Buckeye Dreams (25 page)

“I wish that’s what I meant,” Henry said. Glancing over at Mrs. Williams, he lowered his voice. “Me and Jim, my oldest boy, were down by Mill Creek near your church there hunting deer, and we came across an awful sight. A ten-point buck ripped clean open and gutted to the bone. Blood and … everything else was just everywhere. It was a shame to see good buckskin going to rot. It’s got to be a bobcat, and a sick one, too.”

“Sure sounds like a rabid animal of some sort. Wouldn’t have to be a bobcat,” Jonah replied.

“Didn’t think about that,” Henry said. “It could be a black bear.”

“Black bears are gone, too,” Earl pointed out.

“Not all of them,” Jonah replied. “I heard of folk still seeing them south of Columbus. And I saw a bobcat down near the creek just before the war.” Cyrus and Fred had stopped their haggling for the moment and were listening. “Have you noticed anything strange in your traps lately, Cy?”

“Nope.”

“Be extra careful when you’re out. Pa said a rabid animal is an animal with no fear of anything,” Jonah said.

As Cyrus and Mr. Decker returned to business, Jonah looked out the window to see Jacob talking with a finely dressed man next to the wagon.

“Who’s that?” Henry asked.

“The new doctor,” Fanny Williams replied. Done with her shopping, she walked over to the men.

They nodded to her.

“Dr. Noah Kelly. He took over when Doc Sullivan retired.” She looked at Jonah. “It looks like Jacob already knows him.”

Jonah frowned inwardly. So this was Dr. Kelly. “Adele and Jake go into Delaware to visit Daniel and Katherine,” he said. “He’s good friends with my brother.”

“I’ve heard he’s a bachelor,” Mrs. Williams said. “I hope he comes to church next Sunday. I’m sure Clara would like to meet him.”

Jonah only half listened. He frowned as he watched the doctor hand Jacob a book and pat him on the shoulder. He started for the door. “I’ll be back in a minute,” he said to Earl and Henry. “You two go ahead of me.”

Jacob and the doctor turned toward him as he stepped outside.

“I’m back, Uncle Jonah, just as quick as you asked,” Jacob said, holding up the book. “I was just saying hello to Dr. Kelly. He’s friends with Uncle Daniel.”

Jonah quickly looked the doctor up and down. He wore a black frock coat with a paisley vest and a tall beaver hat. From beneath its brim, blue eyes looked at Jonah, and a friendly smile stretched out his dark Vandyke beard.

He made careful use of a wooden cane as he made his way over to where Jonah stood on the boardwalk. A black leather satchel was in the doctor’s other hand, and he nodded at Jonah.

“It’s good to meet you, Mr. Kirby.” Dr. Kelly hesitated as he looked at Jonah’s rifle. “Forgive me if I don’t offer my hand.”

“Dr. Kelly was a surgeon in the war,” Jacob said. “A stray bullet got him in the leg. But he kept on operating and saved Uncle Daniel’s captain’s life.”

Jonah took another look at the doctor. So he’d been an officer, like his brother.

The doctor looked down in embarrassment. “Yes, that’s how we met, sir.”

“He’s from Pennsylvania, and he went to school in Philadelphia …,” Jacob began.

“Go on inside, Jake,” Jonah said. “If you want to learn anything about haggling, you’d better hurry it up. Mr. Morgan is almost done.”

“Can I watch you haggle with Mr. Decker?”

“No.”

Disappointment darkened the boy’s eyes. “Yes, sir.”

Dr. Kelly watched the boy go in and then returned his attention to Jonah. “He’s a good boy.” When Jonah didn’t answer, the doctor cleared his throat. “I’m glad we’ve finally met. How have you been? Have you been sleeping well?”

Jonah stiffened, instantly on his guard. His brother told him about his walks? Of course he had. “I’m not sure that’s any of your business.”

The man pursed his lips in amusement. “Well, I am the town doctor.”

“You’re not my doctor.”

“Oh? Who is your doctor?”

“I don’t need one.”

“Oh, I don’t know. If you aren’t sleeping well …”

“I never said I wasn’t sleeping well. Whether I am or not, it’s still none of your business.” He looked hard at the doctor, who stared back.

“Jacob says Adele didn’t come with you today,” he said eventually. “Is she all right?”

Jonah stiffened at the sound of his wife’s Christian name, and he didn’t care for the look he thought he saw in the man’s eyes. “Mrs. Kirby decided to stay at home this morning.”

Dr. Kelly caught the emphasis, and his eyes darted elsewhere.

“She’s concerned about a neighbor.” Jonah saw no reason to tell him about Sweet Pea.

“Well, if there’s anything I can do …”

“It’s a private matter. Nothing that would concern a doctor.”

Dr. Kelly looked at him with slightly narrowed eyes. “Even so, I like to help out even when it’s not medically necessary.”

So I noticed. “We’re fine.” Jonah turned and started back toward the mercantile, when the sharp sound of a train whistle sliced through the air. He whirled around, heart pounding, eyes wide and darting. He heard the faint chug of the locomotive as it approached Ostrander and started to relax, when Dr. Kelly cleared his throat.

The doctor looked at him with raised eyebrows, touched the brim of his hat, and turned away.

A
dele looked down at Jonah from where she sat in the buggy seat. “We will be fine, Jonah. I do not need Nathaniel’s old rifle.”

“I told you what Henry said …,” Jonah began.

“But we are just going to church,” she replied and nodded toward Will who sat in the driver’s seat. “Will is with us.”

“But he doesn’t have his gun with him, and I don’t want you going anywhere without protection,” Jonah replied, scowling.

Adele bit her lip. The words, “Then come with us,” hung there, waiting to be said. But she knew better. He needed to return to church willingly, not out of obligation.

“I’ll take the rifle,” Jacob said.

“No,” Adele said, quickly taking it from Jonah. She held it awkwardly, not wanting it across her lap.

“I cleaned and loaded it last night.” Jonah gave her a funny look. “I thought Erich taught you how to handle a rifle. You used to shoot as good as Nate.”

She looked away. “We will be back later.”

Once they were clear of the house, Adele turned to Will. “Take this,” she said, handing the rifle to him. “I will drive.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied.

Adele grasped the reins as she felt her cheeks grow pink. Before the war, she would have taken the gun without a second thought. But since then, she had a hard time even looking at one without feeling anger.
How can I not when I know it was a weapon like this that killed Nathaniel?

“Why couldn’t I take Pa’s rifle, Ma?” Jacob asked. She looked at him, hating that her son was in such close contact with a gun every day. When would Jonah let go of it? She especially disliked the thought that Jacob would one day learn to use one.

“How did things go in town yesterday?” she asked.

He looked at her for a moment. “I saw Dr. Kelly.”

“He was in town?”

“He sure was. Uncle Jonah got to meet him.”

Adele bit her lip. She hadn’t realized Dr. Kelly would be coming to Ostrander so soon. She thought he still had another week or two of lecturing at Ohio Wesleyan. Her heart sank as she realized she had not been there to introduce Jonah to the doctor herself. “Did they seem to like one another?”

Jacob shrugged. “I don’t know. Uncle Jonah told me to go inside and watch Mr. Morgan.”

Adele only half listened as her son went on about how Cyrus had gotten a good price for his furs from Mr. Decker. No wonder Jonah had seemed more out of sorts than usual yesterday evening. She had put it down to being concerned about the rabid animal on the loose. What had Dr. Kelly said to him?

Fred Decker was tying up his horse when they arrived at church. “Hello.” He waved as they walked up. “Jonah forgot to take these while he was in town yesterday.” He handed Adele several letters.

“Thank you, Mr. Decker,” she said as she looked through them. She frowned. “I cannot imagine who this is from.” It was simply addressed to the Kirby Farm.

Jacob strained to see it as she showed it to Mr. Decker. “Yes,” the shopkeeper said, “I wondered about that myself.”

“Well, I will open it when I get home. Perhaps it was misdirected.” She put it and the others in her reticule.

“If it is, just bring it into town, and I’ll take care of it,” he said as he opened the church doors for her.

When they stepped inside the sanctuary, Adele saw Dr. Kelly sitting with the Williamses near the front. He half stood and smiled broadly at her, and she responded with a small smile and a nod.

“Can we sit with him, Ma?” Jacob asked.

“Let us just sit here, mein Liebe,” she said, indicating the third pew from the back. “Reverend Warren is ready to start.”

The lesson that morning was very good, although Adele did notice Will looking at Clara Williams, the schoolteacher, several times. She was strategically seated next to Dr. Kelly, no doubt at the insistence of her mother, who sat right behind them. Adele couldn’t help but give a small smile. If the right number of people sat in that particular pew, two people would have to share a hymnal. She and Nathaniel had often sat there, and Jonah had always been willing to sit with them so they could share one.

As the body of believers rose for the last song, she didn’t fail to notice Clara and the doctor politely sharing a songbook. She glanced at Will, who looked none too happy. Much to his dismay, Jacob immediately dragged him over to meet Dr. Kelly once services ended. But on their way by, he was able to give Clara a nod and a smile before she was escorted out by her parents. In turn, the young lady kept looking back at the young Scot as she made her way toward the church door.

Adele watched her son and Will talk to Dr. Kelly. As he spoke, the doctor glanced over at her several times as if inviting her to join them. She sighed, wishing, for his sake, they had never met. As much as she liked him, she knew she could never have loved him. True, he was kind and handsome, and on a more practical level, his profession would mean a more stable life. But she knew their temperaments did not match, and she had always preferred life on a farm. Adele had missed it all the years she had lived in town after Nathaniel died.

Just then Minnie Warren came up to talk to her, and she was grateful to direct her attention elsewhere. “Hello, dear,” she said as she embraced Adele. The older woman held her at arm’s length and gazed at her with concern. “How are you and Jonah?”

Adele half smiled at her. Minnie and her husband were the only ones in Ostrander who knew the true circumstances surrounding their marriage. Adele and Jonah had allowed the rest of the town to think what they liked. Most hadn’t been surprised, seeing how Jonah had been Nathaniel’s best friend. That he should marry Adele seemed only natural.

“Jonah …” She wanted to confide in the woman, but at the same time, it wouldn’t do to worry her. “Pray for him.”

Understanding flowered in Minnie’s eyes. “Paul and I do. Every night.”

“Thank you.” Adele squeezed her hands. “I have something to ask you. Do you know if there is a family in the area with a little girl about three years old?”

Minnie thought for a moment. “I can’t think of any. Why?”

Adele told her about Sweet Pea. “Jonah thinks she may belong to refugees from the war. I could not believe that anyone would come so far north.”

“They could be on their way to Canada.”

“I suppose.” Adele chewed on her bottom lip. “I worry about her with this rabid animal on the loose. Did Henry Porter tell you about it?”

“Did Henry Porter tell you about what?” The two women turned to see that Dr. Kelly had joined them. He nodded to Minnie. “I don’t think we’ve met.” He glanced at Adele.

“Minnie, this is Dr. Noah Kelly. He is friends with Daniel and Katherine,” Adele said. “This is Minnie Warren, Reverend Warren’s wife.” The two smiled and greeted each other.

“Are you married, Dr. Kelly?” Minnie asked.

Adele noticed a slight hesitation in the doctor’s answer. “No. Sadly not.”

“Well, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, we have several eligible young ladies in the congregation.” Minnie smiled. “You won’t lack invitations to Sunday dinner over the next several weeks.”

“I’m sure I won’t.”

“If you’ll excuse me,” Minnie said, “I need to see Mrs. Perry before she leaves.”

Mrs. Warren stepped out the door, and Adele turned back to Dr. Kelly. The look in his face and eyes was unmistakable. She looked around. They were the only ones left in the church. The weather was so fine that everyone else had gone outside to fellowship. Giving him a small smile, she gathered her Bible and started for the door. She paused when he called out to her.

“Let me walk you out.”

She continued on more slowly to allow him to walk beside her and noticed he was leaning heavily on his cane.

“What were you and Mrs. Warren talking about?” he asked.

“Henry Porter believes there is a rabid bear or bobcat in the area.”

The doctor looked at her with grave concern. “I hope you’re taking every precaution.”

“Jonah will take care of us,” Adele replied.

He looked away.

“Your leg is hurting you today.”

Dr. Kelly glanced back at her. “A little more than usual,” he said. He paused for a moment. “How is the farm?”

“Fine,” Adele said, giving him a sidelong glance. His voice hadn’t sounded quite right. “Jonah says the planting is going very well. I did the kitchen garden this week. I had just finished planting the carrots the other day when …” She was going to tell him about Sweet Pea, hoping he might have heard something about refugees in the area. But just as they reached the door, he grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the corner.

“Dr. Kelly, what are you doing?”

“What are
you
doing?” He had pulled her quite close to him. Adele could see the flecks of gray in his blue eyes.

She pulled her arm free and backed away. “I am married, Noah.”

“I know, but why?”

“I told you why. I could not let him be sent away.”