A Bride for Tom Read online

  “No time for a wife then,” Connie remarked, giving Jessica a pointed look.

  “And for minimal pay,” Maureen added.

  “Do you really believe you can support a wife and any children you may have?” Connie asked Tom.

  Jessica could only stare at the woman in horror. Not for a single minute did she ever think Peter’s mother could be this rude!

  Tom looked taken aback by the question before he cleared his throat. “My father owns a farm and has done a fine job of raising me and my five siblings.”

  Maureen looked him up and down in obvious disapproval. “At least your clothes don’t have any holes in them.”

  Jessica scrambled for something to say but her mind drew a complete blank.

  “Why would we have holes in our clothes?” Tom asked, even as he shifted again from one foot to another.

  Maureen looked as if his question surprised her. “Don’t farmers’ wives spend their free time sewing patches onto their children’s pants?”

  “No.”

  “Well, just what do they do?” Connie asked.

  Before he could answer, a squirrel darted across his path. He was in the process of shifting to his other foot—again—when he tripped on the squirrel and fell forward.

  Maureen gasped and stepped back just in time for the startled squirrel to leap onto Connie who lost her balance and fell on her rear end in a puddle. The squirrel bounced off Connie’s hat and raced up the nearest tree.

  Jessica clasped her hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles.

  “Oh! Are you alright?” Tom asked, reaching out to help Connie up.

  “Don’t touch me!” she shrieked and slapped his hand away.

  Maureen offered her hand, which the woman accepted, and helped brush the leaves off her wet skirt. “You should change at once.”

  Red faced, Connie nodded. “Yes. I must.” She adjusted her hat and straightened her shawl. Lifting her chin up, she told Tom and Jessica, “It seems that I am in need of a new dress. Good day to you both.”

  “Well, shoot, my ma doesn’t bother changing when squirrels jump on her. She just laughs and plays in the fields with them,” Tom replied. “Says it’s good for the soul to get along with the critters.”

  Jessica glanced at Tom. Was he being serious?

  Maureen blinked. “She doesn’t do such a vile thing.”

  He shrugged. “You wanted to know what farmers’ wives did.”

  Connie huffed. “There’s no need to be flippant.” She shot Jessica a meaningful look. “Peter is always polite.” Then she pressed forward and hobbled down the sidewalk with Maureen who talked to her in soothing tones.

  Tom sighed. “I probably wasn’t as gentlemanly as I should have been.”

  Jessica burst out laughing. “Are you kidding? That was great.” Then she quickly sobered. “Your ma doesn’t allow critters into the house, does she?”

  “That depends on what you call a critter. Some days she says that my brothers are no better than a pack of wild animals.”

  She smiled. “Who knew you had it in you?”

  “Had what in me?”

  “That you had such wit.”

  A slow grin crossed his face. “There’s lots you don’t know about me.”

  “I look forward to finding out,” she shyly replied.

  “Mind if I take your arm?”

  “No.”

  He gently took her by the elbow and they continued their walk.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Jessica’s mother rolled her eyes when Jessica lifted her new veil for her to inspect. “You’ve only been courting for one month. It’s much too soon to think of weddings.”

  Jessica set the veil back on her lap. “He’s going to propose. It’s just a matter of when.”

  “And ‘when’ isn’t going to happen any time soon.”

  Rolling her eyes, Jessica turned her attention back to pulling the pink thread through the needle.

  Her mother crossed the parlor and fiddled with the curtains. “I notice you put in red and pink roses.”

  “Of course. I asked him what he thought of those colors, and he said they were fine.”

  “You didn’t tell him what you were doing with those colors, did you?” She put a hand on her hip and studied her daughter with a disapproving look.

  “No. I just said I liked those colors together, that’s all.”

  “Hmm...” Her mother didn’t look convinced.

  Shrugging, she tied the thread and got ready to add more to the rose she’d just started on her veil.

  “The poor boy doesn’t stand a chance.”

  She gasped. “Why would marrying me be a burden to him?”

  “I didn’t say it would be a burden. I feel bad because he doesn’t have a chance.”

  “Why would he want a chance to avoid marriage to me?”

  “You know what I mean.” She chuckled as she shook her head. “I hope you’re letting him believe that he’s the one leading this relationship.”

  “You know I do. I learned from watching you. You made Pa think he made the big decisions around here.”

  “He did make the big decisions.”

  “Deciding what to eat for supper is not a big decision,” Jessica said.

  “It sure was. It made a huge difference as to how long I spent in the kitchen each day.”

  Jessica laughed. “If you say so.”

  Before her mother could protest, there was a knock at the door. She glanced out the window. “We’re not done with this conversation, young lady.”

  “Who is it?”

  “Margaret.”

  “Oh good! I want to talk to her about putting those red roses back onto her bridesmaid gown.”

  Her mother groaned but opened the front door. “Come on in, Margaret. The bride is right over there.”

  “The bride?” Margaret entered the parlor and looked at Jessica. “Did Tom propose already?”

  “No,” her mother said. “But he certainly would have if Jessica here had her way.”

  “He’s planting apple trees for me,” Jessica told Margaret.

  Margaret’s eyes grew wide. “Is he really?”

  Jessica’s mother frowned. “Just what is so important about that?”

  “Nothing. It’s just nice to have fresh apples, that’s all,” Jessica quickly answered.

  Giving a loud sigh, her mother said, “I suppose ignorance, in this case, is bliss. I’ll be in the kitchen.”

  “I’ll join you soon,” Jessica promised. She glanced at her friend. “Will you stay for supper?”

  “I suppose I can.” Margaret took off her coat and hung it on the hook by the door. “So, you’re really going to marry Tom?”

  “It’s a sure thing. He’s a lot better than Peter, and the best part is Tom’s mother isn’t controlling like Connie is.”

  “So he isn’t clumsy all the time?” She sat across from Jessica and folded her hands in her lap.

  “He’s clumsy when he’s nervous. Otherwise, he handles himself quite well.”

  “Is he nervous around you?”

  “Only when I go to kiss him.”

  She gasped. “Who would have thought you could be so bold!”

  Jessica giggled. “What? If I waited for him to make the first move, it’d never happen.” And how delightful those kisses were. She supposed that it was unladylike to instigate kisses, but the reward was well worth it—and he certainly didn’t seem to mind. “I’ve never felt a desire to kiss Peter like I do to kiss Tom.”

  “You never smiled as much when you were with Peter, so obviously, you’re better off.”

  She blinked in surprise. “Then you no longer detest Tom?”

  “I never detested him,” Margaret argued. “I just wondered how he could possibly be near a woman without knocking her over. Plus, I thought you loved Peter and didn’t think it was right for you to entertain Tom while you were engaged. But since I realized how things really were between you and Peter...” She shrugged. “
Well, what’s the point in fighting fate, right?”

  “Right.”

  “And since things do look promising between you and Tom, I’ll remove the white roses on my dress and replace them with the red ones.”

  “Thank you.”

  Margaret chuckled. “You know, Connie’s sorely disappointed. She’s been bedridden.”

  Jessica glanced up from her veil. “Is she sick?”

  “Crying. You ruined her special day, you know.”

  Forcing aside the urge to roll her eyes, Jessica returned her attention to pulling the thread through the veil. “I’m sure she’ll find another woman to marry her son.”

  “Sadly, it won’t be him making that choice.”

  “It wasn’t his choice to pick me either. I didn’t realize it at the time, but she was the one who selected me.”

  “I wonder what kind of woman he might pick if he had the choice.”

  “Who knows?” And who cared? Then she glanced up at her friend. “You aren’t thinking of—”

  “Oh, of course not!” Margaret shivered. “I watched what you went through, and there’s no way I’d deal with that. But I was thinking of taking your advice.”

  “Really? What advice is that?”

  Her cheeks grew pink as she fiddled with her skirt. “To post an ad for a mail-order husband.”

  Jessica nearly dropped her veil. “An ad for a husband?”

  “Is that really so unusual?”

  “Well...” Jessica thought about it. “I don’t recall seeing any of those ads, but once in awhile, I hear of a woman out west posting for one. Mostly, they have children and need a man for financial support and protection. But I don’t see why a single woman can’t post for one. Actually, there’s no reason why a woman can’t take matters into her own hands and post an ad. After all, men do it all the time. It’s only fair a woman be granted the same right.” She finished sewing one of her rose petals before she looked back at Margaret. “Have you posted the ad yet?”

  “No, not yet. I was hoping you could help me. I don’t know what to write.”

  She smiled. “I’d be delighted to help.”

  Margaret relaxed and smiled back. “It’s scary but also exciting.”

  “We’ll get started on it once I finish this rose,” Jessica promised.

  Then she picked up the pace on getting her work done. It was an exciting prospect to find a suitable husband for Margaret, and she couldn’t wait to see what type of men would respond to a woman asking for a husband. She hoped there would be some good ones to choose from. And, as an added benefit, she’d get to see her dearest friend get married too.

  ***

  Tom stacked another dirt brick onto the wall that would finish the last side of his new home. “You did mix the dirt with the right amount of straw, didn’t you?” he asked Joel who was snickering beside him.

  Joel turned to him with wide eyes. “Of course I did. The sooner I get rid of you, the better.”

  “Then why do you keep laughing?”

  Joel patted the brick in front of him. “You really believe you’re going to marry Jessica.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Just don’t mess up the bricks, alright? If you do and this house becomes one muddy heap, I’ll be moving back. And I’ll be sure to sleep in your room too. I wouldn’t want you to miss out on my stinky snoring self.”

  He gasped. “You wouldn’t!”

  “As long as my house remains intact, I won’t have to. So be sure you do a good job. Your peace of mind depends on it.”

  “You really know how to play dirty.”

  Tom shrugged. “You’ll thank me when I’m living here.”

  Their father came up to them and smiled. “This place is coming along just fine. We should be done before Christmas.”

  Joel breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s exactly what I wanted for Christmas. And to think I wondered if God answered prayers.”

  “Ha ha,” Tom replied. Even if his brother was being his usual pesky self, Tom didn’t mind. He was building this home for him and Jessica. It was too bad he couldn’t bring her with him when he moved in. But he’d wait, just as his father suggested.

  “Are you going to see Jessica tonight?” his father asked.

  “She did invite me over for supper,” Tom replied. “I told her that I’d try to make it. I wasn’t sure how late we’d be working.”

  “We’re making good progress. Go on and see her.”

  Joel rubbed his flat stomach. “That means more pot roast for me! I’m hungry enough to eat a horse.”

  “All you ever do is eat,” Tom said. “I’m surprised you’re not rolling on over back home.”

  “Now, Tom, you ate a lot when you were his age too,” their father intervened with a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. “Your poor ma can’t keep enough food on the table to handle all you boys. Frankly, I’m looking forward to the day when all of you are out of the house.”

  Joel shook his head and glanced at Tom. “And to think we gave him the best part of our lives.”

  Tom gave Joel’s shoulder a firm pat. “Don’t worry. Someday you’ll get to move out too.” He looked at his father. “Do you think this is good for today?”

  “Sure is. Tomorrow we start on the roof.”

  “Great!” Tom couldn’t wait to see Jessica.

  Joel pinched his nose. “Make sure you clean up before you go see her.”

  Dave came from his side of the house. “Is there anymore to do today?”

  “No,” Joel answered. “We’re getting ready to dump Tom into the tub so he doesn’t embarrass himself in front of Jessica.”

  “The house is going to be quiet without you there, Tom,” their father said.

  “Yep,” Dave began, “I don’t know what Joel’s going to do without you.”

  Before anyone could reply, Dave started loading the supplies to take into the newly built barn on the property.

  Joel glanced at Tom and their father. “Between us, I don’t know how any woman’s going to handle being married to Dave. He’s so boring.”

  “No kidding,” Tom agreed before he turned to get his things put away for the night.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Jessica put a bow in her hair and inspected her reflection. Tom may not come over but then again, he might. He told her he’d be busy working on their home. Their home. She loved the sound of that. Alright. So in fairness, he hadn’t used the word “their”, but it was implied. After all, he had planted apple trees for her. It was just a matter of time before she used those apples for baking.

  Her mother happened to pass by her bedroom as Jessica checked the butterfly broach Jenny had made for her. She glanced up at her mother and smiled. “Isn’t this a pretty broach? Jenny does have a talent for this kind of thing.”

  “I’m surprised you didn’t mention Tom.”

  “Why would I? He didn’t make it.”

  “Maybe not, but ever since he started courting you, you’ve been talking nonstop about him,” she said with a trace of humor in her voice.

  “I’m not that bad.”

  Her mother raised an eyebrow. “Oh no?”

  She grinned. “No. I talk about Margaret. She and I worked on that ad. She’s posting for a husband, you know.”

  “So I’ve been told.”

  “Well, that proves it. I can talk about things other than Tom.”

  “Except when you discuss Margaret looking for a husband, you usually finish the conversation by asking if there might be a double wedding. You seem to think you can get married before planting season begins, if your plan for Margaret’s man to arrive around that time and the double wedding come to pass.”

  She sighed. “What is wrong with marrying before he plants?”

  “It seems to me that last time we had this conversation you mentioned marrying in June.”

  “If I do that, I can’t wear the dress I already made. It has long and thick sleeves.”

  “Roll them up.”

  “So you’r
e saying I no longer have to wait until September?” she asked, excited.

  Her mother’s eyes grew wide as she gave a sharp intake of breath. “You’ll be the death of me yet,” she muttered as she hurried off down the hallway.

  “I’ll take that as a yes!” Jessica called out.

  The woman grumbled but didn’t stop.

  Smiling, Jessica picked up her brush. She hoped Tom would show up tonight. It was hard to be away from him. This feeling of missing a man as much as she missed Tom was new to her. Not once did she ever have the intense longing for Peter that she had for Tom. She sighed and brushed her hair. It was the most wonderful feeling in the whole world.

  A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts of a lovely spring wedding. Oh good! Tom did make it after all! She quickly placed her brush down and pinched her cheeks. She inspected her reflection and grinned. Perfect.

  She rushed out of her room, nearly knocking her mother over as the older woman left the parlor. “Sorry, Ma,” she quickly called out before she opened the door. To her surprise, Tom wasn’t on the porch. It was Peter. She blinked several times before she finally asked, “Peter, what are you doing here?” Of all the people who could be knocking on her front door, he was the last one she expected.

  He took off his hat. “May I come in?”

  She wanted to say no and shut the door, but that would be terribly rude. Reluctant, she nodded and moved aside so he could enter the entryway.

  Her mother walked toward them, looking as uncertain as Jessica felt. “Good evening, Peter,” she greeted, offering a polite smile. “Would you like something to eat or drink?”

  “I’m fine, ma’am. Thank you.” He turned to Jessica. “Can I talk to you in the parlor?”

  Jessica glanced at her mother who gave a slight shrug. Though her pulse picked up with nervous dread, she said, “Of course.”

  As he stepped into the parlor, her mother told her, “I’ll leave you two alone. If you need me, just holler.”

  Jessica wanted to protest and insist the other woman stay with her, but this was for her to deal with. Taking a deep breath, she gathered her courage and followed him into the room. She sat in a chair and folded her hands in her lap. “What do you wish to discuss?”