looked at Neil; Pa looked madder than a nest of wet hornets. "What ya think yer doin', boy? Gittin' hitched 'hind ma back? Ah'll swish ya but good!" he threatened. Neil felt fear grip him. His pa grabbed his shirt and began shaking Neil as hard as he could. "Pa!" Neil pleaded. "No!" Neil felt himself falling downwards. He landed with a thud. The cracking sound that followed told Neil that he had a broken arm. His father kicked him repeatedly. Neil's sides, back, stomach, chest, and rear all felt like they were on fire. Neil's Pa was about to kick his son in the head when Neil looked at his bride for help. He could see her a little more clearly now, but who was she? Suddenly all the wedding attendees had disappeared, except Neil's bride. Neil didn't know how, but he was suddenly aware of the fact that his father was no longer present. The pain all over his body just grew worse. Unexpectedly, a blond man walked over to his wife. The man was wearing a light gray suit. The color was like the gray of a mountain dove. A strange light seemed to come from the man. The man walked over to Neil's horrified bride and then he touched her arm. The bride calmed instantly. The blond man reached his hand out ot Neil to help him up. Neil shook his head and he managed to speak an entire sentence. "No, I don't want to die." Neil said. Where had that come from? The blond man just shrugged and then he picked up the bride. She appeared as a ghost in his arms. Then he realized something; a figure had been left behind where his wife was. What was all this? Neil screamed the first thing that came into his head. "God help me!" he shouted. Neil heard a voice coming from the ghostlike image of his bride. "You must believe, Neil." she said. Neil's pain disappeared, as did the blond man and all the people who were around him. Neil was falling... falling... . His bride's voice echoed all around him, calling " Neil... Neil... Neil... ." Neil tossed and turned. He fought to open his eyes and he forced himself to wake up. His vision was blurred. Margaret was kneeling beside him. It suddenly occured to Neil that he was on the floor. How had he gotten down there? Margaret gently touched Neil's arm, sending a surge of pain through it. "Ow!" Neil shouted. "Sorry, Neil." Margaret said. "You must have fallen out of bed and landed on your arm." Neil rubbed his sore arm as he tried to remember and sort out his dream. Margaret looked Neil in the eye. "You were calling out in your sleep." she told her husband. Neil stared into Margaret's deep, blue eyes. Instantly Neil threw his arms around Margaret's neck and he held her close. Neil began sobbing again. Margaret ran her gentle hands through his red-gold hair. "It's alright, Neil. Whatever it is, it's alright." she whispered as she stroked his head. ************************************************************ UNEXPECTED LOVE CHAPTER 16 Bird's-eye Taylor lay on his side in the small bed in his cabin. He had just started to stir. "Molly, darlin', don't go." Birds-eye muttered. His awake side was angry. Why was he dreaming that he was begging his wife not to leave him? Bird's-eye remembered the first time she left. He had practically kicked her out of the cabin. Yet, the part of Bird's-eye that was asleep was being torn apart inside by the ice-cold stare of the beautiful woman who stood in front of him. Bird's-eye knew the pain would go away once he opened his eyes. But sleep-sand held them fast. Rolling over, the mountain man again submitted himself to sleep. After all, he had nothing to wake up for. Meanwhile, at the MacNeill cabin, Becky O'Teale shifted anxiously from foot to foot. The Doc's calling out in the night had her worried. She stayed in her room because Miz Margaret told her to. Becky moved to the door. She saw Miz Margaret walking to the bedroom and she spoke up. "Is the Doc alright?" Becky whispered. Miz Margaret nodded. "Neil's fine. He had a nightmare and he fell out of bed." A few minutes later, Margaret walked Becky back to the spare bedroom. She gently tucked Becky back in bed, spoke quietly to the girl, and then Margaret walked out of the room. Becky lay awake thinking for awhile. The doc had a bad dream. Where there was one bad dream, there was always another. Becky knew what she had to do. Becky stood up and she walked to the small dresser in the corner. She dug around in the top drawer until she found it. Becky held the shiny penny up to the moonlight. Her brother, Smith, had given it to her not long before Becky had started school.. Smith said that the penny would stop Becky's bad dreams about a mean teacher. Becky had shoved it in with her belongings when she moved in with the MacNeills. Now, since she had no need for the penny, she decided that she would give it to the Doc. Becky walked slowly down the steps. She walked to the door near the fireplace and noticed that the lock was open. She knew that the doctor was sleeping in the room. She walked into the room and she knew right away that this wasn't a bedroom. It had all kinds of citified equipment. Becky was curious, but she was afraid to poke around. For all she knew, the doc could be having another nightmare right at that moment. Suddenly Becky heard a loud noise that made her jump. She looked around and then she saw the source of it. Doc MacNeill was sound asleep. His mouth was slightly open and the sound had been a snore! Becky giggled, and then she gently lifted the doc's pillow. Careful not to disturb the doctor's sleep, Becky placed the penny underneath the pillow. She took one more look at the doctor and then she carefully re-arranged the pillow under the doctor's head. Tip-toeing off, Becky hoped that her shiny penny would help Doc MacNeill. Meanwhile, back at the mission, Christy stood on the balcony of her room. She was too restless to sleep, so she looked to the moon for comfort. Usually the moon brought her some serenity, but tonight it had the opposite effect. Christy stood there so long that her feet started to get sore. She decided to drag her footstool to the balcony so she could sit and watch the sunrise. Back in the bunkhouse, David Grantland rolled over in bed. Again. He'd been trying to find a comfortable position since he woke up an hour ago. But that dream... he couldn't shake it... once again the preacher played back the dream in his mind. He was walking around the cove, hand in hand with someone. He didn't dare look to see whose hand he was holding. The hand was so small, yet it had a roughness behind the fragility. David caught a glimpse of something red as they walked. Something red... was Christy wearing a red blouse? Suddenly the person let go of David's hand and spun around. David couldn't see her face, but he welcomed the kiss she gave him until they suddenly pulled apart. David opened his eyes... awake! The young preacher sighed. He'd never understood why he woke up at just the wrong moment! He threw his feet out from under the covers. Then he realized how cold it was. "Burrr!" David called, tucking his feet back in the warmth of the bed. He tried to get back to sleep, but the dream stayed with him. Who did he kiss? He assumed it was Christy... but was it possibly... someone with red hair? David instantly tried to banish the thought from his mind. Ruby Mae wasn't even fourteen yet and she loved Rob Allen. It was only a dream, David told himself with an enormous sigh. If I go to sleep I will forget all about it. He put his head on his pillow, closed his eyes, and tried to sleep away the dream. ***************************************** "Unexpected Love" by Robin Chapter 17 Christy stood up from the footstool. The air was chilly outside. Christy reached in and grabbed her light blue shawl. Pulling her shawl around her shoulders, Christy stepped back onto the balcony. Somehow the air felt even colder than before. Christy looked around and small white flakes fell down from the cloudy sky. The first snow... and she was out in it. Christy smiled as she looked at the beautiful view. Some of the mountain peaks were already white with snow. Christy smiled as she looked around. Wow! The mountains were always beautiful, but when it snowed in the dark they looked even better. Christy knew this was a good time to spend quality time with G-d. "G-d." Christy prayed, sitting down. "Thank you for the beauty all around me. Thank you for the Children. Thank you for the precious love that surrounds me constantly. I love your Lord and I can't believe how much you have blessed me over the past year or so." Christy paused for a moment. "Father, I've experienced extreme confusion and false security. I've experienced faithful friendship and strong emotions. Thank you for wiseing me up in all these things. Right now I am restless. I need some peace, I need to receive understanding." Christy sat in the snow that was beginning to gather on the balcony. A peace overwhelmed her. She felt tears well up in her eyes as she realized that she wasn't ready for marriage yet. Her decision had been the right one. Christy had to give herself time to grow up just a little more. Then G-d would provide the man for her. Christy was sure He would. Later that day, Christy stood in the missionhouse kitchen. Filled with deep peace from the morning, Christy moved with ease through all the school events that morning. She smiled a little as she thought about what she was doing. Dan Scott had skipped breakfast that morning and Christy knew that he would probably skip the other two meals to work. Christy finished cutting the second sandwich into four pieces. The two glasses of lemonade were sitting on the counter. Christy set the sandwich plate and glasses on a tray. She quickly walked towards the door. Smiling, Christy walked over to where Dan was working. "Dan!" she called. Dan turned from his work. "You skipped breakfast this morning." she reminded him. "You need to eat lunch. You can't run on one meal a day or less." Dan put the axe down. "Yes, Ma'am." he said reluctantly. Dan really didn't want to stop working. If he did, he was afraid he would cry. Dan smiled at Christy. "Thank you." he said, picking up a glass. Dan sipped the lemonade, it was perfect, not too sweet or too sour. "Mmmm." Dan said softly. "Thank you, Miss Christy." Christy smiled and nodded. Dan avoided her warm blue-eyed gaze. Tears welled up in his eyes. Christy had the same compassionate, friendly eyes that had so attracted him to Cecile. Dan turned away from her and picked up his sandwich. Dan bit down and chewed thoughtfully. "Not bad." he said after he swallowed. Dan finally sat down on a log and Christy sat next to him. They ate breakfast in silence. Finally, Dan spoke. "Sometimes I'm not sure I can go on." Christy put a gentle hand on his shoulder. Dan continued, fighting back from the tears but losing the battle. "Sometimes I just wish I could run away from the pain, sometimes I would rather be dead than face one more day of the pain. I have having to work all the time just to keep myself sane. I don't know what to feel anymore. It's been weeks now. I should have slowed down in the grieving, but it's still as strong as ever." Christy touched his elbow with her other hand. "Dan." she said softly. "Maybe the reason you're still in so much pain is because you haven't given your pain to G-d." Dan managed a small smile. "Thanks, Miss Christy. You've really made me think." Dan handed the glass back to her. "And your lemonade's perfect, too." Christy made the quick clean up and she put the glasses and the sandwich plates back onto the tray. Then she said, "Dan. Be at dinner tonight. Your body can't run on one meal a day." Dan nodded his agreement. Christy walked off smiling a little. Suddenly the peace from that morning rushed over her anew, giving her the burst of energy required to run back to the schoolhouse. Neil MacNeill sat in his cabin. He and Margaret had just finished lunch. Neil grew restless, then he shouted. "Darn it, woman! We can't stay like this forever!" Margaret looked at him coldly as she cleared the dishes. "I know, but appearently you don't seem to agree with your own conclusion." Margaret walked to the kitchen. Neil dropped his head onto the table. That woman could be so exasperating! Oh well, another day or so of silence couldn't hurt, but what would he do after that? "Unexpected Love" Chapter 18 As the weeks went by it became common for Christy to go over to Dan's at lunch. Sometimes she would bring a student, but mostly she came alone for them to talk over lunch. Dan often worked inside now, building the extra floor above him. It was taking forever to get it fixed. Dan raced to the door, eager to enjoy another delicious lunch with Miss Christy. Christy stood at the door alone. Good, Dan wanted to talk with her. Not long later, they sat at the table Dan had put in his cabin. "Miss Christy." Dan said. "I'm really glad you came here today. I mean... it means less time with the children." Christy smiled and interrupted. "Dan, I like coming over here. To me it's a blessing to have gotten to know you so well. Mother and Daddy practically know you as well as I do." Dan looked down, blushing under the surface. He didn't look up when he said that "it really means alot to me that you keep remembering to come here. A lot of times it's the highlight of my day." Christy fought back a grin. "Sometimes it is for me, too." she said softly. Why was she so embarrassed? Bird's-eye Taylor sat in his cabin. Silence surrounded him. Silence always made Bird's-eye uncomfortable, it spoke too loudly. Bird's-eye had too much time on his hands. He needed to fill his time better. His visits to Miss Hattie had eaten up a good amount of his time, but still, he had too much time on his hands. He wished he had something to do besides just sit there. He'd done everything he could think of, including women's work. He'd cleaned his cabin until it practically shone, he'd put up new curtains, he'd fixed every crack in the walls. Bird's-eye scanned the room, his eyes fell on the table in the center of his cabin. Something Miss Hattie had given him lay in the middle. Bird's-eye picked up the book and fingered it. It was a Bible. He hadn't had the nerve to tell her that he couldn't read. Finally, he decided trying to piece together what it said at different parts would be better than doing nothing. He opened the book at the beginning of a Bible book. He didn't know which. Trying to figure out what letter made what sound was harder than he thought it would be. Finally, he remembered seeing John Spencer write his name, it was the same as the title. So he was in the book of John. Now to figure out what else was on the page. Neil MacNeill walked the length of the cabin. Margaret looked up at him. "Neil MacNeill, sit down. I'm getting dizzy." she said. Neil chuckled and sat down. Silence prevailed in the room for several moments. Finally, Margaret spoke up. "Thanksgiving's coming." she said simply. Neil nodded. "I know." he responded. Margaret responded slowly. "Any visitors?" Although her question was short, Neil knew what she meant. Often visitors would come to the Cove on holidays. "Christy's parents." he said. The conversation was like a lead ball being thrown back and forth landing with a thud each time. Finally, Neil said, "I'm going to go and check on Mrs. O'Teale today. She's most likely to talk to me honestly with the children at school for the day." Margaret managed a small smile as her husband retreated out the door. Things have to change around here, she thought, and soon. "UNEXPECTED LOVE" CHAPTER 19 It was Thanksgiving Day and it was early in the morning. Christy and some of her older girls, Ruby Mae, Bessie, Lizette and Zady, were in her room. There were getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner. Ruby Mae had asked if Christy would make her look all pretty for the dinner. Soon the other girls wished they could get the same great treatment, so Christy had agreed to do a "girls time" before dinner. The curlers made Christy feel crazy with two bits of hair all would up in them. She was going to let a couple of strands frame her face, but she wanted them curled. Ruby Mae looked in disgust at the curlers. "Why would anyone want curly hair enough to put one of those contraptions on their head?" "Ruby Mae." Lizette said. "Iffen your hair was straight as mine you'd understand." Bessie shook her head. "Why curl when you can git yer hair done like mine?" Bessie held up her two French braids that Christy had put in her hair. They were tied with blue ribbons. Christy laughed as she finished combing Zady Spencer's hair. "Ruby Mae, Lizette is right. People with straight hair want curly hair." And people with curly hair want straight hair. I should know." Zady, who had been silent throughtout this conversation spoke up. "Aint anybody ever satisfied with their own hair?" she questioned. Silence reigned in the room for several moments. Finally Christy said, "Well, I'm sure that some people are happy with their hair." Bessie jumped in again. "Ah think wavy is the best kind of hair to have. Taint curly enough to be outta control and taint straight enough to hang their head like a pack o' wet noodles." Lizette smiled. "Well, my hair ain't gonna be hangin' like a pack o' wet noodles today." she said as she gestured toward the curlers holding every inch of her hair. A silence fell again. No one knew what to talk about. Finally Bessie broke the silence. "Ah think John trusts me again." she put out awkwardly. "That's wonderful, Bessie!" Christy exclaimed happily. Ruby Mae, forever the curious one, asked a question. "Does that mean he's courtin' ya again?" Bessie shrugged. "Ah ain't sure where we're a-goin' in our relationship." she said softly. "But ya want him ta court ya again, right?" Ruby Mae asked gently. Bessie nodded painfully and silence once again covered the room. "Alright, everyone." Christy said. "Let's talk about more cheery matters." Ruby Mae leaped in intimately. "Isn't Preacher the best-lookin' man alive?" she asked. Everyone looked at her and her cheeks colored. "Did ah say that out loud?" Ruby Mae asked, humiliated. "Ruby Mae." Zady said softly. "What about Rob Allen?" Ruby Mae took a deep breath. "That's what ah've been a- wonderin', Zady?" Silence prevailed in the room for a moment until Ruby Mae spoke up with something. "Well, back ta my question. Don't ya think Preacher's the handsomest man alive?" "No handsomer than John Spencer." Bessie said in a day-dreamy voice. "You gals got fellas on the brain somethin' fierce!" Zady said. Christy, who had been bright red since the second time the topic had come up, said, "Zady has a point, not all of us are comfortable discussing boys." Lizette leaned forward on her arms. "Ah know which fella Miz Christy wants to discuss." she said. Christy's blush deepened. "Lizette, enough. Please." Christy practically pleaded. The other girls giggled and Christy couldn't resist joining in. As Christy continued doing Zady's hair, giggling, she realized something important. These girls weren't just her students; they were her friends. Later that day, everyone stood around the table. Miss Hattie's voice rang loud and clear over the mission yard. Ruby Mae's hand was nearly enveloped in David's. She felt awkward holding hands with him. Ruby Mae tried to keep from blushing as she tried to poke her fingers out from behind the Reverend's large hand. "...we raise, this is our Hymn of Grateful Praise." The last words of the song floated around, giving great relief to Ruby Mae as she let go of David's hand and sat down. That night, Christy spent some time with her visiting parents. "Daddy." she said. "I am so glad you are doing so well." William nodded. "Well... I am glad, too." Julia smiled at her daughter. "Christy, you've been here for a long time...are you sure?" Christy shook her head. "Mother, this is my home now. The only thing I miss about Asheville is you two. If I were to go back to Asheville I really wouldn't be able to be the young girl who spent all of her time shopping and going to parties." Julia shrugged. "Well, you can't blame a Mother for trying." she said with a smile. William smiled. "I'm just glad I don't have to change your nickname on account of techicality, Little Miss." Christy shook her head. "I'm glad you don't have to, Daddy." Meanwhile, Dan Scott walked into the partially finished cabin. The small amount of the loft hung over about one-eighth of the cabin. Dan settled on a floor by a wall. He'd eaten too much of the delicious meal that had been served to all of the people of Cutter Gap and now his stomach was complaining about it! Dan covered himself with a blanket and tried to fall asleep. If he could just sleep long enough for his stomach to digest the extra food. Most of the residents of the cove were going on with a jollification that was more full of joy than any before. Margaret had insisted on coming along. Neil couldn't resist dancing his wife. It was probably to help him resist the temptation to find Christy and dance with her. Neil tried to put his feelings for Christy out of his mind. This time he simply danced with Margaret. The fast tune came to an end and a slow one replaced it. Neil led Margaret gracefully around the mission. "So, you and Alice have made up with each other?" Neil asked. Margaret nodded. "Yes... now all that's left is us having a good long talk." Neil felt uncomfortable. "Not here." he said. Margaret agreed and the two of them danced in silence, both unwilling to discuss the thing that needed to be discussed the most. Neil never asked the important question. Why? ***************************************** "Unexpected Love" Chapter 20 Christy sat in her room, alone accept for her baby raccoon, Ida. The little creature had become a little furball. "Ida." Christy said, still wondering why she talked to the animal. "What do you think of my idea?" Ida crawled up to Christy and snuggled in her lap. Christy laughed when the sweet creature looked up at her with those liquid black eyes. "You act like you understand every word I say." Christy said, pulling the raccoon off her lap and placing her gently on the bed. Ida took the hint and hopped onto the floor. Ida slowly scrambled over to Christy's desk. "Oh no!" Christy called, picking Ida up and holding her under her arm. Christy laughed. "You're a naughty girl, yes you are!" Christy said this as she walked out of her bedroom door and down the stairs. Dan Scott walked along the path in the woods. He loved walking in these woods. It felt so peaceful and Dan had never felt more surrounded with God's love and strength. Suddenly Dan heard a rustling sound in the trees above. Looking around, Dan found out where the sound was coming from, less than five feet away in a tree just off the path. Dan stepped into the thick trees, off the path, and he saw something that surprised him. A young man sat, crouched in a tree, only about ten feet above the ground. Dan saw immediately that he had a rope tied to a tree limb, and the other end of the rope was tied losely around his neck. Dan looked at the young man. "Who are you?" he asked. Lundy Taylor sat in the tree. A colored man stood staring at him. Tears welled up in his eyes. He'd been ready. Lundy had wanted to die. But now, he'd lost his nerve. "Stay away!" Lundy shouted, his voice shaking. "Stay away or ah'll jump." Dan smiled. "Will that do any good now that I'm here?" he asked, stepping forward. Lundy bit his lip. "Why would you want to save me?" he asked. "We ain't the same kind." The man glanced at his hands. "You mean our skin color is different?" he said softly. Lundy nodded and the man walked up. Standing just a few feet from right below him, the man said, "Do you want to talk about it?" Lundy nodded again and he undid the rope from around the tree limb before jumping to the ground. Several minutes later, the men were deep in a discussion. Lundy had lied about his name and said that he was "Patrick Day." "So." Lundy concluded his story. "When ah heard my Pa say that he'd treat me the same as any other person who shot him, ah knew that was bad and ah ran off to Lufty Branch. Saw the Preacher time-or-two. But now, ah figgered there's no way out, 'exceptin' ta... ." Lundy paused. "Well, you saw what ah was gonna do." he said softly. Dan nodded. "Patrick." he said. "I understand completely. There's not much that's worse than having a father that doesn't appreciate you, or the things you have tried to do." Lundy bit his lip. "My Pa was worse than that. He woulda kilt me sure as ah'm sittin' here." Dan sighed. "Patrick, how would that have been different from what you were about to do?" Tears welled up in Lundy's eyes. He tried to blink back the tears. "Ah still miss my ma. Ah tried lookin' fer her, but ah never found 'nothin' 'bout her." he said, fighting back the tears. As the two of them talked, a friendship developed. Little did Dan know, that this friendship would take an interesting twist come Christmas. Meanwhile, Becky O'Teale sat at the dinner table with Neil and Margaret. An uncomfortable silence prevailed around them. Becky raised a bite of the tender fish to her mouth. After chewing, Becky threw her fork down and swallowed. "Alright!" she shouted. "Ah've had nigh onto-enough o'yer treatin' each other like you was strangers!" Neil and Margaret exchanged glances. Neither had ever heard Becky talk like that before. Finally, Becky said. "Now, there's somethin' you ain't talkin' about, and ah aim ta find out what it is and make ya talk about it." Neil bit his lip and said. "Alright, Becky. I guess we'll talk about it." Margaret agreed. "You start, Neil." Neil looked Margaret in the eye. "Why?" he whispered. "Why did you leave?" And the discussion launched from there. Soon the couple was deep in conversation. They were in the process of unwrinkling their problems. UNEXPECTED LOVE CHAPTER 21 Becky sat with her arms crossed. Her eyes went back and forth between Neil and Margaret. They had been talking for several hours. It wasn't always a calm talk. The two of them had yelled at each other, interrupted each other and accidently changed the subject several times. Finally, it was understood. Margaret had left Cutter Gap because she wasn't able to make friends there. Although the two of them understood each other now, they had no game plan. They had no thoughts on where they'd go from here. "Well." Becky said. "Least-ways we've made some progress here today. Now ah've got homework ta do." After Becky walked off, Neil pointed his thumb up the stairs. "She didn't used to be like that." he commented. "She's been around you for months." Margaret responded. Meanwhile, Christy sat at her desk. She'd been scribbling down her ideas for hours now. New songs were coming to her mind. Christmas songs. She couldn't wait to ask Miss Alice about it. Once she had her ideas written, Christy decided to write a letter to her parents. She decided she'd write the letter, then check with Miss Alice, but she wouldn't send it if Miss Alice said no. "Dear Mother and Daddy." Christy wrote. "How are you? I'm wonderful and I have an idea. I have a book of Christmas songs, most are rather recent, others are traditional. I'm going to do a Christmas pageant with some of the students. We'll open with the song, "Do you see what I see" - I hope you know that song. It is sung in four parts and can be done as a kind of play. Then I was thinking of having them perform the original Christmas story, with the end of the story of The Little Drummer Boy as part of it. There's one problem... I will need costumes for the children. Would you mind sending the kinds I described to you? I'll pay for most of it. Thank you both. I love you." Christy Christy sat back and read her letter with satisfaction. Now just to ask Miss Alice... . David sat in his bunkhouse. He had major writer's block on that Sunday's sermon. The second David's pencil touched the paper, he found himself sketching a picture. Only deep in the part of his mind he wanted to ignore, did he know what he was sketching. As he drew, he recognized it as what it was. A rough sketch of Ruby Mae. David ripped the page from the pad and crumpled it up. "She's fourteen!" he shouted aloud to himself. "And I am twenty-seven!" he said louder. Shaking his head, he tried to fight off the growing attraction he felt toward the teenager. Suddenly David heard a knock on the bunkhouse door. "Preacher?" Ruby Mae's voice inquired. David resisted the impulse to run out and hold her. That wasn't right. She was a child... nothing more... on top of that Ruby Mae was in love with Rob Allen. His two arguments contradictted each other. If she was a child, a little part of his brain argued, then how can she love Rob Allen? Either she's a child that doesn't understand the meaning of love, or she's a woman who loves Rob Allen. It's impossible for her to be both. "Oh shut up." David murmured to himself. "What did ya say, Preacher?" he heard the girl inquire. David frantically searched his brain for a good answer. Finally he said, "I said I didn't realize I was so shut up." As he said it, he realized how lame it sounded. Stepping out the door, David didn't look at her for a moment. He avoided Ruby Mae's face. He turned to shut the door. The second their eyes met, David looked away again. He was just on the rebound from Christy's refusal. No relationships... especially not with a child! Bird's-eye puzzled over the Bible some more. As he figured out the letters slowly, he memorized what he learned. He quoted off the few verses he'd memorized. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made." "Well." Bird's-eye said aloud to himself. "Leastways that makes sense." Bird's-eye tried to start on the next part. He recognized letters by this point. "I...N... ." after thinking for a moment he exclaimed, "IN!" His reading project was working. Maybe he could go to the mission and tell Miz Christy what he had learned! Maybe she'd teach him more. Dan Scott knelt inside what looked like a completed cabin. Yet the railing to the loft was not completed here. As Dan worked, he thought about the person he'd met. Patrick Day. The boy seemed afraid... and lost. Dan wondered about that. As Dan thought for several moments, he found himself praying for the young man. One thing for sure, Patrick needed it. Chapter 22 coming soon!