Sarah's Choice (17 page)

This congregation, made up of many of the townspeople, as well as a few of the canalers and their families, were a friendly bunch who didn’t put on airs. The people Carolyn had met before the service had made her feel right at home; not like a stranger visiting their church for the first time.

She glanced at Betsy playing the organ with such enthusiasm. The sincere smile on her face seemed to light up the room.

Carolyn turned her attention to young Sammy Turner. It was so touching when Sammy had entered the sanctuary with his family and plunked down on the pew beside Elias. It was even more touching when Elias smiled and put his arm around the boy’s shoulders.

My brother would make a good father
, Carolyn thought
. I hope he gets married someday and has a houseful of children
.

Tears pricked the back of her eyes as she thought about her desire to be a wife and mother, but she’d never even had a serious boyfriend. She knew it wasn’t because she was unattractive. She’d been told by many people that her shiny blond hair and dazzling blue eyes made her stand out in a crowd. Mother always said Carolyn was holding out for the right man, but the truth was, no man had ever shown her more than a passing interest. It made her wonder if there might be something irritating about her personality that turned men away. Maybe she was too fussy about things, or perhaps she spoke too often when she should have been listening. Whatever the reason, Carolyn had made up her mind that she’d probably spend the rest of her life an old maid schoolteacher, living in a big city with too many people and not enough fresh air.

It was a shame, because she felt relaxed and comfortable here in Walnutport and wished she could live in a small town like this instead of the bustling, ever-growing city of Easton. She knew that wasn’t possible, though, because her job was in Easton, and from what Elias had told her, they already had a schoolteacher in Walnutport.

I guess I’ll have to enjoy my time on the canal this summer and quit longing for the impossible
, she decided
. I just hope I don’t disappoint Elias when he finds out that I’m not the world’s best cook
.

Soon after church was over, Sarah and her family, along with Elias and Carolyn, headed to a grassy spot near the canal, where they shared the picnic lunch Sarah had made. It was amazing how comfortable she felt with Elias and his sister, and she looked forward to getting to know them both better in the coming weeks.

“Can we go fishin’ now?” Sammy asked Elias after he’d finished eating his chicken.

“For goodness’ sake, let Elias finish his meal before you start pestering him,” Sarah scolded. “We haven’t even had our dessert.”

“It’s all right.” Elias wiped his hands on the cloth napkin Sarah had given each of them, and set his plate aside. “We can have our dessert after we’ve fished awhile.”

“Yippee!” Sammy leaped to his feet and grabbed his and Willis’s fishing poles. “Let’s go find us a good spot to sit and fish!”

Bobby, who had slept all morning on the boat and then joined them for the picnic, seemed eager to fish, too.

While Elias and the boys headed down the towpath looking for the right spot to fish, Sarah and Carolyn cleared away the dishes, and Helen kept herself entertained by trying to teach Bristle Face to roll over.

“This is such a pleasant way to spend a Sunday afternoon,” Carolyn said as she leaned back, resting her elbows on the grass.

Sarah nodded. “Since Sundays are my only day off, I always enjoy every minute. Spending time with family and friends is one of the best ways I know to relax.”

“Sunday is Elias’s only day off as well. I could see by his expression during lunch that he not only was relaxed, but he also thoroughly enjoyed your fine cooking.”

“I’m sure he’ll enjoy the cooking you do for him on the boat this summer.”

Carolyn shrugged. “The meals I fix might be better than what he’s used to having, but they’ll pale in comparison to the wonderful fried chicken and biscuits you served us today.” She sighed. “My cooking abilities get me by, and I can make most basic meals, but I’ve never gotten the hang of baking bread or making cakes, cookies, and pies.”

“Baking’s really not that hard,” Sarah said. “It just takes patience and lots of practice. Maybe when you’re in the area for a while sometime, you can help me make some of the bread I sell to the boatmen.”

Carolyn sucked in her bottom lip. “I’m afraid if the boatmen tasted any baked goods I had made, they’d never buy bread again.”

Sarah chuckled. “I’m sure you’re not that bad at baking.”

“You’d be surprised. Once, when I was still living at home with our folks, I forgot about the cookies I’d put in the oven, and by the time I remembered to check them, they’d turned into little lumps of charcoal. The kitchen was filled with smoke, and the smell of burned cookies lingered for nearly a week. No one in the family wanted me to bake anything after that.”

Sarah patted Carolyn’s arm. “As I said, I’d be happy to give you a lesson.”

“Maybe I’ll take you up on that…if we’re ever in the area long enough, and if you’re not too busy with other things.”

“Now that Hortence Andrews is coming over every day to help out, I have a little more time for baking and other things when I’m not letting boats through the canal. So I’m sure I could find the time.”

Carolyn pointed to where Elias and the boys sat on some boulders near the canal, a little distance away. “I think my brother’s having just as much fun fishing as your two boys are.”

Sarah shielded her eyes from the glare of the sun as she studied Elias holding his fishing pole with one hand, while his other hand rested on Sammy’s shoulder.

Sarah smiled. It was good for her boys to enjoy the company of a man. Since Sam died, they didn’t get to do many fun things, and Sammy had taken such a liking to Elias, looking up to him almost like he was his father.

Elias seems like such a nice man. If only he wasn’t a boatman
, Sarah thought with regret.

A
s Patrick walked along the dusty towpath in the direction of Sarah’s house, he kicked at every stone in his way. He’d heard that Sarah and her children had gone on a picnic with Elias and his sister on Sunday afternoon, and that worried him. He’d also heard from one of the boatmen who’d seen them on Sunday that Elias had taken a special interest in Sarah’s son Sammy and taken him fishing. Patrick was even more convinced that Elias was using the boy to get close to Sarah.

“I can’t let that happen,” Patrick mumbled. “I lost Sarah to Sam Turner when we were teenagers, and I’m not gonna lose her to some canaler who has nothing to offer but fancy words and a dingy boat full of dirty coal.”

By the time Patrick got to Sarah’s house, he was so worked up that he had to stop and take in a few deep breaths. It wouldn’t be good to let his Irish temper take over. He had more self-control than that. He’d convinced himself that the best thing he could do was try to win Sarah’s heart by being nice and offering to help her with anything she needed.

Patrick was about to knock on Sarah’s front door, when it swung open suddenly and that shaggy terrier of hers leaped out at him, barking and showing its teeth.

“Come back here, Bristle Face!” Sammy shouted as he grabbed the dog’s collar. “And quit that yappety-yapping!”

The dog’s barking changed to a low growl, as though he was warning Patrick not to come any closer.

Patrick cleared his throat a couple of times. “Uh…is your mama in the house?”

Sammy gave a nod. “She and Hortence are fixin’ some sandwiches for our lunch.”

At the mention of food, Patrick’s stomach growled. He’d shoed several horses this morning and had only taken time for a quick cup of coffee and a stale piece of bread. Maybe if he played it right, Sarah would invite him to join them for lunch.

“I suppose ya wanna come in,” Sammy said, crinkling his freckled nose as he squinted up at Patrick.

“Yes, I sure would.”

“Well, go on in the kitchen then. I’m takin’ Bristle Face out for a walk, but I’ll be back in time for lunch.” The boy hurried away, and Patrick stepped into the house.

He found Sarah and Hortence in the kitchen, with their backs toward him as they worked at the counter. Willis and Helen sat at the table, staring at Sarah’s back with anxious expressions. He thought they looked like a couple of baby birds waiting to be fed.

“Oh my, you startled me, Patrick!” Sarah said when Patrick cleared his throat to announce his presence. “I didn’t hear you knock on the door.”

“I didn’t knock. I ran into Sammy when he was coming out the door to take his dog for a walk, and he said you were in here and that I should come in.”

“Oh, I see. Well, what can I do for you? Are you in need of more bread?”

He gave a nod. “I just have a few pieces left, and what I do have has gotten stale.”

“I only have a few loaves right now,” Sarah said, “but I can sell you one of those if you think that’ll be enough.”

“One should do me fine.” Patrick glanced at the pieces of bread Sarah had been buttering. “What kind of sandwiches are you making?”

“Some will be just jelly for the kids,” Hortence spoke up before Sarah could respond. She smiled at Patrick. “And we’ll make a few sandwiches with leftover chicken.”

Patrick’s stomach rumbled and he licked his lips. “Umm… I haven’t had a chicken sandwich in a long time.”

“If you haven’t had lunch yet, you’re welcome to join us,” Sarah said.

Patrick nodded eagerly. “I haven’t eaten anything since early this morning, so I appreciate the invite.”

Sarah motioned to the table. “Take a seat. We’ll have these sandwiches made in no time, and then we can eat.”

Patrick pulled out a chair and took a seat beside Willis. “I heard you went fishing the other day,” he said, hoping to win the boy over.

Willis bobbed his head. “Didn’t catch nothin’, but we sure had fun. Elias told me and Sammy lots of funny stories ‘bout when he was boy.”

“I have some funny stories to tell from my childhood. Would you like to hear one of ‘em?” Patrick asked.

Willis shrugged. “I guess so.”

“Well, once when I was helpin’ my pa shoe an ornery mule, the crazy critter grabbed hold of Pop’s shirtsleeve and bit a hole right through it.”

Willis frowned. “Don’t see what’s so funny ‘bout that. If a mule woulda made a hole in my shirt, I’da been real mad.”

“My pa did get mad, but it was funny to see that old mule holding a piece of Pop’s shirt between its teeth while she shook her head from side to side.”

“I’ll bet that did look pretty funny,” Hortence spoke up as she placed a platter of sandwiches on the table. “If I’d been there, I’m sure I would have laughed.” She gave Patrick a wide smile and plunked down in the chair on the other side of him. “I think we’re ready to eat. We just need to wait for Sammy to get back from walking the dog.”

“Here he is now,” Sarah said as Sammy stepped into the room. “Go to the sink and wash your hands, son.”

“Okay, Mama.” Sammy cast Patrick a quick glance, then ambled across the room to the sink, where, using both hands, he pulled the handle of the pump several times for some fresh water. When he returned and took a seat across from Patrick, Sarah set a pitcher of milk on the table, and then she seated herself next to Helen.

“Close your eyes, kids; I’m going to pray,” Sarah said sweetly.

Patrick, not being the religious type, never prayed when he ate a meal, but out of respect for Sarah, he bowed his head.

“Dear Lord,” she prayed in a sincere tone, “we thank You for this food we’re about to eat. Bless it, and use it to strengthen our bodies. Amen.”

Everyone dug in, and Patrick savored his first bite of the chicken sandwich. How nice it would be to have a wife waiting for him at home each evening with a tasty meal on the table.

He leaned closer to Sarah. “Say, I was wondering if you’d like to—”

Wo–o–o–o! Wo–o–o–o!
The moaning of a conch shell floated through the kitchen window.

“I’d better go get ready for that boat,” Sarah said, pushing her chair away from the table.

Patrick jumped up. “Would you like me to help you open the lock?”