Chapter 14
14
R eva stood at the edge of the Moose Chapel grounds, taking in the scene as the final touches were added to the vacation bible school setup. The centerpiece of it all was the massive wooden ark, its beams solid and strong, thanks to the direction of Charlie Grace’s father, Clancy Rivers. The old man sat in his wheelchair nearby, a satisfied smile on his face as he watched a few ranch hands finish up the last of the decorations—Charlie Grace’s ex-husband, Gibbs Nichols, among them.
The ark itself was a sight to behold, stretching nearly the length of the chapel, with hand-painted animals peeking out from every window. Colorful streamers in blue, green, and gold fluttered in the breeze, mimicking the flow of water, while pairs of stuffed animals were scattered across the ground, ready to be collected by eager children.
The scene was set against a backdrop of the majestic Teton mountain peaks and a landscape filled with pastel-colored lupines and dotted with sagebrush. The breeze caught the aspen leaves, making them shimmer like silver coins in the sunlight, while the air was rich with the scent of pine and sagebrush. A few hollyhocks sprouting around the church added a touch of deeper color, their tall stalks swaying gently.
Charlie Grace and Lila were busy organizing the craft stations, making sure the paints and brushes were all in place. Capri, on the other hand, hovered near the edge of the gathering, looking a bit out of place. Reva caught her eye and gave her a reassuring smile.
“Capri, you okay?” Reva asked, walking over.
Capri shrugged, her hands tucked into the pockets of her jeans. “This just isn’t my thing, you know? I’m not exactly the maternal type.”
Reva chuckled. “You don’t have to be. Just keep an eye on the kids, make sure they don’t get into too much trouble. They’ll love you.”
Before Capri could respond, Reva’s little boy, Lucan, came dashing up, his eyes wide with excitement. “Mommy, Mommy! Did you see the ark? It’s HUGE! Can we go inside? Are there real animals?”
Reva crouched down to his level, ruffling his hair. “No real animals, sweetheart, but you can pretend. Isn’t that fun?”
Lucan nodded eagerly, then ran off toward the ark, where a group of children had already gathered, pointing and giggling.
“Look, Mom!” one little girl exclaimed, tugging at her mother’s hand. “I found a giraffe!”
Her mother laughed. “Yes, there’s a pair of giraffes.” She pointed. “And a pair of tigers.”
Pastor Pete and his wife, Annie, approached the group, their faces beaming with gratitude. “This is more than we could have hoped for,” Pastor Pete said, his voice filled with emotion. “You’ve all outdone yourselves. The kids are going to remember this for a long time.”
Annie nodded in agreement, her hands clasped together. “Thank you so much for your hard work, everyone. It means the world to us.”
Charlie Grace, wiping her hands on a rag, joined the group. “We’re just glad to be a part of it. Clancy here deserves most of the credit, though. That ark is a masterpiece.”
Clancy waved off the praise with a modest grin. “Just doing what I can. Couldn’t have done it without the help of these fine folks.” He nodded toward Gibbs, who gave a brief nod back.
Capri, still lingering on the outskirts, finally stepped forward. “Alright, I guess I’ll help wrangle the kids,” she said, a hint of reluctance in her voice. “But if any of them try to bite me, I’m out.”
Lila laughed. “Don’t worry, Capri. If anyone can handle a few wild animals, it’s you.”
As the children continued to arrive, their faces lit up with excitement, the atmosphere on the Moose Chapel grounds grew even more vibrant. The sound of laughter filled the air, mixing with the aroma of freshly baked cookies as the Knit Wit ladies arrived and began to unpack their contribution to the effort. It was going to be a day to remember, and Reva felt a deep sense of satisfaction knowing she had helped bring it all together.
Reva stood near the refreshment table, passing out cookies and small cartons of milk to the children as they gathered around. The kids were all smiles, their laughter ringing out as they eagerly grabbed their treats.
“Remember, only one cookie each,” Reva called out, though she couldn’t help but smile when a few of the more mischievous ones tried to sneak a second.
Capri, who had surprisingly taken to her role of wrangling the kids, nudged one little boy with a mock stern look. “That means you too, young man. No doubling up on the chocolate chips.”
The boy grinned up at her, crumbs already clinging to his face. “But they’re so good, Miss Capri!”
“Nice try,” Capri said, her voice softened by a small smile. “Now, go sit down before Pastor Pete starts the story.”
The children, still chattering excitedly, found spots on the large blankets spread out in front of the ark. Pastor Pete stood near the front, his Bible in hand, ready to share the tale of Noah’s Ark.
“Alright, everyone,” Pastor Pete began, his voice warm and inviting. “We’re going to talk about a very special story today, one that’s all about trusting God to take care of His creation. Do you know what story that is?”
“Noah’s Ark!” a chorus of voices shouted back.
“That’s right,” Pastor Pete said with a smile. He opened the Bible, though the story was clearly already written in his heart. “Noah was a good man—an obedient man—who lived a long time ago. God told him to build a big boat?—”
Suddenly, a low rumble interrupted Pastor Pete’s words, vibrating through the ground beneath their feet. It started softly, almost like a distant growl, but quickly grew in intensity. The children’s chatter quieted as they looked around in confusion.
“Mommy, what’s happening?” Lucan’s voice was small, filled with uncertainty as he grabbed onto Reva’s leg.
Reva’s heart skipped a beat, her eyes darting around as the tremor grew stronger. The ground beneath them seemed to ripple, and she instinctively crouched down to hold Lucan close. “It’s just a little earthquake, sweetie. Stay close to me.”
The tremors intensified, and Reva’s gaze snapped to the massive ark, which began to sway precariously on its wooden supports. Shouts of alarm rose as the structure started to tilt.
“Watch out!” Clancy shouted, his voice strong despite the fear in his eyes.
“Everyone, move away from the ark!” Charlie Grace called out, her voice carrying over the growing panic.
Gibbs and the ranch hands sprang into action, trying to stabilize the ark, but it was too late. With a loud creak, the ark began to topple, its beams groaning under the strain. The children screamed, scrambling to get out of the way.
“Grab the kids!” Reva yelled, her voice nearly drowned out by the chaos. She scooped Lucan into her arms, her heart pounding as she scrambled away from the falling structure. Capri and Lila were already herding the children to safety, their faces tight with concentration.
The ark hit the ground with a thunderous crash, sending a cloud of dust into the air. For a moment, everything was still; the only sound the distant rustling of the aspen leaves in the breeze.
“Is everyone okay?” Pastor Pete’s voice cut through the silence, his tone shaky but steady.
Reva scanned the area, her eyes wide. “Is everyone accounted for? Capri? Lila? Charlie Grace?”
“Over here!” Lila called back, holding a little girl close to her chest. “We’ve got all the kids, I think.”
Capri’s voice came from the other side, slightly breathless. “I’ve got four over here. Everyone’s okay.”
Dorothy clutched Oma’s arm. “Wow,” she muttered. “That was a strong one.”
Charlie Grace scooted closer to where Clancy sat, a look of relief on her face. “Dad? You alright?”
Clancy nodded, though his hands were trembling on the armrests of his wheelchair. “I’m fine, sweetheart. Just… surprised.”
Reva clutched Lucan tightly, her heart still racing. “Pastor Pete, that’s two earthquakes in as many weeks.”
Pastor Pete’s face was pale as he looked around, his hands still gripping his Bible. “Yes, and these tremors… they’re getting stronger, and longer. That one shook the earth for several seconds.”
Annie, her own voice shaky, added, “We need to check on the chapel, make sure everything’s still standing.”
One of the Knit Wit ladies, Betty Dunning, who was usually the first to dismiss anything unusual, shook her head, her cookies forgotten in her lap. “I’ve lived here for seventy years, and I’ve never felt the earth move like this before. Not twice in a row.”
Gibbs wiped the sweat from his brow, his eyes scanning the damaged ark. “We’ll have to rebuild it, that’s for sure. But first, let’s get these kids back to their parents. We don’t want anyone getting hurt.”
As the group slowly began to gather their bearings, the air was thick with tension, each of them glancing at the ground as if expecting it to shake again at any moment.
Lila, looking a bit shaken, helped guide the children away from the wreckage. “This is starting to feel a little unsettling,” she muttered, mostly to herself.
Reva reached over and squeezed her hand. “We’ve handled plenty of earthquakes, Lila. And there will likely be more. There’s nothing to get overly anxious about,” she said, keeping her voice steady and reassuring.
But, as she looked around at the concerned faces of her friends and neighbors and noted the way her phone was blowing up with text messages, Reva couldn’t help but join them in their concern.
The earth, in all its beauty and complexity, usually felt steady beneath their feet, grounding them in their daily lives. But sometimes, it shifted unexpectedly, reminding them that even the most tranquil moments could be disrupted.
While these earthquakes were part of the natural world’s rhythms, a reminder of the delicate balance they lived in—when the ground shook, she was no different than the others. She found it unsettling.
As Reva gathered the last of the children, her mind kept drifting back to the unexpected tremors. They were too frequent, too strong to ignore. She decided right then that she needed answers.
Later, she would reach out to Dr. Grant Marshall, the geologist from the University of Wyoming who had given a talk at the town hall last spring. If anyone could explain why these earthquakes were shaking their normally peaceful town, it would be him.
She had to find out what was going on and, more importantly, what they should be prepared for next.