Under the Summer Sky Read online

  Trinity clung to Lil, burying her face in the woman’s shoulder as the motorcycle bumped and lurched over the rough road. The lantern tied to the front bars barely provided enough light to travel the jagged terrain. Fence posts and fields flew past in a blur. The machine hit a bump, and Trinity gritted her teeth and prayed. Please, please let this be over soon! She didn’t know how far they’d traveled today. There’d been the dead mare, and they’d eaten a leisurely lunch. How far back to Dwadlo? The moon rose higher, and the occasional loud belch spewing from the back of the machine distracted her thoughts. Pauline was dying. She’d just found her family and now their time together was fleeting.

  The machine hit a bump in the rutted road, and Trinity groaned. She should have stayed with Jones. Sue was fast, but this fire-breathing fiend was steadily eating up the miles.

  “That thar’s a mighty fine-lookin’ feller you’ve snagged.”

  The women had ridden for over an hour when Trinity pleaded for respite. Grabbing Lil’s shirt collar, she’d begged. “Stop this thing or I’m going to slap you silly!” She’d never struck anyone, but Lil was tempting her. Every bone in her body rattled.

  Lil had slowed to a stop and finally cut the engine. Trinity rolled to her side and slowly lifted her leg over the machine and touched ground. Firm, solid ground. She closed her eyes in silent gratitude. If she lived to be a hundred she would never forget this ride.

  Lil was sliding off the machine and stretching. Trinity tested her legs, and when it appeared they would hold her she hobbled around in a circle trying to bring life back to her limbs, aware that Lil was watching from the corners of her eyes. She must look rather silly, but at the moment vanity was the farthest thing from her mind.

  She recalled Lil’s earlier statement. “If you’re referring to Jones, I barely know the man.”

  “That a fact? He ain’t yorne?”

  “He ain’t.” She mentally cringed at the use of improper language. Rob had always been adamant that she speak proper English.

  “Well now, that’s a real shame. Mighty fine-lookin’ male.”

  “Looks aren’t everything.” She worked a kink out of her shoulder. Jones was a looker, but then she’d seen good-looking men before. She valued a man’s personality and his moral traits more highly than his appearance. Looks faded but the core remained until death. She had witnessed many an unhappy marriage by women who had married for financial gain or the way a man wore his clothing.

  “No, but they shore help if a man’s got ’em.” Fully stretching, Lil grinned. “Especially around these parts. Ain’t many that would clean up real nice except Tom—and maybe the Estes boy but he’s only sixteen. A bit young for my taste.”

  At least she knew her limits. Trinity guessed that Lil would have to be close to Mae’s age and that would be looking at the later twenties—real later. Trinity couldn’t imagine how Lil’s taste in men ran. Surely not suave and sleek—not when she always looked like an unmade bed. Rough and rowdy—that was more likely her type. But he’d have to be extremely rough and tremendously rowdy to best her, and she was surely a woman who’d need besting occasionally.

  She bit back a grin when she imagined Lil pairing with Jones. The match would serve him right. He was so smug and sure about everything it would do him good for a woman like Lil to tear into him. Of course he’d tear right back.

  “What about the blacksmith? I heard you two might be sweet on each other.”

  “Fisk? Me and Fisk?” Lil turned her face up and hooted. “He’d be the last man on earth I’d marry.”

  “Why? He seems pleasant enough.”

  “That ole coot? I’d sooner eat a bowl of spiders than marry him.”

  Trinity shrugged. “Just repeating what I’ve heard.”

  “Who’d you hear that garbage from? Mae?” She snorted. “Mae thinks she knows everything.”

  “She appears to know a lot about the town.”

  “Well, she should. She’s lived here all of her life.”

  “What about you?”

  “What about me?’

  “Have you lived here always?”

  “Came here when I was an infant. My ma married my pa when my real father took sick and passed shortly after I was born. Ma was one of them mail-order brides. Ever hear of ’em?”

  “Yes.” Trinity had certainly read about women who accepted proposals by mail or magazine advertisements. The practice seemed a bit extreme, but it appeared to serve a purpose. Widows and single women seeking matrimony found the homes and security they sought, and men gained female companionship and mothers for their children.

  “You wouldn’t catch me marrying a man I hadn’t met,” Lil said. “Fact is, I don’t think I’ll be marryin’ at all.”

  “Nor I,” Trinity mused. She had yet to meet the man she could imagine herself spending a lifetime with—or even a few months. She’d met nice men but there had never been that excited buzz others talked about. Not even a faint stir, unless she counted the occasional maddening awareness she felt when Jones was around. But that was usually annoyance. She was doing fine on her own and a man would only complicate things.

  She glanced at the moon. “I guess we can move on now.”

  “Yore bottom is in better shape?”

  “The feeling’s come back.” She winced, dreading the long hours to come.

  “Well, saddle up—or climb aboard I’d guess you’d say. We got a ways left to go.” Lil slid onto the machine and stomped hard a couple of times before the engine roared to life. Serenity shattered.

  Heaving a mental sigh, Trinity climbed aboard. Before they took off, she prayed out loud. “Dear God, please let Pauline hold on a little longer. And while you’re at it, Lord, it wouldn’t hurt to throw in a little strength for me.”

  She’d lost track of time when Lil wheeled into Dwadlo, heading straight for the post office.

  She killed the machine. “Here you go. Safe and sound, and it only took a couple of hours.”

  Light spilled from the Curtises’ home as bright as day. Trinity spat. Her mouth was full of dirt, and even without a mirror she knew her eyes were ringed like an opossum. She removed a handkerchief from her pocket and handed it to Lil. “Clean up a bit. We both look a fright.” Lil’s red-orange hair stood on end after the harried ride, and grime from the road covered her face. Trinity was certain they both looked like escapees from the insane asylum.

  Lil scrubbed her face and absently tossed the hanky back to Trinity. The front door opened and Mae appeared as the women started up the steps.

  “Thank goodness you found her.” She wrapped Trinity in a grateful hug.

  Trinity returned the embrace, her gaze straying to the post office. “Is she…”

  “She’s holding her own. Doc says she’s had a light stroke, but we won’t know how light for a bit yet. Come with me. She’s awakened twice and asked for you.”

  Trinity tiptoed through the open doorway. A lantern burned low beside the bed. Benjamin sat up straighter when she entered. “My prayers have been answered. I feared you wouldn’t make it in time.”

  She reached over and gave the older man a hug, noting that his dialect was missing tonight. Had he been putting on an act all these years? Acting like a lone prospector with little education in order to disguise his past as a doctor—a doctor who’d ceased his practice because of one mistake?

  “Mae said she asked for me earlier.”

  “She’s fretting about something. She’s called for you several times.”

  Trinity stepped closer to the bed. The log cabin quilt had been drawn back to the foot of the bed and a light throw covered Pauline’s fragile body. Bending close, Trinity whispered, “Pauline?”

  When there was no response she spoke louder. “Aunt Pauline?”

  Her eyes fluttered open, pale and unseeing. “Is that you, Trinity?”

  “It’s me.” She grasped her hand. “What’s this I hear about you taking ill when I’m barely out of town?”

  “I’m not
ill.”

  Benjamin quietly shook his head.

  “No, but if you were you’d be better in no time.”

  “I had a little weak spell. Happens all the time.” Her eyes opened more fully, focusing on Trinity. “Glad to see you’re back. I’ve been worried about you.”

  Smiling, Trinity stroked the arthritic fingers. “I only left a few hours ago.”

  “I know. I fear I might have sent you on a wild goose chase.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The deed.” Her eyes turned lively—the old Pauline. “Did I say that deed was in Piedmont?”

  Trinity felt her smile freeze in place. The long saddle rides, shooting the horse, the harrowing ride back…Pauline couldn’t be about to tell her it was all in vain. “Yes.”

  “That’s what I feared.” Pauline shook her head, then looked at Benjamin. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’ve been sitting with you all morning.”

  “You got nothing better to do with your time than sit with me?”

  “No, actually. I haven’t.”

  Her strained features softened. “Well now, that’s right nice of you. But there’s no need.” She pushed herself up on her elbows and then wilted back to the pillow. “Guess I need a bite to eat. I’m a mite weak this morning.”

  “Good. Doc wants you to eat and then rest for the next few days.”

  “Pshaw. What does this doc know?” She turned hopeful eyes on the old-timer. “What matters is what you think. Is it my time, Ben?”

  “Only God can answer that question, but the doc’s right about you needing rest, darling.”

  Something akin to fear formed in Pauline’s eyes and then passed. She sighed. “Well, don’t be buildin’ my pine box jest yet.”

  Benjamin patted her hand lightly. “There’ll be no talk about pine boxes.”

  “Oak then, if that suits you.”

  His eyes softened like a smitten youth’s. “It would please me if you did what you were told and got better.”

  Pauline looked back to Trinity as if she’d suddenly remembered her presence. “The deed ain’t in Piedmont.”

  Trinity groaned inwardly. She had spent this whole horrific day in vain?

  “Then where is it?”

  “Here, in the Dwadlo bank.”

  A startled hiss escaped Mae. Trinity turned to face her, and she returned a wry smile. “The bank—or what’s left of it—is a pile of rubble just outside of town. The last train wreck destroyed the building.”

  Benjamin frowned. “All of it?”

  “Every brick,” said Mae. “If the deed was kept there, it’s gone.”

  Trinity bent closer to Pauline. “Are you sure? Could it possibly be anywhere else?”

  “I’m certain as I can be.” She flashed an apologetic smile. “I’m not known for my accuracy, but I’m fifty percent certain the deed was in Dwadlo’s bank. Seems like me and Priss put it there for safekeepin’. We put something there.” She glanced at Benjamin. “Does that sound right?”

  “Sounds right,” he said.

  “What about the land office?” asked Trinity. “Was that destroyed as well?”

  Mae nodded. “All the businesses in town were leveled.”

  Benjamin pulled up a chair and Trinity sank down on it. Gone. The land would fall to ruin and waste without proof of ownership. “Can I apply for a new deed?”

  “Pauline can apply,” Benjamin said, “but she’ll have to get better first.”

  “I can apply right now.” Pauline tried to sit up again and failed. She slowly sank back. “Fetch a lawyer over here. I’ll sign the necessary papers.”

  “It’s four o’clock in the morning, Pauline. No lawyer is going to conduct business at this hour.” Benjamin gently stroked her hand.

  “All right, then. I’ll hold on until one can get here.” She winced. “You’d best get him here early.”

  Benjamin glanced at Trinity. “I’ll do what I can.”

  Nodding, Pauline closed her eyes. “Trinity, you can trust Ben to get the job done. Now, if you don’t mind, I think I’ll rest my eyes a bit.”

  Trinity tucked the light blanket closer around her and whispered, “I’ll keep Ben company while you sleep.” Exhaustion threatened to overtake her, but she wanted to be present when her kin passed over. Pauline would be the last one—the final person with the same blood running through her veins. The indelible bond overcame fatigue and gave her strength.

  “That’d be right kind of you.” Her voice grew faint. “Family’s mighty good to have around at a time like this.”

  Family’s good to have around no matter what, thought Trinity.

  Dawn was streaking the sky when Jones arrived, riding Sue. Mae handed him a steaming cup of coffee when he came in. “Any change?”

  “She wakes up briefly but drops back to sleep. Doc says she’s awfully weak.” She motioned toward a back bedroom. “We’ve moved her back there.”

  “Trinity?”

  “Well, she survived the wild ride, but it’s taken three cups of tea to settle her nerves. She’s with Pauline and Benjamin.”

  Sunshine poured through the half-open bedroom door. Jones pushed it open and stole a look inside. Trinity sat beside her aunt while Benjamin dozed in a nearby chair. A smile lit the young woman’s face when she recognized him.

  “You’re back,” she whispered.

  Entering the room, he kept his voice low. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m alive—which I seriously doubted would be the case a few hours ago. That machine…” She shivered, and then her eyes met and held his. “I’m glad you’re back.”

  “I pushed Sue hard.” He reached for her hand and moved to Pauline’s bedside. “How’s she doing?”

  “Weak. And Jones—she didn’t mean to, but she misled us about the deed.”

  “I thought it was too good to be true. There isn’t one, right?”

  “There was one. Right here in Dwadlo’s bank.”

  “Then what’s the problem?”

  “The bank was destroyed when the second train derailed.”

  A voice spoke softly from the corner. Benjamin. “Could we search through the rubble? It’s piled in a heap nearby.”

  “It would be like looking for a hair in a vat of molasses.” Jones shifted. “We’d never find a deed in that mess—much less a legible one.” He’d seen the refuse. Even the town’s scavengers avoided the dumpsite.

  He looked at the sleeping form on the narrow bed. “We could get a lawyer, but will she rouse enough to sign the documents?”

  Trinity’s hand tightened on his arm. “We thought of that, and we’ve been praying. She’s full of grit—and she wants to help.”

  “When the lawyer gets here we’ll wake her just long enough to sign the papers.” Benjamin stood up and approached the bed, his eyes lovingly resting on the patient. “She’s strong. She’ll sign those documents.”

  “Oh, Benjamin.” Trinity stepped closer and grasped his hand. “This is so hard for you. To love someone so deeply…”

  “We have time.” He patted the young woman’s arm. “Trust me. The Lord’s assured me we’ll have our time. Not as much as I’d like, but enough.”

  A soft tap at the door caught Jones’s attention, and he turned to see a somber man with a hooked nose enter the room. He carried a small black satchel. The attorney had arrived. His ferret-like eyes skimmed the sleeping form. “I was told she was alert enough to conduct business.”

  Trinity took a protective step forward. “She can be awakened when it’s time.”

  “Then wake her.” He set the satchel on the bedside table and extracted a quill pen and bottle of ink.

  “Aunt Pauline?” Trinity spoke softly.

  No response.

  Jones eased closer. “Pauline? Can you open your eyes for us, honey?”

  She didn’t stir. Only the slight rise and fall of her chest told them she was still breathing. Trinity bent closer to feel for a pulse.

  “Pauli
ne?” said Benjamin. “Open your eyes, darling.”

  The waiflike figure lay still as death.

  The attorney reached for a glass of water that sat beside the bed and dashed it all over the sleeping woman’s face. Her eyes flew open.

  Trinity gasped, and Ben took a threatening step forward. “She’s awake,” the attorney noted. He turned to rummage in his satchel and extracted a piece of paper. He spoke loud enough to rouse the dead. “Miss Wilson? Can you write your name on this paper for me?”

  Pauline blinked, water still streaming from her hair down over the pillow. “Why should I?”

  “You’re applying for a new land deed!” He was shouting now.

  “She isn’t deaf,” Trinity told him.

  Pauline blinked. “I’m signing something?”

  “Yes, ma’am. That’s my understanding. You’ll have to wake up enough to sign this paper.”

  “Huh.” Clearly baffled, she wiped at the water dribbling off her chin. “Oh, mercy me. I’m drooling.”

  Trinity bend to sop up the water. Jones shot the lawyer a dirty look. “Was that really necessary?”

  “She must be awake to conduct business.”

  Jones hoped he never had occasion to deal with the man again. He would shoot the weasel.

  Easing the older lady to a sitting position, Trinity held her firmly in place as Jones placed the pen and paper on a book and sat it in front of her. “Do you understand what you’re doing, Auntie?” asked Trinity.

  “I’m drooling.”

  “No, we lost the title deed to Wilson’s Falls and we must apply for a new one.”

  “Lost it?” She peered at Trinity. “Why, I had it in a box at the bank. How could I have lost it?”

  “Just sign the paper, ma’am. My breakfast’s getting cold.” The lawyer must have had frost running through his veins.

  Trinity wedged the pen into her fingers. Pauline bent, drawing the paper close to her nose. “What is this?”

  “An application for a new deed. You need to sign or make an X at the bottom of the paper.” The lawyer shifted on his feet, waiting.

  Pauline shoved the paper aside. “I don’t sign anything without readin’ it first.”

  “Good Lord, woman! That would take all day!”