A Dry Creek Courtship

“Well,” Charley said, clearing his throat. “I know Doris June loves you and she’d probably forgive you anything. Is this something you did as a mother when she was little?”

“Of course not, I was a good mother.”

“I’m sure you were. I can’t think of what else would be worth discussing at this stage of things though.”

Edith could see she wouldn’t get any good advice out of Charley this way. He couldn’t help her unless she told him everything. She took a deep breath and looked over to be sure the kitchen door was still closed. “It was about Harold.” She leaned over the table and whispered, “He had an affair.”

“He what?” Charley had started to lift his cup for another sip, but he put it back down and coffee sloshed over the saucer. “Harold?”

Edith nodded. “And I’m not sure, but Elmer might know about it.”

“Elmer, too?”

“Well, I don’t know that Elmer was having an affair. I just know that Harold had one that winter in Billings.”

“Ah,” Charley said as he mopped up the coffee with his napkin. “I thought something was different with him when he came back.”

Edith felt relieved. After all these years, the secret was out. She’d told someone besides that pastor who had died years ago. And, Charley hadn’t looked at her in horror. He’d been surprised, yes, but he didn’t look as if he was sitting there asking himself what she’d done wrong to drive Harold into the arms of another woman.

“Her name was Jasmine,” Edith said.

“Never heard of her,” Charley replied as he picked up his coffee cup again.

“She wants to meet me,” Edith added.

“What?” Charley set his cup down again without taking a drink.

“Well, not really me. She wrote to Harold asking to talk to him and, since he’s dead, I said I’d—”

“I can’t think of what she can say now to make what happened back then better,” Charley said. A muscle twitched along his jaw. “Hasn’t she done enough damage?”

Edith felt warmed by his indignation on her behalf. She never lacked for a champion when Charley was around.

“I keep wondering if maybe she wants to apologize or something.”

Charley just stared at her. “After all these years?”

Edith shrugged. “They have all kinds of programs where people apologize for things they did in the past, like in Alcoholics Anonymous. The more I think about it, the more I think that has to be it.”

Edith looked at Charley. In those early years on the farm, she had always thought Charley had an average face. Her Harold had been the handsomest man around Dry Creek, with his thick black hair and clear blue eyes. In contrast, Charley had looked very ordinary with his sandy hair and moss-green eyes. Even if he had a moustache, a woman’s gaze would slide right over Charley in a crowd. But that’s because, Edith realized, most people didn’t look at the bones in his face. Charley’s whole face showed his strength. His jaw was firm. His cheekbones were set high. His hair was graying now, but he was clearly ready to take her part in any trouble she had.

“You’re a good friend,” Edith said. “A good friend.”

Charley knew he should smile. He forced his lips into making an attempt. It was a sad day though when a woman looked at him as directly as Edith had and all she had in mind was friendship.

“We go back a long way,” Charley said.

He wondered how Edith could still be so in love with Harold after all the man had done. It was true he had been a charmer, but he’d been gone a long time. Charley finally understood why she had been unhappy in those days long ago. She’d never said anything to his wife; he was sure of that. But she’d no doubt been miserable. How could Edith have been so loyal to a man who was unfaithful to her?

It was because she was a saint, Charley decided. Harold hadn’t deserved her, that much was certain. Here she was still trying to protect his memory. If Harold were alive, Charley would have had some words with him behind a barn somewhere.

Not that it would help the woman sitting across the table from him.

“If I can do anything,” Charley said.

Edith nodded. “I’m just a little worried about Elmer.”

“I could talk to Elmer if you want. He’s got a big mouth, but he wouldn’t say anything to hurt you.” Especially if it was pointed out to him that there would be consequences.

“If you can do it without telling him anything. I mean, just in case he doesn’t know.”

Charley nodded. “Leave it to me.”

“You’re a good—”

“Not a problem,” Charley interrupted. He didn’t want to hear once again that he was a good friend. He’d been trying for months to find a way to be more than a friend to Edith. He’d even stopped going by her place at mealtimes, not wanting her to think he was only interested in her cooking. His wife had told him that Harold used to say he’d married Edith for her cooking. Charley didn’t want to make that mistake—no woman should be told that.

Not that Charley had a list of romantic things to say instead. Of course, he’d done all he could to show he cared about the car she drove. And he was getting her some chokecherries. So far, though, neither of those things had made her look at him any differently. He couldn’t be doing worse if he tried.

“Is there anything else I can do?” he asked.

Charley saw the hesitation on Edith’s face.

“Anything,” he repeated. He wasn’t opposed to facing down someone besides Elmer if there was anyone else she was worried about.

Edith was silent for a moment. “You could help me look right.”

Charley looked at her. That floppy hat of hers had left a red crease across her forehead after she took it off. Her hair was twisted in some way he didn’t understand. Her face was pink with embarrassment. “You look fine.”

“I don’t mean now,” Edith said. “I mean when I meet her.”

“Oh.”

“I’ve always thought she must have been beautiful.”

Charley was almost wishing there was someone he could beat up for her. He hated to see her looking so vulnerable again. “She couldn’t have been more beautiful than you.”

That surprised her and then made her frown.

“I’m not asking for a boost to my morale. I want some real help,” she said.

“Shouldn’t Doris June give you that kind of advice?” Charley thought his neck might be sweating.

The kitchen door opened and Charley had never been so happy to see Linda, and that included the time he’d been up all night taking care of a sick horse and Linda was bringing him the first food he’d seen in twenty-some hours.

“Toast,” Linda announced as she put the plate in front of Edith.

“And biscuits,” she said, setting the plate of biscuits in front of Charley.