Chapter Twenty-Two

 

 

"You’re ready son?"

"Yeah Ma, I think I am. So how did you get so wise?"

She bent her head and nearly laughed. "You got an uncle, name of Avery, and he got hurt in a war too. Came home, feelin’ just about as sorry for himself as you did. Couldn’t do nothing. My ma, she took after him, like I done you. She told him he could do anything he set his mind to if he wanted to do it bad enough. Reckon she was right, and old Avery, he did. He became strong as a bull, and he could even out whip most men his size. Ma said she created a monster."

Leroy laughed. "Uncle Avery, huh?"

"Yep, he lives in Tennessee, or did fer many a year. Ain’t heard hide nor hair from him in a while now."

"How old is he?"

"He’s ninety-two, he was my oldest brother," she said with a faraway look in her eye. Leroy smiled. "Thanks Ma. I’ll be going over to see Josey tomorrow I reckon."

"Good, it’s about time," she scolded lightly.

 

~*~

 

May came and spring seemed to bud all over the valley. Blue bonnets covered the empty fields and roadways. Old Cottonwoods swayed against the light breezes. Birds chirped happily in the treetops.

Leroy rode over to the Anderson farm.

Hank came running up the hill to see who was coming and his lower jaw dropped open.

"Leroy…is that you?" Hank called from the distance as he ran to meet him.

"Hank…" Leroy smiled and dismounted.

Hank ran to grab him and hug him. He was so glad to see him. But as Leroy backed up a bit, Hank saw the wooden leg.

"W-what…happened?" Hank’s eyes rounded on his leg with nothing short of terror.

"Just the war Hank, just the war…" Leroy smiled now.

"Oh…my God…Leroy…are you all right everywhere else?" Hank asked grabbing him again, as though he wanted to inspect him or something.

"I’m fine, Hank. The accident happened at the last battle we fought. Cannon hit me. That’s mostly the reason I didn’t write. Was in the hospital a while," Leroy explained.

"Damn, Leroy, I hate that for you."

Leroy stared at his brother.

"You’ve grown up, Hank…yes sir. You’ve grown up."

"Bout time, don't you think?" Hank smiled, forgetting the leg for a moment.

"Heard you went and got married."

"Rose and I. And we got a baby, Jake now," Hank announced, throwing his arm around his brother’s shoulder.

"Do tell, well, I’m anxious to meet the young scamp, where is he?" Leroy asked.

"Him and Rose and Josey…they went over to the Harpers for some quilting pieces. Josey quilts a lot now…"

Leroy studied Hank’s words which seemed strained. He wanted to relieve him of the worries.

"I heard about what happened Hank. I’ve been over to Ma’s."

"Then you know…"

"Yeah…she told me. I wish to God I’d have been here," Leroy said, his face going from anger to sorrow.

"You wouldn’t have done any better than me…they killed old George." Hank said.

"That’s what I heard." He still couldn’t believe the news. "This place shore does look empty, but well cared for. Who has been doin’ all the work?"

"The three of us."

"Looks great."

"George didn’t have a chance. Soon as they seen him, he was gone. Somehow they just didn’t see me, and I got out of their way until I could find a gun. Then I went after them, but it was too late…for both of the girls…"

"Is Josey all right, Hank?" Leroy asked.

"She ain’t been herself since it happened. But she’s getting better. Doc said she’s healed up good, better than he ever thought she would. Now that you are here, she should recover very well. I think you are all she ever needed."

Hank and Leroy went to the house and went in to sit a spell.

The smell of a ham cookin’ in the dutch oven and of a baby bein’ in the house made things feel homey to Leroy again. He could almost picture Ma Anderson coming out of her bedroom, fussing at him.

"I got stuff to do out in the fields, but now it almost feels like a celebration day, you comin’ home, and all.”" Hank laughed.

"Take the day off Hank, and I’ll get out there tomorrow and help you do the work," Leroy promised.

"How…how you gonna do that?"

Hank couldn’t stop his mouth.

"I'm injured, but I ain’t dead. And I’m capable of pulling my weight around here."

Leroy stretched his leg out and smiled, comfortable with the fact that he was as good as any man again.

"I love Josey, Hank. And I gotta be the man she married. Especially now." Leroy smiled confidently.

"You’re kiddin’." Tilting his head, Hank seemed to be searching for something, then found it. "No, you’re not. Sounds good to me, I could use some help out there. I never knew how hard George and Jacob worked till I tried to fill their shoes."

"I’d be proud to get out there with you. We can make a go of this place now, I’m sure of it. I can work the fields, plow them, and shuck corn. I’ll be useful to you Hank."

Hank stared at his brother hard and long.

"Ma tell you about the boys?"

"Yeah…she did. I sure did miss them when I went home. I guess Tom will be home soon. Didn’t seem right, them not bein’ there, jawin’ with Wade and Clay like they used to." Leroy frowned. "The war changed a lot of things, Hank."

Hank nodded. "I reckon that is so. Some good, some bad…"

Hank poured them some lemonade that Rose had left on the counter. Leroy drank it with relish. “Hmm…that tastes good. You miss all the little things, in the army. Sure seems strange without George and Jacob here, and Ma Anderson too."

"Jacob took off some time ago. He’s a free man now. I reckon he found a new life somewhere by now," Hank said wistfully.

"Good, he was a dern good man to have, and we’ll miss him, but we’ll get along," Leroy said with stern conviction.

An hour or so later Leroy saw Josey and Rose come driving up in Ma Anderson’s buggy. Josey stared at the figure on the porch in disbelief. Emotions ran across her face as he stared intently at her. She didn’t move for a long time. Then she slowly got out of the buggy and walked up to the porch.

"Leroy Van Houghton, you’ve come home."

But Leroy saw the slight tremble of her lips.

Rose and Hank stared at them for a few minutes, and then turned to take their leave. Rose placed a hand on Leroy’s and smiled. "Welcome home."

"Thanks, Rose."

He stood up, and came toward Josey now, his eyes fastened on her.

"Hello Josey," he said and pulled her straight into his arms. The feel of her was so good, he wasn’t sure he could ever turn lose of her. He thanked God that his ma had straightened him out before he came home. Because he knew the minute he had her in his arms he would never let her go again.

When he felt her shake, he pulled away just a bit.

"I thought you’d never come home." Josey's words were a breathless whisper on his ear.

"Me too," he said and reached to pull her back into his arms. "Oh God, Josey, it’s good to be home again. And so wonderful that this war is finally over too."

She smiled against his cheek and kissed him there. "You always smell so clean. How can a man smell so clean? I couldn’t forget that smell if I tried."

He laughed and began swinging her around. He swung her up and around and laughed and then suddenly they both crashed to the ground with a loud thump.

However, when she started to move, she saw the wooden leg and her eyes became round circles.

"I’m sorry honey…I lost it in the last battle," Leroy exclaimed.

Josey stared so long that he wasn’t sure what she was thinking. "Oh Leroy…my poor, poor Leroy." She grabbed him to her.

He pulled away, but held her steady.

"Josey, we’ve got a lot to talk over and understand about each other. There are things I want to tell you, things I want to know…"

"No…not yet." She frowned at him. Then a slow smile spread across her face, "Just kiss me…"

She didn’t have to ask twice, he smothered her with a long breathless kiss that went on and on forever. When they pulled away, they were both breathless.

"Oh dear God, I’ve missed you so…Are you home for good?" she asked.

"If you’ll still have me?" he questioned, gesturing to his leg.

"That’s just added furniture." She laughed.

He couldn’t believe she wasn’t concerned. Happiness filled him like the first spark of sunlight in early dawn. Those words would stay with him the rest of his life.

The four of them ate dinner as Rose introduced the newest member of the family to him. "This is Jake. Jake, meet your Uncle Leroy." She laughed.

"Look at all that red hair. He’s a beauty." Leroy said. "And so fat."

"Don't you worry none darlin'. Uncle Leroy has no manners." Rose cajoled her son.

Later when Leroy and Josey were alone, Josey became quiet. She looked so sad, so forlorn. He wanted to comfort her, but he also wanted her to talk about it to him.

"The doc said I might not be able to have children."

Leroy chucked his shirt and stared at her. "So…we won’t have children. That’s okay, Rose and Hank can have them, and we can play with them and send them back to them." He laughed.

She whirled about. "Doesn’t this bother you?"

"What…that we may not have children?" He stared into her beautiful brown eyes. "No…not really. Have you been worryin’ that it would?"

"Well…well, yes…of course I have…" she blurted out. "Most men would not accept a wife that couldn’t produce children."

He pulled her to him. "I didn’t marry a baby factory. I married you. I want you. And if you want me…then that’s enough," he said.

"But…doesn’t it make you sad?" she asked, as Leroy folded her into his waiting arms.

"Nothing could make me sad now that I'm home…look Josey, come sit here, and let me explain something." He sat her on the edge of the bed, and sat next to her, his hand on her thigh. "The war did a lot of bad things to people. It killed many, maimed some, and destroyed families. But what we have to do now is make the best of what we have left and be thankful we got something. If God sees fit for us not to have children…then we won’t. And if he sees fit for us to, then we will. But either way, it doesn’t make a bit of difference to me. I married you…because I love you, Josey. You. There weren’t any kids when I married you, were there?"

"No…but…"

"If you can accept me with one good leg, I can accept you with no children. It’s that simple. I love you. Just the way you are. And I can be happy with just you…for always."

He looked at her seriously now. "I am not worried one bit about babies. I’m worried about you. You’ve lost a lot of weight. Your eyes are so dark…you look beautiful but I’m worried about you. Is it all right…for me to…touch you?"

She stared at him. "Very all right, I’ve healed the doc said, much better than he ever figured I would."

"That’s good news." He chuckled and pulled her till they were both lying on the bed, next to each other. "Now, help me off with this." He motioned for her to help him with the wooden leg. She stared at the piece of wood that had become a part of him and then looked him in the eyes.

"What do I do?" she asked.

"Slip the strap from my knee, that’s all,"

She did and the wooden leg came off. He let it lay on the bed, and then pulled her until she was on top of him.

"I’ve dreamed of this moment, of coming back to you. I love you Josey with all my heart."

"And I love you," she whispered.

She kissed him on the lips softly and drew back to stare into his eyes. "

Show me how much, my love," he whispered.

"Always remember…" she whispered and pulled her gown off.

His eyes flashed with desire.

"Remember what?" he asked with a chuckle.

“This…” And she proceeded to show him.

 

 

*The End*