by Emily Woods
Jed nodded.
“Of course,” he said, the corners of his lip turning up into a smile.
When Anna, Jed, and the girls arrived at the Pinecone Inn, Anna’s mouth dropped open in horror. The inn was in shambles. The red door of the inn that her mother had always lovingly spoken of was gone, and the inn was wide open for anyone to enter. There were large gaps in the white picket fence that surrounded the property, and huge chunks of paint were missing from each post. Weeds curled around the fence and covered the front lawn.
“What happened here?” Anna asked, bringing her hands to her face in disbelief.
Jed turned to his wife-to-be, confused by her strong reaction to a place she had never been before.
“The owners died. It was a family business, but with no family left in the area, the Pinecone Inn ain’t running anymore.”
Tears filled Anna’s eyes.
“This used to belong to my family,” she said breathlessly.
Jed stared at his bride-to-be.
“What did you say?”
Anna looked up into Jed’s concerned face.
“My family lived in Pinecone. You might have known my mother, Inge? She lived here in Pinecone, but she moved to Philadelphia when she was seventeen. Gerta and Paul, the owners of the inn, were my grandparents.”
Jed’s eyes widened.
“Everyone knew Gerta and Paul! I can’t believe you are their granddaughter. How did this all come to be?”
Anna shrugged as they sat in the wagon in front of the dilapidated inn.
“I saw your advertisement, and when you mentioned you lived in Pinecone, I thought God had sent a sign to me about my future.”
Jed took Anna’s hands in his.
“This is truly God’s work,” Jed said, staring into Anna’s pale blue eyes. “I never thought the family of Gerta and Paul would return to Pinecone. We all reckoned their name would die out here. How wonderful that you are here, Anna.”
Jed squeezed Anna’s hands, and she felt her body burn. Anna blushed. She looked down at her small hands wrapped tightly in Jed’s. Unsure of how to respond, she squeezed back, and the growing tug of desire in her belly intensified.
“This must be a real shock for you to see the place like this,” Jed said quietly, loosening his grip and letting go of Anna’s hands. “Let me take us back to the house for supper. We can eat, you can rest, and then, we will be wed.”
That evening, Anna and Jed were married in a private ceremony at Pinecone’s tiny church. Jed’s family attended, including his parents and two sisters, and Jackson stood up at the altar as Jed’s best man.
“Are you ready for tonight?” Jackson whispered to Jed just before the ceremony began.
Jed blushed.
“It’s been awhile, I know, but you had best be real good to your woman tonight, Jed,” Jackson teased. “God demands that two become one when they are married, and by the looks of your girl, I can only imagine that it will be real nice to become one flesh with her!”
Jed shot a dirty look at Jackson, who was laughing silently as the minister cleared his throat to indicate the beginning of the ceremony.
“Jackson is right,” Jed thought as his family rose from the wooden church pews to stand in honor of Anna’s entrance. “Anna is a real pretty girl, and I cannot wait to become one flesh with my wife tonight.”
There was no music playing in the church as Anna walked down the aisle, but Jed did not care. As his stunningly beautiful, lithe, confident bride floated toward him, Jed felt as though a choir of angels were singing. Anna wore a white satin gown with several petticoats beneath that made it wider than the church’s doorway. There were several lace ruffles at the bottom of the dress that moved up and down with each step Anna took. A thin, white lace belt highlighted Anna’s trim waist and accentuated the womanly curves of her hips. The gown had long sleeves trimmed in lace, and a modest square neckline that still managed to show off Anna’s thin shoulders.
Jed could hardly contain himself as Anna slowly approached the altar. She was so lovely, and Jed had never imagined that he would marry someone he felt such immense attraction to. His first wife had been sweet and pretty, but they had been so young when they married, and now, as he stood awaiting his new bride, Jed had never felt more of a man. Dressed in his brown Sunday church suit, Jed eagerly anticipated his wedding night, imagining the softness of Anna’s skin, and exactly what her curves would look like as her wedding gown lay abandoned in a pile on the floor of Jed’s bedroom in the hours to come.
Neither Jed nor Anna had expected much of their wedding night when they first began corresponding. Jed was preoccupied with concerns about his daughters, and Anna had primarily been focused on leaving the city before her mother could commit her to the convent.
Inge had hastily spoken with her daughter regarding the events of a wedding night, but after waking up next to her husband on the morning after her wedding, Anna was convinced that her mother had not adequately described the act that had forever bonded Anna and Jed together in holy matrimony.
“Good morning,” Anna whispered sultrily as Jed blinked open his eyes on the morning after their wedding.
Jed grinned at his new wife. Anna looked radiant in the morning light, and he pulled her close to him, wrapping his muscled arms around her slender body. Her wedding dress lay in a heap on the floor beside the bed, and both Jed and Anna blushed as they individually recounted the events of the previous night.
“I reckon you slept good?” Jed asked Anna.
Anna wiggled out of Jed’s grasp and faced her husband, propping herself up on one elbow. She winked at her husband. The blankets fell away from her body, and Jed felt himself grow hot with desire as he stared at his wife’s figure in veneration. Jed’s eyes traveled from his wife’s face, down to her toes, and back up again, and he could not resist stroking the bare skin of her shoulder.
“I didn’t sleep much,” Anna whispered to Jed.
“Why was that?” Jed asked, feigning surprise as he put his hands on his wife’s body.
Anna melted into her husband’s touch, and once again, they joined together in the most intimate ways of a husband and wife.
Anna effortlessly settled into life in the Harris household. Her new daughters adored her, and Anna surprised herself with her own domestic skills. Inge had always chastised Anna for being a poor cook and unskilled cleaner, but as she managed her own household, Anna was pleased to find that her husband and new daughters were delighted to have her meals on the table and their modest house as clean as Anna could manage.
“This is real nice, Anna!” Gracie said gleefully one evening as Anna placed the family’s dinner on the oak table in the kitchen.
“This is better food than Pa makes!” Evana agreed.
Jed had said nothing, but he smiled at Anna gratefully as she served the meal to her new family.
Jed was thrilled with his new wife. Anna’s spirited nature brought out qualities in Jed that he did not know he possessed. He was typically a serious, reflective man, but Anna made him laugh with her endless jokes and witty conversations. Jed was also enthused with his wife’s influence on his daughters. Both Evana and Gracie had taken to Anna immediately, and their behavior had improved significantly since Anna had arrived in Pinecone. The girls rarely shouted anymore, and they even offered to assist Anna with the household chores! Jed was happier he had ever been in his entire life, and he credited his newfound joy to his wife’s contributions.
Not only was Anna helpful in household matters, but she was also a loving, passionate wife. Jed and Anna spent each night wrapped in each other’s arms, and their affection for each other grew stronger with every passing day. Jed felt himself come alive when Anna was in his arms; he was proud of his strong, chiseled body and the way he could use his strength and patience to make Anna feel things she had never felt before.
Life in Pinecone was quiet, but Anna was happy. She knew that her journey to Pinecone had been destined by God, and she felt
more at home than she ever had in Philadelphia. Jed showed her the town and introduced Anna to his friends and family, and she felt more than welcomed into her new life. All was well, and Anna spent her days minding the house, caring for her new daughters when they returned from school, and tending to her husband’s needs each night as they shared special, intimate moments together alone in their bedroom.
“I couldn’t be happier,” Anna thought one day as she watched the girls approach the house in the afternoon, both skipping home from school arm-in-arm. “This is the life I was meant to live. This is home for me, and I am happy here, just as my grandmother was happy here all of those years ago.”
5
It was chilly September afternoon, and as Anna sat outside the Pinecone Inn on a red woolen blanket, she shivered. She had forgotten to bring her maroon coat with her, and she was regretting the misstep as the bitter wind nipped at her legs.
Despite the cold, her heart was warm. Anna ventured to the Pinecone Inn at least once each day while the girls were at school, and she always felt a sense of peace within herself as she lounged upon the same ground where her mother had once played as a girl.
Anna had written to her mother about the Pinecone Inn, and Inge had been saddened to hear of its current state.
The red door is gone? What a shame. Anna, dear, if you could have seen the inn during its prime, you would have been amazed! It was such a beautiful place; my parents put so much love and hard work into the very walls you yourself have now seen, and my heart breaks to hear that the Pinecone Inn is in disarray. It is a shame that the inn was given over to the town when my mother died; I wish I could be there to see it put to better use!
Anna was touched by her mother’s sentiments. The two had exchanged several letters since Anna had arrived in Pinecone, and she was relieved that Inge’s anger toward her had softened.
It brings me joy to hear that you are finding a good life in Pinecone, Anna. I have been praying for you, and for your husband and new daughters as well. It puts a smile upon my face to imagine you preparing meals and keeping a house, and I can only think of how pleased my own mother would be to know that her granddaughter is so settled in the town that she loved.
Anna pulled her knees to her chest. The sun would soon set, and Anna knew it would be time to begin preparing dinner within the hour. The girls would arrive home from school, and Jed would come home from his long day at the ranch.
Jed.
Anna’s body burned with lust as she thought of her husband. They were nearly inseparable when they were home together, and Anna licked her lips in anticipation of their special time together tonight. It was the six-month anniversary of their wedding, and Anna knew that they would sleep very little after the girls went to bed. She smiled to herself as she imagined what would come in the hours ahead.
“Excuse me?”
Anna gasped. She turned to see a well-dressed older man staring at her. She had not heard him approach, and she quickly rose to her feet.
“Yes? Can I help you?”
The older man nodded. Anna studied the man. He wore a black hat and had a black curly mustache. He was short and intimidating, but Anna’s heart still beat furiously in her chest from his surprising arrival.
“I am here to walk around the building. It is going to be torn down soon. I am here from Sacramento to inspect this site and to see what can be done before we begin demolishing it.”
Anna’s jaw dropped.
“Who sent you here? I don’t understand!”
The man tipped his hat at Anna.
“I just said it. I am from Sacramento. This town sent for me. Pinecone owns the building, and it is time for it to be torn down.”
Anna crossed her arms and held her head high, staring at the man with a menacing look.
“The town of Pinecone wants to tear this building down? This is a part of the town’s history! My grandparents owned this inn, and my mother lived here as a girl! This cannot be!”
The man shook his head.
“I believe the building has been up for sale for a while. You can ask the mayor, if you’d like. Either someone must buy this building soon, or I will send for my team in Sacramento and this shabby place will be torn to the ground.”
Anna silently fetched the red blanket from the ground and ran off toward her house. She arrived home out of breath and red-faced to find the girls waiting for her.
“Where were you, Anna?” Evana inquired.
“Why are you out of breath? Did you run real hard?” Gracie asked.
Anna threw the blanket into her small bedroom and returned to where the girls sat at the kitchen table.
“It’s a long story, girls,” Anna began to tell them as Jed walked in the door.
“My girls!” Jed exclaimed as he entered the house.
“Pa!” Evana and Gracie shouted.
Jed kissed each of his daughters on the head and then turned to his wife. He gathered Anna in his arms and placed his hands on her cheeks, guiding her face toward his for a long, deep kiss.
“Hello, Anna,” Jed whispered to his wife as he gently pulled back from their kiss. “Is something wrong? You look real worried, Anna.”
Anna took a long breath.
“Jed, it’s the Pinecone Inn!” Anna cried as Jed looked at his wife in confusion. “I was out there today, and a man came by! He told me the Pinecone Inn is for sale! Jed, I did not know that it could be bought! We have to buy the inn!”
Jed stared at his wife. He pulled back from their embrace and ran a hand through his wavy auburn hair.
“Anna,” Jed said softly as Anna’s face lit up.
“Jed, it would be amazing! We would fix up the inn ourselves, just as my grandparents did when my grandfather inherited the Pinecone Inn from his parents! Think of the legacy we would leave in this town! We could raise the girls there, and welcome guests who come to town, and we could even give our own babies a life there someday!”
Anna’s face was red with excitement. Her eyes shone, and she even jumped up and down.
“Jed, God sent me here for a reason, and I believe this is it! He knew that the Pinecone Inn would be best managed by someone from my family, and that someone is me!”
Jed folded his arms across his muscled chest and looked at his leather boots.
“Jed?” Anna said. “What is the matter?”
Jed was silent.
“Jed?”
Jed turned and walked out of the room.
“Jed? Come back!” Anna called out to her husband as she followed him into their bedroom. “What is the matter?”
Jed sat down on their bed and stared into his wife’s pale blue eyes.
“Anna,” he began. “I ain’t a rich man. We can’t afford to buy that inn.”
Anna shook her head at her husband.
“Don’t be silly, Jed! Of course we can! I’ve seen some of the jewelry you have here in the house. There is a whole box of jewels under the bed! We can sell those pieces off and have enough money to buy the inn!”
Jed furrowed his brow.
“What, Jed? I don’t understand why you have so much jewelry in the house, anyway! Are those gifts for the girls for someday?”
Jed rose to his feet and looked down at his wife.
“Those belonged to the girls’ mother, Anna,” Jed explained, his face growing dark. “She came from a real wealthy family, and she brought the jewels into the marriage with her. Those pieces are for the girls someday.”
Anna shook her head dismissively.
“They are young girls in the West, Jed,” Anna argued. “Surely we can sell a few pieces! Gracie and Evana will never need that much money, or that much jewelry!”
Jed stared at his young wife in disbelief.
“Jed, this would make me so happy! I was destined to own the Pinecone Inn! The girls won’t miss a piece or two of the jewelry, and we could get a good price on one of the necklaces or rings if we find a buyer from out of town!”
Jed glowered at his w
ife. Saying nothing, he turned and left the room.
“Jed?”
Anna again followed her husband. He feigned a smile at the girls and then walked outside of the house. Anna quietly stepped outside as well, and once the door to their house was closed, Jed began to speak.
“I cannot believe you are asking me to part with things that belonged to the mother of my girls, Anna,” Jed hissed at his wife.
Anna’s eyes widened. Jed had never spoken to her in such a harsh tone before, and a shiver went down her spine as he began to shout.
“How dare you, Anna? I ain’t a rich man, but I ain’t a bad man for not wanting to buy you this inn! You said God sent you here for the inn? Anna, God sent you here to be my wife! God sent you here to be the mother of my girls! How could you only think of yourself? I reckon I ain’t never known someone so selfish!”
Jed’s words echoed in Anna’s ears. Her face turned pale, and she knew she had made a mistake by being so oblivious. She had found the jewels months ago, and after asking the girls about their origin, Anna knew she should have known better than to have suggested Jed sell off the remaining possessions of his deceased wife. Anna’s heart sank as she watched her husband’s face darken, and she regretted every word she had uttered to Jed in the last ten minutes.
“Jed,” Anna said, reaching out to touch her husband’s shoulder.
Jed jerked away from his wife and walked away from her. He walked off the Harris property and toward the town. Anna fell to her knees and began to sob.
“How could I be so selfish, Lord? What is the matter with me?” Anna wept.
6
“You left her alone after y’all had your words with each other? Jed, that isn’t the Godly thing to do!”
Jed buried his head in his hands. He and Jackson were sitting on the steps of the general store, the place where Jed’s love story with Anna truly began. Jed had gone in search of his best friend following the argument with Anna, and now, as the two men huddled together outside of the general store, Jed knew that he had failed his wife in his moment of anger.
