Love’s Unwavering Hope – Extended Epilogue

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Lone Oak, Texas

Five Years Later

“You may talk about your good eatin’ or your oysters and your chowdered cans….”

Annie laughed loudly. “That ain’t the way the song goes, Samantha. I’ve told ya a dozen times that it’s chowdered clams, not cans.”

Samantha giggled and ran a hand over her swollen abdomen. “It doesn’t really make a difference, does it?”

“Ah,” Annie waved her hand dismissively through the air. She was holding a large soup spoon, so it was a lot more dexterous move than some women might have been able to accomplish without hitting themselves in the face. “I imagine you’re only singin’ it anyway cause I put you in charge of gettin’ the ham fixed up.”

“Right you are,” Samantha replied. She moved away from the kitchen counter where she’d been preparing the ham, getting it wrapped and ready to go in one of the biggest baskets. It was Sunday afternoon, and after the family returned from listening to one of Reverend Hopkin’s church sermons, they came straight home. While Annie and Samantha were inside, getting everything prepared to carry up to the big house, so they could all have Sunday lunch together, Jack was outside with Will and the children. Samantha hovered near the window she’d begged Jack to add to the kitchen last spring, and she reveled in the view now by watching her handsome husband play with their son.

They’d named their first child Georgie, after Jack’s father, and if she gave birth to a girl soon, they were planning to call her Isabel in honor of Jack’s late mother.

But only time will tell if we have ourselves a little girl.

Even though Samantha loved Jack and Georgie more than life itself, she secretly prayed that their next child would be a girl. She wanted to spend the long days with her daughter, teaching her to ride and groom horses, showing her how to bake pies, and helping her brush out her hair at the end of a long day. Annie and Will had a daughter, Clara, named so because that had been Will’s mother’s name. As Samantha watched, Clara chased Georgie around the yard, shouting at him to slow down or she’d never be able to keep up with him.

Samantha laughed. “My baby causin’ trouble again?” Annie asked as she came to stand by Samantha’s side.

“No,” Samantha replied. “I think they’re just playing a game of tag. Looks like Clara’s it, and Georgie might be a little too fast for her.”

Annie snorted. “She’s just havin’ him on. The kid can run like she’s got wheels on her feet. She’s just tryin’ to charm Georgie so she can catch him.”

Samantha leaned closer to the window and saw that Annie had seen right through her daughter’s antics. Just as soon as Georgie slowed his pace a touch, Clara dashed right up to him, punched him on the arm, stuck out her tongue, then shouted, “You’re it!” Georgie, not to be outdone, stuck his tongue out at Clara in return, then swiped his hand forward, almost the way a bear would raise its paw, as he tried to quickly tag her back.

“You can’t tag me right now,” Clara cried. “I’m in the safe zone.”

“There ain’t no safe zone!” Georgie countered. He looked to Jack then and added, “Tell her pa. She has to play the game right.”

Jack shrugged cheerfully and patted his son on the head. With that, Samantha turned back to the unfinished task that lay before her in the kitchen. “I don’t know what I’m going to do when the next baby gets here. I feel like my hands are full already.”

Annie packed several large bowls of yeast rolls into a basket and draped a white and blue gingham cloth over the top. “You think you’re busy now? Wait ’til you have a third child and a fourth one after that.”

Samantha snickered. “Jack and I aren’t planning to populate the whole town of Lone Oak, Annie. I think we’d be content just having the two kids.”

Her friend shook her head. “Sometimes, you don’t get a say in it.” She reached for a bowl of carrots and packed them tightly into another basket. “I heard the other day, over in Kelport, that a lady gave birth to three babies on the same day. Can you imagine? Havin’ triplets?”

Samantha shook her head. “God bless that woman because I’m not sure if I could do it.”

“The way I heard it,” Annie continued, “she and the babies are all doing just fine.”

“Well, that’s a blessing,” Samantha muttered as she returned to the kitchen counter and picked a crust off one of the peach pies Annie had made yesterday. She popped the bit of pastry into her mouth and chewed slowly.

“You go eatin’ all the pie now, and we won’t have anythin’ to take up to the big house,” Annie joked.

Samantha threw a cloth over the pie and swallowed her bite quickly. “Sorry, couldn’t help myself. I think the baby was telling me she needed a slice of her Aunt Annie’s homemade pie.”

“So, you think you’ll have a baby girl, do ya?”

Samantha shrugged. “I know it doesn’t matter at all, but I’d like to have a little girl. If she had my hair and Jack’s eyes, she’d be the most beautiful baby in the world, and I’d consider myself the proudest mama in the county.”

“Boy or girl, your child is going to be pretty,” Annie retorted. “Georgie’s got the longest eyelashes I’ve ever seen, and his hair….” She paused and groaned. “I’d pay good money if I could make my locks shine like his.” She clucked her tongue. “But speaking of havin’ babies, I’ve been meanin’ to tell ya somethin’.”
She had been on the verge of breaking off another piece of pie crust, this time swiping a bite from the cherry pie that was still uncovered, but Samantha stopped herself when she registered the tone of Annie’s voice. Gone was the playful joking. She wanted to talk about something serious, so Samantha straightened herself up and nodded at her friend to continue. “What’s wrong, Annie?”

“Nothin’s wrong, exactly,” Annie explained as she dropped her knife on the kitchen counter. “It’s just that I heard Liza’s back in town and….”

“Oh,” Samantha interrupted, “I already know all that. Jack ran into her pa the other day while he was in town, and he said his daughter was home for a little while.”

“Did Mr. Brown happen to tell Jack the full story?” Annie questioned.

“I don’t know,” Samantha answered. “Is there a full story?”

Annie leaned both elbows on the countertop and spoke in a hushed whisper. “What I heard from one of the ranch hands was that after you and Jack got married, Liza went back to stay with her kinfolk in Kelport. She took up with a man there, and they got married lickety-split.”

“Good for her,” Samantha said earnestly. “I got the feeling she only ever trailed after Jack the way she did because she wanted to find herself a husband. I’m glad to hear everything worked out well for her.”

“Ummm…” Annie mused slowly, “maybe not so well as you’d like to think. It turns out Liza had a bit of a wandering eye, and since almost every man in Kelport was attracted to her, she sort of didn’t have any qualms about acceptin’ their attentions.”

“Uh-huh,” Samantha said as she reached for that piece of cherry pie crust. She was riveted by this tale and nibbled on the pastry while she continued listening.

“Well, after a couple of months runnin’ round on her man, Liza realized she was pregnant. But when she told her husband ’bout the baby, he kicked her outta the house.”

“What?” Samantha cried. “Why would he do something like that?”

“It seems that while she was out galivanting, she wasn’t exactly saving herself for her own man, so he knew any baby she might be havin’ wouldn’t belong to him.” Annie paused and blew out an exasperated sigh. “She sure followed Jack’s advice and found a way to move on, but she didn’t really learn her lesson, did she?”

Samantha’s free hand went to her chest, and she covered her heart. “I might sound a little crazy to admit this, but I feel sorry for Liza.”

“I do, too,” Annie confessed. “Seems she’s back in town, livin’ with her folks because her husband won’t let her step foot in their house over in Kelport.”

“But what about the baby?” Samantha asked.

“You know how people work these days,” Annie said quietly. “If Liza’s husband says he’ll take her back, then she’ll be outta here again ’fore she can kiss her parents goodbye. But if he stays the course, the people of Lone Oak’ll help her take care of that baby.”

“Phew,” Samantha murmured as she shook her head. “What do you think will happen?”

“Don’t know,” Annie replied, “but if I know Liza, she’ll find a way to land on her feet. Shoot, if she spends enough time away from her husband, he may just figure out a way to divorce her, then she’ll be on the prowl once more here in Lone Oak.”
Samantha grimaced. “You don’t think she’d give birth then head right out and try to find herself a man, do you?”

“Why not?” Annie countered. “A lady can’t be expected to raise a child by herself out here. And if she don’t have any luck with the men of Lone Oak, she can always write one of them adverts she pretended to be interested in so long ago.”

“You know,” Samantha said as she contemplated that idea, “I wish that all those years ago, Liza had written her own advertisement. I’m sure she would’ve been lucky, just like Jack and I were, and she would’ve found herself a proper husband.”

Annie’s eyes narrowed. “You think that all you like, but I prefer to think that you and Jack ‘got lucky’ because you were good people who found each other. Liza ain’t got half the goodness in her that either one of you do.”

“I don’t know,” Samantha pulled the statement out slowly. “Maybe, later today, I ought to go visit with her.”

“Why would you ever do a thing like that?” Annie asked incredulously.

“Because it sounds like Liza could use a friend,” Samantha replied sensibly. “And even though we’ve had our differences in the past, I’ve moved on, Jack’s forgiven her completely, and I see no need to distance ourselves from her now.”

“Well,” Annie huffed, “you’re a better person than I am.”

Samantha shrugged. “Living here, in Lone Oak, with Jack and Georgie, knowing I’ve got another little baby on the way, I can’t help but feel compassion for others who don’t have it so great.”

“You sound just like Reverend Hopkins,” Annie said as she crossed the room, heading toward the back door. “I’m sure he’d be proud to hear you talkin’ about forgivin’ others and makin’ amends.” She paused for a second, took a deep breath, then hollered, “Come on, ya’ll! It’s time to head up to the big house for supper.”

The kids gave shouts of jubilation. Samantha could hear the pair of them as they bounded toward the back door. She also thought she detected the low whispers that belonged to Will and Jack.

Could Will be telling Jack the same story Annie just told me?
It was possible. Will and Annie, like Jack and Samantha, shared all their secrets, and it made sense that Annie had told Will all about Liza’s arrival back in town just as soon as she heard the news.

When Jack entered the doorway, his eyes met Samantha’s, and she knew with certainty what the menfolk had been discussing. He walked right up to her and kissed her softly on the cheek. “How you feelin’, darlin’?”

“I’m ready for supper,” she replied as she turned and motioned toward the kitchen counter, which had four baskets lined up, one right after the other.

“Me too! Me too!” Georgie shouted as he circled around his parents. He held his left hand out and traced his fingers along their kneecaps as he flew round and around.

“Then let’s get goin’, folks,” Will said as he reached for two of the baskets. Jack rushed forward and grabbed the other two. Annie stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips.

“I don’t know what ya’ll mean by takin’ all the work outta my hands.”

“It’s the day of rest,” Will replied as a smile crept onto his face. “You and Samantha got all this food prepared. The least we can do is carry it up to the big house for ya.”

Annie huffed. “Well, if that basket gets too heavy to carry, you just let me know, and I’ll take over.”

Samantha, unlike Annie, was glad to have her hands free. “Thank you,” she told Jack as they exited the house. She fell in step with him and they walked slowly toward the homestead. The children raced ahead, resuming their game of tag.

“I like to feel useful,” Jack said as he grinned easily. Annie and Will coasted ahead of them, too, and Samantha took this chance to tell her husband what was on her mind.

“You know,” she began, “Annie just told me a terrible story about Liza.”

“I heard the same thing,” Jack added. “Will told me somethin’ that I could hardly believe.”

“What did you make of it?” Samantha inquired curiously. She watched her husband closely. She had come to realize that while it sometimes took him a minute to formulate his thoughts, his feelings were always evident if a person watched his facial expressions closely. His nose twitched, and he pursed his lips at the corner of his mouth.

“I wasn’t all that surprised,” Jack answered. “I’d always known Liza liked to flaunt her feminine figure, and she wasn’t shy when it came to flirtin’ with other men. But I’ve got to say, I feel a mite sorry for her.”

“That’s what I thought,” Samantha agreed. “Annie says she’s living with her parents, and she doesn’t know what’s coming at her next. She may get to go home to her husband, or she might have to start all over again.”

“Startin’ over ain’t so bad,” Jack said quietly.

Samantha reached forward and tapped her fingers lightly on one of his hands that carried a basket. “I know that, but it’d be a whole lot easier on Liza if she had a friend to get her through these hard times.”

Jack stopped walking and turned to look at her squarely. “Are you tellin’ me you want to become friends with Liza?”

She shrugged. “I guess so.”

“And you think that’s the best idea?” Jack pressed.

“I’m not sure there’s any way around it,” Samantha replied lightly. “She needs support, and I think I can give it to her. I feel so grateful for all I have, and I just want to help others find their own happiness now.”

“Oh, Samantha Harty,” Jack said as he put the baskets on the ground at his feet and reached forward to wrap her in a big hug. “Have I told you today just how much I admire you?”

“Not today,” she teased as she snuggled further into his embrace.

“I love you, Samantha, and if you want to be friends with Liza or you want to try to walk to Louisville and back, I’ll be right here supportin’ ya the whole way.”

She stirred in his arms. “Louisville? What made you mention that?”

He let go of her and ran a hand along the curve of her cheek, tucking an errant strand of hair behind her ear. “I’ve been thinkin’ about this for a while now, and it’d be nice for our children to know their grandparents—your parents,” he continued explaining. “I know you reached out to them a few years ago, right after Emil was sent back to Louisville, and they didn’t send you a whole lot of correspondence in response.”

Samantha sighed in a disgruntled fashion. “That’s being generous, Jack. We both know that they only sent the one letter, saying they were relieved to know I was alive.” Her breath caught in her throat as she recalled her mother’s loopy, swoopy handwriting. “She promised to write faithfully going forward, but….”

“I know,” he said soothingly. “And I’m sorry that they didn’t keep their promise. But I think we ought to try again.” He took hold of her hand and gave her fingertips a tight squeeze. “If you don’t want to, I understand. But I think since you’re ready to become friends with Liza, you might also be prepared to reach out to your parents again.”

“Okay,” Samantha agreed reluctantly. “I’ll write them another letter when we get home this afternoon.”

Jack kissed her on the cheek, then bent down to scoop up the baskets once more.

“Ya’ll comin’ or what?” Thomas stood on the porch, waving a hand to them, beckoning the families toward the big house. Sheriff Holtz was at his side.

“These young’uns…you never can count on ‘em to make it anywhere on time,” he grumped.

“You know,” Samantha said as she looked at the old men, “If our kids never meet my folks, it might not make much difference. They’ve already got a Papaw in Thomas, and the people of Lone Oak love them, too.” She gave her husband a sidelong glance. “Really, what more could they need when they’ve already got everything they could possibly want?”

“You’re right, Samantha,” Jack allowed in a soft voice. “We can grow our circle, or we can stay just as we are. I’ll be happy either way.”

Samantha knew that her husband wasn’t just appeasing her by being agreeable. He really and truly was happy, and they all were living a fulfilled life. Her heart warmed as she let her husband’s words mix with her own sentiments. For Samantha was right where she belonged, in Lone Oak, Texas, with a man she adored, a child she treasured, and a community that made her feel safe and secure.

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