Barbara watched him, her heart swelling. Harvey’s gaze kept drifting towards the window. “Tommy,” Harvey said, his voice low and steady, “let’s go find some of those prairie roses. I reckon Tabitha would fancy a bunch. And I think I’ll pick a bouquet for Miss Williams and show you how to give flowers to a lady.” Not that Harvey had ever actually done it, but he was sure Tommy’s way, whatever it was, wouldn’t have been welcome.
Barbara watched from her desk.
Outside, the children’s playful shouts cut through the air as recess unfolded. Barbara stepped out. Her eyes found Harvey and Tommy, their heads bowed together in quiet conspiracy as they selected flowers. The sight brought an involuntary smile to her lips.
Harvey walked to her, and with a slight bow of his head, presented her with the flowers. “They’re not half as pretty as you are,” he said softly, hoping his brother would mimic him.
“Here, Tabitha,” Tommy said, extending a clumsy handful of wildflowers toward the little girl with red curls.
Tabitha’s eyes widened, and then, inexplicably, filled with tears. With a sudden wail, she threw the flowers to the ground and darted away, her sobs trailing behind her as she ran to the church next door where she lived with her family.
“Wait!” Tommy’s confused voice was lost in the breeze.
“Come on, Tommy,” Harvey said, placing a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “We’ve got to make this right.”
Together, they followed Tabitha’s path, leaving Barbara at the schoolhouse, her thoughts as scattered as the rejected petals.
At the pastor’s house, Harvey knocked gently on the door, his broad frame dwarfing Tommy’s beside him.
“Mrs. Scott,” he said when Hannah appeared, her face kind and questioning. “Seems there’s been a misunderstanding between Tommy and Tabitha.”
Hannah’s brow furrowed, and she ushered them inside. The interior was cool and dim, a respite from the warm September sun.
“Tommy here didn’t mean no harm, ma’am,” Harvey continued. “He wanted to give Tabitha some flowers, but Tabitha threw them on the ground and ran off crying. We’re hoping for a chance to apologize.”
Tommy’s head hung low, his bravado wilted like the neglected flowers that lay outside the schoolhouse. “I didn’t mean to make her cry.”
“Tabitha?” Hannah called softly, and the little girl emerged, her eyes still red-rimmed.
“Tommy has something he wants to say,” Harvey nudged.
“I’m sorry, Tabitha,” Tommy mumbled. “I just thought…I thought you’d like them. I wish I could have found prettier ones, but there aren’t any as pretty as you are.”
“Apology accepted,” Hannah said after a moment, her voice gentle.
“Thank you, Mrs. Scott,” Harvey said, tipping his hat. “We’ll be off now.”
As they left, Barbara watched from a distance, her heart sad for the little girl who wasn’t coming back to school with them, but even more so for the little boy who had shown his affection for once and had it rejected.
Tommy’s small hand fumbled with the brim of his hat, a solemn promise etched onto his youthful face as he stood before Barbara. “I swear, Miss Williams, I won’t ever tease any of the girls again,” he said, his voice full of sincerity.
Barbara knelt to meet his gaze, her eyes soft but firm. “I’m holding you to that, Tommy Bedwell. Words can cut deep, and kindness is what we need from each other.” She brushed a stray lock of hair from his forehead.
“Yes’m,” Tommy replied, his eyes wide with newfound understanding.
As the boy scampered off, likely to ponder his recent lesson, Harvey approached Barbara. He paused briefly, watching his brother’s retreating form, a hint of pride lining his features before turning his attention back to her. His hands, calloused from the relentless toil of farming, clasped gently in front of him.
“Thank you for that, Barbara. It isn’t easy keeping a boy like Tommy on the straight and narrow,” he said.
“Someone’s got to do it,” Barbara replied. “And it seems to me, Harvey Bedwell, that you’re just as much an educator at this moment as I am.”
A smile tugged at the corners of Harvey’s mouth, a rare sight that warmed her. “Reckon I might be at that. But I need to get back to work. I got the milking done this morning, but there are always fences to be mended before winter.”
“Of course,” she nodded. “But thank you for the flowers this morning. They were…unexpected.”
“Seemed right,” he said simply, his eyes holding hers for a heartbeat longer than necessary. “Beautiful flowers for a lovely lady.”
She felt a blush creep up her neck. “You best be careful, Mr. Bedwell, or I might start thinking you’ve taken a liking to your brother’s teacher.”
