Bride of Second Chances Page 7

  “I sure do.”

  “Yes, well, to be fair, the man I talked to quoted me five dollars, but it turned out to be the down payment. He didn’t make it clear that it was a down payment, so I thought it was the full amount, you see, and—”

  “Spare me the details.” She shook her head and gripped her purse. “Even now, doesn’t it occur to you that what you did was wrong?”

  He started to speak but then looked at his daughter. “Honey, go on to your mother. She’s at the counter.”

  Though Irene seemed reluctant, she obeyed.

  Jane stared at her brother, thinking she wasn’t going to like whatever came out of his mouth.

  “I thought you and Micah would make a good match,” her brother said. “Honestly, if I knew you took such offense to him, I wouldn’t have made the deal to begin with.”

  “You mean you would have found another bachelor to pawn me off on?”

  “Yes.” Gasping, he shook his head. “No. That’s not what I meant.”

  “Yes, it is!”

  “Jane, keep your voice down,” he whispered. “People are looking at us.”

  She glanced at the three people, including an amused Susie, who were staring at them. “What’s wrong, Will? You don’t want others to know how poorly you treat me?”

  “What do you want from me?”

  “An apology, for one.”

  “Alright. I’m sorry.”

  She huffed. “Do you even know why you’re apologizing?”

  “Well, I obviously upset you.”

  Gritting her teeth, she hissed, “You have to the count of three before I hit you with my purse.”

  At that, he chuckled. “Oh come now, Jane. Seriously? What are we? Children?”

  “One.”

  His smile faltered. “Are you upset because I wasn’t going to share the five dollars with you?”

  She charged at him with her purse raised in the air, but he swiftly dodged her attack and scrambled out of the store. Regretting that she’d even given him a warning, she grunted and straightened her coat. Despite her irritation, she ignored the other people watching her and turned her attention back to the shelves. She didn’t want her unfortunate encounter with her brother to prevent her from having a nice day. Tonight would be the last time she’d see Edith for a while, and she was determined to enjoy it.

  She collected the items she needed and went home. By the time she opened the front door, she was crying. Once she set the box on the table, she pulled out a handkerchief from her coat pocket and collapsed into the chair. She didn’t know whether it was her brother’s uncaring attitude about selling her to Micah or the fact that she let it bother her as much as it did that made her cry the hardest, but she supposed it didn’t matter. Her attempt to have a pleasant day was failing miserably.

  “Jane, what’s wrong?”

  She wiped her eyes and saw Jeremy hurrying into the room. “I thought you had to visit Rich and Gloria.”

  “I already did.” He pulled up a chair and sat next to her. “Jane, what happened?”

  “Nothing that I shouldn’t have expected.”

  “What?”

  With a shake of her head, she said, “I ran into my brother while I was at the general store, and would you believe he’s not sorry about what he did?” More tears came to her eyes. “He doesn’t even care about what he did to me!” She sobbed harder into her handkerchief.

  Jeremy stood up to get a clean washcloth and handed it to her.

  She thanked him and used it to wipe her eyes and cheeks. “As if that wasn’t bad enough, he sold me for a measly five dollars. Why, that isn’t enough to get food and pay rent for one week. And that’s all I’m worth to him?”

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered and rubbed her back.

  “I spent a year of my life cooking and cleaning for him and his family.”

  “I know.”

  “I’ve never been so insulted in all my life. I was so mad I tried to hit him with my purse.”

  He chuckled. “You what?”

  She felt a slight smile tug at her lips. “The key word is try. I didn’t succeed. The rat went on scurrying out of the store before I could do it. It would have been better if I had succeeded.” She glanced at him and sighed. “I shouldn’t be telling this to you. You’re a preacher.”

  “You think just because I’m a preacher, I never get upset?”

  As she wiped her nose, she shrugged. “I don’t know. Do you?”

  “Of course I do. I’m only human.”

  “I’ve never seen you be anything but kind and calm.”

  “You weren’t here when Rebecca died,” he softly said. “I assure you, I can be angry.”

  “Well, sure, in a situation that awful. No one can blame you for that. You should have had a lifetime to be with her.”

  After a long moment of silence, he said, “I’m sorry your brother treated you so poorly. There’s no excuse for it, and though it doesn’t erase what he did, I want you to know that having you here has been good for me.”

  “Really?”

  “I don’t feel so alone anymore.”

  Her face flushed with pleasure at his words. “I’m glad, Jeremy. I didn’t want to get in your way.”

  “You don’t get in my way. And you should keep something in mind.”

  “What’s that?”

  “A good woman’s worth is above rubies. It says so in the Bible. Five dollars was an insult. I’m just glad you’re out of that house and don’t have to deal with your brother anymore.”

  Knowing that Jeremy felt the way he did about their arrangement took the hurt away from what Will had said to her. Wiping her eyes again, she thanked him and turned her attention to putting the groceries away.

  Chapter Eight

  Jane sat in her usual spot in the church, which was in the front ever since she married Jeremy. It was close to Thanksgiving, so she had been sitting in the front for two and a half months, but she still felt out of place. She couldn’t forget that this was Rebecca’s place as little as a year ago. Worse, she wasn’t as good with greeting the parishioners after each service. She recalled how easy Rebecca made it look. She’d smile and ask people questions about their families and jobs. She knew what to say and when to say it. But then, Rebecca had a gift for entertaining others.

  Jane had no idea how tough Rebecca’s shoes were to fill when she married Jeremy. Shifting in her seat, she tried to ignore the mental list of topics she’s thought of to bring up when the people came to talk to her after the service so she could focus on the sermon. It took her a good five minutes before she realized that, though she was watching Jeremy, nothing he said registered in her mind. With a sigh, she gave up and went back to the things she might say once the service was over.

  She didn’t know why she assumed that the preacher had the tough job. People went up to him and told him how brilliant he was. No such words were offered to her, but all she did was sit in the front row and stare at him. Her gaze traveled to the cross, and she wondered if she was in trouble for not paying better attention to what Jeremy was saying. She might as well be like Gerdy and doze off. She closed her eyes and chastised herself for thinking of Gerdy in a bad way. The woman was advanced in years. She couldn’t help it.

  Jane took a deep breath and opened her eyes. She could do this. She could concentrate. Folding her hands in her lap, she straightened her shoulders and looked at Jeremy.

  “And so it was when the Lord rewarded Zacchaeus for seeking Him out, He will reward us when we seek Him,” Jeremy said and then closed his Bible. “Let’s all stand for a word of prayer.”

  Jane’s eyes grew wide. The sermon was already over? She glanced around as everyone stood and reluctantly got to her feet. Wonderful. Now that she had no idea what Jeremy gave his sermon on, she’d have to wing it with parishioners who assumed since she was married to him, she knew everything he talked about. She only had one prayer at this moment, and it was to get through the next twenty minutes without looking
like a fool.

  Once the service ended, she decided she would opt for the safest place in the church, and that just happened to be right by Jeremy’s side. She didn’t always run over to him, but she figured with her inability to concentrate on his sermon, she’d better.

  Jeremy laughed when she reached his side. “My sermon must have been really good today if you’re running over to congratulate me.”

  “Oh. Well, yes. It was.” She was sure it was. He’d looked happy behind the podium, so he must have had a good sermon. “It’s nice to see you enjoying yourself again. You know. Up there.” She motioned to the podium.

  “It is nice. I haven’t felt this good in a long time.”

  She smiled. “I’m glad to hear that.” Now she was really sorry she didn’t pay attention to what he said during the sermon. It must have been one of his better ones if the way his face glowed was an indication of how it went.

  The first couple came up to them, so she turned her attention to them and let Jeremy do most of the talking.

  “Sometimes I wonder the oddest things when reading Scripture,” the middle-aged man said. “Like in today’s reading. I wonder how tall that tree was that Zacchaeus climbed. Do you ever wonder about stuff like that?”

  Jane stared at him and tried to gauge whether he was kidding or not. He was chuckling and had a twinkle in his eye, and he was known for joking.

  Jeremy grinned. “I think the better question is how tall were the people in the crowd.”

  The man gave a hearty laugh and patted Jeremy on the back.

  So he was joking. Jane joined them and laughed, even though she felt like the odd person out.

  The next couple came up to them, and this time it was the woman who spoke. “What a lovely sermon, Preacher. Would you believe I had a dream about this very topic last night? It’s a sign, don’t you think? I think so. Why, it’s like that time I went to the general store and saw the apples lined up in a row. I had a dream about rows and rows of corn lined up just like those cornstalks. Do you ever have dreams like that? Not necessarily about apples, mind you, but about something that has a parallel to something in real life? I think those are fascinating dreams, don’t you? But then, I think what really matters is that we’re open to hearing God in the little things. Sometimes He speaks in a whisper. That’s true, isn’t it, Preacher?”

  Jane blinked, not sure what the woman was blabbering on about.

  Without missing a beat, Jeremy answered, “I do believe you had a dream about apples. No, I haven’t had dreams of a similar nature. I think the dreams can be interesting but only as a form of entertainment. Yes, sometimes God speaks in a whisper.”

  Jane turned her startled gaze to him. How did he keep track of everything the woman rambled on about? No wonder the people liked him. He was quick on his feet with a good response. Jane had to admit she admired the way he handled his job. She sure couldn’t do it.

  The woman looked pleased, called out a farewell, and led her baffled husband away. Jane didn’t blame her husband, and in some ways, she felt sorry for him. She couldn’t imagine what it must be like to live with someone who spoke that fast.

  Jeremy glanced at her and patted the small of her back. “Years of training.”

  Her face flushed from his touch, and she struggled not to give thought to how her heartbeat picked up. “You read minds?” she whispered, surprised he knew what she was thinking in regards to the woman’s rambling.

  “You looked shocked that I was able to answer all of those questions.”

  She didn’t realize her expression was so readable. She wondered if he knew that she hadn’t been paying attention to his sermon. Thankfully, Gerdy came forward and greeted them, so Jane didn’t have to dwell on how much Jeremy actually noticed while he was preaching.

  “A fine sermon once again, Preacher,” Gerdy said.

  “Thank you, Gerdy,” he replied.

  Gerdy turned to Jane and squeezed her hand. “It’s nice to see him get some of that old fire back.” She winked and headed off.

  Jane’s face grew even warmer. She wasn’t sure if it was because it suddenly occurred to her that Gerdy didn’t doze off as much as she let on or if it was the implication that Jane had something to do with Jeremy’s good mood.

  “I told you getting cake all the time would spoil me,” Jeremy said. “A man can’t help but get fired up when there’s cake waiting for him at home.”

  Jane laughed. Of course, it was the cake. Her mother always said a way to man’s heart was through his stomach. Not that she expected to get to his heart. That was Rebecca’s place, but it was good to see him happy again. Sighing, she glanced down the line of people waiting to talk to him. She’d like to think it was more than the cakes and cookies that gave him joy these days.

  Someone tapped her on the arm. Surprised, she turned and saw Marcy who was holding her baby in one arm.

  While Jeremy greeted the next couple, Jane stepped aside so she could talk to Marcy. “Hello, Marcy. How is the little one?” She brushed back the golden locks on the child’s head. “I still can’t believe how much hair she has.”

  “I know. I already have to comb it.”

  “Well, she’s adorable.”

  “Thank you. Anyway, I wanted to invite you and Jeremy to supper sometime this week.”

  Jane glanced at Jeremy. She knew this was part of his job, and it wasn’t like they hadn’t been to other people’s homes for meals but they usually approached him about it. She tried to think of whether or not he had anything planned for the week with another parishioner. “Did you have a particular day in mind?”

  “Wednesday?”

  Jane thought over what Jeremy had told her about the upcoming week and didn’t remember him having anything important to do on that day. “I think that will work.”

  Marcy smiled. “We’ll expect you then.”

  Jane nodded and returned to Jeremy’s side. Too late she recalled how Marcy had been good friends with Rebecca, and she immediately worried that going to Marcy’s house would remind Jeremy of Rebecca. She thought about going back to Marcy and getting out of the supper, but Marcy had already left the church. She sighed. Well, she’d just have to ask Jeremy if having supper at Marcy’s would bring up unpleasant memories.

  Two more couples came up to talk to Jeremy, and out of the corner of her eye, Jane realized someone was heading in her direction. She glanced at her aunt Fiona and inwardly groaned. Dear Lord, not her again. She scanned the room and found there was nowhere to hide or someone she might run up to in order to start a conversation.

  In what she knew was a futile attempt, Jane focused on the man talking to Jeremy and feigned interest in what he was talking about, which if she understood right, had to do with driving a train. He threw out some words that she didn’t recognize but was sure they had to do with train parts and nodded with more enthusiasm than a human being could possibly feel about the topic.

  “Of course, that was back in 1883,” the man said, fiddling with his pocket watch. “These days, trains are a lot nicer to ride.”

  “You don’t say,” Jane replied just as Fiona came in hearing distance. “Please, tell us more.”

  The man tucked his watch into his pocket. “What do you want to know more about?”

  She suppressed the urge to grimace. Really, did he have to toss back a question? “Uh…How were the seats?” Even as she said it, she knew it was a lousy topic.

  “They’re more comfortable today.”

  She waited, still nodding and smiling in hopes it would encourage him to continue, but he stared back at her as if he had no idea what to say next. “How about the engines? Are they different? And if so, how?” There. That ought to keep him talking long enough for Fiona to give up on waiting for her.

  “Naturally, the engines were different. Advancements have been made, and some of them would surprise you.”

  “How so?”

  A sharp poke on her arm forced Jane to look in Fiona’s direction. “Jane, I ha
ve a concern to discuss with you.”

  With a weak smile, Jane motioned to the man. “I’ll be happy to talk to you later this week, Aunt Fiona—” which was a lie, for she had no intention of stopping by the woman’s house— “because right now I’m listening to the fascinating history of trains.”

  While the man continued to ramble on to Jeremy, Fiona clasped her hands at her waist and shook her head. “Trains can wait. What I have to discuss with you is a family matter.”

  “But I can’t leave my husband,” she whispered. “He’s working.”

  “You mean Rebecca’s husband?” Fiona whispered back.

  Jane’s smile faltered for a moment, but she quickly forced it back. “It would be rude of me to ignore these people.”

  Fiona slipped her arm around Jane’s and led her away from the group. “What I have to ask will only take a moment.”

  “But…” She glanced over at Jeremy who looked at her with a questioning look on his face. She didn’t know if he’d interpret her request for help, but she did her best to ask for it without saying anything.

  “Now, Jane,” Fiona began in a firm tone, “Thanksgiving is next week.”

  “Right you are, Aunt Fiona,” Jane answered. “Thanks for the reminder!”

  She made a move to go back to Jeremy, but her aunt grabbed her arm and stopped her. “Every year, the family gets together for a wonderful meal.”

  Jane shifted from one foot to another as she ran through a list of possible reasons why she and Jeremy couldn’t go to her house.

  “Will and Susie have already agreed to come,” Fiona said. “And that leaves you and Jeremy. Granted, I’m aware you married Jeremy to get out of a real marriage to Micah, but since it’s legal, the only fair thing to do is to invite him, too.”

  “Hello, Fiona,” Jeremy called out as he walked over to them. “Did you enjoy the service this morning?”

  Good. He was here. Jane breathed a sigh of relief. As long as he was there, her aunt wouldn’t harp on her about her brother.

  Fiona gave him a nod. “It was adequate.”