Overwhelmed in Oklahoma (Yours Truly: The Lovelorn Book 9)

by Elissa Strati

  Tears welling, Charlie looked her father in the eyes and declared, “You're the best, Paw!” and then stopped and gave him a big hug.

  CHAPTER 10 – Uncle Jed’s Room

  Josefina greeted Charlie on her return.

  “Pa has just been telling us you will probably be staying to help Joe with his new house.”

  She tilted her head and gave Charlie a direct look.

  “To be perfectly honest, before you got here, I would have cringed at the thought of you staying; but I think I'm going to like getting a chance to get to know you as an adult. I'm not going to speak for my sister, but I personally am sorry I was so mean to you when we were kids. I think I was just jealous because you were so free and we had to stick around the house and help.”

  “You know I helped my ma at home, and would have been more than happy help out here, too, but you always made fun of me when I was in the kitchen. I know I wasn't terribly good at cooking back then but I have learned to bake a pie since then,” grinned Charlie.

  She then held out her arms and hugged her cousin.

  “I've done more hugging today, than I probably have in the last five years,” she added swiping in her eyes. “And I never cry!”

  Josie smiled mischievously.

  “Ah, but you don't understand what I'm about to ask you to do. Roberta would very much like her room back and Uncle Jed had a very nice space which Pa thought you might not mind having. I think it would be harder on one of us to stay there because of the memories of him being here our whole lives. But it is chock-full of his memories and stuff and we'll need to do some sorting to clear it out. I was kind of hoping you might take over that task, and then you can have the room for the duration of your visit.”

  “Seems like I was the last one to find out about the plans for my future!” mused Charlie.

  “Well, Joe has been talking about this ever since Cindy said ‘yes.’ And, to be honest, Joe has been half in love with you since we were kids or at least with the idea of your designs. I think he's had it in his head half his life that you would make him a house when the time came. He still talks about that chicken house!” She shook her head in mock disbelief.

  Charlie gazed at her cousin thoughtfully.

  ‘”You know, after all I learned yesterday at the funeral, I would be honored to take care of Great Uncle Jed's belongings. Would you like me to sort through his things first?” she asked. Seeing the relief in Josie's eyes, she finally understood that her cousin had been fearing dealing with their great-uncle’s artifacts.

  “Bobbie and I would be most grateful if you did,” she replied softly.

  By mid-afternoon she had sorted all of the clothing, most of which would go for rags, but there was one new shirt which one of the men might like.

  The gun was an old one, a 45, likely to be the one he used in the Texas war. He had stored it in a box along with a few letters and pictures. There was the one of him with his wife that she’d remembered. Maybe it was a wedding picture—he seemed so young and she had been lovely. And another of an infant in a christening gown.

  But the surprise was the books. Besides a well-thumbed copy of the Bible, there was some Charles Dickens and a copy of Moby-Dick; or, the Whale, as well as History of the Expedition Under the Command of the Captains Lewis and Clark, a book of poems by Walt Whitman and novels by Alexander Dumas and Edgar Allen Poe. And she found a journal. She put that very carefully on top of the other books, hoping to be permitted to read it while she was here.

  And then she scrubbed the room until it sparkled. T the boys had surprised her with a brand new ticking-covered mattress for the bed for which she was quite grateful, not having quite known what to do with the soiled and stained mattress on which her great-uncle had died. By suppertime all of her things had been moved into her new room, including the box her father had brought for. Mrs. Jackson had included pretty much everything she owned and had even put in a few of her architecture books. But the biggest prize was her tools which she had collected over the years

  CHAPTER 11 – Building a House

  As promised, Joe had assembled a crew from fellows who were happy to discharge obligations. One, by name of Curtis Smoke, was a bit rough around the edges and wasn't too careful of his language. In fact, it seemed he was trying to push how far he could go since he could not take seriously a woman in charge.

  Approaching the job site on the second day, Charlie saw Curtis look around to be sure she was within earshot and then he started telling an off-color joke which included some blasphemy.

  “Mr. Smoke,” drawled Charlie, “that was not very Christian of you. There will be no abiding of strong language on this job site.”

  “Oh, you’re just too finicky for us, are you?” he sneered at her.

  “Why, yes I am,” she said. “And so are most of these men here with you. I know they would not talk like this in front of their wives or children, and likely didn’t care for you abusing their ears either. Because when a man is in the habit of loose language, it becomes very hard to control in any circumstance.

  “Therefore it is not permitted on any job site I run, under any circumstance. If you cannot respect me, you probably do not belong on my job site. But in any case you should respect your fellow workers.

  “You may take this as your final warning.”

  There had been a number of jokes the previous day at Charlie's expense, especially when she was not in hearing distance, and most of the men had chuckled, so Curtis looked around expecting support on this issue. Besides, he believed he'd been telling a very funny joke. But he found no one would meet his eyes.

  He thought about forcing the issue anyway and then realized how big a favor he owed Joe, and getting thrown off this job would not give him the chance to square his debt.

  And besides he did have a little girl at home who looked up to him. He was imagining her face if he slipped up in speech at home. Yes, he had his pride, but he also had enough intelligence to know when he was in the wrong. So he actually did the gracious thing and apologized, to the genuine surprise of everyone there, himself included.

  Charlie smiled sweetly at him and thanked him; then, nodding at the other men, she continued to where Joe was standing talking with Jeff about scheduling. Both men had affected disinterest in the confrontation but clearly had been listening.

  Jeff commented, “That was probably the most impressive thing I've ever seen you do, standing up to that bully without even raising your voice. It was like watching a Sunday school teacher chastising a 7 year old. I see one of the reasons you have such a fine reputation.”

  Her eyebrows raised at that. “How would anyone outside of Green River, Kansas, know anything about me whatsoever?”

  “The unusual is always spoken of and a beautiful woman in trousers running a construction crew is unusual. You may not be known by name, but your reputation has probably spread to California.

  “Well I'll be flummoxed!” she said.

  ~~~

  Curtis had a bit of a temper and, although a good worker, did not always manage to keep jobs. And when he wasn’t working he drank with the money he didn’t have. They’d been moving further and further west, one town at a time, as he wore out his welcome or his temper and pride insisted.

  He had been working for Joe Coulter for more than two weeks and seem to be doing very, very well—he hadn’t even gone out for a drink once since the initial confrontation with his boss. But she had been so fair and reasonable that he was willing to give her his loyalty. She’d never seen him so happy.

  Starting out as a troublemaker, Curtis soon proved to be one of her more valued employees. He had a genius for joinery, and could fit doors and frames so there was no creaking nor gaps. When Joe had insisted on glass windows, it seemed Curtis was equally adept at creating perfectly square openings so the sashes raised and lowered with ease.

  “Are you enjoying this kind of work, Mr. Smoke?” Charlie asked him one day.

  “This is probably the best
job I've ever had, he said with great honesty. “I am not being rushed to produce at a fast pace but being asked to slow down for maximum accuracy, and I get real satisfaction when everything works smoothly.”

  “Well,” she said, “you have a genuine talent for what you're doing here. I may actually try to bribe you to move to Kansas with me. Or at least come out for special jobs.”

  You could have read a book in the glow of pride radiating from Curtis.

  CHAPTER 12 – Clinton's Memories

  As far back as Clinton Evans could remember, the Monroe family had always come to visit for two weeks every summer. That was Big Hank’s slow time because the ranchers and farmers were too busy taking care of their outfits to take on building projects. Those usually waited till fall, after the crops were in and the cattle shipped off to market.

  Hank did other work, like furniture making and repair, and managed to maintain a steady enough income, but usually put aside enough during the building season to cover the rest of the year. They made the trip because his wife family missed her family in Oklahoma despite having settled in nicely to Green River, Kansas. Besides, she wanted her children to get to know their cousins.

  “Because family is always important!” she would say.

  Clint was cousins with the Coulter family through his Aunt Mary. She was his father, Daniel Evans’, sister. Mary Lee Evans Coulter was the wife of Zeb Coulter. Zeb’s sister Sarah Coulter Monroe, was the mother of Little Hank and Charlie Sue. So the Monroes were kith, but not kin to Clint Evan.

  When they were smaller, all the kids just had a good time running and playing together. But as they got older, some of the older ones took delight in picking on some of the younger ones. It was about then that Charlie came to Clint's notice.

  He was tiny for his age and took a lot of grief from his siblings and cousins. Any stray child from another family who happened to be visiting generally went along with the bully side in order to protect himself. He’d gotten mighty tired of being ragged on, but he just didn't have the strength or length of arm to actually do any damage if he got into a fight and so just became quieter and quieter, trying to become invisible to avoid the bullying.

  And then one day Charlie came along. Clint wasn't even aware she was there, but suddenly the other child picking on him looked over his shoulder and sort of just backed off. She also took some ribbing, because she was far larger than the other children her age and much too tall for a girl, but mostly it was the other girls that gave her a hard time. The boys knew better.

  Her mother had made it clear she was never to raise a hand to a female, but if a boy got rough with her nobody was going to say anything if she defended herself. It didn't take too many physical put-downs for the roughnecks to give her a wide berth, and then she was just accepted into the gang. By the boys.

  The girls just didn't want anything to do with her except when they were teasing her about not being pretty and not being feminine and not being a lady. For heaven’s sake, she was only eight years old. What did they expect, that she was going to go to a cotillion?

  Once it was known that Clint was under Charlie’s protection, people stop bothering him. And once they got out of the habit, they pretty much left them alone anyway. He was just as good at swimming or skipping stones or playing any of the games as anyone else. But he'd always looked up to Charlie, who was two years older than he was and therefore practically an adult by his own standards.

  In the early years, the Coulter clan would head north to Kansas on occasion, and some of the Evans children were tossed along onto the wagon for the adventure. Clint had enjoyed this glimpse of a different world, just a little greener than where he lived. And with a lot more people. It was a small town, but it had two churches and was near the railroad.

  CHAPTER 13 – Sundays

  Charlie had been reared to honor the Sabbath, and had always been pleased there were only two of them per visit when they came down to Oklahoma when she was a child. During the week she could hang out with her male cousins, helping them with their chores and joining them in their games. But on Sunday she was constrained to wear a dress and sit politely, with her female cousins.

  These young ladies, actively resenting Charlie's freedom during the week, enlisted the aid of every other girl child in the congregation in ostracizing Charlie and otherwise doing their best to make her miserable. She could occasionally get by with some minor retaliation during the week, but on Sunday, she knew, any attempt in that direction would be met with dire consequences, not the least of which would be her father's disappointment in her.

  So she mostly remained silent and unhappy at church and any activities following, for in summer picnics were not unknown. Truth be told, it was a bit hard on the boys, too, because she couldn't join them on Sundays, and she made up the best games.

  Thinking back on her childhood, her first Sunday at church on this visit was not been something to which she looked forward. But Cindy Lou's delight with what Charlie was going to create for her had been spread far and wide, and every woman in the congregation wanted to know about these labor-saving notions and how they could get them for themselves.

  Charlie was not unpopular at home in Green River. Her generous, gregarious personality and fun sense of humor had attracted several good friends among her schoolmates. But a lot of the women swarming her after service today were the same little girls who had picked on her mercilessly when they were all children.

  Most of them were married, now, and had children of their own. Seeing a toddler tumbling on the grass, she felt a pang of loss but quickly squelched it. Look at everything else she had! How could she possibly be greedy and want even more? Quickly she raised her eyes to the heavens, murmuring, Thank you Lord for the wonderful life you have given me. Please help me be not just content, but overjoyed, seeing how wonderful things really are.

  She was trying, the Lord knew she was trying. And she tried to smile at the ladies with their children as she explained about how it depended on where the water came from whether they'd be able to divert some into the kitchen for use. Running water indoors was a luxury this far away from the big cities, and came with a price.

  Once the building questions stopped flying, she found herself getting to know some of these ladies and actually liking them. Bobbie was still carrying a chip on her shoulder, but Josie was giving her full support, and Cindy was her biggest fan. Being this popular was a pleasant new sensation.

  But she knew better than to let it go to her head. She was aware just how fickle people could be. When Maisie LeBlanc discovered her husband had no intention of digging to bring water to the house, she would be resented rather than lauded.

  CHAPTER 14 – Letters to The Lovelorn

  As he had gotten older, Clint recognized his infatuation with Charlie for what it was, hero worship. And he’d laughed at himself because she was an older woman in any event. He was nearly through school before he finally got that growth spurt that made him even taller than many of his friends. And he got along just fine with girls, in school and out. But anytime he started thinking seriously about courtship, marriage, and family, the women didn't quite measure up.

  So here he was, still single at 27 while his friends were beginning to find wives and starting families. And then Charlie walked back into his life and he realized why he couldn't be satisfied with anyone else. Other women simply didn't measure up to the ideal he had created in his mind.

  He was actually afraid to get to know her again, expecting to find the feet of clay most idols have. But she was every bit as wonderful as he remembered. And now she was every bit a woman. But she still saw him as a younger almost-cousin; she certainly treated him that way. She gave him the same casual, almost brotherly affection she gave the rest of her cousins. Even though they weren't even related.

  He tried to hide his feelings from the others although he suspected her brother knew, and Joe seem to be aware of his tendre as well, but was smart enough to keep quiet about it. After all, Clin
t was one of the few who had not teased Joe about his lifelong pursuit of Cynthia Louise. And look how well that turned out!

  So he was quietly trying to woo Miss Charlotte Susan Monroe, treating her like the lady she was despite the kind of work she did.

  Still, he was a bit surprised when Little Hank took him under his wing and started showing him the ropes of running a crew.

  “I suspect you will be able to control these gentlemen in your own way, while Joe would kind of let them run roughshod because they're all good friends. It may be Joe's house, but Charlie needs a solid crew working under her that will follow her orders without questions,” Hank explained.

  “I'm going to be working with them to try to form the kind of bonds we have in Kansas with our workmen, and I'm thinking you are the man who can step in when I'm ready to head back north.”

  The house they were building was a bit more complicated than the barn-raising style of cabin that could be put up in a day by a team. For most of the men helping out, this was a new kind of approach to building. They began to appreciate the detail that went into getting things ready so that it didn't take that long to complete something once they started.

  The whole house was pretty much framed out and getting ready for roof and walls by the time Little Hank went headed back home. In all that time, only once had Clint been able to get Charlie Sue away from the rest of the family, by joining Cindy and Joe on a picnic. Both couples were able to chaperone each other, making it perfectly acceptable.

  Except, Clint realized, he was still being treated like another cousin and not like a beau. Charlie had decided she was not court-able and therefore wouldn't even consider the idea, try as he might.

  After hearing the ladies laughing over the newspaper, he finally got it into his head to write to that Lovelorn columnist to see if she had any advice for him.