“Harriett,” he began, waiting for her to look in his direction before he continued. “Would you be willing to go to church with me and Maggie today?”
He caught the uncertain flicker on her face as she probably weighed the pros and cons of going. Then she asked, “Which church will we go to?”
“The one we went to before we got married.”
She tapped her fork on the plate and took a deep breath. “Alright. Rose doesn’t go there.”
Her eyes grew wide, as if she hadn’t meant to say the last part aloud, so he chose to resume eating his eggs, pretending he didn’t notice. It wasn’t the first time she let something slip about Rose. He’d noticed every single incident.
He had hoped that she would stop thinking of how much he once wanted to marry Rose. He told himself to be patient. He and Harriett had only been married for two months. That wasn’t a long time. But it was starting to feel like she’d never let the past go.
After they finished eating, he picked up the plates and put them in the sink while she cleaned Maggie up. With a glance at the clock, he decided there wasn’t time to do the dishes if they wanted to get to church on time.
“I’ll help you with the dishes when we get back,” he told Harriett, turning to her. “We need to change into more appropriate clothes.”
She looked over at the clock and sighed. “You’re right. I’ll help Maggie get dressed.” She bent in front of the girl and smiled. “How would you like to wear that dress I made for you?”
With a squeal, Maggie jumped off her chair and bolted for the steps.
Stan laughed. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
Harriett chuckled. “It’s pretty obvious, isn’t it?”
Before she could follow the girl, he reached for her hand. “Thank you.”
“For making the dress?”
“Well, for that, too. But I wanted to thank you for being a good mother to her. She’s been through a lot, as you know, and it’s nice to see her happy. When I adopted her, she didn’t do a lot of smiling and laughing. She does now, though.”
“I can’t take credit for that, Stan.”
“Sure, you can.”
“No.” She shook her head then lowered her voice. “I was ready to give up on her that night when I stormed out of this kitchen. At that moment, I was ready to go right back to my parents and stay there for the rest of my life.”
He suspected as much. “What stopped you?”
She shrugged. “I realized just how difficult things had been for you as you tried to take care of her. It’s not as easy to raise her as I thought it’d be.”
Touched by her admission, he squeezed her hand. It didn’t seem anyone else understood he really had been doing his best, even if it’d been obvious he’d been failing to be the perfect father with the way Maggie kept acting up when they were in public—and when they were at home. Now, he had someone who did know he’d been doing everything he could to give Maggie a good home and raise her right. And that meant he didn’t have to feel like such a failure.
“If I’d known it was going to be so hard, I probably wouldn’t have adopted her,” he whispered. “I’m glad I didn’t know. I might not be her real father, but I feel like I am.”
“She’s behaving much better because of you.”
“Because of me?”
“I overheard you that day in the kitchen. You were kind to her, but you were also firm. You’re a better father than you realize.”
His face warmed with pleasure from her compliment. “I appreciate that.” Since she hadn’t pulled her hand out of his, he ventured, “There’s something else I’m glad about. I’m glad you’re here.”
He leaned forward, thinking to kiss her, but she blurted out, “I can hear Maggie in my bedroom looking for the dress,” then hurried out of the kitchen.
He was sure she fled because she knew he intended to kiss her, but he couldn’t prove it since it did sound like Maggie was getting into trouble. The girl was amazingly quick when she wanted to be. He’d dealt with her mischievous side often enough to know that, but he suspected it hadn’t been the reason Harriett refused to kiss him.
He wasn’t surprised. Disappointed? Yes. But surprised? Definitely not.
He went up the stairs and to his room to change. He hesitated to put on his best suit since he’d worn it when he married Harriett and it might bring up unpleasant memories for her, but it was the only suit he had that was suitable for church. Whether he liked it or not, he was stuck with it. He could only hope she wouldn’t take one look at it and say she changed her mind.
It was more than church he was after. He wanted to do something with her in front of others besides his parents. He wanted people to see them as husband and wife, to know they were married. If someone asked him why that was so important to him, he wouldn’t be able to explain it. It just was.
Once he combed his hair, he slipped the tie on then checked his reflection. In the past when Harriett looked at him, she must have liked what she’d seen. He wasn’t sure why she chose him, of all the young men in the area, but he was glad she did. She had a good heart and a gentle and meek spirit.
His heart still warmed when he recalled her kind words regarding his ability to be a good father. It had been her sincerity that struck him the most. And it’d been so much like her. She might not stand out where people noticed her, but that didn’t make her any less charming.
She sought out ways to help others, never expecting anything in return. It made sense she would marry someone because a little girl needed her. He couldn’t think of anyone else who’d be willing to sacrifice her happiness for the sake of others.
A woman like that deserved to be loved—and loved with a man’s entire heart. How he wished he’d noticed that sooner. But today was a new day, and he wasn’t one to give up easily when he wanted something badly enough. And he wanted Harriett.
Taking a deep breath, he left his room and saw Maggie twirling around in the hallway. She stopped and looked up at him with a wide smile on her face. “Am I pretty, Pa?”
He smiled. “Yes, you are.”
“Wear this tomorrow?”
“I’m afraid not. You can only wear it on special occasions so it doesn’t get dirty.”
The door to Harriett’s room opened, and she stepped into the hallway. She wore a blue dress with white gloves and a matching hat. Had she worn that before? Surely, he would have noticed her if she had. Wouldn’t he? He’d like to think he would, but he’d been surprisingly daft when it came to her in the past.
“You look lovely,” Stan told her before he lost his nerve.
He took a deep breath, suddenly aware he was, of all things, experiencing the same awkward shyness he had with Rose, except this was different. It was more important that she would find him acceptable, which was silly since she already cared for him.
“It’s a new dress,” Harriett replied. “I tried a new pattern my ma showed me.”
“Well, it certainly is a good one. The dress is perfect on you.”
A hint of pink colored her cheeks as she smiled. “Thank you. My ma knows what styles complement a particular woman. I’ll let her know she made a good choice.”
No, it wasn’t necessarily the pattern. It was her, specifically, but he wasn’t sure how to get that point across. She seemed determined to believe he couldn’t have a sincere romantic interest in her, and that worried him. If she continued to be oblivious to the overtures of affection he was giving her, then he wasn’t sure how they were ever going to change their marriage of convenience into something more.
Was he going to have to be more obvious about his intentions? Perhaps come out and kiss her? But hadn’t he just tried that in the kitchen? She claimed Maggie might be getting into trouble and ran upstairs.
“We should get going,” she said, bringing his attention back to the moment. “We don’t want to be late.”
Right. Church. He followed Harriett and Maggie down the stairs, his gaze inadvertently going to Ha
rriett’s backside. He’d made it a habit of walking next to her, but he could definitely see the advantages of letting her take the lead.
Their trip to the church was a quiet one. From time to time, Stan saw Harriett fidget on the seat. Sometimes she’d readjust her hat or fiddle with her gloves.
He reached out and touched her shoulder. “I won’t say or do anything to embarrass you,” he promised, his tone light.
As he hoped, she relaxed a bit and smiled. “I know you won’t embarrass me.”
“I won’t either,” Maggie piped up, looking up at Harriett.
“I don’t know. It’s hard for a child to sit still while the preacher’s talking,” Stan said, patting the girl’s back. “Even if you do have your favorite doll with you.”
“I can always take her outside if she needs a break,” Harriett replied.
Feeling playful, Stan whispered, “Don’t give Maggie ideas.”
“I’m sure Maggie will be on her best behavior,” Harriett said then looked at the girl. “Won’t you, Maggie?”
She nodded. “Is there licowice?”
Stan burst out laughing. “I’m afraid Maggie’s good behavior comes at a price.”
“Certainly not.” Harriett shook her head at Maggie. “I can’t give you licorice for behaving. You’ll have to behave because you’re in public, and it’s only right you behave when you’re around others. Now, if you help me or your pa with a chore or if you eat your meal, I can see giving you licorice.”
Maggie sighed. “Being good is hard.”
Stan resisted the urge to laugh again, more amused by Harriett’s look of shock than Maggie’s comment. He led the horse onto the church lawn and parked the buggy between two wagons. After he got out, he helped Harriett and Maggie down, surprised that Maggie didn’t jump out like she usually did.
“Keep dress clean,” Maggie explained as if she could read his mind.
Eyebrows raised, he told Harriett, “So that’s the secret to making her behave in public.” He caught the twinkle in Harriett’s eye and knew he’d said the right thing. She was more relaxed, and that was good. Pressing his luck, he slipped his arm around hers. “Want to say hi to your family before we go in?”
She hesitated for a moment then nodded.
He could only imagine the internal debate she’d gone through to decide to lead him over to them. She probably weighed the pros and cons, knowing full well it took them one step closer to truly being husband and wife. But despite her apprehension, she chose to let him into her heart a little more, and he wasn’t going to take that for granted.
Maggie followed them as they approached Harriett’s parents. “Got new dress,” Maggie blurted out before Harriett or Stan had a chance to say anything.
Harriett’s ma turned to her and smiled. “It’s a pretty dress, Maggie.” She glanced over at Harriett. “You always had a good eye for fashion.”
“You get that from your mother,” Harriett’s pa added with a wink.
“I know. I learned from the best,” Harriett replied. She cleared her throat then gestured to Stan. “You know Stan, of course.”
“Sure do.” Her pa gave him a pat on the shoulder, similar to the way he did with his sons. “Nice to see you two together.”
“Yes, well,” Harriett began, “we thought it was best to adjust to the marriage and let Maggie get used to having me for a mother before coming to church.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that,” her pa said. “I’d say it was a good move. You won’t want to rush things too much.” His gaze went to Maggie. “You look happy.”
“Dress pretty,” Maggie replied.
The group chuckled, and Stan said, “Once she sets her mind on something, it’s hard to talk to her about much else.”
“It is a lovely dress,” Harriett’s ma replied. “I bet you feel like a princess, don’t you?”
Maggie nodded.
“We should get in there before the service starts,” Harriett’s pa spoke up as people passed them to get into the church. “Stan, after the service, I’d like to ask you about breeding cattle. I was going to ask your pa, but since you’re here,” he shrugged, “I might as well ask you.”
“I’d be happy to help you in any way I can,” Stan told him.
“I appreciate that,” he said. “You and your family know more about cattle than I do.”
Stan glanced at Harriett as they followed her parents into the small building. She was smiling, and smiling was a good sign. It meant she was happy, and more than anything, he wanted to make her happy. Today, he thought, was a very good start in that direction.
Chapter Nineteen
Two mornings later, Stan went upstairs after he finished tending to the animals. His plan had been to change his pants since he fell in the mud, but as he reached the middle of the hallway, he caught a glimpse of Harriett. Usually, her bedroom door was shut, but today it was open, and he couldn’t help but stop and take a good look at her reflection in the mirror, especially since she was only wearing a chemise with her skirt. This gave him a good view of her breasts, and he even caught the hint of her nipples as they poked against the cotton fabric.
More arousing, however, was the fact that her hair was down. She hadn’t had time to pin it back into a bun, so it fell in soft waves down her back. He wouldn’t have guessed her hair was long enough to almost reach her waist, but it gave her a soft look.
If he was a gentleman, he would either go directly to his room or let her know he was there. But on this particular day, he didn’t feel like being a gentleman. He’d spent the past week being a gentleman.
He hadn’t kissed her, though he’d been tempted to a couple of times. He’d kept his touching simple. He hadn’t done anything he wouldn’t have done had they not been married. But they were married, and the more he got to know her, the harder it was to act as if there was nothing of a more romantic nature between them.
She dug around in her dresser drawer until she found something then straightened up and glanced over her shoulder. For a moment, he thought she saw him, and he stepped further into the shadows. As embarrassing as it’d been to get caught, he didn’t want to stop looking at her.
But then she said, “I found a brush. It’ll be gentler on your hair.”
Maggie stepped into view, already in her dress for the day, and stood in front of her. “Won’t hurt?”
“No, it won’t hurt. It’s the same brush I use when my hair gets all tangled.”
The girl hesitated then nodded.
Harriett brushed her hair, working carefully through the tangles. “I can put your hair back so it won’t tangle so much.”
“No want bun.”
Harriett’s lips curled up. “It won’t be a bun. I can weave the strands together into a braid. It’ll hang down your back.”
“Won’t hurt?”
“No, it won’t hurt.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
Maggie nodded.
Stan’s gaze went back to Harriett, and he was able to get a better view of her breasts in the mirror. Too bad she had the chemise on. His fingers itched to pull it over her head. But of course, he couldn’t. Instead, he had to stay where he was and study the way the chemise outlined the curve of her breasts, a decision that only served to make him so hard it was difficult to concentrate.
“Trees eat people?” Maggie asked.
Surprised by the strange topic, Stan’s gaze went to the girl’s reflection in the mirror.
Harriett chuckled. “No, they don’t eat people. They grow fruit and provide shade in the summer.”
“Have bad fruit?”
“Bad fruit?”
The girl’s nose scrunched up for a moment before she said, “Posonis.”
Harriett slowed her brushing then grinned. “Poisonous?”
The girl nodded.
“I know there are some poisonous berries,” Harriett said, “but you don’t have to worry about those around here.”
“L
ike blueberries?”
“No. Blueberries are alright for you. Nothing bad will happen if you eat those.”
“What bad? How know?”
“Because others have told us they’re bad. However, it can be hard to tell just by looking at them. Kings used to have someone taste their food to make sure it didn’t have any poison in it.”
Maggie’s eyebrows furrowed in a skeptical manner similar to the way Harriett did when she had a hard time believing something.
“Now,” Harriett said as she began to braid the girl’s hair, “whatever gave you the idea that trees can eat people?”
“Had dream.”
“Oh?”
“Tree ate you.”
Harriett’s hands grew still and her eyes met Maggie’s in the mirror. “It did?”
The girl nodded again. “Bad dream. No want it.”
Harriett let go of Maggie’s hair and turned her around. Then, kneeling in front of the girl, she said, “You have nothing to worry about. Nothing’s going to eat me.”
“Good.”
“Oh, Maggie, you’re such a sweet little girl,” Harriett said, her voice soft, tears in her voice. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For caring about whether or not a tree eats me.” Harriett laughed. “I know how silly it sounds, but I want you to like me.”
“Never had ma.”
“I’ve never had a child before either. We’re both learning as we go along, aren’t we?” She stood up. “I should finish braiding your hair before your pa comes back.”
“Why?”
“Because I need to be fully dressed when he comes here.”
“He there.” She pointed to him.
Stan made a move forward to pretend he just came up the stairs as Harriett covered her breasts with her arms.
“I didn’t hear you come up the stairs,” she said, her cheeks flaming red.
“I’m not wearing my boots,” he quickly replied, hoping his guilt didn’t show. Yes, she was his wife, but that didn’t mean he had the right to stand and gawk at her like a lovesick schoolboy. “The socks are quiet on the floor.”
“He there whole time,” Maggie pointed out.
His Convenient Wife Page 16
