A Basket Brigade Christmas (21 page)

“Thank you, Mr. McHenry. It is a pleasure.” After her father left the room, the two of them sat at one of the tables near the front window and Jacob reached into his pocket. “I brought this for you.” He’d tied a piece of twine around his letter and attached a sprig of holly with red berries. “I wanted to tell you in person how sorry I am for the way I spoke to you. I needed to know if you would forgive me.”

She brushed his fingers as she accepted the envelope. “Of course I forgive you. Clara told me you had apologized. You didn’t need to make a special trip.” She hesitated and smiled. “But I’m pleased you did.”

“So am I.” He clasped her hand. “Very glad.”

S
arah glanced at the bakery clock before rushing toward the door. She grabbed her woolen cloak from the peg as her father returned downstairs. “Where are you rushing off to? It’s not time for the train to arrive.”

“I need to stop at the mercantile before I go to the depot. We’re in need of some additional napkins, and Silas Tait said he had some old ones the store would donate. I want to pick them up before the store closes.”

“If you have time, you should stop at the doctor’s office. He said he would bring some cough medicine for your mother, but I haven’t seen him.”

“I will, Papa.” With a quick wave, she exited the bakery. A sigh of relief escaped her lips when she spotted the glow of a lamp in Dr. Kirkland’s office window.

The bell over the door jangled, and the doctor looked up as she stepped inside. “Sarah! I’m sorry you had to come out in the cold. I didn’t get the medicine over to your mother. I was needed at a farm out in the country and just returned.”

“No need to apologize, Dr. Kirkland. I was on my way to the mercantile, so stopping here isn’t an inconvenience.”

The doctor pushed back from his desk and strode toward the adjacent room. “It won’t take me long to prepare the mixture.”

As Sarah turned toward the window, she caught sight of Johnny Folson across the street. She yanked open the door and waved at him. “Johnny, can you come over here? I need to speak to you.”

The jangling bell and her loud comment brought Dr. Kirkland rushing back to the front office. “Is something wrong, Sarah?”

Heat rushed to her cheeks. She didn’t usually exhibit such a lack of decorum. “No, I want to speak with Johnny Folson.”

The moment Dr. Kirkland returned to the adjacent office, she again motioned to Johnny. He’d stopped in the middle of the street, no doubt hoping to escape her questions. Moving ever so slowly, he finally drew near.

She kept her tone soft. “Where have you been? You promised to help at the depot.”

He danced from foot to foot and attempted to answer in sputters and spurts before finally meeting her gaze. “Guess I should just tell you the truth. Matthew told me to stay away. He said I wasn’t needed so often.”

Sarah frowned. “Why didn’t you check with me to make sure that was what I wanted?”

The boy hiked one shoulder. “Matthew said if I knew what was good for me, I wouldn’t tell you. He acted like it was a surprise and that you’d be pleased.” The boy pointed his thumb over his shoulder. “I gotta get going.”

Her stomach roiled at the thought of Matthew going behind her back to keep Johnny away. How dare he do such a thing! Then again, she shouldn’t be surprised by Matthew’s cunning behavior. He’d seen through her efforts to elude him and had done his best to outwit her. Perhaps a confrontation was now in order. They’d been playing this game of cat and mouse far too long.

While she completed her errands, Sarah silently rehearsed what she would say to Matthew. He needed a good upbraiding, and she needed to be prepared to meet the challenge. It wasn’t until she was tying her horse outside the depot that she recalled Matthew’s warning to Johnny Folson. She couldn’t confront Matthew unless she betrayed Johnny’s confidence. Would he hurt the boy? She wilted like a flower in need of a drink.

Sarah braced herself as she entered the depot. “Hello, Sarah. I was beginning to think you weren’t going to appear.” Matthew stepped to her side as she crossed the threshold. He glanced at the clock. “You’re a little late, aren’t you?”

Sarah shrugged and continued across the depot. When Matthew attempted to help her remove her cape, she turned. “I don’t need your assistance. I can remove my own cape, and I can set up the room by myself. Surely you must have work in the hotel that requires your attention. If not, I’m sure your mother would appreciate extra help in the café.”

His eyes opened wide, as though her remark came as a surprise. “I know you are able to set up the room on your own, but I
want
to help you.” He stepped closer. “I like being near you. I care for you, Sarah. If you’d just give me a chance, I’ll show you I can offer you more than Corporal Curtis ever can.”

She blew out a long breath. After what she’d learned from Johnny, she wasn’t going to engage in a conversation about Jacob or any other soldier. “I have work to do, Matthew.” The sound of his footsteps followed her as she crossed the room.

When she came to an abrupt halt, he stopped at her side. “A group is going ice-skating tomorrow, and I thought you might want to join us. I could come by the bakery and we could ride out to the pond in my sleigh. More gals than fellas, but it should still be fun.”

Of course there would be more girls. Most of the able-bodied men were off fighting in the war. “Since there are so few men, I’m sure one of those girls you mentioned will be pleased to have you as an escort.”

He rested his hip against the doorjamb. “Do you plan to sit at home and pine for Corporal Curtis until the war ends? Even if he doesn’t get orders to the front, once this war is over, do you really think you’ll see him again?” He didn’t give her a chance to respond before he continued. “Soldiers don’t get much of a chance to talk to womenfolk anymore, so they’ll say just about anything to gain a woman’s attention for a few minutes. You need to remember that I’m the one who’s here right now. And I’m the one who’s gonna be here when the war ends. I don’t think you can count on Jacob Curtis.”

Rather than displaying his usual anger, Matthew remained calm, his demeanor more confident than when he’d previously spoken to her about these matters. Instead of creating the softening effect he’d likely hoped for, his attitude only served to deepen her anger.

She wheeled around to face him. How she longed to confront him and tell him she knew he’d gone behind her back and told Johnny to stay away. She balled her hands into tight fists and dug her fingernails into her palms.

“I’m still waiting for an answer about the ice-skating party.”

Her anger mounted, and she glared at him. “Stop it, Matthew! I don’t want to go anywhere with you, so quit asking me. In fact, I prefer if you didn’t talk to me at all!”

For a moment, it appeared he would heed her request to remain silent, but he soon regained his composure. “You need to think about the future, Sarah. There won’t be many men coming home from the war—at least not men who will be the same as when they left. Either they’ll be missing an arm or leg, or their minds will be messed up from all the bloodshed that’s surrounded them. Is that what you want for yourself? To be tied to half a man who won’t be able to take care of you? I’ve talked to Jacob. He wants to go to the front. He told me so himself. If you think he’s set his mind on courting you and traveling back and forth on that hospital train, you’re sadly mistaken. Me and Jacob have had us a couple of sensible talks about the future.”

His last comment stung. Jacob had told her of his desire to go to the front and fight—but he’d added that his aspirations had changed upon meeting her. Was he still making attempts to have his orders changed and not telling her? She couldn’t be certain, but she wouldn’t give Matthew the satisfaction of knowing his remarks had caused her worry. She’d have a talk with Jacob when he arrived.

Though she’d privately vowed to ignore Matthew’s attempts to talk to her, Sarah felt a need to dispel his observations. “Jacob told me that he’d enlisted because he wanted to fight and he’d been unhappy to be assigned to the hospital trains.” She wanted to ask when he’d talked to Jacob about a reassignment but decided any questions would give Matthew too much satisfaction.

Matthew arched his brows. “And what about your brother?”

She jutted her chin. “What does Samuel have to do with any of this?”

“I thought you two were going to take over the bakery and go into business together.” He tapped himself on the chest. “Me? I understand that idea because I live here and know you and Samuel, but do you think Jacob is gonna marry you and move to Decatur? What’s he supposed to do while you and Samuel run the bakery? You gonna teach him how to make cakes and expect him to be happy? I got me a job right here at the depot hotel, and I’d be happy to have my wife working with her brother at the bakery.”

Sarah’s eyes widened. It seemed as if Matthew had been giving a lot of thought to her future. Truth be told, she’d not even considered what might happen if she and Jacob eventually decided to wed. Their letters had provided an opportunity to learn about each other, but letters weren’t the same as personal visits, in which matters of importance could be discussed. And there hadn’t been much time together. With a letter, one could take time to think of a proper response, but inquiries made in person required a direct answer. And though she’d asked Jacob numerous questions, Sarah hadn’t asked if he would ever consider living in Decatur. Such an inquiry would be far too bold.

“What Jacob and I decide about the future is none of your business!”

Though she’d responded with conviction, Matthew’s question created a modicum of doubt. Had Jacob and Matthew discussed the future? Perhaps she’d been wrong to discourage him when he’d mentioned using his pay to purchase train tickets as he had when he’d delivered his apology letter. They would have had additional time together, yet she didn’t believe the expense warranted the short visits they would have gained.

“I’m glad you’re taking a little time to reconsider my offer.”

Matthew’s remark was enough to pull Sarah from her thoughts of Jacob. “I was
not
reconsidering your offer.” She straightened her shoulders and marched toward the far side of the room. “Please leave me alone. I need to get set up for the train’s arrival.”

“You go right ahead with your duties. I wouldn’t want you to be unprepared when it’s time to serve those soldier boys. But when the war is over and all the soldiers have gone home, don’t forget I made a proposal.” He shrugged. “Who knows? I might let you take me up on my offer if I haven’t married someone else by then.”

As if anyone would have him.

Sarah set to work with thoughts of Jacob and the future weighing heavy on her mind.

B
y the time the train arrived, Sarah had been able to think of nothing but her conversation with Matthew. He’d spoken with such authority that she worried there might be a speck of truth in his words. Had Jacob indicated that he wouldn’t want to live in Decatur? Bold as it might be, there was only one way to find out.

Sarah gathered her courage as the train came to a halt outside the station. While the other ladies exited the station, she checked her basket one last time and watched for Jacob. Working together, they’d developed a routine that permitted them to serve the soldiers in Jacob’s car as well as lend additional help to some of the other ladies. Panic knotted inside her stomach. Where was he? All the other ladies had boarded the train, yet he still hadn’t disembarked.