by Annie Boone
Although the week continued to pass and there was always work to be done at the office, Ethan found himself thinking about Miss Delilah Townsend over and over. An irritated horse nibbled on his shoulder twice when he stopped brushing and he nearly tripped over a cow on another occasion. Mr. Winters was kind and said nothing, but clearly Ethan was distracted. There was something about her, the young woman who was bright and shy and so eager to learn about the world. Delilah.
The following Sunday, he found himself glancing around the chapel to see if she was there for services. Though he had the faintest hope she would stop by the veterinarian’s office again, part of him knew how unlikely that was. He tried to tell himself he was being silly and that this meant nothing, but his eyes wouldn’t stop looking for her. Shifting in his seat, he carefully glanced around and told himself he was just curious if she was around.
Just like that, there she was. Sitting beside the Jessups, it was easy to see the blonde curls on Mrs. Jessup and then Miss Townsend’s long silky hair beside her. Ethan wondered how he hadn’t noticed her before. He pondered for the rest of the sermon about whether or not he should talk to her again. Though he told herself it meant nothing, he found himself headed her way after the church service to tell her about a book he had been reading about the different types of gorillas.
“Happy Sabbath,” he greeted her politely, pulling his hat off. “How are you doing this Sunday, Miss Waterford?”
She turned to him with a smile that only grew. “Mr. Townsend. I’m doing quite well, thank you. And how are you?” They talked for a few minutes before he felt a hand on his shoulder and turning, found his mother there.
He swallowed anxiously, not having expected to be discovered talking to a young woman in the church yard. With a step back, he looked at his mother’s smile and worried that he would be talked to afterwards about this. That wasn’t something he was looking forward to. “Mother,” he nodded apprehensively. “Are you finished visiting with everyone?”
The woman waved a hand in the air. “Oh, there’s a few more folks I want to see quickly. But I did want to catch Miss Waterford here before she left.” She turned to the girl who nodded politely. Ethan felt his stomach clench, wondering what was on her mind. He loved her dearly, but she had her own ideas about everything.
“We loved meeting you last night,” she told the girl, “and would love another chance to enjoy your company. Do you have any plans for the afternoon? Our family would love to have you over for Sunday lunch.”
Miss Waterford’s eyes widened and Ethan couldn’t prevent himself from watching as her lips parted lightly and then curved into a shy smile. “That’s very kind of you,” she spoke softly. “It would be my pleasure. Let me speak with Mrs. Jessup so she may know where I’ll be.”
Ethan’s mother nodded. “Splendid. Ethan, dear, why don’t you go with her? I’ll meet you two under the oak tree once I find your father.” She nodded and wandered off.
There was a moment as he looked at the girl beside him, and they hurriedly looked away as the silence intensified. Ethan swallowed and nodded, trying to find something to say. “To the Jessups?”
“Right, the Jessups,” she nodded to herself after a second and glanced around. After looking around, she pointed in another direction and so Delilah led the way through the crowd. Ethan stuck close and nearly took her hand twice in order to stay close. But he forced himself back, telling himself to be more careful. His eyes were glued to her as they found their way among the clusters of people.
Delilah found Mr. Jessup first, since the man’s wife was immersed in a crowd of other women giggling and talking around a little baby. Ethan couldn’t tell who was who in the group and turned back to the man and young woman by his side.
“I think that sounds agreeable.” Lucas Jessup nodded, though his eyes roamed away towards his wife and an absent smile reached his lips. “I’ll be sure to let Susannah know we won’t expect you until later. Shall I come to fetch you later?”
Ethan shook his head. “No, sir, we’ll make sure she returns to your place safely. It’s the least we can do,” he added, echoing his mother’s thoughts. She wouldn’t dream of forcing someone to be inconvenienced so most likely he would be hitching up the horse and cart after lunch. His lip twitched and he cleared his throat.
Lucas nodded. “I think that sounds like a fine idea. The Townsends are good folk,” he directed to Delilah. “I’m sure you’ll have a grand afternoon. We’ll see you later, then. Do take good care of her,” he turned to Ethan now, with a harder look. “And I expect to see her long before the sun has set.”
“Of course,” Ethan nodded.
“Thank you, sir,” Delilah added.
Lucas Jessup walked off to retrieve his wife amidst the gaggle of ladies, all of whom beamed at his arrival. Ethan watched the man take up his wife arm in arm and they started for their wagon. He admired the man and his wife and understood why the people in town looked up to him as they did. Thoughts and emotions began to swirl in his head, but he pushed them away. He didn’t need a reminder of what he might have had in another time and place.
Politely, he put out an arm to Delilah Waterford. “Shall we find my parents?” He offered, unable to think of what else to do. He couldn’t lose her in the crowd again, and she was a pretty girl to have on his arm. His heart thumped as she nodded and accepted his arm. Together, the two of them carefully made their way through the crowd to his parents so they could enjoy their Sunday together.
They made it to the house and most of the meal was already prepared for them to sit down and enjoy. Although Ethan knew that time was passing, he found himself forgetting the outside world as he conversed with his parents and Miss Waterford.
Suddenly, he was already driving her home. Time had flown by and he’d enjoyed the afternoon far more than he’d expected. And for some reason, he didn’t mind making the trek out to the Jessup place to return her, for she wasn’t boring nor annoying. She shared lovely little stories, and she had a beautiful laugh. Their lighthearted conversation continued all the way to the doorstep.
“Well, look who’s here!” Susannah stood up from the bench on the front porch and waved as they pulled up in front of the farm house.
Ethan and Delilah both waved as the wagon came to a stop. Ethan hurried down and over to Delilah’s side to help her down. With a hand on each side of her waist, he stood a moment too long touching her. She looked up into his eyes and he almost forgot his past hurts because of a woman. This woman with him right now was stunning. There was no denying that. But she was a joy to spend time with. Rare, indeed, he thought.
Ethan would have stood with Delilah much longer, with his hands on her waist and his head bowed slightly to look at her, but Mr. and Mrs. Jessup were standing next to them before he even knew they’d left the porch.
“I hope you two had a wonderful afternoon.” Susannah reached out and pulled Delilah away and toward the house. “Delilah, I need some help with a bit of mending. Do you mind?”
“Not at all, Mrs. Jessup.” Delilah turned her head back to Ethan, faltering when she reached the steps up to the porch. Waving, she smiled wanly and followed Mrs. Jessup into the house.
“Thank you for bringing Delilah back out this way, Ethan. It was mighty fine of you to do it. Now you be careful going back home. Tell your folks hello.” Lucas Jessup turned on his heel and followed his wife and Delilah into the house.
Ethan was standing all alone in the front yard of the Jessup farm house and that’s when a knot formed in his stomach. The feeling was a familiar one, albeit one he hadn’t experienced for a while. He’d avoided the enjoyment of keeping company with a woman. He wasn’t interested in courting anyone. No matter how good it could be, he wasn’t interested in any more betrayal.
Frowning, he glanced back at the house and wondered if he was imagining things. He couldn’t have developed a soft spot for a woman he’d only seen a handful of times, could he? Ethan finally climbed back into his wagon, and t
ook the reins firmly. Urging his horse forward, he turned the rig around and headed away from the Jessup place. Glancing back before the house was out of sight, he was sure he’d seen someone in the window watching him drive away. Deep down, he hoped it had been Delilah.
He knew he was in trouble, even after all of his efforts to avoid any courtship at all. How had this happened? Shaking his head, he drove the horse home. It was already too late to redirect his thoughts, for he couldn’t get her off his mind. Now, he could only pray that he wouldn’t get hurt again.
Chapter Nine
“Don’t forget the eggs,” Susannah sang as she stopped by Delilah at the stove. Carrying a bowl herself, she focused on stirring the dough. Delilah glanced around as though she only just now realized her pan was empty.
“Oh, right!” Delilah flushed and began to pour the eggs onto the pan. “I’m sorry, ma’am.”
She elbowed the girl lightly. “Don’t you worry about it. Something is clearly on your mind. I wonder, what could it be? Perhaps a handsome young man who, say, works with animals?” Susannah asked hopefully and it triggered the response she had been hoping for. Delilah ducked her head but she was definitely trying to hide a grin. Laughing, she hummed and crossed the kitchen to put more flour in her bowl. “He’s a kind young man, and I am glad that you’ve found some good company. Besides my husband and myself, of course, seeing as we’re quite old.”
Delilah straightened. “Oh no, no you’re not! The two of you are…” the fervent response faded away as she realized Susannah was only joking. She gave the young girl a wink and chuckled. “Well, you’re not old at all.”
The other woman nodded graciously. “Thank you, my dear. You do keep us feeling young. Perhaps too young,” she added as she thought of her husband’s black eye. It had mostly faded but there was still a yellow tinge that made her wrinkle her nose every time she saw it. But Susannah shrugged it off now and glanced at the dough. With a sprinkle more of flour, it was ready for kneading.
Soon she had it ready for rising and in another hour, it would go into the oven. That’s when she heard the sound of a wagon coming up the road. Susannah glanced outside to see Lemondrop bringing her husband home, along with another young lady by the looks of it. Susannah cocked her head to watch as she grabbed a towel.
“I’ll be right back,” she sang to Delilah and headed outside onto the porch.
Lucas paused nearby and brought the woman down onto solid ground. She was a curvy tall girl with golden hair darker than Susannah’s. Several tendrils framed the face as she looked up and Susannah caught her eye. Immediately she beamed and waved, waiting for the party to reach her.
“Good afternoon,” she offered brightly as they reached her. “Welcome! I’m Susannah Jessup.”
Cornflower blue eyes looked up, framed with a few little freckles. “Good tidings,” the young woman offered hesitantly, glancing at her husband. “My name is Rachel Cullen. Your husband here says you’re the one running the boarding house for women?”
“Indeed. Do come inside, won’t you?” Susannah was getting better at bringing young women to the house, and she did love having them around. And once again, she realized, there would be two women in the house. Her heart skipped a beat, thrilled at this opportunity.
Humming lightly, she led the way into the kitchen where Delilah was finishing up by the stove. “Delilah, we have a new woman joining us. This is Rachel Cullen. Miss Cullen, this is Miss Delilah Waterford. She’s been staying with us over the summer and came all the way from Philadelphia.”
The girls exchanged polite courtesies before Delilah searched for a towel to dab some of the perspiration from her face. Susannah just grinned as she spoke to the new young girl. They were different in several ways already, the two ladies, but she was excited for what might happen over the next couple of weeks. “Let’s get you settled, shall we?” She offered, glancing at Lucas. He was washing up and eyed her, knowing she had questions.
Twisting her fingers, Susannah was hardly able to suppress her curiosity with Miss Cullen. She was a pretty thing and had come from the East somewhere, clearly here to stay. But what was her story? There was a burning desire within Susannah to know everything but Lucas had mentioned that with a few of the women who had passed through their home, she’d been a little too nosy.
She took a deep breath as the other blonde nodded. “Wonderful,” she swallowed and led the way. Susannah talked about her house and the connected boarding house as they crossed over and she picked a room at the end of the hall. It wasn’t too far from Delilah’s. “Here we are. You have your very own room, right in here. A bed, a chest, a desk, and there’s a basin right out here for you to use. You and Delilah may take turns getting fresh water. We have a pump in the kitchen as well as just out the door.”
Susannah Jessup glanced around to see if anything else came to mind. Was there anything else that the girl would need? Miss Cullen had stepped into her new room with her bag and was walking around in a circle to inspect it. The space was rather small, but most women didn’t bring much with them nor needed the space for very long.
“This is very kind of you,” Rachel Cullen offered in a measured tone and offered her a smile. “Thank you very much, ma’am.”
Susannah nodded and glanced around one more time, just to be sure. “Yes of course. I’m happy to help with anything you need. We can talk more later of course, but I’d like to make sure you get some rest. You’ve probably had a long journey, so please feel free to stay in here as long as you like. I can stop by with supper, and we’ll talk when we can. And if you have any concerns, please don’t hesitate to ask me. I want to make sure you are comfortable and happy here.” Susannah felt like she was repeating her words a little, but the new addition to their household seemed quiet and nervous. Susannah wanted her to feel welcome and sometimes she overdid it when the new ones arrived.
Miss Cullen nodded. “That’s wonderful. Thank you, again.”
With another moment of hesitation, Susannah turned and left the woman alone and closed the door behind her. Swallowing, she rubbed her hands together and returned to look for her husband. Even if she wasn’t going to ask the girl any questions yet, there was the possibility that he had heard a thing or two on the ride home.
It happened often enough, after all. Humming, she returned to the kitchen where she found Delilah taking supper from the oven. She’d set the table while Susannah was settling Miss Cullen into her room, so there was nothing Susannah needed to do at the moment. So, feeling confident about how she was leaving things, Susannah went outside to find her husband.
As she had expected, he was still outside to tend to the horses. After she pulled her boots on, she stepped outside and went to the barn. He was feeding the animals so Susannah tended to the cart that still needed to be put to the side and out of the way. The wheels could be stubborn, but it moved when she shifted it in the right direction.
“How’s Lemondrop doing?” she called out, wiping her forehead as she passed their goats. They were dozing in a spot of shade and Susannah suddenly realized what a good idea it was with this warm weather. But their sleepy faces triggered a yawn and she leaned against a post as Lucas turned around to look at her.
He winked, waving with the brush in hand. “Good as ever. I’m sure she’d like two brushes if you’d care to join us?” The door was open to her stall, since it was easier for him to work without needing to open and reopen it. Lemondrop was a calm horse after all, and wouldn’t leave without a good brushing and a treat.
But Susannah hesitated. Even after all these years, she was still nervous about getting kicked or knocked down. Except Lucas was right there, offering that smile. It was a little crooked, and made his old scar on his left cheek stand out. He was a rough riding man, the type who had become a man in the Texas Rangers and still liked a good wrestling match. From the moment they had met one another, he had the ability to make her feel safe as though nothing would ever happen unless it was exactly what they want
ed.
“I… of course,” she agreed reluctantly. Swallowing, Susannah took a deep breath and ignored the heavy feeling in her stomach as she retrieved the other brush and stepped over the threshold of the stall.
Lemondrop shifted as she realized the stall was about to become more crowded. The snuffle sound she made caused Susannah to freeze, but Lucas just laughed. He encouraged her to work on her fears, but it was always a struggle. It wasn’t her favorite form of support, but she appreciated him all the same. He patted the horse before stepping over to his wife. He took her arm, leading her around to the other side and then kissed her forehead. “I don’t know what you think,” he told her firmly, “but I promise that Lemondrop likes you. You have no reason to believe otherwise.”
“I know,” she managed a weak smile. “I don’t know what it is, I simply can’t… I always get these knots in my stomach, you know? And I know she’s sweet, I do know it. Lemondrop has been very good to both of us. But she has such big teeth, and, and…” Susannah’s breath caught as the Lemondrop turned to look at her. “Pretty teeth,” she corrected hurriedly. “Very big and pretty teeth.”
Lucas laughed, nudging her. “All right. I’ll stay right beside you. See? We’ll have a grand time.”
“Grand time,” Susannah repeated with a soft voice. “Of course.”
Lemondrop loved the attention, she knew that, and nodded her head a few times when they brushed in a good spot. Susannah took care of the shoulders carefully, brushing along the strong muscle and occasionally meeting her husband’s hand as he took care of the horse’s back.
“So Miss Cullen?” She asked finally, recalling her first reason for coming out here and then needing a distraction when the horse pawed the ground. Susannah swallowed and looked at her husband hopefully. “Did she say anything?”
Chuckling, he nudged her with a shake of the head. “You lasted longer than you usually do,” he commented. “But I’m afraid she said very little. She’s never been to a place like Rocky Ridge, but that’s all she had to say.”
