Her Heart's Desire NH2 Read online

  Jenny went over to the tree and placed her hands on her hips. “Joel, get on down from there. We’re about to eat.”

  Sally’s pa laughed. “That boy is something else,” he told Rick’s parents. “He can find his way into any nook or cranny.”

  “Don’t you worry he’ll hurt himself?” Rick’s mother asked.

  “Nah. He knows what he’s doing.” He motioned for Joel to come down. “Come and meet Rick’s folks.”

  Sally gave a cautious look in Rick’s mother’s direction and noticed the way the woman closed her eyes and shook her head, another silent testament that she wasn’t pleased with the way Sally or her family did things.

  The front door swung open and Sally’s mother called out, “Come on over to the porch! Jenny and I will bring out refreshments!”

  “I’ll help!” Sally quickly offered before her mother could go back into the house. She excused herself from the group and hurried to her mother. What luck! Her ma gave her the perfect reason to get away from Rick’s parents.

  Once Sally was on the porch, her mother patted her arm. “Sally, I didn’t mean you had to help. I’m sure you want to get acquainted with Rick’s parents.”

  “Oh, I saw them at supper last week,” she whispered.

  Her mother’s eyebrows furrowed. “I take it that the supper didn’t go well.”

  “No,” she admitted.

  When Jenny reached the porch steps, their mother told her, “Sally and I will get the tea punch, Jenny. You can help everyone find a seat on the porch.”

  Thankful for a moment to be alone with her mother, Sally followed her into the house where everything was quiet. The two went to the kitchen, and Sally reached for the glasses while her mother stirred the tea punch.

  “What’s troubling you, Sally?”

  Sally placed six glasses on the table and turned to retrieve four more. “I don’t know if I should tell you.”

  “Why not? Is it a private matter?”

  “Well, no. I can tell you, but I’m afraid if I do, then you won’t see things as they truly are.” Sally knew that was vague, but she didn’t know how else she could explain it. She purposely didn’t tell her family her misgivings about Rick’s parents in case she was imagining their displeasure with her. And now that his parents were here, she didn’t dare mention it when her mother was about to see the situation for herself.

  Her mother tapped the ladle with her fingers. “Is this something concerning you and Rick? Are you two having problems?”

  “No. Rick’s a wonderful husband. Better than I thought he’d be. We’re very happy together.”

  “Then is it his parents?”

  She bit her lower lip. Just how much did she dare say? “Ma, I want your opinion on something, but I can’t tell you until after supper. Is that alright?”

  Her mother hesitated before nodding. “I think I understand, but yes, I’ll wait.”

  Relieved, Sally gathered the rest of the glasses and helped her mother fill them with tea punch. She placed five glasses on her tray while her mother placed five glasses on the other. “I’ll go after you.”

  Her mother nodded and carried her tray out of the house. Sally carried hers, praying she didn’t drop it. That was all she needed—for Rick’s mother to think she was clumsy on top of everything else. While her mother went to Rick’s parents, Sally went in the other direction of the porch and offered her glasses to Jenny and David first, knowing they wouldn’t fight over which one they got. When she went to Tom and Joel who were sitting next to each other, she set the tray down on the small wicker table and handed them each their glass.

  Joel took his but frowned. “Is that yours?” he asked, pointing to the remaining glass on the tray.

  “Yes,” she replied.

  “I think there’s more in it than there is in mine.”

  She glanced over her shoulder where her pa was talking to Rick’s parents. Good. They were distracted. Turning her attention back to Joel, she said, “I filled them up so they’re all the same.”

  He stood up and placed his glass next to hers. “No, you didn’t. Your glass has this much more in it.” He held his finger and thumb close together and looked pointedly at her.

  She groaned. “Half an inch? You’re upset over half an inch?”

  “Well, I got thirsty running away from Tom out there. Sure, it’s easy to outwit him—”

  “Hey!” Tom protested, his glass halfway to his lips.

  Ignoring him, Joel continued, “But I get thirsty doing it. All you did was ride out here in a carriage, and for all I know, you already had a whole glass in the kitchen.”

  “Because I no longer have to live in the same house with you, I’ll let you have my glass.” She picked her glass up and exchanged it with his. “Satisfied?”

  He grinned and sat back down in his chair.

  “Joel, I think you have more than me,” Tom said, lifting his glass and glancing between his and Joel’s.

  Deciding she’d had enough of their nonsense, she grabbed the tray and headed over to where Rick sat with their parents. Once she reached them, her mother took the tray and motioned for her to sit while she set the tray aside on the porch floor. Despite her unease, she sat next to Rick on the porch swing and sipped some tea punch.

  “You must be proud of Rick,” her father told Rick’s parents. “We knew right away that he’d be a good husband for our girl.”

  “We tried to raise him right,” Rick’s father said, looking pleased.

  “And you did,” her father added. “Course, it was hard letting our girl go, but really, she isn’t a girl anymore. She’s a young woman, and the two took to each other right away. We’re proud of her, too. She’s always had a good head on her shoulders, and she chose a fine young man.”

  Sally almost spit out her drink, but she managed to save herself the embarrassment by quickly swallowing it, an action which made her cough.

  “Are you alright?” Rick asked.

  Their parents stopped talking to look over at her, and her cheeks grew warm. She cleared her throat and nodded. “I’m fine. The drink went down the wrong way,” she lied and coughed again for emphasis.

  Her mother nodded and turned back to his parents. “I hope you like beef stew. Tom caught a large buck.”

  “Makes for fine eating,” her father added.

  “Mrs. Larson makes excellent stew,” Rick told his parents. “You won’t be sorry.”

  His father smiled. “I’m sure we won’t.” He glanced at his wife, and if Sally understood his expression right, he was pleading with her to comply.

  His mother nodded. “If Rick says it’s good, then it must be.”

  Sally forced down another swallow of tea punch. So far, his mother was being nice to her parents. She wasn’t sure what to make of it. For the most part, his mother refused to make eye contact with her.

  Sally’s mother finished her drink and stood up. “Supper’s almost ready. Sally, would you like to help me set the table?”

  Eager for something to do besides sit there, she jumped up. “Sure, Ma.” Without looking back, she followed her mother into the house.

  Once the storm door was shut, her mother gave her a sympathetic smile and walked with Sally to the kitchen. “I can’t remember the last time you were so quiet.”

  “What’s there to say? Everyone loves Rick.” She shrugged and placed her glass on the worktable.

  “Considering the fact that you love Rick, too, I don’t see what the problem is.” Her mother lifted the lid on the large pot which was on the cook stove and stirred the contents in it.

  “Nothing’s wrong with it. It’s just an observation.”

  “Well, it’s a good one. You want everyone to get along.”

  “Yes, I do.” And the key to that was the word everyone, which was supposed to include her. She retrieved the plates from the shelf near the window. “What do you think of his parents?”

  “I haven’t had a chance to get to know them, so I can’t make a ju
dgment, good or bad.”

  Though she was disappointed, she realized her mother had a point. It was too soon. “I suppose I should set the table.”

  “I’ll get the food ready while you do.”

  Tapping the plates with her fingers, Sally hesitated a moment, watching as her mother set the ladle by the stew before she opened the oven door to retrieve the biscuits. She reminded herself that it was better to talk to her mother after the meal and hurried to set the table, hoping her mother would shed new light on the situation with Rick’s parents.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Even with her family at the dining room table, Sally was aware of how quiet Rick’s mother was. Not that Sally was speaking either. There were several times she wanted to jump in and say something, but she managed to keep quiet.

  Her parents sat at the ends of the table, and she sat by her mother. Next to her was Rick, then it was his mother, and then his father. On the other side of the table were Jenny, David, Tom and Joel. And Tom and Joel were directly across from her.

  Worse, at this specific moment, Tom and Joel whispered something to each other, glanced her way, and snickered. She paused, the fork full of blueberry pie halfway to her mouth. What did they find so amusing?

  “This is a good pie,” Rick’s mother told her ma. “I have trouble making blueberry pie, so it’s a treat to eat this one.”

  Sally’s face grew hot. So her cooking was adequate, but her mother’s cooking met up to his mother’s standards? Granted, Sally agreed her mother cooked better than her, but she thought it was strange Rick’s mother would point that out.

  “Thank you,” Sally’s mother replied. “I could give you the recipe if you’d like.”

  “I’d love it if you did,” his mother said with a warm smile.

  Her appetite gone, Sally placed the fork back on her plate and sighed.

  “Oh, cheer up, sis,” Tom said after he swallowed his piece of pie. “You’ll get the hang of making a pie.”

  “Tom, that’s unnecessary,” their mother admonished, shooting him a look that left no room for argument.

  “Sorry, Ma,” he replied. “I just didn’t want Sally to feel bad.”

  “While that’s a thoughtful gesture, I think it’s best you wait until you’re alone with her to say it.” Their mother turned to Rick’s parents and gave them an apologetic smile. “A full house is often a busy and noisy one.”

  “But a happy one, too, I bet,” Rick’s father said and turned his attention to Sally’s father. “I bet it helps when managing this farm.”

  “It does,” her father replied and reached for his cup of coffee. “I’m going to miss the help once these boys are out and on their own, but it’s one of those things a parent must do. Sooner or later, children need to start lives of their own.”

  “Not such an easy prospect to a parent,” her mother added softly. “First, Richard. Now, Sally.” She looked at her other children and tears sprung in her eyes. “Time passes much too fast.”

  “Yes, it does,” Rick’s mother agreed, a wistful tone in her voice.

  “You have another son?” Rick’s father asked.

  “Yes, our oldest,” Sally’s father spoke up. “Richard and his wife just had twin boys. We should invite them out next time you come over so you can meet them.”

  “Does he run a farm?”

  “No. He started up a company to build houses.” Rubbing his chin, he added, “I wonder if he might point you in the right direction to finding a suitable house. I’m sure Sally will talk to him for you.”

  Sally’s attention went to her father. She hid her apprehension the best she could by offering a weak smile. The last thing she wanted to do was help his parents find a house, but she knew she’d be talking to Richard soon enough.

  Rick’s father leaned forward so he could see Sally. “We’d appreciate it very much, Sally. Wouldn’t we?” he asked Rick’s mother.

  His mother nodded but didn’t look at her. “Yes, we would.”

  Sally glanced at her mother, wondering if she noticed his mother’s response, but her mother didn’t give any indication of it. Across from her, Joel whispered something to Tom and pointed to Rick’s mother. Sally sighed. Her brothers were more aware of what was happening, something she didn’t think possible since her mother was often more in tune with subtle things people did than her brothers were.

  Once dessert was over, Sally joined her mother in the kitchen to help her wash dishes while Jenny brought them in from the dining room. Out on the porch, everyone else lounged about, enjoying the nice, warm day.

  Glad for the chance to be alone with her mother, Sally took a dry towel and wiped off the first clean plate her mother handed her. “What do you think of Rick’s parents?”

  “I think they’re fine people.”

  Sally waited for her mother to say something else, but she didn’t. Placing the dry dish on the worktable, she turned and took the next clean plate her mother handed her. “Do you think his mother likes me?”

  She shrugged. “I suppose so. You hardly said anything, so it’s hard to know how she responds to you.”

  “But when his pa asked her if it was nice of me to talk to Richard, she answered him without even looking at me.”

  Her mother turned a tender gaze in her direction. “Sally, he asked the question.”

  Disappointed, she sighed. This wasn’t exactly how the conversation with her mother was supposed to go, but maybe her mother had a point. Perhaps being quiet around Rick’s parents had been a bad idea.

  “Everything is new, honey,” her mother softly said so Jenny wouldn’t overhear as she brought in more dishes for them to wash. “These things take time. You have to be patient. I think his parents are good people. It’ll work out.”

  “I hope so.”

  “When you’re a newly married woman, things can be overwhelming. You’re adjusting to a husband, a new home, and now his parents. It’s a lot to deal with.”

  “Maybe.”

  She squeezed her hand and offered her an encouraging smile. “You’ll be fine.”

  Not knowing what else to say, she nodded and helped her mother finish washing the dishes.

  ***

  “You don’t look that excited about having his parents in Omaha,” Richard noted the next day as Amanda entered the parlor with a tray of refreshments.

  Sally brushed her finger along Anthony’s soft cheek, and he smiled at her. She smiled in return and thought of how easily babies accepted people. They didn’t judge anyone. Her twin nephews had accepted her without her having to prove her worth. She glanced at Mark who was sleeping in Richard’s arms. “Your boys look just like you.”

  He gave her a sympathetic smile. “They must not be very nice if you’re hesitant to talk about them.”

  Amanda set the tray on the table and sat beside Sally on the couch. As she poured the lemonade into the glasses, she glanced at Sally. “I thought everything was going well with you and Rick. You two seemed happy when I saw you in church.”

  “Oh, Rick and I are happy together,” Sally replied.

  “But his parents are another matter?” Richard guessed in that perceptive way of his that had a way of unnerving her.

  Realizing he wasn’t going to stop pressing her until she told him, she sighed. “They don’t like me. Well, maybe his pa is coming around to accepting me, but his ma isn’t.”

  “Why not?” Amanda asked, holding a glass to Sally.

  Sally shifted so that Anthony was in one arm and took the lemonade in her free one. “I don’t know,” she told Amanda. “Yesterday, Rick and I took his parents out to meet my parents, and my mother didn’t notice the way his mother avoids me.”

  “It’s hard to avoid you, Sally,” Richard commented as he handed Mark to Amanda before he picked up his own glass of lemonade. “You talk all the time.”

  “Well, talking can get you in trouble if you’re not careful,” Sally muttered before sipping her lemonade. Looking at Amanda, she added, “How do y
ou make your lemonade so sweet? Mine ends up so sour, my lips pucker.”

  “Sally,” Richard gently admonished.

  She groaned and turned her attention back to him. “I’m not avoiding you. I really want to know your wife’s secret.”

  Amanda giggled and bounced Mark in her arms. “I’ll give you the recipe before you leave.”

  Satisfied, Richard leaned back in his chair and gestured for Sally to tell him what he wanted to know. “You didn’t come over here to ask me about houses because you wanted to. This wasn’t your idea. Was it our parents’?”

  Her shoulders slumped, Sally nodded. “Pa suggested I talk to you about it. So, do you know of any houses that might suit someone who wants to be a few blocks away from businesses so his mother can pick up an item whenever she needs it? They don’t want something large. Just enough to be comfortable. They also have to watch their money and don’t want to spend more than—”

  “You already explained all of that,” Richard interrupted after he took a drink of lemonade. “What has his mother said or done that makes you think she doesn’t like you?”

  Sally shrugged. “I don’t know exactly. It’s just a feeling I have.”

  “Did you ask her if she doesn’t like you?”

  She blanched. “No!”

  “Why not?”

  “Because it’s not that easy.”

  “Sure, it is.”

  “No, it’s not, Richard,” Amanda spoke up from where she was cuddling her son. “The mother-in-law can be scary to a new bride.”

  “Are you saying my mother scared you when we were first married?”

  “No. Your mother is a very sweet woman, but you know some aren’t.”

  A slight wince crossed his face, and Sally wondered about it. It seemed to her that when Richard and Amanda decided to join his parents and leave New York, there was more to it than the reason they gave her family. But as far as she knew, Richard and Amanda never disclosed that information with anyone, preferring instead to keep the matter between themselves. As much as Sally wanted to ask them about it, she kept quiet on the matter. Some things were better left unsaid, and besides, it had no bearing on her relationship with them.