Miss Trella?” Preach parted the thick hide that was the doorway and stepped inside the tent.
Trella glanced up and smiled when she saw her visitor. “Preach. Good morning.”
“Good morning.” Squatting beside her, his eyes took in the sleeping baby. “How’s our little Esther this morning?”
“Good. Very good. We switched to cow’s milk at the last feeding, and she’s handling it well.”
Preach made a few cooing sounds before his eyes grew serious. “I came to tell you I’ll be leaving tomorrow.”
“I figured as much. I’ll…miss you.”
“I’m going to miss you too. And the baby.”
Blinking back tears, the young black woman averted her eyes.
“Trella? What are you going to do when you leave here?”
She didn’t look at him but gazed instead at the sleeping infant. “I’ve been giving the matter much thought and prayer. I can’t afford to raise Esther. It breaks my heart, but I’ve decided to leave her in a foundling home—”
“No!” Preach’s deep baritone shook the tent.
She glanced up, tears streaming from the corners of her eyes. “Preach. I’ve never heard you speak so forcefully.”
“You’ve never said something so…” He bit back words.
“Wrong?” she supplied. Her eyes returned to the infant. “I’ve prayed and prayed about the matter, but the only answer that comes to my head is this: If I can’t care for Esther properly, then I should give her to someone who will.”
“I won’t let you give your baby away, Trella.”
“Preach, I…I don’t have a choice.”
“Yes, ma’am. You do.” He got to his feet, hat in hand. “Now, I got something to ask you, and I don’t want you saying a word until I finish. You hear?”
“I hear.”
“Well now, seems God has a funny way of taking care of business, but here’s what’s happened.” He explained the nun’s offer to provide land if the men would oversee the formation of a new community. “Don’t rightly know why anyone would make such a suggestion, but appears to me that the good Lord must want this place called Sanctuary.” His eyes met hers. “It sure will be a godsend for us.”
“Yes, sir. And your point?”
“Ma’am…” Preach kept his eyes straight ahead. Bending to his knees, hat in hand, he went on. “Miss Trella, would you do me the honor of marrying me?”
Trella’s jaw dropped. “Preach!”
He met her stunned gaze. “Yes, ma’am?”
“You…can’t mean it. I’m…soiled. I’m nothing—”
“You’re wrong about that. You’re a good woman, Trella Jones. You’re sensible, and loving, God-fearing, and the best mother on earth, and that’s what I want in a woman I’m going to spend the rest of my life with. You’re everything I want in a wife.”
Still on his knees, he reached for her hand. “You understand what I’m saying? There’s not a bad bone in you. You’ve been forced to do bad things, but that part of your life is over. Nobody is ever going to force you to do anything you don’t like again. I’m asking you to be my wife. To help me start a church in this new town. It wasn’t my idea when I rode off almost three weeks ago for home to marry and become a father all at once, but then it wasn’t your idea to fall in with the likes of Walt Jornigan.”
Tears coursed down Trella’s cheeks. “No, it wasn’t.”
“Hush now.” His big, clumsy fingers wiped at her tears of joy. “We’re not ever gonna speak of the past again. You hear? If you’ll do me the honor of marrying me, and allowing me the privilege of being Esther’s papa and your husband, you’ll make me the happiest man on earth.”
“Oh, Preach. You deserve so much better than me.”
His hold tightened. “If you’ll accept my proposal, you’ll be giving me all I’ll ever want or need.” He gently shook her clasped hands. “I love you, woman. I fell in love with both you and Esther. I don’t see how I could go without either one of you in my life.”
Laughing through her tears, Trella admitted, “You do sound serious.”
He sobered. “Serious as drought. Marry me, Trella.”
Slowly rising, she met his adoring gaze. “I would be honored to marry you, Preach.”
He took her in his arms and kissed her soundly. Then he gently pulled away, meeting her gaze. “It’s my honor, Trella. All mine.”
“Give you land?” Beth frowned. “Why would Reverend Mother want to do that?”
Pierce explained, and then added, “It does sound a little far-fetched.”
As they walked beside the stream, he reached for her hand to help her over a fallen log. Beth had sensed Pierce had something other than exercise on his mind when he’d shown up so early. Now she knew.
“Actually, you’re not going to like this part.”
“Like what?” She stopped, facing him. “What’s going on?”
He focused on her, his expression sheepish. “It seems, Miss Beth, that we may be co-owners of a turnip patch.”
“What?”
“The land you bought?”
“Yes.” Her heart thumped. Her and Joanie’s future.
“I think you and I might have purchased the same plot from the same newspaper source.”
“That’s impossible.”
He cocked a brow. “You think anything is impossible? After what we’ve been through?”
“You’re not making a lick of sense.”
“The Savannah Daily News and Herald, six months ago, three dollars and a nickel an acre?”
Beth nodded hesitantly, her heart sinking.
“Sister Mary Margaret sold both of us land that wasn’t hers to sell.”
Beth reeled. “Mary Margaret? She sold us—” Her hand moved involuntarily to cover her mouth. “We own the bean and turnip patch? Oh dear me!”
“Oh dear us. Truthfully, we don’t own anything. Reverend Mother—or God—wants us to take that parcel of land and make it a town.”
“This can’t be happening.”
“That’s what I thought, but it is.”
“Reverend Mother offered us land anyway?”
“Twenty-five acres. For all of us to use. Me, Gray Eagle, Preach…and our mates.”
She wouldn’t look at him now. “Then it wasn’t offered to Joanie and me. It was offered to you.”
“I knew you’d say that.”
“It’s the truth.”
“I reminded Reverend Mother of the fact that none of us are married, and of a more serious problem. You hate men.”
Smothering a chuckle, Beth kept her eyes fixed on the stream. “Well, maybe not all men.”
“Oh? You’ve had a change of attitude?”
Heat rose to her cheeks as she looked up at him. “You take such delight in teasing me.”
“I surely do.” Sighing, he winked. “If I couldn’t tease you, Beth, my life wouldn’t be worth a fig.”
“Well, Pierce, anything to make your life worthwhile.”
She sighed inwardly. She didn’t own land. She’d bought turnips. She and Joanie and Trella would have to hope to make a new life elsewhere. No sweet tea for her.
They walked on in silence. He’d hadn’t dropped her hand once they cleared the log, but she had to admit that she didn’t mind.
“My brother can run the plantation back home.”
She glanced sideways. “What did you tell Reverend Mother?”
“Nothing, yet.” He turned to meet her eyes. “If you and Joanie won’t stay, then I’ll have to do some more praying about the matter.”
Her heart thrummed. What was he suggesting? After a moment of hesitancy, she said, “I think…we could be convinced to stay.”
That was as far as she would allow herself to commit. But then she said, “You have to do as Reverend Mother asks, Pierce. It’s not such a bad idea—to provide a haven for hurting souls.” She, Joanie, and Trella could have used such a place. But then, God had already provided it. Here, in this lovely valley that surely must look a whole lot like heaven.
Squeezing her hand, he winked at her again. “Then it’s settled. We stay. You, me, Joanie, Gray Eagle, Preach, and Trella.”
“I don’t think it’s proper for six unmarried men and women to form a community.”
“I’ve been giving that matter considerable thought,” he agreed, pausing to meet her gaze. “It wouldn’t be proper.”
“There’s always Bear to consider,” she reminded. “He’s still around.”
“I eat bear for breakfast.”
He was teasing, but Beth knew this man had no fear of her kin. Since his father’s death her cousin had changed. He seemed broken now. Contrite almost. He had gone home, promising to never come near them again, but maybe his old nature would spring back to life one day.
Her hand tightened in his. “Will this new community have sweet tea?”
“I’m not staying if it doesn’t.”
“You’re seriously considering this notion?”
“I am. There’ll be sugar. You can count on it.”
They walked on. “The sisters have offered rooms on the third floor of the abbey to you, Joanie, Trella, and Esther. When we return from checking in with our families, we’ll begin work on housing.”
“Preach’s father will be disappointed that he can’t pastor his flock.”
“Preach figures God has someone else in mind for his father’s church. Sanctuary will need Preach’s spiritual guidance.”
“Sanctuary?”
He flashed a grin. “Reverend Mother has her heart set on the name.”
“Sanctuary.” Beth’s hand tightened in his larger one. “Sounds like a lovely place.” One she’d gladly spend the rest of her life building.
Pausing, he faced her and took her other hand. “We’ve come a long way in a short time, you and I,” he said. His gaze locked with hers. “I have to leave for a little while, but I’ll be back. Will you be here?”
A smile touched her eyes. “I may have run away in the past, but my intent all along was to find my property and settle there. I guess the Lord has fulfilled His part in the matter.” She squeezed his hands. “Go home, Pierce, and check on your family. I’ll be waiting for you when you come back.”
He took her in his arms and leaned down to kiss her. “I will return. You know that.”
“Hmm…do I?”
His second kiss persuaded her that she knew that perfectly well.
“Pierce, when you come back, would you mind taking me to the plantation to get my mother’s things? Joanie and I hid them in the root cellar before we left.”
He chuckled softly. “Beth, I’d be willing to take you to the moon if I could manage it.”
Her lips touching his, she whispered, “How long will you be gone?”
“I’ll make it as fast as possible.” He kissed her again. Then, lifting his head, he whispered, “By the way, Miss Jornigan, I’ve fallen in love with you.”
“Honest?” Her fingers threaded golden locks of sun-kissed hair.
“Have I ever misled you?” His mouth lowered to take hers in yet another kiss that was nothing less than a sealed bargain.
The future stretched before her. Exactly what kind of future wasn’t yet clear, but something told Beth she’d be drinking a lot of sweet tea in her old age.