A
Bride for
Tom
Ruth Ann Nordin
Wedded Bliss Romances, LLC
A Bride for Tom
Bride for
Tom
Ruth Ann Nordin
Wedded Bliss Romances, LLC
A Bride for Tom
.
Leaning forward, she whispered, “Wear Peter’s hat when Tom is here and maybe he’ll destroy it.”
Despite herself, Jessica chuckled. “Oh Margaret, give Tom more credit than that. I think he’s just nervous.”
“You’re probably right,” she relented. “I guess I shouldn’t be so critical of him.”
“You shouldn’t. He’s actually a very sweet person.” She pushed the screen door open and walked down the porch steps.
Her friend joined her, and they strolled down the sidewalk. “Are you sure though? I mean, you are engaged.”
“I’m not hiding anything. I’ve told Peter. My mother will be in the house when Tom comes over. I don’t see why everyone is concerned.”
“Everyone but Peter?” she commented in a sympathetic tone.
Jessica hated that Margaret could read her mind. “You can’t tell anyone else what I’m about to say.” Jessica paused and turned to her friend. “You promise?”
If there was one thing Margaret was, it was loyal to her word, which was why Jessica even ventured to reveal what she’d been carefully concealing for the past month.
“Of course, I promise.”
Jessica nodded. “Sometimes I wonder if Peter’s marrying me because his mother approves of me.”
“No. That can’t be right.”
“Can’t it? You know how picky Connie James is. I think she has a tight leash on him.” Jessica stepped forward to resume their walk.
“Well...” She walked forward. “I grant that they are close. But...” She winced. “It’s not that bad, is it?”
“I don’t know. I mean, she and I get along wonderfully, but sometimes I wonder if she told him to propose to me.”
“If that’s the case, then why did you say yes?”
“I didn’t think his mother pushed him to propose when he asked. It’s just something that’s been on my mind for awhile now.”
“And does this whole thing with Tom make you wonder even more?”
“Shouldn’t it bother Peter, even a little, that I’m with another man?”
“Yes. It should.” She picked a leaf from a tree lining the road and asked, “So, what are you going to do?”
“I’m going to teach Tom how to dance.”
Chapter Six
Tom stood in front of Jessica’s house and quickly ran through his plan. He wasn’t sure it was going to work, but he had to do something. If Jessica and her friend and fiancé thought he was a fool, he’d oblige them...for awhile.
Taking a deep breath, he straightened his tie and knocked on the front door. It opened and for a moment, he lost heart. But only for a moment. It didn’t matter how pretty she was or that she wore one of the ribbons he had given her. The fact remained that she had brought him here for her amusement.
Jessica smiled at him and waved him inside. “I’m glad you could make it. I think we’ll have a good time.”
He smiled back. I’m sure we will. He scanned the hallway and parlor. Very clever. It seemed as if they were alone. But they couldn’t be. That Margaret friend of hers and Peter had to be hovering nearby. The closet by the front door was open a crack. Maybe they were hiding in there? His gaze turned to the parlor. The couch was against the wall but not right up against it. Maybe they were behind it. He mentally calculated all the places they might possibly be.
“My mother is upstairs, but she’ll be down in a few minutes,” Jessica explained as she entered the parlor. “I was thinking we’d do some dancing after lunch. Would you like to sit and talk for a bit?”
Convenient that her mother should be out of hearing range. Obviously, her mother wouldn’t approve if she knew her daughter planned to make fun of him. Well, he supposed the girl had to cover all of her bases. He took another deep breath. If a show was what she and her friends wanted, then he’d give them all a good one.
“I don’t mind learning how to dance a little bit before lunch,” he said. “It’d be good to warm up, don’t you think?” Then we can see how badly I can really dance.
“Oh. I suppose you’re right.”
He stepped into the parlor and glanced at the table by the chair. “Where’s the vase?” He took off his hat and placed it on the hat rack.
“The what?” she asked, turning around to face him.
“The vase. The one I almost broke last time I was here.” Might as well get this whole thing started by reminding them how obnoxious he could be when he was nervous.
She looked startled. “Oh. That. Um...Well...”
“Didn’t want me to almost break it again, huh?”
Her face grew red, notifying him that he was right. “No.” She gave an awkward laugh. “My mother wanted to have it in her bedroom.”
She was a horrible liar. But he’d let her believe that he didn’t pick up on that. Too bad for her he was better at lying. Deciding to play along, he said, “That’s actually a good thing. You know, that she took it out of here. I remember the time when I broke my mother’s entire china set. Boy, I never saw anyone scream like that. My family won’t let me near anything that can break.” He laughed. “You know what they do when I’m inside the house? They tie me to the chair so I can’t go anywhere.”
Her eyes grew wide. “That’s terrible.”
“No. Really, it’s not. I keep destroying things. I don’t know why. It’s like I attract trouble.” He spread his arms out and knocked the plant off the table, pretending it was an accident. “Oh no!” He quickly knelt down and purposely dug out some of the soil in the pot and rubbed it on his hands. Then he picked up the plant and set it back on the table. “There. All better.” He ran his hands through his hair.
“Uh...Tom...”
He ruffled his hair again before he wiped his hands on his pants. “What?”
She looked as if she didn’t know what to say.
“Are you ready to dance?”
Her eyes drifted to his hands.
He held them up and inspected them. “Oh. Of course. The dirt from the plant.” He pulled out the handkerchief from his pocket and wiped them clean. “Better? If you want, I could wash them. Though you might want to wash them for me. I can’t wash my hands at home ever since the rotting floor incident.”
“The rotting floor incident?”
He hid his amusement at the mixture of curiosity and horror on her face. “I had pumped the water into the sink, but the water didn’t stop coming out so the kitchen flooded.”
“Surely, that’s not possible.”
“I didn’t think so either until it happened. It’s amazing how fast water can cover the whole floor. It took my pa and brothers and me all of a half hour to stop it. Apparently, I yanked the handle too hard. I just don’t know my own strength sometimes. And that’s why they have to feed me, too.”
“But... But you ate fine here the other day.”
“And that took a lot of self-control.” Inspired, he twitched his shoulders. “Sometimes I get the shakes.”
She took a step back. “The...the shakes?”
“Yep. Really bad at times, too. One time I got them so bad I ended up throwing food all over the place—and don’t even get me started on what I did with the utensils.”
She shook her head. “You can’t be serious. You’re pulling my leg.” Then she chuckled, but it sounded as if she was only half-sure of her analysis.
He shrugged and let his hands slightly shake. “Alright.”
Her laughter died completely.
“So...what will we do for music?”
She cleared her throat. “Oh. Yes. Dancing. Right.” She clapped her hands together and then motioned to the center of the room. “I thought I’d just hum a tune.”
“That’s a strange way of doing things, but since there’s no one else around here...” He leaned forward so he could check behind the couch. Odd. No one was there. Looking back at her, he smiled. “Let’s get to it.”
Then he barreled in her direction. He expected her to move out of his way when he purposely tumbled forward, but she didn’t so he had to roll to the side and ended up hitting his head on the side of the couch.
“Are you alright?” she asked as she knelt next to him.
He rubbed his aching temple. That wasn’t supposed to happen. Oh well. He might as well play along. “The shakes. I told you it comes and goes without warning.”
She reached for his hand and helped him up. “I should get something for you to put on your head.”
“Nah. This happens all the time. I’m just lucky it did no real damage like that time when I got hurt somewhere important.”
“Where would that be?”
He covered his face, as if ashamed, but what he really needed to do was focus so he wouldn’t laugh at her stunned expression. “I don’t wish to impose on the sensibilities of a lady.” When he settled down the urge to giggle, he held his hands out to her. “Are you ready to dance?”
She looked hesitant but nodded and joined him in the center of the room.
He had to admit that she could play along pretty well. He wondered how long it would take before she called in her friends...or how long it would take them to magically show up. Apparently, he needed to go with a new tactic. He pulled her close to him, thinking for sure that Peter ought to be rushing into the room at full speed. But he didn’t.
“You can’t hold a woman this close,” she said, her face bright red. “It’s not appropriate.” She stepped back and set one hand on his shoulder and the other in his hand. “There. That’s better.”
Not really. He rather fancied the other way better but knew that she was right. Still, that should have had a fiancé seething. Just how far were they going to let him take this?
“Follow my lead,” she instructed. She began to hum and stepped to the side.
Instinctively, he did as she requested. “You have a nice voice. Do you sing?”
“Mostly to myself.”
“Let me hear you sing.”
She smiled but didn’t look at him. “I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know.”
Because she was too shy about it. That was something he understood all too well, but he wanted to hear her so he nudged the small of her back and grinned. “Come on. Just a line.”
She looked like she was considering it.
“I’ll tell you what. I’ll sing first.” Now when it came to singing, he didn’t have to pretend to be bad. It came naturally to him. When he hit a high note, his voice cracked and she momentarily winced. He stopped singing. “Sorry.”
He paused and listened for anyone laughing but no one was. Peter and Margaret were pretty good at hiding themselves. If he didn’t know better, he’d really believe that it was just him and Jessica in the vicinity.
Jessica took a deep breath and then quietly sang a tune, taking his mind off the window and wondering if Peter and Margaret were listening from outside the house. He stared at her in awe. She could do more than hold a tune. She made shivers run up and down his spine. When she glanced up at him, she stopped, seeming self-conscious.
“You have a beautiful voice,” he whispered, not intending for anyone but her to hear that.
“Thank you.”
It suddenly occurred to him that had this been a sincere offer from her to teach him how to dance, it might be the right moment to tell her how pretty she was. But this was all a ruse, and because of that, he couldn’t adequately enjoy the moment. He didn’t have the heart to physically toss her around to show her just how badly he could dance. Not after the nice moment they’d just shared...or rather the nice moment he’d shared with her.
He released her and finally said, “I know what’s going on. I’m not stupid.”
She furrowed her eyebrows. “What are you talking about?”
Just how long was she going to let this game continue? “You know, I may have my bad moments but at least I don’t make fun of other people.”
“I don’t understand.”
She was a good actress, but he wasn’t falling for it. He stomped over to the window, moved back the curtains and leaned out. Hmm... No one was hiding in the bushes.
“What are you doing?” she asked, sounding bewildered.
He turned to the room and peered behind a chair that was in the corner. Nope. Not there either.
“Tom, are you feeling alright?”
He ignored her and went to the hallway and yanked the closet door open. No one was in there. It was just a bunch of coats and shoes. Where else could Peter and Margaret be?
Jessica ran over to him. “What are you looking for?”
“Where are they?” he demanded, no longer amused.
“Who?”
“You know who.”
“If I knew, I wouldn’t ask.”
Fine. So she was going to see how far he’d take this. Well, he’d do something that was guaranteed to get Peter running out of his hiding place. Tom pulled Jessica into his arms and kissed her. It was a bold move, one he’d never take under any other circumstance, but drastic times called for drastic measures. He expected her to fight against him or slap him or...something to protest. But she didn’t. Instead, she melted in his arms and kissed him back. Her lips were soft and warm, and he was way too excited about it.
But he couldn’t thoroughly enjoy it. Not when he kept expecting Peter or Margaret to stop him. Why were they letting him kiss Jessica like this?
He ended the kiss...something that intrinsically pained him to do...and yelled out, “Come out, come out wherever you are!”
Jessica shook her head, as if breaking out from a trance and asked, “Who are you talking to?”
“Did someone call for me?” her mother called out from up the stairs.
He turned his head in the direction of the woman who peered around the banister at the top of the staircase.
“No, Ma. At least, I don’t think so.” Jessica looked at him. “Did you mean her?”
“You mean to tell me that Peter James and Margaret Williams aren’t here?” he called out to her mother.
“Peter is out shopping with his mother for the tablecloths for the reception,” her mother said. “Margaret isn’t due by until this evening for supper.”
“What reception?” he tested.
“The wedding reception of course. What other reception would a fiancé be planning for?”
He glanced around the house. It did seem awfully quiet, and he didn’t think the mother would lie about something like this. He gave Jessica a wary look. “You’re engaged?”
Her eyes grew wide. “Didn’t you know that?”
He didn’t like the sudden turn of events. It didn’t go exactly the way he planned. He had no idea how to get out of this except to play along...and then get the heck out of there as soon as possible to avoid any further embarrassment! He threw back his head and laughed. “Of course, I did. I mean, who doesn’t? It’s all over town.”
“That’s what I thought,” she said, seeming uncertain.
“Well, my little brother didn’t know, but he doesn’t pay attention to what goes on.” He glanced at his watch. “Wow. Is it that late already? I forgot that I have to be back at the farm in an hour. I better get home before I...” Okay. There was no way he was going to say ‘get in trouble’ because that would imply he was a kid. He cleared his throat. “I need to repair a fence. I can’t have the cattle running all over the place, you know.”
“But what about learning to dance? And lunch?” Jessica pressed as he ran to grab his hat.
He plopped it on his head. “You taught me to dance.”
“Well...” She glanced at the parlor. “Not really.”
“Sure you did. You did great. Really.” He clapped his hands together. “Good luck on the wedding. I’m sure it’ll be a great time.”
She grabbed his arm before he could leave the house. “Tom, won’t you at least get a quick bite to eat before you leave? You can’t repair a fence on an empty stomach.”
He had to get out of there. He didn’t know if she was going to catch on to what he’d been doing, but he didn’t want to find out. “I can’t. Really, I got to go.” He turned to leave.
“But—”
“Thank you for everything, Jessica. And thank you, Mrs. Reynolds.”
He tipped his hat and hurried out of there. It wasn’t until he made it to his horse that he allowed himself to take a deep breath and exhale. If there was anything more humiliating that he could do, he didn’t know what it could be. He quickly hopped on the steed and rode out of town.
Chapter Seven
Jessica sat across from Peter the next evening at supper. His mother had invited her over to discuss the wedding, but Jessica had a hard time concentrating on anything that Connie James was saying. All she could think about was Tom’s kiss. Her cheeks still warmed at the memory. It all seemed like a dream, and yet, she could still feel his lips against hers.
“I think an assortment of white and pink napkins will do well, too,” Peter agreed with his mother.
Jessica blinked and forced her attention to the two people chatting in the dining room. “Pink and white?”
Peter smiled and nodded. “Mother decided that those colors would suit for the wedding.”
“They are so pretty when they’re together,” Connie added.
“But I thought we agreed on red and pink,” Jessica told Peter.
Peter shrugged. “We’ll still have pink. What does it matter what the other color is?”
“You’re having a winter wedding,” Connie inserted as she lifted a glass of wine to her lips. “White goes much better with the season. And if it snows, it’ll be especially appropriate.”
Jessica glanced at Peter who bit into his steak as if nothing was wrong. She then turned back to his mother who sipped the wine. “I already told Margaret and Wendy to weave red roses into their pink dresses.”
She set the glass down and patted her hand. “That’s not a problem, dear. I explained the change, and they took the red roses out. They’ll be putting in white roses instead. So you see, everything is in order.”
“I like red.” She looked at Peter who didn’t even seem to notice the conversation going on in front of him. She nudged him under the table with her foot.
He jerked his head in her direction.
“Peter, don’t you agree with me about the red color?” Jessica sweetly asked.
He sighed. “It’s just one color.”
“Yes, and it’s my wedding.”
Connie cleared her throat. “But your mother can’t afford to pay for it. Remember, I’m the one with the bill. Since that is the case, I believe I’m owed a few allowances.”
“You wouldn’t have to pay for anything if you’d let me have a simple ceremony,” Jessica argued.
“Please, let’s not fight,” Peter interjected. “It’s unbecoming. The point is that we’re going to be a family, and since that is the case, we need to get along.”
Jessica resisted the urge to kick him in the shin...but just barely. She’d already consented to the elaborate wedding and reception because his mother knew a lot of “important” people who were particular about formal ceremonies and how things should or should not be done. Jessica had met a few of those people and realized that life would go much easier for Connie if she was able to present an elaborate wedding. But there was a time when enough was enough. Or at least, there should be.
“I’m sure we can reach a compromise,” Peter said, wiping his mouth with a napkin before he set it back on his lap.
Jessica wasn’t sure where he was going with this, so she twirled the fork in her hand and waited for him to continue.
“Mother, Jessica has conceded to your desire for a nice wedding. Jessica, my mother has agreed to pay for such a wedding. So this is what I propose. One of you will decide the colors for the ceremony and the other will decide the colors for the reception. That way, you both get what you want.”
His mother sighed and gave a slight nod. “That sounds fair. Jessica?”
Jessica still didn’t like it, but what could she say? The wedding wasn’t really even hers at this point. Sure, she was the one getting married, but this was apparently about Connie James impressing her friends—and that made it Connie’s special day. Besides, it was just colors. What did it matter if something was red or white? “Alright,” she finally relented.
Connie beamed at her and squeezed her arm. “My son is lucky to have you.”
Jessica returned her smile but didn’t feel the enthusiasm behind it. Is this what life was going to be like with Peter? She looked at her plate of half-eaten steak and potatoes and beans. Connie wasn’t mean to her, but there was something confining about being in the woman’s presence. It wasn’t something she noticed right away. But the more time she spent with them, the clearer it was becoming that something seemed off.
Could it be Tom’s kiss? She quickly looked up at Peter who was laughing at one of his mother’s jokes. Peter had never kissed her like that. Her face flushed and her heart beat faster as she recalled the warmth of Tom’s lips on hers. He was strong, too. She felt safe and protected in his embrace.
Maybe marrying Peter was a mistake. She looked at Peter and his mother. He pulled out Connie’s chair before he walked over to her and pulled out her chair. Why hadn’t she noticed that before? Did he always do things for his mother first?
Jessica managed through helping Connie with the dishes, acting as pleasant as she could despite the growing sense of doom that hovered in the air around her. Then she sat with Peter and his mother for a mind-numbing hour, not even sure what they were talking about. She wanted to see Tom again. But would that be a good idea? She wasn’t even sure what yesterday had been about. He seemed upset with her for something. He thought she’d brought Peter and Margaret over and hid them in her house. That much was obvious. But why would he think that?
She had no idea what Tom had been thinking, or why he made up all that talk about his parents feeding him or him having a condition called the shakes. At first, she actually believed him. But after his inquiry into Peter and Margaret, it dawned on her that he’d made up those lies. But why? And how was she going to find out? She would have to talk to him. That was the only way she was going to get an answer to her questions.
When it came time for Peter to walk Jessica home, she breathed a sigh of relief and let Peter help her put her shawl around her shoulders.
“I’ll see you next week, my dear,” Connie told her and hugged her. “We’ll take a look at what decorations we’ll have for the tables at the reception.”
Jessica forced another smile. “Sounds fun.”
After Connie gave Peter a hug, Peter took Jessica by the arm and led her down the porch steps. “This is a lovely night, is it not?”
They reached the sidewalk, and she noticed that Connie was inside the house. “Kiss me.”
He chuckled. “What?”
“I want you to kiss me, and not one of those polite kisses either. Show me how you feel about me in the kiss.”
“But we’re out...in public.”
“It’s dark and no one is outside.”
“It doesn’t seem appropriate.”
“So?”
“Aren’t you concerned about your reputation?” he asked.
“What is one kiss?”
Was it really because he was concerned about someone seeing them kiss or was it because he didn’t wish to kiss her? What was wrong with him? Shouldn’t he be eager to kiss her? Tom hadn’t held back from it...even if his motives might not have been because he actually wanted to kiss her. What were his motives anyway? She sighed. There was no doubt about it. She’d have to see Tom tomorrow.
“Alright,” Peter said. “As you said, it’s just a kiss.” He lowered his head and kissed her.
She stood there, waiting for something to warm her, to let her know that she wasn’t making a mistake in marrying Peter. She should get some feeling—a sense of peace—about the wedding. But she didn’t. She just felt more confused...and restless. His kiss was nothing like Tom’s, and it worried her.
When he pulled away, he smiled and softly said, “That was nice.”
Nice. Somehow, she didn’t think a passionate kiss should seem ‘nice’. She smiled at him and joined him as he walked her home.
Chapter Eight
Tom swung the reaper and cut through a few cornstalks just as his father yelled out that cattle were approaching. He immediately threw the stalks onto the pile he’d accumulated and joined Dave and Joel as they emerged from the field.
“Craftsman, what are you thinking in letting your cattle go free through here?” his father yelled at their neighbor.
“I didn’t do it on purpose,” Neil Craftsman argued.
Jimmy Parson stormed over to them. “How are we supposed to get the crops in on time when we have cattle to tend to?”
Neil’s face grew red. “I didn’t open the gate and set them free.”
“No, but you don’t mend your fence when it needs it either,” Jimmy said.
“I just bought the place. How am I supposed to know there’s a defect somewhere in the fence? I haven’t had time to examine it.”
“Look,” Tom’s father inserted, “standing around here and arguing isn’t going to solve anything. Let’s divide up. Half of us will take care of the cattle and the other half will continue on here.”
Jimmy nodded. “Since this is your land, you stay here and make sure none of the cattle do any damage to your crops. I’ll go with Neil and take care of the animals.”
“I’ll go, too,” Tom offered.
“That’s a good idea,” his father said. “Tom’s great with the lasso. Why, he can catch anything that moves.”
“Too bad that can’t be said for women,” Joel whispered to Dave who chuckled.
Tom shot them a glaring look, but they’d already returned to their row of crops.
“The cattle are down by the beans,” their father said.
While Jimmy and Neil went to their horses, Tom made his way to the barn. “I’ll catch up to you,” he called out to them, knowing it was going to take longer to retrieve his horse than it was going to take for them to head out.
He found his steed standing idly in the grassy pasture, seeming to be content to stare at the low hills in the distance. Sometimes Tom felt the same way. All he wanted to do was be off by himself and just be at peace with everything around him. Such peace, however, wasn’t possible as long as his brothers insisted on giving him a hard time. He took the bridle and put it on his horse. The horse looked disappointed to be disturbed.
“I know. I told you that you’d have the whole day to relax, but it turns out I need you to work. Here.” He stopped at the barrel beside the barn door and picked out an apple. “Maybe this will help.”
The animal eagerly ate so he picked out another one.
“You can’t enjoy it that much if you go too fast,” he warned.
“He’s probably hoping that you’ll give him the whole barrel’s worth.”
Startled, he turned around and saw that Jessica was there. Right there. In front of him. He saw that she’d taken a buggy out to his place. But why? “Did I leave something at your house?” Besides my pride?
“No,” she replied, looking down at her hands. She shrugged. “I just thought that there were some unanswered questions.”
“Oh?”
“Well, yes. I mean, I didn’t have anyone but my mother there at the house when you came over, and yet you think I did. Why?”
“I guess I thought it was odd that a woman who was engaged would have me over.”
She sighed. “Apparently, a lot of people thought the same thing. But I told Peter and he didn’t care.”
He rolled his eyes. “No man wants his fiancée to be with another man, especially if they’re dancing.”
“I’m just saying that is how he responded.
Despite herself, Jessica chuckled. “Oh Margaret, give Tom more credit than that. I think he’s just nervous.”
“You’re probably right,” she relented. “I guess I shouldn’t be so critical of him.”
“You shouldn’t. He’s actually a very sweet person.” She pushed the screen door open and walked down the porch steps.
Her friend joined her, and they strolled down the sidewalk. “Are you sure though? I mean, you are engaged.”
“I’m not hiding anything. I’ve told Peter. My mother will be in the house when Tom comes over. I don’t see why everyone is concerned.”
“Everyone but Peter?” she commented in a sympathetic tone.
Jessica hated that Margaret could read her mind. “You can’t tell anyone else what I’m about to say.” Jessica paused and turned to her friend. “You promise?”
If there was one thing Margaret was, it was loyal to her word, which was why Jessica even ventured to reveal what she’d been carefully concealing for the past month.
“Of course, I promise.”
Jessica nodded. “Sometimes I wonder if Peter’s marrying me because his mother approves of me.”
“No. That can’t be right.”
“Can’t it? You know how picky Connie James is. I think she has a tight leash on him.” Jessica stepped forward to resume their walk.
“Well...” She walked forward. “I grant that they are close. But...” She winced. “It’s not that bad, is it?”
“I don’t know. I mean, she and I get along wonderfully, but sometimes I wonder if she told him to propose to me.”
“If that’s the case, then why did you say yes?”
“I didn’t think his mother pushed him to propose when he asked. It’s just something that’s been on my mind for awhile now.”
“And does this whole thing with Tom make you wonder even more?”
“Shouldn’t it bother Peter, even a little, that I’m with another man?”
“Yes. It should.” She picked a leaf from a tree lining the road and asked, “So, what are you going to do?”
“I’m going to teach Tom how to dance.”
Chapter Six
Tom stood in front of Jessica’s house and quickly ran through his plan. He wasn’t sure it was going to work, but he had to do something. If Jessica and her friend and fiancé thought he was a fool, he’d oblige them...for awhile.
Taking a deep breath, he straightened his tie and knocked on the front door. It opened and for a moment, he lost heart. But only for a moment. It didn’t matter how pretty she was or that she wore one of the ribbons he had given her. The fact remained that she had brought him here for her amusement.
Jessica smiled at him and waved him inside. “I’m glad you could make it. I think we’ll have a good time.”
He smiled back. I’m sure we will. He scanned the hallway and parlor. Very clever. It seemed as if they were alone. But they couldn’t be. That Margaret friend of hers and Peter had to be hovering nearby. The closet by the front door was open a crack. Maybe they were hiding in there? His gaze turned to the parlor. The couch was against the wall but not right up against it. Maybe they were behind it. He mentally calculated all the places they might possibly be.
“My mother is upstairs, but she’ll be down in a few minutes,” Jessica explained as she entered the parlor. “I was thinking we’d do some dancing after lunch. Would you like to sit and talk for a bit?”
Convenient that her mother should be out of hearing range. Obviously, her mother wouldn’t approve if she knew her daughter planned to make fun of him. Well, he supposed the girl had to cover all of her bases. He took another deep breath. If a show was what she and her friends wanted, then he’d give them all a good one.
“I don’t mind learning how to dance a little bit before lunch,” he said. “It’d be good to warm up, don’t you think?” Then we can see how badly I can really dance.
“Oh. I suppose you’re right.”
He stepped into the parlor and glanced at the table by the chair. “Where’s the vase?” He took off his hat and placed it on the hat rack.
“The what?” she asked, turning around to face him.
“The vase. The one I almost broke last time I was here.” Might as well get this whole thing started by reminding them how obnoxious he could be when he was nervous.
She looked startled. “Oh. That. Um...Well...”
“Didn’t want me to almost break it again, huh?”
Her face grew red, notifying him that he was right. “No.” She gave an awkward laugh. “My mother wanted to have it in her bedroom.”
She was a horrible liar. But he’d let her believe that he didn’t pick up on that. Too bad for her he was better at lying. Deciding to play along, he said, “That’s actually a good thing. You know, that she took it out of here. I remember the time when I broke my mother’s entire china set. Boy, I never saw anyone scream like that. My family won’t let me near anything that can break.” He laughed. “You know what they do when I’m inside the house? They tie me to the chair so I can’t go anywhere.”
Her eyes grew wide. “That’s terrible.”
“No. Really, it’s not. I keep destroying things. I don’t know why. It’s like I attract trouble.” He spread his arms out and knocked the plant off the table, pretending it was an accident. “Oh no!” He quickly knelt down and purposely dug out some of the soil in the pot and rubbed it on his hands. Then he picked up the plant and set it back on the table. “There. All better.” He ran his hands through his hair.
“Uh...Tom...”
He ruffled his hair again before he wiped his hands on his pants. “What?”
She looked as if she didn’t know what to say.
“Are you ready to dance?”
Her eyes drifted to his hands.
He held them up and inspected them. “Oh. Of course. The dirt from the plant.” He pulled out the handkerchief from his pocket and wiped them clean. “Better? If you want, I could wash them. Though you might want to wash them for me. I can’t wash my hands at home ever since the rotting floor incident.”
“The rotting floor incident?”
He hid his amusement at the mixture of curiosity and horror on her face. “I had pumped the water into the sink, but the water didn’t stop coming out so the kitchen flooded.”
“Surely, that’s not possible.”
“I didn’t think so either until it happened. It’s amazing how fast water can cover the whole floor. It took my pa and brothers and me all of a half hour to stop it. Apparently, I yanked the handle too hard. I just don’t know my own strength sometimes. And that’s why they have to feed me, too.”
“But... But you ate fine here the other day.”
“And that took a lot of self-control.” Inspired, he twitched his shoulders. “Sometimes I get the shakes.”
She took a step back. “The...the shakes?”
“Yep. Really bad at times, too. One time I got them so bad I ended up throwing food all over the place—and don’t even get me started on what I did with the utensils.”
She shook her head. “You can’t be serious. You’re pulling my leg.” Then she chuckled, but it sounded as if she was only half-sure of her analysis.
He shrugged and let his hands slightly shake. “Alright.”
Her laughter died completely.
“So...what will we do for music?”
She cleared her throat. “Oh. Yes. Dancing. Right.” She clapped her hands together and then motioned to the center of the room. “I thought I’d just hum a tune.”
“That’s a strange way of doing things, but since there’s no one else around here...” He leaned forward so he could check behind the couch. Odd. No one was there. Looking back at her, he smiled. “Let’s get to it.”
Then he barreled in her direction. He expected her to move out of his way when he purposely tumbled forward, but she didn’t so he had to roll to the side and ended up hitting his head on the side of the couch.
“Are you alright?” she asked as she knelt next to him.
He rubbed his aching temple. That wasn’t supposed to happen. Oh well. He might as well play along. “The shakes. I told you it comes and goes without warning.”
She reached for his hand and helped him up. “I should get something for you to put on your head.”
“Nah. This happens all the time. I’m just lucky it did no real damage like that time when I got hurt somewhere important.”
“Where would that be?”
He covered his face, as if ashamed, but what he really needed to do was focus so he wouldn’t laugh at her stunned expression. “I don’t wish to impose on the sensibilities of a lady.” When he settled down the urge to giggle, he held his hands out to her. “Are you ready to dance?”
She looked hesitant but nodded and joined him in the center of the room.
He had to admit that she could play along pretty well. He wondered how long it would take before she called in her friends...or how long it would take them to magically show up. Apparently, he needed to go with a new tactic. He pulled her close to him, thinking for sure that Peter ought to be rushing into the room at full speed. But he didn’t.
“You can’t hold a woman this close,” she said, her face bright red. “It’s not appropriate.” She stepped back and set one hand on his shoulder and the other in his hand. “There. That’s better.”
Not really. He rather fancied the other way better but knew that she was right. Still, that should have had a fiancé seething. Just how far were they going to let him take this?
“Follow my lead,” she instructed. She began to hum and stepped to the side.
Instinctively, he did as she requested. “You have a nice voice. Do you sing?”
“Mostly to myself.”
“Let me hear you sing.”
She smiled but didn’t look at him. “I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know.”
Because she was too shy about it. That was something he understood all too well, but he wanted to hear her so he nudged the small of her back and grinned. “Come on. Just a line.”
She looked like she was considering it.
“I’ll tell you what. I’ll sing first.” Now when it came to singing, he didn’t have to pretend to be bad. It came naturally to him. When he hit a high note, his voice cracked and she momentarily winced. He stopped singing. “Sorry.”
He paused and listened for anyone laughing but no one was. Peter and Margaret were pretty good at hiding themselves. If he didn’t know better, he’d really believe that it was just him and Jessica in the vicinity.
Jessica took a deep breath and then quietly sang a tune, taking his mind off the window and wondering if Peter and Margaret were listening from outside the house. He stared at her in awe. She could do more than hold a tune. She made shivers run up and down his spine. When she glanced up at him, she stopped, seeming self-conscious.
“You have a beautiful voice,” he whispered, not intending for anyone but her to hear that.
“Thank you.”
It suddenly occurred to him that had this been a sincere offer from her to teach him how to dance, it might be the right moment to tell her how pretty she was. But this was all a ruse, and because of that, he couldn’t adequately enjoy the moment. He didn’t have the heart to physically toss her around to show her just how badly he could dance. Not after the nice moment they’d just shared...or rather the nice moment he’d shared with her.
He released her and finally said, “I know what’s going on. I’m not stupid.”
She furrowed her eyebrows. “What are you talking about?”
Just how long was she going to let this game continue? “You know, I may have my bad moments but at least I don’t make fun of other people.”
“I don’t understand.”
She was a good actress, but he wasn’t falling for it. He stomped over to the window, moved back the curtains and leaned out. Hmm... No one was hiding in the bushes.
“What are you doing?” she asked, sounding bewildered.
He turned to the room and peered behind a chair that was in the corner. Nope. Not there either.
“Tom, are you feeling alright?”
He ignored her and went to the hallway and yanked the closet door open. No one was in there. It was just a bunch of coats and shoes. Where else could Peter and Margaret be?
Jessica ran over to him. “What are you looking for?”
“Where are they?” he demanded, no longer amused.
“Who?”
“You know who.”
“If I knew, I wouldn’t ask.”
Fine. So she was going to see how far he’d take this. Well, he’d do something that was guaranteed to get Peter running out of his hiding place. Tom pulled Jessica into his arms and kissed her. It was a bold move, one he’d never take under any other circumstance, but drastic times called for drastic measures. He expected her to fight against him or slap him or...something to protest. But she didn’t. Instead, she melted in his arms and kissed him back. Her lips were soft and warm, and he was way too excited about it.
But he couldn’t thoroughly enjoy it. Not when he kept expecting Peter or Margaret to stop him. Why were they letting him kiss Jessica like this?
He ended the kiss...something that intrinsically pained him to do...and yelled out, “Come out, come out wherever you are!”
Jessica shook her head, as if breaking out from a trance and asked, “Who are you talking to?”
“Did someone call for me?” her mother called out from up the stairs.
He turned his head in the direction of the woman who peered around the banister at the top of the staircase.
“No, Ma. At least, I don’t think so.” Jessica looked at him. “Did you mean her?”
“You mean to tell me that Peter James and Margaret Williams aren’t here?” he called out to her mother.
“Peter is out shopping with his mother for the tablecloths for the reception,” her mother said. “Margaret isn’t due by until this evening for supper.”
“What reception?” he tested.
“The wedding reception of course. What other reception would a fiancé be planning for?”
He glanced around the house. It did seem awfully quiet, and he didn’t think the mother would lie about something like this. He gave Jessica a wary look. “You’re engaged?”
Her eyes grew wide. “Didn’t you know that?”
He didn’t like the sudden turn of events. It didn’t go exactly the way he planned. He had no idea how to get out of this except to play along...and then get the heck out of there as soon as possible to avoid any further embarrassment! He threw back his head and laughed. “Of course, I did. I mean, who doesn’t? It’s all over town.”
“That’s what I thought,” she said, seeming uncertain.
“Well, my little brother didn’t know, but he doesn’t pay attention to what goes on.” He glanced at his watch. “Wow. Is it that late already? I forgot that I have to be back at the farm in an hour. I better get home before I...” Okay. There was no way he was going to say ‘get in trouble’ because that would imply he was a kid. He cleared his throat. “I need to repair a fence. I can’t have the cattle running all over the place, you know.”
“But what about learning to dance? And lunch?” Jessica pressed as he ran to grab his hat.
He plopped it on his head. “You taught me to dance.”
“Well...” She glanced at the parlor. “Not really.”
“Sure you did. You did great. Really.” He clapped his hands together. “Good luck on the wedding. I’m sure it’ll be a great time.”
She grabbed his arm before he could leave the house. “Tom, won’t you at least get a quick bite to eat before you leave? You can’t repair a fence on an empty stomach.”
He had to get out of there. He didn’t know if she was going to catch on to what he’d been doing, but he didn’t want to find out. “I can’t. Really, I got to go.” He turned to leave.
“But—”
“Thank you for everything, Jessica. And thank you, Mrs. Reynolds.”
He tipped his hat and hurried out of there. It wasn’t until he made it to his horse that he allowed himself to take a deep breath and exhale. If there was anything more humiliating that he could do, he didn’t know what it could be. He quickly hopped on the steed and rode out of town.
Chapter Seven
Jessica sat across from Peter the next evening at supper. His mother had invited her over to discuss the wedding, but Jessica had a hard time concentrating on anything that Connie James was saying. All she could think about was Tom’s kiss. Her cheeks still warmed at the memory. It all seemed like a dream, and yet, she could still feel his lips against hers.
“I think an assortment of white and pink napkins will do well, too,” Peter agreed with his mother.
Jessica blinked and forced her attention to the two people chatting in the dining room. “Pink and white?”
Peter smiled and nodded. “Mother decided that those colors would suit for the wedding.”
“They are so pretty when they’re together,” Connie added.
“But I thought we agreed on red and pink,” Jessica told Peter.
Peter shrugged. “We’ll still have pink. What does it matter what the other color is?”
“You’re having a winter wedding,” Connie inserted as she lifted a glass of wine to her lips. “White goes much better with the season. And if it snows, it’ll be especially appropriate.”
Jessica glanced at Peter who bit into his steak as if nothing was wrong. She then turned back to his mother who sipped the wine. “I already told Margaret and Wendy to weave red roses into their pink dresses.”
She set the glass down and patted her hand. “That’s not a problem, dear. I explained the change, and they took the red roses out. They’ll be putting in white roses instead. So you see, everything is in order.”
“I like red.” She looked at Peter who didn’t even seem to notice the conversation going on in front of him. She nudged him under the table with her foot.
He jerked his head in her direction.
“Peter, don’t you agree with me about the red color?” Jessica sweetly asked.
He sighed. “It’s just one color.”
“Yes, and it’s my wedding.”
Connie cleared her throat. “But your mother can’t afford to pay for it. Remember, I’m the one with the bill. Since that is the case, I believe I’m owed a few allowances.”
“You wouldn’t have to pay for anything if you’d let me have a simple ceremony,” Jessica argued.
“Please, let’s not fight,” Peter interjected. “It’s unbecoming. The point is that we’re going to be a family, and since that is the case, we need to get along.”
Jessica resisted the urge to kick him in the shin...but just barely. She’d already consented to the elaborate wedding and reception because his mother knew a lot of “important” people who were particular about formal ceremonies and how things should or should not be done. Jessica had met a few of those people and realized that life would go much easier for Connie if she was able to present an elaborate wedding. But there was a time when enough was enough. Or at least, there should be.
“I’m sure we can reach a compromise,” Peter said, wiping his mouth with a napkin before he set it back on his lap.
Jessica wasn’t sure where he was going with this, so she twirled the fork in her hand and waited for him to continue.
“Mother, Jessica has conceded to your desire for a nice wedding. Jessica, my mother has agreed to pay for such a wedding. So this is what I propose. One of you will decide the colors for the ceremony and the other will decide the colors for the reception. That way, you both get what you want.”
His mother sighed and gave a slight nod. “That sounds fair. Jessica?”
Jessica still didn’t like it, but what could she say? The wedding wasn’t really even hers at this point. Sure, she was the one getting married, but this was apparently about Connie James impressing her friends—and that made it Connie’s special day. Besides, it was just colors. What did it matter if something was red or white? “Alright,” she finally relented.
Connie beamed at her and squeezed her arm. “My son is lucky to have you.”
Jessica returned her smile but didn’t feel the enthusiasm behind it. Is this what life was going to be like with Peter? She looked at her plate of half-eaten steak and potatoes and beans. Connie wasn’t mean to her, but there was something confining about being in the woman’s presence. It wasn’t something she noticed right away. But the more time she spent with them, the clearer it was becoming that something seemed off.
Could it be Tom’s kiss? She quickly looked up at Peter who was laughing at one of his mother’s jokes. Peter had never kissed her like that. Her face flushed and her heart beat faster as she recalled the warmth of Tom’s lips on hers. He was strong, too. She felt safe and protected in his embrace.
Maybe marrying Peter was a mistake. She looked at Peter and his mother. He pulled out Connie’s chair before he walked over to her and pulled out her chair. Why hadn’t she noticed that before? Did he always do things for his mother first?
Jessica managed through helping Connie with the dishes, acting as pleasant as she could despite the growing sense of doom that hovered in the air around her. Then she sat with Peter and his mother for a mind-numbing hour, not even sure what they were talking about. She wanted to see Tom again. But would that be a good idea? She wasn’t even sure what yesterday had been about. He seemed upset with her for something. He thought she’d brought Peter and Margaret over and hid them in her house. That much was obvious. But why would he think that?
She had no idea what Tom had been thinking, or why he made up all that talk about his parents feeding him or him having a condition called the shakes. At first, she actually believed him. But after his inquiry into Peter and Margaret, it dawned on her that he’d made up those lies. But why? And how was she going to find out? She would have to talk to him. That was the only way she was going to get an answer to her questions.
When it came time for Peter to walk Jessica home, she breathed a sigh of relief and let Peter help her put her shawl around her shoulders.
“I’ll see you next week, my dear,” Connie told her and hugged her. “We’ll take a look at what decorations we’ll have for the tables at the reception.”
Jessica forced another smile. “Sounds fun.”
After Connie gave Peter a hug, Peter took Jessica by the arm and led her down the porch steps. “This is a lovely night, is it not?”
They reached the sidewalk, and she noticed that Connie was inside the house. “Kiss me.”
He chuckled. “What?”
“I want you to kiss me, and not one of those polite kisses either. Show me how you feel about me in the kiss.”
“But we’re out...in public.”
“It’s dark and no one is outside.”
“It doesn’t seem appropriate.”
“So?”
“Aren’t you concerned about your reputation?” he asked.
“What is one kiss?”
Was it really because he was concerned about someone seeing them kiss or was it because he didn’t wish to kiss her? What was wrong with him? Shouldn’t he be eager to kiss her? Tom hadn’t held back from it...even if his motives might not have been because he actually wanted to kiss her. What were his motives anyway? She sighed. There was no doubt about it. She’d have to see Tom tomorrow.
“Alright,” Peter said. “As you said, it’s just a kiss.” He lowered his head and kissed her.
She stood there, waiting for something to warm her, to let her know that she wasn’t making a mistake in marrying Peter. She should get some feeling—a sense of peace—about the wedding. But she didn’t. She just felt more confused...and restless. His kiss was nothing like Tom’s, and it worried her.
When he pulled away, he smiled and softly said, “That was nice.”
Nice. Somehow, she didn’t think a passionate kiss should seem ‘nice’. She smiled at him and joined him as he walked her home.
Chapter Eight
Tom swung the reaper and cut through a few cornstalks just as his father yelled out that cattle were approaching. He immediately threw the stalks onto the pile he’d accumulated and joined Dave and Joel as they emerged from the field.
“Craftsman, what are you thinking in letting your cattle go free through here?” his father yelled at their neighbor.
“I didn’t do it on purpose,” Neil Craftsman argued.
Jimmy Parson stormed over to them. “How are we supposed to get the crops in on time when we have cattle to tend to?”
Neil’s face grew red. “I didn’t open the gate and set them free.”
“No, but you don’t mend your fence when it needs it either,” Jimmy said.
“I just bought the place. How am I supposed to know there’s a defect somewhere in the fence? I haven’t had time to examine it.”
“Look,” Tom’s father inserted, “standing around here and arguing isn’t going to solve anything. Let’s divide up. Half of us will take care of the cattle and the other half will continue on here.”
Jimmy nodded. “Since this is your land, you stay here and make sure none of the cattle do any damage to your crops. I’ll go with Neil and take care of the animals.”
“I’ll go, too,” Tom offered.
“That’s a good idea,” his father said. “Tom’s great with the lasso. Why, he can catch anything that moves.”
“Too bad that can’t be said for women,” Joel whispered to Dave who chuckled.
Tom shot them a glaring look, but they’d already returned to their row of crops.
“The cattle are down by the beans,” their father said.
While Jimmy and Neil went to their horses, Tom made his way to the barn. “I’ll catch up to you,” he called out to them, knowing it was going to take longer to retrieve his horse than it was going to take for them to head out.
He found his steed standing idly in the grassy pasture, seeming to be content to stare at the low hills in the distance. Sometimes Tom felt the same way. All he wanted to do was be off by himself and just be at peace with everything around him. Such peace, however, wasn’t possible as long as his brothers insisted on giving him a hard time. He took the bridle and put it on his horse. The horse looked disappointed to be disturbed.
“I know. I told you that you’d have the whole day to relax, but it turns out I need you to work. Here.” He stopped at the barrel beside the barn door and picked out an apple. “Maybe this will help.”
The animal eagerly ate so he picked out another one.
“You can’t enjoy it that much if you go too fast,” he warned.
“He’s probably hoping that you’ll give him the whole barrel’s worth.”
Startled, he turned around and saw that Jessica was there. Right there. In front of him. He saw that she’d taken a buggy out to his place. But why? “Did I leave something at your house?” Besides my pride?
“No,” she replied, looking down at her hands. She shrugged. “I just thought that there were some unanswered questions.”
“Oh?”
“Well, yes. I mean, I didn’t have anyone but my mother there at the house when you came over, and yet you think I did. Why?”
“I guess I thought it was odd that a woman who was engaged would have me over.”
She sighed. “Apparently, a lot of people thought the same thing. But I told Peter and he didn’t care.”
He rolled his eyes. “No man wants his fiancée to be with another man, especially if they’re dancing.”
“I’m just saying that is how he responded.
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