Joy Summers nearly cursed when she felt someone cover her eyes causing the fifteen year old to let out a shreik of terror. To some the gesture was lighthearted and meant for fun, but for Joy it was a secret fear.
"Guess who?" The voice sang making Joy take in a deep breath as she felt the hands leave her face. "Hello there beautiful." Jason Walton said with a lighthearted chuckle.
"Jason Walton you nearly gave me a heart attack!" She huffed hitting Jason with a small shoulder bag she had gotten for her birthday the year before.
"Sorry, Joy." Jason said with a sheepish smile. "But I couldn't help myself." He gave her a sad puppy look as he tried his hardest not to smile.
Joy chuckled and threw her arms around his neck, letting him twirl her around. As she was set gently on the ground she could hear Emma and Ben talking as they walked a few feet behind her. They were in their last year of school and Joy could see that Ben was hoping to propose to her soon by how jumpy he always seemed to be around the rest of the family.
"Joy, would you like to come swimming at Drucilla's pond with me and Jim Bob?"
Joy shook her head slowly. "I wish I could Jason. But I already promised Olivia that I'd help her pick peas from the garden for dinner."
Jason nodded and gently pressed his lips against her cheek before grabbing her books and walking the road beside her. "That's alright. I know you like to keep your promises." He said with a smile making his blue eyes sparkle.
"If you're wanting to swim, maybe we can go swimming on Saturday after we do our chores." Joy looked up with a hopeful look and Jason smiled. Even though Jason was twenty he still had the face of a young man of school age. Joy would tease Jason and tell him to grow a beard but then Olivia would order Jason to never grow a beard while he still lived under her roof.
"I would love to do that. Maybe we'll have a picnic too. And I'll play my guitar and you can paint."
"Then it's settled, Jason Walton." Joy said walking besides him while Emma and Ben rounded the corner. "Saturday you are to take me to Drucilla's pond and we will have a nice swim and then have a picnic."
"Hey Ben!" Jason said catching his younger brother's attention making him stumble nearly tripping Emma in the process. "Jim Bob and I were heading to Drucilla's pond for a swim. You two want to come join?"
Both Emma and Ben looked at each other and smiled.
"We'd love to go." Ben said making Emma hug his arm. "It's way too stuffy in that school room."
Emma laughed as she leaned up against Ben. "You say that even in the dead of winter." She said making Ben chuckle.
The four older teens walked quickly to the house to find the Elizabeth and Jim Bob, as they had a free day, were already dressed and ready to go for a swim.
Mary Ellen and Olivia were walking to the gardens while Erin waved from a truck that drove right besides the other four. The teens watched as Erin jumped out of the vehicle after giving the driver a soft kiss on the lips making Olivia thin her lips in disapproval.
"I don't think, Olivia likes us kissing." Joy said gently nudging Jason and Emma's arm.
"More like Momma doesn't like how freely we give them away." Jason said already leaning down for a kiss on the cheek which caused Emma and Joy to giggle. "Alright, Emma go get ready." Jason said handing Joy her books. "We'll wait until you get back."
Emma nodded before rushing up the stairs that lead inside the house.
Joy gave Jason a quick hug before rushing over to the gardens to meet up with Olivia and Mary Ellen.
"Ben I have a question to ask you." Jason said pulling his brother away from Jim Bob and Elizabeth who were chasing each other around the seesaw.
"What is it?" Ben asked strange to see Jason act so nervous all of a sudden.
"You've been wanting to propose to Emma haven't you?" Ben's face and ears began to turn bright red with shock and surprise. "I mean that, since you're both almost out of school." Ben nodded slowly. "Do you think Joy's old enough to get engaged?"
Ben's face paled as he turned to see Joy kneeling down besides Olivia and Mary Ellen as they worked on collecting peas from the garden. He then slowly looked up at Jason. "You know she's still only fifteen. I mean I'm not older or anything but I think you should wait for a couple of years just to get her out of school."
Jason nodded and began to pick at a fense post they had been standing next to, to talk. "I figured." he looked at Joy's hair, pulled into a long braid down her back. "Isn't she beautiful, Ben?" Jason asked leaning on the fense; not seeing Emma walking out ready to go swimming with the rest. Erin too walked out having been invited by Jim Bob who was delighted to see more people wanting to come.
"Yes, Jason..." Ben said trying hard not to blush as he looked at Emma. "She is very beautiful."
Jason looked at his brother and chuckled before slapping him on the back. "Come on. Let's go swimming."
Joy watched as the other children, minus John Boy and Mary Ellen walk back down the road. Joy turned her attention back to the garden. She worked quietly filling up the basket Olivia had given her to fill up.
"It's such a warm day, isnt it?" Olivia asked looking between Mary Ellen and Joy.
"It sure is Momma." Mary Ellen said pushing a strand of her alburn hair back behind her ear. Mary Ellen was eighteen and had started to work on becoming a nurse at the local hospital. "Maybe later we can both go down at the pond to take a swim?"
"I don't see why not." Olivia said before looking at Joy who slowed down her pace on picking peas. "Everything alright there, Joy honey?" she asked and watched as the young girl looked up at Olivia, her cheeks blushing.
"I'm not feeling like swimming today. I got a lot of homework to do. Plus I promised Ike I'd bring down that painting today."
Olivia smiled glad to see that Joy was still painting her pictures. But she couldn't help but feel as if she was hiding something else. "Well, once you finish collecting those peas you better finish your other obligations."
"I will Olivia." Joy quickened her pace and finished with her collecting. She carefully stood up and walked into the house. She picked up her basket of peas and her books and brought them inside.
Grandma Esther was sitting down in the rocking chair doing embroidery when she looked up to smile at Joy. "What do ya have there?" she asked as Joy walked directly to the sink.
"Peas for dinner, Grandma Esther." Joy said with a smile. "Helped Olivia and Mary Ellen to pick some." She walked up and glanced down at the embroidery that the older woman was working on. "It's looking quite beautiful, Grandma Esther. Grandpa Zeb is going to like that."
"He likes anything I do, that old fool." Grandma Esther replied with a loving glint in her eyes. She smiled up at the young woman and noticed something was off about her. "Are you alright there? You don't seem like yourself."
Joy lowered her head and slowly shook her head. Grandma Esther patted the footrest she moved her feet from and Joy slowly sat down holding her books tightly against her chest.
"What's the problem, child?" Grandma Esther asked setting her embroidery on top of her lap.
"Grandma Esther, please be honest. Did you always love Grandpa Zeb before you married him?"
Grandma Esther looked confused at Joy wondering where this all came from. "What do you mean?"
"I mean did you only love Grandpa Zeb, or did you love other boys before Grandpa Zeb?"
Grandma Esther's eyes lowered as she finally understood what her adopted granddaughter was asking her. "Grandpa Zeb wasn't the only man I had my eye on. But I did love him, and I still do. But I didn't just stick with one man before I married him. I went on other dates with other boys. But Zeb always felt right."
Joy sighed and slowly sat up straighter. "The reason why I'm asking, I feel that Jason and I are getting too close...I mean I see him everyday and night. I know how he likes to sleep on his left side and loves to play music under the stars outside the window."
Grandma Esther smiled as she gently grabbed Joy's hand. "Child, its alright to tell me the truth. Do you love him?"
"I'm not sure anymore. I mean I love him, yes, but the feeling I once had when he asked to the dance last year...I don't feel that way anymore." Her green eyes suddenly went wide with freight. "Am I falling out of love with him?"
Grandma Esther gently shook her head. "It's a normal thing, Joy," she said reassuringly, "it's called you're too young to know for sure quite yet. Give other boys a try and see if you feel that way with them. Then see if that feeling comes back with Jason."
"But what if it doesn't?" Joy asked suddenly afraid. "It wouldn't be fair for him."
"He's still growing up, too." Grandma Esther said with a smile. "He's bound to search for love elsewhere." She watched as Joy lowered her head. "This is what my mother told me when I had doubts about me and Zeb. She said, 'If it's meant to be Zeb then it will be Zeb.' So I'll give you the same advice. If it's meant to be Jason, then it will be Jason."
Joy looked up and smiled at Grandma Esther. She loved how wise she thought of her as she helped with the questions that were plaguing her mind. She gave the older woman a hug before she walked over to the table and began to do her homework.