Josephine (16 page)

“That’s a worthy goal, but you don’t think that could be Adam?” her mother asked her.

Jo quieted. “I don’t know, Mama. He’s fun to be with, he’s witty and silly, but he can make me so angry sometimes.”

“And what about George?”

“I’m pretty sure George and I will never be more than friends.”

“No?”

“No. We weren’t raised the same way. He thinks one way and I think another.”

“Have the two of you talked about how you feel?”

“Not yet, but we will soon.” She sighed. “All these different feelings. It’s hard.”

“I know, but time always clears things. Trust me.”

“Well, regardless of what time brings, if a man can’t support my goals for my business, he can’t have me.”

Her mother hugged her affectionately once more. “Now, that’s the Josephine Best I raised. Stick to your guns.”

Jo kissed her on the cheek. “I will.”

In church on Sunday, Jo was elated to see Trudy slide into the pew beside her.

Trudy whispered, “What is this about you and Adam riding in a balloon?”

Jo whispered back, “We have to talk. Are you off punishment?”

“She let me come to church, so maybe, but I haven’t had the nerve to ask her.”

Jo understood. “How’s Bert?”

“I’ll tell you later.”

As Reverend Harmony stood and opened the service, Jo and Trudy set their talk aside and began to sing the processional hymn.

As always after church, the congregation gathered outside under the trees for refreshments and fellowship. Jo’s papa, William, often referred to the time as the Gossip Hour because it was an opportunity for neighbors to catch up on what had gone on in their lives since they had seen each other last. Unfortunately for Jo, today’s gossip centered around her and the balloon ride.

Trudy broke the news while the two friends were drinking lemonade on the fringes of the gathering. “Mrs. Waterman is on the warpath.”

“What about?”

“You.”

“Me? Why?”

“Because you and Adam went up in that balloon.”

“What does that have to do with her?”

“It isn’t her, it’s Libby. It seems Adam sent Libby packing. Now the Dragon Lady is telling everyone who’ll listen that something must have happened in the balloon because up until then Adam was enjoying Libby’s company.”

“Someone should see if Mrs. Waterman is dipping in the sherry. I didn’t have anything to do with Adam saying whatever he said to Libby. She ought to confront Adam, but I’ll wager she won’t.”

“I’ll wager she won’t, either.”

“Where is she now?”

“I saw her leaving just now.”

“Good. Wonder who she’ll blame if Bert does move out?”

“Me of course, but I’ll be proud to be guilty.”

Jo chuckled. “And I’ll be proud that you’re proud.” Jo looked around to make certain they weren’t being overheard before asking, “Have you had a chance to talk with Bert yet? I know it’s only been a few days.”

Trudy looked around before answering. “Yes. I snuck over to his house last night.”

Jo’s eyes widened. “You did not!”

“I did, too.”

Jo shook her head with amusement. Whatever was she going to do with this girl? “Did you two talk?”

Trudy grinned. “We talked, a little.”

Jo grinned in response. She was glad to hear that the two were on the road to reconciliation. “Is he still going after Dred?”

“Yes,” Trudy said, sounding annoyed. “And no amount of logic could convince him to do otherwise. I even tried tears. Didn’t work. He has his mind set and will not be moved.”

Jo sighed unhappily. “So what are you going to do?”

“Nothing I can do. I can’t tell his mother, and he made me swear I wouldn’t tell the sheriff or anyone else his plans.”

“Does he have a plan?”

“No.”

“Trudy?” Jo asked with wide eyes. “He could be hurt.”

“I know. I told him that, as well. He refuses to listen. I’m hoping that if he doesn’t find Dred in a few days, Bert will simply give up. Bert’s allergic to every plant the Good Lord made, so he won’t be out beating the bushes for long. Hives will send him home, if nothing else.”

Jo nodded. “I’ll keep him in my prayers, though.”

“Please do. He’ll need them. Are you still planning on coming over later?”

“Sure am.”

“Is this about Adam and that balloon ride?”

“Yes, and the fight he and I had last night.”

Trudy’s eyes widened knowingly. “You and Adam had a fight?”

“Yes.”

“Well, where there’s sparks there’s always fire, Jojo.”

Jo rolled her eyes.

“Has he kissed you yet?”

“Trudy!”

“Don’t Trudy me. Answer the question. Has he?”

Jo knew she had to tell the truth. This was her best friend. She nodded affirmation.

Trudy lit up like fireworks and rubbed her hands with glee. “Oh, Jo. That’s glorious. I can’t wait. You must promise to tell me
everything!
”

Jo chuckled in spite of herself. “I promise.”

The two friends embraced in farewell, then each went off to find their family members so they could head home.

Sixteen

When
Jo walked up to the wagon, her mother and Belle were already seated up front. “How’s Trudy?” her mother asked.

“Doing well.”

Adam stood beside the wagon and soundlessly offered Jo his hand so she could climb up into the bed. Jo accepted the assistance but avoided looking directly at him. After all, she was still supposed to be mad at him. But the warmth of his fingers was making her remember yesterday and how close he’d held her while the balloon bumped across the ground after their landing, so she found the anger hard to sustain. The emotions Adam’s presence roused within her were much stronger.

Adam noticed she wouldn’t meet his eyes, but he didn’t say a word as he climbed in after her and took a seat atop one of the bales. When she did finally look his way, she simply raised her chin in a huff before focusing her gaze elsewhere. Adam supposed she still hadn’t forgiven him for calling George a lapdog but he wasn’t about to apologize. Instead, he leaned over and told her softly so that no one else could hear, “You can stick that chin up in the air all you want, but I’m still going to court you, Josephine Best.” That said, he settled back.

Jo didn’t want him to know how much the soft-spoken declaration had affected her, so to cover it, she opened her mouth to give him a stinging retort only to have her mother turn to Jo and ask, “You two comfortable back there?”

Jo smiled falsely. “We’re fine, Mama.”

When Cecilia turned back, Adam’s amused eyes fairly glowed at Jo, who once again turned away in a huff.

Mrs. Best got the team under way and drove the wagon out onto the rutted gravel road that led home. “Mrs. Oswald has one of the Army doctors coming this afternoon to check on the men, so she doesn’t think there’ll be time for visiting,” she told them.

Jo thought that good news in a way; not being able to see George today would give her more time to practice what she needed to say to him.

On the other side of the wagon, Adam thought it was good news, as well. He could have the black-eyed Josephine all to himself.

As the ride home continued and the landscape rolled slowly by, Cecilia said, “I heard some very disturbing news at church. Some homes were broken into yesterday while the owners were away at Mrs. Oswald’s social.”

Jo was very surprised at the news. “Really?”

“Yes. The thief took coins, plates, jewelry and food.”

“Food?” Belle echoed.

Cecilia nodded. “One of the families lost a large cooked ham.”

“Why would someone take a ham?” Jo asked.

“Hunger, maybe?” Adam pointed out.

Jo supposed. “Has the sheriff been alerted?”

Cecilia answered, “Yes, but he has no clues. There’s talk that Dred Reed’s still about. With the railroad conductors on alert, and all the lawmen looking for him, he’d have trouble leaving the area or boarding a train without being recognized, so some people think he may be hanging around, and responsible for the thefts.”

The idea that Dred might still be lurking close by gave Jo a case of the willies. She hoped the authorities found him before he found Bert. “But where might he be?”

Adam shrugged. “There are many places to hide. Think of all the old farmhouses and abandoned barns in the area.”

Belle said, “But I would think the sheriff would have searched all of those places initially.”

Cecilia replied, “The sheriff is a good man. I’m sure he conducted as thorough a search as possible, but there are a lot of woods. Maybe he and his men missed a place or two.”

Jo thought that possible. “Well, whoever the thief is, I hope he’s captured and brought to justice.”

Belle added, “Me, too.”

As the ride resumed in silence, Adam set aside thoughts of the thief and focused instead upon Jo. What a spitfire. Would she still be as volatile when she reached her mother’s age? Adam imagined she would. She most certainly would keep a man’s life from being dull. How could he convince her that his feelings were true? If George Brooks planned to court her, would Brooks take her to the falls in Canada the way Adam longed to do so he could watch her marvel at its power and beauty? Adam didn’t want George to be the one to escort her to the theater on Saturday evenings and to church on Sunday mornings; Adam wanted to be the one. Truth be told, Adam wanted to make her as happy as any man could make his sweetheart. But he had to get her to agree to be that sweetheart first, and so far, he hadn’t made a lot of progress.

He continued his observance of her, though. The brown dress she had on had a lovely crocheted lace collar but the gown was plainly old. The slightly frayed hem and wrists attested to her support of Free Produce. Adam vowed that once the war ended and the embargo on Southern cotton was lifted, he’d buy her enough new gowns to fill a dozen armoires. After they married, of course.

While the wagon continued to bump along, Jo glanced over at Adam from beneath her lashes and wondered how long the memories of his kisses would haunt her. She was glad he couldn’t read minds because if he could, she knew he would tease her unmercifully over her inability to set the encounters aside. Were all kisses the same, or different? Because of her inexperience and upbringing, Jo couldn’t answer. All she knew for sure was that riding in that balloon with Adam Morgan had changed her in many ways. Before yesterday, she’d never been kissed or held close against a young man’s heart; she’d never had anyone whisper to her that she was beautiful or slowly stroke her cheek. Being with Adam was like entering a strange new realm filled with all manner of wonders that were as tantalizing as they were scary.

She studied him covertly again. Lord, he was handsome. There was a solid brain behind all that male beauty, too; Adam was no featherhead. He would probably make some young woman very happy once he settled down a bit, but would that person be her? Jo didn’t know and admittedly didn’t trust him enough to let herself find out.

After dinner, once the dishes were washed and everything put away, Jo asked her mother about going over to visit Trudy.

Cecilia took off her apron and hung it on the peg on the kitchen wall. “Only if Adam goes with you. These break-ins are worrisome. I don’t want you out by yourself.”

“But I’ll be back long before dark.”

“Adam or home.”

“Why can’t Belle go with me?”

“She and I are off to Mrs. Lovey’s. The organizational meeting for Saturday’s rally is at her house this evening.”

Jo sighed. She’d forgotten about that. How in the world were she and Trudy going to talk about Jo’s Adam dilemma with Adam about? She sighed heavily again. If she hadn’t already promised Trudy she’d come over, Jo would just stay home. Trudy would be expecting her, however. Were Jo in Trudy’s shoes, she’d be dying for company and be very disappointed if company didn’t show up. “Oh, all right. Let me go ask him.”

Cecilia smiled maternally.

Upstairs, his door was open. He was at the writing table penning a letter to his brother, Jeremiah. Like the Bests, Adam hadn’t had any contact with his brother since April before the fall of Richmond, and, like the Bests, was worried but kept praying he’d hear from Jere soon. Jo’s entrance made him set the pen aside, however, and he feasted his eyes on her beautiful presence. “What can I do for you?”

“Mama won’t let me go to Trudy’s unless you come along. She’s afraid Dred Reed or someone like him is going to jump out of the brush and grab me.”

“Well, she’s right to be careful. You’d be pretty hard to replace.”

Jo told herself his words hadn’t touched her heart, but it was a lie. “So will you ride over with me?”

“Sure. Horses or the buggy?”

“Horses. That’s less trouble, but what about your ankle?”

“I can sit a horse.”

“Good, then horses it shall be. You can ride Dani’s stallion. I’ll meet you in the barn.”

“Thanks.”

After her departure, Adam smiled. Yet another opportunity for him to plead his case. Maybe he’d be more successful this time around.

As they rode slowly side by side down the road, Adam quipped, “You must have been real desperate to agree to let me tag along.”

“Belle and Mama have a meeting this evening, so it was either you or stay home.”

“Well, I agree with your mother about having someone with you. Trudy doesn’t live far, but anything might happen on the way.”

Jo thought everyone was being overly protective but she didn’t voice those thoughts. She and Adam could start an argument at the drop of a hat. She hadn’t come out here to fight with him. It was still Sunday, after all.

Adam asked, “So, shall we agree not to fight today?”

Jo smiled. “I just said that to myself. So, yes, we can agree.”

“Good. Truthfully, I’d much rather kiss you than fight you.”

Jo’s heart bounced. “Behave yourself.”

“I’m trying. I really am.”

Jo didn’t believe that for a minute. To keep herself from succumbing to him, she said, “I’ll race you.”

Challenge sparkled in Adam’s eyes and he grinned. “All right. On the count of three. One! Two!” And his stallion leaped forward. “Three!” he yelled out as he rode away, leaving her behind.

Laughter and outrage filled Jo’s eyes. “Cheater!” she screamed. Bending low, she urged her mare to take up the chase. Jo’s mare, Sassy, would run to Toledo if Jo asked her. The mare was fit, sleek and fast.

Adam rode hard, but what he didn’t know was that his mount had a personality all his own. Dani named the horse Douglass after the famous Frederick, but unlike his namesake the stallion had no fire. Whenever Douglass tired of running, he simply planted his hooves and stopped. Unprepared riders were often thrown by the abrupt halt. Adam was one of those unprepared riders.

When Jo and Sassy rounded the next bend, Jo saw Douglass plant and Adam go flying over the horse’s head.

Jo winced as Adam came to earth hard not too far from where the now-nonchalant Douglass stood grazing. Jo was relieved to see Adam move, even if it was gingerly. She waited to make certain that he hadn’t broken his neck before she and Sassy strolled forward. “Well, well, well,” she said, looking down at him picking himself up. “Fancy meeting you here.”

He did not look happy. “That animal tried to kill me!”

Jo mimicked surprise. “Douglass? No!”

“He stopped right in the middle of the run!”

Jo chuckled. “That’s what you get for cheating. And on a Sunday, too. Be glad you got off so lightly.”

He glared up at her.

“If it will make you feel better, the stupid horse does that a lot. Dani says he’s just temperamental. I say he’s fat and lazy. Mama says if he ever does it to her, she’s going to have Douglass turned into steaks and shipped to France where someone can have him for dinner.”

“And I’ll pay the transport fees,” Adam groused while brushing his trousers free of twigs, grass and soil.

“Are you sure you’re not hurt? How’s your ankle?” Jo asked.

“I’m fine. Ankle’s fine,” he said, shooting daggers at Douglass.

“Good.” Jo grinned and turned her mare toward the road.

“Where are you going?” Adam asked, concern on his face.

“This is a race, remember?”

“You’re not going to just leave me here?”

“You have a horse.”

“But—”

“See you at Trudy’s,” she called out. Sassy thundered away.

Had Jo looked back, she would have seen Adam throw his hat down in frustration.

Jo rode up to Trudy’s gate. There was a note on the front door with Jo’s name on it. She opened the square of paper and read,

Dear J.

Mama had to go to the meeting at Mrs. Lovey’s and she made me go, as well. Hope to see you sometime before I turn thirty!

T.

Jo folded the note and placed it in the pocket of her skirt. Poor Trudy. Would her mother trust her home alone ever again?

Jo walked back out to the gate and sat on the ground to wait for Adam. As long as a rider didn’t make Douglass do more than Douglass cared to do, he performed well. Jo figured Adam would show up soon.

He and the stallion arrived a few minutes later.

Jo got to her feet. “I see you made it.”

“No thanks to you.”

She grinned before asking, “Douglass give you any more problems?”

“No. He must have heard us talking about shipping him to France. He’s been very well behaved. Haven’t you, old man?” Adam patted him on the neck.

“Well, we came over here for nothing. Trudy’s not at home. Her mother made her go to Mrs. Lovey’s meeting.”

“Do you want to head back?”

“I suppose we should.”

“Let’s take the long way.”

“That’s a great idea.”

He got down to give her a boost back into her saddle. She didn’t weigh that much and so put no strain on his still-healing ankle. Once up, she looked down at him and said, “Thanks.”

Adam found himself so taken by her beauty he didn’t speak for a few seconds, opting to drink in her loveliness instead. He finally said, “You’re welcome, but I’m going to get you for leaving me back there.”

Jo had no defense for the attraction she felt building up between them. “You’re just mad because you lost, you cheater.”

“Pest.”

She playfully stuck out her tongue in response.

While Adam mounted Douglass, Jo adjusted her skirt over the trousers she wore beneath for modesty’s sake, then she and the mare followed Adam and Douglass back to the main road.

The “long way” incorporated the backwoods paths they often took during their childhood: tracts and trails that led to lush, hidden glades; small, fish-filled creeks; and over hills and dales that would eventually lead home. But Adam and Jo rode slowly, enjoying the silence of the beautiful green countryside, and each other’s company. They spied hawks and deer, beavers and butterflies. They eyed untouched stands of multicolored wildflowers, then stopped and ate their way through a small patch of wild strawberries. Mounted again, they passed the tree where the boys had tied Jo up and used her as bee bait. The river nearby seemed an ideal place to water the horses and rest them for a moment, so they dismounted.