Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Travis’s pulse raced while he sat on the church’s front pew, waiting for Reverend Levingston.
He didn’t know who to talk to about the situation, other than Aunt Polly, but she was a woman.
What about a husband’s perspective? The reverend had children.
Would he remarry for the sake of his children if his wife died?
And what about the townsfolk? What would everyone think Sunday morning when he entered the church house with a new wife on his arm? Would they accept Miss Callahan?
Reverend Caleb Levingston entered through the church doors with his black leather Bible in hand, his chocolate-brown hair slicked behind his ears. He wasn’t much older than Travis, so Travis was confident he could ask for advice. The reverend, of all people, would know what to say.
Travis stood and shook the man’s hand. “I strongly appreciate you meeting with me.”
“No place I’d rather be,” Reverend Levingston said, patting his Bible. “Do sit down.”
Travis nervously fidgeted with the patch on his thigh, looking down as the reverend sat next to him.
Travis curled his fists, trying to calm himself, but the throbbing in his mind continued.
It seemed his head would explode from his thoughts.
Not every day a man had to ask his pastor to officiate a wedding to a woman he barely knew.
“What brings you here today, Travis? You seem nervous.”
Travis scratched behind his ear. “Is it that obvious?”
Reverend Levingston raised an eyebrow and pointed to Travis’s fidgeting leg.
Travis stopped twitching. His cheeks burned. “Oh. Sorry.”
“Whenever you’re ready to speak, I’m here.”
Travis folded his hands in his lap, leaning forward. “I can’t stop thinking about Sophie. It’s been ten months, you know?”
“The congregation isn’t the same without her. She was a special woman.”
“Yes, there is no one like her.” Travis tried to bring up the advertisement, the reply, and having a woman he didn’t know watching his children, but the words caught in his throat. The words were too hard to salvage, just like they were too difficult to admit.
“I’ve been worried for my children. They need a motherly figure .
. . especially Gideon. Aunt Polly asked me .
. . well . . . to consider putting an advertisement out for a wife .
. .” Travis paused, looking up at Reverend Levingston, who was nodding along.
He seemed not to be as disgusted as Travis thought he’d be.
Travis cleared his throat, adjusting his collar.
“I received a reply from a young woman . . . Miss Callahan from North Carolina. She arrived yesterday, and . . . I was wondering . . . if it’s not any trouble for you . . .”
“To officiate your wedding?” Reverend Levingston finished.
Travis nodded, relaxing his shoulders in relief. “Yes, if it is not a problem. But if it is . . . I’d like to ask for the church’s forgiveness.”
Reverend Levingston laid a hand on Travis’s shoulder.
“Travis, there’s nothing wrong with wanting your children to have a mother, or you desiring a companion.
The Bible clearly states a man shouldn’t be alone.
That’s why God made Eve for Adam. There was something missing in His creation, so God made a woman. ”
Travis’s throat tightened. “I’m just . . . I’m worried. W-What if I make the same mistake. You know what happened to Sophie . . . I can’t bear putting another woman and my children through that again.”
“Travis,” Reverend Levingston said calmly. “I know you are still grieving Sophie, but you must stop blaming yourself. What happened to her was terrible, but you must move on. Take Miss Callahan as a blessing. Love her. Care for her. Knowing Sophie, she’d want you to find love again.”
Travis looked up at the reverend. “Do you think Sophie would approve of this?”
Reverend Levingston nodded. “Very much. She wouldn’t want you and the children to remain unhappy.”
Travis sat quietly, his gaze fixed on the pulpit, the polished wood gleaming in the soft stream of sunlight.
For the first time in his life, he was utterly confused.
He would be a married man again in a day’s time, but he didn’t know what to think.
Could he truly give Josephine Callahan a life of contentment when she’d never be more than his children’s mother?
He thought of Sophie and the love they had shared, a love he felt he was about to trade for a stranger.
How was any of this fair? How could he vow to love and honor Miss Callahan if he could never promise her anything more than companionship he wasn’t sure he wanted?
He closed his eyes. Lord, please help me find a piece of my heart to be a kind and considerate husband.
Help me learn to care for her. Help soften my hardened heart to welcome her into our home—for the sake of my children.
“When would you like the ceremony to be?” Reverend Levingston asked.
“How about tomorrow morning? I would like it to be as small as possible. Just your wife and sons, Aunt Polly, and the children. I’m just not ready for a big celebration.”
“You have my word,” Reverend Levingston promised with a smile.
Travis grabbed his hat from the pew and stood. “Thank you, Reverend.”
Reverend Levingston arose from his seat and shook Travis’s hand again. “Your family will be in our prayers.”
“I appreciate that,” Travis said. “It means a lot.”
Travis stepped inside his cabin, only to be met with a thick, foreign silence. Aunt Polly sat at the table, mending Jonas’s clothes—torn during a church picnic when he caught them on a fence.
“You’re home early.”
Travis hung his hat on the hook behind the door. “I went to see the reverend and decided to get supplies another day.”
“Oh? What did our dear reverend have to say?”
“He will officiate the wedding tomorrow, and he is praying for us.”
“How kind of him,” Aunt Polly said with a smile. “I can’t wait for Miss Callahan to meet his sweet wife.”
Travis crossed his arms. “I hope they will get along well. She needs some female companionship other than the girls and you ole’ grump.”
Aunt Polly chuckled and threw Jonas’s shirt at him. “You crazy fool.”
Travis snickered then peered out the window. “Where are the children and Miss Callahan?”
“They’re out having a picnic in the meadow.”
Travis picked up Jonas’s shirt and sat at the table. Aunt Polly stared at him, her eyes narrowed and forehead wrinkled.
“What?” he asked sharply.
“Why don’t you go join them?”
Travis shook his head and swatted the air. “Nah, they need some bonding time with her. I don’t want to interrupt.”
“What about your bonding time with Miss Callahan?”
“We have the rest of our lives to get to know each other.”
“Don’t you want to know more about the woman you’re marrying?”
“I already know her,” Travis claimed, but it wasn’t true. The more he thought about Miss Callahan, the more of a mystery she was to him.
Aunt Polly snorted, pulling a thread through Jonas’s trousers. “And what do you know?”
Travis slumped forward. “Well, she’s from North Carolina, her brothers died in the war, her parents and sister are dead, she has one great aunt, and she—”
“What about her?” Aunt Polly pushed. “What makes her laugh? What does she do during her leisure time? What is her favorite childhood memory?”
Travis sighed, leaning back in his chair. “What’s the point? It’s not going to be a real marriage.”
“It’s a real marriage if you say vows before God.
” Aunt Polly's gaze softened. “I know Miss Callahan isn’t Sophie, but can you at least try for the children? What example are you setting, hiding away from her like she’s a disease?
Why would Ivy want to warm up to her if she notices her father isn’t making an effort? ”
Aunt Polly did have a point. Blasted woman!
Why did Aunt Polly have to be right all the time?
The day before, Travis had noticed how distant Ivy acted with Miss Callahan whenever the woman tried to engage with her.
What if Ivy never accepted Miss Callahan as a mother?
The little girl could carry the loss of her real mother as a barrier between them forever.
However, here Travis was, doing the same thing in his own way. The realization hit him like a punch to the gut. Perhaps if he interacted with her today, he could set an example. He didn’t have to carry a deep conversation, just act as though he was making an effort.
Travis stood. “I guess I’ll go. You made your point.”
Aunt Polly laughed. “What can I say? I’m always right.”
Travis grumbled under his breath and grabbed his hat. “Sure you are.” He turned to walk out the door, but Aunt Polly’s voice interrupted him.
“Wait.” She approached him, cleaning an object with her apron. She finished then handed it to Travis. He stared at the golden ring in his palm, clearly too small for him to wear.
“That was mine when I married your uncle. I want you to have it—to give to Miss Callahan.”
Travis blinked, shifting his weight. “What? A-Are you sure about this?” He held up the shiny piece of jewelry. “This is your ring.”
Aunt Polly placed her hand over his, closing the ring into his fist. “More than anything. You’ve been through a lot, Travis, and I know how you are feeling, but this is a new beginning—a brand new start.”
A lump swelled in Travis’s throat. “She deserves more, Aunt Polly. How could I let her settle for a dirt-poor farmer?”
“That’s her decision, Travis. She came all this way for you.”
His grip tightened around the ring. “She can’t have me. She’s here for the children.”
Aunt Polly kissed his stubbly cheek. “I love you. You’re like a son to me, and I just want you to be happy.”
“Love you too,” he croaked. Travis shoved the ring into his pocket, fighting back tears. He pressed his lips together and walked out the door.