Someone to Trust Read online

  Megan thought about some of the grizzly, grumpy men she’d worked with and laughed. “Now that you mention it, I believe I have, too.”

  Without thinking, she nonchalantly reached down and took his hand as they moved forward. They’d only taken a couple of steps when she said, “But I like these better.”

  “These what?” Lee asked, in a perplexed tone.

  “These bears.”

  He laughed, reached out with a finger from his other hand and playfully tilted the brim of her cap forward, saying, “Me, too.”

  Lee and Megan continued on their hike, once again walking single file. They’d hiked only about another quarter of a mile when mishap struck. Megan, who was on the lookout for bear, was not paying close attention to where she was walking.

  Lee’s warning came a moment too late as she felt herself falling. The toe of her hiking boot was caught in something effectively pinning her foot snugly. She couldn’t seem to find anything to grab to stop her fall and found herself quickly catapulted face down on the ground with a loud thud and a cry of pain.

  “Megan!” Lee was kneeling at her side instantly. “Megan, are you okay?”

  She responded by nodding her head and attempting to get up but Lee stopped her.

  “Don’t try to get up. Let me roll you over and make sure nothing is broken. You hit the ground pretty hard.”

  “You think?” she uttered as he removed her backpack and gently turned her over, letting her sarcasm pass without comment. Two sure and capable hands adeptly ran up and down the length of her limbs checking for breaks.

  “Nothing’s broken,” they pronounced at the same time which brought a smile to Lee’s face. His hands moved back to her left knee, which was now sending painful notices to her brain with stinging discomfort. Lee bent over and examined it more closely.

  “You’ve taken the skin off and will probably have a nasty bruise. Other than that, it looks okay. Can you bend it?”

  Megan did so, with a slight wince.

  “Can you sit up? I have a first-aid kit in my backpack. Let me get some antibiotic ointment and a bandage so that I can clean this up a bit for you.”

  Lee removed his backpack and began rummaging through it. As Megan watched him, she shook her head. “No, no, don’t bother. Save yourself and leave me here.”

  “What?” he questioned incredulously.

  “Save yourself,” she repeated pitifully, but could not contain the mischievous grin. Lee lost his momentary look of alarm, chuckling as he began cleaning her scraped knee.

  “Oh you’re real funny. For a moment there, I thought you were serious and I was wondering how far I’d be able to get with you on my back.”

  They laughed at the image of Lee struggling down the mountain with Megan on his back.

  “You know,” Megan interjected, “It wasn’t my fault this time.”

  Lee raised his brows at her statement and she pointed to the culprit. “It was that wretched root. What was it doing growing above ground like that anyway?” she finished innocently and they both burst into more laughter.

  When they were finally able to regain their composure, Lee applied the bandage and helped Megan to her feet. Much to her relief, she was able to put weight on her leg without any problem.

  “Do we need to turn back?” Lee asked.

  “No, it stings but isn’t too sore. Besides, we’ve come this far and I want to continue.”

  Lee put his backpack on and adjusted the straps. “Okay, but how about you let me carry your backpack? Plus, if the knee starts giving you a problem, let me know and we’ll take a break,” he ordered gently.

  Megan smiled at his concern and handed over the backpack. Just this once, she figured it wasn’t worth it to argue. It was rather nice to have someone looking out for her. “Yes, Doctor, whatever you say.”

  Lee started off, once again leading the way. Staring at the fabulous physique in front of her, Megan knew she needed to get her mind elsewhere. Feeling the need to start up some conversation, Megan called out, “What does it mean when a veterinarian is your primary care physician?”

  Lee’s laughter was her only answer.

  Finally, after about a half mile climb up and then the same distance down again, the path widened considerably and the ground became more level. The rushing water of the river grew louder and the trees opened up into a small lush valley. Lee reached back and took her hand once more, leading her to the most beautiful waterfall she’d ever seen. For a moment, they stood in complete silence as they watched the white water forcefully leave the mountain, speeding down the side of rocks, before rejoining the river which widened into a pool at the bottom.

  “It’s breathtaking,” Megan whispered.

  “Yes, it is,” Lee agreed, with a smile. “I love coming here. My uncle brought me long ago during one of the summers I spent with them. Sometimes when I need to think, or pray…well, this is a good spot.”

  Megan nodded and looked up at him. “I can see that. Thanks for sharing it with me.”

  “My pleasure, I can’t think of anyone I’d rather share it with.” Lee’s gaze settled upon her.

  He’s going to kiss me.

  The thought hit Megan with incredible force and for a moment she thought she said it out loud. Thankfully, she didn’t.

  Lee broke the tension as he cleared his throat and continued, “In the summer, it’s a great place to swim even though the water is very cold.”

  “So we wouldn’t want to try that now?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  Megan turned once more to stare at the beauty before her.

  “Oh…” Megan uttered, with disappointment, “I didn’t think to bring my camera.”

  “It’s okay,” Lee said, removing his backpack and unzipping it. “I brought one.” He rummaged around only a second before producing the camera, which he handed to Megan.

  She took it with a smile and then quipped, “What else do you have in that magic backpack?”

  She snapped the picture and Lee replied, “You’re about to find out.” He pointed to a place that was flat and smooth, probably used by more than one set of hikers. “Come on, our picnic spot is right over there.”

  He took Megan’s hand and led her over to the spot where he unpacked his backpack. He placed a blanket on the ground for them to sit on, and then he pulled out some bottles of water, sandwiches and chips from the deli. Megan smiled at his choice.

  When she thought he was finished, Lee reached his hand back into the bag, paused, looked up at her and wiggled his eyebrows, like a magician about to pull a rabbit from his hat.

  Megan giggled. “Okay, Houdini, what else do you have in there?”

  “Oh…just these.” He pulled out two slices of red velvet cake wrapped in cellophane.

  “You went all out,” Megan teased. “You could make a girl lose her head, bringing her to a place like this and feeding her red velvet cake.”

  Lee’s eyes darkened and he grew quiet. When he did speak, his words were so soft Megan wasn’t sure if she imagined it. “Maybe I want her to lose her heart.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Megan dialed the number on the piece of paper in her hand.

  “Why did I let Cindy talk me into this?” she wondered aloud as the phone rang. She’d let Cindy talk her into joining other young women from Grace Community Fellowship in giving of their time to some of the older women who were either widowed, had no children, or their children lived too far away to be able to visit them on Mother’s Day. The names of all of these special ladies had been placed in a basket and drawn out by the eager volunteers. Mrs. Nettie Mae Reeves was the name Megan chose. Now Megan was giving her a call to discuss an agreeable time for them to get together.

  “Hello?”

  “Hello, Mrs. Reeves?” Megan asked.

  “Yes,” the older woman answered.

  “Mrs. Reeves this is Megan McCormick and—”

  “Yes, dear, you’re the young lady who’s going to be my daughte
r for the day.” Megan smiled at the apparent delight in her voice. After a brief conversation, they agreed on Tuesday afternoon and the older woman suggested Megan come to her home for lunch.

  “I love to cook and entertain,” she explained, with a smile in her voice. “I don’t get enough opportunity to do so.”

  She declined Megan’s offer to contribute to the meal. “Oh no, my dear, you just bring yourself; I’ll take care of the rest.”

  The woman’s soft Appalachian drawl still rang in Megan’s mind as she drove down the winding gravel road. Being shy, she was never at ease when meeting new people and made the attempt now to still the nervousness she was feeling in her stomach. Still, in spite of the butterflies, it felt good to be doing something for someone else. She reminded herself of this and how sweet the woman seemed on the phone, as she turned the last bend and headed past the two stone pillars marking the entrance to the Reeves property.

  Mrs. Reeves lived with her husband in a cozy cottage in the valley. The information on the slip handed to Megan said she was sixty-two years old and both of her sons lived several states away. This year, neither of them was going to be able to see their mother for Mother’s Day.

  Megan put the SUV into park in front of the white lap-sided house with green shutters and a green metal roof. Tucked in the lush green valley with a meandering brook behind it, it looked like a cottage from a fairy-tale.

  As Megan stepped onto the front porch complete with two rockers and a porch swing, she heard the tinkling sound of wind chimes. She paused for a moment to listen to the melody created by the wind and chimes; she loved the sound.

  As Megan tapped lightly on the screen door, she could see into the cottage because the front door had been left open. The inviting smell of fresh baked bread wafted out to Megan’s nose, teasing her taste buds. A woman came to the door, wiping her hands on her apron, and opened the screen door for Megan.

  “You must be Megan.”

  “Yes, I am, and you’re Mrs. Reeves?”

  “I sure am, love, come on in.” The smile on the woman’s face truly couldn’t have been any wider or more welcoming.

  Megan returned the older woman’s smile as she entered a great room filled with comfortable overstuffed furniture, accented with many thick pillows and a couple of throws. Two of the overstuffed chairs faced a fireplace made from river rock, creating an inviting room that was tastefully decorated and beckoned guests to sit down and stay a while. When Megan looked down, she discovered the floor of the cottage was made of different sized round stones as well. Scattered across the stone floor, to add warmth in the winter, were several heavy woven rugs.

  Mrs. Reeves noticed her looking at the stone floor. “It really adds to the cottage affect but it gets very cold in the winter time.”

  “I’m sure it does, but it is very lovely and compliments the décor perfectly.”

  “Thank you. I’ve set everything up for us in the sunroom.”

  “Sounds wonderful.”

  “Good. Then follow me on back.” Mrs. Reeves turned to lead Megan to the sunroom, which was just beyond the kitchen, but after only two steps, she paused and turned back to Megan.

  “Thank you, my dear, for coming over today. I can tell already that you’re as lovely on the inside as you are on the outside.”

  “It is truly my pleasure, Mrs. Reeves.”

  “Oh now, none of that Mrs. Reeves mumbo jumbo. To all of my friends, I am simply known as Nettie, and I’d like to think, that before the day is done, you and I will be fast friends.” With that, she turned and led Megan to the sunroom.

  Her prediction was true. It didn’t take long for Megan to feel completely at ease with her hostess, and over lunch, they were chatting like old friends. As usual, Megan was careful about sharing personal information, but she enjoyed talking about her work and life in the mountains. She also found she was greatly interested in learning more about Nettie Mae Reeves.

  Megan studied Nettie as they ate the delicious meal. She was fascinated by her gentility and grace, not to mention the peaceful contentment she read on her face.

  Megan had seen her at church many times, but would never have guessed her age. In fact, she could hardly believe it now, although that information had been provided on the slip of paper extracted from the basket.

  Nettie was still trim and fit, carrying herself with the confidence and ease of someone, who in spite of her sixty- two years, was still very active. She was quite lovely, with medium brown hair that curled softly around her face. Her skin held the warm honey glow of someone who enjoys being outdoors, and the only evidence she had been touched by time was a few gray hairs and small lines around her eyes and brows.

  Her blue eyes still sparkled with vitality, while at the same time still holding within their depths, youthful exuberance and age-old wisdom gained only through life’s experience.

  Megan helped clean up the lunch dishes and soon they were moving their conversation outdoors, where Nettie proudly showed Megan her flower garden. “I enjoy the damp soil between my fingers. There’s something about gardening that I find very therapeutic.”

  “I’ve heard that it can be.”

  “I do a lot of talking to the good Lord when I’m working out here in my flower beds,” Nettie admitted.

  This brought a smile to Megan’s face. “Creating what you do out here is a real gift. I’m afraid I kill almost every live plant I come in contact with and have no green thumb at all.”

  “I just broke off some of my ivy plant and put it into a smaller pot. I’ll send it home with you. It’s a good hardy plant and a good place for you to start,” Nettie declared in a non-rebuttal tone.

  “Okay, as long as you promise not to be mad when I kill it,” Megan said, only half-joking.

  “You just do what I tell you with it; it will be fine, you’ll see.”

  The two women found their way to a wooden bench resting beneath a huge oak tree.

  “What an amazing granddaddy of an oak.” Megan marveled at the size and beauty of the tree.

  Nettie smiled. “Granddaddy is right; it’s probably well over a hundred years old.” The two new friends sat down beneath the grand old tree, enjoying the shade its large moss-covered limbs offered.

  Over the course of the afternoon, Megan’s respect for her new friend deepened as Nettie shared memories of a past filled with her fair share of heartache and disappointment.

  Nettie was from a poor family who lived in a rural county in Georgia; she was born a sharecropper’s daughter. The family moved a lot, traveling from Southern Georgia to Central Florida and back.

  “We went wherever there was work. Times were hard and so was life for a sharecropping family. My life was a repeat of long days filled with back breaking labor, working in the fields alongside my father, mother and brother, on land that belonged to someone else,” Nettie described.

  As Nettie spoke in quiet tones, it was easy for Megan to picture a younger Nettie, lean from hard work and not enough food.

  “My brother and I grew up knowing what it was to work long hours in the hot sun and go to bed hungry.” Nettie spoke in a matter of fact tone, without any bitterness or attempt to gain sympathy from her listener.

  “It’s just the way life was then. When I was oh…fourteen or so, we’d gotten the crops all in from the fields and my brother and I were waiting for my father to come back from town. He had the money for our share of the work but he never came home with it.” She paused as if she was unfolding it in her mind again. “He never came home at all.”

  Megan could not suppress a small gasp. How was it she drew the name of someone who had a similar experience to her own? True, Megan knew nothing of being hungry or the type of hard work Nettie had experienced but she knew what it was for a father to never come home. She knew how desertion felt.

  “He had a problem with alcohol so he rarely was thinking coherently. I guess it got the better of him that trip as he took all our money and left. He left my mother, brother and m
e in the middle of nowhere without even a simple good-bye.”

  “What did you do?” Megan asked, unable to help her curiosity.

  “We stayed there as long as we could. We ate what food was left in the house and then…we waited.”

  Megan could only guess what they were waiting for.

  Nettie had a faraway look on her face, as if she were in that little sharecropper shack in rural Georgia instead of outside her cozy cottage.

  “You ran out of food…?” Megan surmised and Nettie nodded. “And your father?”

  “He didn’t come back.” Nettie finished for her. “Finally, some of my mother’s relatives came for us but that meant dividing us up, sending each of us to live in a different home. Soon after, my mother died and I was shuffled from one relative to another.”