Buckeye Dreams

by Jennifer A. Davids

  They arrived at the fairgrounds just east of the Olentangy River. Buildings holding the various produce and livestock that people had brought to show dotted the neatly fenced-in field. Two of them were brand-new. The Delaware County Agricultural Society, the organization that ran the fair, had built them to house the fruit and vegetable entries. Jonah found a space for the horses and wagon, and soon they were walking toward the hall where the needlework entries were being shown.

  “Oh, but we must see how Jacob will do first,” Adele said. She started to turn toward the livestock stalls when Jonah gently took her arm.

  “They aren’t judging that until later,” he said as he guided her toward the hall.

  “Then perhaps we should go see how Aunt Mary’s preserves—”

  “We’re meeting Aunt Mary, Daniel, and Dr. Harris midday for dinner and then going over there, remember?” He looked at her curiously. “Adele, are you nervous?”

  Adele’s eyes widened. “No.”

  “You sure seem nervous, Ma,” Jacob said.

  “Ma okay?” Anne asked.

  Adele glanced at Jonah and squared her shoulders. True, this was the first time she had ever entered anything in the county fair, and so what if the entire county was looking at the sweet little quilt she had worked on so long and hard. There was nothing at all for her to be nervous about. Not a thing. Taking Anne’s hand, she gently disengaged herself from her husband’s grasp and strode toward the exhibit hall.

  Jonah couldn’t help but smile at his wife’s show of bravery. He remembered, not long after they met, how he and Nate dared her to pick up a crawdad they had fished out of Mill Creek. She squared her shoulders just the same way, quickly picked up the muddy creature, and held it aloft triumphantly. When she thought they had turned their attention back to looking for more, Jonah happened to glance back and saw her shudder as she threw it back in the creek.

  As he and Jacob followed Adele and Anne, he put a hand in his pocket. The percussion caps for his rifle jingled softly, and he thanked the Lord once again that he was finally beginning to feel free from his gun. Maybe on Sunday he could leave it at home and go to church with Adele. She would be thrilled.

  In the hall, he watched from a few steps away as Adele knelt and helped little Anne take off her bonnet. Her light-blue skirt billowed around her, and the two smiled at each other. Looking at them, one would think they were mother and daughter. As glad as he was that the two had bonded, Jonah seriously worried someone might still come and claim her. He knew he wouldn’t be able to stand to see the heartbreak it would bring to Adele. And, he realized, he didn’t want to lose the little girl himself. He remembered holding her tiny hand yesterday and how she had giggled as he lifted her down from the wagon a few minutes ago. His heart twisted. Lord, allow her to stay with us always.

  “What will you do if you wake up one day and discover she’s fallen in love with you?”

  Over the past several days, Jonah couldn’t seem to get the reverend’s words from his mind. What would he do? Nate had been gone for almost four years now, and on the occasions Adele did speak about him, there was a bittersweet sadness to her voice but no real grief. Love as well, but no longing. No indication she still pined for him. The reverend was right. She had moved on.

  Adele, Jacob, and Anne all stood together, and the image of himself standing with them as a family so filled his mind that he walked over and stood next to her. Their eyes met, and everything else but her faded away. Was it at all possible she might come to feel the same as he did? His hand began to reach for hers when the moment was broken by Jacob’s excited gasp.

  “Ma, look! I told you.”

  They both turned to see the judges place the first-place ribbon on Adele’s quilt. Jonah shot her a smile, and her hand went to her chest as the judges congratulated her. The second-place premium went to Libby Campbell, and Adele approached her.

  “I must compliment you. Your quilt is so very beautiful,” she said with a smile. “I have to wonder if the judges made a mistake.”

  Mrs. Campbell smiled in return as she smoothed back a strand of her rich brown hair. “Thank you, but yours is much better than mine. However did you do those appliqués?”

  As the two talked, Jonah introduced himself to her husband, Isaiah Campbell. The Campbells owned a fruit orchard down near Powell, and they had three children, Andrew and Ginny, who were close to Jacob’s age, and Abby, who was the same age as Anne. They all walked around together for a while and eventually stopped over at the fruit hall to see the apples and pears Isaiah had entered. One placed first and the other second.

  Jonah asked him how he had managed to raise such fine fruit. His own small apple orchard was healthy, but he had always wondered about growing pears. And I really should replace those peach trees with something, he thought soberly.

  Destroying them had been foolish. He’d done it because he knew the sight of them in blossom would dredge up painful memories of the battle at Shiloh. But Jonah hadn’t counted on the apple trees, with their similar-colored petals, having the same effect on him. He’d been tempted to cut them down as well, but he couldn’t bring himself to destroy the whole orchard. Jonah prayed he could learn to live with it. It saddened him. He’d grown up climbing the trees in that orchard. He set the thought aside as he heard Isaiah answer his question.

  “Oh, pears are pretty easy,” Isaiah was saying. “They take a little longer to mature, but once they do, you just need to watch out for fire blight. Had a spell of that just this past summer. The leaves on some of the branches will suddenly whither. You have to cut the whole branch off right then and burn it.”

  “I’d be interested in buying some saplings from you come spring,” Jonah said.

  “Bartlett is a good variety, very popular. Come on down just before the thaw, and I’ll set you up,” Isaiah said. The two shook hands. “Sorry, we have to be getting on down to the track. My brother has a horse entered in the race later.”

  “I wonder how much of a future horse racing will have at the fair,” Jonah commented. “The society is very determined that it stays centered on agriculture.” He was an active member of the society, and much of the last meeting had focused on the subject.

  “Oh, I agree, but there are still a good number of people raising horses in the county,” Isaiah said. “They should have a chance to show them off as well.”

  “Time will tell, I guess.”

  They parted company with the Campbells and made their way back to the wagon to get the basket of food Adele had prepared for their lunch.

  “Jonah, does the society plan to build better places for people to eat?” she asked. There were makeshift stalls dotted all over the fairgrounds for people to eat in, but they were far from permanent structures.

  “We should be eating in something better than the livestock,” he agreed. He made a mental note to bring it up at the next meeting. Maybe something could be done about it by next year’s fair. He looked out over the crowds and soon saw Daniel’s beaver skin hat bobbing through the crowd. He stood and waved. “Hey there.”

  “Hello,” his brother said as he approached with Dr. Harris.

  “Where’s Mary?” Adele asked.

  “Katherine wasn’t feeling very well this morning,” Daniel replied. “We gave our maid the day off to attend the fair, so Aunt Mary stayed with her.”

  Jonah noticed the worry in his brother’s eyes. “Is Katherine all right?”

  “Aunt Mary says she’s fine. The doctor has her in bed for the next month.”

  “We will pray for her before we thank the Lord for our food,” Adele said. They all sat down on the thick blanket Adele had spread out, and Jonah asked God’s hand to be on Katherine and thanked Him for their food. Everyone ate heartily.

  Daniel smiled when Adele pulled out her famous apple strudel. “If it was anything but your strudel, I would say I couldn’t eat another bite,” he declared.

  Adele chuckled as she handed him a piece on a cloth napkin. She hand
ed one to Anne.

  Jonah watched his brother flash the little girl his most charming smile. “You must be Anne.”

  Her eyes widened. She had nestled close to Adele when Daniel and Dr. Harris first arrived but seemed to forget their presence while they ate. After staring at him a moment or two, she cocked her head and gave him a shy little smile. Jonah was glad to see she was getting better at meeting new people.

  “Daniel said you can’t seem to locate her family,” Dr. Harris said. “I know a lawyer here in Delaware who could make inquiries.”

  “That is very kind, but Reverend Warren has already looked very carefully and could discover nothing. I cannot imagine her wandering over to our farm all the way from Delaware.” Adele looked down at the girl, and Jonah could tell Dr. Harris’s offer bothered her as she stroked the girl’s strawberry-blond hair.

  Later he, Daniel, Dr. Harris, and Jacob walked around while Adele stayed with Anne. The little girl had fallen asleep as she tended to do in the afternoon.

  Dr. Harris strolled over to Jonah while they looked over the purebred sheep. “I hope I didn’t upset Adele,” he said.

  “She’s become very attached to Anne over the past couple of months,” Jonah said. “For her sake, I pray we’ll be able to keep her.”

  “I understand.” The professor looked thoughtful for a moment. “I wonder, Jonah, if I might have a word with you and your brother.”

  Daniel came up just in time to hear what his old mentor had said, and he smiled knowingly. “You have our full attention.”

  The older man looked down and stroked his graying beard. “Well …” he said. “Well, I’ve been calling on Mary—I mean, Mrs. O’Neal—for several months now, and I thought it only proper, since you both are her closest male relatives, to ask you for her hand in marriage.”

  Jacob came up just then. “What’s going on?”

  “The professor here is asking to marry your aunt Mary,” Jonah said. He laid a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Should Uncle Daniel and I give him permission?”

  Jacob gave the professor a long look. “How do you plan on supporting her?” The sudden burst of laughter from the three men caused the boy to jump.

  “Where did you hear that?” Jonah asked. He drew a deep breath and let it out again. He laughed so hard there were tears in his eyes. It had been years since he had found something so funny.

  “Will told me Miss Williams’s pa asked him that,” Jacob replied. Will had asked for Clara’s hand last Sunday and had clearly regaled Jacob with the whole tale. “Isn’t that what you’re supposed to ask?”

  “Not in this case,” Jonah chuckled. Like Daniel, Dr. Harris was a professor at Ohio Wesleyan, so there was certainly no concern that he could not support a wife. He turned to the professor and shook his hand. “You have our blessing.”

  As Daniel gave the older man a warm embrace, Jonah saw Ben Carr not far off at the horse stalls. He nudged his brother and nodded toward the young man. They exchanged glances. In his last letter to his brother, Jonah had mentioned his run-in with Ben Carr, and the two agreed they both needed to talk to the young man. Telling Jacob to stay with Dr. Harris, the brothers made their way over.

  Ben saw them approach and frowned. “Mr. Kirby, Dr. Kirby,” he said coldly and started to step away. His frown deepened when Jonah laid his hand on his arm.

  “Please, Mr. Carr,” he said. “I’ve come to apologize.”

  The young man pursed his lips but stopped and looked at them.

  “First of all, I’m sorry for misjudging you. I had no right to say the things I did. Will Reid is one of my hired hands, and he says you’re one of the most fair-minded men he’s ever met.” Jonah looked down. “Secondly, I should have treated your uncle better. I was taught to love my enemies, but I guess I didn’t learn that lesson very well. Looking back now, I guess I was kind of a pain in the neck.”

  “No more than my uncle must have been,” Ben said. “I’m well aware of what his faults were. My ma says that’s why we left for the Kansas Territory. My pa couldn’t stand to watch Uncle Eli’s greed eat him alive.”

  “Mr. Carr,” Daniel said, “I feel I should apologize as well. I thought the same way about your uncle.” Jonah noticed his brother glanced at him before continuing. “I shouldn’t have offered to sell him the Kirby farm and then backed out at the last minute.”

  “No need, Dr. Kirby. As I said, I know how bad Uncle Eli behaved.”

  “That still doesn’t excuse how we acted,” Jonah said.

  Ben nodded. “I suppose.” He offered them his hand. “Why don’t we put this all behind us and start fresh?”

  “That sounds like a good idea,” Jonah said as he, Daniel, and Ben shook hands. “But I hear you’re leaving soon. Headed back to the Dakota Territory?”

  “Yes,” the young man replied. “I’ve got most of my uncle’s land sold or rented.” Ben paused for a moment. “The fields adjacent to your farm are the only ones I still hold. I would like to give them to you.”

  Jonah blinked in surprise. “What for?”

  “I really feel I should make amends for what my uncle did.”

  “You weren’t responsible for his actions. And I have more than enough land of my own.”

  “No, I insist,” Ben said.

  Jonah hesitated. He didn’t really need more land. What would he do with it? An idea suddenly came to mind, and he smiled. “Fine, I accept. My lawyer’s name is O’Conner, Edward O’Conner.” Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his brother’s eyebrows rise. “He has an office here in Delaware.”

  “Thank you,” Ben replied as they shook on the deal. “I’ll be sure to see him before I leave.”

  “When will that be?” Daniel asked.

  “Sometime next week. With the money I’m getting from the land here, I can finally start my own business.” Ben looked down for a moment, a half smile on his face. “And I hope to marry and start a family.”

  “We’ll pray everything goes well for you,” Jonah said. “Be sure to write us. We’d like to know how things go for you.”

  “What on earth are you going to do with more land?” Daniel asked as they watched the young man walk away.

  “Those fields border the land Will is renting,” he replied with a smile. “A couple of those acres will be a perfect wedding present for him and Miss Williams. I’ll rent out the rest of it to someone who needs it.” Jonah raised his eyebrows at the frown on his brother’s face. “What’s wrong? I think it’s a good idea.”

  “No, it is a good idea,” Daniel said. He looked away, but Jonah caught the guilty look in his eyes. “I never really apologized to you for trying to sell the farm. I’m sorry.”

  Jonah reached out and squeezed his shoulder. “Don’t worry about that. You did think I was dead.”

  “But still …”

  “Oh, come on.” Jonah slapped him on the back. “They’re judging Jacob’s calf soon. Why don’t you and Dr. Harris take him over to the livestock stalls while I go fetch Adele and Anne?”

  “Sure,” Daniel said, and Jonah was glad to see the guilt leave his face.

  As he made his way through the crowds, Jonah hoped Anne would still be asleep. Ben’s talk of marriage and family had him eager to talk to Adele alone, even if only for a few minutes.

  Chapter 11

  Adele had brought some mending along, anticipating that Anne would sleep after dinner. She found her thoughts turning to Jonah as she worked. She wondered at the look he had given her just before she won first place for her quilt. It was not one that worried her. It just seemed as if the way he was looking at her—especially over the past week—had changed. It reminded her of how Nathaniel would gaze at her when they were courting.

  Her needle slipped and jabbed her thumb. Sucking the blood away, she dismissed the silly thought. How ridiculous! He is just grateful for the way I helped him. The thought lingered, even though she stubbornly continued to brush it away, trying her best to think on something else. She almost cried out with r
elief when she heard her name being called.

  “Adele Kirby.” She looked to see Fred Decker’s cousin, Ruth, walking up with her newly married daughter, May Hamilton, behind her.

  Adele rose and hugged them both. She had not seen either of them since her marriage to Jonah. “Ruth, May, it is so good to see you. I miss seeing you both when I go to town.” She invited them to sit down. She noticed Ruth looking at Anne, who was still sleeping peacefully in a little ball.

  “Now, who do we have here?” the woman asked. “Is she a relative of yours?”

  By the time Adele explained how Anne had come to them, the little girl woke and decided to pick some of the clover growing in little white clusters across the field.

  “Why, the poor thing,” Ruth said. “May, you haven’t heard of a child missing lately, have you?”

  “No,” May said as she went to help Anne pick clover. “But we live so far from Ostrander, I can’t see how she could be from all the way up in Radnor.”

  “I suppose not.” Ruth’s face brightened “Why, here comes Jonah.”

  To her surprise, Adele’s heart suddenly began to pound as her husband came into view. She took a deep breath and schooled it back to a normal rhythm.

  Anne caught sight of Jonah and ran up to him. He smiled and knelt down to hug her.

  Adele glanced at Ruth, who was smiling at the pair.

  “Jonah Kirby, if you don’t mind me saying so, you look like a new man,” she said.

  “I don’t mind at all. Thank you, Mrs. Decker. The Lord has been working on me,” he said, picking up the little girl.

  “There. You even sound more like yourself,” the older woman said with a broad smile.

  Noticing Jonah was not sitting down, Adele looked up at him. “Is it almost time for them to judge Jacob’s calf?”

  He nodded.

  “We’ll help you with all this,” May said.

  While Adele gathered her mending and put it and the dinner leftovers in the basket, Ruth and May folded the blanket. She took it from them and handed the basket to Jonah. Their hands brushed, and Adele jumped.