Gertrude Read online

  Jed nodded his head firmly. “Yes, ma’am. I understand completely.”

  “Well, then. I think I’ve heard everything I needed to hear.” Edna Petunia smiled approvingly at Jed.

  “I agree.” Cletus was admiring one of the books on Jed’s cart, a thick volume about the Civil War. He held up the book. “How much for this book, son?”

  “For you, Mr. Sanders, no charge today. I appreciate you coming out here to visit me and listening to everything I have to say. You know, I’ll be perfectly honest. There are many people who see me driving up in my book wagon who think I’m odd or a crazy person. So the book is yours, as a token of my gratitude for your kindness.” Jed smiled at the older man. He already felt a kinship with the man, though he’d only known him for a few minutes.

  “Thank you, son. I’ll gladly pay, though. I don’t need any special favors.” As town judge, Cletus never wanted to appear like he was taking bribes from citizens. He held the book out to Jed.

  “No, I insist. Thank you for your offer, sir.” Jed pressed the book back into Cletus’s hands.

  “Well, thank you very much, son. We’d best be going now.” Cletus extended his arm and gave Jed a hearty handshake. Jed smiled.

  Edna Petunia threw her arms around Jed. “Good luck with Gertie. She’s a tough nut to crack, but you’ll be very happy when you do finally get there. Trust me, I should know. I waited nearly fifty years to find my true love!”

  With that, Cletus gave Edna Petunia another kiss directly on the lips, right in front of Jed. He was oddly charmed by the strange couple, but he couldn’t believe how forward they were with their affection for each other. He chuckled to himself and dropped his head, feeling a little uncomfortable.

  Cletus and Edna Petunia headed back to their wagon. Jed watched as they set off into the distance. He checked his pocket watch. He thought Gertrude would arrive any moment.

  Sure enough, a few minutes later, Gertrude came into view. She stared straight ahead, not turning to say hello or even look at him. Jed sighed. She was going to be a difficult one to win over, but he had to find a way to show her how much she meant to him. There had to be something he could do to convince her to give him a chance.

  Gertrude pretended that she hadn’t seen Jed. She was fuming that the wagon was still outside the library. She had hoped that sooner or later, Jed would get bored and find a new place to park his wagon. She knew it would continue to be a distraction for all of the library patrons.

  That morning, a large number of Nowhere residents showed up in the library, and Gertrude was pleased. Maybe the novelty and excitement of the book wagon had worn off and everyone had decided to return to the dependable, reliable library. In any case, Gertrude was thrilled that everyone was back.

  She helped old Martha Ramsey search for home remedies for a bad cough, found law books for a young man interested in becoming a lawyer, and re-shelved all the returned books from the previous evening and that morning. By the time she was done with her morning chores, it was time for lunch.

  To Gertrude’s dismay, she saw many of her library patrons go outside to join a circle. Children from the school drifted in and crowded around Jed. Gertrude listened as his music filtered in through the windows. When she couldn’t take it anymore, she went into the closet and slammed the door shut so she could be alone with her thoughts.

  She didn’t understand why he had to be so difficult. It was bad enough that he was parked outside her library. But to also make a commotion every single day while people inside the library tried to study? That seemed unnecessary.

  Still, despite her annoyance and frustration, Gertrude found herself imagining what Jed’s hands would do if they were allowed to run up and down the lengths of her body. She shivered at the thought with excitement, then tried to shove the feeling away. I will not fall for Jedediah Thorn, she promised herself.

  As Gertrude left the library that evening, Jed got out of his wagon and joined her, walking in step right next to her. Gertrude stopped and turned to face him.

  “What are you doing?” Gertrude demanded.

  Jed gave her a sunny smile. “Walking you home.”

  Gertrude seemed too shocked for words. “That’s not necessary.”

  “I know. I’m doing it because I want to.” Jed was wearing a knowing grin, but Gertrude only felt confused.

  “Why are you doing this?” Gertrude finally blurted out.

  Jed looked surprised. “Doing what?”

  “Staying outside of my library. It seems like you are trying to make me mad.” Gertrude knew she was being harsh. Some of her sisters had teased her or made fun of her for her direct nature, but she was glad that she wasn’t afraid to speak her mind.

  “It’s certainly not my intention to make you mad. Quite the opposite, in fact.” Jed took Gertrude’s arm in his.

  Gertrude’s heart began to beat faster. She thought about pulling away, but it felt nice to walk arm in arm with Jed. She took a few deep breaths to steady herself. “Then what is your intention?”

  “I’d like to marry you.” The words flew out of Jed’s mouth before he even realized he was talking. He wished he had thought of a more romantic way to make this proposal. Talking about it seemed so cold and impersonal. He should have made her a nice picnic dinner or brought her a gift with a note that outlined his question. He found himself reconsidering all his actions around her. Was she simply going to reject him and run away? He hoped not, but it was a possibility.

  Gertrude’s heart leaped. She couldn’t believe that the handsome man was asking her to marry him. She had a fleeting glimpse of what their wedding night might be like, and then forced herself to think of something else. But she had to admit, she was curious. Still, she knew how she had to respond.

  “Mr. Thorn, I don’t even know you. You might be able to play the banjo well, but what do you know about being a husband and a father?” Gertrude tried to remain calm, but her tone was partially accusing.

  Jed grinned again. “You’d like to have babies with me? Well, that’s great news. How soon can we start?”

  Gertrude was horrified. “Mr. Thorn! I’ve never met a man who spoke so inappropriately.” Secretly, she was thrilled, but she couldn’t let him know that.

  “Do you like it?” Jed asked with a smirk.

  Gertrude glared at him. “No.”

  Jed burst out laughing. “I’m sorry, Gertie—can I call you that?—but you are truly lovely when you are mad.”

  Gertrude continued to stare at him with a gloomy expression, but something within her shifted. As she stared into Jed’s eyes and saw his smile, she began to relax, and that made her start to laugh. It started as a low rumble and changed into a deep, belly-aching laugh for a few minutes.

  At first, Jed simply stared at her in confusion. Then he joined in, too, until both of them were laughing wildly, tears streaming down their faces.

  A piece of hair had slipped into Gertrude’s face. Jed leaned down and brushed it behind one of her ears. “See? Laughing with you is my favorite part of any day. If you accept my proposal, we could do this every day,” Jed said softly.

  Gertrude could feel a yearning stirring deep within her. Jed was handsome and funny and talented. But marriage was a huge commitment. Plus, there was the small matter that Jed lived in a traveling book wagon. How would he ever be able to support a wife—and eventually children—in a wagon? It was too much to bear.

  “No, I can’t. I’m sorry.” Gertrude pulled away from Jed’s arm and began hurrying to the Sanders house.

  “Wait for me!” Jed called. He chased after her. He was breathing hard by the time he had finally caught up. “Gertrude, I know I drive you crazy. But please think about my offer. That’s all I’m asking. For you to think about it.”

  Gertrude nodded. “I see.”

  “Truth is, I’ve never met anyone quite like you. And I’ve met a lot of people in my travels.” Jed knew he had to convince her. He wasn’t sure how, but he thought it couldn’t hurt to expla
in all the things he loved and enjoyed about her. “You’re not only beautiful, but you’re kind and smart. You help children and other library patrons every day. You’re exactly the type of woman I’m looking for.”

  “How will you settle down if you’re chasing after places in that contraption?” Grace finally had an outburst.

  Jed looked at his wagon and smiled. “The wagon? She’s been my faithful companion for years. But if it meant giving up the wagon for you, I’d find a way to do it, Gertrude. That’s how serious I am about you and our future life together.”

  Gertrude swallowed hard. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She tried not to get her hopes up, but they were already climbing. “You would?”

  Jed turned to her and tilted her chin toward his. “For you, Gertrude? I’d do anything.”

  Gertrude was silent for a few moments. “Wow. You’ve given me a lot to think about. It’s going to take me some time before I can come up with a halfway-decent response.” Everything inside her yearned to say yes, but her practical mind couldn’t allow that. Not yet.

  Jed nodded. “That’s understandable. I’ll be waiting impatiently while you make up your mind, though.” He laughed to show he was teasing.

  When they got to the door of the Sanders house, Jed leaned down and kissed her gently on the cheek. Gertrude felt the tender caress of his lips on her skin and her body cried out for more.

  “Good night, Miss Sanders.” Jed squeezed her hand.

  “Good night, Mr. Thorn.” Gertrude could feel her heart pounding as she slipped inside and closed the door. What was she doing with the man?

  Chapter 4

  Friday afternoons were normally Gertrude’s favorite part of the week. The children would get out of school early, come to the library, and gather around her. She was reading to them week by week out of a long book about fairy tales and adventures. The kids loved it. They would act out parts of the book and beg Gertrude to do the same.

  At noon, Gertrude was puzzled when she realized that there were almost no children inside the library. They were normally released from school and gathered around in a circle, waiting for Gertrude to begin. She frowned and looked out the window.

  A crowd of people of all ages had encircled Jed…and he was reading a book out loud to the group! Infuriated, Gertrude went outside and marched right up to Jed. A few of the children jumped out of the way. They could tell that she was not in the mood for fun and games.

  “What are you doing?” Gertrude asked.

  “Hi, Gertrude. Can we all say, ‘Hi, Miss Sanders!’?”

  “Hi, Miss Sanders!” The children in the audience cried out in a sing-song voice.

  Gertrude couldn’t believe what was happening. She’d thought that after their strange talk the evening before, Jed would understand what it meant to her that order and structure be maintained in the library at all times. Yet here he was deliberately breaking every rule in the book.

  “I cannot believe you!” Gertrude shouted with a flash of irritation. She ran back into the library, which was completely deserted. She would think of a way to get back at Jed Thorn. There had to be a way.

  Only three patrons visited the library for the rest of the afternoon, and Gertrude felt like crying. On the one hand, it was quiet, and she was able to brainstorm what rights she had to get Jed to move his wagon. On the other hand, she found herself missing the steady chatter and giggles of the schoolchildren. Even though she constantly found herself reprimanding them, she found that she missed having them there.

  By the end of the day, Gertrude knew what she needed to do. She stayed later than usual to make signs that she hung all over the library. The signs read: “Anyone who visits the book wagon may not check out books from the Nowhere Library.”

  Gertrude knew her actions were extreme, but she felt it was necessary given how disruptive Jed and his wagon were to her library. She worried that the children would fall behind in their schoolwork if they continued to play and sing with Jed instead of studying.

  When she had finished posting the signs, she looked out the window to see if Jed was outside. Fortunately, he was not. She tidied her desk and gathered her things, then went outside and locked up for the evening. She glanced at the wagon a few more times to make sure Jed wasn’t nearby, then walked back to the Sanders house. She hoped that tomorrow would be a better day at the library.

  She still had no idea how to respond to Jed’s proposal, either. Although she was curious about what it would be like to be someone’s wife, to be Jed’s wife, she was also scared by it. She had been single her entire life, and she had assumed she would remain single. The idea that her life could be intertwined with someone else’s was rather terrifying.

  Though she knew that her sisters who had married were very happy with their lives, she just didn’t see herself in the same way. She had never considered the possibility of children. Though she enjoyed her work helping children, and despite the occasional complaint, she also liked spending time with her nieces and nephews. She had never really thought of herself as the mothering type.

  Gertrude looked at the clock. If she hurried, she could make a trip to see one of her favorite sisters, Penny, at the farm between Nowhere and Bagley and be back before bedtime. She felt like she needed Penny’s advice. She needed to tell someone what was going on or she might explode with frustration.

  Gertrude rushed down the stairs and nearly ran into Theresa.

  “Where are you going?” The younger girl’s eyes were inquisitive.

  Gertrude thought quickly. “I need to take something to Penny.”

  “But you’re not carrying anything.” Theresa’s brow furrowed.

  Gertrude smiled at Theresa. She was the most observant of the Sanders sisters. “You’re right. I’m going to pick something up from Penny. She’s making me some clothes.”

  Theresa’s face brightened. “Ooh, can I come with you?”

  “I’m sorry, Theresa. I’m going to miss dinner this evening, and I don’t want you to miss it, too. You can come with me next time, all right?” Gertrude continued to walk down the stairs, hoping Theresa would be accept this.

  “Well, at least tell Penny I said hello!” Theresa called after Gertrude.

  “I will,” Gertrude promised as she opened the front door to the house.

  She was glad that Theresa understood. With so many women living together in the same house, sometimes it was necessary to get away.

  Gertrude walked as quickly as she could to the ranch property Penny and her husband, Tom McClain, owned in the next town over. Tom was the seventh son of a seventh son, and he and Penny already had three sons of their own. They’d also taken in orphan boys and let them live in cabins on their sprawling property. Penny, Tom, and their boys lived in a huge, beautiful house on the property.

  When Gertrude arrived at the McClain ranch, several of the orphaned boys were outside working. Some rode horses, others cleaned the stables, and others tended to the crops and cattle. She walked straight up to the main house and knocked sharply on the door.

  Penny answered, a smile growing on her face as she saw who it was at the door. “Gertie! What a surprise! Come in.”

  Gertrude was nervous. What had she been thinking, coming all this way to bare her soul to her sister? She walked inside hesitantly. Penny was holding her youngest child, Elijah, who seemed to be sleeping. She led Gertrude into the formal parlor. Penny and Tom had a beautiful house, but they lived simply. Most of the furnishings had been passed down from Tom’s family members, and Penny liked that each of their belongings had meaning.

  “What brings you here at this time of night? Will you stay for dinner?” Penny asked. Gertrude didn’t know how Penny managed it all. She had three boys under the age of three and more orphaned boys that lived in the cabins on the property than Gertrude could keep track of. Yet somehow, she managed to keep her home looking beautiful and her stable of children healthy and happy, as well as her husband.

  Tom came in and gave G
ertrude a kiss on the cheek. “Great to see you, Gertie!”

  “Hi there, Tom!” Gertrude relaxed a bit. Tom and Penny were two of her favorite people. “This will be a quick visit.”

  Tom seemed to sense that Gertrude needed to speak to Penny alone. “I’ll wash up for dinner.”

  Once he had left the room, Penny shifted the sleeping baby to her other shoulder. “Okay, Gertie, now I’m curious! What’s going on?”

  Gertrude didn’t know where to start. “There’s this man—this impossible, frustrating man—who’s set up a book wagon outside the library!”

  “Yes, I’ve heard about him. A few of the boys mentioned that they saw his cart when they went into town. It sounds like he lives in it?” Penny shook her head at the notion.

  “Yes! The man is mad, I’m telling you.”

  “Does he come into the library and disturb your books? What’s making you so upset?” Penny’s voice was full of concern.

  “He plays music all day long, and he’s got all the children in town chasing after him for hours on end. It’s very disruptive, especially because you know how hard I’ve worked to keep everyone in order.”

  Penny nodded sympathetically. “I can only imagine how difficult that must be. Have you tried talking to him?”

  “I have tried, but it didn’t make a bit of difference.” Gertrude wanted to tell Penny about the other subject on her mind, but she didn’t know the right way to bring it up.

  “I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?” Penny knew that Gertrude thrived on rules and organizations. The new man in town had to be driving her sister wild.

  “I don’t think so.” Gertrude felt silly for coming all this way and bothering Penny with her troubles. Penny had her hands full, and she had mouths to feed. “I should be going so you can get back to preparing dinner.”