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JACK LEFT ALICE AT the school with Lizzie, Fin, and Doc. He whistled, happy to see the glow in Alice’s cheeks, the sparkle in her eyes.
He balanced the pitchfork in the corner of the barn and wiped his brow with his sleeve. He was sweating, despite the chill in the air. He picked up his cane and went to check on Pinky and Clover napping in the sun. Pinky opened her eyes then closed them again, content that all was well in her world.
Harry appeared on the other side of the pen, stared first at the pigs then over at him. Jack knew how much his brother hated farm life. It was fair to assume he would be out a job once Harry and Alice wed. He’d been saving his earnings, easy to do with free room and board, and hoped he would have enough to put a down payment on the place once Harry was ready to sell. The farm would stay in the family, and Alice could visit whenever she wished.
“I see you’re riding a finer horse than the last time.” Jack grinned, indicating the horse Harry led behind him. “What did you do with the old nag?” Jack promptly returned the lazy beast after Harry left it behind the first day. It wasn’t his responsibility to either feed or put down the animal.
Harry tied his mount’s reins to a post. “Shot it,” he said flatly.
Leave it to Harry to show a cold indifference for the poor beast who got him home. Jack nodded. “So, what can I do for you? Alice is in town with Doc.”
“I rang, but no one answered. I wanted to know about Lizzie.”
Jack gestured toward the house. “Coffee? I was about to make a fresh pot.”
“I could drink a cup.”
Jack rinsed the pot and pumped fresh water into it. He dumped the old grounds, scooped in fresh, and set it on the stove. When he turned, Harry was scowling at the dirty breakfast dishes in the sink.
“Alice didn’t clean up this morning?”
“We were in a bit of a hurry.”
Always the critic. What were a couple dirty plates and cups compared to a dying friend? Alice deserved better.
Jack uncovered the cookies and held the plate out to his brother.
“Of course.” Harry bit into one. “Oatmeal raisin. Not my favorite, but very good. My Alice sure can cook.”
He smiled, but his eyes held a note of warning. He was like a dog marking his territory.
Your Alice. Maybe it’s time I do something about that.
“Yes, she can.” An uncomfortable silence lingered while they waited for the coffee to finish perking. Jack poured them each a cup.
Harry sipped his. “So, when’s the funeral? I understand we aren’t supposed to have an actual funeral during the quarantine, but I thought perhaps a couple of us could go to the burial—for Fin.”
“No need.” Jack lost all desire to have a conversation with his brother and was anxious to return to his chores. “She’s going to recover.”
Harry set his cup down hard, spilling some of the hot liquid over the side. He yelped and put his hand to his mouth. “Recover? I thought Doc said there was no hope.” Leaning back in his chair, he slapped his hands on his thighs. “This is wonderful news. Fin, well, it couldn’t have happened to a better guy, and she’s such a good friend to Alice.”
Jack agreed. “And it looks like the quarantine will be over soon. There are a lot of empty beds. Of course, hard to say what’s going on in some of the outlying areas. We may be on the downside of this.”
“Glad to hear it. Now Alice can give up nursing and start planning our future.”
“Actually, she says she rather enjoys it, and Doc says she has the knack.”
“She belongs at home. As her husband, that’s where I intend her to be.”
Jack finished his coffee while trying to hold his tongue. He pointed to Harry’s cup. “You done? I have chores to do.” He set his cup by the sink. One of the chores would be to wash the dishes so Alice wouldn’t have to do them later.
Harry downed his last swallow and set his cup next to Jack’s. “That include the housework? I’d suggest you find yourself a wife, but not sure who’d want a gimp like you.” He put his hat on and walked out, allowing the screen door to slam behind him. Stopping on the steps, he added, “Tell Alice I stopped by.”
Jack clenched the edge of the countertop in both hands and let out a long, slow breath, as Aunt Caroline taught him to do whenever Harry decided to unleash his mean side. When he looked up Harry hadn’t moved. He smiled, tipped his hat, and walked away whistling. But inside, he wondered if Harry might be right. Would Alice even want him?
* * *
JACK PICKED UP HIS dinner plate. “You go sit down and rest. I’ll clear the table and wash up.”
“I am. But you washed the breakfast things, so I’ll do the dinner. Besides, I suspect you didn’t get any more sleep than I did last night.”
“How about I wash, and you dry. We’ll get done quicker.”
“All right.” She took a towel from the rack.
He handed her a clean plate. Should he tell her about Harry? He was tired of helping his brother stay in Alice’s good graces. He was tired of passing along messages, making excuses for why Harry couldn’t tell her himself. He handed her another plate.
“You’re awful quiet.” She stacked the plates in the cabinet. “Something bothering you?”
“No.” He let the water drain from the sink. “I was thinking about how the quarantine is almost over. Soon we’ll be able to return to our lives.”
Alice stared out the kitchen window into the darkness. “It hasn’t been that long, yet sometimes I can hardly remember what life was like before the influenza. So much has changed. There are days I expect to see Mom at the kitchen stove in the morning, or Dad coming from the barn.” She folded her towel and hung it neatly over the drying rack.
“Will you miss nursing for Doc?” Jack leaned against the counter edge. He wasn’t sure exactly where he was going with the conversation, but he knew he didn’t want Alice to have to give up a dream to be with Harry, and Harry shouldn’t expect her to.
“I will.” Her green eyes sparkled like grass lit with morning dew, stealing his breath away. “I only thought of this as a temporary thing in the beginning, something to fill my time and make Doc’s job easier, but it’s become so much more.”
Jack’s senses swam in her nearness. He watched her lips as they formed each word. He imagined they’d taste sweet, like apples and honey. He longed to kiss her and find out.
“Like today,” she continued. “Doc had me go with him to see Miss Woodson and Miss Darling. We found Olive Woodson dead and her friend holding her, grieving like she wished to die, too. I took her to the kitchen for a cup of tea while Doc made arrangements. We sat, and I listened as she told me how much she loved her friend, how lost she’d be without her. I thought of Lizzie and how lucky some of us are, while others are not. I couldn’t bring Miss Woodson back to her, but I like to think I made a difference by being there. Even if only a small one.”
“You can still be there for people without being a nurse.” He took a step closer. The room grew warmer as his nose filled with the scent of Alice’s hair. Vanilla.
“True, but as a nurse, there’s also the physical comforts I can give the sick. And sometimes Doc needs an extra pair of hands while he does what only he can.”
“Maybe you should talk to him about staying on. Maybe not all the time, but whenever he needs extra help.”
Alice touched his arm and his breath caught in his throat. “Maybe I will. Harry won’t like it much, though.”
“This isn’t about Harry. This is about you.” Jack’s voice shook. Without a thought to consequences, he leaned in and kissed her. Lightly, their lips more like two feathers brushing against each other. She stared at him, speechless, her lips slightly parted. He bent down to kiss her again when the telephone rang.
“I’ll get that,” Alice whispered, breathless. She hesitated then stepped away.