The Librarian's Journey, page 17
“Would you stop fussing over me? I’d rather hear what you young’uns are up to.”
“But Miss Marigold—” Ruthie hushed at the woman’s stern look. “You can give me that look all you want, but there’s a lot of folks worried about you.”
“I know.” Her expression softened. “There’s nothing you or anyone else can do for me that the doctor in Columbus hasn’t tried.”
“You’ve seen a doctor?” Which was odd because Miss Marigold didn’t trust physicians, going all the way back to the one who’d almost killed her when all she had was a cold. For her to go to one now meant something was terribly wrong. “What did he say?”
Her pale gray eyes stared into the fireplace. “I’m dying, Ruthie. The doctor says the cancer has spread all over, even in my bones.”
The news struck Ruthie like a hard blow to the chest. Miss Marigold had been a constant in her life when she was growing up, the person she could run to with all her little arguments with her parents or all her dreams for her future. She was the first person to know she’d fallen in love with Will and the one who wrote her weekly over the last six years.
The news reverberated in her heart. As a diagnosis, it couldn’t get much worse, but there were ways she could help. “Are you in any pain?”
“Some, but the Lord has helped me through it.” She leaned over and took Ruthie’s hand. “He’s already answered one prayer for me.”
“You mean me?”
Sunlight caught the silvery strands of her hair as she rocked. “I asked the Lord to send me someone who would help me get ready to meet Him. But I was surprised when He answered by sending you.”
“You and me both.” She sat on the edge of her seat, assessing Miss Marigold with fresh eyes. Her complexion was pale, her once chubby cheeks sunk in to reveal the high cheekbones of her Cherokee heritage. Her fingertips were blue as were her lips. The doctor was correct. If the cancer had spread, there was nothing left to do but keep Miss Marigold comfortable.
Yet what struck Ruthie was the peace that had settled over her old friend. She took her frail hand in hers. “What can I do for you, Miss Marigold?”
“Just be here with me. You’ll know what to do when the time comes.” The deep wrinkles of her face softened as she gave Ruthie’s hand a weak squeeze. “I think your young man is here.”
Someone knocked at the door.
“Your hearing is still good,” Ruthie chuckled as she went to the door to find Will on the other side. “Good morning.”
He smiled at her, and her heart melted a bit. “Good morning to you.”
“Would you two quit staring at each other and get in here? It’s cold outside,” Miss Marigold complained as she grabbed her wooden cane and pushed herself to her feet. “William, good to see you. Are you here for a visit?”
“No, ma’am.” Will took his hat off, holding it by his side. “Ruthie and I have a full day delivering books today, but she wanted to come see you, so I told her I’d meet her here.”The corners of his mouth turned up. “After all, you’re her favorite person in Pine Mountain.”
“You’ve always been a sweet talker, William Munroe, just like your daddy.” Her soft chuckle ended in a coughing fit. Once she caught her breath, she continued. “A man like you should be married and cooing sweet nothings in his darling’s ear, not wasting them on an old woman.”
Will’s gaze shifted to Ruth, and she felt heat rise in her cheeks. “When the right woman is ready to settle down, there won’t be any doubt in her mind that I love her.”
Ruthie bent down to pick up the quilt Miss Marigold had discarded and began to fold it. What would it be like to sit with Will on the front porch of their house after a long day at work? To simply sit and talk, enjoying each other’s company, sharing a home, a life, a bed? She’d yearned for that since the first moment she’d realized she loved him, and now all these years later, she still wanted it.
Why didn’t she just tell him? They’d always been perfectly honest with each other, even if they disagreed. But this, this was a risk. The kiss they’d shared could have been nothing more than a kiss.She knew better.That kiss had meant something—to her and to him. Why was it she couldn’t tell him how she felt?
The answer slapped her in the face. She was afraid. Regardless of the reasons, Will had broken her heart. Her first year in Atlanta, she’d waited. That first month she’d hoped he’d come for her, had even gone so far as to memorize the bus schedule, praying she’d find him one day, sitting on the steps to the hospital. Then she looked for a letter or maybe a telephone call just to see how she was.
But he never came. He never called. He never wrote.
She understood his reasons, and they were good ones. He hadn’t meant to break her heart, yet he had.
This trip to Miss Marigold’s had given her a lot to think about.
Chapter Fourteen
You’re quiet today.”
Will glanced at Ruthie as they rode along the main trail. She hadn’t said more than two words since they’d left Miss Marigold’s. Something was definitely bothering her, but he wasn’t sure what it was. Had Miss Marigold finally told someone the truth about her condition? Or was it the topic of marriage that had put Ruthie in a pensive mood?
There was only one way to find out. “Miss Marigold told you she was dying, didn’t she?”
Her head snapped around. “You knew?”
“Not until just now.” He shook his head. “I knew she was going downhill, but people tend to do that at a certain age. Is there something we can do?”
“If the doctor is correct, all we can do now is keep her comfortable.” She tilted her head slightly to meet his gaze. “Did you know Jimmy took her to a doctor in Columbus?”
“I’d heard he had, but you know how closemouthed the Sawyers are. I talked to Jim just last week, but he never mentioned a word about his mother.”
“Are you sure he did everything he could for her?” She leaned forward on the saddle horn. “You know how Jimmy is.”
The whole town of Pine Mountain knew how Jimmy was. Miss Marigold had spent the majority of her life keeping her only child out of trouble. “He did right by her this time.”
At the moment, Will was worried about Ruthie. “How are you? Miss Marigold has always meant a lot to you.”
“She was the one who encouraged me to go to nursing school. Said I was too smart to not go to college.” She smiled as if reliving the memory. “She told me that she’s been asking God to send her someone to help her through these last few months and that He sent me. That I was the answer to her prayers.”
Will believed that. Miss Marigold was known as a prayer warrior throughout Meriwether County. “She’s right, you know. You can tell her what to expect close to the end and still be the friend who loves and cares for her.”
“Maybe, but all I can think about is the what-ifs. What if I’d gotten her medical attention sooner? Then she’d have more time.”
He hated seeing her beat herself up over this. How could she blame herself when she was eighty miles away in Atlanta? “Ruth, it’s not your fault.”
“I should have been here.”
“But you weren’t.”Throwing off his glove, he caressed her cheek, slowly turning her to face him. “Sometimes these things just happen, and we don’t understand why. But God has a plan even if we don’t know what it is. Miss Marigold, she’s had a long life. She’s tired, and knowing her like I do, she’s ready to see her Lord. Instead of worrying about the what-ifs, focus on what we can do for her now and the memories we’ll make along the way. That’s what’s important.”
Ruthie leaned into his touch. “Have you always been this smart?”
He gave a bark of laughter. “I Have to be to keep up with you.”
Warmth nestled in his chest at her warm throaty laughter. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed that sound until the last few weeks or the way they teased each other. And the kisses. He’d missed those too, the way she’d cling to his shoulders as if holding on for dear life. There hadn’t been a repeat of the kiss they’d shared during their picnic, but it wasn’t for lack of wanting. It was becoming harder to let her go after a day together, and he sensed she felt the same way.
Yet neither of them talked about it. He knew why he didn’t. Fear, plain and simple. Ruthie had walked out of his life once. What was going to stop her from doing it again?
“What if I can’t do it, Will? What if I get called back to Atlanta or something?”
Her words felt like ice water. Ruthie was thinking of leaving? “Why would you go back there?”
“I wouldn’t normally, but…” She shifted back in her saddle, breaking their contact. “The longer I stay here, the more dependent everyone will become on me.”
“So?”
“This job can’t last forever, Will. What’s going to happen then?” She pressed her lips together. “If I could, I’d do as Miss Marigold said and start a clinic in Pine Mountain.”
Will blinked. A clinic in Pine Mountain. With Ruthie in charge. “That’s a brilliant idea.”
“Maybe, but it would cost an arm and a leg to get even the most basic equipment.” She lifted her head to meet his gaze.
Will didn’t like what he saw there. Worry. Fear. “We could make this work, Ruthie. All we have to do is get the word out that you’re opening up a clinic in town. People will help pay for whatever you need.”
“I’m not a doctor, Will. There’s still a lot I’d have to learn.”
He gave her what he hoped was his most encouraging smile. “Doesn’t everyone when they’re starting something new? We can do this.”
“I don’t know. I have to go where I can draw an income that provides for my family.” Ruthie swallowed hard and squared her shoulders. “We’ll just have to wait and see.”
Will moved back in his saddle. Wait and see. No way. He wasn’t taking any chances at losing Ruthie again. Once they got off this mountain, he would head into town. There was a town council meeting later today, and he planned on telling them about Ruth’s possible clinic and what she’d need. Once they heard about the medical services she could provide the people of Pine Mountain, they’d be ready to help out.
They had to.
It was the only way to get Ruthie to stay.
Chapter Fifteen
Pine Mountain’s monthly town council meeting was always a big draw, not so much for the meeting itself but because it was an opportunity for people to get out and visit with their neighbors. Will hoped to use that to his advantage. Before the meeting, he had caught Chairman Espy, who after being cornered, had begrudgingly agreed to bring up the topic of a community clinic again. All Will had to do now was to gather his thoughts and wait for the meeting to come to order.
“Will, it’s good to see you.”
Will turned just as his employer and his wife strolled over to greet him. “Mr. Callaway, Mrs. Callaway. You look lovely as usual, ma’am.”
“That’s kind of you, Will, but you and I both know I look like a freckled goose. I just get so busy working in the garden that I forget my hat.”
“Still, you look very nice.” Cason and Virginia Callaway were relatively new to the area, having moved here after Mr. Callaway made his fortune in the textile mills. Both were committed to helping their community through Will’s school and the borrowing library. If Will could get their support for the community clinic, the rest of the community would take it more seriously.
Mr. Callaway patted his wife’s hand. “She’s excited about the new garden area I cleared out for her.” He glanced down at his wife, the affection he felt for her evident in his tender smile. “I can’t wait to taste the carrots and collard greens you grow this winter.”
Her cheeks turned a bright red. “I can’t wait to cook them for you.”
It was a sweet moment, the kind Will hoped to share with Ruthie in the coming years. “The soil around here produces good onions and potatoes if you’d like to try your hand at those, Mrs. Callaway.”
Her blush deepened. “Thank you, Will.”
Mr. Callaway straightened, then cleared his throat. “I understand you’re speaking to the council in favor of funding a community clinic. Is that right?”
Word travels fast. Will straightened. “Yes, sir. We’ve talked about it for years, but we finally have all the pieces in place to make the clinic work.”
“You have a doctor in mind?” Businessman that he was, Callaway wanted all the facts before he made a decision. Will understood that. He dealt with matters much the same way. Except when it came to Ruthie.
“The council has interviewed several doctors for the position, but none of them felt they could build a viable practice here.” Will shook his head.
“No, what I’m suggesting is that we hire a licensed nurse to run the clinic, working with a doctor in Macon or Columbus on cases that require more expertise.”
“Who did you have in mind?” Mrs. Callaway asked.
“Ruth Sims. You hired her to run the borrowing library with me.”
The couple exchanged a glance that put Will on edge. Finally Mr. Callaway spoke. “That might not be possible, son.”
Not possible. It was the only possibility as far as he was concerned.
“Do you have a problem with Miss Sims?”
“No, it’s nothing like that. Ruth is a wonderful girl and an excellent nurse from what I hear. If she were available, I’d be her biggest supporter.”
Will tensed. “I don’t understand. What do you mean by if she were available?”
“It’s just that”—the man glanced at his wife, then back to Will—
“Ginny recommended Ruth to a friend of ours in Atlanta. He has a very busy pediatric practice and was looking for an experienced nurse. It’s my understanding he made her an offer.”
Ruthie had a job in Atlanta? His heart sank. “She didn’t tell me.”
“She hasn’t turned in her notice yet,” Mrs. Callaway said, her voice gentle. “But I expect she will soon. Coates is good to the people who work for him, and as head nurse, she’ll make a good living.”
“I’m happy for her,” Will replied. And he would be eventually. If this job in Atlanta was everything she ever wanted, if it made her happy, then he’d wish her well while he nursed a broken heart.
“I do think your idea has merit,” said Mr. Callaway.
“I like the idea of a nurse running it,” Mrs. Callaway added. “It makes more fiscal sense during this time when people have very little money. If they had to go to a doctor every time something came up, most people wouldn’t go, but with a nurse, they might consider it.”
The gavel sounded like a shotgun blast as Chairman Hubert Espy called the meeting to order. The Callaways said their goodbyes while Will headed to the podium. What was the point of the clinic if Ruthie wouldn’t be there? Will recognized the thought for what it was—selfish.
It was just hard to salvage his thoughts when he felt so raw.
He was almost to his seat when he saw her. She was standing on the other side of the room with her family, wearing the same pale blue dress she’d worn the day they’d driven to Warm Springs. Her thick blond hair was tied back, a white ribbon weaving in and out of her curls. She looked like springtime and orange slices and everything in the world that made him happy.
And she was leaving.
“Ladies and gentlemen, as chairman of the Pine Mountain town council, I call this meeting to order.”
Will turned away from her, but not before he caught the look of concern in her eyes. Was he wearing his broken heart on his sleeve? Probably.
A pain that deep wasn’t easy to hide. He would smooth her fears over later. Right now, he had to concentrate on getting through this meeting.
The first twenty minutes were taken up with procedural rituals, the reading of last meeting’s minutes, old business that needed to be discussed. Will thought through the points he wanted to cover and the needs he and Ruthie had seen in their work with the borrowing library. He glanced over to where she’d been only to find her watching him. Their gazes met, and for one brief moment, it was just the two of them. She gave him an encouraging smile, then sat back in her chair.
Will blinked. Ruthie wasn’t gone yet. There was still a chance she’d want to stay and continue the work she’d started with people like Lily and Miss Marigold. She deserved a choice, and he intended to do everything in his power to give her one. Will bowed his head. Lord, whether Ruthie stays or not, whether my heart gets broken, Your will be done. When the discussion over new business opened, Will made his way to the podium. “Mr. Chairman, members of the council, I would like to reopen discussion on funding a medical clinic to serve the community of Pine Mountain.”
“I believe everyone in the room would agree that we are in desperate need of a clinic,” Councilman Melvin Thomas replied. “But until our town can support a doctor, we’ll just have to go to Columbus or Macon for medical care.”
“Not if we hire an experienced nurse to oversee it,” Will argued.
A soft murmuring began among the crowd as his suggestion sank in.
From the whispers behind him, the reaction was positive. Six months ago, these folks would have been dead set against hiring a nurse, but they’d witnessed what Ruthie could do. They’d heard how her intervention had saved Lily’s life. She had earned their trust, and that was a hard thing to do.
“The chair recognizes Tillis Montgomery. Mr. Munroe, will you yield the floor?”
“Yes,” Will responded.
A friendly hand clapped down on Will’s shoulder. “Thanks, Will.”
Tillis turned his attention to the men at the front of the room. “I believe whoever we get to run the clinic needs to be someone we all know and trust.” He nodded in the direction of Ruthie. “A lot of us grew up with Ruthie Sims. She’s always been a nice girl, real smart, and just as kind as could be. She’s a good nurse too.” He nodded to a young woman holding a toddler. “Hetty here got a splinter deep in her hand. We tried for two days to get it out, but that girl wiggled and scratched like a caged wild animal. Then here comes Ruthie, and she starts cooing and talking all sweet to my baby girl, and before you know it, she has that splinter out of Hetty’s hand. So if you’re going to hire someone to run the clinic, let’s hire Ruthie.” He nodded to the council members. “Thank you.”
