"How?" Micah was fascinated by the relationship between the older couple.
Cletus set his book on the table beside the sofa. "My parents died during the war while I was off fighting for states' rights. I came home to nothing. I still owned this house, sure, but I had no desire to be here because it brought up lots of memories and made me sad. So I lived as a hermit in a tent in the woods."
"You could have lived here, and you lived in the woods instead?"
"There's no point in having great wealth if you have no one to spend it on."
Micah blinked a few times. The words made sense to him, but he'd rarely heard anyone speak them. "That's true, sir."
"When Edna Petunia came to town, I fell in love the moment I saw her." Cletus's eyes got a faraway look. "With peppermint sticks in her cleavage and a flask of cough tonic in the pocket of her apron. Dr. Iris would constantly shake her head at her, and not let her take her flask to church, but I saw in her a kindred soul, one I knew I needed to spend the rest of my life with."
"And she didn't want to live with you in a tent?"
Cletus laughed. "No, she didn't. She made me promise to build her a house, said she'd be content with a small cabin in the woods."
Micah grinned. "You didn't tell her about this place?"
"Heck no! I wanted her to marry me because she loved me, not because I could offer her riches. Since she wouldn't let me . . ." Cletus trailed off, blushing a little. "Well, since she wouldn't show me her love before marriage, I waited to show her this place until after we'd said 'I do.'"
"I imagine she was surprised."
"Surprised? The woman was shocked as spit! I think it's the only time I've ever surprised her—well, except when I walked into the church for our wedding with my hair cut and my whiskers shaved. My beard was halfway down my chest when we met." Cletus chuckled. "It's surprising she agreed, but she loved me too. God blessed me with a beautiful, kindhearted woman, and now I feel like I need to give back to the community. Yes, I'm going to finish my schooling and run for judge. I've seen a lot in my seventy-odd years of life, and it's time for me to do what's right."
Micah nodded, smiling. "It's amazing what the love of a good woman will do for a man."
Cletus let out a shout of laughter. "Who told you Edna Petunia's a good woman? Why, she's a handful, but she's my handful. I think I'm going to keep her."
"I don't think you have a choice at this point, Mr. Sanders. She seems like the type to wallop you with a frying pan if you try to put her out."
"You do know my Edna Petunia. She's trying to teach all those girls to be just like her too, but some of them just don't have it in them. Why, a couple of the girls are downright meek and soft-spoken, much to Edna Petunia's annoyance."
"Why would that bother her?"
"Oh, she thinks girls should have a 'backbone,' and be able to stand up for themselves. I've tried to teach all the girls to shoot and be strong, but a couple of them just won't do it."
"Like Sarah Jane?" Micah asked, curious about the young lady.
Cletus nodded. "I tried to get that girl to learn to shoot a pistol. She's such a pretty little thing, I wanted her to be able to protect herself from unscrupulous men. She wouldn't have anything to do with it. Was acting like it would bite her if she even touched it. That girl is a pacifist if I've ever seen one."
Micah nodded. "I'm not surprised. She seems very . . . soft to me."
Cletus raised an eyebrow. "You better not be speaking from experience. No one touches my girls unless they're married to them. Especially Sarah Jane. She's got a special place in my heart."
"I promise, I've only shaken her hand. I've never touched her in any other way." Micah was shocked the man's mind had gone there.
"Glad to hear it. I wouldn't want to have to shoot you."
Micah blinked a couple of times, wondering if the man was threatening him or not. "I'm a man of the cloth."
"I know that. You still don't get to touch my girls. You're a man. And she's a beautiful young woman. I'll do anything I can to protect her." Cletus leaned back on the sofa and studied the younger man. "How well do you know my Sarah Jane, anyway?"
Micah felt as if he were being dissected by the other man's eyes. "Not well at all. She asked me today if I would play the part of Santa Claus for the Christmas party at the orphanage. That's all."
"You said yes?"
"I did." Micah didn't really want to do it, but he had agreed, and he did want the orphans to have a good Christmas.
"Well, hallelujah. I didn't want to get roped into that one!"
"It's a worthy cause," Micah protested.
"Oh, sure it is. I just don't want to have to dress up in that suit. Edna Petunia would find a way to get a photographer out here and hang the resulting photograph above the mantel where she could look at it and chuckle every day for the rest of our lives."
"She wouldn't really, would she?"
"Oh, yes, she would. The woman has a mean streak a mile wide," Cletus told him with obvious pride.
"And that pleases you?" Micah asked with surprise.
"If it didn't, I wouldn't have married her, now, would I?"
Chapter Two
Theresa saved Micah from responding by stepping into the room. "Lunch is ready."
Micah jumped to his feet, thrilled not have to finish the conversation he was having with Mr. Sanders. "It smells delicious."
"Oh, it will be," Theresa said. "Between Sarah Jane and Edna Petunia, the meals around here are always delicious. I'm surprised any of us can fit into our dresses!" She hurried out of the room, and Micah followed her, hoping she was leading the way to the dining room.
They reached a room with a huge, long table where the entire family was sitting, waiting. The seat beside Sarah Jane had been left empty, so he sat down, pleased to be beside her. She seemed like a little piece of calm in the room that was full of chaos.
"Pastor Barton, would you mind saying the prayer for us, please?" Edna Petunia asked.
Everyone around the table reached out and took the hands of the two on either side of them, and he felt Sarah Jane's hand slip into his. He squeezed it tightly, suddenly thinking of her in ways he shouldn't think of one so young. She was over eighteen, wasn't she?
"Heavenly Father, thank You for this food You've provided, and for the opportunity to fellowship with one another. Thank You for giving me the chance to get to know this . . . interesting family. I pray this in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen."
Sarah Jane bit her lip to stifle the giggle that threatened to erupt when he called the family interesting. She sobered her face before everyone raised their heads. She had learned before she'd ever gone to the orphanage that people didn't like loud females, and she knew that laughing wasn't something she should do in public. And with a family as large as hers, her whole life was public.
Micah looked over at Sarah Jane, noting the laughter in her eyes and wondering what had caused it. Her face was as serious as ever, though. Why didn't she smile when she found something funny? "Tell me about the orphanage. Are there many children?"
"Only ten. Seven girls and three boys. Eight are in school, and there are two toddlers who are still home all day. I take care of them to give the matron the day off so she can take care of things around the property and handle any personal matters. She really only has to really work with the children in the evenings then."
"I'm sure that makes her days a lot easier."
Sarah Jane forked up a bite of the pot roast on her plate. "Oh, it does. She would never have time for herself otherwise. I'm not sure how Mrs. Hayes did it with all of us."
Evelyn, who was twenty and helped out at the school, grinned. "She was good at delegating. I spent a lot of time changing diapers, and you spent a lot of time cooking. Opal helped everyone with their homework. She used all of our strengths to make things easier on herself."
Sarah Jane smiled. "And here I thought she was teaching us to be good, responsible adults."
"Oh, she was. In the most effective way possible. Trial and error." Evelyn shrugged. "She was good at what she did."
"Obviously. I never even realized."
Micah looked around the table. "So all of you grew up up together. Do you ever fight?"
"Constantly," Theresa said. "We all fight with Gertrude. She's bossy."
Gertrude glared at Theresa. "I'm not bossy! I just know better ways to do things than you do!"
Edna Petunia grinned, removing a peppermint stick from her cleavage to stir her tea. "Just be careful they don't start throwing peas at each other, Pastor."
Hope shook her head. "We do not throw peas, Edna Petunia. We were raised better than that. We catapult them." She took a pea and set it on the tip of her spoon, flinging it through the air so it bounced off Sarah Jane's forehead. "Like that!"
Edna Petunia glared at Hope. "No more." Her words were soft, but they were spoken with emphasis.
Micah shook his head. It was like being home with his sisters, but there were more of them. It was mass pandemonium. He wasn't certain if he felt nostalgic or overwhelmed. Probably a bit of both.
After the meal, he was invited to sit in the parlor and visit. Sarah Jane didn't have to clean the dishes. She said something about how anyone who cooks didn't have to clean in their house.
"Sounds fair to me," he told her. He thought it was odd she was explaining herself, but said nothing about it.
When he got to the parlor, he sat down with Sarah Jane, Edna Petunia, and Cletus, who had once again picked up his law book.
"What are you reading now, you old coot?" Edna asked, her voice full of love.
"Law books."
"Still? You think you can get this town to elect you judge? After all the years you lived like a hermit in the woods?"
Cletus shrugged. "Yup. My family name means a lot around here, and I'm still the richest man around. I'm a family man now."
Edna shrugged. "They couldn't get a better man for the job."
Cletus leaned over and gave Edna Petunia a loud smacking kiss on the cheek. "You're something else."
Edna put her hand on his shoulder, pushing him away. "Get away, you crazy old man."
Micah shook his head, laughing. "Sarah Jane told me you two have only been married for three years. It's hard to believe."
"Why?" Edna Petunia asked. "Because we're older than dirt?"
Micah wasn't certain how to respond to that. "Mostly because of how you act around each other. I'd have thought you'd been married for fifty years."
Cletus patted Edna Petunia. "I think the boy's complimenting us. Don't get your back feathers ruffled."
"Of course it's a compliment. I admire you both. You did something special, taking in fifteen orphans the way you did."
Edna shook her head. "They did something special for me, coming to live here. I've always had a real soft spot for bastard children." She smiled over at Sarah Jane, who was doing her best not to cringe. "Even though most of them were born in wedlock, which is disappointing, this group needs love more than most."
Micah was confused. "Why does it matter if they're bastards? Didn't you just want to take in orphans?"
"Well, sure, but there's just something sweeter and more magical about a bastard. Don't you think?"
Micah blinked a couple of times. Was she serious? "I suppose."
Cletus shook his head. "Don't mind Edna Petunia. She's got it in her head that bastards need more love than other children, and she can't seem to get it out. She tries to look at all of our girls as bastards, even though most of them aren't, but just lost their parents at a young age."
"I'm not sure I follow, but I'm not certain I need to. As long as you're taking care of orphans, I'm thrilled." Micah frowned at Sarah Jane. "You don't make the older ones leave when they reach a certain age, do you?"
"Of course not!" Edna exclaimed. "Our oldest orphan is Evelyn, and she's already twenty! If we haven't made her leave, we won't make the younger ones leave."
That still didn't tell Micah how old Sarah Jane was, and for some reason, the answer to that question was important to him. "How many girls do you have who are over eighteen?" he asked tentatively.
Sarah Jane answered. "The oldest two are already married. Then there are five of us here who are older than eighteen. I was eighteen in September."
Micah felt a sense of relief. He knew that many women married at sixteen or even younger, but in his head, no one was old enough to marry before the age of eighteen. He was starting to feel attracted to Sarah Jane, and he didn't want to feel like he was doing something wrong.
"What are your intentions toward Sarah Jane?" Cletus asked, looking between the two of them.
Micah wasn't surprised the older man sensed his interest in the girl. "I intend to pick up the Santa Claus outfit from her in the morning," he said. "Beyond that, I have no plans. Maybe I should take her to get some hot chocolate from the ice cream parlor when she finishes at the orphanage tomorrow, though." He looked at Sarah Jane, hoping she'd take his words as the invitation they were.
Sarah Jane blushed. Was the pastor showing an interest in her? She didn't know if she was ready for that. "I suppose we could get hot chocolate."
"I'll drive you home after. What time do you finish up there?" he asked.
"Three, which is really early. I'll understand if you have something else you need to do."
He shrugged. "I'm visiting a couple of sick families in the early afternoon. It would be no trouble at all to come by the orphanage to take you for hot chocolate at three." He looked at Cletus, who was watching them both with an eagle eye. "I'll have her home by five at the very latest."
Cletus nodded. "That suits me. Closer to four would be better, though."
"Who will be there to chaperone?" Sarah Jane blurted out.
"Do you feel the need to be chaperoned with me?" Micah asked. Was she afraid of him?
Sarah Jane shook her head. "It's not that. I just don't want anyone to think that something improper is going on."
"Does it matter so much?" He was surprised she was thinking of chaperones when the idea of one hadn't even occurred to him.
"Well, I learned from the pastor I lived with for a couple of years that a rumor can ruin a clergyman's career. I wouldn't want that to happen to you. There are plenty of tongues that would wag at seeing the handsome young pastor riding out of town with the orphan girl. I could walk home after the hot chocolate, though. Then it wouldn't matter."
He shook his head. "No, but I appreciate you for thinking of that. Why don't we take one of the other girls with us?"
"Maybe Penelope? She works at the mercantile in the afternoons, and it wouldn't be a hardship for her to come." Sarah Jane was closest in age to Penelope, who was only a month older than she was. They had a good relationship.
Micah nodded. "Of course. Whomever you would like to be with us." He stood. "I should get back to town. Thank you for lunch, Mr. and Mrs. Sanders."
Edna Petunia nodded, but didn't stand. "You're welcome anytime, Pastor. Just drop by at mealtimes. There's always enough."
"Thank you. I may take you up on that." He walked toward the door.
Edna Petunia looked at Sarah Jane, making odd hand motions again.
This time, Sarah Jane understood her. She got to her feet. "Let me walk you out, Pastor."
"Please, call me Micah."
"Oh, I couldn't. That's far too informal."
He raised an eyebrow at her. "If you don't call me Micah, then I can't call you Sarah Jane, and I like the way the name feels on my tongue far too much to forgo the privilege. You wouldn't want to make me feel uncomfortable by calling you by your Christian name while you call me by my title, would you?"
Sarah Jane smiled at that. "I'll call you Micah, then."
"Good!" They walked side by side out to his buggy. "Thanks again for lunch. I really enjoyed it."
"I'm glad you came," she said simply, wondering if she was being too forward. He was the most sought-after man around, a
nd she didn't want him to think she was making a play for him like many of the other young ladies.
He reached out and briefly touched her cheek before getting into his buggy. "I'll see you tomorrow afternoon. I'll just pick up the suit when I see you for hot chocolate."
"That seems sensible. Goodbye." She raised a hand to wave to him before he drove off. Once he was out of sight, she raised a hand to her cheek where he'd touched her. Where had the hope that he'd kiss her come from?
* * *
Sarah Jane had a difficult morning with the two orphans who were in the home during the day. Little Zachariah hadn't been feeling well, and she'd had to spend the day fetching medicine for him and coddling him.
By the time Micah arrived to take her for ice cream, she was worn out. She wanted to cancel, but she didn't know how to do it in such a way that she wouldn't offend him, and he would ask her again.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
She nodded tiredly. "Let me get my things." She had brought her small drawstring purse with her, and she hurried to get it along with the Santa suit which was wrapped in brown paper.
She rushed back to him, and he helped her up into the buggy, while she fought back a yawn.
"Didn't you sleep well?" he asked, watching her as he climbed into the buggy beside her for the short ride to the ice cream parlor.
"I did. One of the orphans was sick this morning, and he wanted me to carry him around and pace back and forth. It took a lot out of me."
"I'm sorry you're tired. Do you want to do this tomorrow instead?"
Sarah Jane thought about it. Ten minutes before, she was certain that was what she wanted, but now they were sitting together in his buggy, she wasn't so sure. "No, I think I can manage." She'd just go to sleep earlier than usual. It wouldn't hurt her not to read that night before bed.
"Where's Penelope? You did say she'd be the one chaperoning us, didn't you? Do I have the name right?"
"Yes, you do. She said she had a rush order to finish, but we could pick her up after we finish. She would be ready by then. The main thing I was worried about was having someone with us when we weren't in a public area, so that should be just fine."
Sarah Jane (Countdown to Christmas Book 1) Page 2
