The Jewel of His Heart

by Maggie Brendan

  Josh knew Juliana was upset, but what was he supposed to do? The church pews were crowded. Marion opened her hymnal and held it out for them to share. Her smile was bright enough to light up a room. Don’t go getting any ideas about me, Miss Redhead. I only have eyes for one. From where he was sitting, he could see Juliana’s dark curls escaping her bonnet, and her small shoulders set perfectly straight beneath her fetching blue dress. Now he felt bad that he hadn’t said no to Marion and forced himself between Juliana and her friend. Especially with Marion smiling at him like this.

  Though a few windows were open, he was uncomfortably warm as the singing continued and wished he could slip off his coat. So much for being fresh when he had lunch with Juliana. Through his pants leg, he could feel Marion pressing against him, and he inched farther away.

  Reverend Carlson was an effective speaker, and Josh had always enjoyed his sermons, but this morning he was having a bit of a hard time concentrating on what he said. He hadn’t been able to locate his Bible, so he couldn’t follow along with today’s Scripture reading. Marion quickly flipped open her Bible to 1 Thessalonians 5:18, holding it out so they could share, and he held one corner. The sermon topic was about being thankful no matter what happens because it is God’s will for those who belong to Christ.

  The pastor’s voice was like a soothing balm, flowing from him in a rich baritone. “We need to trust when we don’t understand. Folks, God never changes, and His love for you never changes. We need to accept life’s circumstances with thanksgiving. That’s not always easy to do, is it?”

  Josh saw Juliana glance over her shoulder to him as the pastor continued to speak, and he wondered what she might be thinking. Was she thinking about her own grief and situation?

  At the conclusion, Reverend Carlson’s face took on a sympathetic look as he said, “Tell God what your needs are, and don’t worry about anything. Whether you’re currently living in sunshine or rain, He is there, ready to assist and give you comfort and peace.” Closing his Bible, the pastor bowed his head and dismissed them with prayer.

  Everyone poured out of the church, greeting one another with a slap on the back or a handshake. Juliana followed Miss Margaret and her daughters out into the yard, and they stood talking with Cynthia and Esther.

  “Juliana is my newest boarder, and we are delighted to have her, aren’t we, girls?” Miss Margaret said, beaming at her.

  Cynthia nodded. “Yes, we’ve met.”

  Esther forced a half smile. “Still working for the newspaper?”

  Juliana noticed Esther’s emphasis on her job. “I certainly am, and I so enjoy working for Miss Margaret’s son.”

  “Small world, isn’t it?” Esther said.

  Miss Margaret’s bony hand grasped Juliana’s arm. “Isn’t it, though? But I believe Albert knew what he was doing when he hired an intelligent woman to help keep us all informed through newsworthy articles.”

  Esther looked unconvinced. “Indeed.”

  “Mother, we should hurry along so Juliana can go on her picnic,” Natalie reminded her.

  Cynthia raised an eyebrow. “Picnic? With whom?”

  As if Juliana couldn’t speak for herself, Louise answered, “She’s going with Josh McBride.”

  “Really? Is that the man in question over there, engaged in an intimate conversation with Marion?” Cynthia asked.

  “Thanks for reminding me, Louise. Yes, that’s Josh, and I don’t want to keep him waiting. See you all later.”

  Leaving the ladies twittering behind gloved hands, Juliana gave a tiny wave of her hand and hurried across the grassy area to where Josh stood talking with Marion next to the wagon.

  Clutching Josh’s Bible, her heart thudded as she approached him. “Hello,” she said, suddenly bashful. Had he asked Marion along? Three was a crowd. Maybe Juliana could make some excuse and go back to the boardinghouse. Suddenly she felt a little sick inside. Whatever was wrong with her?

  The two stopped talking and turned to greet her. “I was waiting for you.” Josh smiled and took off his hat, revealing a mark clear around his thick head of hair like a permanent hatband. “Are you ready to go?”

  Marion raised an eyebrow. “Going? Has someone invited you two to lunch? I was just about to do that. The chef has prepared a succulent goose with pearl onions and peas that would gratify any palate.”

  Josh reached for Juliana’s hand to assist her into the wagon, and his hand felt warm and strong. “Not this time, Marion. We thought we’d take a ride while the weather is nice and have a picnic. But we sure appreciate your invitation.”

  Juliana almost laughed but held herself in check, because the frown on Marion’s face looked pitiful. She felt a pang of sympathy for her friend.

  “Uh, okay. Have a nice afternoon. Oh, there’s Mark. I must have a word with him.” She scurried away with a long face.

  “Do you think I should have invited her?” Josh asked.

  “That’s entirely up to you,” she answered, not wanting to appear that she had any rights on him. But in her mind this was their date. After all, Marion did get to sit through church with him.

  “I didn’t want to make her feel totally friendless.” He picked up the reins and yelled “giddyap” to the team. They sped down the lane by the church cemetery, nearing Andy and Nellie.

  When Juliana saw them she drew in a surprised breath. How sweet! She liked Nellie a lot and had been impressed with Andy when she first met him at the camp. She waved vigorously as they went by the young couple.

  Juliana showed Josh his Bible. “I found this at the edge of my bed that night you stayed in my room.”

  “That’s where I left it! I couldn’t imagine what I had done with it. I guess I must have accidentally knocked it under the bed frame. Thank you for bringing it. It’s very dear to me. It was a gift to me from my mother.” He steered the team expertly around stumps and ruts as they went along.

  “I knew it must be special to you because I saw places you had underlined or marked.”

  “You did? You were reading it then?”

  “I’ll confess I did take a look. I’m not certain I understand some of the verses’ meanings, though. Our family Bible was lost in the rushing water of McDonald Creek, so I’ve not had my own to read.” Her voice softened.

  “I’m sorry. Would you like to keep mine for a while? I wouldn’t mind.” Josh glanced sideways at her.

  “Oh, I couldn’t do that, but you’re sweet to offer.”

  “I can be as sweet as candy, if I’m given half a chance.”

  Juliana felt her cheeks burn. “You seemed pretty interested in sitting with Marion at church.” Now what made her blurt that out?

  “Sorry, I really didn’t think I had much choice. The church was so crowded today. But the reverend preached a good sermon, don’t you think?”

  She was hoping for a better explanation since she was his date today, but when none was forthcoming, she just bit her tongue. “Yes, I think I’m beginning to understand that I need to have more faith than I’ve exercised lately.” It was true. Some of the reverend’s words had touched her heart. He had been able to make her see that God was always right there. That He’d never left.

  23

  Gently sloping hills of thick ash and cottonwood trees peppered the countryside on Josh and Juliana’s ride beneath the shadow of the magnificent Judith Mountains. Meadowlarks warbled out their delightful tunes at the coming summer while squirrels scampered about, playing among the huge ponderosa pines. Josh and Juliana watched a soaring eagle high above tip his wings to dive toward his prey in the distant field in a wondrous demonstration of nature.

  “That clump of cottonwood trees near the creek looks like a fine place to stop and spread our lunch, don’t you think?” Josh asked. Without waiting for an answer, he turned the team toward the small grove. As they stopped, he hopped down from the wagon, reached up to take hold of Juliana’s waist, and lifted her down.

  They stood only inches apart, and she felt peculiar an
d wonderful at the same time. His eyes twinkled with amusement, and she noticed he had nice, even teeth, with appealing lips that curved upward. His hands held her sides as his eyes sought hers. Was it hard to breathe from her corset, or was it the sheer nearness of him?

  Abruptly, he let go and reached into the back of the wagon for the basket of lunch and a large blanket. Juliana watched as he strolled over to the shade of the cottonwood tree and set the basket down. She realized she was standing there watching like a wooden statue, so she cleared her head of the prior thoughts of his nearness and quickly sprang into action to help spread the blanket on the grass, disturbing the chipmunks.

  “Do you mind if I remove this coat? I’ve been warm ever since we were in the church,” Josh said.

  “Of course not. It was cooler this morning, but it’s quickly warming up, isn’t it?” Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth when he removed the woolen coat. Seeing the band of muscles across his broad back caused a small catch in her breath. He removed his hat as well, placed it on top of his coat, and ran his fingers through his thick hair.

  “Now I feel better! A picnic is supposed to be a fun, comfortable pleasure.” His eyes swept over her and seemed to follow her every movement. She expelled a deep sigh. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. They should have invited Marion along.

  Removing her bonnet, she knelt down on the blanket, opened the basket, and clapped her hands together. “Homemade bread. I’m impressed!”

  “Don’t get too excited. I didn’t make it, Andy did. But we do have thick cheese and slices of roast beef, hard-boiled eggs, and dried fruit. I did have a hand in drying the fruit myself,” he said proudly, taking a seat in a crossed-legged fashion to face her.

  Juliana regarded him. “A man of many talents, I see.”

  “I’d like to think so.” He gave her a mischievous grin, but her gaze skittered away.

  “There’s cold apple cider in the canteen—or at least it was cold when I started out this morning.”

  She continued to unpack their lunch, finding two napkins at the bottom of the basket, along with blue-speckled enamel drinking cups and plates. “What lovely china we have here,” she teased.

  “Fit for a princess.” Josh laughed. “I’m sorry, I don’t own any nice dishes. But my wife will choose those for our home in the near future, I hope.”

  “Wife?” She blinked at him. “Then surely I must be in the way of your well-thought-out plans.” She placed slices of meat on his plate, then unwrapped the fresh bread. She dared not look up because she didn’t trust herself to look into those deep amber eyes.

  Josh took out a knife to slice the thick, crusty bread. “She may be nearer than you know,” he said with a chuckle. He leaned on his side and propped up on his elbow, studying her reaction.

  Juliana fixed her gaze on him, but all she saw were his eyes dancing in mischief. Was he teasing her? She wasn’t sure she was ready to trust any man. Could she trust him? Or would he be like her father was, or, worse still, like Wes?

  “You look so pretty in blue, you know. Your dress matches the color of your eyes, just like a jewel does.”

  Juliana felt her heart pick up its pace beneath her ribs. “Thank you.” She took a bite out of her sandwich. “I didn’t know I was so hungry. This is delicious.”

  “I’m glad you like it,” Josh said, munching on his sandwich but never taking his eyes off her. “What did you think of the reverend?”

  “I think he’s a very good speaker. His sermon seemed to be written just for me,” she admitted. “I haven’t been very good at trusting God in the last few months since Mama died.”

  “You must miss your mother. Not to have any family is lonely.”

  “Do you still have family, Josh?”

  “Oh yes, a very sweet mother named Alice who is sometimes humble to a fault, and my father, Jim. My sister, April, is high-strung but can be a lot of fun,” he answered, taking a drink of cider.

  “Where do they live?” She was so glad to have him talk about himself for a change and realized she knew very little about his background.

  “Steamboat, Colorado. Ever been there?”

  “No, I haven’t. Do you miss home?”

  “Sometimes I do.” His face became serious, and his voice was soft. “I’ll take you there one day. It’s different from Montana, and very beautiful.”

  “Then why did you leave if your family was there and you liked it so well?”

  He paused before answering. “My father and I had words about how to run the ranch and how much more land and water rights he wanted to take from other struggling ranchers. Nothing is ever enough for him. And . . .”

  She studied his eyes. “And what? Is there something else?”

  “There was a lady I was very much interested in at the time, but she loved someone else and broke it off with me.” He sat up and put down his sandwich.

  “I’m sorry, Josh.” He had been hurt. She was sure of that just from watching his face. She found herself wanting to touch his clenched jaw and comfort him, which surprised her.

  “It was all for the best. Now I can see that, otherwise I wouldn’t have met you. I believe God had a better plan.”

  “You mean you think He wanted you to meet me?” That was too incredible to comprehend to Juliana. “You said yourself I was a lot younger than you, so I’m mystified as to why you find me all that interesting.”

  He scooted over closer to her, and she resisted moving away, which was what she ought to do but somehow couldn’t. She could feel his energy and strength as he picked up her hand and rubbed her palm gently back and forth with his thumb.

  “I’m drawn to you in a way I’m afraid I don’t totally understand.” He hesitated before speaking again, looking steadily into her eyes. “I felt this magnetic pull on my soul when I saw you the first time. Then I couldn’t get you out of my head, so I made up excuses to keep coming back into town, hoping to catch a glimpse of you,” he said huskily. He continued to stroke her hand.

  Juliana took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I’m not sure what to say.” Her eyes searched his for a clue.

  “You don’t need to say anything right now. Just listen to me. From the beginning your eyes have pierced me right here,” he said, placing her hand over his heart. She could feel his pulse beating through the fabric of his shirt. His hands were nice and warm, not soft but strong, and in this proximity, she noticed he had a perfectly shaped nose that would be the envy of most women.

  Josh reached up and lifted a lock of hair the breeze had caught and placed it behind her ear. Just a simple act, but the sweetness of it touched Juliana immeasurably. She wondered what his lips would feel like today, and she almost leaned in close enough for him to kiss her, but she thought he might think she was being too forward.

  What in the clouds above was wrong with her? Had she just lost all reserve? He should be the one to make the first move. His scent was an odd mixture, a little like the outdoors, sunshine, soap, and a dash of perspiration. A strange mixture, but not altogether unpleasant to her. The look in his amber eyes drew her in as they grew serious.

  As Josh leaned toward her even closer, her heart pounded in her ears until she thought she’d go deaf. Her lips parted in anticipation, and she leaned into him.

  Just as Josh was about to touch his lips to hers, Juliana let out a yelp. “Ouch! Oh no!”

  “What is it? What’s wrong, did I offend you?” Josh drew back sharply.

  Juliana scrambled up, swatting her legs and feet with her hands. Josh looked down. Her feet and legs were covered by a host of ants crawling over her as if marching to war. “Help me! They’re stinging me!” she screamed, batting at her legs. “They’re in my shoes!”

  “Take off your shoes and stockings!” Josh shouted, jumping up and dragging her off the blanket.

  Juliana looked at him as if he were from another planet. “What? I can’t do that!” She danced about, stomped her feet to shake the ants loose, and continued to bat at he
r legs.

  “Juliana, listen to me—take off your shoes and stockings! Now! I’ll turn my back, but be quick or you’ll be covered in a flash!” His voice boomed irritably as he turned his back to her.

  Juliana yanked off her shoes, reached under her dress, and quickly peeled off her stockings. She was covered with ants, and they were now crawling up into her bodice. “I don’t know what to do! Oh, goodness! They’re crawling farther up!” Her body was starting to feel like it was on fire.

  Turning back around, Josh scooped her up so fast that she didn’t know what was happening and ran headlong toward the rushing stream.

  Josh slid waist deep into the water, nearly falling over the slick rocks at the creek’s edge, and deposited Juliana none too gently. He plunged her under by her shoulders, then brought her quickly back up.

  “I knew there was a reason to picnic by the stream!” He roared with laughter as he held Juliana in the swift current. She looked madder than one of his rams caught in a thicket.

  His eyes widened as they swept over her form. Her dripping wet hair was plastered to her sopping dress, which revealed her womanly curves. He felt guilty seeing her like this but couldn’t deny the pleasure it gave him.

  “I don’t know how to swim, you fool!” she hollered, spitting out water and wiping her nose with the back of her hand.

  “I’m sorry,” he answered, still tickled. “It was the fastest way to get the ants off you and cool down the burning. Don’t you feel better now?” He helped her up the creek bank, but she pushed him away. He chuckled, shielding his mouth with his fist. “Would you rather I left you for them to have for lunch?”

  Juliana marched past him, dragging her wet, heavy skirts in each hand. She struggled up the creek’s bank, mud clinging to her garments. He followed her and watched as she stood with her back against a scraggly pine. She crossed her arms against her bosom and blocked out his stare.

  “Now what am I supposed to do about these wet clothes? I can’t go back to the boardinghouse looking like this,” she fumed.