Eudora laughed. “I’m not much of a ball player.”

“Not to play! You came and watched one time …a long time ago.”

“Do come, Eudora,” Julie said, extending the invitation.

“We’ll see. I’d have to make arrangements for someone to stay with Mother.”

“If the reverend brings you out, one of the boys will take you home. Now, where is Jason?” Julie had suddenly realized that her brother was not with them. She looked around and found him standing on the edge of the road beside … Evan Johnson. Evan’s head was tilted toward Jason, but his eyes were on her. Julie felt her heart thump in a strange and disturbing way. As she vaguely listened to Jill begging Eudora to come to the game, she watched people who ordinarily spoke to everyone pass Evan as if he weren’t there. Anger accelerated her heartbeat even more.

“Jason’s with Mr. Johnson,” Joy shouted when she spied her brother. She pulled away from Julie’s hand and ran to them.

“Eudora, will you come meet Mr. Johnson?” Julie said on impulse. “It looks like the good people of Fertile are not going to the trouble of finding out that he isn’t at all like his father.”

Eudora gave Julie a curious glance. She’d never heard her friend speak with such intensity of emotion.

“I’d like to meet Mr. Johnson. I’ve seen him around town a few times.”

The two women and Jill crossed the churchyard to where Evan stood with Jason on one side and Joy on the other. The pounding of Julie’s heart warmed her face. She hoped Evan would think the reddening of her cheeks was caused by the sun.

“Hello. I didn’t see you in church,” Julie managed to say.

“I wasn’t there.”

“Miss Meadows, I’d like you to meet our neighbor, Mr. Johnson.”

Eudora held out her hand and gave him a friendly smile. “Glad to meet you.”

“Same here.” Evan took her hand and smiled down at her.

“Eudora’s brother is the pastor of our church,” Julie said to fill the silence that followed.

“And my Sunday school teacher,” Jill added. “Are you coming to the ball game?” She looked up into Evan’s serious face. “Miss Meadows might come,” she said as an added inducement.

For once Julie blessed her sister’s ability for never being at a loss for words.

“I may not be able to get away, Jill,” Eudora said quickly.

“Evan … ah, Mr. Johnson came to take us home,” Jason announced. “We’re going to ride in his car.”

“His car?” Jill looked around.

“It’s there on the other side of the church,” Evan said. Then, to Julie, “I went by your place and Joe asked me to give you a ride home. It’s pretty hot walking up that hill this time of day.”

“Oh, he shouldn’t have—”

“Goody! Goody! We get to ride in the car.” Joy grabbed Evan’s hand and jumped up and down with excitement.

Julie started to reach out to the child, but then she realized that Evan was grinning down at Joy with obvious enjoyment.

“Stop jumpin’, Joy,” Jill said impatiently. “Your stockings are comin’ down.”

“I don’t care.” The child’s sparkling eyes twinkled up at Evan as she swung on his hand. “I like him.”

Julie glanced quickly at Evan. The smile he gave her spread a warm light into his eyes. He was beaming with pleasure, not in the least uncomfortable with Joy hanging on to him.

“I must be going.” Eudora gave Jill a hug. “It was nice seeing all you Joneses and meeting you, too, Mr. Johnson.”

“It was nice meeting you, ma’am.”

“Come out this afternoon … if you can,” Jill called.

Eudora lifted her hand, waved and hurried down the street.

“Are you ready to go?” Evan asked.

“W-well, yes,” Julie stammered. “But …well, Joe shouldn’t have asked you to stop by for us. I’m sure you have things to do.”

“Nothing more important than this.”

To Julie’s surprise, he lifted Joy up to sit on his arm. Joy laughed delightedly and put her arm around Evan’s neck. He glanced at Julie. The happy light in his eyes did strange things in the area around her heart.

“The car is just around the corner.”

Chapter 8

E
VAN’S CAR WAS A SHINY BLACK
enclosed sedan with cloth-covered seats. He opened the back door and deposited Joy on the seat.

“Holy cow!” Jill exclaimed, getting into the car. “This puts that old rattletrap Papa bought to shame.”

“Jill …please—” When Julie moved to follow her sister into the back seat, she felt Evan’s hand on her elbow holding her back.

“Hop in, Jason,” Evan said.

“Is this the ride you promised me?”

“One of them. We can arrange for you to have another one sometime soon.”

Evan closed the door behind the boy and opened the front door. After Julie stepped up onto the running board and slid onto the seat, Evan closed the door and went around to slide in behind the wheel. He turned the key, pushed on a button and, after a grinding noise, the motor started.

“Golly-bill!” Jason was leaning over the back of the front seat. “Ya didn’t even have to get out and crank it.”

“It will start automatically if the battery is up to full strength.”

“Lordy-mercy! Look at this.” Jill rubbed her hand over the plush upholstery. “You must be rich!”

Julie closed her eyes against the embarrassment that washed over her and missed seeing Evan’s amused glance at her flushed face.

“I’m a long way from being rich, Jill.” Then, to Julie: “Do we have time to drive down through town before heading home?”

“Say yes, Julie, pl-eese,” Joy squealed and slid off the seat to wrap her arms around Julie’s neck from behind.

“We can take a few minutes if … you want to bother. Sit down, Joy.” Julie turned in the seat. “Sit down and keep your feet off the seats.”

“They’re all right, Julie. They can’t hurt a thing.”

Evan drove down the main street of Fertile happier than he had been in a long, long time. Being with this woman and giving pleasure to these children with something as simple as a ride in the car delighted him. He had been alone for so long. His mother and his grandparents had been the only people who cared for him, and they were gone. Until now it had not bothered him. He had been content with his solitary life.

Was this, in some small part, what it was like to have a family of your own?

On the way home Evan patiently answered the questions Jason and Jill fired at him.

“How fast will it go?” Jason asked.

“I don’t really know. I’ve never had it up to top speed.”

“Will it go twenty-five?”

“Easily. Back in 1910, not quite twelve years ago, a fellow named Barney Oldfield drove a car a hundred and thirty-one miles an hour.”

“Holy cow! Are you kiddin’?”

“It’s true.” Evan chuckled and glanced over his shoulder at the wide-eyed boy. “I’m not kidding.”

“Was it a car like this?”

“No, it was a Benz. This car is a Hudson.”

“I thought all cars were Fords.”

“Almost half of the cars made are Fords. The Hudson is a heavier car.”

“I’m going to drive a car …someday.”

“I don’t doubt that a bit, Jason. In the meanwhile, if you’re interested, you can learn about what makes a car run.”

“Will you show me?”

“I’ll show you what I know. While I was in the army I had a driver who was a whiz at keeping the truck going. In our spare time we tinkered with motors.”

“Golly. I don’t reckon I’ll ever get to go to the army,” Jason said wistfully.

“I hope you never need to,” Evan said as he drove the car into the lane leading to the house and stopped beside the back porch. The yard was empty.

“Your father must have gotten the car started.” Evan slid out and opened the door for Julie.

“Thank you. Won’t you stay and eat dinner with us? I’ll have it on the table in about thirty minutes. Papa and the boys should be back soon.”

“No, thanks. It’s hard to turn down a good meal, but I’d better get on and … see to things.”

“Thanks for the ride, Mr. Johnson.” Jill climbed out of the car on the other side. “Are ya comin’ to the ball game?”

“I’m planning on it.”

To Julie’s embarrassment, Joy stood on the seat and held her arms out for Evan to lift her down. When he bent to lift her, she wrapped her little arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek.

“Well, now. I don’t know when I’ve been kissed by a prettier girl.” He had a pleased grin on his face as he set the child on her feet, grabbed her hands and swung her around several times.

“Come on, brat.” Jill took the giggling child’s hand. “Let’s go change our clothes before Julie tells us to.”

“That’s a switch.” Julie smiled up at Evan, then stood hesitantly, a slim woman in a blue dress with a wide ribbon sash around her narrow waist. Her flushed cheeks made her eyes seem all the warmer. “Thanks again for bringing us home.” Her voice was scratchy. It was hard to get enough air in her lungs.

“You’re very welcome, Julie. I have a block of ice in the trunk of the car. It’s my contribution to the picnic. Where shall I put it?”

“How nice. There’s a tub on the porch. I’ll get it.”

“Never mind. I can carry it that far.”

“I’ll cover it with an old quilt to keep it from melting so fast. We’ve got lemons for lemonade.”

“I’ll see you this afternoon,” Evan said when he was ready to leave.

“We’ll be looking for you.”

He waited until she had walked up onto the porch before getting in the car. She had disappeared into the house by the time he turned around and started back down the lane.

Confused by his feelings, Evan asked himself how things had ever come down to this. Both last night and today he had felt as if he and Julie were sharing something warm and intimate. It was ridiculous how the mere thought of seeing her made his heart beat faster. He was sure of one thing. He had not felt this good in a mighty long time.

* * *

Jill, bubbly as a fountain, monopolized the conversation at the dinner table during the noon meal.

“Mr. Johnson said almost twelve years ago a man drove a car a hundred and thirty-one miles an hour. I don’t believe it. Oh, I believe Mr. Johnson, but I don’t believe the man who said he did it. I bet he cheated. Mr. Johnson has a nice car. Riding in it is like sitting on a sofa. When we went down Main Street, I saw Gracie Lee Gibbs. She’s such a stuck-up flitter-head. I hope she saw me in that car.” Jill paused only long enough to take a breath.

“Did I tell you that Miss Meadows may come out to the ball game? Julie told her that if the reverend brought her out, one of you boys would take her home. Isn’t that right, Julie? Maybe Mr. Johnson will take her in his car. Reckon your car will start, Papa?” She darted a glance at him. “Maybe you could take her home. She’s nice. We all like her. Everybody likes Miss Meadows. She’s not afraid of work. She takes care of her—”

“Jill, do you ever run down?” Joe interrupted his sister.

“Why should I? Nobody else is sayin’ anythin’.”

“Thunderation! No one else has had a chance. Once your mouth gets going, it doesn’t stop long enough for anyone to get in a word.”

“What did you want to say?” Jill put her elbow on the table and waved the slice of bread in her hand. “Go ahead. Say something. I’m all ears.”

“Papa,” Joe said, turning his head toward the end of the table, “do you think the moon is made of green cheese?”

“Wha-at? What are you talking about?” Jethro, lost in his own thoughts, looked around the table to discover that everyone was looking at him. “What are you talking about?” he asked again.