by Annie Boone
Just get it over with, June wished, and her face wrinkled up as her sister sucked in a deep breath to start talking.
“I just know it. Zeke Miller is sweet on me. Can you imagine it? Oh, it’s going to be a lovely wedding. Of course, we do need to start with an invitation to the spring social, but I’m sure that will be coming any day now. I think I’ll try to visit him in town to make sure he does it soon. Would tomorrow be moving too quickly?”
June shrugged. She barely had time for that as her sister dug into conversation again, mostly for herself.
“Now the real concern is when my dress will be ready. Mother and I spoke with Mrs. Finnegan yesterday. We’ve already scheduled a fitting. I also requested the latest cut. More clean around the shoulders, and an extra row of trim on the hem. Don’t you think that will look smart? I’m sure it will be done in time. But I did have them make it the priority, seeing as you don’t have anyone to dance with yet.” Mary paused and patted her sister’s arm. “It won’t matter much to you if your dress is late, will it?”
The look she gave her sister seemed like concern, but June knew her sister well enough to know that her concern wasn’t real. “I’ll find something,” she found herself saying, but hated how small the words came out.
Mary pouted and tugged her along. They stamped down snow on the path, occasionally seeing patches of the earth. “Of course you will. You’re beautiful, June. But you’re practical, too. I mean, well, you’re not going to be disappointed if none of the boys in town invite you?”
The question confused June, knowing it had to mean something more to her sister than a yes or no. It wouldn’t even be a concern for her sister—unless the question had something to do with Mary. Without knowing what to say, she just shrugged. “No, I don’t think so.”
“Good,” Mary nodded with a strange smile. “Don’t worry. There’s no shame in having fun at the social without a beau. You’ll find someone to dance with. Maybe at the next spring dance, don’t you think?”
June couldn’t help but suggest, “There’s still time, Mary. This dance isn’t for another month, in case you don’t remember.”
But her sister tutted. “Don’t be like that, June. You needn’t be so exact, correcting people. Really, sister, you’ve been so odd lately. Brighten up and smile. Maybe then you would have managed to win over Josh.”
Before she could argue, Mary had taken off skipping, throwing her hands in the air. June stopped in the path and watched her, dismayed at the criticisms. Her words hadn’t qualified for a remark such as that, making her wonder what was in her sister’s head. With a frown, she sighed and bit her lip, wondering what was really going on.
After all, Zeke Miller hadn’t yet asked Mary to the dance. This didn’t fortify too much hope, of course, because June didn’t know what Zeke Miller was thinking. For all she knew, he was preparing to ask her sister to the dance. And possibly he was planning a special way to invite her.
She’d only had one conversation by herself with the man, and that couldn’t mean a thing. Even with that sweet smile and kind face, that didn’t make him hers.
Her heart ached, watching her sister. The girl was so happy, so confident. June hated herself as she hoped her sister was being too bold, and that Mary was wrong about Zeke.
“Mary could choose anyone,” June mumbled to herself and bent down to find a small patch of green. She pulled up one leaf and brushed it against her cheek, thinking of summer and warmth. “She doesn’t need the one man I like.” After all, Mary was more than capable of finding someone. This clearly meant, June tried to tell herself, that Zeke could ask the younger sister instead without ever hurting the older Pershing girl. “Right?” She bit her lip, unsure, but hopeful.
Chapter 20
A short burst of laughter jerked Zeke Miller awake. It felt like he’d been hit by a lightning bolt the way he straightened up and glanced around wildly. A piece of paper that he’d fallen asleep against was still sticking to his cheek. Hastily, he pulled it off and found Mr. Prater standing there by the front doors.
“Glad to see things are going well,” the man grinned. “Had I known this would happen, I would have made a bed for you in the back.”
Embarrassed, Zeke ran a hand through his hair and cleared his throat. “I apologize, I didn’t mean for that to happen. It’s just been a good bit of work, and I haven’t been—”
The man waved him off. “Don’t you worry, I’m only teasing you. I know you’ve been putting in the extra time and effort to learn the details of this shop. I’m aware you’re even taking work home with you. Or is there something else on your mind, perhaps a young lady?”
His shuffling of the papers halted for only a second before resuming and Zeke hastily shoved them away.
“What would m-make you, uh, think that?”
Why is this man digging into my personal affairs? he wondered. And he was thankful that Mr. Prater didn’t fuss at him for his lapse in consciousness. A normal boss wouldn’t let him off this easy. He thought of his mother and shook his head.
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to take a breather, sir. For lunch?”
Mr. Prater hesitated and then nodded, waving to the door. “Of course. I was just returning to ensure you would get some fresh air. Your mother—”
Zeke stepped out the door before he could hear anything else. The man was kind and patient, and it was driving him out of his mind. The whole situation was just so new, Zeke didn’t know how to deal with his mother being courted. It all felt odd and he was out of sorts.
Especially, he thought to himself as he headed over to the Silver Dollar, since he was thinking about courting someone himself. Just as Zeke was wishing he could sort himself out, he noticed Nick sitting in a corner with one of the only open seats for the afternoon. He waved and the young man beckoned him over.
They had been casual friends growing up. Nick was older, but he’d always treated Zeke as if he was the same. Now the age difference didn’t matter.
Nick was working with his parents here at the Silver Dollar. He expected Nick would be running the place on his own before too much longer. Since they’d only seen each other a few times since Zeke’s return, now might be the perfect time to catch up.
“It’s good to see you again,” Nick grinned as Zeke slid into the open spot. “Everyone says you’ve been rather busy these days. Have you found yourself a job?”
Nodding, Zeke glanced around. “Yes, I’ve been working for Prater’s haberdashery.” He shrugged at the man’s expression. “He needed a hand with the business, and it’s what I know best. Made sense. At least for now.”
Chuckling, Nick shrugged and finished off his drink. “Then I’m glad it’s working out for you. He’s a good man, after all, and your mother’s certainly happy, if you don’t mind my saying so. Now we do need to catch up, but I promised I’d be back in the kitchen soon.”
“Hold on—if you can spare just a quick minute,” Zeke leaned forward. “I was wondering if I could ask you something.”
Nick slid back in his seat and raised an eyebrow. But Zeke couldn’t bring himself to speak about this in anything above a whisper and glanced around carefully.
“The Pershing girls. I knew them slightly as kids, but what about now?”
His friend smirked, giving Zeke a look he wasn’t sure he liked. “Now? Now, they’re the same as ever. Mary is loud and a shameless flirt. Mind you, she’s definitely the one to dance with, for she’ll keep you on your toes. And her sister, June, has certainly followed in her footsteps. You could escape one of them, but not two of them. Anyway, the younger one is quiet when she’s alone and there hasn’t been anyone for her since Josh.”
“Josh?” Zeke ransacked his mind for the name and wondered. “Josh Garrett?”
With a slight yawn, Nick nodded. “Yeah, remember him? Sometimes I wonder if you were gone longer than four years.”
“I know what you mean. Things sure have changed around here.”
His friend shrugg
ed. “Well, he’s been a hard worker for ages, and then suddenly it looked as though he was courting both of them. Now the two of us have been friends, and I thought we were immune to their charms. But for a while, it looked like Josh had lost that battle.”
Zeke frowned. “But he’s wed, isn’t he? To someone else?”
“Yes, he married Felicity Lipscomb. Smart girl, you should really visit them. They’re a swell couple.”
“What happened between him and the Pershing sisters, then?” Zeke couldn’t help asking, trying to pry any solid information from his friend. He didn’t mean to act so desperately, he just wanted to know. “Something must have happened. What was it?”
For a third time, Nick shrugged. “It didn’t work out. It looked like he was courting them, but turns out he hadn’t been courting them at all. It looked really good for June since they had calmer temperaments, you see? But apparently, Josh thought Mary wasn’t a good match, and after spending time with June, they cooled right off. There was never any true courting going on.”
Zeke couldn’t help but frown. That hardly gave him any pertinent information. Zeke struggled with finding the right words to say and fast, since Nick was standing up and fixing his sleeves to put his jacket back on. Hastily, he stood and straightened his own jacket. “Nothing ever happened, then? Between him and June?”
Nick raised his eyebrow but asked no other questions. He glanced towards the door, both of them knowing he had to be leaving. “Nothing much, no. So, you had best be on your toes around them, you hear? Beautiful women, those girls, but you certainly need to be careful. Especially Mary cannot be trusted.”
With a wave, the young man disappeared back into the kitchen. Zeke watched him go, wondering. There were enough accounts that there had to be some mutual truth to them, to Mary’s enthusiasm and June’s patience. And he was certain they had been flirting the other day out in the street. He frowned. At least, he thought they had been.
No, she had to have been, the way she had smiled. Zeke drummed his fingers on the table with his eyes closed, trying to remember the way she had looked with those curls framing her pink cheeks and her soft eyelashes. It wasn’t just the way June looked, but the spirit that he could see in her. She was as strong as she was sweet, and Zeke wondered how he might ask her to the spring social.
In truth, he knew Mary was angling for him to ask her to the spring party. But he wasn’t so concerned about her. She didn’t appeal to him. Her brash personality was too much for him. He simply wasn’t interested in her. He just hoped he could get past her bold advances. That might take some fancy footwork.
Chapter 21
Many of the founding fathers had had quite the education. They had studied several languages, mathematics, history, and law. It drove her crazy that they had managed to achieve that education over one hundred years ago and still June Pershing couldn’t get half of that.
Needing an escape from her chattering sister, she’d claimed to need a walk on her own and quickly departed. She was quite tired of Mary’s superior attitude and condescending tone. Her sister’s selfishness was grating on her more than usual today.
The first place she thought of was the general store, in the back corner where the books waited for her. Over the last year, she had spent enough time to read several of them while wandering the aisles.
With Zeke Miller’s nudging, she had managed to purchase a book. The problem with that was she had left it out on the coffee table where her father assumed it came from the law office. Too scared to admit the truth, June watched it disappear into his case where it would be deposited on the bookshelves there. After that, she was still working up the courage to retrieve it but was concerned the same thing might happen again.
For this reason, she found herself in the general store trying to find something new to read. There was an old textbook sitting on one of the shelves she found in the incorrect area, so June grabbed it and began to glance it over. It was used and discolored but small enough to perhaps hide under her pillow. Skimming the pages, she tried to consider what college would be like.
“Hi, Miss Pershing.”
She jumped and clutched the book to her chest as she looked up. She saw an equally surprised expression on Zeke Miller’s face. But as they looked at one another, their faces relaxed into smiles.
“Zeke, it’s good to see you,” June blushed lightly. “How has your week been?”
He nodded, and then she saw him swallow hard. Glancing down, she noticed her knuckles were white as she clung to the book.
“Good, good. The week has been good. And you?” Zeke said finally, articulating carefully. “Found yourself a new book?”
“Yes, after I managed to…” she trailed off, not wanting to get into her complicated story. “Yes, I think so. It’s an old textbook, see? It’s small, but it’s an introduction to the philosophical grounds for defense in court based on the laws of the Roman Republic. It sounds fascinating.”
His smile widened. “Intriguing. When you finish, you’ll have to tell me everything you learned.”
She couldn’t stop the blush that touched her cheeks. Shaking her head, she scolded herself for being so silly. After all, June had once worked hard to be like Mary, to flirt and carry confidence. But now? She didn’t want to be that way. Especially not with Zeke.
It was hard to think ahead, and she took a deep breath to calm her nerves. “I can definitely do that. I mean, then you’ll have to share things you know with me, too. About business, that is,” she added hurriedly.
His eyes wandered around and June watched him curiously. He was taller and could see over every aisle, and she wondered what that was like.
“I’d be happy to do that. And I know the perfect time for such a conversation,” he began hesitantly, then paused, watching her reaction.
Impulsively she stepped closer, and as she took another deep breath, she looked up into his handsome face. She saw him take a breath, just as her heart skipped a beat. June could hardly resist a smile as she looked into Zeke’s eyes. Whenever they were apart, she wondered if she was imagining that he might have feelings for her. But as she looked at him now, she was sure she could see something.
“Yes? When?”
“At the spring social. The big party.” Zeke couldn’t stop the grin from spreading across his face, and she wondered how he could possibly grow any more handsome. “Would you, perhaps, consider attending the dance with me?”
Biting her lip, June forced the giggle back down. Hurriedly she nodded. “Yes. Yes, I would love to.”
For a minute, they just smiled at each other, until someone walked by and she forced herself from the contented daze. He still hadn’t said anything else after asking her.
“There’ll be games, you know,” she blurted. “Outdoor games, such as Battledore and Shuttlecock and horseshoes. I heard there’s even going to be an archery target challenge this year.”
“Yes? And do you play those games and shoot?”
She shook her head. “Oh, no, I don’t shoot. But I do like to watch. Maybe some games might be fun, though.”
If his grin got any bigger, he’d look even more like a silly fool. Her own cheeks hurt as well, but she didn’t care. “Then I’m certainly glad I won’t miss it this year. I’m happy to be attending. With you, June.”
“Me too.”
“Good.”
“Very good.”
Another minute passed before either of them moved. But it was only because someone else entered their aisle and brushed by them, pulling Zeke and June back to reality. June’s cheeks grew red and she hoped they weren’t too noticeable since he was backing up from her now.
“I hate to go,” Zeke mumbled. “But I need to return to work. Will I see you soon?”
Her heart skipped a beat. “Of course. Tomorrow’s Sunday, after all. Church?”
Though he started to back away, he kept his eyes focused on her with one hand guiding him out. “Good,” he called out and bumped into the front doors.
She tried not to laugh and bit her lip. “Then I will see you at church.”
“Yes,” she nodded furiously and couldn’t help but follow his movement until finally he disappeared from sight.
Only then did she manage to breathe deeply again, ignoring the thrill running up and down her spine. It nearly felt impossible to believe, but she was going to the spring social with Zeke Miller. And she hadn’t had to trick him into asking her.
Chapter 22
Her heart felt like it was beating uncontrollably before June stepped back outside. In the thrill of the moment, she couldn’t resist spoiling herself with the new book. Rather, an old one that felt very new to her. She clutched it to her chest as she walked, humming and occasionally skipping.
Zeke was taking her to the dance and it seemed so hard to believe. She marveled at how unexpected his invitation had been. After everything her sister was saying, after everything everyone else was saying, June had had little idea of what to expect from him. But he was kind, intelligent, and sweet. She could hardly get his face from her mind as she continued walking.
Her heart thumped as she walked happily down the lane until she arrived at the front of their house. They had a nice yard and the cobblestone path was once again visible. She had always lived there and knew every stone on the ground and block of wood in the house.
But as she saw movement in the front, right-hand window, June’s stomach bottomed out. The book slipped from her hands into a mud puddle on the street before she could help it. Hastily, she stooped down and picked up the book, trying to brush away the wet mud. It clung to the binding as she tried to wipe it off and then got it on her skirts.
It was a good distraction as she tried to figure out what she was going to say as she walked to the front door. Biting her lip to hold back a smile, it was difficult to sort out the excitement for her plans with Zeke Miller from her consternation about having to tell her sister.