Christine Johnson - Suitor by Design

The sun rose late this time of year. At seven o’clock, it barely grayed the horizon. Peter jammed his hands into his coat pockets and hunched his shoulders against the bone-deep cold. Each breath rose in a white cloud, illuminated by the lights brightening the windows of the houses and businesses he passed.

Smelled like snow.

Peter had always been able to sense bad weather. A storm was coming, sure enough. After talking to Minnie, he oughta warn Vince. That car of his might cost a fortune, but it could get just as stuck as a rusty old Model T.

By the time Peter passed the drugstore, he couldn’t feel his toes. He needed a new pair of work boots, but they would cost his entire savings. Some things were more important than cold feet. Minnie’s pa, for example. He’d make do with this old pair as long as he could. A couple strips of rubber from an old tire would bolster the thin soles.

“Good morning, Peter,” Pastor Gabe called out as he opened up the church.

“Morning.” Pastor Gabe was Mariah’s brother. That made him some sort of a relation by marriage. Peter liked Pastor Gabe. He wasn’t like most preachers. A regular fellow could understand him, and he didn’t traipse around in fancy robes or put on airs. Most times, he dressed no better than Peter, even though his folks had plenty of money. Gabe said God had blessed his family so they could help others. That was why he and Mariah had given so much time and money to the orphanage in New York. That was why she’d opened the one here in Pearlman. Peter remembered them stopping by the New York orphanage almost every day. That was how she’d met Vince. Maybe Pastor Gabe would remember him, too.

“Hey!” Peter hustled across the street. “Do you have a minute?” Even though he was anxious to catch Minnie, he figured he had a minute or two to spare.

“Sure, come on in.” Gabe held open the door.

“No, thanks. I got a simple question. You remember Vince Galbini?”

“Sure. He helped out at the orphanage. Good with his hands, if I recall.”

Peter was relieved that Pastor Gabe didn’t look as concerned as his sister.

Gabe let the door swing shut and tucked his hands in his jacket. “Why do you ask?”

“He showed up yesterday.”

“Here? Why would he come to Pearlman?”

“Back when he stopped working at the orphanage, he promised he’d look me up again.”

“I remember that. You were disappointed when weeks passed and he didn’t show up. I’m glad he finally kept his promise.”

Peter wondered if he should tell Pastor Gabe about the job that Vince had offered him. That was what seemed to bother Mariah, but then she was a woman, and women had a way of worrying about things that could drive a man crazy.

“Anything else?” Pastor Gabe stomped his feet. He must be getting cold toes, too.

“Nope.” Peter retreated down the church steps. Minnie would be leaving for the dress shop before too long. “I gotta get going. Have a good day.”

“You, too.”

Peter hustled back across the street, feeling better about his decision to take the job. He fingered the hundred in his pocket. This would impress Minnie. He grinned when he imagined her look of surprise. She’d probably never seen a hundred-dollar bill before. He hadn’t, and he sure never dreamed he’d hold one.

After passing the mercantile, he rounded the corner onto the side street. On his right loomed the massive Hutton’s Department Store. The Foxes lived across the alley from it. Second one in. Lights glowed warmly in the kitchen window. The curtains were still drawn, so he couldn’t see who was up, but he figured the whole family would be eating breakfast about now.

He couldn’t show up at the kitchen door. No, a man had to call on a woman at the front door. That meant crossing the street, going around the corner and navigating the short walkway in the dark. This wasn’t the rich part of town. Most folks didn’t have electricity, and a little town like Pearlman sure didn’t have streetlamps like the big city. He hurried, his breath puffing like a steam locomotive. When he reached the walk, he noticed the front windows were dark. What if Minnie’s pa was resting in the parlor? He paused, unsure whether to continue, wait a while or go to the kitchen door.

What he wouldn’t give to take Minnie to the church supper tonight. She’d sure look fine on his arm. Maybe he could even convince her to wear her hair loose, instead of all pulled up like she wore it when she was cleaning houses. Peter liked long hair on a woman, and no one had prettier hair than Minnie. The color reminded him of toffee, all warm and sweet and inviting. In the summer, streaks of gold ran through it like shining ribbons. It floated in gentle waves, a little curlier near her temples. Perfect.

He looked up at the moonless sky and dreamed of taking her to the supper. Ma would smile. She liked Minnie and made little comments suggesting they were meant for each other. Peter liked to see his foster mother smile. She was the kindest woman he’d ever met.

While he daydreamed at the gate, the front door of the house opened and a slender female slipped out. Dawn’s gray light only silhouetted her, but he’d recognize that figure anywhere. His pulse accelerated as he stepped forward to greet Minnie.

She bounced down the steps, and he halted in confusion.

This woman had bobbed hair. It couldn’t be Minnie. Only Jen had short hair, and it wasn’t bobbed. Ruth always wore her hair back in a bun, as did their mother. No other women lived there. Then who on earth was leaving their house so early in the morning?

* * *

Minnie almost died of fright when a towering man approached her out of the dark. Though thin, he was big enough to overcome her. Her shriek trumpeted through the still-morning air, but was it loud enough for her mother and sister to hear it all the way back in the kitchen?

“Keep away,” she warned, raising her fists.

“It’s me. Peter.”

“Peter?” She dropped her hands, but her pulse still raced, fear turning to anger. “You frightened me out of my wits. Why are you skulking around in the dark?”

“Sorry.” He toed the ground, suddenly getting all bashful. “Didn’t mean to scare you. Just wanted to talk.”

“Talk? At this hour? In the dark?” Oh, that guy could get on her nerves. Of all the rotten timing. Why did he have to show up now, when she was on her way to see Vince? She sure didn’t want Peter following her to the boardinghouse. Neither could she wait. Vince might leave at first light. Maybe sooner. She tapped her toe. “Well, say what you came to say. I can’t wait all day.”

“What do you got going on that’s so important?”

She crossed her arms. “It’s none of your business.”

“Maybe it is. A lady doesn’t go sneaking out of her house in the dark.”

“It’s not exactly dark, in case you happened to notice.” She tossed her head, delighting in the carefree swing of her new bob, and pushed past him. “Besides, it’s my house. I’m hardly sneaking out of it. I have things to do.”

He quickly caught up and matched her stride. “Are you going to work?”

Minnie didn’t want to lie, but she couldn’t have him following along after her, either. “Where I go and what I do is none of your business.”

“Then you’re not going to work.” He kept pace with her. “If you’re fetching something from the drugstore, I can help carry it.”

Fiddlesticks. Was he going to follow her the whole way? She couldn’t very well impress Vince with Peter hanging on behind her. Minnie gritted her teeth and quickened her pace. “I’m not going to the drugstore.”

That had to be obvious, since they’d already passed Terchie’s boardinghouse. She’d have to double back once she shook Peter. If she could shake him. This street didn’t have many businesses, just Terchie’s and the cinema. The movie house wouldn’t open for hours and hours. She could pretend to head for the parsonage, which she cleaned on Saturdays, except it was Wednesday. Moreover, Peter would know she wasn’t supposed to go there, since he was some sort of relation to Pastor Gabe.