PART 1
It was a hot sultry evening. Alan was due any minute and Jo was not ready. She couldn't decide what to wear or how to wear her hair. She never felt like she looked right. Finally she made a decision, finished up and went downstairs. Nick was in the kitchen eating his supper when she came in. He smiled at her and told her how great she looked. She felt herself blush. She liked it when he said that. It always made her feel good.
"Aunt Jo," Bess called from upstairs, "would you come help me with my dress?"
Just as Jo started up the stairs, they heard a knock at the front door. She looked at Nick and didn't need to say a word. "It's alright, Jo. I'll answer it." He really didn't want to see Alan, much less talk to him. Not just because Jo had been seeing him for several weeks now, but there was something about him that Nick just didn't like.
Nick went to the front of the house and opened the door. Nick's dog Captain Max was outside, growling at Alan. "Captain, quiet." Nick said, inwardly bothered by the reaction of the usually friendly dog.
He greeted Alan as cordially as he could, but it wasn't easy. "So what do you have planned for this evening, Nick? You must have many women waiting in line for you." Nick just clenched his jaw and smiled. There was only one woman he wanted and he was afraid he'd never have her.
"Jo will be down in a minute. Would you like to have a seat?" Nick offered.
"No thank you. I would like to stand here and watch her come down the stairs. Isn't she a beautiful woman?" Nick did not have time to respond before Jo appeared, looking as beautiful as ever to both men.
"Bess is nearly ready," Jo said to Alan as she came down the stairs. "She is very eager to meet your brother, Dennis, and nephew, Lyndon." Jo noticed the nice suit he was wearing and she liked the way he trimmed his brown beard so neatly. She moved right up to Alan and gazed into his brown eyes, making Nick extremely uncomfortable.
"Well, y'all have a good evening," he said and he turned and went back to the kitchen to eat another lonely supper.
Before breakfast the next morning, Bess and Nan were in the barn, talking about Lyndon. "He's nice enough," Bess said "but he's a little boring."
"Boring?" Nan replied, surprised.
"Yes. All he wants to do is sit and discuss painting and poetry."
"That's all you ever wanted to do, too, Bess."
Bess stopped a moment and thought about that. Suddenly, they saw something scamper across the barn floor. "Eeeeehh!" shrieked Bess as she jumped up on a stool to get away from the offending mouse. "Where is it? Where is it?" They both looked around.
"This what ya lookin' for?" Nick said as he walked out of Penny's stall holding the squirming little mouse in his hands. Captain Max was at his side panting at the little creature, causing Nick and Nan to laugh.
"Get it away from me!" shrieked Bess. Nick rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"It's kinda cute, " Nan said taking it by it's tail. Nick chuckled.
"It's so big!" exclaimed Bess, still shaking on the stool.
"Big?" Nick said. "I once lived with a whole family of mice where even the babies were bigger 'an that."
"Nick, stop." Bess cried "You're awful!"
Nick shook his head and said "Sorry Bess". Then he took the mouse back from Nan and walked out the door with Captain Max bounding out behind him.
Bess and Nan followed shortly after. Outside they saw Nick talking to Nat and looking at his hand.
"So, what do you think, Nick? Will it need stitches?" asked Nat.
"The cut's not too bad, Nat. Don't think it'll need any stitches. Just have Asia clean it and wrap it real good is all." The girls went over to see what was happening.
Nan looked at the cut and agreed with Nick's analysis as Bess screamed and nearly fainted at the sight of the blood. Nick caught her before she could fall. "You alright?" he asked.
"I feel a little woozy," she replied. "I can't stand the sight of blood. And that's bleeding so profusely."
"You think that's bleedin' bad? You should have seen… ." He stopped. He knew this was a hopeless case. She would just get angry with him again. He never seemed to say the right thing around her. He thought it was impossible for two people to be more different than he and Bess.
Bess was glad he stopped. She didn't want to hear another thing from Nick. She didn't even want to see him. She thought it was impossible for two people to be more different than she and Nick.
They both looked up and saw Nan walking to the house with Nat.
"She's somethin' else," Nick said about Nan, to no one in particular.
"Yes, she is," Bess agreed, a little jealous.
After breakfast, Dan and Bess talked as they carried plates into the kitchen. "Mother said Aunt. Jo really likes Alan. She's so happy he's a pacifist and not a brute like Nick." They didn't see Jo walk into the room behind them.
"Yeah," replied Dan laughing, "I guess you can't go callin' Nick a pacifist."
They heard Jo clear her throat and turned to see not only Mrs. Jo at the door but Nick seated at the table behind them. They hadn't even noticed him there. He stood, picked up his plate and cup and brought them to the counter without a word or a glance.
Dan spoke first. "I'm sorry Nick, I…". Nick turned to look at them.
"Nothin' to be sorry for, Dan. You were only speakin' the truth. No one can accuse me of being a pacifist." He glanced at Jo but they couldn't look each other in the eye. There was an awkward silence. "Well, y'all have a nice day," he said, and he turned and walked out the door.
PART 2
