Love Finds You in Daisy, Oklahoma

by Janice Hanna

  On Christmas morning, Rena awoke with butterflies in her stomach. Before they could attend the morning service, the children would open their presents. Chief among them were the outfits she had made.

  Rena woke the boys first. She’d no sooner said “Merry Christmas!” than they were up, jumping on the beds, raring to go. The girls sprang to life at Sadie’s joyous “It’s Christmas morning!” proclamation. Minutes later, still dressed in their night attire, the children gathered around the tree in the parlor. Sadie served up hot cocoa and shortbread—an unusual breakfast for the children, but one they would never forget.

  “Ooh, Miss Rena!” Lilly gazed up at her from the floor, eyes wide. “There are presents under the tree?”

  “When did those get here?” Henry asked. “There were no presents last night.”

  Rena stifled a yawn and thought about how late she and Sadie had stayed up and how many trips they’d made up and down the stairs with wrapped gifts in hand. She had added to the donations with a few presents of her own, which made for quite a stack.

  Before long, wrapping paper was flying and children were squealing. Tree was delighted with his wooden train, and the girls loved their rag dolls. The other boys had a wonderful time with their marbles, checkers, and dominoes. Henry’s eyes grew wide as he opened the new pocket-knife, and Oliver jumped for joy at his copy of Oliver Twist, which he claimed had been written just for him.

  Finally the moment came to open the new clothes. Rena thought she would burst with excitement. She started with Lilly, who ripped open her package. The beautiful red dress complete with white lace was prettier than anything store-bought. The child held it up and primped.

  “Oh, Miss Rena, it’s beautiful! Is it really for me? Really truly?”

  “Really truly. You can wear it to the Christmas service at church.” Out of the corners of her eyes, she caught a glimpse of Callie looking on. “Now it’s your turn, honey.”

  Callie opened her package and began to squeal with delight as she saw a dress in the same red velvet but with a slightly different design. “Ooh, we match!”

  Josephine’s dress nearly brought down the house. The crushed green velvet was beautiful, of course, but the antique ivory lace added just the right touch. The youngster looked up at Rena with tears in her eyes. “Oh, Miss Rena! This reminds me of a dress my mama bought for me when I was little.”

  “Does it now?” Rena smiled. “I’m so glad. You’re going to look like a princess when you wear that dress to church.”

  The boys opened their packages one by one, revealing new slacks, buttoned-up shirts, and socks. Most were overcome with joy, but Henry grew silent as he gazed at the coat and trousers Rena had made him. She drew near and whispered, “Do you like them?”

  He nodded. “Never had anything like ’em.”

  “Now it’s your turn, Miss Rena.” Josephine tugged at her hand.

  “Oh?”

  “We made you something.” The little girl gave her a crudely wrapped gift, which Rena opened right away. Inside, she found a little plaque, hand-carved, that read “FOR I WAS AN HUNGRED, AND YE GAVE ME MEAT: I WAS THIRSTY, AND YE GAVE ME DRINK: I WAS A STRANGER, AND YE TOOK ME IN: NAKED, AND YE CLOTHED ME: I WAS SICK, AND YE VISITED ME: I WAS IN PRISON, AND YE CAME UNTO ME” (MATTHEW 25:35–36).

  Rena felt the sting of tears as she clutched the plaque close to her heart. “Oh, you sweet, sweet children. Thank you so much. This must’ve taken weeks.”

  “Nah.” Henry gave her a sheepish look. “I’m pretty fast at whittlin’ and such. Didn’t take no time a’tall.”

  “Still, it’s beautiful. I will cherish it.”

  After a moment’s pause, Josephine said, “Miss Rena, there’s another gift for you too. We found it on the tree a little while ago.”

  “Yes.” Oliver pointed at the tree. “See there? There’s an envelope with your name on it.”

  “An envelope?” She grinned, realizing that the boys and girls must have written her a special note. She took the envelope in hand and opened it with care. Her heart raced the moment she unfolded the letter inside.

  My darling Rena,

  I hope you have the most wonderful Christmas ever. I know that mine will be perfect because I plan to spend it with you.

  Gene

  She shoved the letter back inside the envelope, doing her best to avoid Sadie’s stare and the animated expressions on the faces of the children.

  “What is it?” her niece asked, drawing near.

  “Oh, just a note from a friend. Nothing important.” Still, she could hardly stop the trembling in her hands. Rena glanced at Henry, who shifted his gaze back to his new clothes. “You children go on upstairs and get dressed,” she said.

  They gathered up their packages, and she did her best to stay focused. On the outside she managed a calm, quiet demeanor. On the inside she jumped up and down. Gene’s letter had sent a delicious shiver through her. He was looking forward to spending the day with her. Oh, and she felt the same! She could hardly wait, in fact.

  Up the stairs she went, ready to dress in her Christmas finest. No more practical clothing for Rena Jewel. No, ma’am. A special day demanded a special dress, and she had just the one—a red-and-black-plaid with green ribbons, to boot. Quite festive.

  After dressing, she fashioned her hair in the now-familiar loose upswept style. Then, remembering what Gene had said about her hair on Thanksgiving, she unpinned it and let it flow loose over her shoulders. Afterward, she took her hairbrush into the girls’ room, stood the girls in a row, and braided their hair, joining in their giggles.

  Once the children were dressed, they gathered in the parlor. Rena could hardly believe how wonderful they all looked in their new clothes. Of course, not everything fit exactly right, but most of her guesswork had been correct.

  Henry tugged at his collar. “Dag-nabbit, Miss Rena. This collar is choking the life outta me. Can I unbutton it?”

  Callie sashayed around the room, showing off her red dress.

  “Look at Callie!” Oliver laughed. “What happened to yer dungarees, Callie? Yer all sissified.”

  “Miss Sadie is teaching me how to be a lady,” Callie said. Then she gave him a shove.

  At this, the boys erupted in laughter.

  Rena got them quieted down, and before long they were bundled in coats and headed to the church. Sadie—God bless her—started a lovely rendition of “Silent Night,” and before long all the children had joined in.

  They arrived at the church, every last one of them looking peaceful, beautiful, and calm. Even Molly Harris looked stunned as the children filed in, removed their coats, and revealed the beautiful garments underneath. Mrs. O’Shea was so taken with the outfits that she oohed and aahed at length. The only one who turned up her nose at the children on this fine day was Calista, whose red-and-green dress paled in comparison to what Lilly, Callie, and Josephine wore.

  Thank goodness, Lilly complimented Calista. Before long, the mayor’s daughter was all smiles and even joined in and played with the other girls.

  “If I hadn’t believed in miracles before today, I would now.” Gene’s gentle voice came low behind her.

  Rena turned, finding herself face-to-face with him. “I believe in miracles myself,” she said. Oh, how she wanted to say more…to tell him how much his little note had meant to her. But with the first hymn playing, it would have to wait.

  They enjoyed a wonderful Christmas service then headed back to the house for what she hoped would be the best holiday dinner ever. For days she, Sadie, Carolina, and Jenny had prepared food. Now to serve it to their hungry guests…

  The men took their seats at the larger table and the children joined them, using their best manners. Rena would have to thank Sadie later for her work in that department. Before long they were all gathered ‘round, eating sliced ham, turkey, and a host of other delectable foods.

  Rena watched from the end of the table as Charlie looked Sadie’s way. She noticed the twinkle in his eyes
, and the flush on her niece’s cheeks did not escape her, either. These two were smitten with one another, no doubt about it.

  Thank goodness the boys and girls didn’t seem to notice. Then again, they were far too preoccupied with one another to pay much attention to the adults in the room. The change in wardrobe had really transformed them, inside and out.

  Gene could hardly take his eyes off of Rena during the meal. She’d never looked so beautiful, or so happy. A couple of times he caught her glancing his way, so he shifted his gaze to his plate. No point in looking like a schoolboy caught cheating on an assignment. Not that looking at her felt like cheating. Oh no. It felt just right.

  To his left, Jenny’s happy voice rang out. She asked him a question, but he didn’t hear it. Everyone laughed. “Gene, are you with us today?” Jenny asked.

  “Oh, um, yes. I’m here.”

  Yes, he was certainly here, and happy to be so.

  After lunch everyone gathered in the parlor. He still couldn’t get over the difference in the room with the new furniture and paint. Rena had really turned this place around. Then again, she had turned a great many things around. The children, for instance. He’d never seen them look—or act—so nice.

  Jonathan clapped his hands. “Everyone take a seat,” he said. “I’ve brought a special gift for the girls.”

  “Just for the girls?” Oliver asked, his lower lip jutting out.

  “Well, maybe something for the boys too,” Jonathan said. “But the girls get their gift first.” He disappeared outside into the cold and then returned, covered in snow and carrying a large wooden crate. Gene couldn’t help but wonder what he was up to.

  Josephine’s eyes widened in surprise. “What is it, Mr. Brewer?”

  He pointed to the stamp on the box. “See that? New York, New York. This package came all the way from Manhattan.”

  They all began to talk at once. Gene could hardly make sense of this. Surely he would not have ordered something from across the country.

  Jonathan pried open the wooden box. A series of gasps went up—not just from the girls but from the boys too—as they laid eyes on an exquisite wooden dollhouse, complete with a multiplicity of rooms.

  “Oh, Mr. Brewer!” Lilly ran to him and threw herself into his arms. “It’s the most beautiful house ever!”

  The girls began to play with it at once. Well, all but Josephine, who stood off in the distance, her eyes filled with tears.

  Gene took a couple of steps in the child’s direction. “Don’t you want to join them, Josephine?”

  The child shook her head. After a moment’s silence, she pointed to the second floor of the dollhouse. “That used to be my room.”

  “What, honey?” he asked, not quite understanding.

  Josephine sighed. “That room at the top of the stairs. It was mine. In my old house, I mean. Before…” A tear rolled down her cheek and she turned away, whispering, “Before Mama and Papa died.”

  From across the room, Gene caught Rena’s gaze. He gestured for her to join them, and she drew near. Off in the distance, Jonathan handed the boys a large box to open, so everyone in the place was happy…except Josephine.

  “Everything all right over here?” Rena asked, settling down onto the floor next to the tearful youngster. Josephine shook her head. “I don’t want to play with the dollhouse, Miss Rena. Do I have to?”

  “Well, of course not.”

  “It’s too much like my real house, the one I used to live in before I came here.” Josephine began to cry in earnest now.

  Rena swept the little girl into her arms and covered her hair with kisses. Gene’s heart felt as if it would burst as he looked on. “Oh, honey,” Rena said, “I understand. I really do. My parents passed away too.”

  “They did?” Josephine looked at her, eyes narrowed.

  “When I was fourteen. I lived in a home with my mama and papa, and they were both killed in a house fire.”

  “Same as my parents,” Josephine said.

  “Yes,” Rena said. “I…I was at school at the time it happened.”

  “Me too,” Josephine said, the tears now streaming.

  Gene felt the strangest sense of compassion wash over him. He took a seat on the floor and listened.

  “I went to live with my brother in Gulfport,” Rena explained then gestured to the dollhouse. “In a house very much like this one. My room was upstairs too.”

  “I have an idea, Josephine,” Gene said. “Why don’t you pretend this dollhouse is the house you live in now? Miss Jewel has done a fine job in fixing things up, and I…” He paused. “Well, I’ll be repairing the floors soon. And the broken cabinet doors.”

  “You will?” Rena gave him a hopeful look.

  “Yes. I’ve got a whole team of men ready to come in here and work.” He rested his hand on Rena’s arm and whispered, “I’m sorry. I should’ve done it sooner. Forgive me?”

  The smile she offered in return was so sweet it nearly melted him. “Of course.”

  “Wonderful!” He rose, feeling the joy of the season more than ever. Off in the distance the boys played with their gift from Jonathan—a bow-and-arrow set.

  The gift Gene had brought would pale in comparison, no doubt. A hand-crafted checkerboard was hardly a dollhouse or a bow-and-arrow set. Still, he’d spent days making it and hoped it would fill the hours for both the children and Rena.

  Rena.

  He looked her way and smiled. Whether she’d meant to or not, the woman had grabbed a piece of his heart. What she would do with it, he had no idea.

  In that moment, he was reminded of that ludicrous story the children had told him about her notebook. Did she really craft love stories? Were there heroes and damsels in distress? As he gazed at her and watched the light pick up the soft twinkle in her eyes, he had to conclude one thing: he would play the role of hero, both with the house and with these children. He wouldn’t do it to fulfill some fairy-tale story. He would do it because it was the right thing to do. And if it brought a smile to the face of a certain damsel in distress…so be it.

  Chapter Twenty

  TIPS FOR DEALING WITH UNRULY YOUNG’UNS—I have found, generally speaking, that children keep us young. Even when our joints are locked up, we still feel the urge to get down on the floor with little ones and play jacks or marbles. As a grandmother, I can attest to the fact that I am more lenient on my grandsons than I was on my son. Perhaps this is part of the reason they’re so ornery. Still, I can’t help myself. I’ve changed since my son was their age. Besides, after I load ’em up with spice cake and other sugary treats, I send ’em home to their pa, who gets to deal with them. Just doing my job, after all.

  —Carolina Wyatt

  Rena couldn’t remember when she’d spent a happier Christmas. Watching the children play with their gifts, listening to the sound of their voices raised in song, picking up on the subtle hints from Gene that he cared for her…she loved every moment.

  Less than three days after Christmas, she’d picked up on another subtle hint—Sadie and Charlie were definitely falling for each other. She tried not to make too much of their lingering glances and flirtatious smiles, but the proof was in the pudding. They were goners.

  Sure, Charlie was a bumbling fellow, but happy-go-lucky, and—were it not for the obvious differences—Sadie’s sort of boy. Still, he was as poor as a church mouse and had little to offer her. Not to mention the difference in their education levels.

  Rena tried to imagine what Reuben and Virginia would say, should they find out. Then again, how would they? In ten days, Sadie would be on a train, headed back to New York for her spring semester at Vassar. Once she boarded the train, Rena could breathe easy. In the meantime, she would keep a watchful eye on things.

  On the Tuesday following Christmas, the ladies decided to gather in town to purchase fabrics and trims for drapes and pillows. Before leaving the house, Sadie offered to make up the bed she and Rena had been sharing.

  “You finish getting re
ady,” she said with the wave of a hand. “Let me help out around here for a change.”

  “Hmm?” Rena continued fussing with her hair, preoccupied by its unwillingness to behave today. She gave Sadie a glance. “Oh, sure. Thanks, honey.”

  Sadie pulled back the spread and knocked Rena’s pillow to the ground. Rena turned away from the mirror just in time to see her notebook slide out of its hiding place and onto the floor below. She rose from her stool and sprinted across the room, but Sadie reached it before she could.

  “What’s this?” Sadie held it up. “Hiding something, eh?”

  “Oh, no. Not really. I, um…”

  “You never were very good with secrets, Aunt Rena.” Sadie clutched the book close. “I can tell from the look on your face that there’s something in here you don’t want me to see. Might as well ’fess up. You know how I am. I can weasel a confession from a tree stump.”

  Rena sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. “If I tell you, will you give it back to me?”

  “Of course.”

  “Sometimes—just for fun, mind you—I write things down.”

  “Oh.” Sadie sat on the bed next to her. “You mean you journal your thoughts?”

  “Well, that too. But sometimes a bit more. I…well, I write stories.”

  “Stories? Like dime novels?” Sadie’s eyes widened.

  “Well, not exactly.” Rena paused to think it through. “Okay, actually they are a bit like that. There are heroes and damsels in distress…that sort of thing.” She paused to seek out the expression on Sadie’s face.

  “Oh, Aunt Rena! My respect for you has just gone up by leaps and bounds. You’re a romantic at heart.”

  “I suppose I am.” Rena felt a flush of heat rise to cover her face. “I can’t believe I’m sharing this with you. I’ve never told a living soul.”