library. The walls were thick there. She could make her call from there and no one would hear.
“Mam says get on with the milking,” Irwin called, banging open the barn door.
Miriam looked up, noting that Irwin hadn’t said Hannah but Mam. It was the first time she’d heard him refer to her mother as Mam.
“Before they burst,” Irwin continued. He stopped and scowled at John. “Out late, aren’t you?”
“I was on my way home from another call. Just thought I’d check on Molly.” If John thought he was being rude, he didn’t act like it.
“Never saw so much fuss over a hoof,” Irwin grumbled. “I’ll let the cows in, Miriam.”
“’Night,” John said, walking away. “Talk to you soon, Miriam.”
She nodded. “Soon.” The phone in her apron pocket pressed hot against her thigh. “Thanks for stopping by.” She knew that her mother would not approve of her taking it, but she also knew she’d make that call to John tomorrow morning.
“Hello, is this John?” Miriam asked loudly. It was 7:15 a.m. on Monday, and she’d ducked into the old milk house. She was so nervous that her hands were shaking.
He laughed. “You punched in my number. Who else would it be?”
The radio music in the background ended abruptly and Miriam guessed that John had turned it off.
“Are you still there?” he asked.
“Ya, I’m here.” She held the cell phone tightly. All night she’d kept thinking of things that they’d talk about, and now that she’d actually reached him, her mind had gone blank. It felt so strange, using a phone just to talk. She had plenty of experience using phones; she called to make appointments for people all the time. But this was different.
“How’s Molly?”
“Good. Same as last night.” She peered out the window, hoping that Irwin or Anna wouldn’t discover her here. If they did, what reason could she give for being in the library so early? What she was doing wasn’t hurting anyone, but it was private. And if there was one thing difficult to find growing up in a house with six sisters and an observant mother, it was privacy.
“Hoof infections are tricky. She’s not out of the woods yet,” John said.
She could picture him at the wheel of the truck, a bottle of root beer in one hand. John liked his soda. He always bought one for himself and one for her when they shared lunch at Spence’s. She began to relax a little. “What is your call this morning? You said you were going to Felton.”
“Oh, just routine immunizations. It’s a horse farm. Trotters. They want me to certify a two-year-old for sale. He’s going to Tennessee.”
Once the talk turned to horses, it was easy to fall into a comfortable conversation with John. She liked the way that he treated her as an equal, as if she understood every thing. Most of it, she did.
“I was wondering,” he said.
“Ya, of what?”
“Wednesday I have to drive to Easton to pick up something for my grandfather. There’s a nice little restaurant over there. Maybe you could go with me, just for the ride.”
Like a date, she thought. Was she ready for that? First the cell phone and then sneaking off for the day with him. Mam would never give her permission, not unless she took one of her sisters with her, and probably not then. But was it wrong to want to go with John? They’d had lunch together lots of times at Spence’s. What would make that all right and going with him to Easton the wrong choice?
“I can’t,” she said. “We’re making applesauce with Johanna on Wednesday.” That wasn’t really a lie. Mam had mentioned that they might do that one day this week. Maybe she wasn’t ready to take such a big step, or maybe the thought of sneaking behind Mam’s back made her feel small and mean.
“Maybe another time, then.”
“Maybe,” she agreed. She could imagine him pulling off his ball cap and running his hand through his short hair, the way he did when he didn’t know what to say. A lump rose in
“Mam says get on with the milking,” Irwin called, banging open the barn door.
Miriam looked up, noting that Irwin hadn’t said Hannah but Mam. It was the first time she’d heard him refer to her mother as Mam.
“Before they burst,” Irwin continued. He stopped and scowled at John. “Out late, aren’t you?”
“I was on my way home from another call. Just thought I’d check on Molly.” If John thought he was being rude, he didn’t act like it.
“Never saw so much fuss over a hoof,” Irwin grumbled. “I’ll let the cows in, Miriam.”
“’Night,” John said, walking away. “Talk to you soon, Miriam.”
She nodded. “Soon.” The phone in her apron pocket pressed hot against her thigh. “Thanks for stopping by.” She knew that her mother would not approve of her taking it, but she also knew she’d make that call to John tomorrow morning.
“Hello, is this John?” Miriam asked loudly. It was 7:15 a.m. on Monday, and she’d ducked into the old milk house. She was so nervous that her hands were shaking.
He laughed. “You punched in my number. Who else would it be?”
The radio music in the background ended abruptly and Miriam guessed that John had turned it off.
“Are you still there?” he asked.
“Ya, I’m here.” She held the cell phone tightly. All night she’d kept thinking of things that they’d talk about, and now that she’d actually reached him, her mind had gone blank. It felt so strange, using a phone just to talk. She had plenty of experience using phones; she called to make appointments for people all the time. But this was different.
“How’s Molly?”
“Good. Same as last night.” She peered out the window, hoping that Irwin or Anna wouldn’t discover her here. If they did, what reason could she give for being in the library so early? What she was doing wasn’t hurting anyone, but it was private. And if there was one thing difficult to find growing up in a house with six sisters and an observant mother, it was privacy.
“Hoof infections are tricky. She’s not out of the woods yet,” John said.
She could picture him at the wheel of the truck, a bottle of root beer in one hand. John liked his soda. He always bought one for himself and one for her when they shared lunch at Spence’s. She began to relax a little. “What is your call this morning? You said you were going to Felton.”
“Oh, just routine immunizations. It’s a horse farm. Trotters. They want me to certify a two-year-old for sale. He’s going to Tennessee.”
Once the talk turned to horses, it was easy to fall into a comfortable conversation with John. She liked the way that he treated her as an equal, as if she understood every thing. Most of it, she did.
“I was wondering,” he said.
“Ya, of what?”
“Wednesday I have to drive to Easton to pick up something for my grandfather. There’s a nice little restaurant over there. Maybe you could go with me, just for the ride.”
Like a date, she thought. Was she ready for that? First the cell phone and then sneaking off for the day with him. Mam would never give her permission, not unless she took one of her sisters with her, and probably not then. But was it wrong to want to go with John? They’d had lunch together lots of times at Spence’s. What would make that all right and going with him to Easton the wrong choice?
“I can’t,” she said. “We’re making applesauce with Johanna on Wednesday.” That wasn’t really a lie. Mam had mentioned that they might do that one day this week. Maybe she wasn’t ready to take such a big step, or maybe the thought of sneaking behind Mam’s back made her feel small and mean.
“Maybe another time, then.”
“Maybe,” she agreed. She could imagine him pulling off his ball cap and running his hand through his short hair, the way he did when he didn’t know what to say. A lump rose in
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