“You make me sound horrible,” she said, teasing, her voice holding no trace of repentance.
“Not horrible just not the norm for these parts. Although we do have our elite crowd. They live on what most of us have nick-named ‘Up-town Snoot.’”
Angelical gasped. “Is that prejudice or envy I hear in your voice, James Sackerton?”
“Suppose it did come off sounding a bit like that,” he said. “We don’t socialize much, so I can’t properly judge their characters. I’m sorry if I offended your bunch.”
“That’s better.” Angelica moved closer as they set out to walking.
He noticed Tariana coming out of the mercantile with supplies. How he’d love to drop the bags he was holding to help her with the one she carried. When their eyes connected from across the street, hers told him all he needed to know – Tariana would not welcome his help, today, or, perhaps ever again. First, jealousy of Michael and Frances’s relationship had separated them, and now it appeared that she didn’t want him to find a wife either. She probably figured they could just grow old, fishing and hunting, acting like two youngsters that never grew up, the result of her warped rationale of late – he doubted his romantic feelings had dawned on her pretty, little, pre-occupied brain yet.
Angelica nudged him. “Looks like your gal is fit to be tied. Want me to kiss you to send her round the bend? We’ll have her begging for you to give her another chance.”
“The game is over,” Jamie said. “Playing with someone’s heart is unkind, and I should never have let it go as far as I did.”
“Yet here you are, carrying my parcels,” she said. “Maybe you’re growing to like me better.”
The Texan definitely radiated an infectious spirit, one that left him smiling on the inside. “I do like you, Miss Scinch. It remains to be seen if you qualify for the better,” he said.
She laughed, that annoying bark of a sound he’d never get used to hearing. “I foresee that you will have no problem snatching up whatever girl you want in Oregon City.” Angelica added, “After I leave town, of course.”
He glanced over Angelica’s shoulder to see Tariana turning down the street, on her way back home. Angelica must have noticed because she snorted and said, “Except maybe the one you love. She seems to not be the least bit interested.”
“She wants to go fishing,” Jamie said in his defense.
“My! A fisher-gal. At least a man would never starve.”
“She also likes to hunt,” Jamie said, pride streaming through his words. “No, can’t see anyone starving at her table.”
“Is that the kind of woman you want? Not one to entertain your friends and manage your home?”
“Not too many women hereabouts have the luxury of simply managing a home. They work hard to maintain it as well, sometimes even taking in mending or cooking for folks to help provide some frilly extras. I have no doubt you will excel in Texas, Miss Scinch, and live up to the expectations of your future husband.”
“Yes, those are my conclusions as well. After one week of living without maids and watching my cousins toil every day, I have resigned myself to the fact that Texas will be my home forever.”
Jamie grinned. “Now, here we all thought the Scinch family were counted among the elite in Oregon City.”
“Hardly, Not by Texas standards at any rate.”
At the door, Jamie dropped the parcels on the huge veranda. He tipped his hat. “I must be off. The boss-man will be wondering what happened to me.
When he turned to leave, she caught his arm and planted a kiss on his cheek. “A kiss for luck, James Sackerton. That all your dreams of romance will be fulfilled.”
“Thank you. And I better put some feet to those dreams or a fella will surely cut in when I’m not looking.” As he turned away, the affirmation took a firm grip in his heart. He had some serious back-peddling to do if he was going to win Tariana’s heart.
Chapter 9
Tariana marched all the way home to the misplaced beat of “Let Him Go.” Ragtime was the newest craze in music, and the band at the fourth of July festivities had entertained the townsfolk with their rendition. She should have paid closer attention to the lyrics.
She should have also settled the issue with Jamie on Sunday instead of continuing to carry the message of heartbreak on her lips. Why hadn’t he wanted to go fishing? They’d always fished, ever since she could remember. The Texan flirt flashed in her mind, and she knew – Jamie was probably replacing his old friends with the new. She tried to picture the dainty female taking a fish off the hook or gutting it for the evening table. The image provided some relief as she visualized Jamie’s response to such a delicate creature. It also instilled hope that his eyes might eventually open. Tariana wanted her fishing partner back.
She groaned. Who was she kidding? She wanted him both as a friend and a husband. Was such a thing even possible? She resolved to ask her mother.
Ada Gracin was busy at the cookstove when Tariana walked into the kitchen. She dived right in: “Mother, are you and Father friends?”
The woman spun around, a quizzical look plastered on her face. “Friends?” she echoed. “Women make better friends,” she continued after a few seconds. “Men take the lead, provide for, and love their wives. That’s all I’ve ever expected.”
“Do you not enjoy doing things together or debating issues?”
“Oh, no, dear. I leave the debating to men who believe they can solve the problems of the world, both politically and spiritually, during an after-supper chinwag. It feeds their ego, and they seem to enjoy it.” A slow smile crossed her face. “I suppose we talk of family issues…or rather, I talk and he decides, but he is a good man; God’s gift to me, and I don’t question the Lord’s choice.”
“And how did you know he was the Lord’s choice?”
“Tariana Gracin, have you set your cap on a man?” Her mother wiped her hands on a towel and pointed at the kitchen table. “Sit, and we can talk of things near and dear to a woman’s heart.”
She brought two glasses of lemonade with her, and they sat, facing one another. “Not exactly. I simply wondered how one goes about deciding which man might make the best suitor. I don’t need the added pressure on my eighteenth birthday. Frances had a list well beforehand.”
Her mother grinned. “So, you have finally given up on Michael?”
“Mother! He was never mine to have.”
“But that didn’t stop you from pursuing him, now, did it?” Tariana tried to protest, but her mother laid a hand over hers and said, “Some lessons are learned the hard way. I am glad you have repented and moved on.”
“But the pickings are slim, Mother,” Tariana pouted. “Can’t you advise me how to narrow down the field?”
“As I mentioned before, the man should be a good provider, or, at least, one with a good work ethic who wants to follow his passion. He should be loyal and trustworthy, not like those uppity-types that embarrass their wives with their gawking at anything wearing a dress.” She placed a finger on her chin. “The Bible says that a man must love his wife and that knowledge gives a woman all the peace she needs to serve her family.”
“So, you’re saying it doesn’t matter if you don’t share the same hobbies.”
“It might help to have outside interests in common. Your father and I used to love to walk or play a game of chess, but after the wedding day, when the real marriage starts, one seldom has time for frolicking. These days, I am content to sit and let him read to me in the evening while I knit a cap for his balding head.”
“Is happiness that easy?”
“It is joy that you seek, Tariana. Happiness comes and goes, whereas joy protects and fills your heart every moment of the day, regardless of the situation in which you may find yourself.”
“Joy,” she mused. “I experience joy when I’m doing things with a fella rather than just spouting nonsense and playing the romantic games they love to play during courtship.”
“My Tariana:
the dreamer and thinker of the Gracin girls. Your fun-loving nature will entertain a man clear through to his rocking chair years. Whoever steals your heart will be the luckiest chap in all of Oregon City.”
“Why, Mother, I believe those are the kindest words you’ve ever spoken to me.”
“You rarely provide the opportunity. You keep me busy just trying to tame your wild side. I’m pleased to have this conversation with you. It gives me hope that you are finally growing up.”
“Have I been that hateful?”
“Never hateful, Tariana. You have a heart of devotion which outshines your slipups. Such a trait will spread and touch your changing world with an eagerness and energy I could only wish to possess.”
Tariana scrunched her brows. “I still don’t know how I will find the right one. I surely do not want to pick the wrong fella straight out of the gate.”
“There is no rush, my dear. Spend time getting to know an assortment of men and when you hit on the right one, your heart will let you know.”
“I hate those games. I want to narrow it down, pick the one and get to know him alone. I don’t want to know every boy who knocks on my door.”
“Well, I shall pray for you,” Ada said, getting to her feet, “that God’s best will be the only one left standing after you mercilessly pluck the feathers of every courting-bird that crows on the nest.”
Tariana gasped. Had Mother read her letter to The Lovelorn? No. Evelyn had mailed it herself. It was probably just a lucky comparison.
Tariana was reading by the open window in her bedroom later that evening, when she jumped at the sound of a pebble hitting the paned glass. She peered outside, knowing it was none other than Jamie. It was their secret code to meet him behind the shed in his back yard. Not that her parents had anything against their neighbor; they merely disapproved of the boyish adventures they enjoyed together.
She noticed him duck into the dense foliage separating their property, and she wondered if she should go. Everything she yearned for suggested they might be a good match, but it wasn’t necessarily the cookie-cutter description her mother had talked of earlier.
It was better – the best of both worlds.
The only problem was that Jamie didn’t love her, and she’d settle for nothing less in a union between a man and woman. She tossed the book to the side and decided that some fresh air and exercise would do her good. It might help her get to sleep. Tariana popped her head inside the parlor where Clarence Gracin was reading a book aloud as his wife sat knitting, hanging onto his every word.
“Excuse me,” Tariana said. “I’m going for a little walk. It’s not dark yet, and the fresh air will clear my mind.”
“Oh, yes. Your mother informed me of your dilemma. It is a hard task, indeed, to replace the Michael-obsession with a suitable second-choice.” His tone seemed to make light of the words.
“Mother!” Tariana exclaimed, wishing their discussion had remained between them.
“It’s just one of those family issues that I mentioned are worth sharing with your man. Your father and I are proud of you.” She shooed her daughter away. “Now, go for that walk and find some joy to fill your soul.”
Once outside, she squeezed through the same gap in the shrubbery and weaved her way toward the shed. She’d barely reached the building when someone grabbed her arm and pushed her against the wall. She sucked in a lungful of surprise, only to have her next breath smothered in a rough kiss. Tariana pushed the man away and read fear in Jamie’s eyes.
“Jamie? What are you doing?”
“What’s it look like?” He appeared confused.
“I’m not sure what it looked like, but it felt like a bully in the schoolyard trying to steal a kiss.”
“Has a bully ever tried to kiss you in the schoolyard?” Jamie asked.
“No, I’d have flattened him then, and now. Boys seem to know that about me, and they leave me alone. They target the sissy-prissies instead, which, it appears, you’ve taken a shine to lately. What’s the matter – won’t your Texas tart let you kiss her?”
“I don’t want her to. She has a thick coat of red pasted on her lips that I don’t want to taste. I wonder if she shops at the same stores as the whores at the saloon.”
“Jamie! Watch your tongue.”
“Sorry,” he apologized. He kicked the building behind her in frustration, and turned his gaze downward.
“Have you ever visited that place of ill-repute, Jamie Sackerton? You must have, otherwise, you wouldn’t know how the ladies of the night paint their faces?”
“Can we start over, Tariana?” he said, avoiding her question.
“We definitely can, since your brutal attack did nothing to spark a response from me.”
“I figured I’d lose my nerve if I waited. Sorry.” He shuffled his feet. “Want to go hunting tomorrow? I saw a lot of rabbits scurrying around the meadow today. Easy targets.”
“Meat for the stew pot. It’s Frances’s favorite, and I should like to spoil her a bit before she leaves home for good. It will make up for a childhood of lost time.”
“So, is that a yes?”
“I’d love to go. That is if it won’t interfere with your social calendar.” Why did she always feel the need to fuel her wounds? She bit her lip to stop the gibberish from spewing out.
“I know you saw me with Angelica today. I was working, coming in to pick up a part, when she held me up. All of those parcels – you’d think she’d have shopped enough in Texas before she came to visit family.”
“Perhaps she prefers something that the other girls in her circle aren’t wearing. Styles may differ in other states.”
“I like your style.”
“Which is?” She’d always considered her wardrobe a mish-mash of styles that she liked and had accumulated over the years.
“The simple stuff you wear when we fish and hunt and your church dresses are modest, but I especially like the one you wore to the fourth of July picnic.”
“I didn’t think you noticed.” She looked away so he wouldn’t see the traces of hurt he’d inflicted when he chose to ignore her and fall over the new girl instead.
“I always notice you.” When she offered little response, he said, “We’re still friends, aren’t we?”
“I’m not sure. What kind of friend calls me out of the house at dusk to yank me into the shadows and kiss me?”
“Are we back to that again? I apologized.” His sad eyes pleaded. “We’re going hunting, right?”
“What time?” Tariana asked.
“How about straight after supper? I have to work tomorrow.”
Tariana did not want to finish the dialog, but knew she needed to head inside. “Six-thirty, then. I think I will tell my parents where I am going this time. If I’m to cook a rabbit for Frances, they’d probably guess that I shot it. Besides, we are far too old to be sneaking around.”
“Agreed.”
She fumbled awkwardly with her hands and finally blurted out. “If you’d like to try a decent kiss, I wouldn’t fight you off.”
Jamie was at full attention. “Are you sure?”
“I wouldn’t have proposed it if I weren’t sure,” she said, annoyance creeping into her voice. “Hurry up if you’ve got your mind set on it, Jamie Sackerton. My parents expect me back sometime tonight.”
A shadow crossed his face, leaving her bewildered. He backed out of range. “I won’t push myself on you. I treasure our friendship too much.” He tipped his hat. “Goodnight, Tariana.”
She watched him head for the rear door of his house, dumbfounded at the sudden awkwardness between them. First, the Texan, and now, the silent treatment.
No, she corrected herself. First, was Michael and her obsession.
Tariana had no right to spoil Jamie’s chances with Angelica. Even her name sounded heavenly. She groaned, quite certain her character ranked far from the angelic range of holiness at which Angelica’s name hinted.
Chapter 10
Jam
ie hurried to the shed to get the supplies they’d need. The killing would be easy – the numbers seemed to multiply overnight – and the mama rabbits encouraged the new bunnies to come out of hiding to enjoy the sunshine. He figured they could prepare the critter on the spot and cut it in chunks. If he built a small fire and brought the iron skillet, they could fry the outsides crisp to seal in the flavor for the stew they’d make in their separate homes the next day. He’d never been invited to the Gracin House for dinner, leastways alone without his family. It would imply that his and Tariana’s friendship had taken a step in another direction, and that wasn’t likely to happen any time soon. The older they got, the more complex and unpredictable their relationship grew.
Everything had gone wrong at work that afternoon, and the men were green with envy, teasing him mercilessly about a secret rendezvous with Angelica. Jamie enjoyed being the top dog for a change, and he saw no harm to leave them guessing when it came to his evening plans. Now, his excitement mounted. It was Tariana he couldn’t wait to see and not the Texas beauty.
She was a no show at six-thirty. He decided she was probably stuck cleaning the supper dishes. Seven o’clock came and went, and he began to worry that she might have told her parents about their plans, and they’d said no. Jamie hurried to a spot from which he could see her bedroom window. Sure enough, there was a faint light seeping from behind the curtains. He thought about throwing a pebble, but if they’d sent her to her room, she wouldn’t be coming out.
The sun was low in the sky, and disappointment dragged his footsteps as he made his way to the meadow. It only took one shot, and he had a plump rabbit. Jamie started a small fire burning, then cleaned and prepared the animal, slathered it in bacon grease, and set the chunks sizzling in the frying pan. Before long, the meat was seared and ready for the stew pot. He divided the spoils into two lots – he’d drop Tariana’s share off at the house in the morning on his way to work.
When he climbed under the blankets that night, the hunter in him was satisfied, but his manliness was sorrowful, as the evening had not gone as planned.
Obsessed in Oregon (Yours Truly: The Lovelorn Book 8) Page 7
