Morning Glory by Carolyn Brown

to
express mine. So now, Mr. Anderson, elaborate. Why
shouldn't a woman work outside the home? We've
fought long and hard for the right to make our own
decisions."

    "I understand your position, Nellie. You don't have a
male cousin or an inheritance to keep you. You must
work, and there is a place for schoolteachers until they
marry, of course. But Clara has a choice and works
when she doesn't have to," Tucker said.
    Cornelia took up the cause. "I think any woman,
regardless of the situation, should be allowed to make
those decisions for herself."
    "They do have that right. But Tucker also has the
right not to agree," Briar said.
    "Thank you" Tucker nodded toward Briar. "If every
one of you wants to work, that's fine. But when I find a
woman, she'll be someone who will be content to make
a home and raise a family for me"
    "Good luck, darlin'," Bessie chuckled. "If you find
one like that she'll be about the age of me or Beulah or
your granny. You were born a generation or two too
late. There's a rebellion in the air and the womenfolk
are about to bust out of their corsets, Tucker Anderson"
    "Yes, ma'am, I might have really been born too late
in the scheme of things, but if I can't have what I want,
then I'll do without," Tucker said. "Now Briar, tell me
what oil company is it you've signed on with?" He changed the subject before Nellie could suck up
enough air to begin again.

    "I'm a roustabout for Rose Oil Company," Briar said.
    "Rose Oil Company? Had a man by the name of
Cecil Broadrick come visit me about leasing my land to
that company. Nice enough fellow. Know him?" Tucker
asked.
    "Know him well. He works with me. We just started
setting up equipment today to sink a well right across
the pasture fence from your land. All the indications are
that your property would have some oil. You could
stand to make a lot of money," Briar said.
    "Told Cecil I wasn't interested. I've told Standard
Oil no, as well as Magnolia and a dozen other fly-bynight companies. I like sitting on my back porch and
looking out over the land, seeing nothing but rows and
rows of cotton," Tucker said.
    "And Tilly?" Briar asked cautiously.
    "Tilly raises corn over on her place and runs a fine
herd of cattle," Tucker said. "She's a very private lady.
Don't like lease hounds or anyone coming uninvited."
    "I see," Briar said seriously. There was nothing to
keep him in Healdton if he couldn't talk the Andersons
into leasing their land and selling him their mineral
rights. Cecil could run the business without him. Yet,
even in the short while he'd been there, he found himself drawn to the area and the town.
    Clara used her napkin to wipe away a smirk as well as a dab of grease from her mouth. Briar Nelson might
be a refreshing change at the dinner table but he sure
hadn't been in Healdton since the day when God divided the land from the water so he had no right to the real
family history. He wasn't Healdton bred, born and
raised and had no idea what went on in their world. It
wasn't one bit of his business why Tilly or Tucker
didn't want a bunch of people fooling around on their
property. But still it was amusing to watch the fireworks
at the supper table: Dulcie all puffed up like a toad
frog; Tucker embarrassed at the blatant attention from
Olivia; Nellie and Cornelia up on a high horse about
their jobs; and just what was Briar up to anyway?

    Clara chanced a look toward Briar to find him staring at her. Not just looking or gazing past her into
space, but looking intently into her eyes as if he were
prowling around in her soul. She couldn't force herself
to look away. The space between them snapped and
crackled with friction. She'd never experienced such an
upheaval of emotions, not even when Percy dropped
off the face of the earth ten years before.
    But why now? she asked herself. She despised him.
One did not yearn for something they detested. Why, he
didn't even have enough sense to leave when he