Читать книгу A Dry Creek Courtship - Janet Tronstad - Страница 10

Edith had forgotten all about Elmer. Her hands were gripping the steering wheel of her car and it had nothing to do with driving down the gravel road. Until Charley had mentioned him, Edith had completely overlooked the fact that Elmer had been in Billings that winter, too. When Harold had assured her that he hadn’t told anyone about Jasmine, she hadn’t thought to ask if anyone had seen him with Jasmine. Like maybe Elmer.

There had been another man from Dry Creek in Billings that winter, too, but he’d moved his family away the following spring. They hadn’t lived in Dry Creek long and they’d moved south to Tennessee shortly after that hard winter. His name had been William something. She thought it was William Townsend.

Edith looked out the rearview mirror and saw Charley faithfully following behind her in his pickup. She almost wished Charley had known about Harold’s affair so she could ask his advice about what to do now. It didn’t seem right to just announce the affair now that Harold wasn’t even alive to defend himself. And, after all these years, she wondered if there was any point to making it public. Maybe all it would do was shatter Doris June’s heart.

But on the other hand, maybe the reason Jasmine contacted her was because she was planning to tell people what had happened. Edith watched enough daytime television to know people like that existed. She would rather the story came from her mouth than Jasmine’s.

She just didn’t know what to do.

Edith could see why people who tried to cover up things almost always got caught, assuming they didn’t have a heart attack from the stress first. It was too hard to remember everything. And to know what to do at every twist and turn.

Edith arrived in Dry Creek and she honked her horn to signal Charley that she had made it back safely and that, while she’d appreciated his escort, she hadn’t really needed it since her car had made it to town just fine. As usual.

In response, Charley rolled down his window and put his arm out to point at the café.

Edith smiled. Now that he’d shaved his moustache, her world had settled back into place. She had to admit she could use a cup of tea. It was the middle of the morning and she’d like nothing better than to sit with Charley and try to think of a way to get his advice without telling him anything he didn’t already know.

Charley pulled up beside her car and was at her door to open it before she could get her hat pulled off. She reached up to anchor the pins in her hair better as she looked at Charley.

“You could have gone ahead of me,” Edith said as she finished with her hair. “There was no need to wait.”

Charley grunted. “I won’t always be there following behind you and what then? That’s when your car’s going to break down.”

Edith swung her legs around to get out of the car. “Any car can go bad at any time.”

“That’s why you shouldn’t be driving by yourself,” Charley said triumphantly as he held out his hand to help her stand.

Edith took his hand graciously. “If my car breaks down, I’ll just get someone to fix it. You don’t need to worry.”

Charley snorted, but he didn’t say anything else as they walked toward the door of the Dry Creek Café. Linda Enger, the owner of the café, had put a sign over her small restaurant a few months ago. The café had a fifties look to it, with black-and-white linoleum on the floor and memorabilia hanging on the walls. She even displayed a guitar that belonged to her new husband, singing legend Duane Enger. He went on tour periodically and Linda loved to boast about where he was playing.

Edith could hear someone in the kitchen when they entered the café, but there were no other customers. She was glad for that just in case her conversation with Charley got more candid than she planned.

“How about here?” Charley asked as he led her to a table by the far wall.

Edith nodded.

There were two menus on the table, standing upright between the napkin holder and the salt and pepper shakers, but no one in Dry Creek ever looked at them. Everyone knew the regular items and if there was something special on the menu, Linda would let them know.

Linda brought out coffee for Charley and tea for Edith before she even asked what they wanted.

“Maybe some buttered toast,” Edith said when Linda took their order.

“Biscuits for me if you have any,” Charley added.

Linda went back to the kitchen.

Edith curved her hands around the hot cup. “I’m glad you wanted to stop. I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”

“Yeah?”

Edith nodded and took a deep breath. “I’ve been wondering what you think about digging up old troubles.”

“You mean like debts that aren’t paid?”

“No, things that people did that were wrong, but happened a long time ago. Is there any reason to talk about it now?”

Charley looked a little surprised. “I don’t know. I’d say it depends. Was anyone hurt?”

Edith nodded. “But it was a family matter.”

Charley took a sip of his coffee. “Well, maybe it needs to be talked about in the family then.”

“Oh, I don’t know if there’s any point to that. Doris June doesn’t even—” Edith stopped. She hadn’t meant to tell Charley it was her family she was discussing.

“Well,” Charley said, clearing his throat. “I know Doris June loves you and she’d probably forgive you anything. Is this something you did as a mother when she was little?”

“Of course not, I was a good mother.”

“I’m sure you were. I can’t think of what else would be worth discussing at this stage of things though.”

Edith could see she wouldn’t get any good advice out of Charley this way. He couldn’t help her unless she told him everything. She took a deep breath and looked over to be sure the kitchen door was still closed. “It was about Harold.” She leaned over the table and whispered, “He had an affair.”

“He what?” Charley had started to lift his cup for another sip, but he put it back down and coffee sloshed over the saucer. “Harold?”

Edith nodded. “And I’m not sure, but Elmer might know about it.”

“Elmer, too?”

“Well, I don’t know that Elmer was having an affair. I just know that Harold had one that winter in Billings.”

“Ah,” Charley said as he mopped up the coffee with his napkin. “I thought something was different with him when he came back.”

Edith felt relieved. After all these years, the secret was out. She’d told someone besides that pastor who had died years ago. And, Charley hadn’t looked at her in horror. He’d been surprised, yes, but he didn’t look as if he was sitting there asking himself what she’d done wrong to drive Harold into the arms of another woman.

“Her name was Jasmine,” Edith said.

“Never heard of her,” Charley replied as he picked up his coffee cup again.

“She wants to meet me,” Edith added.

“What?” Charley set his cup down again without taking a drink.

“Well, not really me. She wrote to Harold asking to talk to him and, since he’s dead, I said I’d—”

“I can’t think of what she can say now to make what happened back then better,” Charley said. A muscle twitched along his jaw. “Hasn’t she done enough damage?”

Edith felt warmed by his indignation on her behalf. She never lacked for a champion when Charley was around.

“I keep wondering if maybe she wants to apologize or something.”

Charley just stared at her. “After all these years?”

Edith shrugged. “They have all kinds of programs where people apologize for things they did in the past, like in Alcoholics Anonymous. The more I think about it, the more I think that has to be it.”

Edith looked at Charley. In those early years on the farm, she had always thought Charley had an average face. Her Harold had been the handsomest man around Dry Creek, with his thick black hair and clear blue eyes. In contrast, Charley had looked very ordinary with his sandy hair and moss-green eyes. Even if he had a moustache, a woman’s gaze would slide right over Charley in a crowd. But that’s because, Edith realized, most people didn’t look at the bones in his face. Charley’s whole face showed his strength. His jaw was firm. His cheekbones were set high. His hair was graying now, but he was clearly ready to take her part in any trouble she had.

“You’re a good friend,” Edith said. “A good friend.”

Charley knew he should smile. He forced his lips into making an attempt. It was a sad day though when a woman looked at him as directly as Edith had and all she had in mind was friendship.

“We go back a long way,” Charley said.

He wondered how Edith could still be so in love with Harold after all the man had done. It was true he had been a charmer, but he’d been gone a long time. Charley finally understood why she had been unhappy in those days long ago. She’d never said anything to his wife; he was sure of that. But she’d no doubt been miserable. How could Edith have been so loyal to a man who was unfaithful to her?

It was because she was a saint, Charley decided. Harold hadn’t deserved her, that much was certain. Here she was still trying to protect his memory. If Harold were alive, Charley would have had some words with him behind a barn somewhere.

Not that it would help the woman sitting across the table from him.

“If I can do anything,” Charley said.

Edith nodded. “I’m just a little worried about Elmer.”

“I could talk to Elmer if you want. He’s got a big mouth, but he wouldn’t say anything to hurt you.” Especially if it was pointed out to him that there would be consequences.

“If you can do it without telling him anything. I mean, just in case he doesn’t know.”

Charley nodded. “Leave it to me.”

“You’re a good—”

“Not a problem,” Charley interrupted. He didn’t want to hear once again that he was a good friend. He’d been trying for months to find a way to be more than a friend to Edith. He’d even stopped going by her place at mealtimes, not wanting her to think he was only interested in her cooking. His wife had told him that Harold used to say he’d married Edith for her cooking. Charley didn’t want to make that mistake—no woman should be told that.

Not that Charley had a list of romantic things to say instead. Of course, he’d done all he could to show he cared about the car she drove. And he was getting her some chokecherries. So far, though, neither of those things had made her look at him any differently. He couldn’t be doing worse if he tried.

“Is there anything else I can do?” he asked.

Charley saw the hesitation on Edith’s face.

“Anything,” he repeated. He wasn’t opposed to facing down someone besides Elmer if there was anyone else she was worried about.

Edith was silent for a moment. “You could help me look right.”

Charley looked at her. That floppy hat of hers had left a red crease across her forehead after she took it off. Her hair was twisted in some way he didn’t understand. Her face was pink with embarrassment. “You look fine.”

“I don’t mean now,” Edith said. “I mean when I meet her.”

“Oh.”

“I’ve always thought she must have been beautiful.”

Charley was almost wishing there was someone he could beat up for her. He hated to see her looking so vulnerable again. “She couldn’t have been more beautiful than you.”

That surprised her and then made her frown.

“I’m not asking for a boost to my morale. I want some real help,” she said.

“Shouldn’t Doris June give you that kind of advice?” Charley thought his neck might be sweating.

The kitchen door opened and Charley had never been so happy to see Linda, and that included the time he’d been up all night taking care of a sick horse and Linda was bringing him the first food he’d seen in twenty-some hours.

“Toast,” Linda announced as she put the plate in front of Edith.

“And biscuits,” she said, setting the plate of biscuits in front of Charley.

“Now, does anyone need jelly?” Linda beamed at them.

“What kind of jelly do you have?” Charley asked. He knew she had over a dozen flavors and he was happy to have her slowly list them all to him. Charley asked for the last flavor, orange marmalade, simply because it was the last flavor she mentioned and he needed some time to gather himself.

“See?” Edith said when Linda went back to the kitchen to get the jelly.

“What?”

“See how many kinds of jelly there are in this world? We don’t need chokecherry. We can have grape.”

“I’m going to get you those chokecherries,” Charley said. “Just give me a little time. I haven’t even had a chance to drive out to the Morgan place.”

“I don’t want to be a bother.”

Charley grunted. “Then get your jars ready to make jelly.”

Maybe making jelly would get Edith’s mind off this Jasmine woman. At least, he hoped so.