“Thank you all for this,” she said, her voice catching for a minute. “And not just for the construction and the furnishings, but for caring so very much.”
Her sisters squeezed her in a hug. “Goose!” Bridget said. “Of course we care. We love you.”
“You’re our big sister,” Maeve added. “We need you at your best to look out for us.”
How could she have doubted her sisters’ motives, their undiminished love for her? Just because they were starting new lives didn’t mean they were going off and leaving her behind.
It was she who, out of her fear and loneliness, had erected unnecessary barriers.
But no more. The Murphy sisters were family, come what may. Whatever they did for each other, they did out of love. She knew that now.
She saw Cam out of the corner of her eye. Somehow she had to reach him, help him understand how, like her, his thinking was painfully flawed in one small but important area of his life.
But how could she get through to him?
Chapter Nineteen
The next morning when Nora arrived at the sheriff’s office, Cam opened the cell door and set Mollie free.
“You don’t ever have to go back inside there,” he told her, “if you stay on the straight and narrow. But if you do anything to hurt Nora or Grace, or slip back into any of your old ways, then our deal is off and it’s back in here to face the music. Understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
Nora immediately put the girl to work scrubbing floors while she herself started in on cooking their breakfast. She kept a close eye on Mollie, though she tried not to be obvious about it. Gavin, however, had no such compunction. He was still angry at the girl for the kidnapping and no amount of reasoning could change his mind.
After breakfast, Nora led Mollie across the way to Cam’s and Ben’s living quarters, with Gavin trailing closely behind. As they climbed the stairs to Cam’s place, Mollie looked back over her shoulder at Gavin.
“You’re the one I nearly ran over with the horse that day at Miss Murphy’s place, aren’t you?”
Gavin’s scowl deepened. “I am.” His tone was curt.
Nora opened the door and led the way inside. She didn’t comment, deciding to let the two work this out on their own.
“Well, I’m very sorry for that and I’m glad you weren’t badly hurt. I know that probably doesn’t mean much, but I truly am. When those children saw me I got scared the sheriff would catch me. I knew if he found out I’d come here as a stowaway he’d throw me in jail.”
“As he should.” Gavin wasn’t showing any signs of softening.
She nodded. “You’re right. And if I’d known he was such a good man I wouldn’t have feared it quite as much.” She gave a sketchy grin. “But even so, being put in jail is never a pleasant thing to consider.”
“Then you shouldn’t do anything illegal.”
Nora figured that was enough discussion on that topic. “Okay, Mollie, let me show you where the mop, broom and cleaning rags are, and go over what needs to be done. Ben’s rooms are downstairs and you’ll do the same down there as up here.”
Once Nora was certain Mollie understood what needed to be done, and had observed her work for a few minutes, she left the girl under Gavin’s watchful and very suspicious eye. Crossing back to the jailhouse, she placed Grace back in her buggy and headed for the general store.
Mrs. James greeted her with a smile. “Good morning, Nora. Glad to see everything is well with you and little Grace.”
“Thank you. I’m starting back into my baking today. Would you like to place an order?”
“Two of your cinnamon pound cakes and an apple pie if you can manage that.”
“Of course. I’ll have them ready for you this afternoon.”
Nora made quick work of her shopping, then eyed the dry goods section, intending to get the seeds for the kitchen garden. But then she spied the bolts of fabric. She’d noticed this morning how soiled and tattered Mollie’s dress was. The girl very likely only had the one.
Making up her mind, Nora pushed the stroller toward the fabrics, then studied the bolts, selecting a simple green color that she knew would complement Mollie’s complexion and eyes.
Mrs. James cut it to the proper length for her, then folded and handed it over. “That will make a lovely dress for you,” she said. “Are you making it for a special occasion?”
Nora smiled. “No, nothing special.” Not feeling the need to volunteer anything else, she quickly paid for her purchases and returned to the sheriff’s office.
She got lunch started and placed a pie in the oven, then relaxed and gave Grace her bottle. Once the infant was sated she lapsed into a morning nap.
Nora returned to the kitchen, ready to do more baking. She hummed as she worked. There was her standing order to complete, of course. But she also did a little experimenting, trying a new combination of flavors in one pie and playing with size and thickness in a batch of cookies. It was fun to try new things, new ways of making her desserts.
“Sounds like someone is having a good time.”
Nora glanced over her shoulder, surprised she hadn’t heard Cam return. “I’m playing with flavors in here and they’re turning out well, if I do say so myself.”
“Dare I hope me and my deputies will get the benefit of some of your experiments?”
She smiled piously. “One should always have hope.”
He shook his head at her rejoinder, then looked around. “So where is Mollie?”
Nora put the pie she’d been assembling into the oven, then turned back to him. “She’s cleaning across the way. Gavin is keeping an eye on her.”
“How is she doing so far?”
Nora didn’t hesitate but chose her words carefully. “She doesn’t do things exactly the way I would, but then everyone has their own ways, and she’s getting the job done. I truly have no complaints about what I’ve seen of her work or her attitude so far.”
She moved forward, stepping past him. “In fact, while I’ve got a few minutes, I probably should go check on how she’s doing.”
She bent over the buggy and saw Grace was sleeping. “Oh, she’s napping. Would you mind keeping an eye on her for a few minutes? I won’t be long and I hate to wake her.”
She saw that familiar distressed look in his eyes.
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea. I mean, I might be called away on official business.”
“You can always just step out the back door and call if you need me to come tend to her.”
“Still, I think it best—”
Ben walked in just then, interrupting Cam’s protest. As if he’d just been rescued from a burning building, Cam greeted his deputy with a broad smile. “Ah, Ben’s here. He’ll be glad to help you, I’m sure.”
“Of course I will,” Ben said agreeably. “I’m at your disposal, Nora girl. What do you need?”
Recognizing defeat when she saw it, Nora smiled Ben’s way. “Just keep an eye on Grace for a few minutes while I step out back. She’s napping and I don’t want to wake her.” She shot Cam a frustrated look. “Seems the sheriff here is afraid his official business might get in the way.”
Cam cleared his throat. “That’s right. You never know when an emergency situation might arise.”
Ben made a shooing motion with his hands. “You just go on about your business now, we’ll watch over little Gracie for you.”
As Nora crossed the narrow alley to the lawmen’s quarters she shook her head in disappointment. She’d thought Cam was beginning to get over his apprehensions about being around children, but apparently she’d been wrong.
This misguided fear of his was robbing him of the potential for so much happiness. She had to find a way to help him see the kind of man he truly was.
The kind of father he could be.
That thought set a fluttering in her stomach.
Father Almighty, I want to help Cam see the truth of this matter, but I’m not sure how anymore. Pleas
e help me to find a way. Present me with the right opportunity, the ability to recognize it and the courage to act on it.
Later that afternoon, when Cam drove them home, Nora found herself seated between Mollie and Cam. The addition of an extra adult forced her right up next to Cam. During that short ride, which felt unusually long today, she was all too aware of his presence beside her. Every bump and sway of the wagon caused them to brush against each other, and each brush sent tingles through her. Did he feel even the tiniest bit of that unsettling reaction? Or was he truly as unaffected as he seemed?
* * *
“This will be your room.”
Mollie looked around at what had briefly been Bridget’s room. “It’s nice. In fact, it’s been a very long time since I’ve slept in a place so clean and comfortable looking. Thank you for letting me use it.”
Nora studied Mollie thoughtfully. “Don’t you have any possessions to store here at all?”
“No. I had a few things I hadn’t already sold off when I boarded the ship—some extra clothes, a hairbrush and mirror, a couple of hair ribbons—but I lost it all when my carpetbag was stolen on the docks in Boston.”
Nora led her from the room and back down the stairs. “Well, then, you’ll have to borrow one of my dresses and a nightdress until we can get you some additional clothing of your own. Do you sew?”
“I’ve done a bit of embroidery work and some mending, but I’ve never actually made an article of clothing before.”
Nora nodded to herself. She thought she’d detected undertones of a genteel upbringing in the girl’s voice. This reference to embroidery work and lack of practical sewing skills confirmed it. What had driven Mollie to leave that life behind for this one? “No need to worry,” she said. “Agnes and I will teach you. You never know, that’s a skill you might be able to use at some point to help you earn some money.”
“I’m willing to try to learn anything you want to teach me.”
The girl was certainly making an effort to have this arrangement work out. Nora moved toward the kitchen. “Now, I think a nice long bath may be in order before we do anything else.”
Mollie stopped in her tracks. “Do you mean it, Miss Murphy? It’s been so long since I’ve had more than a dip in a pond or a quick wipe with a wet rag.”
“Yes, a real bath. Now, the washtub is in the back room, right through there.” She pointed to what had formerly been Laird’s office. “I’ll put the large kettle on the stove to heat up some water. There’s a bucket over by the back door you can use to start hauling water to fill the tub.”
Once Mollie was happily settled in the tub, Nora went to her room and looked over her dresses. It didn’t take much time. Besides the one she had on, she had three others, and one of those was the special blue dress she’d worn to Bridget’s wedding.
She picked up the brown one—serviceable but not too worn—grabbed her sewing bag and went downstairs. She paused long enough to scoop up the basket that held Grace and went out on the back porch.
She set Grace’s basket on the floor of the porch near the swing, then sat down and threaded her needle. It was so nice to sit out here and enjoy the evening breeze. And the swing was quite comfortable.
She smiled as Grace gurgled, swinging her arms with such abandon. Apparently Grace liked it out here, as well.
When she looked up again she saw Cam headed back from the barn. He stepped on the porch and sat in one of the rockers. “Getting some mending done?” he asked.
“I’m shortening this so it will fit Mollie.”
“Giving her the clothes off your back now?”
“Just until we can get her some of her own.”
“And where is Mollie?”
“She hasn’t run off if that’s what you’re worried about. She’s taking a bath.” Nora grimaced. “And I told her to wash the dress she was wearing while she was at it, so I need to get this finished quickly.” She looked up momentarily from her sewing. “By the way, I meant to ask, how did the list of her transgressions turn out?”
“She was surprisingly forthcoming. Perhaps it was because she wasn’t certain how much I already knew. But the list is long. Mostly small stuff, though. Like the produce from Amos Lafferty’s garden.”
“Have you talked to any of the people affected yet?” she asked. “Do you think they’ll be satisfied with having her pay them back rather than serve time in prison?”
“Oh, I think getting reparation is going to be accepted by the victims quite well. It’s the rest of the townsfolk you’ll have worry about.”
Nora’s hands stilled for a moment. “What do you mean?”
“They’re not getting anything out of this and to their way of thinking I’m letting a thief, and maybe worse, walk free among them.” He raised a brow. “Don’t forget, it was just a few short days ago that they were scouring this area because she’d kidnapped an infant.”
How foolish of her not to have realized that. “Do you think that’ll mean problems for Mollie?”
Cam shrugged. “If she works hard, does as she ought and doesn’t get into any more trouble, I think folks will eventually accept her.” He paused but she could tell he wasn’t finished. “Your attitude will go a long ways toward smoothing the way for her,” he finally added. “If folks see that you’ve forgiven her they are more likely to look for the good in her themselves.”
Nora nodded and resumed her sewing. What Cam had said made sense, but the responsibility that added to her shoulders seemed daunting. She offered up a silent prayer for help not to stumble in her efforts.
* * *
Cam watched Nora ply her needle, the quick efficient movements counterbalanced by the soft frivolity of her humming. It was so reflective of the contradictions that made her so uniquely Nora that it made him smile. He watched the light breeze tease a wayward tendril into escaping her bun and he itched to twine it around his finger to see if it felt as soft and playful as it looked.
This is how God meant for family life to be, he thought. Not the dark, ugly thing he’d grown up with that was filled with fear and hate and guilt. But this—this sense of warmth and peace and fulfillment, along with just a touch of mystery and the push-pull of attraction.
A gusty breeze scurried across the porch just then and Nora lifted her face into it, eyes closed and lips slightly parted, as if welcoming a lover’s kiss.
It was a spontaneous, artless gesture, but the sweet arch and smoothness of her neck, the innocent pleasure in her expression, took his breath away. What would she do if he closed the distance between them, took her in his arms and gave her the kind of kiss he longed to, the kind of kiss a suitor gave to his lady to communicate the depth of his feelings?
Cam stood abruptly, caught off guard by the turn his thoughts had taken. When had he started feeling this way?
It didn’t matter. He wasn’t her suitor. And he wouldn’t ever be.
And he’d better find somewhere else to be before he forgot that.
Chapter Twenty
After dinner that evening, Mollie helped clear the table and clean the dishes. Once that was done, it was time to feed Grace. Nora quickly filled the bottle with milk fresh from the evening milking, then picked Grace up.
Glancing across the room, she caught Mollie watching them. The girl looked away and busied herself with wiping the counter, but not before Nora had seen the sad longing in her eyes.
“I’m feeling the need for a bit of fresh air,” she said impulsively. “Mollie, would you like to give Grace her bottle tonight?”
She could feel Cam staring at her but refused to look his way.
“Me?” Mollie’s expression was both hopeful and fearful at the same time. “I don’t…I mean, I might not do it right.”
“Of course you can. Grace does most of the work anyway. Come, sit here at the table and I’ll show you.”
Mollie slowly walked to the table. “I don’t think she likes me. I mean she mostly cried when I had her last.”
When you
took her from me you mean. Nora quickly pushed that ugly thought aside. For this arrangement to work, she had to let go of all those feelings.
“One of the things you need to understand,” she explained to Mollie, “is that Grace can sense your mood. If you’re nervous, or irritable or frightened, she’ll feel it and it will make her fussy, as well. So when you’re holding her, focus on her, not on your own feelings. Think about how beautiful and precious she is, and how blessed you are to have her with you. Because if what she feels is your love, she’ll feel safe and secure, and it will soothe her like nothing else can.”
“She is precious.”
Nora wanted to hold on to Grace, to make it clear that Grace belonged with her and no one else. Instead she nodded. “That she is. Now, hold out your arms.”
Mollie did as she was told and Nora gently eased the infant into her waiting embrace. “Very good. Just make sure you support her head properly. Like that, yes.”
Mollie stared down at her sweet burden.
“Here,” Nora urged, “take the bottle and touch it to her lips. She’ll latch on quickly enough.” Grace started sucking at the nipple, right on cue. “There now, looks like you have the hang of it already.”
Mollie couldn’t seem to tear her gaze away from Grace. “She’s so beautiful. She has my mother’s eyes.”
“Just about the most beautiful baby there ever was.”
“Does she have a middle name?”
Mollie’s question caught Nora unawares. “No. I mean, when we found her we had to give her a name so we could call her something other than ‘baby,’ so we decided to call her Grace. We never moved beyond that.”
Mollie continued to stare down at the feeding infant. “I always thought that if I had a little girl I would name her after my mother, Abigail. Do you think we might give her that as a middle name?”
“I think Grace Abigail is a very lovely name.”
Mollie smiled softly and stroked Grace’s cheek. “Hello, little Grace Abigail.”
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