“Do you think that’s enough taters and beans?” Grandpa asked, poking his nose over Katie’s shoulder while she added onions to the sizzling skillet.
“It’s the same amount I always fix, why?”
“I sort of invited someone over for supper.”
“Sort of?” She didn’t really care about guests for supper, but a little warning would’ve been nice. “Who?”
“Harold.”
“Oh.” Katie added a dash of salt to the potatoes and onions, before she gave the beans a quick stir in the kettle. Mr. Crowley was an old friend of Grandpa’s, but she couldn’t remember him coming to supper before.
“Uh, there’s something I been meanin’ to tell you—”
“Make sure you fix plenty tonight, Katie,” Pa said, interrupting Grandpa’s confession, as he ambled his way into the kitchen. “I’ve invited some company.”
“Who did
you
invite?” She hoped whoever it was didn’t eat much. Two extra guests might stretch dinner a little thin.
“Freddie Powell.”
Good. As skinny as Freddie was, he wouldn’t eat more than a sparrow.
“Freddie’s a fine young man,” Pa said, hiking up his britches as he walked to the stove to taste the potatoes. “Real respectful and politelike.”
“That’s nice,” Katie replied hesitantly. “But why did you invite him to dinner?”
“Uh, you see—”
“Katie?” Here came Grandma dressed in her Sunday best. “Is that what you’re wearin’ for supper?”
Katie glanced down at her brown everyday dress and shrugged. “I always wear this dress.”
“That’s my point. We’re having special company tonight, and I think you ought to pretty up a little.”
Oh no. Grandma must have invited a suitor.
Muffled voices from the front porch stopped Katie’s attempt to find out more. Pa, Grandpa, and Grandma hurried from the room, each struggling to reach the door first. She wasn’t sure, but she could have sworn Grandma tripped Grandpa with her cane.
Katie stood in the kitchen, debating whether she should “pretty up” or run for the hills. Evidently her family had been busy this week.
Sighing, she dried her hands on her apron before untying it and laying it across the back of a chair. She couldn’t get too mad at Grandma since she
had
agreed to let her find a match. But it would have been nice if she’d had some warning that a prospective husband would be arriving tonight.
She stepped into the front room amongst the commotion of two guests arriving at once.
“Katie, dear,” Grandma said, ushering a handsome young man in her direction. “This here is Randy Kopp. He’s Eunice’s grandson, and he’s just moved back from Williamson.”
Thick, dark hair brushed over the man’s forehead, drawing attention to bright blue eyes. One of which, winked at her as he reached his hand out in greeting.
“Pleased to meet you, Katie.”
She shook his hand and smiled, finding it impossible not to respond to the sparkling, white teeth flashing at her, complete with a rather attractive set of dimples.
“Yes, I—”
Grandpa grabbed her shoulders and spun her around where she almost collided with Harold Crowley.
“You remember Harold, don’t you Katie?”
Harold cleared his throat. She shook his hand, wondering why Grandpa had invited Harold out on the same night she was to meet her prospective husband.
“Good to see you again, Katie.” Harold turned and glared at Grandpa. “I thought you said Katie and me were getting hitched.” He jerked his head toward Randy. “Who’s this pup?”
Married?
To Harold?
“Wait just a minute!” Pa said, wading into the middle of the pack. “I done found Katie a beau, and he’ll be here any minute now. You other fellers can go on home.”
A knock on the door gave Katie a second to catch her breath. Pa hurried to let in yet another intended suitor.
“Katie,” Pa said, hurrying his choice to stand before her. “You remember Freddie Powell, don’t you?”
She remembered Freddie, but she didn’t think she’d ever had a conversation with him. Mostly because he always looked like he was about to swoon. “Hello, Freddie,” she said, and his face turned scarlet.
“Good evening, Katie.” A cracking voice and bobbing Adam’s apple added the final touch to Freddie’s expression of total terror.
Freddie’s hair was slicked with enough pomade to slide him through a gopher hole. And like the others, he was dressed either for courtin’ or for a funeral. In Freddie’s case, the funeral could be his own. She couldn’t recall ever seeing a young man look so scared.
“Now, this is the feller you need to marry,” Pa said, grabbing Freddie’s shoulders and giving a good-natured shake. “He’s hardworkin’ and respectful—”
“He ain’t no more respectful than Harold!” Grandpa interrupted. “This young generation don’t know nothing about respect.”
By the time Grandma jumped into the fray, Katie thought her head was going to explode. They were all talking at once, each touting the good qualities of their suitors, though they seemed more intent on convincing each other than Katie. Their dedication was so focused, in fact, they failed to notice when she left the cabin for the relative quiet of the front porch.
The huge autumn moon loomed just above the horizon, and the brisk night air cooled her heated skin, if not her temper. They could have warned her. Three beaus, each as different as night was to day, each with good qualities, she was sure. But how was she supposed
to make a decision when she didn’t really know any of them?
Maybe marrying wasn’t such a good idea after all.
“Katie?” Pa stepped out onto the porch. “What you doing out here?”
“Hidin’.”
“Now, Katie, there’s no reason for you to sound so forlorn. You’re wantin’ to get hitched, aren’t you?”
“I thought so, but I figured I’d have some say in who I was going to marry.”
“You
do
get a say in it, but you’d be crazy not to pick Freddie. He’s a good boy, and he’d work real hard at tryin’ to please you.”
Shrugging, she kept her focus on the moon. “I can’t marry a man I don’t know.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to, but you can give Freddie a chance, can’t you?”
Katie didn’t answer. She was still peeved and didn’t really know what to say anyway. Pa took the hint and slipped back into the cabin. She wondered who’d be next, but she didn’t have to wonder for long.
The door creaked as the next of her family members came to convince Katie of his or her choice.
“Katie?” Grandpa called to her from behind.
She groaned. “What do you want, Grandpa?”
He hobbled closer, wearing the expression he always wore when attempting to give sage advice. “I know you probably think Harold’s a mite old for you, but that’s what makes him the perfect match.”
This should be interesting. “How?”
“He’s got a boatload of money and that big old
house in town. Why, he’d spoil you rotten and then make you a wealthy widow to boot.”
Katie’s jaw dropped. “You want me to marry him, then hope he dies?”
“Now, now, I didn’t say that.”
Pursing her lips, she glared at him. “I think you need to go back inside and send Grandma out for her turn.”
“Her turn?”
“To convince me that Randy is the best match. I must admit I’d love to know her reasons, though I suspect I already do.”
Grandpa nodded, then headed back into the cabin. In a blink, Grandma was on the porch.
“All right,” she said tugging her shawl around her shoulders, her cane dangling from the crook of her arm. “I’ll tell you why you want Randy.”
Katie folded her arms across her chest and raised her brow.
“A man like that will keep a smile on your face.”
Her mouth gaped again.
“Grandma!”
Grandma harrumphed. “Don’t
grandma
me. You think I was always this old? You said you were wantin’ younguns, and I can’t imagine a feller that would be more fun to make ’em with. If you’ve got any sense at all, you’ll marry Randy and whelp lots of little ones, all with dimples.”
With that bit of advice, Grandma returned to the cabin, leaving Katie fanning the cool air against her face. Randy was handsome, but there was more to a good husband than just looks, wasn’t there?
Of course it might not matter anyway. Apparently none of her suitors had been aware that others were going to show up. They might have all changed their minds by now, leaving her just as much of an old maid as she was when this evening began.
With resignation, she left the privacy of the porch—it wasn’t very private anyway—and returned to the lion’s den. The chattering stopped as soon as she entered the cabin. Her three intendeds stood with their perspective champions, each facing her as though they expected an answer on the spot.
Harold’s face was red, and the fists clenched at his sides led her to believe he was about to hit someone. Freddie’s face was also red, imagine that, but it appeared to be caused by a lack of air. Maybe Pa ought to remind the boy to breathe every once in a while. And then there was Randy. Confident, a casual grin turning up one side of his mouth, he winked again as though he already had this contest won.
“Gentlemen,” she said, “I want to apologize for the confusion. It appears as though my family has decided to take my future into their hands without filling me in on the details.”
“Now, Katie—”
She held up her hand to stop her grandpa from interrupting her. “
If
any of you would like to go on home, I understand and there’d be no hard feelings.” She waited for the men to respond, but all stood their ground silently, darting glances at each other, then back to her.
“Well, in that case, I reckon I’m going to have to make a decision.”
With a cock of his handsome head, Randy chuckled. “Come on, Katie. Do you really have to think about this?” He raised his brow and glanced at the other two men. His expression indicated he clearly felt she would be a fool not to choose him. Which might have been the case, but fools rush in, and after waiting nearly thirty years, rushing at this point seemed more than foolish.
“Yes, Randy, I certainly need to think about this. I don’t know any of you gentlemen, and I have no intention of marrying a man until I’m sure I want to live with him the rest of my life.”
“How—how are you going to pick?” Freddie finally gulped enough air to speak.
Good question. “I’m not sure just yet. I’m going to need some time.”
Harold puffed up his chest and cleared his throat. “I think you should pick the man who can provide for you the best.”
“That’s a fine idea,” Grandpa said, immediately throwing in his opinion.
Pa stepped forward. “I think respect and a good heart should be the most important thing.” He smacked Freddie on the shoulder, nearly sending him to the floor.
Randy snorted. “She don’t need none of that. She needs a man that can protect her and work hard. I think we should fight it out, and the last one standing, wins her hand.”
He took the opportunity to flex his arm, patting the muscle that bulged beneath his shirtsleeve. His gesture triggered another eruption of opinions and
arguments, all six talking and pointing fingers at each other.
“Just a minute,” Katie said, but she might as well have been talking to the wall.
“If y’all will get quiet…” A deaf wall, at that.
She took a deep breath.
“Quiet!”
she shouted, and all eyes riveted to her, with brows raised in surprise. “I have no intention of using fighting or bribes or any other lamebrained ideas to pick my husband.” She lifted her hand again to cut off the protests from each mouth currently gaping at her.
“I will pick my husband based on my own reasons.”
It was a fine speech, and she was proud of it as she marched from the room with the pretense of setting supper on the table. Truth of the matter was, she wanted to leave before any of them asked her for more details.
She didn’t have details.
She only had beans and potatoes.
And sometimes a woman simply has to go with what she has.
Church again. It seemed as though the only chance John had to interact with the locals was at the store and church. But he’d endure it for the chance to approach Katie. She’d be here, singing like an angel and basking in the adoration of her following. They would all clamor around her, begging for medical help as though John were nothing but a lawn ornament.
That was about to change, assuming John could survive another of Reverend Stoker’s marathon sermons and Julia’s bouncing excitement. Bringing his
daughter probably qualified as manipulation, since he did it knowing full well Julia wouldn’t leave without talking to Katie. But desperate men take desperate measures, and Julia loved the crowd anyway.
“Can we sit with Katie, Daddy?” Bless the child. She already knew her lines.
“I suppose it would be all right, as long as Miss Napier doesn’t mind.”
“Oh, she won’t mind,” she said, smiling with delight. “She’s my friend.”
Pulling away from John’s grasp, Julia directed her bounce down the aisle straight for Katie’s pew. He watched as Katie turned to smile at his daughter, giving her a hug in welcome.
John was surprised to realize he had grinned in response. He sobered immediately. His daughter’s excitement over seeing Katie again was the only explanation he could find for his odd reaction. It certainly wasn’t because
he
’d looked forward to seeing her. A business proposition was all he intended to offer, and once he no longer needed her, he planned to sever their association posthaste.
“Good morning, Dr. Keffer.” Katie turned her smile on him, causing his step to falter slightly. He hadn’t expected her to look so genuinely pleased to see him.
“Good morning. I trust Julia isn’t being a bother.”
“Of course not.”
“I told you, Daddy. Katie’s my friend.” Julia turned back to look at Katie. “Can we sit with you?”
Katie’s gray eyes twinkled as she scooted aside to make room. “I’d like that very much.”
Julia giggled, then did something totally unexpected.
She darted around Katie’s knees and took a seat on the other side, leaving John no option but to sit beside Katie. Thankfully, there was plenty of room. At least there was until her father and grandfather slid into the pew from the other end.