Paying no mind to the warning in his tone, she added, “Make it bright too. Something that will show up on a nice dress and be hard to wash out.”
Bob grabbed Doug’s hand and dragged him into the store. “We can get a whole bunch with this coin!”
“But I want to see who’ll win,” Doug argued, unable to stop Bob from shoving him into the doorway.
“Ma, of course.”
Not hiding her smile, she said, “That decides it. We’re doing this my way.”
Taking her by the arm, Joseph led her and the other two boys to a spot further down the boardwalk where they could have some privacy. She continued to hold onto Charles and Ben, taking small comfort in the contact. This was her first confrontation with her husband, and even though she didn’t enjoy it, she was not going to let this issue go. Debra had to be removed from her life, and the sooner, the better.
Appearing as if he had to think over his next words with great care, Joseph finally said, “Debra is my problem. I’ll deal with her.”
“Fine. What are you going to do?”
“I’ll do what I did before. I’ll tell her that you and I are happy and that I will not leave you. Then I’ll suggest she return to Ohio.”
“That’s such a great plan, Joseph. I wonder why it didn’t work the first time?”
“Must you be sarcastic?”
“In this instance, you bet.”
He looked exasperated.
“So Hannah ignored her, and Debra still bothered her, correct?”
He shrugged. “Not so much once the children were born.”
“But I bet she made her life miserable. And before you argue with me, remember that I am a woman and know what it’s like when a woman is after her husband.”
“I never cheated on Hannah and I won’t cheat on you.”
“You’re missing the point. A woman like Debra is a thorn in my side, and the only way to deal with a thorn is to remove it. She won’t go as long as we’re nice to her. What she needs is some shaking up.”
His eyes grew wide. “You’re not going to hurt her?”
“Oh, of course not. I am a lady, after all.” Sure, she’d had her not so ladylike moments in the past, but she never physically attacked anyone. “What I’m going to do is let the kids at her. They can cause a lot of trouble when they want, and I suspect once she gets time with them, she’ll run off screaming.”
He cringed. “But they’re my children.”
“Our children,” she corrected him. Then, realizing this tactic wasn’t working, she opted for another. She gave a slight shrug. “Alright. Fine. I’ll forget the whole thing.”
He seemed unsure. “Really?”
“Yes. I mean, sooner or later, she’s bound to leave you alone. Someday you’ll die. For sure, she’ll give up then, even if she does stalk your tombstone. At least you’ll be dead and unaware of it. Or I could die. Then you could either post an ad for another wife or search for one like you found me. You know how well moving to another town works. Go for that. Maybe next time, she won’t follow you.”
Grimacing, he consented, “You win. Bob’s right. You win.”
“Good.” She exhaled, feeling her tension subside. Now that this matter was established, she could go about her plan. “You don’t need to fret so much. I won’t be that far away.”
“Exactly what is the plan?”
Her plan had been to tell Debra she needed to make an emergency run to help her ailing mother, but when Margaret caught sight of Debra heading their way and Doug and Bob waiting outside the mercantile with a handful of candy, a better one came to mind.
“Get back to work.” She shot Bob a meaningful look. “Get your pa back in there.”
“I can do that without your help,” Joseph muttered. Even if he agreed to it, it was evident he wasn’t thrilled with the idea.
Bob stopped sucking on a piece of hard candy and yelled out, “Mr. Lindon, Pa’s not working!”
Margaret saw that Debra was in hearing distance. “Play along,” she whispered to Joseph. In a louder voice, she said, “I just can’t take it anymore! I’m moving back home to my parents.” She let go of Charles’ and Ben’s hands and threw her hands up in the air. “You don’t need a wife. You need a maid!”
Ralph stepped out of the mercantile and called out, “Connealy, I’m paying you to work, not gossip.”
Debra, Margaret noticed, had stilled her steps and watched them with open curiosity.
“Fine,” Margaret told a bewildered Joseph, “I suppose you’re strapped to your job.” Then she turned to Debra and gasped. “Oh, what a God send!” She reached for Charles and Ben and hurried them over to the startled woman. “I’ve decided you’re right. You can have Joseph. It’s ‘Hannah this’ and ‘Hannah that’. It’s enough to make a woman scream.” She glanced at the children.