by Janice Hanna
And give it to him she did. Rena handed him the dishcloths and put him to work at cleaning up the mess. Turned out he’d used last night’s pea soup in the hot water battle. He claimed it tasted disgusting and looked even worse. She couldn’t help but agree with him. Still, there was only so much a weary soul could handle. She needed rest, and she needed it now.
On Sunday night Rena reached under her pillow for her notebook, determined to write down her thoughts before dozing off. Surely she could process them on the written page. Her thoughts always came easier when she penned them.
Strangely, she couldn’t find the notebook. Her heartbeat quickened as she thought about where it could be. Just as quickly, she reminded herself that she’d taken it down to the kitchen to copy down a recipe. She would have to remember to fetch it later. In the meantime, she would just have to process her thoughts in her head.
She fell asleep thinking about the words in Gene’s letter. Her dreams, lovely and sweet, were the stuff fairy tales are made of. She wore a white gown—very princess-like. Her prince, dressed in a sheriff’s uniform with a gun strapped to his side, met her at the altar, where he took her hand. The only thing odd about the dream was the one performing the ceremony—Mayor Albright, dressed as a coachman.
Rena overslept on Monday morning. The children, most of whom had already dressed, met her downstairs in the kitchen, where she fixed a quick pot of oatmeal. After a hurried breakfast, they lit off for school and she found herself in the house alone. She could have done any number of things: swept the kitchen floor, changed out the curtains in the dining room, painted the door trim in the parlor, telephoned Sadie to discuss her upcoming visit, composed another letter to Reuben to ask why the furniture had been delayed…yes, she could have done any of these things, but she chose not to. Instead, she got back to work on the Christmas dresses for the girls.
After adding lace to Lilly’s dress, Rena realized she’d forgotten to check for her notebook in the kitchen. She scolded herself for being so out of sorts before going downstairs to fetch it. Oddly, she could not find it.
Thinking of the notebook reminded her of Gene’s letter, which she carried in her pocket. All the way up the stairs she thought about the words in that precious letter. They were so dear to her now, so touching. How would she go about letting him know that she cared about him too? Not that she’d really had time to watch her affections grow, but she could no longer deny the obvious: she had feelings for the man.
I, Rena Jewel, have feelings for a man. After thirty-eight long years, I’ve crossed that bridge.
She practically waltzed her way into the bedroom to return to her sewing. Oh, but the task felt so much lighter, now that she had more exciting things on her mind.
Rena had just started the process of making up her bed when she bumped her pillow, knocking it to the floor. Underneath, she found the notebook, the very one she thought she’d left downstairs.
“For heaven’s sake.” She chuckled. “I must be losing my mind.” She shook her head and chastened herself for being so flighty. If this was what falling for a man could do to a person, she couldn’t afford such nonsense. She needed to keep her wits about her, after all.
Oh, but she didn’t want to keep her wits about her. She wanted to grab the mop, make it her partner, and dance around the room with it. Would the neighbors think her nutty if they saw her through the window? Likely, but who cared? Let them say what they might; she had happier news stirring.
A knock on the front door roused her from such luxurious thoughts. It was probably Carolina, stopping by with another batch of recipes.
Rena practically floated down the stairs. She swung wide the front door, fully expecting to see Carolina on the other side, but almost fell over when she saw Gene standing there, dressed in his uniform. At once her face grew hot. “Oh.” She smiled but tried not to look too obvious. “I wasn’t expecting you.”
He removed his Stetson and nodded. “Hope it’s all right that I stopped by without calling first. I know you’re very busy.”
“The children are already in school, so I’ve got time to visit.” Her words came out with a lilt, which she could not help. How could a woman in her situation speak without allowing her innermost joy to shine through?
“There’s something I need to talk with you about.” He reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze, gazing intently into her eyes. “Is it all right if I come in?”
“Come in? Why, of course. Please do.” She gestured for him to come inside then closed the door behind him. She half wondered if Molly Harris or Mayor Albright were outside, spying on them. If so, she’d just given them plenty to talk about, hadn’t she?
A nervous giggle escaped.
“You okay?” Gene asked as he took a few steps toward the parlor.
“Oh, I, uh…” She nodded. “I’m good. And you?”
“Well, I’ve got something on my mind, as I said.”
“Yes, you do.” She gave him a little wink. Where it came from, she could not be sure. Still, the words in his note gave her the courage to step out and live dangerously.
He took a seat and gestured for her to sit next to him. She was happy to oblige.
Gene tried to work up the courage to speak but found it difficult. How did one go about asking a woman if she chewed tobacco? A fella didn’t just dive into a conversation like that, did he? Especially not with a woman who looked as if she might spring off the sofa at any moment and fly across the room. He’d never seen her so nervous.
Gene finally broke the silence with a question. “Rena, can I ask you something?”
“Well, sure.” She batted her lashes.
“Okay. Now, please don’t be upset, but I really have to know the answer. It’s very important.”
“Y–yes?” She inched her way a bit closer until they were almost touching. Odd.
“There’s a rumor going around town about you. Just wanted to hear your response to it for myself.”
“A rumor?” Her cheeks turned the prettiest shade of pink. “What are folks saying now? That I don’t watch the children closely enough? Or maybe that I’m not feeding them the proper foods?”
“No.” He shook his head. “Nothing like that.”
“Then what?” Her lips curled down in a pout. A cute pout. He almost lost his thoughts for a moment as he analyzed it.
Gene finally managed to get to the point. He cleared his throat, looked her in the eyes, and let her have it. “They’re saying you chew tobacco.”
“I—I w–what?” She gasped and her mouth dropped open in a most unladylike fashion. Her entire demeanor changed. She went from being a gentle lamb to a lion, in a split second. Her voice grew more intense. “Why in the world would they say a ridiculous thing like that?”
He rose and paced the room, stopping in front of the fireplace. She remained on the sofa, still looking perplexed. Angry, even.
Looked like this wasn’t going as well as he’d hoped. Still, he must forge ahead. “Did you, or did you not, buy a pouch of Red Man chewing tobacco from Mrs. Hannigan yesterday?”
“Oh my gracious.” Rena buried her face in her hands. “I did. But to be honest, I’d forgotten about it until this very moment. You see, something happened yesterday when I was at the store to, well, to distract me.” Her lips curled up in a coy smile, but he couldn’t make heads or tails of it.
“Distract you?”
“Yes.” A nervous giggle followed. “It’s the silliest thing, how I could’ve forgotten about the tobacco, but I guess I must have. Would it help to know I didn’t buy it for myself?”
“I can only hope you didn’t buy it for one of the boys.”
“No, no.” She put her hands up. “Certainly not. I bought it to replace the pouch that Henry stole from Joe.”
“Ah.” Well, that makes sense, I suppose. “I see. So where is it now?”
Her smile faded at once and she paled. “I…I…I wish I could remember. I was at the store with Henry. I bought the pouch. The
n I checked the mail…” Her face flushed. “And then…” She shook her head. “Heavens. I truly don’t know what I did with it. I don’t recall seeing it with the candy and the lace I purchased.” A look of terror crossed her face, and she rose. “Oh, Gene…”
“So, we’re missing a pouch of chewing tobacco, then?”
“I guess so.” She took a few steps in his direction, her brow knitted. “To think that folks have been talking about me behind my back makes me feel just awful.”
“Folks around here have precious little to do but gossip,” he said. “So this is nothing new. And I, for one, am extremely relieved to hear that you do not chew tobacco. That’s all we need, what with Molly on the warpath. That ‘Fresh as a Daisy’ campaign of her is big news around town, and this would only add fuel to her fire. I can’t tell you how glad I am to hear of your innocence.”
“Tell me you didn’t really believe that.” She drew near and put her hand on his arm. “You…well, you know me better than that.”
“To be honest, I don’t really know you well at all. I enjoyed our conversation in the kitchen on Thanksgiving and learned a lot, but I’m sure there’s a lot more to learn.”
“Y–yes.”
He paused. “I–I’d like to get to know you better.” He swallowed hard, stunned at his own words.
“You would?” She smiled. “So that you can report back to the missions board about my poor behavior?”
“No.” He laughed. “If I’m going to report anyone’s behavior, it will be Molly’s. Or maybe the mayor’s. Or James Tucker, who wrote a negative letter about child-rearing in today’s paper. But not you. You’re nothing but a shining example of what grace looks like.”
“Well, thank you.” The sweetest expression followed, followed by more eyelash-fluttering. “Very kind of you to say.”
“You’ve forgiven me for accusing you of chewing tobacco, haven’t you?” For whatever reason, he felt compelled to reach over and brush the loose hair out of her eyes. Should he do so?
“I suppose. If you will forgive me for losing the chewing tobacco.” She gave him a shy glance.
“Oh, I doubt it’s lost,” he said. “In fact, I’m pretty sure Henry’s hidden it away in some secret place.” Gene couldn’t take it anymore. Still clutching the Stetson in his left hand, he reached with his right to brush the lock of hair out of her face. Afterward, his hand lingered against her cheek. She glanced up at him and smiled.
A comfortable silence rose up between them. Gene lifted his hand from her cheek and fingered the brim of his hat. “Well, I have to get on back to the jail now. My prisoner’s being transported to the county seat later today.”
“I see.” She paused and appeared to be thinking. “Well, thank you for stopping by. Again, I apologize for my oversight. I do hope all is forgiven.”
“All is forgiven.” He flipped the hat onto his head, gave her a curt nod, then headed for the door.
After Gene left, Rena did her best to make sense of what had just happened. Instead of declaring his undying love, he had accused her of…chewing tobacco? Did the man really think for one moment that she would buy tobacco for herself?
She paced the entryway, her thoughts now jumbled. After a few moments, it all made sense.
“He just used that tobacco story to stop by. He needed an excuse to see me.” In that moment, she felt sure she’d figured out the problem. “He’s too shy to express his feelings in person. That’s why he has to write them down in letters.”
If anyone understood that, she did. Wasn’t she the one who kept her secrets hidden away in a notebook? Yes. And surely the man cared about her. She wasn’t just dreaming this up. Hadn’t he gone out of his way to rest his hand against her face?
A nervous giggle followed. “We do have our secrets, now, don’t we?” Indeed, they did. And she would play along, no matter how long it took. They would make a game of it, no doubt. Cat and mouse. Gentleman and lady. But in the end, she would win the game, take the prize, and live happily ever after.
Chapter Seventeen
TIPS FOR DEALING WITH UNRULY YOUNG’UNS—Sure, I chew tobacco every now ’n again. What boy don’t? And yeah, I been known to steal a little ’a this and a little ’a that from the locals when their backs ’r turned. How else am I gonna get the stuff I need? It ain’t like anybody ’round here’s giving me the time ’a day, anyway. Most ’a the folks in Daisy would sooner ferget I even exist. So I just give ’em even more reason to wish it. Besides, I’m nearly fifteen. I’ll get out of this stinkin’ town soon—run away and take care of myself. So, go on and try to “fix” me. Ain’t gonna work. I ain’t no child, and I don’t need rearin’, so you can put that notion right outta yer head.
—Henry the Fearless, Age Fourteen
Rena spent the rest of the morning walking from room to room, her thoughts a jumbled mess. She tried to busy herself with chores, but her mind would not be stilled. She needed to talk to Henry as soon as he arrived home from school, but she would have to broach the subject carefully. Otherwise, her words might send him packing. He suffered from wanderlust. She could see it in his eyes.
Carolina arrived at three o’clock and Rena ushered her inside. “I’m headed into town and will be stopping by the general store. Do you need anything? Figured you weren’t quite ready to show your face just yet till this tobacco story dies down.”
Rena groaned. “So you’ve heard.”
“Who hasn’t?” Carolina patted her arm. “Honey, I don’t believe a word of the gossip. But you should be aware that Molly has already gone to both the mayor and the reverend and is doing what she can to stir up trouble. She’s called one of her infamous meetings, of course.”
“O–oh?”
“Yes. Now, don’t fret over it. I’m only telling you so you know. That whole ‘Fresh as a Daisy’ group—mostly women with nothing better to do—will be meeting to discuss a plan of action.”
“Plan of action?” Rena had to take a seat at this point.
Carolina sat next to her. “Yes. They plan to write to the missions society about your so-called addiction to tobacco and your inability to control the children. Apparently Mrs. Hannigan was quite upset by the scene the boys caused at their store.”
Rena started coughing at this news. “But surely they don’t really think…I mean, honestly? They believe I purchased that tobacco for myself?”
“Who knows what they think.” Carolina patted her knee. “They’re just gathering ammunition to be used against you and the children’s home. They see this as a major victory in their camp.”
Fear took hold of Rena’s heart. “Oh no! Well, I have to tell them. Surely they will understand that it’s all a big mistake if they hear it from me. And as for the scene Henry created at the store, I paid for every last jar of jam. No one lost any money.”
“You know how it goes.” Carolina released a slow breath. “They hear what they want to hear and do what they want to do. The mayor is with them, of course. But that doesn’t scare me. They would have to convince both the county officials and the missions society that you are unfit as a caregiver before anyone could demand your dismissal.”
“My…dismissal?” Rena felt a lump grow in her throat, and she could not speak above it.
“Well, there I go, getting the cart ahead of the horse again.” Carolina sighed. “Didn’t mean to alarm you. Just trying to be strategic by thinking of the what-ifs. You’ve got a great support team, honey, and we’re not going to let you down. Gene told me what really happened. I know that tobacco belonged to Henry.”
“Actually, I purchased it for Joe.” Rena fidgeted with the torn fabric on the arm of the sofa, her nerves affected by this conversation. “Only, now I don’t know what became of the tobacco, which means I really need to go to town to buy more. We still need to pay Joe back for what Henry stole.”
“Nasty habit, chewing.” Carolina’s nose wrinkled. “I say we skip buying any tobacco at all and just give Joe the money to replace his original
pouch.”
“Good idea.” Rena’s gaze shifted to the floor. “Would you…I mean, would you mind going by Joe’s shop and dropping off the money for me? I don’t think I can face him now, what with folks gossiping and all.”
“I’ll be happy to. But you’d better talk to Henry to find out what’s what. We need him to admit what he’s done—not just to save your hide, but because confession is good for the soul. And while we’re on the subject of confession, I might as well speak my mind.”
“O–oh?”
“Yes.” She gave Rena a warm smile. “I was a little nervous when I heard that Mrs. Wabash was leaving, to be honest. Didn’t think bringing in someone new was the best plan of action. Molly and her crew had almost won me over to their way of thinking.” She gave Rena such a penetrating look that unspoken words seemed to travel between them. “But bringing you here was the best decision my son ever made. Well, since Brenda…” Carolina paused. “Anyway, he made the right decision. And so did you, by coming. If you ask me, he’s happy about that, as well.”
Rena did her best to hide her embarrassment but wondered if Carolina could see past it. Did she know about the letter her son had written? If so, how did she feel about it?
Carolina rose, straightened her skirts, and looked Rena in the eye. “So, back to my original question: anything you need from the general store?”
Rena stood and nodded. “I have a list in the kitchen. Hold on a minute and I’ll get it for you.” Her heart felt as heavy as lead as she made her way into the kitchen. She scribbled a couple more things onto the list, including several yards of fabric for her sewing projects, and reached into the canister for some change to cover both her purchases and the missing tobacco. Passing them off to Carolina, she sighed. “I’m so grateful you’re on my side, Carolina. I honestly think I would’ve packed my bags and left already if you hadn’t treated me so kindly.”