by Stella Clark
“What’s her name?” Her voice came out much more strained than Ruby planned.
He sighed softly. “Jenna. Her name was Jenna.”
Nodding, Ruby rubbed her hands together and took a step forward. The name might have been on there once, but it had already faded. It was a shame, already being lost to the world. But not to the family she had built. If it hadn’t been for Jenna, Ruby wouldn’t be here now.
“Good morning, Jenna,” she offered to the grave. Her voice cracked, and Owen lifted his head to watch her. Confused, he wondered if she had gone crazy. But Ruby continued to talk out loud. “I’m sorry we haven’t met until now. I’m Ruby. I … I’m here with your husband, Owen, and I asked him to introduce us.
“I just wanted to come say … hello. And to thank you for letting me spend time with your family. Owen is a wonderful caretaker, and he’s so committed to this ranch and to your beautiful children. Parker is, oh, he’s so darling. He’s clever, and his voice is incredible. I—I’m sure he remembers you singing and thinks of you when he’s singing those hymns. And Kate. I’m so sorry you never had a chance to know her. But I’d like to imagine the two of you are just alike. She giggles constantly and wants to learn about everything. And she has your eyes, just like Parker. I’d like to think that I’m getting to know you through them.”
That strange sensation was flooding Owen’s heart again. No, it had crashed through and was making its way through his entire body. At first, everything felt wrong. Apprehension made him reach out to Ruby with an arm on her shoulder. But the more she talked, the warmer he felt. Owen’s throat tightened as Ruby wrapped her hand over his.
“I’m sorry, Jenna,” the woman sighed softly. “I’m so sorry you’re not able to hold your children or sing them to sleep. If I could … If I could ask for forgiveness, Jenna, for not having asked you first if it’s all right for me to be here. But if you will let me take care of your family, I promise I’ll do my best for you. For them.”
A tidal wave of warmth collided against the wall of pain Owen had been storing for the past two years. In that moment, Owen realized his faults. The truth was right there. Ruby was right there in front of him. The Holy Spirit and God had been trying to tell him everything, but he’d been too dumb and cowardly to trust them.
His hand slipped down her arm to her hand. Slowly, he intertwined their fingers as he stepped up beside her. Owen glanced from the grave to Ruby. The young woman’s eyes were misty as she offered him a small smile, hopeful that he approved.
It was the smile that she usually gave him. He’d thought it was shy, but now Owen realized that it was her way of asking if she was doing all right. As though she had to ask for approval to do anything. He felt foolish for not having noticed. Hadn’t he told her that no one would hurt her ever again? What good could he possibly do for her if she felt she had to ask for approval over everything?
The wall came down, and to his surprise, the old expected pain was gone. Instead, the warmth melted everything. Relief ebbed through his body as he squeezed her hand. Ruby had put forth so much effort, more than he could have possibly imagined. From loving the children to helping him with the animals, Ruby had been doing her best all along to be part of the family.
All he had done was leave her be, restricting her to the small bedroom. He tried to think of something to say as she turned to him, cocking her head. The soft curls framed her face and emphasized the sweet crinkle of her eyes. He straightened his shoulders and met her gaze after glancing at Jenna’s resting place.
He had felt her presence lately, a few times, late in the evening. But only now did he realize what she had been trying to tell him. It was time to let go. Jenna wanted him to move on. It was okay, and had been all along, and especially now that Ruby was here.
“Thank you.” Owen’s voice was scratchy as he tried to find the right words. “I … I think she would have liked you a lot. Jenna, I mean. You’ve been … wonderful. When I put in the ad, I wasn’t certain what would happen. But now it makes sense. God was in the mix. You’ve been working so hard, and I’ve just … I haven’t tried like you have. You’ve changed everything. The house, the children …”
She studied his face with a small half smile. “That’s what you do when you’re married, Owen. You change things. You make things better.”
Then he shook his head. “No. This is different. You, you’ve made everything better. And I haven’t even tried. But I promise I’ve seen it. I want to do better. You make me want to do and be better. I haven’t felt this way in—in a long time, Ruby. I never thought I would again.”
She blinked back tears. “Owen, I’ve only ever wanted to do right by you and the kids. I’d take anything I can out here. Even if you never … if we never … but you should know I love you. Jenna knows, and God knows, so you should too. I love Parker, I love Kate, and I love you.”
The lump in his throat disappeared. She was taking the words right out of him, and Owen was stunned. For a minute, he studied her face, wondering how this could be possible. He saw the scar on her neck, the freckles on her cheeks, the long eyelashes, then the plump lips. She was beautiful inside and out with her kindness, her warmth, her strength, her hope. The thoughts and emotions kept flowing over him, and he couldn’t take it anymore. They would not be ignored.
The pale pink and orange rays of a new dawn emerged behind Ruby, but for once, it was not the view that he cared for. She shone even brighter than the sun to him. Not knowing how to put it into words, Owen tugged her hand. Ruby teetered off balance, only to fall into his arms. They collided into one, and he took her face in one hand, urging her closer. Her body instinctively understood, not needing words before their lips met.
He closed his eyes against the light of the morning rays. The dawn was beautiful, but there would never be a moment such as this one. Ruby agreed, unable to help herself from smiling as she kissed him a second time and a third. His arm tightened around her waist, pressing the two of them together.
They could hardly breathe, but they had never been happier. She had hoped for something good to happen. But she could never have guessed she would feel this good. It was going to be a wonderful day. A very, very wonderful day.
The End
