“You’ve been telling me you’re expecting for two weeks now. What’s a few minutes more?”
“I don’t know. I guess it’s because we’re finally here.” She looked up at him. “Aren’t you excited?”
He smiled and squeezed her hand. “Yes, I am, but I don’t want you breaking a bone in your hurry to see your uncle.”
She returned his smile and squeezed his hand back. “I’ll be careful. I promise.”
He patted the small of her back then helped Maggie down. “Are you looking forward to having a little brother or sister?”
“I clean it?” Maggie asked.
“No,” he replied, laughter in his voice.
“Baby fine,” she said.
Harriett took Maggie’s hand, and they walked down the boardwalk until they came to the doctor’s office. Since there was no sign on the door saying Joel was out, she opened the door. She knew she should have waited for Stan to do it, but she couldn’t.
Joel, who’d been sorting medicine bottles on the shelf, glanced over at them and smiled. “It’s good to see the color back in your cheeks, Harriett.”
Amused, Harriett went over to him. “You say that every time you see me.”
“Well, you have to admit getting hypothermia isn’t something a person does every day.” He reached for a piece of peppermint and threw it toward Maggie, who caught it. “What brings you here?”
“I think I’m in the family way,” Harriett told him.
“Thinks it? She knows it,” Stan inserted. “She wants you to tell her when she can expect the baby to be here.”
“I can’t tell you exactly when,” Joel began, “but I can give you an estimate. When did you last have your monthly flow?”
“About the first of August,” she said.
“Are your cycles regular?” he asked.
She nodded. “I haven’t missed a single one since I started. That is, until this time.”
He went to his desk and pulled out his calendar. “You notice any other symptoms?”
“Like what?”
“Didn’t your ma fill you in on what to look for?”
“Well, I hadn’t thought to ask.” And it seemed there hadn’t been much time for the two of them to sit and talk whenever she brought Stan and Maggie with her to visit her parents.
Her uncle sighed. “Harriett, you need to do a better job of talking to your mother. That’s why God gave women mothers to talk to. Poor Stan has to stand there and listen to all of this, and I can tell you firsthand, a husband doesn’t really want to hear about a woman’s cycle or how she’s feeling while she’s expecting a child.”
“Oh, don’t be silly,” Harriett said. “Stan had a hand in making the baby.” She glanced at Stan. “This doesn’t embarrass you, does it?”
“No, but then I’ve been breeding livestock most of my life,” Stan replied.
Joel chuckled. “Smart answer. Harriett, to answer your question, the things you can experience early on will vary. Some women don’t notice anything at all while most usually feel sick or are more tired than usual. I find the best indicator is the stop of the monthly flow, but even then, a few women still have their cycle.”
“You’re kidding?” Harriett asked.
“Nope. A woman last year had no idea she was expecting until she came to see me, and she left with a baby. Turns out she was in labor and didn’t know it.”
She stared at him, trying to decide if he was joking but then decided he wasn’t. “Well, I didn’t think such a thing was possible.”
“When you’ve been a doctor for as long as I have, you learn that almost anything is possible, except for men having babies. Stan, if you come in here with pain in your abdomen, we’re safe in knowing you’re not going to leave with a baby.”
Her lips curled up at her uncle’s jest. “Since you mentioned it, I have been tired lately, though I haven’t been sick.”
“If you do get sick, try nibbling on some food during the day.”
“I’m bored,” Maggie said.
“In that case, I better get to work.” After Joel gave her another piece of peppermint, he turned to his calendar. A few seconds later, he looked over at Harriett. “I’d say you’ll probably have a baby in early to mid-May. Don’t ask me if it’ll be a boy or a girl. The only way to know that is when you actually give birth.”
“Oh, I know that,” Harriett replied in amusement.
“These might help if you do start feeling a little nauseous from time to time.” He collected a handful of peppermints and gave them to Harriett. “Peppermints are good for the stomach. Don’t chew them. Suck on them instead.”
“Thank you, Uncle Joel.”
“Any time.”
She left the small building with Stan and Maggie and waited until they were at the wagon before turning to them. “You hear that? The baby will be here in May.”
“You notice he only counted the months,” Stan pointed out with a teasing gleam in his eye.
“Well, yes, but if we hadn’t gone, I wouldn’t have found out about peppermints.”
“No, you wouldn’t. I had no idea peppermint could soothe an upset stomach.”
“You learn something new every day.”
“Indeed, you do.”
He helped Maggie up into her seat, and she looked over at Harriett. “Want peppermint, Ma.”
“I’m afraid those are for Ma in case she doesn’t feel well,” Stan told the girl. “But we can pick up some licorice at the mercantile.”
The girl nodded her consent.
After Harriett put the peppermint into her drawstring purse, he took her hand, and she thought he was going to help her up, but he didn’t. Curious, she looked up at him. “What is it, Stan?”
“I was just thinking of how lucky I am,” he whispered, bringing her hand to his chest. “I got a sweet little girl and another child on the way, and best of all, I have the most wonderful woman who’s made it all possible. I’ll never take it for granted that you married me.”
She leaned into him. Yes, he still had the ability to make her weak, but he wrapped her safely in his arms so she wouldn’t fall. “I love you, Stan.”
“I love you, too.”
He kissed her then helped her into the wagon. Maggie settled next to her, and Harriett kissed the girl on her head. “I love you.”
“I love you, too, Ma,” the girl whispered and hugged her.
Stan hopped up next to them and released the brake. “Don’t tell me you’re crying,” he said when he glanced at Harriett.
“I am,” Harriett admitted, wiping the tears from her eyes. “But it’s because I’ve never been so happy in my entire life.”
“Well, I guess it’s not so bad when they’re tears of joy,” he replied.
Putting Maggie on her lap, she scooted closer to Stan and settled against him. Her life was better than she ever imagined it’d be. And the best, she knew, was yet to come.
Epilogue
May 1909
Harriett placed her finger over her two-week-old daughter’s hand. Her daughter opened her fist and clenched her finger, an action which made Harriett laugh. It was cute the girl did that every time. After much debate, she decided to name her Leah. Stan had left the decision up to her, and that was the name she finally settled on. And now as she sat on the settee in Rose’s informal parlor, she was glad she picked the name. It was a simple name. A pretty name. A pretty name for a pretty girl.
Rose came into the room, holding her three-week-old son, Theodore. Noting the way her sister brushed aside a few strands of her hair that were damp with sweat, Harriett asked, “Do you want to go on the porch?”
“No, I’ll be fine as soon as I sit down.” Rose settled in a rocking chair by the open window and let out a sigh as the wind blew over her. “I know I could have a nanny take care of Theo. Kent says they do it all the time back East and in Europe, but I want to be the one who takes care of our son, even if it means changing diapers.”
Harriett shook her h
ead in amusement. “I must admit, Rose, I never thought I’d see the day when you volunteered to work. You spent your whole life avoiding it whenever possible.”
Smirking at her, she settled the boy in her arms. “When you consider the kind of work I was being asked to do, it shouldn’t surprise you. I still don’t cook, do laundry, or clean. Taking care of Theo is a labor of love.”
Harriett gave a playful shrug. “I suppose.”
“Not everyone likes to cook and clean like you do.”
“When I cook, I get to eat exactly what I want. As for cleaning, it’s nice to see clean clothes and a clean house. It’s not the process I enjoy as much as the result.”
“You always say that, but I don’t believe you. I think you enjoy doing it. Why else would you hum so much?”
“Humming helps pass the time.”
“So you say.”
Harriett rolled her eyes but chose not to argue with her sister. Instead, she turned her gaze back to Leah, still in awe that the little girl was actually here. Harriett could see a bit of Stan in her, but for the most part, the girl took after her side of the family.
“It’s a shame you didn’t have Leah one week sooner,” Rose spoke up, bringing Harriett’s attention back to her. “If they’d been born on the same day, they would be just like us.”
“They would never be twins, Rose.”
“Not in the traditional sense, but they’d share the same birthday. They would be twins in spirit.”
Harriett chuckled. “Kent told me you tried to fight off the labor so we could give birth at the same time.”
“I did, but Theo was quite insistent.”
“Just be glad we both have healthy and happy children.”
“You’re right, though it would have been so much fun if they’d been born on the same day. Imagine the kind of stories we could tell others. Twins having a child on the same day. No one would believe it.”
“No one would care.”
“Sure, they would. It’d be something different. People like it when things are different. Why, there was a story I read in a dime novel once where-”
“Rose,” Harriett began, interrupting her, “I love you. You’re not only my sister; you’re my dearest friend. But if you go into another longwinded account of a story you read, I might do something I’ll regret later, like hit you over the head with that Sears Roebuck catalog.” She gestured to the catalog resting on the table near the settee.
“Don’t you like the stories I read?”
“If you’d tell me what the story is about in less than five minutes, I’d like them just fine, but you can go on for a half hour. I don’t have that kind of patience.”
“I can’t help it if so many interesting things happen in every story I read.”
“What’s interesting to you isn’t interesting to everyone else.”
Rose huffed. “Kent likes hearing about them, especially at night when he’s had a long day at work and wants to relax.”
Harriett chuckled. Oh, she bet Kent loved listening to them. The stories probably put him right to sleep.
“It looks like they’re back,” Rose said.
Harriett glanced out the window and saw Kent and Stan leaving the stables with Maggie. “Our husbands seem to get along, don’t they?”
“They do, which is fortunate since we want to see each other often.”
“It is.”
“Harriett?”
Glancing back at her sister, Harriett indicated for her to continue.
“You don’t secretly worry about Stan, do you?” Rose asked.
“No, I don’t. I know he loves me and is glad he married me instead of you.” Then, unable to resist teasing her, she added, “He got the better sister.”
Rose gasped, but her smile betrayed her good humor. “Since you recently gave birth to my adorable niece, I’ll let the matter go.”
The front door opened, and Maggie came running into the parlor. “Hi, Ma!” She jumped on the settee and gave Harriett a hug.
Touched, Harriett hugged her with one arm, careful not to disturb Leah. “Did you have a good time?”
“Yes,” Maggie said. “Rode horse.”
“You did?”
“Uh huh. Someday ride alone.”
“You’ll have even more fun doing that,” Rose assured the girl.
Harriett shook her head. “Better you two than me.” There was no way Harriett would get on one. “I’d rather go somewhere in a buggy or wagon.”
“Don’t mind her, Maggie,” Rose told the girl. “She has no sense of adventure.”
“I have plenty of adventure already.” Harriett kissed Maggie on the head, followed by a kiss to Leah. “You two are the best adventures anyone could ever hope for.”
“What did I tell you?” Kent told Stan as the men came into the room. “As soon as women have children, they forget about us.”
Harriett shot her brother-in-law an amused look. “That’s not true, and you know it.”
Kent’s eyebrows rose. “Oh no? This morning as I was trying to give Rose a kiss, she ran off to take care of Theo.” He glanced at Stan, a hint of a grin on his face. “Tell me that’s not a blatant disregard for a husband.”
“That’s because Theo was crying,” Rose replied, standing up. “He needed me.”
“I need you, too.”
“But you’re not a helpless baby. He can’t do anything for himself.”
“Well, I can’t very well give myself a kiss,” Kent replied.
“You could,” Stan argued, “though not on the lips.”
Kent smirked. “You go around kissing your hand?”
“Don’t mind him,” Harriett told Stan. “He’s baiting you.”
Stan came over to her and helped her to her feet. “Are you ready to go home?”
“Yes, I am.” Harriett looked over at Kent who whispered something in Rose’s ear that made her chuckle. She waited until Kent was done before saying, “Thank you both for a lovely dinner.”
“We were happy you could come,” Rose replied.
“Will you be coming over to our house when you get back from your trip to Kansas City?” Harriett asked.
“We will, and I’ll bring you a shawl from there,” Rose told her as they headed for the front door where the footman waited for them. “You have no idea how many fine clothes are there.”
“She goes there to shop, and I go to make business contacts,” Kent whispered to Stan.
“I heard that,” Rose said. “And I don’t just go to shop. I also go because I miss you when you’re not around.”
The footman opened the door, and they stepped outside. When Harriett saw that the coachman had brought Stan’s buggy up to the porch, she said, “You didn’t have to go through the trouble of getting the buggy over here for us.”
“It’s no trouble for my favorite sister,” Rose replied. “Besides, you need to take care of yourself. There’s no need to walk all the way to the stables if you don’t have to.”
“She’s right,” Stan agreed. “It’s alright to let someone pamper you for a change.”
Harriett gave her sister a hug then followed Maggie and Stan down the porch steps. After Maggie hopped into the buggy, Stan took Leah from Harriett and helped her in. Once she was comfortable, she accepted Leah back into her arms.
When he got in beside them, he leaned over to kiss her.x
Her cheeks warm, she glanced at Kent and Rose, who were still on the porch. “Are you sure you should do that in front of them?”
“Why not? I don’t mind showing Kent I got the better sister.”
Though she knew that Stan had kissed her because he wanted to—not because he wanted to show Kent anything—it was sweet he could look at her and Rose and think of her as the better choice. And she was the better choice. For him. As long as she was first in his life, nothing else mattered.
“I love you, Stan,” she said.<3
“I love you, too, Harriett,” he replied and gave her another kiss.
“Do you love me?” Maggie asked, glancing from one to the other.
Chuckling, Stan patted her back. “We sure do, kid. If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t be together.”
Harriett adjusted Leah, so she was settled in one arm, and brought her other arm around Maggie’s shoulders to pull her close. “You’ll always be my first little girl, no matter what.”
Stan released the brake and led the buggy forward. “Yep, our family wouldn’t be complete without you,” he told the girl.
They gave Kent and Rose a wave before he urged the horse to head on home.
Other Historical Westerns by Ruth Ann Nordin featuring the Larson and Craftsman Families
Nebraska Historical Romance Series
Her Heart’s Desire: As soon as Sally Larson meets Rick Johnson, she knows he's the one for her. The catch? He's interested in her friend. But she’s sure she can find a way to convince him to marry her instead, if she gets creative enough.
A Bride for Tom: Tom Larson is having trouble finding a wife, and Jessica Reynolds decides to help him overcome his awkward and clumsy manners so he can attract women.
A Husband for Margaret: When Margaret Williams posted an ad for a husband, she expected Paul Connealy to arrive, but instead, his older brother, Joseph, came...and he brought four children with him.
Eye of the Beholder: A homely woman who fears she will never marry becomes a mail-order bride. The man she comes for rejects her but another offers her marriage. She accepts, not believing love will result from the union. Love, after all, is for beautiful women. Isn't it?
The Wrong Husband: After winning back the money his uncle gambled, Owen flees to Nebraska where he finds a Wanted poster seeking his arrest. Scared, he plays along with the sheriff who thinks he's Irving, the new deputy. Irving was to marry Jenny Larson and since she's pretty, Owen plays along. But then Irving shows up...
Shotgun Groom: When Joel Larson goes out to check on a sick child, the last thing he expects is a shotgun and a marriage proposal he can't refuse!
To Have and To Hold: Six years after Dave Larson married Mary in Eye of the Beholder, Mary loses her memory. In an attempt to help her remember her past, Dave takes her to Maine where Mary will come face to face with the family she left behind.
His Convenient Wife Page 24
