“Oh Eva, you are hopeless.” Though she shook her head, she laughed. “But I’m happy to be your friend anyway.”
Eva closed the book and told Leroy and Hannah, “Don’t mind her. She’s jealous because we have better books than she does.”
“I have better things to do than read.”
Eva gasped. “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”
“Come now, Eva. I suspect you have something better to do, too.”
Before Eva could respond, Rachel told the owner what she wanted. Eva waited until Rachel paid for the butter and flour then followed Rachel out of the store, mindful to keep her children close by so they wouldn’t run into the street.
“We’re fortunate that we ended up with the men we did,” Rachel commented.
“Yes, we are,” Eva replied.
With a twinkle in her eye, Rachel added, “Especially now that you and Boaz are truly husband and wife.”
Eva glanced at Leroy and Hannah who were giggling and pointing to a dog that was chasing a horse. “How did you know Boaz and I,” she cleared her throat, “were together that way?”
“It’s written all over your face.”
“Oh, it is not!”
“It most definitely is. Your face is shining with love.”
She shook her head. “That’s silly. You guessed. You didn’t know for sure what happened.”
“I did, too.”
Ignoring the sing-songy tone in her friend’s voice, Eva motioned for Leroy and Hannah to wait until the street was clear before they crossed it. “It was a guess,” she insisted. “And a good one.”
“I knew it!”
She gasped. “Rachel, you are awful. Positively awful.”
Giggling, she gave Eva a quick hug. “I admit I guessed, but you are glowing this morning. I can’t remember a time I’ve seen you so happy. There could only be one reason for it.”
“Yes, I suppose…”
“Oh come now. It’s good.”
A small smile tugged at her lips. “It is nice.”
“Nice?”
“Very nice.”
Jabbing her in the arm, she said, “It’s more than ‘very nice’. It’s absolutely wonderful, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is.”
“And you know what else it means?”
Unsure of what her friend was talking about, Eva shook her head.
“It means Herb can play his violin without Boaz getting upset, which means there won’t be any more tense visits.”
“Yesterday was awkward.”
“Yes, it was. There’s no reason for it. Herb and Boaz have been friends for years. You and I are now friends. We should all be able to get together for a meal and have a good time.”
“I think we will in the future. Boaz is going to apologize to Herb today.” They stepped up to Eva’s house and she opened the door. “Do you think Herb will go easy on him?”
“I don’t know. You and I can see the humor in the whole thing, but then we weren’t the ones at odds with each other.”
“Did Herb say anything to you last night after you left my house?”
“All he said was that he expected more from Boaz. Then he said he didn’t want to talk about it anymore.”
Eva told Leroy and Hannah to play in the parlor while she and Rachel went to the kitchen. “Boaz feels bad about what happened, but I will admit if he’d just come out and said what was bothering him when I asked, I don’t think it would have ever gotten to the point where it did last night.”
“I think men have a hard time talking about their feelings.”
“Probably.” Eva and Rachel set their things on the worktable. “I grew up with four older brothers, and you’d think I’d know how men are.”
“Yes, but they were our brothers, not men you had a romantic interest in.”
“True. Our brothers didn’t treat us the same way they would have treated the woman they wanted to court.”
The sound of a child running brought Eva’s attention to the kitchen door. Leroy popped into the room and stared at the empty table, the unmistakable look of disappointment on his face.
“I’m going to make sandwiches right now,” Eva told him.
“Me and Hannah are starving.”
“The correct way of saying it is ‘Hannah and I are starving’. But it’s not true. You two are hungry. Starving implies you haven’t had anything to eat for a long time. And besides, you had breakfast this morning.”
“My tummy don’t remember.”
Deciding not to correct him a second time, she went over to the candy jar on the shelf and dug out two pieces of hard candy. “You have to give one to Hannah. I don’t want you eating both of them,” she told him as she held them out to him.
“I won’t.”
“You won’t what?” she asked before he could dart out of the kitchen.
“I won’t do what you said.”
Ignoring Rachel’s stifled giggle, she put the lid on the jar and studied him. “Leroy, you need to be specific. What are you going to do with those two pieces of candy?”
“Give one to Hannah and eat the other.”
“Good. You may go. I’ll call you when lunch is ready.”
As he ran out of the room, she shot her friend an amused look. “Will you stay for lunch?”
“I’d love to,” Rachel replied. “I have a feeling I’ll learn a lot about children from being here. It’ll be good practice for when I have my own someday.”
“It will.”
Smiling, Eva placed the jar back on the shelf then started making the sandwiches.
Chapter Twenty
Boaz walked into the mercantile that afternoon and lingered around the store until he was the only customer left.
When he approached the counter, the owner smiled at him. “That wife of yours just came in here this morning to pick up another book. I can’t recall a time I’ve seen anyone who had such a love for reading.”
“She likes me to read to her every night before bed.”
“I didn’t think you liked to read.”
“I didn’t until I started reading to her. It’s actually not too bad.” He hesitated a moment. “You got any more of those sheaths in stock?”
With a nod, he bent down and retrieved a box behind the counter. “You’d be surprised who comes in here to buy them. It’s not always men.”
Boaz’s face warmed but he decided not to comment. He suspected the owner was hinting that Eva had bought some but the owner didn’t need to know he picked up on it. Instead, Boaz opted to ask him for a bag and paid for it.
“Is there anything else I can do for you today?” the owner asked as he put the box away.
“Actually, there is. Do you have sheet music for Sonata Pathétique by Ludwig van Beethoven?”
“Let me guess. Your wife plays music when she’s not reading?”
“No, she doesn’t play music, but she enjoys listening to it.”
“I have a book of music for the piano. I think it has what you’re looking for.”
The owner made a move to go back to another room, but Boaz stopped him. “It’s not for the piano. It’s for the fiddle.”
The owner turned back to him. “The fiddle?”
“The violin.” Like there was a difference.
“If you want violin music, you’ll have to check with Mayor White. He’s the only one with that kind of music in town except for your friend Herb, but Herb just plays for square dances, doesn’t he?”
“No. He also plays for other occasions, too.”
“No kidding?”
“I didn’t realize it either until recently.” Boaz tapped the counter and sighed. “I don’t suppose you could order the music for me?”
“I could but something like that will take at least a couple months to get in.”
Boaz considered waiting. It’d be easier for him if he did. But it’d be nice if he could make amends with Herb and give Eva the gift of hearing the music she loved sooner. After weighin
g his options, he decided to go to the mayor’s house. Thanking the owner, he left the store and slipped the bag into the leather pouch attached to his saddle.
He got on the horse and rode over to the mayor’s house which was near the town limits. Of all the houses in the area, it was the largest and most beautiful one.
And Boaz hated coming here. This wasn’t going to be easy. But he was going to have to do it if he was going to properly make amends with Herb. And after all Herb had done for him, he owed him something.
Boaz repeated this to himself as he stepped onto the mayor’s large porch. Steeling his resolve, he knocked on the door then waited. When the door opened, he removed his hat and addressed the butler. “Is Mayor White here?”
“Is he expecting you?”
“No.” He swallowed the lump in his throat before he forced out, “I wanted to ask him about buying some sheet music.”
“Wait a moment.”
The butler shut the door, his footsteps echoing in the hall as he went to see his employer.
Releasing his breath, Boaz turned away from the door and studied the lush grounds. This wasn’t going to be easy. But he was going to do it for Herb. He had to make things up to his friend after the way he behaved.
From the post nearby, Boaz’s horse neighed. I won’t be long, he silently told the steed. And thank goodness for that, too.
Footsteps came from the entryway of the house, so Boaz turned his attention back to the door. The mayor scanned the area. “You didn’t bring anyone with you, did you?” he asked in a low voice.
“No. It’s just me.”
Shutting the door behind him, the mayor stepped onto the porch but didn’t move closer to Boaz. “You shouldn’t be here. I have a reputation to maintain.”
“I know. I’ll make it quick.” He cleared his throat. “I’d like to purchase some violin music. Do you have Sonata Pathétique by Ludwig van Beethoven?”
He stared at him for a moment before he laughed. “You want music?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Since when did you play an instrument?”
“It’s not for me. It’s for a friend.”
“Oh, I see.” The mayor crossed his arms. “That’s an odd bet to place at the saloon.”
“I didn’t place a bet. It’s a gift.”
“How much?”
Not sure what the mayor meant, Boaz asked, “How much what, sir?”
He rolled his eyes. “How much for the music?”
“Oh.” He dug in his pocket and pulled out all the money he had left. “I got two dollars and fifty-three cents.”
“That friend of yours must be important to you. I remember when you couldn’t rub two nickels together. You must be doing better these days.” He paused and studied him. “No longer hanging out in the saloon at the gambling tables?”
“No, sir. I cleaned up and got right.”
“Still, you’re not exactly a model citizen, are you?”
Here it came. The reminder of what he’d been. But he knew better than to remind the mayor that he didn’t exactly have a spotless reputation either. It would defeat the purpose of him being here. Taking a deep breath, he consented, “No, sir. I’m not a model citizen.”
“As it turns out, you’re in luck. I do have that particular piece of music. But I’ll tell you what. Why don’t I give you the sheet music in exchange for a favor?”
His gut tensed as he thought over the past favors the mayor had called in on other men. He’d be better off not giving Herb the music. “I’m sorry, sir, but I can’t do that. If you don’t want to sell me the music, that’s fine. I’ll be on my way.”
The mayor frowned at him for a moment then shrugged. “Alright. I suppose since you got your children back, you can’t afford to do anything to risk your brother taking them away. I’ll get the music and take the money.”
Boaz released his breath as the mayor went back into the house. Pushing aside his past dealings with the man, he focused on how much better he’d feel when he gave his friend the music and how Eva would enjoy listening to it.
The mayor returned with the neatly folded papers and held it out to him. “Two dollars and fifty-three cents.”
Boaz accepted the music and gave him the money, hating the fact that his hand trembled as he did so.
The mayor, unfortunately, noticed and chuckled. “Now come, Boaz. You know as long as you honor the transaction, I’m not a scary man. And you’ve honored your part of the deal. The money is all here.” He held up his hand and showed him the coins before he slipped the money into his pocket. “You have nothing to worry about.”
“Thank you, sir,” Boaz said before he hurried down the porch steps.
He tucked the music under his arm and untied the horse’s reins from the post, his hands still shaking the whole time. Though he didn’t look at the mayor, he could feel the weight of the man’s stare on him. At least the transaction was complete. He didn’t owe him a favor. He managed to get on his horse without incident and directed the horse back to town. God help anyone who dared to make a favor with someone as ruthless as Mayor White.
***
Boaz knocked on Herb’s front door and glanced at the sheet music in his hands.
The door creaked open and Boaz lifted his head in time to see his friend. “Have you come to your senses yet?” Herb asked.
Relieved that Herb didn’t seem as upset as he feared, he smiled. “Yes. And to prove it, I got you this.”
He took the music sheet from Boaz and scanned the notes. “I got the impression you didn’t want me playing for your wife.”
“It wasn’t your music that bothered me. It bothered me that Eva liked the way you played the fiddle. Now I understand that just because she thinks you’re the best fiddle player who ever lived, it doesn’t mean she’s secretly in love with you.”
Herb stared at him for a moment and then laughed. “That is what bothered you? You thought Eva was in love with me?”
Now that Herb said it, it did sound foolish. “I know, it sounds stupid, but you play so well and she loves music so much…” His face warm, he shrugged. “I’m sorry. I let my fear that she wished she had married you instead of me get in the way of reason.”
“You have nothing to worry about, Boaz. Anyone can tell that Eva loves you just by the way she looks at you.”
“Really?”
Herb rolled his eyes and gave him a playful jab in the arm. “Come on. You’re not that stupid.”
“Well, it’s not like Eva and I were having a typical marriage,” Boaz confided in a low voice. “I mean, we weren’t doing anything. You know?”
“You weren’t? Why not?”
“Because of what happened to my first wife.”
“Look Boaz, you can’t let fear hold you back from enjoying what you got.”
“I know.”
“To be fair,” Herb consented, “I know that’s easier for me to say than for you to do. Bad things happen. I understand that. But if you live in fear, you’ll miss out on all the good things that could happen. If you could go back and marry Hannah again even knowing she was going to die, would you?”
“I get what you’re saying and the answer is yes. I love my children.”
“Exactly. Despite the pain you had to go through, you have something that gives you joy. Enjoy your marriage with Eva. She’s a good woman and she makes you happy.”
“You have nothing to worry about there. She and I are enjoying the marriage…as of last night anyway.” Before Herb could reply, he pointed to the sheet of music Herb was holding, “And she told me that is one of her favorite ones.”
Laughing, Herb looked down at the papers. “I don’t know, Boaz. If I play this music, your wife might leave everything behind and run off with me to the concert halls back East.”
“I guess I deserve that one.”
“You guess?”
“Fine. I know I do, but I will never call that thing a violin. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a fiddle.”
“Yes. In fact, I was going to invite you and Rachel over for supper tomorrow if you think you’re good enough to play that music by then.”
“They’re just notes on a page. All I have to do is read them as I play.”
“Don’t you need to practice?”
He cocked an eyebrow at Boaz. “Are you trying to make me look bad when I play? Is that why you gave me such a short amount of time to practice this music?”
Boaz shrugged. “It wouldn’t hurt to hear you crack a couple notes so she knows you’re not perfect.”
“You’re on. I’ll play this tomorrow, and I won’t mess up once.”
Boaz hid his grin. He knew Herb couldn’t pass up the challenge. “We’ll see.”
As he turned away from Herb and bounded down the porch steps, he breathed a sigh of relief. Good. Things were going to be alright between them.
Chapter Twenty-One
When Boaz came home that evening, Leroy and Hannah ran over to him and gave him a big hug. Tears sprang up in his eyes as he hugged them back. After years of shirking his responsibilities as a father, he didn’t think they’d ever accept him, but every time they hugged him, he was reminded that second chances were possible. And he had the best family a man could have.
Footsteps approached from the hallway so he looked up in time to see Eva walking toward them, wiping her hands on a towel. “You’re home in time to have supper with us.”
He stood up and kissed her. “I told Conner that I needed to get home.” Smiling at his wife and children, he added, “That wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be.”
She slipped her arm around his waist and returned his smile. “I suspect Conner’s happy for you.”
“He is. Said it was long overdue that I got good things in my life again.”
“I agree with him. It is.”
“I have good news. Herb will be coming over here tomorrow to play that thing by Beethoven you wanted.”
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