Bride of Second Chances Page 9

  After supper ended, she was grateful the task now turned to cleaning the dishes. It gave her something useful to do. As Jeremy and Jonathan retired to the parlor, she turned to Marcy who was checking on her baby who cooed in the bassinet which sat in the corner of the dining room.

  “I’d be happy to take care of the dishes while you tend to your daughter,” Jane said, praying the woman would agree so she wouldn’t have to make conversation with her while cleaning up.

  Marcy chuckled. “Don’t be silly. This is my house. I need to clean up.”

  Hiding her disappointment the best she could, Jane nodded. “Will you let me help?”

  “That’s very nice of you.”

  Jane rolled up her sleeves and collected as many plates and glasses as she could before she took them into the kitchen. With any luck, the baby would cry and Marcy would be forced to tend to her. She continued bringing the dishes into the kitchen while Marcy got the water ready to wash them in the sink. Jane didn’t hurry through the task, and when the dishes were cleared, she wiped the table down and pushed the chairs in.

  When she couldn’t think of a single thing left to do in the dining room, she went over to the bassinet and saw a very content little girl who was shaking her rattle. She shook her head. Who would believe a baby could behave so well for so long? She leaned toward the girl and smiled. “If you want to cry, that’d be fine with me. There’s no sense in being good on my account.”

  The baby looked her way and gurgled in response.

  Jane laughed. As much as she’d rather stay with the baby, she knew it’d be rude so she went to the kitchen. Clearing her throat, she strode over to the sink. “Everything’s clean out there. Mind if I dry the dishes?”

  “Thank you, Jane. That’d be nice.”

  She picked up a dry cloth and started wiping the dishes. “You have pretty plates.”

  “Well, thank you. They were a gift from my parents when Jonathan and I got married.”

  As Jane continued wiping the plate, she thought of what else to say. Finally, she said, “Your girl is as cute as a button. Of course, I said that when I was here with Susie and her children, but it bears repeating.”

  Marcy handed her the last dish and smiled. “Thank you. Again.” While Jane put the dishes away, Marcy made coffee and took out some tarts. “I made these earlier today so I wouldn’t have to worry about making it tonight, but don’t tell anyone.”

  “I wouldn’t dare.”

  She collected the tray with the coffee pot and cups on it and followed Marcy to the parlor. With a glance at the clock, she saw that she and Jeremy had already been there for almost two hours. The evening was already half over.

  “Would you like to sit by me, Jane?” Jeremy asked as he stood to pour the coffee.

  “Alright.” She reached for an empty cup to fill, but he stopped her.

  “You did enough work. It won’t hurt me to get your cup for you,” he said.

  The baby cried so Marcy excused herself and left the room. Jane forced the urge to roll her eyes as she sat down. Sure. Now the baby chose to get Marcy’s attention. With a sigh, she sat down and took the cup from Jeremy.

  “Do you want a tart?” he asked.

  “No thank you.” She’d had too much to eat at supper and could already feel a mild stomach ache because of it. If she hadn’t been so eager to keep her mouth full, she would have stopped before she got to this point.

  Jeremy sat next to her with a cup in one hand and a tart in the other.

  “Aren’t you going to get a cup for me?” Jonathan teased.

  “You’re not pretty enough,” Jeremy replied with a grin.

  Jonathan let out a loud sigh but stood to fill his cup and then another one. “I better get Marcy’s ready. I can’t have you looking better than me.” Once he sat down, he looked at Jane. “I hear you make Jeremy a lot of cakes.”

  With an amused glance in Jeremy’s direction, she said, “It’s easy enough to make. I don’t care much for pies. The crust usually falls apart on me.”

  “Ah, well, you ought to ask Marcy to give you her recipe. She has a way around that problem. She won the cooking contest three years in a row because of it.”

  Though Jane nodded, she had no inclination to ask Marcy for anything. She just wanted to go home.

  Jeremy shook his head. “Don’t listen to him, Jane. I much prefer cake.”

  “Come now,” Jonathan began, “you need some variety in your desserts.”

  “No, I don’t. I can eat cake every day and be happy.”

  Jane didn’t doubt that one and found herself smiling because of it. She did make more than cake, but there was no doubt he had a greater enthusiasm for cake.

  Marcy returned with the baby who was resting on her shoulder. “Did I miss anything good?”

  Jonathan held out a cup to her which she took before she sat in her chair. “Apparently, Jeremy gets stuffed silly on cakes these days.”

  “Oh?” Marcy asked as she shifted her baby a bit before taking a sip of her coffee.

  “Yes. Jane makes him one every week,” he said.

  Marcy glanced at Jane and set the cup on the small table next to her. “I suppose that works for some men.”

  Jonathan chuckled. “I can’t think of a single thing wrong with cake.”

  “That’s because there isn’t,” Jeremy said, which earned him a couple of chuckles from Marcy and Jonathan.

  Jane wasn’t sure, but she suspected Marcy wasn’t too fond of her. She didn’t know what gave her that impression. On all outward appearances, Marcy was pleasant enough, but Jane couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling in her gut. When Jeremy rose from the couch and announced it was time to go, Jane almost collapsed with relief. The night was finally over!

  As she rushed through the task of putting her coat, hat and gloves on, Jeremy mingled long enough to make some more small talk before he said good-bye and thanked them for a lovely evening.

  Jane decided to leave it at a simple thank you, for she couldn’t say it was a lovely evening but she survived it and that counted for something.

  On their way home, Jeremy said, “We won’t go there for supper again.”

  Surprised, she looked at him. “Why?”

  “I just don’t think it’s a good idea.”

  She thought of asking him to explain what he meant but decided she might be better off leaving the matter alone, and so, she kept silent the rest of the way home.

  Chapter Ten

  That Sunday morning while Jane got ready for church, she glanced at the letter that rested on the small table in her room. She picked it up and reread it, her lips curled up into a smile at Edith’s familiar script. She missed her friend but was glad Edith was happy in Omaha. She bit her lower lip as her eyes fell to the invitation for Jeremy and Jane to come for a visit.

  With a last-minute check at her reflection in the small mirror on the wall, she patted her hair, satisfied it was neatly pulled back into a bun and went to the kitchen where Jeremy was finishing a cup of coffee while he skimmed his notes for the sermon. She waited until he looked in her direction before she stepped forward to speak.

  “Is that the letter from Edith?” he asked, motioning to it as he folded his notes.

  “Yes,” she replied. “She wants to know if we’d be willing to visit her and Wilbur in Omaha for Christmas.” There. She said it. Exhaling, she waited for his answer.

  “We can do that.”

  She blinked, not sure she heard right. “Really?”

  Chuckling, he placed his cup on the work table and nodded. “Why are you surprised?”

  “I thought maybe you’d like to stay in Lincoln for Christmas.”

  “I have no family except you, and Edith is your cousin and friend. She and Wilbur are good people. I have no objection to going.”

  Relieved, she ran over to him and gave him a quick hug. “Thank you, Jeremy. I miss her terribly.”

  “I know you do.” He laughed and led her to the closet. “You don’t
get out enough.”

  “I go to the general store, and I take walks when the weather is nice.”

  After he tucked his notes in his suit pocket, he grinned. “That’s not what I meant. You don’t do social things.”

  Frowning, she waited for him to take her coat off the hanger and turned around so he could help her slip into it. “Are you disappointed?”

  “No. I was just making an observation, that’s all.” He handed her a hat and her gloves.

  “Are preachers’ wives supposed to visit people in town?” she asked as she ran her thumb across the brim of her hat.

  “You’re fine. You go with me when invited to go to someone’s house to eat.”

  “Yes, but we don’t do it often. Should we do it more?”

  “We’re fine.”

  “What do people expect from me?”

  “All anyone can expect is for you to be you.” He smiled as he slipped into his coat. “You worry too much.”

  “Rebecca would pay a visit to someone almost every day,” she softly said as she put her hat on.

  “That’s because Rebecca wanted to do that. Jane, you do understand I don’t expect you to be Rebecca, don’t you?”

  No, she didn’t. She assumed he fell in love with Rebecca because she made an ideal preacher’s wife. When she stepped into Rebecca’s shoes, she didn’t know what to do, so she waited for him to tell her, and for the most part, he hadn’t told her anything.

  Sighing, he took the letter from her hand and pointed to it. “Just be the person Edith wrote to. That’s all anyone has the right to expect. You were happy just a moment ago, and now you look like your world is falling apart. That’s not what I want for you. I don’t expect you to do what Rebecca did. You two are like night and day.”

  He handed her the letter so she took it back, her gaze falling to Edith’s script.

  “I don’t know how else to say it. Just know that God made you the way you’re supposed to be, and God doesn’t make mistakes.”

  That made her feel better so she offered a smile and put the letter on the small table by the front door. “You’re right.”

  Her heart was lighter as she walked with him to the church. During the service, she didn’t worry so much about what to say to people afterward. She’d stand next to Jeremy like she did last week, and he’d do most of the talking for them both. And as long as he was fine with it, she wouldn’t have to pretend to be something she wasn’t.

  Once the service ended, she made her way to his side and smiled at people as they talked to him. Marcy and Jonathan were one of the couples who came up to them, and Jane’s stomach tensed even though she couldn’t think of a good reason why it should. It wasn’t like they were going to eat together again.

  “A good service, as always,” Jonathan said. “Though a little better lately,” he added with a smile in Jane’s direction.

  Jane relaxed at Jonathan’s kind expression and turned to Marcy. “Where is your daughter?”

  “My mother took her outside for a bit. She was crying,” Marcy said.

  “Oh. Well, she was quiet through the service. You have a very well-behaved little girl.”

  “Thank you.”

  Jane took a deep breath and glanced at Jonathan who continued to talk to Jeremy. Turning her attention back to Marcy, she said, “It’s a beautiful day out, isn’t it? I don’t think we needed to wear coats.”

  “You’re right. It is.”

  Jane was beginning to get frustrated with her. She was doing everything she could to come up with topics, but it didn’t help when Marcy offered little in return. She couldn’t remember if Marcy had been like that when Rebecca was around or not. Clearing her throat, she decided she’d do better to ask a question that required more than a yes or no answer. “So, what will you be doing for Thanksgiving?”

  Marcy looked startled. “I have plans.”

  Jane blinked in surprise at her sharp reply.

  Marcy laughed and fingered her hair. “What I mean is that my parents and Jonathan’s parents will be coming to my home.”

  “That’s wonderful,” Jane slowly said, wondering why Marcy fidgeted. “I think it’s wonderful when both sets of parents can get along with each other. I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful day.” And wasn’t it just wonderful that Jane couldn’t think of anything else to say but wonderful?

  “Well, I shouldn’t keep you any longer,” Jonathan told Jeremy as he glanced at the few people who stood behind him in line. “Don’t be a stranger, old friend.” As he passed Jane, he smiled and softly said, “It’s nice to see him happy again.”

  Jane smiled in return and said good-bye to him and Marcy. Too bad Jonathan wasn’t a woman because she had a feeling she’d get along much better with him than she did with Marcy. After they left, Jane finally felt like she could breathe normally. Thankfully, the rest of the people who came up to greet her and Jeremy did most of the talking so Jane didn’t have to struggle to figure out what to say.

  ***

  It was on Wednesday when Jane was picking up a turkey from the butcher when she overheard Marcy talking to one of her good friends. Marcy didn’t know Jane heard her by the open window while she stood and waited for the three women in front of her to make their purchase. Jane tucked her shawl around her shoulders as she stared at nothing in particular.

  Her thoughts, for the moment, were on the previous year when she and Rebecca came here. They picked out the right turkey for Jane to make so the whole family could get together as their Aunt Fiona wished. How different things were this year. Now, it was just her and Jeremy. Without Rebecca, it seemed things had fallen apart. She wiped the tears from her eyes. She hoped Christmas wouldn’t be as rough as Thanksgiving was turning out to be.

  Someone said her name so she forced her mind off the past and glanced out the window. Marcy and Annie stopped while Annie’s son tied his shoe. Jane moved out of their viewing range but kept her attention on them.

  “I suppose I shouldn’t be too hard on Jane,” Marcy said. “She’s trying, but…”

  “But what?” Annie pressed.

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. It was easy to like Rebecca. I never really knew Jane and thought I’d like her well enough since she was Rebecca’s sister, but the two are so different. Rebecca was someone a person wanted to be around, but with Jane it doesn’t matter if she’s there or not.”

  “You can’t replace Rebecca.”

  “Yes, I know, and that’s a shame. No matter how hard Jane tries, she’ll never be like Rebecca. I wanted to like Jane. I really did, but she’s boring. I feel sorry for Jeremy. He’s the one stuck with her. At least I only have to bear with her in church. He has to take her home.”

  Jane decided she’d heard enough so she walked away from the window and stood close to the counter where one of the three women paid for their order. She tried not to dwell on what she’d just heard, but her face flushed and tears filled her eyes. Hoping no one else noticed, she quickly brushed the tears away and opened her purse so she could collect the money she’d need to make her purchase.

  Once the women left with their food, Jane stepped up to the butcher and swallowed the lump in her throat so she could speak. “Um…I’ll take a turkey, please.”

  Her voice cracked, and she averted her gaze so he wouldn’t see the tears that threatened to give away her humiliation. While he had his back turned to her, she wiped her eyes and cheeks and told herself she could cry as much as she wanted to as soon as she got home. She took a few deep breaths and focused on the butcher, noting everything he did as he prepared the turkey.

  When he put the wrapped turkey in front of her and told her the price, she sorted through the coins but the door opened and she glanced over her shoulder to see if it was Marcy and Annie. To her relief, it wasn’t. It was Gerdy who smiled and limped over to her.

  “It’s nice to see you, Jane,” Gerdy said.

  Was it? Or was it just one of those things Gerdy had to say because it was rude to tell someone
it didn’t matter if they were there or not? Jane chastised herself for thinking ill of Gerdy. Gerdy always had been nice to her. She forced out a polite greeting and turned her attention back to the coins, not realizing her hands were shaking until one fell to the floor and rolled under the counter.

  “Oh, I shouldn’t have done that,” Jane said. “Did it roll over to your side?” she asked the butcher.

  While he bent down to check, she frantically searched through her coins and then her purse. She didn’t have enough unless he retrieved the one that slipped out of her hand.

  He stood up and shook his head. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Graham. I can’t reach it.”

  “Never mind that.” Gerdy dug into her pocket and handed him the coin. “That’s on me. Think of it as a thank you for all you do to make the preacher happy.” She looked at the butcher. “Poor thing was miserable after Rebecca died, and now he’s cheered right up.”

  Jane quickly placed the rest of the coins on the counter before she could drop any more. “Thank you, Gerdy. I should pay you back.”

  Gerdy chuckled. “Didn’t you hear anything I just said? It’s a gift.” She squeezed Jane’s arm.

  Despite her trembling lips, Jane managed a smile, said thank you again, and took the turkey. If she thought she could manage it without breaking down and crying, she would have helped Gerdy carry her purchase home. But now wasn’t the time she could do more than keep the tears at bay, so she left and made sure Marcy wasn’t anywhere in sight before she headed home.

  Chapter Eleven