Once Upon a Summer by Janette Oke Read Free Book Online

–feelin’ of uneasiness. What if Grandpa really did go and fall for the widow Rawleigh? I reckoned that I’d hate to lose Grandpa jest about as much as I’d hate to lose my Auntie Lou. Naw! Grandpa’d have more sense than to go and do a thing like that. Still it would bear some watchin’. Anyway, I could only handle one worry at a time, so I’d have to let that one pass for the time bein’.
    I picked up the milk pails and puckered my lips into a whistle, trying to drum up confidence that I wasn’t too sure I felt. Anyway, the whistlin’ helped some.

C HAPTER 6

Sunday Dinner
    S ATURDAY WAS CLOUDY WITH a stiff wind blowin’. I saw Grandpa look out the window to check the skies several times. He seemed really worried that his well-laid plans might all come to ruin. A few times I saw him and Uncle Charlie sort of huddled together talkin’ in low tones. I pretended not to notice, although I was near dyin’ to know what was being said.
    Lou was busy with final preparations in the house. She even toyed with the idea of opening up the front parlor, but Grandpa said that it wasn’t necessary. The parlor had been closed and all of the furniture covered with sheets ever since Grandma had died. When I was little I was scared of that room; then one day Auntie Lou took me by the hand and showed me under all the sheets—nothing but furniture. There was some pretty fine furniture too—even an organ.
    At first Grandpa had said, “Men don’t have time to spit and polish all that fancy stuff.” Later he changed it to, “No use Lou havin’ to fuss with that; she’s already got enough to do.” But I think that the real reason for the parlor staying closed had something to do with Grandma and how Grandpa missed her. Anyway, in spite of Lou’s offer, the parlor again stayed closed. The dinner table was laid as usual in our big kitchen with the family living quarters off to one side. Grandpa said that Lou kept it pretty enough for any company.
    After the scare that the weather gave us on Saturday, Grandpa was relieved to see the clouds blown away and the sun comin’ out again on Sunday mornin’.
    I hadn’t seen him in such good spirits for a long time, and Auntie Lou and I exchanged a wink as we watched him polishin’ his shoes and brushin’ his hat. Lou was convinced that he had taken a shine to the widow all right; and I might even have begun to worry myself if I hadn’t overheard Grandpa whisper to Uncle Charlie, “Remember, this is jest for a get-acquainted like—no pushin’ today.” Uncle Charlie nodded and grinned.
    The ride to church was pleasant. Even the service was okay. The singin’ was really good—jest as though the folks were like birds glad to see the sun again and wanting to sing their hearts out. Old Parson White brought a sermon that even boys could understand and didn’t mind listenin’ to. Even Willie Corbin left off carvin’ initials in the pew and paid attention; Jack Berry only pulled out his warty frog to shove it toward the girls once. I was sure that after church he’d be mad at himself for missin’ so many good chances.
    While folks stood around out in the sunshine after the service, Grandpa removed his hat and approached the widow Rawleigh to check that their plans to come to dinner were all in order. I saw some eyebrows go up. Mrs. T. Smith and Mrs. P. Smith were talkin’ nearby. Mrs. T. stopped mid-sentence and gave the old-eyebrow trick to Mrs. P. She responded, I knew that they were thinkin’ the same way as Auntie Lou was concernin’ this Sunday dinner date. I snickered and ducked behind some of the boys so folks wouldn’t wonder if I was up to some kind of mischief.
    Grandpa, in his innocence, went right on chattin’ with widow Rawleigh, and she turned coy and kinda flirty right there before all those people. Grandpa still didn’t seem to notice— but others sure did. Grandpa took his leave with a lift of his hat, and Mrs. Rawleigh sorta giggled and lifted her chin.