Jack was in the process of buttoning his shirt when someone knocked on the door. He stopped. Was it Archie? Did the man notice his attraction for Maybell? Was he in trouble?
“Jack, are in there?” came Maybell’s voice.
Relaxing, he said, “Yes. I’ll be there in a minute.”
He quickly finished fastening his overalls then went to the door. When he opened it, he saw the plate with a sandwich and a slice of pie in her hands. His stomach rumbled, something he hoped she didn’t hear.
“Pa wouldn’t let me bring you oatmeal this morning.” She passed him and put the plate on the small table. “I’m sorry you had to go to church hungry. Can you forgive me?” She turned to face him, her eyes begging him to understand.
“There’s nothing to forgive,” he replied. “I know I should go into the house and eat there. It’s just hard without my brother.”
Glancing away her from her, he hurried to his bed and slipped his boots on. He’d said too much. Now she was going to think he was as pathetic as her pa did. What woman wanted a man who needed his brother around all the time?
To his surprise, she came over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her and didn’t see the condemnation he’d seen from others. Instead, he saw the same thing he had with his mother: acceptance. And immediately, he felt much better.
“You and your brother are close, aren’t you?” she asked, her voice soft.
He nodded. “He’s been there for me since I was born. He’s two years older than me. We didn’t fight as you’d expect brothers to do while growing up.”
“That’s good. When I was a little girl, I wanted a brother or sister more than anything else. It got awfully lonely out here on the farm with no one to play with or help with the chores. I made one up, but it wasn’t the same. You and your brother have a wonderful friendship. I could tell how close you two were the day you came here.”
“I don’t know what I’d do without him.”
“Hopefully, you’ll never have to find out.” She gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze then smiled. “I better get back into the house before Pa notices I’m missing. I’ll get your plate later. And you don’t need to worry about this evening. I’ll bring something out before Pa comes in from the fields.”
“You don’t have to do that,” he said as she turned to leave. She faced him, a question in her eyes, so he explained, “I’ll go in there this evening.” He pointed to the house.
“I don’t mind bringing your food out here.”
“I know, and I appreciate your kindness. But it’s alright. I can be there.” He took a deep breath to settle his racing heart. “Even if Hugh isn’t at the table, y-you’ll be.”
Her smile widened. “What is your favorite meal, Jack?”
“I like everything you make.”
“Thank you, but I’d like to make your favorite dish.”
“Oh, well, I’m partial to your fried chicken and mashed potatoes.”
“I’ll make those and some cookies.”
She gave him another one of those smiles that made him stop everything he was doing and concentrate solely on her. She brushed aside a wisp of her red hair then turned to the door. He remained still as he watched her leave, her hips swaying gently from side to side. As before, his body responded to her.
Face warm, he lowered his gaze. He had no right to be thinking of her that way. She was only being kind to him. She had a good heart. That much was obvious from how well she accepted him, faults and all. It was how she was. It didn’t mean she wanted him in the same way he wanted her.
That girl back in Virginia had done the same types of things. She’d given Jack smiles and treats, had even talked to him as if she cared. And she had cared. It would be unfair to think she didn’t. But she cared as a friend. Hugh had been the one she’d wanted to marry.
Releasing his breath, Jack went to the house and sat down at the dining room table. Had he not been so hungry, he would have skipped it. Unlike Hugh, he didn’t always feel up to eating. But while he ate, he couldn’t stop thinking of Maybell.
She was being nice. That’s all there was to it, and he was glad for it. Because she was doing everything she could to make him feel comfortable, the least he could do was make things easier for her. She didn’t need to risk upsetting her pa for his sake. He’d go to the house and eat the rest of his meals there, no matter how uncomfortable he got.
And soon—maybe tomorrow—Hugh would be back. Then eating with Archie would be even less intimidating. He just hoped Hugh didn’t marry her. He didn’t know if he could spend the rest of his life here if the two fell in love, got married, and had children. He’d much rather she end up with someone else. The sting wouldn’t be so hard.
Forcing aside these thoughts, he turned his attention to the food and ate.
Chapter Ten
The next day, Hugh did return, and dinner was easier to get through because Archie could talk to him. This allowed Jack a reprieve from the older man’s stares or trying to come up with something to say when Archie asked him something.
Jack hated that he was letting Archie intimidate him. He’d let so many people intimidate him in the past. As much as he wanted to stop it, he didn’t know how. Hiding was the only thing he could really think of, but he also knew he couldn’t keep hiding forever. Archie was right. Hugh was right. At some point, he was going to have to stand up and act like a man. If only he knew how they could do it while making it look easy.
Trying not to give into the familiar feeling of despair that’d been his constant companion in Virginia, Jack followed Hugh to the bunkhouse. He sat on the bench by the potbelly stove while they got ready for bed.
“Glad to have you back,” Jack said.
“It’s good to be here.”
His brother finished changing into his nightclothes and sat next to him, an indication he wanted to ask him something. Curious, Jack turned his gaze to him and waited for him to speak.
“Jack, have you ever been in love with a woman?”
“Yep, there was Millie. I asked to court her but she preferred you. Women just don’t go for men like me.”
Hugh gave him a good-natured jab in the arm. “Jack, don’t believe that. There’s a lady out there for you. Even old Mr. Brown who smelt to high heaven, chewed tobacco all the time, and walked with a limp found that homely woman Daisy to marry. Remember nothing is impossible with God.”
Good heavens. Jack hoped he was a better catch than Mr. Brown! Despite the tense couple days with Archie, Jack chuckled. “You’ve got me with that one. Still, I don’t know who would want me. I’m not much to look at.”
“But Jack, you’re fixing this and repairing that. Your clothes are bound to have holes.”
He gestured to Jack’s worn shirt and denims, which showed their use. The clothes must have made quite the sight to Maybell tonight at supper. No doubt, she’d seen better. And who knew what a contrast he’d made to Hugh who’d been wearing a suit. No wonder women preferred Hugh. He dressed better, looked better, and talked better. Overall, Hugh was just…well…better.
“It’s been a long day,” Hugh said with a yawn.
Jack hesitated to say anything, especially since it was something men probably shouldn’t say to each other, even if they were brothers. But the last couple of days had only proven how much he valued his friendship with his brother. So why not just let Hugh know? Then if something serious did happen—like it had with their mother—there’d be no regrets over things not said when they had the chance to talk. “I really was worried about you when you didn’t come back.”
“I know,” Hugh replied in a way that told Jack he didn’t mind hearing it, and Jack relaxed, glad his brother didn’t think he was weak. After a moment, Hugh asked, “What do you think of Maybell?”
Surprised Hugh chose to take the conversation in this direction, Jack ventured, “Well, she reminds me of Ma. Awfully nice, and she’s even prettier than Millie.”
“Jack, do you know ho
w to get a woman’s attention?”
Despite the heat rising up his neck, Jack forced out, “No, I haven’t thought about such things.”
“Well, women like flowers and I bet Maybell would, too.”
His eyebrows furrowed. “Flowers? Maybell?” Was his brother trying to fix him up with Maybell?
“Uh-huh.”
“I – I don’t know. What if she rejects me?” What if she told him she’d rather be with Hugh like Millie had? Was it wise to be open with his feelings for her, at least until he had a better idea if there was even a small chance she might return them?
“There are some mums blooming outside the house. We’ll pick those then we’ll give them to Maybell with a note from you.” He paused then added, “And, I’ll get one of the crystal vases from the buffet. That way you don’t need to worry about breaking anything.”
Jack thought about saying no, that he’d rather not, but he caught the encouragement in his brother’s eyes. Hugh was good with people. He picked up on their subtle cues better than Jack did. Maybe Hugh suspected Maybell had an interest in him. If that was the case, Jack would be wise to take his brother’s advice before someone else came along and snatched her up.
Jack took a deep breath to steady his nerves. And if she liked getting the flowers, he’d know there was a chance she might not mind him courting her.
“Come on, Jack. You won’t know unless you try.”
He studied his brother’s hopeful expression. Their ma often said people regretted things they never did more than things they tried. And if it didn’t work, if she did prefer someone else, it wasn’t like he had to stay in this bunkhouse forever. He and Hugh would have their own house soon on their own land. So he’d barely have to see her.
“Alright,” Jack agreed. “I’ll do it in the morning.”
***
Before dawn came, Hugh shook Jack awake. “Come on,” he said. “We need to get those flowers before Maybell wakes up.”
The reminder of giving her flowers brought Jack immediately out of sleep. His eyes flew open, and he bolted out of bed. He had no idea how she’d respond to his gesture, but Hugh was right. He had to take the chance. He couldn’t spend his life hiding. Besides, if he did this, then he’d know. Even if things hadn’t worked with Millie, at least he’d taken the risk. And Maybell was worth the risk. Much more so than Millie had been.
Jack sorted through the clothes in his trunk, looking for the new pair of denims he hadn’t worn yet. If he was going to do this, he wanted to look his best, and he couldn’t wear his church suit when he had chores to do. So he had to make do with what else he had. Fortunately, he’d thought to buy some new clothes before they left Virginia.
Finding the new denims, he pulled them out and put them on. Afterwards, he washed up at the washbasin in front of the small mirror and took his time shaving. Today wouldn’t be good for any cuts. Once he finished this task, he combed his hair, adding clean water to his comb to help the few errant strands stay down.
“You’ll be wearing a hat,” Hugh said from where he waited by the door, ready to head out.
“I know. I want everything to be perfect.” Or at least as perfect as it could be. It might be the thing that’d help her see something in him worth marrying. “Archie’s been saying it’s important to look our best. Maybell probably thinks that way, too. He put his hat on and studied his reflection in the small mirror.”
“You look good, Jack. You can’t do anything else to make yourself look better.”
“I got to write a note,” Jack called out.
Hugh poked his head out of the bunkhouse. “A note?”
“Sure. Then she’ll know they’re from me.”
Hugh hesitated then nodded. “That’s a good plan.”
Jack looked out the window and saw the sky was just beginning to light up. “You think I should put the flowers in the vase and set them on the kitchen table since they’re from me?”
“No!”
Surprised by the panicked tone in his brother’s voice, Jack took his gaze off the sky and turned it to his brother. What was that about?
Hugh let out an uneasy laugh. “There’s no reason to risk breaking the vase. You’ll be nervous if you have to put the flowers on the table, won’t you?”
“Well, yes.” There was always the chance Archie would wake up early and catch him sneaking into the house.
“Then I’ll do it for you. Maybell will see the note and know it’s from you.”
“That’s true. Alright. We’ll do it that way.”
And it was one less thing he had to worry about messing up. Relieved, Jack focused on the task of writing the note. Since he didn’t find any paper in the desk, he tore off a small piece of cardboard from the box in the corner of the room and picked up the pen from the small desk.
He twirled the pen between his fingers as he thought over what he might say that would give him the best chance she’d accept his suit. He needed to tell her how he felt, but he had to do it in such a way where she wouldn’t laugh at him. From the door, Hugh let out a sigh but didn’t say anything. Jack knew his brother was in a hurry to do this, but he had to be careful. So much was riding on this one note. This was even more important than the flowers.
After a couple of awkward minutes, an idea came to Jack, and he wrote the note. He put the pen down and read over it. Hopefully, it would have the desired effect.
“Are you ready yet?” Hugh asked.
With a nod, Jack stood up. “Yes, I’m ready.”
Noting the relief on his brother’s face, he followed him out of the bunkhouse. The morning air was brisk, a testament that autumn was soon coming, but Jack was too nervous to pay heed to the chill. In fact, the closer they got to the flowerbed in front of the house, the warmer he felt.
He tugged on his collar and released his breath. He could do it. The hard part was over. He’d written the note. All he had to do was pick the flowers. Then Hugh could take them in for him.
“Thanks for helping me do this,” Jack said, keeping his voice low in case he woke up either Archie or Maybell.
“I’m just glad you’re doing this,” Hugh replied. He held out a pair of scissors. “You’ll need these to cut the flowers.”
Jack smiled as he accepted the scissors. Hugh was always good to him, looking out for him and helping him. And now he was helping him court the woman of his dreams. No one could ask for a better brother.
Jack knelt down and studied the assortment of orange, yellow, and burgundy flowers. They were ideal for autumn, and he thought Maybell would be happy with them. But he needed the perfect ones. It wouldn’t do to give her anything less than the best.
After he was done, Hugh took the flowers and his note. Well, that was it. All Jack could do now was wait for Maybell to either let him know she liked his gift or not. Jack hurried to the bunkhouse before he lost his nerve and made Hugh give him the flowers and note back. He needed to do this. If he didn’t, he’d regret it. At least this way, he’d know if Maybell had any interest in him, and he’d get her answer soon enough.
Chapter Eleven
Maybell was on her way to the kitchen to make breakfast when she saw the beautiful arrangement of yellow and orange mums in the vase. Her lips curled up into a smile. Could they be for her? Surely, no one would bring flowers in here just to brighten the room. This had to be a romantic gesture.
She went over to them and picked up the vase to see if there was a note, but she didn’t see anything.
Her pa came into the dining room, and she turned to him. “Pa, someone left me flowers.”
“Who are they from?”
“I don’t know. There’s no card or anything.”
Shaking his head, he chuckled. “Jack’s been here all this time, and you never got any flowers. No, I bet they’re from Hugh.”
Hugh? Suddenly, the bouquet didn’t look quite so lovely anymore. “You think so?”
“Sure. I think that boy’s taken a liking to you.”
She put the vase back down. Why would Hugh be interested in her? She didn’t say that much to him. She’d spent a lot more time with Jack.
“Hugh’s a good one, Maybell,” her pa said. “He’s honest, kind, good looking… He’ll be a good husband and father.” He gave her a pat on the back and walked on by her to go to the kitchen. “You can’t do better than him.”
Yes, she could. She could get Jack. She was sure she had a chance with him. At least, she thought she did. Did Jack know Hugh gave her flowers? Hugh had done this so early, she bet Jack had been sleeping. But did Hugh tell Jack he was going to give her flowers?
Her gaze went back to the flowers, which had been carefully cut. And what if her pa was wrong? What if these were from Jack? They were cut with great care. Jack often did work that way. He was deliberate and exact in everything he repaired.
She hoped they were from Jack. Yes, Hugh was nice and honorable, and he’d no doubt make someone a good husband. But Jack had a charm about him that endeared her to him, and he had the most adorable dimples when he smiled. Also, though she’d never admit it to anyone, her heart raced a little faster whenever he was near.
“You have to go with your heart on these matters, Maybell,” she told herself.
Maybell just didn’t feel that way when Hugh was around. She liked him well enough, but she didn’t think she could ever think of him in a romantic way. Her gaze went back to the flowers, and she prayed they were from Jack.
***
Jack’s heart wouldn’t stop racing. It hadn’t stopped racing when Hugh had taken the flowers into the house with his note carefully tucked away in them. All through breakfast, he wondered if she’d read his card, and he wondered, even more, if he’d just made a huge mistake.
When Hugh suggested he give Maybell flowers, it seemed like a good idea, an innocent way to let her know he liked her. But now that the deed had been done, Jack’s gut knotted up and he had trouble eating. Next to him, Hugh practically gulped his food down. No matter the situation, Hugh could eat. Many times, Jack envied him.
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