Bittersweet (17 page)

“Nope, but if I ever need to fry eggs, I’ll remember her lard.”

As they entered the kitchen, Ruth plunked mugs down on the kitchen table. “Toledo, stay and have coffee.”

“Don’t mind if I do.” He pulled out a chair. “Here you are, Miss Hilda.”

“I have to get the coffee, cowboy.”

“I’ve got it.” Josh snatched the pot from the stove. He set it on the table while pulling out Ruth’s chair.

Galen did Laney the courtesy of pulling out a chair for her, too. With the other men performing that same nicety, he had to, she supposed—didn’t he? But why, then, did he sit beside her? Mind awhirl, she turned and blinked at him. “I forgot to get the jelly.”

“That’s okay. It’ll be a good reason for me to come by again.”

Hilda started pouring coffee. “Laney’s grape jelly is the best I ever tasted. She earned that red ribbon, and I’m betting she’ll win the blue next year.”

“That reminds me,” Ruth said as she added a third spoonful of sugar to her coffee. Since she normally used less than one spoonful, Laney wondered what had put her sister-in-law in such a dither. As she added a fourth, Ruth said, “We got the grapes from Eddie Lufe’s vines. Laney, you ought to take him a few more jars of your jelly.”

“He doesn’t like grapes.”

Galen shot Laney a long look. “You know what Eddie likes?”

“Pie. He loves pie.” As soon as she babbled the words, Laney wished she could shut up, but nervousness kept her talking. “Not that I know him all that well. It’s just that he’s been here a few times. I don’t think there are many things he won’t eat. But he brought over crates of grapes and said he didn’t like them. Since Josh gave him a good deal on that stallion, maybe Eddie was trying to find an excuse to come over and see if Josh had another horse to sell.”

“Not many men could command a stallion like that.” Toledo took another piece of zucchini bread. “He’s spirited.”

“Eddie,” Ruth laughed, “or the stallion?”

“How can you tell the difference?” Hilda’s voice took on a wry edge. “Lufe’s a huge horse of a man. I will say this, though: the man appreciates good food. Does a cook’s heart proud to see a man taking his fill of the meal she made.”

“Then pass that bread over here,” Galen said as he motioned.

“I don’t want Hilda feeling I don’t appreciate her baking.”

“I didn’t make that. Laney did.”

“Then I’ll take two pieces.”

“Did you see that? Did you hear him?” Laney clutched Ruth’s arm and watched as Galen rode away. “God’s answering my prayer!”

“Laney, don’t do this to yourself. Galen is a good man, and he’s a fine friend. You need to be satisfied with that. Just because he was amiable over a cup of coffee doesn’t mean he’s smitten with you.”

Laney turned toward her sister-in-law and rasped, “Why do you say things like that? You know how I feel about Galen. I—” “The Bible tells us where to set our affections, Laney. ‘Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”’

“Galen isn’t a thing, he’s a man—a wonderful man. You love my brother. How can you tell me not to carry those same feelings for Galen?”

Ruth took her hand and led her over to the wicker chairs on the side veranda. She let out a loud sigh and plopped into one of the chairs. Laney perched on the edge of another.

“You can’t force anyone to love you, Laney. My mother learned that lesson the hard way. Father sent her away, even though she stayed true to him until her dying breath. I don’t want you to experience that kind of heartbreak.”

“Galen wouldn’t send me away. He’s honorable and would keep our marriage vows.”

Ruth leaned forward and curled her fingers around Laney’s hand. “I love you dearly, Laney. I never want to say or do anything that would hurt you. You know that, don’t you?”

“You’re my dearest friend as well as my sister. That’s why I don’t understand why you act as if I should stop being true to my heart’s most ardent desire. Psalm thirty-seven says, ‘Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.”’

“Laney,” Ruth said, drawing out her name slowly, “you can’t just decide you want something and tell God to give it to you. If your heart truly seeks God’s will, then you’ll be satisfied with whatever decisions He makes. You have to commit yourself to
His
plan, not one you cook up yourself. That verse doesn’t promise God will fulfill our whims and wishes.”

“Galen is not a whim or a wish.”

Ruth squeezed her hand. “I haven’t said anything until now. I hoped you’d outgrow the fancy you held toward Galen. The fact is, the only feelings he has toward you are those of a Christian brother.”

“You can’t know that.”

“But I do.” Ruth’s normally lively features turned somber. Instead of speaking freely, she searched to find the right words.

“The very first time you and I went to pay a visit to them, Mrs. O’Sullivan asked you to fetch some butter from the springhouse.

I don’t want you to think anything unkind was said. The O’Sullivans adore you—but Galen made it clear that he didn’t see you in a romantic light. I would be a horrible friend if I fostered any hope on your part when I know he cannot return your affections.”

Tears stung her eyes. “That can’t be true. You saw Galen today.”

“I did. And I’ve seen how Hilda is trying to play matchmaker for the two of you. You can’t make someone love you, Laney. Galen is a wonderful friend. Accept his friendship, and allow God to bring some other man—the right man—along.”

“Today was different. He was different.”

Ruth nodded. “And maybe that’s because Hilda’s right about his deciding to take a wife. If he’s decided on someone, he’d no longer feel the need to discourage you because you’d finally accept that he’s out of reach.”

Everything inside of Laney revolted at that thought. She stared at Ruth in disbelief. “Today—” “No, Laney. Galen wasn’t flirting with you today. He was in a good mood—that’s all. You’ve been home from Miss Genevieve’s Finishing School for well over two years now, and Galen still hasn’t given you a scrap of encouragement. You have to stop this.”

Tears slid down Laney’s cheeks. “I don’t know how to stop loving someone.”

“So you ladies are going to sew today, are you?” Galen brushed a kiss on Ma’s cheek.

“Aye, that we are.” She handed him the small pot of hot water from the stove.

Galen went over to the washstand. Pouring hot water into the shaving mug, he listened to his brothers waking up in the loft. The last thing he needed was for them to overhear him revealing his innermost thoughts to Ma.
Ma’s smart. She’ll see how things are
between me and Laney. Aye, she will. And ’twill likely make her happy as a
lark. She already loves my Laney as if she were a daughter
.

As he wiped the last speck of shaving soap from his face, Galen heard Ishmael and Ivy coming up the steps. Ishmael tended to clomp as he walked. Ivy managed to match her twin’s loud gait. Then again, she wore men’s boots.

Laney would die of embarrassment before she’d sit spraddle-legged the way
Ivy did the day they made pear butter. We all pretended not to notice how Ivy’s
skirt hiked up and her boots stuck out when she sat that way. Laney notices
every little detail. It won’t surprise me if, after she helps sew Ivy a new frock,
she’ll find a way to put her in the right shoes, too
.

The Grubbs didn’t even knock because Ma called out, “Come on in!”

Ivy flung the door open and tromped in. “’Mornin’, ya’ll. I’ll gather the eggs soon as I grab up the basket.”

“Milk bucket’s in here, too.” Ishmael followed on his sister’s heels. Just as quickly as they arrived, they left.

“Dawn’s barely broken.” Colin scrambled down the ladder from the loft. “What are they doing here so early?”

“Getting to work.” Ma banged her wooden spoon against the side of the oatmeal pot. “I’m needing you to stop by the mercantile and sell the eggs this mornin’, so shake a leg.”

After breakfast, Colin rode ahead to the mercantile. Sean and Dale saddled up and would meet him at school. Just as they left, Hilda, with the girls at her side, drove the Broken P buckboard right into the yard. Ishmael took charge of the horses, and Galen assisted Hilda down. Manners dictated he assist the eldest woman first. Besides, he’d save helping Laney for last so he could hold her back a few moments and pay her some special attention.

“Ruth.” He reached for Josh’s wife.

Her eyes widened in surprise. “No. I mean—well …” She groped around the buckboard. “I seem to have lost my needle case.”

“Ruthie, you asked me to keep it in my reticule.” Laney sounded subdued. Even sad.

Galen reached for Ruth again. “If I were a wagering man, I’d bet you’re thankful Laney is so organized.”

“I’m thankful for Laney in more ways than I can count.”

“Betcha you cain count dreadful high, too,” Ivy said as she tromped up. “Maybe e’en to a hunnert!”

Galen reached for Laney. She didn’t lean toward him or brace her hands on his shoulders. Instead, she braced her hands on his forearms as if to keep as far from him as she could. His hands spanned her waist. He gently lifted her out and set her down as close to himself as her skirts would allow.

Laney didn’t look at him. Instead, she murmured, “Ivy, Ruth is undoubtedly the smartest woman I’ve ever known.”

Galen didn’t turn loose of her. “Are you all right?”

Her shoulders rose and fell—a dainty, dismissive move. “A lot has happened. I’m having melancholy thoughts.”

Taking one of her soft, small hands in his, Galen said, “A penny for your thoughts.”

She fussed with her sleeve. “My thoughts aren’t worth a penny.”

“Nonsense.” He dared to crook his forefinger and tilt her chin upward. Finally, she looked at him. The confusion and sadness in her deep brown eyes tore at him.
I’ve been wallowing so much in my
own grief I’ve barely acknowledged that she lost her da not that long ago, too
.

He cleared his throat. “’Tis hard, letting go of one you love.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

L
aney blanched and blinked back tears.

“We’re … friends, Laney. If e’er you want to talk, let me know.”

Pulling free from him, she straightened her shoulders and nodded. “You’re most kind.”

At lunch, Ivy plopped onto the bench where Galen had hoped Laney would sit. “Laney, you was right when you said Galen’s kind. Niver had a buck show me manners like he does.”

Ma’s mouth bowed upward. “I despaired of teaching all of my boys manners. The first time Galen shook hands with someone, ’twas the captain of the vessel that brought us to America. Soon as Galen finished shaking hands, he promptly confessed he’d been hiding a frog in his pocket and hoped he hadn’t given the ship’s captain warts.”

“If ’n he did, he coulda gotten rid of ’em. All he needed to do was rub a cut onion on the wart, wrap that onion in a yeller dishcloth, and bury it by the light of a full moon.”

“Would that work?” Ruth sounded completely earnest. “I mean, since there’s no soil aboard a ship, they do burials at sea. I wonder if you drop the onion into the water …”

Galen watched Laney slip into place beside Ruth. “What do you think, Laney?”

“I think—” she looked at her sister-in-law instead of him—“Ruth never ceases to delight me with how she can look at matters from such clever and unique angles.”

Ruth laughed. “It’s too bad you weren’t one of the head mistresses at those finishing schools. They didn’t think of me in those terms at all. Maybe if they had, I wouldn’t have been shown the door.”

“Galen-mine, why don’t you ask the blessing?” Ma folded her hands.

“Hold up a minute here.” Ivy leaned over the table. “I wanna know what kinda door you got showed. Musta been sommat real special if ’n they showed it off.”

“Being shown the door is a fancy way of saying they asked me to leave,” Ruth confessed.

“You was in school and they done kicked you out?”

Ruth nodded.

“Galen is going to pray now.” Laney clasped her hands. “If we don’t eat lunch and get back to sewing, it’ll take us forever to finish Ivy’s dress.”

“Aye, we’ve all work a-plenty to accomplish. With the good Lord’s help and our diligence, the important things will all be done.” A short, heartfelt prayer, a quick meal, then Galen needed to return to work. Instead, he dawdled like a schoolboy to steal a few more minutes with Laney.

“Boss, these gals—they done a heap of work today. Lookee thar at what all they got started. Why, another day or two of them all workin’ and Ivy’ll have a fine dress to show for it.”

“Ain’t nobody gonna show me my dress. I double dog dare anybody to try to send me through a door and leave my purdy green dress behind. I’m keepin’ it!”

“Of course you’re keeping it.” Laney took a sip of water and refrained from showing any outward signs that Ivy’s adamant assertion reflected blinding ignorance. “Next week, if Ruth reminds me, I’ll bring over my button jar. Wouldn’t it be nice to use some pretty buttons on the bodice?”

“I cain’t pay you no cash money for ’em.”