They were blessed with clear skies for the next several weeks. All spare hands were used to replant the fields and repair the damage to the house and barn. Jo never knew how much work it took to manage a farm, but now she understood why Jack had been desperate. If it weren't for James and Will lending a hand, she didn't know how they would've gotten it all done so quickly.
The farm was almost back to working order—only time would tell if replanting the field would reap a crop. Jack was still Jack—he worked hard for his family, but kept a tight rein on his heart. And Jo was still balancing on the fence, deciding if she should stay or go.
When Jo had gone into town for supplies the day before, she'd checked the post office for mail and was surprised she’d received a letter. It was from her brother’s fiancée, Gloria. Jo had yet to read it. Partly she feared what would be scribbled on the pages. Gloria had never warmed to Jo.
While everyone was distracted eating supper, Jo snuck off to the barn. Sitting on a small mound of hay, she unsealed the letter.
Dearest Josephine,
Sister, I should call you now. George and I have married. It was a small ceremony at the courthouse only days after you left. I’d hoped you’d be there, but George said you’d found another job out of the city and had to leave immediately. I hope you don’t think I had anything to do with your departure. I know we were never friends, but I fear that I may have been misled. George told me you were jealous of my affections toward him, but I’ve recently discovered he is not always forthcoming with the truth. And I suspect he may have told you the same thing about me, driving a wedge between us.
I hope you don’t mind my frankness, but I have no one else to turn to. As you know, my parents live abroad most of the year, and George and I are expecting a child! It’s glorious news, but fear is setting in and with no one here to help, I was hoping I might persuade you to return. We could get to know each other as true sisters, and you’d be able to meet and know your soon-to-be nephew (or niece). Please consider it. I would be so delighted.
I do hope to hear good news from you soon.
Your loving sister,
Gloria Taylor
The letter fluttered out from Jo’s fingers. Her belly warmed thinking of her unborn niece or nephew. It would be wonderful to go home and form a bond with her sister-in-law. And Jo had no doubt that her brother orchestrated the jealousy between Gloria and Jo. George had told Jo the same thing before she ever met Gloria—that she was a very jealous person and did not wish to share her new home with George’s sister.
When Jo met Gloria, she was barely courteous to her, and Gloria had responded in kind. Now Jo saw the entire picture.
Jo wandered outside to the pasture were the sheep and the lambs—they all survived the storm—were grazing in the pasture. Her thoughts ran over the letter as she pet the animals’ coats and rubbed their black noses.
Coming to a decision, Jo went back to the house and tore a blank page out of her journal. Her pen hovered above the page before she quickly scribbled a letter to George.
Dearest Brother,
Congratulations on your nuptials! Your new bride wrote me and shared the good news. And it seems you have doubly good news! I am to be an auntie! This is a wonderful day. Such happiness for you both.
Gloria has also inquired upon my return home. When I left, I assumed this would be a permanent position. But with the news of your child (and Gloria requesting I return to help her with your growing family), I would consider leaving here to join you back at home. I would only come if this were something you desired, George. I do not want to intrude on your new family. But if this is your wish, I’d be delighted to consider it.
Tell Gloria all is well here and thank her for her letter.
Yours,
Jo
Even if George wrote confirming Gloria’s request, Jo wasn’t sure she’d take them up on the new offer. But it was certainly an exciting turn, and she would love to be a part of a family again. Especially her own. She didn’t want to get ahead of herself, but perhaps a baby would soften her brother.
Jo went outside, wanting to post the letter immediately, but realized she had no way to travel into town. She’d yet to learn to properly ride a horse or drive the wagon.
In the distance, a figure walked over the hill, the bright sun shining behind his back. As he neared, James’s broad form took shape, and Jo walked to meet him.
“How are the fields?” Jo asked first, not wanting to pounce on James for such a big favor.
“The soil is moist and ripe for the seeds. Now it’s up to God and the weather.”
“Oh, and how are your fields, Mr. Lucas? We’ve been so busy here I forgot to ask how you fared.” Jo smiled, genuinely curious.
“Barely a scratch. I just received a letter from my mother asking for an update, and I was pleased to relay the message.” James smiled, taking his hat from his head as they walked. “She pretends to enjoy their new, lavish life in New York, but sometimes she waxes nostalgic about the life they left behind here.”
“Oh,” Jo said. “When did your parents move to the city? Not many farmers would make that move.”
“My father always had a head for numbers and invested in small stocks here and there when we had a good year. After the Panic of ’93, when some of the local farmers lost their farms, he became obsessed with the market. He went west, curious about the gold mines. But he didn’t go to pan in the rivers or find a vein.” There was a tinge of awe as James spoke of his father. “He went to research investments. It wasn’t the gold that made my father rich, it was the stocks he bought in the companies who supplied the equipment for all the mining.”
“That’s very savvy.” Stocks and bonds were one of the more common assets in an estate when someone died, so Jo was familiar with the stock market and people’s obsession with it. It often dominated the news in the city and had been on everyone’s mind after the Panic of ’93. Many people lost their jobs, and farms all over the country stopped operating.
“I’m glad you all bounced back after the depression,” Jo said.
“It’s been ten years, so we’ve had time to recover.” James shuffled his feet, kicking up pebbles and dirt under his boots. “Miss Taylor, I was wondering—”
“Are you heading into town today?” Jo asked at the same time, interrupting James. “Oh, sorry. Please continue.”
“No. I mean, yes, I am traveling to town.”
Jo flicked the corner of the letter with her nail, worried about handing it over to James. It’s not that she didn’t trust him or that the letter had anything incriminating in it, but she’d feel more comfortable taking it to the post office herself. She wanted to see with her own eyes that it was on its way to her brother.
“I need to mail this letter.”
“Oh, I’d be happy to drop it for you.”
Jo chewed her lip, worried about the repercussions of what she was about to ask. It would be an innocent ride into town, but single young ladies weren’t meant to be alone with young men without a chaperone. And Ruby would not be happy. “Actually, I was hoping to take it myself. But Jack is busy with the farm and I don’t feel comfortable riding to town and back by myself. Ruby has been teaching me how to ride, but I’m still new. Would you accompany me?”
James’s eyes widened into saucers. Had she been too forward? “I’d be honored.” Then his cheeks reddened. “But it wouldn’t be appropriate without an escort. Oh, wait! We may be in luck.”
Jo’s brow furrowed in confusion as James scurried down the drive. Then she saw Lucy down the lane, a large basket hanging off her arm.
James hurried back to Jo, his face alight with joy. “Lucy has agreed to accompany us.”
“I need to go to town and check on Mrs. Willis,” Lucy said, her eyes searching Jo’s face, but Lucy didn’t ask any further questions about James’s request. “I’m sure she needs assistance in the general store today. Ever since her daughter married one of the Stewart boys and moved to Kansas City, she’s been struggling. But I need to bring this lunch to Jack and Will before we go so they don’t fall over from hunger and exhaustion. If I don’t feed them, they’ll stay out all day without a bite.”
“I’ll walk it over to them,” Jo said. “I need to tell Jack I’m going into town to post a letter anyway.”
“Oh.” Lucy’s shoulders relaxed, as Jo answered her unasked question. “If that’s all you need, I can take the letter. There’s no need for you to make the journey.”
“No. I’d rather mail it myself. If that’s alright.”
They all agreed to meet back at the end of the driveway in an hour.
Jo walked along the tree line of the woods, making her way to the field where Jack and Will worked. Her arms were sore from the weight of the basket in her hands, and sweat gathered along her hairline. The air was still moist from the recent rains, which was good for the new seedlings, but not for her sweat-drenched dress.
The low rumbling of the men’s voices hurried Jo’s step forward. She wanted to deposit the lunch and get back in time to change her dress and grab her bonnet. But when she heard her name mentioned, Jo stopped and ducked behind a tall oak. Jack and Will rested against another tree ten yards from where she hid, drinking from their canteens.
“You can’t keep that girl here much longer. People are starting to talk,” Will said, swiping his handkerchief across his forehead.
“I don’t care about town gossip,” Jack said.
“She’s eighteen,” Will said. It wasn’t a recrimination, only a gentle caution. “You need to be careful what you do with her.”
Jo’s heart pounded in her chest. The tone in Will’s voice suggested he knew something.
“Look, it’s not my business—” Will began.
“No, it’s not,” Jack snapped.
Will put his hands up, backing off. “Just be careful. She’s pretty and sweet—” Jack snorted at that, and Will laughed. “Okay, sweet may not be the right word. She’s stubborn. But she wouldn’t have lasted a day here otherwise. The point is, if you mess her about anymore—and don’t deny it—you could ruin her.”
“Nothing has happened.” Jack glared, but Will raised a skeptical eyebrow.
Had Will seen them together? It sounded like Will had more than suspicions.
“Lucy thinks James may come asking to court Jo,” Will said with a frown on his lips. “If you have any desire on Miss Taylor, do the respectable thing and let your intentions be known. And I don’t mean physically speaking.”
The last statement hung heavy in the air, and Jo’s heart whacked in her chest.
When Jack stayed silent, Will chuckled. “There won’t be another spitfire like her coming through this town anytime soon.”
“Enough, Will. I’ll be the one to decide my life.” Jack spun the cap back onto the canteen and stood.
“All I’m saying is if you’re keen on her, make it clear. And don’t let another man swoop in.”
Their voices faded as they walked back to the middle of the fields where they’d left their tools resting in the sun. A bubble of anxious excitement sat in Jo’s belly as she rested against the tree. It wasn’t what Jack had said, it’s what he hadn’t said that made her giddy. He never denied he had feelings for Jo. In fact, he’d been defensive, like he was hiding something.
A grin spread wide on her face and her hands pressed against her cheeks as Will’s seed of hope sprouted in her.
The letter to her brother was in the pocket of her dress and she pulled it out. She’d still send the letter, but it didn’t mean she was going back to Manhattan. At this point, she was only gathering information.
Jo picked up the basket and walked with a new hop in her step out to the fields, careful to keep between the rows of newly planted seeds.
“Morning, Miss Taylor.” Will tipped his hat when he saw her. “Or is it afternoon?”
“Just past noon. I’ve brought lunch from your lovely wife.” Jo placed the heavy basket down. “Jac—er, Mr. Harrington, I’ll be accompanying Lucy into town this afternoon. But I’ll be back in time to prepare supper.”
Jo’s heart pounded, the conversation she’d overheard still potent in her mind. She’d never denied Jack’s attractiveness, but she was keenly aware of every part of him. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbow, and the sinewy veins pulsed over his lean muscles. Further up, the collar of his shirt was unbuttoned and wet with dirt and sweat. The light of the sun reflected off a bead of sweat rolling over a bit of his tanned, exposed chest, and Jo physically took a step back.
Because she suddenly had an overwhelming urge to ravish him.
“Do you have business in town?” Jack’s eyes caught hers, and Jo’s breath hitched as a wave of emotion rushed up her throat and stuck in her mouth like a ball of cotton.
“Yes,” Jo finally said back, her voice horse.
Jack raised his eyebrows, waiting for more of an explanation, but Jo didn’t give it. “James is coming too,” Jo rushed out.
Will exchanged a look with Jack, but said nothing.
“Make sure to eat that lunch. That’s a direct order from your wife.” Jo sped across the field kicking up dirt, running away from the new hope gathering like a storm inside her.
In her room, Jo placed the letter on her nightstand and went to the kitchen sink to pump fresh water onto a cloth to wash off the sweat and dust from her face and chest. Ruby was hunched over, filling her watering can. She turned when she heard Jo enter.
“I just filled the basin in father’s room with fresh water if you want to dip your cloth in there.” Then Ruby turned back to her business at the sink.
Jo hurried to the back of the house. It was strange entering his private domain, but Jo kept her eyes forward and spent a few minutes washing up, and then dumped the dirtied water out the back window.
A few minutes later, her bonnet adorned her head and she was on the porch waiting for Lucy’s wagon. Then she remembered the letter and went back to her room to fetch it, but it wasn’t on the nightstand. The window was open, and a breeze rustled the thin curtains. She looked down and saw a corner of it sticking out from under the nightstand. Jo snatched it up and shoved it in her pocket, assuming the wind had blown it to the ground.
Back on the porch, Ruby sat in one of the rocking chairs, James next to her. They laughed, their heads bowed in low conversation, and a little weight lifted off Jo’s chest at the sight of them enjoying each other’s company. Perhaps James was coming back around to Ruby.
“Is there anything you need while we’re in town?” Jo asked, and Ruby shook her head, but kept her smiling eyes on James.
It took over an hour to travel into the town on the jostling wagon, and Jo’s back hurt once they arrived. She wasn’t used to making the trip. James had been quiet on the ride as Lucy and Jo spoke about what would be in season at the market and a cobbler recipe Jo planned to try that night. Her baking skills were improving with each pie, muffin, and cobbler she made, and Lucy not so subtly hinted that cobbler was Jack’s favorite.
In the general store, Mrs. Willis helped Jo pick out the ingredients she’d need and added a few jars of her apples. Lucy made a face—Mrs. Willis was not known for her canning skills—but Jo didn’t want to offend the woman.
“Lucy tells me your daughter has recently married,” Jo said, to be friendly. She wasn’t that curious about the old woman’s family, but it seemed to be what you did in a small town. Jo was still getting used to it. In Manhattan, you minded your own business. People got suspicious if you asked too may questions or appeared too curious.
“Oh, yes.” Mrs. Willis beamed and rested against the bags of flour stacked on a low table. “She’s the last of my five to marry. It was such a relief, but without the young ones around, I suddenly feel twice my age.”
A piece of faded blonde hair fell out of Mrs. Willis’s chignon, and Jo tucked it back in.
“Oh, I almost forgot. I got some watercolors in. I remembered you asked about them last time you were in the store. I ordered them especially.”
There was a flutter of gratitude in Jo’s chest. “I’m touched. Thank you, Mrs. Willis.”
After buying the ingredients, a few provisions, and the precious watercolors which Jo’s fingers tingled to use, Jo found the small post office and handed over the letter to the middle-aged man with round spectacles behind the counter.
“Young lady,” the man said after he inspected the letter. “The seal is broken. I can fix it, but I don’t want you thinking anyone at the postal service tampered with it on its way to”—he looked at the address—“New York City.”
Jo took the letter back and moved her gloved finger over the seal. He was right. It was broken in two. That’s why the letter had been on the floor. The wind hadn’t blown it off; someone had opened the letter.
“Please seal it back. Thank you.” With an abrupt turn, Jo walked into the sweltering heat, but it was no match for the fire of anger burning inside her.
There was only one person who would have read her letter. Ruby.