A Present for Christmas

by Patricia Pacjac Carroll

  Yes, she saw how happy Adelaide and Angus were along with Kate and Peter, but if Jeff thought he could have her and Jennifer at the same time, well, no, he couldn’t. By the time the pastor made the benediction and blessed them, Diane was in a fit of anger, ready to unleash it on Jeff.

  Mary Louise grabbed her hand and ushered her away from Jeff and out the door. Her friend whispered to her. “I am here for you. Just let me what you want to do, and we’ll do it.”

  “I am so angry about Jeff walking that woman past the church. And did you—”

  “Yes, I saw him take her shoe off. It ought to be unlawful for a man to touch a woman’s foot like that. She had her hand on his back, leaning on him. And that look on her face. Oh, I still wish we’d never picked her up from that town.” Mary Louise ushered her to the bench under a tree.

  Diane sat down. “She could have sat here and taken the pebble out of her shoe.”

  “I never saw one drop out. I think Jennifer staged the whole thing so that you would see it all.” Mary Louise tossed her head and quickly smiled as Kirk walked to them.

  “Ladies, I hope you’re ready for a good dinner.”

  Mary Louise stood beside him, holding his arm as if to protect him in case Jennifer should come along.

  Not that Diane blamed her. Jennifer was a menace to the men of Lone Oak. “I am hungry.” She looked around to see if she could spot Jeff. Now what? The morning had gone bad enough. Where was he?

  Finally, she saw him walk out with Pastor Cannon. Well, at least that was something. Then she wondered if he was setting a date. Maybe he’d gotten rid of his lowlife brother and father.

  She mentally scolded herself for thinking ill of yet more people. Still, they were the ones interfering with her life and plans for happiness. Yes, the pastor had preached on loving one another, but some people just didn’t qualify.

  How could she love a woman who had every intention of taking the man Diane wanted to marry? And that father and brother of Jeff’s were just downright bad. Surely, she wasn’t supposed to love them, too. Well, if she was, she was failing in her Christian walk.

  That thought made her sad. But what was she supposed to do? Give Jeff to Jennifer? Let his father and brother take advantage of Jeff and ruin their lives?

  Pastor Cannon walked up to them. “Diane, I hope you enjoyed the sermon.”

  What did he mean by that? She stared at him and wondered if he was reading her mind. “Yes. Very nice.”

  Pastor Cannon smiled. “Loving one another is set in the scripture that our Lord commanded. Love your neighbor as yourself. One of Jesus's commandments that He set forth. Not easy to do, but I guarantee it will lead to life.”

  “Yes, Pastor.” Diane could think of nothing else to say. He must be reading her mind and had seen that she needed to be spoken to keep her from perdition. She’d work on it all right. She just hoped Jeff was worth it.

  Jeff smiled at her. “Sorry, I was late. I—”

  Diane glared at him. “We all saw why you were late.” She folded her arms and dared him to come near her. Really, could he be that daft that he thought she wouldn’t mind if she saw him with another woman? Especially that woman.

  Kirk ushered Mary Louise past them. “Let’s go before they run out of the pot roast.”

  Diane sat and waited to see what Jeff would do. Finally, he came to her and offered her his hand.

  “Let’s go. I know you’re hungry. I can hear your stomach rattling.”

  She huffed but took his hand. “I am hungry.” She took off and ran to catch up with Mary Louise.

  Jeff finally caught her and took her gently by the arm. “Don’t be mad. It’s you that I want. I have no feelings for her.”

  Diane looked at him and saw the sadness in his eyes. “All right. Let’s declare a truce. I don’t want to talk about that woman or see her again.”

  They walked into the crowded diner and found a table in the back. She sat down and had started to relax when she happened to look at the door and saw Jennifer walk in. Immediately the woman’s eyes found them.

  Diane must have groaned aloud because Jeff took her hand in his and whispered. “Ignore her. She means nothing to me.”

  Praying he was telling her the truth, Diane tore her eyes from the Jezebel and looked at the man sitting beside her. Jeff was a good man. Diane relaxed beside him and gave him her full attention.

  She had so succeeded that she nearly fell out of her seat when Jennifer walked up to their table.

  “Do you have room for one more? I see my friends from the Thursday Night Ladies Club. I do hate to eat alone, and the room is so crowded. I don’t want to take up a table by myself. In fact, I don’t think there is one.” Jennifer smiled her dimply smile.

  Jeff wouldn’t even look at her.

  Kirk cleared his throat, but it was Mary Louise who spoke up. “No, we would like to dine with our intended.” Mary Louise pointed to the wall. “There by the wall is a gentleman eating alone. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him before. Why don’t you ask to sit with him?”

  Jennifer tried to get Kirk or Jeff to look at her but failed. Seeing she wasn’t going to get her way, she shrugged. “I guess you’re right. I’ll see if he might be a gentleman.”

  Chapter 3

  Jennifer left the two men with their intended as Mary Louise had said. She grinned to herself. Just wait until I get them alone and out of your clutches. Both men watched her from time to time. That gave her hope that she might be able to pull one of them from the women they intended to marry.

  She was bound and determined that she was going to find a man to marry her. She was as pretty as any in town, and men liked her. Jennifer studied the man sitting against the wall. She’d never seen him before.

  Not that he was one she would pick out. He was thin, wore glasses, and dressed in an older black suit. Not much to look at, and he surely didn’t look well off enough to warrant her attention. But then, she did hate to eat alone.

  “Mind if I sit at your table? The others are all taken.”

  He looked up at her as if she’d interrupted him. “What? Oh, I guess it is a bit crowded.”

  “Yes, I stay at the boarding house, and just recently, Claire decided to take off Sunday.” Jennifer waited a moment and then realized he wasn’t going to pull out the chair for her. She grabbed the chair and quickly sat down.

  He stared at her. “I’ve already ordered.”

  Jennifer nodded. “Milly, I’d like the special.”

  The harried waitress ignored her and nodded to another table. “I’ll be with you in a minute, Jennifer.”

  The man put the napkin in his lap. “Jennifer is it. Nice name.” He held out his hand. “Adrian Farnsworth.”

  “Jennifer Grant.” She shook his hand. His fingers were long, and his hand soft. So, he wasn’t a farmer or rancher. Banker maybe? Her interest perked up.

  “I’m the new schoolteacher. Or I will be in January. I wanted to come to the town early and find a house to rent or buy and get acquainted with the town. From what little I’ve seen, I can say that I like it already.”

  “It is a friendly town.” Jennifer wasn’t sure if he was worth the attempt, but then he was a man. “Are you married?”

  “Oh, no. A schoolteacher hardly has the funds for a family of his own. I find my desire is to teach the children of a town so that they may become successful adults.”

  “I see.” Jennifer wanted to get up and run. He was certainly not marriage material. Not for her anyway. Now, Diane might like him. They’d make a good couple. As for Jeff’s father and brother, Jennifer figured she could handle them.

  “You stay in the boarding house?” He sipped his water.

  “Yes. It’s a wonderful place. You might want to look into it if you don’t have a place yet.”

  He cleared his throat. “I may do that. Right now, I’m at the hotel. I’m going to look over a couple of houses that are for sale near town.”

  She nodded. That waitress was av
oiding her. Well, Millie didn’t take it kindly when she’d asked her husband to help her carry a couple of packages to the boarding house for her the other day. Funny because Mack hadn’t seemed to mind carrying them at all. Jennifer grinned to herself.

  Finally, Millie came over to her. “The special?”

  “Yes. Thank you, Millie.” Jennifer smiled at the woman, but there was no smile returned.

  Sometimes, it did bother Jennifer that she really had no friends. There were a few who tolerated her, and she knew that was because this was a town of Christians who took the Good Book seriously.

  Adrian frowned. “She wasn’t very gracious to you, was she? Are you new to town?”

  “No, I have been here for a while. The women don’t care for me.” She smiled at him. “What does Adrian mean? Is it from a certain country?”

  He took the plate from the waiter and paused as he sat it on the table with precision and forthrightness as if he had to make sure he placed it in the perfect spot. “Adrian is Latin and means earth or noble, or from Adria, which would make it a Greek name.”

  She grinned at him. “I like the way it sounds. I’ve never heard it before.” Jennifer could see by the man’s lack of attention that she was getting nowhere with him. It was as if she were a gnat that landed on his table, and he didn’t even have the inclination to swat her away. He was, in fact, tolerating her presence, and that was all.

  Jennifer sat back and folded her arms. Finally, her food came, and she cut her roast in a dainty manner. She even dropped her napkin, but nothing awakened Adrian’s interest. Not that she was that interested in him.

  She viewed him as a challenge. Usually, men tripped over themselves to help her. Why was this man so different? Jennifer studied him between bites of her roast and potatoes. Not that she was interested. With his glasses, he looked like a man who’d rather read a book than get a wife.

  Well, she had other men to go after. Maybe Diane would like Adrian. She didn’t. Jennifer hurriedly ate her dinner. Finished before he was, she tapped the table to get his attention. “I’ll be leaving now. Thank you for sharing your table with me.”

  He looked up, wiped his mouth, and nodded. “You’re welcome.” Then he looked back at his dinner and picked up a carrot with his fork.

  Jennifer huffed and left his table. She had never been so dismissed by a man. Adrian Farnsworth, he was now on her list of men to avoid or ruin. She smiled to herself. Yes, he had to be taught a lesson. No one treated her in such a way.

  ***

  Adrian watched her walk out of the café. He shook his head and took a bite of another carrot. Vegetables were necessary, he thought to himself as he studied her. Jennifer Grant, she’d said. He might look into her whereabouts and see what she was truly like.

  Oh, he thought she was a siren and up to no good, but as he listened to her few questions and glanced at her when she wasn’t looking at him, he thought she was more desperate than bad. Poor woman.

  To be locked in a beautiful body so that you are never taken seriously. Adrian caught other women around the room, glaring at Jennifer. That she wasn’t liked was evident to him. But watching Jennifer, he didn’t get the idea that she realized just how much the other women disliked her. Or perhaps she didn’t care.

  As one who enjoyed literature, he made it a point to study people and their personalities. One day, he’d write a novel. He wasn’t set on about who or what yet, but the story was there in the shadows, giving him more reason to learn about how people think and act.

  Adrian sipped the last of his water and then folded his napkin, placing it over his plate. Maybe he had reason to seek out this Jennifer Grant and learn about her. She would make an extraordinary character.

  Pleased with himself, he left the café and went outside. The day was bright with blue skies and white clouds. However, there was an undercurrent in the air, denoting a coming change, as evidenced by the clouds in the sky going one way. In contrast, the breeze traveled in the opposite.

  Texas was much warmer in November than his home in Ohio. Ah, he missed his family, but he’d felt the need to strike out. After all, if he’d remained with his mother, she would have hounded him to find a wife.

  Walking along the street, Adrian made a point to smile and greet those he saw. As the new teacher, it was important for the town to trust and like him. It set a correct example for his students to follow.

  He passed by the church and felt a nudge of regret that he’d entered town too late to attend the service, but he didn’t like to make appearances that drew attention to himself. Too shy, his mother had always said of him.

  Well, that may be. He preferred to be the observer, not the observed. Looking ahead, he saw the hill with the oak and the town’s namesake. The Lone Oak stood atop the hill and looked down upon the town.

  A live oak, he’d been told. They were a paradox in that they kept their leaves in the winter, unlike the other varieties. This one was an old tree with a large trunk. The low branches were big enough to be trunks themselves and stretched out, making the tree as wide as tall.

  He walked up the hill, his limp becoming more pronounced as he neared the tree. Stopping to catch his breath, he stopped and scooped up some acorns. He enjoyed telling his students stories and explaining how such a small seed could grow into such a large tree.

  A bench that someone had built nestled up to the trunk of the impressive tree. Adrian sat down and watched the town below. A few people were walking about enjoying the day’s warm temperatures. Slow and easy, the town seemed to suggest a place of peace and tranquility.

  With a sigh, Adrian relaxed and felt the peace in his heart that told him he was in the right place after all. He hadn’t been sure. Yet, when he’d seen the advertisement for the need for a schoolteacher, he’d been interested.

  Texas. What a wild state. His family had tried to persuade him not to go, but he wanted to make a difference in the untamed land. The wind shifted and brought a stream of colder air. Adrian snugged his jacket close around him.

  The cold would make the shrapnel ache more. When the air was cold enough, he wouldn’t be able to hide his limp. Well, his experience showed the children might be curious, but they were more than forgiving. For that, Adrian was thankful.

  After a few prayers, Adrian started back down the hill. Tomorrow, he’d seek out Peter Gabriel, the man who had contacted him. He’d told Adrian that he was as good as hired, just a formal meeting with the council to solidify the terms of his employment.

  At least, through teaching, Adrian could give back to the world. It wouldn’t pay back for what he’d taken, but it gave him some comfort.

  Chapter 4

  Jennifer wrapped her cloak around her. The weather was changing. In a little over a month, Mary Louise and Kirk would be married. Jennifer had given up on Kirk, though. She hadn’t broken any laws, but she wasn’t so sure that Kirk wouldn’t find some law that she’d broken and chase her out of town.

  All that because Mary Louise had it in for her. Well, the woman didn’t know what she was talking about and certainly didn’t understand why there was little time left for Jennifer to find a man she could marry.

  Jennifer had come west in answer to a mail-order bride letter. It wasn’t her fault. The man had been killed by the same men who took her and held her captive. Since then, fear and anger rode her every thought. No one understood her need to find protection.

  Even now, just thinking about it, despite the cold air, caused perspiration to dot her forehead and made her palms sweaty. Jennifer couldn’t take it much longer. Claire had suggested talking to Pastor Cannon.

  How could she tell Claire that God wasn’t to be trusted? No one was. If Jennifer could find a man to marry her, she would have protection. That was her hope. God would have to prove himself.

  Not able to sit still, Jennifer left the boarding house and walked toward the hill where the big oak stood. She’d felt some solace in such an old tree that had lived through the years. The exercise would
do her good as it helped relieve some of the anxious fear that haunted her.

  Loud noises set her off, and the boarders in Claire’s House were not the quietest. Diane had just come in and slammed her door. The woman was a jumble of tears and anger, mostly aimed at Jennifer.

  With a huff, Jennifer walked up the hill. Diane had loved Jeff years before, and then they’d met again at the social. While the two of them seemed to think they were reuniting and picking up where the past had left off, Jennifer didn’t believe it would last.

  They didn’t look the same together like Kirk and Mary Louise. When she watched Jeff and Diane, there was a forced tension between them. Perhaps it was because of Jeff’s family troubles. Still, Jennifer believed there was enough space between them to offer her hope. After all, she’d come out here to marry a rancher, and she wasn’t afraid of hard work. Diane was shy and meek if not downright weak.

  A crow swooshed overhead, cawing as he flew to the big oak. Jennifer shuddered. Seems she’d heard somewhere that could be an omen. She’d had enough trouble and didn’t need more. Another crow flew to the tree and then another. Soon there was a family of crows cawing and hopping from branch to branch.

  Anger burned in her heart. Omen or not, the birds weren’t going to scare her away. She picked up a rock and hurled it at the closest bird. She missed, but the bird flew away. After throwing another stone, the flock of intruders noisily left to trouble someone else.

  Jennifer walked past the bench. She was too nervous to sit down. After walking around the tree, she came to the side facing the town and saw the stranger walking toward Claire’s Boarding House.

  Odd man. One that she was certainly not interested in. He was tall and walked with a slight limp. As she studied him, the limp became more noticeable as he climbed the hill to the house. Probably a wound from that terrible war.

  So many men and women had been damaged by the event. Well, that was in the past. Jennifer was intent on living in the present. She grimaced. Then turned her attention to the tall man. Adrian. That was a different name.