Lyla waved good-bye to Jared and his father, then turned to her aunt. Her lips quivered, but she forced them into what she hoped would pass for a realistic smile. “Did you and Mr. Hardwick have a nice chat?”
Aunt Marion slipped her arm around Lyla’s waist and tipped her temple to Lyla’s. “We did. He’s a very dedicated father, and he thoroughly approves Jared pursuing a courtship with you.”
Lyla stiffened. “Aunt Marion …”
Her aunt stepped away. “Now, I’m not trying to force the issue. You have to choose your own beau. But if you decide to accept Jared’s courtship, you can expect my blessing as well as Mr. Hardwick’s.” She sat in her sewing rocker and reached for the basket that always waited beside the rocker. “I believe your parents would approve of Jared, too, if they had the opportunity to meet the man he’s grown to be.”
Lyla’s vision blurred. She crossed to her aunt and knelt next to her chair. “You really think Mama and Papa would like Jared?”
Aunt Marion cupped Lyla’s cheek. “I do.” She laughed softly. “Oh, I confess, I thought him something of a scamp when he was a boy, always involving you in unladylike activities.”
“C’mon, Lithe Legs, don’t get left behind!” Jared’s boyish voice blasted from the past, and a smile of fond remembrance grew even while she continued to blink back tears.
“But my opinion of him has changed. It’s clear he’s become a fine young man, very responsible and strong in his faith. His respectfulness toward his father is also commendable. If I was given the task of choosing a young man from the community for you, Lyla, I would choose Jared.”
“I would choose Jared.” Aunt Marion’s final words seemed to echo through Lyla’s heart. In that moment, she realized … she would choose Jared, too. If she were seeking a beau.
But she wasn’t.
She rose and leaned down to deposit a kiss on her aunt’s cheek. “Your approval means a great deal to me, Aunt Marion. But as you know, I intend to travel to Oklahoma Territory and teach. So courtship will have to wait.”
Her aunt dipped her head. “So you aren’t interested at all in …?”
Lyla bit down on her lower lip. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, saying she had no interest in Jared would be a fib. Aunt Marion’s glowing words, Jared’s sweet attention over the past days, and memories of their lifelong friendship had stirred the coals of romance in her heart. But confessing her true feelings would only mislead Aunt Marion into thinking there was a chance for her to put aside her intentions to teach. So she chose not to answer.
Aunt Marion sighed. “I’m being pushy. Again. I must bring an end to this self-centeredness.” She plucked a torn apron and a needle packet from the basket and then aimed a hope-filled look at Lyla. “I do hope you and Jared will accompany his father and me to next week’s church social, however. The first church social of spring. The entire congregation will be there, so your absence would be noted. Besides, if you truly are intent on moving to Oklahoma Territory, you’ll want to gather as much time as possible with folks in town. Store up memories of them to carry with you.”
She already carried hundreds of memories of Jared, but she wouldn’t argue against gathering a few more. Especially when it meant bringing Aunt Marion and Mr. Hardwick in contact with each other. “The social sounds fun. Of course I’ll go with you.”
“And with the Hardwicks?”
“And with the Hardwicks.” Lyla hurried out of the room. The plan she and Jared had hatched seemed to be finding fruition. She should be thrilled. So why did she battle tears?
Nearly every day over the following two weeks, Lyla and Aunt Marion spent time in the company of Jared and Mr. Hardwick. One calm, early March evening they sat on Aunt Marion’s porch and sipped the last of the apple cider from the barrel in the cellar. Aunt Marion served it hot and embellished each mug with a cinnamon stick, which Mr. Hardwick brought from his merchandise store, and they chatted and laughed well past the hour when stars dotted the sky. Two other evenings, when rainy weather discouraged them from making use of the porch, they gathered in the parlor, sipped tea, munched cookies, and talked.
On four separate occasions they met for lunch at Sally’s Café, and once Aunt Marion graciously accepted Mr. Hardwick’s offer to pay the full tab. They attended the church social together, all riding to church in Mr. Hardwick’s buggy. On the drive to the church, the two Hardwick men shared the front bench and Lyla and Aunt Marion sat in the back, but on the way home they paired off—Mr. Hardwick and Aunt Marion in front and Jared and Lyla whispering together in the back.
Twice Lyla and Aunt Marion spent an extra hour at Hardwick & Sons General Merchandise, keeping the owner and his youngest son from working by engaging in conversation. Each Sunday, Aunt Marion invited them for dinner, and she and Mr. Hardwick visited in the parlor while Jared and Lyla did the dishes.
On the second Sunday in March, while laughter blasted from the parlor, Jared aimed a smile at Lyla and bumped her with his elbow. “Hear them in there? They’re gettin’ along just fine. Won’t be long now an’ Pa will give her a private invitation to supper or a barn dance. Our scheme’s workin’ the way we hoped, Lithe Legs.”
Lyla handed him a wet, slick plate. “It does seem that they enjoy spending time together.” She rubbed the dishrag over another plate, casting a glance at Jared. “But they haven’t expressed any interest in leaving the two of us behind. I suggested it to Aunt Marion last Thursday—why didn’t she meet Mr. Hardwick for lunch at Sally’s by herself—and she went red in the face and flustered, so I went, too.”
He scowled and plopped the dry plate on the worktable. “She sounds like Pa. I’ve told him, ‘If you wanna have lunch with Mrs. Tuttle, then do it. Why’ve I gotta come?’ He blustered at me and said he wouldn’t go if I didn’t come.”
She giggled. “How funny. Aunt Marion gets flustery and your pa gets blustery.”
He snickered, grinning. “They really are a pair, aren’t they?”
“Or a well-matched half of a quartet.” She sighed and turned a serious look on him. “Honestly, Jared, when will they leave us out of their get-togethers? Not that I haven’t enjoyed our excursions, but they’re becoming far too dependent on our presence. Somehow we have to push them out of this crowded nest.”
He leaned against the dry sink and fiddled with the damp towel. “You’re absolutely right, Lithe Legs. We’ve gotta get them past being flustery and blustery so they’re comfortable on their own. Tell you what …” He took the wet plate from her and began rubbing it with the towel. “I overheard Pa invite your aunt to next Friday’s barn dance out at the Powell place. There’s no doubt in my mind he’ll insist I go with him, and your aunt’ll probably do the same with you.”
Lyla nodded. She fully expected the same thing. “Should we refuse to go?”
“No, ‘cause then they’ll probably find an excuse to stay home, too.”
She rolled her eyes, envisioning the battle of wills she’d face with Aunt Marion.
“Let’s go, but let’s not all ride together. Me an’ Pa will go in our buggy, you an’ your aunt take your wagon. Then, halfway through the dance, we’ll sneak out.”
Lyla gaped at him. “It will frighten Aunt Marion if I leave without a word!”
“If you tell her you’re leaving, she’ll want to go with you. You know she will.”
He was right again. Still, she wouldn’t intentionally alarm her aunt. “Well then … we’ll leave a message with someone who can tell Aunt Marion and your pa that we’ve gone on home.”
Jared scowled. “Only if it’s someone who won’t run and tell them the minute we leave the dance.”
Lyla stuck out her hand. “Pact.”
“Pact.”
They performed their childhood handshake, Lyla transferring a few suds from the dishwater to Jared’s palm. He swiped his hand on his pant leg and grinned at her. “Good thing we both have lots of determination, Lithe Legs. We aren’t gonna let these two get the best of us, are we?”
“We sure aren’t.” Lyla spoke staunchly, but secretly she pondered whether she and Jared possessed as much determination as Aunt Marion and Mr. Hardwick. After all, so far the older couple had bent the two of them to their will. She and Jared might be stuck in Friendly forever if something didn’t change.