She gently removed the pulsing cord from around the baby’s neck. Another contraction grabbed Maddie, and with her loud moan the afterbirth was expelled. It was done.
Martha praised the new mother and handed scissors and twine to Suzanna at the same time. She cut the cord and tenderly began to clean the plump, squirming infant while grinning widely through tears of unexplainable joy. Swaddled, and exhausted from its own birth experience, the baby settled, and Suzanna handed her to her mother.
As she cleaned the mother and drew the soiled sheets from beneath her, Suzanna chuckled softly. “Ah, Maddie? There’s just one problem.”
Maddie wasn’t too tired to jerk open her eyes and stare at Suzanna. “What’s wrong?”
Martha and Suzanna both giggled. “You don’t have a cowboy…you have a cowgirl.” They all cooed to the little beauty and laughed as she rooted at her mother’s breast.
Suzanna was back to doing the necessary things once again.
Chapter Twelve
Lon and Pete sat on the porch of the little cottage, drinking coffee in strained silence.
The two friends paled at hearing a loud staccato scream as the high keening wail of new life broke the quiet. The two men jumped to their feet, spilling the hot coffee on the ground as they slapped each other’s backs in congratulation. Lon ran into the house and stopped at the door to the bedroom.
He knocked, and was greeted by a smiling Martha.
“Well, daddy, you got yourself a girl! You should be on your knees thanking the good Lord Miss Suzanna was here. She saved your wife and baby, Lon. I wouldn’t have been able to do what needed to be done, didn’t know what to do nor how. Never seen anything like it in all my years. It was sure something to witness such a miracle. Maddie and the baby seem to be doing fine, and Suzanna’s almost finished with them. You give her a minute, and then you can go in.”
Martha joined Pete in the small parlor. “I never saw anything like it before, Pete. Mr. Jake is a fortunate man to have lucked into Miss Suzanna. He better treat her right, or he’ll answer to me. She’s a treasure, that one, a real heroine. We’re going to like having her around, yes, sir.”
Pete looked up to see the treasure walk out the door, holding a bundle of soiled linens and smiling at Lon Holloway. “You can go in now, daddy, and meet your daughter. I’d guess she’s about eight pounds, and a foot and a half long. And she’s loving on her mama right now. Congratulations.”
“Thank you so much, Miss Suzanna. Martha told me all you’ve done. I don’t know how to repay you.”
“No thanks necessary. Just take care of our girl and the little one. I’ll have these laundered and return them to you when I come check on Maddie. Well, go on in.”
Suzanna closed the door behind the rejoicing father and glanced heavenward, offering a prayer of thanks. Mother and baby had made it through the ordeal and would hopefully be all right. She couldn’t help thinking it a privilege to be a part of such a miracle, and wiped an errant tear from her cheek with a less than steady hand.
She hoped she could have a baby. Jake’s baby. She wanted so, so much to have his baby. Their baby.
Pete took the bundle of soiled linens from Suzanna and carried them to the back porch. “Someone else can take care of this. Let’s get you back to the house. If I know Jake, he’ll be pacing the floor by now, wanting to know what’s happening.”
Pete walked with them to the big house, where he took his leave. He tipped the brim of his hat to the two ladies and left with an appreciative glance at Suzanna. Martha cast a silent warning to her son and wound her arm around Suzanna’s waist as they went up the steps to the kitchen entrance.
Martha stayed in the kitchen, busying herself with preparations for the next meal, while Suzanna walked into the parlor and immediately started to shake.
Jake took one look at her exhausted face and shivering body and knew the ordeal had taken a toll. No doubt the events of the past weeks were crashing down on her, too. Annie’s delivery, their meeting and marriage, Nathan’s death—so many changes in his young wife’s life in so short a time. He could barely contain his pride. She was one hell of a woman, but now she needed food and bed.
“Let’s get you upstairs. There’s a warm bath waiting, and I’ll send Martha up.” Jake gathered her into his embrace.
“No, Jake, leave Martha be. She’s just as tired as I am. I’m no weakling. I can take care of myself. All I need is the bath and some rest, and I’ll be good as new, I promise. Don’t fuss.”
“It’s my job to fuss, ma’am. Fussing is one reason you married me, remember?”
“Fussing is the reason? I must have forgotten that one.” Suzanna leaned into him. “I had my reasons, but that wasn’t one of them.”
“Tell me,” he commanded.
“Well, let’s see. Your hair, for one.” She grinned.
“My hair?” What the devil did his hair have to do with anything?
“With every woman there’s something about a man that first attracts. Something special that piques her interest, that makes her sit up and take notice. Remember the day you came riding into my yard? The first thing that hit me was the way the sunlight glinted on your hair while it fell all thick and wavy around your face. I thought you were beautiful. I wanted to run my fingers through it, maybe pull your face down for a soft kiss.”
This is good.
“You certainly hid that inclination well, madam. What else?”
“Your eyes. They sparkled like diamonds in the sunlight. I was positively hypnotized.”
Better.
“And?”
Suzanna laughed, pushing away and gazing into his eyes with a mischievous glint in her eye. “If I say more, you’ll only be more conceited. Let’s just say there were a number of things that I found appealing.”
She is adorable.
The smile faded from her face. “We could play this game all night, but I’m just too tired. Let’s just both agree that when I first saw you, I found much to recommend you. Now your attitude? That’s something we have to work on.”
“What’s wrong with my attitude?”
“Annie called it arrogance. Not a desirable attribute. But now that I know you better, I’m inclined to say you’re…deservedly confident. It goes hand in hand with success.”
“I know what I’m doing, and I’m good at it. That’s not a character flaw.” Jake bent low, only partly teasing. His face not an inch from hers, he went in for a kiss. “I’ll be happy to demonstrate.”
So beautiful she took his breath away, this woman he’d married. Her smooth cheeks and delicate features, the long line of her graceful neck, soft shoulders, full bosom. The moment he’d laid eyes on her as she hung out her wash, he’d wanted to make love to her. She had no idea of the effect she had on him, but he burned to touch her, bury himself deep inside her, and stay forever.
Her softness teased him. She must be worn out from the travel and her chaotic arrival at the ranch; he knew he should wait, but he’d been patient long enough. She was here in his home, and she was his. With his mouth he rubbed her soft lips, coaxing her to open. The little vixen had taunted him with her flirtatious words and fanned the flames of his desire until now the fire burned out of control.
He teased the seam of her mouth until she surrendered, and he deepened the kiss. The pressure of his passion pushed against the confines of his trousers. He’d been too long without release, but he wanted to be gentle initiating Suzanna into the pleasures of sex.
A soft moan escaped her lips. As he drew her tighter against him, her body melted against his. Soft curves to hard muscle, the scent and sensation drove him wild. He wanted to take her up to their bed and show her what a happy wife she would be.
Gathering her in his arms, he lifted her, and as she wound her arms around his neck, he took the stairs, one at a time, with a kiss at every step. At the door of their room, he paused. He didn’t want to scare her. They had a lifetime; he could afford to give her some time. A little time.
/>
“I think you might want some privacy, but if you need me?”
Resting her head in the crook of his neck, Suzanna smiled. “You’re welcome to stay, Jake. You must be tired, too.”
Was that an invitation? It sounded like one.
He let her slide gently to the floor. “I had the boys bring up hot water for a bath. While you enjoy that, I’ll bring up the cold lunch Martha left, and we can relax and eat up here.”
“That sounds wonderful.”
When he came back upstairs, she was sound asleep in the steaming bath.
Tempted to wake her, he took the higher ground. What was one more night? He’d waited for her this long, and they had an entire lifetime to be together.
He picked her up, wrapped her in a towel, laid her carefully on the bed, and turned to go and find his housekeeper. Suzanna never stirred, not once.
As he reached the doorway, he looked back to where she was snug under the covers, and he stood gazing at his wife. They would have a good life together. Beautiful and fragile on the outside, she was a woman of uncommon strength on the inside. She wanted love and romance. Did he love her? He wanted her. He admired her. He enjoyed being in her company. Was that love?
Romance was something else altogether. If she wanted to be wooed, he would woo.
****
Suzanna slept the afternoon away and waked to a faint knock at her door. Martha peeked her head into the room. “Are you awake yet?”
“Hello there…come in. Yes, I’m awake, but I need to get up. Have you seen Maddie and the baby again yet?” She pulled herself into a sitting position and rested against the headboard of the big bed with a deep sigh.
“Mother and child are both doing fine, Miss Suzanna. Jake and Pete have been out looking over the cattle this afternoon. Mr. Jake looked in on you several times, but you were sleeping. He said to tell you he’d see you at dinner tonight. Would you like to get dressed and see the house? You had no time at all when you arrived—we put you to work right away.”
Excitement kicked in. Suzanna sat forward, tucking the covers around her, and grinned at Martha. “I was glad to be useful. If you’ll give me a moment, I’ll join you downstairs. Have you some tea and perhaps a biscuit? All of a sudden I’m hungry.”
“Absolutely, Miss Suzanna. I’m leaving something nice for you and Mr. Jake tonight, but we have some fresh-baked bread and butter and some of my own apple jam. A nice cup of tea will do you well. Come down when you’re ready.” She closed the door.
Suzanna performed her toilette and dressed. The smell of baking bread drew her down the stairs.
“This smells so good—I’m famished,” she said as Martha gestured to a chair next to the big table.
The ladies enjoyed their tea in the large, well organized kitchen, and lingered while discussing the birth of Maddie and Lon’s baby. Martha inquired about Annie and how she was doing.
“Jake told me the bare facts. Who’d have thought Nathan would have the foresight to make sure she and Jeremiah were cared for? Almost like he knew what might happen.”
“He certainly knew it could happen. We’ve all seen enough tragedy to know how uncertain life can be. It’s a testament to how much he loved her.”
“That he did. It will be all right in time. I met David St. John a few times. Once Jake left the Army, he visited us here. He was a pleasant enough man. He’s had a rough time of it, too. Perhaps Miss Annie and he can help each other heal, find some joy in life together. I certainly hope so.”
Martha rose, put away the dishes, and took Suzanna on a room-by-room tour of the large house. The main room, a well-appointed parlor with generous seating, dominated the downstairs. Overstuffed chairs flanked a large stone fireplace. The furniture was huge, to accommodate her larger-than-life husband. The overall effect was warm and welcoming.
A long bookshelf, filled to overflowing with titles to engage every interest, covered an entire wall opposite the hearth. Her husband was a reader. She hadn’t known that. So much to learn about each other, it seemed.
Colorful rugs covered the polished wooden floors. Tables with china oil lamps and vases of dried wildflowers were scattered around the room. She could see herself reading before the fire, having tea, sharing an evening with her husband. The room was lovely. Jake appreciated nice things, but comfort was paramount.
Martha stopped in the dining area. “The table and chairs are cherry wood. Mr. Jake had them brought all the way from San Francisco. It’s too fancy for the boys when they eat at the house, but on special occasions, it looks real pretty.”
A large rectangular table graced the dining room, with twelve evenly spaced chairs around it, five on each side and one at each end. Suzanna couldn’t help but picture herself and Jake with a brood of little ones sitting at that table. She smiled at the happy thought. Jake was a visionary.
Her mother’s antique china cabinet would fit handsomely along the wall facing the sideboard. Silver candlesticks decorated the long hunt board, and a huge platter of gourds with greenery filled a large round bowl between them.
She’d seen the kitchen when they’d come from the Holloways’ and again at tea this afternoon. Clearly it was Martha’s domain, but she invited Suzanna to share the cooking, if she so desired. An enormous iron stove dwarfed the long wall, and Martha told her in a voice filled with pride that Jake had bought it for her on his last trip to the state capitol.
The bedrooms, of which there were four, divided the upstairs, and above that level a large room with no dividing walls remained almost empty. A few tables, chairs and hooked rugs were spaced in the corners, with one large table in the center of the room. It would make a lovely nursery and classroom at some future date.
“How do you like your new home, Suzanna?” Martha asked when their tour was complete. “Plenty of room to fill with the laughter of children, eh? Mr. Jake’s made no secret that he wants a houseful.”
Suzanna felt her cheeks warm but couldn’t help laughing. “Precisely my thoughts, Martha. God willing, we will have many. I love children, and more than anything I want babies of my own. Jake and I both hope to be blessed with a large family. It’s one reason we married,” she confided.
“Mr. Jake will see to it!” Martha teased, and the women shared a naughty laugh.
“Enough of this talk! It is good to have you, Martha. When I left Annie back home I didn’t know what to expect. I feared I would have no feminine companionship when I came west with Jake. It’s a relief to have you here. I hope we’ll be very close.”
“That we will, Miss Suzanna, that we will,” Martha promised. “Mr. Nathan wrote you’d lost your own dear mother. I wouldn’t presume to take her place, but I hope you’ll come to me if you need to talk. We womenfolk have to stick together out here. Not too many of us around, and we form close friendships with those that are.”
“Thank you, Martha. You’re very kind.” Suzanna hugged the woman, and placed a light kiss on her worn cheek.
****
Martha kept an eagle’s eye on her son that evening. She didn’t care for the way his gaze kept turning toward Suzanna. He was young and virile, at an age when he needed a woman. But the boss’ new wife was not that woman.
Dinner was a festive affair. Jake insisted she and Pete join them. She served Jake’s favorites to welcome him home, and he offered toast after toast to his blushing bride. The longer the evening wore on, the merrier the foursome grew. Finally, she cleared the table, and Jake proffered their good nights, snagged Suzanna’s hand, and drew her to the stairs.
Pete stood to leave and paused, hat in hand, and watched the newlyweds go upstairs. Martha touched her son’s arm with her elbow, her hands loaded with dishes, and whispered, “Pete, whatever you’re thinking, stop.”
Pete shook his head. “Ma, you can’t blame a man for looking—she sure is a nice lady.”
“Nice and taken, son. If it’s a woman you’re wanting, look for a wife of your own and leave the boss’s alone. Don’t be causing any proble
ms between Mr. Jake and Miss Suzanna.”
The lady in question gracefully climbed the steps.
“She’s a special woman, Ma. Jake’s a lucky man. If I could find a woman like that, I might be tempted to settle down. Almost makes me wish I’d found her first.”
He kissed his mother on the cheek and turned to walk back to his empty bunk.
Martha watched her son leave, and whispered softly in the empty room, “Ah, son. It’s a lonely life you lead. But she’s not for you. Best you remember that.”
Shaking her head, she finished the dishes and made her way to her cottage. The restless winds cut through her skirts, and she shivered.
“Someone walked over my grave,” she murmured, praying her reaction was not a premonition of hard times to come.
Casting a glance at the foreman’s house, she saw Pete’s light dim, and prayed he would find a woman. They didn’t need trouble. Not Pete. Not Jake. Not Suzanna.
****
Alone at last, Jake took Suzanna in his arms and rocked her back and forth.
“Do you like our home, Suzanna?” he asked, drawing her close in his embrace. “It’s important to me that you be happy here. If there’s anything you want to change, anything at all, you don’t have to ask. All I have is yours to do with as you see fit.”
“It’s perfect, Jake. I love it. I…” She tilted her head back and met his kiss as he cut short her reply. As soon as his lips touched hers, she was lost. Lost in the taste of him, the feel of him, and the passion he aroused. It seemed all he had to do was touch her and she forgot everything but him.
It hit her then.
She loved him.
Belonged to him.
She couldn’t deny it any longer. Her soft woman’s heart swelled and filled with overwhelming emotion. He’d been so good to her, taking care of her every need even before they married. In spite of the tragedy of Nathan’s death, and the drama of Annie’s resentment and eventual acceptance of David St. John, through it all, he’d seen to her needs and cared for her feelings—for all of them. Everything she’d experienced before this—the hurt, the pain, the loss—had brought her to this moment, to this man, and it was all worth it.
A Necessary Woman Page 13
