Chapter Two: Expressions

Monday June 20, 1910

The three friends walked around the house. "Sarah," said Lynn.

"I hope you don't mind but I invited Jake to join us on our bike ride. He can ride my father's bike."

Sarah shrugged. "Fine by me. Where should we go?"

"Darling Knob. You can see the whole town from up there. It'd be a great way for Jake to take in the sights."

They got the bicycles from behind the house.

Jake said, "My dad and I drove past Darling Knob yesterday. I'd liked to draw it sometime."

"Why, Mossier Jacque, ętes-vous un artiste?"

He was charmed. "Oui! I like to draw with colored pencils. I have lots of sketches of places I have been."

Sarah twirled. "Perhaps I will pose for you someday."

Jake replied hopefully, "Really?"

Lynn cleared her throat: "She didn't mean that way."

Jake was disappointed. "Oh."

Sarah pouted, "Sorry."

Jake looked down. "Oh well, I still think your beautiful face should be captured on my sketch pad."

Sarah winked. "Merci."

They walked into the house. "I'll go upstairs and get my sketch book."

Lynn opened the door. Sarah stepped in to the parlor.

"Jake? Who's down there?" said a man from the top of the stairs.

Jake shouted, "It's my new friend, Sarah Conrad." He winced. "Crud."

Lynn put her hands over her face and stomped on the floor.

Sarah was confused. "What?"

Lynn mouthed, "You're not supposed to be here!"

"Huh?"

"Jake Watson come up here post haste!"

"But, dad, we were just talking."

He yelled, "Now, Jake!"

Jake dropped his shoulders. He mumbled, "Sarah, I can't go bike riding with you after-all." He reluctantly ascended the staircase.

Sarah started to walk towards him: "Jake? What's…?"

Lynn caught her by the elbow. "Leave 'em be, let's go."

They went back outside and got on the bikes. They took off riding down Elm Street towards the park. As they rode, Sarah asked: "Lynn? Lynn? Why is Jake in trouble?"

"Forget about it, let's just ride."

Sarah huffed, "Fine, be that way."

When they had reached the flag pole at Eagle Creek Memorial Park, Lynn slowed down and then dismounted. Sarah followed.

They sat on a bench. Lynn took a moment to gather her thoughts.

Sarah cocked her head. "Did Jake do something wrong?"

Instead of answering her directly, Lynn asked, "What did Jake say about himself?"

Sarah shrugged. "Nothing earth shattering. He said he was thirteen, going into eighth grade… um, let's see, he plays trumpet. He used to live in Billings."

Lynn stopped her. "Did Jake say why he and his father left Billings?"

Sarah shook her head, no. Lynn exhaled. "Then, I think we're ok."

"Is Jake going to be punished?"

"Probably not. He did break a rule, but, he did it unintentionally."

A rolling baseball tapped her right foot. She looked down and grabbed it.

"Little help?"

"Of course, Mr. Hernandez." She tossed the ball; he caught it in his gloved hand.

Dr. Westbrook returned to the plate. "Thank you, Lynn."

Lynn gave a polite wave. "Sarah, I can't talk about it."

Sarah sighed. "Alright."

Lynn swished her mouth. "Let's go down the swimming hole."

Sarah nodded. They rode off together.

A few minutes later they were at the swimming hole. They put their bikes in the parking lot and walked down to the rocky bank of Eagle Creek, opposite the twelve foot diving ledge.

Lynn sat down on a bench. Sarah joined her. She looked straight ahead. "Why is Jake forbidden to speak with me?"

Lynn was insistent: "I can't go into it."

Sarah was irritated: "If you want to be my friend, Lynn Watson, you'd better go into it."

Lynn sneered: "Maybe this was a mistake."

She started to get up; Sarah took her by the hand and led her back down. Sarah spoke with a contrite heart: "I apologize. I've treated you poorly for a long time and I suppose those old habits are...."

"This is going to be difficult for both of us." Lynn put her hand on Sarah's hand. "But, I want to be your friend more than anything in the world."

Sarah was touched. "Really?"

Lynn slowly nodded. "With all of my heart, and part of friendship is trust."

Sarah agreed with her. "Then I trust you."

Lynn smiled. "Good. Sarah, my uncle never considered that we might become friends."

"And why would that possibility concern him?"

"It… it just does. Now please, I've said too much already. Just do me one simple favor. Do not mention to your father that Ross Watson is in town."

Sarah whispered, "My father has no enemies."

"Ross Watson is not an enemy but he is a business rival and that's all I'll tell you about him."

Sarah rubbed her chin. "I think I get the picture. I won't say anything, I promise."

Sarah crossed her heart.

"Thank you. You can tell your parents about meeting Jake, but, just say he's a new boy in town, not my cousin. They'll have no reason to be suspicious of that. Understood?'

Sarah made a monkey face to break the tension.

Lynn snickered. "O-ga, o-ga! So, have you heard from Emily?"

Sarah shook her head. "Her mother got a telegram saying they'd arrived in Helena."

"How's it going with Simon?"

Sarah raised an eyebrow. "Simon… who?"

Lynn guffawed, "Emily's terrible at keeping secrets."

Sarah hemmed and hawed. "I've written him everyday. So far... nothing."

"So he really meant it when he said he didn't want to be your boyfriend?"

Sarah bit her lower lip. "Uh-huh."

"I'm so sorry." Lynn leaned in, they hugged.

Sarah whined, "Why does this stupid love thing have to be so complicated?"

They broke the hug. Lynn shook her head. "If I had the answer I'd be with Tommy. Face it; we're all alone on this. My mother doesn't talk to me about these things, does yours?"

Sarah swished her mouth. "A little, I suppose. I guess they think the less we know about boys the better."

Lynn shook her head. "Everything I know I learned from my older sister, Mary Kate, or from Emily or one of those magazines. I mean, that's probably the way it is with most girls our age. Our mothers imagine that as long as we don't talk about it we aren't thinking about it. I'm sure it was the same when they were our age." Lynn sat up. "But then again, maybe...," Lynn shifted her eyes. "My goodness, Sarah, I don't know a thing about my mother. I mean… she's always been... mom. She's always been a proper lady who chastises me about wanting to look like those models in Vogue or Lucille Grant. She probably doesn't know how I feel about Tommy Grossman." Lynn growled to herself: "Why can't he love me like I love him?"

Sarah shrugged. "Beats me."

Lynn spoke wistfully, "Tommy was only the third boy I've kissed and beyond those two minutes of sheer paradise in the Tunnel of Love at the carnival he's barely noticed I existence!"

"I know. Love is like a shell game- like those men with the card tables in River City?"

"Yup. The dealer remains in charge and I'm the rube who never finds the Two of Hearts. I wish my mother would talk to me about boys and other aspects of the process."

"Well, don't just moan about it, talk to her."

Lynn shook her head. "We have nothing to talk about."

"You have everything in the world to talk about, Lynn. You mother is a decent woman. All you have to do is stop thinking of excuses and simply talk to her. Pour two glasses of lemonade, sit down and have a friendly chat. My guess is, she'd enjoy that very much. Your first question doesn't have to be about Tommy it can be, 'How was your day?' or 'What are your dreams?' or 'What did you want to do when you were my age?' Lynn, do you even know how your parents met?"

Lynn hesitated and then slowly shook her head, no. "She wouldn't talk to me so casually."

Sarah nudged her. "Would you rather say nothing and prove yourself right, or would you rather try to talk to her and prove yourself wrong?"

Lynn whispered, "I'd rather be wrong."

"Where is Peggy Watson right now?"

"At the dry goods store."

"Do you think she could use a hand?"

"Probably so."

"Then get going." They hugged once more.

The girls held hands and began walking back up to the parking lot. Sarah got on her bike.

"Do me a favor, Sarah. Take that bike home so we can go riding tomorrow with Jake."

"Thanks."

"Thank you, Sarah."

Lynn took off down the street.