thirty-four

Loyal stared into the hall mirror as he signed. He wanted to try out some of the things he thought he might need to explain while on the stand in that fancy courtroom in Elkins. He felt equal parts excited and nervous. He wanted to make sure he didn’t look strange. It had been a long time since he practiced signing in a mirror. A teacher had once suggested the idea as a way to see what the person he was trying to communicate with would see.

Rebecca sat on the stairs, watching. She got up and came closer so she could use her steadily improving sign language in combination with words he’d need to read from her lips. Worry you? she signed. He shrugged and made the sign for a little.

“I think you look . . . graceful.” He liked the way her lips shaped the word. It made him flush and roll his eyes. “If you get nervous, just look for me.” She grinned. “I can sign something to make you feel better.” He grinned back. What? Her eyes danced, and she darted to the end of the hallway, turned and signed I’m your friend. But she did the sign for friend more emphatically in a way that Loyal knew meant good friend. Well, whether she realized it or not, he felt like that’s what she was to him. And he was glad.

Loyal glimpsed movement and turned to see the sheriff standing on the porch beyond the screen door. He spoke, but Loyal had trouble reading his lips through the mesh. Rebecca bounced down the hall and flung the door open. Then Father came in from the family room where he’d been reading. He and the sheriff looked like they were talking. Father turned and motioned for Loyal to follow them into the kitchen. He guessed that was where everything important happened these days.

Mother was making grape jelly. Loyal felt the steam of the kitchen and smelled the sweetness of the sugared fruit. His mouth watered, even though he’d had lunch not an hour before. Few things were better than Mother’s biscuits with butter and grape jelly.

Father spoke to Mother, who pulled the last two jars from the canner before joining them at the table. Everyone sat—even Rebecca—and the focus shifted to Sheriff White. Mother placed her hands on the table in front of her, ready to begin signing. And when she did, Loyal couldn’t have been more surprised.

“Loyal won’t have to take the stand after all.” Sheriff White leaned his arms on the tabletop. Loyal noticed Mother looked pleased while Father’s expression was hard to read. “Sam Hacker confessed.”

Loyal had read the phrase “stunned silence” and suspected that’s what was happening. Even though he couldn’t hear, he could feel the stillness, the way the room held its breath. Then there was a mighty exhalation in the form of everyone’s lips moving at once. Mother stopped signing, and Loyal couldn’t keep up with the speed and flurry of movement. He closed his eyes so his mind would stop trying to snatch words from the air.

A touch. On his arm. He opened his eyes and Mother was patting him. She began signing. Sam is hurt. He may die. He told the sheriff he’s the one who shot Eddie Minks. He said he’s sorry for what he did to you.

Loyal frowned and looked from his parents to the sheriff. No trial? Was it strange that he felt disappointed? Mother mimicked his signing. No trial.

He glanced around the table. The sheriff looked like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Mother was focusing on him with a joyful expression, Rebecca sat wide-eyed, and Father was trying not to grin. He told himself they were just glad that the murderer had been caught. But Loyal felt twisted up inside, like a spring wanting release.

Father and Sheriff White started talking again. Loyal didn’t even try to follow along. Mother squeezed his hand with a smile and went back to her jelly. Loyal stood and slipped out the screen door. He eased it shut behind him and then ran as hard as he could down to the towering cedar, where he picked up a stick and slammed it against the trunk. The force of the blow ran along his arms and into his shoulders. He hit the trunk again and this time was gratified when the stick snapped, the broken end flying into the air. He stabbed the splintered end into the soil and thumped down beside it, panting.

He jumped when something hit his arm. Whipping his head up, he saw that Michael was perched high in the tree. He worked his way down and dropped to the ground beside Loyal. He formed his hands into claws against his stomach and jerked them upward with a questioning look. Loyal nodded. Yes, he was angry.

Why? Michael signed.

Loyal let his shoulders slump as Rebecca approached them with a worried expression. You okay? she signed. He shrugged.

“What’s eating Loyal?” Michael asked his sister.

“Sam Hacker said he killed that man. Now there won’t be a trial.”

Michael’s eyes went wide and his mouth dropped open. “Just like that? It’s over?” She nodded. Michael made a funny shape with his mouth and pumped a fist in the air. He slapped Loyal on the back. “Now that’s good news!”

Loyal began to feel a loosening inside. He’d been so busy thinking that he needed to prove himself to his father that he’d forgotten what this would mean to his friend. For a long time, Michael believed he’d killed a man. And now he knew for a fact that someone else had done it. What a relief that must be! Loyal realized he was acting like a baby. Not so long ago he’d thought Michael was a jerk, but now he knew him better. And it was wrong of him to only consider himself.

Climbing to his feet, Loyal gave Michael a playful punch on the shoulder and managed to find a smile. The assurance of his friend’s innocence—not to mention the innocence of his friend’s father—was what really mattered.

“Does this mean Dad’s coming home?” Michael asked. Loyal shrugged, and Rebecca looked back toward the house.

“We can ask the sheriff,” she said, and the pair took off running.

Loyal watched them for a moment, then settled back under the tree to think. Maybe all three of them could get their fathers back.

Delphy hummed as she finished making jelly. The relief she felt that her son was safe and wouldn’t have to point the finger at anyone made her want to wrap her arms around her husband and show him just how happy she was. But Virgil was still in the room and the kids were just outside. She glanced back at the man who was earning his way back into her heart and gave him the kind of smile that made his eyes go wide and hopeful.

Then the Westfall kids came barreling through the back door and started asking Virgil questions about their father. Creed left them to it and stepped up behind Delphy. He slipped an arm around her waist. She batted at his hand, glancing toward their guests. “Mind your manners,” she said. She could feel her cheeks flush pink and hoped everyone would think it was from the steam of the jelly.

“I’m in a mood to mind more than my manners,” he whispered in her ear. His breath sent chills up and down her body, already warm from the kitchen work.

She gave him a saucy smile, then sobered when she noticed they were missing one person in the room. “Where’s Loyal?”

Creed stayed close, fingers fiddling with her apron strings. “Out back, I think.”

She stilled his hand and tightened her lips. “You need to go talk to him.”

“Why’s that?”

“I think he was excited about the chance to testify.” She began ladling hot jelly into clean jars. “If I had to guess, I’d say he thought it might be a way to impress you. To show you how grown up he is.”

Creed frowned and stayed put as she stepped away to reach her jelly jars. “He doesn’t need to show me anything.”

“I’m not sure he knows that.” She gave her head a little shake. She guessed Creed still had a few things to learn about his son.

Virgil stood, pushing his chair back from the table. “Time I got back to Elkins.” He smiled at the kids. “There’s the small matter of getting Hadden back home to his family.” Rebecca beamed, and even Michael looked pleased. “Otto too.”

“You need my help?” Creed asked.

“Nope. And for once it’s not because you’re more trouble than you’re worth.” Virgil said the words with a grin. “You just stay here and take it easy. Finish healing up.”

Creed’s hand went to the site of his wound. “Sure thing.” Virgil slapped his hat on his head and left through the front door. Michael and Rebecca sat at the table, heads close together, talking over their father’s homecoming.

Delphy elbowed Creed. “Quit stalling.”

He sighed. “Alright. I’ll go talk to him, although I think you’re wrong.”

“I hope so,” she said and began pouring wax seals over her cooling jelly.

Creed could see Loyal sitting under the big cedar down at the bottom of the yard. He was stabbing at the ground with a stick, seemingly lost in thought. He saw Creed coming and sat up straighter but didn’t smile. Creed squatted next to his son and nodded at him.

“Michael and Rebecca’s father is coming home.” He looked at the boy who was quickly becoming a man. Made sure he could see his lips easily. Loyal nodded and managed a weak smile. “Guess you’ll miss them.” He hadn’t thought of that before. Maybe Delphy was wrong and Loyal was just upset his friends would be leaving. “Must get lonesome around here for you,” he said. Loyal shrugged.

“I know what. Let’s go up the mountain and fetch down that pie safe for your mother.” Loyal looked mildly interested. “We could spend a day or two up there, just two men living off the land and doing some real work. Then, when we get back, it’ll be time for the county fair.” A slow smile crept over Loyal’s face. He nodded. “You could even teach me some more signs.”

Okay, Loyal signed with a proper smile. Creed gave him a one-armed hug and motioned back toward the house. They rose and walked the short distance. Creed did his best to ignore the fact that he had failed to take his wife’s advice.

That night, Loyal slept alone in his room. He did miss having Michael and Rebecca around—mostly Rebecca—but it was also nice to be alone again. He was looking forward to spending time with Father up on Rich Mountain, but he was still sad that he would have to go back to school soon. Who would have thought the summer he found a dead body would leave him feeling so . . . normal.

In the past he’d spent summers with mostly just Mother for company. He did things at church sometimes, but even when the other kids tried to include him it was hard. They’d forget he couldn’t hear. Rebecca was the first person to really try to use his own language to communicate with him. And now Michael knew some sign language, too.

And he was learning how to interact with hearing people better every day. He knew he could handle going to school with the kids in Beverly. Especially since he and Rebecca would be in the same class. That thought made him smile. He guessed if he was ever going to have a girlfriend, he’d want Rebecca to be the one. That sure wasn’t going to happen if he went away to school.

The question was . . . how to convince Mother and Father? He’d hoped that doing well in the courtroom, showing how he could hold his own among hearing people, would help. But now he wasn’t going to have that chance. Which meant he’d have to come up with something else. Father had said they could stop and visit Michael and Rebecca on their way up Rich Mountain. He’d see if they had any good ideas.

Father followed Mr. Westfall into his study when they arrived at the big brick house the next morning. Loyal went with Michael and Rebecca out onto the side porch, where Mrs. Tompkins gave them slices of freshly baked bread slathered with butter and sprinkled with sugar. They were too busy eating at first to say much, but once everyone swallowed the last bite and licked their fingers, Loyal made the sign for father and raised his eyebrows.

“The sheriff let him go,” Rebecca said. “Brought all of us home in his police car. I think Daddy’s different now.” She glanced at Michael as though looking for confirmation, yet her brother’s expression stayed serious.

“I’m not so sure.” He shrugged. “Seems like things are getting back to the way they used to be pretty fast.”

Loyal bit his lip, glad for once that he wasn’t expected to find the right words.

Rebecca jumped in as if trying to scoot past the uncomfortable moment. “I’m just glad he’s home in time for the fair. I wasn’t sure I wanted to be in the pageant with Daddy locked up.” She gave her brother a playful shove. “Even Michael’s going to be in it, although he said he didn’t want to be David Hart, so Reverend Harriman has to find someone else.”

Loyal perked up. He liked the annual fair well enough, but he’d always gone with Mother. Which wasn’t all that much fun. He ended up looking at canned goods, quilts, and flower arrangements the ladies entered to win ribbons. Mother never let him visit the tents where the hawkers offered chances to see all kinds of wonderful and terrible things. And while he’d watched the annual pageant that told the story of the Civil War battle fought on Rich Mountain, he’d never paid much attention to who was in it. Can I be in the pageant? he signed.

“That would be great,” Rebecca said, and he could see her enthusiasm. “You’d make a wonderful soldier.” He finger-spelled D-a-v-i-d H-a-r-t. “Really? You want to do the main role? The only one with more lines is General McClellan.” She wrinkled her forehead. “How’s that going to work?”

Loyal grinned and elbowed Michael. I sign. Michael talks.

“Now wait just a minute.” Michael held up both hands. “I already said I didn’t want to do it. I hate memorizing stuff.” Read, Loyal signed.

“Oh, I get it. Loyal will sign his part and you can just stand backstage and read what he’s saying.” Rebecca clapped her hands. “It’ll be wonderful!”

“Reverend Harriman will never go for it,” Michael grumbled.

Loyal winked at Rebecca, and she laughed, knowing just what he had in mind. “We won’t tell him. You’ll say you’re going to do the part after all and then Loyal will take over as soon as the pageant starts. By the time the pastor realizes what’s happening, it’ll be too late.” She laughed harder. “And he’ll be too embarrassed to stop the pageant.”

Michael grinned. “It might be worth it just to see his face.” He turned to Loyal. “But why do you want to do it?”

My father, Loyal signed, thinks I can’t.

Michael nodded, his smile slipping away. “I know how that is.” He gave Loyal a speculative look. “We’ll just have to show him you can.”