come up with three discouraging thoughts."
}"Hmm—" Tulsa May looked deliberately thoughtful. "Well, I suspect nearly every new spring dress in Prattville will have to be laundered tomorrow."
}"That's probably true," he agreed.
}"And I suspect Woody Sparrow will have a tremendous bellyache tonight."
}"If he doesn't he should have."
}"And I think that I will, in the near future, hear several sermons about the evils of dancing."
}Luther laughed out loud. "It was fun, wasn't it?"
}"Yes," she answered quietly.
}"I'll have to take you again sometime."
}Tulsa May was very conscious that Luther looked straight into her eyes as they talked and did not allow his gaze to stray for even one minute downward to where the apron now covered her. His determination to look only into her eyes was almost as disconcerting as having him looking at her bosom.
}"I understand that you've bought the Henniger building on Main Street," she said, abruptly changing the subject.
}He nodded. "It was a good price; I thought I might as well have it."
}Checking the tea, Tulsa May surmised that it was dark enough and began to pour into her mother's semiporcelain Evangeline teacups.
}"Are you planning to open up a store?" she asked.
}"I was considering using it as a warehouse when I bought it," he admitted. "But since then, I've been thinking that the location is much too good to waste with storage."
}Tulsa May nodded. "Two scoops and a dollop of milk?" she asked as she looked down at his teacup.
}"You remember what I like very well."
}She looked mischievous. "I remember a lot of things ... I remember when you hid my paperdolls too!"
}"You were too old for paperdolls."
}"Still, they were mine."
}"I gave them back."
}"Well, yes you did. But you made me search three days for them. And then you never did tell me where you'd put them."
}"You would never have found them on your own," he said smugly. "I put them in that book Miz Constance gave you for your birthday."
}"What book?"
}Luther grinned. "Don't you remember? It was called A Modern Guide to Deportment in the Best Society. I knew you'd never look inside."
}Tulsa May laughed and covered her face. "You're right, I never did."
}Finally, the tension seemed to be easing.
}"So now you are planning to be a Main Street businessman."
}"If I can think of a good business to put there. Something that I would enjoy owning. I don't think I'm ready to sell belt buckles or tombstones."
}Tulsa May smiled at him. "I'm sure that whatever you do with it will be the perfect thing."
}A noise at the front door ended their conversation. The Reverend and Mrs. Bruder had arrived home at last.
}Tulsa May didn't wait for her parents to discover them. "We're in the kitchen," she called out.
}Mrs. Bruder yelled hello before hurrying up the stairs. The reverend, however, came back to stand in the kitchen doorway. He was wet and tired and did not look the least bit happy. He gave Luther only the slightest nod of acknowledgment.
}"Tulsa May, it is not really proper to entertain a gentleman when your parents are not at home."
}Luther drank down the remaining tea in one gulp and immediately rose to leave.
}"It was raining, Papa," Tulsa May said in defense. "I invited him in for some tea to warm him up."
}Reverend Bruder pursed his lips thoughtfully. "I understand, but it is still not proper. However"—he glanced disapprovingly at Luther before returning his gaze to his daughter—"after your carryings-on tonight on the dance floor, dear, I'm not surprised that you forgot about propriety."
}"It's my fault, Rev—" Luther said.
}"— I wanted to dance, Papa. I'd never done it and I wanted to try it."
}"Well, I hope you've gotten over that nonsense."
}"Actually," Tulsa May answered bravely, "I rather enjoyed it. I think I would like to do it again."
}Luther cleared his throat nervously.
}"I won't have you hanging out at wild dance halls." The reverend, his eyes narrowed, made this admonishment as much to
}"Hmm—" Tulsa May looked deliberately thoughtful. "Well, I suspect nearly every new spring dress in Prattville will have to be laundered tomorrow."
}"That's probably true," he agreed.
}"And I suspect Woody Sparrow will have a tremendous bellyache tonight."
}"If he doesn't he should have."
}"And I think that I will, in the near future, hear several sermons about the evils of dancing."
}Luther laughed out loud. "It was fun, wasn't it?"
}"Yes," she answered quietly.
}"I'll have to take you again sometime."
}Tulsa May was very conscious that Luther looked straight into her eyes as they talked and did not allow his gaze to stray for even one minute downward to where the apron now covered her. His determination to look only into her eyes was almost as disconcerting as having him looking at her bosom.
}"I understand that you've bought the Henniger building on Main Street," she said, abruptly changing the subject.
}He nodded. "It was a good price; I thought I might as well have it."
}Checking the tea, Tulsa May surmised that it was dark enough and began to pour into her mother's semiporcelain Evangeline teacups.
}"Are you planning to open up a store?" she asked.
}"I was considering using it as a warehouse when I bought it," he admitted. "But since then, I've been thinking that the location is much too good to waste with storage."
}Tulsa May nodded. "Two scoops and a dollop of milk?" she asked as she looked down at his teacup.
}"You remember what I like very well."
}She looked mischievous. "I remember a lot of things ... I remember when you hid my paperdolls too!"
}"You were too old for paperdolls."
}"Still, they were mine."
}"I gave them back."
}"Well, yes you did. But you made me search three days for them. And then you never did tell me where you'd put them."
}"You would never have found them on your own," he said smugly. "I put them in that book Miz Constance gave you for your birthday."
}"What book?"
}Luther grinned. "Don't you remember? It was called A Modern Guide to Deportment in the Best Society. I knew you'd never look inside."
}Tulsa May laughed and covered her face. "You're right, I never did."
}Finally, the tension seemed to be easing.
}"So now you are planning to be a Main Street businessman."
}"If I can think of a good business to put there. Something that I would enjoy owning. I don't think I'm ready to sell belt buckles or tombstones."
}Tulsa May smiled at him. "I'm sure that whatever you do with it will be the perfect thing."
}A noise at the front door ended their conversation. The Reverend and Mrs. Bruder had arrived home at last.
}Tulsa May didn't wait for her parents to discover them. "We're in the kitchen," she called out.
}Mrs. Bruder yelled hello before hurrying up the stairs. The reverend, however, came back to stand in the kitchen doorway. He was wet and tired and did not look the least bit happy. He gave Luther only the slightest nod of acknowledgment.
}"Tulsa May, it is not really proper to entertain a gentleman when your parents are not at home."
}Luther drank down the remaining tea in one gulp and immediately rose to leave.
}"It was raining, Papa," Tulsa May said in defense. "I invited him in for some tea to warm him up."
}Reverend Bruder pursed his lips thoughtfully. "I understand, but it is still not proper. However"—he glanced disapprovingly at Luther before returning his gaze to his daughter—"after your carryings-on tonight on the dance floor, dear, I'm not surprised that you forgot about propriety."
}"It's my fault, Rev—" Luther said.
}"— I wanted to dance, Papa. I'd never done it and I wanted to try it."
}"Well, I hope you've gotten over that nonsense."
}"Actually," Tulsa May answered bravely, "I rather enjoyed it. I think I would like to do it again."
}Luther cleared his throat nervously.
}"I won't have you hanging out at wild dance halls." The reverend, his eyes narrowed, made this admonishment as much to
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