“Oh, good evening, Jessica,” he said. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Peter? Is that Jessica?” his mother called from another room.
“Yes.”
“Good! Bid her to come right in!”
“Well, you heard Mother. Come on in.”
Jessica hesitated. “I don’t think so, Peter. I need to speak with you alone. Maybe...” She didn’t want to take him to her house where her mother would feel compelled to keep him for a drink or snack. She glanced at the rocking chairs on the porch. “We should talk out here.”
“But it’s chilly out.”
“It’s not too bad. I was just wearing a shawl.”
He looked uneasy. “Yes, but you don’t catch ill as easily as I do.”
She sighed. Maybe she should just tell him here. It wasn’t like she had a long message for him. All she needed to do was tell him that she was going to marry Tom Larson instead. Really, the whole thing could be said in less than a minute. Straightening her back, she said, “Never mind. What I have to say won’t take long anyway. You see, I-”
His mother ran up to the door before Jessica had a chance to continue. She reached out and grabbed Jessica by the hand. “I’m so glad you’re here! I was ready to send Peter on a search for you. Now come along. I have something very important to discuss.”
“But-” Jessica began.
“This simply can’t wait. I’ve been at my wits end trying to find the best solution. You have to help. Peter keeps saying that it’s up to me, but I don’t know what to do. I’m a complete mess, I tell you!”
Jessica glanced back at Peter who shrugged and shut the door.
Connie led her to the kitchen and showed her two sets of napkins. With a loud sigh, she pointed to them. “For our wedding reception, I just don’t know which pattern to go with. Which do you think would compliment my pink dress better: the flower petals or the whole rose? You do know which pink dress I’m talking about, don’t you? It has those little white pearls along the neckline.”
She stared at the woman in disbelief. “I said I wanted plain pink napkins.”
“These are pink.”
“But they have pictures sewn into them. The plain ones were cheaper.”
Connie shrugged. “What do you care? I bought them.”
“We already have patterns on the tablecloths!”
“Which is why we need something on the napkins as well. That Maureen had colorful leaves sewn onto her daughter’s napkins, and I won’t let her show me up.”
“I don’t care how Maureen does things. This is my wedding and-” She stopped. Wait. This wasn’t her wedding. Not anymore. Calming down, she continued, “Actually, you know what? It doesn’t matter. In fact, there’s not even going to be a wedding.”
Peter’s eyes grew wide.
Connie pressed a hand to her heart. “I will not allow you to elope.”
“Mother’s right. We need to do things the right way.”
“Then feel free to do them however you wish, but I am not getting married. I...” Now, this part wasn’t going to be easy. “That is to say that I have decided Peter—” she glanced at him—“I mean, you—” she returned her gaze to Connie—“and I don’t make a good match. I don’t believe this is a cordial arrangement.” There. She said it.
Connie gasped and motioned for Peter to catch her before she fell back.
He dutifully did as prompted and looked at Jessica. “I don’t understand. We are a good match.”
“No, not really.” She glanced at the way he helped his mother sit down and fanned her. She bit back the urge to insist he marry his mother and said, “I rather fancy Tom Larson.”
“Tom Larson?” he repeated, dumbfounded.
“The farmer’s son?” Connie asked.
“Yes. Tom Larson.” She fingered her shawl, wondering if this was a good time to make her exit. She certainly wasn’t going to be popular with these two anymore. “I thank you both for your kindness and hope you well in life.”
As she made her way out of the kitchen, Connie called out, “Peter, stop her!”
Jessica rolled her eyes as he obeyed. Getting out of this trap of a marriage to Peter James was the best thing she ever did for herself. Tom might be clumsy but at least he could think for himself!
Peter caught up to her as she reached the front door. “I’m sure we can work things out. Maybe we could meet tomorrow and further discuss this.”
“No. Peter, there’s nothing to discuss.”
“But Mother worked so hard on putting this wedding together. You will disappoint her.”
Her face flushed in anger. “Your mother is exactly why this will never work. You don’t love me, nor do I love you. You need to find a woman you want instead of letting your mother pick her for you. Now, please, let me go home.”
He looked as if he were going to protest but nodded. “Very well.” He opened the door just in time for Connie to run out of the kitchen.
Connie grabbed Jessica’s arm and, with big tears forming in her eyes, said, “Surely, you want a life better than what a farmer can give you. Peter’s going places. He’s already gotten a fine promotion at work.”
“Mother—” Peter began.
“You can’t do this to us, Jessica.” The woman choked on a sob and brought a handkerchief to her mouth. “However will I find another daughter-in-law who my friends will approve of?”
Jessica rolled her eyes, though the woman was too busy sobbing to notice. “Ma wants me home.” Then she quickly slipped out the door before Connie could grab her again. Thank goodness that’s over!
***
Tom whistled all the way home. Jessica was going to actually let him court her! She even kissed him. Did life get any better than this?
As soon as he got home, he figured he should talk to his father. If he was going to be taking a bride, he needed a home to bring her to. There was no way he was going to stick around this place. Not with his irritating little brothers hovering around to cause trouble or embarrass him.
Once he unsaddled the horse and put him in the stall for the night, he ran into the kitchen where his mother and sister were washing dishes.
“You’re late,” his mother said. “I got a plate of leftovers on the table if you’re still hungry.”
“Oh well, I ate at Jessica’s,” he replied.
Jenny stopped drying a plate. “So the evening went well then?”
“It sure did. I’m courting her now!” His chest puffed up with pride. Imagine...someone like him courting someone like Jessica.
“Good,” Jenny said. “I think she’d be a fun sister-in-law.”
Their mother groaned. “No one is married yet. Don’t go jumping the gun.”
“Who’s jumping the gun? If she agreed to let him court her, then it’s a done deal.”
“Jenny.”
Noting the warning tone in their mother’s voice, Tom asked, “Where’s Pa? I want to talk to him about getting my own house.”
“He’s in the parlor playing cards with your brothers.”
“Great!” He hurried down the hall and stopped as soon as he reached the threshold of the entertainment room where his pa, Dave, and Joel studied their cards in silence. “Pa, can I talk to you?”
Joel looked up from his hand and sighed. “How rude, Tom. You can see we’re in the middle of a game.”
“But this is important. Pa?”
Their father glanced up and nodded. “Alright. Come on in and pull up a seat. We got room for one more.”
Joel grumbled under his breath but moved to make room for his brother at the round card table.
Tom shook his head. “I’d rather talk alone.”
That statement got both Dave and Joel to turn from their cards in interest.
“Pa?” Tom asked.
His father nodded and threw his cards down. “The pot is all yours,” he told Dave and Joel.
“Yipee,” Joel muttered to Dave. “Whatever will we do with unlimited pean
uts?”
Ignoring the sarcastic remark, his father walked with Tom outside so they could have some privacy on the porch.
Once they sat in their chairs, Tom spoke. “You remember Jessica Reynolds, don’t you?”
“Yes. She was the only new person who’s been out here.”
“Well, she and I are courting!”
“Sure,” Joel called out, obviously not believing him.
Startled, Tom jumped out of his chair and saw that the parlor window was open. Oh great! Just what he needed: more teasing from his little brother. “Can’t we get rid of him?”
“Dave, close the window,” their pa called out.
Tom waited until Dave complied before he turned back to his pa. Satisfied, he sat back down and continued, “So, when can I get that house that you were talking about?”
“I suppose in a month once the harvest is over.”
“And I can pay you back, a little at a time?”
He nodded. “That’d be fine.”
Tom slapped his knee in excitement. “Great!”
“Now, you just started courting the girl when? Tonight?”
“Yep.”
“Well, I can tell you’re anxious to marry her, but you can’t rush into this. Marriage is a lifetime decision.”
“I know.” And Jessica was the right one. He just knew it!
“And you’re not going to propose until next summer at the soonest.”
He frowned. “That long?”
“That’s when planting will be done. Then you can marry after the harvest.”
“But that’s too long.”
“You only say that because you’re young.”
“How old were you when you married Ma?”
He sighed and dug out his pipe. “That’s beside the point.”
“If memory serves, you were eighteen.”
“People married earlier back then.” He lit his pipe and started smoking.
“That’s not true. Some eighteen year olds marry.”
“But you’ve only known her for what? A week?”
Shifting in his chair, he shrugged. “About that. Maybe longer.”
“I grew up with your ma. We were friends before we learned how to walk.” A smile crossed his face and he got that nostalgic look in his eye that alerted Tom that he’d be in for a good hour’s worth of memories if he didn’t bolt. “I still remember when I first realized I loved her. We were twelve and-”
“I think Ma’s calling for me.” Tom stood up and straightened his vest. “Thanks for the talk, and I can’t wait to get started on that house. Bye.” Then he entered the house before his father could call him back out.
As he passed the parlor, Joel snickered behind his cards.
He stopped. “I can’t wait until I’m out of here.”
“Me neither,” Joel replied. “It’s hard living with the way you smell, not to mention how loud you snore. Maybe I’ll finally be able to get a good night’s sleep around here.”
“You ever wonder why Ma and Pa never had any children after you were born? It’s because they didn’t want to make another mistake.”
Joel gasped. “Ma! Tom’s being mean again!”
“What? You can give out the insults but you can’t take it?”
“I can handle them just fine. I don’t want you to run out of ideas, that’s all.”
He rolled his eyes. “You got anything to add, Dave?”
Dave glanced up from his cards and smiled. “Gin.” He set the cards down and grabbed the peanuts from the center of the table. “I’m going to my room to read.”
“You’re no fun, Dave,” Joel replied.
“Really,” Tom agreed. “You’re much too serious.”
Dave shrugged and left the parlor.
Joel’s eyebrow rose. “Think you can beat me at Gin?”
Tom snorted. “Of course, I can.”
“Fine. Prove it.” He picked up the cards so he could shuffle them.
Tom sat in the seat Dave had been in and got ready for the next hand.
Chapter Thirteen
A week later when Tom arrived at her house, Jessica asked him if he wanted to take a quick stroll through the park before supper. “The air isn’t too chilly yet, and I do love the smell of the fall weather, don’t you?”
He stood in front of her door and furrowed his eyebrows. “You notice the way things smell?”
She adjusted her shawl before she stepped out of the house. “Well sure. Don’t you?”
“No. Not really.” He rubbed the back of his neck and lowered his head.
She thought he took a moment to sniff himself. “Um...Tom, are you alright?”
“What?” His head snapped back up and he straightened. “Oh, yes. I’m fine. It’s just something Joel said. Anyway, let’s go for a walk.”
She chuckled as she shut the door and joined him down the porch steps. He was so odd in some ways, and yet, she couldn’t help but enjoy that about him. He didn’t pretend to be something he wasn’t. He was simple and easy to please. After dealing with Peter and his mother, she learned that simple and easy to please were ideal traits.
They turned down the sidewalk that led to the park, and she said, “I’m glad you could get the afternoon to come see me.”
“It’ll be easier to come to town during the winter.” He paused. “Unless it snows a lot. I hope it doesn’t snow a lot.”
“I hope it doesn’t either.”
As they reached the park, he glanced her way. “Next month, my family’s going to help me build a house. You saw one like it. Remember Neil’s place?”
“Yes.”
“It’ll be like that.”
She grinned. “You already said that.”
“Oh, did I?” His cheeks grew red.
“But I don’t mind. I like hearing about—” She stopped herself before she said our home. Her mother was right. She had no business rushing things or assuming he’d propose. Still, she thought it was pretty much a done deal, and it was just a matter of time before they exchanged vows. Ideally, the vows would be exchanged in a small gathering of people with nothing more than a potluck supper afterwards. After Connie James, she had no desire for anything elaborate ever again. Clearing her throat, she said, “I like hearing about your home.”
“It’ll be close to water, and there will be lots of land all around. Well, you know what it was like out there.”
“Yes.” She scanned the colorful leaves on the trees and thought of having an apple tree. She’d always wanted an apple tree where she could pick fresh apples in her own yard. “Do you have any apple trees out there?”
“I don’t know. There are a couple of trees in the section of land I’m going to buy.”
“Oh. When I was a little girl, I hoped to make fresh apple pie for my husband.”
“Pie? Well, if there aren’t any apple trees out there, I’ll make sure to plant some,” he quickly said.
She hid her grin. So she was right. The formality of a proposal would come soon enough. And now she had to learn to make pie as well as her mother did.
“Jenny’s anxious to see you,” he stated. “I should take you back out there once the activity dies down.”
“I like Jenny. It’d be nice to see her again. Will you tell her I said hi?”
He nodded.
Jessica glanced away from Tom and halted her steps.
Pausing, he turned back and asked, “What’s wrong?”
She winced. It was just her luck. In all the time Peter was courting her, she never once ran into his mother in the park, and now that the engagement was over, her first trip out here would lead her to Connie James. And Connie was with Maureen. Looking at a confused Tom, she said, “Maybe we should go back. I think that supper might be ready sooner than I thought.”
She managed a slight turn before Connie called out to her. “Jessica, dear? Is that you?”
Jessica rolled her eyes. The woman knew very well it was her! Great. Now she was trapped. “Let’s get this
over with,” she whispered to Tom before she headed down the path to meet up with Connie and Maureen.
“Who are they?” he asked as he picked up his pace to keep up with her.
“The woman wearing the green dress is Peter’s mother.”
He slowed. “His mother?”
The two women were quickly approaching, so all she could do was offer an apologetic smile.
“Jessica,” Maureen began, “you look good this afternoon.”
“Yes, you certainly do,” Connie added.
Taking a deep breath, Jessica forced her feet to remain still. “Thank you. You two look good as well.” She knew the introductions had to be made, so she motioned to Tom. “This is Tom Larson. Tom, this is Connie James and her friend, Maureen Brown.”
Maureen gave a curt nod. “How do you do?”
Tom shifted from one foot to the other. “Um...I’m fine. I guess.”
Her eyebrows rose. “You guess you’re fine? Don’t you know either way?”
“Well...” He cleared his throat. “I am. I’m fine.”
Connie shot Maureen a look that Jessica knew didn’t mean well for Tom. Sighing, she said, “Tom is taking a break from harvesting. It’s a lot of work for farmers this time of year.”
“Yes,” Maureen replied. “Farming is a necessity those on the lower end must bear.”
“Peter got a job promotion, you know,” Connie told Maureen.
She gasped in surprise. “Did he now?”
“Yes. He has his own office and everything.”
“My, my, my. That boy is certainly going places.”
“That he is.” Connie sighed with contentment. “He makes a mother proud.”
“And proud you should be, Connie.”
Jessica glanced around them, wondering if there was anything—another person passing by or an animal—that might serve as a good distraction...or as a means of escape. She actually preferred the latter.
Maureen turned to Tom. “Have you given thought to real work?”
“I already do real work,” he said, his cheeks growing pink.
Jessica couldn’t decide if he was angry or embarrassed, but it didn’t matter. “He does work hard. Peter goes in at eight and leaves at five, but Tom works from sunup to sundown.”
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