Chapter 13
P hoebe was singing.
She was actually singing. At first it started as a low humming of one of her favorite hymns, but as she hung out the laundry, she burst into full song.
The day was sunny, and in spite of the cold temperature it looked to be a beautiful day.
But the weather wasn’t the only reason for her good mood.
In a few hours she was going to go on a buggy ride with Jalon.
She had once sought far more excitement in her life than spending time in the slow pace of a buggy.
But now she realized she looked forward to such a simple activity, even though she was sure the topic of Malachi’s father and her past would come up.
Yet she wasn’t dreading it as much as she had before.
After their time at the pond yesterday, she had hope that she and Jalon could move beyond her past.
She clipped the last pair of Jalon’s pants on the line and smiled.
She could see herself doing this on a regular basis.
Really see it, imagining that she wasn’t doing the work as a favor or as recompense for staying at his house, but as his wife.
In the past she would put a stop to such foolish thoughts, but this time she allowed herself the luxury of experiencing the warmth that circled her heart.
Grabbing the empty clothes basket, she headed back to the house.
Karen had gone home for the morning to spend time with her family, and Jalon had headed out to find a job.
She prayed he was successful. Although he seemed a lot more lighthearted than he was before their talk at the pond, she saw the apprehension in his eyes before he left.
Malachi met her at the kitchen door. “Can I geh outside and play?”
“Did you make the bed?”
He nodded.
“Brush yer teeth?”
“ Ya. ” He beamed, and she could see a tiny white spot where his tooth was growing in.
“Fed Blue?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Hmm.” She looked up at the ceiling, pretending to mull over his request.
“Please?” he begged.
Grinning, she nodded. “Stay in the backyard, and don’t geh near the pond.”
He dashed outside, and Phoebe watched him scamper into the yard through the mudroom window. She sighed, pleased that Malachi wasn’t just happy here, but was thriving. They both were. Thank you, Lord.
Time got away from her as she finished up her chores, her mind not focused on her tasks because she kept getting sidetracked thinking about Jalon and anticipating their date.
She was dusting the baseboards in the living room when she heard a car door shut.
It had to be Jalon. She glanced at the clock, surprised that he was home after only being gone a few hours.
Hopefully that meant he had good news about his job hunt.
She looked at the clock again, realizing that Malachi had been outside longer than she intended. She leaned the dust mop against the wall and headed for the door.
“Malachi!”
Alarm shot through her at the panic and anger she heard in Jalon’s voice. She rushed to the backyard, horrific scenarios running through her mind. Had her son done something destructive? Was he hurt, or worse?
When she got outside, she saw Jalon, red-faced and furious, standing under a large oak. He was still yelling at Malachi.
“Get down here, now!”
“I was just getting Blue—”
“I said now !” He moved to the base of the tree.
Phoebe recoiled.
Malachi started to cry. “I’m scared.”
“I’ll give you something to be scared about if you don’t come down here.”
Phoebe’s mouth dropped open in shock. She hurried to stand in front of the oak. “Jalon! Can’t you see you’re upsetting him?”
“Get. Down!” he yelled again, ignoring Phoebe.
She quailed, but stood her ground. “Stop yelling at him and he will.” She whirled around and looked up at Malachi. He wasn’t that far up, just a few branches. He also seemed perfectly fine, except for the tears streaming down his little face. “Malachi, sweetheart. It’s okay. You can come down now.”
He clung to a thick branch. “I’m scared,” he repeated.
“But I’m right here. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“Jalon’s mad.”
“I know he’s mad.” She shot Jalon a black look. He took off his hat and thrust his hands into his hair so hard she thought he would pull some of it out. Why was he so upset? Malachi wasn’t in danger. He had climbed trees at home with her younger brothers.
“Am I in trouble?” Malachi asked.
“ Ya ,” Jalon snapped.
“ Nee , you’re not in trouble.” She reached up her arms. “Please, come down.”
He didn’t move, and Phoebe thought she’d have to climb up and get him down herself. She used to climb trees when she was younger, and if Malachi needed her to, she would right now. Finally, he shimmied down the oak, landing on the ground with light feet, unharmed.
“Don’t you ever climb that tree—or any tree—again.” Jalon shoved his hat on his head. He looked at Phoebe. “Why weren’t you watching him? What kind of mamm lets her kin do something so dangerous?”
Phoebe held Malachi close. Why was Jalon attacking her like this? “I’m a gut mamm ,” she said, indignant. But that didn’t stop every doubt she’d ever had about being a capable mother from coming to the surface.
“ Mamm , are you mad too?” Malachi whimpered.
“She should be,” Jalon said.
How dare he say how she should feel?
“Is Jalon going to spank me?”
Phoebe wasn’t completely sure he wouldn’t. “ Nee. ” She brushed back his hair. “He won’t.” I won’t let him. She glared at Jalon, keeping Malachi by her side, daring him to say another word against her or her son.
He scowled, turned, and stormed into the house.
It was only then that Phoebe realized her hands were shaking. Steadying herself, she said to Malachi, “You should stay out of the trees from now on.”
She half expected him to ask her why. Instead, he only nodded.
She tweaked his nose, needing to lighten the mood. “ Gut. Now, where’s Blue?”
“Over there.” He pointed to where the cat was, near the back porch, keeping a safe distance, as if he realized he was the catalyst for what had happened. “I should see if he’s okay. Then I’ll take him around to the front porch.”
Phoebe nodded, watching Malachi comfort the cat. Blue seemed to have special intuition where Malachi was concerned, because he leaned into him, looking up into Malachi’s eyes as if silently telling him it was going to be okay. Then her son picked him up and walked around the house.
Jalon’s words slammed into her. What kind of mamm lets her kin do something so dangerous?
Now her hands were shaking again. Is that what he really thought, that she was a terrible mother?
Granted, she had trouble disciplining Malachi at times.
But she loved her son with every fiber of her being. And she was doing her best.
She wasn’t about to be judged by a man who knew nothing about being a parent.
Jalon came out of the house again. He paused at the porch’s one step and looked at her. Anger was still ripe in his eyes along with ... regret? She wasn’t sure because he turned and stormed into the backyard.
She put her hand to her chest. This was a side of Jalon she never expected to see. One she didn’t want to see.
Jalon went to the shed and got an ax. He should have done this years ago. But his mother loved that tree, and his father refused to cut it down. Well, his parents weren’t here. He owned this house and farm, not them. And he was getting rid of that tree.
A mix of fury and fear churned inside him.
Job hunting had been a failure—again. But he hadn’t been as upset about it as he had been before, mostly because he had his date with Phoebe to look forward to.
But when the taxi driver dropped him off, all thoughts of their date vanished when he saw Malachi in the tree.
His blood hadn’t run that cold since .. .
He gripped the ax handle, more angry with himself now than he was with Malachi. Or Phoebe. Still, his heart was hammering from the fear, then the fury, at seeing Malachi in that tree.
When he arrived at the tree, he didn’t hesitate to plunge the blade of the ax into the thick base of the oak. This was a two-man job, probably three. Maybe four if he was honest, but right now he felt the strength of ten men in his arms as he continued to whack at the dense, unyielding wood.
Three hits later his arms ached. Nine and he was out of breath.
He was in shape, but this was no ordinary tree.
It was huge, lush in the spring and summer, vibrant in the fall, and still majestic in the stark winter.
He continued to strike, pouring out years of anger and guilt and remorse.
Sweat ran down his back and pooled on his forehead, despite the chilly air.
Finally, he had to stop. He threw his hat on the ground and wiped his palm over his face.
His emotions switched gears, and a dull dread gathered in his stomach.
He stopped thinking about his own fear and remembered Malachi’s terrified expression.
Truth be told, Malachi had seemed fine in the tree, and he wasn’t scared until Jalon had started yelling at him.
Then there was Phoebe. He’d scared her too.
He’d also angered her. Two things he’d never wanted to do.
He put the ax back in the shed and walked to the front of the house. Malachi was sitting on the porch, his chin resting on his knees. Jalon took a deep breath and walked over to him. Malachi didn’t look up, and Blue snuggled closer to him.
“All right if I sit down?”
Malachi didn’t say anything, then shrugged.
Making sure not to sit on Blue—he’d done that a time or two over the years—he sat down and put his forearms on his knees. “I’m sorry for yelling at you.” When Malachi didn’t say anything, he added, “I shouldn’t have gotten so angry. I was worried you would be hurt. That’s why I was mad.”
The boy’s shoulders twitched. At least he was listening to Jalon.
Phoebe came out on the porch. “Malachi,” she said, ignoring Jalon. “Come inside.”