Epilogue
“Are you certain you have everything you need?” Travis asked for the third time as he placed a new reader on each of the children’s desks.
Josie opened a wooden crate resting on her desk and pulled out books for arithmetic, science, history, and literature. “I am.”
Her school supplies had arrived a day late, leaving much to unpack and sort before the second day of school began.
But having Travis there to help had been a blessing.
She and her husband had woken before dawn to organize the schoolhouse, making up for the chaos of the first day when the lack of supplies had made everything more stressful.
Now, as she unpacked the last crate, a sense of relief settled over her.
“You won’t have to escort us to school tomorrow,” Josie told Travis, glancing up as she stacked the books by subject. The day before, he had ridden behind them all the way to town. “There’s planting to be done.”
Travis set his empty crate on Josie’s desk and smirked at her. “Planting can wait.” Taking her hand, he brushed his thumb over her skin in a slow, tender motion. “I’m going to miss you.”
Josie frowned. “I’m going to miss you too . . . and Gideon and Nathan.” Her heart sank at the thought. Spending the day without them yesterday had been torture. But knowing Rose was at the parsonage next door, watching over them, had been a small comfort.
Rose had advised her to wait a year or two before teaching, but Josie wasn’t one to sit idle when work needed to be done—just like her stubborn husband. The town needed a teacher, and she was determined to do her best, even if it meant coming home to a pile of chores at the end of the day.
Travis lifted Josie’s chin. “Let me know if you need anything. I want to help in every way I can.”
“I will.” Josie smiled, straightening her shoulders. “Don’t worry about me. I have everything under control.”
Travis’s upper lip twitched before splitting into a grin. “Want me to gather some switches outside?”
Josie slid her hand across the desk and picked up a twelve-inch ruler. “I have it covered,” she said with a sigh, patting it against her palm. “I just hope I won’t have to use it.”
Travis threw his head back with a deep chuckle before setting his hat on his head. “Boy, I thought you knew enough about children.”
Josie’s lips pursed, and she popped his behind with the ruler. “Hey! I never lied about that in my letter. You knew about my experience.”
Travis gently pulled her wrist, closing the space between them. He pressed a firm, lingering kiss to her lips. Josie let the ruler slip from her fingers and wrapped her arms around his neck, melting into his embrace.
Travis pulled back, brushing her cheek. “I love you, Jo.”
“I love you too, Travis.”
The clock on Josie’s desk rang, startling her. She quickly reached down to silence it. Travis tipped his hat with a smirk. “Well, I’m off, Mrs. Blythe. The wheat ain’t gonna plant itself.”
Josie huffed and shook her head. “The wheat is not going to plant itself.”
Travis beamed, shooting her a wink. “Have a good day, wife. You’re going to bring a wonderful change to this town.”
Josie’s cheeks warmed as she fought back a grin.
Oh, how she loved that man. But she hated to see him leave.
What would it be like now to glance out the window and not see him plowing a field?
She sighed, then picked up the cowbell Jonas had bought her with his hard-earned nickels from mucking out the stalls.
As soon as she rang, the children stopped their playing and flooded into the schoolhouse.
Seeing them eagerly entering made her heart melt.
During the weeks of preparation, she had pinched herself countless times just to be sure this was real.
She was a teacher at last, providing every child in the town with an equal opportunity to learn.
Josie had thought it would be years before she could step into this role, given the town’s limited funds, but with the community’s support, the school had finally been approved.
Josie would make hardly a cent, but seeing the children run to their seats with an eagerness to learn was more valuable than precious jewels or gold.
While the children took their seats, Josie moved to the front of the classroom and began writing her daily agenda on the chalkboard.
The students’ voices softened to whispers, just as she had instructed the day before.
They were to use their inside voices upon entering and remain quiet unless called upon.
Being the early stages of the school year, Josie was certain they’d grow tired of etiquette and eventually challenge her authority, but she liked to think positive.
Josie turned to face the classroom and clapped. “Students, please turn to page three of the readers on your desk.”
The sound of pages turning ruffled through the classroom, but when the door opened, their attention shifted. Two boys stepped inside. The first was tall and lanky compared to the other who was much shorter. They removed their hats, waiting patiently for Josie to acknowledge them.
“Good morning. My name is Mrs. Blythe, the teacher,” Josie said with a welcoming smile as she approached them.
“Me name’s Jeremy O’Leary,” the taller one with dark curls said in a thick Irish accent, looking no older than sixteen. The other boy stood beside him, reserved and quiet. “And this here’s me brother Francis.”
“Nice to meet you boys,” Josie said. “We are all glad to have you both.”
Josie hadn’t seen the boys before and assumed they must have been new settlers coming into Willow Grove.
According to Travis, the spring and summer months always brought new settlers from the east, but all the way from Ireland was a different story.
The only Irish settler was Ronan, and he came from Boston with Caroline.
“Francis, how about you sit in the front by my son, Jonas. Jeremy, you may sit by Miss Alice Walsh to the right of you.”
“Andy,” Josie called, looking at the reverend’s son, who was seated on the front row with his brother, Paul. “Would you read the first sentence to us?”
Andy nodded, straightening in his seat, and prepared to read aloud.
As he spoke, Josie’s gaze drew to Alice and Jeremy.
She noticed how Alice moved a bit closer to him than the other children did with their desk partners, giving him a bright, gleaming smile.
Jeremy peeked back at her, mirroring the smile with a hint of shyness.
Josie couldn’t help but giggle inside as she watched the scene unfold.
It seemed she would have more than just misbehaving children to deal with; a new romance was blooming in Willow Grove.