Reese slid the throttle on the steering wheel downward, and the car slowed a bit. “It’s good to see that you two have found work, and I hope you’ll make the most of this opportunity.”
Albert hit a pair of work gloves against his pants, and dust flew. “This job will have to do until something better comes along.”
Clem clapped him on the shoulder and guffawed. “Or until your poker game improves.”
“Is that where you’re blowing your money? On cards?” Anger fanned to a flame inside Reese like the fire in a forge. Poor Mrs. Baxter was going without her rent so these two could live a life of leisure.
He gunned the engine as they rounded the corner.
Albert jumped. “Look out!”
Reese glimpsed a motorcycle hurtling in their direction and slammed on the brakes.
24
Tessa’s mind whirled. She was going too fast. She needed to slow down, but where were the brakes on this thing?
Instinctively, she pushed the pedal backwards as if she were on a bicycle. The motorcycle slowed, but not fast enough.
She swerved to the left, narrowly missing the back bumper of the automobile, and came to a stop in front of Edward. Like he’d taught her, she let go of the throttle and then released the engine pressure.
Pulse still pounding, Tessa let out a whoop. “That was incredible!”
“Uh, you might want to turn around.” Edward pointed toward the Model T she’d almost run into.
She twisted in the seat in time to see Reese jumping out of his car. Good grief, what was he doing here?
He jogged toward her. “Hey, mister. I’m sorry I turned the corner like that. I had no idea there were any motorcycles . . .”
Tessa turned away and steadied her breathing. Don’t look up. Don’t look up. Don’t look up. Maybe he’d not recognize her in the leather cap.
He stepped closer and crossed his arms over his chest. “Edward, please tell me this rider isn’t Tessa.”
Edward stuffed his hands in his pockets and took a sudden interest in his shoes. “It was her idea. She wanted to learn to ride it, and a deal’s a deal.”
Traitor.
Tessa swung off the motorcycle and tugged off the leather cap. Her hair, loosened from its knot, tumbled about her shoulders. “Now, Reese, before you start in on Edward—”
“On Edward? I know better than anyone how you work. You probably hoodwinked him into letting you get on that thing. If I’m going to start in on anyone, it’s going to be you. Do you realize how dangerous riding one of those can be?”
“Nonsense. I was perfectly safe”—she poked a finger into his chest—“until you came flying in. Why are you down here, anyway?”
“He gave us a ride.” Clem Henderson waved his hand. “You remember us from the boardinghouse, don’t you, Miss Gregory?”
“I do, gentlemen.”
Albert’s gaze swept over her in a less than gentlemanly way. “But I forgot how pretty you were, Miss Gregory.”
Reese glared at him. “I think it’s time you two got to that job of yours.” After they’d gone, he turned back to Tessa. “If your lesson’s over, I’ll give you a ride back to Como.”
“I’ll take the ride if you promise to leave the lecture here.”
“No promises.” He swept his arm toward the Model T.
He didn’t look like he was in the mood for her to decline his invitation. She handed Edward the leather cap. “Thanks for the lesson. It was fun while it lasted. Can I ride again another day?”
Edward looked from her to a red-faced Reese and gave her a weak smile. “We’ll see.”
The ride to Como was unbearably silent, and the air was thick. Every time Reese started to speak, he gripped the steering wheel so hard his knuckles whitened.
After he parked, he made no move to exit the car. “I don’t know what to do with what I’m feeling. You scared me. I’m not used to that.” He swallowed hard. “I only have one question. Why would you want to ride a motorcycle?”
“Why wouldn’t I?” She closed her eyes and could almost feel the exhilaration once again coursing through her veins. “It was thrilling, Reese. You should have tried it.” After all the time they’d spent together, didn’t he understand her at all? “It was a—”
“A grand adventure.”
“Exactly.” So he did understand. His words had proven that. Right?
Reese climbed out of the car and came around to open her door. She fell in step beside him as they headed toward the park’s barn, his shoulders stiff and his jaw set. Why were they here? It wasn’t Reese’s job to take care of the elk, moose, or two zebu cattle the park owned and kept fenced in one area of the park. Still, now wasn’t the time to question him as to their location.
Without a word, Reese grabbed a pitchfork and headed outside. Tessa followed and watched as he hefted forkfuls of sweet hay over the fence. The humped cattle meandered over and began munching on the dinner. Reese continued to work without so much as a glance in her direction.
Moments seemed to stretch like warm taffy and fold in on themselves over and over. Did the cattle need that much food? Taking a seat on an upside-down bucket, she bit her lip against the temptation to speak simply to break the silence.
Tessa could take the tension no longer. “Reese, please, tell me what you’re thinking. I can’t help that I like to do wild and crazy things.”
“I know you can’t.” He jabbed the pitchfork into the hay mound. “I think I can get used to you taking chances every once in a while. I might worry, but I know it’s who you are. But I don’t think I can ever get used to the idea of you hiding things from me.”
“It wasn’t so much that I was hiding it from you as it was not telling you about it.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “And that isn’t the same thing?”
“No. Not really.” She took a deep breath. “Okay, maybe it is. I’m sorry, Reese. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I didn’t think you’d approve, but Edward and I made this deal, and one thing led to another.”
“Deal?” His brow furled. “What deal?”
“It’s a long story.”
His eyebrows lifted ever so slightly, but his expression remained stony.
“A story I’d be happy to share with you now.” Doing her best to omit any unnecessary drama, Tessa explained how Edward had introduced her to board track racing and to his friend. She downplayed how angry she’d been at Edward that day, but it still bothered her to think he’d wanted Aunt Sam’s money to fund his new company. “I really liked the motorcycles. They looked like so much fun to ride, and he offered to teach me if I help him out in return.”
“Help him out how?”
She shrugged. “It’s sort of an IOU in case he needs a favor, I guess.”
Reese yanked the pitchfork from the hay mound and marched back into the barn.
“What’s wrong now?” she called as she trailed him inside.
He heaved the fork into the corner. “Men like Edward don’t simply grant favors, Tessa. He’ll want something from you later.”
Tessa’s cheeks grew hot. “I don’t think he’s that kind of fellow.”
“Not that kind of favor, but mark my words, someday he’ll call in his marker.” Reese let out a long, exasperated sigh. “I told you I can’t live with you keeping things from me, so I need you to promise me something. If he asks you to do something that makes you uncomfortable, come to me.”
She bristled. “You sound like my sisters. You don’t think I could handle it myself. You think I need you to sweep in and rescue me.”
“Tessa, that’s not it at all.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Sure, I’d want to protect you, but I don’t want to control you or tell you what to do. You shouldn’t have to handle these situations alone.”
“But do you trust my judgment?”
“This isn’t about your judgment. It’s about us.” He held his hands out palms up. “If we’re going to have a future, I think we should get used to deali
ng with things together, don’t you?”
She nodded but no words would come. Her mouth felt dry, yet her heart leapt. A future together? Was he implying what she thought he was?
Her heart screamed for her to promise she’d always tell him everything, but she also knew herself. This wasn’t as easy as it sounded. She’d had a lot of practice at acting first and thinking later.
She licked her lips and swallowed. “Turning to someone for help isn’t my first impulse.”
“I’m not just anyone, Tessa.” He stepped closer and drew his hand along the length of her arm before taking her hand. “I’m the person you can trust with your plans and your dreams. Promise me you won’t keep things from me?”
She stared into his eyes, so full of tenderness, urging her to trust him in a way she couldn’t describe.
She was like chaff on the wind, and he was so sure, so solid. Her father had been the same kind of man. He’d kept her grounded when the world around her was spinning. She could tell her father anything, even her wildest dreams, and he’d not laugh. Rather, he’d encourage her.
Reese had done the same. He’d come alongside her and offered his help. They’d taken her plans and created something truly beautiful. He’d believed in her from the start.
It was time for her to take a step of faith. If she wanted a life with Reese, they had to trust one another.
She drew in a deep breath and smiled. “Yes, Reese, I’ll do my best not to keep things from you—even the things I know you won’t want to hear. Remember, though, you asked for it.”
Maps lay sprawled across Hannah’s dining room table, and Tessa’s sisters pored over them like military strategists. From their seriousness, it was hard to guess they were supposed to be planning an excursion for Aunt Sam’s birthday, which would be fun for the whole family.
After a morning of plotting and planning, Tessa longed to escape, but she’d catch her sisters’ ire if she dared. She’d tried telling them she had community gardens to tend to, but they’d simply told her she could work on them later. Even Reese could provide no distraction. He was at the shooting range today.
“If we stay in the States, we could go to California.” Hannah pressed her finger to the spot. “What do you think about visiting San Francisco? Or maybe we should go to New York. I think they’ll complete the Woolworth Building soon. I read it will be the tallest high-rise on the planet. Sixty stories tall! Imagine the view from the top.”
“Imagine getting to the top.” Tessa sat down, propped her elbows on the table, and leaned her chin against her fists.
Hannah frowned. “They have elevators, Tessa.”
“Aunt Sam has been to both of those places.” Charlotte picked up her map. “However, I don’t think she’s ever been to Italy. I’d love to try the food there, or better yet . . .” Her voice grew wistful. “We could go to France. There’s nothing like French cuisine.”
“Ooh-la-la.” Tessa drew circles in the air with one finger. “I have one word for you two. Your ideas are b-o-r-i-n-g, boring.”
“I don’t think you can call New York or Paris boring.” Hannah glanced at Charlotte. “But do you have a better idea, little sister?”
“Not yet, but I will.”
“We could still go on a cruise on a passenger liner.” Hannah set down her map. “And no, I haven’t forgotten the Titanic, but we wouldn’t have to go to the ocean. There are wonderful passenger cruises out of Chicago touring the Great Lakes.”
Tessa feigned a yawn.
Charlotte placed a hand on Tessa’s shoulder. “Do try to be civil. Remember, this trip is for Aunt Sam, who isn’t exactly a spring chicken.”
“But Aunt Sam likes adventure.” Tessa swept her arm over the maps. “In this whole world there must be something that we’d all enjoy.”
“She has a point.” Charlotte sat down beside her. “Of course, areas with fine cuisine interest me, and Hannah has always loved anything that gets her up in the air. You’d probably love a trip to see European gardens or performers on the Russian stage.”
“But this trip isn’t about us.” Hannah began to roll the maps. “It’s about Aunt Sam and what she’d enjoy. We’ll only be along for the ride.”
“Hannah, wait.” Tessa hopped up. “I think you’re holding the answer in your hands right now. It has exciting new cuisine, gorgeous flora and fauna, lots of water, and even volcanoes. It’s perfect.”
“Volcanoes?” Hannah slipped the rolled paper into the tube. “Apparently your definition of perfect is different than mine or anyone else’s in God’s creation.”
“Don’t speak too quickly.” A coy smile curled on Tessa’s lips. “There are mountains too, and we could go there by passenger liner. Interested now?”
“Maybe.”
“Jack London and his wife have been there.”
“Okay, you’ve piqued my interest.” Hannah pulled out a chair. “But I’d need to check out every detail.”
Tessa rolled her eyes. “Of course you would.”
Charlotte brought a plate of cookies from the sideboard and set it on the table. “So where is this perfect place?”
“The paradise of the Pacific—the Hawaiian Islands.” Tessa broke a cookie and popped half in her mouth. “Not bad for your little sister, huh?”
“For once I think your idea has merit.” Hannah smiled. “But I’ll still need to—”
“Check into every detail.” Tessa shook her head. “I know.”
“Well, I think it’s a splendid idea.” Charlotte refilled her teacup. “Good work, Tessa.”
Tessa’s heart warmed. Finally, a smidgeon of respect from her sisters.
Snagging the envelope from the pile of mail, Tessa held her breath. Thank goodness it had come on a Saturday, and she’d found it before Aunt Sam. If her aunt had opened the letter from the University of Minnesota, Tessa’s secret would be out.
She slipped her finger beneath the seal and opened the missive. Although the information inside was nothing new, it seemed stark and final in black and white.
The dean waxed poetically about the choices a young person makes, how willing the institution was to offer second chances, and the opportunities that might yet arise. He, of course, mentioned the mercy they’d shown in letting her finish the term, but the message was clear: she was not allowed to return in the fall.
It was so unfair. She’d done nothing worthy of expulsion—not really—and she’d not been allowed to defend herself. Now, if she didn’t secure a job at Como Park, she’d have to defend herself to her sisters.
Maybe she should be up-front and tell them now. No, they probably wouldn’t listen any more than the dean had.
What would Reese think if he knew the truth of why she needed this position so badly? Did he even need to know? Sure, he wanted her to confide in him, but if she was seeing him and working at Como, then there’d be no need to return to school and the problem would be solved.
She slipped the letter into her pocket and patted it. No, this secret was one she’d keep to herself for a long, long time.
25
Why did the people who most needed a sermon end up being absent on the day it was given?
Tessa glanced behind her and scanned the congregants for Hannah but saw only Lincoln and Ellie. Hannah must have been feeling poorly, which was too bad for a whole host of reasons. First, she didn’t want her sister to suffer from morning sickness, and second, she really needed to hear this sermon about Leah and Rachel.
According to Brother Taylor, Rachel and Leah’s problems began with good intentions. Jacob, he said, loved Rachel and worked seven years to win her hand, but her father had another plan.
Beside her, Reese squeezed her hand. “I’d work fourteen years for you,” he whispered in her ear.
She bit back a giggle and turned to Charlotte, who sat on her other side with Joel. Wiggly Alice Ann finished filling the pew.
Brother Taylor held his Bible up as he preached. “Sisterhood is a precious bond, and this bond was
severed by lies and jealousy.”
He went on to declare that the Bible showed Rachel and Leah in a baby contest with one another about who could bear the most children. “When Naphtali was born, Rachel said, ‘I’ve struggled hard with my sister, and I’ve won!’”
Tessa risked looking at Charlotte. Her glassy eyes told her the topic was close to her sister’s heart. Was Charlotte struggling with these feelings of jealousy?
Brother Taylor shared how even after Rachel’s prayers were answered and the midwife told her not to despair, she named her second son Ben-Oni, which means “son of my trouble.”
“Luckily for baby Ben-Oni,” Brother Taylor said, chuckling, “his father gave him a different name, Benjamin, which means ‘son of my right hand.’” The preacher stepped from behind his podium. “What these two women didn’t see was that God’s blessing was being poured out on both of them. God saw them both and he heard their prayers. He’d given them each other. That should have been their greatest gift, but they wanted something so much they were blinded to how God was already working in their lives.”
As the congregation began to sing “Bringing in the Sheaves,” Tessa noticed Charlotte dabbing her eyes.
As soon as the final “amen” was said, Tessa turned to Charlotte. “Are you all right?”
“I want a baby, but I want Hannah back more. She’s been distant in an odd way—do you know why?”
Everything in her wanted to shout yes, but Tessa didn’t dare. “Sorry, Charlotte, you’ll have to ask her.”
Reese touched her elbow. “Ready?”
She leaned close to her sister and whispered, “We’re going to his friend’s home for dinner. Wish me luck.”
Charlotte smiled. “They’ll love you. How could they not?”
From the moment she entered, Tessa could tell the Swenhaugens’ home, though small, was rich with love. After introductions were made, Sonja wrapped Tessa in a hug. “We’ve been waiting to meet you. Reese, you didn’t tell us how truly lovely she is. Shame on you.”
“Momma, you’re embarrassing the poor girl.” Erik wrapped his arm around his wife’s waist.
As Love Blooms Page 19
