Title: They Will Know Us By Our Kin

Author: Heather-Lass

Summary: The secret's out! Heather O'Toole is the long-lost sister of Ruby Mae! But that was maybe evident, flaming red hair and all. Next up is the rev-a-ree! Will Neill want to dance with Heather over Christy? And what's on David's mind?

Disclaimer: Yup, all the Christy characters are property of the Marshell/LeSourd (did I get that right?) estate, etc, etc, etc. The naturalist character is of my own creation but with some real life folk singer. Can't say who, since that would ruin some surprises. But likely, a not-well known folk singer. So yeah.

Author's Note: Oh. My. God. Finals are suicide. SO glad that quarter is over. I swear, I've spent the whole month doing homework. And I promise to post more often… (note fingers crossed behind back…  )

Chapter 3: The Rev-A-Ree

After everyone had finished cleaning, David picked up his ukulele and joined Jeb's playing. Together they started tapping out a rollicking mountain song. Neil started dancing with Fairlight and to everyone's amusement, Heather and Christy paired off to dance. Needless to say, they missed many steps from laughing so hard. Clara and Zady followed the example of their teacher and attempted to copy the adults, but they couldn't move so fast. After a bit of awkwardness, John asked Ruby Mae to dance. They both ended up agreeing that Bessie Coburn and Rob Allen (their beaus) wouldn't mind seeing as they were all friends anyways and John and Ruby Mae were the only two at the party around that age. Lulu and Little Guys sat on the steps of the mission petting Joey and clapping in time to the music.

"Oh!" laughed Christy. "This isn't working." They ended up tripping over each other for the umpteenth time.

"I think we're both trying to dance the ladies part!" Heather giggled, her cheeks flushed with amusement and her red hair flying in the wind.

"Is that it? I just thought we were bad dancers!"

"No, just confused!"

With that, the song end and everyone took a deep breath.

"Alright, this next one's slow for a fair piece," said Jeb. "To give you some breathin' room." Ruby Mae went to accompany him on the piano, making David and Christy full of pride. She had pestered David's sister Ida for lessons for over half a year before Ida gave in. Ruby Mae was turning out to be quite good and David was thinking of training her to be play in church for hymn-singing. John went to dance with his mother. Christy gave Heather a look. Which of the men would choose each of them? In a brief conversation over cooking dinner, Christy had told Heather of David's declared love for her. But Heather could tell it was Neil that Christy would rather chose.

"It's ok," a voice said. They looked up to see David and Neil walking toward them.

"I think I'd like to dance with Heather." David grinned at Christy. "And I know you two would rather be partners anyways." Neil looked surprised and Christy pleasantly surprised.

"Are you sure?" She looked at David.

"Oh, yes. Just save me a couple, ok? I can't let the night go with out dancing with a good friend at least once or twice."

"Alright." Christy smiled. She suspected David was starting to accept that he was not the man for Christy and that Neil was. Partly this was good, but also confusing because Christy and Neil hadn't quite figured out what they thought of each other.

"Come on Preacher, the music's starting!" Heather dragged David to his position. The dance was slow but orchestrated, like a dance one would see at a party in a Jane Austen novel, with dancers changing partners again and again in synch but always going back to their original partner.

"That was nice of him." Neil remarked to Christy. "He didn't have to do that."

"Better than the fist fight you two had at the last party."

"You two were drunk."

"The punch was laced, I swear."

"Whatever you say."

"Either way, I have no desire to repeat that experience."

"David's not that bad, Neil. And I don't think he hates you as much as you think he does. Give him a chance. I'm not asking you two to become best friends, but it would be nice if you two would get along."

"I could manage that. Hey, would you look at that!"

"What?"

Neil subtly nodded in the direction of Heather and David. "They haven't taken their eyes off each other since the dance started. And I think Heather's starting to blush!"

"Could it be? David's got a crush on Heather?"

"Maybe…though I can't fathom why. I can't see her as his type."

"Oh and what is his type?"

"Umm…prim and proper…and wears bonnets…and…"

"Ooh…dig that hole you're in a bit deeper will you."

"Well," Neil tried to explain. "It's not exactly like he's…the most spontaneous of people."

"I suppose it is a bit amusing. We shall have to watch this."

If David and Heather had been hearing this conversation, they would have been blushing furiously. As it was, only Heather's cheeks were slightly pink. This is mainly because she couldn't understand why David was staring at her. She figured that whatever the reason, it couldn't be that bad, because he was smiling at her too.

"So why did you want to dance with me?"

"Hmm?" David snapped out of his daze.

"I said, why did you want to dance with me? And before you ask, yes, Christy filled me in on some history between all you guys."

"Well…" he looked thoughtful. "I'm not sure. All I know is you're not like any woman I know. Neither is Christy. You are both alike in some ways and not in others. I don't know. Would it be a sin if I said I just wanted to get to know you better. A guy doesn't come across a woman scientist everyday."

"No, they don't…" She smiled. "And I don't think you're the boring preacher you look like either."

"Everyone else seems to think I am."

"I think you just have trouble revealing your true personality because you are too busy trying to mold yourself into the way you think you should be."

"Perhaps." He looked at her funny. "So this may be an off-the-wall 'preacher' question, but I do have to know, do you have God in your heart?"

"I wondered if you would ask. I didn't for a long time. You heard how life was for a while. I though God had abandoned me for the longest time. I hated him so much. I never stopped believing he was real, I just didn't care. That was a hard time. Then one day I discovered he hadn't abandoned me, I had abandoned him."

"How did that happen?"

"Well, once, about a year ago, I was having a real hard time. My studies were slipping and it seemed no one would let me study their woods and forests. I began to despair that my goal in life was useless. Then one day, I was with my wagon along a dirt road and crested a hill. It had been pouring and I was miserable and depressed. I just yelled at God so much about how I hated him. Then I reached the top of the hill. Beneath me, I saw a green glen with the most beautiful waterfall you had ever seen and elk everywhere. The sun suddenly came out and a huge rainbow filled the sky from end to end. I realized than that I couldn't hate a God that had created nature as beautiful as that which I loved so much. I realized later that I had actually gotten off course and stumbled into Yellowstone National Park. It was Yellowstone Falls that I saw. I may not go to church much, but I read my bible everyday. What greater cathedral can we have than the nature that God built himself?"

"Indeed. Nature is truly a wondrous thing. I am realizing that more and more every day I spend in Cutter Gap." They smiled at each other.

Who is this man I am smiling at? Heather wondered. I hardly know him and yet it feels like he understands me completely. And what is this feeling I feel?

Christy and Neil just looked at the couple dancing with amused looks on their faces.

Next Up: Chapter 4: Dusty Memories, Heather and Ruby Mae go sneak into their old house when their parents aren't home to try to clear up some old mysteries. But in the process they are surprised by the last people in the world who expected to see them.

Author's Note: Argh! No promises on posting! I'm trying, I'm trying! Arwen2002, I'm glad you like it so far! Anyone else reading it or is it just her?