The New Year's Resolution
Everything was quiet at the Johnson ranch. The kids were asleep upstairs with the Wilder's, the Johnson's and Mort and Eliza Jane sitting in the study talking quietly waiting for the mantle clock to strike midnight.
"So Mort," Laura said, "Eliza tells me that you're back doing those seminars now. I thought that Mr. Woestehoff was doing them."
Mort and Eliza Jane stared at each other and tried to suppress giggles.
"Well," Mort said, "I wasn't the only one who punched him that day, Laura."
Laura frowned. "What on earth are you talking about?"
"Seems Mrs. Woestehoff showed up unexpectedly along with 'Miss Powers' husband," Eliza Jane smiled. "You had already left when that happened." She looked at Laura. "Did you know that he was seeing married women and that he was married himself?"
Laura didn't answer, but she did catch Almanzo looking at her. She hadn't told him about what happened that summer in Arizona, at least not everything, anyway.
Mortimer smiled. "Well, it seems his wife was tailing him and was using 'Miss Powers' as bait. He was arrested and fired from his position all in the same day. So they hired me again."
Laura smiled, but Manly was still looking at her, curiously.
"Don't worry, Almanzo," Mort said, "Nothing happened between your wife and William Woestehoff, believe me."
"He's right, Mannie," Eliza said, smiling at her brother. "The four of us went out together all the time."
"Four of you?" Almanzo said, staring at his wife, a shy smile forming on his lips. "You mean that…"
"Manly," Laura said, staring back at him. "Eliza Jane was the one who…"
"I liked him, Mannie and I thought he liked me. Turned out I was wrong."
"Well, anyway," Mort continued, trying to change the subject.
"What the heck happened out there?" Almanzo said, leaning forward.
"For heaven's sake, Manly," Laura said, frowning, watching his smile get wider. "I told you what happened and you know it."
Almanzo smiled and threw a protective arm around her.
"Mort, did you know that my wife was pregnant with little Rosey during that summer class?"
Mortimer looked from Almanzo to Laura. "She never told me about that and neither did you, Eliza."
"Well, I wasn't really sure," Eliza Jane said, looking back at Mort.
Amy Johnson stood up and started gathering up the cups and saucers. "More coffee or tea anyone?"
"How far into the pregnancy were you, Laura?" Eliza Jane asked, turning to her sister in law.
"Eliza Jane!" Laura exclaimed loudly, trying to control her temper. She stood up, knocking Almanzo's arm off her shoulder.
"Beth," Manly frowned.
"I'll have more tea," Eliza Jane said, sweetly. "I find it hard to sleep sometimes after I have coffee so late."
Mort smiled at his sister. "I'll have the same thing." He turned back to Laura. "Well, anyway, as I was saying…"
"I think I'll help you, Amy," Laura said, grabbing some of the dishes.
"Doesn't anyone want to hear the rest of the story?" Mort asked as the two women disappeared into the kitchen.
Almanzo looked over at Mort. "Go on, I'm listening."
"Well, anyway, it seems that our dear William was…"
He watched as Almanzo stood up and followed Laura into the kitchen. Mort sighed. "Well I guess that's that." He stood up. "Be right back. Have to see a man about a horse."
Almanzo walked through the swinging kitchen door to find Amy alone making a pot of coffee.
"She outside, Almanzo," Amy smiled, as she turned her head. "She'll be back, I just told her to cool off a bit."
Almanzo thanked her and smiled, then walked through the back door that led to the outside porch. He wasn't sure where she had gone, usually when she lost her temper, she'd just be standing on their back porch waiting for him with a hug and kiss, but they hadn't fought like this in a long time. Eliza always seemed to bring out the worst in Laura and it wouldn't be the first time. The two had never really gotten along with each other, even though Eliza was trying to…
He heard voices and turned in the direction of them and watched as Laura put her arms around Mort and kiss him on his cheek. She was laughing as she let him go and the two of them started for the back door.
It was Chad Brewster all over again, all those years ago in Currie, right before he made the Slayton delivery for Charles. He walked in and found Chad's arms around Laura's waist and punched him for touching her. Now here the same opportunity presented itself, but he wasn't going to be so hasty. He would talk to Laura first and control himself. Mort was being a nice young man, that's what Laura always told him and besides, he loved his sister.
"Manly," she called out, when she saw Almanzo standing on the front porch and, with a little whisper in Mort's ear, ran over to him and hugged him, as if she hadn't seen him in months.
"Beth," he whispered in her ear as he pulled her close, all those thoughts gone from his mind as he released her, then brought his lips down to meet hers.