A Spector from the Past

by
Ella

Memory Creek Ranch, summer, 1887

         Nineteen-year-old Andrea Prescott wiped her forehead with the back of her hand and let a deep breath out.  Andi was on her knees scrubbing the hallway floor of her ranch house. She would have much rather been racing her horse Shasta over the plains of Memory Creek Ranch. 

            “Andi!”

            Andi looked up from bending over to dip her brush back into the soapy water. Her husband Riley was peering down at her. “Hey, Andi. A girl by the name Felicity is outside. She wants to talk to you.”

            “Felicity?” Andi wrinkled her brow. The name sounded very familiar. Felicity? Who--With a gasp, Andi jumped up. “Felicity Livingstone?” she screeched.

            Riley’s eyes widened. “She didn’t give a last name.” He watched as his wife lost all her color and sat down hard on the ground again. “It has to be Felicity Livingstone.”

            “You better go find out. She asked for you.” Riley helped Andi up and pushed her towards the door. Andi opened it and stepped out into the bright sunshine. When her eyes adjusted to the blinding sun, she scurried down the porch steps. She looked up into the buggy.

            “Hello, Andrea.”

            Andi’s heart skipped beats. It was Felicity Livingstone! Her hair was wound up in a tight bun. She wore a frilly purple dress. But she was smiling!

            “H-howdy, Miss Livingstone,” Andi managed to say. Her hands shook, so she clasped them behind her back. Felicity stepped down. “Please, Andrea. Call me Felicity.” She took a deep breath. “I am on my way to San Francisco and decided to stop by here to say this: I am very sorry for my horrible actions I did upon you. I should’ve never, ever whiped that poor mare, or you. It was nasty and cruel of me. Will you forgive me?”

            Andi was breathless! Felicity had been a nightmare when she arrived at the Lazy L Ranch six years ago as a Mexican peasant. Taffy, her palomino mare that had died two-and-a-half years ago, had been stolen and Andi had been injured. The Mexican Garduno family had taken her in.

            They had found a job at the Lazy L, not knowing what trouble awaited Andi.

            Andi cringed as she remembered the bite of the whip and Taffy’s terrified whinnies. She closed her eyes. Lord, she prayed, Felicity has changed. Please, help me to forgive her. She opened her eyes. “I forgive you, Felicity.”

            Felicity’s eyes filled with tears. “Thank you, Andrea! Oh, thank you!”

            Andi’s heart felt light and she took hold of Felicity’s hand. “Come, let me introduce you to my husband, Riley.”

            Felicity nodded. “Could I look at the palomino mare first?”

            Andi’s heart felt like it had been stabbed. She lost her smile. “She died three years after I worked at your place.”

            “Oh!” Felicity looked stricken. Andi brightened. “But she had a colt. I named him Shasta!”

            After the girls visited Shasta, Riley, Andi, and Felicity sat down at the table and ate dinner.

            After some pleading, Riley hitched up the two buggy horses and Andi and Felicity made their way to the Circle C Ranch. Andi told Felicity all about her family.

            “Chad is married to Ellie Coulter and has a daughter now. She is six months old. Her name is Emma. Justin is married to Lucy and they have two children now: three-year-old Sammy, one-year-old Gracie, and two-month-old Jack and Jill.”

“What about your sister and other brother?” Felicity chimed in. She seemed to be amazed with the herds of horses they were passing in the paddocks.

“Oh, Melinda and Mitch?” Andi urged the horses into a faster gait. “Melinda is married to Peter Wilson and is pregnant with her second baby. Mitch isn’t married.”

“Oh,” Felicity whispered. Andi frowned and shrugged.

When the two reached the Circle C, Chad looked up from saddling his buckskin, Sky. “Andi!” He waved and ran over. “Howdy! Where’s Riley?”

Andi jumped down and hugged her brother. “Had ranch work to do.”

 Chad looked at Felicity, who was stepping down from the buggy,  and tipped his hat. “Hello.”

Felicity smiled. “Hello, Mr. Carter. My name is Felicity Livingstone.”

“What?” Chad’s eyes popped open. Andi was about to snap at him about minding his manners, when Felicity laughed. “Yes, I am that Felicity.” She turned to Andi. “It’s alright, Andrea. I don’t mind.” She turned back to Chad. “I came to apologize.”

Chad gulped. “Uh, come on inside, Sis, and Miss Livingstone.” He hailed Diego and told him to unhitch the black horses. Then he led Andi and Felicity into the large stucco house.

“Andrea!” Elizabeth Carter sailed over. “What a nice surprise!” She turned to Felicity. “Hello.”

“Hello, Mrs. Carter.” Felicity smiled. “It is a pleasure to see you again.”

At Elizabeth’s questions look, Andi took a deep breath. “Mother, this is Miss Livingstone.”

Mother’s eyes widened, but she smiled. “Welcome, Miss Livingstone.”

“Thank you,” Felicity smiled. “What a wonderful place you have here.” By then, Mitch had wandered in. Justin and Melinda lived in town, so they weren’t there. But the cheerful cooing of Emma Carter rang out from the library and it filled the house with a warm, cozy feeling.

Mitch, hearing Felicity’s name, leaned closer to Andi. “The Felicity Livingstone?” he asked in a soft whisper.

“Yes, and mind your manners, Mitchell Carter. She’s changed. She apologized,” Andi whispered back. Mitch whistled softly. “She sure has.”

At this odd behavior from Mitch, Andi shot Chad a questioning look. He shrugged and rolled his eyes.

“Excuse me, everyone.” Felicity’s nervous voice rang out. She looked at every family member. Her eyes stopped on Mitch and she blushed. Mitch cleared his throat.

“I came to apologize. My horrible behavior to Andrea six years ago was unacceptable. I am passing through on my way to San Francisco and felt an urge to say hello and say I am very sorry. Andrea has already forgiven me, but I want to ask all of you if you will to.”

Elizabeth was the first to respond. “You have changed a lot, Miss Felicity. I forgive you.”

“Me too,” Chad boomed. Mitch chuckled. “I forgive you,” he said. Andi smiled.

***

Memory Creek Ranch, winter, 1887

Andi woke up with the wail of her five-month-old son, Jared, and jumped out of bed. It was very cold and she shivered as she made her way to Jared’s crib. Riley sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes. “Is he okay?”

“Yes, just has the hiccups.” Andi picked him up and rocked him gently. “Shh, Jared, it’s alright.”

Riley looked at the clock. “Six, thirty.  Might as well get up.” He dressed quickly and opened the bedroom door. Before he disappeared into the hallway, Andi called after him, “I’ll make flapjacks for breakfast!”

He turned and walked over to her, planting a kiss on her forehead. “Alright, honey.”

After breakfast, Andi sat down in the library with Jared and slept. The fire crackled merily and it filled the room with a warmth.

The creek of the door opening and footsteps awoke Andi. Riley walked in, followed by who could  be? Felicity Livingstone!

“Felicity!” Andi sat up and hugged her friend. Felicity had spent a week with the Prescott’s that summer and they had become good friends.

As Felicity fussed over Jared, Andi and Riley stood in the kitchen, talking as Andi made lunch.

“I think Mitch likes her,” Riley commented. Andi laughed. “I think Felicity likes him!”

“How old is she?”

“Twenty-four, twenty-five. A little older then Melinda I think.”

“Ah.” Riley tipped his chair on the hind legs and opened his mouth to say more. Andi turned her back on him to stir the soup.

Crash! Andi yelped and whirled. Riley law sprawled on the ground, his chair laying beside him. Andi burst out laughing. Felicity ran in with Jared on her side. She giggled.

Riley groaned and sat up. Her rubbed his stinging palm on his jeans and laughed. “Oops.”

Felicity decided to say at the Circle C that time. Andi caught her and Mitch walking together in the pastures more then once. She once caught them racing on their horses across the hills.

This is a first.  

***

Memory Creek Ranch, spring, 1888

Twenty-year-old Andi smiled happily as she and Shasta thundered down the dirt road towards Fresno. Behind her trailed Zippy, a brindle gelding. She was going to pick up Felicity Livingstone at the train station. In an earlier letter, Felicity had told her to bring Shasta and Zippy to go home, not a fancy buggy.

            When she reached the station, Felicity waved happily from the bench.

            “Sorry I’m late,” Andi gasped. “Zippy became stubborn halfway here.”

            “That’s alright.” Felicity mounted and turned her mount’s nose to the road. “Come on, I can’t wait to see Jared!”

            “Would you mind if we stopped by Cory’s house? I’d like to say hi.”

            “I don't mind.” The girls started at an easy lope and soon were stopped in front of Cory Blake’s house. “Cory!” Andi called.

            Amelia Blake emerged, her baby, Hailey, in her arms. “Cory’s in the back, Andi, working on the garden.”

            “Thanks, Amy!” Andi dismounted and grasped Felicity’s hand. They opened the gate and stopped. “Shh,” Andi shushed. She put and finger to her lips and slipped her hand from Felicity’s grasp. She crept up the the humming Cory and then, “Boo!”

            Cory jumped. His shovel went flying. He whirled. “Andi!”

            Felicity and Andi laughed and laughed. Cory joined in. Amy appeared and stood beside her husband and beamed.

            After they were done laughing, Cory smiled. “Howdy, Andi.”

            “Hey. I wanted to say hello.” Andi and Cory talked. Felicity and Amy talked. After the visit was over, Felicity and Andi made their way home.

            “Mitch!” Felicity dismounted and rushed over to Mitch. He and Riley were talking on the porch. Mitch caught Felicity and spun her around. “It’s good to see you again, Felicity.” 

            Andi and Riley linked hands and smiled. Mitch had broken the news to the family last winter, when Felicity came and spent a month in Fresno. He and Miss Livingstone were courting!

            Andi loved the idea of having her friend become her sister-in-law.

            “Where’s Jared?” Andi asked Riley. “Inside,” came the reply.

            As Mitch, Felicity, Riley, and Andi sat around the dining room with Jared in Mitch’s lap, Felicity told them that she planned to move to Fresno! Andi cheered.

            On Tuesday, the Carter, Wilson, and Prescott family helped move Felicity into her little town house on J Street. Andi and Felicity saw each other everyday, and Mitch came calling every weekend.

            Life was good.

***

Circle C Ranch, fall, 1889

As twenty-one-year-old Andi watched Felicity be led down towards Mitch, she had flashbacks to her own happy wedding. Instead of Gracie babbling from Lucy’s lap, Andi’s second child, Samantha, babbled from her lap. Two-year-old Jared played with three-year-old Gracie, two-year-old Jack and Jill,  and five-year-old Sammy. Ellie held two-year-old Emma. Melinda and Peter stood in the back with their children at their feet.

After the wedding, Riley took Andi around the dance floor. He had finally learned

how to dance, properly. As Andi smiled, she thought about how much her family had changed over the years. It had changed from six kids and one adult to six adults, their spouses, their eight little kids, and a grandmother.

Life was amazing. Thank you, Lord, for giving me such a great family.   

***

Circle C Ranch, rall, 1902

Twenty-four-year-old Andi and Felicity walked along the path way towards Memory Creek. Five-year-old Jared ran ahead with his almost four year old sister trailing behind him. Felicity held the hand of her son, two-year-old Mitch. Riley and Mitch walked behind them, talking. In Mitch’s arms slept three-month-old Paul. Holding Riley’s hand, two-year-old Zaid toddled.

            Oh, what amazing memories Andrea Rose Carter Prescott has! From pony trouble to a Circle C Christmas, from saddling up to being far from home, from a long ride home to learning the price of truth, from a thick friendship with a girl to her first love, and now this, her amazing family walking along the countryside.

            God is good.