Emmie, at her grandmother’s insistence, had the afternoon to go play with her friends. She giggled. Imagine, being told at eighteen to do that. The problem was, there weren’t any schoolmates to play with. Except for Alice, all of Emmie’s school friends had married or moved to other towns.
Her friend lived on the opposite side of town from the boardinghouse. Emmie delighted in the walk, because the late-July weather somehow found a bit of coolness to share. It was nice to be away from the boardinghouse. Since her parents left for Kansas, she and Granny worked harder to keep everything cleaned and polished. Kansas would be a relief for both of them.
And they wouldn’t have to take care of Walter and Milton. She stopped walking and turned back to the store she’d passed. She might as well get a spool of thread as they were almost out. Before breakfast, Walter brought down two shirts that needed buttons sewn on. She nor Granny could figure out how he managed to break the threads that held them. Every week he brought down a shirt, buttons in his hand, and delivered it to Granny for repair. Emmie watched him for a week to no avail to see if he was twisting them off while he rocked on the porch.
While she was in the mercantile, she picked up a pack of needles. Since her parents left, she’d been purchasing small supplies to take to Kansas. With her mind on her ever-growing packing list, she stepped out of the store and bumped into a man hard enough to knock her off balance.
Hands steadied her.
“Miss Mueller. I didn’t expect to be catching you again.”
It was him. Mr. Knipp. Her body heated. It must be from the July weather and not him. She searched for words.
“My apologies. I suppose that wasn’t the correct thing to say.”
“No. No, it’s fine. I’m surprised to see you, and yes, thankful once again that you saved me from a fall. You decided to open your store here?”
“I did. After meeting so many kind people at the wedding picnic, I couldn’t think of a better place to reside. May I walk you somewhere?”
“I’m on my way to a friend’s home. It isn’t far. She just got married a few months ago. I’m running late.” Goodness, she sounded like a fool. The man didn’t need to know how long Alice had been married.
“Good day then. I hope to see you around. Sunday at church, perhaps?”
“Yes, I’ll be there.”
“Sunday then. My pleasure to catch you today.” Mr. Knipp smiled and headed down the street. She let go of the breath she didn’t know she’d held and quickened her steps. Alice would know what to do about these unexplained feelings she had when Mr. Knipp caught her.
“Miss Mueller, how is your mother?”
Emmie paused. She hadn’t noticed Mrs. Diekman leaning against the picket fence.
“Have you had a letter from her? I miss seeing her at church.”
“I’m sure she misses you, too. We had a letter last week. Father is scouting the land while they stay in town. Mother says it’s quite delightful to be the boarder for a change, though she feels guilty about sitting around and not waiting on others.”
“I imagine she does. I don’t remember her sitting still often. Are you off to visit Alice?”
“Yes, it’s been a while since we’ve spent time together.” Because Alice was married and she wasn’t?
“Make time for your friendships, dear. You never know when one of you will move.”
Emmie bit her lip. She would be leaving soon. Would she ever see her friend again? Or Mr. Knipp?
Landon helped carry heavy, wooden crates from the wagon into the storefront. He intended to sort them as the boxes came in, placing each in the area designated for the type of merchandise inside. Except the driver arrived without any help. Landon slipped off his coat and rolled up his sleeves. It wasn’t the first time he’d unloaded a wagon, and owning a store meant it wouldn’t be the last time either.
“That’s all of them.” The driver set down the small trunk he carried and rubbed his back. “What do you have in these crates anyway?”
“Unusual items that can’t be found in this town.” Landon surveyed the store. The wooden display shelves across both walls would hold a lot. Then there were the cases with glass shelves. Did he order enough to fill the empty places?
“What kind of items?”
“Imported parasols and silks from China, along with other quality pieces.”
“Sounds pricy. Don’t know how well that sort of thing will sell around here. Mostly farm folks live here, and they aren’t likely to buy fancy pieces of material.”
“I’ll place an order for some less expensive things.” He’d do it right away because once word got out that his wares were costly no one would come in to look. He scratched his head. He could make certain pieces look more expensive by displaying one or two things on a shelf. He’d suggested that to his father once, and his brothers laughed. “Why not display everything?” became the taunt of that summer. That’s when he’d decided to be the buyer, leaving home, traveling to Europe for the best things. And to get away from her.
Breathing hard, Emmie banged on Alice’s door.
“What’s wrong?” Alice pulled her friend inside.
“He picked our town.”
“Who? I’m lost.”
“Mr. Knipp. The man who kept me from falling down the church stairs at George’s wedding. And today, today I ran into him coming out of the mercantile.”
“That’s nice that you saw him again.”
“No, not saw. Crashed into him. I lost my balance, and once again he saved me from disaster.”
“Why does this matter to you?” Alice guided her into the parlor and sat on the sofa. “Sit and tell me what the problem is.”
“He’s handsome, and when he had his hands on my waist …” Oh glory, her face was on fire.
Alice giggled. “You like him. That’s wonderful!”
“But I’m moving.”
Alice poured tea into a cup and handed it to Emmie. “Yes, you’ve said that for months now.”
Emmie knew where Alice would go next. She took a sip of tea from Alice’s delicate wedding china cup. She needed to change the subject fast. “This is beautiful. Are you happy with this pattern?”
Alice traced the rim of her cup. “I think so. It was hard to pick one I wanted to live with the rest of my life. Still sometimes, I think about my other choices. I’ll admit to that. Mother says eventually, I’ll forget about them.”
“I think you did well both in china and husband picking.” A twinge of jealousy pricked her mind, but she banished it. After all, what good would a set of pretty china thin enough to see through be in Kansas? It would break before they arrived.
“When are you leaving to meet up with your family?”
“Soon, I hope. Once I find matches for Mr. Hoffman and Mr. Taylor, Granny and I can pack the house and leave.”
“Are you traveling alone?” Alice scrunched her face. “I wouldn’t care for that at all. It’s so much nicer to travel with a man.”
“I’m capable, as is Granny, of getting on and off of a train. Father will meet us with a wagon. Granny says not to anticipate problems.”
Alice shook her head. “Does she ever worry?”
“I’ve not seen any sign of it, except for getting the meals on the table on time. If she has concerns about other things, she keeps it between her and God.”
“I wish I could be more like that. I can’t stop worrying about everything.” She stared into her cup.
“Is something wrong?”
“No. It’s that I want a family.” Her face reddened. “I shouldn’t talk of these things with you.”
“So society would dictate. But I’m your friend. Tell me.”
Alice set her cup in the saucer. “We’ve been married for three months, and I should be expecting by now.”
“Have you talked with your mother?” Emmie had no idea how long it took for such things to occur.
“Yes, she said it takes a while for some, and for others it doesn’t. I’m not supposed to fret about it but enjoy my time without children because they will come soon enough, and I’ll never have a moment’s peace.”
Emmie gasped. “She said that?” A giggle bubbled up and broke through, followed by more. “I’m sorry.”
Alice joined her. They laughed until their eyes teared and tea sloshed over Alice’s cup.
“I’m going to miss you so much. You will write to me, won’t you?” Emmie set her cup and saucer on the table.
“Of course, but you must answer. I want to know everything about your new life. Do you suppose we’ll see each other again?”
“I’ll see you this Sunday at church.”
“I meant after you leave.” Alice’s lip trembled. “Why don’t you marry and live here? Our children would be friends, and we would never complain about not having a moment’s peace.”
“I’ve told you why. It’s hard to leave, but I want to be with my family. Besides, I don’t even have a beau.”
“It’s because you’re too picky.”
“I’m not. God hasn’t put the right person in front of me, that’s all.” For a brief moment, the concern in Mr. Knipp’s eyes tugged at her heart. He’d been in her path twice now. She pushed it away. “The boys we went to school with are still boys in my mind. I don’t want to find a toad on my table or my chair covered with honey.”
“The honey on the chair never happened. You do understand they are now men, and most aren’t mean. They regret calling you Monkey Arms. Some even apologized to you, including my husband.”
“I know, but I can’t forget how they made me feel. No, I think I’m supposed to marry someone I don’t have a history with.” Right, God? That’s what you’ve put on my heart isn’t it? That’s the reason the rest of my family moved so far away. My husband is waiting in Kansas, right?