Chapter 33

 

“It’s been three days, Satin. I’m sure that awful man is gone by now. And I need the room in my kitchen. All of those eggs are taking over,” she spoke to absently to the horse. If he was still in town, maybe he was in the saloon and there would be no chance of running into him. Ethan had promised to stop by and tell her when her mail-order husband was gone, but she hadn’t seen him the last few days. He was probably busy with projects at his ranch. With only one hand to help him, he did most of the work around his place.

Hallie laughed as Satin snorted and shook her head. The horse might not understand about Mr. Westbury, or the eggs, but she was always willing to pull the little wagon to town.

“Whoa, there girl,” Hallie pulled the horse to a stop, just up from the Stoner’s. There were quite a few apples rolling around on the street and two young boys, one carrying a bushel basket, were busy rescuing the wayward fruit.

“What happened here?” She asked the child with the basket, as she jumped down from the wagon.

“It was a big crash,” he grinned. “Mr. Henley’s wagon side-swiped Mr. Morton’s and the one with the apples turned over!”

She smiled at the excitement flashing in his dark eyes. What seemed like fun to him had probably been a disaster for poor Mr. Morton. But it looked as if they were retrieving most of the produce.

Inside the store, there was a circle of townsmen, all talking about the wagon wreck. “Never seen anything like it,” a tall man said, as he picked up a shovel from the rack on the wall. “Just glad no one was hurt.” Several others nodded in agreement, but went on to re-tell what they saw of the accident.

Hallie nodded a hello to several as she made her way to the back. It might be only late September, but it was time she picked out the material she wanted for a new skirt. She had a good white shirtwaist that would look fine with it when she wore it to the winter dance.

She sighed. Only two bolts of red. A calico and a wool. She fingered the heavier fabric. Wool would certainly be warmer, and it would do her for all winter. There was a black bolt of the same. Maybe two skirts were in order. Both would be serviceable and go with anything she wore with them.

“These two?” Rosie, the clerk, smiled as she took them from her.

 

 

***

 

 

Hallie stood behind an elderly gentleman, as he paid for his purchase of crackers and cheese. “I’ll have a sack of those cough drops, too,” he told Wally.

Wally fetched a packet and put it beside the man’s other items. “Anything else, Mr. Kane?”

Hallie dropped her thoughts of afternoon chores. Kane? Was it possible this man might be related to Ethan? She had never seen him around town before.

Counting out his change and handing it to Wally, the man picked up his cotton bag and slowly made his way to the door. Hallie watched as he took slow, careful steps. At the door way, he picked up an old cane that was leaning against a barrel of crackers, shifting his purchases to the other hand.

“Anything else, Miss Bolton?”

Hallie turned to Wally and offered a smile. “No sir. I believe that will be all today.” She took the change from him and glanced at the doorway. “Is that gentleman new in town? I don’t believe I’ve seen him before.”

Wally nodded. “I think he’s Ethan Kane’s father. Came in on the stage a day or two ago. Staying down at Miller’s Boarding House.”

 

 

***

 

 

Outside, the elderly man was taking small steps in the direction of Miller’s. Hallie hurried to catch up with him. “Mr. Kane?”

He stopped and turned, his eyes studying her. “Do I know you, young woman?”

Hallie felt her cheeks warm with embarrassment. “No, sir. My name is Hallie Bolton. I understand that you are Ethan Kane’s father. Is that correct?” Surely if it was true, Ethan would be here assisting the man. And the more she observed him, the less she was sure that this man could be Ethan’s father. Unlike Ethan, he was small and thin, stooped from age. But even in his younger years, standing straight, his height would not have been near Ethan’s. Only his blue eyes gave a hint that the two of them might be related.

“That’s correct, miss. Can I assume that you are an acquaintance of my son?”

“He’s my neighbor,” she said reaching for the man’s bag, as he began to totter. “Please, let me carry this for you.”

He seemed reluctant to surrender the small burden, but she was insistent. “I’ll be glad to walk with you to your boarding house, so we can chat. Are you staying at the Miller’s place?”

He nodded. “But I don’t want to burden you, miss. It’s just a bit of food for my evening meal. Mr. Miller gives us a fine dinner at noon.”

Hallie had heard about Mrs. Miller’s cooking. And tasted one of the cream cakes she brought to the summer dance. Eating from her kitchen everyday must be a treat for her boarders.

“I didn’t realize that you were in town. Ethan didn’t mention that you were coming.”

“Three days ago. The stage got in later than normal, I believe. We had a wheel break on the way and it took them several hours to repair it.”

Three days ago. Had Ethan known when he was at her house early that evening? Not a word of it had come from his mouth. “I see. And Ethan has been in to see you every day?”

Mr. Kane laughed, then stopped when a coughing spell took hold of him. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his mouth. “Just the one evening, so far,” he said, avoiding her eyes. “I’m sure my son is a busy man.”

Hallie sighed. “Of course. I’m sure he will be back in to see you soon.” Especially if she had anything to say on the matter. She stopped as they approached the front steps that led to the porch of the boarding house.

Mr. Kane grabbed on to the railing and stopped, his eyes on the porch. “Seems like a long climb,” he laughed to her, as he tried to take a deep breath.

Hallie nodded. This man was not in good health. Hadn’t Ethan noticed that on the evening that he saw his father?”

“How about you come up on the porch with me? We can sit and chat for a spell, until the dinner is ready.”

“That sounds good to me,” Hallie smiled. Maybe, if she could talk with the man, she would understand the relationship between the two men. Ethan had never mentioned to her that his father was living. She had assumed that he had passed on years ago.

Hallie helped him settle in a large rocker and took the quilt hanging over the back and adjusted it over his lap. “There now, the breeze won’t be too cool on you.” Despite the sunny day, Mr. Kane seemed a bit chilled. “If you would rather, we could go inside,” she suggested. It wouldn’t do for him to get sick from sitting on the porch talking to her.

He waved away her suggestion. “No, no, this is fine, Miss Bolton.”

“Hallie. Please call me Hallie,” she said.

“And just how do you know my son? Oh, yes, you said you are his neighbor, didn’t you?”

Hallie nodded and took a seat on one of the built-in benches. “That’s right. He lives on the hill behind my place. I can see the light from his cabin at night.”

Mr. Kane leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes for a second. But he wasn’t asleep. “And do you see him often, visit with him?”

Hallie thought about the question for a moment. Then settled on an answer that wouldn’t betray Ethan’s arrangement for reading lessons. “He has done some work for me on my ranch this summer. Things I’m not able to do myself.”

“So, you’re not married?”

Hallie hid a smile. Normally, it would be a rude question to ask, but this man, eyes still closed, seemed willing to break etiquette for the moment. “No, sir, I am not.”

Ethan’s father opened his eyes. “Hard work, ranching. I’d hoped my boys would choose something different. Maybe something academic.”

Boys? “I didn’t realize that you had other children.” In fact, she had never considered that Ethan might have siblings. It began to dawn on her how little she really knew about the man her heart insisted that she loved.

“Just one other. Gilbert. Two years younger than Ethan. Small boy. Took after me. He passed on several years ago,” he added, a slight sadness to his voice.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know about him.”

He shrugged and rearranged himself in the chair. “You should know that Ethan and I are not on the best of terms. I haven’t seen him since he was a young boy. Last I saw of him, he was working full-time at a local mill, supporting his mother and brother.”

Hallie swallowed. Why was Ethan. . .? “I don’t understand.”

“I was a drunk, Miss Bolton. Not good for anything. I left my family on their own because of my habit.”

Hallie stared, searching for words to say to this man.

He shook his head. “No need for you to comment. I’m just telling you the truth. Because of me and my actions, my wife and younger son met untimely deaths. They might still be alive, even today, if I’d been a better man. And Ethan knows that.”

Hallie reached over and rearranged the quilt, pulling it higher, above his waist. She searched her inside, but no words came to mind. Maybe this accounted for Ethan’s promise to avoid loving anyone, even a wife. The story he had told of a lost fiancée was sad, but that sort of thing wasn’t uncommon. But the childhood his father just described, might go a long way in explaining Ethan’s wish to avoid any emotional attachments. Sometimes, it seemed one’s heart could only take a certain amount of pain.

He put his handkerchief over his mouth and coughed long and deep. Hallie ran to the pitcher on the porch and poured a cup of cool water for him. “Here, drink some of this.”

He put the cup to his mouth and sipped. His hand shook as he handed it back. “I’m sorry. As you can see, I’m not well. My doctor has given me only a few months to live.”

Hallie gasped. “I’m sorry, Mr. Kane. Does. . .does Ethan know?”

A slight smile crossed his lips. “I think it is easy enough for him to guess.”

What was Ethan thinking, leaving his father to die alone? Was it so hard for him to spend just a little time with this man?

He closed his eyes again and began to rock. “I know what you’re thinking, miss. But the boy’s had a lot to deal with through the years. Forgiveness isn’t easy, you know. Not when someone has put you through as many wrongs as I have. When I left, Ethan had to become the man of the house. Not an easy responsibility for a boy of eleven.”

Ethan had been a mere child when this man had left. The hurt that he had endured must have been almost impossible for one so young. But he had never spoken of it to her. Hallie’s voice was soft when she spoke. “That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? For his forgiveness?”

He nodded. “I’d like to have it. But it may not be possible.”