Esther

by Jim Cox

  “Mr. and Mrs. Owens, your table is ready,” a maître de said as he approached a happy couple standing alongside the boat’s railing. “Please follow me.” Esther was getting accustom to being called Mrs. Owens, and she’d only been married two days.

  The dining room was full of men and women dressed in formal attire, including Esther and Doyle. Doyle wore a black suit with a stiff-collared white shirt and burgundy tie. His sprigs of gray hair, which was pronounced at the temples, made him look distinguished. Esther’s curly hair was piled high on her head showing her long slim neck. Her face and neck were a golden brown from being in the sun which accented her large sparkling eyes. A dark blue, form-fitting, floor-length dress displayed Esther’s tall, trim figure perfectly. Her jewelry glistened.

  “I feel a bit out of place, Doyle,” Esther said a few minutes after they were seated. “I’m not accustomed to frilly clothes like I’m wearing or eating in a crowded place like this. I’m not even sure if I could carry on a conversation with most of these people—I feel I have nothing in common with them.”

  Doyle laughed. “Sweetheart you’re fine, just relax and enjoy yourself. You’re the most beautiful woman in this place, and I’d give odds you could talk circles around the lot of ʼem.”

  “You’re being silly, Doyle,” Esther said reaching across the table with a smile. “Let’s order.”

  After their table had been cleared, Esther and Doyle sat drinking coffee and talking about a sundry of things, especially what went on during their war separation. “Whatever happened to those letters you promised to write me while you were away?” Esther said with a sideways grin.

  “They’re in my suitcase—all sixty-two of ʼem.”

  Esther stiffened. “What do you mean—all sixty-two of ʼem? I didn’t receive a letter.”

  “It’s not because I didn’t write them, Esther. It’s because the mail wasn’t being delivered during the war. The Fort Gibson post office received them all a few days after I got back to town.”

  Esther smiled as she reached across the table and squeezed his hand.

  “I promised you another thing before I went to war, Esther,” Doyle said rather spontaneously.

  “What was that,” she asked.

  “I promised to take you on a long vacation to New York, or San Francisco; even to Paris after we were married. Have you decided where you want to go, Mrs. Owens?” Doyle thought he’d receive an excited response from Esther, but instead, she seemed a little hesitant.

  “I’ll go wherever you want. You can pick out the place, honey. You have more experience on those matters than I do,” she said with a lack of concern which was out of character for her.

  Doyle looked into her eyes and reached across the table with both hands for hers. “You answered the question, Esther, but you ended it with an unspoken but. What is it? What is it you really want to do? What are your dreams?”

  Esther perked up and answered with smiling eyes. “I want us to own a large cattle ranch in one of the western states where the residue of this disgusting war doesn’t interfere with our life. I want to work side-by-side with you producing quality beef that helps feed the hungry world.” Esther paused and then continued, “I want to wake up beside you every morning to a beautiful sunrise with snow-capped mountains looming in the distance. And watch the evening sun paint its gorgeous colors on clouds floating eastward. I want to grow old with you Doyle and visit my grandchildren from time to time.”

  Doyle looked at Esther with a sober face and then began to smile. “Should I buy a brown or black western hat, sweetheart?”

  The end

  About the Author

  Jim was born and raised in SE Missouri, graduated with a B.S. degree from Purdue University, and has lived most of his adult life with his wife, Wilma, in Indiana. Telling stories to his young family members has always been a treasure and resulted in him being asked to write them down for future generations. Jim accepted the challenge and started writing his books after retirement. His writings promote living an exciting good life with high morals as his vocal tales have always conveyed. If you enjoyed this book, this author has other works available here:

  Author's Web Site

  Other Books by this Author:

  Riding from Memories

  Grandad's Stories

  Rusty Crooked Nails

  Scar Series:

  A Man Called Scar

  Scar and the Double D

  Hartwood Publishing delights in introducing authors and stories that open eyes, encourage thought, and resonate in the hearts of our readers.