Kelly hadn’t realized the service was over until Sarah touched her arm. “You gonna sit there all day, or did ya plan to go speak to that storekeeper who hasn’t taken his eyes off you since we sat down?”
Kelly wrinkled her nose. “You’re makin’ that up.”
“Am not.” Sarah stood up. “I’d better get back to the boat and check on little Sam. Got any messages you want me to give the folks?”
Kelly got to her feet as well. “What makes you think I’m not returnin’ to the boat with you?”
“Call it a hunch.” Sarah bent down and grabbed the blanket. She gave it a good shake, then folded it and tucked it under Kelly’s arm. “Should I tell Mama you won’t be joinin’ us for the noon meal?”
Kelly felt her face heat up. Was Sarah able to read her mind these days?
“Well, I ... uh ... thought I might speak to Mike about my paintings. See if any more have sold.”
“And if he invites you to join him for lunch?”
Kelly chewed on her lower lip. “You think I should say yes?”
Sarah swatted Kelly’s arm playfully. “Of course, silly.”
“What about the folks? Shouldn’t I check with them first?”
“Leave that up to me.”
“Okay, then. If I don’t return to the boat in the next half hour, you can figure I’m havin’ a picnic lunch with Mike. He did mention wantin’ to do that the last time we talked.”
Sarah gave Kelly a quick hug, hoisted her long skirt, and trudged off in the direction of the boat. Kelly turned toward the spot where Mike had been sitting, but disappointment flooded her soul when she realized he was gone. With a deep sigh, she whirled around and headed the same way Sarah had gone. There was no point in sticking around now.
Kelly had only taken a few steps when she felt someone touch her shoulder. She whirled around, and her throat closed with emotion. Mike was standing so close she could feel his warm breath on her neck. She stared up at him, her heart thumping hard like the mules’ hooves plodding along the hardpacked trail.
“Kelly.” Mike’s voice was low and sweet.
She slid her tongue across her lower lip, feeling jittery as a june bug. “I came to hear the preaching.”
“Reverend Nelson delivered a good message today, didn’t he?”
Kelly nodded in response. It was hard to speak. Hard to think with him standing there watching her every move.
“Can you join me for a picnic?” Mike asked. “It will only take me a few minutes to throw something in the picnic basket, and it’s the perfect day for it, don’t you think?”
“Yes, yes, it is,” she replied, glad she’d found her voice again.
“Then you’ll join me?”
“I’d be happy to. Is there anything I can bring?”
“Just a hearty appetite and that blanket you’re holding.”
Kelly glanced down at the woolen covering Sarah had tucked under her arm. Her sister must have been pretty certain Mike would be taking her on a picnic. “Where should I meet you?”
“How about at the pond by the lock tender’s house? That way you won’t have to worry about anyone seeing us walk there together.”
Kelly knew Mike was probably referring to her dad, and he was right. It would be much better if Papa didn’t know she was going on a picnic with the storekeeper.
“Okay, I’ll head there now, and maybe even get a bit of sketching done while I’m waitin’ for you.”
Mike winked at her. “See you soon then.”
“Yes, soon.”
***
The warmth of the sun beating down on her head and shoulders felt like healing balm as Kelly reclined on her blanket a few feet from the pond. She always enjoyed springtime, with its gentle breezes, pleasantly warm temperatures, and flowers blooming abundantly along the towpath. Summer would be here soon, and that meant hot, humid days, which made it more difficult to walk the mules. So she would enjoy each day of spring and try to be content when the sweltering days of summer came upon them.
“Are you taking a nap?”
Kelly bolted upright at the sound of Mike’s voice. “I ... uh ... was just resting and enjoyin’ the warmth of the sun.”
He took a seat beside her and placed the picnic basket in the center of the blanket. “It’s a beautiful Lord’s day, isn’t it?”
She nodded and smiled.
“I hope you’re hungry, because I packed us a big lunch.”
Kelly eyed the basket curiously. “What did ya fix?”
Mike opened the lid and withdrew a loaf of bread, along with a hunk of cheese and some roast beef slices. “For sandwiches,” he announced.
Kelly licked her lips as her mouth began to water. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was until she saw the food.
“I also brought some canned peaches, a bottle of goat’s milk, and a chocolate cake for dessert.”
“Where did you get all this?” Surely the man hadn’t baked the cake and bread, canned the peaches, and milked a goat. When would he have had the time? Papa always said cooking and baking were women’s work, although he had been forced to do some of it when Mama had taken sick last year.
Mike fingered his mustache as a smile spread across his face. “I must confess, I bought the bread and cake from Mrs. Harris, the wife of one of our lock tenders living along the canals. I often buy her baked goods and sell them in my store. The peaches came from Mrs. Wilson, who lives in Walnutport.”
“And the goat’s milk?”
He wiggled his eyebrows. “I recently traded one of my customers a couple of kerosene lamps for the goat.”
“Couldn’t they have paid for the lamps, or were you actually wantin’ a goat?”
He chuckled. “Truth of the matter, they didn’t have any cash, and even though I offered them credit, they preferred to do a bit of bartering.” He poured some of the goat’s milk into a cup and handed it to Kelly. “I enjoy animals, so Henrietta is a nice addition to the little barnyard family I adopted this winter.”
“Your barnyard family? How many other animals do you have?”
“Besides Blaze, my horse, and Henrietta the goat, I also own a cat, a dozen chickens, and I’m thinking about getting a pig or two.”
Kelly shook her head. “Sounds like a lot of work to me.”
“Maybe so, but a man can get lonely living all by himself, and taking care of the critters gives me something to do when I’m not minding the store.”
Kelly was about to take a sip of her goat’s milk, when Mike took hold of her hand. “Shall we pray?”
“Of course.”
After Mike’s simple prayer, he sliced the bread and handed Kelly a plate with a hunk of cheese, some meat, and two thick pieces of bread. She made quick work out of eating it, savoring every bite.
When they finished their sandwiches, Mike opened the jar of peaches and placed two chunks on each of their plates.
“Don’t you ever get lonely walking the towpath by yourself?”
“I’m not really alone,” Kelly replied. “Herman and Hector are good company, and of course now that Sarah’s back, she sometimes walks with me.”
His eyebrows drew together. “Mind if I ask where Sarah’s husband is?”
Kelly felt her stomach tighten. She didn’t want to think of the way Sam had run off and left his family, much less talk about it.
“I guess it’s none of my business,” Mike said, before she could make a reply. “Forget I even asked.”
Kelly reached out and touched the sleeve of his shirt. “It’s all right. Others will no doubt be askin’, so I may as well start by telling you the facts.” She swallowed hard, searching for the right words. “Shortly after we arrived in Easton, I ran into my sister at the Simon Silk Mill, where I’d gone looking for a job.”
Mike nodded.
“Sarah told me Sam had lost his job at Warren Soapstone. Said it was because he’d gotten mad at his boss and talked back.” Kelly paused a moment and was surprised when Mike reached for her hand. She didn’t pull it away. His hand was warm and comforting.
“Sarah said Sam had been staying home with the baby while she worked,” Kelly continued. “I invited her to drop by the boardinghouse where we were staying, so Mama and me could meet Sam Jr.”
“And did she stop by?” Mike asked.
“Yes, the next Saturday. But as soon as I laid eyes on her, I knew somethin’ was wrong.”
“What happened?”
“She said Sam up and left her, which meant she had no one to watch the baby.” Kelly’s eyes filled with tears, just thinking about how terribly her sister had been treated. “I agreed to move in with Sarah and watch the little guy while she was at work.”
“So that’s how you were able to get so many paintings done.” Mike squeezed Kelly’s hand. “That was a fine thing you did, agreeing to help care for your sister’s child.” He frowned. “I’m sorry to hear Sam Turner couldn’t face up to his responsibilities. Guess maybe he wasn’t ready to be a husband or father.”
Kelly snorted. “I’d say most men aren’t ready.”
“That’s not true,” Mike said, shaking his head. “I’m more than ready. Have been for a couple of years.” He eyed Kelly in a curious sort of way. What was he thinking? Why was he smiling at her like that?
She didn’t know what to say, so she withdrew her hand and popped a hunk of peach into her mouth.
“Ever since my folks passed away, I’ve felt an emptiness in my heart,” Mike went on to say. “And after Alvin and John left home to start up their fishin’ business in New Jersey, I’ve had a hankering for a wife and a houseful of kids.” He stared down at his plate. “I’ve been praying for some time that God would give me a Christian wife, and later some children who’d take over the store some day.” His gaze lifted to her face, and she swallowed hard. “I feel confident that God has answered my prayer and sent the perfect woman for my needs.”
Kelly’s heart began to pound. Surely Mike couldn’t mean her. He must be referring to someone else ... maybe Betsy Nelson, the preacher’s daughter. It was obvious that the woman had eyes for Mike. Maybe the two of them had begun courting while Kelly was away for the winter months.
“I think the preacher’s daughter would make any man a fine wife,” Kelly mumbled.
“The preacher’s daughter?” Mike’s furrowed brows showed his obvious confusion.
“Betsy Nelson. I believe she likes you.”
Mike set his plate on the blanket, then took hold of Kelly’s and did the same with it. He leaned forward, placed his hands on her shoulders, and kissed her lips so tenderly she thought she might swoon. When the kiss ended, he whispered, “It’s you I plan to marry, and it has been all along.”
Kelly’s mouth dropped open, but before she could find her voice, he spoke again. “Ever since that day you and your folks came into my store so you could buy a pair of boots, I’ve been interested in you. I thought you might feel the same.”
“I ... I...,” she sputtered.
“We can be married by Preacher Nelson whenever you feel ready,” Mike continued, as though the matter was entirely settled. “I’m hoping we can start a family right away, and—”
Kelly jumped up so quickly she knocked over the jar still half-full of peaches. “I won’t be anyone’s wife!” she shouted. “Especially not someone who only wants a woman so he can have children he can put to work and never pay!”
Mike scrambled to his feet, but before he had a chance to say one word, she turned on her heel and bounded away, not caring that she’d left her blanket behind.
***
Mike stood staring at Kelly’s retreating form and feeling like his breath had been snatched away. What had gone wrong? What had he said to upset her so?
Taking in a deep breath of air, Mike tried to sort out his tangled emotions. Kelly had to be the one for him. After all, she’d appeared at his store last year only moments after his prayer for a wife. He’d thought they’d been drawing closer each time they spent alone. She’d allowed him to kiss her. Had Kelly really believed he was interested in Betsy Nelson? And what had she meant by shouting that she didn’t want to be anyone’s wife—especially not someone who wanted a woman so he could have children he could put to work and never pay?
“I would never do such a thing,” Mike muttered. “I can’t imagine why she would think so, either.”
An image of Amos McGregor popped into Mike’s mind. The man was a tyrant, and he remembered Kelly saying on several occasions that her dad had refused to pay her any money for leading the mules. That was the reason her sister, Sarah, had run off with Sam Turner a couple years ago.
Mike slapped the side of his head and moaned. “How could I have been so stupid and insensitive? I should have realized Kelly might misunderstand my intentions.”
He closed his eyes and lifted his face toward the sky. “Father in heaven, please guide me. I love Kelly, and I thought by her actions she might have come to love me. Help me convince her, Lord.”
***
Kelly knew her face must be red and tear-stained. Her parents would want to know where she’d gone after the church service, but she couldn’t face anyone now or answer any questions. She just wanted to be alone in her room, to cry and sort out her feelings.
Kelly climbed onto the boat and hurried to her bedroom, relieved that nobody was in sight. They were probably all taking naps. She flung the door of her room open and flopped onto the bed, hoping she, too, might be able to nap. But sleep eluded her as she thought about the things that had transpired on her picnic with Mike.
Did the man really expect her to marry him and bear his children, just so they could work in his store? Mike hadn’t really said it would be without pay, but then she’d run off so fast there hadn’t been a chance for him to say anything more. Maybe she should have asked him to explain his intentions. Maybe she should have admitted that she’d come to care for him in a special way.
A fresh set of tears coursed down Kelly’s cheeks, and she sniffed deeply while she swiped at them with the back of her hand.
I can never tell Mike how he makes me feel. If I did, he would think I wanted to get married and raise his children. I won’t marry a man just to get away from Papa’s mean temper or the hard work I’m expected to do. I want the opportunity to support myself. I need the chance to prove I can make money of my own.