“I want to be here when she wakes up. It’s because of me she left and got stuck in the storm.”
“What happened?”
Of all the people he could talk to who’d understand and possibly sympathize, it was his mother. But then, he supposed mothers were partial to taking their children’s side of the story. In this case, though, he wouldn’t sugarcoat it. She deserved to be told the truth, just like the others would find out when Harriett finally woke up.
“It was my fault,” he softly said. He made a move to rub his thumb over Harriett’s hand, but his hand was numb. Reluctant, he pulled his hand away from hers and wiggled his fingers to get the circulation going again. “I did what you said. I took an interest in her, and it worked. I fell in love with her. But she still thinks I want to be with Rose, so she kept me at a distance.” Breaking eye contact from her, he glanced at Harriett. “I don’t want to go into detail, but suffice it to say I rushed her.” His face warmed. Maybe he shouldn’t be telling her this. This was his mother, after all.
“I don’t understand. What did you do?”
Without trying to give too much detail, he said, “I kissed her. She wasn’t ready for it. I knew she wasn’t ready, but I kissed her anyway because I thought once we kissed, we could move forward and be like a husband and wife are supposed to be. But it was too soon. I should have waited.”
There. That was all Stan was going to say. If Harriett wanted to tell others he took advantage of her weakness, let her. He’d agree with whatever she said.
“Did you kiss her because you care about her?” his mother asked.
“Yes,” he whispered. Not that Harriett was likely to see it that way, but he did.
“In the end, that’s what matters.” She patted his back. “I’ll leave you alone with her. If you need anything, let me know.”
He thanked her and waited until she left, closing the door behind her, before he took Harriett’s hand back in his and rested his head on the bed. Yes, he was stiff. His neck hurt. But it was a small price to pay. He wasn’t the one trying to recover from being stuck out in the chilly weather while in wet clothes.
A gentle squeeze on his hand came so unexpectedly, he hardly believed it. He waited, and sure enough, there was another squeeze. Lifting his head, he saw that Harriett’s eyes were open. He jumped up and grabbed the cup of warm milk.
“Are you thirsty?” he asked.
Of all the things he wanted to tell her, it was ridiculous this should be the first thing to pop out of his mouth. He wasn’t as smooth as other men would’ve been, he supposed. He probably should have gotten on his knees and expressed his undying love for her or something equally dramatic. But he opened his mouth, and the only thing that came out was whether or not she was thirsty.
She smiled and tried to speak, but her voice cracked.
He was ready to give her the cup when he remembered she was probably too weak to sit up by herself. He quickly set the cup down. “Can I help you get up? Sitting, I mean. Not standing.”
Since she nodded, he did, careful not to touch her breasts as he did so. He fluffed the pillow behind her then used an extra towel for additional support.
“Can you hold the cup?” he asked, once again picking it up.
“I think so,” she managed in a hoarse voice.
He handed it to her then sat back in the chair. “You’ve been asleep for about a day and a half. Your pa found you and brought you here. Your uncle Joel said all we could do was keep you warm. You lost a lot of body heat, but he said your condition was mild. He had a term for it. Don’t ask me what it was. I couldn’t pronounce it to save my life.”
She smiled again, letting out a weak chuckle. “It’s fine.”
She drank most of the milk. He winced. Though he had pressed a wet cloth to her lips to give her water, he hadn’t thought she was so thirsty. He should have given her more.
When she coughed, he took the cup from her in case she spilled it on herself. Retrieving his bandana from his back pocket, he held it out to her in case she wanted to cough into it.
She shook her head then cleared her throat. “I feel better, thanks.”
He set the cup back down. “Are you hungry? Your ma made some soup. It’s ready any time you want.”
“I don’t think I could eat right now. The milk has upset my stomach a bit.”
“Do you need a bucket to throw up in?” he asked, ready to get up and get one for her.
“No, it’s nothing like that. I just need the milk to settle, that’s all.” She patted the spot next to her. “Will you sit with me?”
He hesitated to do as she wished, but when she patted the spot again, he eased onto the bed. To his surprise, she leaned toward him. Thinking his weight had made her lose her balance, he apologized and started to get up.
“Don’t get up,” she protested. “I want to be close to you.”
“Alright.” He settled back next to her and wondered if he should hold her or if he should keep his hands to himself.
She saved him from having to make a decision when she slipped her arm around his and rested her head on his shoulder. “Stan, I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for,” he said.
“I do. I didn’t listen to you.”
“You had every reason to doubt me. I spent a lot of time ignoring you in the past.”
“But you were trying to make up for it. I can see that now. I let my feelings of inadequacy get in the way of what was really going on.”
He frowned. “You feel inadequate?”
“I’m nothing like my sister. I tried to be like her early on, but no matter what I did, I couldn’t entertain people with stories or get them to want to come running over to me whenever I came into a room. I pretty much followed her wherever she went and watched while everyone went over to her. It’s like Adam and Jacob. Jacob has an easy time with people, and Adam doesn’t.”
“Harriett, you shouldn’t feel inadequate,” Stan began.
“Will you let me finish?” she asked, her voice soft. When he nodded, she said, “I had a hard time believing you could ever love me, but I heard what you said when Rose was in here. You said I was the most important person in your life. I tried to show you I heard you. But I was so sleepy, I couldn’t. I just wanted you to know I believe you, and I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you sooner.”
He waited to see if she had more to say, but since she grew silent, he took that as an indication she was done. Shifting so he could face her, he cupped her face in his hands. “The past couple of weeks have been the best of my life. I’m glad you’re who you are. You’ve got a giving spirit, a tender heart, and you’re loyal to those you love. I can’t understand why you want to be with me when you could be with someone like Kent Ashton who could give you a much more comfortable life. Surely, he must have some wealthy young male relative somewhere who’s looking for a wife.”
“Money doesn’t buy happiness. I could never be with anyone but you. If it wasn’t going to be you, then I decided I’d never get married.”
He couldn’t understand why, not when he had ignored her all those years. He didn’t deserve her years of devotion, but he would earn it. Little by little. Moment by moment. Day by day. He would strive each year they had together to be worthy of her. He brushed her cheek with his thumb, noting the pink color had returned. She was no longer pale. But she did look tired.
He kissed her then whispered, “I should let you get more sleep. I’ll come back with some more warm milk, and when you feel up to it, I’ll get soup. I’ll also let the others know you woke up and are feeling better.”
As he made a move to get off the bed, she stopped him. “Will you hold me for a while first? Please?”
She yawned, a sign that their conversation had taken a lot out of her. She’d been determined to talk to him, to make things right. And he couldn’t help but love her all the more for it.
“I can do that,” he told her.
He kicked off his boots and got under the blankets. H
e brought her into his arms and rested his head on top of hers. He couldn’t recall a moment where he felt more complete. And better yet, he had the rest of his life to love her as she was meant to be loved. Closing his eyes, he soon joined her and drifted off to sleep.
***
Two mornings later, Harriett felt she had enough energy for a bath. It was taking a while to get back to normal. But it didn’t matter. Stan loved her. And only her. She no longer had to live in her sister’s shadow.
As she was buttoning her shirtwaist, there was a knock on the door. She glanced over at it and called out, “Who is it?”
“Your favorite person in the entire world,” her sister replied.
With a smile, she went to the door and opened it. “Oh, I thought you were Adam,” she said, feigning surprise.
Rose gasped but then laughed. “Why, Harriett. Who knew you had such a sly streak in you?”
“Come on in. I’m almost ready to go downstairs.”
Slipping into the room, Rose closed the door behind her and walked over to her. “Mind if I brush your hair?”
“No.” She handed Rose the brush and sat by the vanity. “Is everyone still here?”
“Pa had to go back to the farm, and Stan’s parents had to watch a couple of their grandchildren. I’m afraid ever since everyone got a chance to see you last evening at supper, you’re no longer that interesting.”
Though Harriett caught the teasing tone in her sister’s voice, she let out a “humph” and crossed her arms.
“It doesn’t matter, though. The only people who matter are here,” Rose replied and started to gently brush Harriett’s hair. “Besides, do you really want Pa and Adam to bore you about breeding their cattle or for Eli to go on and on about the different songs he’s playing on the piano?”
Harriett pretended to think about it and nodded. “You’re right. I’m much better off with you and Ma.”
Harriett glanced at her sister’s reflection. These days Rose dressed so differently from her. While Harriett still wore simple shirtwaists and skirts, Rose had traded in her shirts and pants for expensive dresses. The contrast couldn’t be more startling, even though they looked just the same.
“Rose, are we always going to be close?”
Rose put the brush down and retrieved a few pins. “Of course, we are. You’re my sister and dearest friend in all the world. Nothing will ever change that.” Her gaze met hers. “Why do you ask?”
“I feel foolish for pushing you away when I first married Stan.”
“Don’t. I understand. You worried if I was around Stan, he’d forget all about you.” She rested her hand on Harriett’s shoulder. “Do you still worry about that?”
“No. After what I put him through, he didn’t give up on me. He searched all night for me, and he stayed by my bed until I was awake and well. Only a man who truly loves a woman will do all that.”
“You’re right, and he does. You’re a fortunate woman.”
“I am.”
Rose smiled and turned her attention to putting the pins in Harriett’s hair, allowing most of her hair to fall gently down her back. “Men like it when a woman lets her hair down.”
“They do?”
Rose nodded. “It says so in books.”
Harriett rolled her eyes. “You’d swear that all those dime novels were the God’s honest truth with the way you talk about them.”
“It’s not just the books that say so. Kent’s said it as well.”
“He has?”
“Yes, and you know Kent doesn’t exaggerate.”
“No, he doesn’t. He’s much too serious. Speaking of which, is Kent still here?”
“He is. He and Stan are talking while Ma is watching Maggie and making breakfast.”
“Oh, so you came up here to get out of cooking.”
“I did not.”
“Yes, you did.”
Rose let out a long sigh. “I came up here to get a moment alone with my most favorite person in the world. It hasn’t been easy with that husband of yours hogging all of your attention. I had no idea I’d have to fight for you when you decided to get married.”
Harriett laughed at her sister’s joke. Standing up, she gave her a hug. “No one could ever replace you.”
“Does that mean you don’t mind if Kent and I visit you and Stan sometime or if I come see you by myself?”
Pulling away from her, Harriett shook her head. “I won’t mind.”
“Good. I just knew once Stan took the time to get to know you, he’d realize you were the right one for him.”
“You were right.” And thankfully so.
They left the room and went to the kitchen where Maggie was helping their mother set the table. As soon as Maggie saw Harriett, she yelled out, “Ma!” and ran over to her.
Harriett knelt down and brought the girl into her arms, her heart warmed. She’d never get tired of hearing Maggie call her Ma, no matter how often the girl said it.
“Maggie missed you,” Harriett’s mother said, glancing at Harriett with a pleased smile.
Harriett kissed Maggie’s cheek. “I missed her, too.”
The men came into the kitchen, and Harriett rose to her feet, surprised when Maggie held her hand instead of running over to Stan.
“It’s good to see you looking healthy,” Kent told Harriett.
“It is,” Stan agreed as he went over to her and placed his hand on the small of her back. “You look nice, especially when your hair is down.”
Rose shot Harriett a meaningful look as Kent pulled out her chair, but Harriett chose to ignore her sister. Instead, she thanked Stan and helped Maggie into her seat.
Once they were all seated, Harriett chose to keep her portion down to a slice of bread and some jam, deciding not to press her luck. She’d had soup and a small roll the evening before, and that had been enough to fill her for the entire night. Then Stan held her while she slept. Even now, she could feel his arms around her, keeping her nice and warm by his side.
“Good news about the buggy,” Stan told her. “It’s in the barn. It’s just a little worn by the weather and should be easy to repair.”
“What about the horse?” she asked. “Did anyone find Chester?”
“No.” He placed his hand on her thigh, a reassuring message no one would know about but her. “But that’s alright. The important thing is you’re here and you’re well.”
“It is,” her mother agreed. “Horses can be replaced. You can’t.”
In all her years, Harriett couldn’t recall a time when she felt more loved. She was a most fortunate woman indeed. She had a husband who loved her, a daughter who finally thought of her as a mother, a sister who was her dearest friend, and a family who did everything they could to see her happy. If life could get any better than this, she didn’t know how.
Chapter Twenty-Six
A week later, Harriett decided to surprise Stan with a picnic. It’d taken her three pieces of licorice to get Maggie to keep it a secret, but the girl managed to be good and didn’t peep a word. When the basket was ready, she turned to Maggie.
“Find your pa and tell him I need his help,” she told the girl.
“Say why?” Maggie asked.
“No. We want this to be a surprise, remember?”
The girl nodded and headed outside.
Harriett collected the basket and waited on the porch while Maggie ran into the barn. Harriett slid the basket behind her skirt so he wouldn’t see it.
A minute passed before Stan followed Maggie out of the barn, and though Maggie ran as fast as her little legs could carry her, Stan had no trouble keeping up with her pace. Harriett giggled at the sight. They were adorable together.
“Maggie said you needed me for something,” Stan called out as he approached the porch.
“Were you busy with anything in the barn?” Harriett asked.
“Nothing that can’t wait.” He brushed the hair out of those amazing blue eyes that even now could send a thrilling spark
right through her. “What is it?”
“I was wondering if you’re hungry.”
“I am. Is supper ready?”
“It is!” Maggie replied before Harriett could do it.
Well, the girl had waited long enough. Harriett turned and grabbed the basket. “I thought it’d be nice to have a picnic today.”
His smile grew wide. “You want to go on a picnic?”
“I wouldn’t have prepared the basket if I didn’t,” she teased.
“Chicken, pie, rolls,” Maggie said. “I did candy.”
“She did,” Harriett allowed as she came down the steps. “It tastes really good. You’ll like it.”
“I’m sure I will. Here, let me.” He took the basket from her. “Do you want to eat at our usual spot?”
“That sounds good.” She looked at Maggie. “Want to collect more flowers? We can bring some back.”
Since the girl darted on ahead and called out for them to follow her, Stan chuckled. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
He took Harriett’s hand, and they followed Maggie to the section of land with the wildflowers. With the breeze and warm sun, the day couldn’t be more perfect. Once they set out the blanket, Maggie helped them pick out what to eat, something Harriett found charming. The girl had a tendency to want to act older than her age at times. There was no doubt about it. She’d make a good big sister.
Harriett looked forward to having more children. When she was a girl, playing with her dolls, she’d often envisioned she’d have a lot of children. Since Stan hadn’t been interested in her, she’d put away such notions. But now that she knew he loved her, she was free to dream once more, and in these dreams, she saw a house full of them.
Content to let Maggie ramble on with Stan about horses and cattle, Harriett ate her meal, not really listening to everything they were saying but getting the gist of it. After they finished, Maggie went to collect flowers. The absence of her talking was a startling contrast to the silence.
Stan must have noticed it, too, for he said, “You’re awfully quiet this evening.”
With a shrug, she smiled. “I was enjoying listening to you two. I’m afraid I don’t share the same kind of excitement for horses and cattle you do.”
His Convenient Wife Page 22
