Cottonwood Whispers Read Online Free PDF Page B

Joel Hadley just then. “I was wonderin’ how she likes her work.”
    “She ain’t said much about it, it seems. I s’pose she likes it fine.” Momma plopped some chicken into the hot oil and let the popping and crackling settle down before she asked, “You wonderin’ for some particular reason?”
    “I’ve been thinkin’ about takin’ a job myself, is all.”
    “Is that so? Whereabouts?”
    “Don’t know. I just got to thinkin’ about it lately. Thought I’d make a little extra money this summer so I can buy some things when I want to. That’s all. Maybe I could get a little work at the grocery store or somethin’.”
    Momma just said, “Huh!” and then pushed the chicken around with some tongs, softly humming a hymn.
    Luke stayed for supper that night as always, and I was a little disappointed that most of the conversation was between him and Daddy and was all about the economy, something I had no interest in whatsoever. Of course, I wanted more of Luke’s attention to be on me.
    A little while later I got my wish.
    “I’m gonna run on down to the Hadleys’,” Daddy said. “See if Gemma’s ready to come on home. I don’t want her walkin’ home this late by herself.”
    Luke stretched and got up from his place on the gold sofa in the den. “I can run on down for ya. If you don’t thinkGemma will mind walkin’, I’ll fetch her and walk her back. I could use a little exercise after that big dinner.”
    “I’ll go too,” I volunteered quickly.
    The three of them snapped their heads around to stare at me after my loud pronouncement.
    “It’ll look more proper, anyhow,” I said as an excuse for my hastiness. “Instead of just Luke and Gemma walkin’ alone.”
    “It’ll just be you and Luke walkin’ alone on the way,” Momma clarified.
    “I know, but . . . everyone round here’s used to seein’ me and Luke together. Ain’t no surprise there.”
    Daddy sat quietly, puffing a bit of smoke out of his pipe, his knee bouncing nervously. I was waiting for him to turn me down flat, but Momma spoke up before he got the chance.
    “All right, Jessilyn,” she said. “You can go if Luke will have you.”
    Daddy shot up straight in his chair, but she put a calming hand on his arm.
    “Why wouldn’t Luke have me?” I demanded.
    Daddy’s face left no questions about his feelings, and Luke looked uncertainly at my momma, but she gave him an exaggerated nod to get him moving.
    He grabbed his hat and went to the front door. “’Course I want you to come, Jessie,” he said to head off my temper. “Come on now, and let’s get. We don’t want her decidin’ to set off on her own.”
    On my way out of the house, I saw Momma standing therewith a secret smile on her face, and I knew she thought my crush on Luke was just the cutest thing in the South. I only hoped that smile would get her through the words she and my daddy were sure to have as soon as we were out of earshot.
    I was in a little piece of heaven as I walked down that road beside Luke. He was whistling a tune I didn’t know and shuffling along to make sure I kept up with him. Despite the fact that I was taller than most of the girls in town, my five-foot-seven couldn’t even come close to Luke’s six-foot-three, and he had long ago gotten used to slowing his pace for me.
    “You happy school’s out?” he asked after he had finished his tune.
    “’Course I’m happy school’s out. It’s near to killin’ me waitin’ for graduation next year.”
    “It’ll be here before you know it, I figure. Time has a way of flyin’ by. Just think . . . we’ve known each other a good piece now, and it seems like only yesterday we first met at that swimmin’ hole.”
    My mind did a little traveling back, and I remembered what a knight in shining armor he had seemed to me when he’d saved me from drowning. To this day, the gleam on his armor hadn’t faded for me. I smiled at him. “Seems you’ve always been savin’ me from