Chapter One
Neil scoffed at the idea of a new teacher in Cutter Gap. The issue with Jacob Ferrand was he kept insisting on hiring people, usually young women, who weren't accustomed to the harsh reality that came with living in the Cove. Christy Huddleston would be no different than the ones who came before her. Although he'd be lying if he said he wasn't curious about her. Anyone who had yet to step foot in Cutter Gap but was already stirring the pot should be worthy of some attention.
He nodded his head when Alice Henderson, former mother-in-law, and present pain in the neck, asked if he wanted more coffee. They were in the middle of a tense disagreement. "As I was saying…. Jacob assures me Christy has nerves of steel. She comes highly recommended by Professor Prewitt, and unlike Cutter Gap's last hire; Christy has experience teaching in a rural area." When Alice didn't continue Neil raised an eyebrow, silently asking for more information. "Her last teaching assignment was in West Virginia." Unbidden, the John Denver song came to mind and Neil hid a grin behind his coffee cup.
"So the lass won't be traumatized to find our nearest grocery is an hour away. How will she fare with a classroom full of malnourished and mostly incompetent teenagers?" Alice glared at him, drawing herself to full height, which Neil knew was a sure-fire sign he was about to be scolded within an inch of his life. "Neil MacNeil! Thou ought to be ashamed of yourself. Our pupils have brilliant minds, they just need a bit of fine-tuning. As for your question…. I believe Christy will surprise you. She certainly surprised me."
David Grantland, the town preacher, and an all-consuming thorn in Neil's side walked into the mission house with a spring in his step and a sly grin. "Finally got a leg over that bonnie lass from Raven Gap, eh?" Alice smacked his shoulder with a newspaper and took him to task for being crude. "Despite what the Cove might say, Alice, I'm not a dog in need of correction." Grantland smirked at that and grabbed his thermos from the cupboard, joining the pair seated at the kitchen table. "No, Dr. MacNeil. I didn't get a leg over as you so rudely put it. Can't a fellow be jovial for no particular reason?"
"Aye. I suppose he can. But not a sour bloke like you. C'mon, spill yer guts preacher. It's healthy." Neil enunciated the word healthy as if his intentions for getting inside David's head were solely medicinal. "Christy Huddleston arrived today. As promised, I gave her a tour of the town as well as the school. When Alice mentioned meeting her in Asheville she never relayed how beautiful she was." Neil was dumbfounded and a little irritated on Rachel's behalf, the entire cove liked her, hell…. Ferrand liked her. The husky tone in David's voice didn't sit well with Neil either. "I see. And what would your lass have to say about this?"
David pursed his lips as he drank as if he'd tasted Ruby Mae's possum surprise in the mug instead of coffee. "I couldn't say, Doctor. Rachel and I….no longer have an understanding. I'd asked her to marry me four weeks ago but her father wasn't keen on Rachel marrying a traveling reverend." The word traveling caused Neil's eyebrows to raise to his hairline. "Since when have you traveled anywhere beyond this glorious cove?"
Alice stepped in then. "Boys, enough! I'm going to stop by Miss Huddleston's cabin and see if she's settled in alright." Grantland nodded, looking ashamed that he allowed the doctor to rile him up. Neil couldn't get past being called 'boy'. The last time he checked he was very much a 35-year-old man. "Boys, Alice?" The fierce look in her eyes softened at the pride in Neil's voice, he sounded like a wounded animal. "Yes, boys, Neil. If you two are going to imitate Creed Allen and Sam Houston on my elementary playground then I'll treat you as such."
The men apologized and David went back to drinking his coffee while Neil said his goodbyes. After washing up he got an impulse to see Christy for himself. "Where exactly has the church set our new teacher?" Instead of an answer, Alice grabbed his coat and shuffled him toward the front door. "Christ's sake woman, unhand me!" He exclaimed, his voice laced with amusement as she huffed in annoyance with his use of the Lord's name in vain. Neil adored her was the thing. He and Margret weren't a good match but the fact he got to call Alice Henderson his mother-in-law made those years tinged with good memories. "Alice… I thought we might take Charlie. He's the best choice to make it up these hills." The look she gave him in response was golden and he chuckled. "I'm not getting in that death trap, MacNeil. We'll take my truck and we'll bring Miss Huddleston back to the Mission with us for dinner."
When they were a few minutes down the road from the church, Alice started interrogating him. "You were sure that Miss Huddleston would be a sore fit for the town. Why are you wanting to meet her now?" Neil ran a hand through his unruly reddish-blond curls. He briefly entertained the idea of pulling her leg again but decided to go with the truth, she deserved it. "Grantland. He's a sad sack of shite most days, but you saw him…. He looked like a little boy again. I could use that sort of transformation." His Scottish brogue had scraped across his tongue on the last word, the thick emotion of it hanging in between them like a ghost. Alice was quiet for a moment, brow furrowed in concentration, weighing her words carefully Neil surmised. "You can find that transformation in God, looking for it in the warmth of another always leads to heartbreak." And nothing more was said until they arrived at Christy Huddleston's cabin.