by Amy Field
“I wanted to say it is not necessary. I’m not that hungry and you will be late going home,” he said.
She stared at him for a while before she spoke.
“Oh,” she said as if his words had just registered.
Turning towards the counter, she began replacing the items in the cupboard.
“I guess that means it’s time for me to go,” she said when she turned to face him once more.
“Good evening Ruth,” he said walking her to the door. He needed her to go before he followed through on what he was about to do a few moments ago – something he was sure he would regret.
Ruth turned to him.
“See you in the morning,” she said shyly.
He gave her a tight smile and watched as she descended the porch steps and walked towards the buggy. When she was finally out of sight he went inside.
He had to do something and fast. His feelings for Ruth were getting out of control to the point that he didn’t think he could trust himself around her. The more he thought about it, the worse he felt. The only solution was to let her go. Yet he knew it wouldn’t only be difficult for him.
Hope had grown so attached to Ruth that she had slipped and called her “Mama,” one day when he was home with her. He had to explain that she was Aunty Ruth. Still he could vision her having a little daughter like Hope. She would make a great mother he thought.
When Ruth got home, she feigned tiredness and went to her room as a panic attack came on. While in David’s presence she had forgotten all about Riley but after their near kiss and his hurried dismissal of her the thoughts of Riley resurfaced.
He had promised that he would be back, which made her fearful. She began to wonder if he knew where she lived and how long it would be before he made contact with her family. All of this was going through her mind before she finally dozed of. Even in sleep, her thoughts were on the problem and she had a terrible nightmare that the whole community – even her mother and father shunned her because they found out what she had done. She woke up with a start, her heart beating fast and perspiration on her brows.
Unable to go back to sleep, she knelt by her bed and prayed.
In the morning she was still exhausted, but she pulled herself together as she needed to get to the little girl who would be looking out for her.
She wasn’t quite prepared to see David after all that transpired last night but there was no way to avoid him. She suspected their interactions would become awkward now but she needed the money to help her family out. She couldn’t quit now.
“Good morning,” she said with a slight smile as he opened the door for her.
“Good morning,” he replied. “Hope isn’t up as yet but I have to leave now; so I’ll see you later,” he said rushing through the door.
She didn’t get a chance to respond as he practically ran down the porch steps towards the barn where the other buggy was.
Ruth closed the door and chose to get her morning started. She made Hope’s Cereal and did some light dusting as she waited for the little girl to rise.
The two spent the rest of the day as they usually did and to her relief there was no sign of Riley. She hoped that meant he had left town seeing as she wanted nothing to do with him.
After putting Hope down for her evening nap, Ruth made dinner and placed it under a cover for David. When he got home, to avoid the awkward moment she was ready to go as soon as he stepped through the door.
He was surprised but said nothing other than to wish her a good evening.
The rest of the week continued in that fashion – him being ready to go as soon as she got there, and her being ready to go when he got home. The longest interaction they had was after service when Hope refused to release Ruth to go to him. She wanted to Ruth to come with them and they tried their best to explain to her that Ruth had to spend time with her other family.
It broke her heart to let the little girl go with David after seeing her pout but there was nothing she could do – she wasn’t hers.
The next week started as it had last week but by mid-week the menace of her past showed up again.
“What do you want Riley?” Ruth asked the boy standing before her with a sheepish grin.
“You know what I want Ruth,” he replied, his tone prosaic.
She waited for him to expound on his statement, her hands on her hip and her lips set in a grim line.
“You Ruth, I want you,” he finished.
Folding her arms over her chest, she stared him straight in the eyes as she replied.
“It’s over Riley; I will never come back to you,” she declared.
“But I love you and I want to marry you.”
Ruth scoffed disbelievingly.
“After all that you put me through, you think I would want to marry you?”
“You’re not understanding Ruth,” he said shaking his head at her as if she were a child.
“You don’t have a choice. Either you marry me, or I’ll let your parents know how far from a good little Amish girl you are,” he threatened with a smirk.
Ruth’s eyes opened wide with terror.
“You wouldn’t,” she replied alarmed. “Try me,” he dared.
Just then she heard the sound of horse’s hooves coming up the path. Looking over her shoulder, she realized that it was David. Her heart plummeted to the sole of her feet.
Riley turned his head in the direction she was looking before turning back to her with a dangerous smile.
“Your boss is here. Maybe I should practice telling him to gauge the type of reaction your parents and the community will have.”
“Please don’t do this Riley,” she pleaded with him.
He didn’t respond but turned to David who was approaching them, wariness in his eyes as he looked from her to Riley.
Ruth palms began to sweat and she found it difficult to breathe. Clutching her chest tightly, she waited for it all to be over.
“Hello sir,” Riley said in a respectful tone. “I’m a friend of Ruth’s I just came to pay her a visit.”
“Oh?” David replied raising a brow.
“And where do you know her from?” he asked taking in Riley’s attire of a blue denim pants, a plaid flannel shirt and white sneakers.
“When she was in New York,” he replied casually. “I was passing through town and I thought I would pay her a visit, to catch up on old times.”
David looked behind the young man at Ruth, who hung her head . He could visibly see that she was shaking and he immediately knew that something was wrong.
“And does Ruth welcome this visit?” he asked narrowing his eyes at the boy.
“Of course she does,” he replied in a jolly voice. “Don’t you Ruth?” he asked turning toward her.
Panic flashed in her eyes but she shook her head in agreement none-the-less.
“Well I must be going now,” he said in a satisfied tone.
“I hope you remember what we talked about,” he said to her and David was sure he heard a threat in the statement.
“I’ll see you soon.”
David watched as the young man walked down the path and got into his car before turning questioning eyes on Ruth.
“Are you alright?” he asked.
She merely shook her head before turning to go inside.
David reached out a hand to stop her.
“You’re shaking,” he observed.
“I’m fine,” she said, not turning to face him.
David led her by her hand inside before turning to face her. He could see moisture in her eyes and knew that she was far from okay.
“What did that young man say to you?” he asked watching her eyes widen with fright before she turned her head.
“Nothing,” she muttered.
David grew impatient by her reluctance and held her by the chin forcing her to look at him.
“I can’t help you if I don’t know what’s wrong, Ruth,” he implored making her see that he genuinely wanted to help her.
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Her tears began to flow uninhibited and it caused something to snap in him. David drew her into his arms and ran slow soothing circles against her back. Without thinking he kissed the top of her head in comfort.
“Shh, it’s okay,” he cooed. “I’ve got you; I won’t let anything hurt you,” he promised.
David found himself lifting her into his arms bridal style as he took off for the living room. Not wanting to release her, he sat in the sofa with her still in his arms as he cradled her head against his chest.
They remained in that position for over ten minutes, neither saying anything, him offering her strength. Suddenly her head turned to look at him and he found himself bending his head towards her. When their lips connected, it felt like fireworks went off in his head.
Her lips were soft and warm and sent jolts of electricity pulsating throughout his body. He had never felt anything quite like this – not even with Sarah.
When they finally came up for air, he rested his head against her forehead as they both tried to catch their breaths.
“Are you ready to tell me what has you so scared?” he asked looking down at her.
Ruth removed herself from his arms and scooted over to the other end of the settee, her head bowed in shame.
“You won’t look at me the same if I tell you,” she replied.
“You’re judging what my reaction will be. Try me,” he implored.
After a few more minutes of silence, she finally spoke.
“I had an abortion six months ago,” she dropped the bomb.
David sat silent, stunned. He knew there was more to the story.
“Riley, the guy from earlier, he told me that if I didn’t get rid of it I would live to regret it. I listened to him and I went and had my baby aborted. It was the stupidest thing I have ever done and I can’t take it back,” she sobbed.
David sat still and closed his eyes for a moment. In a flash what he’d learnt in his Amish upbringing about love and forgiveness, punishment and rejection whirled through his mind.
Suddenly he became calm.
He reached for Ruth and pulled her back into his arms.
“I can’t imagine how difficult that must have been for you but I am proud of you for admitting it. That’s the first step to healing,” he told her.
This made her cry even harder as her arms encircled her tummy. He waited for her tears to subside before asking.
“What does this Riley fellow want now?” he asked.
“He said if I don’t marry him, he’s going to tell my parents and everyone what I did,” she replied her voice flat and void of feeling.
David once more kissed her forehead.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it,” he assured her.
Oddly enough, Ruth believed him. His arms made her feel safe and protected. She felt like she could stay that way forever and the evils of the world would never get to her.
That evening, David took Ruth home, asking her to keep Hope while he ran some errands.
The first thing he did was to return home for his checkbook and then he left for the small bread and breakfast that was run by an Amish family on the outskirts of town.
After enquiring about Riley, he found out that the young man was due to arrive back at any moment. He decided to wait for him on the porch.
“Riley,” David called out as soon as the young man made it up the steps.
Recognition dawned and he smiled mischievously.
“You’re Ruth’s boss right?”
“That is correct,” he replied in a somber voice.
“What can I do for you?”
David looked him squarely in the eye.
“How much will it take for you to disappear and never return?” he asked seriously.
The young man laughed.
“So what are you; her savior?” Riley asked jokingly.
David rose to his full height and sauntered towards the man. Riley took a step back as he recognized he was no match for David.
“It doesn’t matter what you see me as. I asked you how much will it cost for you to disappear forever?” he asked once more staring the young man down.
“Fifteen Grand,” Riley replied.
David smiled as he removed the checkbook from his jacket.
“Consider this your payment to never set foot back here,” he said tearing out the check he had just written.
Riley eagerly took it as a broad smile stretched across his lips.
David looked him straight in the eyes once more.
“If I ever set eyes on you again, you will be sorry,” he threatened, moving around the boy who swung to the side to avoid him.
As he made his way home, he felt relieved that it had been that easy to get rid of the stupid little boy. He couldn’t really say that Ruth was completely out of the woods yet but as he made his way home, he made up his mind to do something that would put him in the hot-seat with a lot of people.
The next morning, Josef dropped his daughter and Hope off at David’s.
Ruth anxiously knocked the door not sure of what to expect.
The door swung open and she stared in shock at the person before her. If it had not been for his smoky grey eyes she probably would not have recognized him.
“David?” she asked disbelievingly.
He smiled, the action causing the corners of his eyes to crinkle as she saw the lift of his high cheek bones and the defined laugh lines on his clean shaven face. He was truly a handsome man and it took her breath away – literally.
“Hi Ruth,” he greeted, moving aside for her to enter.
Hope looked at him as if unable to determine if it was her father that was before her or not. She reached up to touch his beardless face.
“Papa,” she said as if seeking confirmation.
“Yes Hope Dopey, it’s me,” he responded. Hope reached for him and he took her.
“Come,” he gestured for Ruth to follow him.
“Why did you remove your beard?” Ruth asked him as she sat in the sofa.
“I thought it was time for a change; to stop living in the past,” he replied.
Setting Hope beside her, he proceeded to kneel before her. Taking her hands he stared intently into her eyes.
Ruth stared at their connected hands, wide-eyed.
“I’ve been thinking a lot lately,” he started. “I need a mother for Hope, which would mean I also need a wife,” he continued to say.
Ruth simply stared at him waiting for him to continue.
“Since you came into my life, I’ve felt so alive again and try as I might to ignore it, I started developing feelings for you. I see the way you look at Hope and I know that you love her as if she was your own little girl. That makes me happy. When Riley threatened your wellbeing and I saw how distraught you were, I realized I never wanted to see you hurt like that. I would do anything to protect you Ruth,” he said the last part with much feeling.
At his revelation, tears began to run down her face as she waited for him to continue.
After a deep breath, he continued.
“What I’m trying to say is, I love you Ruth and I want you to be my wife. I can’t promise you that we won’t go through hardships but I do promise to make you and Hope my priority and I will spend the rest of my life showing you just how happy you make me feel. Even if your father or the community doesn’t agree, I still want to marry you.”
When Ruth didn’t say anything, he rushed on, “That is, if you’ll have me.”
Instead of answering she looked at Hope who was looking at their exchange with curiosity. She smiled at the little girl before turning to face him again.
“I love you,” she responded, making his heart jump for joy. “And yes, I will marry you.”
Ruth cupped his face in her hands and adjusted her head so that their lips met in a sweet endearing kiss. She then reached for Hope and hugged her to her chest as David sat beside her with his arm over her shoulder.
They were starting a new journe
y in life. They both decided to leave their past behind as they sought to make new memories together. To them nothing else mattered but their new family.
THE END
Secret Baby Romances
Book I
The Billionaire’s Secret Baby
Chapter One
Camellia Moore twirled, remaining rooted in the same spot, as she examined the interior of her almost completed project. The project was one of her most recent jobs, the complete designing of an untouched apartment that her clients, the Fergusons, had bought. The Fergusons were dream clients, they didn’t complain and they actually listened to her when she was talking about improvements instead of trying to push half-baked ideas down her throat. She liked clients like them.
“The mural isn’t done yet,” she frowned.
Tracy Jackson, her invaluable secretary of four years looked at the ceiling. She had a folder in her hand in which she noted down the complaint. It was her job to take down every problem that Camellia spotted.
“I’ll ask them to get on that,” Tracy assured her.
“They should have finished it already. The Fergusons want the apartment in two weeks and I showed them the plans for the ceiling. The design was my idea and I can’t have it incomplete.” Camellia said and then looked at the wall. “I told them to finish the painting of the walls too.”
“I am sure they’ll get right on that,” Tracy said. “You worry too much.”
“I guess I do,” Camellia said sheepishly.
Tracy giggled and looked at Camellia. In the years she had worked with Camellia, she had come to appreciate her as a friend and employer. Camellia was young, twenty-five, but already the owner of a successful independent architectural firm. The firm had only two employees, her and Camellia but people didn’t matter. It was the quality of the people that mattered, which was the first thing that Camellia had told her. Tracy herself was three years older than Camellia and felt a sisterly affection towards her; Camellia inspired that feeling in everyone.
Camellia’s looks played a big part in that. She had large, innocent blue eyes with long, auburn hair which went with her heart shaped face. Despite her delicate features, Camellia was taller than Tracy without wearing heels and had the quiet dignity that select women were born with.
