Falling in Love With Her Husband (5 page)

would collect by the time I was sixty.

“I know you don"t like me to bring this up,” Agnes

warned.

My eyes narrowed. What could she be talking

about?

“If you married Todd, we would be sisters!”

I quickly hushed her. “That"s impossible. Don"t start

trying to fix me up with him again. I will never be interested

in him that way and you know it.”

“Even if it means we would be sisters?”

“Yes.”

She groaned. “Oh, it"s just as well. We would get

bored of each other because we"d see each other all the

time.”

I chuckled. “Yes, that would be devastating.”

“I hear you"re coming to dinner next week. I"l bring

out the new game Father bought. It"s a mind bender, so you

have to think on your feet.”

“Sounds fun. At least, it will get me through the

dinner.”

“Old people talking about how their kids are doing. I

don"t like it either. I always feel put on the spot.”

“At least you get to share the spotlight with six other

siblings.”

“Yes, I just love being compared to Todd"s

intelligence, Abigail"s dancing, Lucy"s drawing, Miranda"s

spel ing, Colleen"s cooking, and Judy"s writing. What have I

got? I"m Agnes the big talker. A talker. That"s my special

talent.”

“Talking is good. You tell wonderful stories.”

“And what good is that?”

“Wel , you"ve made me feel much better. You"re a

great source of encouragement.”

“Thank you, Ann.”

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I smiled. “You"re a wonderful friend. Thank you for

listening and caring.”

“Any time.” She looked at the church door and saw

that her family was ready to leave. “I"l see you at school

tomorrow.”

I nodded and strolled to my parents.

***

The week passed. I hardly ate anything. I spent my

free time locked in my room so I could cry. I didn"t even

want Ginny to comfort me. I wanted to be left alone. At

school, I went through the necessary motions. I couldn"t

concentrate much on what the teacher said. What would it

matter anyway? In one month, I would never have to learn

anything new again. I would attend many social functions in

hopes of finding a husband. That was what my whole life

was about to become. The quest to find the man who would

care for me and the children we"d have together. Though I

greatly desired those things, I didn"t see how anyone but

Kent would adequately fill that position.

Rebecca let as many students as possible know of

her engagement. One time, I thought she gave me a cold

look but decided I imagined it. After all, she didn"t have any

reason to dislike me. She had Kent.

During lunch on Wednesday, Creepy Alex put a frog

on Rebecca"s chair. She bolted from her seat and

screamed so loud the entire school could hear her. Agnes

and I giggled from across the cafeteria.

“What do you think you"re doing?” Kent yelled at

Alex, his face red with anger.

“Don"t get riled up,” Todd defended his friend. “He

was joking around.”

Kent stood in front of the two boys. Todd and Alex

weren"t as tall as he was, so they looked small compared to

him. By now the entire student body was quiet.

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“It was a small frog,” Alex said. “We meant no harm

by it.”

I rolled my eyes. It was obvious that Alex did it

himself, but once again, he was pulling Todd into his pranks

with him.

“I ought to teach you a lesson about playing pranks.

Nobody likes a joker.” Kent looked directly at Alex.

Apparently, Kent knew Todd had nothing to do with the

prank too.

“Come on, Alex. Let"s go,” Todd said. “He"s not

worth your time.”

“Is that an insult?” Kent demanded.

Todd shrugged. “Depends on how you take it. I just

don"t want to see anyone get into a fight, that"s all.”

“I"l let this one go. But don"t play anymore pranks on

Rebecca.”

“I won"t,” Alex promised, his face glum.

Kent sat back down as Todd and Alex sauntered

away. The students slowly turned back to their

conversations.

“Creepy Alex strikes again,” I commented under my

breath.

“Oh Ann, it was just a harmless prank,” Agnes

replied.

“He"s extremely annoying.”

“I don"t know. I actually think he"s good looking. I"d

let him call on me if he wanted.”

I gave her a disgusted look. “It"s a good thing I"m not

going to marry Todd because I"d have to kill Alex if he ever

became my brother-in-law.”

“I doubt Alex would find me interesting anyway. He"s

going to go to a college and make something of himself.”

“Something like a fool.” I chuckled at my joke.

“When are you going to get over that pebble

incident? He hasn"t bothered you since that day.”

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“That is true. Hmm... Maybe if he had, Kent would

have stood up for me.”

“You don"t need anyone to stand up for you. You"re

so strong-willed and independent, you can handle people on

your own. Rebecca"s weaker. She needs support.”

I frowned. “Do you think that"s why Kent is marrying

her instead of me?”

“No. He"s just stupid.”

I stared at the half-eaten food on my plate. It would

be nice if a man felt the need to protect me.
Someone

who"d treat me as if I were the most important person in the

world.

Someone like Todd.

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Todd’s Point of View

I contemplated telling Ann about my love for her. I

didn"t think she would be pleased, which was the only

reason I hesitated to do so. It was apparent to anyone who

cared to notice that she loved Kent. I knew there was no

way she would go to North Dakota with me, and even if I

stayed in Virginia and worked at my father"s bank, she

would either continue to mourn over Kent or find someone

else. The realization depressed me, but it did help me

realize which path I should pursue. I would go to North

Dakota without her. Perhaps I could find someone else out

there. I wondered if anyone could ever take her place.

It was Thursday after school when I had another

confrontation with my father. I was sitting at my usual desk

at the bank and wishing for the five o"clock hour so I could

go home. I worked there every day after school. Though I

was still a newcomer to banking, my father insisted I take a

position as the loan officer. He had dreams of me owning

the bank someday and was eager to start me at a higher

pay scale than a teller. I saved aside all the money I made

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into my moving account. I had already purchased two

horses to replace the two I would take with me. I had been

with Lightning and Thunder since I was fifteen and couldn"t

bear to part with them. I also had a covered wagon. I had

even packed aside my belongings that I planned to take. I

was just waiting for Alex"s relatives to confirm that Mr. Martin

was indeed selling his house and farm.

“Todd, please come into my office,” my father said as

he walked by my desk.

Since I didn"t have any customers, I followed him

and sat in the chair across from him.

He sat down in his chair and placed his elbows on

the table, his hands neatly folded. It suddenly felt like I was

at an inquisition. “What do you think of your position here at

the bank?”

I sighed. This wasn"t going to be a good discussion.

“I don"t.”

He frowned. “Perhaps I should give you another

position.”

“That won"t work either. I keep telling you that I don"t

enjoy this.”

“How can you be sure? You haven"t given your job a

chance. I"m offering you a legacy. Surely, you will want

something to leave your children.”

I inwardly groaned.

“Someday you wil get married and have children.

What better gift can you leave them than this bank?”

“There"s no guarantee I wil get married or that I wil

have sons. I would have to have a son to leave the name

„Brothers" on the bank.”

“Miss Statesman is no longer seeing that Kent

Ashton fellow. Perhaps you can court her. I could arrange

something with her parents if you"d like.”

“No. She"s not interested.” The last thing I wanted

was my father to arrange my love life for me. “What made

you think of her anyway?”

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“It"s obvious to everyone that you love her. My

advice is to be there for her and let her cry on your shoulder.

It may be the very thing that will get her to finally notice you.

It worked for your mother.”

My head was spinning. It was obvious to everyone

that I loved her? Did that mean she knew too?

“Wel , don"t let any of that trouble you,” my father

continued. “There are plenty of other young ladies you can

choose from. You have years to explore your options.

What matters now is your job.”

I tuned him out as he ran through a long list of

reasons why banking was the perfect job for someone in my

economic status. I had heard this many times, but today it

was especially irritating. Perhaps the realization that

everyone knew what I felt for Ann was the final straw.

“Father, please stop.” I tried to be kind while being

firm. “I have no intention of working here after I graduate.

I"ve been praying about this for a long time, and I really feel

led to farm.”

“Farmers don"t make as much money as we do. It"s

a necessary profession since we all need to eat, but it is

beneath you. You were born into a wealthy family. Your

name means something. Don"t waste it.”

“Life is more than money.”

“Money helps you provide for your wife and children.

The Bible makes it clear that a righteous man leaves an

inheritance to his children"s children. It also says to honor

your parents. The best way to honor me is to work here.”

“Is there anything else?” I final y asked when I

realized he wasn"t going to listen to me no matter how many

times I told him that his dream wasn"t my path in life.

“I"l open up the mortgage officer"s position for you

next Monday. You might find that more to your liking.”

I couldn"t believe it.

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“One more thing before you leave,” he added. “If

you pursue this farming thing, you can consider yourself

dead to the family. You may go.”

I quietly stood up and left his office. I returned to my

desk and willed myself to calm down.
If I ever have

children, I will let them do what they want with their lives.

***

The next day before school began, I stopped by

Alex"s desk and sat in the seat next to his before Debbie

needed it. “Have you heard anything about the Martin

farm?” I whispered my question so no one overheard us.

“It"s available. Do you want me to get my aunt and

uncle to get a loan set up for you? I can send them your

down payment.”

I glanced at Ann. She looked like she was trying to

ignore Kent and Rebecca who were sitting close together

and talking.

“When are you going to give up on Scary Annie?”

Alex asked.

I laughed. “She"s not scary.”

“Any girl who dumps sand on me and hits me with a

broom is scary.” He shook his head. “I can only imagine

what she"l do when her future husband upsets her. If it

were me, I"d sleep with one hand on a gun for protection.”

“You"re exaggerating.”

“Maybe. But I wouldn"t take my chances. I don"t

know why, but you like to live dangerously.”

“What you interpret as scary is what I call passion. If

you grew up with a house full of sisters who never fought

back, you"d understand.”

“I stil wouldn"t sleep with the light off.” He

momentarily shuddered.

If I was in bed with Ann, the last thing I"d be doing

was sleeping. I doubted she"d let me sleep either. When

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she got involved with something, she gave it everything she