"Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousnessbecause of my enemies;make your way straight before me. For there is no truth in their mouth;their inmost self is destruction;their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue.Make them bear their guilt, O God;let them fall by their own counsels; because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out,for they have rebelled against you. But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy,
and spread your protection over them,that those who love your name may exult in you. For you bless the righteous, O Lord;you cover him with favor as with a shield."

~Psalm 5: 8-12

Chapter Eleven

Christy enjoyed every part of her day until they reached El Pano. Walter Truman had been hinting at coming up to the mission to visit her. She had hoped Neil would cut him off, to clarify their relationship, but he didn't, which perplexed her.

"When you come to El Pano to catch the train for home at the end of the month, you could come for supper," Walter said. "You'll probably stay at Mrs. Tatum's boarding house, won't you?"

"I haven't made any firm plans just yet," she said. "I expect Dr. MacNeill will see me safely to El Pano."

Neil finally turned. "Yes, ma'am, I will." He winked at her and she smiled back at him.

"Oh!" Walter looked a bit embarrassed. "Forgive me, Dr. MacNeill, I didn't understand—"

Neil cut him off. "No reason to apologize. I just found her first, and she seems to like me enough to keep spending time with me."

She smiled. "Most days." She sighed dramatically, and then tickled Donkin who giggled and then adjusted his new glasses on his face.

Jeb laughed and elbowed Neil in the ribs, forcing Neil to glare playfully back at her. Maybelle was sleeping on Christy's lap, her little head resting against Christy's shoulder. They had been so well behaved all day. If her students behaved that well, she would not be as tired as she was often was at the end of each day.

At El Pano, the Trumans exited the wagon with help from Jeb. Neil had confided that both were improving. Mr. Truman was there to meet him, and together the threesome walked away with a wave. Walter was a nice man, but even if Neil weren't taking over her heart, she would not have spent time with him. What was it with ministers being attracted to her?

They dropped the Jones children off next, just as dusk was falling. Maybelle had slept almost the whole way, and Christy realized she should have kept the angel awake so she would sleep that night. The day had been long for the children, but the books and coloring and two trips to the park had been enough to occupy them. She wondered if Gertie would be able to keep them occupied. She wondered if there had been many children at the clinic over the past eight years. Christy would not feel guilty for going home, although she wished she could be in two places at once.

She awoke Maybelle when they began the climb to the Jones' cabin. Once there, Neil gave Mrs. Jones the simple directions about the children wearing the patches. The cataract would be treated sometime in the future, so the next month they would just be checked only for their amblyopia. The children both hugged Christy and Neil lifted them both down from the wagon.

"They were so well behaved," Christy told Mrs. Jones.

"Thank you, Miss Christy," Mrs. Jones said. "I am much obliged to you and Dr. MacNeill for caring for them."

Neil said he would stop and check on them in a few weeks unless he was called down to Low Gap sooner. He climbed back up in the wagon, and Jeb pulled the wagon away to drop off the last patient, Beckam, who had settled on the bottom of the wagon, off the haybales, and fallen asleep soon after they left El Pano.

"You did good with them yungins'" Jeb said. "I don't reckon that should surprise me seeing how you do so good with my own yungins"

After dropping Beckam off at his cabin and congratulating him for completing his treatments, Jeb headed toward home. He and Neil kept up a running conversation about Jeb's children. Jeb was trying to decide how he could help John get a start in farming.

"If he wants to get hitched to Bessie, we don't got room for them at the place, and you know Kyle Coburn ain't the kindest fella. I don't reckon John's wanting to be at that place. We can't be putting up a new cabin fer them jest yet."

"Well, I have that forty acres down in the valley that my father left me. I haven't done anything with," Neil said. "He could bust it up again and plant down there. Aunt Hattie has land attached to it, too from her husband. If he decides he can handle it, he will have space to expand."

"You mean it?" Jeb asked. "We don't got the money to buy it, or even give you rent ahead of time."

"We could do shares?" Neil suggested. "Seventy-five, twenty-five? I'll chip in the seeds even as a wedding gift for him, if he's sure this is what he wants."

Christy watched the humble mountain man, swallow hard. She couldn't help but smile at what Neil was offering the Spencers. It would give John and Bessie a wonderful start in their life together. Both were graduating at the end of March, and she wondered how long they would wait to get married. Oddly, Christy felt a little jealous of the fact the two of them had their future figured out when Christy wasn't sure what God was really calling her to do.

"You and I should talk to John about it. Make sure. I don't want to agree to something he can't or don't wanna do."

"It's there for him, if he wants it," Neil replied. He pounded Jeb on the back. "You gotta know by now how much you and Fairlight have always meant to me."

"Shoot Miss Christy," Jeb glanced over his shoulder, "you show up and this hard as tacks Doc turns to mush."

She laughed, delightedly. "Jeb you know how much your family means to me, too. There isn't a better family I have ever known."

"Well, that there is quite a compliment, seeing how you gotta know lots of people."

"It's the truth," Christy said. "If I ever needed something, I know I could come to you and Fairlight."

"That is the God's truth," Jeb answered. "'Course you got a lot of people who would help you out of you needed it. You've made quite a difference in the Cove since your seven mile walk from El Pano."

She laughed. "I will never live that down, will I?"

"Nope," Jeb laughed.

Suddenly, Jeb pulled back on the reins and stopped the wagon. Christy looked between the wide shoulders of Neil and Jeb to see why they stopped so quickly. In the middle of the path, Birdseye Taylor was standing with his shotgun pointed at them.

"What's wrong, Birdseye?" Neil asked. He sounded calmer than she felt. "Someone sick?"

"Naw, just can't let you go no further."

"Why's that?" Jeb asked. "I'd sure like to get home before dark."

"That's where we headed, Jeb, yer place. All a us."

"What's wrong, Birdseye?" Neil asked again. "Why can't we get Miss Christy home?"

"Ya definitely ain't goin' to the mission," he said. "Miss Christy, you hop up on the bench between them two. I'll ride in the back. No funny business Jeb, what's happenin' ain't got nothin' to do whit ya three, but ya don't need to go meddlin' none neither."

Neil stood up and helped Christy climb onto the wagon bench. She was shaking a little, uncertain what Birdseye's plan was. Neil put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her against his side. He reached out and took her right hand in his and gave it a squeeze. She looked at him, comforted that he did not seem upset.

"Ya just git us to your'n place, Jeb. Terrance be there watchin' yer woman."

"He better not have touched her."

Jeb flicked the reins and they pulled away, down a different road that Christy figured led to the Spencer's place. She knew they were actually closer to Neil's cabin, but Birdseye wanted them at the Spencer's cabin, so that was the direction they took.

"Naw, he didn't. I done said this ain't got nothin' to do whit ya. I ain't got no bone to pick whit ya."

Christy shifted just a little to get closer to Neil. His strength gave her comfort. He seemed to understand she needed him and he shifted his arm to her waist and squeezed her again. She looked up at him, surprised he was smiling at her.

"You know, Birdseye, it's good of you to keep Miss Huddleston in a place where she will be safe," Neil told him.

"She's a right fine pert gal. Your aunt thinks right kindly a her and I see ye do, too. Ain't no reason to get 'er in the middle of it."

She realized Neil might know what was happening. It was obviously something at the mission and it was a good thing Christy wasn't there because she would be all alone. Alice was on the road and Ida and David had gone to El Pano to get supplies, with plans to stay in town overnight. David also wanted to send a telegram to his friend to make sure they were still coming this Friday.

Nothing else was said until Jeb reached his yard. Birdseye ordered him to stop, and he hopped down. A man Christy had not seen before, but assumed was the Terrance Birdseye said was there, met the wagon with a lit torch.

"Doc, ye and the teacher go on inside," Birdseye said. "I'll ride whit Jeb."

Neil stepped down, and helped Christy down by holding her waist. He picked up his two bags and reached inside the bed for Christy's bag and handed it to her. Neil put his hand on the back of her waist and guided her toward the Spencer's cabin.

Terrance followed behind them, but stayed on the porch when she and Neil went inside.

"Oh Lordy, am I glad to see you." Fairlight rushed forward and hugged Christy and then Neil.

"Jeb is putting the wagon up. How long has Terrance been here?" Neil asked as he set his bags on the ground next to the fireplace.

"Two, three hours." Fairlight shrugged.

The children came out of the back bedroom. They all said hello and took a seat at the table.

"You eat something?" Fairlight asked.

"We had the leftover sandwiches from lunch," Neil said. Christy noticed how fatigued he looked.

"We ate already but I had some leftovers if you're still hungry," Fairlight offered.

Christy and Neil both said they were full. Then Jeb came in and sighed wearily. The younger ones rushed to give him a hug and then he pulled Fairlight against him.

"You alright?" he asked her.

"Yep," she answered. "Terrance just stood out there like a big 'ole bully and said we couldn't go nowhere. You know what's goin' on?"

"No ma'am," Jeb said with a shake of his head. "Birdseye just directed us to come here and I wasn't about to argue."

"Lulu, Least 'un, time for bed," Fairlight said.

Lulu tugged on Christy's skirt. "Can you tell us a story?"

"I have a book with me with all sorts of stories inside." She looked between the two children. "Can I read you one?"

"Can I come, too, Miss Christy," Clara asked.

"Of course." Christy stood and reached inside her bag and withdrew the book of fairytales Donkin had read from earlier.

Christy followed behind the youngest Spencers to the back room where they slept. She figured if the adults wanted to discuss what was happening, the little ones didn't need to hear. Zady and John were old enough to be in the conversation.

Neil watched Christy follow the little ones from the room. What was it about her that drew children to her? Whatever it was, was probably the same thing that grabbed at his heart and refused to let go. There was so much more he needed to share with her, so much he wanted to tell her about his life before they met, but couldn't let his guard down, not just yet.

It was instances like what they had just been through with Birdseye that Neill knew left her questioning if she could stay in the mountains. The O'Teales cabin had been bad, and the death of Opal's child had caused her concern, too. It seemed they would take one step closer, as they had today at the clinic, only to be pushed back.

He had fallen in love with her. He knew he had never felt quite this way before. He was consumed by thoughts of her in every free moment he had. There was nothing about her that he didn't like, not even her stubborn, fiery temper. She had been nervous with Birdseye today, just as she had been at his aunt Hattie's house, but the minute he had taken her hand, both times, she had visibly relaxed. She trusted him, and although he wanted more than anything to trust her completely, too, he knew if she decided to leave for good at the end of the month he would be devastated.

"Neil?" Fairlight tapped him on the shoulder.

He grinned self-consciously. "Sorry. What were you saying?"

"You and Christy can sleep on the floor by the fireplace," Fairlight said. "Or she can sleep with me and Jeb gets the floor."

"I'm sure she would not want to kick you out of your bed, Jeb." Neil chuckled. "Probably. You did hit a few ruts pretty hard and I saw her bouncing around in the back of the wagon. She might want to get back at you."

"I did no such thing!" Jeb declared, grinning. "Not on purpose anyway. That dang road needs to be paved already."

"That'll just invite people to come up this way and there isn't any need for outsiders."

"Miss Christy is an outsider," Zady said. "I'm sure glad she came. Reverend Grantland, too, and Miss Alice."

"They have a job to do here, Zady," John said. "Ma means folks that ain't got no business being here."

"You want to talk about that land now?" Neil asked Jeb.

When Jeb nodded, Neil spoke to John about the plan to rent John the forty acres. He explained it in as simple terms as he could, but knew John was good with numbers and would understand a split of percentages. When Neil asked about Bessie, John turned red.

"I don't know about that yet, Doc. She sure likes me, and it ain't like there's a lot of gals 'round here…"

"That ain't reason enough to wed," Fairlight told him. "Doc will let you work the land even if you stay single, won't you?"

"Absolutely," Neil answered. He reached in the coat of his suit and pulled out his pipe and tobacco. Opening his tie, he unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. "Mind if I smoke?"

He knew no one would, but he always asked anyway.

"What do you think, Pa? Is it too much for me?" John asked.

"You don't have to farm the whole forty acres at first," Neil told him. "You just do what you can, learn as you go." He shrugged. "You won't be beholden to the Coburns, so if you decide Bessie isn't right for your wife, you won't get trapped into something."

"I think it's an awful good deal, son." Jeb rested a hand on John's shoulder. "It's more than we can give you."

John nodded. "Thank you, Doc. I'll do my best to make you proud."

Neil smiled. "I have no doubt of that. I still have my Pa's equipment up in the barn, but the plow likely needs to be oiled and sharpened. You can use whatever you need. I haven't looked at it too closely since I got back here."

"This is more than I ever expected. What about seeds?"

Neil smiled. "I'll start you out. You just decide what you want to grow and I'll get you the seeds. Corn would be easiest or tobacco?"

They talked for a little longer about the details, and John was glowing with excitement when he left the table for bed. Zady was close behind him. Neil was happy he could make a difference in John's life. It wouldn't be easy, but Neil didn't have time to farm it and no one had approached him to rent it, so he just as well let John try it out.

Jeb stood and stretched. Carrying his coffee cup, he went to the window at the front of the house and looked outside. "They're still out there."

"You think they set the mission on fire?" Fairlight whispered.

"I sure hope not." Jeb turned back to them. "Where is Ruby Mae?"

"She's with Lizette," Fairlight answered. "Zady was there earlier, but came home because they were being mean."

"Well, whatever they're doing they didn't want us anywhere near there," Neil said.

Christy came back in the room, smiling. "They're asleep. Least 'un was the hold out."

"That boy never wants to miss out on nuthin'" Fairlight said. "Thank you for reading to them." Fairlight grabbed her hand. "Come with me, I'll get you some quilts and a pillow."

Jeb stared at him expectantly after the two women left the room.

"What?" Neil whispered before taking a sip of lukewarm coffee.

Jeb leaned forward, grinning. "She's too good for you."

"I know," Neil admitted with a grin.

"She'll make you a fine wife. You better get it done before someone else sneaks in and snatches her up when she goes to Asheville on break. I was surprised you didn't bite that Reverend Truman's head off when he was flirting with her."

"She was handling it just fine," Neil said. "I wanted to see what she would say."

"Aw hell, Neil she's got feelings as strong for you as you do for her. I told you that the first time we talked about her. Remember?"

He nodded.

"I can't rush her," Neil whispered. "I learned that the hard way."

"She ain't nothin' like that woman, and you know it. Night and day. Both pretty as a copper penny, but this one is something extra special."

The women came from behind the dividing wall, and Christy knelt down and laid two of the quilts on the floor in front of the fireplace. It really was the only free space in the crowded cabin. She set a pillow on the floor and paused before putting the other near it, but not quite touching it. He wanted to laugh but didn't want to hurt her feelings. She was trying to figure out how she could put the pillows next to each other without it looking like they were sleeping with each other, even though it was obvious they would be. She was probably also thinking her mother would have vapors if she knew. Neil was looking forward to meeting the indominable Julia Huddleston. He did not think Christy was afraid of her mother, but rather respected her opinion, and always wanted to make her proud.

"Thank you Fairlight, this will be very comfortable."

"Yes, we will be," Neil added. "I'll add another log on the fire."

"I suggest we head out at dawn, Doc," Jeb said. "Fairlight and Miss Christy you come up at the regular time for church. The preacher oughta be back on time from El Pano."

"Sounds like a fine plan," Neil said. "Good night."

When the Spencer's left, Neil stood up and tapped his extra tobacco into the fireplace and then stoked the fire after adding another log. He sat in the chair at the table and untied his oxford shoes, and then removed his suitcoat, and tie. He unbuttoned the wrists of his shirt and folded the cloth back. Christy stared at him, looking almost entranced by his actions. She flushed and turned away, toward the fire. He smiled, pleased by her reaction. He wasn't sure she actually found him handsome, but based on her reaction, he was beginning to think she might.

It was time for him to stare as she unlaced her own tall boots and set them off the quilts to the side of the fireplace. She had worn a lacy blouse that day, loose around her neck and open at the cuffs. It was one of his favorite blouses she ever wore. It was feminine, and modest and frilly. She reached up and started taking down her hair, removing the pins. She could have no idea how arousing that simple action was. Once her hair was free, she ran her fingers through the tresses to remove any snags. With deft fingers she braided her hair down her back and pulled a ribbon from her bag to fasten it.

"You should have left it free," he whispered.

She looked at him over her shoulder. "It will get all tangled and snarled if I don't braid it."

"I like it long and unbound," he admitted.

She smiled at him. "Thank you."

He watched her climb under the top quilt and settle on her side, facing the fire. A knot settled in his stomach. This was something he'd dreamed of for weeks, being able to hold her all night. He knew he couldn't, of course, she wasn't ready and if he even kissed her, everyone in the cabin would hear it.

He turned out the last lamp and crawled in next to her. Grinning, because he was curious how she would react, he rolled on his side and pulled her back against his chest. She didn't even tense as his hand found hers.

"Thank you for spending the day with me," he whispered in her ear.

"It was a wonderful day until we met Birdseye," she answered.

"Are you scared?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Not when I'm with you." She squeezed his hand. "I'm worried about what we'll see in the morning."

"As long as you are safe, that is all that matters to me," he said.

"Careful, now, I might start to think you like me," she teased.

He chuckled in her ear. "You might be right." He kissed her temple and whispered, "Good night, my lady."

He rolled away from her, and settled on his back. He snuggled close enough to feel her warmth, but wouldn't touch her, no matter how much he wanted to. Jeb was testing his resolve by letting Neil sleep next to Christy. Or maybe he was just proving his point that she had a pretty devastating effect on his body, his heart and honestly, his whole life. He wanted to protect her, keep her safe. He wanted to be with her all the time, to hear her ideas on improving the Cove. He sighed, wishing he had more to offer her here, a way to remove all the issues of the mountain people so she could decide without an ounce of doubt that she could find a permanent home here.

Her breath became even and her body relaxed within minutes. How he wished he could fall asleep so easily. He reached over and pulled the ribbon from her hair and stuck it in the pocket of his pants. She used a rose scented soap, a scent that made him smile whenever he caught a whiff of it. He gently pulled hair from the braid, grinning because she would be angry when she woke up with loose hair.