Almost as soon as they’d arrived, Mindy was snatched from his side, and was now busy chatting with a group of women. At least the women were chatting. His wife’s demeanor had moved from overwhelmed, to nervous in a short time. The women seemed to be firing questions at her. She kept licking her lips, and looking around, most likely searching for him to rescue her.
He, on the other hand, had been held captive by a few of the church members who wanted to rehash the story of the previous preacher who ran off with one of the married congregants. It troubled him that so many of them seemed eager to discuss the scandal. He leaned more toward forgiveness and putting the matter to rest.
However, for as many times as he steered the conversation to other matters, each time they ended up gossiping. He heard more complaints, details, and information about people he either had not yet met, or had recently been introduced to, than he would ever care to.
“So tell me, Mr. Weber, how long have you been in Trinidad?” Jed turned to the man next to him.
Tall, thin, and wearing wire spectacles that made his eyes look enormous, the man grinned, showing time-tainted teeth. “I been here, Reverend, from the time I was a lad. My folks came to Trinidad back in ’62 right after coal was discovered. They lived in Kansas Territory, but the fightin’ between those wanting slaves and those don’t wanting them made my ma nervous, so they moved on.”
“Do you work the coal mines now?”
The man rocked back on his feet, linking his thumbs onto his suspenders. “Yep, sure do. Been working there since right after Ma and Pa settled.”
“I’ve heard working underground can be a bit dangerous. Does your employer have safety measures?”
The man scratched his beard and shook his head. “Nah. At least none that I’ve ever seen. We just go down there, get the coal and send it on up.”
Jed’s questions concerning using children in the mines was interrupted before he had the chance to ask.
“Attention, everyone.” All eyes moved to Mrs. Peterson, who stood on a chair—Jed held his breath—clapping her hands. “I want to make an official welcome to Reverend Jedediah Nelson, and his wife, Mindy, who have come all the way from Dodge City, Kansas to minister to us. As you all know, we were left quite stranded when Reverend Simmons chose to abandon us and cause such a scandal with Mrs. Milltown. Why, it was no wonder poor Mr. Milltown was forced to leave us and take his lovely children with him.”
Jed groaned, hoping that was the end of her comments on the previous reverend. He’d heard enough so far that he felt as though he’d been there.
Unfortunately, she continued. “Now we have our new preacher, along with a wife, so we know that problem will never arise this time!” She paused, apparently waiting for an agreement, or comment. A scattering of applause brought a smile to her face. “Now I want all of you to enjoy yourselves.”
A man standing next to her assisted her down, and she soon melted into the crowd. Jed wanted more than anything to grab Mindy and return home. They still had a lot to do with the house, and he wanted some time at least, to just relax with his wife and enjoy his Sunday. He glanced at her again, and she was beginning to look pale, and kept taking deep breaths.
“If you will excuse me, gentlemen, I believe my wife is looking for me.” Jed placed his empty tea cup on a nearby table, then picked up a full one, and headed toward the group of women surrounding Mindy.
“Here is your charming husband, now.” A woman who had introduced herself before the service as Miss O’Neill, the church pianist, greeted him with a bright smile. He moved next to Mindy, and she immediately gripped his fingers. Her hand was damp, and ice cold at the same time. He handed her the tea. “Have some tea, honey.”
She took the cup with shaky hands. With this being a reception to welcome them, it would be rude to leave so soon, so he slowly slid his arm around her waist to lend support. Her body seemed to relax a bit.
“Reverend, we were just getting to know Mrs. Nelson better.” An older woman with a hat on her head that resembled a birdcage patted Mindy’s arm. Something about the look in her eyes bothered him. Before he could say anything, Mrs. Peterson joined their group, her glance immediately going to Jed’s arm wrapped around Mindy’s waist. Her lips pursed in disapproval.
Trying to head off any comment that might upset his wife, he said, “Yes, well I’m sure Mrs. Nelson would love to know more about all of you, as well.” If he could get them talking about themselves it might calm Mindy down. She obviously was not happy having questions thrown at her.
“Mrs. Rogers,” Jed turned to an older woman on his right. “That is your name, is it not?”
She tittered, waving a lace handkerchief like a young girl. “Yes, Reverend.”
“Why don’t you tell me and my wife about yourself?”
Thankfully, the woman kept up a steady stream of words about her, her husband, children, and farm, to give Mindy time to relax. The way she slumped against his side reinforced his promise to take care of her, and help her adjust to this new life.
The girl had spent her childhood in a brothel, and since leaving school, worked in a saloon. She’d spent her life avoiding insults, scrapping in the school play yard, and dodging wandering hands while trying to earn a living. He’d heard from more than one drunken cowboy that she was destined to follow in her ma’s footsteps. The Mindy he knew would never do that, and it made her life a living hell, with everyone waiting for her to take the fall.
He had to keep reminding himself of that, and while having his own church for the first time was stressful for him, Mindy’s complete life change needed his love and support. He glanced down at her while Mrs. Rogers continued on, and noticed Mindy looked more relaxed than she had all morning.
Yes, then and there he made a vow to be more patient and loving with her.
***
“Mindy, I don’t understand why there are no clean shirts.” Barely past dawn three days later, Jed stood in the kitchen, glowering at her, a pile of clothes in his arms.
Mindy looked up from the mess on the table that she was supposed to transform into a loaf of bread. She had no reason to believe she could, since every other attempt she’d made had failed miserably. “I don’t know why you have a problem understanding that. When you wear a shirt a few times, it gets all sweaty and you have to wash it.”
“And?”
She gritted her teeth. “You told me wash day was Monday.”
“Monday was two days ago.” Jed fisted a shirt in his hands. “Did you do the wash?”
Slapping the dough on the table, she began to knead, wishing it was his face she could plummet. “I did some of it. It takes up the whole day.” She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. “I had other things to do, too. I’m sure you expected to eat that day.”
Jed closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Why didn’t you ask for my help?”
She stared down at the lump of flour, water and salt. Lordy be, there must be something else that goes into bread. Otherwise it wouldn’t keep turning out like a rock. She took a deep breath and looked up at her husband.
He might not believe it, but she was trying her darndest. The chatty Mrs. Rogers had offered to help out when she learned she was unskilled in household matters. When her brows rose in surprise, Mindy had to come up with a lie that her ma was dead, and she never learned how to cook, clean, sew, or do anything else required of a wife. She’d told the woman she was raised by an uncle who had employed a maid.
She’d also told nosy Mrs. Peterson that she had helped out in said make-believe uncle’s hardware store. Then when Miss Miller questioned her about the charities she’d worked with in Dodge City, Mindy mumbled something about widows and orphans. Each time she told a new lie, she’d broken out in a sweat. How was she going to keep all these fibs straight? Although some of the women seemed to be very nice, and were only curious about their new pastor and his wife, more than a few of them appeared to be looking for something to trip her up on.
Every time one of them stopped over to ‘chat’ or ‘say hello’ she felt as though she was an animal on display at a zoo. She fumbled trying to prepare a decent pot of tea, and never had cookies or cakes to offer them, since she still struggled with trying to figure out how to make bread.
She’d always thought bible-readers and church-goers were supposed to be kind, and nice to people. Follow the Lord’s example, and all of that. After the way she’d been treated at Pastor Nelson’s church, and the way some of the women here stared at her, constantly asking her questions that were—well no other way to put it—quite nosy, she began to doubt that.
“Mindy?” Jed’s voice drew her from her mind wanderings.
“Yes?”
“Clean shirts?” If he’d been mad when he’d first entered the kitchen, something had changed, because the slight twitch of his lips told her he was trying to hold in a laugh.
She pulled her hands out of the dough, and walked to the sink to wash her hands. “I’ll do them now, so you’ll have a clean shirt later.”
Before she had finished washing, soft lips pressed against the skin at the back of her neck. “I know you’re trying, honey. I also know it’s very hard.” He turned her around, and grabbed a towel from a hook over the sink, handing it to her.
She dried her hands and Jed wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. “I’m finding my way, too. You’ve never been a housewife before, and I’ve never been a preacher with my own church before. We’re both feeling a little anxious, and snapping at each other won’t help.”
“I’m still wondering if you miss your old job very much.” She looked up at him. “Sometimes I look at you and you seem far away, like you’re unhappy.”
He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. This is what I’ve chosen to do.”
Mindy rested her forehead on his chest. The comforting smell of clean linen, horses, and something that could always be connected with Jed eased her mind. True, he was struggling, too, and she had to remember that. What she couldn’t understand was why he was doing something other than what he loved.
“I’ll tell you what,” Jed said, tipping her chin up with his finger. “Let’s do the wash together, and then we can go on a picnic afterward. Not for long, because I have someone coming by this afternoon, but at least for lunch.”
“Oh, that sounds wonderful.” Her spirits perked right up, then took a crash “But I don’t have any bread. What will we bring on a picnic?”
“I have a little money. We’ll stop at the hotel in town and have the dining room fix us a couple of sandwiches. We have apples here, and that, plus a jug of cool water will make a perfect picnic meal.”
Mindy eyed the mess on the table. “What about the bread I was going to make.”
Jed looked over at the table, the two of them staring at the lump as if waiting for it to say something. “There is a bakery in town. Perhaps we can buy our bread for a while.”
She swooped the glop off the table, dumped it in the trash bin, then grabbed his face and gave him a very loud, sloppy kiss. “Thank you!”
Between the two of them, they scoured the house and gathered up what she hadn’t washed on Monday. She collected the lye, soap, and washing board while Jed built the fire outside to heat the water for the wash tub. While the water heated, Mindy went over each piece of clothing like Mrs. Rogers had told her, to check for small tears, loose buttons, and other repairs that needed to be made.
Since sewing was something she’d hadn’t yet mastered either, she breathed a sigh of relief when it appeared that job could be passed by.
“Water’s ready,” Jeb shouted from the back yard. She carried the clothes out, and stopped to admire her husband. Sleeves rolled up, to reveal muscular arms dusted with light hair, his pants snug over his bottom as he bent over the pot, she thought of other ways they could occupy their afternoon besides a picnic.
She scolded herself and joined him. That was certainly not the way for a respectable preacher’s wife to think. She pushed those thoughts aside, and they chatted easily while she scrubbed, he rinsed, and they both hung the clean laundry on the clothes line Jed had strung for her. When they got back from their picnic later, she would have to starch and iron his shirts. Hopefully, at least one in time for him to make his appointment.
But now it was time for some fun!
***
The day was perfect picnic weather. As they rode out of town on the wagon, Jed felt himself relax for the first time in days. Truth be known, he was more concerned about his congregants than he thought he would be. Of course, since this was his first church, he had nothing to compare.
The members of his father’s church hadn’t seemed so eager to gossip or cast dispersions on one another, but then, as pastor, Papa probably heard more than Jed had. It was his job to stop the gossip and encourage them all to be kind, and tolerant. To follow the Lord’s teachings was to be thoughtful of each other, not always looking for some flaw to comment on.
It appeared he had his work cut out for him here at Grace Christian Church of Trinidad.
“Oh, look. That’s a perfect spot.” Mindy pointed toward a small opening in the heavily wooded trees. A clear spring brook ran through the space, causing deep green grass to grow around it.
“I agree.” Jed drew on the reins and pulled the wagon to a rolling stop. He jumped down, tied the straps to a tree and walked to Mindy’s side. She smiled down at him as he wrapped his hands around her small waist and lifted her to the ground. The sun shone on her face, her smile warming him inside. He truly loved his wife, and again reminded himself to allow her time to come to grips with her new life.
What bothered him was her reluctance, heck, her refusal, to say she loved him. He’d given her a lot of opportunities, and he was sure her feelings for him were strong, but it was almost as if she was afraid to commit to love. Something was holding her back. He would just have to work harder. He needed her love.
He retrieved the hamper and blanket, and hand-in-hand, they strolled to the area they’d picked. Mindy shook out the quilt, and they both sat, with the basket between them.
“Jed, I always seem so busy doing everything wrong.” She peeked at him under her bonnet brim. “Do you think I’ll ever be able to learn the right way to do things?”
“Of course you will.” He moved forward and gave her a gentle kiss on her lips. “This is all new for me, too. That’s probably why we’re at odds so much. You’re anxious, and I’m unsure of myself.” He reached into the hamper and started to remove their food.
“Why would you be unsure of yourself?” Mindy asked as she unwrapped the cheese sandwich. “At least you had training for this job. I’ve had none.” She handed the sandwich to Jed.
“I was prepared to offer counseling, conduct services, help the poor and needy, and teach the bible to the children. What I wasn’t prepared for was all the in-fighting, gossiping, and back-stabbing I’ve encountered.”
“Was it different at your father’s church?”
Jed swallowed a sip of water. “I don’t know for sure. I worked with him while I was training, but the pastor probably knows more about what his congregants are like, than either Micah or I would have known.” He shook his head. “I never asked, but I don’t remember him talking too much about the discontent I’ve seen here.”
He’d sent a letter off to his papa to ask his advice. It seemed everyone Jed spoke with at the Grace Church was embittered in some way. It was his job to find out where this all started, and why everyone seemed so quick to criticize each other. He didn’t try to fool himself that everyone should be deliriously happy at all times, but the level of unease he’d encountered so far had concerned him.
Mix with that his own insecurity about this job, and, truth be known, his depression on having left his artist job. It surprised him how very much he missed the work. He tried to make time each day to draw, since he found it very relaxing, but there was always someone needing him for one thing or another.
Mindy had just taken a bite, and nodded her head as she chewed and swallowed. “Delicious.” She grinned. “But then, everything I don’t have to cook or prepare is delicious.”
Jed reached out and pulled her toward him. She slid along the blanket until she rested alongside him. “Ah, darlin’. Don’t put yourself down. You’ll do fine, eventually.”
“Yes, perhaps. But will we be starved down to skin and bones before I get the knack to put together a meal?”
He tucked a loose curl into her bonnet. “Time, sweetheart. Time.” He leaned over and took her lips with a tender kiss.
How much time did she need to admit her feelings for him?
Chapter Eight
Two weeks later, Mindy took a deep breath as she checked her hair in the mirror, and made sure her dress was buttoned properly. She grinned at her reflection. Today she was going to teach her very first children’s bible class. Jed had gone over her lesson plans several times, making suggestions and offering advice.
Imagine, her teaching! She picked up her bible and the lesson for the day and left. She was to meet the children at the church.
The church was cool inside, reminding her to ask Jed to make a small fire in the wood stove before her next class. Four children sat in the front pew, three girls and one boy. “Good afternoon, children,” Mindy greeted them.
They all turned as one, the girls smiling brightly, the one boy scowling. She imagined he preferred to be somewhere else. “It’s chilly in here. What do you say we hold our class outside in the sunshine?”
Once they all trooped out behind her, she led them to a spot under a large oak tree. After settling on the ground, Mindy, took out her lesson and glanced at the top line.
Introduce yourself and ask everyone their name.
Prisoners of Love: Cinnamon Page 7