The Trouble with Patience (28 page)

“Jed's here,” Emily announced at the kitchen door. Patience was hurriedly searching a cupboard for something.

“Do you know where the honey is, Emily?” she asked, sounding a bit frantic. “I'm making up a fresh batch of switchel for our picnic—I've got the vinegar and ginger, but where's the honey? Molasses will do if we're out of honey.”

Emily chuckled, walked over to the adjoining cupboard, and reached in to pull out the pot of honey with its wooden dispenser. “Here it is, my friend,” she said with a smile as she placed it on the table.

“What would I do without you?” Patience exclaimed. “Could you put those sandwiches, the pound cake, and huckleberries in that basket while I finish up the switchel?”

Emily quickly did so, and Patience soon said, “I'm ready now.” She put a jar of the cold drink in the basket and laid a blue-and-white checkered dishtowel over the picnic lunch. “I hope he likes what I packed.” She lifted the towel. “Yes, I already have cups.”

“I hope you have a really good time,” Emily said with a
twinkle in her eyes. “I'll take care of things here, if anything is needed. You owe me for that!” she teased. “And since you've got the supper items ready and all I have to do is heat them, I'll even serve supper to our residents.”

Patience smiled and nodded her head. Her wide straw hat went askew, and she retied the ribbons. “I know I owe you, and I will return the favor, I promise. How do I look?”

“Like the sweet angel you are.”

“Oh, thank you. You always say such encouraging things. Let's hope Jed agrees with you. Be back in a couple of hours.” She gave her a little wave and hurried out to Jedediah waiting next to the buggy.

“I hope there's some good vittles in your basket,” he said with a grin as she came down the steps.

“I think you'll like them. It does look like a fine day for a picnic, doesn't it?”

“Sure does. I can't wait to get away from the noise and the bustle of all the miners in town on Saturday. But I won't have to worry about anything. Joe's in charge for the next few hours.”

He took the basket and placed it in the buggy, then took her hand to assist her up. After running around to the other side, he climbed in next to her. Flicking the reins over Charlie's back, they took off at a trot, Patience with one hand on her hat and another holding on to the side of the seat.
What's his hurry?
she wondered.

Once Jedediah was outside the city, he slowed Charlie's pace, and Patience relaxed and took in the beautiful countryside against the backdrop of the mountains. She was grateful it wasn't as hot as it had been the last few weeks. The fragrance of the juniper and wildflowers heightened her
senses, making her appreciate once again the beauty of God's creation. There wasn't a cloud in the cerulean sky.

A couple of miles from town, he turned off to a spot near a stand of magnificent ponderosa pine trees on a slope. He tied Charlie to a branch, helped Patience down, and handed her the basket.

“I've brought a large blanket for us to sit on,” he said, reaching for it in the back of the buggy. “Your skirt won't get soiled,” he told her, snapping the blanket open and spreading it on the grass.

Patience placed the basket on the blanket, adjusted her skirt beneath her, and sat down, Jedediah next to her.

“Aren't these magnificent trees?” He waved his hand above his head in admiration. “Their strength and size never cease to amaze me.”

Patience leaned her head back, hand on her hat. “I'm glad I wore this hat since the trees really don't provide much shade.”

“Most of these trees are mature,” he explained, “and some stand around one hundred sixty-five feet tall. So the branches and needles are far above where they'd be able to provide shade.”

“How long, I wonder, does it take them to grow so tall?”

“I read somewhere that it takes three hundred to four hundred years to reach maturity.”

Patience's eyes widened. “That's truly remarkable!”

“It really is.”

She looked over at him to find him leaning back on an elbow, watching her.

He said, “But only remarkable if you're with me . . .” Then he looked away sheepishly.

“That's a very sweet thing to say.” Her heart was thumping against her rib cage.

“Shall we eat now?” she suggested. Her throat felt dry. “I have fresh switchel for us.” She began unpacking the roast beef sandwiches and napkins. Patience handed him the jar while she held out the two cups for him to fill.

“This is a treat. I don't get switchel very often. It's a nice change from coffee, especially on a warm day like this.”

“I'm happy you like it, Jed.” Patience smiled.

“I'm feeling like you're spoiling me. Delicious biscuits, apple strudel, complete suppers at your place, now switchel . . . But I'm not complaining. Spoiling feels kind of nice.” He set the cup aside while Patience handed him a sandwich. “Mmm . . . ,” he said around a bite. “Delicious—add roast beef sandwich to the list.”

“Why, thank you. I'm glad to know I can do something right.”

He gave her a long gaze. “Oh, you're doing many things right, Patience. You've been so kind to Cody, then Judith, when they both really needed a friend. Cody could've still been after me. I don't know how you did that—changed his mind, I mean.”

“Perhaps it wasn't me. I was simply God's instrument to help Cody see that revenge never works the way we want it to.”

Jedediah polished off his sandwich, leaned back against the trunk of the pine towering above them, and lifted his cup of switchel again. “Ah . . . that was good. Just the right amount of sweetness. Like you.” He looked at her for a long moment, and she felt her cheeks grow warm.

He finally said, “Did Judith tell you before she left that
I asked her to give me first chance if she decides to sell the ranch?”

“No, I don't believe she did. That would be a big ranch to run, I should think.” Patience wrapped what was left of her lunch in the basket and pulled out the sliced pound cake. She put a slice of cake on a small plate and added huckleberries.

“It could be, but I've been saving up because I've always wanted to buy a spread of my own someday—get married and have a family, if it's not too late for me.”

Patience wasn't sure how to respond so she took a bite of her dessert and waited for him to speak again.

He finally broke the silence. “That was a delicious lunch, Patience,” he said, wiping his mouth.

“Thank you.” She leaned on the tree trunk next to him, curling her legs underneath her skirt. They sat without saying anything further for a few minutes, then Jedediah suddenly shot straight up.

“I nearly forgot. Be right back.” She watched as he loped over to the buggy and lifted a parcel out from under the seat. Returning and seating himself closer to her, he handed her the brown-paper-covered package. “I found this at the store, and I thought maybe you could use it.”

“Goodness . . . a present?”

“Go ahead and open it,” he urged.

Patience removed the paper wrapping to discover a journal. She ran her hand across the smooth brown leather. “Jed,” she turned to look at him, “this is the best gift I've ever received—well, other than the piano from Mother,” she added with a smile.

He grinned back at her, then turned serious. “I want you
to know that I support you in your writing, wherever it takes you.”

She could hear the sincerity in his voice. “Thank you so much. I sent my writings off to a publisher, hoping at the very least that someone would actually read them, but I don't really expect to hear back.”

She leaned over to give him a quick hug, her hat slipping off the back of her head, and then he put his arms around her and held her for what seemed like a long minute. When she drew back, he looked into her face, then tipped her chin up and leaned over to give her a kiss that jarred her senses. When he released her, she wondered if she could catch her breath again.

Jedediah took her hand in both of his. “Patience, I've waited for just this very moment . . . to ask you, will you marry me?”

She blinked, thinking she must be dreaming. With her heart racing, she took a deep breath. “Are you sure, Jed? Do you really want—?”

“I've never been more sure than I am at this moment.” He drew a ragged breath. “I didn't mean to catch you off guard, but I couldn't hold my feelings in any longer. I've been thinking of nothing else but us for weeks now. Since the first day you marched into my office, I couldn't help but be attracted to your spritely courage to dare question my authority. And your solid faith drew me to you, even though at first I tried to deny it. My heart is hoping you feel the same way about me . . .” He looked away, as though afraid of what he might see in her face.

“Oh, Jed,” she exclaimed, taking his face in her hands, “I do, I do! Since we've spent time together lately, walking and
talking, I've been certain I love you too! But I couldn't let myself believe you might feel that way about me.” He pulled her hands from his face and held them tightly.

“Is that a ‘yes' then?” His dark eyes seemed even darker as they searched hers.

“Yes . . . I mean ‘yes' to your question!” Patience felt tears in her eyes as he brought one of her hands to his lips and kissed it as though it were some fine object, holding her other hand to his heart.

“I'm sorry I have no engagement ring for you today, but we'll pick out wedding bands together,” Jedediah told her. “I promise to do all that is within my power to make you happy . . . to give you a home with children if you want them like I do.”

Patience brushed at the tears sliding down her cheeks. No one had ever talked with her about love, about her happiness before. “I do want to have children, and there's nothing I'd rather do than spend my life making
you
happy.”

Jed pulled her into the crook of his arm. “Let's set a date—not too far away—and plan our future together,” he said in a husky voice.

She made herself comfortable, her head on his shoulder, and they talked and laughed and planned until the waning sun began to dip along the horizon.

Patience and Jedediah suddenly found themselves the center of attention after telling first Emily, then Hannah and Joe, about their engagement. Before long it seemed like the whole town knew.

The boarders were gathered in the parlor after dinner, and congratulations came from each of them when Patience joined Jed on the settee.

“This is so exciting! Have you set a date yet?” Emily asked from the kitchen doorway.

“We want to get married a week from next Saturday,” Jedediah announced.

“We have a lot to do before then!” exclaimed Emily. “Oh my, and—”

“Slow down, Emily. We'll make a list of things we must do,” Patience assured her.

“Then you'd better be on your way now, Jedediah.”

There were good-natured laughs, but folks decided Emily was serious when she took Jedediah's arm and pulled him to the door. Patience followed, laughing.

“Guess that means I'm leaving,” Jed chuckled ruefully, turning to wave good night to the residents.

“I hope you have a good night, Jed,” Patience said as they walked out to the porch. “Emily's right, we've plenty to do.”

Jedediah leaned over to steal a quick kiss. “Good night, my dear. I'm a very happy man, you know.”

Patience felt like she'd been walking on air ever since their picnic. She was surprised she could keep her mind on her duties at all.

She went to find Emily so they could start making the plans for a small wedding celebration. When she entered the kitchen, Emily was there, ready with a pad and pencil.

She started right in before Patience even got herself seated. “Since the town doesn't have a church building, we can have the wedding here at Creekside or maybe outdoors. What do you think about that?”