Her Heart's Desire (25 page)

“
Yes, it does,” Rick’s
mother agreed, a wistful tone in her voice.

“
You have another son?”
Rick’s father asked.

“
Yes, our oldest,” Sally’s
father spoke up. “Richard and his wife just had twin boys. We
should invite them out next time you come over so you can meet
them.”

“
Does he run a
farm?”

“
No. He started up a
company to build houses.” Rubbing his chin, he added, “I wonder if
he might point you in the right direction to finding a suitable
house. I’m sure Sally will talk to him for you.”

Sally’s attention went to her father.
She hid her apprehension the best she could by offering a weak
smile. The last thing she wanted to do was help his parents find a
house, but she knew she’d be talking to Richard soon
enough.

Rick’s father leaned forward so he
could see Sally. “We’d appreciate it very much, Sally. Wouldn’t
we?” he asked Rick’s mother.

His mother nodded but didn’t look at
her. “Yes, we would.”

Sally glanced at her mother, wondering
if she noticed his mother’s response, but her mother didn’t give
any indication of it. Across from her, Joel whispered something to
Tom and pointed to Rick’s mother. Sally sighed. Her brothers were
more aware of what was happening, something she didn’t think
possible since her mother was often more in tune with subtle things
people did than her brothers were.

Once dessert was over, Sally joined
her mother in the kitchen to help her wash dishes while Jenny
brought them in from the dining room. Out on the porch, everyone
else lounged about, enjoying the nice, warm day.

Glad for the chance to be alone with
her mother, Sally took a dry towel and wiped off the first clean
plate her mother handed her. “What do you think of Rick’s
parents?”

“
I think they’re fine
people.”

Sally waited for her mother to say
something else, but she didn’t. Placing the dry dish on the
worktable, she turned and took the next clean plate her mother
handed her. “Do you think his mother likes me?”

She shrugged. “I suppose so. You
hardly said anything, so it’s hard to know how she responds to
you.”

“
But when his pa asked her
if it was nice of me to talk to Richard, she answered him without
even looking at me.”

Her mother turned a tender gaze in her
direction. “Sally, he asked the question.”

Disappointed, she sighed. This wasn’t
exactly how the conversation with her mother was supposed to go,
but maybe her mother had a point. Perhaps being quiet around Rick’s
parents had been a bad idea.

“
Everything is new, honey,”
her mother softly said so Jenny wouldn’t overhear as she brought in
more dishes for them to wash. “These things take time. You have to
be patient. I think his parents are good people. It’ll work
out.”

“
I hope so.”

“
When you’re a newly
married woman, things can be overwhelming. You’re adjusting to a
husband, a new home, and now his parents. It’s a lot to deal
with.”

“
Maybe.”

She squeezed her hand and offered her
an encouraging smile. “You’ll be fine.”

Not knowing what else to say, she
nodded and helped her mother finish washing the dishes.

***

“
You don’t look that
excited about having his parents in Omaha,” Richard noted the next
day as Amanda entered the parlor with a tray of
refreshments.

Sally brushed her finger along
Anthony’s soft cheek, and he smiled at her. She smiled in return
and thought of how easily babies accepted people. They didn’t judge
anyone. Her twin nephews had accepted her without her having to
prove her worth. She glanced at Mark who was sleeping in Richard’s
arms. “Your boys look just like you.”

He gave her a sympathetic smile. “They
must not be very nice if you’re hesitant to talk about
them.”

Amanda set the tray on the table and
sat beside Sally on the couch. As she poured the lemonade into the
glasses, she glanced at Sally. “I thought everything was going well
with you and Rick. You two seemed happy when I saw you in
church.”

“
Oh, Rick and I are happy
together,” Sally replied.

“
But his parents are
another matter?” Richard guessed in that perceptive way of his that
had a way of unnerving her.

Realizing he wasn’t going to stop
pressing her until she told him, she sighed. “They don’t like me.
Well, maybe his pa is coming around to accepting me, but his ma
isn’t.”

“
Why not?” Amanda asked,
holding a glass to Sally.

Sally shifted so that Anthony was in
one arm and took the lemonade in her free one. “I don’t know,” she
told Amanda. “Yesterday, Rick and I took his parents out to meet my
parents, and my mother didn’t notice the way his mother avoids
me.”

“
It’s hard to avoid you,
Sally,” Richard commented as he handed Mark to Amanda before he
picked up his own glass of lemonade. “You talk all the
time.”

“
Well, talking can get you
in trouble if you’re not careful,” Sally muttered before sipping
her lemonade. Looking at Amanda, she added, “How do you make your
lemonade so sweet? Mine ends up so sour, my lips
pucker.”

“
Sally,” Richard gently
admonished.

She groaned and turned her attention
back to him. “I’m not avoiding you. I really want to know your
wife’s secret.”

Amanda giggled and bounced Mark in her
arms. “I’ll give you the recipe before you leave.”

Satisfied, Richard leaned back in his
chair and gestured for Sally to tell him what he wanted to know.
“You didn’t come over here to ask me about houses because you
wanted to. This wasn’t your idea. Was it our parents’?”

Her shoulders slumped, Sally nodded.
“Pa suggested I talk to you about it. So, do you know of any houses
that might suit someone who wants to be a few blocks away from
businesses so his mother can pick up an item whenever she needs it?
They don’t want something large. Just enough to be comfortable.
They also have to watch their money and don’t want to spend more
than—”

“
You already explained all
of that,” Richard interrupted after he took a drink of lemonade.
“What has his mother said or done that makes you think she doesn’t
like you?”

Sally shrugged. “I don’t know exactly.
It’s just a feeling I have.”

“
Did you ask her if she
doesn’t like you?”

She blanched. “No!”

“
Why not?”

“
Because it’s not that
easy.”

“
Sure, it is.”

“
No, it’s not, Richard,”
Amanda spoke up from where she was cuddling her son. “The
mother-in-law can be scary to a new bride.”

“
Are you saying my mother
scared you when we were first married?”

“
No. Your mother is a very
sweet woman, but you know some aren’t.”

A slight wince crossed his face, and
Sally wondered about it. It seemed to her that when Richard and
Amanda decided to join his parents and leave New York, there was
more to it than the reason they gave her family. But as far as she
knew, Richard and Amanda never disclosed that information with
anyone, preferring instead to keep the matter between themselves.
As much as Sally wanted to ask them about it, she kept quiet on the
matter. Some things were better left unsaid, and besides, it had no
bearing on her relationship with them.

Richard finished his glass and set it
on the table, an action which brought Sally’s attention back to
him. “You have no idea what’s bothering Rick’s mother and you won’t
ask. Sally, it’s going to be awkward for you now that his parents
are going to be living in Omaha.”

“
I know,” Sally said. “But
I don’t have any say over where they live. They’re going to buy a
house whether I like it or not.” She bit her lower lip then gave
him a hopeful look. “I don’t suppose you can tell his parents that
there’s a rat problem or swarming locusts that invade the area
every year, can you? What about telling them the houses built here
are in poor condition? Tell them that you have to rush through
building them so they end up needing a lot of repairs.”

Richard gasped. “I’d do no such thing!
Telling a lie about rats and annual locusts is one thing, but
saying my men and I can’t build good houses…?” He clucked his
tongue and shook his head. “I’m ashamed of you, Sally.”

Well, it was a longshot but one she
figured she’d take, so she shrugged.

“
Perhaps Richard should
find a house that’s not near the courthouse,” Amanda offered.
“Omaha is growing. There are businesses being established all the
time. You could live on one side of it, and his parents could live
on the other.”

Though Sally would have preferred it
if his parents moved back to Vermont, this was the next best
option. Not that his parents were talking of moving close to the
courthouse where she and Rick lived, but it would be nice if she
never had to worry about passing by his parents’ house and having
to run into his mother who would probably narrow her eyes at her in
a condescending manner.

“
Alright,” Sally agreed.
“Find something where they can be close to businesses but not close
to my house.”

Richard chuckled. “Only
married for a short time, and already it’s
your
house.”

“
Come on, Richard,” Amanda
teased with a twinkle in her eye, “you know very well that a house
is the woman’s domain. You men have your jobs. We have our
homes.”

Though Richard rolled his eyes, he
grinned. “Yes, I know this all too well.”

Amanda shook her head and laughed.
“You never mind it when the house needs a good
cleaning.”

“
I stand corrected. You
have every right to control what happens in our house.” His eyes
grew wide and he pressed his hand over his mouth. “I mean,
your
house, of
course.”

Sally giggled. “It’s nice to watch you
two argue, but I better go home. I told Rick I’d only be here for
an hour.”

“
Tell Rick we said hello,”
Amanda said.

“
I will, and I hope you two
will bring my nephews over to my house this week for supper. I’m
serious, Richard. I’ve improved in my cooking ever since Ethel Mae
taught me how to do better,” Sally insisted.

“
I hope so. I’d hate to
think of what poor Rick has to go through at mealtime,” Richard
joked. “I wouldn’t want to see him dead before his
time.”

Sally let out a long sigh before she
finished her lemonade and stood up. “A delight as always, Richard.”
She stood up, handed Anthony to Richard, and winked at her
sister-in-law. “Amanda, I give you my sympathies.”

Amanda giggled and eased off the
couch. “I’ll see you out.” Sally followed her to the front door,
and Amanda hugged her, careful not to make her baby uncomfortable.
“Good luck, Sally.”

“
Thank you,” Sally
whispered. She kissed Mark’s forehead and opened the door. “I’ll
see you this week for supper.”

“
We’re looking forward to
it.”

Sally slipped out of the house and
closed the door behind her. She thought of a couple of houses that
Rick’s parents could move into that weren’t close to the courthouse
and headed down the porch steps. It wasn’t the perfect solution,
but it would work well enough so she could keep her sanity. Feeling
better, she headed on home.

Chapter Nineteen

On her way home as Sally passed Ethel
Mae’s house, Vivian bolted out from behind one of the cherry
blossom trees lining the street and almost plowed into her.
Startled, Sally jumped back and shrieked.

Vivian jerked and backed away from
her. “I’m sorry, Sally. I thought you were Hugh. He’s been
following me all over the place lately.”

“
You planned to frighten
him so he’d stop?” Sally guessed.

She nodded. “You didn’t scare Rick
when you were trying to get him to marry you, did you?”

“
Of course not. That would
have been a silly thing to do.”

“
So you see the brilliance
of my plan! I figured if I did everything you didn’t, then I could
get Hugh to finally leave me alone.”

Sally considered her plan and decided
it wasn’t a bad one, but part of her still suspected Vivian enjoyed
the attention he gave her. Since she didn’t want to say anything to
upset the girl, she opted for a simple, “I hope it
works.”

Looking pleased, Vivian grinned. She
glanced around Sally and winked. “He’s coming down the street.” She
bolted back for the tree and hid behind it.

With a chuckle, Sally walked a few
paces and saw that Ethel Mae was on the front porch sewing the
wedding dress she was making. Curious, she headed up the walkway
that led to the porch. As she went up the steps, she called out,
“Did he propose yet?”

Ethel Mae glanced up from her sewing
with a wide smile. “He just did today! I feel like I’m dreaming.
Even though we expected it, it doesn’t seem real.”