Smile And Dial
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The next day, the sun shone brightly in a cloudless sky. It was so warm that even with her coat on and gloves covering her hands, she still felt uncomfortable. She looked at the thermometer on the front porch and saw it read seventy-one degrees.
The air smelled fresh and clean. Birds chirped outside the house and butterflies fluttered from flower to flower. There wasn’t much of an aroma since no one had done any spring cleaning yet, but the weather alone made everything seem right again.
She stepped out onto the back porch where the smell of freshly turned soil hit her nostrils. A young man’s voice drifted up from below and then laughter followed by a thud as someone fell into a pile of dirt. She smiled and went down the steps to investigate.
A small group of men was working in a field nearby and they all stopped when she appeared. One of them said something about her being the boss now. They laughed and pointed toward her office window.
“We’ll be finished here soon,” she told them. “Then we can take a break.”
They nodded and continued their work until lunchtime. Then, after eating, they returned for another two hours before quitting time. She watched over their shoulders and did some more organizing.
When she’d been in this position before, she’d always kept records of every detail, including how many pounds of potatoes, carrots or turnips each worker planted per acre. But this time around, she didn’t have any idea what to do.
When she finally came inside for dinner, she found Danny setting the table while his mother served everyone. He sat down next to her and gave her a kiss on top of her head. His brother and sister were sitting across from him.
“How are you feeling?” he asked. “I hope I didn’t cause too much trouble yesterday.”
“It’s just a scratch,” she replied. “And you’re not responsible for anything that happens within these walls. You don’t need to worry about me.”
He sighed. “That’s good because I’m worried about my family. I thought if there was any way I could help, I would try to make sure we all stay together.”
“You know, you really are very sweet,” she told him. “But your family will be fine.”
After dinner, Danny washed dishes and the rest of the family helped with the cleanup. That night, she took the children upstairs and tucked them in bed. After making sure they were asleep, she headed downstairs and left a note on Danny’s pillow asking him to come to see her in her room. He knocked softly before opening the door.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“Come sit with me on the couch,” she instructed. “Tell me how things are going with your father.”
Danny closed the bedroom door behind him and walked over to the couch. “Well, last week was pretty hard on us. My dad lost his job and has nothing else lined up. We’ve only got a little money saved up between all four of us and I’m afraid we won’t get through the winter without running out.”
“If you want to go to Chicago, why don’t you ask Mr. Harper if you can work for him?”
His face lit up. “Can you believe it? I actually talked to him today! He said he might give me a chance. If I impress him, maybe he’ll hire me permanently.”
“That’s wonderful!” She pulled him to her side. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“I wanted to wait until we knew what happened with Dad’s situation. Now that we do, I think we should leave town as soon as possible. We may never find jobs here in Pineview and my dad is already getting desperate. So, unless you object, I plan on leaving tomorrow morning.”
She shook her head. “No, I wouldn’t object at all. In fact, I think we should both go. Your dad needs to look for work somewhere else.”
He put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently. “Thanks, Mama. You’re such a blessing.”
“So am I,” she whispered. “Now, let’s get ready for bed. I expect you to sleep well tonight.”
***
On Saturday afternoon, she met with the foreman of the potato farm. The man had come to talk to her several times during the week but she hadn’t felt like dealing with him since she still wasn’t happy about the way he’d handled the potato blight problem. However, after talking to Danny, she decided it might be worth seeing him again.
The foreman looked surprised to see her standing outside his house. He opened the screen door and stood aside so she could enter first. Once inside, he closed the door behind himself.
“Hello, Mrs. Rafferty,” he said.
“Good day, sir,” she responded. “Is Mr. Harper available?”
“Yes, he’s in his office,” the foreman replied. “Will you please follow me?”
She followed him through the kitchen and into an office filled with bookshelves. A desk faced the far wall and a chair sat in front of it. Behind the desk was a tall cabinet filled with bottles of whiskey, brandy, and other liquor. There were also several glasses and a bottle of water on a tray.
Harper glanced up when she entered the room. “Mrs. Rafferty, you’re looking quite lovely this afternoon.”
Her cheeks burned under his gaze. She was wearing a blue dress that showed off her figure perfectly. It was the same shade of blue as Danny’s eyes. Her hair had been curled around her shoulders and pinned back by two gold clips. And instead of shoes, she wore her favorite pair of boots. They were black and laced up the sides.
“Thank you, sir,” she replied. “Your compliments mean a great deal to me.”
He nodded and returned his attention to the papers on his desk. “Are you satisfied with our efforts to control the potato blight?”
“We’re doing everything we can,” she answered. “But I still feel there are some things we could have done better.”
He chuckled. “I’m sure you’re right. But now that spring is almost here, I think the worst of the disease should be over.”
“Have you found any other ways to improve crop yields or protect crops from blight?”
He shook his head. “Nothing much has changed except that we started using a new fungicide on the potatoes before planting them. I hope it works.”
They talked for another fifteen minutes before she excused herself and headed home. While walking down the street, she thought about what she would say to Danny once they arrived back at the ranch. What she planned on telling him was obvious.
The question was whether she should tell him about her real plans. She had no intention of marrying Danny; she just couldn’t bear to break his heart. But she needed his help, which meant she would need to share her true feelings with him.
Once she reached the house, she knocked on the door. After waiting a few moments, she pushed the door open. No one was inside. “Danny?” she called. “Where are you?”
She walked down the hall and peered into each room until she found him in their bedroom. He lay on top of the covers and turned toward her. His hair fell across his forehead and made her want to smooth it away with her fingers. He had always liked having his hair brushed, especially while lying next to her.
She stopped in the doorway and stared at him. For weeks, he had worn his usual dark clothing: a brown shirt, khaki pants, a brown vest, and a leather belt. Today, he was dressed differently. He was wearing a light green shirt and tan chambray jacket.
Over the shirt, he wore a white shirt with a long sleeve and collar. Underneath, he wore gray flannel trousers and a matching necktie. The clothes complemented his complexion perfectly.
When she didn’t respond, he rolled onto his side and pulled her against his chest. “You’re not going anywhere,” he murmured.
“What did you do today? Where were you?”
His lips curved into a smile. “Didn’t your mother teach you how to knock?”
“Well, yes, but—”
“Then why don’t you try it next time?”
“It was too late.”
“Why? Were you out riding?”
“No, I was meeting someone.”
“Who?”
“A foreman from the potato farm.”
“That sounds important.”
“How would you know?” she snapped. “You weren’t even home!”
“Sorry, I got caught up working on a report.”
“So you never went out riding?”
“Not really, but if you ask me again…”
She stepped back, forcing him to release her. “Stop trying to distract me, Danny. You’ve known all along that I was leaving.”
“Of course I knew,” he said. “But I hoped you’d change your mind.”
“I won’t.”
“You’ll come back tomorrow night,” he promised. “And maybe we’ll spend the entire weekend together.”
She shrugged. “If that’s what you want, then so be it. If you’re willing to wait three days, then that means I have three more days to convince you otherwise.”
“Don’t worry, Mrs. Rafferty. I’ll listen to reason before you leave.”
“Reason isn’t what I’m worried about.”
“Okay, fine. Then I promise you that I will never let anything happen to you while you’re traveling alone with us.”
“Do you really think anyone wants to harm me?”
He sighed. “There’s only one person who could ever hurt you. That man you’re planning on marrying.”
She pressed her lips together and glared at him. “Don’t start this again.”
“Oh, don’t give me that look,” he said. “This is serious business.”
“Maybe it is,” she agreed, “but you aren’t helping my case by getting worked up every time I mention him. And believe me when I say that I haven’t forgotten the past.”
“Good. Because I wouldn’t want you to forget it. Not if it makes you realize that he’s not the right kind of man to marry.”
The words surprised her. She hadn’t expected such strong opposition from Danny. “Are you saying I should stay single forever?”
“Of course not! There are plenty of men around here, some of whom I would trust with your safety. Just pick one and make an honest marriage work. Don’t get yourself involved with a man like that again.”
Her brows furrowed as she listened to him. When he finished, she lifted a hand and touched his cheek. “Thank you for caring enough to warn me about Danny. But you can stop now because there’s no way I’m letting him ruin our lives. We’ll just have to find another solution.”
“Like what?”
“Just tell me. Please.”
“All I can offer you is my friendship, which is worth more than most people realize.”
“Your friendship is very valuable to me, Danny. So much so that I’d rather die than lose it. So please…please stop making it sound like you hate him or something. What happened between us doesn’t mean I should walk away from him. It simply means we need to talk things through—together. Without you throwing a fit each time you hear his name.”
“Fine, whatever,” he grumbled. “As long as you understand that nothing has changed. As far as I’m concerned, you’re still going to marry that bastard.”
“Danny, stop it.”
“Yes, ma’am.” His eyes narrowed as they met hers. “But don’t expect me to agree to it.”
***
In the end, Mrs. Rafferty left the ranch early in the morning. After taking a bath and putting on fresh clothes, she slipped out of their house without waking either of them. She had already packed two bags: one filled with gifts for the children and the other containing her personal items.
By the time Danny realized she was gone, she was halfway to town. He waited until she returned to their home later in the evening. They sat down across from each other at the dining room table. “Mrs. Rafferty?”
“Yes, sir?”
“Tell me exactly what happened today.”
“What do you mean?”
“Did Danny go off somewhere after I left?”
“No, why would—” Her head jerked toward him. “Then how did you know where I went?”
“Because I asked you to meet me at the barn.”
“That was after lunch,” she said, “and I was nowhere near any horses. I spent the afternoon visiting with your brothers.”
“What?”
“Well, that’s what you told me to do. And since you were busy writing reports, I figured it would be better for me to see how things ran day-to-day around here.”
“So you decided to visit your family instead of coming to me first.”
“Not exactly. You know I always check in on your mother whenever she’s sick. Well, this time she wasn’t feeling well. So I took care of her.”
He nodded. “I suppose that’s understandable. The whole thing is understandable, actually. It’s just hard for me to accept that someone else could take care of my wife when I couldn’t.”
She lowered her chin. “You didn’t seem to mind when she visited your mother last year.”
His gaze sharpened. “How does that matter? My mom was dying. She needed help. Your sister came back to help her.”
“We all helped your mother,” she pointed out.
“It seems like you’ve been doing everything except taking care of her yourself.”
“I didn’t say that I wasn’t trying.”
“Then try harder.”
She frowned and folded her arms over her chest. “Do you really think I’m failing at being a good wife to you? Is that why you’re angry at me?”
“Don’t give me excuses. Tell me what happened while I was working. Did Danny put you up to anything?”
“Oh, dear. That sounds serious!”
“Stop laughing and answer the question.”
“Actually, no, he didn’t. Why do you ask?”
“Never mind,” he muttered, glaring at her. Then he leaned forward and dropped his elbows on the tabletop. “Look, I want you to stay right here tonight. No running off anywhere.”
“Why?”
“Because if you leave this place before we discuss things further, then I won’t ever forgive myself. And neither will you.”
For a moment she looked puzzled by his words. Then her expression cleared. “Of course. But why are you suddenly so afraid of losing me? It’s not like I haven’t done anything wrong.”
“Nothing is more important than you staying here. Now tell me about my brother’s visit. What did he have to say?”
“Everything you expected him to.”
“And?”
“He tried to convince me that marrying you would ruin my life.”
“Which part of it bothers you the most?”
Her brows pinched together. “The fact that he thinks it would ruin our marriage?”
“No.” He shook his head. “It’s that you let him believe it.”
“I didn’t! He just assumed—”
“Who cares what he assumes? We’ll never make it as husband and wife if you continue to ignore my concerns. Do you realize what kind of person he’s talking about? Someone who can only love one man. Someone who doesn’t need anyone else. Someone who needs to keep her distance from other people because otherwise, she might fall in love again.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“It’s not. In some ways, he’s absolutely correct. He sees what others cannot or refuse to see.”
“Maybe that’s because he loves you.”
“Danny’s love for me is different. His love has nothing to do with my ability to choose another man. To Danny, there’s something wrong with me. Something wrong with us.”
“There’s nothing wrong with us. Don’t listen to him, Mr. Rafferty. Please don’t listen to him.”
“Now that you mention it, I wouldn’t mind listening to your opinion.”
“What about it?”
“Would you marry me if Danny weren’t such an obstacle in your way?”
Her face paled. “Are you asking me to prove my loyalty to you by leaving my own family behind?”
“Yes.”
“Mr. Rafferty—that’s not fair.”
“Didn’t you say we’d talk about these issues once you got home? Didn’t you promise to be honest with me?”
“I did.”
“Then answer the damn question.”
“If Danny wasn’t here…” Her voice trailed off.
“Go on.”
“Then I’d consider marrying you without reservation.”
He smiled faintly. “Thank you. At least now you’re finally telling the truth. I appreciate that. However, I’m still going to insist you remain here until we resolve our problems. Tonight. Tomorrow morning. Whenever. Just please don’t go anywhere alone.”
The End