These two scenes create the end of the 2.1.2 sequence of Thomas and Mara in town after the longer 1.3 barn stuff finishes. I’ve marked it in the outline as one scene, really its a larger chapter. Currently these are “A” and “B” but they will be more like “F” and “G” by the time the rest is ready to be posted.

In scenes A-E, Thomas and Mara head to town to open up with shop for two weeks in the immediate aftermath of my surgeon scene and Thomas’ assistance to that. They slowly fall in love and discover that they also work well together. When that time is up, they have to go back to the farm and manage what they have missed. These two scenes cover the final night they’re in town and the trip back. Enjoy!

2.1.2 (A)

It had been a few weeks since the town square had hosted the summer festival, and the nip of the cool wind bit at the ankles and noses of anyone without the foresight to dress. The recent cloudy weather meant the sun appeared to set earlier in the day, rendering the shop’s business hours slightly shorter than earlier in the season, when they’d open shortly after dawn and close at six or seven in the evening, before the same sun had even begun to go down.

Not the case today. It wasn’t even five and the day’s light had all but faded. Mara had begun to close up, and he’d taken the earnings into the office to count them out and complete the paperwork. As per usual, Mara completed her own work far more quickly, and when she sauntered playfully into the office, Thomas felt the familiar prickle of a bet lost.

“That’s five days in a row I’ve bested you,” she laughs, leaning onto the desk at his side.

He looks up from the ledger with a sly smile. The evening light hits her body first, hiding all but the whites of her eyes in shadow.

“I’m starting to think this game may be rigged.”

Her eyes widen and her hand flies onto her heart. “Such a serious accusation!”

She bends slightly, wrapping her arms around his neck and coming to rest her head on his shoulder.

“Surely you’re not doubting the integrity of the competition?”

Her barely contained laughter gives her away before something appropriately sarcastic can form in his mind. The ledger could wait.

“I’m afraid so.” He grounds himself in the seat, leans forward, drops the pen and snakes his own arm upward to touch her face. “It would appear that the commissioner of this has allowed a sizable amount of corruption into the process. I cannot help but notice that my own task is far larger than that of my competitor.”

He locks eyes with her and something in the room is settled. Steady.

Mara’s hand slides downward and her fingers draw tiny half circles, back and forth, onto his chest. As she takes her next breath her chest expands and presses lightly into his upper back.

“And what evidence do you have to support your claim?” she murmurs into his ear. He pulls her face into his own, and kisses her.

“For starters,” he goes in again, “I am running out of kisses.”

Thomas backs his chair away from the desk and swivels around to face her.

“The second thing,” he pulls her in to sit on his lap. “Is that my opponent is increasingly distracting.”

Mara’s eyes, previously locked in, flit away. Her smile is a straight line, she releases a breath audibly through her nose. There she was, he thought.

“Unfortunately that strategy has the highest rate of return.” Her forehead rests above his ear, her voice quiet. “I mean. Look at all my wins this week alone.”

Her hand rests on his shoulder, warm. Her other moves over his face in a gentle caress. She lays one more intense kiss on his neck behind the ear. The certainty of it is new.

“Perhaps if there were a bigger prize I wouldn’t need to play so dirty to win.”

Thomas leans backward. “What did you have in mind?”

Her hand tugs at his waistband.

“Perhaps my winnings could collect more than your kisses.”

A rush of anticipation hits him below the waist, his head lays lightly against the top of the chair. Mara’s hand slips inside and cradles him. Her touch is intoxicating. She looks to him for confirmation. He nods.

“Upstairs?” he breathes, his lips moving gradually up her chest to her neck. Mara returns to his waistband, her other hand lifting his chin.

“Come with me.”

He gets up before he can think. She removes her hand and heads up the back stairs to the apartment, the single candle from his desk illuminating her path.

2.1.2 (B)

After loading the wagon they gather themselves into the front seats. As the loser of the week’s bet, Thomas also took the first reins. The load out had taken far less time than the previous, sales had blossomed since Mara had come in.

Outside the town’s limits, they fell into the silence to which they had grown accustomed. He appreciated Mara’s presence on this trip more than he could admit to her. Normally when alone he’d rehearse what to say to Dad about the shop – the sales, busyness, the apartment, the ordering. Anything to insist that all was well. That he was capable. He wanted Dad to feel assured. Okay to step away.

Other times he’d think about the girls. If he were in a good mood he might review a lesson planned for them, or think of a new one based off his own materials, or maybe Adrian’s if there were anything at the apartment.

“How do you think they’re managing?” Mara’s casual voice breaks the silence, “your brother?”

Adrian, he thought. Right. of course.

He’d hoped not to think about that. It wasn’t that he had not been concerned, that wasn’t it. Adrian had occupied every empty moment in his mind the last few weeks.

After leaving Grace’s he’d no idea what to do. There had been no one to cover for him as she did. It made more sense to accept her offer. Their house was not suitable to what was needed.

The image of the winding staircase that led up to the bedrooms came to his mind. Not in a comforting way either. Of course he wanted his brother to rest at home. But even so. How would he have gotten him up to his bed? The height difference between he and Adrian was negligible. And besides, the stairs could barely be navigated by an able body over five feet, forget about comfort. He couldn’t help. Wasn’t suited.

“I hope its been smooth.” He says, “though I doubt Dad’s told the girls.”

Mara nods. “How do you want to approach this? Are you thinking of confronting him? Or are you thinking its better to leave it a bit.”

He pauses, lowering his shoulder as his chest tightens up. He flicks at the reins harder than he should’ve.

“We’ll leave it. I think let’s drop the load at my place and then I will go over to Grace’s and see. Can you handle the unpacking while I’m over there.”

“Course.” She replies, placing a hand on his shoulder and rubbing it gently with her thumb. He takes a breath, lets it out slowly, and lets the tension dissipate.

A few moments pass. The wheels beneath them grind into the gravel.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

There was the tightness again.

“Yes. But I want to see Adrian first.” He stares out at the road. Mara looks onward. Was that the wrong answer?

He scans the bottom of the wagon. His feet. Hers. Straw. Road dust. A couple of bugs crawling. He takes another breath inward.

One. Two. Three. Four.

He releases it.

“I just mean that there isn’t a need to get myself worked up if everything is good, you know?”

Through his peripheral vision he sees Mara’s posture change.

“Do you think Grace has good intentions?”

He grips the reins. The horses slow.

“What do you mean?”

Mara clasps the bench beneath her. “I guess. She offered a lot. You know that. How do you know she won’t want come to collect on it? That you can trust her, I mean.”

He shakes his head and forces a polite laugh. This didn’t need to be cause for concern.

“Grace isn’t really like that. Sure she’s a first born too. But she is kind. If you thought she intended harm I’d say you don’t know how obsessed she is with my brother.”

“Right. But its a stressful situation. That can change things in any relationship. What’s stopping her from swooping in and making some weird claim on him?”

He looks over at her. Was this worth pulling over for? Would that be dramatic. Probably. He bids the horses onward, picking up a modicum of speed. It wasn’t worth upsetting her over.

“Look.” He contends, “I know Grace can be a little intense. Especially when Adrian is involved, but try to give her the benefit of the doubt. She means well.”

Mara turns her head away. “You’re sure?”

“Even if I weren’t. Adrian knows that Grace listens him more than anyone. He isn’t afraid to use that when he needs to.”

Mara doesn’t turn back.

“Should he have to though?”

He searches but finds nothing to say. He’d prepared for this as best he could. The money he was storing at the apartment now sat in the bag behind him. He’d give this to Grace when they returned. Grace wasn’t the only one who could do something. Adrian wasn’t being left alone. Maybe pulling over would be a good idea. Maybe she needed a break. He’d been hoping not to worry about this before it was necessary. And it would be. When they got home.

But if Mara wanted to think it through out loud. That might be worth it. Talking about it might help her think. If he pulled over he could help her think. He tightens his grip. Did she want to take over for a while?

“Mar-”

“I mean it Tom. Your brother has no one looking out for him while he’s that vulnerable. This whole situation stinks of something. I get a weird read off Grace. I’m not sure I trust her.”

The tension radiates downward. He bounces his leg. No help. He resented that going home from town always brought this feeling back. Something he couldn’t seem to shake off like he could when left alone. He didn’t want to think about this beforehand. Worry about it could happen at home.

“Can we just see what happens when we get back before we start hurling accusations?”

“Fine.” She backs off, her voice cool.

They fall back into the same silence and watch out to the road. Mara doesn’t bring it up again. The reins slip from his hands. He wipes the sweat on his pants and pushes the thought from his mind. This wasn’t worth stopping. If it were worse than he expected, that’d delay them.

Thomas straightens his back and still his legs.

Home soon.

Deal with it then.