A Groom's Promise

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  Pete tapped her arm, his eyebrow raised.

  “I should add, he’s also very curious about the world around him,” Ada said. “Though you can’t blame him for that.”

  “No, you can’t,” Maybell agreed as Ada turned to sign what she’d just said to Pete. Then, because Jack hadn’t been around when she’d met Ada, Maybell told Jack, “Pete grew up here, not far from where I live, but I hardly ever saw him. If I did, he was with his family. But it was only last year Ada came out here to marry him, and I learned he couldn’t hear. That’s why his family kept him away from others so much. They were afraid someone might send him to an institution because he was different. You can’t really fault his family. They didn’t realize he couldn’t hear. They thought he was…” She hesitated, wondering what the right word might be.

  “They thought he was like a child in intellect,” Ada finished for her.

  “It took Ada a little while to figure out he’s not. But that just goes to show how people can be around someone their entire lives and not see what’s really going on. That’s one reason it’s good we’re all different. What one person misses, another sees.”

  Jack made eye contact with her then, and for the life of her, it seemed her entire world might come to a complete stop. His eyes were really the most beautiful shade of brown. It was a deep, rich color. She didn’t think a lot of people considered brown to be a lovely color, but she did, probably because it was the color of her horse.

  Noting that everyone else was almost done eating, she quickly picked up her fork and started eating her slice of pie. It was just as her pa said: she could talk to the point where she forgot to eat. And with the way Jack liked to work, he was probably anxious to get back to his chores.

  She honestly couldn’t recall a time when anyone was as dedicated to their job as him. After a moment, she swallowed her pie then asked him, “Do you like it here?” Before he could take her question the wrong way, she clarified, “Pa said you didn’t grow up on a farm.” With a glance at Ada, who was signing to Pete what she was saying, she added, “Jack’s family made shoes.” She turned her attention back to Jack. “I hope you don’t mind I told them that.”

  Jack, who’d finished eating, put down his glass. After a moment, he said, “It’s alright.”

  She couldn’t be sure, but she thought it took him a lot of effort to say those two simple words clearly.

  He shifted in the chair. “I,” he paused and took a deep breath, “like it here.”

  “I’m glad,” she replied. Maybe, just maybe, there was a chance he’d want to stay. Mindful to ease his nerves, she turned her gaze back to Ada. “You won’t believe it, but Jack came from Virginia, just like you did.”

  “Did he?” Ada asked, looking at Jack. “I came from Charles City. Where did you come from?”

  “S-s-same.” Jack’s face went red, and he lowered his gaze to the plate.

  “Really?” Ada chuckled and signed for Pete’s benefit. “It’s a small world. Who would have thought I’d come all the way to Lincoln only to meet someone who came from my hometown?”

  “It is a small world,” Maybell added, hoping to make Jack feel better. He really didn’t need to be so embarrassed over a little stuttering. “I can’t wait to tell Pa.”

  “The men in my family worked in the factory,” Ada said. “We lived in a crowded apartment. I was so glad to come out here. It’s the first time I’d ever been in a house. It was like a dream come true. Did you live in an apartment like me, or did you have a house?”

  Maybell bit her lower lip, wondering if she should suggest Ada not ask him so many questions, especially since his face only turned a brighter shade of red.

  He finished his lemonade and set the cup on the table, nearly knocking it over.

  Maybell grabbed it. “I got it,” she assured him.

  She gave him a smile, but it didn’t seem to lessen his discomfort. “House,” Pete told Ada. He swallowed then added, “Small.” Clearing his throat, he stood up. He opened his mouth to speak but then closed it and gave a sign that meant thank you.

  Maybell blinked in surprise. He was a faster learner than she was. He’d already picked up a sign in the short time he’d been around Pete.

  He was out the door before anyone could stop him, and though she couldn’t be sure, she thought he dropped something on the porch. But then she heard the sound of him shuffling around, which she was sure meant he was putting it back in place.

  When she looked at her friends, she saw Pete signing to Ada, his actions so fast, it was hard to tell what he was saying. Ada was just as bad, signing in time to keep up with him.

  Maybell could only guess what the two were saying. She didn’t sense they were making fun of Jack, but she wondered if others did when he stumbled around.

  Fred banged the table of his highchair, and everyone’s attention went to him.

  Ada sighed and gave him the rest of his food. “I’m sorry, Maybell. Sometimes Pete and I get to talking, and it’s hard to remember others are in the room.”

  “Oh, I don’t mind,” Maybell said as she stood up to collect the empty plates. “You two talk as much as you need to. I’ll clean up then we can visit for a while.”

  “I was telling him Jack came from Virginia, just like me. Pete also said he can tell Jack is nervous and hopes we didn’t do anything to make things worse for him.”

  “Jack is incredibly shy. I don’t know what to say or do to make him feel more at ease around us. Maybe he doesn’t want to be included in the conversation. Maybe he just wants to listen.”

  “I don’t know. It seems that everyone wants to be involved. How else will they feel like they belong?”

  Maybell nodded. Her friend made a good point. “I wish I knew what to do.”

  “I do, too.” Ada got up and collected the rest of the plates. Pete signed to her, and then she turned to Maybell. “Would you like Pete to go back out with Jack?”

  “It would be nice to sit and talk with you for a while,” Maybell replied. “And while Hugh is in town, Jack has no one to help him. My pa will be getting Hugh tomorrow.”

  Ada looked at Pete and nodded toward the door, indicating he could help Jack. As Pete left, the two took the dishes to the kitchen.

  “What is Hugh like?” Ada asked.

  “He’s nothing like Jack. He has no trouble talking and fitting in right away. I think my pa likes him more because of it. My ma was a talker, and I am, too. And you know how Pa can ramble when given the chance. I don’t think Pa knows what to do with someone who barely says anything.”

  “Pete doesn’t say much.”

  “No, but he’s deaf. He has an excuse. With Jack…” Maybell struggled to find the right way to word things. “Well, he runs off. You have to get him to come and talk. It makes it harder to get to know him.”

  “But you like him in spite of this?”

  “I do. He’s got such a kind look about him, and he wants to be useful. In the short time he’s been here, he’s fixed up a few things the other hired hands never got around to doing. Hugh is nice, too. Don’t get me wrong. But there’s a sweetness about Jack that is endearing.”

  Maybell’s cheeks warmed, and she glanced out the window. Pete and Jack stood in the doorway of the barn, and Jack was watching as Pete signed to him. Pete patted the side of the barn and made a sign. Jack repeated the sign. Maybell’s eyebrows furrowed. Jack didn’t seem intimidated with someone who signed. Was it because he had a tendency to stutter?

  “I think the two will be friends,” Ada mused from beside her.

  Maybell turned to her friend, who was also peering out the window, and laughed. “I think you’re right. Pete might be exactly what Jack needs to feel at home here.” Because there was no denying her pa intimidated him.

  “I think you’ll be good for Jack, too,” Ada said with an underlying chuckle in her voice.

  “I want to be.”

  “Which is why you will be.”

  With a smile, Maybell started w
ashing the dishes.

  Chapter Seven

  The next morning, Jack got dressed, eyeing Hugh’s bunk as he did so. When Hugh left, he said he’d be back shortly. Jack had expected him to return yesterday, or at least after supper. But he hadn’t. At what point did Jack start to worry?

  The door to the bunkhouse opened as Jack was fastening his overall strap, and Jack looked over, hoping it was Hugh. But it wasn’t. It was Archie.

  Trying to hide his disappointment, Jack said, “I-I don’t know where, um, Hugh is.”

  “I don’t know either. He should’ve been back by now.”

  Jack nodded, not sure what to say. Hugh had only told him he was going to the bank to settle things with Archie. He didn’t explain where he was going to go after that or how long he’d be gone.

  “We’ll go to town if he doesn’t show up this afternoon,” Archie said.

  Town? Archie couldn’t be serious. He had no idea how awkward things could get. Bumping into things and stuttering weren’t nearly as bad when he was around a couple of people. If Archie was anything like his father…

  Jack pushed the thought aside. The best thing he could do was stay here. “Do I have to go? I could stay here.” He gestured to the weathered board in the wall. “I could repair that.”

  “Would you look at me?”

  Jack did as Archie wished, and his gut clenched in dread. Archie wasn’t happy with him. Archie was giving him the same look his father often had.

  “Don’t you want to know what happened to your brother?” Archie pressed.

  “Y-yes.” Of course, he did. Jack cared about his brother, but Hugh could take care of himself. Between the two of them, he was far more capable of dealing with people.

  “Then we’ll need to go to town if he doesn’t return soon. Now, I think he’s fine, but we’re going to have to find out. Alright?”

  With no other recourse, Jack nodded. Archie had made up his mind and had decided that Jack would go whether Jack wanted to or not.

  “Let’s get to those chores,” Archie said. “Maybell is making breakfast. We want to be done before it’s time to eat.”

  There was no way Jack was going to eat. He’d take a horse out to the fields to check on the crops when she called him in for breakfast. It was enough he had to go to town later.

  With a heavy sigh, he watched as Archie left. Maybe things were going to be like they’d been in Virginia. Maybe Hugh and Jack left for nothing. And that was a shame, too, since Jack was beginning to think things actually would be different. Maybell and her friends had seemed to accept him, faults and all. But maybe it wouldn’t be that way with Archie.

  ***

  Toward the end of breakfast, Maybell glanced at the place where she’d set the food and coffee for Jack. “Did he say he was coming in here to eat?” she asked her pa.

  Her pa finished the last of his coffee and shook his head. “He didn’t say either way, but I’d assume he would. Where else is he going to eat?”

  She bit her lower lip, her attention going to the window. He wasn’t anywhere in sight. She had a nagging suspicion he wasn’t going to come in for breakfast.

  “What happened when you talked to him?” she asked.

  “Nothing.”

  “Didn’t you tell him something?”

  “Sure. I told him we’re going to go to town to see how Hugh’s doing.”

  Her eyebrows furrowed. “We? You mean you and me?”

  “No, of course not. I meant me and him. Hugh’s his brother. He must be wondering what happened to him.”

  She picked up her glass of milk, trying to decide whether or not to pursue this topic. It wasn’t that she was afraid to speak her mind. Her pa was a rare man, believing women were just as smart as men and deserved to be heard.

  “Pa,” she began, “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Jack is awfully shy. Can’t you go to town alone? It’ll be easier for him, and besides, it eases my work load when someone is here to do the outside chores.”

  “I know it does, but he needs to check on his brother.”

  “I don’t see why. It’s not like his brother is a child.”

  “No, but that’s his brother. For all we know, Hugh could be in trouble. It’s only right he look for him.”

  Maybell opened her mouth to protest, but he wiped his mouth with the napkin before placing it on the table.

  “Another delicious meal,” he said as he rose from the table. “I got to take care of a couple things before we head to town.”

  She settled for nodding while he left the room. She glanced, once more, out the window. Jack was still nowhere in sight, and his pancakes and bacon waited for him on his plate. The thought of going into town and seeing all the unfamiliar faces must have frightened him, especially since her pa made it clear it was something he had to do.

  She picked up the plate and carried it to the bunkhouse. She was sure Jack wouldn’t be there, but it wouldn’t hurt to leave the food for him to eat. And as she suspected, he wasn’t there. Curious, she went to the barn. He wasn’t there either, but she noticed one of the horses was gone. He must have checked the crops. Usually, her pa did that later in the day, but since he planned to check on Hugh that afternoon, Jack probably figured he would do this for him.

  “He might not like being around a lot of people, but he works harder than any hired hands we’ve ever had,” she said to herself.

  Surely, her pa would come to see this and appreciate it instead of expecting Jack to be more like the hired hands who liked to engage in social activities. Just what good had that done either her or her pa anyway? As soon as they found a more exciting job, they left. Maybe someone like Jack would appreciate the quiet life on the farm.

  She set the plate on the small table by Jack’s bunk then went back to the house to clean up. When she was done, she returned to the bunkhouse and was happy to see his plate was empty. She took it and walked to the barn, wondering if she might see him this time. And as luck would have it, she did. He was hammering a shelf into the barn wall. His back was to her, so she skirted around him, hoping not to startle him.

  “You’re real good at making improvements,” she said.

  Though he’d glanced at her as she approached, he slipped and the hammer hit his thumb.

  “Oh!” She quickly set the plate down and took his hand to inspect his thumb, which was red. Thankfully, he hadn’t hit it hard. “I’m sorry.”

  “I-it w-wasn’t your f-f-fault.”

  An annoyed sigh escaped his lips, but she knew he wasn’t annoyed with her. He was annoyed with himself. Still holding his hand, she smiled. “Jack, you have nothing to be embarrassed about. I don’t mind if you stutter.”

  Might as well come out and acknowledge it. The sooner she did, the sooner they could move on to other topics. Too many people avoided awkward subjects, but she saw no reason to.

  “You’re a smart, hardworking man,” she continued. “Why, I’ve never seen the barn in such good condition. And that chair you fixed is now better than the others. You have a wonderful gift, and I’m glad you’re sharing it with us.”

  She noted the slight drop of his jaw and hint of shock in his eyes. The poor man. Didn’t anyone ever give him a word of encouragement? No wonder he had the urge to hide all the time. Offering him another smile, she lowered her gaze to his thumb.

  “It’ll bruise up a bit,” she told him, brushing her finger over it. “I got an ointment that will speed up the healing. Come to the house with me, and I’ll get it.”

  “Well, I-”

  She sensed he was going to protest, so she wrapped her hand around his, gathered the plate, and led him out of the barn. “I won’t take no for an answer. It’s my fault this happened to you. The least you can do is let me take care of it.”

  She couldn’t be sure, but she thought he wasn’t as opposed to the whole thing as he was pretending to be. Yes, there was a hesitation in his step, and he murmured something about needing to keep working. But there was something in his
eyes no other man had had when he looked at her. It was the look she’d seen other men give other women. It was the same look Pete often gave Ada. It was desire. And it was a marvelous feeling to be looked at that way.

  Once they reached the house, she had him sit in the parlor chair. “Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back.”

  She patted him on the shoulder then hurried to the mudroom to retrieve the jar from the shelf over the washbasin. She returned to Jack, glad to see he hadn’t run off. There was a slight chance he would. He was such a nervous thing, but he chose to remain sitting, and she took that as a good sign. He just might really want to be with her after all.

  Pulling up the ottoman, she sat across from him and opened the lid to the jar. “This won’t hurt,” she said. “It’ll feel cool, but that’s all.”

  She scooped a bit of the ointment from the jar and gestured for him to hold his hand out to her.

  “I-I’m not afraid of pain,” he replied, his voice soft.

  She noticed he only stuttered once, and though his speech was a little slow, it wasn’t nearly as slow as it’d been when he’d had meals with her and her pa or Pete and Ada. Maybe it meant he was getting comfortable around her. If that was the case, she took it as a promising sign he wouldn’t mind marrying her.

  “I don’t like pain,” she said, taking his hand in hers. She rubbed the ointment lightly on his thumb. “I suppose you can say I’m a coward.”

  “I didn’t say I like pain. I d-don’t. I’m just not afraid of it.”

  “I should amend what I said earlier. I am afraid of it.”

  “No one can b-blame you for that. It hurts.”

  She chuckled. “It does. And I don’t think anyone wants to hurt.” She glanced up from his thumb and saw he was smiling. It wasn’t a forced one either. He was relaxed. “When you’re happy, your entire face lights up,” she said. “You’re a handsome man.”