Loving Eliza (4 page)

The sun had already risen, and John was leaving his house.  She couldn’t help but smile.  He was sweet
.  If she had to guess his age, she’d say he was in his mid-twenties.  Of course, some people looked older or younger than they actually were.

She opened the door before he had a chance to knock.  “I saw you coming so I decided to save you the trouble.”

He smiled at her.

“I slept well,” she told him, assuming that he’d be wondering.  “The bed is more comfortable than any I’ve
ever
been i
n.” Partly because it was all hers and no one else’s, but she wouldn’t tell him that.  There was no reason for her to ever tell him about her past.

He nodded and motioned to his house.

“Breakfast?” she guessed.

He nodded.

“I can make eggs and fry up anything you got.  I can eat just about anything too.  I’m not picky.”

When he pointed back to her new home, she tried to decipher what he wanted, but his meaning eluded her.  “I don’t understand.”

He stepped forward, causing her to take a step back.

The first thought that flashed through her mind as he entered the place was that she might have been wrong about him.  Perhaps he did expect payment in the
same form other men
had.  Stunned, she watched him.  No.  She wouldn’t do it again.  She’d rather hightail it right back to town.  She didn’t come all this way to return to a life of prostitution.

But instead of walking to her bed, he collected his saws and hammers and left the dwelling.

She immediately released her breath, grateful
that
she’d been wrong.  He was clearing out the rest of his things.  She waited to see what he did with them before she gathered a couple containers of paint and took them to the shed.

“Since I’m kicking you out of your workshop, I might as well help,” she explained when she saw his puzzled expression as he set the saws and hammers on some nails lining the walls.

He shook his head and motioned to his home.

“Oh.  You want me to cook while you transfer your things over here?”

Smiling, he nodded.

“Why didn’t you just say so?” she joked.  Handing him the paint, she added, “I’ll get right on it, boss.”

He raised an eyebrow at her.

“Yes.  I called you ‘boss.’”

He shook his head.

“Well, that is what you are.”

To her surprise, he motioned to his ring finger.

Setting her hands on her hips, she sighed.  “You’re not one to give up are you?  I already said I’m not marrying you, and there’s nothing that’s going to change my mind on that.  Now, you get yourself prepared for that bride of yours. 
She is happy to be coming out to meet you.  I read her letter, so I know this to be true.”

Before he could make another motion to protest, she slipped out of the shed.  The length to the house from her new little home and the shed was pretty much the same.  It took her a total of a minute to get to the house.  She opened the screen door and stepped into the kitchen.  Curious, she decided to check out the entire place.  There was a parlor and a bedroom.  It wasn’t anything fancy.  For a bachelor, she didn’t expect fancy, but she had to admit his large bed, dresser with a large mirror above it, the three rocking chairs in the parlor, and chair
s
around the small kitchen table were made with the same love and care he’d shown those table legs.

She thought lacy curtains and a nice tablecloth would pretty things up a bit.  Flowers in a vase would brighten all the rooms.  She peaked out the parlor window and noted the wildflowers that grew along the property.  Good.  She promptly returned to the kitchen and found some well-used containers that would serve nicely as vases.  At least they would do until she cou
ld go to town and buy some
.  If she got paid.  Maybe she wouldn’t
get paid.  Food and lodging might
be her wages.  She shrugged.  No matter.  She could spare a coin from her money.

She set to the task of makin
g the meal, grateful that Preacher
Peters’ wife had taken the time to instruct her in cooking.  Otherwise, she would have been at a complete loss in the kitchen.

When John entered the kitchen, she showed him the plates full of pancakes and eggs.  “Ta da!  I did it all by myself.”

He seemed amused by her comment.

“If you knew how much trouble I went through to learn this, you’d be suitably impressed.  Now sit down.  This stuff gets cold fast.”

Like a little boy about to receive candy, he rushed to obey her.

She laughed.  “I think we’ll get along just fine.”

He must have sensed her humor, for he playfully shrugged.

She placed food on the tabl
e and said grace before they began eating
.  “Do you make a lot of furniture for people in town?”

He glanced up from his fork full of eggs and nodded.

“Frank from the general store said that you also repair things.”

Chewing on his food, he motioned his agreement.

She cut into her pancake and asked, “Do you repair things more than you make furniture?”

He stopped eating for a moment and glanced at the ceiling, as if thinking over his answer.  Finally, he nodded.

“You must be a lot of use to the people in town.  You do excellent work.  I saw those table legs and the furniture you have here.  You also have a solid house and
buildings
.  I bet you have people beating down your door just to talk to you.”

He
grinned but shook his head.

She didn’t know if that meant he found her comment pleasing or if he was telling her that people weren’t bang
ing down his door to talk to him
.

Someone knocked on
the door.

Her eyebrows rose.  “Well, you must be popular after all.”
That only confirmed her suspicions.  After all, in the short time she’d been in town, two people had sung his praises.
  Well, there was
that rude group of three men, but she was sure that they were the exception rather than the rule.

He scooted his chair back, but she stopped him with a wave of her hand.

“I’ll get it.  I’d like to get to know some of the people who come to visit.” She smiled and opened the screen door.  “Good morning.”

Four men who bore a strong resemblance to John stood by the door.

“Let me guess.  Brothers or cousins?”

The tallest one laughed.  “We’re John’s brothers.”

“All four of you?” She glanced back at John who slowly stood.  He didn’t seem as happy as she thought he should be.  She wondered about it but decided she’d ask about it later.  “You got any sisters among you?”

“No, ma’am.  We’re all there is.”

“Five boys.  I bet you gave your poor mother a hard time.  Do you want to come in?” She moved aside and waved them in.

As they came in, she mentally noted each one.  Two seemed to be older than John and the other two seemed to be
younger.  But they all had brown
hair and similar builds.  The way they dressed and their facial hair helped to distinguish them from each other.  John was the only one who was fully clean shaven, and she thought his eyes were more appealing than the others.  That helped too.

They stood in the kitchen, and she suddenly realized how small the space really was.  “Maybe we should go to the parlor.  There’s more room
in
there.”

“Oh, we didn’t realize you two were eating,” one of them said.

She noted that John had finished his meal.  He also stood by the table, lightly drumming his fingers on the table.  She couldn’t tell what the expr
ession
on his face
meant
but figured he’d like to talk to his brothers.  They were family after all.

She cle
ared her throat.  “
You five go on to the parlor, and I’ll be right along after I get done with this mess.”

“You will be joining us, won’t you?” another brother asked.

“Sure.  I’d like to meet John’s kin. 
But you five should catch up on whatever it is brothers talk about when they get together first.” She shooed them to the parlor.  “Don’t mind me.  I won’t get
in
the way of men’s
talk.”

“Don’t take too long,” one of John’s brothers said.

She wondered why they should care if she joined them or not, but she shrugged off the curiosity and turned her attention to finishing up her breakfast and cleaning up.  Most of the talk seemed to revolve around the townsfolk.  Since she didn’t know many names, most of it didn’t make much sense to her.  But she did find it amusing that they found a way to gossip.  In fact, they were just as bad as some women she’d met.  That proved that both men and women liked to engage in the activity.

When
she completed her task, she entered the parlor.

They all stopped to look at her.  Three men sat in the rocking chairs while John and another man stood.  John hurried over to her so he could stand right next to her.

“I’m sure he wants to introduce me,” she said.  “My name is Eliza.  I arrived on the stagecoach yesterday
, looking for work at
Melissa Peters
’
.”

“Melissa Peters is pushing up daisies at the cemetery,” the one sitting in
a
chair with his arms crossed stated.

“I know that now.  I didn’t know it then.
  Anyway, I had
nowhere to go, so John offered me a job
.  I assure you that we are not behaving indecently.  I’m staying out at that building over there.” She pointed in the direction of her new home.

“Oh, we have no doubt that this arrangement is platonic,” another replied.

She smiled, relieved.  “That’s good.  I don’t want anyone to misunderstand the situation.  I know that John’s mail-order bride will be coming in any day now.”

“What will you do when she does?”

She glanced at John.  His jaw was clenched and his body was stiff.  Did she say something wrong?  Maybe she shouldn’t have been so bold in jumping in and introducing herself like that.  Directing her attention back to his brothers, she shrugged.  “I guess we’ll see when she gets here.  She may not like another woman hanging around on her property.  If she and John wish me to leave at that time, I will.”

“We’re sure we can find employment for you if that happens,” the one who was standing across the room said.

The others indicated their agreement.

“That’s awfully nice of you,” she said, touched that they even cared about her fate.  She looked at John.  “You have some great brothers here.  I bet you all are great friends.”

John didn’t look in her direction.

“We all look out for each other,” one of his brothers said, directing her attention back to him.

“Especially after Ma and Pa died,” another added.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” she replied.  “
I lost
m
y parents when I was fourteen.” Not wishing to explain what she did after that, she continued, “I didn’t have any siblings, so it’s good that you have each other.  You look close in age too.  Who is who and how old is everyone?”

The one sitting back in his chair spoke up.  “I’m Aaron.  Thirty-one and the oldest.”

She nodded. 
The one with the mustache with the long handles is Aaron.

“He’s Guy.” Aaron pointed to the brother with a bushy beard.  “He’s Twenty-nine.” Then he motioned to the one who was standing who had a neatly trimmed beard.  “That there is Troy.  He’s twenty-eight.”

“Your poor mother.  She didn’t even get a break between you two,” she joked.

They chuckled.  Well, everyone did but John who tensed even more—something she didn’t think possible.

“Then there’s John. 
He’s twenty-five.  Actually, he just turned twenty-five a week ago.”

She jabbed him in the arm, hoping to ease his tension.  “I should make you a cake.”

His eyes met hers and there was no denying that he wasn’t at all pleased with what was happening.

Aaron leaned forward and motioned to the
youngest brother who had a trim mustache.  “He’s Shawn.  He’ll be eighteen in two months.”

“So you’re the one that decided to give your mother a break.  Good for you,” she said.

“Yeah.  Good for him.” Guy shot John an amused look.

Something wasn’t quite right.  John was much too stiff, and his brothers were much too relaxed.  One thing she learned long ago was that family dealings weren’t any of her business.  As it was, she already put her nose in where it didn’t belong.  Now it was time to leave the brothers to themselves.

“I thank you all for making me feel welcome,” she said, ready to bolt for the door.  “I’ll see you again when you stop by.” Next time, she wouldn’t make a nuisance of herself.