Burned By The Flame

Chapter 9

Homecoming

Doc was on the front porch, with two little ones sitting in the swing with him. The boy leaned against his side, while the girl sat on his lap, both listening to him read. The book, normally one of their favorites, barely held their attention today.

"Poppy," Cooper interrupted and with a wistful gaze looked up at the old man, "Is that judge man going to let Calleigh come home today?"

Doc pulled his glasses off and scowled at the boy. He wasn't upset with him, but concerned about his question. "Calleigh has been visiting a patient."

"Momma says it's not nice to lie." He didn't understand why Poppy's face started to turn red, but he suspected it had something to do with the lie. "Tommy Rachel told me that Calleigh was in daddy's jail. He said she did a bad thing. He said- "

Cooper stopped. His eyes grew wide, as he stared at the two riders coming up the road. Before he had a chance to say anything, another little voice began to scream.

Hadley struggled to get down from Poppy's lap, as she cried for the rider, "Sissy! Sissy! Down, Poppy! Let me go!"

"Just hold on…" He tried to hang on to the squirming little moppet, to give Calleigh time to at least climb down from Belle. While he was holding one child, the other slipped past him and went running down the steps. Doc lost his grip on the girl, but tried to stay close as she ran toward the steps. "Just wait...don't...Hadley...you're going to fall!" He sighed with relief once the toddler was safely on the ground.

Calleigh dropped to the dirt and welcomed the onslaught of two pair of hugging arms and a dozen sloppy kisses. Each tried to out-talk the other; each wanting her to know that they missed her more than the other; and both wanting to hear that she had missed them as well.

Hadley's arms were wrapped so tight around Sissy's neck, she could barely breathe. Calleigh motioned to Newly for the sack of candy. "Look, baby girl, I brought you some jellybeans."

Hadley looked at the bag, but in a surprise move, buried her face back into Calleigh's shoulder. "No, I want Sissy." None of them could believe that she wasn't going to give up her hold on Calleigh for the candy. The big sister looked up at her husband, her heart bursting with love for this child.

"Now you know what it feels like to be chosen over a piece of pie," Newly laughed, as he helped his wife off the ground, with Hadley still clinging like a thirty pound tumor to Calleigh's side; and Cooper, with his arms firmly locked around her waist. Newly would have offered to take one of the little ones off her hands, but he figured that would have started a whole lot of crying and screaming. He did help steady her, as she climbed the steps and made her way to the swing.

Calleigh settled in with a sigh and looked to Newly and Doc. "Good to be home," she laughed and hugged the kids tighter. "Okay, guys, what's been going on?"

"I missed you, Sissy." Hadley held tight, but did pull away enough to plant another sloppy kiss on her sister's cheek.

"And I missed you too. Have you been a good girl for Poppy?"

"Uh-huh, I been good, huh Poppy?" The old man couldn't help but laugh, but he readily agreed.

Calleigh pried one of the little arms loose and brushed the wild curls from Hadley's face. She motioned to Newly for the candy. "How about you snuggle right here on my lap and you can have me and the candy? Hmm?"

Hadley's expression was as serious as a two and a half year old could muster. She studied the candy and her sister and decided that would be a pretty good deal. Her face broke out into a giant grin as she settled into Calleigh's arms, with the jellybeans in tow.

Cooper had waited patiently for Calleigh to pacify their little sister. He knew that until Hadley was happy, there would be no talking. Now it was his turn and he turned in the swing to talk to her face to face. The inquisition began. "Tommy Rachel told me you were in jail."

"Tommy Rachel again," Calleigh mumbled under her breath. "And what did you do?"

Cooper bowed his head, maybe he didn't want to talk face-to-face after all. "I hit him."

She lifted his chin with the tip of her finger. "Is that where this came from?" She lightly brushed his cheek, with the pad of her thumb on the shiner circling around one bright, blue eye. "What did momma say about you fighting?"

Suddenly, his little body grew erect, his eyes sparked with excitement, "I gave him a black eye too AND a bloody nose; and she said he deserved it. She said she didn't like me to fight, but she was proud of me for standing up for you."

Newly was trying not to take any time or attention away from Calleigh, but he had to congratulate the boy. "Isn't Tommy Rachel twice your size? Cooper that's fantastic!" He caught the evil eye from Calleigh, "I mean, your momma's right, fighting is not the answer…" Newly leaned over and whispered man-to-man, "…but if you have to fight, it's always better to win."

Cooper giggled, as Newly ran his hand roughly through the brown curls. He looked at his little sister, content in Calleigh's arms with her cache of jellybeans. She pulled a handful out of the sack and offered them to Cooper.

"No thanks, you eat them." He turned his attention back to Calleigh, "Tommy said you did something really bad and that's why daddy put you in jail. Is that true?"

Calleigh tucked Hadley farther back in the crook of her arm and reached out to stroke Cooper's cheek. "Coop, do you remember when Kyte Furlin told Reverend Braden that you were the one who took the money from the Sunday School collection box?"

Tiny wrinkles formed on his forehead, as the memory rushed back, "I was mad at him at first but, he only took it 'cause he was hungry. They don't have lots of stuff like we do."

"I'm glad you didn't stay mad at Kyte. The difference is, I don't know who did this thing, but they made it look like it was me. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, kinda; but Kyte told the truth when I got in so much trouble. Will this person tell the truth for you?"

"I don't know, I hope so, but in the mean time, there will be a trial and Barlow will try to make sure that I don't get blamed for this."

"Mr. Madson is a nice man. He's Bethany's daddy." At first, he seemed to accept what Calleigh had explained to him, but then his face became somber and he pulled himself up on his knees. "What if Mr. Madson can't make them believe that you didn't do it? Tommy said you would go to jail forever." Cooper's upper lip began to quiver and he threw his arms around Calleigh again. His crying seemed contagious and Hadley started to cry again too.

Calleigh looked to Newly for help. "Hey big guy," Newly took a chance and pulled the boy up into his arms.

Cooper loved Newly like a big brother and gratefully accepted his effort to console him. "Don't cry; we're not going to let that happen, son."

Cooper struggled to get his words out amidst the tears and hiccups, "Do...you pro...mise..Newly?"

Newly looked down at Calleigh, watching her trying to console the youngest sibling. She lifted her gaze and their eyes met, each drawing support from the other. "I promise." He said the words aloud for Cooper, but the promise in his eyes was for Calleigh.

thadbethanythadbethanythadbethany

Thad arrived at the restaurant, with a box in one hand and a bouquet of flowers in the other. He paced back and forth in front of the entrance, talking to himself. He had been practicing this speech all day and he wanted it to be perfect.

The glass front door with the fancy etching opened and Tia's head popped out. "Hey, are you coming in—or what? Bethany and her folks have been watching you pace for almost half an hour."

Thad could see the clock on the wall of the dining room. "Oh my gosh, I didn't realize I had been out here that long. They're going to think I'm a half wit!"

Tia giggled and took hold of his arm. "They will think that you are a great young man, with a terrific future, who loves their daughter." She pulled him inside the restaurant and pushed him toward the Madson's table. "And handsome too." She whispered, loud enough to make him blush.

Bethany slid out of her seat to greet the young deputy. "What were you doing out there?" she whispered, as she hugged him.

The smile that hung on his face looked as nervous as his gaze. "Practicing," he mumbled as he walked toward the table. "Mrs. Madson," he thrust the flowers toward her with more force than he intended.

Betsy tried to hide her smile behind the bouquet. She looked at Barlow, remembering another scared young man, some twenty-six years ago. "They're beautiful, Thad. And so thoughtful of you." Before she had a chance to worry about where to put them, Tia arrived at the table offering to take care of them for her. She winked at Thad as she walked away.

Barlow couldn't help but see the way his daughter's eyes shone with pride, as she looked at her young lawman.

The lawyer turned his gaze to Thad. It broke his heart to know that he was no longer the only man in his daughter's life; but at the same time, it gave him great comfort to know she was in good hands.

Thad settled back in his seat. He looked at the faces around the table and decided it was time to speak his piece.

He took the small box from his pocket and reached over, taking Bethany's hand. "Mr. Madson, Mrs. Madson, I would like to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage."

Barlow let his eyes once again fall upon his daughter. He could see the tension between the two lovers, waiting for an answer. "I'm sure Betsy will agree with me when I say, we would be proud to have you as a son- in -law."

Thad bounced to his feet, his grin almost too big for his face. He grabbed Barlow's hand and began to pump it as though he were priming it for water. "Thank you, sir. I'll take good care of her, I promise."

"Thad. Thad." Bethany tugged on his sleeve in an attempt to get his attention, "Thad!" He didn't release Barlow's hand, but he did redirect his gaze. "Is that box for me?" Bethany's doe-like brown eyes waited pensively for him to open it.

"Oh!" He let go of Barlow's hand and turned to his future bride. His hands were steady now, as he opened the box and pulled out the small, but respectable diamond. She held out her hand, letting him slide the ring onto her finger. Now they both wore grins two sizes too big. Bethany's first kiss went to Thad. Then she was out of her seat, hugging her mom, then her dad. Her last stop was Tia. They giggled and hugged, as she stretched out her hand to showcase the symbol of her future.

Thad felt like the weight of the world had been taken from his shoulders. Once the tension was gone, he was actually able to enjoy the evening. Most of the conversation during dinner was between Bethany and her mom and revolved around the upcoming wedding. Thad and Barlow exchanged glances of boredom several times, but were smart enough to keep it to themselves.

Finally, Thad had the courage to broach a different subject. "It looks like that judge really has it out for Calleigh."

"Well, actually, it's Matt that he has a grudge against; but it looks like Calleigh is going to have to pay for it. I don't know about you, but we're praying for a miracle."

TBC