“But I think we should feed her. She’s a mite skinny compared to our neighbor girl.”
“Everyone is skinny compared to Inga.”
Sonja slapped his arm while Reese and Erik shared a laugh.
“Uff da! Now look what you two have done. Poor Tessa doesn’t know what all the laughter is about.” Sonja took Tessa’s hand. “Why don’t you come with me? You can help me put dinner on, and I’ll tell you some of my best Reese King stories.”
“How can I refuse an offer like that?”
Sonja handed Tessa a lacy apron. “I’d hate for you to get flour all over your dress.”
“Flour? I’m not a very good baker.”
“We’re not baking. We’re making potetlefse to go with the sausages.”
“Potetlefse?”
“Potato lefse.” Sonja set a flat griddle on the stove and lit the gas burner beneath it. “Last night I riced the potatoes and added in the cream and butter while they were hot, so today all we have to do is add flour and roll them out.”
“Roll them out? Like pie crust?”
Sonja nodded. “Only much more gently. Lefse is tricky, but you’ll get the hang of it.”
Tessa highly doubted she would. Charlotte’s numerous efforts to make her into some semblance of a cook had not worked thus far, but she didn’t want to hurt Sonja’s feelings, so she’d give it a try.
Sonja added flour to the cold potato mixture and worked it through. She then passed Tessa a ball of dough. “Rub flour into your pastry cloth before you put this down. Then you can roll it.”
“Maybe I should watch you roll it first.”
“Ah, good idea.” Within seconds, Sonja had the potato ball rolled into a thin, plate-sized disk. Then she eased a long, flat stick beneath the lefse, lifted it, and transferred it onto the hot griddle.
Immediately, the lefse bubbled up in places. When the first side had browned, Sonja flipped it over. “Grab that butter crock and the sugar bowl.”
Tessa got the items from the Hoosier cabinet in time to see Sonja plop the lefse on a plate. “You should eat your first lefse the right way, rolled up with butter and sugar inside. Go on.”
Tessa slathered butter over the hot lefse and sprinkled it with sugar before rolling it up. She bit into the item and moaned. It melted in her mouth.
“Hey, Sonja.” Reese filled the doorway. “Are you trying to fatten her up already?”
“Be nice. It’s her first lefse. Let her enjoy every bite.”
Reese moved next to Tessa. “Don’t I get a bite?”
Tessa shook her head. “I love you, but I’m not sharing this.”
“You could roll out your own.” Sonja handed him another potato ball.
To Tessa’s surprise, he completed the task, even if his lefse looked more like a misshapen cloud than a dinner plate. After it had cooked, Sonja passed it to Reese. “Now, shoo. If you stay here, we won’t have any left for the sausages.”
Reese kissed Tessa’s cheek. “I’ll leave you in Sonja’s capable hands.”
Although Tessa did her best to convince Sonja she would be better at cooking the lefse than rolling them, Sonja would not be dissuaded, and Reese’s cloud-shaped lefse looked perfect compared to her misshapen creations.
Sonja stirred the sausages. “Don’t fret. They all taste the same.”
There had only been a few times in her life that Tessa had felt an immediate connection to someone like she did to Sonja. They laughed and giggled as they worked, with Sonja telling a few funny stories about Reese.
Sonja waved her spoon in the air. “So, you’ve stolen our Reese’s heart?”
Tessa drew in a deep breath. How did she answer that?
Sonja didn’t seem to notice Tessa’s lack of response. “From what he’s said, I can tell you are a woman with great passion. That can be good, but it can also make you careless. All I ask is that you don’t hurt him.”
“I would never try to hurt him.”
“I know.” Sonja plopped the sausages onto a platter. “But even when we are not trying, we sometimes hurt others—especially those we love.”
“But—”
“Uff da.” Sonja sighed. “What was I thinking? You’ll hurt him. He’ll hurt you. The question is, will it bring you closer or distance you? It’s part of loving someone.”
Tessa carried the plate of lefse into the dining room behind Sonja. Reese took the plate from her and brushed his hand against her cheek. “You’ve got a little flour there.” He replaced the flour with a kiss.
Her love for him grew in that sweet moment. Falling in love with Reese hadn’t happened all at once—it had grown over time. But was her new friend right? Would she inevitably hurt this wonderful man? Please, God, don’t let that happen.
“Did you have to tell Sonja about the motorcycle escapade?” Reese yanked her car door open.
Tessa giggled as she stepped out. “I thought poor Sonja was going to faint.”
He waited for her to start toward her aunt’s mansion. Her antics, like a burr, had irritated him all the way there. “Why do you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Turn an innocent dinner into a stage performance. It’s like you have to put on a show.” Usually her theatrics didn’t bother him in the least, but when his parents arrived in a couple of weeks, he knew they’d not be impressed.
“It’s not a show.” She turned to face him. “It’s who I am. I thought you understood that.”
“You’re not like that with me. I watched you parade about at that party as if you were one of them, but then in the blink of an eye, you’re a different Tessa for me.”
“When I’m with a group, I’m one way.” She held out her right hand, then her left. “With you another. Besides, you know why I was acting that way. It’s for the conservatory.”
“Maybe it’s all an act. Maybe you’re so busy pretending that you don’t know the real you anymore—even when we’re together.”
“I’ve never pretended with you.” Hurt tinged her voice, but anger flashed in her tear-filled eyes. “I’m not Laura.”
She flew up the stairs and tore open the door.
“Tessa, wait!”
The slamming door echoed in his ears. Good grief, for a man who made his living making things grow, he sure knew how to rip a tender shoot out by the roots.
What a fool he’d been.
26
Tessa dashed into the parlor, and Aunt Sam immediately looked up from her needlework.
“I heard you come in with, shall we say, great force?” Aunt Sam passed her a handkerchief. “Is there a problem?”
Tessa crossed her arms over her chest. “Men are fools.”
“Well, dear, it seems you’ve learned one of life’s greatest lessons.” Aunt Sam stuck her crochet hook into the ball of yarn. “The second part of that is even fools are right sometimes.”
“Right?” Tessa huffed. “Are you taking his side?”
“No, of course not. You haven’t even told me what happened.”
“He accused me of playacting.”
“You? I can’t imagine.” She bit back a smile.
“But it wasn’t like that.”
Aunt Sam patted the empty spot beside her. “Come sit. Tell me about it.”
Between tears and sniffles, Tessa laid the whole afternoon before her aunt. Aunt Sam listened while Tessa told her about Reese’s former girl, Laura, and how he’d been tricked by her.
Tessa blew her nose. “I understand that Laura hurt him, but it’s not fair to get angry at me for what she did.”
“No, it’s not.” Aunt Sam patted her hand. “Reese seemed like such a steady fellow.”
“Oh, he is.” She sighed. “Like an oak.”
“And he didn’t seem to mind your dramatic flair before, right?”
Tessa shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
“Then when he comes to speak to you, listen.”
“Why would I do that? After what he said, I should—”
“What’s that? Cake?”
“No. Bicycling.”
“You want to go riding now?”
“It’s for your own good, dear.” She headed toward the door and turned. “Are you coming? If he returns, you won’t want him to find you pining away.” She raised her fist in triumph. “You want him to know you will go on living with or without him.”
“But I can’t.”
“Oh, but you could and you would. It wouldn’t be easy, but God is your source of joy, not a man.” She lifted her hand and waved her fingers back and forth. “Now, go change. I’ll meet you outside in five minutes.”
Riding with Aunt Sam proved more of an athletic endeavor than Tessa expected. For a nearly sixty-five-year-old woman who’d suffered an apoplexy, she certainly didn’t let anything slow her down.
She also enjoyed long cycling jaunts, so over an hour later, they neared the house once again.
Aunt Sam stopped her bicycle on the driveway and picked up a man’s leather glove. “Is this Reese’s?”
“I think so. He must have dropped it when he brought me home.” Tessa took the glove and climbed off her bicycle.
“He might need it tomorrow. I could have Henry take it to his house. Do you have the address?”
“It’s in Frogtown. I know the street but not the house number. Maybe I should go along and show Henry which house it is.”
Aunt Sam grinned. “Sounds reasonable.”
A few minutes later, Tessa sat in the back of Aunt Sam’s Cadillac, holding the leather glove in her hand. Would Reese be home when she arrived? If not, Mrs. Baxter would certainly give it to him.
“What street, miss?” Henry asked from the front seat.
“He lives on Dale. It’s a Queen Anne home painted in yellow, pink, and blue.”
“I’m sure we’ll find it, miss.” Henry began to hum.
As they turned onto Dale Street, Tessa began to search for the boardinghouse. Nerves wadded her stomach in a ball. Reese might not appreciate her visit. Her heart flared as she thought about him, but she was quick to snuff it out. Reese could set things right or tell her goodbye.
“Please wait here, Henry. I ought to be only a minute.”
She found the Henderson brothers sitting on the porch of the boardinghouse. The older one, Albert, had a shock of red hair and wore a faded yellow shirt. The younger one’s hair was slicked back with far too much men’s brilliantine pomade.
Albert stood up as she approached. “You’re Reese’s girl, aren’t you?”
She chose not to answer. Right now she wasn’t sure what the answer was. “Is Reese home?”
“Nope.” Albert’s gaze made her uncomfortable, and she wished she’d taken time to put on a skirt rather than wear her cycling outfit.
“But his car is here.”
“Well, he’s not.” He leaned on the railing and nodded toward the street. “Who’s that?”
“My driver, or rather my aunt’s driver.”
“Quite an automobile. Must be worth a penny or two.”
She held out the glove. “I’ve come to bring Reese this. We found it on the driveway, and I thought he might need it. Will you see to it that he gets it?”
“Sure.” He stepped to the side. “Bring it on up here.”
A gentleman would have come down the stairs to retrieve it, but this man was clearly no gentleman. On the top step, she held out the glove again, but the young man took a step back, which forced her to step onto the porch if she wanted to deliver it.
“Sir, would you kindly stop playing games. Please take this so I can be on my way.” She thrust the glove out.
But instead of taking it, Albert clasped her wrist. “What’s your hurry? Why don’t you spend a little time with Clem and me while you’re waiting for your pansy lover to appear?”
She yanked her arm, but he held fast.
“Let go of me.” She steeled her voice but kept it quiet, knowing that if she raised it Henry would come running.
“He’s funnin’ you,” Clem told her. “Give him a little peck on the cheek and he’ll let go.”
“A kiss? Is that all?”
Albert leaned his cheek forward, ready to receive his prize, but instead of delivering it, she drove the heel of her shoe into his instep. He yelped and let go of her.
“Why, you little—”
“Uh, Albert, you’d better watch it.” Clem pointed toward the sidewalk, where Reese was returning with Lafayette.
Tessa rubbed the place where his hand had clasped her wrist and willed her heart to calm. She met Reese’s mica-hard gaze, and a whole new fear washed over her.
What if Reese didn’t want to see her? What if coming here was a big mistake?
27
Reese’s heart seized. Why was Tessa standing on the front porch of the boardinghouse, and what were the Henderson brothers doing with her?
“Come on, boy.” He ran the rest of the way and stopped at the foot of the steps. “What’s wrong?”
“Everything is fine.” Tessa looked at red-faced Albert. “Isn’t it, boys?”
Albert sent her an angry glare but clamped his mouth shut.
Reese looked from her to Albert, his ire growing. Something had happened, but before he could ask more questions, Tessa stooped and picked up a glove from the porch floorboards. “I found this on our driveway.”
“So you came all the way over to Frogtown to return it to me?”
“I was afraid you might need it in the morning.”
“You’ll see me then.”
She lowered her gaze to the glove in her hands. “Maybe.”
“What do you mean?” His gut clenched. Was she saying it was over? Would she at least let him apologize for his callous words?
Clem chuckled. “It sounds like she doesn’t plan to meet up with you tomorrow.”
Reese glared at him and took Tessa’s elbow. “Let’s go in the parlor and talk.”
“No girls in the house after six.” Albert put his hand against the screen door. “You know the rules. After all, you made them.”
“Then we’ll go for a drive.”
Tessa took a deep breath. “I was going to have Henry drop me off at Hannah’s.”
“This late?”
She nodded. “Remember, she wasn’t at church this morning. I need to check on her.”
“Then I’ll take you. I’ll let Henry know. You can wait for me here.” He glanced at the Henderson brothers. “On second thought, why don’t you wait for me at the car?”
When Tessa agreed, hope grew inside him. A few minutes later, he found her squatting next to the Model T, rubbing Lafayette’s head. “I wish you could tell me what you and Reese were talking about on your walk, boy. What kind of bee got in his bonnet today?”
“I don’t wear bonnets.” Reese chuckled behind her. He helped her stand and opened the door on the Model T. However, it was Lafayette who bounded in first.
“Lafayette.” Reese tried to sound stern. “I don’t remember inviting you.”
“I don’t mind if he comes along.” Tessa gave the dog another generous pat.
Reese flipped his hand. “Hop in the back then, you lucky dog. Tessa gets the front seat.”
After Reese had started the automobile and climbed in, he eyed the large square box wrapped in brown paper and tied with a lopsided satin ribbon sitting on the seat beside Tessa. “Curious?”
She attempted to look disinterested. “It’s a gift.”
“Yes, it is, an
d it’s for you.” His lips curled as he watched her try to hide her excitement. “But why don’t you wait until the Henderson boys aren’t watching us before you open it?”
Conversation remained sparse on the way to Hannah and Lincoln’s. Reese took the opportunity to ask if the Henderson boys had bothered her, and she insisted it was nothing she couldn’t handle. He wanted to pry further, but she seemed to think the discussion closed.
He pulled the Model T to the side of the street and picked up the package. “I bought this a few days ago, but I decided to give it to you the next time I saw you.”
Tessa tugged the ends of the ribbon, then peeled back the brown paper to reveal the pale blue, one-pound tin of Oreo sandwich biscuits. She traced the letters on the tin. “You remembered.”
“But I forgot some things about you that are a lot more important.” He drew in a long breath. He had to make her understand. “Tessa, I’m sorry for what I said today.”
“Don’t apologize for the truth. If that’s how you really feel, then you don’t have to apologize or give me gifts.” Tears filled her hazel eyes. “Sometimes things don’t work out the way we think they will. Sometimes a person is more of a handful than we bargained for.”
“A person like you?” His voice was tender.
“That’s right.” She swallowed and pushed the tin in his direction. “I know I get too excited and too carried away. I know that as soon as I have an audience, I tend to put on a show, but not with you, Reese. Not ever.”
“Tessa, I don’t like what happened to me today.” Staring straight ahead, he gripped the steering wheel. “Yesterday I got a letter that said my parents were coming for a visit.”
“You did?”
He nodded. “After I learned they’d be coming, I started looking at you from their eyes.”
She glanced at him. “And you knew I’d never meet with their approval either. I understand.”
He whipped around to face her. “No, you don’t. For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted my dad to give me his seal of approval.”
“I get it, Reese. You don’t have to explain. As soon as we’re done with the garden, you won’t have to—”
As Love Blooms Page 20
