It did not take long, Clara was, as in most things, well organized in her possessions all of which had to be in specific places. The little wood box was under her bed in an aged trunk and soon she was back to her company. The boy....no, young man she decided...was enjoying the cornbread and honey, she was pleased to see. He looked up almost like he was expecting someone else?
“I started.” he stated the obvious.
"I see that," she nodded, though she wasn't concentrating on the plate of cornbread but Jacob's ...err, well, again obvious.
She moved right to the table and sat down across from him, opening the barely fist size box to extract a good needle and some thread that at least closely matched the color of the shirt.
"This will not take me long. I hope you are not uncomfortable like that," she spoke as she began to prepare the process.
"I mean it's nothing to be embarrassed about....I live with two males. Naturally I have seen bare chests and arms before. It is part of family life," she assured him but perhaps she was making a bit more of the issue than needed for he had said nothing at all about any embarrassment.
"Yes, Dear"
This will not take me long. I hope you are not uncomfortable like that," she spoke as she began to prepare the process.
A week ago he would have been, because he’d had a big red pimple on his chest which looked like a third nipple. But with that gone, he was sitting pretty.
“Oh, I’m all right, although it would be a little awkward if Pastor Evans happened to walk in right now” he joked. “As long as you don’t find having a half-naked boy sitting within touching distance too embarrassing.”
"I mean it's nothing to be embarrassed about....I live with two males. Naturally I have seen bare chests and arms before. It is part of family life," she assured him but perhaps she was making a bit more of the issue than needed for he had said nothing at all about any embarrassment.
“Well, sure.” Rejoined Jacob. “I’ve seen my sisters in the nudie, too, when I was younger. Like you say, just a part of everyday life. Nothing to be writing home about.” He philosophised. “That said, if I’d, say, arrived a mite too early this morning and happened to have caught you in the bath or undressing I would, of course, have averted my gaze.” He lied, with a little catch in his voice which indicated he knew that she knew what a whopper that was!
A sort of dreamy grin on his face indicated that he was imagining that, rather than thinking about whether to have more cornbread.
He watched her sew: she was efficient, neat and quick, despite a slight shake to her hands: well, nobody liked being stared at while they were doing a fiddly task. Too quick. He liked this, this partial nudity: there was a palpable frisson of sexual tension in the air, so thick you could have cut it with a knife. He couldn’t help but feel that donning his shirt again would mask their more natural passions once again in a thick velvet curtain of civilised decorum, instead of the thin veil it wore now.
"Well, sure.” Rejoined Jacob. “I’ve seen my sisters in the nudie, too, when I was younger. Like you say, just a part of everyday life. Nothing to be writing home about.”
"You have?" she was surprised and almost stabbed herself accidentally with the sewing needle. She had to wonder how old these sisters were? But not like she was going to be so bold as to ask.
He continued, “That said, if I’d, say, arrived a mite too early this morning and happened to have caught you in the bath or undressing I would, of course, have averted my gaze.”
He would have? That would show a strange lack of curiosity in her opinion but just maybe he was that kind of gentleman? Or he was lying.
"Oh, I see. Well, you would not get in anyhow because I would take the precaution of barring the door prior to this bath of mine," she pointed out as she started the actual sewing process now on the button.
While mostly concentrating on the task before her, she once looked up and her eyes went right to his bare chest again before realizing he was looking right at her so hastily she averted them back down to the button and clothing. Desperately she sought for something to say to break the silence.
"Well, when I am done with this, I suppose I can show you my books like we talked about. Or....I could give you a quick tour of the farm?" She realized the second topic might not be all that interesting to a fellow farmer, he no doubt had his fill of farm sights.
"Unless you can think of something specific you would like to do? Or see?" she suddenly decided to include him in on this planning. Even as she talked, she kept the needlework going.
"Yes, Dear"
Oh, I see. Well, you would not get in anyhow because I would take the precaution of barring the door prior to this bath of mine," she pointed out as she started the actual sewing process now on the button.
“Ah, that’s true!” Jacob replied, remembering to agree with Clara as much as possible. Women liked that, according to his sister. He was quite happy then to sit quietly watching the pretty brunette at work on the sewing, but she, on the other hand, wanted to plan the day.
"Well, when I am done with this, I suppose I can show you my books like we talked about. Or....I could give you a quick tour of the farm?" She realized the second topic might not be all that interesting to a fellow farmer, he no doubt had his fill of farm sights.
Lutz nodded genially. “Oh, I’d like to see your books and the farm. Specially that North field. See if it’s as prone to flooding as it looks.” He ruminated, having a necessarily keen professional interest in agriculture.
"Unless you can think of something specific you would like to do? Or see?" she suddenly decided to include him in on this planning. Even as she talked, she kept the needlework going.
He frowned, as if deep in thought, before casually mentioning something that had actually been on his mind since the night of the dance.
“Say, if we’ve got time and it’s not too far, maybe you could show me that swimming place you mentioned. I thought I knew this section pretty well, but I can’t think exactly where you mean.” He said, as if on a whim. He wasn’t sure whether his acting skills were up to making it sound like a sudden idea of no particular consequence. He wasn’t even really sure if it needed to.
Lutz nodded genially. “Oh, I’d like to see your books and the farm. Specially that North field. See if it’s as prone to flooding as it looks.”
"Of course. The books will not take long though, it is not like I have shelf full, though I might wish it were so," Clara replied, "And fine, you can see that field."
She thought seeing a field would take all of .... a minute once they got there. But if that was what he wanted, she would go along with it. However - just in case.
"Unless you can think of something specific you would like to do? Or see?"
Seemed he did have an idea of his own.
“Say, if we’ve got time and it’s not too far, maybe you could show me that swimming place you mentioned. I thought I knew this section pretty well, but I can’t think exactly where you mean.”
She once more looked up from her sewing (she was almost finished too) and raised one eyebrow. And she forced herself to look at his face and not that bare torso of his.
"It is a lake. You do not even know where the lake is and you say you know this area pretty well?" she found that strange alright.
But very well, she had asked for his input and it would be simply rude to then disregard his one suggestion.
"I can show it to you. I love it there, I found a secluded part of the shore and I just love to swim. So does Wyatt. Sometimes I swear he has gills, he does not want to get out of the water."
"Yes, Dear"
It is a lake. You do not even know where the lake is and you say you know this area pretty well?" she found that strange alright.
“Oh the lake!” Jacob looked a little surprised “I think know where you mean, thought that might be a little exposed.” He nodded wonderingly about what a feller could do with a bit of lucky-timing and a pair of field glasses.
"I can show it to you. I love it there, I found a secluded part of the shore and I just love to swim. So does Wyatt. Sometimes I swear he has gills, he does not want to get out of the water."
If he was swimming with Clara, thought Jacob, neither would he! It was frustrating to think what that unappreciative little kid had seen that Jacob hadn’t, what a waste!
The farmboy managed a shaky “I’d really like to .. see it.” The thought of Clara swimming about undressed was having its usual unfortunate effects, and he’d have to stand up in a second to put his shirt back on. And what if she helped him on with it and tried to tuck it in for him?! She might accidentally… no! Don’t imagine that! Imagine something or someone totally horrible … damn, he could only think of other girls.... er... Anaesthia Orr, yes, she was horrible … oh oh, that was making it worse … Arabella! … yeah, think of Arabella, phew, yeah, that was working… he felt things relax.
He must have looked totally in a daze to Clara as he dared to look at her once more.
“Oh look, nice warm day like today and I’ve got goose-bumps!” he laughed lamely, rubbing his arms.
The farmboy managed a shaky “I’d really like to .. see it.”
"Then we will do that then. You're my guest and I want to be a good host," Clara assured him.
"Oh look, nice warm day like today and I’ve got goose-bumps!” he laughed lamely, rubbing his arms.
"You do?" she looked up, it gave her a perfect excuse to look at his shirtless self once more.
And she was done with the button! Setting her needle and scissors down she picked up the shirt and stood up holding it out to him, figuring he would have to stand up to put it back on. And, of course, give her yet one last opportunity to gawk at him.
"Wouldn't think you'd be cold but here you are, good as new...well almost."
"Yes, Dear"
Wouldn't think you'd be cold but here you are, good as new...well almost."
Oh oh! It was time to stand up and, although thinking of the unattractive Arabella had helped him avoid any immediate crisis, there was still an ungodly bulge in his suddenly too tight pants. He could only console himself that if Clara was the lady he thought her to be, she wouldn’t be a-looking down there anyway.
So, he stood up and took the shirt with a sheepish grin and a thanks and in a reversal of the previous operation stretched his arms up to pull the now-mended garment over his head. In his haste to cover up his embarrassment, he botched it and somehow ended up with his head trying to enter the right sleeve, so the whole thing took a mite longer than normal.
“Ooops” he said as his head eventually popped out of the appropriate opening.
“Sorry, I’m making a show of myself here!” he smiled.
“So, these books of yours…” he began, hoping to direct his own mind onto higher things, things that were more intellectually stimulating.
Jacob decided not to unbutton the shirt, perhaps he was worried more buttons would pop, but once more decided to use the over the head method. Clara wondered if that was why his buttons were not lasting but she would not make that opinion known. She watched then, fascinated as he then botched a smooth redonning of the article of clothing. No complaints though as it gave her more time to ogle his torso without even worrying he would notice.
“Ooops” he said as his head eventually popped out of the appropriate opening.
“Sorry, I’m making a show of myself here!” he smiled.
"Oh, I am quite enjoying it," Clara replied then realized that might not be what she should have revealed and quickly added, "I mean...because of, well, it was funny. Watching you wiggle into your shirt, you know, funny."
Well, sadly the show was now over and it was time to move on to other things, Clara nodded as he then asked about her books.
"Yes, let me show you," she declared.
***
Clara owned a baker's dozen volumes so it did not take her long to show them off, such as they were. A few of the books were in rather rough shape, the bindings weakening or covers worn. She was quick to point out they were like that when she got them. Most were fictional classics or histories. She did have one dime novel about an native American Indian princess and her rather harrowing adventures among white civilization. Some of it was rather lurid, for the times. Clara had no doubt the local minister would not approve of such books. Still, she enjoyed it even if it was rather predictable in parts in her literary opinion.
Jacob took the time to sift thru them all, skimming a few pages in some, and was quite impressed with her cache. She did not offer any of them to the boy though because he had made it quite clear he had a horror of borrowing anything especially books.
Then it was on to the farm tour. Honestly it was nothing Jacob was not already most familiar with. The barn, the chicken coop, the farm animals such as the milk cow, chickens, and workhorses (they had two but one of them, Lizzie, Clara rode into town quite often when she had to work in the diner), all of this the Lutz farm must have had in one way or the other too. She skipped the outhouse though.
And then it was out to the back and she presented the large vegetable garden she proudly oversaw with much effort and good results. Then came the fields, it was mostly just walking past them at a leisurely pace and her answering what crop questions he did have. As for that north field she pointed out that indeed it was not necessarily prone to flooding and promised to tell her father of Jacob's suggestion to plant beans.
"Well, that is the Redmond empire in all it's glory," she concluded, then pointed with a wave of her hand toward the direction of the lake, now out of sight due to a sizeable stand of trees and low scrub.
"So I guess all that is left then for me to show my swimming spot, it was a most fortunate discovery by Wyatt to be honest when we first bought the place. But I loved it immediately," she explained as she began to head in that direction.
"Yes, Dear"
Well, that is the Redmond empire in all it's glory," she concluded, then pointed with a wave of her hand toward the direction of the lake, now out of sight due to a sizeable stand of trees and low scrub.
Jacob nodded appreciatively. He’d enjoyed looking around the farm almost as much as he’d enjoyed examining Clara’s book collection. Now that was a treat, just handling the books, examining them, each and every one: the binding, the verso, the recto, the font, even the quality of the paper each was printed on was a strange exotic pleasure for the book starved boy. He actually wanted to lift each volume up and smell them too, but realised that such a sight might make Clara think him totally unhinged.
"So I guess all that is left then for me to show my swimming spot, it was a most fortunate discovery by Wyatt to be honest when we first bought the place. But I loved it immediately," she explained as she began to head in that direction.
“I want to memorize all of your books!” he announced as they walked to the lake, Clara as the guide. It was fun as he remembered the first half dozen or so with ease, but then struggled with the rest: Clara giving him clues, and he kicking himself when she had to tell him the couple he forgot. He didn’t like her owning thirteen books, and he started to think of a way to get her another, so that she would own a luckier number of the precious objects.
“So if you could get your hands on a new book, what would…” his voice broke off as the water came into view “… oh Lord, Clara. That’s beautiful!” he cooed, stopping in his tracks at the sight. A genuine grin of happiness spread over his face; happiness at the beauty of nature and the wonders that God had wrought with His hand.