Chapter 6
“She’s nice,” Joel said. He watched Lucy walk away, looking her up and down like he was undressing her with his eyes. “Hmmm. Very nice.”
Jesse shot him a fierce glare. He didn’t like anyone looking at Lucy like she was a piece of meat, but it really raised his ire when Joel did it. Sure, Jesse had sexual fantasies about Lucy all the time, but he was in love with her. That was different.
Joel grinned at Jesse. “Did you see her checkin’ me out? She was too nice to choose me right away. I guarantee you, she’s made her choice. She’s just stalling to spare your poor male ego.”
“In your dreams, Blueballs,” Jesse retorted. He tried to appear confident, but he knew Joel was right. Lucy had been taken in by those damned blue eyes, and Joel had come across as cool and confident. Jesse had looked like a blithering idiot. He hadn’t thought ahead about what he would say to “the girl” in their contest, and he hadn’t planned on choosing Lucy until the last moment. He was embarrassed at the way he had stumbled when she asked him a simple question about where he worked.
Joel started humming “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.”“You know the words, farmboy? Better start practicing your singing.” He cackled, then walked off singing the Union’s most popular rallying song. Jesse couldn’t help but notice that Joel had a good singing voice. It figured. That asshole was good at everything.
Jesse looked around to make sure no one was looking, then went invisible. He didn’t have the energy to pretend to be happy for the tourists. He wanted to sulk in solitude.
He closed his eyes and thought of Lucy. He wondered what it would have been like if she’d been alive in the 1860s. If she’d known him back in Texas, would she have liked him? Would he have been able to court her? Jesse imagined getting love letters from her while he was in camp. What a comfort it would have been to know he had a sweetheart back home who was missing him. Joel always bragged that Emma wrote to him all the time. It was one of the things that got him through all those lonely nights. Jesse had had no such comfort.
Jesse glanced toward the tavern, but decided against going in to watch Lucy. It hurt too much to think about her choosing Joel. It had been a horrible mistake to pick her for their wager. He never should have let Joel into his sacred world with Lucy. Jesse’s daydreams of Lucy were fast turning into nightmares of Joel taking over as her hero.
* * *
Both soldiers showedup in front of Meade’s Tavernat ten a.m. the next day.
Lucy spied them waiting outside as she walked toward the tavern. Shakily, she tucked her hair behind her ear. She’d thought a lot about the boys since yesterday and wondered if they would show up again. They were so handsome and friendly. She had hoped she would get to see them again, yet she was still nervous when she walked up to them.
“Not giving up, are you?” Lucy said to Joel and Jesse. They both grinned when they saw her approach.
“No way. Not until you’ve chosen the best man,” Joel said. He pointed to his chest and mouthed “me.”
Lucy chuckled. “I’ll need to get to know you better before I choose.”
“That seems fair,” Jesse said.
Lucy smiled warmly at Jesse. “I’ll tell you what. I take my lunch break around two o’clock. You can meet me here if you can get away from work for a bit.”
Both Jesse and Joel started talking at once, but Jesse spoke louder and drowned Joel out.
“That would be fine. I’m sure we can take a break at two,” Jesse said, looking at Lucy and ignoring Joel.
“Sounds good. I’ll be out here,” she said, gesturing at the outdoor tables, “if the weather’s nice.”
“See you soon!” Joel called after her as she went inside the tavern.
Lucy shook her head. They were rather strange, those faux soldiers. She couldn’t help but feel flattered that they were fighting over her. Sort of. It was just a game, and they could just as easily have picked any other girl, but it still felt good to have them arguing for her favor. Lucy usually felt invisible around men, especially since she was so shy, so this was a nice change. She didn’t want to be forced to choose a winner, but she’d worry about that later. For now, she’d just enjoy Joel’s pretty blue eyes and Jesse’s sexy Southern accent.
* * *
Later,when Lucy came outside with her salad and iced tea, Joel and Jesse were already sitting at one of the outdoor tables.
“Do you guys want anything?” Lucy asked as she set her lunch down on the table.
“Nah, we’re good,” Joel said.
“The food is great here, though,” Jesse said. He was much more prepared to talk with Lucy today. In the past, he’d never really thought about what to say to her because he never thought he’d get the chance.
“Oh, yeah?” Joel said, grinning. “You been here before?”
“Of course,” Jesse said confidently.
“Funny Lucy doesn’t remember you,” Joel said, smirking. He was trying to catch Jesse off guard.
Jesse smiled at Lucy. “She’s never been my server. I’d remember a beautiful girl like her.”
Lucy smiled and blushed. Joel frowned.
“What’s good to eat here, then?” Joel asked, trying again to make Jesse look stupid.
“I love the buffalo fries with pork,” Jesse answered easily. Nice try, he thought. Ghosts rarely paid any attention to food. They were never hungry and couldn’t even smell food anymore, but Jesse knew the Meade’s Tavernmenu backward and forward. He could name every appetizer, every drink special, every entrée. Joel would probably think Jesse had just brushed up on the menu in order to be prepared, but he knew it all from watching Lucy for so long.
“Too bad they don’t have Southern-fried possum for ya,” Joel muttered. That earned a small chuckle out of Lucy.
“Shut your mouth, my tender little orange blossom,” Jesse said mock sweetly. He turned to Lucy. “His regiment was called the Orange Blossoms because they were so sweet and delicate.”
“Because we came from Orange County, New York,” Joel correctly him sternly.
“So, tell me a little about yourself,” Lucy said, changing the subject and not addressing the question to either man in particular.
“I grew up in a small town in Texas. I worked on my family’s farm until I joined the Confederate army,” Jesse said, winking at her.
Lucy laughed. “I see.”
Joel glared at Jesse. Since Jesse had told her the truth about his background while pretending it was just part of his soldier “act,” Joel couldn’t do the same. Lucy obviously found Jesse’s “backstory” charming. If Joel followed suit and told her how he’d come to join the Union army, he’d just look like was copying Jesse’s strategy for currying her favor.
“I’m from Goshen, New York. I’m interested in history, so that’s why I live in Gettysburg now,” Joel said. At least the part about hailing from Goshen was true.
Lucy looked up, interested. “I love history! I’m a student at Gettysburg College. My major is Elementary Education, but my minor is history.”
“So you’re going to be a teacher!” Joel said, smiling.
Lucy looked happy and a little nervous talking to Joel. Jesse watched Lucy sorrowfully. It hurt so badly to see the way she looked at Joel. He couldn’t let that stupid Yank run away with the conversation, so he said, “I think you’d make a wunnerful teacher.”
“Thank you,” Lucy said, her eyes lighting up. “I really want to teach junior high or maybe high school. I’d love to get kids that age interested in history, you know? I want them to understand it doesn’t have to be boring. It’s not just dates and dry facts—it’s about real, living people.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Joel said.
Jesse snorted. “Suck up.”
Lucy had just taken a bite of salad and nearly choked from laughing. She took a sip of iced tea, then glanced at Jesse with amusement. It made him happy that she thought he was funny.
“Shut up, Secesh.”
“You shut up, Yankee Doodle!”
Lucy watched them curiously as they argued.
“Traitor!” Joel said, his eyes narrowing.
“Tyrant!” Jesse shot back.
“Grayback!” Joel hollered.
Lucy stared at the two of them. Jesse was suddenly embarrassed, realizing how crazy they must sound to her. They were supposed to be modern guys who were only posing as soldiers. Jesse struggled for something to say, to somehow explain their behavior. Lucy spoke first to break the tension.
“What’s wrong with grayback? I mean, why is that an insult?” Lucy asked. She gestured at Jesse’s uniform, which included gray pants with his white shirt and suspenders. “Rebels wore gray, right?”
“It means lass,” Jesse explained.
“Lass?” Lucy asked, more confused than ever.
“Lice,” Joel translated.
Lucy threw her head back and laughed. “Oh, I see!” She looked at Jesse, giggling, and he felt like the stupid hick Joel always said he was. That was, until Lucy spoke again.
“Is it real? Your accent?” She sounded hopeful.
Jesse grinned. “It’s real, darlin’. I really am from Texas.”
“Good. I like it,” she said with a shy smile.
Joel groaned. Jesse knew his accent was his strongest asset when it came to the opposite sex. The one area where Joel simply could not compete.
Jesse leaned over and looked deeply into Lucy’s eyes. He spoke in an exaggerated Southern accent. “Alabama. Y’all,” he leaned in closer and said seductively, “Grits.”
Lucy clapped her hands and laughed. Jesse chuckled, too. He loved hearing her laugh. Joel scowled, which made him even happier.
“You are too much, Private Spenser,” she said.
“Thank ye, ma’am,” Jesse said, “touching” the tip of his hat.
“Hey, I’m from Noo Yawk. I can tawk in an accent, too,” Joel said. Lucy laughed at his joke, too.
“Impressive,” she said. “But somehow it doesn’t quite have the same effect.”
“Hey, I tried,” Joel said, grinning at her and throwing his hands up in the air. He suddenly looked thoughtful for a moment. Sad even. “Your laugh reminds me of my wife’s laugh.”
Lucy looked shocked. She seemed a bit disappointed as well as surprised. “You’re married?” she asked, looking at him quizzically.
“Sort of,” Joel said, sadly looking down. All his spirit friends in Gettysburg knew about his beloved wife. It had been a long time since he’d had to tell anyone about her. Since she was long dead by now, he said, “Widowed.”
Lucy gasped. “Joel, I’m so sorry! You’re so young…”
“Well, I’m not as young as you might think,” Joel responded. “But I was twenty-six when I lost her.”
Jesse nodded sadly. That must have been Joel’s age when he left for the war. Who knows how long Emma had lived after that, but he never saw her again after he became a soldier. Jesse couldn’t help but feel compassion for Joel. Now that Jesse was in love, he could understand how hard it must have been for Joel to leave his wife, not to mention his children, to go fight with the Union army. He couldn’t imagine having had to tell Lucy goodbye when he joined the Confederates.
“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Joel said softly, looking at Lucy’s sorrowful expression.
“I’m so sorry for your loss.”
“Thanks,” Joel said.
They sat in silence while Lucy finished her salad. Finally, she said, “I have to get back to work.”
Lucy stood up, and Joel and Jesse stood up with her.
“Well?” both soldiers said at once, looking at her expectantly.
“You really want an answer now?” Lucy asked, amused by their hopeful expressions. “I need more time. Maybe tomorrow.”
Joel groaned, but smiled at her.
“It was really nice talking to you,” Jesse said. He touched his hat and bowed his head.
“Sure was,” Joel said, bowing slightly.
“Till tomorrow,” Jesse called after her as she went back to work. “I won’t stop till I’ve won your heart!”
Lucy’s face broke into a lovely, shy smile as she walked back into the tavern.
Jesse watched her go and was able to forget for a moment that Joel was even there.
“I can’t wait to rub it in your hillbilly face when she picks me,” Joel said, ruining the mood. “Still, I kind of hope she takes her time telling us her decision. I like talking to her.”
“Me, too,” Jesse said. I just wish I could talk to her without you around.
“It’s so nice to not feel invisible for once,” Joel said wearily.
“I know what you mean,” Jesse said, before the two walked off on their separate ways.