“I guess I am.” Will hated admitting his feelings to anyone, much less a stranger, but he did owe this man his life in some ways.
“The loss of my mother and sister is quite overwhelming to me, and it’s made even worse knowing that I was the reason they were in a position of danger.” Will looked away, trying to steady his emotions.
“And being laid up hasn’t helped my mood at all,” he added, glancing back at the older man with a shrug. “Although the care has been exceptional.”
“Yes, indeed. Laura is a remarkable young woman,” Evans replied. “I can say that with pride, even though I’ve had little to do with it.”
“You sent her away right after the death of her mother, as I understand it.”
Mr. Evans frowned. “It was for the best of us both. I was a very wounded man after losing my beloved wife. Perhaps that’s why I recognize the darkness in you.”
His conclusion made perfect sense and caused Will to relax a bit. “Yes, that’s how I feel in losing my mother and sister. A part of me wants to fight with everyone I encounter. Another part wants only to pour out my heart and yet another to hide from the world.”
Evans nodded. “Exactly. I didn’t have it in me to comfort Laura. She was just a child and had been very close to her mother. I knew she needed someone to care for her, to listen to her.” He looked away, and Will thought his expression bore a great deal of regret. “I knew it couldn’t be me. I failed her miserably. I missed out on so much of her life, but what was I to do? I couldn’t expose her to my rage.”
“On the other hand, you might have found solace in her presence.”
“I might have. But she was so young and needy, and I just couldn’t take the chance that my anger would rise against her one day.”
“I can understand your concern. It would seem the people who played a part in raising her did a good job. She’s devoted to God, intelligent, beautiful, and as kind and gentle as any woman I’ve ever met.”
“She is.” Granite glanced out the window for a long moment, then turned back to Will. “But enough about Laura. What about you? What plans have you now that things have changed?”
Will shook his head. “What do you mean exactly?”
“Now that Indians have killed your mother and sister. What have you decided?”
“I gave it a lot of consideration. I’m not going.” The answer surprised Will. Had he really come to that conclusion? Could he just turn away from a lifetime of planning to follow in his father’s footsteps?
“I should clarify. I know that there are good Indians as well as bad, just as there are good and bad amongst every race of people. But right now...” He fell silent. Why was it so hard to sort through his feelings?
“What were you doing while awaiting your assignment to go?” Evans asked.
Will glanced up. “I was making furniture over at Bradley’s.”
“Are you any good at it?”
“Mr. Bradley was pleased and told me I was a blessing. People often sought me out for special projects, so I guess I’m good enough.” Will shifted in the chair. His side ached. He hoped Curtis would come soon to help him to bed.
“Well, if you ever want a job with me, I know I could find something for you. I’ve asked around, and you have a sterling reputation. Preachers usually do, but given your age and lack of wife, I suppose I did wonder. But everyone I talk to tells me that you are uncompromised and reputable. You have even earned high praise from Judge Kuykendall.”
Will remembered the man and his request for a blanket box for his wife. He had wanted it carved with intricate scrolling to match another piece of furniture. Will had gone to his house and studied the piece to get it just right. It had taken an impressive number of hours to complete, but when he was done, it looked as though the pieces had always been together.
“The judge is kind to offer praise. I merely created a piece of furniture to his design.”
“Well, even so, the fact that you were able to please him speaks volumes to me.” Evans turned toward the door. “I am always happy to find a place in my company for men of quality. It seems to me that you’d be wasted out on a reservation.”
“It’s hard to just give up on the idea, even with what happened. I come from a long line of preachers who worked with various tribes of Indians. It’s something I figured I was called to do ... to follow in their footsteps.” But the idea of working for Granite did linger in his thoughts. If Will was to truly believe all things happened for a reason, then maybe Granite Evans was a part of his future. Maybe he’d been so fixed on what he believed was his destiny that he missed seeing that God actually had another plan for him.
“Maybe you have another calling now,” Granite said as if reading Will’s mind. “Ever think of that? I don’t walk with the Almighty in the same manner that you and Laura do. I’ll give it to you that there is a God, but I am not at all convinced that He cares about us.”
His words caused feelings of defense to rise in Will. “But how could He give such attention to the details of His creation and then play no part in our daily lives? It seems to me that He must care, even love us dearly.”
“But he allowed your mother and sister to be cruelly killed. He stood by as death stole away the mother of a young child and a beloved wife—my wife. How does that support a case for His love?”
Yesterday, Will would have considered himself the wrong person to ask. He would have been far more inclined to think as Evans did. But there was something about hearing the words aloud from someone else.
“The world holds a great many flaws. Sickness, death, evil. We endure as best we can. We see throughout the Bible examples of those things and God’s dealings with His children.”
