Tenderness (20 page)

Jesse looked back at the group on the porch as the buggy pulled out of the yard. The children were bunched together, and Flora
stood protectively beside her mother. Otis had gone back to the stump in the yard.

“What will he do? Will he beat them as soon as we’re out of sight?”

“He won’t beat them.” Wade saw the worried look on her face and wanted to erase it. “Don’t worry. He won’t beat them,” he
said again. “He’s too big a coward.”

“What makes you so sure he won’t?”

“We had a little man-to-man talk. The only kind a man like Merfeld understands.”

“Whatever you said to him had an effect. He was meek as a lamb. I hope it lasts, and he doesn’t take it out on Mrs. Merfeld
and the children. I could have cried when I saw Flora’s face. And Dude. That bully could have broken his jaw. Dude was so
kind to his little brothers and his sister. He even took the thread from a june bug’s leg before he let it go. Most kids would
have let the poor thing fly away with the thread hanging to get caught on something.”

“Otis knows what will happen to him if he uses his fists on his kids again. He also knows what will happen if his kids fail
to show up for the vaccinations.” Wade grinned at Jesse wickedly and moved close to her so that they were touching from shoulder
to thigh.

She answered his grin with one of her own. “Wade Simmer! You’re a bully. You threatened poor Mr. Merfeld with bodily harm.”
She tucked her hand into the curve of his when he reached for it. Her eyes danced with delight. “I’d like to have been a bird
so I could have heard and seen it. Oh, I wish you’d blackened both his eyes and… knocked out his teeth.”

A rumbling laugh bubbled up out of Wade. “I didn’t know that my girl was such a bloodthirsty little vixen.” His eyes, full
of teasing laughter, traveled lovingly over her face.

My girl.
The two words held a world of meaning. She belonged to someone—Wade—in a special way. Her face reflected her happiness when
she lifted her chin and looked down her nose at him with a haughty expression on her face and a teasing glint in her eyes.

“My good man, I like a good fight as well as the next fellow.”

They both burst out laughing.

The attraction between them was like a living flame, and yet there was something more—a comfortable sharing of thought and
feeling. When Jesse looked into his dark face and green eyes, she felt that she could tell him anything, everything, share
her innermost thoughts, fears, and dreams with him. At times that afternoon she was so happy that her heart shook with apprehension.
To be so happy was dangerous, her inner voice cautioned. What had happened between her and this man was too good to be real.

Granny Lester had known immediately that there was something brewing between them.

“Ya courtin’ her, boy?” she asked bluntly and switched her snuff stick to the other side of her mouth. “If you ain’t, yo’re
a blame fool.”

Not the least embarrassed, Wade watched the color come up to flood Jesse’s cheeks, while she watched his eyes crinkle at the
corners and his wide mouth stretch in a grin that enveloped his whole face.

“Well, I don’t know, Granny. She’s not asked me to court her yet.”

“Law, boy. Yo’re hard put if yo’re waitin’ to be asked.” Granny turned her eyes to her husband of more than fifty years. “I’d
not ever set eyes on Mr. Lester till he walked right up to me at a camp meetin’. He were bold as brass. ’Yo’re the one fer
me,’ he said. ‘I’m comin’ courtin’ Saturday night.’ He walked off ‘n’ didn’t give me a chance to say aye or nay. But come
Saturday ya can bet yore britches I was all duded up in my best bib and tucker ‘n’ ready to walk out with him. Ya ort to take
a lesson from Mr. Lester, boy, ‘n’ go after what yo’re wantin’.”

“Maybe I should come over and have a little talk with Grandpa and get some pointers on how to court from someone who has done
it before.” Wade’s bright teasing eyes watched Jesse fidget and throw him a threatening glance.

“Ain’t ya ever courted a gal, boy?” Granny asked. “Pshaw! Guess ya never needed to. Ever loose thin’ in these hills has been
beatin’ a path to yore door. Talk to Mr. Lester. I guarantee ya’ll learn a thin’ or two ’bout courtin’ a
good
woman.”

After they left the Lesters’ and before they reached his place, Wade turned off the road and drove deep into the woods before
he stopped the buggy.

“This is a favorite place of mine. I wanted you to see it. I come here sometimes, sit under a tree and marvel at the stillness.”

It was a beautiful glen, cool, secretive, enchanting. Tall branches shadowed the sun, allowing only shimmering streaks of
sunlight through and here and there a splash of blue sky. A light breeze rustled the leaves, and from far away came the lonely
call of a mourning dove.

“It’s peaceful. Do you come here to get away from all those women who beat a path to your door?”

“I was afraid you’d pick up on that.”

“I ain’t no dumb… nurse,” she said, mimicking Jody’s voice.

“Thank you for the best day of my life.”

“You’re very welcome,” she said because she didn’t know what else to say.

“Will there be others?” His voice was husky, strained.

“I doubt there will ever be another day like this one.” She spoke with rock-hard certainty and drew back so that she could
look in his eyes.

“Ah, love.” The soft, awed murmur echoed though Jesse’s scattered senses. “Are you real?”

“What a silly question.”

After a long, lingering kiss he released her lips to search her eyes. This thing between them was almost too wonderful to
bear.

“Are you going to ask me to court you?” he whispered, his eyes teasingly soft.

“You’ll have to take your turn. I’ve already asked two very fine gentleman to call on me.” Jesse’s laugh was more like the
giggle of a young girl. She peered at him through half-closed eyes.

“Good Lord,” he groaned. “How big are they? Bigger than I am? I’ll have to have a man-to-man talk with them—the kind I just
had with Otis Merfeld.”

Jesse wound her arms around his neck. “I think I lost my mind this afternoon.” Her voice was low and soft.

“Sweetheart, I lost my heart.”

The kiss they shared was fresh and clean and sweet, nothing of passion and heat and clinging closeness, just tenderness.

W
hile Molly was being hitched to the buggy and the picnic basket loaded, Jesse had a few minutes alone with Wade on the back
porch.

“I’ll be down one evening soon. Will your father object if I call on you?”

“Papa considers me a grown woman, perfectly capable of making my own decisions.”

“—And, I know, I’ll have to stand in line behind those two other fellows.” He laughed a deep chuckling laugh as his hand reached
out to squeeze her shoulder.

Jesse smiled up at him and said softly, “If you come, I’ll see that you go to the head of the line.”

Wade’s heart beat with pure joy. He caressed her with his eyes. His throat was so tight that he couldn’t speak for a long
moment. When he did, it was to say something he was determined to tell her before she left.

“About this fellow they call The Looker. I talked to Dusty Wright the other day. He hasn’t a clue as to who he is. Promise
me you won’t go out after dark alone and that you women will stay together at night.”

“He’s not likely to come to our house even if Papa is gone. Susan and I sleep in one room. Pauline and Mrs. Lindstrom are
across the hall.”

“He might not know that until he’s in the house.”

“It’s strange. Papa and I have talked about it. This man knows when the women are alone. Papa used to think it was someone
from out of town. Now he thinks that he’s someone we know, someone who lives in Harpersville and has a reputation beyond reproach.”

“That lets me out. Dusty tells me that I’m the prime suspect.”

“But… that’s silly!”

“The Harpers will hang it on me until the man is caught. Does that bother you?”

“Yes, it bothers me because it’s so unfair.”

“Have you thought about your own reputation? It will suffer if you’re seen with me.”

“No, I’ve not thought about it and I don’t intend to. I have a right to choose my friends. If people don’t like it, the… devil
can take the lot of them.” Jesse’s tone more than her words showed her frustration.

“I want to be more than a friend, Jesse.”

What she read in his eyes brought a flush to her cheeks.

“I know.” Her soft whisper came to him. Her eyes were misty. Here in the hills it seemed so natural to be with him, but down
below people in the town would be horrified that Jesse Forbes would even consider being friends with the notorous Wade Simmer.

His body throbbed with the need to hold her, and it took a supreme act of will to let his hand slide down her arm to take
hers. Only God knew how much he wanted her, how he dreaded the lonely days until he could see her again.

“You’ve got to go, honey. I want you home before dark.”

Honey.
Jesse’s insides warmed with pleasure as she looked into his quiet dark face. She wanted once again the warmth of his arms,
the scrape of his afternoon whiskers on her cheek. She wanted to feel the pounding of his heart against hers. But there was
nothing to do but put her feet into motion and head for the buggy.

With their hands clasped tightly, they stepped off the porch and into the yard. Wade’s horse was saddled and waiting. Jody
had known that Wade would escort them out of the hills.

“B-Bye, Jody. I had a good time. See you M-Monday.” Todd climbed up on the platform behind the buggy. C-C-Can I ride as far
as you go, Mr. Simmer?”

“Sure.” Wade helped Jesse into the buggy, then stepped into the saddle and lifted Todd up behind him. “Hold onto my belt,
big fellow.”

“Bye, Jody,” Susan called. “Thanks for showing me the baby rabbits and for letting me play your fiddle. I’m still mad ’cause
you threw that cow pie at me. I’ll never get that green out of my dress and it’s all your fault. Jess, did you know Jody made
a fiddle out of a cigar box? You should see it; it has strings and everything.”

Pauline and Jesse waved to Jody as Molly pulled the buggy out of the yard. Wade and Todd rode behind. Since Wade had volunteered
to take the sign announcing the date of the vaccinations to the store, they could take the shortcut to the main road.

“This has been a great day. It’s probably the most fun I’ll have all summer. Wait’ll I tell Mary Sue and Jeff I was in Wade
Simmer’s hayloft. She thinks he’s a jailbird and has done terrible things. Maybe he did when he was young, but now that he’s
old, maybe he’s had a change of heart. Mary Sue was sure that if we came up here, he’d
ravish
us.”

“Ravish? Susan, for land sakes. Where do you get such notions?”

“It wasn’t my notion, Jess. It was Mary Sue’s. She knows a lot about ravishing and things like that.” Susan slouched down
in the seat and rested her head against the back. “I wish we didn’t have to go home to old Lou… el… la.”

“Are you disappointed that you’re going home… unravished?”

“Oh, silly. Why don’t you marry Mr. Simmer? I could come up here and live with you.”

“That’s not a bad idea, Jesse,” Pauline said. “Susan could go to that school over at Coon Rapids. It has two rooms but only
one teacher. Three grades are in one room and three in the other.”

Susan sat up straight. “I’m not going to any dinky old school out in the woods somewhere. And Jess won’t marry and leave me
and Todd with old Ghost-face, will you, Jess?”

“You’re getting the cart before the horse. I’ve not been asked. Get along, Molly.” Jesse slapped the reins against the mare’s
back. “We’ve got to get this smart-mouthed girl home.”

When the curving road began to dip deeply into the valley, Jesse stopped the buggy. Wade settled Todd on the platform in back
and came around to the side.

“From the cliff yonder, I can see you until you reach the bridge.”

“You don’t have to wait. We’ll be all right.”

“I intend to make sure. Bye, ladies.” He tipped his hat to Pauline and Susan.

“Bye, Mr. Simmer. I had a really good time.”

“I’m glad, Susan. Come back again.”

“I will if Jess will let me.” With a little suggestive smile on her face she rolled her eyes to her sister.

“Thanks, Miss Anthony, for taking on the job of teaching Jody. If you get into difficulty with the school board. I’ll certainly
compensate you for the trouble.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m not certain I want to stay in Harpersville anyway. Perhaps a school like the one at Coon Rapids
would be more to my liking.”

“Let me know if there are any books you need. I’ll get them from Knoxville or Chattanooga.”

As he spoke to Pauline, his eyes, dark and intense. wandered to Jesse and clung like a caressing hand. They traveled over
her face, her soft red mouth, blue-gray eyes, wind-tousled hair, and down the tight, slim body and firm round breasts as if
to imprint her image forever in his mind.

This woman was his, the love of his life.

A silent prayer formed in his heart:
Dear God, keep her safe until I can be with her again.

“Bye, Jesse. See you soon.”

“Bye, Wade.Thank you for going on the rounds with me.”

“My pleasure.”

Since there seemed to be nothing else to say, Jesse moved Molly on down the road.

“Such formality,” Pauline said to Jesse as soon as they were out of hearing distance. “You’d think the two of you had just
met.”

“Do you like him, Jess?” Susan asked “He’s not as bad as I thought he’d be. Everyone said he was mean. I don’t think he’s
mean at all. He sure takes a lot from that brat, Jody. I’ve never seen a nig… a colored that talks back like he does. He’s
a smart-mouth. I can tell you that.”

“Yes, he’s smart-mouthed,” Pauline said. “But he’s smart as a whip. He reads fast and absorbs what he reads. Mr. Simmer has
worked with him. I’ll have to get books from the school on the pretext that I’m helping you, Susan.”