“Let me take one of those,” Alicia said, reaching for a glass. She tilted her head back and drank deeply. “I was so thirsty,” she said brightly, thinking of Jake’s unspoken warning, a warning she knew was valid. “Thank you for waiting on us, Jason,” she said, flustered by Jake’s offer. She looked down at the hammer the boy had left on the step. “You’ll notice I didn’t touch your tools while you were gone.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, carefully placing the other glass in his father’s hand. He stepped carefully to the ground and lifted the hammer. Alicia handed him another nail and he placed it just so, then drove it home. His smile flashed and she returned it, nodding her approval.
Jake was watching her. She felt his gaze like a ray of sunshine, his eyes offering approval, his smile almost a duplicate of Jason’s.
Jake McPherson was smiling at her, and he’d offered his approval. Indeed, for the second time today his mouth was curved in an unmistakable grin. Glory be!
CHAPTER FIVE
THE DECISION WAS NOT difficult to make. She’d already put an acceptance speech together by the time she walked back to her boarding house. Delivering her response might pose a problem, for Alicia feared she would become emotional. Perhaps writing a note would suffice.
No. Jake had made the offer face-to-face. She would do no less in return. The pros outweighed the cons, she’d already decided. Staying single meant being alone for the rest of her life. The likelihood of another man posing the question was unlikely. And Jake had twice spoken of her nicely, complimenting her appearance. Hair the color of chestnuts. Indeed.
Her age was a deterrent, for one thing. Then, too, her career as a teacher gave her no guarantee of an income for her old age. She would likely end up in poverty, for no matter how hard she scrimped and saved, her account at the bank showed a remarkably small balance.
The bottom line was that living in that big house would give new meaning to her life. Spending time with Jason would be a joy—although she was too wise not to acknowledge that he would offer her more challenges than you could shake a stick at.
Jake was truly the deciding factor. The man was alone, in every way. It was possible to live without the fellowship of another human being, but it was certainly not a pleasant way to spend your days. If she could find a way to reach him…She shook her head at the thought. Although, the idea of getting to know him better held appeal.
He had described himself well. Hard to get along with. Moody and temperamental. Demanding, and as he’d said, he would expect much from her. There would be no marriage relationship, of that she was certain, for Jake had long since placed a wall between himself and others. She stood no chance of surmounting the obstacles he’d set so firmly in place.
But for the first time in her life, she’d met her match. Another human being who could dish it out in abundance and not cringe when it was tossed back at him. He argued with her, said his piece with fervor and unless she missed her guess, he enjoyed their verbal sparring. Life would not be easy, but she’d find joy in that house with Jake and his son. And perhaps a friendship with the man that would fill her lonely hours.
She slowed her pace as she approached the porch to her boarding house and climbed the steps. The house was quiet, all but for little Catherine, who waved at her from her spot on the parlor couch, a book in her lap. What a contrast the girl was to Jason, who was as needy as a child could be. She looked forward to sorting him out and making a difference in his life.
Alicia sat on her bed after going to her room. She looked around at the small space, wondering what her future home would be like. She hoped for a bedroom with long windows reaching to the floor, with white curtains that might blow in the breeze at night. Perhaps a wardrobe to hold her clothing, not that she owned any great amount. But Jake had promised to provide her with all she needed.
I’ll see to it you never want for anything. He’d made that promise right off. And if she were any judge of character, she’d put money on his ability to keep his word. Jake McPherson was a man of honor. That he should have given up on life, isolated himself in that big house and withdrawn from society for more than two years was a tragedy.
Alicia paced the floor, unable to sit still, aware that she would not be able to rest well until she’d given him her answer. And yet she must not appear too anxious. She bit her lip, wondering what a reasonable amount of time to consider the offer might be. Tomorrow? Would she be out of line if she walked back to visit on Sunday, after church perhaps?
When would he want to marry her? Next week? Next month? Or maybe by this time he’d reconsidered the whole idea and realized he’d been impetuous. She halted in the middle of the floor and raised a hand to cover her mouth. Surely not.
The door opened readily as she turned the knob and her feet barely touched the treads as she flew down the stairway. Catherine looked up from her book, eyes wide with alarm.
“Are you all right, Miss Merriweather?” The child had no doubt never seen her reserved teacher move so swiftly in the two years she’d known her.
“Fine, Catherine. I’ll be gone out for a while.”
The way to the McPherson home was becoming familiar to her, the path narrowing as she turned onto the side street.
She arrived, breathless and flustered, at Jake’s front walk. The swinging gate caught her eye and she made a mental note to buy new hinges at the hardware. The clean finish of the new board drew her attention and she slowed to admire Jason’s handiwork before she placed her foot in the center of it.
Then the front door was before her and she reached up with trembling fingers and removed the sign. No Visitors. No Peddlers. No Admittance. Folding it neatly in half, she rapped sharply, then waited. From the length of the hallway, she heard the faint sound of rubber tires meeting the wooden surface of the floor, and then Jake’s face appeared for a moment at the etched glass on the right side of the door.
He opened it, widely, she noticed, and waved her in. “Is something wrong?” he asked, his look one of apprehension. “Has something happened?”
She shook her head, feeling foolish now that she’d rushed over here and was making a spectacle of herself, after having left him only an hour ago. “No, I just thought we needed to talk a bit.”
“I’m in the kitchen, helping Jason with supper.” He turned his chair in a tight circle and nodded. “You’re welcome to lend a hand.”
He was attempting to be hospitable. Perhaps he was making an effort for her benefit.
She followed him, allowed him to push open the swinging door to the kitchen and then hold it for her to enter past him. Jason was at the stove, his back to her.
“Pa, I think I burned the eggs,” he said regretfully. Indeed he had, for there was smoke and an overwhelming charred odor. He looked back over his shoulder, the skillet in his hand, and his mouth fell open. “Miss Merriweather…I mean, Miss Alicia.” The skillet slipped in his pot holder and the dinner hit the floor, burnt eggs scattering across the wooden surface as if they’d developed a life of their own.
She took the situation in hand, her natural inclination to be helpful coming to the forefront. “Let me have that, Jason,” she said briskly, reaching for the skillet. He obliged, obviously pleased with her interference, and backed away from the mess he’d made. “Find the broom,” she told him, “and the dustpan, too.”
The skillet was placed at the back of the stove and she bent to the task of cleaning the floor.
“You don’t have to do that,” Jake said flatly. “Jason can tend to it.”
“I’m sure he can,” she agreed. “But he could use a hand. And I’m available, after all.”
“Are you?” The smile that touched Jake’s lips asked more than his question suggested.
She stood, reaching for the broom. “About as available as a woman could possibly be, sir. I’m free to make my own choices, and I’ve made one over the past hour.” She began to sweep the floor vigorously. “Would you like to hear my answer to the question you posed out on
the front porch?” Her heart beat loudly in her ears as she avoided his gaze. Then she heard his soft chuckle, and looked at him quickly. “Are you laughing at me? Perhaps you’ve changed your mind?”
His eyes were sparkling, and she knew suddenly he’d been a scamp in his younger years. Were it not for the wheelchair and all it represented, he’d no doubt be popular with the ladies, even now. His mouth was full, his nose a sharp blade, his high cheekbones chiseled, and his hands well-formed.
He answered her questions succinctly. “No and no, Miss Alicia. I don’t ask such an important thing lightly. I considered it long and hard before I made my proposal to you.”
“Was that what it was? A proposal?”
“I didn’t get down on bended knee, if that’s what you’re getting at,” he said with a touch of sarcasm.
Ah, this was the man she knew. “I didn’t expect you to,” she snipped. “But then, I didn’t really expect the question to be posed at all.”
She finished sweeping up the remains and spoke to Jason, whose eyes were tracking the conversation and whose face was set in lines of confusion. “Please get a rag and wipe up the rest,” she told him. “And toss this out into the yard. The birds will eat it. I believe I’ll cook something else for the two of you for supper.”
Jake cleared his throat. “I expected to live as a widower in this house for the rest of my days. But when you showed up at my door that first time, I knew I needed to do something different. For Jason’s sake, if not my own.”
“I gave you the impetus to change things?” she asked.
“That’s a fancy way of saying it, but the answer is still the same. You prodded me into thinking about the future. Not just my own, but my son’s.” He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. “Now I’ll have your answer, ma’am.”
“I repeat, Mr. McPherson. I’m available, and I like the idea of having a house to run and a child to tend. Whether or not I’ll be able to put up with your foolishness is another matter. But I won’t know unless I give it a try, will I?”
He nodded in agreement. “Just one thing. My name is Jake. I’ve heard other women call their husbands by their formal address, but it doesn’t work in my house. If you have to repeat it six or eight times an hour, do so. My name is Jake.”
She took two steps to reach him and extended her right hand. “Shall we honor our bargain by shaking hands?” she asked.
“Yes, I believe we should,” he answered. His wide palm made her strong, capable hand seem as that of a child, she thought. His hands were graceful, but large. As she’d noted earlier, his fingers were long and well formed. He’d been a concert pianist, she’d heard, but decided that was something they would not speak of now.
His eyes were dark with a look she could not decipher and she knew a moment of apprehension. She was committing herself to life with a man she hardly knew.
“Are you changing your mind?” he asked, his tone mocking, as if he read her hesitant thoughts. He released her hand and watched as she shoved it in her pocket.
“No, not at all,” she answered abruptly. “When I make a decision, I stick with it. You’ll find me to be very predictable, Jake. I don’t make promises lightly, nor do I accept those around me failing to keep theirs.”
“Then I believe we understand each other.” He looked up as Jason came back in the house.
“I did like you said, Miss Alicia.”
“Then wash your hands and help me put a meal together,” she told him. “What shall it be?”
They settled for a jar of beef Cord’s wife had canned up and sent to Jake last fall. From the looks of the pantry shelf, Rachel McPherson took good care of her brother-in-law. At least so far as he allowed it. A jar of small new potatoes, canned with green beans mixed in, was opened and heated in a saucepan, and the beef placed in the skillet.
It was a simple meal, but one well appreciated, if Jason’s and Jake’s appetites were any indication. They ate silently, as if it had been a long time since food last appeared on this table, and Alicia almost feared taking a portion for herself when she noted their enjoyment of the food. Jake passed her the bowls though and nodded as she hesitated.
“The cook always eats at my house,” he said. “Even when we had a housekeeper, she ate what we ate. I figured it guaranteed us decent meals.”
“Well, that’s something I wouldn’t have thought of,” she said, smiling to herself. The man was canny, his thoughts a whirlwind, if she was any judge. And what he was thinking right now was something she’d give a whole lot to discover.
HE’D FELT A SENSE OF FEAR when she’d left earlier, had hoped against hope that he hadn’t botched it with his offhand proposition. He’d certainly not offered her any hearts and flowers, but then he didn’t think she’d have expected soft words and romance. If this arrangement was to work, it must begin on the right foot, so to speak.
Rena had been another story altogether. He’d been smitten with her from the time he was but a wet-behind-the-ears boy of sixteen. His childhood sweetheart had waited for him during the years of his training, then had waited some more while he went off to fight in that miserable war. He’d set her aside, ignored her, treated her unmercifully and still had not been able to put her out of his heart.
Rena had been persistent, and with Rachel as her ally, he hadn’t stood a chance. The years spent with Rena had been a taste of heaven. And her death had plunged him into a torment surely not unlike what hell must be. He’d thought never to find happiness again. And perhaps he wouldn’t discover any great degree of it now.
But he had a suspicion that life with Alicia Merriweather might offer him some challenges, which might be just what he needed. Not that she could do much to change him. Never again would he leave himself open to the sort of pain he’d suffered when Rena died. Loving a woman was a dicey situation. It offered pleasure for today, but the knowledge that tragedy could strike without warning was enough to make him leery of ever giving that inner part of himself to another woman.
He regarded Alicia as she sat across the kitchen table from him and ate sparingly. He knew she wanted him and Jason to have their fill, so she would deny herself.
“Have some more meat, Alicia,” he said, again offering her the bowl of beef and gravy. She shook her head and smiled.
“I believe I’ve had enough,” she said. “Perhaps Jason would like more.”
Jason would. Not even noticing the gravy that spilled from the spoon, he helped himself to the savory beef, and Jake winced. Alicia would have her work cut out for her; Jason’s manners were atrocious. Rena had made a daily project of reminding the boy of good behavior. Please and thank you were important words to learn, she’d said more than once. A gentleman always holds the door open for a lady, she’d told him. Children must ask to be excused from the table.
Jake smiled in remembrance, and for the first time the pain of loss was dulled by memory. Jason chewed and swallowed, then reached for the glass of milk Alicia had poured for him. It left a white moustache on his upper lip and he blithely ignored its presence. “Can I go?” he asked.
“Please may I be excused,” Jake said, correcting him. “Yes, you may, and wipe your mouth, please.”
Impatience ruled the boy’s life, Jake thought, as Jason did as he was told and left the kitchen to go into the backyard. “He does have manners,” he told Alicia. “It’s just that sometimes he forgets.”
“He’s only a boy,” she said, and he thought her eyes softened as she watched Jason’s slight figure trot across the yard. “Will you tell him? Or shall I?”
“I’ll tell him tonight,” he said. “I doubt he’d protest, but I want to hear his opinion without you being there to blunt his response.” He frowned. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. It seems I must learn to watch my tongue with you.”
“I wouldn’t recognize you if you were unfailingly polite,” she murmured, and he thought her eyes gleamed with mischief. She rose then and cleared the table, her movements
womanly and sure as she handled the dishes and managed all the small tasks inherent in cleaning up after a meal.
Perhaps it would be difficult to adjust to a woman in the house. Sure, he’d suffered the presence of housekeepers over the past years; but this was entirely different. Once Alicia walked through that front door on their wedding day, she would not be leaving in a snit if things didn’t go just the way she thought they should. Alicia Merriweather was not a woman to give her word and then go back on it. If she said she’d marry him and be a mother to his child, that’s exactly what she’d do.
There might be some arguments, with sharp words spoken between them. But she wouldn’t back away from a quarrel, if he knew the woman at all. And she wouldn’t give in if she thought she was in the right.
He could deal with that.
“I DON’T WANT some other woman hanging around here!” Jake said harshly. “I told you I wanted you to be in charge of my household. Now you tell me you’re going to hire a woman to clean for us. Why can’t you do that? It’s what wives do, as far as my memory serves me.”
Alicia had known this would cause a problem, but it was an issue on which she decided to take a stand. “I can’t take care of this big house and teach school, too,” she said firmly.
“Then quit the damn school-teaching and stay home like other women do.”
“I signed a contract for this year,” she told him, aware that his anger was fast heading to the boiling point. “When I give my word, I keep it.”
“When you marry me, you’ll be giving your word, too. How do you plan to keep those vows if you’re running off every morning to the schoolhouse?”
“I wasn’t aware that you needed a woman around to wipe your nose all day, Jake,” she said. “You’re an adult male, fully capable of tending to yourself for six hours while I’m out of the house. And on two of those days, I’ll have a capable woman here to do the heavy work and she can tote and carry for you if need be.”
“I don’t want a capable woman to look after me. I want you.” Then he halted, his face ruddy with a combination of anger and, unless she missed her guess, a good bit of embarrassment. He ducked his head. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”
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