He nodded.
“Why?”
“Because I’ve been on my own for too long now. I want to settle down. I want a place to call home. I... don’t want to be lonely anymore.” He tightened her in his arms. “And Amelia, I want them all with you.”
A surprised gasp ripped from her throat and tears filled her eyes. “Oh, Chet... Are you sure? I mean, I don’t want to love you if you’re just going to leave.”
He frowned and shook his head. “Are you thinking of what Miss Mullins said?”
She nodded.
“Please, don’t think of her. I never loved her, and I shouldn’t have made her think I was coming back to marry her.” He kissed Amelia’s forehead. “In fact, I’ve never thought about wanting to settle down until I met you.”
Squeezing her teary eyes closed, she pressed her head against his chest. His hands rubbed comforting circles over her back. It was still difficult to make herself believe this was all real. Never in her life did she think she’d meet a man who could love her and want to be with her forever. The Stones definitely tried their hardest to make her feel worthless.
“Amelia, I’ve fallen in love with you,” he whispered. “I want to marry you.”
She hiccupped a laugh. Tilting her head back, she looked into his eyes. His expression was sincere, making her want to cry with happiness.
He wiped a tear sliding down her cheek. “Do I need to ask Uncle Theo for your hand in marriage?”
She smiled widely. “No. He’s not really my relative.”
“What about your brother?”
“Considering I’ve believed him to be dead most of my life, I don’t think you’ll need to ask his permission, either. Just mine.”
He nodded and released her, only to kneel on one knee in front of her and take her by the hand. “Amelia Florence, I love you and I want you in my life forever. I want to have children with you and grow old together. I want to gaze into your remarkable hazel eyes and kiss your sweet lips until I’m old and decrepit.”
She grinned, loving his confession.
He placed a kiss on her knuckles. “Will you make me the happiest man alive by agreeing to become my wife?”
She tugged on his hand, urging him to stand. When he did, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly, putting her feeling into the way she moved her lips across his and held him tightly. The kiss turned passionate, and she was sure he could feel her answer, but she really needed to tell him. She really needed to say the actual words that had been in her mind and in her heart for a few days now.
As difficult as it was, she reluctantly broke the kiss but stayed in his arms. The love shone in his eyes, melting her heart that much more. She caressed the sides of his face, loving looking at him and pressing up against him so closely.
Just as she opened her mouth to give him her answer, the sound of wagons growing near made her pause as she looked over her shoulder toward the cabin through the thick trees. They had visitors already?
“They’re here,” Chet whispered before bending and kissing her neck.
“That was fast.”
“I’m assuming because this is a small town, that word travels quickly.”
She peered at his handsome face again, smiling. “I can’t believe any of this. I feel like I’m in a dream.”
“This is real, Amelia.”
“I love you, Chet.”
His eyes twinkled as he bent his head to kiss her again. Unfortunately, they couldn’t continue this. She wanted to personally thank everyone who donated furniture for her cabin.
She turned to leave, but he grasped her arm, stopping her. “There’s one more thing I need to tell you before we return.” Pausing, he inhaled slowly.
What could possibly be more important than confessing his life and proposing? “What is it?”
“Amelia, when I was at the general store, I think...” He licked his lips. “I think I met your grandmother.”
Another shock hit her, but this one made her whole body shake as her strength drained from her head. Chet quickly took her in his arms. Her mind spun with the possibility... Her grandmother was really here? But the real question was – how could she convince the woman that she was her long-lost granddaughter?
FOURTEEN
Chet rubbed his palms up and down her arms and around her back, trying to bring back warmth to her body. Perhaps he should have eased into the topic instead of jumping right in. He also kept waiting for her to yell at him or get upset for finding the old woman first.
She tilted back her head and met his stare. “Are... you certain it was her?”
He nodded. “I believe so. The older woman has your eyes and the shape of your face. She also has your sweetness. Her name is Mrs. Densley. As we were talking, I’d mentioned that I was helping my friend, Amelia Florence, and she remarked on having a granddaughter with that name.”
Slowly, Amelia shook her head. “I don’t remember the name Densley.” She shrugged. “Then again, I called them Grandmother Ruth and Grandfather Hank. I also remember that she and Grandfather gave us peppermint sticks.” Tears filled her eyes again, but they didn’t fall. “Our family moved away from them when I was seven. Grandmother and Grandfather had visited us twice after that.” She breathed in a shaky breath. “When the Stones first came to the school to take us to the orphanage, Bobby kept telling them that we had grandparents that would raise us. The Stones wouldn’t listen. They didn’t care.”
His heart twisted. “My darling, Amelia. When I was at the store, Mr. Densley was giving a peppermint stick to a little girl.” He cupped Amelia’s face with one hand. “We need to get you and Mr. and Mrs. Densley together. I’m sure they are your grandparents. Mrs. Densley was a very nice lady. You would love her.”
She nodded and pushed out of his arms, wiping her eyes. “Yes, you’re right. I’m ready. Lead the way.”
He kissed her forehead again. “Darling, I think you’d better go first. We’ll be seen coming out of the trees together. That’s not a good thing.”
“True.” She gave him a weak smile. “I’ll go first.”
“Be strong, Amelia. I know you can do this.”
“Yes. I can.”
As he watched her walk toward the cabin, his heart swelled with love. Although she didn’t really say yes to his marriage proposal, he was certain she loved him enough to want to marry him. They were good together. She completed him just as he knew he completed her. And while she went through this difficult time of finding her family, he’d be right beside her.
Before they married, however, he needed to meet with Mayor Tidwell and get this case closed. Someone else would have to find the mayor’s daughter – as long as they stayed far away from Amelia since she was innocent.
Voices from the arriving wagons had him focusing on those instead of his thoughts. Bobby and Uncle Theo had come out to help greet their visitors as Amelia ran toward the group. So far, he could see a table and chairs in one wagon, and a dresser in another wagon, and in the third wagon was a couch.
He smiled, saying a prayer of thanks that Spruce Hill was the kind of town where neighbors helped each other. He also prayed these were forgiving people, too, especially when they discovered Amelia wasn’t really widowed and Gracie wasn’t her daughter.
Once Amelia reached the wagons and was being introduced to some of the townsfolk, Chet felt it safe to leave the trees. He casually walked in their direction as he eyed those who helped to carry the furniture into the house and those wagons still arriving. Thankfully, none of them were Mr. or Mrs. Densley. He didn’t want everyone around when Amelia finally recognized her grandparents. That sort of meeting needed to be done in private.
One wagon pulled to a stop and the woman whose hair was dark like Amelia’s and who had a little girl sitting beside her, jumped to a standing position and gasped. Her attention was on Bobby.
Chet held his breath. Did she recognize him as being a thief?
“Bobby!” The woman shrieked and scr
ambled out of the wagon.
Bobby stiffened and turned toward the woman. Amelia’s head snapped toward the shrieking woman and stood frozen with wide eyes. Something wasn’t right here, and Chet felt he might need to step in and help soon before the chaos started.
AMELIA BLINKED AT THE woman running toward Bobby, not believing what she was seeing. If she didn’t know any better, she would think it was...
“Pru?” Bobby gasped. “Is that you?”
The shock blasted through Amelia as she stared at her older sister, Prudence. Amelia’s limbs wouldn’t function as she watched her brother and sister run to each other and hug the other tightly. Pru’s shoulders shook as she cried, and it appeared that Bobby was sobbing, as well.
Amelia wanted to run to them and join in the family reunion, but her heart and her mind were not communicating. She recalled the heartache of hearing that her sister had run away from the orphanage, and then the anger that had filled Amelia when she couldn’t understand why Pru hadn’t taken her along. She would have rather been with her sister than to endure the endless beatings and starvation that the Stones had put their orphans through. Amelia wanted to scream at her sister and accuse her of not caring enough about her family to stick together. Not caring about her who was the youngest out of the three Florence children.
Bobby cupped Prudence’s teary face and said something to her before turning and pointing toward Amelia. Prudence gasped again and started crying. She walked toward Amelia with her hands over her mouth as she shook her head in disbelief. Amelia also didn’t know whether to believe any of this, either.
“Oh, Mellie! Look at you.” Prudence stopped in front of Amelia. “You’re all grown up now. You look just like the memories I have of our mother.”
Amelia took a deep breath, looking over her older sister slowly. They were all grown up with many memories to sustain them. If only Amelia could forgive her sister.
“Pru,” Amelia said softly. “I can’t believe you’re here.”
“Oh, Mellie.” Prudence wrapped Amelia in a hug. “I missed you so much.”
Amelia couldn’t do this. She needed more time to think. She needed room to breathe, because her chest kept squeezing tighter and tighter. Although she shouldn’t cause a scene, she still pushed away from her sister’s arms. “You missed me? Indeed, you had me fooled for fifteen very difficult and unforgiving years.”
She turned and stormed into the house. Her throat was tense with emotion. She wanted to cry. She wanted to scream. She wanted to hide away and not have to deal with these feelings. It was so hard to accept since she’d wanted her family back for fifteen years, and yet she couldn’t forgive her brother and sister for leaving her there.
In haste, she looked for somewhere in her house to be alone, but with people carrying in furniture and supplies, there was no place to go. She moved past Gracie who looked up at her with worried eyes. She couldn’t explain things to Gracie now... not until she could deal with the rush of feelings better.
As she hurried out of the house, she bumped into Chet. He grasped her shoulders, stopping her. She looked into his eyes and shook her head. “I... can’t breathe.”
“Come with me.” He took her hand and led her to his horse.
He lifted her on top first before mounting behind her. Before she could say anything, he urged the horse into a run. The farther away from the cabin they rode, the better she could breathe, and slowly, her body relaxed.
Amelia leaned against him and he wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her against his chest. Gradually, the horse slowed to a trot. She inhaled better and looked over her shoulder into his handsome face.
When his gaze met hers, he smiled. “Are you feeling better now, my love?”
“Yes.”
He leaned over and kissed her forehead.
“I’m sorry for that display back there. I just couldn’t...”
“Shhh...” He touched a finger to her lips. “You don’t need to explain. I completely understand.”
Her eyes burned with tears, but she was so tired of crying. “That was my sister.”
“I figured as much.”
“I haven’t forgiven her for leaving me at the orphanage. She should have taken me with her when she ran away. We both thought Bobby had died.”
He pulled the horse to a stop and then wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. “You haven’t forgiven your brother yet?”
Sighing heavily, she shook her head. “Yes and no.” She closed her eyes and pressed her head against his chest. “Oh, I don’t know, Chet. What should I do?”
“I don’t want to be the kind of husband who tells my wife how to think or how to feel. I want to share things with you, not be your commanding officer.”
She moved her head to look at him. “What would you do if you were me?”
“I’d quickly marry the man next to you because he loves you so much and he can’t wait to be your husband.”
Through her sadness, he made her smile. How could she not love a man who could do that? “Of course, I will. Did you have any doubt?”
He caressed her cheek. “And then the next thing I would do if I were you is to sit down with my siblings and listen intently to their reasons for why they left me behind. Then, and only then, would I judge them accordingly.”
She nodded. “You’re right, of course. I only know how I felt. I don’t know why they did the things they did.”
She stared into his dreamy gray eyes for a few silent moments. What would she do without this man? “Chet, I love you.”
“And I love you.” He kissed her lips briefly before pulling back. “Are you ready to return to the cabin?”
She nodded. “As long as you are beside me, I can accomplish anything.”
“Strange that you would say that because I happen to think the same thing about you.”
Smiling, she wrapped her arms around his waist as he took them back to the cabin.
FIFTEEN
Amelia moved from person to person, thanking them for their generosity. She chatted with a few of them a little longer, getting to know the people of Spruce Hill. She learned that Hunter Winfield didn’t actually run the mill, but the deputy’s wife, Bethany Spencer, did. Amelia met the man’s wife, Lilian, also. It also surprised Amelia to see Miss Mullins show up with some food and act genuinely happy that Amelia was going to live in Spruce Hill.
As the morning hours passed, she didn’t talk to her sister, but she occasionally watched her. Apparently, she had a daughter that looked to be around Gracie’s age. So far, the two little girls were getting along splendidly as they played in the yard. Bobby tried a few times to talk to Amelia, but she pushed him away and continued to get their home set up.
She couldn’t help but see how well her sister visited with the other ladies in the group. They seemed to like Prudence well enough and she fit right in. Perhaps Chet was correct when he suggested that Amelia listen to her sister’s explanation. After all, it was time Amelia’s heart started healing so that she could forget the past.
A man’s warm hand on her back, made her turn. Chet’s sweet smile made her heartbeat quicken. He really was the perfect man.
“I need to leave for a little while. I just received a telegram from Mayor Tidwell. He’s in town and wants to meet me at the Staghead Café.”
Fear tightened her throat and she glanced around, looking for Gracie. She would not let that man take Gracie. The little girl was not his daughter!
“It’s all right,” Chet said calmly. “I’m going to convince him that all leads were dead and that you had nothing to do with the kidnapping of his daughter.”
“Don’t let him know I’m here or that Gracie is here.”
“I hadn’t planned on it.” He smiled. “Trust me. I’ll clear this up. Before that man leaves to return to Astoria, he’ll know you had nothing to do with his daughter’s disappearance.”
“Thank you.”
He squeezed her hand briefly before turning and leaving.
She prayed he would be able to convince the mayor. She couldn’t be put in jail for a crime she didn’t commit.
“Merry Christmas, Mrs. Florence.” Bethany Spencer waved.
Amelia found her smile and tried not to worry about Chet. “Thank you again for coming and donating a bed. May the Lord bless you, always.”
“When I get things settled at my place,” Bethany said, “I’ll send over a supper invitation. I can’t wait for you to meet my husband.”
“I’m looking forward to it.” Amelia nodded.
As Bethany walked out, Dinah Mullins and Lilian Winfield walked up to her and stopped. Amelia clasped Lilian’s hands briefly, before giving the same gesture to Dinah Mullins.
Amelia smiled. “Thank you both for your help. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you.”
“Welcome to Spruce Hill,” Lilian said. “I’m very happy to see more women coming into this town. Heaven knows we need it.” She glanced at Dinah. “Isn’t that right?”
“Oh, of course.” Dinah nodded. “And I hope you consider us your friends.”
“I wouldn’t think of you any other way,” Amelia replied. “Both of you have made everything perfect. This has been the best December I’ve ever had.”
“Merry Christmas,” the women chimed as they left the house.
“Christmas?” Bobby asked, moving beside Amelia. “It’s not Christmas yet.”
Amelia rolled her eyes. “No, but it’s the Christmas season, you dolt, and that is what you say to others, especially those who have selflessly given of their time to help us out.”
Bobby brushed his dirty hands against his pants. “Well, I’m not that sentimental... yet.”
“Suit yourself, dear brother, but I assure you, in order to feel the Christmas Spirit, one must give to others. Maybe that’s something that will help you change into a better person.”
He shrugged. “Perhaps.” He slid an arm around her shoulders. “Pru is still here. She really wants to talk to you.”
The Widow's Secret (Keepers of the Light Book 5) Page 9
