Mail Order Romance Bundle #1 (3 page)

It was the first time ever that he shared his story with anyone and it felt good to have someone outside of his family listen to him. And Enid was a good listener. Some folks are natural born listeners and Enid Ralphy was one of them. Maybe she'd just been being polite and even so, she had a way of listening that seemed as if she truly cared about what he was saying and was empathetic with the trials he'd faced.

He was truly enjoying the company and the ride to town flew by, they soon found themselves on the outer edge of town, where stood a small, white chapel and next door to that was an even smaller, two-roomed house that served as the parsonage.

As Jesse walked to the church steps with Enid following close behind, he had a bad feeling that he couldn't shake. The church, which usually had it's doors wide open on his trips to town, was all closed up. Once up the steps, they stood there in front of the door as Jesse tried to pull it open. It was locked.

“Hmm...wasn't expecting that. Maybe the preacher is next door,” he said, motioning to the small house next door.

But they didn't have any luck at the parsonage, either. Just like the church, the door was locked.

“Reverend Hall?” Jesse said in a loud voice as he knocked on one of the front windows. He was starting to get desperate and wondered where Reverend Hall could be.

“He ain't there,” he heard a voice behind him say. Jesse turned around to see an older man with a scraggly white beard and broad-rimmed hat smiling at him. He recognized him immediately as Abe Mullins, who worked at the livery.  Abe was walking up to his own house, which was next door to the parsonage.

“Howdy, Abe!” Jesse said in friendly voice. “Any idea where Reverend Hall could be?”

“He's been gone for two days now, out at the Rutherford place. Old man Rutherford took ill, real bad, and his son rode out to get Reverend Hall to be with him on his deathbed. Probably be back in a day or two I reckon.” 

“A day or two?” Jesse asked with a trace of desperation in his voice.

“I guess the church wasn't my destiny after all,” Enid said with a nervous laugh.

Jesse kept trying at the door as if expecting it to still open somehow. He peered into the window and then gave a heavy sigh.

He didn't know what to do with Enid; he couldn't very well just leave her in town to fend for herself but he needed to get back to his farm. He had to make a decision fast.

“I know it's a bit unorthodox, actually, this whole situation is unorthodox, but you can stay at my place for time being. I can't think of anymore options here in town, and as it's almost sundown, I need to get back to my farm. You can stay at my place and tomorrow I can bring you back to the train station to catch your train.”

Enid looked relieved and didn't hesitate to take his offer. She nodded and smiled at him. “Thank you, Jesse, for your kindness, I'm grateful to have a place to stay for the night.”

They got back into the wagon and headed out of town to Jesse's farm.

Jesse felt a swell of pride as they came upon his land. The beautiful fields, gardens, barn and his own little house. He led Enid inside, setting her bag down and lighting the kerosene lamp that sat on a table. Enid looked around as the light filled the large open room of the house that contained both kitchen and sitting room. He had done his best to tidy up as much as he could before bringing home Miss Laura Kate Whitley, though that didn't end up happening as he'd planned.

Jesse saw Enid's eyes flicker to the big, oak kitchen table that took up a large part of the room. It looked big enough to hold a family of ten, she must have wondered why he needed a table that big. It was true that it was probably quite a sight to see him eating his dinner alone at that big table.

He hadn't possessed much furniture when he left home for his new homestead, he was so focused on the supplies he'd need for the farm that he hadn't put any thought into furnishing his house. As luck would have it, there was a large family, the Dodds, that were leaving Oak Grove and heading back East, deciding that homesteading wasn't for them. They didn't have room to carry most of their possessions back with them, so they sold a lot of their stuff to Jesse for an extremely discounted price-the oak table, their big cast iron stove, an armchair and rocking chair, and end tables, curtains, rugs...most of the furnishings that Jesse owned came from the Dodds.

Beyond the large front room were two small bedrooms. Jesse brought her bag into the one next to his. It was a small room with a bed against the wall under the window. Next to it stood a washstand that held a cream colored pitcher and bowl.

Enid followed Jesse into the room and thanked him again for his kindness, then she stopped when she saw the bed. She stared for a moment, looking confused. “Why are the letters 'T.D.' carved into the bedframe?” she asked Jesse.

“Theodore Dodd” Jesse said. Enid looked even more confused.

Jesse smiled as he told her the story about how he got his furniture and she laughed. She had a nice, strong, contagious laugh and he couldn't help but smile, too. It was quite humorous, now that he thought about it.

“I'm going to leave you to get settled. There's fresh water in your wash bowl so you can wash up. I'm going to go out to the barn and see to the animals for the night.”

Enid nodded and smiled politely. “Is there anything I can do to help? I feel I need to pay back your kindness, so feel free to put me to work.”

Jesse smiled at her and without looking directly at her deformities, wondered how much pain she was in. She hadn't mentioned a word about how hard it was to walk or any pain in her back.

“Naw, I can take care of everything, just make yourself at home.”

“Do you really run this farm all by yourself? No cook or housekeeper? No hired hands?”

“Most of it I do by myself,” he answered. “The Weber farm is down the hill behind mine, they're another homesteading family, one of the first ones in Oak Grove, they've been very kind to me and taken me in as one of their own. Folks out here tend to stick together and help each other, it's good to see. There are a dozen kids in the family so come harvest time and spring planting season, I hire a couple to help me out. I do all the cooking and cleaning, but Mrs. Weber is kind enough to do my washing and mending for me, I can't tell you how grateful I am for that. They have me over for Sunday dinner and I spend Christmas with them, as well. They are good people.” 

“They sound like it,” Enid said with a smile. “Say, are you hungry?” she asked him, “I haven't eaten since that stale sandwich I had on the train. I'm good in the kitchen, can I whip us up something while you tend to the animals?”

Jesse hadn't even realized how hungry he was until just that moment. “That would be fine, Enid, I'd be much obliged. I don't have much in the kitchen, though,” he started but was interrupted by a wave of her hand.

“Don't worry about it, I'll find something, I'm sure!” she said cheerfully.

Jesse set out to the barn, thinking to himself how different this day had turned out than he had planned. He thought he would be spending the night with his new bride and all that anxiety and excitement had built up so high that it was just as much of a let down and he realized that wasn't to be the case. But he tried to do as Enid had said, and focus on the positive. He would get this whole situation figured out and would soon have the bride who was meant to be his. It was just a bit of a delay, that's all. And it would teach him patience. After all, what was a little more wait, really, for someone he'd be spending the rest of his life with. Though he didn't get to be with her tonight, at least he had some company. Even though at first he had wanted Enid to stay at the church, the thought of having someone to talk to instead of another quiet, lonely night was a pleasant change, even for an introvert such as himself. Especially because in the short time he'd known her, he found Enid to be a good listener and good company.

That thought was invigorating and infused him with such a positive energy that he soon found himself humming. It was an old hymn that Aunt Clara had taught him, one that was upbeat and filled him with hope. The time he spent doing chores practically flew by and soon he was back at the house.

He was coming up the front steps carrying a pail full of fresh milk when the smell hit him, it was mouthwatering and better than any smell that had come from his kitchen since he'd lived there.

Once inside, he found the table set and Enid standing over the stove.

“It smells awful good!” he said, a wide smile spreading across his face.

Enid turned around, beaming. “Well, you may want to reserve comment until you've tasted it. I just cooked up what you had here, so I'm sure it won't be a big surprise to you.”

She brought the frying pan to the table to fill their plates as Jesse went to wash up. When he met her back at the table, he saw his plate was filled with fried potatoes, onions and salt pork and she'd made cornbread to go along with it.

Though Enid was right and the simple ingredients were not a surprise to him, the magic she created with those ingredients was. Jesse couldn't remember the last time he'd had a meal that good. It was just a simple meal but the way it had been prepared was much different than his own cooking.

“How did you get the potatoes like that?” he asked Enid. “They're so soft yet perfectly crispy on the outside. When I try to fry potatoes, they usually turn out one of two ways, raw or burned black.”

Enid laughed. “The trick is to make sure to cover them as they cook. That will steam them, making the insides soft while the outsides fry up crisp.”

“Thanks for the tip, that must be it because I've never covered them before. What about the cornbread? It's so moist and delicious? Mine is always dry and crumbly.”

She smiled slyly. “Well now, Mr. Collins, a cook can't give away all her secrets now, can she?”

Jesse laughed as he leaned back and patted his stomach. He knew it would be a long time before he had a meal as good as that one. As he sat back, relaxed, Enid stood up and began clearing some of the dishes. He watched her as she stood and began to clear the dishes, her upper body swinging back and forth as she limped. Immediately, he jumped up and took the plates from her hands.

“Here, let me help you with that, please,” he told her.

“Nonsense, I'm your guest and I intend to earn my keep,” Enid answered, taking the plates back from him.

Her tone was friendly yet firm so he relinquished the dishes without fuss. She tilted her head and gave him another look, her clear blue eyes piercing his own.

“It doesn't hurt, you know, if that's what you're worried about.”

Jesse was taken aback. “What?”

“It doesn't hurt,” she said again, setting the plates down and pointing to her hunched back.

“It looks like it does, I know. Everybody thinks so, and by the looks of this twisted body, I don't blame them one bit. But I was born that way; twisted, I mean. My body is built differently than most, it makes me limp and wobble when I walk and I can't stand fully upright. It might make me slower to get around and I won't be winning any foot races, but it doesn't hurt me any.”

She must have taken notice of the sympathetic look in Jesse's eyes, for as she picked the plates up again, she added, “And please, don't feel sorry for me, there's no need to waste your sympathy. My father told me right away from the time I was knee high to a mosquito that I was not to ever feel sorry for myself, that I could do everything other kids could do, but it was just going to take more work to do it. He loved me dearly but he never coddled me or let me use my condition as an excuse. He didn't treat my any different than my sister, Fanny, and I was given just as many chores as she was.”

“Your pa raised you right, he sounds like a good man.”

“He was. He passed away a few years back,” she said quietly.

“I'm sorry to hear that. And your ma?”

“She's gone, too, but I didn't ever get to know her. She died when I was two days old. So I don't miss her in the same way I miss father. It's hard to miss what you never had.”

Jesse could relate to how she felt. He realized that she'd been such a good listener as he poured his soul out to her, sharing his story on the long drive to town, that he never asked about her own past. And now it appeared that it was very similar to his. He grabbed a dish towel and started drying the dishes as she washed them and she didn't push him away. She let him stand there beside her, quietly helping as he waited for her to share a bit of her story.

But that story didn't come. At first, Jesse thought she was about to say something, but she stopped. So they stood together in silence finishing up the work. He really did want to hear her story and wanted to know more about her. He wanted to listen to her story in the same way that she had listened to him, if he could. He wasn't given that chance, though, as it seemed that it was easier for her to listen to others than to share about herself.

Once the dishes were finished and the kitchen was scrubbed clean, Jesse figured that Enid would want to retire to her room for the night. But he wasn't ready, yet, for the night to end. He enjoyed her company, she made him feel at ease whether she was making him laugh or they just spent time in silence washing dishes.

“I don't know what the sky looks like in Milwaukee, but in this part of the country, on a clear night like tonight, you can see more stars than you could ever count. Would you like to sit on the front porch with me for a spell?”