Hope stared into the small hand mirror that had once belonged to her mother, then turned toward the afternoon sunlight shimmering through the train window. Luke had been partially correct. Although she didn’t have a black eye, there was a distinct bruise on her temple. She was thankful, though, that the headache powders had given her some relief. She yanked the pins from her unruly curls and pulled her hair forward to hide the purplish mark. The style wasn’t particularly becoming, but if all went well, she’d avoid any embarrassing questions.
Wearing a white lawn blouse and a tailored navy skirt accented at the hem with two bands of gray piping, Hope stood beside her father to greet each person who stepped onto the chapel car platform.
Luke and his family were among the first to arrive. He beamed at her as he introduced each of them. His mother, a weary-looking widow, had been escorted by her deceased husband’s brother, Luke’s Uncle Frank. Neither had a great deal to say before they hurried inside to take a seat in one of the pews, but Luke had been pleased he’d convinced his uncle to attend. Luke’s sister Nellie lingered by Hope’s side while Luke directed his two younger brothers and a little sister who looked to be four or five to the stand of trees, where Hope had spread blankets and would meet with the children.
“I think my brother has taken a liking to you.” Nellie’s hazel eyes shone with mischief. “He’d be mad as a hornet if he knew I told ya.” She giggled. “He talked long and hard to convince Ma she could do her mending another time, but he didn’t have to convince me. I wanted to come and meet you. He said you were mighty pretty. He was right.”
Hope could feel the heat rise in her cheeks. “Thank you, Nellie. You’re very pretty yourself. I hope we can become friends.”
Nellie bobbed her head. “I’d like that. I’m seventeen, so I’m thinkin’ we’re about the same age.”
“Close. I’m nineteen,” Hope said. “The next time you come to town, why don’t you stop for a visit?”
“Oh, I’d like that a lot. Luke said the living quarters in the chapel car are really something to see.” Nellie rubbed her hands together like a small child anticipating a rare treat. “And maybe you could show me how to fix my hair like yours. I really like it. Is that the latest style in the city?”
Hope swallowed hard. “Not exactly, but some of the women are wearing their hair shorter and pulled forward a bit. I’m glad you like it.”
Before she could ask any more questions about Hope’s hair, another family scrambled to the platform. Her father remained at her side until the last of the attendees arrived. There hadn’t been as large a turnout as they’d hoped, but the car was two-thirds full of adults and there were at least thirty children waiting outside.
Hope followed her father down the narrow aisle to the slightly raised platform at the front of the chapel and took her place at the organ. Her heart fluttered when she looked out at the crowd and was met by Luke’s broad smile. Nellie sat beside him with her hands folded atop her faded brown-checkered skirt.
Her father cleared his throat as Hope perched her fingers over the organ keys. She stifled a giggle when Nellie jabbed her brother in the ribs. It appeared Nellie was eager to reveal what she’d earlier confided to Hope was true: Luke had taken a liking to her. It also appeared she didn’t care if she embarrassed Luke in the process. Hope grinned when Luke pinned his sister with a hard glare.
After leading the group in singing several hymns, Hope disappeared through their living quarters, descended the steps leading from the rear exit, and joined the children. The group was large, but they were all wide-eyed and eager to learn the hand motions to several songs she taught them. With the exception of a few of the youngest children and one or two older boys, they remained attentive as Hope told them of Moses being placed in a basket and floated in the Nile River where he was found by Pharaoh’s sister. One of the older boys said he’d like to try that with his baby sister, who continually cried all night. His remark had caused raucous laughter and also required some lengthy enlightenment from Hope before she continued with the story of Daniel in the lions’ den.
Knowing her father would soon conclude his preaching, she pulled out a list of questions. She hoped the children would recall a bit of what she’d taught them. Like popcorn exploding over a hot fire, a plethora of small hands shot into the air. Their enthusiasm was contagious. “I know, I know!” several shouted while waving in her direction. With each new question, they bounced up and down and flapped their arms. The child selected to answer would beam with pleasure when Hope proclaimed the response correct.
She caught sight of the adults descending the steps of the chapel car, quickly reached into her crate of supplies, and removed a paper sack. “You’ve all been so good that I have a treat for you.” She instructed the children to walk past her in a single line and repeated the same comment to each child as she placed a piece of hard candy in each small palm. “Jesus loves you, and so do I. Please bring your friends tomorrow night so they can learn about Jesus.”
A boy wearing a ripped pair of overalls and worn plaid shirt called out, “Do we get candy every night?”
Hope smiled and nodded as she continued to repeat the invitation, dropping sweets into their small hands. But when a large palm suddenly appeared, she stopped short and looked up. “Luke!” She smiled at him. “Sorry, no candy for the adults.”
“But I was very good and listened to every word. Would you like me to tell you about the sermon your father preached?”
She tipped her head to the side and met his twinkling green eyes. “You are most welcome to tell me, but the candy is to encourage the little ones to listen—not to satisfy the sweet tooth of adults.”
Nellie bounded to her brother’s side and grasped his arm. “You’re a smart woman, Hope. My brother shouldn’t receive a reward for his knowledge of the Bible or listening to a sermon. He already knows more passages from the Good Book than most preachers, don’t ya, Luke?”
He shook his head. “That’s not true, Nellie. I know a little, but I’m no equal to the Reverend Irvine.”
Undeterred by her brother’s stern look, Nellie perched her hands on her hips. “He don’t want to appear too proud, but he uses more than his share of coal oil reading the Bible late into the night.” She pointed her thumb in Luke’s direction. “And he’s got a fine singing voice, too.”
Hope stooped to tuck the sack of candy back into the crate. She peeked up at Luke as she stood. “That’s good to know. I may need help with the children from time to time, and now I’ll know who to call upon. They become restless waiting for me to finish the singing at the beginning of the meetings. You could lead them in a few songs.”
Nellie jabbed her brother’s arm with her index finger. “I never said he was good with young’uns. I just said he knows his Bible. I’m the one who’s good with the young’uns.”
“Is that a fact? Well, who’s taught the boys to trap and fish? And who carries the little girls down the hill on his back?” Luke looked at Hope. “Now I ask ya, does that sound like a man who isn’t good with young’uns?”
He beamed when Hope acknowledged that he’d revealed some excellent qualities. “It sounds as though both of you could help if our Sunday school expands. All of the children said they were going to bring friends.”
Nellie glanced toward the children, who by now had scattered off to find their parents. “The young’uns will do what they can, but it all depends on whether their pa will give ’em permission. Some folks ’round here don’t cotton much to strangers, and that includes preachers. That’s why the few who have come here before leave after a few weeks.”
The young woman’s comment echoed what Luke had told Hope’s father earlier in the day. Hope wasn’t pleased by the idea of living in a town where she’d need to be constantly on guard. Still, she’d find a way to gain the acceptance of the older folks. While winning over the adults might take longer than it had with the children, she was determined to succeed. “Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” she whispered. Long ago she’d taken that old saying to heart.
Over the weeks that followed, Luke frequently escorted Hope up the hillside to visit with his mother, as well as some of the nearby neighbors. While he was certain she expected to do the same today, he’d decided to surprise her with a change in their usual routine. During their brief times alone, he learned enough about Hope to know he wanted to discover more about her past. Yet each time he thought he might have her to himself, someone would appear and interrupt them. This afternoon would be different. He caught sight of her crossing the street and waved when he arrived at the bottom of the hill.
She pointed to his hand as she approached. “What’s this? Are you going fishing?”
“I am. And I hope you’ll agree to join me. There’s a pond not far off where I like to try my luck with a fishing pole. I don’t catch a lot of fish, but it’s peaceful. I brought an extra pole for you.”
“You were sure I’d say yes, were you?” Mischief danced in her eyes.
“I recall you mentioned feeling discouraged by the unwelcome reception you received from some of the folks on the hill, so I thought a change was in order for today. But if you’d rather not . . .”
She reached for the fishing poles and placed her hand atop his. “Which one of these is mine?”
His gaze settled on her hand, and she retracted it as quickly as she’d taken hold. The moment she lifted her hand, he regretted his reaction. He cleared his throat and shifted the poles so she could have a better look at them. “You can have your pick.”
“I suppose I’ll take the shorter of the two.” She tapped the longer pole. “I don’t think I could handle that one.”
He bent down and picked up a large can. “You want to carry the worms?”
She laughed and shook her head. “I’ll let you do the honors, but thanks for giving me the opportunity.”
He rested the poles against his shoulder, held the can close to his chest, and crooked his free arm. “There’s no path, so you’ll need to watch so you don’t step into any chuckholes. You might want to hold on to my arm. Don’t want you to sprain an ankle.”
“Some of the young boys have talked about fishing at the river, but I don’t recall anyone mentioning a pond. Is this a secret spot no one else knows about?”
“It’s not a secret, but most of the fellas like to fish down at the river. Truth is, there’s not many fish in the pond, and most folks who go fishing want to come home with their dinner, so they go to the river.”
“And you don’t want to catch any fish?”
He shrugged. “Not when I go to the pond. When I go out there, it’s mostly when I have something I want to think on without being disturbed. I can do my thinking and get closer to God out at the pond. That’s hard to do when the young’uns are running around wanting you to bait their hooks.” He shook his head. “And if I don’t keep a close watch on Susie, she’d jump right in the water. That girl loves to get herself soaking wet.”
“She’s a sweet child. Your brothers are lots of fun, too.” She hesitated a moment. “There’s quite a gap in age between you and the little ones.”
He nodded. “Ma had another baby between me and Nellie and then two other babies between Nellie and Joey. They died. Losing them was hard, and when Pa died while she was still carrying Susie, well, I think she would have sat down and died if it hadn’t been for Uncle Frank. He made her face the fact that Pa wouldn’t have wanted her to give up on life or on their family. Took a while for Ma to get back to her old self, but by the time Susie was a year old, she was doing better. Uncle Frank spent a lot of hours reading the Bible and praying with her—with all of us. He’s the one who encouraged me to search and memorize God’s Word.”
“So he never married?” Hope arched her brows when he didn’t immediately answer. “Your Uncle Frank, was he ever married?”
“Yes. Both his wife and only child died in childbirth about a year after their wedding. He never married again. When I asked him why he’d stayed single all these years, he told me that after Aunt Louise died, he vowed to stay single unless the Lord pushed him to the altar. So far that hasn’t happened.” He inhaled a deep breath. “Guess it’s selfish of me, but I’ve always been glad he didn’t remarry. I don’t know what we’d do without his help.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up unpleasant memories.”
“No need for apologies. Besides, all those memories aren’t unhappy, and there’s lots of laughter in our house nowadays.” He shifted the fishing poles. “What about you? What was it like growing up without any brothers or sisters?”
“Lonely. I always wanted a sister. There was a girl about my age who lived next door to Aunt Mattie for a couple of years. We had fun together, but then they moved away.” She looked up at him. “Speaking of sisters, where’s Nellie today? Didn’t she want to come along? She told me she liked to fish.”
“She does like to fish, but whenever she’s around I can’t get a word in edgewise.” He hesitated a moment. “I wanted you to myself for a little while.” He chanced a quick look at her.
“So you didn’t ask her?”
He shook his head. “Do you mind?”
“I’m sure her feelings will be hurt if she thinks she wasn’t wanted. I know mine would be.”
“She couldn’t have come even if I’d asked her. Ma needs her to help with the canning the next couple days.”
“I feel much better knowing she couldn’t have come along.”
He pointed to a spot along the edge of the pond. “Always thinking of others, aren’t you?”
“No, not always. My thoughts right now are only on enjoying your company—and maybe catching a fish.” She grinned and looked into his eyes.
Could she hear his heart thumping beneath the fabric of his shirt? He wanted to tell her how he adored her laughter and how he loved the way her hazel eyes seemed to change color each time he looked into them. He wanted her to know how much he’d come to care for her since they’d first met. And yet she’d likely think him a fool for speaking his feelings so soon. After all, she wasn’t from these parts where men didn’t wait long before speaking their piece and staking their claim on a gal. Luke couldn’t be certain, but he figured things were different in big cities. Men likely courted for months and months before stating their affections to a woman.
He cleared his throat and shifted his attention to the fishing rods. “You bait your own hooks or do you want me to do it?” He moved the can between them, then picked up his rod. “There’s a lot of good night crawlers in there. They work best.” He dug his fingers into the dirt, pulled out one of the wiggling worms, and threaded it onto his hook before glancing up at her.
“Since I’ve never baited a hook, why don’t you go ahead? I wouldn’t want to cause the worm more pain than necessary.”
He laughed heartily. “Never in my life have I heard anyone worry about the pain of a worm. You do confound me. I didn’t realize your concern for others would extend even to a worm being used as bait.”
“Well, they’re God’s creatures too, and while I don’t know if they feel pain, the process looks like it would hurt.” Splotches of pink inched across her cheeks, and he longed to snatch back his laughter and words. He’d obviously embarrassed her.
He quickly baited the hook, stepped close, and extended the rod. “I’d be glad to help you cast if you’d like.”
“Let me try on my own first.” Before he could move, she swung the rod in a wide arc. Luke dove for the ground. Instead of casting the line, the rod went flying into the pond. Hope let out a yelp and pointed at the slowly sinking rod.
Without thought to his shoes, Luke jumped up and ran into the pond, high-stepping his way through the murky water that splashed around his legs. When he finally captured the rod, he lifted it high in the air and slogged back to the bank holding it like a prize catch. Water sloshed in his shoes, and his pant legs were soaked through when he made his return to dry ground.
“I think you might need a lesson or two before you try that again, but you do have a good throw.” He smiled as he went to her side.
“Oh, Luke. Look at you.” She pointed to his feet. “Your shoes are going to be ruined.”
“They’ll be fine.” He dropped to the ground, removed his shoes and socks, then glanced up at her. “Don’t worry. I won’t remove my pants.”
“Oh, my! I hope not.” She covered her mouth with her palm.
He placed his shoes in the sun and hung his socks on the branches of a nearby bush. “The socks will dry in no time, but we may have to stay here a day or two for the shoes to dry.” Seeing the look on her face, he burst into laughter. “I’m only joking. They’ll dry out soon. Besides, I can always go barefoot.” He reached for the fishing pole. “How about I give you your first lesson?”
She nodded. “I think that would be helpful.” He stepped to her side and then, after a few verbal instructions, moved behind her. She glanced over her shoulder. “Why did you move?”
“To provide a little more instruction.” He glanced to be sure her hands were properly placed on the rod, then reached around her and wrapped his hands over her own. He lowered his head and spoke into her ear. “Just keep your arms loose enough for me to help you cast the line into the water.” With a slight turn of her head, she gave him a sideways look that caused his pulse to quicken. “Here we go.”
Holding her from behind, he directed her arms in an arc while the two of them watched the worm fly in the air, skip across the water, and lower into the depths of the pond.
“Let’s hope my earlier mishap didn’t scare the fish away,” she said.
“Like I said, no one has much luck in this pond, so there’s no need to be concerned if we don’t catch anything. Besides, I don’t much enjoy cleaning fish.” He nodded toward the pond. “If you feel like something is tugging on your line, jerk back and then reel it in.”
He’d just prepared to cast his own line when Hope jerked her pole and squealed. Luke dropped his pole and once again assumed his position behind her. “That’s it. Pull back and turn the handle on your reel.”
She was doing her best but making little progress. He moved forward to help her, and together they hoisted a large turtle into the air. No sooner did they pull the turtle from the pond than it broke the line and dropped back into the watery abyss.
Hope sighed. “I don’t think fishing is ever going to be one of my talents.”
When she made a quick turn toward him, his lips unexpectedly brushed her cheek. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean . . .”
She smiled and shook her head. “No need to apologize.”
Luke’s pulse quickened. Did she already have feelings for him, too? Maybe city and hill-country courting weren’t so different after all.
Hope’s excursions up the hillside had soon become the bright spot in her days. Even though the men still considered her an interloper, the women and children welcomed her visits. At least Luke’s Uncle Frank had been quick to accept her. He’d done his best to convince the other men that she had no intention of wrongly influencing their wives. But even Uncle Frank’s words didn’t ease their attitudes. They considered her a varmint that needed shooing from their door.
Her father hadn’t met with much more success. The men weren’t totally convinced her father wasn’t a revenuer with a smooth tongue who’d brought along a young woman to lessen suspicion. Mistrust further heightened when her father had been seen speaking to one of the managers of the mining company at the general store. A story soon circulated that he’d been hired to flush out miners favoring a strike. Little did they know that the manager had accused her father of being a representative of the union and warned him against stirring up trouble. It seemed Hope and her father were met with resistance and wrongful accusations at every turn.
Every week a new tale spread among the locals, though a few families had been approachable. Along with the Mintons, Burnses, and Winters, Luke’s family, including Uncle Frank, had accepted them. But even with Luke and those four men vouching for Hope and her father, they’d had little success winning over other men in the small community. Most of the men now accompanied their families down the hill, but rather than attend meetings, they gathered in a grove on the other side of the chapel car and typically rejoined their families afterward. At first her father had been encouraged by their appearance, except the men hadn’t relented in their decision to remain at a distance.
While her father continued to pray for the men’s acceptance, Hope took a more ambitious approach. Invited or not, she believed that going to the homes of the locals was more beneficial. Although her father’s uninvited appearance might be met with a shotgun, her knocks were met with squeals of delight from the children who’d learned to expect a piece of candy when she appeared. And the women became as animated as their children when she produced a spool of much-needed thread or a packet of sewing needles.
After a glance out the train window, Hope picked up a small basket, tucked a handkerchief into the pocket of her skirt, and kissed her father on the cheek. He looked up from his writing. A slight frown wrinkled his forehead. “Going up the hillside again, are you?”
She nodded. “Yes. Nellie and Luke are going to walk me up. I want to visit Celia Fisher’s family. She’s a sweet little girl who’s been at every meeting since we arrived. Neither of her parents has attended, but they live near Nellie and Luke. Nellie brings Celia with her each evening. The little girl is quite withdrawn. I’ve been somewhat concerned because several of the children are unkind to her, and I’ve had to come to her defense. I think their unpleasant behavior may be the cause of Celia’s shyness.”
Her father folded his hands in his lap. “I hope you had a talk with the children who have been unkind to the girl. They need to learn how to treat others with love and compassion.”
She smiled down at him. “I’ve corrected them, but a few of the older boys brushed off my remarks. If they don’t obey, I’ll have you visit with them.”
“Just let me know. I’ll be glad to have a word with them.” He cocked an eyebrow. “Did Nellie think the child’s parents would welcome a visit from you?”
“I know Mrs. Fisher wants to meet with me. She sent a note with Celia and asked me to call on her. I’m not sure about Mr. Fisher. He works for the mining company, so I don’t think he’ll be at home.” She squeezed her father’s shoulder. “You don’t need to worry. I’ll be back in plenty of time to prepare dinner.”
“Wait!” A look of sudden realization flashed in her father’s eyes. “Did you say Luke was going to meet you?”
Hope nodded. “Yes, Luke and Nellie.” She edged toward the door. If she didn’t hurry, they’d think she wasn’t coming.
Her father leaned back in his chair. “Why isn’t Luke at work?”
She tipped her head to one side, surprised by the question. “Because he was laid off again. I assumed you knew. Miners with the least seniority were laid off a few days ago. I thought he’d told you.”
“No, he never mentioned it.” His tone of disbelief affirmed she’d caught him unaware. Her father hesitated a moment. “He did say he’d be available if I needed any help with my carpentry projects, but I figured he’d been assigned a different shift at the mine. He probably thinks me completely insensitive.”
“I don’t think he’d believe you uncaring, Papa. He knows you want only the best for the people who live here. I’m sure he simply doesn’t want to burden you with the problems going on at the mine. He hasn’t told me much, but Nellie confides in me. I think there’s growing unrest among the men.” She stepped to the door. “I really must go. We can talk more when I return.” She pushed the iron door handle and shoved her hip against the heavy door before her father could further detain her.
By the time she arrived at the stand of elderberry bushes near the path leading up the hillside, beads of perspiration were trickling down the side of Hope’s face. “Sorry I’m late.” She gasped for air after sputtering the words. “Thank you for waiting.” She clamped her palm to her waist.
Nellie’s gaze followed the movement. “Got a stitch in your side from walking so fast?”
Hope bobbed her head. “My father stopped me on my way out the door.” She turned toward Luke. “He didn’t know you’d been laid off at the mine.”
Luke’s brow furrowed. “I thought he’d figure it out when I told him I could help out with his carpentry work.”
Hope shook her head. Folks took it for granted that outsiders understood how things worked in the mining camp, but Hope wasn’t certain why. Most of the families remained uncommunicative, especially the men. When her father inquired about their work, they immediately turned the conversation to talk of the weather or crops. Nellie said it was because some folks still believed she and her father were company spies who passed information to the mine manager.
Though she hadn’t pressed Nellie for details, Hope had difficulty believing the girl’s explanation. After all, they’d been here for more than six weeks, and other than her father’s one brief conversation with a mine manager at the general store, they’d not had contact with the hierarchy at the mining company. To her knowledge, none of the managers or supervisors had ever visited any of their chapel car meetings. Perhaps that wasn’t enough to convince folks; perhaps they never would win the trust of these people. Then again, maybe rebuilding the church would help persuade them.
She pushed aside the thought when Nellie skipped ahead of them toward the path, her faded print dress swishing and catching on bushes as she led the way. “Come on, you two.”
She and Luke dutifully followed behind. Nellie was much more accustomed to climbing these hills, and Hope soon found herself gulping down air in her attempt to keep pace. Thankful that Luke had remained by her side, Hope smiled at him when he guided her around a muddy hole in the path, then slowed his pace.
Once her breathing had returned to a normal rate, Hope cleared her throat. “My father may need your help before long. He wrote to the association headquarters and asked if they would fund the rebuilding of the local church. The one that was destroyed by a fire.”
When he grinned and nodded, she immediately realized there’d been no need for her explanation. The only church in the town was the one that had been destroyed by fire. She could feel the heat climbing up her neck. No doubt her cheeks were now a bright shade of pink.
“That’s wonderful news. I’ll be praying the association will decide to help. We’ve tried to raise money to rebuild several times, and folks want a new church. Problem is, for most of us, it’s hard making enough money to put food on the table, much less having any extra to give toward building a church.”
“My father explained that the miners and their families didn’t have additional funds to help with the rebuilding. The board of directors were to meet this week, so he’s hopeful he’ll hear from them soon.”
Nellie, who had slowed her own pace, shifted and looked over her shoulder. “Did you say your father is going to rebuild the church? Folks are going to be so excited!” She clapped her hands together. “I can’t wait to spread the word.”
Hope sighed. This was how inaccurate chatter spread among the families. One person heard only bits and pieces of a conversation and spread it as gospel. “Wait, Nellie. That’s not what I said, so please don’t tell anyone the church is being reconstructed.” Hope reached out and gently caught the girl by her arm while she detailed what she’d told Luke. “So you see, nothing is certain, and we don’t want to give rise to hope until we’ve heard back from the association. I know they don’t have an excess of funds, so there’s a possibility my father’s request will be denied. All three of us need to pray they’ll understand the importance of helping the residents of Finch.”
Nellie’s smile faded. “I’m willing to pray, but I have to admit I have my doubts they’ll want to help. Seems we’re pretty much forgotten by everyone.”
Luke placed his arm around his sister’s shoulder. “Come on now, Nellie. Don’t be such a doomsayer. Let’s put our faith in the Lord.” He held her tight until she smiled at him. “That’s the sister I know and love.” He released his hold as they neared the top of the hill. “You go ahead and take Hope to meet Mrs. Fisher. I need to get back out to the field and weed the garden.”
Nellie nodded, and the two young women watched him lope off. “I’m surprised he’s letting me take you to meet Mrs. Fisher.” She lowered her head close to Hope’s ear. “You’re all he talks about, you know. He thinks the sun rises and sets on you.”
Hope couldn’t withhold a smile. The words warmed her heart, even if she was certain Nellie was prone to exaggeration. “I’m fond of you and Luke, too.”
Nellie giggled. “I have a feeling you’d rather be with him than me, but you don’t need to say so. I know you wouldn’t want to hurt my feelings.” She reached down, grabbed Hope’s hand, and swung it as though they were schoolgirls. “Come on, we’d better get a move on or Mrs. Fisher will think we’re not coming.”
As she expected, Mr. Fisher wasn’t at home when they arrived, but Mrs. Fisher greeted them with a work-worn smile. Dark circles rimmed her eyes, and strands of hair sailed free from the loose knot pinned at her nape. Weariness oozed from the woman. “Come on in and sit a spell. Can’t offer you anything more than a cup of weak coffee, but . . .”
Hope stayed the woman with a shake of her head. “Thank you, Mrs. Fisher, but there’s no need for refreshments.” She waited until the older woman gestured to the straight-back chairs that surrounded a marred metal table.
“I’m gonna go on home. Ma said she needed some help hanging out the wash.” Nellie looked at Hope. “Come get me when you’re done and I’ll walk ya back to town.”
“There’s no need for an escort, Nellie.” While Hope appreciated the girl’s offer, any real threat to strangers arose only if they attempted to gain entrance into the hillside community without an escort or proper invite. The miners and their families had no problem with the departure of outsiders. Truth be told, they often encouraged it with a strong warning and a shotgun. Hope was touched by Nellie’s concern, yet there was no need to keep the girl from her chores.
The flimsy door clacked shut, and Hope turned her attention to the older woman. “Celia is a delightful child, Mrs. Fisher. I’m sure you’re very proud of her.”
The woman wilted. “I worry ’bout Celia. She cries a lot, says the other kids make fun of her ’cause she ain’t learnt to read real good. Trouble is, I can’t help ’cause I got the same problem myself.” The woman pressed her hands together. “I was thinkin’ maybe you could help her. The teacher at the school says she don’t have time for special teachin’, and I can tell Celia likes you a lot. She talks ’bout you all the time.”
Hope leaned forward and grasped Mrs. Fisher’s callused hands in her own. “I would be pleased to help Celia with her reading, but we’d need to decide on a time when I could meet with her. Would you want me to come here?”
Mrs. Fisher’s brow puckered. “Only if her pa ain’t here. He don’t take to having strangers around. If’n you could come ’bout this time a few days a week, he’ll be at work. Think you could do that?”
After they’d talked a little longer and completed their plans, Hope bid the woman good-bye. Instead of stopping for Nellie, she headed off toward the path leading down the hill with a lightness in her heart. Maybe this would be the first step toward acceptance among the miners and their families.
When she neared the base of the steep path, she stopped at the sound of rustling underbrush. The noise ceased, and she inhaled a fortifying breath. Probably a small animal scurrying through the woods that bordered the trail. She took a tentative step.
“Who might you be?”
The booming voice cracked behind her. Heart thumping, Hope gasped, turned on her heel, and backed against a tree.