She didn’t think she was just a burden, because Jim had said otherwise, so why was it that Jim didn’t want to marry her?

She didn’t know for sure why her relationship, which seemed so perfect, wouldn’t move forward, so she kept pondering on it. “Maybe he does love me but isn’t in love with me enough to want to get married,” she speculated, “In that case, when he says it’s comforting having me around, he really means it, but what does that make me?”

“Convenient,” she figured. She had fallen completely in love with him the moment they met and would do anything for him. Did that make her his easy woman? As she considered this possibility, she became more and more concerned about her wrinkles again.

Her thoughts were disorderly. She needed advice, and with a loud “fuck!” she heard just the right person fumbling about in the kitchen. Jim’s younger brother, James Davis, the third occupant of Jim’s General Store, scalded his hand on a hot pot.

“James, are you all right?”

“Yeah, I just burned my hand on breakfast is all.”

“It’s almost dinnertime you know.”

“When I wake up, I eat breakfast. It’s as simple as that.”

“You could always get up at a reasonable hour and eat with Jim and I.”

“Not you too Samantha. What hours I keep is my business.”

“I make omelets in the morning. I was just offering to make you one if you’re ever up at that time is all.”

“Ah, that’s what you meant,” James said as he sat down to a hot bowl of stew, “Thank you, but unless you’re omelettes cure Jim’s insufferable behavior, I’m going to have to pass on having breakfast with him.”

“Then how about I make an extra one, and keep it in the coldbox for when you want it. A cold omelette for breakfast is still better than last night’s stew.”

“Well sure, but why are you trying so hard to feed me an omelette?” James asked.

“Because I want you to owe me a favor,” Samantha replied innocently as she sat across the table from him.

James set his spoon down with a deadpan expression, and bluntly stated, “Nope. I don’t make open ended arrangements. If you want to pedal your omelettes, it’s going to have to be for something more specific than a favor.”

Samantha, entertained by her hopefully, future brother in law's predictable response, said “I want your thoughts on something.”

“I don’t know if they’ll be of any use, but either way I still get the omelette, right?”

Despite the fact he came off as a degenerate nearly every chance he got, James was far more intelligent than he let on, and often gave surprisingly thoughtful advice. An omelette was a fair price.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Either way you get the omelette.”

“All right deal. What’s this matter you’re worked up about?” James asked, scooping a spoonful of stew.

Samantha pressed her index finger to her pursed lips for a thoughtful moment. “Hmm… Do you think I’m an easy woman?” she asked, causing James to spew his spoonful of stew back into his bowl.

“Ahh, hot,” he said, attempting to play down his surprise from hearing his cute future sister in law’s uncharacteristically vulgar speech. He wasn’t fooling anyone. “Where did you hear a vulgar term like that anyway?”

“Oh, us girls talk about a lot of stuff.”

“Scary.”

“More than you know.”

James, still trying to play down his embarrassment, casually ate another spoonful of stew and said, “No, I don’t think you’re an easy woman. Why do you ask?”

“Will you agreed to keep this talk private?”

“I can, but it’ll cost you.”

“How much?”

“Three, no four, more omelettes.”

“That’s extortion!” she exclaimed with fake indignation.

“It is, and if you want me to keep your secrets, that’s my price.” James was resolute.

Samantha knew he was good to his word, and considering her predicament, four more omelettes for his silence was acceptable. “Deal,” she said with a sprite nod.

“So?”

“I don’t know why Jim doesn’t want to marry me but keeps taking care of me. So I was thinking that, maybe I’m just his easy woman.”

James involuntarily snorted a chuckle at how preposterous that sounded. He kept his stew in his mouth this time, but barely.

“Hey! It’s not funny. I’m really troubled by this.”

James took a moment to gather his composure and realize what it was Samantha was really asking. “Why hasn’t your brother asked me to marry him yet?” was the real question. Unfortunately, even though he knew the answer, it was not his place to speak for his older brother on matters like that. Still, he was getting paid, so he was obligated to clear up her misunderstanding the best he could.

“First of all, there’s no way your his easy woman. For that to be true, you’d have to disregard all the effort Jim puts into your guys’ relationship, so that part is provably false.”

Samantha thought about it, and conceded to his reasoning. Jim was always so thoughtful, there’s no way it could be easy for him.

“I can’t speak for Jim as to why he hasn’t pop the question yet, but I do know two things to be true. One,” he said, holding up one finger, “Jim is madly in love with you. Two, my brother’s more dense than lead about some things.”

As she thought about his words, a smile formed her face, not because they were the words she wanted to hear, but because James was the one saying them, so they were very likely true. At least James thought they were, and James knew his older brother for his entire life, so if anyone knew whether or not Jim was “madly in love“ with her, it was him.

“So you think he wants to marry me but doesn’t know how to ask?”

“Again, I can’t speak for Jim, but if it’s advice you’re looking for, then I recommend giving him a little nudge in the right direction.”

“And how should I go about doing that?”

“I can talk to him for you, if you’d like.”

“Absolutely not! Not a word of any of this to Jim.”

James rolled his eyes. “Fine, not a word.”

“So how should I do it?” Samantha asked eagerly. Since he had agreed to receive payment, he would definitely give her a good deal. He did. By the time James had finished his stew, Samantha’s head was spinning from all the tips and suggestions he’d given her. She was blown away by how insightful his advice was. It’s probably because his genes were the same as Jim’s, and Jim was very smart, and handsome, charming, kind, and… “Oh, I’m doing it again. I can’t wait to kiss him,” she thought. The restlessness she had been feeling was definitely eager anticipation now.

Those were five omelettes well spent.