When he said nothing else, his father winked at him. “My family wasn’t quite so formal at meals. This was your mother’s doing.”
Mrs. McClain sighed, shaking her head. “You’ll be able to bring whatever manners you like to the table when the house is yours, dear.”
Penny shrugged. “Being raised in an orphanage, I know correct manners, but my adoptive mother has done everything she can to teach us not to use them.”
His mother blinked at her a few times as if not understanding. “Why would she do that?”
“You’d have to meet Edna Petunia to understand.” As she said the words, Penny had a mental image of the proper Mrs. McClain meeting Edna Petunia. She wouldn’t know what to think.
“I’ve heard rumors of the woman Cletus Sanders married. She’s said to be a bit…eccentric.”
Penny nodded. “She’s very eccentric, but there’s not a more loving, giving woman in this world. I consider myself very fortunate to have been adopted by her—even if she is teaching me bad manners.”
“I look forward to meeting her then.”
It was on the tip of Penny’s tongue to say they’d probably meet at the wedding, but she wasn’t going to be like the rest of the people at the table and assume they’d marry.
One of the sisters-in-law, whose name Penny didn’t know, and honestly, she didn’t know the husband’s name either, looked at Penny. “It must be odd to know that you’ve been fated to marry a man your entire life and you just met him this week. I’m not sure how I’d feel about that.”
All eyes were again on Penny, and she quickly chewed the bite of food in her mouth before swallowing it. “It’s definitely strange. I’m not sure I believe it all quite yet, but I…well, I do believe that Tom would make me a good husband.” She felt his hand cover hers under the table, squeezing it lightly.
His father smiled at her. “Does that mean there’s a wedding to plan?”
She shook her head. “Not yet. I need a proper proposal.”
Another sister-in-law grinned. “I think you’re wise to make him do it nicely. It’ll set the tone for your whole marriage. I accepted a less-than-desirable proposal from Charles, and I don’t feel that I get the respect I should.”
The man beside her, who Penny assumed was Charles, groaned loudly. “Not this again!”
Penny grinned. This was more like what she was used to at meals. “How did he propose?”
The other woman shook her head. “I’m too embarrassed that I actually said yes to even answer that!”
“Wow. That bad, huh?” Penny looked at Tom, who was watching her. “Do it right, or don’t bother to do it at all!”
All of the women around the table, except for Tom’s mother, nodded emphatically.
Tom sighed. “I’ll think of something good.”
“It’s the only way I’ll agree.” Penny took another bite of her dinner roll, really wishing she could throw it at someone at this table. It didn’t matter who she threw it at, but the whole situation was too heavy for her. How on earth was she supposed to act around a large group of people who believed she was destined to marry the man beside her? Why was she the only one who thought the whole situation was strange?
After the meal, Penny got to her feet and started clearing the table, but Tom’s mother took her arm. “Let the others do the dishes. I want to show you around the house. It will be yours as soon as you marry.”
“As soon as we marry? Where will you and Mr. McClain live?”
“There’s a parents’ house on the other side of the ranch. My in-laws lived there, and so did my mother-in-law’s in-laws. It’s the way of the family.”
Penny followed after Mrs. McClain. “Has anyone ever thought that this family needed some shaking up? Everything you do seems to be tradition-based. What if I want to make my own traditions?”
“Oh, every McClain wife adds to the family’s traditions! I added a monthly Sunday night dinner for all of my sons and their families after they moved out and married.”
“Well, what if I want to break tradition by—well, say by having a girl.”
Mrs. McClain stopped walking, reaching out and squeezing Penny’s hand. “You need to get that out of your head right now. There will never be a daughter. After seven documented generations of no girls, there’s no doubt in anyone’s mind. A girl just won’t happen.”
“So is there a custom that would prevent me from adopting one? As an orphan, I love the idea of giving an unloved child a home.”
“That’s a lovely idea, dear. No one would prevent that. If it’s something you and Tom want, then you should do it.” Mrs. McClain stopped at a small room under the stairs. “This is my sewing room. I’m sure you’ll want a sewing room as well.”
As they made their way through the house, Mrs. McClain talked about different changes she’d made to the house over the years. “Of course, you’ll do whatever you want when it’s yours.”
“There’s no doubt in your mind I’ll marry Tom, is there?” Penny had never met a more single-minded group of people. They were all convinced that her fate was inevitably tied to Tom’s.
Mrs. McClain stopped in the middle of the hallway and turned to Penny. “I know it sounds strange, but Tom has never been wrong about something like this. He has always had the gift of knowing. I don’t think there’s any doubt that the two of you will marry. It may not be this month. It may not even be this year, but it will happen.”
“Tom thinks I should just agree to marry him and get it over with because we’re destined to be together.”
“Tom’s wrong. You need time to get to know each other. Once you marry, the babies will start coming, and you’ll regret it if you don’t take a little time.”
Penny smiled. “I thought you’d agree with him.”
“No, because I’ve been in your shoes, Penny. I want my son to be happy, but I also know what it’s like to marry into a family where you know what your life will be. It’s hard to give up on the idea of daughters as well. At least you know you have the possibility of granddaughters.” Mrs. McClain led the way back into the dining room where the family was still gathered.
Tom looked up at Penny, his eyes making the tingling in her middle start all over again. She walked to him, sitting down beside him. The dishes were obviously already done, because there were several women there.
A little blond girl approached Penny, and reached out and touched her dress with one finger. “I like your dress. It’s green, like my eyes.”
Penny smiled at the girl, who was only around three or four. “I made it myself.”
“Oh! My mama doesn’t sew. Maybe you can make me a dress.”
Penny laughed. “I would love to make you a dress. Do you have a favorite baby doll who would like to have a dress that matches?”
Her mother, Rose Marie, took the little girl by the hand. “Now, Susie, you can’t be asking Miss Sanders to make you dresses for free. That’s how she makes her living.”
Susie frowned. “But, Mama, everyone said she’s going to be my auntie, and aunties make dresses for their nieces. Especially their favorite nieces.”
Penny laughed. “I tell you what, Susie. After I’m your aunt, we’ll talk about me making your dresses. I don’t think your mama wants me to before then.”
“All right, Miss Sanders. I can’t wait until you’re my Auntie Penny.” Susie hurried off to play with her cousins, leaving Rose Marie shaking her head.
“She has a mind of her own, that one does.”
Penny grinned. “She certainly seems to. I wouldn’t mind making her a dress.”
“I’ll come into the mercantile one day this week and we’ll talk about it.”
After Rose Marie walked off, Tom leaned toward her. “Don’t let my family con you into making clothes for free. You’re good at what you do, and they’ll take advantage of having a seamstress in the family.”
Penny smiled at that. “I like sewing. It’s what I do for gifts for people as well. It’s fun for me.”
He shook his head at her. “I’d think you’d get enough of it while you were working.”
She shrugged. “I really don’t mind.”
“I know. I love that about you.”
The word love surprised her until she realized he hadn’t said he loved her. He’d only said he loved one of her qualities. She loved his eyes. And she was falling in love with him. She wasn’t quite there yet, but she had no doubt she would be. None of the other men who had asked her out had made her feel so much. She sat staring at him for a moment, speechless. She had no idea how to respond.
One of his brothers approached the table with a deck of cards. “Anyone up for some cards? Poker? Euchre?”
Tom shook his head. “I should get Penny home. It’s after eight, and I promised to have her home by ten. I’m still trying to make a good impression.”
Penny was more than a little relieved to be leaving. She felt very overwhelmed by the sheer number of strangers. She stood, looking for Mrs. McClain. She found her in the parlor with her grandchildren. “Thank you for inviting me, Mrs. McClain. I had a nice time.”
Mrs. McClain laughed. “It was nice to meet you, Penny, but you don’t have to pretend you weren’t completely overwhelmed by our family.”
Penny grinned. “I’ll do my best not to pretend any longer then!” She hugged the older woman. “I’m sure I’ll be seeing you.”
“You most definitely will.”
Tom took Penny’s arm and led her toward the front door. They were stopped at least five times on their way, each person welcoming her to the family. As soon as they were outside, she breathed a sigh of relief. “Big families are overwhelming!”
He nodded. “They sure are! I thought the same thing meeting yours.”
Once they were in the car and heading toward her house, she rubbed the back of her neck wearily. “Your mother told me that I should take my time with you. I should get to know you before agreeing to marry you.”
“Really? She said that?”
“You sound surprised.”
“Truthfully, I am. I know she’s in a hurry for the next generation…and in my family the youngest boy’s children are the most important. Don’t get me wrong, she loves all her grandkids, but she’s always seemed to be in a hurry for me to marry. I’m surprised she’d give you that kind of advice.”
“She seemed to be very close to all the grandkids and your sisters-in-law.”
“Oh, she is. But she’ll be closest to you. My family is strange, but you’ll understand better as you’re around more.” He pulled the automobile off to a side road, turning toward her. “I’ll work on that marriage proposal, but may I kiss you again?”
Penny frowned at him. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. I like kissing you, but I feel too much!”
“I don’t see that as a bad thing.”
She sighed. “One quick kiss, and then you need to take me home.” It was against her better judgment, but she wanted it as much as he did.
He reached for her, his hand going to the nape of her neck. “Did I tell you how pretty your hair looks tonight? I mean, it always looks pretty, but there was something special about it this evening.”
She smiled. “Thank you. My sister, Gertie, did it for me. She’s always been good at hairstyles.”
“I’m never going to figure out all of your sisters,” he whispered, his lips close to hers.
“And I’ll never figure out all of your brothers.” She couldn’t wait another moment for his kiss, so she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him the rest of the way toward her, pressing her lips against his.
His hands roaming over her back as he pulled her even closer. His tongue gently stroked her bottom lip, before he lifted his head. “I see what you mean. Too much kissing is going to lead us to want to do things we shouldn’t.”
She nodded. “I don’t think I can handle another lecture on the subject from Edna Petunia.”
“She’s lectured you since we started courting?”
“Oh no. She just randomly goes into rants about playing…” She trailed off, realizing she was about to use the words, “hide the pickle” with him. She blushed, glad it was too dark for him to notice.
“Playing?”
“About inappropriate behavior that comes from kissing,” she said, avoiding the real words.
“I see.” He didn’t, but he could pretend.
“Take me home. We shouldn’t be sitting in the dark alone this way. Don’t make me start bringing my sisters as chaperones.”
He sighed. “We wouldn’t want that, now would we?”
Twenty minutes later, he sat in his car after walking her to her door. What kind of marriage proposal would appeal to his Penny? He had to figure it out soon…
Chapter Seven
It wasn’t until the following morning while walking to work that Penny realized Tom had left the night before without making plans with her. Her relationship with him was so odd. She knew that he planned to marry her…but she had no idea how he felt about the prospect! Was he happy with his “fate” or just accepting of it because it’s what he’d always known would happen?
Her mind was on him while she worked, and she couldn’t concentrate. She decided to go to lunch at the diner, so she could get away from the store and just think for a bit. She was just about to walk out the door when it opened. “Tom! What are you doing here?”
He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck and blushing a bit. “What do you think I’m doing here? Visiting my girl.”
“Well, I’m just about to go to lunch, so you’ll have to visit me later.” She walked around him out the door and started toward the diner.
“Wait! I’ll buy you lunch.”
She sighed. She really did need some time alone to think, but she didn’t want to turn him away when he’d come all this way to see her. “All right.” She took the arm he offered her, and they walked together half the length of Main Street to the diner.
“Do you usually have lunch at the diner?”
She shook her head. “No, I just needed some time to think. The store was too much for me today, so I thought I’d have a quiet lunch alone. I didn’t want to bother Ruby by asking to eat upstairs.”
“Would you have had a quiet lunch with your sister?”
Penny laughed. “No, we’d have talked children, and she’d have asked about you. It would have been a nice chat, but there would have been no time to think.”
“If you want, I can just sit and not talk to you so you can think.”
She wrinkled her nose. “That would be strange. No thank you.”
He opened the door for the diner and they went in, sitting in the same corner they had before. “It’s not as busy as I thought it would be at lunch time.”
“Are you planning on coming here every day from now on?” she asked. He was making her nervous by being around all the time, and she wasn’t sure if she liked it or not. Oh, who was she kidding? She’d rather spend time with him than anyone else in the world!
He shrugged. “Well, until I talk you into marrying me anyway. I’ll keep you with me after you’re officially mine.”
“You know what I need. I want a real proposal, not your hemming and hawing and talking about when we marry. I want you to actually ask me.”
“Well, I wrote you a poem…I’m just not sure it’s good enough to read to you.” In fact, he knew it was dreadful. He wasn’t a poet. Surely the fact that he’d tried to do something he wasn’t good at would show her just how much he cared. Wouldn’t it?
“You wrote me a poem?” Penny grinned at him, her eyes wide. “Of course you have to share it with me! No one’s ever written me a poem before.”
He mumbled something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like, “They still haven’t.”
“What was that?” she asked.
“Nothing.” He sighed. “Maybe I’ll read it later.”
“I want to hear it now!” She covered his hand with hers. “Please, Tom?
”
He pulled the poem from his pocket. “Don’t think you’ll always be able to get around me with those beautiful eyes of yours.”
“Me? Your eyes…I’ve never seen anything like them.”
He shook his head. “Sure, you have. You’ve met my brothers and my father. The eyes are the same.”
That wasn’t precisely what she’d meant. His eyes were so much more special than his father’s or brothers’. There was something about them that was almost magical. “I love the idea of having little boys with gray eyes like yours.” She’d even had a dream about holding a tiny baby, not more than a few weeks old. The baby opened its eyes and looked at her, and they were Tom’s eyes. “Read me the poem.”
Tom looked over his shoulder to see if the waitress was close while carefully unfolding the piece of paper. Having this poem get back to his brothers was the last thing he needed! He dropped his voice to a whisper as he read it aloud.
“I needed ideas for proposing,
But the truth is I have not any.
How will I find the perfect words
To ask to marry my Penny?
I want to rhyme about flowers,
But I really don’t know how.
Instead I’ll give you this ring.
Will you marry me now?”
When he got to the part about the ring, he pulled a small jewelers box from his breast pocket, opening it for her. Penny gasped when she saw the diamond sparkling at her. She no longer felt like laughing as her eyes met his. “The ring is beautiful.”
“It was my grandmother’s. She gave it to me to give to my wife. Well?”
Penny looked from the ring to his face and back again. “I…” He’d proposed nicely as she’d asked. His poem was awful, of course, but the sentiment was obviously there. “Yes, I’ll marry you.” As soon as she said the words, she felt like she could breathe again.
“When?”
She shrugged. “I think we should make Edna Petunia happy and give her three months to plan the wedding. It means so much to her.”
He sighed. “Do we have to? I want to marry you now. Today!”
Penny shook her head adamantly. “I can’t do that to her. She’s been too kind to me.”
Penny (Orlan Orphans Book 6) Page 5
