“Jake!” Aletta hurried after them, the muscles in her abdomen complaining.
Jake paused and looked back, the boys beside him.
Winded when she reached them, her side aching, Aletta paused for a few seconds to catch her breath. “I just needed to tell you that—” She swallowed. “Sometimes . . . Andrew has a tendency . . . to not wear his coat.”
“Mama, I’m not cold.”
Aletta held up a forefinger. “But you will be if you take off your coat. And then you’ll get a cold.”
“That’s what my mama says too, Mrs. Prescott. But I never do get sick. I always—” Winder stopped. His face crinkled up and he sneezed, which made Andrew laugh, which then started a fake sneezing contest between them.
“Please, Jake.” Aletta lowered her voice. “Make sure he keeps it on. He was born prematurely and has always had a tendency toward illness. So it’s important that he stays warm.”
“I’ll take good care of him, Aletta. Don’t you worry.”
She nodded. “Are you going far?”
“Not too far. I scouted out a place just across that field and over the ridge.”
He pointed, and she peered in that direction as though she could see anything besides darkness, and maybe the faintest outline of the trees.
“Aletta,” he said softly.
She looked back.
“He’ll be fine. I’ll bring him back to you first thing in the morning unharmed and still in one piece.”
Again she nodded, then pulled Andrew to her and gave him a hug and kiss.
“Mom!” He pulled away. “Not on a sleepout!”
“My mama does that too,” Winder said as they walked away, and Aletta could still hear his and Andrew’s exchange as they started across the field.
The night was cold without her coat, and she hurried back inside and stood in the entrance hall for a moment, her imagination running wild with all that could go wrong, with all the ways Andrew could get hurt.
She’d recently read about some Federal troops who’d taken to raiding local farms, stealing whatever they could. What if that group of soldiers happened upon Jake and the boys tonight? What would they—
“Please, Lord, keep them safe,” she whispered aloud, working to silence her worry that she knew was unfounded. She knew at heart that her heightened concern had more to do with Warren’s passing than with Andrew. Yet if anything happened to him too . . .
Telling herself he would be fine, she returned to the kitchen and found Tempy pouring the last kettle of heated water into the bathtub that was situated in front of the hearth, the fire crackling with warmth. She got teary-eyed just looking at it.
“I done pulled the curtains closed, ma’am. And with all the menfolk outta the house, it’s just us. So you go on and get undressed, and I’ll help you in. Don’t want you fallin’ on Tempy time.”
Aletta had to smile. She did as asked, feeling a little self-conscious about her body as she undressed, the air cold. But as soon as she stepped into the tub and sank down into the water, she felt herself relaxing.
“It’s important not to get the water too hot for a woman in your state, ma’am. But I can add a little more as we go along if you need it.”
Aletta sighed, able to feel the soreness in her body melting away. “It’s wonderful, Tempy. Thank you.” Then she started to cry. And couldn’t stop. “I’m-I’m sorry,” she finally managed, trying to hold herself together.
“Ain’t no reason to say you’re sorry. Not to me, anyway. You just let the tears come, ma’am. You got every reason under heaven to be cryin’. And just ’cuz you cryin’ don’t mean you don’t trust the good Lawd no more either. Jesus knows that. Shoot, even he cried when he was here. Over that good ol’ friend of his who died ’fore the Lawd could get there to save him. And what with Jesus already knowin’ he was ’bout to give Lazarus back his life. Makes me wanna cry just thinkin’ about it.”
Aletta looked back and, sure enough, tears filled Tempy’s eyes. Then Tempy grinned, and Aletta felt a bubble of laughter work its way up her throat. She sank deeper into the tub, relishing the moment.
“Want me to wash your hair for you, ma’am? I do Mrs. McGavock’s.”
“If you don’t mind, Tempy.”
The woman made a tsking noise. “If I don’t mind . . .” She laughed. “You done brought so much joy to my kitchen, I’m happy to do it for you.”
Aletta loosened the pins from her hair then dunked several times until it was thoroughly wet. Tempy lathered up the soap and began working it through, and Aletta closed her eyes, certain she’d slipped through the veil and into heaven.
A while later, hair in a towel and skin pruning, she climbed from the tub with Tempy’s help and dried off, shivering as Tempy helped her into her nightgown.
“You carryin’ that baby awful high, ma’am. And you know what that means.”
Aletta ran her hands over her belly. “Boy or girl, it doesn’t matter to me. I just pray he or she is healthy.”
“Mmm-hmm. I hear that, ma’am. Now sit down here in this chair by the fire and let me brush that hair ’til it’s dry.”
An hour or so later, her hair all but dry and more relaxed than she could remember, Aletta rose. “I can’t thank you enough for this, Tempy. And . . . for welcoming me as you have into your kitchen.”
Tempy searched her expression then gave her arm a gentle squeeze. “You gonna be all right, ma’am. Even if it don’t feel that way from time to time. I ‘member when my husband, Isum, died. Big old mountain of a man, he was. I come in one evenin’, found him crumpled right there on the floor of the cabin out back. Already gone. Felt like someone ripped my heart out and stomped on it. Still does, some days, when I go missin’ him. Most days, though, I think of him waitin’ for me yonder on them golden streets, and that gives my heart a joy my chest can barely hold.” Her smile said what words never could. “The Lord’ll give you what you need when you need it, Missus Prescott. He always does. You just need to keep watchin’ for it so’s you don’t miss it.”
Still sifting Tempy’s counsel, Aletta climbed the stairs to her room. She looked out the window toward the field where she’d last seen Jake and the boys, said a prayer for them all, and was asleep within seconds of her head touching the pillow.
“You put the blade of grass between your thumbs, like this.” Jake showed the boys by the flicker of the campfire. “A thicker blade of grass works best. Then you cup your hands together and blow like this.” He blew through his thumbs, and the boys’ eyes lit.
“I wanna do it!” Winder scooted closer.
“Me too!”
Jake took turns showing them how, then they settled onto their pallets for some hot chocolate and butter cookies, compliments of Tempy. He figured it was a bit past two o’clock, maybe a little later, and he couldn’t believe they were both still awake. So far they’d done plenty of stargazing, he’d told them stories he remembered from childhood, and they’d asked him about what he did in the army—which he’d kept to generalities. They’d told him every joke they’d ever heard, it seemed like, and had even started making some up.
The way they bantered back and forth and got to laughing over nothing and everything reminded him of how he and Freddie used to carry on as boys.
Jake looked over to find them both asleep. But he knew that if he didn’t keep the promise he’d made to them earlier, he’d pay for it dearly. So no going to sleep for him. He added more wood to the fire, then sat back and enjoyed the sound of the wind through the winter grasses and studied the night sky for a while, the stars a distant blur against a wash of black.
Sometime later, he retrieved his notebook and spectacles and began sketching. He already had the drawings he needed for the newspaper article. Problem would be choosing which ones to include and what to say about the auction overall. As the night sky deepened, he knew the first blush of dawn wasn’t long away, which meant that he needed to—
Then he heard it. Somewhere behind him. A rustling in the grass.
That much noise was no small animal, and he pulled his rifle closer. Whatever it was, was still some distance away, just over the ridge. Not about to leave the boys, he took off his spectacles and moved just beyond the circle of firelight and into the darkness. His eyes quickly adjusted, and then he saw her. Or was fairly certain it was her. What other woman would be out here walking the field this time of the morning?
“Aletta?”
“Good morning, Jake,” she whispered, the swoosh of her skirts enough to wake every animal between there and Kentucky. This woman . . .
“What are you doing out here?” As if he didn’t already know.
She held up a basket as she came closer. “I brought some pie and milk. And some coffee. I thought you all might be hungry. How are the boys doing?”
He took the basket from her and caught a whiff of lilac and something else sweet and womanly. “They’re sleeping for now. But the sun will be coming up soon, so I need to wake them shortly for one last bit of stargazing.”
She knelt by Andrew and tucked his blanket closer about him, then did the same to Winder. Neither boy stirred.
“Well . . .” She rose. “I guess I should head on back to the house.”
“Thank you for the pie and drinks. We’ll enjoy them.”
She turned to go then paused. “Would you mind terribly if I stayed for a while? I promise I won’t get in the way.”
Open to her company anytime, anywhere, Jake gestured to his pallet and claimed a space opposite the fire from her.
“So what’s it been like?” she asked after a moment. “The sleepout.”
He gave her a quick summary of what they’d done and talked about, and as he watched her watching her son sleep, he got an inkling of how difficult it must have been for her to watch them walk away last night. The boy was her world now. Him, along with the child she was carrying. They were all she had left of her husband. So he didn’t blame her for being a bit overprotective.
The silence lengthened and the crackle of the flames filled the quiet between them.
“Thank you for your kindness to Emmett Zachary, Jake. It meant a lot to Kate. And to me too.”
“I was happy to do it.” Tempted to tell her about the idea he’d been turning around in his head, he decided it was a mite soon. Besides, it might scare her off, and he was working hard on being patient.
She pulled his blanket up over her. “Mrs. McGavock told me this afternoon that the auction has already brought in almost as much money as they’d estimated for the entire event. And we still have another four days.”
“It’s been a great success, Aletta. You should be proud.”
“I am. And I’m also grateful to you for all your help.”
“I just did what you told me to do.”
She laughed. “I know. That’s what I’m grateful for.”
He smiled, sensing a layer or two of her wall coming down. He enjoyed the chance to watch her as she told him about things that had happened behind the scenes over the past few days. Finally, a comfortable silence settled between them and they stared up at the stars.
“Captain Winston?” Andrew stirred beside him and yawned. “Is it time yet?”
“Almost, buddy. I was just about to wake you. Someone I think you may know has joined us.” Jake hoped the boy wouldn’t resent his mother being here.
Andrew looked over his shoulder. “Mama,” he whispered, and smiled. “We’ve been havin’ fun.”
“That’s what I hear.”
Andrew sat up. “Captain, can I look through your rifle glass again?”
Jake smiled and handed it to him. “Rifle sight.”
“Rifle sight,” the boy repeated. “Captain Winston is a sharpshooter, Mama. That means he can shoot just about anything, no matter how far away it is.”
“Is that right?” she said softly, and Jake heard a touch of uncertainty in her voice, as though she were questioning if he’d told the boys more than she might approve of.
Andrew held the sight to his eye and looked up, then finally exhaled. “I can’t get it to work anymore.” The boy handed it to him. “Can you fix it?”
Jake pointed. “Remember to turn that little knob to the left or right until what you’re looking at becomes clear.”
Andrew tried again. “It’s still not workin’.”
Jake took it from him, went through the motions of holding it up to his eye and squinting, then turned the knob a little and handed it back, aware of Aletta watching him.
The boy shook his head. “I think it’s broken.”
“Here . . .” Aletta reached for it. “Let me try.”
She peered through the sight and adjusted the lens, then handed it back to him. “There you go. All fixed.”
Andrew lay back down and stared up while Jake busied himself with tending the fire.
“I can’t find the Big Dipper anymore, Captain Winston.”
Jake glanced up, the night sky a blur, and he grew a little uncomfortable. “Sure you can. It’s right up there.”
“Right up where?”
Jake felt the back of his neck heat. “Why don’t we wake up Winder, give him a chance to find it.”
He coaxed Winder awake, and the boy searched the night sky, but he couldn’t locate the constellation either. The boys sat there looking at him, and if Jake hadn’t known better, he would’ve thought he was being set up. But he did know better. No one here knew about that injury. But this wasn’t the time or place to—
“The Big Dipper is just over the height of that tallest tree right there.” Aletta leaned forward, pointing. “And once you see that, you should be able to see the bear.”
“I see it!” Winder grinned, then handed Andrew the sight, and he took a turn. Then the boy passed it to Jake, and Jake again went through the motions, looking in the same direction they had.
Aletta reached for the basket. “How about some pecan pie and milk?”
She served them each a slice, and they ate in silence as the sun came up, the boys nearly nodding off again, while Jake quietly savored the taste of home—the sweet and buttery filling with pecans on top crusted in syrup. How he’d missed this.
“This is just like my own mama used to make,” he said after a moment. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” she whispered, then began gathering everything back into the basket.
He did likewise with the camp and when they reached the house, he dropped the boys’ pallets inside the front hallway and turned to leave.
“Jake . . .”
He paused, and the look in her eyes unnerved him.
“Thank you again for accompanying the boys on their sleepout. I can tell they really enjoyed it.”
“You’re welcome. I enjoyed it too.”
She opened her mouth as if about to say something else, then merely smiled and closed the door. And that’s when he was all but certain she knew the truth. Or at the very least, she suspected it.