Their father shook his head. “When I got here, the utensils were where they belonged.”
“Well, I am not eating with these.” Joel picked them up as if he were handling a dead rodent and pitched them into the sink.
“That’s it, Joel. You’re helping me with dishes,” their mother stated.
“What? Why?”
“Because you just made more work for me, young man.”
“But they had dog spit all over them.”
“Are you arguing with me?” She placed a hand on her hip and stared at him.
Joel sunk into the chair. “No, Ma.”
When Joel turned his attention to Tom, Tom raised his eyebrows and gave a slight smile. There. That should teach the little weasel to harass him. Tom hadn’t had a moment’s peace ever since Dave told everyone what happened. Too bad Dave witnessed the whole thing. He sighed. He really needed his own place. His two younger brothers were such a nuisance.
“So Tom,” their father began, “when are you going to get your own place?”
Tom inwardly groaned. Not this question again! “I’m waiting until I get engaged.”
“Oh great,” Joel muttered to Dave. “We’ll never get rid of him.”
“Joel,” his father warned.
Fifteen-year-old Jenny entered the house. “I’m done hanging the laundry. Tom, I’m sorry but I couldn’t get that hair off your shirt without cutting it. I’ll sew it back up after supper.”
Tom decided to ignore his brothers’ quiet chuckles.
While their mother and Jenny set the food on the table, their father cleared his throat and looked in Tom’s direction. “You’re already twenty. It’s about time you thought about owning your own land. Not everyone waits until they’re ready to get married to get established. Your brother Richard lived by himself for two years before he met Amanda.”
“I know,” Tom grudgingly admitted.
The men waited until the women were seated before they said grace and started to eat.
Their mother shook her head at her husband. “There’s no hurry in any of this.” She patted Tom on the arm, which only succeeded in making him feel like a child. “Don’t rush into anything.”
Across the table, Joel pressed his hand to his heart and pretended to cry.
Tom straightened in his chair and grabbed a roll before the other hounds ate them all. “Look, it’s not that I don’t want to get out of here. I just don’t have enough money yet.”
“What do you mean, you don’t have enough money?” Dave asked after he took a drink of water. “You’ve been saving up for two years.”
He sighed. He had to use a good chunk of that money to buy a present for Jessica so he could make up for his blunder at the dance. Otherwise, he’d never be able to look at himself in the mirror again. But he didn’t care to explain that to his little brother!
“Never mind, Dave,” their father said.
Dave shrugged and returned to buttering his roll.
“I’ll tell you what,” their father continued. “I’ll let you start building on that space of land east of here that you said you like. We can even help. A sod house is all you need to get started, and it’s relatively inexpensive. In the meantime, I’ll find some work for you to do to pay me back.”
Tom thought over the plan as he tore the roll apart. The dog nudged his leg, so he quickly slipped a piece of it to him when no one was looking. He quickly patted the dog’s head and chewed the other half of the roll.
He really had hoped to find a bride before he made arrangements for his own land and house, but what if his family’s fears were going to come true? What if he never found a wife? Did he really want to grow old and die here...in his parents’ home?
“Alright,” he finally agreed.
“Yay!” Joel cheered.
Their mother shot him a ‘be quiet’ look.
“We’ll get started in November,” their father stated.
That soon? Tom thought they were talking about next year.
Their father picked up his cup of coffee and said, “That way we don’t have to rush the rest of the harvest or the planting season next year.”
It made sense. But still, Tom didn’t relish the thought of living alone...even if his brothers were a big nuisance. Sighing, he finished his meal.
Chapter Three
Jessica sat on the swing on her front porch, trying to read the book in her hands, but she couldn’t concentrate on it. Though three days had passed, she still couldn’t get Tom Larson out of her mind. Maybe that was because every time she touched or looked at her hair, she remembered why she had to cut it. That, of course, led to thoughts of Tom.
When she saw a young man walking down the road toward her house, she thought he was Tom simply because he’d been on her mind a lot. Then, as he got closer, she realized that it was Tom, and he was holding a package in his hands. Was he coming to see her? She quickly adjusted her shirt and skirt and straightened up. Why did she even care how she appeared? He may not be coming by to see her. And even if he was... Well, why should that excite her?
She picked up the book and turned her attention to the words on the page in front of her. She read the first sentence three times before she realized that, though she was reading it, she really didn’t know what it said. This was ridiculous. It was just Tom Larson. And she was engaged to Peter. Oh good grief. What was wrong with her?
Tom halted in front of the porch and cleared his throat.
She pretended to be startled and glanced up.
He shifted from one foot to the other. “I hope...I mean, can I...?” He motioned to the top of the porch.
Realizing what he was trying to say, she nodded. “Come on up.”
He lumbered up the steps and stood in front of her. “I wanted to apologize for the other night. You know. Your hair. I can see that you had to cut it.”
His contrite expression made her smile. Shrugging, she said, “It was due for a trim.” Suddenly, it didn’t seem like a big deal. It was just hair after all. It would grow back. She scooted over. “Would you like a seat?”
“Thank you.” He sat next to her, keeping a safe distance between them and held the box to her. “I thought that this..gift...might help...you know, with your hair and all.”
She had to admit that she was flattered he seemed to be shy around her. Not that it meant much. He was shy around every lady he came across, from what she’d seen. Still, it was nice that he cared so much about what she thought. She took the box and thanked him. She lifted the lid, surprised by the number of items in it. There were several ribbons, three bonnets, a brush, a comb, four barrettes, and a hat.
“I wasn’t sure what you like to wear, so I picked up everything I found at the mercantile. I hope something in there is to your liking.”
She laughed. It was a sweet gesture. “A simple apology is enough, but I do like all of these.”
He looked relieved.
“Try not to feel bad about what happened. I know you didn’t mean to do it.”
He smiled. “I appreciate that. I see that you’re reading. I won’t take up anymore of your time.”
“Wait,” she said as he began to stand up. She placed the lid back on the box. “Do you have to go somewhere?”
“No. I mean, I do have to get back to my pa’s farm, but that can wait.”
“Would you like to have something to eat and drink? It is around noon.”
He seemed surprised by her invitation. “Are you sure?”
She stood up. “I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t mean it. I can make you a quick bite to eat and some coffee to drink before you head back home.”
“That’s really nice of you.”
“It’s the least I can do for a man who bought me all these gifts.” She opened the screen door and motioned for him to follow her. “I can’t get you anything out here.”
He immediately jumped up and joined her as she went into the house.
“Ma?” she called out. “We have a guest.�
� She turned to him and smiled. “Go ahead and make yourself comfortable in the parlor. I’m going to put this in my bedroom.”
He nodded and stepped into the other room, so she headed down the hallway. As soon as she placed the box on her dresser, her mother entered her room.
“That’s not Peter,” her mother whispered before she shut the door so they could speak in private.
Jessica rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “I know that, Ma.”
“Who is he?”
“Tom Larson.”
“Tom La-” She shook her head, looking bewildered. “But what is he doing here?”
“He came to apologize about my hair. Look. He even bought me a present. Wasn’t that nice of him? No man has ever been that considerate before.” She took out the hat and put it on her head. “It really is a lovely shade of blue, don’t you think?”
The woman frowned. “I don’t know if it’s wise to accept that gift, honey. I mean, what if he gets the wrong idea?”
“If I didn’t take the gift, he would’ve been hurt.”
“Maybe. But what will Peter think?”
She placed the hat in the box and took out a barrette. Deciding to pull the sides of her hair back, she snapped the barrette in place and brushed her hair so it fell slightly over her shoulders. “You know what Peter will think. You heard him call Tom a bumbling idiot,” she continued, her tone sharp. It still bothered her that Peter said that.
“Granted, it was wrong for him to say that, but he is your fiancé. You shouldn’t be accepting gifts from other men and entertaining them when you’re already engaged. It’s not proper.”
She sighed. “It’s just a lunch, Ma. It’s only right that I give him something to eat and drink during the lunch hour. Besides, you’re here. There will be no misconstruing the situation.”
“You aren’t planning to make a habit of this, are you?”
Jessica set the brush down by the box, refusing to look her mother in the eye.
“Jessica?”
“I’m not thinking of a romantic attachment, but I do think the poor man needs help. He can’t dance and he keeps bumping into people. If I taught him how to be...less awkward...in social situations, I’d be doing all women a favor. Who knows? Maybe I can even find him a wife.”
“Peter’s really not going to like this.”
Jessica’s face flushed with anger. “Who cares?”
The woman gasped and put her hand up to her mouth.
She groaned. “What I mean is that maybe it’s time to show people like Peter and Margaret that Tom isn’t as idiotic as they say.”
“You must be careful because if you’re not, people will get the wrong idea.”
“Why do you think I’m telling you this? The fact that you know what I’m doing is proof that there’s nothing underhanded going on.” She went to the door and opened it. “You’ll be with us at lunch, and you can verify that everything we will discuss is innocent. I’m thinking Tom might like some of those leftover pork chops if we put some of that apple glaze on them.”
“That’s a fancy dish for lunch.”
“Look at all those things he gave me,” she whispered, motioning to her dresser. “I don’t know how much he spent, but it couldn’t have been easy for a farmer’s son to come up with that kind of money.”
“We’ll have to give him some cake for dessert too. Though,” her mother stopped her before she could leave, “you can’t accept anymore gifts from him.”
“I won’t.”
As soon as Jessica and her mother arrived in the parlor, Tom stood up from his chair. “Hello, Mrs. Reynolds,” he greeted. He fiddled with the hat in his hands and shifted from one foot to the other.
“Hello, Tom. That was a very lovely gesture to give Jessica something because of the mishap.” She glanced at Jessica. “I’ll get lunch prepared. Jessica, you should take Tom out to the porch and keep him company while I get the food ready.”
“But I thought I was going to help,” Jessica argued. Especially, since it was her idea to invite him to eat.
“And leave the boy bored? That won’t do. Go on.”
“Alright.” She looked at Tom. “Would you like to come back out to the porch?”
“Yes. Sure.” He placed the hat back on his head and walked forward.
Jessica turned toward the front door when she heard her mother gasp. She glanced back in time to see Tom trip on the rug. He managed to steady himself but the rug pulled the small table along the floor and sent the vase teetering. Her mother caught the vase before it fell off the table. Clutching the heirloom to her chest, she breathed an audible sigh of relief.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I...I didn’t realize the edge of the rug was in front of the chair.” His face grew red. “Well, I mean, I saw it, but then I took a step forward and my foot-”
Her mother smiled. “That’s alright. Everything is fine.” She set the vase back on the table and smoothed the rug out. “See? It’s like it never happened.”
“Come on, Tom.” Jessica waved him forward as she did a quick scan of the floor. It looked clear of any potential obstacles. She decided it was best if she held the door open for him. She realized that this wasn’t exactly how things were done, but she didn’t want to take any chances with the porcelain figurines on the shelf in the entryway.
Tom managed past her without incident.
Before Jessica could join him on the swing, her mother gently tugged on her arm. “What is it?” Jessica asked.
“Be careful,” her mother whispered.
“Why? There’s nothing out there that can break.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
Just as Jessica was going to ask for clarity, her mother turned and strode to the kitchen. She shrugged and joined Tom on the swing.
Chapter Four
Tom watched as Jessica sat next to him. His body warmed from their close proximity. He hoped she didn’t notice. She was the prettiest young woman he’d ever seen. Part of him couldn’t believe she was even talking to him. It almost seemed like a dream, except in his dreams he wasn’t clumsy around females.
“It’s a nice day,” he said, trying to think of something she might be interested in hearing. “It’s perfect weather for September. Not too hot and not too cold.” He tapped his thumb on his knee. “I guess it’s that time of year though. I mean, now that August is gone, the hot days are pretty much behind us.”
“Yes. And just think last week I had to wear a shawl. I don’t think summer is over quite yet.”
“Probably not.” He sighed. He was no good at making small talk, and it didn’t help that he couldn’t think straight with her being next to him. Here was his chance to make up for the dance, and he was ruining it.
“I like the barrette. Did you notice I’m wearing it?”
No, he hadn’t but he shifted back so he could see it and nodded. “It looks nice.” Good one, Tom. The weather’s nice. She looks nice. Can’t you think of a better word than ‘nice’?
“Everything you gave me is lovely.” She glanced at her hands which were neatly folded in her lap. “You do know that you didn’t have to get me those things, right?”
He wasn’t sure. She’d looked so horrified when she realized she would have to cut her hair that it reminded him of his mother when she got so upset his father went right out to get her a present to apologize for upsetting her. He figured it wouldn’t hurt to try the same thing. And it hadn’t. In fact, it seemed to work out great since she invited him for lunch.
“Anyway,” she continued, “just so you know that when something happens and a girl gets upset with you for something, you don’t have to spend money to make amends.”
“Oh. Alright,” he slowly responded, not sure where she was going with this. Did she mean that she wasn’t interested in him?
“So...when do you start digging up the crops?”
He blinked. “You mean the harvest?”
“Yes, that’s the term. You’ll have to forgive me. I
don’t have many dealings with farmers or their sons.”
“But I’ve seen you a couple of times dancing out at the barn.”
“Because my friend Margaret doesn’t want to go alone. She doesn’t have any sisters of courting age to go with.”
He refrained from rolling his eyes. He wished he could go alone. Having Dave and Jenny go along with him was like having his personal journalist taking notes on everything he was doing. Dave and Jenny had to come back home and tell everyone everything that happened. Tom really had to get his own home. Well, at least they weren’t here right now. So if he made a fool of himself, no one would harass him about it.
Turning his attention back to Jessica, he asked, “Was Margaret the one who cut your hair?”
“Yes.”
He recalled the angry brunette in vivid detail. He thought fire was going to come out of her mouth. Some women were too scary, but he decided to keep that thought to himself.
A few moments of uncomfortable silence passed before she spoke. “Would you like me to teach you how to dance?”
He turned to her in interest. He’d hope to see her again, but he hadn’t expected her to actually say yes when he asked her. He wasn’t planning on asking her until after lunch though. There was no sense in spoiling a meal if she said no. But here she was asking him. Resisting the urge to leap off the swing and holler his good fortune, he restrained his excitement enough to simply reply, “Yes. That would be fine.”
She smiled. “When can you come out? I don’t want to get in the way of harvesting. I heard you spend all day in the fields.”
“Well, we officially start in two weeks. I can come any time before then.”
“Oh. Let’s see. I think three days from now will work. What do you think?”
What did he think? He pinched himself. No. He wasn’t dreaming. “Sure. When should I come by?”
“How about lunch? Or would supper work better?”
“I can get away whenever. I’m sure my pa will be alright with it.” He winced. That made him sound like a child instead of a grown man who was ready to take on the responsibility of his own farm and family. “What I mean is that I don’t think whatever I have to do will be so pressing that I can’t get away.” No. That really didn’t sound better. Well, maybe a little better...but not a whole lot. “I’m an adult of course. I mean, it’s not like my pa is still telling me what to do. I’m twenty. It’s just that...” Oh great. Now he was rambling on like a moron.
A Bride for Tom Page 2
