Josephine

by Beverly Jenkins

  Jo and Trudy left the porch to join the others now talking with Bert. As Jo neared, she could see the smile beaming on Bert’s puffy, swollen face. Evidently the hives Trudy had talked about had found him. He had scratches on his cheeks, and the hands holding the reins were swollen and scratched up, as well.

  “Son, you look awful,” the always candid Mrs. Best told him.

  Bert nodded. “I know,” he said thickly from between his hive-covered lips, “but I’m going to be a hewo.”

  Everyone smiled. Except Dred, of course. To Jo, he looked fit to be tied and she smiled to herself at the terrible pun.

  Adam asked, “How did you catch him?”

  “Walked up on him just befowe dawn. He was asweep at the base of a twee a few miles fwom Mrs. Donovan’s pwace. Used an old twee bwanch to make certain he stayed asweep, then tied him up and gagged him so he’d know how my Twudy felt.”

  Trudy took up the story. “Then he brought him over to my house, so I could see him.”

  Dred’s eyes were furious, but with his hands tied behind his back and the rag stuffed in his mouth, there was nothing he could do but sit and fume.

  Jo was so pleased everything had turned out well. “So where are you two headed now?”

  Bert said proudly, “To the sherwiff.”

  Everyone laughed.

  Trudy added, “Then straight to Mrs. Meldrum’s so she can give him a salve for his hives.”

  Jo’s heart melted at the tender look the two sweethearts shared. It appeared as if Trudy and Bert would now live happily ever after; that is, if they had their way. There was still the Dragon Lady to take on. But Bert seemed to have discovered his inner strength in his quest to redeem his true love’s honor, so Jo didn’t think Mrs. Waterman would be much of a factor from now on.

  Trudy mounted her mare, saying, “Jo, I’ll see you later on.”

  Jo said, “All right,” then added genuinely, “Congratulations, Bert.”

  Adam added, “Well done, Bert.”

  As the Best women and Adam waved, Trudy, Bert and their prize rode away.

  Bert was indeed a “hewo.” There was talk of giving him a plaque for his bravery, but the ceremony would have to be postponed until he recovered from his hives.

  On Wednesday morning, Jo gave Adam a tour of her shop before she opened for business. Adam looked around at the small, neat establishment and was impressed. “I like this.”

  “I’ve been doing more and more business lately, so I’m thinking of asking Papa and Dani to enlarge this place if they can when they return. As it is now, one can hardly turn around in here.”

  “Well, if you’re looking for an investor to help with your expansion, let me know.”

  “Really?”

  “Sure. I know you are an astute woman, so why not invest in a growing enterprise?”

  “Is that your only reason?”

  “I admit my feelings may be involved somewhat, but my business sense is at play, as well.”

  Jo didn’t know what to say except, “Thanks, Adam.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  And once again, Jo could feel herself being drawn to him. “Suppose it doesn’t work out between us?”

  “I’d be hurt, but I wouldn’t let it affect whatever business relationship we may establish.”

  Jo found that encouraging. She was just about to ask him what other business opportunities he might wish to pursue after the war when George knocked on the screened door.

  “Josephine, may I come in?”

  “Of course. How are you, George?”

  Jo opened the door and he entered saying, “I’m well. And you?”

  “I’m doing well, too.”

  George saw Adam then and the two rivals eyed each other. George asked Jo, “May I speak with you privately?”

  Jo glanced at Adam, who said, “I’ll wait outside.”

  Jo was pleased by his graciousness.

  When Adam left, George looked out to make certain Adam wasn’t hanging around just outside the door, then asked again, “It’s good seeing you again, Josephine.”

  “Good seeing you again. I’m glad you came by. There’s something I—”

  “I’d like to speak first, if I may?”

  Jo studied him a moment. He looked uncomfortable. She shrugged. “Go right ahead.”

  “I hear Trudy’s intended caught Dred.”

  “Yes, he did. Everyone in town is so proud of him.”

  “The men over at Mrs. Oswald’s are happy, too.”

  Jo didn’t think George had come over to talk about Bert and Dred. “What did you wish to speak with me about?”

  George fidgeted a moment, then said, “I got the job.”

  “That’s wonderful. Congratulations.”

  When he didn’t offer anything more on the subject, Jo peered at him. “George?”

  “I’m sorry. I’m—I’m trying to pick my words.”

  “Take your time.” Jo didn’t want to rush him because the sooner he declared his intentions toward her, the sooner she would have to tell him his feelings weren’t returned.

  George started to speak. “Josephine, you know that you’re one of the most special young ladies I’ve ever had the pleasure to know, and—well.”

  Jo asked softly, “Well, what, George?”

  “Well, I met a young woman over at the church where I’m going to be working. She’s the secretary there. And, well, she’s real nice. Just as lovely and gracious as you, but where you’re boisterous, she’s quiet. Where you’re adventurous, she’s cautious. We suit well. Much better than you and I will.”

  Jo realized that after all her agonizing over this meeting, she was the one being shown the door.

  He continued. “I’m sorry if I led you to believe otherwise.”

  “That’s quite all right,” Jo told him. Even though this conversation would result in what she’d wanted, this was not the way she’d envisioned it happening. She was admittedly outdone. Happy, but outdone.

  George met her eyes. “I’d like us to remain friends. That is, if you care to after this.”

  “I think that would be nice,” she said genuinely.

  “You’re not angry?”

  “No, I’m not angry. I fully understand your thinking. We wouldn’t suit.”

  He smiled wanly. “Are you certain?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good then.”

  Silence settled between them.

  George said, “Well, I guess I should be going. I start work today.”

  “All right. Make sure you bring your sweetheart over for a visit so we can all meet her.”

  George nodded. “Sure will.”

  He walked to the door. “Thanks, Josephine.”

  “You’re welcome. Goodbye, George.”

  And he stepped out into the sun.

  As Jo stood there, she waited until he rode away before lifting her voice to the heavens and shouting, “Hallelujah!”

  Adam had positioned himself on a tree stump situated between the house and Jo’s shop. He had no idea what had taken place between Jo and George, but the smile George had on his face when he rode away, coupled with Jo’s unexpected shout of hallelujah made Adam think she’d accepted the lapdog’s suit, and that Adam’s own chances of making Jo his own were gone.

  eighteen

  When Jo saw Adam walking toward the house, she wanted to go after him and let him know what had happened, but her first customer of the day drove up at that same moment, and Jo had no choice but to greet the woman and get to work.

  Adam brooded alone in his room most of the morning. When Mrs. Best came up to ask if he wanted lunch, he told her he’d prefer to take it on a tray in his room so as to further rest his ankle. In reality the ankle was well on its way to full recovery, but Adam didn’t want his unhappiness to be seen.

  By dinnertime, Adam decided brooding only made him feel worse, and locking himself away in his room accomplished nothing. The sooner he gave Jo his congratulations, the sooner he
could get on with his life; a life he had hoped to share with Jo, but George had put an end to that dream.

  When Adam saw Jo seated at the table, he plastered a false grin on his face and took a seat.

  “Ankle feeling better?” Mrs. Best asked.

  “Yes, ma’am. Just needed to rest it.”

  Jo passed him the bowl holding the mashed potatoes. “Has it been bothering you today?”

  “Yes, a bit.” He took the offered bowl, but avoided looking into her eyes.

  “I’d like to talk to you later on, Adam,” Jo said.

  “Sure.”

  “Mama, Adam says he might want to invest in my business if I decide to make my shop larger.”

  “Really?” Cecilia asked.

  Adam replied, “Yes, ma’am. Of course, I’d have to see her ledgers first, but she assures me she runs a good solid enterprise.”

  Belle nodded. “That she does. She and I talked of finding a larger piece of property that would house my seamstress shop on one side and her hair shop on the other. But we figured all that smoke from her hair irons would ruin my fabrics, so we decided against it.”

  Adam thought that made sense. He glanced Jo’s way and the happiness in her eyes made his spirits drop even lower. Convinced George’s news had given her that glow, Adam spent the remainder of the meal trying to conceal his gloom.

  Jo could see that Adam had something on his mind and wondered if that ankle of his was giving him more problems than he’d wanted them to know. She didn’t put it past him to be in enough pain to lay himself low again. Maybe once they had their talk he’d tell her the truth about his ankle.

  The talk was delayed, however, by the arrival of Barbara Carr. She and Mrs. Best went into the parlor. A few moments later, Jo was called away from washing the dinner dishes to join them.

  When Jo entered the parlor, the worry on the faces of the two women made her ask warily, “Is something the matter?”

  Mrs. Carr answered, “Yes, Jo. Trudy and Bert have eloped. At least according to this.” And she handed Jo a note.

  Trudy’s scrawled writing stared back as Jo read:

  Dear Mama,

  Bert and I are off to be married. It is what we both want.

  Your loving daughter, Trudy

  “Oh, my,” Jo whispered. She handed the note back to Mrs. Carr.

  Mrs. Best asked, “Did you know anything about this?”

  “No, Mama. Not at all.”

  Both mothers studied Jo so intently she felt like an ant under a glass magnifier. “I didn’t,” she repeated. “Bert mentioned to me that he planned to move out of his mother’s house, but neither he nor Trudy ever mentioned eloping.” Jo hoped they were all right.

  Barbara Carr sighed. “Well, I suppose there’s nothing to do but wait until they surface.”

  Mrs. Best agreed. “I suppose so.”

  Jo didn’t say a word.

  “All right, Jo,” Mrs. Best said, “you can go back to the dishes. Thank you, dear.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Mrs. Carr’s voice halted Jo before she could leave, though. “Jo, promise me you’ll let me know if you hear anything.”

  Jo nodded. “I will.”

  As she finished up the dishes, Jo thought about Trudy. Apparently she and Bert had decided to take their lives into their own hands. Jo couldn’t fault them. They’d done what they felt was necessary, and as their friend she would support them in whatever way she could.

  Jo hung up her apron and decided it was now time to talk with Adam. How in the world do you tell a young man you are ready to accept his suit, she wondered? What if she had put him off so long, he’d changed his mind, a small voice inside her head asked. Then I will be left looking like a fool, she answered herself, but Jo didn’t let that deter her. She took a page out of Trudy and Bert’s book. It was time to take charge of her heart and her life, so she left the kitchen and went outside to find Adam.

  He was seated on her mother’s swing. He gave her a bittersweet smile as she approached.

  She asked, “It’s still fairly early. Do you want to go riding with me?”

  Adam didn’t really. He simply wanted to hear the bad news about her and George and go back to feeling sorry for himself. “Didn’t you want to talk with me about something?”

  “I do, but I have to go and take some food over to Mrs. Donovan’s and I thought we might talk on the ride over.”

  Adam’s heart sunk lower. Josephine Best had toppled him from his Casanova throne and turned him into an ordinary mortal. He didn’t need the beauty of the countryside to cushion the blow.

  “Adam, is something wrong?”

  “No. Can we talk here? My ankle, you know.”

  Jo shrugged. “All right. I suppose Mama and I can ride over to Mrs. Donovan’s tomorrow.”

  She took a seat on the far side of the swing. The motion of the bench propelled them both for a moment while Jo tried to find the words for what she’d come to say. “The funniest thing happened to me today.”

  Adam steeled himself.

  “George showed me the door.”

  For a moment, Adam wasn’t sure he’d heard her correctly. “Say that again, please.”

  “George showed me the door, and if you start teasing me I will sock you in the nose, Adam Morgan.”

  Adam was speechless. All day long he’d been laboring under the misconception that his heart was broken, when all the time—He began to laugh. It started as a chuckle. Then as he relived the day and watched himself moping and whining, the chuckle gained strength, and soon Adam was laughing like a child at the circus, not at Jo, but at himself.

  Jo punched him in the arm, hard, then flounced off the bench and began striding away. “I told you not to laugh!”

  That made him stop. Well, almost. “Jo, come back. You have it all wrong.”

  “The only thing I have wrong is that I thought you cared for me, you woodenhead!”

  Adam hastened off the bench. “Sweetheart, wait. I’m not laughing at you. I’m laughing at myself.”

  The sincerity in his voice, and hearing him call her sweetheart, made Jo stop. She turned back. “Explain.”

  When they were facing each other, Adam spent a few silent moments just drinking in all that she was. “Do you know how beautiful you are to me?”

  The timbre of his voice made her anger dissolve.

  He picked up her hands and then slowly kissed the fingers of each. “Forgive me if I hurt your feelings, but the joke was on me. I was convinced George had won your hand and I’ve been pouting about it all day.”

  “What made you think that?”

  “The smile he had on his face this morning when he rode away and the hallelujah I heard you shout.”

  Jo understood now and she smiled. “So you’ve been tortured by that all day?”

  “I have.”

  She shook her head with amusement even as her heart sang. “He found someone else.”

  “I’m glad.”

  “So was I. That was the reason you heard me shouting.”

  Adam looked down at her and thought himself the happiest man in the world. “So, your dance card is empty, I take it?”

  “It is.”

  “May I pencil in my name, then?”

  “Yes, you may,” Jo responded with a twinkle in her eye.

  Adam hooted, grabbed her around the waist and swung her around. Jo screamed happily, “Put me down, you loon!”

  And then he kissed her right there in front of God and all the birds in the trees, and Jo practically swooned with delight.

  He asked then, “Is that ride offer still available?”

  “It is.”

  “Then let’s go.”

  “I have to go and tell Mama.”

  “All right. I’ll meet you at the barn.”

  Under the auspices of doing a good deed, Jo and Adam rode away. They took the main road to Mrs. Donovan’s and grinned at each other the entire way. When their task was done, Mrs. Donovan thanked them sin
cerely for the foodstuffs, and Jo and Adam headed home. They took the long way so they could enjoy themselves and their newfound happiness.

  They were sitting by the river when Jo said, “You know, Adam, I agonized over how I was going to tell George we didn’t suit without hurting him, only to learn he’d set his cap on someone else. I’m still trying to decide whether to be offended or not.”

  Adam chuckled. “Fate has a wicked sense of humor sometimes.” He tossed a stone out into the water. “You didn’t want to marry Brooks anyway. The minute he demanded you go shoeless and stay in the kitchen, you would have gone after him with a broom.”

  She laughed. “I know. He told me where I was boisterous, she was quiet, and where I was adventurous, she was cautious. I haven’t decided if I’m offended by that, too, or not.”

  “I wouldn’t be too hard on him. I’m one of the few men around willing to take on a boisterous and adventurous woman.”

  “Who are some of the others?”

  “Your father—your brother, Daniel.”

  “Hey!” she challenged with mock outrage. Reaching over, she punched him in the bicep. “Are you casting aspersions on the females in my family?”

  “Every boisterous and adventurous one of them,” he confessed with a chuckle.

  Jo was so glad she’d opened her heart to Adam. In addition to all of his other sterling qualities, he was a great source of fun. “Well, stop it.”

  Adam shook his head with amusement. “You have no idea how miserable I’ve been all day.”

  “Humility is good for the soul.”

  “You sound just like your mother.”

  “Thank you,” she replied proudly. “Oh, I didn’t tell you. Trudy and Bert eloped last night.”

  “They did!”

  “Yep. Mrs. Carr showed me the note.”

  “She’s pretty worried, I’ll wager.”

  “Yes, she is, but Bert has a good head on his shoulders. I think they’ll be all right.”

  “Would you elope with me?”

  Jo shrugged. “As long as I didn’t have to live with Mama afterward.”

  He found that surprising. “You don’t want to live with your mother?”