by Annie Boone
“I’ll go look around with you, then. Maybe we can at least take a step or two inside,” Tim responded.
Not to be left out, Delilah chirped up, “I can go, too, and look around.”
Jemma and Nick laughed at her assertiveness and Tim’s ever changing moods.
The afternoon was as close to perfect as Jemma had ever experienced. The children were happy, at least most of the time. They were blooming just as the wildflowers did in her cottage garden.
Tim seemed to be loosening up about Nick at times, though not often. She hoped that trend would continue. She couldn’t make her nephew like her new beau, but she could insist that he behaved politely.
Delilah took the lead of her brother. Her bouts of bad behavior were brief and not sincere. It seemed like it was the children against Nick and she was caught in the middle. Though she was sure Delilah would change her behavior when there was more stability to her life.
Nick was trying so hard to connect with the children. Tim resisted his efforts as much as he could. Jemma didn't really understand it. She didn't expect an eight-year-old to see the handsome man she did, but there was something missing for Tim.
Nor did she think Tim cared about his business sense, his plans for expanding his parents’ investment in the Silver Dollar Inn. He didn’t know that her heart fluttered every time she was near him. But she did wish they would get along cordially. They may one day be a family, but until then, she’d just help the children adjust.
Chapter Seventeen
Jemma loved the time they spent together as a foursome. No one, even the church pastor, seemed to mind the time they spent together with the children in tow. Janine still offered every once in a while to watch Tim and Delilah so Nick and Jemma could dine together in the dining room at the inn. Alone time for this couple was rare.
Nick had kissed her again after the first magical one. She looked forward to the next kiss each time his lips left hers. He was a dream man for her. She didn’t want this relationship to be sabotaged by her nephew, even if he was too young to understand the whole thing.
Jemma just shook her head and tried to settle the uneasiness in her stomach. She was excited about the possibility of a future with Nick Jansen. However, the children were permanent beings in her life. Their presence wasn’t something she was willing to change. Nick hadn’t asked her to only see him without the children, but she was paying attention in case he did.
That night a pattern began. Nick would come for dinner then Jemma would try to control the conversations between Tim and Nick. Nick would be frustrated with Tim's rising rudeness. Jemma would get upset at both of them.
Jemma could not push her unease aside. She felt like a storm was on the horizon.
***
One sunlit morning, Jemma was helping Janine with her vegetable garden. The two women had discussed all the Hewitt family news. Jemma felt like there was a possibly she could get some good advice from Janine.
“I don't know what to do with the children. They don't seem to like Nick at all. It's worse than ever now that we’re officially courting. Nick comes to dinner almost every night. Tim starts acting up just before he gets there.”
Janine nodded. “I think this might be the way Tim is letting his grief out. It feels good to him to be angry. He chooses a living person as a target for the hurt he feels over losing his parents.”
“I’m sure you’re right. It’s so uncomfortable, though. Delilah does just what her brother does. She comes off sometimes as more ill-mannered than Tim.”
“It sounds to me like Delilah doesn’t realize what she’s doing. She’s just supporting her brother. She’s too young to understand the difficulties of everything that’s happened.”
“I don't want to be harsh with them, but this has to stop,” said Jemma.
Janine said, “Jemma why don't you talk to Tim about Nick? Tell him what you’re feeling and your frustration. He may be the answer to the problem instead of the cause of it.”
“That’s a good idea. Thank you.”
***
Unbeknownst to Jemma, Nick was talking to his best friend, Josh, at the same time.
“I just don't get it,” Nick said. “That kid seems to hate me.”
“Oh Nick, Come on! You're making a mountain out of a mole hill. I’m sure of it,” Josh said jokingly. “How can a little boy be such a thorn in your side?”
“Because he stands between me and his aunt,” Nick said seriously.
Josh asked, “Well, are you gonna let that happen?”
“No, I'm not,” Nick said. “In fact, tonight I'm going to talk to that boy and we're going to set some things straight.”
Walking home from the Hewitt farm that afternoon Jemma decided to broach the subject of Nick with Tim.
“Tim, I was wondering if I might talk with you about Mr. Jansen for a moment?”
“I don't like that man, Aunt Jemma,” Tim immediately said. “He spends too much time at our house. I don't like how he takes up so much of your time. He doesn’t have the right to do that.”
Jemma was taken aback at Tim's deep feelings on the matter. She couldn’t believe the resentment she heard in his voice. She had no idea how to get this conversation turned in a productive direction. So, after they were back at the house, she decided to tell it like it is.
“Perhaps I was wrong to speak with you about it this way, Tim. You’re a child. We’re adults. Children don't have a say in adult matters. I guess I just need to tell you that I like Mr. Jansen. Quite a bit, actually. He isn’t going anywhere, and you’ll not be able to run him off.”
Tim picked up on the fact that he had made his aunt angry. He had never seen her so stern before. He didn't like it.
“I'm sorry, Aunt Jemma. I’ll try to be nice.”
“You are a kind boy, Tim,” Jemma encouraged. “If you could show Mr. Jansen some of that kindness it would please me more than I can express,” Jemma said.
The boy nodded and left the room.
***
Nick arrived early for dinner surprising Jemma with a handful of freshly picked flowers from the banks of the river.
“These Dutch irises reminded me of you, my sweetie pie,” Nick said.
Jemma giggled at his choice of pet names for her. It was wonderful and a little odd to be referred to by pet names. Jemma’s parents were the only ones who’d ever used pet names for her. She liked the feeling of familiarity. The intimacy was something she craved.
Tim overheard the lovey-dovey words and immediately grunted and slammed out the back door.
Nick followed him, intent on having a conversation. As he told Josh that afternoon he was concerned that Tim was such a hurdle between him and Jemma continuing their relationship.
“Tim, I'd like to talk with you a moment,” Nick sad.
Tim huffed and sat down in a heap on the ground.
“What's with all the adults wanting to talk today?” Tim asked out loud to no one in particular. Nick of course had no idea what he was referring to but was intent on getting his point across to this little boy, so he let the comment go.
“As you know, Tim, I’ve been seeing your aunt. I feel very strongly for her. And we’re moving towards a future together. This is something you need to accept. Being rude to me won’t change any of that. Slamming in and out the back door or stomping through the house will do no good, either.”
Tim stood up in a hurry. “You can't have my aunt. You can't take her from me. You are the devil and you only want to hurt Delilah and me.”
He ran to the back of the property before Nick could say anything else.
Jemma came out onto the back porch wondering what all the commotion was about. “What happened out here?”
Nick was completely undone and turned to Jemma saying, “I’ve no idea what to do with that boy.”
“What did you say to him to upset him so badly, Nick?” Jemma said sternly.
Nick took offense to Jemma’s corrective tone and replied, “Don't talk to me
like that, Jemma Braithewaite. I'm not one of your students.”
“Well you’re acting like a six-year-old little boy, right now!” Jemma replied angry at how things had spun out of control.
“Well, then you don't need another child around, do you Jemma?”
Then he turned and walked away leaving her standing surprised, angry, and frightened at the turn of events. He never looked back as Jemma watched him until he was out of sight.
Overcome with emotion Jemma sank into the rocking chair on her back porch and began to cry. It was the first time she had cried in over a month. Talking to Tim this afternoon had been the wrong move. Then what was Nick thinking by stirring the child up with whatever he said to him?
Delilah seemed unbothered playing with her corn tassel doll. But when she saw her brother running towards the house crying, she started to cry, too.
“It's all gone wrong, Aunt Jemma!” Tim said, rushing up to her.
Trying to dry her tears and stem her frustration, Jemma reached out to her nephew.
“What's gone wrong, Tim? Come and talk to me.”
“I'm tired of talking. All you want to do is talk. It's not fair. None of this is fair!’ he cried.
Jemma decided to let Tim stay in his room and she and Delilah had a very quiet dinner at the small wooden table in the main room. The room that had been filled with conversation and even some laughter every night since Nick had been courting her was now all gone.
Jemma could hardly keep herself from crying in front of Delilah. It took almost an hour to stop the child from crying this afternoon and didn't want her to get started again. Tim was unusually quiet, but Jemma was grateful for the silence.
That night, Jemma finally gave in. Her tears flowed like a river. She cried herself to sleep and even in the morning was surprised by how her tears had soaked her pillow. Perhaps she had been holding all of that and more inside over the last few months of life changing circumstances.
But she woke up feeling resigned. She knew what she must do. It broke her heart, but there was really no choice from her point of view.
She got up and drifted through her morning routine. The children seemed as if they’d forgotten all that had happened the night before.
She was about to put a loaf of bread in the oven when she saw a man on a horse ride into the yard. She knew immediately who was on that horse. She walked out to the porch and stood still watching him.
“Good morning, Jemma” Nick said as he dismounted his horse.
“Good morning, Nick,” Jemma said stiltedly.
“I wanted to come by and see how everyone’s doing this morning. And to apologize for the high emotion of last evening.”
“Apology accepted.”
***
Nick didn’t know what was wrong with Jemma and truly thought she would appreciate his coming to apologize. She was acting very strangely.
“I'm glad you came by, Nick. I’ve something I must say to you, too.” Jemma said. “I think it’s best if we stop seeing each other. There has been too much change in the children's lives and they cannot take anymore. It was selfish of me to indulge my desires. I ask your forgiveness. Now, if you’ll excuse me I need to get back to the children.”
Nick was beyond shocked. He could not have predicted in a million years that Jemma would break up with him. Over the children, no less.
He truly thought that morning he would go out to the cottage, they would make up, and be back on track. Instead, he found himself standing alone in the front yard at the cottage he had come to think of as a home.
Disappointed, angry, and embarrassed Nick remounted his horse and tore off out into the country. A good long ride would clear his head.
In the distance he saw a storm cloud beginning to form. He knew he needed to head back to town. There would be a storm coming tonight. It could never compete with the storm that was going on in his heart, though.
Chapter Eighteen
Jemma barely made it back into the house before she began to cry again. She sunk into a chair just inside the door and put her head in her hands. She was wiping her eyes with the corner of her apron when she realized that Tim was standing in the doorway to the kitchen.
He’d stopped in his tracks when he saw her crying. He finally entered the main sitting room quietly. “Aunt Jemma, I heard you crying last night, too. Are you mad at me?”
“No, honey, I'm not mad at you,” Jemma said trying to dry her tears.
“Are you mad at Mr. Jansen, then?”
“No, I'm not mad at him either,” Jemma replied. “You don't have to concern yourself with Mr. Jansen anymore. He and I won’t be seeing each other.”
“Ever again?” Tim asked.
“Well, of course we’ll see him in town and at church, probably. But he won’t be coming to dinner with us.”
Those words hit Jemma hard. It was final since she’d spoken it out loud. Tim would no doubt be happy and she wouldn’t be able to take this decision back. It was over with Nick.
She was so sad. She’d suffered a great loss that she knew she’d never fully recover from when Billy and Sylvia died. The loss of Nick felt oddly similar. She had fallen utterly and completely in love with him. But that didn't matter. What mattered were these children.
Confused and worried Tim could only add, “I'm sorry, Aunt Jemma.”
“It’s not your fault, Tim. Everything will be fine. Go back outside and play. It’s too nice outside to waste the daylight playing inside.”
The boy hung his head and went through the kitchen to the back door. He turned and looked at his aunt again, but she wasn’t looking at him, so he went out the door and closed it gently behind him.
Once outside, he found his sister playing under the big oak tree. “Aunt Jemma’s sad today. Everything's wrong. And we have to make it right. I think she’d be better if she didn’t have to worry about us. We should just go back to Lewiston.”
“But Momma and Daddy aren’t there anymore. Where will we stay?”
“I know that, Delilah,” he said choking back tears. “But we can be there. We’ll figure it out when we get there.”
“But I like it here,” Delilah said. “I like Aunt Jemma. She smells pretty. And Mrs. Hewitt lets me play with the pie dough.”
“I'm older than you and I know best,” Tim insisted. “Now don't say a word, I'll take care of the details.”
Delilah nodded, but she looked skeptical of her brother’s plan.
***
Jemma was supposed to help Janine with some vegetable canning and pickle making today. She decided she couldn’t face her friend quite yet. She wasn’t ready to share the decision she’d made about Nick.
When Thad showed up to pick them up right after lunch time, she had her excuse all ready.
“Oh, Thad, Delilah is feeling a little bit under the weather today. I think we all need to stay home. I certainly don’t want to spread a sickness to your family, too.”
She felt guilty that she was lying to Janine, but she couldn’t face anyone today. She knew that Janine would soothe her, but she wasn’t ready for that, either.
“Sounds like you’re getting the sniffles, too. I'll come by and check on you folks tomorrow on my way into town, All right, Jemma?” Thad said helpfully.
“That would be good,” Jemma said knowing that Janine would demand a report of everyone's state in the morning.
“Can I bring you anything?” he asked.
“You’re so kind, Thad, but I think we’re fine. Tomorrow will hopefully be a healthier day for us.”
Jemma wanted some quiet time to gather her thoughts. Before she knew it the summer was going to be over and school would be starting. She knew she would have plenty to fill her time then, but now she felt alone and terribly sad.
She wondered aloud, “How could things have gone so terribly wrong?”
Jemma was so caught up in her own grief, she didn’t pick up on how quiet the children were. She appreciated the peaceful stillness for a change.
She soon decided that everyone could benefit from an early bedtime. She was exhausted from not sleeping the night before and the heavy emotions of the day.
“Early to bed tonight, children,” Jemma said. “We all need to get a good, full night’s sleep.”
***
Tim couldn’t believe his good fortune. He had been planning the get-away all afternoon. Once everyone went to bed they could begin their way back to Lewiston. He was afraid Jemma would be up all night and they would not have their chance. He didn’t want to put this off any longer.
He could not figure out what was different, but the air seemed thick and the sun went down early. The wind was beginning to blow harder. Tim figured that it was just fall coming. He knew that the school would start soon, so he decided it was the change of seasons.
Tim was careful to stay awake. He stood just outside his aunt’s door and heard Jemma breathing regularly. He knew she was asleep. He went over to Delilah’s cot and woke her up.
“Shush. Delilah we have to be very quiet,” he admonished.
Delilah whispered, “It’s dark. Why are we leaving now?”
“It’s best this way, Delilah. That way we won’t disturb Aunt Jemma. Once we’re gone, she can have her old life back.”
Delilah began to cry softly. “I don’t want to go.”
“You must be very quiet. We have to go. Here, take your doll.”
Delilah clutched the potato sack doll Jemma had made her. Tim grabbed the bundle he’d made earlier and took his sister’s hand. They headed quietly out the back door.
They went toward the river behind the little red chapel. Tim’s plan was to follow the Yellowstone River into the mountains. He remembered his father telling him that the river flowed out of the mountains into the Montana Territory.
He reasoned if he followed the river into the mountains it would eventually take him to the other side. Lewiston had to be close once they got through the mountains.
