The Star of All Valleys

  Chapter 15

  Grace, enjoying the chance to kick up her heels, reached a gallop before Willy noticed that she was shifting uncomfortably in the saddle and pulled back on the reins. She forced herself to think through the situation here. She couldn't go running off like that and cause a scene or have to answer a lot of questions from curious children. She didn't want to intrude on the hospitality of Max's parents by acting like a skittery teen age girl. She ought to at least gather her dignity and act like she was a mature twenty-six year old.

  Pulling her horse back to a walk, she looked around to see where Max was. She was surprised to see him within a few yards. He must have jumped on his horse and followed her, distrustful of her skill. She looked at him to see what kind of mood he was in. His face showed no anger, only concern and a sheepish look of contrition. She turned her horse and walked back to him.

  "I'm sorry I acted so stupid," she said, humbly. "I'm flattered that you find so many things to admire in me, but please, just forget it.  We are leaving tomorrow and you'll never see me again, so what is the point?"

  "The point is that I want to see you again. I want you to stay. I want you to get to know me better. I keep hoping that you will find something about me to admire."

  "Oh, I know more about you than you think," she smiled. "I've talked to several people who have told me what an amazing fellow you are. I already have first-hand experience of your concern for damsels in distress. You are very free with your comfort and kindness."

  "Whatever you've heard, I really am a nice man," he asserted.

  "No doubt one of your fine qualities is humility, too," she teased.

  "Humility and perseverance," he pointed out. "I'm the ranger who always gets his woman."

  "Just how many notches do you have for the women you've gotten?" she wondered aloud, chin up and fire in her eyes.

  "I can't help it if I'm so handsome and wonderful that they throw themselves at me in droves," he justified himself, a mocking grin on his face. "I don't keep track of such large numbers."

  "Men are insufferable!" she exclaimed in disgust. "It isn't me you want at all. It is just another conquest. Well, you certainly won't miss my scalp in your collection. Go drown yourself in your droves of women!"

  Willy, flushed with anger and berating herself for ever thinking she was falling in love with him, turned and continued on her way. Max followed behind her, chuckling. The snickering infuriated her even more than his arrogant attitude.

  By the time they had reached the corrals, she had herself under control and was able to be courteous and say all the proper things. Charlie Bell, Max's father, was there to meet them and was as friendly and kind as the rest of the family. They helped with the grooming of the horses and then cleaned up. Willy insisted on having the pie served outside on a picnic table under a huge golden willow tree. She didn't want to have them mess up the clean house with horsehair and dirty shoes. There was plenty of room around the table and it was in the shade.

  By the time they were finally ready to leave, Willy had much more to thank the Bell's for. Jeffy and Allison could hardly be pulled away. They had discovered the chickens in their coop and were allowed to gather eggs in a basket. Allison had used such care that she hadn't cracked any, but Jeffy didn't catch on to the fragile nature of an eggshell until he had broken two. Mrs. Bell patted his head as he looked up at her with a quivering chin and let him know it was a normal occurrence. She had him throw the broken ones into the coop and the chickens made short work of the feast, eating them shells and all. There were lots of other eggs, she told him kindly.

  A batch of new kittens had been discovered in one of the empty stalls and each one had to be held and carefully petted. Allison might have prevailed on her mother to let her take one home with her, except that they were only three or four weeks old and still needed their mother. Even Jeffy learned to handle the tiny little creatures with gentleness and care.

  Aggie had run across the street with Kelly to see her room and to exchange addresses. They were on their way to becoming fast friends and wanted to write to each other.

  Mrs. Bell insisted on sending a bag of cookies with them when Willy told her they were leaving to start home Friday. "I’m surprised you’re leaving so soon. I thought from what Max has told us about his plans for you that you would be here for at least a month," she confided.

  "Max has plans for us?" Willy questioned.

  "Oh, my, yes!" his mother declared. "Didn't he tell you? He must have wanted to surprise you and now I've let the cat out of the bag. I heard him asking Lloyd if his canoe was still leaking so they pulled it out last night and checked it over. He asked me to find out when the fish hatchery up Targhee was open so he could take the kids over there. He has talked a lot about you. I haven't seen him this excited about anyone for a long time."

  Mrs. Bell lowered her voice and confided, "We're always glad when he finds someone to interest him. Lots of women are after him, but he just hasn't gotten attached to any of them. He says he's waiting for Miss Right to come along and it doesn't matter if he's almost thirty years old, he will wait for her forever if he has to," she laughed. “I certainly hope he doesn’t wait that long! We don’t have nearly enough grandchildren.”

  Willy was a little jolted by this news and awkwardly tried to pass it off. "He has taken a real interest in the kids. They have certainly gotten friendly with him, too," Willy admitted. She was surprised that Max was so enthused about her little family. Maybe she had misread his intentions after all and he was truly serious about his feelings. That really complicated her life if so and she would have to do a bit of thinking.

  After they were loaded again into the cab and bed of Max's pickup, Willy and Max listened to Jeffy's enthusiastic retelling of his ride. He was very proud of himself for being a cowboy now. He had worn his hat the whole time and informed them that he would never take it off again. Willy was glad that his exuberance prevented any other conversation.

  Max pulled into the campground and helped everyone out of the pickup. Allison couldn't quit talking about the horses and the kittens and wished that she could live there and see them every day. She begged for another chance to see them before they left to go home.

  Aggie was full of descriptions of Kelly's room and the posters on her walls. She admired Kelly’s riding skills and told them that Kelly had been one of the girls in the barrel race at the rodeo. Besides horseback riding, Kelly also loved basketball and had papered her room with pictures.

  The sun had set and it was starting to get dark.  "I don't suppose the big, nice, humble, wonderful Mr. Bell could invite himself for supper," Max suggested tentatively, looking at Willy.

  Willy pulled a face and her mind raced over the contents of her cupboards. "We were just going to open a can of spaghetti," she said apologetically. “That’s pretty poor fare for a hard-working man, but you’re welcome to eat with us.”

  "Aggie, would you mind watching the kids if I took Willy and went for some steaks?" he asked. Noticing her widened eyes, he said, “I’m buying this time. I saw a charcoal grill over by the office that I'll bet they would let us use."

  Aggie agreed promptly, her eyes gleaming at the prospect of steak. It was a rare treat around here.

  Willy got her purse, but Max stopped her. "This is my treat," he reminded her. "It will be my going away present if you still insist on going so soon.”

  When they had climbed into the pickup and were driving away, Max cleared his throat. "I hate to keep bringing this up, Willy, but I have got to know before you leave. Do you have any feelings at all for me? Is there the remotest chance that sometime in the future you might be interested in another husband?" He caught sight of her face in the dim light. "Now don't get all mad again," he pleaded. "I'm just sending in my resume. I know better than to push you any more."

  They had pulled into the grocery store parking lot and as he moved to open the door, Willy put a restraining hand on his arm. Her pulse quickened
at the touch, but she had to get this over with. He looked expectantly at her.

  "Max, I want you to know that I think a lot of you. You are a very nice and wonderful man and the things you've done for me and my kids are going to be remembered a very, very long time." She paused and took a deep breath. Her next words were hard because they were going to send him away from her, but they had to be said.

  "I made a promise to my husband when he was lying there in the hospital unconscious and all wrapped up in bandages from his burns that he would never be replaced in my heart. I vowed to keep his memory fresh in the minds of our children. As much as I may admire you and enjoy your company, there is no point in letting you think it could turn into something more. I will keep my promise. We've known each other such a short time that I'm sure it won't take long for you to get interested in someone who is available."

  Her words had been quiet but very firm. She had kept her eyes on her hands folded in her lap, but now she lifted them to his face. "Please understand that I don't want to hurt you. You have made our visit here so very pleasant and memorable. You are an easy man to like and you have charmed us all, but don't you see that it is out of the question for us to stay any longer? Aggie and Allison need to get back in time for school. I don't have unlimited money to spend on these trips. You have your job. How can you have gotten so attached to us in only a few days?"

  Max reached for her hand and held it warmly between his own. "I've always been practical and unromantic before. My past girlfriends were always complaining that I only thought of myself and not what they might like. I had my life all in order and knew where I was going. I wasn't going to let anybody get in my way. Until about five o'clock last Friday. There I was, innocently walking my dog around the campground. Not a care in the world. I came around a corner to see what Suzy was barking at and there, up in a tree, was a wild-eyed creature with short, curly honey-colored hair. For the first time in my life, I lost my breath over a woman. I thought my heart had stopped beating. I have never felt that way before. I don't believe in love at first sight!"

  "Then what happened to you to make you change?" Willy whispered, caught up in his story.

  "You. Just you. When I put out my hands to help you down from the tree, and touched you, it felt like electricity. I swear I saw flashing lights and heard music. It was the most amazing feeling I've ever had!" Max shook his head, still disbelieving the feelings that he was describing.

  Willy sat back on the seat. She had unconsciously leaned toward him as he talked, drawn to him by the tone of his voice and the ardent look in his eyes. Then she remembered that man after the dance not too long ago. He, too, had looked fervently at her and spoken words of admiration. He, too, had told her of the rush of passion that had overtaken him at his first sight of her. Then he had clumsily grabbed at her and groped her and tried to kiss her. Well, Max might not be awkward at hugging and kissing and he was very much the gentleman, but she was very wary of the look in his eyes. It may look like love, but, as she well knew, lust was a close imitator.

  "I'm sorry, Max," she broke in, interrupting the recital of his feelings. "I had another man look at me just like you're doing at a church dance a few months ago. I ended up slapping him and running for my life. You may not be as crude as he was, but I don't have much trust in men. There just hasn't been enough time. Let's leave it. Right now, we're friends. We've enjoyed a few days of pleasant activities. Let's just get the food and go eat it and get on with our lives."

  Max turned away, deeply hurt. They sat for a few moments in silence before he moved to open the door. Willy jumped out also. "Don't take it personally," she said, coming around to meet him. "Let's just be friends spending an evening together." She flashed a forgiving and apologetic smile at him and headed for the entrance to the store.