An Inconvenient Marriage

The Revised Version

Ruth Ann Nordin

Ruth Ann Nordin’s Books
Springfield, Nebraska

An Inconvenient Marriage - Smashwords Edition
Published by Ruth Ann Nordin at Smashwords
Copyright © 2010 by Ruth Ann Nordin

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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Front Photo Dreamstime.  All rights reserved – used with permission.

For my dad and Karen who have the most beautiful love story I ever heard.

Scripture taken from the New Kings James version of the Bible.

Chapter One

December 1899

Jake Mitchell was good at two things: making money and managing people.  What he wasn’t good at was getting Sue Lewis to stop coming by the bank where he worked every day.  It wasn’t that Sue was outwardly rude, but she was persistent and vocal.  This particular day was no exception.  He was sitting in his office when he heard her enter the bank.
“I want to speak to someone in charge here,” she told one of the tellers.
Jake closed his light blue eyes and ran his hand through his short dark brown straight hair.  He rubbed his neatly trimmed beard and sighed.  He was only thirty-five but when he heard her nagging voice, he felt like he was sixty.  She could wear any man out.
“Mr. Mitchell, that woman is back,” George Leroy said.
“So?  Take care of it,” he replied.
“I’ve done everything I can but she won’t go away.”
Jake shook his head.  How did George ever expect to take over as president when his father retired if he couldn’t handle one woman?  “I’m the vice president, George.  I’ll be working under you soon enough.  You need to learn to handle these kinds of customers.”
“That’s easy for you to say.  You handle people better than I do.”
“Now is the perfect opportunity for you to work on that.”
He heard her constant demands for a resolution to her family’s debt every day for the past two weeks.  She came in around noon every single day and said the same thing.  He had unsuccessfully tried to resolve her dispute, but she wouldn’t listen to any of the logic he presented to her.
“I don’t want to talk to her,” George whined.
“I talked to her on Monday,” Jake said.  “Now it’s your turn.”
“I talked to her yesterday.  And Mr. Edwards talked to her last Friday.”
“So we’re all taking turns?” He sighed.  “Then it’s Edwards’ turn again.  We’ll just go in circles because there’s nothing else to do.  We can’t solve her problem.”
Noah Edwards was in charge of the mortgages.  He really was the ideal person for her to talk to, though it wouldn’t do her any good.
“Miss, you can’t just walk back there,” the teller exclaimed.
“I will not be treated so rudely,” she snapped.  “I know my rights as a customer.”
Jake cringed as she walked past the teller and into his office.  He made a mental note to buy a lock for his door.
Sue was actually easy on the eyes, despite the fact that she wore her blond curly hair in a bun.  Her face was nice to look at.  Her hourglass figure and ample bosom were even better.  Her green eyes and fair complexion would grab the attention of any man, but her aggressive behavior turned men off, which was why she was still single at thirty-three.  No man wanted a nag for a wife.  They also didn’t want the debt she came with.  Every man knew that her parents were in desperate financial straits and if they married her, they would have to take that debt on themselves.  Considering the size of the debt, Jake understood why men shuddered to even consider a courtship with her.  Had she been blessed to remove either her debt or nagging, she might have succeeded in marrying someone.  However, she had two strikes against her, and those were two strikes too many.
“I demand to have a conversation with you since you’re the vice president,” she ordered.
Jake sighed.  The teller had no experience to withstand her stormy emotions.
George and the teller quickly left the office.
Great.  Now I’m stuck with her.  “I have nothing new to say to you,” Jake finally told her.  “You don’t have a case.”
She sat in the chair in front of his desk and folded her arms.  “I won’t go away until the issue is resolved.”
“It is resolved.” Why am I wasting my time?  The woman simply refused to listen to reason.
“Not to my satisfaction.”
Suddenly, an idea came to him.  “I’ll be right back.”
“I’ll stay here all day if I have to.  I won’t leave just because you run and hide,” she warned as he stood up.
He stopped himself from rolling his eyes.  “I said I would be right back.” He made sure to emphasize the words “right back.”  He grumbled as he left the office and went to the backroom where he could grab her family’s folder.  He shut the file cabinet in irritation and stomped back to his office.
Her eyes grew wide.
She didn’t expect me to actually return.  He placed the folder on his desk and opened it.  “Have you seen these contracts?”
She shifted uncomfortably in the chair.  Her hard expression disappeared.  “Yes,” she softly replied.
He looked at her in disbelief.  How could a woman change her mood so quickly?  Her gentle expression drained him of his anger.  He sighed.  He didn’t like what he would have to say next but knew there was no alternative.
“Your father signed the contracts, and he is legally bound to uphold them.  If he fails to pay his debts, then he will lose the house and the farm.  He is already five months late in his payments.  We sent a letter notifying him that foreclosure is imminent.  I’m sorry but there is nothing we can do unless he gets current on his back payments.”
“But the late fees associated with those back payments will make it impossible to get current.”
“We can waive those late fees if we receive an additional month’s payment in advance.”
“Mr. Mitchell, there are circumstances that have greatly affected my family.  We lost most of our crops in the fields last summer during the hail storm, and the tornado killed a great number of the cattle in the fields.”
“I sympathize with you.  There are two other farmers who are facing the same situation you are.  If we made provisions for you, we’d have to do it for everyone who suffered hardships, and then we’d lose so much money, we’d have to go out of business.  I know banking can be a cold business but we do need to make a profit in order to stay open.”
Her mouth tightened.  “Surely, three farms aren’t going to hurt your business so badly.  We can work out a deal.  Perhaps, we could offer our crops or cattle.”
“I already arranged that with the other two farmers.  Their debts are considerably smaller than your father’s debt.  Even if you were to offer food and cattle for ten years, it wouldn’t be enough to pay what you owe.”
“There should be something you can do,” she protested, quickly getting upset again.
He frowned.  What right did she have to be upset with him?  “I wasn’t the one who made the poor financial decisions your father did.  He borrowed so much against his house and land that he buried himself in a hole he can’t get out of.”
“That was to cover the expenses for my youngest brother’s heart surgery.  He would have died if we didn’t do it.  Really, you are heartless.  I would think that even if you had an ounce of humanity in you, you would forgive part of the debt.”
“The surgery wasn’t the only thing that got your family in trouble.  Your grandfather had a substantial gambling problem.”
“So my father is to pay for his father’s sins?”
“Yes, since he insists on living on the property your grandfather borrowed against.”
She banged her fists on the sides of the chair and glared at him.
He wasn’t going to be intimidated by her.  “Like I said, I am sorry but if we bailed your father out, we would lose too much money.  This isn’t personal.”  He struggled to remain calm but her continual insistence to bother him was getting on his nerves.
“I will come by every day until we can work something out.”
“Then I will put your own chair in the lobby so you can be comfortable out there.  But I will not be talking to you again.  As far as I’m concerned, the matter is closed.  The best thing for your family to do is to move off the farm and purchase a reasonable residence in town.  At least then, their debts will be eliminated and they can go about their lives.”
She gasped.  “That farm has been in our family for three generations.  It is to go to my brother and his wife.”
“He’ll have to do something else.  It’s not that big of a deal.  What use is it to hold onto something that isn’t working?”
“You don’t understand sentimental value.  You have a cold heart.”
“Maybe so but I do understand common sense.  You can’t pay your debts if you don’t have money.  The best thing your father can do for you is to wipe the slate clean.  Perhaps with your family’s debt out of the way, you’ll find a man who’s willing to overlook your constant nagging.”
She stood up, her nostrils flaring in anger.  “I have tried to be decent with you.  If it weren’t for your money, you would have absolutely nothing to offer a woman.”
His face grew red.  “I have been as nice as to you as I can possibly be, but you are impossible to deal with.  It’s not my fault that you refuse to listen to reason.  You know what the contracts say.  Your father signed them with his eyes wide open.  If there’s anyone you should be mad at, it’s him.  I didn’t condemn your brothers and sisters to a lifetime of poverty.”
“My father is an honorable man who would give his life for his family.”
“Really?  Then why can’t he give up the farm so his family can have a better life?”
“This bank does not care for its customers.  The bottom line is the dollar.  The only reason people come here is because there is no alternative.”
“You are dismissed.”
“Not until this matter is resolved.”
“It is resolved.”
“Not to my satisfaction!” she yelled.
He noted the looks from the customers as they turned to his office.  “That’s it.  I’m calling security.” He had enough.  He angrily walked out of the room and called the guard to take her away.
As the guard dragged her out of his office, kicking and screaming, she vowed, “I will come back every day until you resolve this matter.”
He groaned.  She meant it too.  He used to enjoy working here, but with her constant irrational demands, it wasn’t easy to come to work.  He glanced at George.  “You’re handling her tomorrow!” he barked before he slammed his office door.

***

After work, Jake took the horse-drawn buggy to his house.  It wasn’t a mansion, but it was elegant in appearance.  He prided himself on the way he kept the white two story home with blue trim.  The gardener did an excellent job trimming the shrubbery and trees.  The grass was cut short.  The inside of the house was spotless and cared for by his maid and butler.  Though he had six bedrooms, four bathrooms, two parlors, a large dining room, a kitchen, and a den, he rarely had visitors.  He was content to stay by himself, but he enjoyed owning fine things and spared no expense for his furnishings.
Mr. Reynolds stopped the buggy so he could get out.
“Henry,” he told the taxi driver, “I’m going to need to go to the board meeting tonight at seven.  Can you have the buggy ready at 6:30?”
“Yes, sir,” Henry replied.
“Thank you.”
He walked to his house which was similar to other houses in the area.  He enjoyed the Virginia city life for things rarely got boring.  There were plenty of things a single man could do without the headache of dragging a woman along with him.  He wasn’t opposed to women such as they were, but he had seen enough men lose their freedom to a wife.  He was determined that such a fate would never happen to him.  He had no intention of giving up his life of adventure.
“Good day, sir,” his butler greeted as he opened the door.
“Good day, Ralph.  How is the misses doing?” Jake asked as he entered the house and took off his coat.
“Very well, sir.  She is expecting any day now.  The doctor says she is doing well.”
Ralph Border was married to Lydia, who was also the maid.  When Jake hired them, they had just gotten married but had no means to support themselves, so Jake decided that he could use some help keeping up his house and gave them a job.  They resided in one of the two bedrooms on the lower level of the house, and their soon-to-be-born baby would be in the next bedroom.  Jake didn’t mind the company they provided, though he kept his distance.  He didn’t believe in getting too close to anyone.
Jake went to his den that was decorated with a bear’s head and two deer heads, which he had mounted after hunting them.  He had various collectible items, such as cigar boxes he never opened and paintings that he had collected from Europe on his travels.  His den was his safe haven from the world.  In it, he could relax and enjoy doing extra work he didn’t have time to accomplish during business hours.  The large fireplace and the two plush blue chairs that sat in front of it was his secret reading place.  The large oak desk contained his business documents which he kept in the top drawer on the right side.  Other items in the room included a globe of the world, a bookcase full of his books, and antiques from his travels.  It was a man’s room, with walls that resembled a log cabin and oak flooring to give it a rustic atmosphere.  No other room in his house was like it.
He sat at the desk and pulled out a piece of paper and a pencil.  He would be leading the meeting that night since the president, Conrad Leroy, decided he was too old to be attending the board meetings anymore.  He wondered why George wasn’t already in the president’s position.  He considered that his father wasn’t too sure of George’s competency.  He realized George knew the job well enough, but did he have the leadership ability to run a bank?
Jake sighed.  Such matters did not concern him.  He had decided long ago that he would not work at that bank forever.  He had his sights set on opening his own bank as soon as Conrad officially retired.  Something about George bothered him, though he could never put his finger on it.  He knew it was in his best interest to offer the people an alternative to the only bank that was currently in town.  Competition was a good thing when it improved people’s lives.  He hated to agree with Sue Lewis, but he did often wonder how much George cared for the customer.  Conrad was an honorable man, but would George follow in his father’s footsteps?  Deep down, Jake seriously questioned George’s professional ethics when his personal ethics were shoddy.
A light knocking on the door interrupted his thoughts.
“Enter,” he called out.
Lydia opened the door.  “Dinner is ready, sir,” she softly said.
He smiled.  Her face glowed with the impending arrival of her child.  “Are you sure you feel up to cooking these days?  I can always hire a temporary cook while you rest.” He folded the piece of paper and put it in the breast pocket of his dark blue suit.
“Oh, I am feeling fine.” He could tell that she appreciated his concern by the way she smiled.  “I need something to do or else I’ll go crazy waiting for the little one to be born.  It looks like he or she will be a Christmas baby.”
“Just don’t push yourself too hard.  Ralph worries about you.”
“I know.  He’s a wonderful husband.”
“And he’ll make a good father.”
Jake wasn’t opposed to marriage or children for others.  He just didn’t wish those things for himself.
“Tonight’s menu is rib eye steak, baked potato, and green beans,” she informed him.
“No one makes steak like you do.  Ralph is a lucky man.”
She blushed at his compliment.
“We both think the world of you, sir,” she said.
“Well, I think of you two as the brother and sister I never had.  But enough emotional talk.  I’m hungry.”
After he ate dinner, he insisted that Ralph and Lydia take the rest of the night off so they could enjoy their remaining moments alone before the little one arrived.  He took Henry’s taxi to the bank and paid him the usual fare plus tip.  A long time ago, Henry offered to taxi him anywhere he wanted to go.  “It’s hard to find a man who tips as well you do, sir,” he admitted.  Since Henry was punctual and maintained a clean buggy and horse and dressed nicely, Jake was glad to have his services every time he needed to go somewhere.
As soon as the five board members of the bank assembled into the backroom at the maple table, Jake began the meeting.  He knew he had to mention Sue Lewis at the end of it.
“We need to figure out what we can do about her,” he began.  “She’s not going to leave us alone until we foreclose or prevent a foreclosure.  Are there any ideas?”
“Just foreclose,” George replied.  “In three weeks, the Lewis farm and house will be ours.  Then she won’t be a problem anymore.”
Justin Monroe spoke up.  “Maybe we could work out an agreement where they could take another loan to get current on their payments.”
“But that will only delay foreclosure,” George argued.  “If they keep getting deeper into debt, how will they ever get out of the mess they’re in?”
“Actually, Justin makes a good point,” Jake intervened.  “The problems they are having are due to extraordinary circumstances.  The boy’s surgery and the hail and tornado are not likely to happen again.  It might even help if we could talk the hospital into settling for half the debt they owe.”
“Perhaps we can settle on some of their debts with us,” Justin added.  “We won’t be too bad off if we forgive some of the debt.  At least it would keep them from sinking into the quicksand they’re in.”
“Are you crazy?” George shook his head.  “We won’t make any profit if we do that.”
“Not with the Lewis family,” Jake began, “but there are other customers who make us a suitable profit from their investments.”
“Then we’ll have to do this for everyone else who comes to us with a sob story.”
“I think people will understand that given the circumstances the Lewises find themselves in that we wouldn’t offer everyone a break.  We might even attract more loyal customers since people seem to like mercy.”
“I disagree.  People need to know that they will be treated fairly.  If other customers have to pay their full amount on a debt while someone else gets off with less, then there will be unfairness.”
“People can see that the Lewises are hurting,” Justin protested.  “They will understand.”
“Let’s take a vote,” Jake said.  “All in favor of Justin’s proposal, say aye.”
To his dismay, he and Justin were the only ones in favor of it.
“All opposed, say nay,” he continued, already knowing that the other two members would agree with George.  Had Conrad been there, Justin’s idea would have succeeded since he would have voted to help Sue’s family, and being the president, he would be the tie breaker.
He sighed and stood up.  “That is all.  This meeting is adjourned until next month.”  When he left the bank that night, he was in a sour mood.  He thought Justin had a good idea.  When I open my own bank, Justin will be the vice president.

Chapter Two

Sue Lewis was distressed that night as she paced back and forth in her one room apartment in town.  She could barely afford the place and was forced to eat bean soup again.  She was at her wits’ end.  She hated to tell her parents that her efforts had been in vain.  Nothing she told the bank employees made any difference.  They were all a cold hearted lot.  Her father wasn’t able to come in to make his case because he threw out his back and couldn’t afford the wagon ride into town.  Her mother was an emotional wreck over the stress of losing her home.  Her twenty-seven year old brother and his wife were busy trying to maintain the farm so they could put food on the table.  Her sister Emma would have been twenty-four that year but had died three years ago due to pneumonia.  Trevor was seventeen, so he couldn’t do anything until he was an adult.  The ten year old twins, Luke and Patty, were still children.  The burden rested on her shoulders.
She tried not to cry, but her situation seemed unbearably hopeless.  “Lord, what am I going to do?  Is there no one who will show mercy upon my family?”
She spent the past two weeks praying and reading her Bible every night, but the Lord didn’t appear to hear her.  Perhaps He is saying no to my request.  She knew that God didn’t always say yes.
She sat on her small cot that served as a bed and stared at the wobbly kitchen table a foot away from her.  Her job at the library barely paid the bills.  She couldn’t afford to help pay her father’s debts.  She was thirty-three.  She was hardly of marrying age anymore.  Most women by her age had already settled down and had families of their own.  Who would want to marry her?  Jake’s words penetrated her thoughts.  “Perhaps with your family’s debt out of the way, you’ll find a man who’s willing to overlook your constant nagging.”
She had been accused of coming off as too harsh to members of the opposite sex from other people.  It seemed that no man wanted a woman who was strong-willed and outspoken.  She hadn’t intended to be so abrasive at the bank, and originally, she wasn’t.  But the more her request for mercy was denied, the angrier she got, and when she got angry enough, she said whatever was on her mind, whether or not it was appropriate.
Oh Lord, I know I need You to tame my wild tongue.  It’s so hard.
Who would want to marry an old maid anyway?  She was well past her prime.  A man could be Mr. Mitchell’s age and still be an attractive catch, but a woman wasn’t worth much once she reached thirty.  She sighed.  Her sister-in-law was twenty when she married her brother.  Gloria was sweet, quiet and soft.  She was fragile.  Her brothers often joked that Sue was too hardheaded for a man.
But didn’t You make me this way?  You don’t expect me to be what I’m not, do You?
She knew what she wanted out of life and pursued it.  She didn’t back out of a challenge.  She even rode horses bareback and sought adventure when she could find it.  She wasn’t content to stay in one place for long.  She desired to see the world but couldn’t due to her financial situation, so she spent a great portion of her days in a good book where she could transport herself to places that she longed to see but never would.  A man wanted a woman who was content to stay home all day and take care of the children.  And she did want children.  She just envisioned taking the children with her on her travels.  The thought of being confined to a home just didn’t sit well with her.
She picked up the birth announcement that rested on the table next to her.  It was from her childhood friend Belinda.  Belinda married at eighteen to Jim Hawke, a man twice her age.  Because of Sue’s single status, she was not allowed to see Belinda much.  They would talk if they happened to run into each other, but there was an unwritten rule that women who were married needed to stick with other married women.  And a single woman was to never be alone with a married man since they tended to find the unmarried women a temptation.  Sue made it a point to avoid private encounters with any male since her virtue was important to her.  It was all she had that was worth of value.  But even her virginity didn’t attract respectable single men.
“Maybe Jeremiah is right,” she muttered.  “Maybe I need to find anyone who is willing to marry me.” But it wouldn’t be just anyone.  If she was going to commit her life to a loveless marriage, she would make it worth her while.  She would marry a rich man who could bail her family out of debt.  Then at least, her sacrifice wouldn’t be in vain.  She took a deep breath.
Alright, Lord.  I don’t see what other choice I have but to be a gentle and quiet woman who will sit at home and take care of the children while my husband has all the adventures.  Since I can’t talk anyone at the bank into showing me mercy, this is the only option I can see that will save my family.
She did have one small consolation.  Eventually, she would die so her time on Earth in misery would be limited.  Besides, what were a few decades compared to eternity in Heaven?  She felt much better now that her decision was made.  She would set her sight on every available and wealthy bachelor.  Perhaps someone would notice her and marry her.  What other choice did she have?

***

That Friday evening, she took all of her savings and bought an elegant light blue dress which accentuated her curves while leaving her modesty intact.  She even went to the hairstylist who trimmed her long blond curly hair and set her curls in gentle waves against her face.  She put on make up too.  She couldn’t afford any jewelry so she borrowed Belinda’s diamond necklace.  She hadn’t realized her hair reached slightly past her shoulders since she wore it in a bun so much.  She stared at her reflection in the mirror.  She didn’t recognize herself.  She almost felt like a different woman.  Deciding to use that thought, she went to the upscale dance, determined that she would find her future husband that very night.
Her heart raced with nervous dread.  She wasn’t looking forward to this.  She loved to dance but since this wasn’t a social function on her part, she had a tough time enjoying herself.  She entered the grand ballroom and sighed as she studied the available men in the room.  Most of them were around her age or older, but they seemed to have set their eyes on the eighteen to twenty-five year old women.  She sighed again.  Who would want to marry a thirty-three year old?  A seventy year old man from the corner of the room winked at her.
She involuntarily shuddered.  Of course, only an old man would be interested in her.  But perhaps that was a good thing.  He didn’t have many years left to live.
“Sue?” Mrs. Walker called out as she walked to her.
Sue relaxed.  She liked her employer and was glad to see her there.  It helped ease her anxiety.  “Good evening, Mrs. Walker.”
“I hardly recognized you.” The older woman took her to the side of the large room.  “You look so different.”
“I hope that’s a good thing.”
“Oh, you’re a nice looking woman no matter what you wear.”
Sue grinned.  “Only you would be so kind as to say that.”
“You sell yourself short, Sue.  You have a lot to offer.”
She shrugged.
Mrs. Walker softly patted her shoulder.  “What brings you here?  You’ve never made an appearance before.”
“I’ve given up on the bank.”
“Did you speak to Mr. Mitchell like I suggested?”
She shuddered at the mention of his name.  “Yes, I specifically went to his office.  I have talked to him a couple of times and nothing ever gets resolved.”  She shook her head in aggravation.  “I don’t know why you speak so well of him.  He’s just like George Leroy.”
“That’s not true.  Mr. Mitchell is a competent businessman.  He knows his job and does it well.  He has helped out a lot of people in this town.  If there is anyone who would show mercy, it is him.”
She didn’t feel like hearing a list of his qualifications.  “That may be true of everyone else, but he refuses to help me.”
“Speaking of him...”
Sue turned in the direction she indicated.  She noted that several prominent, younger women turned their attention to him as he entered the room.  He was irritatingly attractive in his black suit and light gray tie.  He seemed to be oblivious to the fact that so many women were staring wistfully at him.  Instead, he walked over to a couple men and began talking to them.
“I don’t see what’s so great about him,” she finally commented.  She looked at Mrs. Walker.  “It’s disgusting that a thirty-five year old man can have his pick of any available woman in the room but a thirty-three year old woman has to settle for someone who’s desperate enough to marry her.”
The older woman’s eyes widened.  “Is that why you’re here?”
She nodded.  “I don’t have a choice.”
“I’m sorry, Sue.  I tried to raise enough money to help your family.”
“I know, Mrs. Walker.  The debt is overwhelming.  You have been most kind.  It is not your problem.  It’s mine.  I do not wish to burden you anymore with my family’s troubles.”
The older woman looked at her sympathetically.  “Is marriage something you want, Sue?”
“I don’t know.  I have learned to be content without a man.  It would be nice to marry for love but I’m not the kind of woman who attracts attention.”
“There are several men looking your way.”
“The old and creepy ones.”
Mrs. Walker grinned.  “It appears that Mr. Mitchell just noticed you.”
“How flattering,” she sarcastically stated.
“You should be flattered.  He hasn’t given any of the other women a second glance.  I do believe you caught his attention.”
“That is ridiculous.  He can obviously have any woman he wants.”
“Which is why you should be flattered.  He’s coming over here.”
“I have nothing to say to him.” He was the last person she felt like talking to.
“He has something to say to you.”
Before Sue could protest, the woman walked away.  Maybe he’ll just walk by me.
“Miss Lewis, we missed you at the bank,” he said once he was right behind her.
She spun around.  “It’s obvious you have no intention of helping me, so I’m taking your advice.”
“Your father’s going to turn over his property?”
Did he actually sound sad by that possibility?  She pushed the thought aside.  “No.  I’m going to marry a wealthy man and pay off my family’s debt.”
“So you’re here for business.”
She nodded and examined the men in the room.  Some of them were with their wives but there were some who were available.
“I come here for business as well,” he continued.  “I’m not interested in the women here.  I’m interested in the men’s pocketbooks.  I come here to establish rapport with existing customers and potential customers.”
“Is everything about money for you?”
He shrugged.  “I suppose it is.  I’m in the business of making money and I do it well.”
“You disgust me.”
“Excuse me?” He sounded offended.
“Think about it, Mr. Mitchell.  You aren’t interested in people.  You’re interested in things.”
“That’s not entirely true.  I do care about people.  Sometimes the best way to show care for others is to help them financially.”
She rolled her eyes.  “You’re one to talk.”
“If you had been at the board meeting Wednesday evening, you would understand.”
She put her hands on her hips and glared at him.  “Fine.  Then explain what happened.”
He shook his head.  “I’d only be wasting my time.”
“I thought as much.”
“So you’re here to snag some poor rich bachelor into a life filled with misery?  That doesn’t sound very warm-hearted to me.”
Just as she was about to make a clever retort, a twenty year old beautiful redhead walked up to him.
“Good evening, Mr. Mitchell,” she softly spoke.  Her eyes met his and she offered him a gentle smile.  “It is nice to see you here.”
He warmly smiled back.  “Miss Gordon, the pleasure is all mine.”
Even though Sue didn’t know either of them well, she could tell they were lying to one another.  Neither one really found the other one interesting.
“I do hope you’ll come to my dinner party this Sunday,” she invited.  “I saved a seat especially for you.”
“I will try to make it,” he replied.
Sue could tell he was lying.
Jennifer Gordon continued to stand by him.
“I would ask you to dance, but I already promised this one to Miss Lewis,” he politely said.  Turning to Sue, he asked, “Are you ready?”
She almost said no but there was an anxious look in his eyes that stopped her.  She silently nodded and took his hand to the dance floor.  She tried to ignore the way his strong arm felt around her waist and how his firm hand felt on hers. He was six inches taller than her.
“I owe you one,” he whispered.  His breath caressed her ear in a way she didn’t anticipate.
“Do you find her so repulsive that you would dance with me?” she finally asked.
“Yes,” he simply said.
She rolled her eyes.
He continued, “She’s only after my money.  I can smell a vulture from a mile away.”
“You must have smelled me as soon as you entered the room then.”
He shrugged.  “Not really.  You’re looking for someone to fix your family’s problems.  That’s different from what she’s doing.”
“It’s not something I want to do.  I just don’t know what else to do.  I know I can’t change what the contracts say, and I don’t have the ability to make a lot of money in a short amount of time.  So my only hope is to find a husband.”
“And spend the rest of your life miserable.”
She nodded.
He sighed.  “I’m sorry I couldn’t do anything for you.  I don’t own the bank, so I can’t make any changes that aren’t approved by the board members.”
“I know.  I don’t like it, but I understand.” She took a deep breath.  “Sometimes you just do what you have to do.”
He seemed like he wanted to say something but decided against it.
“You dance fairly well,” she said, changing the subject.
“As do you,” he replied.  “I haven’t had a dance partner worthwhile up to this point.  I am impressed.”
“Oh, I don’t know.  Mr. Wilkins taught me and my siblings to dance in exchange for some steak.”
He frowned.  “That’s an odd exchange.  Why didn’t your father just take the money?”
She blinked.  “Mr. Wilkins didn’t have any money and his family needed the food.”
He stopped dancing and pulled her aside.  “Mr. Wilkins just bought a new horse and buggy.  He’s been showing it off all over town.  Weren’t you aware of this?”
Her cheeks grew hot.  “No.”
“Your family really needs to be careful when making business decisions.  Mr. Wilkins isn’t exactly noted for his honesty, but he does have a large sum of money at the bank.  What your father needs to do is start drawing up his own contracts demanding money.  The last thing your family needs right now is dancing lessons.  I could offer those for free.”
“We only accepted it because we thought he had no money.”
He closed his eyes for a moment.  “I can understand why your father did what he did, but he’s making poor financial decisions.  It’s no wonder that he can’t make his payments to the bank.  I’m not even sure he’ll be better off if you do marry someone who pays off his debts for him.  He’ll probably just end up back in the same hole he’s in now.”
“Surely that doesn’t have to be the case.”
“Not if someone talks some sense into him.  I’m guessing he won’t listen to his daughter either.  It has to be someone who carries some financial weight, someone he can respect.”
“Then what I am supposed to do?  Let my brothers and sisters get kicked out of the house and go hungry?”
“Don’t you get it?  You’re not the one doing it.  He is.”
“I can’t listen to you talk about my father this way.  He is an honorable and good man.”
“Yes but he is also naive and stupid.”
She crossed her arms, suddenly feeling vulnerable.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he gently warned.
“What?  Cross my arms?  Why not?”
“Because women aren’t the only vultures in this room.  There are some men who would like nothing more than to take advantage of you, and your dress isn’t high enough in the neckline to conceal all of you.”
She blushed and quickly put her arms back at her sides.  She didn’t intend to show any cleavage.  “They don’t make dresses like this for women of my...” She couldn’t bring herself to say bosom.
“I understand.  I wanted to make sure you didn’t attract the wrong kind of attention.  You see that man over there?”
She glanced over her shoulder at a scrawny middle aged man who was grinning at her.  She cringed.
“He’s Tom Smith.  He’s as smart as they come in investing money, but he gets his way with available and gullible women.  He’s not much to look at but he’s convinced a couple of gullible, young women he wants to marry them and they think they’re going to be rich but they end up being duped because they don’t make it to the preacher before he has his way with them.  They think since they’re about to get married, it’s alright to engage in sexual activity, but as soon as he gets what he wants, he changes his mind.  Here’s the trouble with the games some of the men and women choose to play here.  Women think they’re being smart by marrying into money, but they have to be careful which man they pick.  A couple of men in this room can outwit them.”
“What a horrible place this is then.”
“I guess it depends on your company and your reason for coming.  If you stay true to God and obey His Word, you can pick out which people to accept and which ones to avoid.  Most of the people here are respectable.”
“I didn’t realize you were a Christian.”
“It’s not something I advertise.”
“I don’t advertise it either.”
“Look, Sue,” he began, “you need to be careful.  I know you’re trying to do the right thing, but have you considered that God has other options available for you?”
“That’s easy for you to say.  You can buy your way out of trouble.”
“Not always.  Sometimes money creates more problems than it solves.”
She hadn’t considered that angle before.  “I suppose it is difficult to tell your friends from your enemies.”
“Exactly.”
“Do you have any friends then?”
“I have people I don’t mind being around, if that counts.”
“Not really.  It sounds lonely.” She suddenly felt sorry for him.  He had money but he had no one to share it with.
“I have an idea,” he interrupted her thoughts.  “Conrad Leroy is the president of the bank.  Why don’t you come by at nine on Monday and I’ll arrange a meeting for you.  At the board meeting, some members did come up with a possible plan for your situation, but it was vetoed because we didn’t have enough votes in your direction.  Conrad has the final say.  He’s a fair man and I think if another board member and I sit with you at the meeting, he will agree with the terms.”
She didn’t hide her surprise at his invitation.  “Why would you do that for me?”
He shrugged.  “I see the men here who are checking you out and they are either old enough to be your grandfather or out for one thing.  If you were ten years younger, you would have a chance at a decent man in this room, but that’s not the case anymore.”
“I feel so pretty,” she sarcastically commented.  Though she knew he spoke the truth, it still stung.
“You are pretty.  You’re just not at the ideal age.”
That made her feel better.
“What do you say?  Would you like to stop by the bank on Monday?”
What did she have to lose?  “Alright.  I’ll come by at nine.”  It beat the alternative.  She didn’t really want to marry someone she was forced to be with.
Jennifer walked back to them.  “I see that your dance is over, Mr. Mitchell,” she gently remarked.
Sue couldn’t believe the young woman had the nerve to act as if she wasn’t even there.
Jake politely smiled at Jennifer.  “Actually, we were taking a break.  I am sure you understand that with this being Miss Lewis’ first social gathering that it wouldn’t be fair to leave my friend alone.”
“Perhaps I can introduce her to a few gentlemen,” she offered.  “It wouldn’t be right to keep her all to yourself.”
“Maybe next time.”
She gave a slight pout before she nodded and left.
He sighed with relief.  “She’s unbearable at times.  Care to dance?”
Sue shrugged.  “Why not?  I did spent a lot of money on the dress.  I suppose it would be wasteful not to use it.”
He led her to the dance floor and took her in his arms.
“We’re not friends,” she quietly admonished him.  “Do you really think it’s appropriate to lie to someone like that?”
“I don’t know.  Who says we can’t be friends?  I thought we were having a good conversation.  Didn’t you?”
She considered their discussion.  “I would hardly call it friendship but I suppose you’re not so bad after all.”
He grinned.  “At the very least, we do work well together on the dance floor.”
“True.  You haven’t stepped on my feet yet.”
“And there’s something I do know about you.  You wouldn’t pretend to like me to get something from me.  You’re too honest for that.”
“Thank you.  I appreciate the comment.” She smiled and enjoyed the rest of the night.

Chapter Three

Jake spent four hours preparing the contract that he and Justin planned out in hopes of helping Sue’s family.  He hoped that they could go over the board members’ vote by discussing the situation rationally with Conrad who would be in his office on Monday.  He and Justin waited in the lobby of the bank a little before nine for Sue’s arrival.
Justin chuckled next to him.
“What’s so funny?” he asked.  He didn’t see what was so comical about a business meeting.
“Did you hear what Miss Lewis did to Mr. Wilkins?”
He shook his head.
“On Saturday, she went over to Mr. Wilkins’ house and threatened to lasso his buggy and hang it by the barn rafters unless he paid her father the money he rightfully owed him.  When he refused to listen to her, she lassoed the front wheel and used a horse she borrowed to pull it to his barn.  He realized she was serious, so he made the proper restitution.  Then she thanked him as if nothing was wrong and went her way.”
Jake stared at him.  “Did she really do that?”
He nodded.  “Now whenever Mr. Wilkins sees her, he makes the sign of the cross and runs the other way.  His wife apologized to her and gave her a little more money for the injustice her husband did to her father.  What’s even funnier is that his wife now adores her because he doesn’t get away with lying to anyone anymore.”
He laughed and shook his head.  Good for her.  “Apparently, she’s a force to be reckoned with.”
“My wife and kids adore her.  They attend the library children’s story hour that she’s in charge of.  Personally, I’d hate to get on her bad side.  There’s no telling what she’d do.”
“Well, George is anxious about today.  I just hope Conrad will veto the board vote.”
Sue walked into the bank.  He hid his disappointment at the sight of her.  She had her hair pulled back into that obnoxious bun again.  After seeing her with her hair down, he wanted to pull those pins out so her hair would fall softly over her shoulders again.  She was beautiful but seemed determined not to show it.  He forced his observation aside and followed Justin and her into Conrad’s office.  He couldn’t help but note the gentle sway of her hips.  The green dress was old and faded with time, but it didn’t hide her figure.
She sat in the chair across from Conrad and properly greeted him.  George stood to the side of the room so he could hear the presentation.  Her posture remained rigid.  He didn’t realize she was so tense.  She’s scared.
Justin sat in the chair next to her while Jake stood and presented the contract to Conrad, outlining the plan for getting her father’s debt reduced to an amount that could get his finances back on track.
“We can teach him what we know about handling finances so he won’t fall into more debt, and once he is out of debt, he won’t go back into it,” Jake concluded.
He waited for Conrad to speak.  Surely, his boss would show her the compassion she needed.  To his horror, Conrad turned to his son.
“What do you think, George?” his father asked.
“I oppose it.  It’s too risky,” George argued.  “There’s no guarantee her father will follow the contract to the letter.  He’s already breaking the ones he signed.  We’ll make more money if we foreclose and sell his property to someone else.”
Jake cringed at Sue’s gasp.  “Sir,” he told his boss, “let’s think this through.  Money is important, I grant you that, but it isn’t the only thing to consider here.  We are talking about people who live in this house and farm this land.  There are children still living there.”
Conrad took a deep breath.  “I can’t run this bank forever.  It is time I hand over the hard decisions to my son.  We will go with George’s plan.”
“I would advise against that.  People in the community will see how you treat the Lewis family, and I guarantee you that they will not like it.  Sometimes it is best to do what will bring in more clients.”
“We are the only bank in this city,” George protested.
“Perhaps, but people can go to the next city if they want.  This is the perfect opportunity to keep them here.”
“This is just one family.  It won’t make a difference with our wealthy customers.”
“But it will make a difference to our consciences.  We can’t afford to throw people out of their homes.”
“That’s enough, Jake,” Conrad barked.  “I already made my decision.  George is old enough to take over the bank.  As of next month, I will be retiring.”
“I will say one thing, Mr. Leroy,” Sue spoke up.
Jake recognized the anger bubbling beneath the surface of her cool exterior.
“People will find out about this,” she continued.  “I work at the library, and I have access to many of the citizens of the city.  They will know what you decided today.” She stood up and stiffly walked out of the office.
Jake ran after her.  “Sue, we might be able to figure out something else.”
She stopped and looked at him.  “I appreciate what you and Mr. Monroe did today.  You are not cold hearted, but I do see how your hands are tied.  I will make it clear that you and Mr. Monroe did your best to help.  I know what my option is at this point, and I will accept it.”
He knew she meant that she would marry someone old enough to be her grandfather in order to save her family’s property.  “There has to be another way.”
She shook her head.  “Thanks anyway.”
He watched her as she left.
Justin walked over to him.  “I hope you do open your own bank.  I don’t care to work here anymore either.”

***

Jake packed his suitcase as he scrambled to get his things ready for the three day trip to Michigan.  There was no love lost between him and his father ever since his father walked out on him and his mother.  Though he was ten at the time, the memory still stung.  During the divorce, his mother managed to obtain half of his father’s wealth which she left to him when she died when he turned twenty-three.  He vowed that he would not let her heartache go in vain, so he carefully invested the money until it quadrupled.  Now he could live the rest of his life in comfort, but since he had no wife or children, he focused all of his energy into his work.  Upon his father’s death, a lawyer notified him of his father’s will, which mentioned him as the sole beneficiary.  He almost refused to attend the reading of the will but decided it was his due after growing up without a father.  How a man could leave his wife and child, he would never understand.
He took the first train he could out of town and went to Michigan.  The ride wasn’t so bad since he brought a couple of books he had been meaning to read.  He particularly enjoyed Shakespeare and could read those over and over.  He considered going to New York City and checking out a Shakespearean play soon.  It had been a long time since he went to the theater.  It would be a much needed break after the stress at the bank.
He shook his head as he thought of Sue Lewis’ situation.  For a beautiful woman to have to live a life confined to a grouchy old husband who would most likely only pay attention to her when he wanted her body made his stomach turn.  She wasn’t as bad as he originally thought.  After talking with her at the dance, he learned that there was more to her than her abrasive mannerisms.  He considered the possibility that she presented herself to the world as being a woman who was so strong she didn’t need a man so that people wouldn’t feel sorry for her since she was a spinster.  He knew he was lucky.  A man could remain unmarried his entire life and not suffer public disapproval because of it.
He forced aside his thoughts and picked up The Merchant of Venice.  He always enjoyed this comedy the most.  The women in Shakespeare’s plays were just as bold and endearing as Sue.  He shook his head again.  What was he doing?  He made it a point to help people as much as he could, but if there wasn’t anything else he could do, he let the matter go.  Why couldn’t he do that with her?
He put the book in his briefcase and took out the Bible instead.  He wasn’t sure what to do about George.  That young man didn’t have good business sense.  What am I to do about him?  He turned to the book of Proverbs because it contained a great deal of wisdom.  He used it on a regular basis as a guide for his life.  Not that he didn’t read other books of the Bible, but this particular book had the most influence in his business dealings.  He credited it with his success.  He read the entire book during the next half hour.  It wasn’t a long book and it was easy to read.  He also stumbled upon the answer to his question.  It came from Proverbs 23:9.

Do not speak in the hearing of a fool,
For he will despise the wisdom of your words.

Jake set the Bible down and realized it was pointless to argue with any other stupid ideas George came up with.  If Conrad was determined to run his business into the ground by handing over crucial business decisions to someone who put money before people, then he was going to reap the results of that foolish choice.  Talking to Conrad or George would only be a waste of his time.
Lord, there must be something I can do for Sue Lewis.  What can it possibly be?

***

The next day, Jake sat in the lawyer’s office.  He deliberately skipped the funeral to show how little he thought of his father.  To his surprise, no one else attended the funeral either.  It was hard to feel sorry for his father, though it did make him wonder who would bother to come to his funeral.  He pushed aside the funny sensation in the back of his mind as the lawyer entered the office.
“Jake Mitchell, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Mr. Barnett said as he shook his hand.
“I wish I could say the same but I would rather be doing something else.”
“Your father wasn’t an easy man to deal with.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Barnett.  It’s hard to think of him without getting upset.  I’m sure you are a decent man.”
“I try to be.” He smiled to show that he took no offense to Jake’s earlier bland greeting.
They sat across from each other.
“Your father had no other children besides you.  At least, there were no children that we are aware of, and he didn’t marry any women after the divorce so there’s no heir but you.  I think once you see the amount of money he was worth, you’ll be glad you made the trip.”
He handed Jake a piece of paper that revealed his father’s total assets.  Jake’s eyes widened in surprise.  He could easily triple his net worth with his father’s money.
“There is one stipulation before you can receive this money,” Mr. Barnett slowly stated.
Jake’s eyes narrowed.  Leave it to that man to make me miserable from the grave.  “Alright,” Jake said.  “I’m a businessman.  What are his terms?”
“You must marry a woman and stay married for six months.  He always regretted leaving your mother and didn’t want his example to turn you off from marriage.  He used to say that leaving her was when his life went downhill.  It wasn’t until two weeks ago that he came to Christ and got saved.  I guess it gave him lots to consider as he laid in the hospital bed waiting to die.”
“Why six months?  Why not one year?  Or two?”
“He fell in love with your mother in six months.”
He rolled his eyes.  “And left her eleven years later.”
“He thought the grass was greener on the other side.  But after having a heart attack, he quickly learned it wasn’t.  So this brings me to the qualifications that this woman you are to marry must possess.  She must be a virgin, for sexual purity became a big thing for him.  She must be a Christian who pursues honorable work, if she is out of her parents’ home.  Also, she has to be close with her family so she knows the importance of being with loved ones.”
“This woman is the total opposite of who he was,” he noted.
“Yes.  I notice that too.”
“Tell me, did he give me her name?  It seems that he has everything else planned out for me.”
“I know his method for giving you this money is unorthodox, but it is legally binding.  He heard you were still single and didn’t want you to miss out on the joy of marriage to a wonderful woman.”
“Who can control me and make my life incredibly dull.  I know what women are like.  I have married friends who are stuck at home, helping with the kids and unable to do anything fun because if they were able to have fun, it would mean they would get their manhood back which is what every woman hopes to eliminate.”
“You have an unexpectedly morbid view of marriage.”
“Well, isn’t that why he left my mother?”
“It wasn’t her fault.  She did everything she could to keep him happy.  He just refused to see her value until he was ready to die.”
My mother was an honorable woman.  She didn’t deserve what he did to her.
“Anyway, this is the will, so you can read everything for yourself,” Mr. Barnett said as he handed Jake the document.  “If you decide to follow through with your father’s wishes, I will need to be at the wedding to verify your marriage and I must stay with you for one week, unannounced, to make sure you two are living in the same house.  Then at the six month mark, I will stop by to give you the money.  Actually, I can give you half of it at the wedding.  The other half will be due at six months.  What do you say?”
Jake carefully read every word of the will, his jaw clenching more and more as he read each paragraph.  Only his father could control his life after death.  He almost rejected the money when a thought occurred to him.  Half of this money will not only pay off the Lewis debt, but it will be enough to cover their farming expenses for the next year and it will provide Sue with a comfortable living for the rest of her life.  Then after six months, she can go her way and I can go mine and I will live very well off the remaining half of the money.  What if God was answering his prayer this way?  Sure, it wasn’t the way he expected his prayer to be answered, but sometimes God used unconventional means to solve a problem.  After all, Jonah lived to tell of his experience after he was swallowed by a whale.
Jake looked at Mr. Barnett.  “I’ll do it.”

***

Jake wasn’t able to return home until Friday afternoon, which made him rush through a quick dinner before he bathed and dressed.  He would be going to the dance but the business he usually tended to at these dances would focus on one person.  Sue would most likely be there, ready to say yes to a marriage with any available bachelor who offered it.  As much as he hated the idea of being married, he knew any woman who settled for an old man just to bail her father out of debt would be more miserable than he would be for the next six months.  It would be better for her too, if she only had to confine herself to marriage for six months to him instead of a lifetime to an old man who only valued her for her body.
I’ll give Miss Lewis credit for being selfless.  Had it been him, he would let his father go bankrupt.
He arrived at the dance at his usual time and tipped Henry.
“I’ll be waiting for you when you come out,” Henry promised.
“Thank you,” he said.  He liked the fact that Henry always waited for him whenever he went anywhere.  He didn’t have to worry about finding another driver.  “I appreciate you taking me on such short notice.  I wasn’t originally planning to come tonight, but I discovered a business opportunity too good to pass up and if I don’t act on it tonight, I’ll probably lose the account.”
“My wife and children are so grateful to you that they said to take you anywhere you want to go whenever you want to go,” he confided.  “You’re steady employment for me.”
He smiled.  “If things go well, then I’ll most likely bring a guest to take to her home.”
“I thought you said you had a business venture here tonight.”
“Part business, part pleasure.  I’ll explain later if she agrees to it.”
He nodded.
Jake entered the building, adjusting his dark blue tie with thin white diagonal stripes on it.  It matched his dark blue suit.  He wasn’t superstitious by nature but more often than not, when he wore this particular suit in the past, he succeeded in all of his business transactions.
“Good evening, Mr. Mitchell,” Thomas Evans greeted.  “May I take your coat and hat, sir?”
“Yes, you may, Mr. Evans,” he replied.  He slipped off his black coat and hat and handed it to the doorman.  “Have you seen Miss Lewis?”
“The new blond who is wearing the same blue dress she wore last week?”
He grimaced.  He wondered why she would do something as tacky as wear the same dress to two dances in a row but reminded himself that she probably used all the money she had to buy that dress and didn’t have any others.  “That’s the woman.” He tried not to let his distaste show.  Thank goodness Mr. Evans warned him before he saw her and reacted poorly at the sight of her.  It wouldn’t be a good way to start his proposal.
“She is on the dance floor,” he said.
“Thank you.” He slipped him a tip for hanging his coat and hat.
“Anytime.  I’ll keep a close eye on your things.”
He nodded and walked further into the building.  He knew that Mr. Evans took better care of coats and hats than the other doorman did, so he made it a point to enter the building when Mr. Evans was at the door.
As he walked into the ballroom, he saw Jennifer Gordon laughing and whispering to one her friends who was just as gossipy and giggly as she was.  He sighed when he realized the two girls were making fun of Sue who was dancing with the seventy year old man who had his eyes glued to her last time.  He didn’t know what was worse.  Watching old man York staring at her bosom or the fact that Jennifer and a few others in the room believed Sue was making a public spectacle of herself.
Two things are for sure: one, I’m not going to let York ogle her for the rest of the night and two, I’m buying her a new wardrobe as soon as she agrees to my plan.
Just as he was about to walk onto the dance floor, Chad Walker stopped him.  Chad Walker was one of the wealthiest clients at the bank, so he had to talk to him.  At least York wouldn’t grope her in public.
“Mr. Walker, how are you this fine December evening?  Are you looking forward to Christmas?” he warmly greeted.
“With Christmas being two weeks away, my wife is out doing her usual yuletide shopping.  I’m almost scared to see the bill every time she comes home.” He grinned.  “But she is a sensible woman and only purchases things we need so I don’t complain too much.”
“Will you be going to Richmond this year?”
“I had thought about it.  Her relatives live there.  We spent Thanksgiving with my side of the family, so it’ll be their turn.  What will you be doing for Christmas?”
“With any luck, I’ll be welcoming my bride home.”
He raised his eyebrows in interest.  “A confirmed bachelor like you has decided to settle down?”
“It’s a long story but yes.”
“You’re not going to ask Jennifer Gordon, are you?  I know she’s pretty but she’s shallow.  She won’t amuse you beyond the honeymoon.”
“No.  Miss Gordon is definitely not on the list.  I’m considering Miss Sue Lewis.”
He looked impressed.  “She’s rough on the outside but she’s got a heart of gold.  My wife owns the library and thinks well of her.  Actually, she is part of the reason I wished to speak with you tonight while things are friendly.”
Jake stood at attention, aware that the conversation was going to be serious.  “What is it?”
“Miss Lewis has been telling everyone at the library about George Leroy’s decision to veto your and Mr. Monroe’s plan to help her family.  Now, under ordinary circumstances, I would not allow such a thing to influence my business dealings.  However, my wife is very fond of Miss Lewis and has insisted that I withdraw my accounts from the bank on Monday.  I will be transferring all of my accounts to the bank in the next town.”
He sighed.  “I can’t say I’m surprised.  I warned George and his father that this would happen.”
“When are you going to open your own bank?  You have often discussed the possibility with me.”
“I have to wait for one of my investments to mature before I have enough funds to buy the building across the street from the dress shop.  I should have it open shortly after New Year’s Day.”
“Hmm...In that case, I can probably keep my accounts there until then.  I will want to transfer my funds to your bank.  My wife will be relieved.  We really didn’t want to go to the next town but saw little choice.”
“Mr. Walker, if you don’t mind, would you not tell anyone my plan?  I don’t wish for George or Conrad to learn of this.  With George’s ethics, it’s hard to tell what he will do.”
He nodded.  “I understand.”
He was relieved.
“I’ll let you rescue Miss Lewis.”
Jake was surprised by the protective urge that came over him when he saw the old man “accidently” touch her bottom.  This is going to stop and it’s going to stop now.  “It was good talking with you,” he politely told Mr. Walker.
Chad walked back to his wife who was talking with her good friends.
Jake tried his best to not scowl at Mr. York who was bragging to Sue about his coin collection.  “Good evening, Mr. York, Miss Lewis,” he interrupted.
They stopped dancing.
She looked relieved when Mr. York released his hold on her.
“Mr. Mitchell, just the man I wanted to see.” Mr. York smiled and shook his hand.
Jake returned his smile though it wasn’t easy considering how greasy his palms were.  “Mr. York, it is always a pleasure to see you.”
“Yes.  Well, I heard what you did for Miss Lewis and her family.  I hadn’t realized that Mr. Leroy’s son was at the age where he’s ready to take over the bank.  I must admit that I’m disappointed in the decision he made.”
“Yes, it is quite distressing.” Just how many people know?  He didn’t know one woman could have such a profound impact on people.  He didn’t know whether to be alarmed or impressed.  “Actually, I had a question for Miss Lewis and wondered if she would be willing to dance with me so I could ask it?”
“Oh, I don’t know.  We’re having a great time together,” he argued.  He winked at her.
She smiled but it seemed forced.  “Of course, we are.”
“And I am very grateful she has been able to be in your company since you kept her away from men who would take advantage of her while I was away,” Jake pleasantly stated.  “I had asked her if she would marry me last week, but she said I had to wait until tonight for her answer.  So after I returned from Michigan today, I came right by here to see what her answer is.  I hope you don’t mind that I got her first.”
“You didn’t tell me about this.” He frowned at her.
She looked flustered as she tried to think of something to say.
“I asked her to keep it a secret,” Jake quickly inserted.  “I know she thinks you’re a very attractive man.  Did you know she thought you were fifty?”
“Did she now?” He smiled, obviously pleased.
“She did.  She wanted to dance with you last week, but I got jealous and insisted she spend her affections on me.  I am sure you can understand my reason.  I hope you didn’t steal her from me.”
“Oh, well now, Mr. Mitchell.  You are a fine man.  I couldn’t take something that belongs to you.” He turned to her.  “Sue, you are very precious and I’m flattered you would consider leaving Mr. Mitchell for me, but he is a good friend of my son’s, and I must keep my loyalties to my boy.  I don’t wish to upset him, and if you break Mr. Mitchell’s heart, my son would be sore with me.  I hope you can move on and not dwell on what might have been with me.”
“I...I don’t know what to say,” she stammered.
“I fear I did some damage, Mr. Mitchell,” he said.  “Mr. Mitchell may not be as charming or attractive as I am, but he’s a good man and he’ll treat you well.  You go on with him.” He softly pushed her to Jake and quietly walked away.
Jake expected her to express her relief over being saved from a marriage with an old man, but instead of gratitude, she was upset.
“You have a lot of nerve,” she quietly hissed.
“Excuse me?” he asked.
“I had him exactly where I wanted him and you ruined it for me.  He was just offering to pay off my family’s debt.”
“So am I.” Now he was getting upset.  “I just asked you to marry me.  Weren’t you listening?”
She rolled her eyes.  “The only reason you did that was to ‘save me’ from him.”
“No.  Though it was a nice benefit.  He’s like a dog in heat.  You can do better than that.”
“I figure he doesn’t have much longer to live and he will pay my father’s debts off.”
“I can pay that off just as easily as he can.  And you only have to spend six months married to me instead of years married to him.  I offer the better deal.”
She gasped.  “Is that the way you see marriage?  As a business deal?”
“This one is.  I will explain everything if you’ll dance with me.”
She crossed her arms and remained still.
“I warned you not to do that.”
She quickly put her arms back down.  “I know.  I forgot, alright?”
“I don’t understand you.  I’m a much better choice than York is any day of the week.”
“If you were desperate to save your family, you would go to great lengths too.”
“I wouldn’t know that kind of loyalty seeing that I have no family.  And quite frankly, if that’s what family loyalty will get me, then count me out.” He took a deep breath to calm down.  If anyone could get him riled up, it was Sue Lewis.  “May I have this dance so I can talk to you?  We can even pretend to be friends while we do it.”
“You’re ruining all my chances for me.”
“I’m giving you the best chance of all.”
“Alright.  But I’m not going to enjoy myself.”
“Fair enough.” This is why I hate marriage for myself.  Women are difficult to manage when it comes to romance.  He ignored the way his body responded with pleasure as he took her in his arms.  “Before I go into detail, I need to ask you a question.  The answer is probably yes but I need to cover all my bases.  Are you a virgin?”
Her jaw dropped and she stopped dancing.  “I beg your pardon?”
“I’ll take your horrified look as a yes.  Only a virgin would respond like that.” He led her in a common dance step so that she would move again.
“Since we’re discussing personal matters, are you one?”
He grinned at her sarcasm.  “Yes.  And our marriage won’t change that.”
“You are speaking in riddles.”
“Not really.  Here’s the situation.  My father died recently and left a will.  I am his sole heir and am entitled to everything he owned on one condition.  I have to get married to a woman who is a Christian who does honorable work, provided she doesn’t live with her parents, and is a virgin.  She must also be close to her family.  I only have to be married for six months.  Then I can get an annulment.  Here’s the good part.  My father was rich.” He told her how much money he would receive on the wedding day.
Her eyes grew wide.  “He had that much?”
“That’s only half.  I will give you that amount as a wedding gift to you.  I will receive my part of the money after six months is up.”
“I can see why you’re tempted to do this,” she admitted.  “That’s a lot of money.”
“So, you can see that this isn’t really a marriage.  It’s a business transaction.”
She frowned.  “I don’t know.  Isn’t it sacrilegious to make a marriage into a business deal?”
“I think it’s better than what you were trying to do with Mr. York, don’t you?  If you help me get money, then I can help you get money so you can save your family’s property.  What better cause can a person have than to help others?”
“You would really give me all of the money you will get on the wedding day?”
“Yes.  I’ll even draw up a contract which you can read over to make sure it’s all legitimate.”
“And I won’t have to have sex with you?”
“Correct.  You will be as pure as you are today.”
“Then we’ll get an annulment and go our separate ways?”
“Yes.  No one gets hurt.  It’s a win-win situation.”
“I want to take the contract to a lawyer and have him look at it.”
“Of course,” he agreed.  “I wouldn’t expect you to do anything less.”
“Should I stop by the bank on Monday to pick up the contract?”
“As long as you come before noon.  I have to attend meetings for the rest of the day.”
“If this is legitimate, you have yourself a deal.”
He smiled.  “And who knows?  Maybe we’ll even become friends instead of pretending to get along at these dances.”

Chapter Four

Sue’s head was spinning by the time she got home that evening.  She didn’t know whether to trust Jake Mitchell or not.  He asked for her coat and slipped it over her shoulders by the end of the dance and escorted her to his personal taxi driver, Henry Reynolds, who congratulated them on their engagement and took her home.  Jake walked with her to the front door of the apartment and wished her a good night and said he would see her at the bank on Monday.
It almost seemed too good to be true, except she wasn’t marrying for love.  She had always hoped to marry for love, but a spinster whose father was up to his eyeballs in debt could hardly expect her prince to waltz through the door and take her off to his enchanted castle where they would live happily ever after.  She read enough books to understand the difference between fairytales and reality.  She could be content with marrying Jake to fulfill a business agreement.
The next day, Belinda sent her a telegram asking her to come by for a snack in the afternoon.  Sue walked to Belinda’s house since it wasn’t too far from where she lived.  When she arrived at the two story, three bedroom home, Belinda’s five year old daughter came running out to hug her.
“Good day, Miss Sue,” the girl greeted.
“Good day, Tracy.  How are you?”
“I’m doing good.  My mama said that we can see you more now that you’re getting married.”
Sue sighed.  She couldn’t believe word had spread so quickly.  She didn’t tell anyone.  Did Jake do this?
“Mr. York said that you were getting sweet on him but he had to put a stop to your advances before you broke Mr. Mitchell’s heart.”
She rolled her eyes.  Mr. York would be eager to tell everyone how she adored him.  She forced her stomach ache aside.  The very memory of feeling his arms around her and his “accidental” slip on her bottom made her shiver in disgust.  At least with Jake, she felt comfortable.
Belinda showed up at the front door, holding her newborn son in her arms.  “Sue, how wonderful it is to see you!  I was hoping you’d come by.”
“How are you today, Belinda?”
Tracy followed Sue into the house and followed her and Belinda to the parlor.
“Will you please sit?” Belinda offered.
Sue nodded and sat on the pink couch.  Tracy sat next to her.  Belinda loved pink and frilly things.  Sue always felt more like a tomboy next to her childhood friend.  She preferred blues and greens and solid colored furnishings.  Her tastes were simpler as well.  Belinda loved to fill each room of her house with countless figurines and knickknacks.  Sue would rather fill her place with books and travel brochures.
“Would you mind holding little Bartholomew while I get some coffee and cookies?” she asked.
Sue nodded.  “I’d love to hold him.”
“Who knows?  Maybe you can use him for practice for when you hold your own little one.  Wouldn’t it be fun if we could take our children to the park together?”
Before Sue could answer, Belinda handed her the baby and left the room.  She sighed as she held the baby in her arms.  He was sleeping.  She hadn’t expected news to travel so fast, but it made her feel overwhelmed.  She wasn’t happy with the fact that she fit in with Belinda’s world because she was going to be married.  She hated the unwritten rule that said she couldn’t spend much time with her childhood friend as long as she was a spinster.  If she wanted to be around Belinda’s husband, she could understand the need for such a rule, but she merely wanted to see Belinda and talk to her.
Suddenly she felt sad.  She was only worth something because she was going to marry someone.  Otherwise, very few people cared she existed.  Belinda cares.  She always cared.  It was just her husband that forbade her to socialize with me unless I was married.  Did a woman have to blindly follow her husband’s rules?  Couldn’t she maintain her own personality and interests even if she was married?  Did Jake think that he could control her once they married?  There’s no way I’ll let him control me!  I’ll still be my own person.  Just because I change my last name, it doesn’t mean I give up who I am.
Belinda returned with the coffee and cookies.  She set the tray on a white table decorated with pink roses.  “Tracy, put your napkin in your lap if you wish to eat.”
“Yes, Mama,” she obeyed as she spread the pink napkin out.
“I will take him so you can eat and drink,” Belinda offered.
Sue handed him back to her.  She knew she wouldn’t ever have a child of her own.  Pushing aside the depressing thought, she turned her attention to Belinda who sat in the chair across from her.
“So, how did you get engaged to Jake Mitchell?” Belinda wondered, her eyes wide in interest.  “I heard that he was ardently opposed to marriage.  What is your secret?”
“There is no secret.  He’s marrying me so he can receive his father’s inheritance.  Really, it’s not a big deal.” She took a sip of the coffee and added some sugar.
“I heard that he couldn’t stand his father.  His father abandoned him and his mother when he was ten.”
She glanced at her friend.  “How do you know so much about him?”
“My husband does business with him on occasion when he needs financial assistance with his investments.”
Jim Hawke was well-known for his store, Hawke’s Buggies and Horse Supplies.  He made a decent living but he didn’t handle his money very well so he consulted Jake for investing advice.  Sue considered that Jake’s advice was working because Belinda recently got the diamond necklace.
“Oh, I just remembered your necklace.” She pulled it out of her coat pocket and handed it to her.  “Thank you for letting me borrow it two Fridays in a row.”
“You’re welcome,” Belinda replied.  “I’m just happy it worked.  You snagged the most sought after bachelor in Virginia.  I hear about him from the luncheons at the Ladies’ Hall.  He’s the man women want to marry and men want to be.  You’re very lucky.  Anyway, you’ll get to join us now that you’re marrying Jake.  In fact, you’ll be one of the wealthiest women there.  Everyone will love you.”
“Because I’ll be rich?” She set the cup down.  She lost her appetite.  Was her life really going to revolve around luncheons and other pointless social endeavors?
“Rich women are treated like royalty.  You’re making a tremendous jump.”
“I’m only marrying Jake because of an arrangement.  He can only receive his father’s money if he marries someone for six months.  I agreed to it because I will get half the money which will cover my father’s debts.”
“So this is a business arrangement?”
She nodded.  “And it will only be for six months.”
She frowned.  “I didn’t know that.  Then you won’t be having children?”
“No.  We agreed to keep it platonic.”
“Then we can’t go to the children’s events together.  And once six months is up, I won’t be able to see you as often anymore.  It’ll be even worse though since you’ll be a divorced woman.”
“It will be an annulment.”
“Still, I had hoped this would be the start of our being best friends again.”
“I don’t think I’ll be going to all those social functions either.  I like my life, Belinda.  I enjoy my quiet time in my apartment where I can be alone and read.  I like sitting in the library surrounded by books.  I like visiting my family on the farm and helping with the cattle and fixing things around the place.  I like racing my siblings on the horses and lassoing cattle.  What do you spend your day doing?”
“Entertaining guests and joining other married women to luncheons and playgroups for our children.”
“Do you ever get to travel with Jim?”
“Jim doesn’t like to travel.  I don’t either though, so it works out.  Once you get married, you learn to enjoy entertaining at home and doing social activities in town.”
“Marriage sounds boring if that’s what I’m expected to do.”
“Oh, you’ll learn to like it.  Once you start doing these things, you’ll even think it’s fun.” Belinda handed her a cookie.  “Try this.  It’s my new recipe.”
She reluctantly took the cookie and bit into it.  “It’s good.”
“Do you know much about Jake?”
“Not really.  I met him because I kept pestering everyone at the bank.”
“I heard about that.  Why did you keep going there and causing such a fuss?”
“Do you remember the parable Jesus told about the old widow and the judge?  She kept going to his office to take care of a wrong that was done to her and the only reason he took care of the problem was because she wouldn’t give up.  I thought if I did the same thing, my father would be able to keep his land and house.”
“It worked.  Jake is marrying you so you can get money to bail your father out of debt.  I guess it’s a good thing you don’t quit.”
She sighed.  “He called me a nag.  Do you think I’m a nag?”
“You’re very...persistent.  When something is important to you, you don’t give up until you obtain your goal.”
“Just the kind of attribute that makes for a poor wife, don’t you think?”
“Since you’re not staying married to him, it doesn’t matter what kind of personality you have.”
“In other words, I will make a poor wife.”
“I didn’t say that.  You’re putting words in my mouth, Sue.  You have a lot of great things going for you.  You’re passionate, strong-willed, persistent, and bold.”
“And what is it that men want?”
“Well, Jim tells me that men like women who are submissive to their husbands.  You know, women should be soft spoken, delicate, sweet, and obedient.”
“How cute.  Are you allowed to do anything you want or is it all about what he wants?”
“Sue, don’t be so negative.  It is God’s way.”
“I don’t think I care much for this.”
“Your attitude is exactly why you were a spinster for so long.  Men don’t want women who oppose what they say or want.”
“Tell me, do you agree with everything Jim does or do you just go along with it to please him?”
“I find the easiest way to get what I want is to make him happy.  Marriage is hard work and the woman does a lot of sacrificing, but if she does what he wants, he is happy.  And when he’s happy, things are better for everyone.  How do you think I got the necklace?  He gives me nice things when I do what he wants.”
To Sue, this sounded like a dog being rewarded for performing a trick.  “I’m not going to follow your path.  I’m sorry, Belinda.  I don’t agree with you.  I’m going to make sure Jake understands that I’m not going to just lie down and let him walk all over me.”
“Jim doesn’t walk all over me.  I enjoy being married to him.”
“He does dictate who you can see and how often.  I don’t know why I’m such a threat to him.”
“He’s afraid you’ll put ideas in my head.”
Sue set the cookie down and crossed her arms.  “Really?  What kind of ideas would I put in your head?”
She looked embarrassed.  “Nothing.  Let’s just forget I said anything.”
“I don’t want to forget this, Belinda.  Why do I threaten him?”
She sighed.  “Because you have such strong opinions.  He figures when you marry, Jake will tame you.”
“Is that what Jake said?”
“No.  It’s just the way things are in marriage.  Men lead and the women follow.”
“I don’t agree with that.  The Bible makes it clear that men and women are equal before God.  The husband is the head of the family, but since he loves his wife, he will certainly value her opinion and want to do things that are pleasing for her.  It is a love relationship where both sides serve each other.”
“Jim says the Bible says the wife is to submit to her husband.”
“Did he also mention how the husband and wife are to submit to each other?  Or how the husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for it?  Would Jim put your interests ahead of his own?”
“I can see why Jim feels the way he does.  Sue, you are a dear friend, but your words are upsetting to me.  Jim sets the tone for this house and I follow along.”
“He bosses you around.”
“I take it that is how you see it.”
“You’re right, Belinda.  This conversation is upsetting.  Jim may get away with this but Jake won’t.  I refuse to let him run my life.  I will maintain my identity.  I won’t give up who I am.  God made me the way He did for a reason.”
“If you’re not careful, he won’t want to keep you after the six months are up.”
She cringed.  “I’m not a pet.  I’m a person.”
“I’m just saying that if you want to keep your husband happy, you have to bend to what he wants.”
“Even if it displeases me?”
“That’s what submission is all about.”
“So my opinions don’t matter.”
“What could be more important than bringing a smile to his face?”
“Being who I really am.  I would rather be single and be who I am than live such a miserable existence.”
Belinda sighed sympathetically.  “My poor, sweet Sue.  You are going to be alone once June arrives.  Six months isn’t a long time.”
“I hope you don’t mind if I go back home.  I find this conversation very distressing.” She stood up and buttoned her coat.
“I am sorry.  Please, don’t take offense to what I said.  I won’t mention it again.”
She suddenly realized she was doing the same thing that Jim probably did to her.  “No, Belinda.  You were just voicing your opinion.  I should allow you that right.  I’m the one who’s sorry.  Can we agree to disagree?”
She smiled.  “I would like that very much.”
“Thank you.” She sat back on the couch so they could continue their conversation.

***

On Monday, Sue arrived at the bank around ten.  As soon as George saw her, he stomped up to her and ordered her to leave.
“I don’t appreciate you coming by here after all those vicious rumors you spread about me,” he hissed at her.
She placed her hands on her hips and smiled in satisfaction.  “You mean people actually care about what I think?  How flattering.”
He scowled at her.  “You’re a thorn in my side and I’ll do everything I can to bring you down.”
She laughed.  “I’m just a simple librarian.  Good luck on finding a deep dark secret looming in my closet.”
“Get out of my bank.”
“What are you doing with my fiancé?” Jake barked at him as he walked up to her.  He put his arm around her shoulders.  “Is he being mean to you?”
She found Jake’s protective stance unexpectedly pleasing.
“You can’t be serious.” George rolled his eyes.  “Since when did you want to be with her?”
“Ever since she showed up at the dance on Friday night.  You would be surprised with how good her dancing is,” he answered.  “Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have some things to discuss in my office.  Come along, honey, and don’t let George disturb you.  His bark is worse than his bite.”
She mutely allowed him to gently lead her into his office.  He shut the door so that George couldn’t overhear what they would discuss.
“Will you have a seat?” he offered.
She struggled to overcome her shock as she sat in the chair.
He sat in his chair and pulled out the document from his desk drawer.  He glanced at her when she didn’t say anything.  “Are you feeling alright?”
She nodded.
“When have you ever been at a loss for words?” He grinned.  “Don’t mind George.  You shouldn’t let him get your feathers all ruffled.”
“He’s not what he appears.  You think he’s harmless but he’s not.  There’s venom in his bite.”
He waved his hand as if to dismiss the observation.  “I can handle him.  Besides, once I finalize my purchase on the empty building across from the dress shop, I will own my own bank and he won’t be my problem anymore.”
Her ears perked up at this announcement.  “You’re opening another bank?  That’s wonderful!  It’ll give people an option.”
“I didn’t expect you to be so pleased.” He smiled, obviously enjoying her enthusiasm.
“Of course I am.  Most of the people in this city will be.  Very few people like George Leroy.  They are fond of his father but they worry about what will happen when George takes over.”
“Conrad will retire after New Year’s.  Then George will take over.  With any luck, I’ll have opened the bank by then.  I have to hand it to you.  You’ve already attracted Mr. Walker to my bank, and he’s one the most prestigious clients at this bank.”
“Mrs. Walker and I talk about twice a month about the books we should order and maintain at the library.  She loves literature as much as I do.”
“Mr. Tobias and Mr. Elan also approached me this morning about their desire to stop business at this bank.  Their wives are good friends with Mrs. Walker and are just as upset about what George and Conrad did to your family as she is.  You may not realize it but your opinion pulls a lot of weight in this town.  I never considered the power of women interacting together and influencing their husbands’ decisions.  I’ll have to take you dancing with me as long as we’re married.  You’re good for business.”
She frowned.  Was he going to make her attend luncheons and dinner parties too?  She had to put a stop to this as soon as possible.  “I have no intention of quitting my job at the library.  I work daytime hours and do not wish to leave home after a long day at work.”
He shrugged.  “That is fine, as long as you go dancing with me on Fridays.”
“You do understand what I am saying, right?”
“I’m not a moron.  I get it.  You’ll keep your job and confine yourself to our house in the evenings, except for Fridays.”
She slowly nodded.  “Just as long as you understand.  I’m not going to do things just because you tell me to.”
His face turned red with irritation.  “Did I give you the impression that I was going to boss you around?”
“Well, no.  Not yet.”
“Look, it’s not women who get bossed around in a marriage.  Women are the ones who boss their husbands around.  Before men get married, they can enjoy their hobbies, but a woman comes along and decides what he can and cannot do.  I don’t want you dictating my life for me.  I have my own interests and you won’t stand in the way of them.”
Now she was offended.  Did he think so little of her?  “I don’t care what you do as long as you honor your word and pay off my father’s debts.”
“Good.  Then it’s settled.  You will live your life as you please and I’ll live my life as I please.  I just need your company on Friday nights so I can network with potential customers.  If I don’t show up with you, the wives will most likely take offense and insist their husbands do business somewhere else.  Do you have a problem with that?”
“No, I don’t!”
“Then let’s get down to business,” he snapped.  He shoved the contract at her.  “This states everything in clear terms.”
“I’ll take it to my lawyer before I sign it,” she shot back.
“I know.  Just bring it back before Wednesday.  I have to let my father’s lawyer know I’m getting married this Saturday.  The sooner I can get the money, the sooner your father’s debts can be cleared and the sooner your family won’t have to worry about George foreclosing on you.  Then on May 20, I can annul this marriage and receive my money.  Let’s just get this over with so we can go back to our lives.”
“Fine.  I will be back later today.  I want to finish this as much as you do.”
“At least we can agree on something,” he grumbled.
She stiffly nodded and left the bank.  He made her so mad she wanted to scream.  What right did he have to accuse her of trying to control him?  She had no such desire.  It was men who controlled women with their misuse of the “women submit to your husbands” verse in the Bible from the book of Ephesians.
She went directly to the lawyer’s office and sat in the waiting room until he could squeeze her into his schedule.  She liked Mr. Gregory.  He was an honest and fair man who helped her family out in the past.  After he read the contract, he gave her his approval.
“It’s all very clear and precise,” he said.  “I see nothing wrong with it.”
“So I won’t lose anything?”
“The only thing you’re in danger of losing is your heart.”
She snorted her opinion.
He shrugged as he handed it to her.  “Mr. Mitchell is a fair and generous man.  Not only will your family’s debts be absolved, but he’ll make provisions to teach them the basics of money management so they won’t fall into debt ever again.  Then you will receive the remaining money into your personal account to do whatever you see fit to do with it.  You will be financially well off for the rest of your life.  This is an excellent deal for you.”
That made her feel better.  Her anger over her argument with Jake earlier that day began to die down.  She returned to the bank, ignoring an irate George who glared at her, and entered Jake’s office unannounced.  He seemed to be surprised to see her.
“I’m ready to sign it,” she said.  “Mr. Gregory said it had to be notarized to be official and you can do that at this bank.”
“Good.  Follow me.”
She noted that he still sounded sour but was trying to be polite.  This only served to irritate her again.
“Good morning, Justin.” He smiled as they walked to Mr. Monroe’s office.  “Do you have a moment?”
She shook her head at how he could be so pleasant to someone who wasn’t her or George.
“As a matter of fact, I do.” Justin waved them inside.  “I just finished some paperwork and my next appointment won’t be for another ten minutes.  What can I do for you?”
“I need you to notarize this contract between myself and Miss Lewis.”
“Alright,” he slowly replied as he got the necessary supplies out.  He called in two witnesses.
She signed her part of the document and he signed his part.  After the two witnesses signed their names, Justin finished the process.
“This is an odd way to propose, Jake,” he softly said as the witnesses left his office.
“As long as it gets the job done,” Jake blandly replied.
“Here you go.” He handed Jake and Sue a copy of the contract.  “What lengths you won’t go to in order to help out a customer.”
“I would have offered you to her but you’re already married.”
“I am standing here,” she reminded him.
“Marriage isn’t all bad, Jake,” Justin assured him.  “If you allow it, you can actually have fun.”
“I’m not interested in having fun with her, nor is she interested in having fun with me.  We will have fun while we are married but we won’t have fun together.”
“I know when I’m not wanted,” she snapped.  “I’ll see you at the church on Saturday at noon.”
“I’ll be sending a seamstress by your place later this week to take your measurements for your wedding gown,” Jake notified her.
“You’re already trying to dictate my life,” she angrily replied.
“Give me a break.  You can’t show up in the same blue dress you wore to the dance two Fridays in a row, nor can you show up in one of your peasant clothes.  I do have an image to maintain in this town, and I refuse to let you tarnish that image.”
“Peasant clothes?”
“Yes.  You may be pretty but your clothes leave a lot to be desired.  I am going to have a beautiful wedding which will impress important people.  You have to do your part.”
“You just wait, Mr. Mitchell.  I’ll wear the dress but you won’t dictate anything else I do.”
“As long as you go dancing on Fridays, I don’t care what you do.  You can roll in the mud on your other days or go around nagging the rest of the town.”
She was ready to throw something at him so she quickly turned to leave.
“I think you’ve met your match,” she heard Justin chuckle before she left the bank.

Chapter Five

Jake spent the rest of the week fuming despite his best efforts to put Sue Lewis far from his mind.  He wasn’t married to her yet, and he was already dreading having her around his house.  He hadn’t even been aware of her a month ago, and suddenly, she was a big part of his world.  Six months.  All I have to do is survive the next six months and I’ll be free again.
Justin did his best to console him.  “I don’t think she’s that bad of a woman.  My wife speaks highly of her.  She may not be rich but she has found a way into the hearts of many prominent women in town.  They can’t wait to invite her to their luncheons.”
He grimaced.  “Before I know it, she’ll insist on dinner parties at my house.  The next six months of my life are going to be a living nightmare.”
“I don’t know.  She’s got a lot of passion.  It could help warm up those cold winter nights.  You might enjoy yourself so much you won’t want to end the marriage.”
“No way, Justin.  I’m not going to lay a hand on her except to kiss her at the wedding and hold her hand or arm in public.  This is a business arrangement.”
“Aren’t you the least bit attracted to women?”
“Of course, I am.  But I don’t lose my head over any woman.  They use their beauty to trap men into marriage and the next thing the men know, they are helping to host a variety of dinner parties.  I hope she remembers what I told her.  I have absolutely no intention of stopping my trips to the theater or traveling abroad just because she wants to be strapped down to the house.”
“Not every woman is like that, Jake.  Jennifer would have had you tied to the home but I don’t think Sue will.  My wife says that Sue likes to read because she can live the adventures in those books.  Maybe you should ask her to join you to the theater or on one of your European excursions.”
“Like I would ask any woman into my world.”
He shrugged.  “You might have more fun if you did.  A wife can be a good companion.  If nothing else, be her friend.”
He grunted his reply and left Justin’s office to go back to work.  He didn’t care to hear about the virtues of women from Justin who claimed to be happily married with two little kids that clung to his pants whenever she stopped by with them.  How embarrassing it would be to have that happen to him if he was trying to do business.  He didn’t know why the other men seemed to think it was cute.  Justin took it all in stride.  He’s a braver man than I am.
He talked to the seamstress, Mrs. Parker, who was working on Sue’s wedding dress and ordered a new wardrobe for Sue to be made.  He had seen her other skirts, shirts and dresses, and there was no way those clothes had any place in his nice house.  “Just have your team of seamstresses make dresses that are befitting my social status.” He didn’t wish to have Sue humiliate him when she walked out of the house.  People would be basing their opinion of him based on how she presented herself to the world, and though she had a great reputation, people would expect her to dress better now that she was moving up the social ladder.
Then he sat down and wrote a letter to her family explaining the situation, inviting them to the wedding and asking if they could use new clothes and furniture.  He had Henry hand deliver the letter and requested a response before the end of the next day so that he could make the appropriate arrangements.  To his surprise, her entire family wrote a couple of sentences expressing their enthusiasm over the marriage.  They said they didn’t have proper wedding clothes, so Jake immediately ordered that to be done.  He couldn’t have her family showing up underdressed to the biggest event of his life.  They confessed that they did need some new furnishings, so Jake asked the furniture makers in town to confer with them on what they would like to see in their home.
He had a wedding planner do all the arrangements at the church for the ceremony and reception.  He wanted to have a wedding that people would talk about for years to come, so he spent as much as he dared.  He had clients to impress and possible clients to win over.  He decided to invite George Leroy, in case people thought ill of him for not including everyone.  He secretly hoped George would stay home but comforted himself with the knowledge that so many people would be there that he could easily ignore the irritating man.
As a last minute thought, he purchased a diamond necklace and earrings and sent a telegram to Sue telling her that these were for the wedding and that he wouldn’t be taking her to the dance that Friday since he would be getting his tuxedo made for Saturday.

***

It was a busy week, so he was relieved when Saturday morning came.  Despite Sue’s telegrams telling him that he was being too controlling, he was actually looking forward to the wedding.  He was eager to see how the church was decorated and how good the fish and steak tasted.  He knew Mrs. Wilcox did an excellent job at her catering business.  On Saturday morning, he arrived at the church early so Henry could escort Sue and her family to the church.  It was bad luck for him to see her before the wedding, so he stayed well out of sight in the groom’s room.
However, an hour before the wedding, a loud knocking on his door interrupted his meeting with his father’s lawyer.  He was already dressed and ready for the ceremony so he was ready to open the door when someone from the other side yelled that it was the bride who was knocking.  He immediately locked the door.
“I must speak with you,” Sue demanded from the other side of the door.
“You can talk to me after the wedding,” he replied.
“I will talk to you now.  Let me in.” She tried to open the door.
“No way.  You know what tradition says.”
“I also know that tradition says I am to marry for love, but that’s not the case either.” She tried to open the door again.  “You are an obstinate man!”
“Then we are a good match because you are an obstinate woman.” He grinned at his clever retort.
“Why did you buy my family new furniture?”
“Because they needed it.” Was this really worth discussing before a big ceremony?
“You didn’t even ask me if I was alright with it.”
“I asked them and they said yes.  It had nothing to do with you.”
“They are my family.”
“And in about an hour, they’ll be mine too.”
“Sue, we told you to go back to your room,” another woman kindly told her.
“No, Mother,” Sue argued.  “He can’t just come into my life and take over everything and everyone in it.”
“But we needed those things.  Most son-in-laws wouldn’t care about his wife’s family.”
He grinned.  He was pleased that her family was enjoying their new furniture and clothes.  When he saw the condition of their old things, he was relieved that they agreed to it since he couldn’t imagine people living in such horrible conditions.
“What is he going to make me do next?” Sue asked her mother.  “Is he going to start teaching me how to act like a lady?  Really, Jake.  Where does all this manipulation end?”
“Sue Mary Lewis, you get to your room right this minute,” came a male voice.
“Jeremiah, this is none of your business!”
“Sure it is when you’re making a public spectacle of yourself.  You are downright impossible to deal with.  Pardon my sister, Mr. Mitchell.  She was raised better than this.”
“I don’t need any of you to apologize for me.  I am not sorry!  I am your daughter and your sister.  Some family loyalty would be nice.”
“We are being loyal, sweetheart,” her mother said.  “Don’t you see that this is the best thing you can do for yourself?  Do you want to be a spinster for the rest of your life?”
“Yep,” Jeremiah added.  “With the way you act, no other decent man would have you.  You better count your blessings and hold onto that one.”
“I am not that horrible of a person.  Why does everyone insist that I am impossible to deal with?”
“Because you are,” a group of people replied.
“Some family you are,” she grumbled.
Jake chuckled at the family drama ensuing on the other side of the door.
“Mr. Mitchell, we could get her drunk if you’d like,” Jeremiah offered.  “It might be the only way to subdue her enough so that she won’t disturb anymore guests.  She nearly ran through the church like a cat with its tail on fire as soon as she saw her dress.”
“That’s because I hate lace, but what would you know what I like or dislike.  You didn’t even bother to ask,” Sue bitterly told Jake.
“It’s just for your wedding,” her mother consoled her.
“No.  It’s for the next six months of my life.”
“You should act better than that,” her brother inserted.  “You don’t want to be so miserable he’s going to drop you.  You’re always wanting to hold babies.  If you play your cards right, you can hold one of your own someday.”
Jake cringed.  That was not going to happen.
“That will never happen,” she hissed.
At least we can agree on that.  Jake was comforted by knowing he had no desire to be intimate with her.  Her continual nagging made that easy for him.
“Let me talk to her,” Mr. Barnett softly said as he eased himself through the door without Sue seeing Jake.
Jake immediately locked the door.
“Good morning, Miss Lewis,” his father’s lawyer said.  “I am sure you are aware of this arrangement.  You did sign the contract.”
She calmed down.  “Yes, sir.  I did.”
“And in that contract, was there anything specifying clothing or your family aside from the monetary counseling?”
“No.”
“Then isn’t Mr. Mitchell technically within his rights to do what he has done?”
Her silence was enough of an answer.
“We only have forty-five minutes left before the wedding and we haven’t decorated your hair yet,” her mother said.  “Come along.”
“Very well,” Sue resigned herself.  “But this isn’t over, Jake Mitchell.”
Jake rolled his eyes.
Mr. Barnett knocked on the door.  “The coast is clear.”
Jake opened the door and let him in. 
To his surprise, the lawyer was laughing.  “She’s a wonderful woman.”
“How can you say that?”
“Because she is sincere and honest.  You can be sure of one thing, she’s not marrying you to impress people and she will also let you know exactly what’s on her mind.  You won’t have to guess with her.  And if she does fall in love with you, she’ll be faithful for life.”
“Falling in love is the last thing on my mind,” he softly growled.

***

The moment of the wedding finally arrived and Jake stood by the preacher in front of the altar.  He knew that this day was the bride’s day and everyone would be interested in her which was why he spent so much time preparing Sue for this day.  The wedding colors were light blue and white.  He picked light blue since it went with his tie.  He had ordered blue ribbons and bows throughout the church, and the bridal bouquet featured white roses with a blue ribbon tying the flowers together.  He supposed that women would prefer pink but he couldn’t stomach that color at his wedding, so he didn’t bother to ask her opinion.  He didn’t want her opinion on any of the wedding plans for that specific reason.  He was associated with this wedding, even though he wasn’t the main attraction.  People would want to remember this day and he didn’t want pink to be associated with that memory.  He considered the irony that she didn’t complain about the colors.  She was bothered by the lace on her dress.  The lace wasn’t his idea but the seamstress liked it so he allowed it.  He thought it was odd that Sue would be offended by something so uniquely feminine.
He glanced at Justin who was chuckling beside him.
“I can’t believe you’re actually getting married,” Justin whispered.  “I never thought I’d see the day.”
“Try not to act so obvious about it,” he grumbled.
“Sorry.  I got the ring in my pocket.  Something tells me Sue won’t want a ring this big.”
“A big diamond is a status symbol.  It’ll impress people.”
“Perhaps but she’s the one who has to wear it.”
“Maybe you’d like to trade places with me since you seem to know her so well.”
“I love my wife, thank you very much.  I wouldn’t leave her for anyone.”
He sighed and glanced around the room.  On Sue’s side sat a great company of people.  Her family sat in proper attire up front and looked relieved that she was finally getting married.  He liked her family.  She had her mother and three brothers sitting up front.  But her friends were a mixture of people from the low to the high end of the economic ladder.  Mr. Walker hesitated on knowing where to sit but he finally followed his wife to her side of the aisle.  He was surprised and delighted that so many wealthy women had indeed led their husbands to her side.  He never imagined a woman could be so resourceful, even if she was hard to get along with.  Apparently, she was a good friend to someone out there.  On his side of the aisle were all wealthy members of the city.  He tried to ignore Jennifer who insisted on sobbing loudly into her handkerchief.  She was upset that she didn’t get the chance to snag his money.  At least he had the consolation that Sue wasn’t in this for her benefit.  In fact, she made it clear that this was a great sacrifice on her part.
“The bride is in love with me, but I told her to stay true to Mr. Mitchell,” he overheard old man York tell the person next to him.  “She better not try to run off with me today.”
He closed his eyes and counted to ten so he wouldn’t burst out laughing.  As if York ever had a chance compared to him.
“Straighten up.  Sue’s ready,” Justin whispered.
He cleared his throat and stood at attention as the music began to play.  He tried to hide his pleasure at the sight of her.  Her hair fell in soft curls around her shoulders.  The sides of her hair were neatly pulled back by two light blue ribbons to match the ribbon on her bouquet.  Her veil did little to hide her natural beauty.  He noted that she managed to get rid of the lace on the dress.  The upset seamstress standing to the side of the room made him realize how she accomplished that feat.  He couldn’t help but grin.  He liked the dress better without the lace anyway.  The dress was simple yet elegant in appearance.  It had long sleeves and a square neckline.  The diamond necklace accentuated her slender neck and her dangling diamond earrings enhanced her fine cheekbones.  The dress was modestly cut but with her amazing figure, it couldn’t hide her curves.  The dress reached down to her ankles and her white shoes with blue flowers etched on them completed the look.  She is breathtaking.
Justin let out a low whistle.  “Maybe I should trade places with you.”
Jake wanted to respond but couldn’t find his voice.
Everyone stood in honor of the bride.  As she walked down the aisle with her proud father who favored his left leg, Jake was aware that people were commenting on how beautiful she looked.  He was too busy staring at her to enjoy the fact that he had succeeded in impressing them.  He was aware that he was slightly shaking like a nervous schoolboy ready to ask his favorite girl if he could court her.
“Close your mouth.  You’re starting to drool,” Justin quietly said.
He immediately straightened up and closed his mouth.  He tried to take his eyes off of her but he couldn’t.  Even Jennifer didn’t come close to matching her beauty.
As soon as she stood in front of him, the spell was broken for she was glaring at him.  He sighed.  So much for a romantic wedding.
“Who gives this woman to be married?” Preacher Davis asked.
“I do,” her father proudly replied.
Though she was supposed to hold Jake’s hand, she intentionally ignored it when he extended his hand to her.  Not to be dissuaded in front of an audience, he held her by the elbow instead and smiled as if nothing was bothering him.  Did it really pain her to marry him?  Wasn’t it better than being with Mr. York?
He turned to the Preacher as the group of people sat back down.  She refused to look at him.  Instead, she stared straight at the preacher as he proceeded with the ceremony.  Jake was ready to pull away from her in response but decided it would be more fun to mess with her a bit, so he took a step closer to her.  Since her sister-in-law and sister stood to the other side of her, she couldn’t get away from him.
He progressed smoothly through his vows but when it was her turn, she hesitated.
“Uh...” she stammered.
“Oh go ahead and marry him, sweetie pie,” Mr. York yelled out.  “Don’t go holding a flame for me.  Move on with your life.”
Several people chuckled.
“Ewe,” she muttered under her breath.  “I do,” she told the preacher.
Finally it was time to give her the ring, and she didn’t hide her disappointment when she saw it.
“Told you,” Justin whispered.
Jake simply smiled and slipped it on her finger.
“I now pronounce you man and wife,” the preacher said.  “You may kiss the bride.”
He lifted the veil and was struck that she would wear so little make-up and still look stunning.  She really does have simple but excellent taste.  She’s going to throw a fit when she sees her new wardrobe.  He already knew he would be assigning Mrs. Parker and her team of seamstresses with a new wardrobe.  This time he would have to let Sue talk to her about what she wanted.  He didn’t know whether to be relieved or annoyed.  He was glad she wasn’t into all the flashy and flowery material women seemed to crave but all his efforts to please her were in vain.
As he bent to kiss her on the lips, she gave a slight turn of her head so he kissed the side of her mouth instead.  “Well honey, aren’t you full of surprises today,” he teased.  Having managed to catch her off guard, he wrapped her in his arms and gave her a long kiss on the mouth.  She was too stunned to react in time to stop him.  Several men chuckled and the single women sighed as if imagining he was kissing them.  When Jake let go of her, he shot her a triumphant look.  She looked flustered and then furious.
They turned to the people as the preacher announced, “I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Jake Mitchell.”
She was reluctant to walk down the aisle with him so he gently led her by the arm.  “We don’t want to disappoint the people.  Remember, it’s only for six months.”
She sighed and started walking with him.
After they were finished, the rest of the people followed them to the reception where a live orchestra played while the guests either danced or ate their lunches.  They stood to the side of the room and shook hands with people who wished to talk with them.
“I hope your heart isn’t hurting too bad, darling,” Mr. York told her as he held onto her hand.
“I’ll survive,” she politely said.  She tried to pull her hand away but he wouldn’t let go.
“You must go on with your life.  I know you thought I was a young buck but the truth is I’m seventy and probably old enough to be your grandfather.  Take comfort in Jake’s arms.  He’s a good boy.”
“I will try.”
“You must, sweetie pie.”
Jake hid his annoyance.  He didn’t care for the way old man York kept slobbering over her.  The man is a pervert.  As he was about to politely interrupt York, Jennifer came up to him and put her hand on his arm.
“I am sorry that I didn’t make my interest known to you sooner,” she cooed.  “I never realized you would settle for any old thing.”
He tensed.  Her father is wealthy.  Don’t blow it.  “Now we both know you’re much too pretty to settle down just yet.  You need to let many men enjoy your dancing.”
Mr. York finally left and Sue breathed a sigh of relief.
“Were you actually in love with Mr. York?” Jennifer giggled, turning to Sue.
“What do you think?” Sue blandly asked.
“I think you did.  You have such bad taste.”
“How fitting that such an observation would come from someone who thought Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter was a printing shop.”
Jake coughed to cover his laughter.  He didn’t realize Sue had such wit but it pleased him that she did.
“I think I’ve just been insulted,” Jennifer pouted, looking at Jake.  “Are you going to let her talk to me like that?”
“Yes, dear husband.  Are you going to dictate how I talk to other people?” Sue pointedly wondered, staring at him in interest.
“I agree with my wife.  You were way out of line,” Jake quickly responded.
Jennifer gasped.  “I can’t believe you said that.  I will tell Mr. Leroy that he has a rude employee.”
He shrugged.  “I don’t care what you do as long as you apologize to my wife.”
“I’d rather eat snake.”
“Wouldn’t that be cannibalism?” Sue reflected.
She ran off, ready to cry on her father’s shoulder.
Sue sighed.  “I probably just lost you a customer.”
He chuckled.  “Are you kidding?  That was worth it.  Jennifer’s father isn’t that prominent in this society, and even if he was, I wouldn’t let his daughter get away with her comments.”
“Really?”
He noted that she seemed touched by his confession.  He grinned at her.  “Really.  When people insult you, they insult me.  I take it personally.”
“As rude as she is, she is harmless.  I don’t believe she will complain to her father.  She’s all talk.”
“But you insist that George Leroy isn’t so docile?”
“No.  He’s up to something.”
He followed her gaze and saw George talking with a few of the guests.  From where he stood, George seemed to be engaged in innocent conversation.  He wondered what it was that Sue saw but he didn’t.
“Congratulations, sis,” Trevor said.
“Have you actually met my family?” she asked.
Jake shook his head.  “Not in person.  Which brother is this?”
“I’m Trevor.  I’ll be eighteen in March.  I’m almost a man.”
“Good for you,” Jake replied as he shook his hand.
“Boy, we didn’t think she was ever going to find someone to marry.  You sure did her a tremendous favor.”
“He’s right,” another brother said, laughing.  “I’m Jeremiah and this is my wife, Gloria.  She’s the light of my life and almost nine months pregnant.  And over there, the boy and girl dancing like crazy on the floor, are Luke and Patty the ten year old twins.  We’re all tickled pink to have you join the family.  We hope you’ll be coming out to our place for Christmas.  We begin celebrating on December 24 and don’t stop until New Year’s.”
“Oh good, here come Mother and Father,” Sue said.  “Despite your help, I was able to take care of the lace,” she told her mother.
“Lace is so pretty.” Her mother shook her head.  “You were always such a tomboy.” She turned to Jake.  “It’s a good thing you chose blue and white for the wedding colors or else she would have taken down everything pink.  When she gets started on something, there’s no stopping her.”
“She means well,” her father interrupted.  “Her heart is in the right place.  Being the oldest child, we gave her boy chores on the farm.  I reckon that had something to do with her dislike of overtly feminine things.  Though she is true woman deep in her heart where it counts.”
“I’m not applying for a job.  Do we really need to have this conversation?” Sue didn’t hide her agitation.
“Uh oh.  We’d better scurry.  She’s gonna blow,” Jeremiah half-joked.
They quickly dispersed.
“Thank goodness I’m not the only one who gets you riled up,” Jake commented.
“They mean well, I suppose.  They would do anything for me.  When I was at the courting age, they tried to find someone for me but none of the young men wanted a girl who knew more about taking care of horses and cattle than cooking and sewing.”
“So you’re a terrible cook?”
“I’m decent at it.  I can get by in the kitchen but it’s not my favorite place.  I’d rather be reading a good book.”
“That’s why you’re a librarian?”
She nodded.
“I have a maid who cooks so you don’t have to worry about that, and I do have my own library that you may check out.”
Her eyebrows rose in interest.  “What kind of books do you read?”
“I have some biography, history, and science books but my enjoyment comes mostly from the classics.”
“Greek literature?”
“And Shakespeare. Along with others.”
“So when I referred to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s book, you understood what I was telling Jennifer?” 
“That was clever,” he admitted.
She smiled.  “I didn’t think anyone but Trevor would get it.  He’s as involved with books as I am.”
“It looks like the guests are done congratulating us.  Would you like to sit at the center of the table at the front of the room?”
“Alright.”
During the course of their lunch, Jake was pleased that the guests were well entertained and seemed to enjoy themselves.  So far, everything was going along perfectly.
Mr. Barnett walked over to him and shook his hand.  “You pulled off the first half of the agreement,” he said.  “Now it’s just a matter of waiting it out for six months.  Remember, I’ll be by at some point during the six months unannounced.  I’ll only intrude on your life for one week.  Then at six months, I’ll give you the rest of the money.  Here is a copy of the amount due to you today.  I know you consider marriage to be a pain, but she isn’t that bad and she certainly is beautiful.  Perhaps, you’ll find her to be good company.”
“I’m not holding my breath but thanks for the warm wishes.”
Mr. Barnett said his congratulations to Sue and left.
Jake turned to her.  “It’s official.  Here’s the amount of money you’ll find in your bank account on Monday.” He handed her the piece of paper.
“I’ve never seen so much money at one time,” she whispered.  “Is it normal to feel some fear at the responsibility when considering how to manage it?”
“If you’re not used to it, it can be distressing.”
“Whoo hoo!” Trevor yelled as he took a look at the paper.  “You’re loaded, sis.”
“Can you quiet it down a notch?” she snapped as she shoved it into her shoe.
Fortunately with the orchestra playing and people talking, very few people noticed his statement.
“There goes my big sister, barking out orders as soon as she can,” he said.  “We love you, sis, but you are a real pill sometimes.  So we got poor Mr. Mitchell here a ‘how-to-manual’ on you.  Here it is.  William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew.”
She gasped as he handed Jake the book.
“It gives you a process that’s guaranteed to work,” Jeremiah called from further down the table.
By this time, everyone stopped what they were doing and the orchestra stopped playing to see why her family was laughing so hard.
“Do you think William knew she would come along?” Trevor asked Jeremiah.
Her cheeks grew red and her eyes narrowed as she watched Trevor give Jake some more advice.
“I took the time to mark the pages I think you’ll find extremely helpful.  Like this stuff right here.  That’s typical Sue behavior.  She seems like she’s rough but she’s really not,” Trevor said.
Jake knew she was embarrassed but he had trouble not laughing with the rest of her family.
“Oh sis, we only joke with you because we love you.” He lightly punched her in the arm.  “There’s no need to act all shy.  We know you can’t help but voice your opinion.”
“We also got you something for headaches when she’s keeping you up all night with her insistent nagging on how to do it right,” Jeremiah called out as he threw a bottle of pain medicine Jake’s way.
Jake caught it before it landed in the wedding cake.
She stood up.  “I’ve taken all I can from you two.”
Jake couldn’t tell if she was upset or not.  She actually seemed to enjoy their ribbing.
“You need to behave.  We are here to make a good impression,” she whispered.  “People are watching.”
It was true, and Jake was beginning to feel self-conscious.
“You can tease me over Christmas,” she continued in a soft tone.
“Nobody move!  I just lost my mouse!” ten year old Luke screamed.  “Wait.  There it is.”
He hopped up on the table and raced after it.  The women shrieked as the mouse scurried across the food.
“Luke!  How could you bring that thing here?” Sue snapped.  She lunged for it.  Just as she caught it, Luke ran into her and knocked her into the cake.
“Now my sister is sweet!” Jeremiah cheered.  “Better grab her while she’s good to go.”
Trevor and Jeremiah pulled her out of the cake while Jake backed away so his suit wouldn’t get ruined.
She threw some of the cake at them which landed on some of her other family members.
Luke grabbed the mouse from her hand and jumped off the table.  “I told him not to get out of his cage.” He quickly put him back in the small wire cage he brought with him to the wedding.
Jake cringed at the realization that the mouse had been there the whole time.  His perfect wedding was quickly turning into a perfect disaster.
“Luke, I told you not to bring that thing,” her father admonished.  “You’re going to do extra chores tonight for disobeying me.”
“Because of you and Trevor, my dress is ruined,” Gloria cried.  “Take this, you dolts!” She poured champagne on their heads.
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Trevor grinned mischievously at Jeremiah.
They picked her up and counted to when they would throw her at the cake.
“Oh no you don’t,” Sue interfered as she stood between them and the cake.  “This has to stop!  We are at a wedding, not a food fight.  Put her down right now.”
“I knew the sweetness from the cake couldn’t tame her,” Trevor grumbled as they obeyed her.
“We’ll just have to hope the book does the trick,” Jeremiah agreed.  
“Sorry everyone,” Trevor apologized to the people in the room.  “We don’t mean any harm.  And thank you for watching our production of ‘A Wedding Folly.’”
To Jake’s surprise, people applauded and commented that it was an entertaining show.  Justin came up to him and patted him on the back.  “What a great idea!  Weddings are usually boring but this was a treat.  Everyone’s going to be talking about this one for a long time.”
Suddenly, Jake felt much better, but it occurred to him that he wasn’t included in her family’s good-natured fight and it bothered him.

Chapter Six

After Sue cleaned up from the wedding mishap, she arrived at her new residence and marveled that Jake had such immaculate but beautiful taste.  No wonder he got away from me and my family as soon as that mouse ran across the table.  He doesn’t like to get dirty.  He had wanted to stick around and go home with her so he could give her a personal tour of the place, but he was called to business at the last minute to discuss plans to buy the building that would house the future bank.  So Henry took her and her things from the apartment to the house.  She only had two worn suitcases that summed up her entire life.  Her apartment had been furnished.  It felt strange to know she was making such a drastic change in her economic status.  She climbed out of the buggy, acutely aware that her old clothes were sorely out of place there.
Henry carried her suitcases to the front door for her.
“Am I supposed to pay you?” She searched for any money she might find in her purse.
“No, Mrs. Mitchell.  Your husband has taken care of that already.  He pays me well in advance for all of my services.”
“Oh.” He really is a generous man then.
He rang the front doorbell for her.  “I know you are free to enter on your own, but Ralph and Lydia Border wanted to be at the door to welcome you.  Ralph and Lydia are expecting their first child.  Jake gave them two bedrooms which are downstairs and a decent salary for their services.  Ralph is the butler and Lydia is the maid.  They’re as friendly as can be and are eager to meet you.”
“How many bedrooms are here anyway?”
“Six.”
“What does a bachelor need with so many bedrooms?  Does he entertain?”
“He never entertains.  He hates dinner parties and any other social gatherings.  He makes himself go to the dance on Fridays so he can do business there and avoid the need for going to the other social functions in town.  He likes to stick mainly to himself, but I think he gets lonely sometimes.  He has a big house and a big heart but there’s no one special to share it with.”
The door opened and a couple in their late twenties smiled at her.
“We’re so happy to meet you!” Lydia declared.  She hugged her as much as she could with her expanding belly.
“You’re ready to deliver at any moment, aren’t you?” Sue laughed.
“The baby is a week late,” Ralph confided.  “We’re anxious to see the little one.”
“How exciting!  I can’t wait to see him or her either.  I love babies.  I got a lot of practice helping out with my younger siblings.”
Ralph brought in her bags.
“Maybe you can help a nervous mother then?” Lydia asked.
“I would be honored to do what I can to help.”
“I knew I was going to love you as soon as Mr. Mitchell told me he was marrying you.  I go to the library on occasion and hear about how nice you are.  Now I know those aren’t just rumors.”
“I don’t think everyone would agree with you.  There are some people who run when they see me coming.” She thought of Mr. Wilkins who had turned the other way when he saw her walking in his direction at the wedding.
Lydia changed topics.  “Mr. Mitchell has prepared your bedroom for you.  Will you follow us?”
Sue sighed as she recalled her irritation over the lace in her dress.  It didn’t take long for him to start dictating her life for her, did it?  They led her up the oak staircase and into a room with peach walls, lacy curtains and a flowery bedspread.  The plush white carpet was the only bearable thing about the room.  Her eyes narrowed when she saw the many frilly dresses decorated in sequins, bows, and flowers.
“He makes me so mad!” she hissed.  “I don’t hold any of this against you since you were following instructions, but all of this makes me want to throw up.  I want another room.  This time, I’ll select it.”
They looked bewildered as she stomped to the next bedroom and opened the door.
“Ma’am, we’re sorry.  The room was originally yellow and white with a plain yellow bedspread.  As for the clothes, I gave him advice on what to make,” Lydia said.
“He didn’t bother to ask me what I wanted.  That’s my problem,” Sue assured her.  “I hold none of this against you.  You are wonderful people.”
She looked around the light blue walls and beige carpet.  The bedspread was a medium blue with a matching pillow.  She went down the hall to another bedroom and saw that its colors were green and white.  The last room was his bedroom.  It was the best one, in her opinion.  In strong contrast to the other rooms, this room was striking in its dark colors.  The walls appeared to be made of wood.  The dark blue curtains were drawn, but on the oak desk in the corner was a golden lamp on it with a beige shade which created a warm ambience to the room.  The large bed had an oak headboard and footboard.  The dark green, navy, and white pattern of the bedspread matched the pillow cases.  On his oak night stand was a copy of The Iliad by Homer.  On his oak dresser, he had a small golden globe, a golden clock and a picture of his mother in a gold frame.  She walked across the soft dark green carpet and opened the oak closet door, marveling at the large walk in closet filled with countless suits and shoes.
“I want this room.  Throw his things out,” she said.
Lydia looked flustered and Ralph was ready to panic.
“Oh, I don’t actually expect you to do that.  I suppose it’s only right he gets the best bedroom in the house.” She went back to the blue bedroom.  “I’ll take this one.  And can I have a bookcase?  I want to start a book collection.” It was comfortable enough.  She would have preferred his setup but realized six months was hardly worth the money or effort to fancy her room up the same way.  Compared to his room, hers was cold and barren.
“But I refuse to wear these clothes,” she said.  She dragged out the hideous clothes he selected for her and threw them down the stairs.  “I will wear my peasant clothes until I get a seamstress to make clothes I prefer.”
Before she could give further instructions to the overwhelmed couple, Jake walked into the house.  “What are you doing?  Those are perfectly good clothes,” he yelled at her.
“They are not the kind of clothes I want,” she snapped.
Ralph and Lydia ran down the steps so they could quickly collect the clothes.
“And I hate the bedroom you picked out for me,” she added as she finished throwing the last two dresses over the rail.  “I don’t like peach or pink or flowery stuff.  I prefer solid colors like green and blue.  But what would you know about any of that?  You never bothered to ask what I wanted.  You compared me to a bunch of women and decided I would like the same things they do.  And while you’re at it, return this awful ring!” She took the wedding ring off of her finger and threw it at him.  “I can hardly lift my finger with a rock that big.  I am not someone you can put into a box, Mr. Mitchell.”
“You’re amazing, you know that!” he screamed back.  “You show absolutely no gratitude.  I just handed you a lot of money today and you complain about colors, clothes and diamonds that are too big.  Don’t you realize what you can buy with the amount of money you hold in your purse?”
“Great.  So get me a seamstress and I’ll pay her the appropriate fees.”
“We’ll get right on it, sir,” Lydia told him as she and Ralph left with the bundle of clothes in their arms.
“I want your room,” she decided.
“What?”
“You got it.  I like your room.  Make the blue one like your room, except you can leave the blue walls because blue is my favorite color.”
“What a relief I picked that for the wedding then!”
She stomped down the steps.
He shuddered.
“What is your problem?” she demanded, her hands on her hips.
“I can’t believe you’re soiling my nice home in that horribly worn out dress.”
“Well, until I get a seamstress, I’m wearing my peasant clothes.  And I’ll even leave the house in broad daylight and wave to everyone I see.”
“You wouldn’t!”
“Try me,” she snapped.  “You will not control me.  I have as much right to my likes as you do.” She walked down the rest of the steps.  “Now what else is in this house?” She saw a door to her left and went to it.
“That’s my sanctuary.  You can’t go in there,” he argued as she opened the door.
“Why do you have all the good rooms?”
He followed her in, his face red with anger.  “You’re out of your mind.”
She inspected the fireplace, the chairs, the artifacts he had in careful display on the walls and on shelves, the bookcase filled with volumes of books, his desk, and the animals on the walls.  “You really amaze me, you know that.  You obviously have impressive taste yet you don’t display it in anything that is not uniquely yours.”
“You’re not coming into my home to change anything.  This is my house.  The only room you’re allowed to change is your bedroom and that’s it.  You’re so afraid I’m going to control you because I was trying to be nice and fix things up the way a typical woman likes it.”
“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not a typical woman.” She faced him and crossed her arms, knowing her high neckline made it perfectly acceptable to do so.  “I am a spinster.  I grew up doing boy chores on a farm.  I know more about books and horses than I do about flowers and other dainty things.  And just so you know, I will not go to a single luncheon or dinner party, and I refuse to do any entertaining at this house.  So don’t expect me to follow in suit with what other wives are happy to do.  I like my privacy and won’t compromise it for anyone or any amount of money.  And you can tell your Mr. Barnett that I didn’t sign up for those things so I am well within my legal rights.”
“Well, that’s great news because I hate those things too!  I don’t want you bringing people over here or dragging me off to boring social events.  The dance is all I can stomach.”
“So it seems we are in agreement.”
“I guess we are!”
“There is one thing I would change about this room.”
“Here it comes.  I won’t get it.”
She ignored him.  “You need a black bearskin rug in front of the fireplace.  Then this room will be complete!”
“That’s actually a good idea!”
“I am full of good ideas.”
“So you mean it.  No dragging me to social functions or bringing people here?”
“When I get home from work, I like to read a book.  I get enough of people all day and I need time to myself.”
“And you won’t feminize my house?”
“That’s not even a word.”
“You know what I mean.”
“No, I’m not going to decorate your precious house with feminine objects.  Weren’t you listening when I told you I don’t like all that stuff?”
“So why are we fighting?” he yelled.
She paused as she processed everything they just agreed on.  What were they arguing about?  “I don’t know, but I’m sure there was a good reason,” she said in a calmer voice.
He laughed.  “And to think I was so scared of marriage.  You’re actually going to be easy to live with.”
She relaxed and chuckled.  “My friend Belinda lets her husband control everything she does and says.  I was afraid you’d try that with me.”
He walked over to his desk and sat in the chair behind it.  “I know husbands who are controlled by their wives.  It’s not pretty.” He took out some paper he had neatly folded into his breast pocket and set them on the desk.  “It’s official.  I own a building which will become Mitchell Bank in a matter of weeks.”
“That’s wonderful!”
He smiled.  “I already asked Justin Monroe to be the vice president.  He and I will turn in our resignation letters to Conrad Leroy right after New Year’s Day.”
“You would be surprised how many people in this town are afraid of what will happen when Conrad retires.  George doesn’t have a very good reputation with the women I’ve talked to.  He keeps a mistress in another town, and women don’t like the thought of their own husbands being unfaithful.”
“Is that why you said you could hurt his reputation in this town?”
“Women are as upset about infidelity as they are about children being forced out of their homes because of foreclosure.”
“You should be a businesswoman.  You understand your clients very well.”
“Oh, I wasn’t trying to manipulate anyone.  I just knew that many of the wives would want their husbands to pull out of the bank if they were aware of what was going on.  Hmm...I can see your point.  I suppose a lot of women do have control over their husbands.”
“I would call it influence instead of control in this situation.  The women aren’t allowed to close out their husbands’ accounts.  There is a great deal of apprehension from the male side about what type of leader George will make.  What happened with you only confirmed those fears.  The wives voicing that same fear is the support those men needed to approach me about opening my own bank.”
“I hadn’t thought of it from that angle.”
As he turned his attention to filling out the paperwork, she walked over to the bookcase and examined the books.  She was impressed with the excellent condition the books were in.  The library received books in such good shape but after people read them, they lost their integrity.  She longed to take a book out but wondered if he would allow it.
“Go ahead,” he softly said.
Startled, she looked at him.  She hadn’t meant to be so obvious.  “I don’t know.  You keep everything in such good condition.  I’m almost afraid to touch anything in this room.”
“I know you’ll be careful with my things.”
She nodded and pulled the book off the shelf.  “I didn’t know you liked Jane Austen.”
“Why not?”
She shrugged.  “She’s a woman author.”
“I’m broad minded enough to think women have a lot to offer society.  I enjoy her work.”
“This is one of my favorite books.  Sense and Sensibility.  The story of two sisters who represent two opposing forces: logic and emotion.”
He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.  He seemed to be considering her analysis of the book.  “I didn’t think anyone else in Virginia understood that.”
“Sometimes I like to seek out a deeper meaning to a story.  But at other times, a story is just a story.” She picked out Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain.
“The Adventures of Tom Sawyer has its elements in it but I prefer Jane Austen’s work to Mark Twain’s.”
“Don’t let my brother Luke hear you say that.”
“Which one is he?”
“The one with the mouse that escaped at the reception.”
He cringed.  “I don’t know how your family managed to pull that escapade off but you did an excellent job.  People kept coming up to me and told me how impressed they were with my originality.  I told them I had nothing to do with it.  I do give credit where credit is due.”
“Trevor’s head is always in a book, so he was able to save the day.  That was definitely not planned.”
“For what it’s worth, you made a most beautiful bride.  I don’t know why you insist on wearing those buns.  You turn many heads when you wear your hair down.”
“Oh.” She blushed at his compliment.  “I figured I had no one to impress so I started pulling my hair up and then it became a habit.  You really like the way I look when it’s down?”
“I do,” he softly admitted.  “But don’t wear it down because I said that.  I don’t want to be accused of controlling you.”
She chuckled.  “Now that I know you aren’t trying to run my life, I can actually enjoy your company.” She put The Adventures of Tom Sawyer back on the shelf.  “Can I read this?” She showed him Sense and Sensibility.
“You have an open invitation to any book in this room.”
“I’ll probably read all of them.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“No.  I suppose not.” She studied the book for a moment.  “The irony with me is that I actually like logical Elinor more than emotional Marianne.  Isn’t that odd?  I know I’m nothing like Elinor.”
“Sometimes we like that which we lack.  I always preferred Marianne myself.  She had a lot of passion.  She never did things just because society dictated something to be done a certain way.”
“That surprises me because you are ruled by logic.  Your world is very orderly.”
“Opposites attract.”
“Then I guess we better watch out.  We just might become good friends in the next six months.” She took the book to the chair by the fireplace.  “Do you mind if I read here?  It’s more comfortable than my bedroom.”
He sighed.  “I’ll see what I can do about getting someone to decorate your room the way you want it.  We’ll also get you clothes and a ring that you like.  As for this room, since you appreciate it as much as I do, you may come in here anytime you wish.”
“Thank you, Jake.  That’s very kind of you.”
He grinned before turning back to his paperwork.
She sat down and opened the book.  Apparently, Jake wasn’t so intimidating after all.

***

To Sue’s surprise, Mrs. Parker and her team of seamstresses had a hunter green skirt, a plain white long sleeved shirt, and a hunter green hat ready for her that evening so she could wear that outfit the next day.  “I’ll have two more outfits ready tomorrow, and the rest of your wardrobe will be ready on Tuesday,” she told Sue when she dropped the clothes off.
“Thank you, Mrs. Parker,” Sue replied.  “I am sorry for the way I talked to you at the wedding this morning.  I was upset because I assumed Jake was trying to mandate what type of clothing I wear.  I have been a spinster for so long that I have become set in my ways.”
Mrs. Parker’s face relaxed and she smiled.  “I appreciate the apology.  Now that I know what you like, it will be easier to design your clothes.  Are you sure you want three pairs of slacks, three plaid shirts and two working boots?”
“Sometimes I help my family at their farm.  It’s not easy to do those chores in a skirt or a dress.”
She nodded.  “I see your point.  Very well.”
“Do I need to pay you?”
“No.  Mr. Mitchell already took care of that.”
Apparently, Jake moved fast, Sue noted.  She was happy with her new clothes.  They would be perfect for the play at the library the next evening.  In fact, she was so excited about the skirt and shirt, she had trouble sleeping in the large comfortable bed.  She was used to sleeping on a thin, small mattress, so she felt like she was floating on a cloud on her new bed.  She finally fell asleep in the early morning hours and woke up in time for church.  After she got dressed, she was ready to pull her hair back into a bun when she caught sight of her reflection with her hair down.  She decided to keep it down that day.  Her soft golden curls framed her face, making her appear softer and younger.  She had forgotten what if felt like to actually appear feminine.
Turning from the mirror over the dresser, she slipped on her black shoes and went to the kitchen where Lydia was cooking breakfast.
“Do you need any help?” Sue asked.
“No.  I manage fine in the kitchen by myself.  Ralph and Mr. Mitchell are easy to please.”
“I promise I will be too.  I hope I didn’t scare you yesterday.”
She grinned.  “Ralph and I thought it was funny once our shock wore off.  We never saw Mr. Mitchell look like he didn’t have control over a situation before.  You’ll probably be good for him.  He needs to enjoy life more.  He’s so serious all the time.”
“A couple of days around my family will most likely change all that.  They live their lives based on how much fun they can have, though they have their serious moments.”
“We heard about the fiasco at the wedding.  Did your family plan that?”
“No.  It just happened.  I’m relieved Trevor said it was an act.  I think it would have been a disaster if he hadn’t.”
“Yes, you and your family will be good for Mr. Mitchell.”
Sue watched as Lydia poured the pancake batter into the skillet.  “I have a play to direct tonight at the auditorium, so I will have dinner with Mrs. Walker.  Since Mrs. Walker owns the library, she likes to thank me for putting on a play for the parents to enjoy.”
“I heard about those annual Christmas plays.  The parents do like to see their children having fun on stage.”
“What’s wonderful about children is that even when they mess up their lines, they’re still cute.  So it’s hard to destroy a play that they are in.  Anyway, for the past five years, my brother Trevor has been writing the Christmas plays.  Usually, he comes into town to watch them but he won’t be able to attend tonight.  He has to help make up for the chores he didn’t get to do yesterday.”
“What is this play about?”
“It’s called The Path to Christmas, and it’s about six children who are traveling through a forest.  As long as they stay on the path, they will reach their destination, but if they let one of the Temptations lure them off the path, then they will miss out on the true meaning of Christmas.  The path leads to the manger where Jesus was born.”
“How lovely.  I would like to see it.  What time is it?”
“Five.  It only lasts for thirty minutes but we’ll have refreshments afterwards, so usually it is a full hour event.”
“I’m going to push dinner back then.  I don’t want to miss it.”
“Trevor’s thrilled whenever people tell him they enjoy his plays.  Personally, I think this is his best one.”
Lydia flipped the pancakes over.  “Breakfast is almost ready.  Mr. Mitchell likes to eat in the dining room.  Will you be joining him?”
“I suppose I should.” It felt strange to eat with someone.  She was used to eating her bland foods by herself.  “If you need any help, please let me know.”
“I will.”
Sue left the kitchen and walked into the dining room where Jake sat, dressed in one of his immaculate dark suits, reading the newspaper.  “You’re a very odd person,” she commented.
He looked up from the paper.  “Excuse me?”
“You never entertain guests, yet you have an oak table that seats twenty people.  Why didn’t you just purchase a small table?”
He grinned.  “I like the impression it gives.”
“You want to make people think you entertain guests?”
“It’s nice to have the option though I don’t wish to exercise it.”
She shook her head and sat by him.  He sat at the head of the table.  When she noticed that he hadn’t returned to his paper, she asked, “Should I sit somewhere else?”
“No.  It’s just nice to look at you.”
She blushed.
He cleared his throat and picked up the paper.  “Our wedding made the paper.  Usually, these announcements are boring but I have to admit that Justin was right when he said ‘The Wedding Folly’ was a memorable event.”
“I must warn you that my family acts like that on a regular basis.”
“So I’ll get to see more of this for a week?”
She blinked.  “You’re planning to go to the farm for Christmas?”
“Of course.  I believe Jeremiah gave me a personal invitation.”
“But they aren’t your kind of people.”
“They’re my family now.  Besides, it’s not all pleasure.  I’m going to teach your family how to adequately manage money.  Tomorrow they will be debt free.  I don’t wish to see them get back into trouble.”
“That makes sense.” She couldn’t imagine him going out to the farm to enjoy himself.  She chuckled.
“What’s so funny?”
“You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.  They’ll listen to you give your lesson on money, but I think Lydia is right.  They’re going to give you a lesson in how to have fun.”
“I have fun.”
“That’s hard to imagine.”
He set his paper down and folded his arms on the table.  “You don’t strike me as someone who has fun either.”
“I have lots of fun.”
“And so do I.  We just define fun differently, that’s all.”
“Perhaps.”
Lydia came in with two plates full of pancakes, ham and sausage.  She set down two glasses of apple juice and two glasses of water by the plates.  She set out a jar of honey and a jar of strawberry jam.  “Would you care for anything else?”
“You expect me to eat all of this in one sitting?” Sue asked.  Her breakfast usually consisted of a bowl of oatmeal.
“Mr. Mitchell eats all of it.  I am not sure how much you’ll eat until I see what you do.  I’ll adjust the portions as I notice a pattern.”
“Are you going to church?” Sue asked as Lydia left the room.  She took a bite of the ham.  Lydia was a much better cook than she was.
“Yes.  Aren’t you?” He poured honey on his pancakes.
She nodded.  “I did go to the church on Jefferson Street, but I suppose since we are married, I will go with you.  Which church do you attend?”
“The one on Washington Avenue.”
“Is the preacher there good?”
“I wouldn’t go if he wasn’t.  He sticks to the Bible.”
She liked to hear that.
They spent most of the meal in silence.
When Lydia came in to announce Henry’s arrival, she added, “And I look forward to the play tonight,” before she cleared the table.
“What play?” Jake asked.
“Oh, it’s nothing major.  Every year the library puts on a play that the children act in.  Trevor wrote this one.”
“I didn’t know you liked plays.”
“I love them.  When I read Shakespeare, I pretend I’m in the theater watching the actors on stage.  I know the children’s play doesn’t compare to an actual theater, but it’s as close as I’ll ever get to seeing an on stage production.  I do have fun directing the play.” She stood up.  “Where is my coat?”
He led her to the front door where Ralph was waiting with their coats, hats and gloves.
She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her long black coat.  At least she wouldn’t have to ask Mrs. Parker and her team to make another one.  Ralph helped her with her coat.  As she put on her hat and gloves, she noticed that Jake’s coat was similar to hers, though with a masculine trim.  “Are we supposed to match?”
“I figured we should look good together when we go out.”
“I know.  People are watching.” She marveled that he could be so concerned about what others thought of him.  His whole world was about impressing people he didn’t care much for.  And he was afraid a wife would control him when strangers already control most of what he does.

Chapter Seven

Out of curiosity, Jake decided to attend the Christmas play at the auditorium later that day.  He was surprised by how many people went to the event.  Mrs. Walker was at the table collecting donations.  “You don’t have to give if you don’t want to,” she told each person who walked through the door.
“Where do your donations go?” one man asked.
“To fixing the library, costumes and other supplies for future plays and additional books,” she warmly replied.  “My goal is to provide a fun place for adults and children to enjoy the thrill of reading.”
“I can handle that.”
“Oh, you can just slip the money into this box.  I don’t want to know who gives what.  I’m just pleased people offer so much.  This donation takes care of the entire year most of the time.”
“Well, I can’t wait to see Trevor’s play this year,” another man commented.  “My son is one of the lead characters.”
“Really?  My little Annabelle is one of the Temptations.  I believe she’s named Lazy Time.”
Jake watched the scene in amusement.  He saw people from all economic levels enter the auditorium.  Some were dressed nicely and others were dressed poorly, but all of them were in good spirits and expected to enjoy seeing their children, grandchildren or nieces or nephews who were involved in the production.
As he placed his donation in the box, Mrs. Walker stopped him.  “Will you be joining me and my husband for dinner after the show?”
“No.  I have other plans.”
“Oh.  I thought since your wife was coming over that you would too.”
He frowned.  Sue didn’t tell him that she was going to Mrs. Walker’s house.
“It’s a tradition we have.  To thank her for all her work in putting the play together, I have her over for dinner.  We only do it once a year,” she continued.  “I suppose I should be honored she comes by that often because she already declined several invitations to luncheons and dinners.  She’s very selective about who she chooses to spend her time with.”
“She told me she looks forward to her quiet time at home.”
“Yes.  She always has her nose in a book when she’s not entertaining the children at the library.”
“Is that what her job is?” He hadn’t thought to ask anything about it before.
“It’s one of her jobs.  She also updates the card catalogue, puts books back on the shelves and orders new books.  Sometimes someone will come in looking for a certain book but they can’t remember the name of it, and as soon as they start describing it, she can name the title.  I don’t know how she does it.  It’s her gift I guess.  She has an excellent memory.”
“Apparently, she is well liked.” He was pleased by the observation.  She was a completely different person from the one who stormed her way into his office at the bank.
Mrs. Walker chuckled.  “She isn’t boring, that’s for sure.  If she doesn’t like someone, she let’s them know it.  But she is loyal to the death for her friends.”
“And her family too.” Why else would she confine herself to a marriage she didn’t want?
“Yes, them too.  I hate to end this conversation, but I do need to get back to the table.  Mrs. Edwards will give you a copy of the program.  If this play is as good as the show at your wedding, we’re in for a treat.  I haven’t read the script but I know Trevor does a good job.”
He thanked her and entered the auditorium.
“Jake, I didn’t know you were coming,” Justin said as he walked over to him.
“You come to these things?” Jake asked, surprised.
“Of course.  My two sons are in the play.  Why don’t you sit with us?”
He shrugged.  “Alright.” He usually sat alone at the theater but decided to accept Justin’s offer since Justin wouldn’t bother him about dinner afterwards.  He was relieved that Sue meant it when she said she didn’t like to do that kind of socializing either.
After he sat down, he opened the program and read through the list of names of everyone involved in the production.  Then he read the synopsis of the play: “Six children leave home to find their way to the true meaning of Christmas.  The angel tells them not to stray from the path or they will get lost.  The Six Temptations are determined to make sure they don’t make it.” It sounded interesting enough.  He wondered what kind of writer Trevor was, and this would give him a good chance to find out.
“If you have children of your own, they can be in a play too,” Justin whispered.
“Will you stop?  I already told you that’s not going to happen.”
“Will you please leave the poor man alone?” Justin’s wife told Justin.  “He and Sue know what they’re doing.”
“Yes, I suppose you’re right.”
Jake silently thanked her.
The lights dimmed and the play started.  Jake noted the children created the scenery and some of the costumes were poorly sewn together, but the audience didn’t care.  He had to admit that the play was entertaining, despite the fact that the children had trouble remembering some of their lines.
A seven year old girl wearing a pink dress was talking to the third temptation named Lazy Time.  That must be Annabelle.
Annabelle, who was fourteen, spoke her lines:

“Tell me this, little Claire,
Who did tell you to beware
The joy of sleep where dreams await?
Come with me now, for the hour is late.”

The girl playing Claire said:

“I do confess my eyes are falling,
And...And...”

From the side of the stage, someone whispered to her.  She turned to the person.  “What?” she loudly whispered.
The people in the audience chuckled.
“She’s so cute,” a woman told the person next to her.
Claire nodded and continued:

“I do confess my eyes are falling,
And I hear the Sandman calling.
With you, Lazy Time, I will go,
Show me the way to your pillow.”

At another point in the play, another angel appeared before the three children left on the path.  “That’s my son, Ryan,” Justin told Jake.
Ryan, dressed in white with wings and a halo, said: 
“Behold three are lost who started this way,
Who now has the wisdom to stay?”

The three children remaining made their reply though one boy was out of sync with the other two children:

“We will stay on the path that was set,
We promise that we shall not forget.
Though temptation comes our way
We do possess the wisdom to stay.”

“Wasn’t he adorable?” Justin’s wife asked her husband.
He smiled, obviously proud of his son.  “He worked so hard on those two lines.”
Jake marveled that despite the mistakes the children made, the audience thought those errors were endearing.
Finally, there was one boy left.  Jake recognized Mr. Walker’s twelve year old son.
The Sixth Temptation called Doubt, a ten year old girl, called out to him:

“Jesse, I hear your footsteps on the leaves
What brings you here this Christmas eve?”

Mr. Walker’s son replied:

“I come seeking the meaning that eludes me,
I wish to know the answer behind the mystery.”

Doubt shook her head sadly and said:

“Such an answer you will not find,
The angel you spoke to was most unkind;
He promised something that isn’t true,
Come with me and I’ll comfort you.”

The boy replied:

“Though you cast doubts on my heart
I will finish the path that I did start;
Go your way for I will not turn aside,
Though there is now no one by my side.”

She gracefully left him, and he finished the path to find a baby in a manger with Mary and Joseph and shepherds.  Jake recognized Justin’s other son who played Joseph.

The angel who instructed the six children to start the path, showed up again and said:

“Now find the answer that you sought,
Your journey hasn’t been for naught;
Behold the child when he is thirty three
Will go to the cross at Calvary;
And on the cross He will die to rise again,
Lord and King, He will cleanse all sin.
At Christmas we celebrate His birth,
Praise Him all you that breathe on the Earth.”

When the production ended, Mrs. Walker walked onto the stage and thanked everyone for attending.  “I must say, Trevor Lewis outdid himself this year,” she said.  “Of course, the children make the play come alive.  I would like to thank our director, Mrs. Mitchell.”
Sue looked shy but appeared on stage and smiled.
“Is that Sue Lewis?” a man asked from behind Jake.
“Yes,” another man answered him.
“If I knew she looked that good, I would have married her.”
“She’s only going to be with Jake Mitchell for six months.  Their marriage is strictly business and platonic.”
“Hmm...Maybe I should stop by the library and pick up a book sometime.”
Jake turned around.  “You enjoyed the play that much?” He smiled despite his irritation.
The man’s eyes widened.  “I’m sorry, Mr. Mitchell.  I didn’t know you would be here.”
“Why not?  She is my wife.” He emphasized the words ‘my wife.’
The man nodded.  “I understand.”
Jake nodded in return and turned back to the stage where Sue was announcing all the children and their roles in the production of the play.
Justin snickered next to him.  “You won’t last six months before you admit you want to keep her.”
“Nonsense,” he snapped.  It shouldn’t have bothered him that available, good looking, young bachelors were beginning to take note of her.  It meant that he made a good choice.  Why couldn’t he be happy with that?

***

The next afternoon after Jake came home from work, there were five dozen flowers sent from different bachelors congratulating Sue on her part in the play.  What are single men doing going to these events?  It was clearly a family-oriented production.
“Has Sue seen these?” he asked Lydia.
“No, sir.  She’s been at work all day,” she replied, her eyes wide.  “Who knew she would become so popular after marrying you?”
“Indeed.  Who knew?” He scowled at the flowers.  “Throw them out.  This is my house and she is still my wife.  Those men have no right to try to court her.  They should at least have the decency to wait until May 21.”
“Right away, sir.”
“Wait!” He took the cards.  “I want to know who I need to watch out for.  And I don’t want Sue to know about this,” he growled before he headed for the den.  He sourly sat at his desk and sorted through the cards.
Dear Sue, I saw the performance last night.  You did a wonderful job as director, and Trevor’s writing continues to improve.  I have some important news to discuss.  I will be by to see you soon.  Donald Cline.
For Sue, The performance last night was wonderful.  I would love to hear how your brother came up with the idea.  Ben York.  That was old man York’s grandnephew who was thirty-two.
My Darling Miss Lewis, You are more beautiful than any other woman in town.  I will stop by the library to congratulate you on directing such a delightful play.  I will by tomorrow at noon.  Larry Martin.  Jake decided he would have to tackle Mr. Martin first.
Dear Sue, After your annulment, you shouldn’t have to go back to being a spinster.  I would be much obliged to relieve you of that fate.  Your admirer, Tim Blacksmith.
To my sweet Sue, Age is just a number.  Consider my courtship after your annulment.  Wilbur Vance.  Jake knew Wilbur was twenty-five.
He wrote each man’s name on a piece of paper before ripping up the cards and throwing them in his trash can.  It was December 22.  He had to go to the Lewis farm from December 24 to January 1.  He could probably wait until he got back to take care of Donald Cline, Ben York, Tim Blacksmith, and Wilbur Vance, but he needed to do something about Larry Martin the next day.  He considered what would best make Mr. Martin decide not pursue Sue.  He didn’t know the man well enough to make a reasonable judgment.
He stood up and went to see Ralph who was replacing a cabinet in the kitchen.
“Good day, sir,” Ralph warmly greeted.  “Is there something I can do for you?”
“Are you familiar with Larry Martin?” he asked.
Ralph stopped what he was doing and turned to him.  “I know his butler.  Larry is a good man.  He volunteers his weekends to help the orphans, owns a restaurant in town, cares for homeless animals and attends church every Sunday.”
Jake hid his disgust at the man’s impeccable character.  “Is there anything he doesn’t like in a woman?”
He chuckled.  “Was he one of the men who sent those flowers?”
He frowned.  “I don’t want Sue hearing about any of this.”
“Duly noted, sir.” He sighed as he considered Jake’s question.  “He is a mild mannered man who prides himself on being a peacemaker.  If a woman were to be brass, he might take offense to her.”
Jake smiled as an idea came to him.  “Do we still have those clothes that Sue didn’t want?”
“Yes.  They are in the baby’s room.  Mrs. Parker won’t pick them up for another two days.”
“Good.  Get me the pinkest dress with as much lace, flowers, sequins, or bows on it as you can find.” He left a very stunned and curious butler and went back to the den to work on his plan.
Thirty minutes later, Ralph came in with the dress and set it on the desk.  “I hate to be rude but Lydia’s in labor.”
“Really?” Jake jumped up and followed Ralph to their bedroom where Lydia was packing her suitcase.
“My mother and the midwife will be coming by to pick us up.  Ralph and I will be at her place for two weeks.  Will you be alright without us?” she asked him.
“I’m a grown man.  I’ll figure things out,” he assured her.  “Are you in a lot of pain?”
“Not yet.  My contractions just started, and they’re far apart and mild.  I want to be sure I get to my mother’s so we can prepare for the birth.  I made some meals ahead of time for you and Sue.”
“Don’t push yourself too hard.”
“I won’t.”
Jake watched Ralph and Lydia leave as her mother came to the door.  As soon as they left, he noted that the house seemed empty.  He was actually relieved when Sue walked through the door.
“Lydia’s going to have the baby tonight or early tomorrow.” She smiled.  “What a great Christmas gift for them.  I got home just in time to congratulate them.”
“Speaking of which,” he began, “did anyone congratulate you today?”
She thought about it for a moment.  “Several people did.  They were very thoughtful.”
“Were any of them men?”
She took off her coat and hung it up.  “I think so.  I didn’t pay attention.”
He shook his head.  She wore a light green shirt with a long black skirt.  She took off her hat and he saw that her hair was pulled back with a black headband.  She looked attractive, and that was suddenly a problem.  How many men were out there trying to get her attention that he didn’t know about?
“Would you like me to cook dinner?” she asked.
“Lydia said she made some meals.”
“Wouldn’t you like to try something I made?”
Her effort to please him made him smile.  “Alright.  What are you going to make?”
“I’ll figure it out when I see what you have in the kitchen.  I’ll tell you when dinner is ready.”
He nodded and returned to the den where he inspected the dress.  It was gaudy.  It had so many sequins that he almost had to squint when he looked at it.  The lace on the edges of the sleeves were the perfect touch.  Lace would definitely get Sue mad since he had put it on her wedding dress and she specifically made a fuss about it.  He grinned.  He couldn’t wait to see Mr. Martin’s face when he stopped by at noon the next day.
He quickly put the dress away so she wouldn’t see it when she came into the room to read after dinner.  He was learning that she loved books more than just about anything else, and she had already become attached to sitting in the chair by the fireplace.
When she called him to dinner, he was surprised to see meatloaf and mashed potatoes.  He hadn’t eaten such a simple meal since he was a kid.
“It’s my fanciest dish,” she said as she sat in her seat.  “Hot chocolate is my favorite drink, and I’m actually good at making it.”
She did put a lot of effort into the meal.  “Thank you, Sue.”
She smiled widely.
Did she ever get complimented for anything?  She seemed so happy at the slightest good word someone spoke to her.  It must be because she got clowned for being a nag so much.  “You are actually nice company to have.  I’m sorry I called you a nag.”
She grinned.  “I’ve been called worse.  I know I can come on a little strong.  If you knew my family, you would understand.  My brothers make it impossible for me to be a demure woman.  If I didn’t stand up for myself, I’d get walked on all the time.”
“Did you get a new ring?”
“It’s right here.  Didn’t you notice it?”
He blinked at the small gold band with a single diamond in it.  It hardly looked impressive.
She sighed.  “If it makes you feel any better, I told people that you gave me a large diamond but I didn’t like it so I insisted on this ring instead.”
He appreciated the fact that she did that.  He almost hated what he was about to do to her the next day but reminded himself it was for her own good.  She didn’t need men pawing all over her before she got annulled from marriage.
He took a bite of the meatloaf and nearly gagged on it.  He quickly picked up the napkin and spit it out.  That’s the worst thing I ever tasted!
“Is it that bad?” She took a bite of her own and frowned.  “I added too many breadcrumbs and overcooked it.” She tasted the mashed potatoes and grimaced.  “Don’t eat the mashed potatoes.”
He glanced at the drink.  Was it safe?
As if she could hear his thoughts, she tasted her own.  “This is actually alright.” She took the plates, apologized and went back to the kitchen to get one of Lydia’s meals.
Despite her poor cooking skills, he chuckled to himself.  She was trying so hard, but there was no way he’d eat another one of her meals again.  It’s a good thing I can afford a maid.  He took a sip of the hot chocolate and shuddered.  She obviously wasn’t used to decent meals if she thought the drink was acceptable.  He dumped the drink into the plant that sat in the corner of the room.  He didn’t want to disappoint her anymore than he already had.

***

He took an early lunch from the bank so he could get to the library a little before noon.  He carried the dress in a brown paper bag so no one would know he was carrying it around.  He had to ask the woman at the front desk where Sue was, and the woman directed him to the children’s room.  He quietly entered the room and stood behind a bookshelf so he could watch Sue without her noticing him.  She still wore her hair down, except today she had it pulled back with two barrettes.  She wore a navy blue dress that showed off her hourglass figure.  It was a good thing he was here to stop Mr. Martin before he got started.
A group of about thirty children and their mothers sat in a semi-circle to listen to her.  He didn’t recognize eight of the women.  Mrs. Monroe, Mrs. Hawke, Mrs. Evans, Mrs. Edwards, and Mrs. Gregory were the women he recognized because of their husbands who did business with him.  He shook his head in amazement when he noticed Mrs. Parker sitting with three children.  Mrs. Parker had been furious with her at the wedding because Sue had made her take off the lace she had sewn on her wedding gown, and now Mrs. Parker looked very happy to be in Sue’s presence.  She certainly has a way with people, or at least the women.  He considered the fact that women enjoyed Sue because Sue entertained their children at the library.  The children were excited to listen to Sue as she told them a story about Jack and the Beanstalk.  A ten and eight year old boy were standing next to her while a three year old girl sat on the floor.
Sue was narrating the story while the children acted it out.  “Jack saw that the goose was laying golden eggs.”
The eight year old boy took a plastic yellow egg from the girl.
“What do you think Jack said?” she asked him.
“This is my goose!”
“You’re right,” she replied.  “So he took the goose, but the giant saw him running off with his goose.  What do you think the giant said?” She turned to the ten year old.
“Give me back my goose,” he said.
“Go ahead and get that goose back,” she instructed.
She backed away while the eight year old grabbed the girl’s hand and ran from the ten year old boy.
“Fee Fi Fo Fum!  Give me back that goose, you bum!” the ten year old yelled.
The children in the audience giggled at the scene.
“Do you think Jack made it down the stalk with the goose?” Sue laughed.
“Yes!” the children answered.
“And then he chopped down the stalk.” She handed the eight year old a fake axe so he could pretend to chop the stalk until the ten year old voluntarily fell off the chair he was standing on.  “And so Jack gave his mother the goose and they never had to worry about money again.”
The women and children cheered.
Jake smiled.  It was nice to see Sue at work.  He didn’t realize she could be so much fun.  And she didn’t even have to seek out the women.  The women came to her and liked her because their children liked her.  Sue was a marvelous businesswoman and she didn’t even know it.
As the women and children left the room so Sue could put the chairs, plastic eggs, and axe away, he decided it was time to get down to business.  He peered around the door and saw Mr. Martin.  Glancing at his watch, Jake saw that it was exactly noon.  I’ll give him credit for punctuality.
He walked up to Sue and cleared his throat.
She turned around.  Her eyes lit up when she saw him.  “Hello, Jake.  What are you doing here?”
He suddenly felt guilty for the way he was about to treat her but as he watched Mr. Martin approaching the doorway, he strengthened his resolve.  He took the pink dress out of the bag and threw it at her.
She blinked in surprise.
“Put it on,” he ordered, his tone firm.
“Pardon me?” She looked stunned.
“You heard me, woman.  Put it on.”
She gasped, her shock quickly wearing off.
He lowered his voice so that Mr. Martin wouldn’t hear what he was saying.  “Are you deaf?”
“You’re ordering me to put this horrid thing on?” She looked at the dress in disgust.
“You got it, woman.  So get going.”
She threw it at him.  “You put it on since you like it so much.”
“What?” he whispered so she would have to raise her voice.
“You put the dress on,” she said in a louder voice.  “I can’t believe you have the audacity to come in here and tell me to do something you know I can’t stand.”
“Believe it,” he said in a low voice.  “I am your husband and you will do what I say.”
“I will not!”
Good, she was yelling.  He quickly glanced at Mr. Martin and noted that he was in perfect hearing distance.  He stood in the room and waited for them to finish their argument.
He’s good to orphans and animals, well mannered, considerate of women and rich.  He’s the perfect bachelor.  He makes me sick.
“I am going to undress you and put the dress on you myself unless you obey me,” he hissed.
She gasped.  “You wouldn’t.”
He loudly said, as if he were deeply hurt, “Nothing would make me happier than to see you enjoy the gift I bought you.”
By now she was fuming.  “I don’t know what sick game you’re playing but you will never get me to wear one of those monstrosities that you call a gift.” She angrily put the rest of the chairs away.  She walked back over to him and ripped the dress.  The sequins flew all over the place.  “There is your precious gift.  Do you still want me to put it on where people can see me in it?”
“But I bought it for you because I care about you.” He pretended to look rejected.
“You don’t care about me!  The only person you care about is yourself.  I see right through you, Mr. Mitchell.” She turned and saw Mr. Martin.  “All you men want to do is control women.  You disgust me,” she spat as she left.
“Are you alright?” Mr. Martin asked him.
“I’ll manage.” He sighed sadly.  “I try so hard to please her, but she gets mad no matter what I do.” He put the dress back in the bag and threw it in the trash can on his way out the door.
“I’m glad I missed that mistake,” he heard Mr. Martin mumble.
He grinned.  His plan worked perfectly.  As he walked toward the front entrance, he caught sight of Sue glaring at him from one of the bookshelves.  Or maybe things didn’t as well as I thought.  He walked over to her.  She walked behind the bookshelf, and he followed her.  He had to make things right with her or who knew what else she would do to his home.  Clothes might not be the only thing she would be willing to throw down the stairs.
“Get away from me,” she quietly snapped as he followed her between the bookshelves.
He caught up to her and gently took her hand in his and kissed it.
“What are you doing?” she demanded, too bewildered to pull her hand away.
“I just wanted to say thank you for standing your ground.  I find your determination to stand true to your values extremely refreshing.” He meant those words.
Her expression softened.  “Why would you test me like that?”
“Because some men have wives that don’t, and I want to make sure if you tell me anything, you’ll stick to your word.  I don’t like weak women.” He meant that too.
“Don’t do that to me again.  I don’t like it.”
“I know, and I’m sorry.”
She sighed.  “Alright.  I’ll let it go this time.”
“Thank you.  Can I take you out to dinner tonight?”
“Where?”
“Any place you want.”
“I do like Italian food.”
“Luigi’s?”
She nodded.  “That would be nice.  I’ve never been there but always heard great things about it.”
“Done.” He was happy to do it since he instigated their argument.
“I’ll see you after work then.”
He felt much better as he left the library.  He took the sheet of paper out of his pocket and crossed Mr. Martin’s name off the list.  “One down, four to go.”

Chapter Eight

Sue finished packing her suitcase.  She added the new pants and flannel shirts she asked Mrs. Parker to make for her so that she could help her brothers with some of the farm work.  She included a couple of her new dresses, which she had to admit, she enjoyed wearing.  She was very satisfied with her bedroom now that the bed had thick dark blue blankets and hunter green pillows on it.  It didn’t look exactly like Jake’s bedroom, but that was fine with her.  It held a small lamp on her oak night stand which she used to read a book late at night.  The new oak headboard provided ample support for her back and the large pillows were comfortable so she could sit all night reading if she wanted to.  She didn’t bring many personal belongings.  There was a picture of her family and a couple of worn out books she owned, one being her childhood Bible.  From the wedding gifts, she took a gold and oak clock so she knew what time it was, a crystal musical jewelry box so she could keep the diamond necklace and earrings Jake had given her to wear at the wedding, and a bouquet of ceramic red and pink roses which was a gift from Belinda.  She had to admit that she didn’t mind Belinda’s gift.  Flowers were better on a dresser than on a dress.
Since it was December 24, she wore a red dress and a small gold cross necklace, which had been a gift from her parents.  She still wore her hair down.  She was surprised by the number of compliments she received from this simple action, and the more she got used to wearing it that way, the more she liked it.
She was about to close her suitcase when she remembered that she would need a pair of boots to go with the pants and flannel shirts.  She couldn’t exactly do farm work in dainty shoes.  She zipped her suitcase and carried it down the stairs.  She slipped on her coat and hat and waited for Henry to arrive with his buggy.  She marveled that he would willingly give up Christmas Eve to drive her to her family’s farm.  The trip wouldn’t be long but it was still a special day.  Jake’s employees were loyal to him.
As soon as she saw Henry’s buggy approaching the house, she grabbed her suitcase and walked outside to wait for him.
A good looking thirty-seven year old bachelor happened to be walking down the street and smiled when he saw her.  He tipped his hat and said, “Good day, Mrs. Mitchell.  Or should I still call you Miss Lewis?”
She wondered why so many men were asking her that ever since she got married.  “In six months, it will be Miss Lewis, so I suppose it doesn’t matter.”
“So you and Mr. Mitchell are serious about this marriage simply being a business arrangement?”
She nodded.  “Yes.  Why would it be otherwise?” That was the only way anyone would marry her.  Or he would have to be over half her age.
“Allow me to introduce myself.  I am Tim Blacksmith.”
She smiled politely.  “It’s nice to meet you.  Do you live on this street?”
“Yes.  As a matter of fact, I live six houses down from you.  I saw the play on Sunday evening and must say I was impressed with it.  Children are adorable.  Even if they get the lines wrong, they don’t care because they are too busy having fun.  I often think that it would be nice to have children of my own someday, but I haven’t found a lady who is worth considering for marriage.  I would like to marry someone who has a good heart for children.”
She briefly noted that just as Henry pulled up to the house, Jake set his suitcase next to hers.
“Would you like to have children someday?” he asked her.
“To be honest, I never considered the possibility.  When you’re a spinster, you don’t concern yourself with such matters,” she replied.
“Well, you don’t necessarily have to go back to being a spinster after your six month business arrangement is completed.  You have caught the attention of some respectable bachelors who realize what they have been missing.”
“I seriously doubt that, but it’s kind of you to say.”
“Mr. Blacksmith, it’s nice to see you on this fine winter day,” Jake quickly greeted.
“The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Mitchell,” he replied.  Turning back to Sue, he asked, “Did you receive the flowers I sent you?”
“What flowers?” she wondered.
Jake cleared his throat.  “Oh look, Mr. Reynolds is eager to get going.  We don’t want to be rude.  He has to get back to his wife and children before dark.  Come along, Sue.  We don’t want to keep him waiting.  Good day, Mr. Blacksmith.”
The man nodded.  “I will see you after New Year’s,” he told Sue.  “Good day, Mr. Mitchell.” He continued his walk down the street.
She shook her head.  “The poor man has me confused with someone else.  He never sent me flowers.” She handed Henry her suitcase.
“What did he want?” Jake asked her as he followed her into the buggy.  He sat across from her.
“Oh, he just wanted to say hi and to say he enjoyed the play.  There was nothing more to it than that.”
“You just keep thinking that,” he muttered under his breath.
“What?” She wasn’t sure she heard right.
“I was saying that I hope he likes his new cat.”
She decided that he probably did say that after all.  She settled back into her seat.
“Why didn’t you let me take your suitcase out for you?” he asked.  “I don’t mind helping you out.”
“I didn’t think you were coming.”
“I told you I was.”
“Yes, but that was days ago.  I hadn’t heard you mention it since then.  I figured you would like to spend the season resting from all the work you’ve been doing to get your bank started.”
“I signed a contract with you promising to counsel your father and brothers on the proper management of money.  I see this as the perfect opportunity to do that.”
She grinned as they moved forward.  “Do you do everything for business?”
“I do most things for business, but I do allow myself some pleasure.  Why do you think I’m going to spend a week on the farm?  The counseling will only take a couple of hours.  I’ll have the rest of my time to see what your family does out there, and it might give me some insight into how you turned out so bold and daring.”
She chuckled.  “Bold, yes.  You can thank Jeremiah and Trevor for that.  But daring?”
“Any woman with the courage to marry a confirmed bachelor has her work cut out for her, especially with the way you won’t put up with anything that displeases you.”
“It was either you or Mr. York.  I didn’t really have much of a choice.  But I am having fun in your presence, when you’re not throwing frilly dresses at me.  I still can’t believe you did that.”
He grew serious.  “I won’t do anything like that ever again.  I promise.”
“I believe you.” She shook her head in amusement.  “It took me and several other women a long time to get all those sequins off the floor.  Next time I tear something up, I’m going to make sure it’s not going to cause a big mess.”
He grinned.  “That was a memorable moment.”
“Would you really have undressed me to put another dress on?”
“Only if that’s what you wanted,” he teased.
She sighed as she looked at the houses they passed by.  “I should warn you about my family.  They are wonderful people who will do anything for anybody, but they like to joke around a lot.  My parents, Patty and Gloria aren’t like that.  They are more serious.  But Jeremiah, Trevor, and Luke will most likely try to have fun messing with you.  It’s harmless fun but I thought you should be warned.”
“I think I can manage.  I got a glimpse of what they’re like at the wedding.”
“Well, more chaos is on the way.”
“Tell me, were you enjoying yourself when they were giving you a hard time about being a shrew?”
“At first, I was horrified because so many people were watching but I can’t stay serious around them for long.  I nearly burst out laughing when Luke lost his mouse, but the look on your face sobered me up.  I’m afraid after this week is over, you’ll never want to have anything to do with them or me again.”
“I doubt that.  I always enjoy a good comedy.”
“That’s good.  You’re going to need a sense of humor.  Just keep in mind that what they do, they don’t mean you any harm.  In fact, the more they like you, the more they’ll mess with you.”
“I figured that much was true.”
“I don’t think you’ll have any trouble winning them over.  You’re actually good company.”
“You are too,” he softly admitted.
She turned her attention back to the scenery and enjoyed the rest of the trip.

***

Sue woke up early the next morning, excited about getting outside and enjoying the freedom of riding a horse on the open land.  The acreage was mostly cleared of trees but a forest and clean river passed within walking distance to the three bedroom home.  Jeremiah and Gloria lived in a two bedroom cabin nearby.  Her parents had one bedroom, Trevor and Luke shared a bedroom and Patty had her own bedroom.  Sue was sleeping in Patty’s bedroom and Jake was sharing a bedroom with Trevor and Luke.
She quickly put on a pair of dark brown slacks and a dark green and brown plaid shirt.  Then she slipped on her brown boots and slipped on her old brown coat and gloves.  She wanted to see the horses before anyone else woke up to open Christmas gifts.  She quietly made her way to the barn and opened the door.  She sighed when she saw the condition of the place.  It needed repairing.  She knew she could reinforce the stalls and shelves but there was no way she could repair the leaking roof.  Then she remembered that she had money now and could hire someone to fix it.  She smiled with relief.  Money did have its advantages.
“Hello there, Emma Lou,” she greeted her dead sister’s favorite horse which the family named after her.  She hugged the horse and breathed in the comforting scent of being back home in the barn.
The horse neighed in response.  She chuckled and quickly made her rounds to greet the other three horses:  Bossy which Jeremiah named after her, Trouble which she named after Jeremiah, and Double Trouble which she named after Trevor.  They enjoyed the play on words for the horses.  She supposed that two more horses would soon be added to the barn to accommodate Luke and Patty.
She went back to Emma Lou and took the mare for a long ride through the fields.  She passed by the cattle pen.  She was happy to see that the cattle were thriving after the hail and tornado hit the farm that previous summer.  She blinked in surprise when she saw that a pig pen had been erected, and three pigs oinked for their morning meal.
“I didn’t even know you were here,” she told them.  “So don’t blame me if you’re hungry.”
She returned Emma Lou to the barn and went into the house.  She saw that everyone was up and had opened up their gifts.
“Well, it’s about time you showed up,” Jeremiah said.  “We made a bet on when you’d return and once again, you didn’t fail to wait until the gift exchange was done.”
“I didn’t realize I was gone for so long.  What time is it?” she asked.
“It’s time for you to show more attention to your husband than to a horse.  Poor Mr. Mitchell is all alone on the couch.”
Luke, Patty, and Trevor sat next to Jake, squeezing him in the middle so he couldn’t move.  She hid her laughter at the sight of him.  He was out of place in his suit.  Everyone else wore farm clothes.  Jake had a lot to learn about being with her family.
Her father and Jeremiah sat in the chairs across from the couch.
“Where are Mother and Gloria?” Sue asked as she took off her hat and coat.  She had pulled her hair back into a ponytail so it wouldn’t fly into her eyes during the ride.
“They’re in the kitchen making breakfast,” her father replied.  “Did you get a chance to ride Emma Lou?”
“I did.  She’s as graceful as ever.”
“You can thank Trevor for that.  He’s been working with all the horses.”
“When did we get pigs?”
“Oh, that was in October.  We got them for a good price at the auction.”
She noted that Jake rolled his eyes.
He thinks Father should have put that money towards the mortgage.  And he’s right.  She was secretly relieved Jake would teach her family about handling finances.
“We named the big, mean one Sue.” Trevor grinned.  “She pushes all the other pigs aside when she wants to eat.  We’re thinking she’ll be Christmas dinner next year.”
“After all the garbage you’ll be feeding her, you’ll be doing her a favor.”
“Oh, you love me and you know it.”
“What names did you geniuses name the other two pigs?”
“Luke named the male Hank, and no one knows why...”
“He looks like Hank Williams,” Luke inserted.  “Hank is my classmate. He’s big and fat.”
“Does Hank know you named a pig after him?” she wondered.
“Why do you think I got the black eye last month?” he responded.
“Good for him.  You needed to be taken down a notch,” she joked.
“And I named the other girl pig Oinky,” Patty added.
“That’s cute.”
Jeremiah gagged.  “Only a woman would say that.”
“Hey, that’s good though, isn’t it?  There’s hope for sis yet,” Trevor said.
“Don’t listen to them, Patty,” she told her sister.  “You do what you want to do.  Don’t let these two bozos run your life for you.”
“We already messed up with you.  Do you think we’d repeat our mistakes?  We treat her like a princess.” Trevor’s eyes were wide with sincerity.
She ignored him as she headed for the kitchen.
“Where are you going?” Jeremiah quickly asked.
“I’m going to help Mother and Gloria cook Christmas dinner.”
“Oh no you don’t!” Jeremiah and Trevor were so fast that she didn’t even see them jump in front of her.  They turned her around.  “We actually want to survive the day.  Even picky pig Sue wouldn’t eat your cooking.”
“I’m not that bad at it.  Besides, how much damage can I do by just helping out?”
“We don’t aim to find out.” Trevor pushed her until she sat next to Jake.  “Usually, I’d say a woman’s place is in the kitchen but with you, your place is right here with us men and the children.  Far away from any food preparation.”
Jake was chuckling next to her.
“I’m glad someone is finding amusement with the way I’m being treated.” She pretended to be upset but her smile betrayed her.
“Have you tasted her cooking yet?” Trevor asked him.
“Once.  It was meatloaf,” Jake replied.
Everyone but her father grimaced.  Her father simply smiled warmly at her.
“And that’s her best dish,” Trevor said.  “Sis, you can’t be trying to push him away from you.  You want to hold onto that one.  What other chance are you ever going to get?”
“You would be surprised, Trevor,” her father stated.  “Sue’s got a lot going for her and men are taking notice.  You remember that Billy Crayton from the house two farms over?  He was asking about her the other day.”
She shivered.  “Billy was always a vile boy.  He is worse than my cooking.”
Trevor grinned.  “What?  You don’t want to be with someone who never takes a bath and thinks farting is a hobby?” He snapped his fingers and turned to Jeremiah.  “We should fix him up with pig Sue!  Then they can roll around in the mud together.”
“He’s cleaned up his act,” her father argued.
“No way are we letting someone who thinks a woman is an object marry our bossy, overbearing sister,” Jeremiah argued.  “She may drive everyone insane but I couldn’t confine her to a life of misery.”
“I’m just saying that she has options once she gets her annulment, that’s all.”
“Can we stop talking about me as if I’m not here?” she insisted.
“You’re right, sis,” Trevor said.  “We all chipped in this Christmas and made you a gift that comes straight from the bottom of our hearts.” He handed her a present.  “We know you love to read, so we made you a book.”
“Really?” She was touched at their thoughtfulness.
“It’s not what you’re thinking, Sue,” her father warned.
Her eyes narrowed.  “What are you siblings up to now?”
Patty giggled.
Luke nudged her in the side.  “We worked a long time on this,” Luke said.  “It was tougher than my homework to come up with my part.”
“We spent day and night on this masterpiece ever since we got wind of your engagement.” Trevor motioned to the gift.  “I even used my best pen and paper to write down what everyone said.”
Acutely aware that everyone was watching her, she carefully unwrapped the green paper.
“We were going to use lace but figured you’d destroy the book before you got a chance to read it,” Jeremiah said.  “Do ya’ll remember how she was trying to tear the lace off of her dress?  She practically had that poor seamstress in tears.”
“I wasn’t that bad,” she argued.
Her brothers rolled their eyes.
“Anyway, I apologized to her and everything’s alright now,” she added.
“That’s my girl.” Her father winked at her.
“At least someone in this room appreciates me.  Thank you, Father.” She finished unwrapping the gift and hid her laughter so she could feign indignation.  “What is the meaning of this?” She held up the handwritten book titled “50 Ways to be Nice to Mr. Mitchell so he Won’t Drop You Like Yesterday’s Newspaper in Six Months.”
“It’s your own ‘how-to-manual’ on your husband,” Trevor said.  “You got a good thing going.  Don’t blow it.” He shoved a protesting Patty aside and sat next to her.  “I personally think we did a good job.  Just look at some of these pointers.  Number one: don’t cook.  Number two: smile.  Number three: say hello when you see him.”
“That one is mine,” Luke proudly announced.
“Number four: compliment him on something you like about him.”
“I can read,” she inserted.
“Let me see that.” Jake chuckled as he took the book from her.
“Father’s part of it was boring,” Trevor said. “His was number twenty nine: let him see the real you.  I almost didn’t include it.”
“My girl is fine just the way she is,” her father said.  “So what if she can’t cook or sew or clean well?  She has other attributes that are just as important.  It’s inner beauty that counts.”
“I’m still in the room but thank you, Father.” She smiled at him.
“Who’s ready to eat?” Gloria asked.
“Gloria, your timing is impeccable,” Sue said, relieved to get the spotlight off of her.

***

The next day passed with little event.  Sue listened as Jake sat down and discussed how to effectively manage money.  When he discussed business, he handled himself with confidence and professionalism, so it was easy for her to see why he attracted so many customers at the bank.  She found that she enjoyed watching him work.  He still wore a suit, but she noticed that he didn’t have his tie so tightly knotted around his collar.  He seemed to enjoy watching her family’s good natured banters and even followed her and her siblings to the barn and the pig pen.  She hid her laughter at his apprehension about being so close to dirt and animals.  He was a true city boy at heart.   On the farm, he was clearly out of his element but he maintained himself with a quiet dignity that impressed her.  Though her family did like him and went out of their way to be nice to him, he was still an outsider to their world.
At lunch on the fourth day of their visit, Jeremiah brought in the Rocky Mountain oysters so they could finish them up.  “We have ten left,” he called out.  “Who’s brave enough to help me eat them?”
“Jeremiah, I told you not to bring those things here while Mr. Mitchell is staying here,” Gloria told her husband.  “I made a good meal.  You can’t be tainting it with that stuff.”
“I’ve eaten oysters before,” Jake said.  “It’s no big deal.  I’ll eat some.”
In that instant, Sue noted that the mood of her brothers switched from being nice to a new person to inclusion into their circle.
Jeremiah set the bucket in front of him while Trevor pushed her aside so he could sit on his right and Luke hopped up on the chair to Jake’s left.
“When did you eat them?” Jeremiah grinned as he sat across from him.
“Last year in Paris was the last time I had some,” Jake said, looking startled that they were surrounding him and smiling.  “I’ve had some in New York too.  Really, it’s like eating caviar and frog legs.”
“Uh huh.” He laughed.  “Alright, city boy.  Let’s see what you got.  Gloria, bring Jake here a plate and some water.”
“I will not!  This is wrong,” she argued.
“Oh, I’ll do it,” Sue offered.  She knew if Jake could pull this simple act off, then he would win the hearts of her siblings, and he wouldn’t feel left out from the activities.  He didn’t say anything, but she could tell he wished to be included in their close circle.  She put the plate and water in front of him and patted him on the back.  “The first time I ate these, I went for a nice, long walk in the forest.  I will show you where I went when you’re done.” Once he found out what it was he was going to eat, he wouldn’t be able to hold it down.  His tastes were too refined to psychologically handle the food, though her brothers most likely weren’t aware of that.
She crossed her arms and stood by the door so she would be ready when he wanted to make his exit.
Jeremiah dumped the oysters on the plate.  “How many do you think you can handle?”
Jake examined them.  “These don’t look like oysters.”
“Oh, they’re oysters alright.  Rocky Mountain oysters.”
Trevor and Luke struggled to hold in their laughter.
“What’s so funny?” Jake wondered.
“Nothing,” Jeremiah said.  “Now, you two hush.  This is serious business.”
Jake shook his head and picked the first one up and put it in his mouth.  He paused, slowly chewed it, while glancing at his audience who was still fighting their urge to laugh, and swallowed it.  “It tastes funny.”
“Do you know what Rocky Mountain oysters are?” Jeremiah asked.
“Mollusks from Colorado?”
Trevor burst out laughing.
“No, they’re bull testicles,” Luke informed him.
Jake’s eyes grew wide.
“Think you can finish your plate?” Jeremiah chuckled.
Jake straightened up and cleared his throat.  “I sure can,” he said with a newfound steel resolve that impressed Sue.  He took a gulp of water and calmly and methodically ate everything on his plate but the last one.  “I don’t want to be accused of being selfish.  Do you want it?”
Jeremiah’s mouth hung open.
“Nah.  You can have it,” Trevor said for his brother.
“You don’t know what you’re missing.” Jake grinned and ate the last one before he finished the cup of water.
“He’s good,” Luke commented, obviously won over by the newcomer.
“After a big meal like that, you’re going to need to walk it off,” Sue spoke up.
“If you’ll excuse me...” Jake nodded to them and followed her out the door.
“Wait until you’re out of sight before you throw up,” she whispered to him.  She led him far enough into the trees and watched the house to make sure no one else saw him as he emptied his stomach.  When he was done, she handed him a napkin.  “I have to admit, that was an impressive display of bravery in there.”
“I know when I’m backed into a corner.  That was disgusting.  Why didn’t you warn me?”
“And rob you of the chance to show them up?  Never.  The river is half a mile away.  You can rinse your mouth out down there.”
They walked to the river and he drank the water.  After he was done, he brushed off his pants.
“Now they will ask you to go horseback riding,” she told him.  “They only allow those they deem worthy of their respect to ride their horses.”
“I’ve never ridden a horse before.”
“Well, you’re going to have to learn.  If they have to throw you on a horse, they will.  There’s no stopping them when they get an idea in their heads.”
He sighed.  “What did I start?”
She smiled.  “Probably a lifetime of loyalty.”
Once they returned to the house, her brothers cornered her in the hallway so Jake couldn’t hear them.
“We want to keep him,” Jeremiah told her.
She blinked.  “What?”
“We took a vote, including Pa, Ma, Gloria and Patty, and the vote is unanimous.  We want to keep him in the family.”
She shook her head in amusement.  “That’s not your decision.”
“We know.  That’s why we came to you.  You have to make it so.”
She narrowed her eyes at them and crossed her arms.  “Do you understand what you’re asking me to do?”
“Of course we do, and we are confident that you can do it,” Trevor replied.
“No.  I will not.  This marriage is over in six months.”
“Five and a half at this point, and the clock is ticking.”
“It won’t take any effort on your part,” Jeremiah said.  “Just lay there and he’ll do the work.  Since he’s never done it, it probably won’t take long.”
“You are horrible people!” she hissed.  “The answer is no and that’s final.”
“If you allow yourself, you will probably enjoy it.  Sometimes Gloria can’t keep her hands off me, so women must like it too.”
“I said no!”
“Fine.  We did the reasonable thing and came to you first.  Now we’re not responsible for what we’ll do next.”
“What are you going to do?”
“That’s for us to know and you to find out.  Operation Keep Jake is now in effect.”
She watched in disbelief as her brothers nodded in agreement and left her alone in the hallway.  Maybe I should have told him what those oysters really were.

***

Later that evening, she discovered the first part of her brothers’ plan, and even worse was the fact that her parents were a part of it.
“Well, we do like Jake,” her father said.  “It would be nice to keep him in the family.”
“He treats you well too,” her mother added.  “I like to see my children taken care of.”
“But we don’t love each other,” she protested.
“Give it time.”
She shook her head in bewilderment that Jake could come into her home and win these people over in less than a week.  That night as she pulled on her nightgown in Trevor and Luke’s bedroom, she decided that she wasn’t going to explain the sudden sleeping arrangements to Jake.  The last thing he needed was to be pulled into her family’s elaborate schemes.
Jeremiah claimed that there was a mouse running loose through his cabin, so he and Gloria had to sleep in Patty’s bedroom with Patty sleeping on the floor.  Trevor and Luke offered to sleep in the parlor.  There wasn’t enough room for Jake to sleep out there too, so they threw Sue’s things into their bedroom and said she was going to have to share their bedroom with Jake.  She didn’t know whether or not Jake bought Jeremiah’s story, but one thing was clear, they didn’t mind harassing Jake about his poor horse riding skills.  And Jake enjoyed their good-natured ribbing.
She didn’t know how Jeremiah and Trevor talked Jake into riding Bossy, but she overheard their comment on how well he handled himself in unfamiliar situations.  “He doesn’t back down from a challenge,” Jeremiah noted as Jake struggled to keep himself steady on the horse.
“That’s good because sis is the biggest challenge of them all,” Trevor whispered back.
She walked past them and “accidentally” knocked them on their heads with a shovel she was carrying so she could shovel some snow.
“Watch where you’re swinging that thing!” Trevor barked.
“Oops.  Sorry,” she innocently replied.
Now that it was bedtime, she realized she should have hit them again for concocting this insane scheme.  Gratefully, there were two beds, so she didn’t actually have to sleep in bed with Jake.  He would most likely be relieved as well.  She laid down and pulled the blankets over her and yawned.
Jake entered the room and threw Jeremiah’s pants and shirt by his bed.  Jeremiah let him borrow his clothes so he could ride the horse.  “I am sore.  That horse wore me out.” He chuckled as he sat on his bed.  “They told me why the horse is named ‘Bossy.’”
She pretended not to notice that he wore silk dark blue pajamas.  He even dresses up for bed.  “Did they tell you why two horses are named Trouble and Double Trouble?”
“Yes, they actually did.  Apparently, they gave you a hard time while you were living at home.  They said you were so eager to get out that you left some stuff behind.  I didn’t know you collected travel brochures.  It seems that you have more brochures for Greece than anywhere else.”
“I pick up extra brochures when the travel agency decides the ones they have are outdated.  I read books and like to see what the places I read about look like so I can visualize the story better in my head.  When I read a book, I feel like I’m there, experiencing everything the characters are doing.  When I was a little girl, I used to pretend the forest led me to different countries.” She grinned.  “Sometimes it was boring around here until Jeremiah was born.  He’s five years younger than me, so I had a lot of time to imagine things that would never happen.  Father kept me busy once I was old enough to help out with the farm.”
“Do you still pretend to be in different places?”
“When I read, I do.  It’s the cheapest way to travel.”
“So why is Greece your first choice?”
She shrugged.  “I went through a period when I was sixteen where I read a lot of Greek literature.  I was fascinated with the mythology which is interwoven into a lot of their work.  I noticed that you are reading The Iliad.  When I read that three years ago, I had difficulty getting through the description of every soldier that was dying, but once the focus of the book changed to Achilles and Hector and how the Greek gods were influencing the Trojan War, I couldn’t put it down.  I will say that the Greeks were very creative.”
“You are full of surprises.”
By the way he was smiling at her, she realized that he liked what he was learning about her.  She raised an eyebrow.  “It’s like I always say, keep them guessing.  Who knows what you’ll discover next?” She yawned.
He chuckled.  “Well, I hope you have a good night’s sleep.” He turned off the light and laid down in his bed.
“Good night.”
She fell asleep right away, but at some point in the middle of the night, someone threw a pile of blankets on her.  In a matter of fifteen minutes, she threw the blankets off, still tired enough to go back to sleep.  Ten minutes later, she woke up covered in sweat.  She sat up and realized the blankets were back on top of her.  She shoved them aside and looked over at Jake who had his eyes closed.  Was one of her brothers playing a joke on her?  She laid back down and pretended to be asleep.  When twenty minutes passed, someone threw the blankets on her again.  She quickly sat up and grabbed the person’s arm.
“I caught you,” she whispered.
“Keep them on.”
She frowned when she realized it was Jake.  “You’re the one who’s been throwing blankets on me?”
“Yes.  I can’t sleep unless you have them on.”
“But I’m sweating too death.”
“It’s better for you to be uncomfortable than to drive me insane.  The moon lights up the room too much.  A man can only handle so much.”
“Well, I won’t be able to sleep like this.  Just turn your face to the wall.”
“I try but I like to sleep on my left side.”
“Fine.  Let’s switch beds.  Then I won’t be right next to the box stove.”
He agreed and they switched beds.
Halfway through the night, he threw the blankets back on her.
“What are you doing now?” she hissed.
“It’s no good.  I know you’re here.”
“So what difference does it make if I have one blanket or five on me?”
“A lot.  At least, I know you’re well covered.”
She sighed.  This was all her brothers’ doing.  She knew exactly what it was they were trying to do, and it was working.  Well, she wasn’t going to let them win.  “Can we at least open the window for some cool air?”
He considered it.  “Done.” He opened the window.  “Can I have that bed back?  It’s closer to the box stove.”
“Alright.” She went back to the other bed, dragging the ton of blankets with her and laid down.  “Will you be able to sleep now?”
“I think so.”
When morning finally came, she woke up and saw that he was slightly shaking under his single blanket.  She shut the window and grabbed the clothes she planned to wear for the day.  As an afterthought, she threw the blankets on him so he could warm up.  The minute she opened the door to go to the bathroom to get dressed, Trevor ran over to her.
“Can we keep him now?” he anxiously asked.
She grinned.  “You would really like me to say yes, wouldn’t you?  Well, you underestimated him.  He has perfect self-control.”
He frowned.  “Jeremiah said the plan was foolproof.”
“He was wrong.” She enjoyed the sour look on his face as she got ready for the day.

Chapter Nine

Jake was tired as he ate his breakfast.  He was keenly aware that Sue was sitting next to him.  Though she was wearing pants, she couldn’t hide the fact that she was a woman.  In a strange way, it made him notice her more since she was trying so hard to hide it.  He didn’t believe for a minute that a mouse was loose in Jeremiah and Gloria’s cabin.  Her brothers were up to something and he intended to find out what it was.  For the time being, he was content to mess with them as they had messed with him over the Rocky Mountain oysters.  He grinned as an idea came to him.
“Do any of you want to ride into town?” he asked as he glanced around the table.
“Can’t wait to get back to the city?” Jeremiah replied.
Trevor smirked.  “A few days on the farm and he’s given up.”
“I can handle anything you throw at me,” Jake quickly said.  “I feel the need to return a favor.”
“What kind of favor?”
“You introduced me to Rocky Mountain oysters.  I’m going to introduce you to caviar.”
Sue almost spit her drink.
“Sis, don’t spray your husband like that,” Jeremiah admonished, chuckling.  “It’s gross.”
Jake hid his own laughter.  She knew what he was doing.  He turned to her.  “Do you want to go into the city with me and pick up something special for your brothers to eat?”
“You’d have to ride a horse,” she said.
“Actually, Jeremiah, Luke and I are going to take our horses out to the fields today,” Trevor quickly inserted.  “You’ll have to take him on Bossy.”
She gave them a sharp look.  “You don’t have to go into the fields today.”
“Sure we do.  We got important work to do.”
By the look on her face, she obviously didn’t believe them.
Jake shrugged.  “Alright.  We’ll take the same horse.”
He was secretly relieved to not have to worry about riding the animal by himself.  He had a tough time staying on Bossy when he rode her the previous day.  He didn’t care to go through that again, though he would never admit it to her brothers.  The animal lived up to its name.  It didn’t like anyone telling it what to do.  It protested all of his commands and threw him off a couple of times.  He never felt so dirty in his life when he fell in the mud.  But he wouldn’t let the newfound respect he gained from her family be eliminated by his apprehension, so he kept getting back onto the horse and riding it again.
“Well, just so you know, Bossy is a very particular animal,” Sue said.  “I need to be the one to lead her if you’ll be riding with me.”
Jeremiah and Trevor tried to hide their laughter but Jake noted their amusement.  Something’s definitely up with those two.  The rest of her family seemed oblivious to the conversation as they enjoyed their meals.
“It will serve you right anyway,” Sue told her brothers.  “I can’t wait to see you eat caviar.”
“Bring it on!” Trevor encouraged.  “We’re not afraid of anything.  We’re country men.”
“Just promise me that I’m here when you give it to them,” she told Jake.
“It’s a deal.” He winked at her.
After breakfast, her three brothers followed him and Sue to the barn.
“Are you sure you want to wear a suit?” she asked.  “It won’t be very comfortable wearing such formal clothing on a horse.”
“I can’t show up at a restaurant looking like...” He paused.  He didn’t wish to offend any of the Lewises.
“A farmer,” she inserted.
“Certain things are acceptable in society and others aren’t.”
“What will people say when you show up with me then?”
“Oh, well I was hoping you’d take me to Henry’s house.  He’ll take me to the restaurant.”
“While you’re at it, you better freshen up at your home because your suit will not be immaculate after you ride a horse.”
He frowned.  He hadn’t considered that.  “I’ll do that.”
She shook her head but didn’t respond.
She probably thinks I’m a snob.  The thought bothered him though he wouldn’t show it.  He simply smiled at her as if nothing was wrong.
“Now remember, you got to hold Sue really tight when you’re on Bossy,” Jeremiah said.  “You don’t want Bossy to buck you off again.”
Her three brothers laughed.
“That’s enough, you three,” Sue snapped.  “Don’t you think for a minute any of this will work.”
Any of what?  Jake suddenly realized she knew exactly what was going on, though she didn’t seem to take an active part in it.  In fact, she seemed to be resisting it.
“Sue, don’t give Jake here a hard time,” Jeremiah said.  “It wouldn’t be right to make the poor man suffer.  Remember, OKJ.”
OKJ?  What did that stand for?  Jake decided to let their comments go for the time being.  He could figure it out later.
Once they got into the barn, Sue took Bossy out of the stable and saddled her up.  “This will seat both of us,” she told him.  “But Jeremiah’s right.  You do have to hold on tightly or else you’ll probably fall off.”
He was intrigued as he watched her work with the horse.  She was very comfortable with the animal, and Bossy seemed to willingly follow her lead.  She works well with Bossy.  That’s why it’s her horse.
She got on the horse with ease and urged Bossy over to him.  “Are you ready?”
No.  But did he have a choice?  He was determined to get that caviar and they would make good time to the city on the horse.
“Here’s the bag for the food,” Luke said as he handed the large leather bag to him.
“I’ll take that.” She took it and put it behind her.
“You can’t do that,” Jeremiah protested.
“Why not?”
“It defeats the whole purpose of this trip.”
“No, it doesn’t.  We’re still going to get caviar.”
He suddenly smiled.  “That’s right.  And you can’t hold the food in a sack between you and him on the way back.”
She held her hand out to Jake.  “The sooner we go, the sooner you can come back and take another bath.  Then we’ll let them have it.”
He did enjoy the fact that she was willing to play along with his scheme.  He took her hand and put his foot in the stirrup.  He didn’t get on Bossy the first time but he succeeded in his second attempt.  He struggled to find adequate balance and finally settled into a comfortable position.
“Now you two don’t have to hurry back on our account,” Trevor called out as Sue urged the horse forward.
Startled by the sudden movement, Jake quickly wrapped his arms around Sue’s waist and held onto her tightly.
“I can hardly breathe,” she told him.
“I can’t loosen my grip yet,” he whispered.  He had to overcome his initial shock of being on the horse.  It wasn’t easy to adjust to the way the animal moved under him.  He missed the buggies and trains which were predictable.
“Alright.  Just move with the animal.  Don’t fight her.”
“Listen to Sue,” Jeremiah called out.  “She knows what she’s talking about.”
He was too worried about not falling off the horse to concern himself with her brothers’ comments.  He hated riding horses.
Sue nudged the horse and it picked up the pace.  She led Bossy out along the open field until they reached the side of the dirt road.  She rode along the grass so Bossy wouldn’t kick dirt up into the air.
“Can’t you slow down?” he asked.
“Not unless you want to get back to the farm after lunch.  You want to surprise them at lunch, right?”
“Yes.  I do want them to be hungry.”
“You’re doing great, Jake.  It’s not easy to ride Bossy.  You’re giving my brothers some stiff competition.  I think they like the challenge you present them with.”
Her compliment took his mind off of his fears.  “Thank you for not saying anything back there about my discomfort over riding Bossy.”
“I want to see you win.  They need someone to show them a thing or two.”
He grinned.  “And you think I can do that.”
“I saw the way you ate those Rocky Mountain oysters.  You’re not one to back down.  I was impressed.”
He was pleased to know that.  It was fun to have someone rooting for him.  Halfway to town, he was able to relax enough so that he wasn’t holding her so tightly that she had a hard time breathing.
“We’ll get there soon,” she said.  “You have to tell me where Henry lives.”
He gave her the directions.
She turned her horse so that it went north.  “If we cut through these trees over here, we can cut our time by half.”
“So you grew up riding horses?”
“Yes.  They’re almost like my second pair of legs.  Once you get used to riding them, they’re not so intimidating.  Bossy may seem mean but she’s actually got a soft heart.  She might have bucked you off a couple of times but she’d never step on you.  You’re safer with her than with Trouble or Double Trouble.  Those horses will run you down if you get in their path by mistake.  Bossy always makes sure to check if someone is near her.”
“I’ll be sure to never let your brothers talk me into riding one of their horses.”
“No, I think they had enough fun with you when it came to the horses.  Next, they will want to either get you into the pig pen or lasso up some cattle.  You should ride Emma Lou for that.  She’s great with going slower and giving the rider time to swing the rope.”
He cringed.  None of those activities sounded very fun to him but he knew he would do it to go along with her brothers.  “What did I get myself into when I married you?”
She laughed.  “They may have their plans to mess with you but they’re loyal to the death.  If you ever get into trouble, they’ll move heaven and earth to bail you out.”
“I’m not likely to get in trouble, but it’s nice to be surrounded by people that care.”
By the time they got to Henry’s house, it was mid-morning.  Henry was surprised to see him but agreed to take him to town.  Sue’s warning had proven true.  His suit was crumpled up so he had to go to the backdoor of his house and change.  Horses were dirty animals.  He shuddered as he contemplated riding Emma Lou and trying to rope cattle.  He went to the restaurant and got caviar, crackers and a bucket of ice to keep the caviar fresh.  When he returned to Henry’s house, Sue was having a good conversation with Henry’s wife and children.  He marveled that the same woman who could barge into a bank and disrupt business or run through a church right before a wedding and threaten the poor seamstress to remove the lace from her dress could get along so well with so many people.  What’s her secret?  Does she have a twin I don’t know about?
When they reached the farm, he was relieved and disappointed.  Being so close to her on a horse was better than dancing with her, but he didn’t know how much longer he could hold off his sudden desire to kiss her.  He was very much aware that she was a woman and he was a man.  It was ridiculous that he would want to be with her in such a way.  He had no intention of being married to her longer than he needed to.  It’s a simple business arrangement.  Don’t let her get to your head.
When they got off the horse, she said, “You handle yourself better on a horse than you let on.  If you keep it up, you could master riding her.”
Jeremiah burst out laughing.
She peered around the horse’s nose.  “I didn’t see you there.”
“Apparently not.” He walked over to them.  “So, city boy, you got the caviar?”
“I sure do.” Jake widely smiled.  “Do you think you’re brave enough to eat some?”
“If you can eat Rocky Mountain oysters, I can eat your fancy food.”
“We’ll see about that.”
“That sounds like a challenge.”
“It is.  Are you up to it?”
He scoffed.  “I’m always up for a good challenge.”
“Then let’s go.”
As soon as Jake got Jeremiah, Trevor and Luke at the dinner table, he handed them the crackers and took out the caviar.  “You smear it on the cracker with a spoon or knife.  Then you eat it.” He ate his and looked at them.  “Now, it’s your turn.”
Sue and Gloria sat at the table, interested to see what the three brothers would do.  Her parents were taking care of some chores while Patty played with her dolls in another room.
Trevor picked at the caviar with a spoon.  “What is this stuff?”
“Caviar,” Jake replied.  “It’s expensive.  Only the best for Sue’s brothers.”
“Hmm...” Luke said, staring the caviar on his cracker.  “You try it first Jeremiah.  You’re the oldest.”
“Alright.  Move aside and give me some of that creepy looking stuff.” Jeremiah spooned a very small amount and lightly rubbed it on his cracker.
Jake shook his head.  “I must say that I’m disappointed.  Here, I thought I had met my match but you are all talk.”
Jeremiah grunted and put more caviar on his cracker.  He put the cracker in his mouth and winced.
“Rich people eat this all the time,” Sue said.  “You’re always saying that they are too soft to manage life on the farm.  Surely, you can eat caviar.”
Jake looked at Jeremiah.  “So people that have lots of money are soft?  I suppose that’s why they like to eat fish eggs.”
“Caviar is fish eggs?” Trevor’s eyes grew wide.
Jeremiah motioned for Gloria to bring him some water.
She remained sitting.
He forced himself to swallow it.  “What’s wrong with you, Gloria?  I need something to wash this awful stuff down.”
“You made him eat Rocky Mountain oysters.  I’m not helping you,” she retorted.  “You’re on your own.”
“Who’s soft now?” Sue grinned.
“Well, I’m not,” Trevor decided.  He quickly shoved the caviar in his mouth and swallowed it.  “There.  I did it.”
“But can you do ten?  Jake ate ten of those oysters.”
“I sure can.  Just watch.  It’s no different from the play I wrote where this boy is dared to eat a bunch of worms.  He just had to open his mouth and eat as fast as he could.  Food doesn’t taste so bad if you rush through eating it.”
“Except for Sue’s cooking,” Jeremiah said under his breath.
Her family quietly chuckled.
She rolled her eyes.  “At least I became a librarian instead of a cook.”
“She doesn’t need to cook.  I hire someone to do that,” Jake added.
“That’s nice of you to stick up for sis like that, Jake,” Jeremiah noted as Trevor quickly wolfed down the remaining nine caviar filled crackers on his plate.  He turned to her.  “Want to keep him now?”
She blushed.  “Hush!”
Jake pretended not to notice the exchange but it gave him some insight into what was going on between Sue and her brothers.  He recalled the abbreviation her brothers had used that morning.  OKJ.  K must be for Keep.  Obviously, whatever the whole thing stood for was embarrassing to her.
“Done!” Trevor announced.
Jake looked at his empty plate.  “I’m impressed.  You have earned my respect, Trevor.”
“Respect is overrated,” Jeremiah huffed as he stood up to get himself a glass of water.
Luke licked the caviar from his cracker, shrugged and put it in his mouth.  “I guess it’s not too bad if you think of something else while eating it.”
“Are you going to let your two younger brothers outdo you?” Sue pointedly asked Jeremiah as he gulped down the water.
“From that stuff?  You bet,” Jeremiah said.  “I’m already married.  I have nothing to prove anymore.”
She smirked.  “So says the chicken.”
“I’m not a chicken.  I’m just man enough to know that what I eat doesn’t determine who I am.”
“Sure.”
“You want to see who can lasso the most cattle in fifteen minutes?”
She smiled.  “You could never win that one.”
“Then you won’t have any trouble accepting the challenge.”
“Do you really think it’s manly to challenge a woman to do a man’s task?” Jake asked.
“Oh, don’t worry about Sue.  She’s practically a man.  She can do everything a man can, except she can have babies.”
Sue slightly winced at his comment.
Jake suddenly wondered if she ever felt like a woman.  It would be hard to feel feminine with three brothers roughhousing with you all the time.  No wonder she didn’t think any man could be attracted to her.
“Jeremiah, I’ll give you a lesson in business,” Jake spoke up.  “When you are dealing with people, you need to notice details.  Sue turned a lot of men’s heads at the wedding.  She’s definitely not a man.”
He noted her pleasure and felt better for her.
“Really?” Jeremiah said as if he was considering something.  “You like the way she looks.  Interesting.”
“I’m not blind,” Jake answered.  “I have excellent taste.  I wouldn’t marry someone who wasn’t the finest looking woman in Virginia.  No offense to your wife.” Deciding it was time to take the focus off of Sue, he turned to Trevor.  “I saw The Path to Christmas.  I’ve seen many plays and must admit that yours was one of the more entertaining ones I’ve been to.”
Trevor’s eyes lit up like the Christmas tree in the parlor.  “You think so?”
“I don’t lie about things like this.  You have a lot of talent.  What else have you written?”
Trevor excitedly explained several works he had already completed and the one he was working on.  “There is one that we act out for Pa and Ma.  It’s called The Kidnapper.  We have the lines all memorized and the costumes made.  Want to see it?  Sue does a great job of acting.”
“Trevor, I don’t know if I want to do that,” Sue argued.  “I don’t feel like playing the part of the middle-aged fat man.  Let someone else do it.”
“But you do those lines better than anyone else.  You got the whole accent and mannerisms down just right.  Besides, Gloria plays the cop.  You got the best part in the whole thing.  You have the most lines and you’re the most interesting character.”
“In Shakespeare’s plays, women often dressed up as men.  Remember The Merchant of Venice?” Jake hoped to ease her discomfort.
“That is true.  Alright,” she said.  “Though we could always do something else.”
“You’re right, sis,” Jeremiah spoke up.  “We could take Jake out to rope cattle.”
“I want to do the play,” Trevor argued.
“Oh, let me see it.  If it’s anything like the Christmas play, we’ll all have a good time.” Jake was anxious to do anything but more outdoor activities.
Jeremiah was disappointed but reluctantly agreed to join his siblings.
Jake waited for them to get ready for their performance in amusement.  He sat on the couch with Sue’s parents in the parlor and made small talk.  He couldn’t remember anyone ever going through as much trouble to impress him as the Lewis family did, and it was even better now that he fit in with their group.  He didn’t have siblings but imagined this was what it was like.
When they were ready, Trevor came out wearing a torn up suit.  “Alright.  Here’s the setting.  We are on a train heading for California where a sixteen year old named Jeremy, played by yours truly, is being held hostage by Larry, played by Jeremiah.  You see, Jeremy’s father is rich, so Larry kidnaped Jeremy in order to get a ransom for returning him.  The father is played by Sue whose name is Al, and Al’s younger son, played by Luke, is Gerald.  Gloria and Patty play the cops who show up at the very end.  The plot of this story is simple.  Al and Gerald create a plan to save Jeremy from evil Larry, and Al and Gerald are disguised as country bumpkin who don’t speak proper grammar so that Larry won’t suspect their true identity.”
He set up several chairs.  “Now pretend this is a train.”
Jake chuckled at his enthusiasm.  Trevor really got into his work.
“They like to do this a couple times a year,” Sue’s father said.  “They get better each time they do it.”
Trevor went back to the kitchen to get ready for his part.
Larry shoved Jeremy onto the train.  He pointed a fake gun at Jeremy.  “Don’t do anything to arouse suspicion.”
Jeremy nodded his consent and sat down.
Larry sat next to him.  “This is real simple.  As long as you do what you’re told, I’ll let you live.  Your father will be worried about you by now.  Surely, he’ll bring the ransom money to the designated spot.”
Jeremy sat quietly and stared out the window.
Jake tried to hide his shock as Sue appeared.  They did a good job of disguising her as a middle-aged fat man with graying hair and thick mustache who wore tattered old green and black clothes and a faded black hat.  He hardly recognized her.  How can a woman look so beautiful on her wedding day and make such a convincing man?  He could understand her hesitation in doing the role.  But to her credit, she fell right into character.
Al and Gerald walked casually onto the train.  Al bumped into Larry on purpose, but Larry was supposed to think it was an accident.
“Oh, I is so sorra, misser,” Al quickly apologized.
She sounds like a man too.  And she does have the southern accent down well.  Jake was amazed that someone who could look so incredibly feminine in her new clothes could appear so masculine in this skit.
Al cleared his throat.  “Here.  Let me get ‘em there marbles I dropped when I bumped inta ya.”
Jake hid his distaste for the poor grammar she used.
Jeremy and Larry tried to move aside as Al hurried to collect the five marbles on the floor.  Jake watched the quick slip of the hand as Al slipped a folded piece of paper into Jeremy’s hands.
“Misser, misser.” Gerald anxiously tugged on Larry’s suit jacket.
“What are you doing?” Larry snapped and struggled to get the boy’s hands off of his clothes.
Al successfully stood up and patted Gerald on the back.  “Son, if I had tol’ ya once, I had tol’ ya a dozen times not ta touch oter people.  Who knows what they be a carryin’?”
“But this man has a tie, Pa.  A real, honest ta goodness tie!” Gerald insisted, as he held onto it so that Larry couldn’t watch Jeremy read the note.
As soon as Jeremy nodded to Al, Al bopped Gerald on the head.  “What did I tell ya?  Now leave Misser...ah...Misser...” He snapped his fingers.  “Well, what be ya name, son?”
“Uh...Larry.”
“Misser Larry...”
“Is this really necessary?  You got your marbles, now go old man.”
“Oh what a neat barn out that winda!” Gerald crawled over Larry until he sat between him and Jeremy.
“What is going on here?” Larry demanded, his face red.
“Whoa!” Al pretended to lose his balance and hung onto Larry’s arm to stand back up.
Meanwhile, Gerald reached into Larry’s pocket and picked out a wallet and quickly handed it to Jeremy who slipped it into his own pocket.
Before Larry could look over at what was taking place, Al patted him on the shoulder.  “Ya know, I was jist a recallin’ a time when I first rode the mighty rails.  It was the summer of 1859.  Oh wait.  That ain’t right.  That was when I got my wisdom teeth pulled.  Look in me mouth.  Not a single wisdom tooth left, but that process, it sor did hurt somethin’ awful.  That dentist didn’ give me anythin’, no alcohol or nothin’.  I ain’t neva felt pain like that befor and hope I won’ again.  Thank goodness, that’s all ova.  Anywhoo, what was I a talkin’ ‘bout.  Oh I ‘member.  The first time I rode these here rails.  I was a wee lad like yoself.  Shoo, son.  Ya lookin’ like ya coulda be twenty.  No mor than twenty-one.  How old are ya anyway?”
“Does it matter?” Larry was irritated.  “I’m on business here.  I would like to be left alone.”
“Oh I ain’t tryin’ to upset ya.  I is terribly sorra.  I have a tendency to talk an’ talk an’ talk.  I is like one big wheel.” Al moved his hand in circular motions.  “I go round an’ round an’ around.  Ova an’ ova an’ ova.”
Meanwhile, Gerald handed Jeremy the gun.
“Jist when I git done sayin’ one thang, another one of ‘em thoughts pops in me head an’ I gotta say what’s on me mind.  It’s hard ta quit once I git a started,” Al continued.
Gerald gave a thumbs up sign.
Al patted Larry on the back again.  “Ya sor has been a good ol’ sport.  Much obliged ta make ya acquintance.  Oh, the train stopped.” Al peered out the window.  “Yep.  This be the stop ta take alright.  Hope ya gents have yoselves a nice little trip.” He grabbed Gerald by the collar and pulled him across Larry’s lap until he was in the aisle.  “‘Member ya manners, son.  Don’t go a touchin’ strangers.  Ya cain’t tell where they’ve been.”
“Yes, Pa.” Gerald followed Al off the train.
Larry patted his suit jacket.  “They took my wallet!  And the gun.” He grabbed Jeremy’s arm and dragged him off the train.
Jeremy knocked Larry aside and ran towards Al who was swinging a lasso.  Larry lunged for Jeremy but Al threw the lasso which expertly fell around his wrist.  Larry fell to the floor.
Gloria and Patty, dressed as policemen, came out to arrest Larry.
Trevor went to the center of the parlor.  “It would work better if Al showed up on a horse and threw the lasso around the kidnapper’s ankles or waist but this is all we could manage inside a house.”
“It was very well done,” Jake applauded.
“Sue, that hurt,” Jeremiah said as he freed his wrist from the rope.
“Oh, I’m sorry.  I don’t know my own strength sometimes,” she sweetly apologized.  “I suppose it’s because I’m so manly.” She wacked him on the head with the rope as she left the room.
“That’s Sue for you.  She doesn’t let anyone get away with insulting her.  She’ll let you know exactly what you did to annoy her.  Sometimes she makes me so proud.”
“She does do an excellent job lassoing the cattle,” Trevor admitted.  “She can lasso anything, no matter how fast it’s moving.  One time, she lassoed me and Jeremiah by the ankles and had us hanging upside down for a half hour in the barn.”
“Those were the good old days alright.”
“What did you do to deserve such treatment?” Jake asked.
“We put itching powder in her saddle.  She and Bossy were hilarious out there in the fields.”
They laughed at the memory.
Jake hid his horror.  He couldn’t imagine someone doing that to him.  He did have to give Sue credit for not backing down when her brothers messed with her.  No wonder she can be a nag.  Did she have a choice?  He also noted that they treated the other women in the household as women.  It seemed that Sue got the rough treatment.  It must be because she was the oldest child and had to do so many boyish chores on the farm.  Her brothers obviously forgot that she is a woman.  Well, I didn’t.

Chapter Ten

Sue had never been so humiliated in her entire life.  It was one thing for Jeremiah to make all those subtle jokes while she and Jake were on the horse but it was another thing for him to keep making her feel like she wasn’t attractive as a woman.  She was glad when he couldn’t eat the caviar.  She enjoyed watching him squirm under Jake’s intense stare.  Jake had a perfect poker face.  No one could tell for sure what he was thinking if he didn’t want them to.  It probably helped him succeed in business since he had to deal with some crummy people.  She sighed as she got out of her costume for the play that Trevor wrote.  She was glad to be out of those clothes.  She bit her lower lip as she looked at the clothes she had packed.  She brought a couple of dresses but had been so busy riding horses and helping with fixing parts of the barn her family hadn’t had time to get to yet, that she hadn’t bothered to wear a dress.  Dresses weren’t practical on the farm, though Gloria managed to wear them.  Gloria also stayed in the house and cooked and cleaned.  Maybe I’m not a good catch for a man.  Who wants a woman who knows more about fixing stable doors and riding a horse than cooking and cleaning?
A soft knocking on the bedroom door interrupted her thoughts.  “Just a minute.”  She quickly threw on the pants and shirt she had been wearing earlier that day and opened the door.
Gloria smiled at her.  “Can I come in?”
Sue nodded and led her into the room.  “What is it?”
Gloria shut the door.  “How are you doing?”
She rolled her eyes.  “Was I that obvious?”
“Only to the careful observer.” Gloria sat next to her on the bed.  “I just spoke with Jeremiah about letting up on the jokes.  He didn’t realize he was coming off so rough.”
“I know.  He means well.  His jokes never bothered me before but with Jake here...” She sighed.
“Jake did a good job defending you.  I think he does like you.  It may not be a romantic relationship but it seems that you two are forming a friendship.  I like him for you.  He’s a good man.  And I have to admit, I have a lot of respect for anyone who can stand up to your brothers the way he did.”
She laughed.  “You should see him when he does business.  He has a way with people.” She smiled.  “How have you been doing?  You’re due any day now.”
“I’m hanging in there.  I’m anxious to give birth so I know the baby is alright.”
Sue nodded understandingly.  Gloria had gone through three miscarriages and a stillbirth, so she spent most of this pregnancy worried.  “Would you like me to pray for you?”
“That would be nice,” she admitted.  “I always feel better after you pray for me.  It’s very comforting.”
Sue held her hands and prayed that God would watch over her and her child and protect them.  She wanted the baby to be born alive and well.  After the stillbirth, she and Gloria had spent their times together crying over the loss of another baby.  Gloria had handled the miscarriages well since her mother had gone through two of them before she gave birth to Gloria and her two siblings, but when Gloria suffered the stillbirth, she feared that she would never have a living child.  “I know it’s wrong to envy Emma,” Gloria had cried on Sue’s shoulder one time, “but sometimes I tell God I would rather have a living child and die of pneumonia like Emma did than to keep losing children.  I know it hurts Jeremiah too, though he does his best to be strong for me.  I just feel so inadequate as a woman because I can’t give my husband a child.”
Now as Sue looked at her, she noted that mixed in with her fears was a ray of hope.  “I’m very thankful you made it as far as you have.  I will continue to pray for you.  Is the baby kicking well?”
“The baby kicks all the time.  It’s very reassuring.  He’s kicking now.  Would you like to feel him?”
She nodded and let Gloria guide her hand to the part of her expanded belly where she felt a sharp kick.  “He’s strong.” She grinned.  “Have you picked out any names?”
“We are going to name him Kevin if he’s a boy and Sarah if she’s a girl.”
“Those are wonderful names.  I hope you don’t mind if I’m excited for you.  I have a feeling that everything will be fine.”
“Deep down, I do too.  I just hate to say it in case I jinx myself.”
“Well, it’s your pregnancy.  You can handle it any way you want to.”
She looked at Sue thoughtfully.  “I know it was wrong to lie about the mouse being in my cabin.  I’m sorry.”
“Oh, I’ll survive the rest of my visit.  I don’t suppose Jeremiah and Trevor will let me go back to Patty’s bedroom?”
“Not a chance.  The more they get to know Jake, the more they’re determined to keep you and Jake together, and you know when they set their minds to something, they pursue it until the end.”
“Unless it’s caviar.” She giggled.  “But everyone has to understand that what Jake and I have is a business deal.  It’s not meant to be more than that.”
“I hope you’re wrong about that,” Gloria softly confessed.  “It would be nice to see you married.  I worry that you may get lonely.”
“I managed before without a husband and I can manage again.  I have plenty of things to keep me busy.  I don’t get lonely.”
“Still, some companionship would be nice.”
“I’m fine, Gloria.  Just focus on yourself, alright?”
She patted her hands.  “You’re right.  I’m sorry.”
“You’re a good friend.  I’m glad I got the chance to talk to you.  With everything else that’s been going on, it’s been hard to find some time to sit and talk.”
“I’m glad too.” She sighed.  “I better get dinner ready.  Are you going to head outside?”
“Yes.  If I dare enter the kitchen, Jeremiah and Trevor will haul me out to the barn and tie me up.”
She laughed.
“You think I’m joking but I’m not.  They’ve done it before.”
After Gloria left, Sue put on her boots and hat and headed out of the house.  She heard some loud laughter from Jeremiah and Trevor.  Uh oh.  They must be giving Jake a hard time.  She followed the sound of their laughter to the pig pen and saw her three brothers howling at the hilarious sight of Jake, wearing Jeremiah’s overalls and coat, trying to pour the pigs’ food into the trough in the pig pen without getting any snow, mud or slop on him.  She hid her own grin.  Jake was bravely handling the situation but she could tell that being around all the filth was disturbing him.  He’ll be taking another bath tonight.
“Watch out, Jake, here comes big, old, cranky Sue!” Jeremiah warned.
At first, Sue thought they were talking about her but relaxed as soon as she saw the large sow run to the trough.  The other two pigs followed her.
“Hurry up and dump the slop before she runs you over!” Trevor yelled.
Jake anxiously tried to dump the rest of the food into the trough without getting any on him.
“He’s not going to make it!” Luke grinned excitedly.
Pig Sue oinked impatiently at him and bumped into him.  He lost his balance and fell into the mud and snow.  The bucket of remaining slop fell to the ground and rolled away from him.  He quickly rolled over to avoid getting trampled by the three pigs.
Even Sue had trouble not laughing at the scene, but she felt sorry for Jake.  She quickly went to the barn and hopped bareback on Trouble and ran the horse towards the three pranksters.  She knew Trouble would knock them all into the pig pen, and they knew it too.  Luke glanced over his shoulder and saw her speeding towards them on the horse.
“Run!” Luke yelled.
Her other two brothers looked over, and as soon as they saw her, they jumped into the pig pen to avoid getting run into by Trouble.  She quickly pulled Trouble to a stop and grinned in satisfaction as Pig Sue ran up to the two troublemakers and stepped all over them to get to the remaining slop in the bucket that was right by them.
“You just watch out, Sue.  You’re next!” Jeremiah called out.
“Ha!  As if you can get me.  I know all your tricks,” she retorted and nudged Trouble back to the barn.

***

After the three men took baths, they joined everyone else for dinner.
“I heard you taught your brothers a lesson in the pig pen today,” her father chuckled.  “You were always good on a horse, whether riding one with a saddle or not.”
“They had it coming,” she said.  “I couldn’t let them get by with naming a pig after me.” That wasn’t why she really did it, but she didn’t want to embarrass Jake by reminding him of his earlier dirty condition.  He had looked mortified to be covered in filth.
“I don’t know,” Jeremiah said.  “You and that pig are a lot alike.  You like to run poor unsuspecting people over.”
“That’s true.  I’ll give you that.  We don’t tolerate anyone misbehaving.”
“We hope you can keep her in check, Jake.” Trevor grinned.  “You’re our last hope.”
“I kind of like her the way she is,” Jake began as he smiled at her, “full of passion and intensity.”
She felt her cheeks go red.
Jeremiah gave her a knowing look.
She glared at him.  Stop it!  How long were her brothers going to keep up this ridiculous plan to keep him?
“You know, I was wrong about Sue earlier today,” Jeremiah began.
Sue frowned.  Her brother was up to something and she didn’t like it.
“I mean, anyone can tell she’s pretty, even when she’s wearing pants.  Of course, Gloria is better.” He winked at his wife.
“Jeremiah, that’s enough,” Gloria admonished.  “If you say one more thing, I’ll take away your food and feed it to the pigs.”
“It’s not right to mess with a man’s stomach.”
“The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, except in Sue’s case.” Trevor chuckled.  “I have to hand it to you, sis.  You can hold your own against us.”
She was pleased by the unexpected compliment.
“So, what are we doing tomorrow?” Luke asked.
“We’re going to lasso some cattle up,” Jeremiah replied.  “I’ve been practicing and I bet I can get more cattle lassoed than Sue.  Are you up for the challenge?”
She shrugged.  “What’s in it for me?”
She noticed Jake’s grin.  His mind is always on business negotiations.
“You can have my slice of pie tomorrow night,” he offered.
She shrugged again.  “You have to offer something I want.” She crossed her arms.  “We already know you’re going to lose so I might as well get a good deal.”
“What do you want?”
“If I win, you have to eat the remaining caviar,” she said.  “Still interested?”
“How can that benefit you?”
“I like to watch you squirm.  It’ll be amusing.”
“Just be glad she’s not making you eat her cooking.  That’s ten times worse,” Trevor said.
He thought it over.
“Oh come on, if you’re so good at it, go for it,” Jake told him.  “You can’t lead someone into a business deal and not follow through.”
“Alright,” Jeremiah decided.  “But if I win, you have to clean out the stalls.”
“Done.  Save your appetite for tomorrow because you’re going to lose.”
Jake shook his head.  “Jeremiah, if I were you, I’d learn to do a better job of not showing your fear in front of your opponent.  Half the battle is in the mind.”
“He’s right, Jeremiah,” Trevor admitted.  “You got sweat running down your face.”
“You all need to hush!  I’m doing just fine,” Jeremiah snapped.
“Ooh.  We hit a nerve with that one.”
“Who’s side are you on?”
“Jake’s of course.  Anyone who likes my work as much as he does is the one I root for.”
Jake smiled in amusement.  “It looks like I’m stealing your support.”
“I don’t need support.  I can do just fine by myself,” Jeremiah sulked.
“Oh, you know we’re just playing with you,” Trevor said.  “Really.  Don’t get your underwear in a bunch.”
Sue chuckled.  She liked the fact that Jake could easily hold his own against her brothers.  He was a good businessman indeed.

***

Later that evening, Jeremiah found Sue alone in her temporary bedroom getting her things ready for the next day.  “Can I come in?” he asked.
“Sure.”
He stepped into the room and crossed his arms as he leaned against the dresser.  “I want to apologize for those comments I made earlier today about you being just like a man.  I didn’t realize it sounded bad until Gloria told me so.”
She smiled.  “I know you didn’t mean any harm in it.  I got even with you when I forced you into the pig pen, so let’s say we’re even.  Agreed?”
“That’s the great thing about you, Sue.  You don’t let anyone get away with misbehaving and you have the grace to be forgiving.”
She raised an eyebrow.  “That’s unusually nice of you to say.”
He shrugged.  “I have my moments.”
“It’s nice when you do.  But I enjoy our good-natured quarrels as much as you do.  It makes coming home fun.”
He grinned.  “So tomorrow, we’ll meet in the barn and may the best person win.”
She nodded.  After he left, she got ready for bed.  She opened the window and slipped under the covers and layers of blankets.  I might as well do it myself before Jake does it for me.  She closed her eyes.  It had been a tiring day with riding Bossy into town and performing in Trevor’s play.  She heard Jake enter the room and opened her eyes.
“I hope my brothers didn’t scare you off.”
He smoothed his pajamas and slipped into bed.  “No way.  It takes more than rolling in the mud to avoid a hungry pig on a rampage to disturb me.”
“I have to admit that you impress me, Jake.  I can see why you’re so good at your job.”
He seemed pleased by her comment.  “Never let them see you sweat.” He leaned up on his elbow.  “Are you going to tell me what all this OKJ talk is about?  I finally figured out it stands for ‘Operation Keep Jake’ but can’t understand what it means.”
She sighed.  She wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to tell him or not.  He had a great sense of humor, so he might be alright with it.  “Very well.  After you ate the Rocky Mountain oysters, my brothers cornered me in the hallway and told me they want to keep you in the family.  I told them that it wasn’t going to happen because we made a business deal.”
“So that’s why we’re sharing a room together.” He chuckled.  “I wondered about that.”
“Sometimes, they don’t know when to stop.”
“I should probably be appalled but I’m flattered they think so well of me to want me to stick around.  I guess you can’t blame them for trying.”
“They’ll have a hard time when May comes, but they’ll survive it.”
He shook his head and laid down.  “I’ll be rooting for you tomorrow.” He paused.  “I heard you actually lassoed Jeremiah and Trevor and hung them upside down in the barn when they put itching powder in your saddle.”
She laughed at the memory.  “That was funny.  Poor Bossy wouldn’t let me ride her for a month after that.”
“There’s more to you than meets the eye,” he seriously said.
She blinked at his change in tone.
“You can charge into a bank scaring George Leroy, nearly run your brothers over with a horse and lasso them upside down, yet you manage to look like a woman the entire time you’re doing it.”
“Really?” She didn’t know why hearing him say it was so important to her.  Perhaps it’s because he’s not related to me.
“Hasn’t anyone ever told you that you’re beautiful?”
She shook her head.
“Well, maybe it’s time that changed.” He turned off the light.  “Good night, Sue.”
She tried to respond but she choked on her tears.

***

The next morning, she woke up and saw that Jake had put his blankets on her.  She rolled her eyes.  She was covered under a mountain of blankets.  She shook her head and closed the window and placed some of the blankets on him.  How could he sleep when he was so cold?  Is he really having that hard of a time keeping his hands off of me?  The thought pleased her.  She never thought she could be appealing to a man before.
Sighing, she collected her clothes for the day and went to the bathroom to change.  As soon as she came out of the bathroom, her brothers stood around her.  She rolled her eyes.  “No.”
They grumbled.
“When are you going to stop this nonsense?” she asked.  “Poor Jake spent the night freezing because he had to give me all the blankets, and I got hot so I had to open the window.”
“Oh, really?” Jeremiah grinned.  “So it’s working.”
She realized her mistake.  “He knows what you’re doing, so you might as well quit while you’re ahead.”
“Quit?  What we’re doing is affecting him.  I know a man’s mind, Sue, and he’s going crazy.” He chuckled.  “Thanks for the information.  We were going to go back to the original sleeping arrangements, but now that we know we’re succeeding, there’s no point in it.”
“Fine.  Then I’ll need more blankets tonight.  I won’t have him spending his last night here cold.”
“Who says he’s cold?  That poor man is burning up with desire for you.”
She knew when it was useless to talk sense into him.  “I’ll meet you at the barn after breakfast.”
“I’m looking forward to it, sis.”
So was she, but she would never admit it to him.
After breakfast, everyone gathered around the fence where they kept the cattle so they could watch Sue and Jeremiah compete.  Sue won by lassoing two more cattle than Jeremiah did in the time allotted to them.
“That’s my girl,” her father commented, beaming at her.  “She makes the old man proud every time.”
Jeremiah spent almost an hour eating the remaining crackers and caviar.  He shuddered with each bite and drank a gallon of water.  “This stuff is the worst.  How can you fancy, rich people stand it?” he asked Jake.
Jake shrugged.  “Maybe it’s an acquired taste.”
“He’s just a sissy.” Trevor waved his hand.
Sue grinned.  “At least you did it.”
As soon as her parents, Luke, Patty and Gloria left, Jeremiah looked at her.  “Sue, can you get me some milk so I can wash this junk down?”
“You trust me near the ice box?”
“How can you mess up a glass of milk?”
“Knowing Sue, she’ll find a way,” Trevor joked.  “But seriously, I’m thirsty too.  Get me a glass as well.”
“Why can’t you get it yourself?  You have two feet.” She looked at them.
“You’re always complaining that you want to be treated like a woman.  Well, here’s your chance.  Women get food for their men,” Jeremiah insisted.
She sighed.  “Fine.  Do you want anything, Jake?”
“No, thanks.”
She got up and went to the ice box.  She opened the door and looked inside.  “Where is it?”
“On the bottom shelf, way in the back,” Jeremiah called out.
She ignored her brothers’ laughter as she bent down and reached for it.  What is so funny?  She took out the bottle and put it on the counter.  When she opened the cabinet where they kept the glasses, she frowned.  “Where are they?” she asked her brothers.  You two are up to something and I don’t like it.
“Oh, we moved them to the top shelf.” Trevor chuckled.  “They’re way up in the back.”
“Is it wise to do that when Gloria’s ready to give birth?”
“You’re right, sis.  We didn’t consider that.  We’ll put them back on their usual shelf before she comes in here to cook.”
She eyed them warily.  What is so funny?  She stepped onto the stepladder and looked at the shelf.  “Why did you put them so far back?  I can’t reach this high.”
“Maybe you need a boost.  Jake, why don’t you help her out?”
She noticed that Jake was struggling to hide his amusement as he stood up to help her.  “I got you,” he assured her as he gently lifted her by the waist so she could get the glasses.  By the time he brought her back down and against him, she understood what her brothers were doing.  Her cheeks grew hot from embarrassment.
“I’m cooking dinner tonight,” she loudly announced as Jake stepped away from her.
Her brothers gasped in shock.
“There’s no need to get vicious,” Jeremiah quickly said.  “We’re sorry for offending you, sis.”
They quickly ran out of the room before they could upset her anymore.
“I’m sorry about them,” she told Jake as she put the milk back.  “I didn’t realize what they were up to until it was too late.”
“Don’t be sorry.  I enjoyed it,” he whispered before he kissed her on the cheek.  “You’re definitely a woman.”
She blushed as he left the room.

Chapter Eleven

Jake was relieved to be back home after spending a week at Sue’s family’s farm.  Though he enjoyed most of it, he felt incredibly filthy after riding the horse, being in the pig pen, and falling in the mud.  He took two baths when he got home but he still felt disgusting.  He was glad he wore Jeremiah’s clothes instead of his own because if it had been his clothes, he would have burned them afterwards.  After he bathed, he went to bed, exhausted.  If he had to spend another night in the same room with Sue, he would go insane.  She was too appealing.  He didn’t sleep at all, especially after seeing her reach for milk and holding her in the kitchen.  He was happy to be in his own bed.  After he got a good night’s sleep, he was ready to go to work and hand in his resignation letter to Conrad.
On his way out the door to meet Henry at the buggy, he saw Mr. Blacksmith walking up the steps to his house.  He frowned.  One good thing about being at the farm was that he didn’t have to worry about the bachelors who were suddenly taking an interest in Sue.  It was time for him to go back to his list.  He quickly shut the door behind him before Sue walked down the stairs and saw them.
“Good morning, Mr. Mitchell,” he greeted.
“Mr. Blacksmith,” he politely acknowledged.  “May I help you?”
“Actually, I would like to discuss your relationship with your wife.  I understand it is a platonic business arrangement.  Is that true?”
“Yes, it is.  The annulment will be on May 21.”
“Would it be forward of me to talk to her and get to know her?  I will not reveal my intention to court her until after the annulment.”
An idea came to him.  “Sue is free to talk to whomever she chooses, but for her reputation’s sake, you cannot be alone with her.  I’m sure you understand.”
“Of course.  I would not wish to be improper in my conduct.”
“You are a food critic, aren’t you?”
He nodded.  “Yes, I am.  I’m surprised you remembered.”
“Well, you are a valuable customer at the bank.  I make it a point to remember something about everyone who has an account there.  I find it helps to build rapport.”
“It certainly does.”
“Since you love good food, why don’t you stop by sometime this week for dinner?  My maid, Lydia, is visiting her mother, so Sue has offered to cook meals she is well-known for.  It will be an informal way to properly introduce you to her.  She is somewhat shy about suitors since she was a spinster for so long, so you will understand why I will have to tell her that you are there to discuss business at the bank.  We’ll make something up so she won’t get suspicious.”
“What a brilliant idea, Mr. Mitchell.  I must say, you are handling this situation better than I expected.  I know you are an excellent businessman by nature, but I am impressed with how well you separate business from romance in this arrangement.”
“I never let a woman mess with my head.  It’s the only way to stay focused.  So will you come by Thursday evening at six?”
“That sounds splendid.  I shall be here then.”
The door opened and Sue walked out.  Jake hid his annoyance at how beautiful she looked in her turquoise dress, especially with her blond curls framing her pretty face.  I never should have told her she looked nice with her hair down.  Now every man was noticing how attractive she was.
“Good morning, Mrs. Mitchell,” Mr. Blacksmith greeted, smiling widely.
“Oh, hello,” she said.  “Mr. Blacksmith, isn’t it?”
“Yes but you may call me Tim.  Mr. and Mrs. Gregory tell me that you love to read and would like to travel.”
“I do enjoy reading but I haven’t seriously considered traveling.  I collect old brochures and dream but that is all I do.”
“Perhaps that can change.”
“Well, I doubt it.  I wouldn’t want to travel alone.  It wouldn’t be any fun.”
Jake forced aside his irritation.  Tim wasn’t one for subtlety.  So far he had told her that he wanted to marry her, give her children and show her the world.  Where are these men coming from?  And why does each one keep getting better?
Jake cleared his throat.  “Yes, well we should get going.  You know how Henry is.  We will see you later this week.”
He nodded.  “Yes, Mr. Mitchell.  Mrs. Mitchell.”
Jake breathed a sigh of relief as he left.
“Why does he keep stopping by?” she asked him.  “Is he a friend of yours?”
“Hardly,” he muttered.  “Do you want a ride to the library?”
“No, thank you.  I enjoy the walk.  It’s good exercise.  I’ll see you tonight.”
He watched her as she walked down the street and politely nodded to the people she passed.  A couple men turned to stare after her.  Jake gritted his teeth and went to the buggy.
“Marital problems, sir?” Henry grinned.
“My problem is that it suddenly occurred to me that there are too many bachelors in this town,” he growled.
Henry opened the door of the buggy and let him in.  “I like her too.  She’s quite charming when she wants to be, but don’t let her get to your head.” He winked and shut the door.
She’s not messing with my head.  I’m in full control of myself.  It’s those vultures out there that are the problem.  What was he going to have to do?  Lock her in the house for the next five and a half months?

***

After Jake turned his resignation in to Conrad, who was actually at work that day to announce his retirement, George cornered him in his office.
“What can I do for you, George?” Jake asked as he put his belongings into an empty box.  He didn’t wish to waste another moment in the bank.
George shut the door.
Jake immediately stopped and carefully watched him.  Was Sue right?  Was there venom in his bite?  He waited for George to speak.
“I hear you’ve come into a large inheritance and plan to open your own bank,” George politely stated as he walked around Jake’s desk and examined the contents on it with an interest that bothered Jake.
“I don’t see that it is any of your business,” Jake replied, still watching him.
He shrugged.  “One might suggest that you and Sue Lewis got together to make this plan work.”
“Plan?  What plan?”
“You’re a good businessman and an even better liar.”
Jake put his hands on the table and leaned toward George.  “If you have something to say, then say it.  Otherwise, leave my office.”
“It’s more than a coincidence that Sue shows up at this bank and complains about her family’s debt.  Then suddenly, your father dies and the only way to save her family’s farm is to marry her, which just so happens to be the only way you can receive your inheritance.  That almost sounds like something two people could get together and plan.”
Jake understood what he was saying.  “That’s not what happened.  I have been straightforward about the situation.  Everyone knows about it.”
“Yes.  Both of you walk away wealthy.  One almost has to wonder what else is going on.”
“Since we are being so candid with one another, I will tell you something.  You have poor customer service skills.  If you would treat your customers with half the care you treat your mistress, then I wouldn’t have to open my own bank to give people fair treatment.  However, since you refuse to listen to reason, you will lose customers.  I warned you that if you mistreated Sue, then you would lose business.  If you wish to be my true competitor, you would heed my advice.  Now, if you will excuse me, I have to finish packing.”
“This isn’t over.”
“Oh good.  I do so love our chats,” he sarcastically replied.  “Let me know in advance next time so I can include Sue in the discussion, since you’re so sure we’re in this scheme together.”
George narrowed his eyes at him before he opened the door and left the office.
He closed his eyes and forced himself to relax.  He didn’t appreciate being treated like he was conniving.
Justin knocked on his door.
He opened his eyes and waved him in.
“It’s official,” Justin said.  “I’m out of job here.  You better keep your word and make me vice president of your bank or my kids will go hungry this year.”
He chuckled, relieved to let go of the tension in his shoulders.  “Don’t I always keep my word?  You are due to report to work next Monday.  In the meantime, I have to get things ready for my debut as owner.  Finally, I’ll get to run the show instead of taking orders.”
“It wasn’t bad when Conrad was in charge.”
“No, it wasn’t.  But his son leaves a lot to be desired.”
“Maybe we should put him in a room with Sue.  He was always scared of her.  Remember how he didn’t want to deal with her when she came in here ranting and raving about her family’s debt?”
He grinned.  “That was classic.”
“I kind of like her.  My wife takes our kids to the library to hear Sue give them story time.”
“I saw Sue do one of those stories.  She was presenting Jack and the Beanstalk.  She was pretty good.”
“Anyway, mind if I ask what George wanted?”
“Oh you know George.  He thinks everyone is out to destroy him.  It was one of those moments.”
“He gave me one of those before he talked to you.”
Jake raised an eyebrow.  “What did he tell you?”
“Apparently, you, me and Sue came together late one night to develop a plan to draw customers away from his bank.  Conrad’s not even retired yet, and George has already taken over it in his mind.”
“It was already his.  We were too blind to notice.”
“Anyway, you’d better get your bank open because I took a big risk in quitting today.”
“You have nothing to worry about.  Just show up next Monday at 8:30.  We open at nine.”
Justin nodded and left.
Jake finished putting his things in the box and walked out.  He refused to let George ruin his day.  He had business to take care of and he needed a clear head to do it.
“Where to?” Henry asked him when he reached the buggy.
“My new bank.  I want to start setting up my office.”

***

By the time Wednesday evening arrived, he knew he would have to tell Sue about his invitation to Tim Blacksmith for dinner the next evening.  Sue was reading another book in the chair by the fireplace.  Fortunately, she didn’t notice the way the bachelors looked at her.  She spent so much time as a spinster that it was as if she forgot she was a woman.  He had to admit that the house seemed less empty with her in it.  He put aside his remaining paperwork for the new bank on his desk and turned his attention to Tim Blacksmith.  Now how was he going to talk her into making dinner?
He stood up and walked over to the other chair in front of the fireplace and sat down.
Startled, she looked up.
He hadn’t joined her before.  “What are you reading tonight?” he asked.
“The Scarlet Letter.  I couldn’t put it out of my mind after the comment I made to Miss Gordon at the wedding reception.”
“Did she really think it was a stationary shop?”
“Yes.  Mrs. Walker and I got a good laugh out of it.”
“I’ve noticed that you have a good rapport with Mrs. Walker and some other women in town.”
She shrugged.  “I suppose I do.  They’re nice people.  Now that I am not husband hunting, I can enjoy talking to them at the dance on Friday nights.”
“Just remember to save a couple dances for me.”
“I will.  I do enjoy dancing with you, even if I learned to dance under dubious circumstances.  I think my family will greatly benefit from your discussion with them.  They may not have seemed interested but they remember what people tell them.”
“I certainly don’t want to see them get back into a situation where their daughter has to marry someone to bail them out.”
“It’s not turning out to be that bad of an arrangement.  At least for me.” She stared at her book as she said it.
He found her comment secretly pleasing.  What man wouldn’t like spending time with her?  He cleared his throat.  “Do you remember Mr. Blacksmith?”
She seemed surprised by the change of topic.  “Yes.  He’s the one who likes children and traveling.”
“That’s an interesting way to remember him.”
“It is what he said.”
He wasn’t going to ask her what she thought of the man.  If she said she liked him, then he’d have to feel guilty for chasing him away.  Instead, he said, “He wants to come over here tomorrow evening so he can talk me into a business deal I don’t wish to engage in.”
She frowned.  “I thought you didn’t entertain guests.”
“I wouldn’t call him a guest.  He’s more of an annoyance.  I would like to get rid of him for good, and I need your help.”
“What can I do?”
“I need you to cook one of your poorer recipes.” If meatloaf was the best she could do, he wanted to see her worst cooking.
She cringed.  “My food isn’t exactly edible.”
“Which is why it’s perfect for getting rid of unwanted company.”
“I don’t know.  It seems so devious.  I mean, is it right to subject anyone to my cooking?”
“You subjected me to it.”
“Yes, but I honestly thought I could do a good job on meatloaf.  I didn’t intend to displease you.”
He smiled at her.  “Where did you get the idea that you displeased me?”
“I saw your face when you tasted it.  You couldn’t spit it out fast enough.”
“But your effort did please me.”
Her face lit up.  “Really?”
He nodded.  Any man who so much as pays her a compliment that she notices is going to win her over.  He didn’t have time to waste.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” she asked.  “I don’t want to kill anyone.”
“Oh, there’s no way your food could kill him.” Could it?  “You would be doing me a big favor.”
“Alright, though it seems inhumane.”
“Thank you.  You’re wonderful!” He kissed her on the cheek and went back to his desk.  Grinning, he took out his list and crossed Tim Blacksmith’s name off of it.  Tim was as good as gone once he tasted her cooking.

***

The next evening, Jake went to the kitchen to see if Sue did as he asked, and he was delighted to find her pulling a casserole out of the oven.  He liked the fact that he could trust her to keep her word.
“What’s on the menu tonight?” he asked as he walked over to her.
She set the dish on the counter and sighed.  “It’s my attempt at tuna and green bean casserole.  It tastes good when Gloria makes it, but I’ve never succeeded in making it very well.” She pressed a fork into the runny yellow, gray and green glob.  “I don’t know about this.  Mr. Blacksmith doesn’t seem like the kind of person who’s done enough evil to deserve this.”
“Oh, he’ll be fine.” He waved his hand as if to shoo aside her protests.  “I don’t want him to come back and this will do the trick.”
She shook her head but didn’t say anything.
“Can I sample it?” he asked.
“I’d rather you didn’t.  Even I don’t want to try it.”
“I intend to eat this.”
Her eyes widened.  “Why?”
“To show him that your cooking isn’t as bad as he’ll think it is.”
“You make absolutely no sense to me.”
“If I can handle Rocky Mountain oysters, I can handle anything you make.  At least I know you didn’t put anything disgusting in here.” Though it looks like you did.  He took out two plates and dumped the slop on his and Mr. Blacksmith’s plates.  “You should eat whatever is left over from Lydia’s cooking.  Tomorrow night I’ll take you out to eat at any restaurant you choose.”
He set the plates on the kitchen table.  What would help wash the slop down?
“Can you make some of that hot chocolate for Mr. Blacksmith?” he requested.  He poured himself a glass of juice.
“Alright.  I do feel better knowing he’ll have something decent to drink.”
That’s what you think.  He took a deep breath and put a fork in his portion of the casserole.  Half of it dripped off of the fork.  He sighed.  It was going to be a long dinner.  He tasted it and involuntarily shuddered.  It was much worse than the meatloaf.  He forced himself to swallow it.
“I can’t do it,” she said.  She reached for the plates.
He quickly stepped in front of them.  “It’s perfect.  This is the best worst tasting meal I’ve ever had.”
“It sounds like you’re actually complimenting my ability to make a horrible meal.”
“That’s because I am.” He smiled at her.  “You make me proud.”
She rolled her eyes.  “I don’t think I’ll ever understand you.”
He chuckled.  The doorbell chimed.  It was show time.  “Go ahead and get something decent to eat while I get the door.” He had to admit that she had a big heart.  As he opened the door, he forced himself to smile politely at Mr. Blacksmith who was dressed in one of his best suits.  “Good evening, Mr. Blacksmith.  Won’t you come in?”
“Thank you, Mr. Mitchell.” He took his coat and hat off as he entered the house.  “Don’t you have a butler?”
“Yes but he’s with his wife who just had a baby boy.  He and his wife, who is my maid, will be back on Monday.  So for the time being, I have to answer my own doors.”
“Why didn’t you just hire someone to temporarily fill in for you during their absence?”
He shrugged.  “I don’t mind doing a few things myself as long as it doesn’t involve cleaning or cooking.  Speaking of which, Mrs. Mitchell made one of her best meals tonight.”
“I hope she didn’t go through too much trouble.”
“No trouble at all.  She’s used to cooking since she couldn’t afford someone to cook for her.”
“I must admit that when I saw her at the Friday dance, I wasn’t sure what to think.  It seemed that you were the only one who took note of her.  Oh yes, and Mr. York seemed to be taken with her as well.  It wasn’t until the play that I realized there was more to her than meets the eye.”
“Yes, I was the only decent bachelor who took the time to talk to her.” And now every other bachelor thinks that she’s his for the taking.
“But your interest was business oriented.  You had your pick of plenty of single and pretty women.”
“Who were only out for my money.”
“No one can blame you for thinking that after Johanna Clarke.”
“That’s all in the past.” And I’d prefer to leave it there.  He wished everyone else could learn to leave it there as well.  “Well, dinner is ready.  Sue wanted to make sure everything was set before you arrived.”
He hated to admit it, but Mr. Blacksmith was a nice man.  He pushed aside his guilty conscience and led him to the dining room where Sue had already placed everything neatly out on the table.
“Since this is a business meeting, I thought I would leave you two alone to talk,” she said when they saw only two plates and cups on the table.  “I haven’t entertained guests before, so forgive me if I don’t know the proper etiquette involved with this.”
“You did an excellent job,” Jake replied.
“You don’t have to leave on our account,” Tim stated.
“To be honest, I would rather not be in the room when you taste my food,” she uneasily said.  “If you’ll excuse me, gentlemen, I will be back shortly to see if there’s anything else you need.”
“She’s very modest,” Jake explained.  “But she will return and we can talk her into staying then.” As they sat down, he asked, “So you critique a lot of food.  Have you ever had a meal you didn’t like?”
“On a few occasions but I always manage to eat them.”
You’re in for a surprise.  “This is one of Sue’s best dishes.” He noted Tim’s apprehension as he looked at it.  He took a large bite of the tuna green bean casserole and forced himself to smile while he ate it.  “She outdid herself tonight.  Her food isn’t usually this good.”
Tim nodded and took a small bite of the food.
Jake hid his laughter as Tim blanched.  “So, what are your intentions with Sue?” He took another bite and waited for Tim to answer.
Tim still hadn’t swallowed the food.  He picked up the cup of hot chocolate to wash down the food in his mouth but couldn’t seem to swallow that either.
“Don’t you like it?  If you marry her, you’ll have to eat this stuff all the time.  She prides herself on her ability to cook a good meal.”
He finally swallowed it, his eyes tearing up in the process.  He took a deep breath and pushed the plate away.  “I must be frank with you.  This would condemn a restaurant.”
Jake pretended to look offended.  “She put a lot of hard work into this.” Sadly, that was probably true.  She tried to make a tasty meal but couldn’t seem to pull it off.
“I do have a personal chef, and my job involves a lot of eating out.  I suppose one flaw in a woman is manageable.”
“Oh, she insists on cooking all the time.  She prides herself on her work.”
“Certainly, she can taste her own cooking and realize it’s not adequate.”
“She happens to like her meals.  You will insult her if you don’t eat it.” Just like I probably insulted her the other night.  He sighed.  He was going to finish his plate even if it killed him, which was a possibility.  If he can’t eat this dinner she made, then he doesn’t deserve her, even if he is perfect in every other area of his life.
“I’m sorry, but I cannot bring myself to eat this.  It is not fit for human consumption.  Apparently, this arrangement will not work.  I can’t confine myself to a lifetime of eating this.  Give Sue my regrets.”
Jake stood with him.  I should be relieved so why do I feel like punching the man?  He wiped his mouth with the napkin and calmly showed him to the door.
“You’re a stronger man than I am, Mr. Mitchell.  Good luck.” Tim put his coat and hat on and left.
Jake shut the door, glad he was gone.  He returned to the dining room and finished his portion of the meal.
When Sue walked into the room, she didn’t hide her shock.  “You ate everything?”
He finished his hot chocolate and nodded.  “I sure did.  It wasn’t so bad after I got used to it.” He stood up and picked up the plates.
“Oh, I can do that.”
“No.  I want to help.  Besides, Ralph and Lydia will be back on Monday and I can let them wait on me then.”
“Then the plan worked?  You won’t have to deal with Mr. Blacksmith anymore?” She followed him into the kitchen.
“He’s gone for good, which is fine because he’s not worth the effort.”
“I’ll clean the dishes.  That is one thing I can do well.”
He looked at her and smiled.  “No, it’s not the only thing you do well.  It’s one of many things you do well.”
She beamed at his compliment.
He left the room and laid down so he could calm his upset stomach.

Chapter Twelve

For the first time in her life, Sue spent considerable time getting dressed for Friday night.  She knew that appearances were important to Jake, and she decided she would do her part to look as good as possible for the dinner and dance.  She decided to wear a hunter green long sleeve dress with a heart shaped neckline.  It would show a slight amount of cleavage but there was little she could do to help that since she couldn’t change her bust size.  She wore the diamond necklace and earrings that Jake had given her and slipped on her hunter green high heeled shoes.  She brushed her hair so that it fell in soft curls around her shoulders.  She finally decided to pull the sides of it back with a hunter green barrette so that her earrings would show.  She examined her reflection.  Maybe I am as pretty as Jake claims.
When she was ready, she went to the den since he spent most of his free time sitting at his desk.  He was doing more paperwork.  He spends so much time working.  When does he take time off to have fun?  “Is that more work for the bank?”
He glanced up.  “Yes.  I already have some accounts to open.” He wrote something else on his paper and paused.  He looked up again.
“Did I do something wrong?” she asked as she inspected her dress.
“No.  You did everything right,” he whispered.
She blushed.  “I wanted to make you proud to have me as your companion tonight.  I know you care about what I look like in public.”
“I don’t know.  I may have gotten myself into trouble.  Now you look too good to take anywhere.”
She smiled.  “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
He put his pen down.  “I’m not going to get any more work done tonight with you looking like that.  Are you ready to eat?” He stood up.
“Yes.  Do you feel alright?”
“I was fine last night.  I just wanted to go to bed early.”
She sighed as she followed him out of the den and into the entry way of the house.  “I know my food made you nauseous.  My brothers got sick after they ate it one time.  I should have warned you not to eat it all.  I thought you might take a couple of bites and be done with it.”
“It wasn’t that bad.”
“Well, I would still rather not cook anymore.  Thankfully, Mr. Blacksmith missed out on having to eat it all.”
“That’s not the only thing he missed.”
“Oh, right.  Your business meeting.”
“Something like that.  At any rate, he’s now in the past.  May I put your coat on?” he asked once they reached the closet.
She was pleased.  “Alright.  I must admit I’m still nervous about being in a fancy restaurant.”
“Why?” He slipped the coat over her shoulders and handed her the hat to go with it.
“It’s hard to remember all the rules about which fork or spoon to use. I feel like I’m taking an exam I didn’t have time to study for.”
He grinned at her analogy.  “I’ll give you a hint.  Start from the outside and work your way in.”
“Oh. Well, that’s simple enough.”
“Are you sure you want to return to Luigi’s?  There are other places to eat in town.”
“I wanted to try the lasagna last time but got sidetracked by the ravioli.  I suppose all their food is delicious.”
He slipped on his coat and hat and walked her to Henry’s horse-drawn buggy.
“Good evening, Mrs. Mitchell, Mr. Mitchell,” he greeted.
“Good evening, Mr. Reynolds.” She stopped before getting in.  “I saw your wife and children at the library today.  They said you write children’s poetry.”
His face turned red.  “It’s just a hobby.”
“According to your wife and children, you’re pretty good.  My brother writes short stories and plays.  I can understand a writer’s modesty, but I would love to read one of your poems sometime, if that would be acceptable to you.”
“They are biased in their opinion of my work.”
“There’s no pressure.  I didn’t mean to put you on the spot.” She sat in her seat.
Jake raised an eyebrow at him.  “I didn’t know you wrote poetry.  If you’re any good, I can talk to a publisher I know.”
“We shall see, sir.”
“Understood.” He sat across from her.  As soon as Henry moved the horses forward, he said, “You have a way with people, Mrs. Mitchell.”
She thought it was odd he called her that but decided not to comment on it.  “Perhaps I am nosey.”
“No.  His family revealed that information to you.  You didn’t eavesdrop to find out.  You may not have noticed but he was pleased you mentioned it.”
She shrugged.  “It wasn’t a big deal.  I enjoy reading so it naturally grabbed my attention.”
“You found something that he was interested in and mentioned it.  That is a business tactic I use to build rapport with a customer.”
“Is your mind always on work?”
“Not always.” He grinned.  “I consider other things.”
“Like what?”
“I’ll tell you over dinner.”
She decided she could wait.  She was looking forward to eating at Luigi’s again.  After years of eating oatmeal, bean soups, and other mediocre meals, the flavors of Lydia’s cooking and the chefs’ cooking at the restaurant was a treat.  When they got to the restaurant, she was surprised to see Jim and Belinda Hawke eating a meal there.  She had told Belinda that she and Jake had plans to go to Luigi’s when Belinda stopped by the library with her children, but Sue didn’t imagine for a minute that they would show up.  She knew it was wrong to dislike her friend’s husband, but she couldn’t manage to be social to him.  He disliked her as much as she disliked him.  Most likely, we don’t get along since we are both strong-willed.  Then she considered that Jake was strong-willed as well and she got along fine with him.  Perhaps it was what they were all strong-willed about that made the difference.  She was ready to ask Jake if he would mind going somewhere else or back home when the host came to show them to their seat.  She breathed a sigh of relief when they went in the opposite direction from where Jim and Belinda sat, for she didn’t wish to have to greet him.
After they sat down and ordered their meals, Jake turned his attention to her.  “Have you ever been to a symphony?”
“No,” she replied.
“Would you like to go to one next Friday evening?”
She blinked in surprise.  “But what about the dance?”
“We’re going tonight.  That should be good for a couple of weeks.”
“My contract says I have to go to the dance every Friday.”
He shrugged.  “So we’ll bend the rules a little bit.  Next Friday, I have to spend the day in Richmond.  I’ll be taking a train early in the morning so I can get to a meeting with another bank owner by the afternoon.  Then my evening is clear and I heard there will be a symphony playing there.”
“You want me to meet you for the symphony?”
“Actually, I was going to ask if you can take Friday off and spend it with me.  There will be two hours in the afternoon where you’ll be on your own.  There’s plenty of things for a woman to do in Richmond.  I doubt you’ll get bored.  I hear they have a bigger library than what we have here.”
“I haven’t taken a day off work since I got sick two years ago, so I suppose I could get it off.” She didn’t think her marriage to him would involve such entertainment.
“You wanted to know what I do for fun.  This will give you an idea.” He smiled.  “I know I’m mixing in some business.”
“I notice you blend the two when you can.”
“At least the dance will be more entertaining with you there.”
She blushed.  She wasn’t used to receiving so many compliments, but she found that she liked them.
“Would you like to check out an actual Shakespeare play in New York City two Fridays from now?” he asked.
Her eyes grew wide.  “I’ve never been to New York.”
“And you haven’t seen Shakespeare in the theater.  Isn’t it time all of that changed?”
“What’s the play?”
“Does it matter?”
She grinned.  “It might.”
“It’s Much Ado About Nothing.”
“It would be nice to watch a comedy.”
“And we can eat at this restaurant I like to go to that overlooks the city.  You can get fresh seafood there too.”
“Do you have to go to a business meeting first?”
“No.  I go to New York a couple times a year for no other reason than to be entertained, but I haven’t gone with anyone.”
“I must admit that I’m pleased you find me good enough company to take along.”
“Well, you’re turning out to be a good companion.  I think it will be more fun if we go to these things together, especially since I know you enjoy them as much as I do.”
“At least now we don’t have to pretend to be friends.”
The waiter brought them their meals.  Just as Sue was about to eat, she saw Belinda whisper to Jim while pointing their way.  She sighed and put her fork down.
“What’s wrong?” Jake asked.
“Nothing obvious.  Mr. Hawke and I don’t get along very well.  I will try to be on my best behavior for your sake.” She knew that she had a tendency to create a scene when someone upset her.  Lord, help me keep calm.  I want Jake to have a pleasant evening.
Jake glanced over his shoulder and turned back to her.  “He’s not my favorite person either.”
She was surprised by his statement.  What reason did he have to dislike Jim?
Jim and Belinda walked up to them.  “Mr. Mitchell, good evening.  I thought I saw you over here.”
She focused on her food so she wouldn’t roll her eyes.
“Good evening, Mr. Hawke, Mrs. Hawke,” Jake politely replied and stood up.  “I trust you know my wife, Mrs. Mitchell, since she and your wife are good friends.  You look lovely this evening, Belinda.”
Belinda smiled and thanked him.
“I wished to congratulate you on your marriage,” Jim continued.  “I didn’t get a chance to do so at your wedding.”
“Did I mention that my wife is here?” Jake continued to smile.
“Oh, yes.  Sue and I have known each other since I married Belinda.”
“Then it’s only fitting that you say hello to her.  After all, I said hello to Belinda.”
“Good evening, Sue,” he reluctantly stated.
“Good evening, Mr. Hawke,” she replied.  “Belinda, would you like a breath of fresh air on the veranda?  Then the men can talk alone.” She noted that her friend looked bewildered.  Belinda hated confrontations.
She nodded.
Just as Sue stood up, Jim touched Belinda’s arm and gave a slight shake of the head.
“I think I will stay here instead.  I’m sorry, Sue,” Belinda replied.
How can she be happy with him?  The man is a brute.  She stiffly sat back down and took a deep breath.  Don’t make a scene.  It was like that every time Sue and Belinda met in public and Jim was around.  He didn’t want Sue to fill his wife’s head with ideas of how to be independent.
“Actually, if you wish to discuss business, we should do it another time,” Jake said, his tone still pleasant.
“What a fine idea,” Jim readily agreed.
He’s like an eager schoolboy around Jake.
Jim continued, “I would be delighted if you would come to a dinner party sometime this week.  Belinda makes a wonderful pot roast.”
“Mr. Mitchell doesn’t go to dinner parties,” Sue interrupted, trying not to let her irritation show.  “Belinda, did you not explain that to Mr. Hawke?”
“Uh...yes,” she softly said.
“My wife is right, Mr. Hawke.  I do not attend dinner parties,” Jake replied.  “If you wish to discuss business, I will be happy to do so at the dance.  I do all of my after hour business dealings there.  Otherwise, I open my bank on Monday at nine.  It is across from the dress shop on Delaware Avenue.”
Sue noted the rising tension in his voice.
“Then Belinda and I shall be going,” Jim rigidly stated.  “I might keep my business with Mr. Leroy.”
“You are certainly within your rights to do so,” Jake easily responded.  “I won’t hold that against you.”
“Good evening then, Mr. Mitchell.  Come along, Belinda.”
Jake cleared his throat and nodded in Sue’s direction.
“Oh right.  Good evening, Mrs. Mitchell.”
Sue followed Jake in saying the proper good-byes and released her breath as soon as they left.  She hated to see Belinda treated like a child.
Jake sat back down.  “I can appreciate your fear of being controlled when we got married.”
She tried to relax but it was difficult.
“Try not to let him get to you, Sue.  Men like that aren’t worth the effort.  Just be glad he married Belinda instead of you.”
“I wouldn’t have married him if he was the only one in town who could pay off my father’s debt.  Even Mr. York was a better catch.”
“And where do I fit on that list?” He was smiling again.
“At the very top.  I couldn’t have done better,” she softly admitted, staring at her plate.  “Thank you for standing up for me.  It was nice to have someone defend me for a change.”
“You always had to defend yourself?”
She nodded and looked at him.  “Jeremiah tried to defend me but he was five years younger so no one paid him any mind.”
“So that’s how you got to be bold.”
“Sometimes you do what you have to do.”
“Well, I will do what I can.”
She didn’t expect to be so touched by the reality that he would defend her.  “Thank you, Jake.”
After they finished dinner, they went to the dance where Mr. Evans took their hats and coats.
“Marriage agrees with you, sir,” he told Jake.  “You actually look happy to be here tonight and no wonder with the beautiful Mrs. Mitchell on your arm.”
“Yes, she’s turning out to be good company, and she can dance better than any other woman in this place.  Do you know I have to fight off bachelors now to keep her to myself?”
Sue assumed he was joking so she laughed.  “It’s not like that, Mr. Evans.  Men hardly notice me.  But it is nice that Jake does.”
Jake smiled at her as he led her towards the dance floor.
“Oh, Mrs. Mitchell,” Mr. Evans stopped them.  “I hate to interrupt you but Billy forgot to bring his book back to the library on Friday.”
“That’s no problem.  I can take it on Monday during the story hour.  A couple of late days isn’t going to make a difference to the library budget.  Do you know Mrs. Walker made enough money from the play to cover all overdue books for the year?  I’ll just take the amount due from that fund.”
He nodded, relieved and went to hang their coats and hats up.
Jake shook his head in amazement.  “I think you’re going to bring more customers to my bank than I will.”
“Now how do you conclude that?” She followed him onto the dance floor and accepted his offer to dance.
“You win people over left and right just by being nice to them, and they’ll see you with me and figure that I must be a great banker if I’m married to you.”
She shrugged.  “It’s easy to be a friend to a woman or child.  They are easy to please.  I have a more difficult time knowing what to even say to a man.  That’s probably why I was a spinster for so long.”
“You don’t seem to have trouble talking to me.”
“Well, I know you.  You’ve seen me at my worst and didn’t run away.  Jeremiah and Trevor were right when they said you don’t say no to a challenge.”
“They said that?”
“Yes.  You had just fallen off of Bossy and you jumped right back on.  It was impressive to watch.”
“And I thought you were only interested in fixing the stable doors in the barn that day.”
“I did fix them.  What we really need is someone to repair the roof.  I offered to pay for it but my family won’t take anymore money, except for Gloria to see a doctor about her pregnancy.”
“I might have the solution to that problem.  When this dance ends, I’ll talk to Mr. Blake over there.”
She looked at the middle-aged man who was standing next to his wife and talking to another couple.
“He came into the bank a month ago to apply for a loan but we had to deny him because he didn’t have enough collateral.  He knows how to build and repair roofs.  I bet he could use a couple of the cattle your family has in exchange for the service on the roof.  He sells the finest steaks in town to restaurants.”
“That would be a good arrangement,” she acknowledged.  “You really do care about your customers, don’t you?”
“I do what I can.  Sometimes the best answer is no but it’s always better when I can do something to help.”
“I was wrong about you, Jake.  You do have a lot to offer a woman besides money.  You’re generous, kind, thoughtful, and brave.  Anyone who can eat all of my food and stand up to my brothers has to have a backbone made of steel.  And you are a handsome man.”
“You better watch out, Sue.  I just might fall in love with you if you keep talking like that.” He said it jokingly, but she wondered if there was a serious undertone in his words.
When the dance ended, he excused himself so he could talk to Mr. Blake for her.  As she turned to walk off the dance floor, two bachelors jumped in front of her, both wanting the next dance.  She looked from one to the other, flustered.  Should she dance with them so they would do business at Jake’s bank?  She hadn’t thought to ask Jake what she should do in a situation like this since she didn’t imagine it would actually happen.  Deciding it would probably look bad if she didn’t dance with them, she agreed to dance one dance with each of them.
The first one was Wilbur Vance who seemed awfully young, but she determined that he was old enough to open his own bank account.
“Have you heard that Mr. Mitchell is opening a bank on Monday?” she began.  “It is across from the dress shop on Delaware Avenue.”
“Yes, I heard.  Good for him.  It’s time someone did something about Mr. Leroy.  Did you receive my flowers?” he asked.
She winced as he stepped on her right foot but forced herself to smile.  I’m doing this for Jake.  “What flowers?” Where were these flowers that he and Mr. Blacksmith talked about?
“I sent you flowers right before Christmas.”
“Are you sure you sent them to the right person?”
“Mrs. Sue Mitchell.”
“That is my name.  But why would you send me flowers?”
“Why not?  You’re absolutely breathtaking to look at and you’re kind to the children at the library.”
“How old are you?”
“Twenty-five.” He stepped on her foot again.
“You have no right to think of me in those terms, Wilbur.  Why, you’re younger than my brother Jeremiah.”
“But age is just a number.”
“And you need more years to mature.  I assumed this was going to be a discussion about Mr. Mitchell’s bank.”
“Why would I talk about his bank?  I’m not interested in him.  I’m interested in you.”
She stopped dancing.  She wanted to slap him for being fresh with her but refrained since she was in front of people Jake wanted to impress.  “You are too young, and I’m not interested.  Please leave.”
“Alright.  I don’t see what the big deal is, but I’ll honor your wishes.” He held his hands up in the air and walked away from her.
She was practically fuming.  He has a lot of nerve!
The second bachelor came up to her.  “Did he give you a hard time?”
“I thought he wished to discuss Mr. Mitchell’s bank,” she replied.  “Is that your intention?”
“Actually, it is,” he said.
“Good.  Then I will be happy to dance with you.”
He was as poor of a dancer as Wilbur.  Her feet were going to be sore for a couple of days.  “I’m Daniel Riley.  I heard that your husband is an excellent banker.  How did he manage to break free of the bank he was working at?”
She considered his question.  “I suppose he used the money already in his savings account.  He will probably reimburse the amount with the rest of his father’s inheritance.”
“I heard about that.  You received half of it on your wedding day, didn’t you?”
“Apparently, it’s not a well kept secret.”
“I think everyone understands the circumstances surrounding your marriage.  So, did Jake mention anything else about his inheritance?”
“May I ask why that is pertinent to the bank?”
“You’re right.  I was merely making small talk.  He is due to open the bank on Monday, correct?”
“Yes.  Do you know where it is located?”
“I heard you tell Mr. Vance the details.  I do intend to stop by and open an account.  Do you think Jake will need more money to support the costs of owning a bank that his inheritance doesn’t cover?”
“I really don’t know those details, and to be honest, I don’t understand why it matters.  Aren’t you more interested in the type of accounts you can open up?  It is highly competitive with Mr. Leroy’s bank.”
“Mr. Leroy isn’t happy with the competition.”
“Well, that is what he gets for treating his customers so poorly.”
“Have you really been telling everyone who’ll listen about his decision to reject Mr. Mitchell’s proposal to save your family’s farm?”
“I did for a week but then realized I should focus on helping Jake with his business instead.  He does a good job of taking care of his customers.  You will be in good hands if you do decide to take your business there.”
“Oh, I’m definitely going to do that.” He turned her around on the floor and almost knocked her over.  She quickly steadied herself but he stepped on her feet again.  “Tell me, did you and Jake plan this from the beginning?”
“Plan on getting married because of his father’s inheritance?”
He nodded.
“No, we didn’t.  I was ready to marry Mr. York when Jake proposed the idea to me.”
“So he offered a better deal than Mr. York did?”
“He did.  I only have to be married to him until May 21.  Then we can get the annulment.”
“Then he’ll receive his half of the inheritance.  I saw in the paper recently that his father had a reputation for stealing money.  Did Jake mention that?”
“Actually, he didn’t mention his father except in conjunction with the terms of the will.  I’m sorry, Mr. Riley, but I’m having trouble understanding why you aren’t asking about the banking services that Jake will provide his customers.”
The dance ended and he kissed her hand.  “I will stop by and find out more on Monday.”
“Alright.” She nodded, secretly relieved to be done with the dance.  She wiped the back of her hand on her dress to get rid of the feel of his lips on them.  There was something about him that bothered her, though she couldn’t put her finger on it.  Instead, she turned to leave the dance floor so she could rest and talk to some of the women who had expressed their desire to talk to her at the dance since she declined every dinner and luncheon invitation they had sent to her.  She knew that this would be the perfect time to socialize with them.
As she made her way to Mrs. Walker and Mrs. Parker, another bachelor asked her to dance.  “I’m sorry, sir, but I need to discuss some matters with my friends.  I hope you understand.”
He looked sad but accepted her answer.
Why are all these men asking me to dance all of the sudden?  It doesn’t seem like they are as interested in Jake’s bank as they should be.  She pushed aside her questions and left the dance floor.

Chapter Thirteen

Jake spent the weekend setting things up in his bank.  He used his pent up frustrations for energy.  He couldn’t believe the nerve of the bachelors in town who kept asking Sue to dance on Friday night.  He would try to get back to her when someone came up to him to discuss his bank.  Had it not been for the fact that she declined most of the invitations to dance so she could talk to some of the wives, he would have picked her up and dragged her home.  Fortunately, she seemed to be blissfully unaware of their intentions.  Why didn’t the men take the time to notice her before he married her?  It wasn’t his fault that they didn’t get to her first.
He tried not to let his sour mood show when a box of chocolates and flowers from an Ethan Bower arrived at his house on Sunday afternoon shortly after he and Sue came home from church.  Since Sue was in the den reading, he was able to throw them out before she discovered them.  He immediately added Ethan Bower to his list.  He was able to cross Wilbur Vance off the list since he watched her tell him to leave her alone at the dance.  So he had to tackle Donald Cline, Ben York and now Ethan Bower.  Would the list ever end?  It seemed the more appearances she made in public, the more men noticed her.  Who wouldn’t notice her ever since she started wearing nicer clothes and letting her hair down?  He was glad that he could enjoy her company for the next two Fridays safely out of town.
On Monday morning, he arrived at work an hour early and unlocked the door so Justin and his other employees could get their things ready for business.  He did feel a sense of pleasure and accomplishment when he saw his name with the word “President” on his office door.  It made all the aggravation with George Leroy worth it.  He sat at his oak desk and glanced at his office which was decorated with three oak chairs, one his and two for visitors, and a large bookcase which displayed pictures of places he had traveled to.  He had several books and a large file cabinet in the corner of the room, but for the most part, it was open and free of clutter.  He even had a window so he could see the dress shop and other businesses from across the street.  He could also see who was coming into the bank.
He opened his daily planner so he could pencil in upcoming appointments.  So far several new customers had opened accounts at the bank.  Things were going better than he had hoped.
A knock on his open door brought his attention to Justin who was grinning at him.  “Did you have a good time on Friday?”
“What is that supposed to mean?” he asked.
“Sue is certainly catching a lot of attention.  Leave it to you to take an oyster and pull out the pearl.”
He inwardly shivered at the mention of oysters.  After eating Rocky Mountain oysters, he didn’t think he would eat actual oysters ever again.
“Anyway, I thought you looked unusually happy until she started dancing with other men,” Justin continued.
“Technically, she is married.  Their behavior was inappropriate.”
“Does she know that she’s been getting flowers?”
“No.  And you’d better keep it that way.”
“Hmm...”
Jake was beginning to get irritated.  “What?”
“You’re not starting to care for her, are you?”
“Of course not.  She’s a friend but that’s it.”
“A man could be lucky to have such a beautiful friend.”
He didn’t like the way Justin looked amused.  “Get in here so we can discuss business,” he growled.
Justin got serious and sat down.  “What is it, boss?”
“On Friday, I have a meeting in Richmond.  I need you to fill in for my responsibilities on that day.  Then next Friday, I am going to New York on a weekend vacation, so I’ll need you to take over for that day as well.”
“I’m looking forward to it, boss.  Is there anything else?”
“Mr. Gregory and Mr. Walker requested several investment accounts, which you will help them with.  Mr. Gregory will be in this afternoon at three and Mr. Walker will come by first thing tomorrow.  Jerry Thompson and Stephen Michael don’t have the necessary experience to help them yet.  They will learn with time but right now you need to train them.  Meanwhile, I will be running around most of the day taking care of loose ends.”
“Do any of these loose ends involve Sue’s suitors?” he asked, looking amused.
“Everything I need to do is strictly business,” he snapped.
“Sure.” It was obvious Justin didn’t believe him.  “I heard that Donald Cline plans to go by the library to help Sue with her children’s story hour at eleven.  You might want to fill that into your daily planner while you’re running around doing everything else, business related of course.”
“You’re in a sensitive position, Justin.  As your boss, I could easily fire you.”
“You wouldn’t dare.  I have a wife and children to feed and clothe.  I need this job.”
“Then let’s stick to business.”
He shrugged.  “Very well.  Is that all?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
Jake scowled at him as he left his office.  He doesn’t have to act like he’s enjoying it.  He grumbled as he erased his original appointment at eleven and changed it to one.  He took the list out of his breast pocket.  At least, Donald Cline was one of the names on it.  He stared out the window and tried to remember who Donald Cline was.  He tapped his pencil on the desk.  His mind was blank.  He was ready to ask Justin who the man was when he recalled his friend’s enjoyment over Sue’s future potential suitors.  Why do I care?  I shouldn’t care.  I should be happy for her.  Her life will be better now.  A woman shouldn’t live her life as a spinster.  She should have a husband and children, especially when she’s as caring as Sue is.
“Mr. Mitchell,” someone interrupted his thoughts.
He glanced away from the window and saw a nervous looking twenty year old Stephen standing right outside his office door.  “Come in, Stephen.”
“Actually, there is someone who insists on talking to you.  I offered to help him or for him to talk to Mr. Monroe, but he’s adamant that it must be you.”
“Who is he?”
“Daniel Riley.  He said he spoke to your wife at the dance and she recommended he talk to you about the investments the bank offers.”
Was that just another diversion for another man to get close to Sue?  “Mr. Monroe is perfectly capable of handling that discussion.”
“I told him that but he won’t take no for an answer.”
He sounds a lot like Sue.  She didn’t take no for an answer either when he met her.  He sighed.  “Alright.  Bring him in.”
Daniel Riley was a skinny, tall man who looked too young for Sue.
Before he could speak, Jake asked, “How old are you?”
Daniel blinked.  “Forty.”
So he’s older than he looks.  “Sit down.  I understand you were talking to my wife on Friday and she referred you to me.” At least, that’s your story.
“Yes, Mr. Mitchell.  She was most helpful in directing me to you.  I had wondered if it is true that your marriage with her is strictly platonic?”
“Are you asking me if you can court my wife?” He was beginning to feel like her father weeding out prospective suitors and he didn’t like it.
“Actually, I was interested in how you decided on such a marriage.”
“I don’t really think that’s any of your business.” He leaned forward and glared at him.  “If you’re here to discuss business, then we’ll talk.  Otherwise, I’m not interested.  I won’t discuss my personal life.”
“But isn’t she business?”
He clenched his jaw.  “What are you getting at?”
“Well, she did say that you received a rather large sum of money from your father who instructed that you marry in order to receive your inheritance.”
“She offered that information?” He didn’t like the way this conversation was going.  Daniel was up to something.  He kept shifting around in his chair, as if he had something to hide.  Jake wasn’t a poker player, but his father had taught him a few tricks on reading a player’s bluff before he left him and his mother.  “What else did she voluntarily disclose?”
“Apparently, she was desperate to save her family’s farm.  She would have married Mr. York, the old one, if you hadn’t intervened.  I suppose she felt she had no other alternative.  She said you offered a better deal because at least with you, the marriage will end in May.  According to her, this was arranged so that her family is debt free.”
The pencil snapped in Jake’s hand, though he was doing his best to hide his annoyance.  Was that what she was telling all the men?  No wonder they felt free to actively pursue her even though she was still married to him.  He relaxed his fist.
“You don’t have any personal interest in her, do you?” Daniel raised an eyebrow in interest.
“Unless you are here to discuss a banking question, this discussion is over.” He stared at Daniel, refusing to blink.
Daniel finally looked away.  “I have been discussing the bank, Mr. Mitchell.  Without Sue’s help, you wouldn’t even be the owner of this place.”
“Get out.”
He shrugged.  “I suspected as much.  Perhaps I’ll go back and talk to her.  I hadn’t considered courting her, but she’s actually decent to look at after you fixed her up.  Good day, Mr. Mitchell.” He left before Jake could yell at him, which Jake was ready to do.
Jake jumped out of his chair and grabbed his coat.  On his way out the door, he saw Justin walking to his new office.  He decided to talk to Justin first.  He waited until Justin was in the office before shutting the door behind them.
Justin spun around.  “I didn’t know you were behind me.” He sighed with relief.  “Don’t give me a heart attack before my time.”
“Who is Daniel Riley?” Jake demanded, not in the mood for small talk.
“I don’t know.  I’ve never heard of him before.  Was he the man who just came out of your office?”
“Yes.  He’s not the most pleasant person to talk to.”
“What did he say?”
“He kept asking about my marriage to Sue.  He wanted to know the details of that arrangement.”
“And I thought you didn’t care about her that way.” He smiled.
“This has nothing to do with that.  You have a one track mind.  Look, do me a favor, alright?  Keep your ears open for anything you hear about Daniel Riley.  He must be new, but maybe someone around here knows something about him.  He’s after something and I have a feeling it has to do with money.” He turned to open the door.
“Not everyone is after your money, Jake.”
“You think I’m paranoid.”
“Aren’t you?”
“When you have as much money as I do, you have to question people’s motives.”
“Not everyone is Johanna.”
“Don’t bring her up.  She’s in the past.  My conversation with Daniel has nothing to do with her.”
“I just don’t want you to put Sue in the same category as you put Johanna.”
“Why would I?  She’s completely different.”
“That’s a relief.  I actually like Sue.”
“Speaking of which, I have to talk to her about Daniel Riley.” 
He didn’t wait for Justin to respond as he left the bank.  He was too angry to ride a buggy, so he walked to the library.  The cold January air helped to calm him down enough so he didn’t go yelling for Sue as soon as he opened the library door.  He walked over to the children’s story hour room.  He rolled his eyes when he saw that Donald Cline was helping her narrate some nursery rhymes.  He couldn’t tell if she was enjoying his assistance or not.  This time he didn’t hide behind a bookshelf to watch.  He sat in a chair in the back of the room and crossed his arms.  He noted that it was a quarter past eleven.  Daniel Riley had kept him longer than necessary at the bank.
He didn’t pay attention to what Sue and Donald were doing up front.  His mind replayed his conversation with Daniel.  The man was after something, and it involved Sue.  But how?  He must be after money.  Perhaps, he’s after her money now that she has some.  Maybe he wants to know how much she’s worth?
“It’s always nice to see you, Donald,” Sue warmly said once the story was over.
Jake broke out of his thoughts and frowned as she smiled at Donald.  They seemed to be having a personal conversation as the group dispersed.  This is insane.  Why is she flirting with him when I’m here?  He stood up and walked past the women and children.  He noted that a little girl stood by Donald.  I suppose he thinks Sue will make a good mother for his child.  I wonder what happened to his wife?  He knew some widowers sought out brides to fill the position the children’s mother used to possess.
“I’m sorry, Donald.  I should introduce you to Jake Mitchell,” she said.  “Did you hear about the wedding?”
“I did.  Good morning, Mr. Mitchell,” he politely stated as he held out his hand.
Jake crossed his arms.  “Is it really a good morning, Mr. Cline?”
He seemed baffled as he put his hand down.  “It is for me.”
“Daddy, can we go look at books now?” his daughter asked.
He turned to talk to her.
“Jake, what’s wrong with your manners?” Sue whispered so Donald wouldn’t overhear.
“My manners?” he whispered back.  “What are you doing being so friendly to him?  Have you no consideration for other’s feelings?”
“I don’t see what the problem is.  Donald came by to announce his engagement to Martha Howell, and he brought my niece by so I could see her.  I don’t get to see her very much since Emma died.”
Jake immediately felt his anger fade.  “Oh.  He was your brother-in-law.”
“Yes.  What did you think he was?”
At least I can safely cross him off the list.  “I’m sorry.” Turning to Donald, he said, “Forgive me, Mr. Cline.  I thought you were making advances at my wife.”
Sue rolled her eyes.  “No man was interested in me before I got married so why would one be interested now?” Then she went to put the chairs and toys away while her niece helped.
“I understand, Mr. Mitchell,” Donald said.  “I wasn’t able to attend the wedding because I had to work.  I moved to Ohio shortly after Emma’s death.  The Lewis family was supportive, but I found a good job that offered a good salary so I could hire a nanny for Cynthia.  She was one at the time of her mother’s death.  Anyway, she’s four now, and she loves Martha Howell as much as I do.  I’ll be marrying Martha next week.  It’s hardly enough notice for the Lewis family.  I don’t expect them to attend but wanted to bring Cynthia by for one more visit before things get hectic.  I try to make it over here twice a year so Cynthia can see her aunts and uncles and grandparents.  I tried to make it for Christmas but had to spend it with Martha’s family.  The Lewis’ understood.  They are good people.  I did manage to come by to see the play but had to leave right after and couldn’t congratulate Sue or Trevor until today.  I am a doctor so my schedule isn’t structured.”
“I’m glad to hear you bring good news.”
“Yes.  I missed Emma for the longest time.  It’s nice to have a woman to love who loves me back again.  Women aren’t the only ones who get lonely.”
Jake wasn’t comfortable discussing his feelings so he refrained from speaking.
“Anyway, I’m glad Sue finally got married.  She and Emma were completely different, but Sue has many good qualities that I often found men overlooked.  She told me about the arrangement you two made.  I can tell that she is happier now than she was before.  She’s determined to help you succeed with your bank.  Apparently, some men were asking her to dance and she couldn’t understand why they wanted to talk about her when she assumed they would be wanting to hear about your bank.  She’s always been a bit naive, though in a good way.  Believe me, she’s not aware that the men are looking.  I guess it’s because she’s felt unlovable for so long that she’s forgotten she has something to offer a man.  She told me that she’s glad she has gotten a chance to know you.  She enjoys your company.”
Sue and Cynthia returned to them.
“Daddy, Aunt Sue said that Mommy’s horse is still at the farm.  Can I ride her?” Cynthia asked.
“Yes, you may,” he replied.
So that was why Emma Lou was the only horse that didn’t have a nickname like Bossy or Trouble.
“Congratulations again, Donald.” Sue smiled and hugged him.  She bent down and hugged Cynthia.  “Now you be good to your new mother, alright?”
“I will.”
“Well, Cynthia and I should get going.  We still have to meet up with the Lewis family.  It was nice meeting you, Mr. Mitchell.”
This time Jake shook his hand.
“It was nice to meet you,” Jake said.  After they left, Jake turned to Sue.  “Why didn’t you tell me he was coming?  I would have wanted to meet your niece.”
“I didn’t know until he showed up.  Apparently, he sent flowers and a letter but I never got them,” she replied.
That made sense since he kept throwing out anything any man sent her.  “Oh, well, that’s all done with now.  There’s no sense in living in the past.” The sooner we can forget the missing flowers and letter, the better.  He changed the topic.  “Do you know someone named Daniel Riley?”
She thought for a moment.  “I met him last Friday.  He kept stepping on my feet at the dance.” She cringed at the memory.  “My feet are still sore from that experience.”
“Do you remember what he talked to you about?”
“He wanted to ask about your bank.”
“What did he want to know about it?”
She shrugged.  “I’m really not sure.  He said he wanted to discuss some accounts that you offered, but then he kept asking me questions about your father and the inheritance.  I couldn’t understand what he wanted.  He was difficult to read.  Did he go by your bank?  I told him you could answer his questions better than I could.”
“Yes, he did, but he’s not interested in banking.”
“Then what does he want?”
“I don’t know.” But I’ll find out.  “Would you like to get some lunch?”
“Yes, that would be nice.  Let me get my coat and hat.”
He watched as she left the room to get her things.  He felt better after hearing Donald explain what Sue thought of their marriage.  It helped him put his conversation with Daniel in proper perspective.  I’m going to have to keep a close eye on Daniel Riley.  I can’t trust a thing he says.

***

Jake found he looked forward to meeting Sue for lunch during the rest of the week.  He wasn’t able to take her out every day because of an appointment he had on Wednesday, but he made sure his calendar was clear the rest of the days.  On Tuesday, Sue was finding a book for a boy who couldn’t have been older than fifteen, and Jake caught him staring at her backside as she climbed the ladder to reach the top shelf to get the book he requested.  Jake gave him a strong pat on the back and said, “That’s my wife you’re looking at, boy.  If I catch you staring at her like that again, I’ll throw you through the window.” As far as he knew, the boy didn’t go near her again.  Then he told her it would be in her best interest to let the men and boys get their own books from the top shelves.  She seemed to understand his meaning for she blushed for the next hour.
Thursday afternoon before he left the bank, he asked Justin to come into his office.
“What can I do for you, boss?” Justin grinned.  He seemed to enjoy calling Jake “boss” all the time.
Jake hid his amusement.  “I haven’t seen or heard anything about Daniel Riley since he was here Monday.  Have you learned anything about him?”
“No.  As far as I know, no one has seen him.  Whoever he is, he’s keeping a low profile.”
Which means he has something to hide.  “I won’t be here tomorrow.  If he comes by, don’t let him do any business.  I don’t trust him.”
“He might be at the dance tomorrow night.  Maybe you should postpone your business meeting and stay here.  It would give Sue the chance to dance with him.  She might be able to pry some useful information out of him.”
“No.  I really want to go to the symphony with her.”
“Oh, so this isn’t really about business.”
“I will still meet with Mr. Brothers at his bank.”
Justin smiled widely.  “Are you afraid to let Sue free on the dance floor?”
“Hardly.  She’s not even aware that men are interested in her.  She thinks that they want to ask her about my bank.”
“Really?  That’s good to know.”
Jake raised his eyebrow.  “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing.  Go to Richmond and have a great time.  I’ll hold down the fort while you’re gone.”
He decided not to press the issue and went home.  He groaned when he saw another bouquet of flowers.
“The delivery man said it was from her brother-in-law,” Lydia quickly said when he was ready to throw it out.
Jake stopped on his way to the trash can and read the card.  Dear Sue, Forgive the delay in sending these flowers to congratulate you on your direction of Trevor’s play.  It was a delight to watch.  My warm regards to your husband.  Donald Cline.
“Alright.” He put them on the table by the front door.  “We can keep these.”
Lydia smiled as she held her son in her arms.  “You have to start reading the cards before you throw them out.  Not everyone is out to steal your wife from you.”
“Apparently not.  While Sue and I are gone tomorrow, why don’t you and Ralph take the day off?  There’s no sense in being here if there’s no work to do.  Next week, we’ll be in New York from Friday to Sunday afternoon, so you should take next weekend off.”
“That is very kind of you, sir.  If you don’t mind my making an observation, it’s nice to see you include her in your world.”
He shrugged.  “She likes symphonies and plays.  What am I supposed to do?  Leave her alone while I run off to have all the fun?”
“If that’s the way you reason it, then that is fine.”
He ignored her and went to the den where he kept his safe, which was behind the painting of the Roman Coliseum.  He used the combination to open it.  He always kept some extra cash in it for emergencies.  He also kept his will and paperwork that proved he owned the bank in it.  In the back was his father’s will and other items that Mr. Barnett felt necessary to give him after the funeral.  He hadn’t bothered to look at the folder before, but ever since Daniel Riley’s visit and his questions regarding his father’s will, he felt it was necessary to go through it, though he dreaded it.  He hated to have any reminder of his father in his house.
He walked over to the desk and threw the folder on it.  “Might as well get this over with,” he muttered as he sat down.  He opened the folder.  He was already familiar with the will, so he set it aside.  In an envelope was a letter his father had written to him one week before his death.  In another envelope was a newspaper article he hadn’t read yet.  He ripped the first envelope open and took out the letter.  He read it:

To Jake,

I know you have every right to be mad at me for abandoning you and your mother when you were ten.  I have lived with the regret of that decision for many years.  I understand that you may not want to read this letter, but it’s very important that you do.

Jake rolled his eyes.

There are things I have done in my past that may come back to haunt you.  I have accumulated most of my wealth through honest means, but a substantial portion of it was gained illegally when I robbed jewelry stores across several states.  As with all thieves, I was dishonest with my partner.  I hid a bag of jewelry worth half a million dollars in a trunk in the basement of the cabin I used to take you and your mother to before I left.  It is secluded and my partner doesn’t know about it.  I was supposed to give him half of the jewels but I didn’t because I was selfish.  This trunk is under the floorboard in the corner by the wobbly shelf.  You remember that shelf.  You knocked it down a couple of times.  I bought some dynamite and put it in the closet of the basement in case I ever got found out.  My plan was to blow the place up before the cops or my partner could find me.  I confessed that I stole the jewels and the police got them but my partner came by my hospital bed last night.  I told him I turned the jewelry in, but he doesn’t believe me.  He doesn’t know the location of the cabin.  I had the police keep that information confidential since I didn’t want my partner coming after you to get to it.  In the other envelope is a newspaper clipping about the police “discovering” the missing jewels.  I wanted to prove to you that I have turned my life around.  I cannot undo the past of what I did to you and your mother, but I was able to get honest at the end of my life.  I hope that this will help you know that I did get right with the Lord and maybe you can forgive me.

Your Father

P.S.  Don’t make the same mistakes I did.  Live right while you are young and you won’t have any regrets.

Jake took the envelope and opened it.  He read the newspaper clipping which related the police stumbling upon jewels worth half a million dollars.  They didn’t give the location of the hiding place but said the jewels were returned to the rightful owners.  He put both items back into the folder and put them back into the safe.  He didn’t know why his father felt it was so important to confess his crime to him.  He closed the safe.  He didn’t want to think about it.  He turned back to his desk and took out some documents he would fill out for work.  Work was the way he coped with unpleasant issues in his life.  He found a sense of purpose and serenity in it.
An hour later, Sue came home and brought the flowers into the den.  He glanced up from his work.
“Did you see these?” she asked, obviously pleased with them.  “Donald sent them.  Wasn’t that thoughtful?”
“I thought you hated flowers,” he stated, surprised that she was excited to get them.
“I like flowers in a vase.  They brighten up the room.  But I don’t like them on my clothes or blankets.  They don’t go well with this room.  Maybe I’ll put them in the parlor.”
As she left, he wondered about her comment.  What else does she like that I don’t know about?

***

The next day, they took the train to Richmond.  He was glad she could join him.  His trips were usually boring, though he spent most of his time reading.  It was nicer to have her to talk to.  She hadn’t been on a train before and he grinned at her enthusiasm for the experience.  With her, this was a new world.  She was used to the farm and the library, but outside of that, her life had been limited.  What would it be like to take her to Europe?  What would she think of seeing Greece in person?
They reached Richmond in good time, and he took her to lunch before his business meeting at Brother’s Bank.  He didn’t feel like parting from her but reminded himself that he would see her in a couple of hours.
“I’ll be at the library.  Do you want me to come back here or will you stop by to get me?” she asked him.
“Why don’t you do some shopping before you read a book?  Buy yourself something you like.”
“Well, I can’t really think of anything to get.”
“Is there nothing you wish for yourself?  You spend so much time thinking of everyone else.  Why not do something for yourself for once?”
“I am.  I’m going with you to the symphony tonight.”
She definitely isn’t with me for the money.  She really does enjoy my company.  “Alright.  I’ll meet you at the library.”
She nodded and he left the buggy and handed the driver the money and tip for taking her there.
When he entered the bank, he saw George Leroy there as well.  “It’s a small world,” he politely stated as he shook George’s hand.  “How is your bank doing since your father retired?”
“Not too bad,” George stiffly responded.  “Of course, you did take some notable clients.”
“Did I?  Or was it your doing?”
“You married her to gain sympathy for everyone in town.  You saw how the wives were attracted to her and thought if you struck up your business arrangement with her, she would sway some people over to your side.”
“If that’s your take on the events, so be it.” He wasn’t going to argue with his competitor.  He didn’t realize George would be vying for an agreement with Mr. Brothers.
Mr. Phillip Brothers, the owner, walked out of his office and came up to greet them.  “Good afternoon, gentlemen.  I am pleased to meet with you,” he shook their hands.  “This is a bit unusual for two different banks to be in such close proximity to each other.  I hope you understand I will only be able to choose one of you to do business with.”
“Certainly,” George said.
“Of course,” Jake agreed.
“Very well then.  I will show you to the meeting room and bring in the board members.  They will be instrumental in voting for which one of you to go with.”
After Jake sat across from George at the large marble table that seated ten people, they sat in silence for a minute.
“I won’t let you bring my bank down,” George said.
Jake raised his eyebrows.  “The first rule of business is to be calm.  If you begin to sweat, you lose your credibility.  I can already see the beads of sweat on your brow.”
“I’m not as weak as you imply.”
“I never said you were weak.  I just told you to relax.  Your desperation is showing, and Mr. Brothers will smell it a mile away.”
“You always thought you were better than me.”
He decided not to justify that statement so he kept quiet.  He didn’t like George, so why was he letting the man get under his skin?  There’s venom in his bite.  He recalled Sue’s comment.  He shifted uneasily in his chair.  He breathed a sigh of relief when Mr. Brothers brought in seven board members and made the introductions.
“I hope you don’t mind that I brought my son, Todd, in with us,” he said.  “He will inherit this bank one day, so I think this experience will greatly benefit him.”
Jake glanced at the boy.  He couldn’t have been more than seventeen or eighteen years old.  Jake recalled how unsure he had been of his future at that age.  The poor boy looks like he’s walked into the most boring event of his life.
When Mr. Brothers began talking, Jake turned his attention to the meeting.  Jake and George presented their folders to Mr. Brothers and answered all of his questions in an orderly manner.  Jake had to hand it to George who could brown nose when he needed to.  But Jake was determined to succeeded based on his ability and experience rather than flattery.  Overall, Jake thought the meeting went well.  He glanced at the boy a couple of times.  He doesn’t want to be here.  His father must be running his life.
Jake didn’t want to get involved in someone else’s business but as he was ready to leave the bank, he noticed the boy looking at some pictures.  He sighed.  It really felt like the Lord was tugging on his heart to speak to the youth.  Lord, I better not be out of line here.  Give me the words You want this boy to hear.
“What did you think of the meeting?” Jake asked.
Todd looked up from the black and white pictures and quickly set them in his drawer so he could stand up.  He adjusted his tie.  “I’m sorry, sir.  What did you want?”
“I wanted to know what you thought of the meeting.”
“It was alright,” he replied with a shrug.
Jake grinned to himself.  “What did you think of the theory of increasing interest rates on investment accounts to attract more business?”
“It makes sense as long as you can keep profits up.”
Jake allowed his smile to show.  “No one mentioned interest rates.  You weren’t listening in there.  Your mind is on something else.  Do you mind if I ask what it is?”
He glanced at his desk uncertainly.
“Look, I had a controlling father who even now is running my life.  I am thirty-five and can help steer you in the right direction if you let me.”
Todd looked at him again but hesitated to say anything.
“It’ll be our secret.”
He nodded and took out his pictures.  “I don’t want to work here.  This is what I want to do.  It’s a farm out in North Dakota.”
Jake took the pictures and looked through them.  “Why do you want to farm?”
“I can’t get it out of my mind.  I have a friend whose relatives tell me all about it, and the more I learn, the more I’m interested in it.”
He chuckled.  “She’s not a farm.”
He blushed.  “She’s just a young lady I know.”
“Very pretty.  Does she have a name?”
“Ann Statesman.  But she’s not mine.  She belongs to him.  He’s Kent Ashton.”
Jake glanced at the other boy who was standing by his father who was conducting business with a teller.  “So why do you have her picture?”
“Hope.”
“Who knows?  You might end up with her if you tell her how you feel.” He gave him the pictures back.  “If farming is what you have a passion for, then you should pursue it.  You can’t confine yourself to a profession you can’t get excited about.  I love banking.  I wake up every morning and want to go to work.  You should have the same experience.  Life is too short to waste on something you can’t enjoy.”
“I try to tell my father but he pushes the issue away.”
“How old are you?”
“Seventeen.”
“Well, you’re almost an adult.  You’ll have to start making adult decisions.  You can’t let your father run your life for you.  You’ll end up miserable if you do.  And he doesn’t have to know your plans.  Soon you won’t be living under his roof anyway.  As for the girl, tell her how you feel.  She might want to be with you.  Oh, I do recommend hiding those pictures.  There’s no sense in starting a fight over something that is ultimately your decision.”
“Thank you, sir.  It’s strange that I had just been praying for guidance.  It looks like God used you to answer me.”
“I had the same sensation.  It must be from God, so you know what to do.  I’m glad I could help.”
Todd nodded and sat back down as Jake got ready to leave the bank.
“Oh, Mr. Mitchell,” Mr. Brothers called out to him.  “Will you please come back here?”
Jake turned around and walked over to the president’s office.  “What can I do for you, Mr. Brothers?”
“I didn’t want to say anything when Mr. Leroy was here, but the decision is already made.  This bank will work an arrangement with your bank.  Your customers can do business here when they are in Richmond and our customers will do business at your bank when they are in your town.  Will you sign this contract before you leave?”
“Yes, I will.  Thank you, Mr. Brothers.” He was pleased that the decision had been so easy.
He went over to a desk in the lobby to fill out the necessary paperwork.  The boy named Kent sat in a couch close to him.  Though Jake had his back turned to him, he could hear Kent talk to the young lady sitting next to him.  The girl in Todd’s picture wasn’t the same girl who was talking to Kent.
“Why do you insist on marrying Ann Statesman instead of me?” the girl asked.
Jake rolled his eyes.  It was one of those discussions.
“Ann Statesman comes from one of the wealthiest families in town,” the boy replied.  “She has a considerable dowry.”
Jake focused his attention on the conversation.  It sounded oddly familiar to what he overheard from someone in his past.
“But I thought your affections were for me,” she argued.
“They are, Rebecca.”
“So why don’t you court me?  Who cares about the money?”
“It’s a lot of money we’re talking about.  I want to do some traveling and entertaining.  Her money will provide for that and more.”
Jake quickly finished signing the contract after he read through it and walked by Todd’s desk.  He leaned over the desk and looked at the startled boy.  “You do realize that if you give up this job and go farm, you’ll have to give up a lot of money.”
“Yes, sir,” the boy said.  “I have considered that.”
“And what of the girl you care for?”
“She would have to make do without a lot of money too.  That’s one of the reasons I don’t think she’ll go with me.  I couldn’t buy her the things she’s used to.”
“You really love her, don’t you?”
He nodded.
“Even though she wouldn’t bring any money into your marriage?”
“If I cared about money, I wouldn’t want to farm.”
Jake was satisfied with his answer.  “Tell the girl you love her before you go, even if you don’t think she loves you in return.  Take the risk.”
Todd nodded again, his eyes wide.
Jake went to Mr. Brothers and handed him the contract, which Mr. Brothers signed and notarized.  As they shook hands and took their copies of the contract, Jake said, “I commend you on raising a fine son.”
“Why, thank you, Mr. Mitchell,” he replied, pleased.
Jake nodded and left the bank.  He shook his head in disgust.  People like Kent really bothered him.  Any marriage built on the basis of money wasn’t going to be a happy one.  He found a driver to take him to the library and got out when the buggy stopped.  As he was about to turn to the library, he sighed.  He turned his attention to the driver.
“Do you know a man by the name of Mr. Statesman.  He has a daughter named Ann?” he asked.
“Yes, I do sir.  He works down the street.”
“Do you mind stopping by there on the way to the restaurant?”
“I can do that, sir.”
Just as he was ready to go into the library, Sue came out to greet him.  “That is a gorgeous library,” she said.  “They are doing some great things in there that I think Mrs. Walker would like to incorporate into her library.  I can’t wait to tell her about it.”
She’s so beautiful and she doesn’t care a thing about my money.  He took her in his arms and kissed her.
She blushed.  “Jake, we’re in public.  People will stare.”
“Let them stare.” He shrugged and smiled at her.  “I got the contract and wanted to kiss you to say that I’m glad you came with me today.”
“Oh, well that’s nice.”
I caught her off guard.  He led her to the buggy and sat next to her.  “I wasn’t sure about marriage but you have made it something I actually enjoy.  You’re a wonderful friend.”
“I feel the same way about you,” she shyly replied.
“I know and that’s why I appreciate you so much.”
“To Mr. Statesman’s office, sir?” the driver asked.
Jake blinked.  He hadn’t been aware that the driver was waiting for his instructions.  “Yes, please.” As the driver got back into his seat, he told her, “I hope you don’t mind if I make one stop before we eat dinner.  I have to warn a father that her daughter’s beau isn’t who he appears to be.”
“You really do care about people.  I think that’s very honorable of you.”
He appreciated her compliment.  It’s nice to be with someone who likes me for me.

Chapter Fourteen

Sue enjoyed the symphony.  The music reminded her of different stories she had read, so while the music played, her mind took her to one of the many books she was familiar with.  Jake must have noticed her pleasure, for he rested his hand on hers and smiled at her during the performance.  She blushed at his action.  She didn’t understand why he was being so affectionate but found that she liked it.
On the train ride home, he squeezed her hand.  “What did you think?  Did you enjoy the symphony?”
“Yes,” she replied, acutely aware of the feel of his strong hand around her smaller one.  “It was a thrilling experience.  I can see why you go to them as often as you do.”
“I must admit that it was much better with you there.”
She smiled.  “I’m glad you took me along.  The Sunday before we got married, I visited Belinda, and she made marriage sound dreadful for a woman.  She made it sound like the husband was allowed to go out and do whatever he wished while his wife had to stay home and plan dinner parties or go to luncheons.  I admit that it put me in a rather bad mood when I signed the contract on Monday.”
He chuckled.  “So that’s why you went into a lecture about how you were going to keep doing your own thing regardless of what I thought.”
“Yes.  I suppose I should have asked you what your intentions were.  Had I known you would treat me as well as you do, I wouldn’t have quarreled with you.  Anyway, it was nice to be able to go with you.”
He sighed.  “I had my own doubts about marriage as well.  I was afraid you would be so concerned with entertaining guests that you would force me to stay home so I couldn’t go to symphonies or plays.”
“Then it’s a good thing we share the same interests.”
“It is a good thing.  There’s no reason why we can’t do the things we are interested in together.  I think it makes those things that much more enjoyable.  I like to dance with you, but it’s nice to have you all to myself.  I was getting tired of trying to fend all the other men off of you last Friday.  You are in high demand.”
She didn’t know why he kept insisting that she was attracting so many bachelors all of the sudden.  “They only wanted to ask me about your bank.  Well, except for Mr. Vance.  I don’t understand why he wanted to dance with me.  He is only twenty-five.”
“Did you wish to dance with other men who are your age or older?”
“Only to discuss your bank.  I do what I can to help you.  I noticed you were doing well with some of the men you talked to.  I imagine you made some good business deals.”
“Yes, I did.  It was a very profitable night.  I’m a very lucky man to have a wife who does so much to help me.  You’re an amazing woman.”
“I want to see you succeed, and not just because of George Leroy.  You treat people very well.  You’re the kind of person who should be running a bank.  You may not realize it, but you do a lot of good for people, and you have more friends than you realize.  You are highly respected.”
“Well, I am learning that a good and beautiful woman can do wonders for a man.”
She blushed, pleased by his words.  “I think you’re the one who better watch out.”
He glanced at her curiously.  “Why?”
“If you keep talking like that, I might fall in love with you.” She tried to sound as playful as he had the previous Friday when he said it, but she feared her emotions betrayed her.  She quickly looked out the window though it was dark outside and she couldn’t see much beyond the shapes of the trees.
He leaned towards her and whispered, “Would that be so bad?” He kissed her on the cheek before turning his attention to the book he had been holding in his lap.
No, it wouldn’t.  In fact, it would be rather pleasant.  But she didn’t dare entertain the idea he might wish to be with her beyond May 20.  She was a spinster.  Suddenly six months seemed like an abnormally short period of time.

***

During the week, she looked forward to lunch when he would stop by and take her out to eat.  She was relieved she didn’t have to go back to her cooking.  She didn’t realize her food tasted so poorly until she ate other people’s meals every day.  She tried to help out Lydia and Ralph when they needed it, but they usually assured her that they had everything taken care of, and Jake said he could hire someone to help them if necessary.  “You’re my wife, not a servant,” Jake told her.  “It’s acceptable for you to let someone else take care of you for a change.”  She did enjoy holding the baby and answered Lydia’s questions regarding infant care.  Since she had helped her mother raise her younger siblings, she was used to caring for infants and children.
She was looking forward to the birth of her niece or nephew.  Jeremiah and Gloria stopped by the library after one of Gloria’s doctor appointments on Thursday.  It was near closing time, so there were a few people still looking through the bookshelves or reading at one of the many tables.  Sue led them to the children’s room which was empty so she could talk to them without having to whisper.
“How did the visit go?” she asked Gloria.
“Better than I hoped,” she admitted.
“He has a good reputation in town, and his wife is a regular at the library so I know of him fairly well.”
“You sure do a lot of networking when you’re here,” Jeremiah said.  “I never realized how influential you are in town.  Word is that you are a big help to Jake.  Mr. Leroy is furious with you for costing him many of his customers.  I always knew your bold determination to get your way would make you an asset to some man.  A good woman supporting her man can only lead to him wanting to keep her around.  Speaking of which, have you kept him yet?”
“Jeremiah, I made you promise not to bug her about that,” Gloria admonished.
“Oh, how could he do better?  I already got the best woman.  He might as well have the second best.”
“You’re quite the smooth talker,” Sue noted.
“We should pay Jake a visit while we’re here.  It’s only right that we include him in our rounds of greeting the town folk.  You and Jake should come out to the farm this weekend.  Old Bossy needs a good riding after being stuck in her stable.”
“We’re going to New York this weekend.”
“Really?  Now isn’t that interesting?” He wiggled his eyebrows at his wife.  “Maybe she’ll keep him yet.  He’s already showing her parts of the world she’s always wanted to check out.  What will you be doing there?”
“Seeing Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing in the theater.”
He whistled.  “Trevor’s going to get jealous.  He’s been itching to see a play since he started writing them.  Mind if he tags along?”
“Yes, I do mind.” She frowned.  “Don’t invite him along.”
He glanced at Gloria and grinned.  “She’ll keep him well before the six months is up.”
She rolled her eyes.  “I just don’t want him there to explain every detail of the play.  He has the whole thing memorized.”
“Only because he’s trying to imitate Shakespeare’s style.  He’s exploring different writing styles.  He already has this year’s Christmas play outlined.  Once he gets started on a writing project, he doesn’t quit until he’s done.”
“Anyway, you should come out soon,” Gloria said.  “We want you to see the work Mr. Blake did on the barn.  He’s a good worker.”
“I’m glad that worked out for everyone.” Now that the barn was repaired, Sue felt much better.
“Where did you say Jake’s bank is located?” he asked.
She told him.
“We’ll go check it out.  Maybe we’ll open an account there.” His eyes lit up.  “That’s a good excuse to go see him.”
She hugged Gloria before they left.  “How is your anxiety?”
“It gets better each day.”
“I look forward to seeing him or her.” She turned to her brother.  “You better be going easy on her.”
“Of course, I do.  All I let her do is cook.  Mother can’t cook for all of us men and kids.”
“He does take good care of me,” Gloria assured her.
“Good because if he doesn’t, you let me know and I’ll rope him up and hang him upside down in the barn.”
“I’ll be sure to threaten it to him.”
“You’d better not let Jake hear you talk like that.  We don’t want you to scare him off,” Jeremiah said.  “We’ll see you later, sis.”
Sue chuckled as they left.  She was glad that Gloria was feeling better about the pregnancy.  She wanted to see her sister-in-law with her own child.  The first miscarriage she suffered came shortly after Emma gave birth.  It was tough to be happy for Emma while grieving for Gloria.
As she walked to the front desk to gather the books that hadn’t been put away yet, a man around her age came up to her.
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Mitchell,” he greeted.  “May I introduce myself?”
She stood with several books in her arms, uncertain.  “Did you need help finding a book?”
“Actually, I was going to ask you if I could help you put those back where they belong.”
“I can manage.  I do this every time I come in here.  Did you wish to discuss Mr. Mitchell’s bank?”
“No.  I’m not interested in him.  I wanted to talk to you.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re a beautiful woman.”
“Who’s married.”
“But only until May 20.  That is my understanding.  Your marriage is strictly business, correct?”
She hesitated to answer.  She was aware that the books were getting heavy in her arms.  “Yes,” she slowly replied.  Maybe.  I’m not sure anymore.  She hadn’t given it much thought as she concerned herself with the daily routine.
“My name is Ethan Bower.  Did you get my flowers?”
Why does every man suddenly think he is sending me flowers?  Is there another Sue Mitchell out there who they’re mistaking me for?  “I am not sure what you are talking about.” She shifted uneasily from one foot to the other.
“Excuse me, Mr. Bower,” another man interrupted.  “I wish to have a word with the lovely Mrs. Mitchell.  I am Ben York.  Did you receive the flowers I sent?”
Her eyes grew wide.  What is going on here?  “I have no idea what either one of you is talking about.” She paused.  “Did Jeremiah put you up to this?”
“Who is Jeremiah?” Ethan asked.
“Her brother.  My great-uncle mentioned him,” Ben replied.
She looked back at Miss Stallone who shrugged.  Help me, she mouthed.
The pretty twenty-two year old nodded and walked to the front of the desk.  “May I be of assistance to you gentlemen?”
Ben took a good look at her and smiled.  “Actually, yes.  Would you help me find a book I’ve been looking for?”
She smiled back.  “What is the book called?”
“I’m not sure but it is about two young star-crossed lovers whose parents are enemies, so they get married without their parents knowing but it all ends in tragedy when both die.”
“Are you talking about William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet?” Sue asked in disbelief.  Of all people, Ben York didn’t strike her as a literary enthusiast, much less a romantic.
“Yes, that’s the book,” he replied.  Turning to Miss Stallone, he asked, “Can you help me find it?”
She giggled.  “I know where the book is.”
He eagerly followed her as she went to the appropriate bookshelf.
“Well, it looks like I have you all to myself,” Ethan said.  “I’ll help you with those books if you’d like.”
“I have to be honest with you, Mr. ...?”
“Bower.”
“Mr. Bower, I am married.  I don’t think our conversing is appropriate unless there is a goal involved.”
“I do have a goal.  I would like to get to know you better.”
“Why?”
“Isn’t it obvious?  You are a very beautiful woman.”
“Again, I must be blunt.  I am married.”
“But everyone knows it’s a business arrangement.  In May, you will be a free woman again, and I would like to court you at that time.”
She hadn’t anticipated this turn of events.  “I don’t know.  I’ve grown rather fond of Mr. Mitchell.”
“I see.  Far be it from me to stand in your way.  However, should you change your mind, I’ll be around.  Good day, Mrs. Mitchell.” He put his hat back on and left the library.
She breathed a sigh of relief and went to put the books away.  She noted that though Ben York was holding a copy of Romeo and Juliet, he was far more interested in talking to Miss Stallone.  She supposed she should be happy for her co-worker who looked just as interested in him as he was in her, but it suddenly occurred to her that if her marriage did end in May, her life would seem unusually empty.  She had been content enough before but she knew she wouldn’t be if she went back to being a spinster.  Maybe this was a mistake.  Maybe I should have let my father go bankrupt.  Though Jake seemed more friendly than he should be, there was no guarantee he would want to stay married to her, especially considering his negative views on marriage when she met him.
She turned back to the remaining books in her arms and started putting them away.  She had to climb the ladder to reach the top shelf for her last book.
“It’s a nice view from here,” someone drawled.
She gasped when she saw Daniel Riley staring up at her.  “Sir, I will thank you to keep your eyes off of me when I’m up here.”
“It’s hard to miss a pretty thing like you.”
“I don’t mind dropping this five hundred page hardback book on your head.”
“I’ll be very happy to agree to your terms.” He turned his back to her while she climbed down the ladder.
The nerve of this man!  She didn’t appreciate being ogled as if she were an immoral woman.  She stood in front of him.  “What do you want, Mr. Riley?”
“I wish to court you,” he smiled.
She didn’t hide her amazement.  “What is it with all you men today?  Is my brother behind this?”
“You have a brother?”
She blinked.  “Never mind.  Did you get a chance to talk to Mr. Mitchell at the bank?”
“I did.  But I admit, he’s not the one I’m interested in.  You are.  So you aren’t in a real marriage with him, are you?”
“I already discussed that with you.  I don’t see what this has to do with anything pertinent.” She quickly walked out to the lobby where they were in sight of other people.
“I told you what my intentions are.  I wish to woo you.”
She narrowed her eyes at him.  “Why?”
“Because you are a very desirable woman.  Don’t you know that?”
She felt uncomfortable with anyone but Jake telling her she was nice to look at.
“You shouldn’t be afraid of who you are,” he said.  “You have a lot to offer a man.”
She suddenly felt like he was undressing her with his eyes.
To her surprise, Henry entered the library.  She was relieved.  She didn’t like the way Daniel was looking at her.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Reynolds,” she greeted.
Daniel nodded.  “Sir.”
Henry glanced at him.  “Good day.  I’m sorry I don’t recognize you.”
“I’m Daniel Riley.” He shook his hand.  “I was just telling Mrs. Mitchell here that she is an attractive woman who is worth any man’s attention.”
Henry looked uncomfortable.  “With all due respect, Mr. Mitchell is well aware of that fact.”
He was?  Sue was pleased by this knowledge.
“Yes,” Daniel continued, “I wish to express my intention to court her once their marriage is over.  Then at least she can enjoy the more pleasurable side of marriage.  I would rather discuss the details with him.  If he has no objections, then I at least will know she is free to be with me in May.”
“I believe that is ultimately my decision,” she firmly stated, her cheeks getting hot as she became aware of her anger towards him.
“Yes, you’re right.” Daniel smiled knowingly.  “I heard you were a feisty one.  I bet you’re a screamer in the sack.”
She slapped him.
“I don’t mind a little roughhousing, my dear,” he sneered.
“You must leave, sir, before I throw you out,” Henry coldly told him.
He still wore that annoying satisfied smirk.  “Tell Mr. Mitchell I will be by next Wednesday at six at his house.  Good day.”
She shook her head in disbelief.  He was a disgusting man.  She went to get to her coat and hat.  When she returned, he was gone.
Henry sighed.  “I don’t think Jake’s going to like it when he hears this.”
“That man is a creep.” She shook off the effects of his visit.  “What brings you here?”
“I decided to give you a couple of my best poems to read.  I thought it would be alright if you read them.”
“I’m very touched, Henry.” She took the neatly folded papers he handed her and began to unfold them.
“I’m shy about my work.  Would you please wait until I’m not looking before you read them?”
She nodded.  “I will do that.” She slipped the poems into her pocket.  “Can I show them to Jake?”
“Only if you think they’re good enough.” He paused.  “Since I am here anyway, would you like a ride home?”
“That would be nice.  Thank you.”
She followed him out to the buggy and just as Henry was ready to open the door, a bachelor about her age came up to her.
“I’m glad I caught you before you left work,” he said.  “Allow me to introduce myself.  I am Bob Tanner of Tanner Lumber Supplies.  I asked for a dance on Friday but you were busy.”
She had a hard time remembering all the new names of the men who had been coming up to her throughout the week.  “Hello, Mr. Tanner,” she politely greeted.  Why aren’t people going to Jake if they want to do business with him?
“Did you get the flowers I sent you?” he asked.
“Flowers?” Again, it was another story about flowers.  She was beginning to get annoyed.  “Mr. Tanner, I don’t know what is going on but the floral delivery person is messing up your order.  I don’t know where the other Sue Mitchell is in this town but you really need to have a discussion with the florist about this.” She turned to Henry and shrugged.  “It’s been nonstop about flowers.”
“You’re the woman I sent them to,” Mr. Tanner replied.  “I am dismayed they didn’t get to you.”
Now she was more baffled than ever.  “Why would you send me flowers?  I don’t even know you.”
“I know we haven’t officially met, which is why I wanted to introduce myself.  I was hoping the flowers would help break the ice.”
“Wouldn’t it be easier to talk to Mr. Mitchell about opening a banking account than to go through me?  I don’t mind helping him but this is getting downright annoying.”
Henry coughed.
She glanced at him.  Was he trying not to laugh?  She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Jake walking towards them.  “There is Mr. Mitchell.  You may talk to him in person.  Really, he is not as intimidating as he initially appears.”
Henry was struggling not to smile as he opened the buggy door for her.
“Is there something humorous?” she asked him.
“Yes but I’m not at liberty to say.  It involves Mr. Tanner’s facial expression.”
She looked out the window and saw Jake greet Mr. Tanner.  Mr. Tanner didn’t seem unusually funny.  He seemed rather pleasant as he talked to Jake.  Jake nodded his head in the other direction and he and Tanner walked far enough from the buggy so she couldn’t make out what they were saying.  She shrugged.  Whatever Mr. Tanner wanted, he was getting the help he needed so she didn’t need to concern herself with such matters anymore.
While she was waiting for Jake, she decided to read one of Henry’s poems.  She smiled as she read it.  She had time to read another one before Henry told her Jake was coming.  “Let him read them,” she told Henry.  “These really capture the essence of childhood.”
“You mean it?” He looked pleased.
She nodded.  “I’ve read many poems and these are good.”
“Alright.  You can hand them to him.” He opened the door to let Jake into the buggy.
She was surprised when Jake sat next to her.  She liked being close to him.  “So did you take care of business with Mr. Tanner?”
He glanced at her and smiled.  “Yes.  As a matter of fact, I did.”
Henry urged the horse forward.
“Have you gotten any flowers at the house?” she wondered.
“The ones from Donald Cline?”
“No.  Flowers from some of the bachelors in this town.  I don’t know why but suddenly all these men are coming up to me and asking me if I got the flowers they sent.  I told them that if they want to speak with you about your bank, then they need to go to you directly.  I don’t understand why they feel the need to go through me first.”
He chuckled.  “You are doing everything you can to send business my way, aren’t you?”
“Of course.  I don’t see why that’s so funny.”
He put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her.  “It’s not funny.  It’s wonderful you do that for me.”
She blushed.  Whenever he touches me, I feel like a school girl with her beau.  She cleared her throat.  “Henry has agreed to let you read some of his poetry.  They are excellent in style and presentation.”
He put his arm back to his side and took the paper she offered him.
She read three other poems and handed him the other sheet.
“I’ll have to tell the publisher I know about these,” he commented.  “I don’t make it a habit to read children’s poetry, but I recognize talent when I see it.” He shook his head.  “All these years I knew Henry and I had no idea he could write.”
“Did Jeremiah and Gloria stop by to see you?”
“They did and we have been invited to the farm next weekend.”
“You plan to go back after the Rocky Mountain oysters and being thrown off of Bossy?”
He grinned mischievously.  “Oh, I’m going back.  Caviar isn’t the only thing I can give them.”
She didn’t hide her amusement.  “What are you planning?”
“That’s for me to know and you to find out.  I don’t want you to take any of the blame.”
“How protective of you.”
“I do what I can.”

***

Sue packed her suitcase in anticipation.  She couldn’t wait to see a theatrical play or New York City.  She was already dressed and ready to go to the train station before anyone else was up on Friday morning.  She decided to sit in the den and read Much Ado About Nothing.  She planned to read most of it on the train so it would be fresh in her mind when she saw it that evening.  A half hour after she began reading, the doorbell chimed.  She wondered who would come by so early but decided to answer it.
A young man was at the door with a large envelope.  “Sorry to disturb you this time of morning, ma’am.  Mr. Barnett said this was urgent.”
She signed the slip saying she received it and thanked the young man.  She shut the door and wondered what could be so important that Mr. Barnett would write, “Jake, read this as soon as you get it.  Your life may depend on it.” She frowned.  She was tempted to open it to find out what was in it but knew it wasn’t right to go through Jake’s things without his permission, so she took it to the den and put it on his desk.
She tried to get back into the book but her eyes kept drifting to the large envelope.  She was relieved when Jake walked into the den.  She jumped out of the chair and followed him to his desk.  “You got something from Mr. Barnett.”
He hadn’t expected her to be there, so he jerked when he heard her voice.
“I didn’t mean to scare you,” she said.
He smiled at her.  “Good morning, Sue.  What came for me?”
“An envelope from Mr. Barnett.”
He picked up the envelope and took it to the painting of the Roman Coliseum.  He moved the painting aside and opened the safe.
“Aren’t you going to open it?” She couldn’t hide her shock that he would dismiss the lawyer’s warnings.
“I’ll open it later.” He shoved it into the safe and closed the door.
“But it says it’s important.  He even wrote that it might be a matter of life or death.”
He put the painting back in place and shrugged.  “It has something to do with my father, and I seriously doubt it’s that crucial.  It can wait.  I’d rather enjoy my weekend.”
She hesitated to say anything but decided to speak.  “Mr. Barnett does not strike me as the kind of person who would carelessly write that kind of message on the envelope.  If there is something that important, I would feel better if you dealt with it now rather than later.”
“We’re going to New York for the weekend.  Whatever it is, it can wait until we get back.”
She sighed and nodded.  She knew she wouldn’t be able to talk him into reading it if he didn’t want to.  She also knew she wouldn’t be able to read the book, so she picked it up and walked out of the room.
Jake ran up to her.  “Sue, you’re not mad, are you?”
“No.  You’re an adult.  I’m just worried, that’s all.”
He looked pleased.  “You do care about me.”
“Of course, I do.  You’re a good man.”
“I will open it when I get back.  I promise.  I don’t think anything is going to happen to me in New York.  If it’s going to happen, it’ll happen here.”
That was probably true.  “That does make me feel better.”
“You never cease to amaze me.  So let’s enjoy this weekend.  Alright?”
“Alright.”
After they ate breakfast, they boarded the train.  She was still thrilled to ride the rails.  He let her sit by the window so she could enjoy the scenery.  She held the book in her hands but watching the passing landscape was more exciting.  Meanwhile, he read the newspaper.  It was nice to sit next to him without the need to say anything.  She hated to admit how much she was enjoying his company.  She didn’t want to think of what was going to happen in May.
“Penny for your thoughts,” he said.
She blinked and turned from the window.  “What?”
“I said, ‘Penny for your thoughts.’”
“Oh, I was just looking at the landscape.”
“What do you think?”
“It’s beautiful and peaceful.  The snow makes the trees sparkle this time of year.”
He glanced out the window.  “Yes, it does.  I hardly take time to notice such things anymore.  I got so used to traveling, I don’t appreciate it as much as I should.  It’s a good thing you’re here to remind of such things.”
“I am enjoying this experience.  It’s all new and exciting.  Thank you for taking me to see the play.  It will be fun to watch Shakespeare on stage.”
“That’s just tonight.  Tomorrow I want to take you to see the Statue of Liberty and the nation’s capitol in D.C.”
“So that’s why we’re not coming back until Sunday.”
“I told you I wanted to surprise you.  I figure it will be fun to check those other things out.  I haven’t been to either one so we can both experience it for the first time.”
“I’m glad that we can share something new together.”
“I’m sure we’ll have other experiences we can share for the first time.  This is just the beginning.”
She wondered about his comment but chose not to ask about it.  She wanted to enjoy the weekend.

Chapter Fifteen

Jake enjoyed the weekend more than he had enjoyed any of his past trips to New York.  On Friday, after Sue checked into her hotel room, he checked into his and ordered six red roses, a box of chocolates and a light floral perfume to be sent to her room.  Ever since he saw how happy she was to receive flowers from Donald Cline, he thought she might like receiving similar gifts from him.  When he went to her room to take her to dinner before the play, she was more delighted with his gifts than he hoped she would be.  She’s definitely not hard to please.  He liked that about her.  During dinner, he couldn’t take his eyes off of her.  She wore a red dress and the diamond necklace and earrings he had given her.  He marveled that she could be content to wear the same jewelry all the time.  It was nice to enjoy her without worrying about other men trying to grab her attention.
During the play, he had more fun watching her than he did the performance.  Her excitement was infectious and at one point, he caught her mouthing the words to the play.  She was so caught up in the play that she didn’t notice that he was staring at her with the same intensity she stared at the actors.  She had so much to offer a man and she didn’t even know it.  Sue, where have you been all my life?
The next day, they took the tour of the Statue of Liberty before heading to D.C.
When they looked out over the water that brought the immigrants to the United States, he said, “That water will take you to Europe.  There’s a world out there waiting for you to explore.”  He noted her pleasure at the thought.
He found that traveling was indeed more rewarding with her to share the experience with, and he was reluctant to go home on Sunday.  On the train ride back, they discussed the things they saw and what they thought of the trip.
“I’m glad you took me,” she said.  “Now when I read Shakespeare, it will come more alive to me.”
“I’m glad you came along.  You’re good company.”
“So are you, though I never would have expected it when we first met.”
He chuckled.  “Thank goodness first impressions can be wrong.” He paused.  “Don’t you think Sue Mitchell sounds better than Sue Lewis?”
She blinked.  “I hadn’t considered it.”
He shrugged.  “Maybe it’s time you did.”
One of the train employees walked up to them.  “Would you like today’s newspaper, sir?”
He nodded and paid the fee for it.
“You read the paper a lot,” she noted.
“I like to find out what’s going on in the world.”
“While you do that, I’m going to finish Much Ado About Nothing.  It’ll be nice to read it after seeing the play.”
“Before you get too involved in the book, I wanted to ask you if you would like to leave Friday afternoon so we can get to your family’s farm by the night.  I have some things to take care of Monday morning, so I can only stay for the weekend this time.”
“What about the Friday night dances?  I did sign a contract promising I would go to each one and I already missed two in a row.”
“I decided you were right.  Sometimes it’s good to forget about business.”
“I might have to mark this day on my calendar.  You actually said I was right about something.”
“You should.  Who knows when I’ll admit it again?”
She smiled and turned to the book.
He turned his attention to the newspaper.

***

That night after they had unpacked and Sue went to bed, he decided to open his safe and pull out the envelope Mr. Barnett had sent him.  He was sure that whatever was in it, it pertained to his father.  He couldn’t imagine that his life was in any danger, but Sue seemed to be concerned so he sat at his desk and opened it.  He emptied the contents.  It seemed to be mostly old letters, though he saw a couple of pictures.  He sighed.  He really didn’t like to go through anything that had to do with his father.  He had forgiven the man but didn’t want to dwell on him.  It seemed that circumstances would not permit him to leave the past where it belonged.  He just wanted to focus on the present and look forward to the future.
He didn’t know where to start so he picked up a picture.  He recognized the picture of him as a child.  He was five and sitting with his mother.  There was another picture of him when he was seven sitting with his father.  Why is this important?  He picked a letter at random and unfolded it.  It was yellow with the years that had passed.  He gritted his teeth in aggravation.  So his father kept a letter he had written when he was eleven asking for his father to come home.  The more I look through this, the more annoyed I get.  It took me years to forgive him, and all this does is open old wounds.  Lord, I know I promised Sue I would go through all of this when we got back, but I can’t do this in one sitting.  It’s going to take me awhile to sort through this garbage.  He threw the contents back into the envelope and shoved it into the safe.
He didn’t understand Mr. Barnett.  Was the lawyer eager for Jake to think kindly of his father?  So what if he kept pictures and letters from his wife and child?  That didn’t exactly motivate Jake to suddenly make his father a hero.  It only irritated him.
The next morning, he was in a foul mood.
“Jake, what’s wrong?” Sue asked during breakfast.
“I opened that envelope from Mr. Barnett,” he grumbled.  “I don’t know what Mr. Barnett is trying to accomplish by sending me pictures and letters my father kept from my childhood.”
“Were those the only items in the envelope?” She looked as bewildered as Jake had felt when he first saw the contents.
“I didn’t have the stomach to go through everything.  I’ll have to sort through it a little at a time.”
She sighed.  “Perhaps I shouldn’t have been so pushy.  I really thought if Mr. Barnett said it was urgent, then it had to be important.”
“Importance is a matter of perspective.”
She put her hand on his arm, startling him.  “It’s none of my business what happened with your father, but whatever he did, you managed to get over it and become a respectable man.  I am a firm believer that circumstances don’t control us.  We can rise above them.”
Just when he thought she couldn’t impress him more than she already had, she found another way to do so.
She glanced at the clock and sighed.  “I better go to work.  I promised Mrs. Walker I’d come in early to set up the new display we discussed on Thursday.  I stole the idea from the Richmond library.  But don’t tell anyone.”
He grinned.  “Your secret’s safe with me.”
She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.  “I hope you can have a good day.”
He pleasantly noticed that she wore the perfume he had bought her.  She smelled and looked very much like a woman.  She didn’t need frilly dresses or fancy hairstyles to accomplish the effect she was having on him.  She simply had to be herself.
He left the house in a better mood.  He walked into the bank with a smile on his face.  Justin glanced up from his desk and called out from his office, “Have a good weekend?”
Jake walked over to Justin’s office.  He leaned against the doorframe.  “As a matter of fact, I did.  I finally got to see the Statue of Liberty and the nation’s capitol.”
“Is that all you did?”
“You know I always take in a play when I’m in New York.”
“I noticed that Sue went with you.  You never look that happy after returning from New York when you go alone.  I told you that you would have more fun if you took her with you.”
Jake wasn’t comfortable discussing his personal business, so he simply shrugged.  “That part was fine too.”
“When are you going to admit you love her?”
“I don’t fall in love, Justin.  She’s a good friend.”
Justin raised an eyebrow.  “We’ll see.”
Jake shook his head and walked to his office.  He wasn’t going to admit anything to Justin.  To his surprise, Justin followed him to his office.  “Look, Justin, we didn’t do anything but go to the play, eat and sightsee.  Are you satisfied?” He tried to hide his annoyance at his friend’s persistence.
“No, it’s not that,” Justin said.  “We need to talk.”
By the tone in Justin’s voice, Jake knew it was serious.  He nodded and motioned for him to sit in the chair.  He shut his office door and sat behind his desk.  Leaning forward with his elbows on the table and his hands folded together, he asked, “What is it?”
“I saw Daniel Riley talking to George at the dance last Friday.  Something tells me that they’re working on something that involves you.”
Jake’s improved mood took a nosedive.  “Daniel Riley intends to come to my house this Wednesday to discuss my ‘business arrangement’ with Sue.  Henry said that he was behaving improperly towards Sue in the library.”
“You suspect other motives?”
“I don’t think he’s interested in Sue.  He may be interested in her money.  But no one should know how much she received.  As far as I know, she hasn’t told anyone and Trevor is never in town to tell anyone.  If I were the paranoid type, I’d say that George and Daniel feel like I owe them money.”
“Do you?”
“No!  I can’t believe you would even ask that.  I only do honest business dealings.  I’m not my father.”
“Did your father have anything to do with them?”
“I don’t know who my father associated with, and I really don’t care.”
“Maybe you should start caring.”
He sighed.  “How can I put the past to rest when everyone insists on bringing it up?  I almost wish he left me nothing in his will.”
“Then you wouldn’t have married Sue.”
He rolled his eyes.  “Don’t you think I understand that?  It was just a comment.  Ever since I did marry her, George has been unusually interested in my relationship with her and how much we both got out of the deal.”
“If I were you, I’d watch my back.  It’s time to be paranoid.”
“Well, Daniel’s coming over on Wednesday.  I have a plan to detect his motives for coming over.  I know he’s up to something but I have to be careful in how I figure him out.  It could be that all he is interested in is Sue’s money.” He paused.  “Did you happen to catch any part of the conversation that George and Daniel were having?”
“No, I didn’t.  One of my kids got sick so my wife and I had to leave early.”
“That’s too bad.  Oh well.  They probably wouldn’t have discussed anything of consequence in public.”

***

When Jake came home that evening, his mood was worse than it had been when he woke up.  This time ten more bachelors sent Sue flowers.  He recognized a couple of names.  He sighed.  What am I going to have to do?  Get all these men into a room and tell them to leave her alone?  Then an idea came to him.  Why not?
Lydia ran over to him.  “Sue’s home early, sir!”
“Go stall her,” he ordered.
“How?”
He watched as Sue walked down the sidewalk.  Why does she have to look so nice?  “Take your son out there.  She goes crazy every time she sees a baby.”
Lydia nodded and went to wake up her sleeping child.
Jake started throwing the flowers into a trash can, but the trash can got too full.
Lydia quickly ran to the front door and opened it just in time to stop Sue from entering the house.  “Would you like to see Timmy?”
“Uh...sure.  Can I see him inside the house?”
“No.  Actually, he needs some fresh air.  He’s been cooped up all day.” She shut the door before Sue could protest.
Ralph entered the room and laughed.  “More suitors for Sue?”
“It’s not funny,” Jake growled.  “Get me two trash bags.”
He didn’t stop laughing as he obeyed his boss.
Why is everyone suddenly interested in Sue anyway?  Just because she changed her clothes and hairstyle, she’s attractive?
As Ralph returned with the trash bags, Jake said, “Take all of the new clothes out of Sue’s room and hide them in my closet.  Let her wear her old stuff for awhile.  And invite all of these men over tonight for dinner.  By the way, have Lydia ask for Sue to make the meal.  I know, tell Lydia to be too distracted with Timmy to cook.”
“Those are all strange requests, sir.”
“Just do them!”
“Yes, sir.” He shrugged and went up to Sue’s bedroom.
Her new clothes belong in my room anyway, Jake thought as he shoved the remaining flowers into the trash bags and threw the bags into the trash bin.  The madness has to stop.  These men can’t keep doing this forever.  I’m getting rid of them once and for all.
He mentally noted his untidy appearance as he opened the door.  “Good afternoon, ladies,” he casually greeted.
Sue was holding Timmy and Lydia was discussing the gardener’s idea to trim the bushes into the shapes of different animals.
“We’re having a dinner party tonight,” he said.  “Let’s get ready for it.”
Sue quickly handed Timmy back to Lydia and followed him into the den.  “A dinner party?  Here?”
“Yes,” he replied.
“But we agreed we didn’t like those things.” She looked overwhelmed.
“I don’t have a choice.  I need you to make dinner.”
Now there was panic in her expression.  “I can’t cook.  I’m no good at it.  I’ll make everyone sick.”
Why isn’t she insisting that she won’t be a part of this?  Because she’s trying to please me.  “I have a very good reason for what I’m doing.  You’ll have to trust me.” He sat at his desk.  “I have to write invitations before Ralph comes to deliver them.”
She stood in the den, speechless.
I ought to just take her over to the bearskin rug and get this over with.  Then the men can’t bother her since she’ll stay with me.  He seriously considered the option but she left the room before he could act on it.
He quickly finished the invitations and handed them to Ralph to send out.  Then he went to change so he wouldn’t look so disheveled.  It was one thing for Sue to look bad tonight.  She was supposed to look that way, but he was supposed to look as well groomed as usual.  After he had time to freshen up, he went to the kitchen to see what progress, or rather disaster, that Sue was preparing.  He breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed that Sue was frantically running around the kitchen by herself.  Lydia and Ralph were conveniently too busy to help her.
“I didn’t know what to make so I’m attempting my best dishes.  I don’t want to make anyone too sick,” she fretted as she stirred the soup.
Jake inspected the lumpy white liquid blob.  “What is it?”
“It’s supposed to be potato soup.”
He nodded apprehensively.
The timer went off and she took the meatloaf out of the oven.  “I think I got the recipe right this time,” she said.  “I didn’t even burn it so that’s good.” She set it on the counter and ran over to another counter to a pot and mashed the potatoes with a large fork.  “How many people are coming tonight?”
“Ten,” he replied softly.  “All men.”
“Is this another business dinner?”
“Yes.” He couldn’t help but stand in awe that she would go through all this hassle just for him.  I can’t give her up.  There’s no way I’m annulling this marriage.
“I don’t think this will be enough.” She quickly scanned the cabinets and threw some boxed and canned items on the counter.  “I might have to make some new recipes.  I hope I don’t kill anyone.  I wish Lydia and Ralph were available to help.  It just isn’t right to subject these people to my cooking.”
“You’re doing great,” he assured her.  “I’ll eat everything you put on my plate.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel better because it doesn’t.” She opened a couple of cans and bags.  “I hate to make the tuna and green bean casserole again but I don’t know how to make much else.  Oh, I can make oatmeal and bean soup too.”
He grinned.  The men would be appalled that their fine dinner was going to entail such simple meals.  He saw a brown thick liquid in a small bowl with a spoon in it.  He picked up the spoon and cringed at the slimy consistency of it.  Was it supposed to be gravy for the mashed potatoes?
“What time are they coming?” she asked as she threw the casserole into the oven.
“In half an hour.”
She sighed in despair.  “I’ll be lucky to make it by then.”
He knew what he had to do next.  She was still gorgeous in her navy blue dress and her hair, though slightly out of place, was as pretty as ever.  He picked up a glass of her hot chocolate and pretended to slip so that it landed on her dress.  “I’m sorry.  I wasn’t watching where I was going,” he quickly lied.  “Here.” He threw a towel at her but knew her efforts to dry herself off would be in vain.  While she gave it her best shot, he dipped a spoon into what he suspected was tapioca pudding and poured it on her hair.
“What was that?” She turned to him and reached up to touch her hair.  “Yuck!” She inspected her sticky fingers.
“I was going to try the pudding.  I slipped again.  I’m sorry.” He hoped he looked innocent.
“What am I supposed to do?  I don’t have time to wash my hair.”
“Here.  Let me help you with your hair.” He pulled her hair back into a bun.  Fortunately, her hair was curly enough so it stayed in place.  “I’m afraid you’re going to have to change.  I’ll finish up in here while you get dressed, alright?”
“Alright.  Thank you for helping me, Jake.” She ran out of the room.
He pushed aside his guilty feelings as he washed his sticky hands.  She would thank him one day for the trouble he was putting her through now.  He mixed a couple of canned fruits together for a fruit salad and added some sugar for flavor.  Then he took the casserole out of the oven when the timer went off.
Lydia held Timmy as she entered the kitchen.  “The guests are arriving.  Ralph is seeing them in and seating them in the dining room.  Are you sure about this, Jake?  This kitchen looks like a war zone.”
“Everything is perfect.  Just remember to stay out of sight.  Ralph needs to be out of here once the guests are seated.”
He needed Sue to be making frequent trips to the kitchen while he talked to the men.
By the time Sue came back into the kitchen, Lydia and Ralph were conveniently out of sight.  Sue was flustered.  She had to put on one of her old dresses.  “Ralph said that all my clothes needed to be washed.  How could they possibly get dirty just hanging in my closet?”
“Timmy spit up all over them earlier when Lydia was putting some clothes away.  You know how babies are.  They’re incredibly messy.”
She sighed.  “Well, you can’t fault a baby for being a baby.  I’m sorry I look like this, Jake.  I don’t want to embarrass you but I can’t find Lydia or Ralph anywhere.”
He smiled.  “You look pretty no matter what you wear.” Unfortunately, that was true.  He hoped none of the other men noticed that she was still beautiful in her old clothes and hair pulled back into that hideous bun.  He could only hope they were too shallow to look past her clothes and hairstyle.  “Do you have everything covered in here?”
“I think so,” she replied, smoothing the wrinkles on her dress.
“Good.  I have to greet the guests.”
He left the kitchen and smiled at her suitors.  They were all dressed up for the occasion.  “Good evening, gentlemen.  I appreciate your coming on such short notice.  When I noticed there were so many flowers for Sue, I decided it was time to give everyone a chance to get to know her as she truly is.  What she is like in public is drastically different from what she’s like in private.”
“I must admit, that I am surprised you are open to the idea of us being interested in her,” Mr. Gordon, Jennifer’s brother, remarked.
The other men nodded their agreement.
“We are all aware that what Sue and I have is a business arrangement.  I know she will be available in five months,” Jake politely replied.  He motioned for everyone to sit.  “As luck would have it, my two servants are unable to serve dinner tonight, so Sue has graciously offered to cook and serve the meal herself.”
The men looked impressed.
“May we ask you some questions regarding Sue?” Mr. Murphy asked.
“You may.  I will reveal everything,” Jake replied.  Everything I want you to know, that is.  He crossed his arms and got ready.
“Is it true that she received a large sum of money at the wedding?” Mr. Dante asked.
Jake hid his disgust at the question.  “Actually, all the money she received went to pay off her family’s debts.  Once she goes back to being a spinster, she will only have the same amount of money she had before we got married.” That was a lie, of course, but he was determined to weed out the greedy men as quickly as possible.
Two men looked disappointed.
“If you would rather not pursue her further, I will understand,” he calmly stated.  “I won’t mention the reason for your leaving to Sue.”
They nodded, said thank you and left.
Two down.  Eight to go.
Sue came out with a couple of plates.  “I didn’t have much notice, so I put together what I could.  Who likes green bean casserole and who likes meatloaf?  I also have oatmeal.”
Jake noticed the frown on three of the men’s faces as they took in her premarital appearance.
As each man said what he wanted, she served it to him.  When she reached Jake, she asked him what he wanted.
“I’ll take whatever you have left,” he told her.  You are the sweetest, most lovely woman in the world.  And anyone who can’t see that doesn’t deserve you.
“Actually, I just remembered another dinner party I have to go to,” Mr. Ronald said.  “I apologize, Mr. Mitchell.”
“No apology necessary,” he stated.
Three down.  Seven to go.
A couple of men choked on their food.
Sue came out and brought Jake a plate of meatloaf and the lumpy mashed potatoes.  “I’m sorry, Jake.  I didn’t have the heart to give you the casserole again.”
“You’re doing great,” he whispered.  He ate his meal without flinching.  The more he tasted the stuff, the less he shuddered when he took his first bite.
She looked uneasily around the room as the men gagged on her food.  “I’ll get more water and hot chocolate,” she told everyone.
“I’m out of here,” Mr. Roper said.
“I’ll join you,” Mr. Murphy and Mr. Broderick added in unison.
Six down.  Four to go.
“I don’t think cooking is the only thing a woman is good for,” Mr. Gordon spoke up.  “Though this fruit salad is actually good.”
Mr. Maxwell, Mr. Frank, and Mr. Unger agreed as they ignored everything on their plates except for the fruit salad.
“She seems to be good with the children,” Mr. Maxwell said.  “My nephew adores her at the story hour in the library.  Does she wish to have children?”
“It would be nice to leave a legacy behind,” Mr. Unger added.
“Oh yes, Sue loves kids,” Jake answered between bites.  “In fact, she was telling me that she wants to have at least ten.  She’s hoping for twins or triplets too, so you’ll have a busy house.” The truth was, she didn’t mention having children.  She probably assumed it wasn’t in her future so she didn’t bother to consider it.  She did look nice holding Timmy.  Maybe children aren’t so bad.  Jake hadn’t considered children either, but perhaps it was time to.
“At least ten?” Mr. Maxwell frowned.  “That’s too many.  I’m surprised she has such a goal at her age.  She doesn’t have many childbearing years left.  I don’t want to be a child factory.” He shook his head.  “Please excuse me, Mr. Mitchell.” He left.
Seven down.  Three to go.
“The prospect of having ten children doesn’t bother you?” Jake asked the three remaining suitors.
“The Lord says children are a blessing from Him,” Mr. Unger replied.
“Alright.” Jake finished eating and drank the hot chocolate.  It actually didn’t taste half-bad this time.  “What other questions do you have?”
Sue came back out.  “Oh, there are quite a few uneaten plates.  I’ll collect those.”
After she left, Mr. Unger smiled.  “She certainly is willing to pitch in and help out.  I admire that in a woman.  She’s not afraid of hard work.”
“She does work hard,” Jake agreed.  “In fact, she works so hard that she doesn’t have the energy to engage in other pursuits.”
He mischievously grinned.  “Then how does she plan to have ten kids?”
“She told me she only plans to do it ten times.  She figures she’ll get pregnant right away.”
“But certainly she will give it some effort.”
“Nope.  The whole process disgusts her.  She says it’s too messy and she just wants to get it over with as soon as possible.”
Mr. Gordon frowned.  “What does she plan to do?  Just lie there and watch the clock?”
“I really don’t know.  I suspect as much.  The only time I got a chance to touch her was at the wedding.  Or at the dance when she has to give the impression of being interested in touching because she’s in public.”
“Are you saying she has no sexual interest at all?”
“She’s as cold as an ice cube.”
“Well, that’s it for me,” Mr. Gordon said.  “I can’t handle that.”
Eight down.  Two to go.
“But still, she’s nice to look at, no matter what she’s wearing,” Mr. Unger reasoned.
Jake sighed.  “If only it was real.”
“You mean, it’s fake?”
“She’s as flat as a board.”
“And how would you know that, Mr. Mitchell?” came an angry voice.
Jake’s face went white.  How much did she hear?  He dared to glance over his shoulder.  Uh oh.  As Jeremiah would say, ‘She’s gonna blow.’  “Hello there, honey,” he sweetly said as he gave her a pleading look.  “Did you bring dessert?”
“I certainly did,” she snapped.  She dropped the bowl of pudding on his head and stomped back into the kitchen.
“That does it for me,” Mr. Unger replied.
“Me too,” Mr. Frank agreed.
Jake didn’t know whether to laugh or beg her forgiveness.
Ralph came into the room.  “All the men are gone, sir.  I..”  He stopped when he saw Jake covered in white pudding.  “I assume you said something she took offense to.”
“Yes.  But it got rid of the vultures so it was worth it.” He took the bowl off his head and went into the kitchen where she was carelessly chucking dishes into the sink to wash them.
“Whoa!  Those plates are expensive,” he warned her.
She glared at him.  “Are they?  Good.” She casually threw a couple of them over her shoulder.
He quickly caught them.
When she saw her plan was thwarted, she picked up more plates and flung them at him.  He managed to catch all but two.  “You can do the dishes.  I’m going to take a bath.  It doesn’t take long to wash a board.  Maybe the warm water will thaw out my icicles.”
“I need a bath too.  Let’s go.” He dropped all the plates and followed her out of the kitchen and to the staircase.
She turned around and stopped.  “What do you think you’re doing?”
“I’m going to take a bath too.”
“You better not think you’ll be taking one with me.”
“Did I say I was?”
She hesitated.  “Well, no but you’re following me.”
“I like the way you walk.  I’m just admiring you.” He grinned.
She gave him a look of disgust and walked up the steps.
He followed her.
She turned around again.  “You’re too close to me.”
“I’m not close enough.”
“I don’t know what has suddenly gotten into you, but I would ask you to remember your manners.  I don’t want you standing so close to me.”
“But you have such a wonderful body.”
She gasped.  “You are impossible to talk to.  Do you know that?”
“Good, I was getting tired of talking anyway.” He stepped up so he stood in front of her, took her in his arms and kissed her.  He felt her relax as she responded to his kiss.  She’s definitely not cold.  “You know, your pudding isn’t half-bad.”
It took a moment for her shock to wear off.  “I don’t understand you.  One minute you’re telling everyone how horrible I am and the next thing I know, you’re seducing me.”
“Seducing you?  We’re covered in food.  It’s hardly the time for seduction.”
“Oh, never mind.  You are very hard to figure out.” She turned and walked up the rest of the steps.
“Am I?” He followed her.
“Where are my new clothes?” She crossed her arms and looked at him.
“I’ll have Ralph return them after your bath.”
“That isn’t necessary.  Just tell me where they are and I’ll get them.”
He shuddered at the thought of her in his bedroom with food in her hair and on her dress.  Who knew what she would choose to touch.  “No way.  I value my things too much to let you near them when you’re so...so...” He wasn’t sure how to describe her.  She was surprisingly beautiful but he wouldn’t trust her near his things in her soiled condition.
“Filthy?”
“That’s the word.  It’s nice having you around.  You’re like a walking dictionary.”
“I’m thinking of a word right now to describe you.”
“Sue, I didn’t think women thought such things,” he smiled, sure that whatever the word was that it wouldn’t be flattering.
“I am a spinster, Mr. Mitchell.  I don’t have to have delicate thoughts.”
“What other crude thoughts do you have?”
She rolled her eyes.  “Fine.  I will take a bath so Ralph will return my clothes.” She walked to the bathroom.  “I can’t believe you had the audacity to put me through all that work and humiliation.  And all for what?  To get rid of the men?  What good will that ever do your bank if you constantly push clients away?”
I’m not pushing men away from my bank but from you, honey.  It amazed him that she couldn’t imagine that she might be desirable to a man.  He followed her into the bathroom and quickly dodged behind her so she didn’t notice he was in the room with her.  He watched as she started to unbutton the front of her dress.
As soon as she turned around and noticed him, she gasped and struggled to conceal her abundant cleavage that couldn’t be fully contained in her undergarments.
“Don’t stop on my account,” he said.  “This beats Shakespeare any day of the week.”
“Get out!” She quickly opened the door.
He didn’t hide his disappointment.  “Why?”
She tried to speak but was too flustered to do so.
“I’ll take my clothes off too,” he offered.  He took off his suit jacket and started to unbutton his shirt.
“You do that.” She held her dress tightly around her bosom as she ran to another bathroom.
He ran after her and stepped in front of the door of the other bathroom.  “Aren’t you the least bit interested in what I look like under these clothes?”
She struggled to find a proper response.
“Now when the men ask, I can tell them for sure that you are definitely not built like a board.  In fact, everything about is definitely feminine.”
“You have no right to be fresh with me.”
“Don’t I?  I am your husband.”
He noticed that she didn’t seem as upset as she had been in the kitchen.  In fact, she seemed to be enjoying their playful banter as much as he was.  One thing was for sure, she was a lot of fun.
“Really, Mr. Mitchell,” she finally began, “I don’t know what I’m going to do with you.”
“You can do anything you want.” His smile widened as he took off his shirt.
She hesitated.
Is she actually considering it?  He took off his undershirt and started to unbutton his pants.
“Oh, you can’t be serious.” She looked flustered and curious at the same time.
“Why don’t you join me in the bathroom and find out.”
Her face grew bright red.  “No.  You aren’t serious.  This is all a game.  Yes, that’s what it is.” She turned around.  “There’s no way he can be serious.” She shook her head, still baffled, and quickly scurried to the other bathroom.  She checked to make sure he was still standing at the other bathroom.  She hesitated for a moment.  “No, he’s not serious.” She went into the bathroom where she shut and locked the door.
He chuckled.  She was more entertaining than any play he’d seen or book he’d read.  He sighed.  Honey, you have no idea how serious I was.

Chapter Sixteen

Try as Sue might, she couldn’t figure Jake out.  He was an enigma.  He intrigued her in a way she didn’t want to admit.  Was he really interested in being intimate with her?  The idea pleased her in a way she didn’t anticipate.  As much as she wanted to be mad at him for making her go through all that work and spreading all those lies about her, she was flattered that he pursued her so romantically afterwards.  He made her feel beautiful and soft.  She wasn’t even aware that she enjoyed receiving feminine gifts like flowers and perfume until he sent them to her.  He cared about what she wanted and what she thought.  He liked to talk to her, and she felt that she could talk to him about things she couldn’t discuss with anyone else.  For the first time in her life, she felt desirable to a man.  She wanted to be with him.  She had lied to Ethan Bower.  She wasn’t simply fond of him.  She loved him.  It seemed that he felt the same way.  All of these thoughts went through her mind as she took a bath.
Of course, he acted as if nothing happened after she had gotten dressed.  She was surprised to find that her new clothes were neatly hung in her closet again.  She suspected that he had hidden them for the intent that she would have to wear one of her old dresses.  After all the fuss he made about her impressing people to make him look good, he deliberately chose for her to be unimpressive to people.  She didn’t understand him at all.
So after she got dressed, she went into the den and he smiled at her, told her she was nice to look at and went back to his work.  She took out a book to read by the fire, but this night, she couldn’t focus on her reading.  She kept looking over at him and she would catch him staring at her and smiling.  She blushed and returned to her book.  When he went to bed, he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek and told her to have dreams about him.  The way he said it made her pulse quicken.
The next morning when she got dressed, she brushed her hair and thought of him.  She looked at her reflection in the mirror.  Perhaps there was something worth looking at.  Maybe he was right.  Perhaps she was desirable after all.  She smiled at the thought.  When she went down to eat breakfast, he didn’t read the newspaper.  Instead, he asked her about her plans for the day.
“It’ll be like every other Tuesday,” she said.  “I put books back on the shelves, update the card catalogue, and do the children’s story hour.”
“I hope you can find time for lunch with me in that schedule.”
“Haven’t I been doing so for the past two weeks?”
“Yes but I don’t take it for granted that you do.  I know it’s not something you have to do but choose to do.”
“Where are you taking me today?”
“I thought I would let you decide.”
She chose a restaurant that she favored.
“I hope you won’t hold yesterday against me,” he said.
“Which part?  Before or after I dumped pudding on your head?”
“The part when the men were here.  I definitely don’t want you to forget what almost happened upstairs.” He grinned at her in a way that made her blush.
“I don’t understand why you insist on intentionally grossing men out when they come over here.”
He set aside his food and looked at her.  “Don’t you get it yet?  They’re coming by for you.”
“For me?” What was he talking about?
“You are a very attractive and wonderful woman, Sue.  Men are noticing that now that you’re not wearing those old clothes and pulling your hair back into a bun.  They want to court you as soon as our marriage is over.”
“So I’m only appealing because I’m married?” She found the idea offensive.  Was her worth solely based on being Jake’s wife?  Just because he had impressive taste men figured she would suddenly be worth something too since he picked her?
“No, you’re not only appealing as my wife.  When you were at the dance looking to snag some poor, unsuspecting bachelor into marrying you in order to save your family’s farm, I noticed how beautiful you looked in that blue dress.  And when we were on the dance floor, I thought the conversation went fairly well.  You had a lot to offer.  I can’t help it if the other men didn’t see it.”
“But you only married me to get your father’s inheritance.”
He shrugged.  “I did wish to help you save your family’s farm but I would never have married just anyone.  I did have to be selective in who I picked.  And you were the only one worth considering.”
“One might think you mean those words.”
“That would be because I do.”
She found the revelation endearing.
“When I saw you in your wedding dress, I realized that you are an extremely beautiful woman.  I should have expected the men to notice too.  That’s when the men started coming by for you and sending you flowers.”
She blinked.  “There really were flowers?”
He chuckled.  “Yes.  If you don’t believe me, you’ll find two trash bags full of flowers I hastily threw out yesterday before you came home.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“And take the chance you’d leave me for one of those men?  I’d rather tell them horror stories about you.  I’m a selfish man, Sue.  I don’t like to share.”
“Who said you had to?”
“You say stuff like that and you wonder why I don’t want other men to get a chance to talk to you?  As soon as they hear you talk, they’ll want more of you.”
She tried to dismiss his words as merely polite conversation but her heart raced with excitement.
He cleared his throat.  “Well, I need to get to the publisher I mentioned to Henry.”
“You’re going to submit his poems?”
“I said I would if they were any good.”
“You are a good man, Jake.  A person can depend on you to follow through with your word.  That’s an important quality in a man.”
“There you go again.  Didn’t I warn you that if you keep this up, I’ll fall in love with you?” He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.  “I’ll see you at lunch.”
She watched him as he left.  She missed him already.

***

When she got to the library, she hung up her coat and was ready to take some books to the bookshelf when a bachelor walked up to her.
“May I help you, Mrs. Mitchell?” he asked.
She blinked.  “Uh...no.  I got it.  Do you need something?”
He smiled at her.  “My name is Brad Allen.  I wanted to introduce myself to you.”
“Are you here to talk about Mr. Mitchell’s bank?”
“To be honest, ma’am, I’m here to talk to you.  I understand your marriage is strictly business and thought you might be interested in a possible courtship once the annulment happens.  Did you get the flowers I sent?”
She almost dropped the books.
He stooped down to help her so that her books stayed in her arms.
“But I’ve been a spinster for so long,” she said.  “Why are you interested now?”
He sighed.  “Sometimes men miss the diamond in their midst.  At least for me, I didn’t realize how beautiful and nice you were until your wedding.  Then I saw the play you directed and figured that there was more to you than meets the eye.  I was relieved when I learned that your marriage wasn’t serious.  Forgive me for being forward.  I hope I’m not embarrassing you.”
Jake was right.  How many men have been coming by and I didn’t even know it?  “I don’t know what to say.  I didn’t expect anyone to notice me.”
“I do not wish to put you on the spot.  I thought if we just talked, it wouldn’t be so awkward.”
“I’m not sure, Mr. Allen.  I am flattered, but I have grown to enjoy Mr. Mitchell’s company.  It wouldn’t feel right to be friendly with you while I am married to him.”
“I understand, Mrs. Mitchell.  I do not wish to make you uncomfortable.  I regret that I did not take time to notice you before he did.”
“He only married me for his father’s inheritance.”
“He had more than enough money on his own, and considering how he didn’t associate with his father since he was ten, I imagine it was hard for him to take the inheritance.  Anyway, he must have seen something in you that he liked in order to go through with the arrangement.  And I’ll be honest.  I’ve seen how happy he is with you and there are some of us who never thought he’d ever open up to any woman since Johanna Clarke broke his heart.”
“Who is Johanna Clarke?”
“He didn’t tell you?”
She shook her head.
“Mr. Mitchell was twenty when he began courting her.  She was pretty, though not as pretty as you are, and she loved to entertain and go to dinner parties.  The only thing she didn’t like to do was dance because she had two left feet.  She wore expensive gowns.  Her favorite color was pink and she loved frilly stuff.  It wasn’t Jake’s style to go entertaining or go to dinner parties, but he would go to please her.  He spent most of his time bored.  I remember he used to bring his work along so he could slip off into another room.  He’s just not a social person by nature but she was.  He asked for her father’s permission to propose to her a year after he began courting her, but her father said he needed more money before he felt comfortable handing her over to him.  Jake worked two jobs during that time and learned how to invest and accumulate wealth.  He didn’t have much time for the dinner parties or the entertaining she enjoyed, and there were those of us, me included, who thought that he was relieved to be off the hook for going.  When he was twenty-two, he went back to her father and made the same request, and this time, her father approved it.  So Jake proposed to Johanna and she said yes.  Their engagement was six months.  He was excited to finally be marrying her.
“An hour and a half before the wedding, he wanted to know what musical piece she wanted for the first dance number, so he left the groom’s chamber without his tuxedo jacket because he figured he would be right back.  Just as he rounded the corner to get to her chamber, he saw Patrick Stafford knock on the door.  She still had the door closed, and he was telling her that she needed to call the wedding off because they loved each other.  Johanna opened the door and came out and told him that she was only marrying Jake because of his money but planned to divorce him after a year so that she could get half of his money and be with Patrick.  I have to hand it to Jake.  He handled himself very well.  He calmly went to the front of the church and told everyone that he regretted to inform them that he had decided to call off the wedding.  Then he left.
“Johanna tried to talk to him but he refused to see her.  Instead, he went to his house and stayed out of sight, except to go to work.  For the longest time, all he did was go to work and go home.  He did start attending the dances two years later so he could do business.  A lot of business goes on at the dinner parties, but he refused to go to those or let guests into his home.  Johanna ended up marrying Devon Hammond a year later and they moved to South Carolina.  As far as I know, she’s been divorced twice, so Jake was better off missing that experience.
“Anyway, you can read the newspaper article from June 4, 1886.  It covers the events of that day but it doesn’t say anything about Johanna’s conversation with Patrick.  Patrick confessed to what happened that day a month later because he found the wedding ring on the floor where Jake had been standing.  I think if you read the article, you’ll understand Jake better.  Well, Mrs. Mitchell, I talked your ear off.  I will go now.  Good day.”
Sue nodded as he left.  There was a lot she didn’t know about Jake.  She decided to read the newspaper article after she put the books away.  She laid the newspaper gently on the desk in the backroom and scanned through it until she found it in the Entertainment section where other weddings were listed.

The Wedding that Almost Happened

An hour before the wedding of Jake Mitchell and Johanna Clarke on June 3 at the First Baptist Church on Adams Avenue, Jake made the startling announcement in front of family and friends that he wouldn’t be marrying Miss Clarke.  He gave no explanation for the decision and he showed up in front of everyone without his tuxedo jacket on, which demonstrated his lack of respect for his guests.  Mr. Mitchell might be better off remembering in the future that when he goes out in public, he should be properly attired, as is befitting his social status.  A heartbroken Miss Clarke, a beautiful bride, didn’t get the joy of being wed.  She spent the afternoon being comforted, and no one knows why Mr. Mitchell left her at the altar.

Sue sighed and put the newspaper back in its proper place.  She wondered how many bachelors were trying to get her attention and she didn’t even realize it.  Jake noticed, however, and got jealous.  She couldn’t imagine someone being jealous over her, and in a strange way, she was pleased that Jake felt she was worth being jealous over.
Her conversation with Mr. Allen did give her many things to consider as she sorted through the card catalogue to add the new books that just arrived.  At least now she understood why Jake spent so much time worrying about making a good impression to people.  He was always immaculate and he took great care in keeping his things immaculate.  You never know when someone’s going to write a horrible article about how you failed to make a good impression.  She had to hand it to him.  He did play things cool in public.  He managed to act so casual about so many things.  And I fly off the handle at a moment’s notice.  So he had a reputation for being heartless and she had a reputation for being a nag.  He was right.  He was like Elinor and she was like Marianne in Jane Austin’s Sense and Sensibility.  She smiled as she recalled that conversation on their wedding day.  
She checked the clock and decided it was time to get ready for the children’s story hour.  On her way to the room, Mrs. Walker stopped her.
“Is something wrong?” she asked the older woman.
“No.  I wanted to tell you that you have a floral bouquet.  It is in the backroom.”
More flowers from another bachelor?  She wasn’t sure she wanted to see them.  “I’ll see them after I do the children’s hour.”
“Are you sure?  They’re from Mr. Mitchell.”
She paused on her way to the room.  She turned to go in the other direction.
Mrs. Walker chuckled.  “He might win your heart yet.”
Sue decided to ignore her as she entered the room.  They were red roses.  Of course, they would be red roses.  After all, he gave her red roses in New York.  She smiled.  He was predictable and stable.  She could depend on him to be there for her if she ever needed him.  She picked up the card.  Dear Mrs. Sue Mitchell, I’m sorry about yesterday.  It was not my intention to hurt your feelings.  You have every right to be upset.  I just ask that you don’t shut me out of your world.  I’ve grown accustomed to you and I like it.  I’ve been looking for someone like you all of my life.  Your husband, Jake.
She shook her head in amazement.  He obviously did care for her.
“Will you forgive me?” someone asked.
She recognized Jake’s voice.  She turned to him.  He stood in the doorway and smiled at her.
“I thought you already knew I didn’t hold a grudge against you,” she replied, surprised that he would show up so unexpectedly.
He shrugged.  “I thought it was only fitting to make a formal apology.”
“Oh.  Of course, I forgive you.  But don’t do it again or who knows what else I’ll dump on you, and I will do it in public for everyone to see.”
He walked over to her and lightly kissed her.  “Then I definitely won’t do it.”
She sighed.  “I can’t say that I blame you though.  Someone named Brad Allen came by to ask if he could court me.  I didn’t even know the men were coming to see me like that.  I assumed they wanted to ask me about your bank.”
“What did you tell him?”
“I told him I was flattered but couldn’t see myself talking with him in such a way as long as you and I are married.  He was actually accepting of the whole thing.” She decided not to explain their conversation regarding Johanna Clarke.  She could tell that Jake didn’t wish to discuss the past, and she respected that.  Instead, she continued, “I don’t think he’ll be coming back, at least to me.  If he wants to do business with you, then he’ll go directly to you.”
“He’s already a customer at my bank.”
“Really?”
He nodded.  “He’s a good man.  I suppose if I wasn’t already married to you, then I’d have some tough competition on my hands.”
She blushed.  “No.  He’s not my type.”
He raised an eyebrow.  “You mean there’s a type you look for?  Tell me what he’s like and I’ll persuade him to leave you alone.”
She laughed.  “I kind of like the type of man who’ll chase me up the stairs and kiss me even though he’s covered in pudding.”
“You liked that?”
“But you can’t tell anyone.  I don’t want men coming to our home running through the place covered with my cooking.”
“Your secret is safe with me.”
“And I’ll tell you another secret,” she whispered slyly.
“What’s that?”
“You give up too easily.”
His eyes widened.
She glanced at the clock.  “I’m late for the children’s story hour.  I better go.”
“I’ll join you,” he said as he followed her to the room.  “Then we’ll go out for lunch.”
Belinda was standing by the door.  She looked unusually sad.
“Can you give me a moment?” Sue asked him.
He nodded and entered the room.
“Belinda, is something wrong?” She stood close to her friend so no one would overhear them.
“I need to talk to someone, and you’re the only person I trust,” Belinda replied.
“Can it wait until I’m done?”
“Yes, I suppose so.”
Sue sighed.  She didn’t feel right going through the hour while her friend looked distraught.  “Hold on.  I’ll be right back.” She walked into the room and stood in front of the expectant women and children.  “I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind coming back this afternoon?  I have a personal matter to discuss with a friend, and I don’t think it can wait.”
The children grumbled in disappointment.
“I’ll lead the story hour,” Jake volunteered as he walked to the front of the room.
“But I didn’t think you liked children,” she whispered.
“Well, your brother Luke is alright.  How bad can it be to tell them a story?  I’ve seen you do it.”
“Alright.  If you need help, I’ll be right outside the door.”
“If I can handle a room full of grown men, I can handle women and children.  I’ll be fine.  What story were you planning to tell today?”
“The Three Little Pigs.”
“That’s easy.  Go on ahead to talk to Mrs. Hawke.  She looks like she could use a friend.”
She turned to her audience.  “Would it be acceptable to you if Mr. Mitchell led the story hour today?”
The kids cheered and women nodded their agreement.
“Good luck,” she told Jake before she left.  She urged Belinda to follow her to a table close by but away from other people so they could have some privacy.  “What is it, Belinda?”
Belinda shifted uneasily in her seat.  “I’m thinking of leaving Jim and going back to my parents.”
She tried not to show her shock.  “But why?”
“Because it suddenly occurred to me that Mr. Mitchell treats you with more respect than my husband treats me.”
“Jake is not Jim and I’m not you.  The way we approach marriage is bound to be different from the way you and Jim do.”
She shook her head.  “I was so humiliated at the restaurant.  I couldn’t even talk to you on the veranda.  I had to stay with him the entire time.  And Mr. Mitchell stood up for you when Jim was blatantly rude.”
“Jim and I will probably never get along, Belinda, but that’s no reason to leave him.  Before I married Jake, you told me that you were happy with the way things were between you and him.  Was that true?”
She nodded.  “I was until I saw the way your husband treats you.  You don’t have to worry about how you act or speak in public.  I do.”
“Have you told Jim that you would like to have more of a say in what you do?”
“No.  I don’t think he’ll listen to me.”
Lord, I don’t know what to tell her but divorce is such a painful decision.  Is there any way she can avoid it?  “I want you to prayerfully consider something before you leave him.  You have two children, and children are better off with a mother and a father.  Sometimes love is something you feel but feelings are volatile.  They change so easily.  Most of the time, love is a choice you make.  Jim isn’t a bad man, Belinda.  I may not like him but he has made you a good home and you have been happy with him.  He does work hard to support you and the children and he does treat you like you’re delicate.  You have always been more soft spoken and gentle than me.  Your personality is that of a peacemaker, and you don’t like to make decisions.”
“And you’ve always been a tomboy.  You didn’t mind telling everyone your opinions, even when they didn’t like what they would hear.  You were always headstrong and decisive.”
“Jim and I would never get along like you and Jim do.”
“I wouldn’t get along well with Mr. Mitchell either.  I don’t know him very well but from what I heard, he tends to like people who aren’t afraid to be bold.  He doesn’t like guessing what another person is thinking.”
“So it seems to me that you are well-matched for Jim.  It may still be good to tell him that you would like to make some choices for yourself.  If you choose not to, then that is fine.  Only you can decide what is best for you and Jim, but I urge you to consider the consequences of any decision you make.  What seems like an easy solution today can be heartbreaking in the future.”
“You’re right, Sue.  And Jim does have wonderful qualities I forgot about.”
She was relieved her friend was beginning to recall those.  “Think on those things then.  You know what the Bible says: it does your heart well to think on the good things.”
“Thank you, Sue.  You’re a good friend.” She hugged her.
“You are too.” Sue heard an eruption of laughter coming from the children’s story hour room.  “I have to see what’s so funny.  Do you want to come along?”
“No.  I think I’ll go see Jim.”
“Good.  Work things out as best as you can.”
As soon as Sue reached the room, she couldn’t believe her eyes.  Dignified, compulsively neat, and aloof Jake was being bombarded with children who insisted on climbing all over him.
“Oh come on.” He laughed.  “You mean, no one can knock the brick house down?”
Apparently, he was the brick house and the kids were supposed to be the big, bad wolf.  Sue chuckled as she watched them do their best to knock him over.  Finally, the oldest boy who had been playing a pig, shoved Jake forward.  Sue watched in amusement as Jake stood his ground and asked, “Is that the best you can do?”
Three women stood up and helped the boy knock him over.
“And I thought women were the fairer sex,” Jake replied.
The young kids continued to climb all over him.
“Break it up,” Sue intervened.  “He has to take me to lunch.” She went over to him and helped him up.
“My hero,” he greeted when he saw her.
“Jake, you should go home and change your suit,” Sue said when she saw how wrinkled it got from the kids’ good-natured assault.
He glanced down at his suit and did his best to smooth it out.  “I’ll survive.  Let’s eat.”
She stared at him uneasily as the women and children left.
“What?” he asked.
“Do you think that’s a good idea?  I mean, important people will be at the restaurant.”
“Does it bother you that I look like this?”
“No.  I actually find it refreshing.  You look human.”
“Then I can handle whatever other people think.  I don’t know about you, but I’m famished.”
She couldn’t believe he was going to go out in public looking so unkempt.
He took her hand and led her out the door.  “I want to tell you my version of The Three Little Pigs while we have lunch.”

***

That afternoon, Mrs. Walker called Sue over to the front desk while she was putting some books away.  Sue finished putting the last book on the bookshelf and walked over to the older woman who was smiling at her.
“What can I do for you, Mrs. Walker?” she asked.
“I need you to help Miss Stallone deliver some new books to the ladies’ luncheon at the college campus.  Mrs. Monroe and her group wish to donate some new books to the library there.”
She nodded and helped Miss Stallone carry the boxes to the carriage waiting for them.  She sat across from Miss Stallone who was grinning from ear to ear.
“I take it things are going well for you and Ben York,” Sue noted.
She blushed. “I try not to be obvious about it.”
“Be obvious about it, Betty.  You should enjoy it.  Ben is just as infatuated with you as you are with him.  He’s not really interested in books.  He comes by the library to see you.  He’s a good, honest man, and I think you two will do well together.”
“Thank you, Sue.  You’ve always been a good friend.”
She chuckled.  “That depends on who you talk to.  Mr. Wilkins won’t go near me.”
“I did see him do the sign of the cross when he walked past the library the other day.  He won’t even go near Mr. Mitchell’s bank.  He’s afraid you’ll be there.”
“I have a hard time believing I am really that intimidating.”
“You only scare people who have wronged you or those you care about.  You’re the kind of friend anyone is fortunate to have.”
“Well, I suppose I had good practice with brothers who gave me a lot of grief.”
Betty looked out the window.  “Here we are.”
Sue frowned when she saw that they had stopped in front of the Commons.  “Shouldn’t we go to the library?”
“Oh, the luncheons involve food.  It’s when the ladies eat their lunch.”
“At three in the afternoon?”
She shrugged.  “I suppose Mrs. Monroe likes to eat late.”
“Apparently so.”
Once they got out of the carriage, they took their boxes into the Commons where Mrs. Monroe was hosting a lunch for ten other women.  The large room was two stories high.  The staircase led to a hallway where administrative offices were located.  The lower level was a meeting place for students or faculty.  Today, it was the center of Mrs. Monroe’s luncheon.  She had placed a variety of appetizers, main dishes and a large three layer cake in the center of the table with the words “Congratulations to Mrs. Edwards on her son’s graduation.”
Sue had forgotten that Mrs. Edwards’ son had completed his studies at the college.  She wondered what a graduation party had to do with new books for the library.  She shrugged and walked over to Mrs. Monroe who was chatting with Mrs. Evans and Belinda who looked much happier than she had earlier that day.  Sue waited for Mrs. Monroe to finish talking before asking her where she wanted the books to go.
“Do you see that room over there in the corner?” Mrs. Monroe pointed to a small room.  “Can you put them there?”
Sue nodded and went to Betty to tell her where the books were to go when Mrs. Monroe interrupted her.
“Actually, can you put the books away yourself, Sue?  I could use Betty’s help with setting out the chairs.”
“Alright,” Sue replied.  “Betty, if you’ll put your box over on the edge of the table, I’ll get it on my next trip to the room.”
Betty did as instructed. 
Sue took her box into the room and stopped when she saw a brunette about her age on a stepladder who was reaching for something from the top shelf.  The woman wore a pink frilly dress with flowers and lace on it.  Sue momentarily shuddered but set the box on the table.  The room was a storage room for decorations for parties that took place on the campus.
“Do you need help?” Sue asked the woman.
“Yes, I think I do.  Mrs. Monroe asked me to get the balloons and told me they were way up here.”
“I reach for books in the library all the time.  Let me get them for you.”
The brunette nodded and stepped down from the stepladder.
Sue climbed up the stepladder and frowned.  “There aren't any balloons up here.”
Suddenly, the door closed.
“And someone just locked us in,” the woman said as she unsuccessfully tried to open the door.
“It must have been an accident.” Sue knew it was pointless but she tried to open the door too.  She loudly banged on it.  “Hello!  We’re locked in here!” She waited but nothing happened.  “Well, Mrs. Monroe knows we’re in here, so she’s bound to come get us.”
“That’s true.”
They found a couple of extra chairs stacked in the corner, took them out and sat down.
Sue cleared her throat and glanced around.
“You know Mrs. Monroe?” the woman asked.
Sue nodded.  “Yes.  I tell her children stories at the library.  I don’t recognize you.  Are you new in town?”
“No.  I used to live here but moved away.  I live in Chicago.”
“So what are you doing here?”
“Well, I suppose I can tell you since you aren’t with the luncheon group.  I heard that Jake Mitchell recently got married because of his father’s inheritance, but the marriage was really a business arrangement.  Since he’s willing to get married after all, I figured I would start talking to him and softening him up so when the six months are up, he’ll be interested in a real marriage to me.”
Sue shifted uncomfortably in her seat.  It suddenly occurred to her why Jake went through such extreme measures in order to ward off her potential suitors.  She took a deep breath.  She wasn’t as good at dealing with people in a calm and rational manner as Jake was, but she was going to try.  “To be honest, the marriage he’s in is actually going better than anticipated.  It doesn’t seem that an annulment is going to happen after all.”
“Oh, I heard about his wife.  There’s no way she can compete with me.  She was a spinster for so long that she’s unappealing to men.  She wears dirty, old clothes and pulls her hair back in a bun.  She has a reputation for being a nag.  The only reason Jake even married her instead of someone else is because she wouldn’t stop going to the bank and bothering him.  The inheritance came at just the right time.  At least he got her to shut up, though her family deserved to be thrown out if they were careless enough to let their debts get so high.”
“Really?” I would like nothing more than to pull your hair out, you little witch!  “Since you don’t live in town, how can you know so much about the situation?”
“My parents still live here.  They tell me what is going on.”
“I see.  So, they told you about Mr. Mitchell’s marriage and his wife.”
“Right.  I’m here to gather more information from the women at the luncheon.  They should know the details better than my parents.  I hear that Carrie Monroe is the wife of Jake’s closest friend, Justin, so she should know the most about what Jake is like now.  Belinda Hawke is here and she is Sue’s closest friend from childhood.  They should be the best two people to go to about this.”
“It sounds like you have everything carefully planned out.” And it’s completely wrong.
“I have to be careful.  I expect that there will be some resistance when I finally see Jake.”
“Really?  Why is that?”
“I was engaged to him at one time but for some reason, he got cold feet and called off the wedding at the last minute.  But that was many years ago.  He’s obviously willing to get married now.”
Sue forced herself not to show any reaction.  So this is Johanna Clarke.  She took a deep breath to calm down.  “So, you’re sure that you would be better for him than Sue Lewis?”
“Well, I am clearly more feminine and attractive.  My looks charm lots of men.  Certainly, you know the power good looks have over a man.  You’re a decent looking woman.”
“Who knows?  I might even be Mr. Mitchell’s type.”
The woman laughed.  “As nice as you are, I seriously doubt that.”
“Why?” Sue noted that her irritation was beginning to show in her voice despite her best effort to remain pleasant.
“Well, though you are appropriately dressed, your mannerisms is not that of the wealthy class.  I suspect, from looking at you, that you manage quite well financially and may even have a few respectable friends.  However, you don’t have the proper upbringing for the duties that befall his current status.  There are dinner parties to go to and guests to entertain.  You have to know how to socialize.  Also, you may look feminine but you act masculine.  You bang on locked doors and yell.  You just dropped that box of books on the table instead of gently placing it down.  You’re crossing your arms and you speak too loud.  A true lady has refined manners.  These are things that will impress people.  A man in Jake’s position will clearly want a wife who possesses the more feminine qualities his peers will expect her to exhibit.”
“Then that Sue Lewis woman must be shameful.  One has to wonder how he can bear to be seen in public with her.”
“Oh, he was always a little soft.  He had a rough childhood.  His mother didn’t have a lot of money, so he had to work his way up to the wealth he currently possesses.  I suppose he felt pity for Sue and decided to help her out.  His mother almost lost their home when his father left, so I think he recalled that experience when Sue Lewis gave him the sob story about her family almost being foreclosed on.”
“Apparently, he’s very good to those he pities.”
“I wouldn't know.  I just got here yesterday.  I will find out what Sue Lewis is like and what he’s done for her during this luncheon.”
“Did Mrs. Monroe invite you to this luncheon?”
“Actually, she did.  I was on my way to Jake’s new bank when she met me on the street.  She said that it would be a good idea to get the inside story on how to win him over before I saw him.”
That doesn’t sound like something Mrs. Monroe would do.  I thought she was happy that Jake and I were married.  Sue pushed aside her hurt feelings and said, “That’s very kind of her.”
“I was surprised.  It’s not like we ever got along or anything, but maybe she’s seen the way Sue Lewis treats him and wants better for him.”
“And you would treat him better?”
“I would be the perfect wife.  Like I said, I can give anyone a good impression.  I won’t ever embarrass him in public.  I heard about the wedding, and to be honest, I don’t buy that it was a planned skit the Lewises did.  I think those poor people really don’t know any better than to fling food around and let disgusting animals run across the room.”
“I wonder why he dares to go out to eat with her or dance with her?  He would be better off shutting her up in the house.”
“I’m sure she nags him until he takes her out.  Otherwise, no one would want to be around her.  What a pitiful creature.”
“Uh huh.” Sue tensely smiled.  “Of course, a poor spinster is nothing more than someone to pity.  She couldn’t offer anything of value to a man.”
“Not really.  Why do you think it’s just a business arrangement?  Even though he’s soft-hearted, he does have his limits.”
“What one considers limits, another might call respect.  At least, he isn’t using her.”
The woman lowered her tone as if revealing a secret.  “That’s my secret weapon.  I’ve been married two times and men need physical intimacy.  Since he’s not getting it from her, I can turn on the charm and offer it if he marries me.”
“He’s managed for thirty-five years without doing it.”
“Which is why he’ll be that much more vulnerable to me.”
“I don’t agree with you.  I’ve seen him do business, and he keeps a very cool head no matter what situation he’s in.  Well, perhaps that wasn’t true with Sue Lewis.  He did have to call a guard to throw her out of the bank.”
The woman cringed.  “That’s even more of a reason for him to get rid of her.  She must be a real shrew.”
“She is.  She doesn’t let anyone get away with anything.”
“He can do a lot better.”
“Maybe he doesn’t want to.  Maybe there’s something he sees in Sue that he doesn’t see in other women.  If you’re here to gather information, I’ll give you some right now.  He treats Sue very well.  He praises her and treats her like a princess.  He’s not only handsome but he’s generous, trustworthy, loyal, fun, and intelligent.  He really is the ideal man and I feel sorry for you since you were so wrapped up in money that you missed the real treasure you could have had.”
“Money is the one thing he was always good at making.  Why, he’s quadrupled his net worth over the past thirteen years and with his father’s inheritance, he doubled what he had quadrupled.  A woman could live very well off of his income.”
“Then it’s too bad you’re a depreciating asset.”
She gasped.  “Excuse me?”
“You may be a beautiful woman who knows how to dress and act like a lady, but you’re only going to get older.  Your looks will fade and so will your charm.  Then what will be left but a lonely, bitter old woman whose only purpose in life was to rob men of the best years of their life, not to mention their pocketbooks?”
Johanna jumped up and knocked on the door.  “Someone get me out of here!”
“That’s not how you get someone’s attention.  This is how you do it.” She pounded loudly on the door.  “Get me out of here before I pull her hair out!”
“You wouldn’t,” she hissed.
“Wouldn’t I?  I’m the nag who received Jake’s pity.”
“You’re Sue Lewis?”
“No.  I’m Sue Mitchell, and I guarantee you that we’re not getting an annulment, so you are wasting your time.”
She looked amused.  “You don’t have what it takes to fit in.”
“That’s not what Jake told me last night.” She decided to let Johanna assume whatever she wanted from that comment.  She banged on the door again.  She grunted when no one opened it.  She turned around and inspected the items in the room.  She found a tool box in the corner under the table.  She got down on her knees, crawled under the table and grabbed it.
“Is that your plan to stay with him?  You’ll beg for him to keep you around?”
Sue gasped but managed to stand up with the hammer.  “I don’t have to beg.  He’s the kind of man who can look past the clothes and fake charm.  He can smell a woman who’s after his money a mile away.  You don’t have a chance.  You’re too desperate.  You know what they say in business, ‘never let them see you sweat.’” She took the hammer and slammed it against the doorknob.
“Your reputation didn’t do you justice.  You’re an even bigger nag and far too masculine for any man.”
“I may be a nag but at least I love him for who he is and not for what he can give me.”
“I'll have him again.  Your time is running up.  You only have five months left.”
Sue slammed the hammer on the doorknob harder.  “I’m trapped in here with a crazy woman.  Get me out!” She tried to open the door.  The doorknob was a little loose.
“I’m not crazy.”
“Anyone who would willingly let a man like Jake go is crazy!” Sue screamed.  She banged the doorknob with the hammer again.
Johanna pulled her away from the door and angrily whispered, “You are making a public spectacle of yourself.  Stop it!”
“Oh.  So you don’t like to be embarrassed in public?” Sue raised her voice even more.  “It’s too bad for you that I don’t mind attracting the wrong kind of attention.  You don’t get the reputation for being a nag without upsetting many people.”
Johanna pulled on her hair.  “I will be the one ripping your hair out if you keep this up.  We need to quietly wait for someone to get us.”
Greatly annoyed, Sue reached up and grabbed Johanna’s hair.  Only, Johanna was wearing a wig.  Sue stared at the brown wig in shock as Johanna’s hands flew up to her hairnet.
Suddenly the door flung open.  Johanna reached for the wig but Sue ran past Mrs. Monroe who was laughing with the other women.  Johanna raced after her.
Sue stopped by the punch bowl and held the wig over it.  “Does this bother you?” She dipped the wig close to the punch.  “Oh no!  I hope I don’t slip and accidentally drop it.”
“Give that back!” Johanna demanded as she walked over to Sue.
The women ran back to the table and watched the scene in amusement.
“Only if you go back to Chicago because you’re not welcome here.  I don’t mind embarrassing you in front of important people.”
“What’s going on here?” a man called out.
All the women looked up to see a baffled group of men who had been attending a meeting in a room upstairs.  Sue noted that Jake was trying not to laugh.  The other men included Mr. Allen, Mr. Monroe, and a few financial administrators at the college.
“Is this what you were planning?” Justin asked his wife.  “This is why you had to have your luncheon here at this time?”
Sue looked at Mrs. Monroe who shrugged.  I've been set up.  These women wanted me to let Johanna have it.  But why?
Suddenly, Luke ran into the building, chasing his mouse.  A cat and two dogs followed him.  Mr. Martin, who volunteered at the animal shelter, was in close pursuit.
“Luke, what you doing here?” Sue demanded as the boy followed the mouse under the table which was covered with a lacy tablecloth.
Johanna screamed as the mouse ran over her feet.  She jumped back and fell into the cake.  Luke followed the mouse onto the table and ran over the neatly placed dishes.  He didn’t mind stepping in the food.  The cat ran over Johanna and after the mouse while a dog leapt over the punch bowl and snatched the wig out of Sue’s hand.  Sue quickly backed up while another dog practically pushed her aside in his efforts to get the cat.  Mr. Martin managed to grab one dog and put a leash on him.
Luke grabbed the mouse and grinned.  “I got him!”
The cat pounced on his chest and dug its claws into his skin.
He screamed and threw the mouse at Sue who caught it.
Trevor ran into the building, out of breath.  “Sue, Gloria’s in labor.  We have to go to the farm!”
Sue dropped the mouse on a panicking and crying Johanna and ran over to her brother.  “She is?  When did the labor start?” She heard Luke yell something at Johanna and the men finally moved to action to save what was left of the luncheon while the other women stood by and laughed at the whole scene.
“I told Luke not to bring his mouse,” Trevor said.  “I’m sorry, sis.  He insisted on coming along on Trouble.  I rode Double Trouble in.  Luke saw that man walking the cat and two dogs and jumped off the horse to show the man his mouse.  Then I had to chase Trouble down until I got his reins.  Both horses are safely tied up at the light posts outside.”
Sue remained oblivious to the chaos going on behind her.
She shook her head.  “When is Gloria going to have the baby?”
“Probably tonight.  Her water broke an hour ago.  I just got the doctor.  Her water broke like a gush of water flowing out of a massive hole in a dam.  I never saw so much liquid in my entire life.  It was strange water too.  I never smelled anything like it before.  Anyway, Luke happened to be chasing his mouse under her legs when her water broke, and he got drenched.  It was like that time when he got stuck in the heavy downpour we had two summers ago and we could wring out all of his clothes...”
“Put off the writer’s cap for a moment.  I don’t want to know all the details.” She shook her head.  Trevor could write a book about anything.
“Alright, bossy.” He rolled his eyes.  "She wants you to be there for moral support.  She’s scared.”
Johanna ran past them, clutching her wig to her chest and crying, and left the building.
Mrs. Monroe came up to Sue.  “I’m sorry I planned such a devious thing but no matter what I or the other women told Johanna, she wasn’t willing to leave.  So I thought if I put you in a room with her, you would frighten her enough so she would go away.  And I hoped that when she saw the men watching, she would be so humiliated, she wouldn’t even consider coming back."
“That was devious,” Sue agreed, but she smiled as she said it.  “Of course, it was funny.”
She laughed.  “I’m glad you have such a great sense of humor.”
“Really though, why didn’t you warn me that you were going to trap me in there with her?”
“Would you have gone to that room if you had known?”
“No.”
“There’s your answer.”
“Is that why Mr. Allen came by the library this morning to tell me about her?”
“Yes, it was.  We asked him to tell you about Johanna so that you would be properly motivated to send her running back home.”
Sue shook her head.  “I knew there was no way that so many men would be interested in me all of the sudden.”
Before Mrs. Monroe had a chance to respond, Luke yelled for help.
Sue turned around and gasped when she saw Luke dangling from the chandelier.  “Luke, how did you get up there?” she demanded.
“The mouse ran upstairs so I followed him.  Then he jumped down to the floor.  I didn’t think.  I jumped and grabbed onto the chandelier.”
She rolled her eyes as her brother explained the events.  “Only you could get yourself stuck up there.”
Someone came up behind her and gently touched her shoulder.  “I got it.” Jake smiled at her.
She sighed.  “I’m sorry about all of this.  I had no idea delivering library books to this luncheon was all a ploy to get me upset enough to send someone running off.”
“I know.  Justin said his wife was up to something but didn’t know what it was until we heard all the commotion and stopped our meeting with Mr. Allen to find out what was going on.”
She was glad to see he was in a good mood about it.
He looked up at the scared boy.  “On the count of three, let go of the chandelier and I’ll catch you.”
Luke nodded, and after Jake counted to three, he let go and Jake caught him.
“We got the mouse,” Justin and Mr. Allen said as they handed the boy the pet that was trapped in a small ball they found from the small supply room.  “I think we finally got all the animals under control.  Poor Mr. Martin looked so flustered.  He doesn’t like so much drama.”
Sue looked around and noted that the animals were gone, as was Mr. Martin.  “He definitely couldn’t handle my family then.”
“I knew I was doing you a favor when I told you to put that dress on in the library,” Jake said.
“What?”
“He was one of the men who was interested in you.”
She shook her head.  That was why he insisted she wear that dress.
“Luke,” Trevor began as he walked up to them, “Pa is going to throw a fit when he hears about this.”
“As long as I have little Jake, I don’t care,” Luke replied.
Jake cringed.  “You named that thing after me?”
“He sure did,” Trevor said.  “He’s been calling the critter that ever since you ate those Rocky Mountain oysters.”
“Rocky Mountain oysters?  Are those mollusks from Colorado?” Justin asked.
“It’s not what you think,” Jake shuddered.  “I’ll explain later.”
“You really need to stop bringing that thing into town,” Sue told her youngest brother.  “I can’t have you making a scene every time you show up.”
Mr. Allen laughed.  “Are you kidding?  That was a riot.  It was better than the wedding skit your family did.”
"Your family must do their best work when they ad-lib stuff,” Justin agreed.
“I guess it was an interesting occurrence,” Trevor thoughtfully stated.  “Sis, you’ll have to tell me what happened so I can write it down.”
“Are you men going to help us clean this mess up?” Mrs. Monroe called out as the women struggled to get the room back to its former condition.
Justin scoffed at her.  “You planned this chaos.  You clean it up.  We have a meeting to finish.”
“I'll be up there in a minute,” Jake told him as the men headed up the stairs.  “Sue will be with you in a moment,” he told her brothers.
“We can take a hint,” Trevor replied as he led Luke out of the building.
Jake turned to her and smiled.  “You really think so well of me that you would take off another woman’s wig and threaten to throw it in the punch bowl if she didn’t leave?”
Sue grinned.  “It was either that or tell her horrible things about you so she would stay away from you.”
He chuckled.  “If it helps, while you were talking to Trevor, I told Johanna that I have no intention of annulling our marriage.  I know I have a good thing going with you and I have no intention of blowing it.”
“I like being with you too.” She sighed.  “I have to go to the farm.  Gloria is in labor and I have to go help out.  She’s been anxious during the whole pregnancy and asked for my support.  Anyway, I wanted to let you know before I left.”
“You’re going to leave me here all by myself?” He frowned.  He looked sad by the prospect.
“It will only be until Friday.  I know we had planned to go out there this weekend but we’ll have to go out there another time.  I want to be there for moral support, especially after the stillbirth of her last baby.”
“I understand.  I’ll miss you while you’re gone.  I would go with you if I didn’t have to take care of some business.  I have a meeting with Mr. Brothers tomorrow.  Then Daniel Riley is due to stop by the house tomorrow and I want to find out what he’s up to.  Also, I have to sort through that envelope from Mr. Barnett.”
“It’s alright, Jake.  I don’t expect you to drop everything to spend all your time with me.  You have your own life.”
He shrugged.
“So I’ll be back Friday afternoon.  And don’t worry.  I’ll take the back way out of the house so no one will see me wearing pants.” She kissed him before she left.  She tried not to let his disappointment affect her but she was glad he would miss her for she would miss him.

Chapter Seventeen

Jake went home and noticed how empty the place felt with Sue gone.  Though Ralph and Lydia greeted him, it wasn’t the same.  Sue definitely had a place in his life that no one else could penetrate.  He knew he had a long night looming ahead of him, so he decided he would tackle Mr. Barnett’s envelope.  Since Sue was gone, he wouldn’t have to face her while he was upset.  Anything associated with his father upset him.  He didn’t wish for her to see him like that.  After he ate dinner, at a table that seemed unusually long and in a room that was unbearably quiet, he went to his den and shut the door.  He glanced at the chair by the fireplace where Sue liked to sit.  Everything seemed empty without her.  How could one woman change his entire life in one month?
He went to the painting that hid his safe and took it off the wall.  He opened the safe.  He removed two boat tickets from his breast pocket.  He bought the tickets that day for the trip he planned to take Sue on.  He smiled as he put it in the Greece brochure she had collected years ago.  He wished to surprise her with it that night but decided it would have to wait.  He added his updated will to the pile of papers before turning his attention to the large envelope.  He pulled it out and dropped it on his desk.  He sat down and dumped its contents out.  If we’re going to do it, let’s get it over with.
He set aside the picture of him and his mother, the picture of him and his father, and the letter he wrote his father so he wouldn’t have to look at those again.  He picked up another letter.  It was a letter his father had written to his mother two years after he left them.  Apparently, his mother had returned it to the post office without opening it.  He couldn’t blame her.  He reluctantly opened it.

Dear Rachel and Jake,

I think of you often, though you will likely not believe me.  Every night I go to bed, regretting the pain I caused you, and though I wish I could undo the damage I’ve done, it is too late to turn back.  I have set my course with a group of ungodly people who engage in illegal activities.  I will not reveal my sins, for in so doing, I might endanger you.  These people have killed before and can easily kill again.  They are above the law.  I wish I could return and try to make things right but I can’t escape from this group.  They watch everything I do and control my actions.  I will have to make do with the memories I hold dear to my heart.  Jake, whatever you do, don’t walk with the ungodly man.  His ways seem sweet in the beginning, but the end is death.  It’s only a matter of time before I face the consequences of my decision.  Please forgive me.  I will not be able to write again.

My love will continue for you both,
Peter Mitchell

Jake put the letter aside and took out a newspaper article.  It was just like Trevor said.  If he went through the bad stuff fast enough, it wouldn’t be as painful.  The article described a band of robberies taking place across Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Illinois where jewelry store owners were waking up to find their inventory gone.  That was obviously my father’s crime.  He recalled his father’s confession in the letter Mr. Barnett gave him at the reading of the will.  His father had mentioned confessing his crime to the police.  The loot was hidden in the basement of the cabin he used to take Jake and his mother to before he walked out on them.
Jake unfolded a Wanted poster of two men.  It was posted ten years ago.  The man in one picture was very young.  He couldn’t have been more than thirty.  He had blond hair and a thick beard.  Jake stared at him for a long moment.  The man’s name was Brian Silverman.  He looked familiar to Jake, but Jake had no idea where he might have seen him before.  The second man in the poster, Leonard Silverman, was probably sixty.  Obviously, Leonard and Brian were father and son.  What a lovely family reunion it must be with these two men in the family.  Setting the poster down, he picked up another letter written to his father the year before and unfolded it.

Peter,

It’s not right to rob your friends of their rightful due.  I have been a patient man but my patience is wearing out.  My father was stupid when he agreed to let you hide the jewels without telling me its location.  Where are they, Peter?  You have made an honest living with your clothing factories and breeding horses, but I can easily expose your past.  You don’t want your son to find out what kind of man you really are, do you?

Brian

So that’s where I fit into all of this, Jake thought.  Well, his father’s secret was out in the open now.
Finally, Jake came upon a sealed letter that his father had instructed Mr. Barnett to give Jake after his death.  Attached to the small envelope was a brief note from the lawyer, “I’m sorry I didn’t get this to you sooner, Jake.  I just got through getting rid of all your father’s belongings and saw these items that might be of interest to you.  Your father had a lot of enemies, and the one searching for the stolen jewels has a criminal history of killing people who get in his way.  I suspect he was responsible for suffocating your father in the hospital.”
Jake opened the envelope, relieved this was the last piece of information in the large envelope.

Dear Jake,

I heard you are doing well in Virginia.  You managed to honorably climb your way to the top of the social ladder in your society.  Unfortunately, this makes you an easy target.  A man cannot live his life in sin and not expect the consequences to catch up with him.  In this case, those consequences may pass onto you.  I was a greedy man in my younger days.  I thought money would make me happy.  When I was married to your mother, we lost everything we owned due to a poor financial decision I made with Leonard Silverman.  It was a get rich quick scheme that didn’t work.  You had just turned ten when I discovered my error.  I didn’t tell your mother I lost everything.  Instead, I agreed to join Leonard on his train robberies in exchange for some money for you and your mother.
I sold my soul, though at the time it seemed like I had no other option.  I should have told your mother.  She would have been upset but we would have worked through it.  But I took the easy way out.  I became Leonard’s slave.  He, Brian and I made a lot more than half a million dollars in jewelry robberies.  The half a million dollars was only what I hid from them.  They also had other dealings on the side.  Apparently, they blew their amounts and went broke.  Brian was a latecomer to our team, but he’s nastier than his father.  I have no doubt he’ll be coming for me once he learns of my heart attack.  I am now confined to a hospital bed and he will come asking about the jewelry that belongs to me, his father and him.  I already turned the information over to the police and they have uncovered it.  I wrote you before about hiding the jewels in the cabin we used to go to in Michigan before your mother took you to Virginia to be with her parents after I left you two.
Her parents died shortly after your arrival and she raised you by herself.  I kept an eye on you both as you grew up.  I loved you both but couldn’t risk going back.  Leonard and Brian would’ve used you as leverage to gain information about the secret hiding place of the jewels and I was too greedy to hand the jewels to them.  There is no honor among thieves.  I fear that once I die, Brian will come looking for you.  In this envelope I have included Brian’s letter in which he confessed to his crimes.  He gives a list of names of the people he has killed and the places he robbed.  He even signed it.  It was his way to threaten me but I kept it in case I could track him down and turn him over to the police.  I have already confessed to them but what can they do to a man on his death bed?  God has already sentenced me.  Anyway, Brian’s picture is in the Wanted poster and you have his written confession attached to this letter.  Take both to the police if he finds you.
I have instructed Mr. Barnett to go through my belongings upon my death and send you everything marked with a circle in the top right corner.  He is to make sure the package you receive has an urgent message on it so you will take it seriously.  I wanted to warn you before Brian returns.  He promised to come back later this week, and when I tell him about my confession to the police, he won’t believe me.  Then he will probably look for you.  Be on the lookout for Brian and notify the police once he finds you.  He’s not one to be messed with.  I’m sorry to have given you this legacy.

Sincerely,
Your father Peter Mitchell

Jake sighed with relief.  He stared at Brian’s picture to memorize his face before he put everything back into the envelope and put it all back into the safe.  He put the painting back up and went back to his desk.  He didn’t wish to dwell on the contents of what he just read, so he took out some paperwork and tried to finish it up before his meeting with Mr. Brothers who was due to come in the next afternoon.  He read through the same sentence a couple of times when he realized what was wrong.  He kept looking at the chair by the fire and expecting to see Sue reading.  She would glance up at him once in awhile and smile at him.  He felt special when she smiled at him.  He couldn’t wait for Friday.  Maybe I’ll skip the dance again.  It would be more fun to enjoy her on that bearskin rug than to go to the dance to do business, even if I would spend most of the night dancing with her.  He realized he wouldn’t get any work done that night, so he put the paperwork back in the drawer and went to bed.  He could finish it the next morning.

***

The next morning passed by swiftly as he finished getting ready for Mr. Brothers’ arrival.  He went to lunch by himself but hardly tasted his food.  He returned to work and saw Justin with his wife and kids.  Once again, the kids were hanging all over him.  This time, Jake smiled and walked into his office.  When Mr. Brothers arrived, he gave him the tour of his bank and discussed business.  They shook hands and Mr. Brothers left.
Justin came by his office.  “How did it go?”
“Very well,” Jake replied.  “Everything is set.  We have officially become a major competitor to George Leroy’s bank.”
“Speaking of him...” Justin closed the office door and sat down.  “No one has seen him since last Friday.”
“Who’s in charge of the bank while he’s gone?”
“Mr. Edwards but he has no idea where George is.  George didn’t even tell him he was going to be gone.”
“Does George’s wife know where he is?”
“No.  She went to the police, but they think he’s off with his mistress on a vacation.”
“He’s always announced such plans in the past.  It’s not like hid his affairs.” Jake couldn’t stand the man, and that was one of the top reasons.  Why does his wife put up with it?  I couldn’t imagine doing that to Sue.
“The mistress that we do know about doesn’t know where he is either.”
“Maybe we scared him out of town,” Jake joked.  “Anyway, he’s a grown man.  I’m sure he can take care of himself.”
Justin shrugged.  “I suppose he’ll show up soon and act like nothing happened.  Alright.  I better go home.  I’m having a dinner party tonight.  Care to come?”
Jake cringed.  “You know I hate those things.”
“True.  But you used to hate a lot of things before Sue came along.”
“Dinner parties are something we both don’t like.”
“You two were made for each other.”
“Even if I did want to go, I have to see Daniel Riley at six.  He’s coming over to discuss terms on courting Sue after our annulment.”
“Are you still going through with an annulment?”
Jake shrugged.  He didn’t wish to answer that question until he verified that Sue wanted to stay in the marriage.
“You are a hard man to get through to.  I’ll have to do something about that.”
Jake chuckled as Justin left and finished the final paperwork for the day.  It was only Wednesday.  Sue will be back in two days.  If I could wait for thirty-five years for her, I can wait two days.
Once he closed up the bank and went home, he got ready for Daniel Riley’s visit.  He wasn’t looking forward to it.  He ate dinner before the man arrived.  He didn’t want Daniel Riley to stay any longer than necessary.  When six o’clock came, Daniel arrived and Ralph brought him into the parlor.  Jake rarely used the parlor but hoped the formal atmosphere it provided would lead to a short visit.
He sat across from him in a chair and looked at him.  “What would you like to discuss, Mr. Riley?”
Daniel grinned as he sat in the other chair.  “I notice Sue isn’t here.  Wouldn’t she be interested in this conversation?”
Jake didn’t like the way the man snickered when he said Sue’s name.  Henry had told him what happened between her and Daniel in the library and it disgusted him.  “As her husband, I think it’s my right to talk to you alone first.”
“Is she out of town?  That’s why she isn’t here, isn’t it?  Otherwise, I’d be getting one of her special homemade dinners.”
Jake hid his aggravation.  Instead, he calmly said, “Is that why you came here?  To discuss her whereabouts?”
He waved his hand.  “No.  I don’t care where she’s at.  I want to know where she got the money.”
“Where do you think she got it from?”
He snapped his fingers at him.  “You’re a clever man, Mr. Mitchell.  You answered my question with another question.  That’s a good tactic but it won’t throw me off the track.”
Something about the man bothered Jake, though he couldn’t put his finger on it.  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.  I simply wish to find out what you’re doing here.”
“I can see why you have a reputation for being such a good businessman.  Tell me, is Sue as pretty with her clothes off as she is with them on?”
“What?” The question infuriated him.
“I got a good look at her while she was putting a book away on the top shelf.  I tell you, I wouldn’t mind having my way with her.”
“Get to the point of your visit.” Jake grabbed the handle of the chair so he wouldn’t punch the man.
“That sure got you riled up.  If I didn’t know better, I’d say you love her.  And love is a powerful bargaining chip.”
He just threatened Sue.  Jake forced himself to stay still.
Daniel laughed.  “I bet it didn’t take much to concoct your scheme to get your father’s inheritance by marrying her.  Now, how did you two manage to collect all that money?”
Calm down.  Keep a cool head.  That’s the first rule of business.  He took a deep breath and relaxed.  “Mr. Riley, I grow tired of these games.  It’s not Sue you’re after and we both know it.  So get to the point already or Ralph will throw you out.”
“I want to know where your father got his money from.”
Jake hid his surprise.  He’s not Daniel Riley.  He’s Brian Silverman.  He shrugged.  “How should I know?  He abandoned me and my mother when I was ten.  I haven’t heard from him since.”
“So how did you find out about your inheritance?”
“How do you think I found out about it?”
“You’re doing it again.  But it won’t work.  How did you find out about your inheritance?”
“I’m not saying.  Is there anything else you wish to ask?”
“We’ve been dancing around this topic long enough, don’t you think?”
“I don’t know what topic you are referring to.  I thought you were here to talk about Sue.”
Jake didn’t like the way the man sneered at the mention of her name.  He decided on a different tactic since Brian had figured out that Sue meant something to him.
“You know what.  You’re right,” Jake said as if nothing bothered him.  “She’s alright to look at but she’s a cold fish.  You can have her.  All I care about is collecting the rest of my inheritance in May. Just tell me your address and I’ll send her to you on May 21.  After all, she’s used goods now anyway.” He hated saying those words but he hoped it would throw Brian off balance.  And he was right.
“That money belongs to me!  I helped your father steal those jewels.” As soon as he spoke, he realized his mistake.
“Ralph!” Jake called out.
“This isn’t the end of it, Mr. Mitchell.  I will come back for what’s mine,” Brian hissed before he quickly headed out of the house.
Jake jumped up and ran after him.  He knocked him to the floor in front of the door and punched him in the jaw.  That’s for Sue, you pervert!  “Ralph!” he yelled.
Brian struggled to get away from him.  “You can’t hold me here.”
Jake grabbed him by his shirt collar.  “I got your confession and I have no problem turning you in, Brian Silverman.”
Someone hit Jake on the back of the head and he collapsed on the floor into unconsciousness.  By the time he woke up, the police were talking to Ralph and Lydia.  Jake groaned and sat up on the couch in the parlor.
“Try to rest, Mr. Mitchell,” Lydia said, holding her sleeping baby.
“Where is he?” Jake ignored her and stood up.  The back of his head stung.
“Here’s some pain medicine for the headache,” she offered.
He swallowed the pills without bothering to drink the water she offered.
Ralph was talking to two cops.  “I found him lying in the entry way of the house.  I was fixing the closet in one of the bedrooms upstairs when I heard him calling for me.  Lydia was asleep with the baby.  I ran downstairs and saw George Leroy hit him on the back of the head.  The other man, who I didn’t recognize, ran out the front door with George.”
“The other man was Brian Silverman.  He helped my father steal jewelry in Michigan,” Jake added as he walked up to them.  “I had no idea George was here.”
“That’s because he came in through the window in the den.  The door to the den was open and when I went to investigate, the window was open.  Apparently, he intended to leave through the window.”
“Do you know what he was looking for?” the cop asked.
“It was probably Brian Silverman’s confession,” Jake answered.
“Brian Silverman, the wanted man?” the other cop wondered.
“I didn’t recognize him right away.  He had blond hair and a beard in the picture but he had dark hair and was clean shaven when he came to me as Daniel Riley.”
“You say you have his confession?”
He nodded.  “It’s in the safe in my den.  My father sent it to me.  Brian wrote out everything he did.”
The cops followed him to the den where he removed the painting from the wall and opened the safe.  He took the envelope out and the folder with his father’s will and letter.  He showed them everything he had.
“The sender of these items is Mr. William Barnett.  He’s the same person who’s been missing for almost a week,” a cop noted.  “We’ve been told he was on a train heading to this town.  He got on the train in Michigan but never made it here.  His luggage is still at the station.”
“He could have been coming here.  When I got married to Sue, there was a clause in our contract that said Mr. Barnett was supposed to visit us for one week to make sure we were living in the same house.”  Everyone in town already knew the arrangement between him and Sue, so he didn’t have to explain it.
“Or he could have been warning you that Brian was coming.” The cop shrugged.  “Either way, we’re searching for him from Michigan to here.  Do you have any idea where he might be?”
“No, I don’t.” Jake shook his head.
“This written confession and picture of Brian on the Wanted poster is all we need,” the other cop said.  “We’ll have an artist draw a picture of how he looks now.  You say he has dark hair and no beard?”
Jake nodded.
“Very well.” He handed the evidence to his partner.  “Mr. Mitchell, I would advise you to leave town for a few days.  We haven’t caught Brian Silverman or George Leroy yet, and based on the fact that they broke into your house, it’s safe to assume they will come back.  We will post a couple of police officers to watch your house while you are gone.  Now that we know who we’re looking for, it should make our job easier.”
“Do you have anywhere to go?” the other cop asked.
“Yes.” He wanted to see Sue anyway.  This would just speed up the process of that happening.  He turned to Ralph and Lydia who looked stunned.  “You two should probably go somewhere too.  I will notify you when I come back.”
“We’ll be at my mother’s then,” Lydia replied.
Ralph followed her and their son out of the room.
“I advise you to take anything you don’t want to lose,” the cop said.  “We’ll do our best to guard the house, but there’s no telling how many men are involved in this.”
“I understand.”
After the police left, he took all of the contents out of his safe and put them into a briefcase he kept in his desk drawer.  Then he packed his suitcase.  He went into Sue’s room to see if there was anything she might find valuable in there.  He was surprised by her simple belongings.  Has she spent any of the money I gave her on anything but her family?  She really was content with reading a good book.  He saw the programs from the symphony and the play on her night stand next to the book she had been reading.  She had thrown a couple of her farm clothes into her suitcase and left.  He saw the necklace and earrings he had given her for their wedding day.  He decided to take those since they represented the beginning of their life together.  There’s no way I’m letting her go.
When he reached the front door, Ralph was waiting for him.  “I sent for Mr. Reynolds, sir.  He should be by shortly.”
“Thank you, Ralph.  Well, at least you can look at this as a paid vacation.” He put on his coat and hat.
“Sir, you forgot to freshen up.  Your suit and hair are untidy.”
“Oh.  I didn’t think about it.  I suppose I have time to change and comb my hair.” So he did and returned.  “Is this better?”
He smiled.  “More like your old self, sir.”
Henry pulled up with his buggy.  “I’ll see you in a few days then.” He said goodbye to Lydia and the baby before he left.
“Someone broke into your home?” Henry asked, shocked.
“Brian Silverman and George Leroy.”
“George Leroy?”
“I’m as surprised as you are.  I don’t know how he’s involved with all of this but he is.  I’ve been instructed by the cops to get out of town for a few days.  Will you take me to the Lewis farm?”
He nodded.  “I can do that, sir.”
“And I need to stop by Mr. Monroe’s house before I go.  I have to explain the situation to him so he knows to take over my duties at the bank.”
“I will do that too.”
Before Jake entered the buggy, he turned back to him.  “I almost forgot.  The publisher likes your work.  He’s going to contact you in a day or two and discuss the terms of putting your poems into a book.”
Henry’s eyes lit up.  “I had no idea they were that good.”
“Don’t underestimate yourself, Henry.  You’re a talented writer.” Jake sat in the buggy and set his suitcase and briefcase on the seat across from him.  He couldn’t wait to see Sue.  When Henry pulled up to Justin’s house, Jake noted that his dinner party was still going strong.  He got out of the buggy before Henry could open the door.  “I’ll be right back.  There’s no need to get the door for me.” He didn’t want to stay there any longer than he had to.  He rang the doorbell.
One of Justin’s servants answered the door.  “Good evening, Mr. Mitchell.  Is Mr. Monroe expecting you?”
“No.  I’m here for business.  I will be going shortly, so I’ll keep my hat and coat on.”
“As you wish, sir.” The butler closed the door.
Jake heard laughter from the parlor on the right where all the men were gathered around a table and laughing.  The women were gathered in the other parlor.  Jake walked to the parlor on the right.  He recognized all of the men there.  They were all of Sue’s suitors.  He paused as he listened to them.
“And then Jake said she was as flat as a board,” Mr. Unger told them.  “Mr. Frank and I saw her standing there but were too shocked to warn him.  She came up behind him and dumped a bowl of pudding on his head!”
The men laughed.
“We bolted after that,” Mr. Frank added.  “There was no way we wanted to stick around for that storm.”
“So what should we plan next?” Justin asked.
“Every time we send flowers, Jake throws them out before she finds them,” Mr. Bower said.  “I think that method is working well.  It seems to be getting under his skin.  Let’s send flowers from all of us next time.  That should make him insane.”
“We can even have them delivered when we know for sure she’s there.” 
“But it won’t make much of a difference if she sees them.  In fact, it’s pointless to go to her at all.  Whenever we approach her at work, it’s the same thing.  ‘I’m rather fond of Mr. Mitchell.  I don’t think you should be talking to me this way.’  The real fun is messing with him.”
“She’s a loyal woman alright,” Justin agreed.  “I wonder how long it’s going to take before Jake admits he wants to keep her around?”
“How about tonight?” Jake spoke up.
The men gasped and looked up from the table.
“What are you doing here?” Mr. Blacksmith asked.
“You never attend dinner parties,” Justin added.
“So all this time, none of you really wanted to court Sue after the annulment?” Jake wondered.
“Well, at first a couple of us did,” Mr. Blacksmith admitted.  “But as soon as we realized how happy you two were together, it became more of a game to get you to acknowledge that you love her.”
“We didn’t want you to stick to bachelorhood all of your life,” Mr. Martin agreed.  “We were afraid if you didn’t see how attractive she was to other men, you wouldn’t find her attractive yourself.  We saw that she was a good woman who would treat you right, and after all the times you helped us at the bank, it was the least we could do for you.”
Mr. Unger grinned.  “It also provided amusement.  It was fun to see what antic you would come up with next in order to get rid of us.”
Mr. Blacksmith shuddered.  “But feeding us her cooking was cruel.”
“The fruit salad was acceptable,” Mr. Gordon said.
“I made that while she changed into one of her old dresses,” Jake said.
“The poor woman tried so hard to make us a good meal but we couldn’t stomach it.” Mr. Unger chuckled. “But you ate everything she gave you.”
“Because I love her.”
“It’s about time you admitted it!” Justin cheered.  “Now we can stop going after her.”
“And if anyone dares to do anything like this again, I’ll send her to your house with one of her homemade dishes.”
“Oh, we don’t want to come between you two,” Mr. Unger replied.  “We want you two to stay together.”
Jake shook his head.  “Is this what you do at these dinner parties?  Try to trap some poor unsuspecting bachelor into staying married?”
“No.  Sometimes we actually discuss business.  Care to join us?”
“No.  I’m going to find Sue and make her mine for good.  But, I do have some serious business to discuss with you, Justin.”
Justin noticed the serious tone in his voice so he nodded and walked to the side of the room while the other men talked.  After Jake described the situation with Brian and George, Justin said he would take over the presidential responsibilities while Jake hid out at the Lewis farm.
Justin smiled.  “Go get her, Jake.  She loves you.”
“Now you can scheme against someone else,” Jake laughed.  He couldn’t believe it.  Sue was right.  He did have some friends after all.

Chapter Eighteen

Sue held baby Kevin in her arms.  She sat next to Gloria on the couch in her parents’ parlor.  Kevin was born the previous evening, and he had already won the hearts of his family.  She smiled at the baby who was content to lay awake in her arms.  It was nice to hold him.  For the first time in her life, she allowed herself to entertain the notion that she might hold her own child one day.  She sighed.  She missed Jake more than she thought she would.  It was easy to put him out of her mind while she was busy getting Gloria ready for the birth and cleaning up afterwards.  The doctor came to deliver the baby, announced that everyone was doing well, and left.  She was happy for Gloria and Jeremiah who looked proud to finally be parents.  She knew that this baby was a miracle for them after having suffered through four losses.
Gloria beamed.  “I can’t believe he’s actually here.  It’s so wonderful to hold him after praying so long for his safe arrival.”
“It is,” Sue agreed.  “He’s going to be one spoiled child with doting grandparents and aunts and uncles.  So it’s up to you and Jeremiah to do the hard work of disciplining him because I don’t have the heart to tell him no.”
“Thank you for praying with me.  Your support has been the thing that got me through this pregnancy as well as I did.”
“You and Jeremiah are going to make terrific parents.  I know Jeremiah would kill me if he knew I told you this but after Kevin was born and the doctor announced that you and him were healthy, Jeremiah went to another room for a few moments to cry.  He was afraid something bad was going to happen.  He doesn’t know I saw him but I thought you might like to know how much you and Kevin mean to him.”
Gloria hugged her.  “He really does have a good heart underneath it all.” She laughed as Kevin yawned.  “I could stare at him all day and never get bored.”
Sue nodded her agreement.  “He’s going to be a heartbreaker someday.”
Jeremiah and Luke laughed in another room.
She raised an eyebrow.  “Gloria, what is your husband up to now?”
“He mentioned playing some joke on Trevor.  They’re always messing with each other.”
“I suppose he’s earned the right to joke around today.”
“It beats being depressed.”
Kevin squirmed in her arms.  “Do you want to go back to your mother?” she cooed.  “But Aunt Sue doesn’t want to let you go.” He settled down and fell asleep.  “We have a great relationship already!”
Gloria giggled.
Trevor yelled in the other room.  “Is this supposed to be funny?”
The laughter from Jeremiah and Luke told Sue that their prank had been a success.  She shook her head.
Her parents and Patty came in from checking the animals for the night.
“Oh, it looks like Sue’s grown attached to Kevin,” her mother said.
“Can I hold him?” Patty anxiously asked as she sat next to Sue on the couch.
“Sue has always been good with babies and children,” her father added.  “You look good holding him.  I wouldn’t mind another grandchild.”
Sue sighed.  “You’re putting on the pressure too?”
“Can’t blame a father for wanting the best for his little girl.”
“Besides, Jake did seem fond of you when you brought him out here last month,” her mother said.  “I can tell when a man is interested in a woman.”
Sue blushed.
There was a knock at the door.
“I’ll get it!” Jeremiah called out, running from an angry Trevor.
Luke trailed behind.
“Do those two ever stop?” Sue chuckled.
“Can I hold him now, Sue?” Patty asked again.  “You’ve been hogging him all evening.”
“It’s a good thing I’m the one who feeds him or else I’d never get my chance,” Gloria responded.
“I like holding my nephew.  He’s a good looking little boy.” She protested as Patty tried to take him from her arms.
“Maybe it’s time you put down other people’s babies and made one of your own.”
She quickly looked up to see Jake smiling at her.  She blushed.
Gloria took Kevin and put him in Patty’s arms.
“I didn’t expect you to come out here,” she finally stated as she stood up.
Her parents grinned at her.
“I came to spend time alone with my wife.  If the rest of you will excuse us, it’s time I let her keep me.”
Her blushing got worse as her family laughed.
“It’s about time!” Trevor called out.
He took her hand and led her to the bedroom.  “Which one are you in?”
“Uh...” Was he serious?  He couldn’t just walk into her family’s house, announce his intention to be intimate with her in front of everyone and take her off to the bedroom to act on it.  Could he?
“I’d hate to put Patty out of her room.” He let go of her hand and took her suitcase out of the room and put it in Trevor and Luke’s room.  Then he went to get his suitcase and briefcase.
He can’t be serious!  She was too horrified and excited to speak.
“Trevor and Luke, you’re sleeping in the parlor again,” he told them as he came back with his stuff.  He set his things next to hers and pushed the beds together.
Trevor and Jeremiah laughed as she stood still, her shock holding her in place.  Is he really serious?  She knew she had told him that he gave up too easily but she never suspected he would barge into her family’s house and do this.
“Go in there, sis,” Jeremiah whispered.  “He can’t do it without you.”
“It’s time you kept him,” Trevor agreed.
Jake threw some clothes at Trevor and Luke.  “Go away.  It’s time for me to be with my wife.  I’ve been waiting for a long time to do this and I’m not waiting another minute.”
“Well, then we’d better scurry,” Trevor replied, laughing.
When she was alone in the hallway, Jake came out, picked her up and carried her into the bedroom.  He shut and locked the door, ignoring the laughter coming from her family members who were obviously thrilled that he was going to stay in the family after all.
“I’m surprised at you, Sue,” Jake said.  “Are you really at a loss for words?”
“Well, I didn’t think...I mean...I suspected we might...but not like this.” She struggled to clear her head.  Her heart pounded with anticipation as her shock began to wear off.  She stood against the wall, not sure she could keep standing.
He walked over to her and stood so close to her that their bodies almost touched.  “I couldn’t wait another day for you, Sue.  You are an amazing woman.  You can lasso cattle, fix stable doors, speak your mind without backing down, expertly ride a horse and wear pants while maintaining every ounce of your femininity.  You care about others to the point of sacrificing your own desires.  You entertain women and children in the library, and you’re a smart woman who loves life and adventure.  You are a wonderful companion who has made my trips to the theater and symphony more enjoyable than they’ve ever been.  You are a kind and gentle woman who hasn’t been properly appreciated.”
She couldn’t look at him while he talked.  His words were wonderful and she had wished for someone to tell her such things for so long.
He gently stroked her cheek with his fingers.  “When I first saw you at Leroy’s bank, I was very much aware of how attractive you were.  You may have been wearing a bun and an old dress but there was no denying your beauty.”
She closed her eyes and tilted her head as he kissed the side of her neck.  His hands moved over her body, caressing her breasts and hips.
“There’s no denying that you are a woman.  Your amazing curves would entice any man with the need to touch you.  You have a splendid figure that has often excited my imagination.”
She felt weak as her pulse quickened under the intense scrutiny of his hands.
He kissed her on the lips, and she wrapped her arms around him as her desire for him grew brighter with each word and movement he made.  When he pulled away from her, his breathing was as shallow as her own.  He took her hand and led her to the bed where he sat next to her.
“It’s time someone told you the truth about yourself, Mrs. Mitchell.  You are everything that is good and noble in a woman, and I love you.  I want to be kept.  Will you keep me?”
“I do want to keep you, Jake,” she softly confessed.  She looked at him and smiled.  “I love you too.”
He returned her smile and leaned in to kiss her.  His lips were soft and warm.
She had no idea a man could make her feel so alive.  Her skin tingled with anticipation as he pulled her to him.  He parted his lips.  Surprised, she followed his lead and felt his tongue as it brushed against hers.  The sensation was so new to her that she hardly had time to register it before he pulled away from her.
“I find that clothes can be so restrictive,” he whispered, his breath tickling her ear.  “Don’t you?”
She giggled, feeling like a school girl.  Her cheeks flushed, and she wondered when the last time was when she acted this silly.  She peered up at him and saw that his eyes twinkled.  Perhaps he felt giddy too.
He unbuttoned her shirt, exposing the flesh under her collarbone.  She didn’t wear a corset on the farm, and it made her feel exposed.  Not that such a thing mattered.  He was about to see her naked.  He kissed her neck and let his mouth descend to her cleavage.  She gasped as she held onto his arms.  His beard tickled but his warm lips made her shiver in anticipation.  Though she wore a chemise beneath her shirt, the feel of his hands as they cupped her breasts seemed to scorch her skin.  She had no idea that her breasts were so sensitive.  Her nipples hardened and an unfamiliar ache formed between her legs from his caress.
She laid back on the bed so he could have better access to her bosom.  But he didn’t continue as she thought he would.  He stood up and removed his clothes, his face as serious as usual but with a certain intensity in his eyes that made her pulse quicken.  He wanted her.  Really wanted her.  The way that men wanted women they desired.
She looked at him as he removed his clothes.  Perhaps she should have been shy, but she’d been around animals her entire life and was well acquainted with the male urge to procreate.  She’d seen erections before.  But even so, nothing prepared her for the intriguing sight of him.
Before she had a chance to reach out and touch him, Jake unbuckled her belt and took off her pants.  His actions were as certain as they were in everything he did, except he didn’t possess the usual calculated calm she’d seen him use in business.  His movements were urgent, and as gentle as he was with her as he took off her shirt and chemise, there was an impatience she’d never seen in him.
When she was naked before him, laying on the bed and waiting for him to join her, he studied her for a moment.  Smiling at her, he climbed onto the bed.  He moved over her, his hands on either side of her head as he settled between her legs.
“You are a beautiful sight, Mrs. Mitchell,” he softly said, his voice husky.
She returned his smile and let her hands drift down to the male part of him.  She watched him, wondering if he’d allow her to explore him, and she caught the flicker of excitement in his eyes.  He closed her eyes, a slight groan escaping his lips.
She took that as permission and lightly touched him, noting the way he felt.  He seemed to like it when she took him into her hands and gave a gentle squeeze.  She’d never thought she’d ever feel a man the way she was feeling him, and she had no idea what he’d feel like.  It was wonderful.
The masculine form was a beautiful thing.  Jake had broad shoulders, a lean chest covered with dark hair that tapered down to the mass of curls that surrounded his manhood.  He had a narrow waist and strong legs.  He was perfectly sculpted.  When she was satisfied with her newfound knowledge, she released him and brought her hands up to his shoulders.
He lowered his body on top of hers, her soft form curving nicely into his, as if they were made for each other.  She groaned at the feel of his erection against her sensitive nub.  He moved, rubbing her, creating sensations as new as the ones he’d produced when he touched her breasts.
He shifted and she cried out in protest.  He stopped and looked at her.  “Where does it feel good?”
She showed him and he obliged her by stroking the sensitive area with his thumb.
“Take your pleasure, Sue,” he said, his voice low, his eyes focused on her face.
She threw her head back and closed her eyes, knowing he watched her.  She realized he enjoyed it.  And she enjoyed what he was doing and how he made her feel.  She was a woman, a desirable one at that.  She could feel his arousal on her skin, the tip of the male part of him on the threshold of her entrance.  She’d never been thankful for her body until then.  She’d taken everything she had for granted, figuring it was there to serve a purpose, but none of those purposes was for pleasure.  Certainly, not pleasure like this.
As he slid into her, her body responded to him, easily taking him in.  He groaned and increased the rhythm of his circular motions with his thumb.  She gasped and found the completion her body cried for.  So this was how it felt when a husband took his wife to bed and made love to her.  Safe and warm…and engulfed in an all consuming desire that made her forget about everything but this moment.  It was the most amazing thing she’d ever experienced.
She shuddered and felt her body tighten around him.  He removed his thumb from her and embraced her tightly in his arms.  She clutched him closer, loving how it felt to be one with him.  The sensitive regions of her body received further pleasure as he thrust in her.  Their bodies moved together until she felt a second round of bliss engulf her.  He moaned and released his seed, filling her and completing the act.
Her heart beat in time with his, and he stayed in her arms.  She gulped back the tears.  She was loved.  She had no idea that being married could be so wonderful, and the future couldn’t be better.

***

When Sue woke up the next morning, she was aware that Jake had his arms wrapped around her and that he was kissing her bare shoulder.  She smiled and snuggled against him.
“Good morning, Mrs. Mitchell,” he warmly greeted her.
“It is a good morning, isn’t it?” She loved how he felt.
“You know, you’re going to have to move into my bedroom now.”
“Then my plan worked.  I wanted to move in there when I first saw it since it was the best one in the house.”
“This was all a set up?”
“You bet.  I would do anything for that bedroom.”
“Anything?”
She giggled.  “Do you have something in mind?”
“I’ve got lots of things in mind for you.”
He kissed her.
They heard some giggling from outside the door.
He chuckled.  “I don’t think they’ll leave us alone much longer.”
“Then we’ll have to get up.”
“As long as you get dressed in front of me.  I like seeing your body.”
“I like seeing you toss my brothers’ things out and taking me into this room.”
“You liked that?”
“I was stunned but I did enjoy it.  It was nice that you wanted me so badly.”
“Well, you are a very desirable woman.” He kissed her again and sat up.  “Alright.  Let’s get this day started.”
When they were ready for breakfast, they opened the door.
Trevor peered around the corner.  “Can we keep him now, sis?”
“Yes, you can.” Jake grinned.  “You can’t have her back.  She’s all mine.”
“We weren’t interested in her.  We were interested in you.  I have other stories to show you.”
“And I’m looking forward to reading them or seeing them acted out.  Do you have any where Sue has to bend over to get something?”
“Jake!” She blushed.
“I can’t hide my enjoyment of you any longer.”
“Well, come and eat.  Gloria’s been up all night with the baby so Pa is watching him.  Ma made breakfast,” Trevor said.
“They really should let you cook if you want to.  Your food isn’t that bad,” he told her.
“Only you would think that.”
He shrugged.  “I like anything you do.  You’re very talented.”
“Please don’t let me cook anymore.  I don’t enjoy it that much.”
“Who said I wanted you in the kitchen?  I want you in bed.” He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her again.
“Are you coming to eat or what?” Jeremiah called out.  “I have to feed the animals this morning and Ma says I have to wait until you’re here before I can eat.”
They went to the kitchen and sat at the table.  He sat closer to her than usual and put his arm around her shoulders.
“Someone’s in love,” Trevor noted, grinning.
“It’s hard not to love someone so beautiful.” Jake kissed her on the cheek.  “And she’s all mine.”
She blushed, enjoying his praise and affection.
“Finally, I can eat,” Jeremiah said.  “I was up half the night helping Gloria with Kevin and I didn’t eat since last night’s dinner.”
“Serves you right for making me think my writings got destroyed.”
“That was funny.” Luke laughed.  “Your face got so red.”
“What a terrible thing to do to a writer,” Sue commented.  “You shouldn’t mess with literature.”
“Thank you, sis,” Trevor replied.  “It’s nice to have some support in this family.”
“When am I going to get to read something else you wrote?” Jake asked.
“You mean it?”
“I sure do.  In fact, I was talking to a publisher I know and he has been asking for some fresh material and I mentioned that you wrote The Path to Christmas.  He said he would like to put that into a book of short stories, but I told him you had written some other things worth reading and he is interested in seeing your best work.  He said if the stories are good enough, he’ll compile your work into a single book.”
Trevor leapt out of his seat and pushed Luke aside so he was sitting next to Jake.  “When does he want it?”
“By the end of next month.”
“You’ll want to do some light revising but it won’t take long since your work is almost as good as anything I read in the library,” Sue added.
“Will you help me with that part, sis?”
“Yes.  It will be nice to take part in the creative process.”
“Whoo hoo!  I’ll start on it right away,” Trevor jumped up and ran to his room to collect his work.
“If that boy didn’t like you before, he does now,” Sue’s mother said.  “You just made his year.”
“I wouldn’t have said anything if I didn’t think he had potential.” Jake shrugged.  “He might be the next Shakespeare.”
“Or Mark Twain?” Luke asked.
“Or him too.”
“It would be great to be related to Mark Twain.  I love Tom Sawyer.  That kid is clever.”
“Since Trevor won’t be finishing his breakfast, I will,” Jeremiah said and dumped the food on his plate.  “Now he’ll be working on his stories all day instead of helping me.”
“I’ll give you a hand,” Jake offered.  “Just lend me some clothes and I’ll even throw the pigs some slop.”
Jeremiah’s mood brightened.  “It’s good to have you in the family, Jake.”
“I’ll help too,” Sue said.  She didn’t want to be away from Jake if she didn’t have to, and she was used to the chores.
Jake kissed her cheek.  “You’re so beautiful.”
She blushed.
“And modest,” he added and kissed her on the neck.
Her mother smiled at her.  “It’s nice to see you with someone who appreciates you.”
“You did a fine job raising her, Mrs. Lewis.  She’s a wonderful wife.”
Her mother seemed pleased with the compliment.
“You’re winning everyone over,” Sue noted.
“I’d better.  I don’t want everyone ganging up on me,” he replied.
After breakfast, he asked her to go into the bedroom with him so he could change into Jeremiah’s clothes.
“I have some things I need to talk to you about before we work on the chores,” he told her before he changed.  “You may want to sit down for this.”
Noting the serious tone in his voice, she simply nodded and sat on the bed.
He took out his briefcase.  “Do you want the good news or bad news first?”
She hadn’t expected this.  “Why didn’t you tell me this last night?”
“Because for once, I wanted to put pleasure before business.”
“Alright.” She shrugged.  “I’ll take the bad news first.” Might as well get it over with.
He opened his briefcase and took out the envelope from Mr. Barnett and a folder.  “I sat down and read this on Tuesday evening.  My father left me and my mother when I was ten.  He never said why.  One morning we woke up and all that was left was some money and an apology.  I didn’t hear anything else about him until he died a month and a half ago when Mr. Barnett contacted me.  Apparently, my father kept track of what I was doing.  He wrote some letters and left them in Mr. Barnett’s care.  While I get dressed, I’ll let you read through everything.  I knew my father engaged in some criminal activities but didn’t know the details until I read through this stuff.  After you read through this, I have more to tell you about what happened last night before I came here.”
She slowly nodded and carefully read through the letters while he got ready for the day.  She almost felt sorry for his father.  He must have been scared for the lives of his family members to leave the way he did. Belinda had mentioned Jake’s father leaving when he was a child.  Sue didn’t feel she should ask for details since it wasn’t her business.  She understood why Jake didn’t wish to discuss it.  She was fortunate to have a happy childhood.  She was amazed that Jake turned out as well as he did.  He could have easily let his father’s abandonment and life of crime influence the way he approached life.  She came across the letter from Brian Silverman and realized Jake’s father got in a situation where he couldn’t escape.  She realized what Brian’s threat meant.  She looked at Jake who was dressed in Jeremiah’s clothes.  He was going through some other things in his briefcase.  It’s hard for him to show me this.  He’s not used to being vulnerable.
“What more is there?” she softly asked, purposely avoiding any talk regarding his feelings.
“Daniel Riley is Brian Silverman.” He glanced up at her.  “He came by last night under the guise of wanting to court you once May comes.  I thought he was after your money since he kept asking about the inheritance, but then I discovered he was interested in the inheritance because he wanted the money from the jewelry and figured the inheritance included that.”
“Which it didn’t.”
“Right.  My father had already returned the jewelry, but Brian figures he is still owed his half of the money from the inheritance.  I had a letter of his confession to my father sitting in my safe.  I think that’s what George Leroy was looking for when he crawled into the window in the den.  He was searching for something in there, and the only thing worth of any value to Brian was the confession.  With it, he will be sent to jail.  Ralph was upstairs, I was in the parlor with Brian and Lydia was asleep with Timmy, so none of us but Brian knew that George was in the den.  I think Brian was just stalling for time until George found the letter he needed.  Anyway, as soon as Brian discovered I recognized him, he bolted for the front door.  I caught him but George came up behind me and knocked me unconscious.  I didn’t wake up until after the police arrived.  Had it not been for Ralph seeing George hit me on the head, I never would have known whose Brian accomplice was.  To make a long story short, George and Brian are on the loose, Mr. Barnett is missing, and I was told to stay away from town for a few days.”
Sue tried to hide her apprehension as she glanced at the letters in front of her.  She didn’t want to think of what would have happened if Ralph hadn’t shown up when he did.
Jake seemed to understand what she was feeling, for he went over to her and held her.  “There’s nothing to worry about.  The police know who they’re looking for.  It’s just a matter of time before they arrest Brian and George.”
“They could be anywhere,” she whispered.
“I gave the police a description of Brian and they know who George is.”
“Do Brian and George know where my family lives?”
“I don’t think so.  It’s not like this farm is easy to find.”
She took a deep breath, taking comfort in that fact.  She hugged him.  She didn’t want to imagine what her life would be like without him.
“So, do you want some good news now?”
She nodded.  “It would be a nice change of pace.”
He went back to the briefcase and took out a couple of items.  He was smiling as he went back to her.  “I picked this up yesterday.”
She took her old Greece brochure.
“Open it.”
He looked so excited that she was already beginning to feel better.  She turned the page and gasped when she saw two tickets for a ship going to Greece.  “It leaves on May 21.” She felt tears come to her eyes.
“I had decided sooner that I didn’t want an annulment but yesterday I thought I would make it official.  I also updated my will.  Everything goes to you and any children we have upon my death.” He handed her his will.  “You will have to get one drawn up too.  I notice you don’t have one and unless you specify what you want done with your possessions, it’s easy for the court to misuse them.”
“Well, you’re not allowed to die on me until your way past Mr. York’s age.”
He grinned.  “You don’t want to be rid of an uptight, compulsively neat man?”
“As long as you can handle the bad cooking, nagging, frigid, and figureless woman, I’m alright with you sticking around.”
“You’re none of those things.” He leaned over and kissed her neck.
She laughed.  “I can’t wait to go to Greece!”
“That’s just the beginning.  I plan to take you to see the world.”
“So you are planning on staying around for awhile.”
“With you in my life, I have a good reason to.  I didn’t realize how empty it had been until you abandoned me to help with Gloria and the baby.  Next time, I’m coming with you.”
She kissed him.  “You’ve given me a reason to live too.  Life is better when you have someone special to share it with.  I’m so glad I didn’t have to marry Mr. York.”
“We’d better help Jeremiah with those chores.  The sooner we can get them done, the sooner we can have some fun.”

***

The morning progressed smoothly.  Sue was surprised by how well Jake handled himself with feeding the pigs and horses.  She helped Jeremiah clean the horse stalls since Jake wasn’t ready for that much farming yet.  He looked so different in Jeremiah’s farm clothes than in his usual suits.  He was slowly getting over his fear of getting dirty, which she knew was hard for him since he spent so much time trying to be neat for the sake of what others would think of him.  She took him on Bossy to check on the cattle, and she blushed when she noticed how close he sat behind her.  She hadn’t been so aware of him before, but he wasn’t leaning against her and kissing her neck before either.  “You’re getting more comfortable on a horse,” she told him.  “Soon you’ll be able to ride by yourself.”
“No.  I like this method better,” he whispered as he hugged her.
On their way back, she took him through the forest near the house.  They got off of Bossy so she could lead her horse to the river for a drink.  Meanwhile, Jake went to go to the bathroom.  She petted the horse.  She enjoyed Bossy even if no one else did.  The horse seemed to be attuned to her thoughts.  She waited for Jake to return but he didn’t.  She frowned.  He shouldn’t be gone this long.  She decided to go look for him, so she took Bossy’s reins and led her through the trees.  She stopped and listened.  The water from the river didn’t mask the sound of people talking.  She tied Bossy’s reins to a tree and moved towards the sound.
She rounded a tree when she saw George and Brian talking to Jake.  They were on two horses and George held the reins to a third one.  Brian had a gun trained on Jake who didn’t show the least bit of fear.  She was ready to go back to Bossy so she could charge at George and Brian’s horses when she stepped on a large twig.  The sound through the quiet air was deafening.  All three men turned to her.  She knew why George and Brian were there.  They want Jake to take them to the jewelry.  Neither she nor Jake had a gun.  Her heart pounded anxiously as Jake said something to the two men.  How can he be so calm?  Panic was already surfacing on her face.
Brian nodded and Jake turned to walk to her.  They were well out of hearing range of George and Brian when he reached her.  She couldn’t read his expression.  He’s put on his business face.  He looks pleasant but serious.  Why isn’t he afraid?
“I shouldn’t have come here,” he softly told her.  “They followed me.  I have to go to the train station with them, and we’ll go to my father’s cabin.  There’s dynamite in the basement.  They will think I’m leading them to the jewelry.” He took a deep breath.  “I have to make sure they don’t come back for you.”
She shook her head as she forced his words to make sense to her.  Everything’s happening too fast.  The trees around her seemed to be spinning.
“You will be provided for.  Take my updated will to the lawyer.”
That’s when it dawned on her that he wasn’t expecting to come back.  He expected the dynamite to blow him up too.  She put her hand over her mouth to cover her sobs.
He gritted his teeth and looked away from her.  “I can’t do anything else.  They won’t stop until they get what they want or die.” When he looked back, he had managed to take control of his emotions again.  “I’m very grateful that God brought us together.” He gently kissed her.
She couldn’t hold back her tears.  “Don’t go.”
He looked up at the trees and closed his eyes for a moment.  He slowly exhaled.  “I love you, Sue.  I’m thankful we had last night to be together.”
She stood still as he turned and walked away from her.  He’s not coming back.  And I’m just standing here watching him go.
He got up on the third horse and left with Brian and George.
She continued to cry, realizing she didn’t tell him she loved him too.

Chapter Nineteen

Look at the trees, concentrate on balancing on the horse, remember where your father’s cabin is.  But whatever you do, don’t think of her.  He couldn’t afford to take his focus off his mission.  He knew that when he set the dynamite off, he would die with George and Brian.  I can’t let them live to harm her.  She must be able to live.  Don’t think of her.  Focus.  Keep your mind on business.
He followed George.  Brian followed him, his gun pointed at him.  “So, George, how did you get caught up into this life of crime?” he finally asked.  He knew that Brian wouldn’t kill him as long as he didn’t know where the treasure was hidden.
“Don’t answer him, George.  He’s trying to throw you off track,” Brian warned.
“What difference does it make?” George shrugged.  “He’ll be dead by tomorrow anyway.”
“True enough.”
George slowed his horse so he was riding beside Jake.  Jake struggled to maintain his balance on his animal.
“As soon as word got out about your father’s death, Brian approached me with a business deal.  I almost didn’t take it, but once I found out that you were going to buy your own bank, I knew it wouldn’t be long before you took most of my customers and I’d lose a lot of money.  You had no right to usurp my authority in town.”
“I warned you that people like mercy more than equality,” Jake calmly replied.  “If you had treated the Lewis family right, I would have stayed on at the bank.”
“The little arrangement between you and Miss Lewis came at just the right time, didn’t it?”
He shrugged.
“My father always thought so highly of you.  He would brag about your good business sense.  You were always outdoing me.”
“Was I?”
“He’s doing that thing where he asks questions to get more information out of people,” Brian snapped.  “Don’t talk to him anymore, George.  This one can manipulate people to do his will.”
“Can I really do such a thing?” Jake asked.
“Shut up!”
“What are you going to do?  Shoot me?  Go ahead and get it over with.”
“I’d love to call your bluff, Mr. Mitchell, but I came for the jewels and I’ll get them.”
Jake looked at George and shook his head in disgust.
“What?” George angrily asked.
“You’re being played for a fool and you don’t even realize it.” Jake looked straight ahead.
“What?  No, I’m not.”
“Don’t listen to him, George.  Just ride on ahead,” Brian ordered.  “He’ll put ideas in your head just like he does with everyone else.”
George looked disturbed.
Jake chuckled under his breath.
“What is it?” George demanded.
“Ride ahead, George!” Brian yelled.
“No!  I want to know what Jake is laughing about.”
“It’s nothing.  He’s messing with your head.”
Jake rolled his eyes.
“I want to know, Brian.  What is it, Jake?”
Jake casually glanced at Brian who was glaring at him.  He turned back and looked straight ahead again.  “Brian’s right.  I’m only manipulating you.  Apparently, it’s what you’re good for since he does such a good job of it himself.”
George’s face turned bright red.  “What is he talking about?” He turned to Brian.
“Can’t you see what he’s doing?  He’s trying to divide us,” Brian replied.
George looked uneasily between the two men.  “I don’t know.”
Jake picked up on his uncertainty.  He was always easy to read.  “Are you familiar with the book of Proverbs, George?”
“No.” He looked startled by the question.
“There is no honor among thieves.”
George just stared at him.
Jake hid his irritation.  George was incredibly dense.  “Do you honestly think Brian will split his half of the loot with you?  Do you have a gun?  Can you protect yourself?”
“I don’t need to.  I can trust him.”
“Can you?”
“Enough!” Brian barked.  “Jake, if you say one more word, I’ll return to the Lewis farm and get your precious bride.  I’ll be more than happy to be with her, used goods or not.”
Jake tightened his hold on the reins.  These men are dead men.  I will not let them get near her.  He straightened his back and steeled his resolve.  “I apologize.  I will do everything you say.”
“That’s better.  George, take a lesson on how to handle Mr. Mitchell.  All you have to do is mention the Lewis woman and he gets very protective.”
Jake focused on the path in front of him.  He noted the number of trees, the patches of snow on the ground, the dead leaves lying on the forest floor, the gray sky.  Just don’t think about her.
The ride to the train station took a good half hour, and it was outside of town, so there weren’t many people around.  Brian put on a red wig with a red mustache and added a fake mole to his cheek in order to disguise himself while George put on a gray wig and a gray beard so he could look older than his picture indicated.
“Get three tickets to Detroit, Michigan,” Brian ordered Jake.
“That’s not where the jewelry is located,” Jake said.  “My father worked in Detroit.  He didn’t hide jewels there.”
“Fine.  Then get tickets to the town where the jewels are located, and if you’re lying, we’ll find a way to make you pay.”
As if you won’t kill me no matter what I do.  Jake wasn’t stupid enough to believe that they would let him live.  Jake didn’t protest.  He went to the desk and paid for three tickets.
“Are you Jake Mitchell?” the man at the desk asked.
“Yes.”
“I thought I recognized you.  I’m Fred Green.  The Lewises are good friends to me and my family.  My family attended your wedding.  It was a memorable event.  Only the Lewis family would think to make a comedy skit for such an event.  Have a nice trip.”
Jake thanked him and went outside to wait for the train.  He handed the tickets to Brian and George and sat next to them.  It would still take a half hour before the train came.  “Do you mind if I get a newspaper?”
“No.  Go ahead,” Brian replied.
Jake took comfort in reading the paper.  It helped block out the emotions that threatened to creep up on him.  As long as he held them safely at bay, his head remained clear for the task that lay before him.  By the time the train pulled up to the station, he had perfect control of his thoughts.  He boarded the train.  Brian and George followed him.  He took his seat.  Brian sat next to him and George sat across the aisle.  He took a deep breath and stared out the window.  He didn’t care to have a conversation with Brian.  As the train moved forward, he took note of the trees and recalled the way Sue enjoyed looking at the way the snow rested on the tree limbs.  He closed his eyes and leaned his head back on the seat.  Don’t think of her.  Keep your head clear.
An hour after they boarded the train, Jake had managed to take a light nap.  There was no sense in spending his remaining hours awake.  He would rather just get it all over with and be with the Lord.  Plus, when he slept, he didn’t think of her.  He could focus on what he needed to do.  He dozed off again after the train stopped at another train station.  He wasn’t even aware of it when the train started back up.
Brian bumped into him.
“Leave me alone, Brian,” he snapped.
“Oh, I sor is sorra, misser,” someone said.  “Here. Let me get them there marbles I dropped when I bumped inta ya.”
The voice sounded familiar but it was obviously a male voice.
Jake crossed his arms, determined to go back to sleep.
“Get out of here, you miserable old man,” Brian grunted.
“Oh, don’ mind Pa.  He has ‘emself a bad back,” came a familiar voice.
“Yep.  I ain’t as young as I use ta be,” the obnoxious man agreed.
Jake felt someone touch his thigh.  He jerked up and stared at the familiar middle-aged fat man with graying hair and a thick mustache who wore tattered old green and black clothes and a faded black hat.  Was it her?
“Da ya think it’s gonna rain or snow?” Jeremiah asked.  He stood behind Sue but directed his question to Brian.
“I don’t know and I don’t care.” Brian cringed as Sue leaned across his legs to get the marbles off the floor.
Jake stared at Sue, dressed as an old man, in both awe and disbelief.  Lord, how could I not love that woman?
“Do you have the marbles yet?” Brian hissed at her.
“All but one,” Sue said, using her masculine voice.  “There it is.  Excuse me, sir, if ya would jist move a little ova that a way...”
Brian rolled his eyes and leaned away from Jake.
She quickly slipped a note into Jake’s hand.
Across the aisle, Gloria, dressed in a low cut dress sat in the seat behind George who couldn’t take his eyes off of her.  Jeremiah sat down in front of George and scowled at him.
“Da ya have the time, Misser...?” she softly asked.
“Leroy.  George Leroy,” George nearly panted.  “It is three.  Have you ridden the rails before?”
“Oh my yes.  In fact, I like ta ga on trips.  I meet so many interestin’ people, ‘specially men.” She lowered her eyelashes and shyly looked up at him through them.
“There I got ‘em all now,” Sue patted Brian on the back.  “Thank ya sonny.  These belong ta my son, Gerald.”
Luke ran into Sue and nearly knocked her over.  He let the mouse slip out of his hands.  Sue juggled the mouse and fell forward again.  She slipped the mouse into the back of Brian’s shirt.
“What are you doing, you old coot?” Brian angrily snapped.  He jumped off the seat and tried to pull up his shirt so that the mouse would scamper out.
“My mouse!” Luke screamed as he reached up into Brian’s jacket pocket.
Jake watched as he slipped Brian’s wallet to Jeremiah who quickly stood up and shoved it into his back pocket.
George glanced over at the commotion.  Gloria quickly leaned forward, so George returned his gaze to her.  Jeremiah grunted and pretended to trip over Luke so he could whack George on the head.
“Watch what you’re doing,” George growled.
“Sorra, misser.  The boy is a bumpin’ inta me ta get at that mouse o’ his,” Jeremiah sheepishly said.
Jake was secretly relieved that Sue was playing the old man instead of Gloria’s role as the beautiful woman.
Luke giggled.  “The mouse jist ran down his pants.”
“This isn’t funny, you little brat!” Brian shook his pants and hopped from one foot to the other.
Jeremiah grabbed him by the ankles and helped Sue toss him upside down.  They shook him.
“We’ll git that rodent fo ya,” Sue assured him.
Luke found Brian’s gun and put it under the seat.
“Set me down right now!” Brian barked.
Sue and Jeremiah quickly put him back down.
“Misser, misser.” Luke anxiously tugged on Brian’s suit jacket.
“What are you doing now?” Brian snapped and struggled to get the boy’s hands off of his clothes.
“There!  I git me my mouse ‘gain,” Luke cheered, holding it close to his chest.
Sue patted Brian on the back and urged him to sit back down.  Turning to Luke, she said, “Son, if I had tol’ ya a once, I had tol’ ya a dozen times not ta touch oter people.  Who knows what they be a carryin’?  Now leave Misser...ah...Misser...” She snapped her fingers.  “Well, what be yo name, son?”
“Uh...Daniel.”
“Misser Daniel...”
“Is this really necessary?  You got your marbles and mouse, now go old man.”
“Oh what a neat tree outta that window!” Luke crawled over Brian until he sat between him and Jake.
“Get out of here!” Brian demanded, his face red.
Sue leaned against the seat in front of Brian.  “Ya know, I was jist recallin’ a time when I first rode the mighta rails.  It was the summer o’ 1869.  Oh wait.  That ain’t right.  That was when I git me wisdom teeth pulled.  Look in me mouth.  Nit a single wisdom tooth a left, but that process, it sor did hurt me a somethin’ awful.  That dentist didn’ give me anythin.’  No alcohol or nothin’.  I ain’t never filt a pain like that befor an’ hope I won’t ‘gain.  Thank goodness, that be over.  Anywhoo, what was I a talkin’ ‘bout.  Oh I ‘member.  The first time I rode the rails.  I was a wee lad like yoself.  Shoo, son.  Ya lookin’ like ya could be thirty.  No more than thirty-one.  How ol’ ye be ya anyway?”
“Who cares?” Brian was irritated.  “Leave me alone.  George, maybe we should sit somewhere else.”
“Oh no,” Gloria quickly gasped.  “I git a run in me stockins’.” She bent over and lifted the hem of her dress up to her knee.
Brian and George turned around to watch.
Luke quickly nudged Jake and nodded at the note Sue had handed him.  Jake took his cue to read the note.  The Kidnapper skit.  Remember to lead Brian and George to the horses.  We’ll lasso them up.  He quickly slipped the note into his pocket and crossed his arms again, acting as if nothing unusual was happening.
“Will ya stop that?” Jeremiah snapped.  “Ya actin’ all indecent in public.”
“Oh.” She prettily blushed and put her dress back down.  “I didn’ have a run afta all.  How silly was that?” She giggled.
“Yep.  Silly alright,” he growled.
“My mouse has a name.  Wanna know it’s name?” Luke shoved the rodent in Brian’s face.
George glanced at Jeremiah.  “Your brother is a little too interested in you, don’t you think?” he asked Gloria.
“Son, ‘member that be ya sister over there.” Sue whacked him on the head with the palm of her hand.  “Ya behavin’ weird.  ‘Member the bigger picture here,” she whispered.
“It’d better work,” he whispered back.
“It will if ya don’ goof it up.”  Turning to Brian, she took the mouse out of Luke’s hand and threw it at Jeremiah.  “Oh I ain’t tryin’ to upset ya, Misser Daniel.  I is a terribly sorra.”
“Just get out of here already,” Brian retorted.
Luke pointed to the window.  “Our stop is comin’ up.”
Jake noticed the two horses waiting at the posts at the train station.  He recognized Bossy and Trouble.  Lassoes hung at their sides.
Sue patted Brian on the back again.  “Ya sor has been a good ol’ sport.  Much obliged ta make ya acquaintance.  Oh, the train stopped.” Sue peered out the window.  “Yep.  Sonny is right.  This be the stop ta take alright.” She glanced at Jake.
He nodded that he understood.
“Hope ya gents have a nice little trip.” She grabbed Luke by the collar and pulled him across Brian’s lap until he was in the aisle.  “‘Member ya manners, son.  Don’ ga touchin’ strangers.  Ya cain’t tell where they’ve a been.  Come along, ya’ll.”
“Yes, Pa.” Luke, Gloria and Jeremiah followed her off the train.
Brian patted his suit jacket.  “They took my wallet!” He grumbled as he ordered Jake and George to follow him off the train.  “It’s just a minor delay.  We’ll catch the next train after we take care of that rude family.”
Before they could get off the train, Jeremiah turned around to talk to the conductor in front of the open train door.  “Sir, I think I left my wallet on board.  Can ya hold the train while I ga back ta look for it?”
The conductor sighed.  “I hate to run behind schedule.”
“But all the money I have in the world is in that thang.”
He sighed.  “Very well.”
“Oh wait.  Whoa!” He pulled out Brian’s wallet. “This ain’t mine.  How’d it git in my pocket?  It must belong to some po sap back in the train.” Before Brian could grab it, he threw it as far back into the train as he could.  “Gotta go!”
Jake watched as Brian cursed and ran back to get it.  The conductor sighed and glanced at his watch.  Looking outside, he noticed that Jeremiah ran to Trouble and hopped on the horse.  Sue was already on Bossy, the lasso in her hands.  Gloria had instructed everyone to stay back.  Sue’s father and Trevor stood on the platform with two nets.
So her father and Trevor brought the horses.
Luke stood by the train door.  He cleared his throat to get Jake’s attention.  Jake looked down at him.  Luke pointed to himself and motioned to Jeremiah who was ready on his horse and then Luke pointed to Jake and motioned to Sue.  Jake nodded his understanding.  Luke would run to Jeremiah and lead one of the men after him while Jake would lead the other criminal to Sue.  Jeremiah and Sue were the ideal choices for lassoing the two men.  Jeremiah and Sue were a good distance from the platform but the speed of the horses would easily make up for the distance.
I can’t believe the Lewises are doing this for me.  Sue was right.  Her family was loyal to those they cared about.  He hadn’t known such loyalty until that moment, and he was pleased they thought so well of him to go to such great lengths to save him.
Brian returned.  “Let’s go.  I see the woman over there.  Her family must still be nearby.”
“It’s Brian Silverman, the thief, and his conspirator George Leroy!” Luke shouted as he ran to Jeremiah’s horse.
Jake ran to Sue’s horse.
He noted that Sue and Jeremiah urged their horses to a run.
“My gun!  Where is it?” Brian screamed.  “Why you miserable...”
Jake didn’t know who was running after him but someone was close behind him.  Ahead of him, Sue, still in her costume, swung the lasso.  She’s coming too close.  Bossy’s going to run into me!
“Get down!” she yelled at him.
He gladly fell to the station platform.
Before George could grab him, Sue roped him around the waist, but the weight of her costume and Bossy’s sudden halt before she ran into Trouble caused Sue to fall off the horse.  She let go of the rope and rolled under horse.  George ran over to her.
Oh no you don’t!  Jake jumped up and ran after him.
Bossy neighed and bucked back to avoid stepping on Sue.  As a result, the horse hit George in the face with her hind end.  George lost his balance.  Jake quickly slammed him to the ground and punched him in the nose.  George pulled out a knife.  Jake grabbed him by the wrist so he couldn’t strike him with the weapon.  George struggled to get his wrist free.  He kicked at Jake’s shin and rolled him over so that Jake was under him.  Jake momentarily loosened his hold on George’s wrist.  He saw George aim the knife at his chest so he moved aside but the knife pierced his skin.  As George pulled the knife out, Jake threw George off of him and punched him again.  Then he grabbed the knife from him.
Trevor and his father ran up to George and threw their second net around him and tightened it so George couldn’t break free.  Relieved, Jake fell back, suddenly aware of the pain in his shoulder.  Sue ran over to him and knelt by him.  He noted that her wig had fallen off but her mustache was still in place.
“Be alright.  Please be alright.  You can’t die on me.  Don’t you dare die on me,” she repeated anxiously as she tore open his shirt so she could inspect the wound.  When she saw that it wasn’t fatal, she collapsed on him and started crying with relief.
He tried to laugh it off but laughing aggravated the pain in his shoulder.  He put his good arm around her and held her.  “I wouldn’t dare die on someone who would go through all this trouble to rescue me.”
She laughed and kissed him.
He cringed.  “You should take the mustache off.”
“Oh, sorry.” She did so.  Her hair was pulled back in a bun so she pulled it out until it fell softly around her shoulders.  “Is that better?”
He smiled.  “Much.” He never saw a more lovely sight.
She kissed him again.
A cop came over to them.  “The doctor is on his way here.  You should lie still.  You don’t want to aggravate the bleeding.  We’re going to need your statement but we can wait until you’ve seen the doctor.”
He nodded as the cop left.
Trevor and Jeremiah came up to them.
“That was better than my story,” Trevor said.  “You both will have to tell me what happened on the train so I can revise my work.”
“We can talk about your story later, Trevor,” Sue said.  “Let’s just be glad it worked.”
“Sis came home soaked in tears and showed us all the letters and explained what happened.  Then Jeremiah stood up and said, ‘Jake’s not dead yet.  There’s still time to get him back.’ So we remembered The Kidnapper story and made some modifications since there were two kidnappers instead of one.  We went to the train station and Mr. Green recognized you and told us where you were headed so we took our horses to the train station close to the Virginia border where your train was due to arrive on at 2:30.  So while Pa and I got Bossy and Trouble over here, Sue, Jeremiah, Gloria and Luke hopped on the train and bumped into you.  Well, you know the rest.”
Jeremiah grinned.  “We couldn’t let you run off like that, being all heroic and willing to die to save our sister.  I still haven’t gotten even with you for bringing that horrible caviar to my home.”
“Of all things to worry about...” Jake chuckled.  He winced in pain.
“Well, we’re just glad you’re alright.”
Trevor nodded his agreement.
Gloria, Sue’s father and Luke came over to make sure he was going to be fine.  As they talked about how relieved they were, it occurred to him that he might have saved their farm but they saved him from a lonely life.  All along he had thought wealth was tied up in monetary possessions, but they were richer than he had ever been.  And for the first time since his mother died, he was part of a real family again.

***

After the doctor had taken care of his wound, Jake answered the police’s questions, and from the information he provided them, they found Mr. Barnett tied and gagged in Brian’s cabin.  Brian had planned to come by for him on his way to Michigan, figuring that between Mr. Barnett and Jake, he would uncover the whereabouts of the jewelry.  He had not realized the jewelry had indeed been returned, just as Jake’s father had told him before his death.  Jake was relieved to hear that Mr. Barnett was alright.  He had feared the lawyer was dead.
A month later, Jake felt well enough to go to the dance with Sue.  His shoulder was still sore but it was healing nicely.  After he and Sue shared a couple of dances, he went with Justin to discuss business with Mr. Connor, a new man in town.  He was glad to see that the other men were finally leaving Sue alone.  They simply smiled and nodded to her as she passed by.  He liked having her all to himself.
Mr. Edwards came up to them.  “It’s official.  I’m taking over the Leroy bank.  Let the competition begin.”
Jake chuckled.  “I don’t know, Noah.  Justin and I form a pretty formidable team.”
“We’ll just have to see about that, won’t we.”
Jake always liked the man and wasn’t disappointed to see him take over the other bank in town.  At least people could be treated decently no matter where they went.
“You can’t help but feel sorry for George,” Justin commented.  “He was consumed with jealousy and bitterness.”
“Maybe jail will give him a new perspective on life,” Noah replied.  “I hear he’s talking to the chaplain who ministers there.  It might be a turning point.”
Jake was secretly relieved to have Brian Silverman and George Leroy safely behind bars but agreed that there might be hope for George.  He glanced at Sue while she talked to Belinda.  She is so beautiful and she’s all mine.  She looked over at him and smiled.  He returned her smile.
“If you’ll excuse me, gentlemen, I think I’ve done enough business for the night,” he politely excused himself.  He walked over to Sue.  “Hello, Mrs. Mitchell.  Good evening, Mrs. Hawke.”
Belinda greeted him.
“I was wondering if I could steal your friend away so I can dance with her,” he told Belinda.
“I will see you at the library during the children’s story hour,” Sue added.
Mr. Hawke approached them.  “Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell.  Belinda, would you like to dance?”
Belinda smiled at her husband and nodded.
Jake led Sue to the dance floor and held her close to him.  He loved the smell of her perfume.  She wore a hunter green dress and the earrings and necklace he had given her on their wedding day.  At least, he was able to give her something on that day that she liked.  “You know that you’re the most beautiful woman in this room, and to top it off, you’re a wonderful dancer,” he whispered in her ear.
“If you keep talking like that, Mr. Mitchell, I just might fall in love with you,” she softly replied.
“Would that be such a bad thing?”
“No.  It just might be pleasant.”
He kissed her neck.
“Jake, people are watching.” Though she protested, he knew she enjoyed it.
“I’ve had enough dancing for tonight.  Would you be willing to leave everyone else and go home with me?”
“Every time.”
Her eagerness to go home with him pleased him.  They left the building where Henry was waiting for them.
“Did you get a response from the publisher yet?” Jake asked as Sue went inside the buggy.
“I did and he accepted my poems.  I don’t know how I can thank you, sir,” Henry replied.
“Just keep up the writing.  I’ll have to read your poems to my children someday.” Jake sat next to Sue as Henry closed the door.  “Don’t tell Trevor yet, but the publisher had a chance to look over some of his work and he likes what he sees.  Henry isn’t the only one who’s going to have a book out soon.”
She smiled at him.  “You really are an amazing man.  I’ve never seen anyone who cared more about people than you do.  You are quite impressive.”
“Now you’re the one who’s going to make me fall in love.” He kissed her.  “I don’t know what it is about you, but I have a hard time keeping my hands off of you.”
“You’ll have to show me how hard it is for you when we get home.”
“Or I could show you now.” His hands roamed her body as he kissed her neck.  “When we get home, I want you naked on that bearskin rug in the den.”
She giggled and kissed him back.

***

On May 20, Mr. Barnett came by their house to finalize the arrangement of his father’s will.  He met with the lawyer in the parlor.  Mr. Barnett handed him the rest of the money.  “You are free to do what you want now.”
Jake smiled.  “In light of Mrs. Mitchell’s pregnancy, we decided to stay married.”
“So marriage is agreeing with you after all,” the lawyer noted.
“It’s nice to have someone to go to plays, symphonies and dinner with.  Who knew having a beautiful and kind woman with me could make those things twice as good as before?”
“Perhaps your father knew what he was doing when he wrote the will.”
“Perhaps.” Jake no longer resented his father.  It was strange to feel sympathy for the man.  He really missed out on a good life.  But I’m not going to repeat his mistake.  There’s no way I’m ever leaving Sue or our children.  If he learned nothing else in his marriage to Sue, he learned that money couldn’t replace the love of a good woman in a man’s life.
“I hear you’re going to Greece,” Mr. Barnett said.
“Yes.  Sue and I leave tomorrow.  We decided that next year, we’ll check out Egypt.  She would like to see the pyramids.”
“So children won’t slow you down?”
“No.  We’ll just take them with us.  They’ll learn a lot more from seeing these places in person instead of reading about them in a book.”
“I must say, you are a different man from the one who entered my office in December.”
“It just goes to show that miracles still happen, even for confirmed bachelors like me.” He stood up with Mr. Barnett and walked him to the front door.
As Ralph opened the door, Jake caught sight of Sue walking down the sidewalk.  He smiled at the sight of her.  Once again, he found himself thinking that the future before him was filled with promises of wonderful experiences, and it was all because of Sue.  She’s so beautiful and she’s all mine.  He couldn’t wait for her to enter the house, so he walked out to the front of their house and kissed her to welcome her home.  And if anyone saw them, he was too happy to care.