The Edge of Town (24 page)

“I don’t know. Women in the cities and some here are cutting their hair.”

“It would be easier to take care of if it was short. It’s so long and thick, it takes a while for it to dry.”

“I hope you don’t cut it.”

Evan didn’t understand himself. He had talked to rich women, poor women, slutty women and nuns. Why was he so tongue-tied around this sweet, innocent farm girl? He had convinced himself that when he had asked her to go out tonight, it was because he had felt sorry for her being tied down taking care of the family and only wanted to show her a good time, talk to her. Hell, he not only wanted to talk to her, he wanted to hold her in his arms, kiss her all over and feel her arms curl around his neck in sweet surrender.

He had never been so enamored, so completely captivated by a woman before. It was scary as hell.

“You’ve not forgotten about tonight?” he asked hesitantly.

Their eyes held for a timeless moment. What Julie saw in the blue depth of his gaze barely registered with her. Later she was to decide that it was loneliness, fear of rejection.

“Well … you see, I was going to …” Her voice trailed off and she became lost in the anxious look she saw on his face.

“Yes? You were going to what?”

“I wasn’t sure if you were …serious … about it.”

“Of course I was serious. Oh, yes, I almost forgot. I’ve a note for Jethro. One of the Humphrey boys was coming down the lane when I went past their place and said that it would save him a trip if I would stop and give this to Jethro.” He took a small envelope from his pocket and held it out.

Julie felt a quick stab of anxiety and shook her head. “You’d better give it to him. It must be from—”

“Mrs. Stuart?” He held the letter to his nose. “I was thinking that it was. I doubt that Mr. or Mrs. Humphrey would send him a letter that smelled like rose petals.” He put it back in his shirt pocket. “I’ll take it to him. I’ll be here at seven-thirty. Is that all right?”

“I’ll be ready.”

Julie watched him walk back to his horse, mount and ride toward the creek. The note to her father from Birdie Stuart had decided for her that she would go out with Evan whether her father liked him or not. She couldn’t understand why a sensible man like her father would be interested in a feather-head like Birdie Stuart. But if he had a right to choose his friends, so did she. She was an adult. She would go out with Evan, and if her father pouted and sulked … so be it.

The morning went fast. Julie put a pot of vegetables on for the noon meal: cabbage, onions, new potatoes and carrots. She seasoned the vegetables with slices of ham from the smokehouse.

The sun was directly overhead when the men washed on the porch and trooped into the kitchen. Joe and Jack were rowdy, as usual.

“Joy can lift as much as you can, sissy boy.” Joe constantly teased Jack. Jack took the teasing good-naturedly and gave back as good as he got.

“Hush up … pea-brain. He made sure I got the heavy end of the log, didn’t he, Pa? He thinks he’s so all-fired smart.”

“Yeah, and you held up your end.” Jethro was smiling.

“I
am
smart, boy. I’ve got something up here besides hot air.” Joe tapped on his temple with a forefinger.

“Yeah, Jack,” Jason chimed in. “They’ll be glad to have you on the Fertile team. You’re the best player …in the whole town.”

Jethro laughed again. “He’s good, but that might be stretchin’ it a bit, son.” He ruffled Jason’s hair. “It’s good that you’re loyal to your brother.”

Julie glanced at her father and away. A change had come over him since morning. Gone was the grumpy mood that had been on him for days. Was the note from Mrs. Stuart the cause of his good humor? Julie was determined to tell him before he and the boys went back to the field that she was going to the picture show with Evan …and she didn’t much care if he liked it or not.

Jill had been subdued and moody since their father had ordered her from the table. In Jethro’s good mood, Julie hoped that he would tease her a little, put his arm across her shoulders and maybe even hug her as he used to do.

He did. When the meal was over, Jethro lingered in the kitchen when the boys went to the porch. He threw his arm around Jill as she passed him on her way to get a cloth to wash Joy’s face.

“How’s my pretty girl? The first thing I know, I’m going to have two grown-up daughters.”

Shocked, Jill looked up at him, then grinned and leaned her head against him for a moment.

“Ah … Papa …”

Julie was watching, hoping to have a minute alone with her father.

“Evan tells me that he’s taking you to the picture show tonight,” Jethro said, smiling at Julie.

“Ah…yes. He asked me a week ago.” Julie was so surprised she could hardly speak.

“I’m going out tonight myself. Joe wants to go to town with Jack when he tries out for the ball team, but he said they would be back before dark. Will you be all right with the kids until then, pretty girl?” His arm tightened around Jill’s shoulders.

“Sure,” she said and moved away to grab Joy before she scrambled out the door. Jethro failed to see the smile fade from Jill’s face and the anxious glance she sent her sister.

Jethro went to the porch and called to the boys.

Jill wiped Joy’s face and hands. As soon as the child was out the door, she returned to the table, put her head on her arms and burst into tears.

Julie stood by helplessly. She was still in shock from her father’s announcement that Evan had told him he was taking her out, shocked more that he appeared to have no objection. Mrs. Stuart was the reason for his good mood. Jill knew it, too. Julie went to her sister and put her hand on her shoulder.

“Ah, honey. Don’t cry.”

“Nothing will be the same … now,” Jill sobbed. “He’ll marry her and bring her here. It’ll be her house and we’ll have to jump every time she hollers.”

“I don’t think that she would marry him even if he wanted her to. She wants something more than a man with six children all at home.”

“She’ll get rid of you, Joe and Jack, and there’ll only be three of us left for her to boss around.”

“Papa needs the boys to help him. He couldn’t do all the work by himself and Jason isn’t big enough to help.”

Jill looked up with teary eyes. “I’m trying not to hate him.”

“Oh, honey. Don’t say that.”

“Why didn’t you tell me Evan had asked you to go out with him?”

“I hadn’t planned to go. I didn’t think Papa liked him, and I didn’t want to create a fuss here at home.”

“But …now you’re going?”

“Yes. Do you mind staying with Joy and Jason until Joe comes home?”

“Papa’s relieved that Evan wants to take you out and not
her.
”

“We don’t know that. Evan might take her out next time.”

“He doesn’t like her. He saw through her right away. Papa is too … dumb to see that she’s nothing but a …a put-on.”

“What a thing to say. Papa is not dumb!”

“He is where women are concerned or he would have liked Miss Meadows.”

“Eudora Meadows may not have liked him … in that way.”

“Are you going to marry Evan and move away?”

“For goodness’ sake! I’m just going to the picture show with him.”

“Don’t leave us with … her, Julie.” Jill wrapped her arms around her sister’s waist and hugged her.

“Jill, honey, you’re upset over something that probably will never happen.”

“I can’t help it. I just know Papa’s changed since that
Birdie
woman came. Do you think he’s in love with her?”

“I don’t know. Mama’s been gone almost four years. Papa is only forty-two. Some men don’t even marry until they are that age.”

“It isn’t that I don’t want him to have someone. Someday we’ll all be gone. I just don’t want it to be
her.
”

For Julie the suspicion that their father was going out with Birdie Stuart dulled the anticipation of her date with Evan. Still, at times she was so excited she could hardly think. What would she say to him? He had been to college and to war. He’d traveled in Europe. She had not been more than fifty miles from home and had not even been able to finish high school. What in the world would they talk about?

Supper was hot buttered corn bread covered with cream gravy or crumbled in sweet milk. Jack and Joe were in a hurry to eat and left for town as soon as they finished. When Jethro got up from the table, he picked up the teakettle, which was sending a plume of steam from its spout.

“If you have enough hot water in the reservoir for dishes, I’ll take this out to the barn.”

Julie nodded and watched him go out the door. The men bathed in the barn in the summer, and no doubt he wanted to take the chill off the well water.

“See there?” Jill said as soon as their father left the porch. “He’s going to get all spruced up for
her.
He’d better not ask me to iron his good shirt.”

“He won’t. It’s ironed and hanging in his room.”

“He knows we don’t like her. Nobody does. It would serve him right if she takes that whiny kid with her.”

“Shame on you.”

“If I’m so bad, why are you smiling?” Jill asked and giggled.

“Will you give Joy a bath while I’m gone?”

“I’ll wash her good, but I’m not putting that wiggle-wart in the tub. What time is Evan coming?”

“In about an hour.”

“Then we’d better get a move on. I’m glad you’re goin’ out with Evan. I think he’s nice even if he is related to old Walter.”

“Oh, gosh.” Julie had a stricken look on her face. “You and the kids will be here alone for a couple of hours. If Walter Johnson or any man you don’t know comes on the place, you take the kids and hide in that hidey-hole off the boys’ room. Understand?”

“I understand. But old Mr. Johnson never comes here.”

“I’m just saying if he does.”

“Why are you so jumpy all of a sudden about Mr. Johnson?”

“I just know that he isn’t a very nice man. I doubt that he would come here. He won’t know that you kids are here alone. Joe said that he would be back before it’s completely dark and Joe usually does what he says he’ll do.”

“I’d like to be a little bird and go along with you and Evan. Are you going to let him kiss you?” Jill’s eyes sparkled.

Julie’s face turned a dull red.

“What a thing to say! I’ll swear to goodness, Jill. At times you are the limit.”

“I’d let him kiss me. He’ll probably never want to, but if he did, I’d let him.”

“Jill Jones, you are scaring me!”

“Scaring you? Why?”

“I don’t want you to grow up to be … fast.”

“Fast? This is 1922, Julie. Ruby May has already kissed two boys. I’ve not kissed any yet.”

“Yet? You plan to kiss boys?”

“Sure, if they want to.”

“Good Lord. What have I been doing wrong?”

“Oh, Julie. I’m teasing. You’ve done nothing wrong. You’re the best sister in the world. I’d rather have you for a sister than old Mrs. Yerby or
Birdie!
”

Julie laughed. “If that’s a compliment, I’m flattered …I think.”

* * *

Julie took her time dressing. After she washed herself from head to toe in the wash pan she had taken up to the room she shared with Joy, she put on her clean underclothes, then her dress. She took down her hair and brushed it. Evan had said her hair was pretty. The thought popped in her mind as she twisted it in a rope and fastened it in a long roll to the back of her head with her big celluloid hairpins. Keeping it loose, she had parted it in the middle, allowing it to dip down on each side of the part. Using the hand mirror, she inspected the back.