by Etta Foster
Everything is ruined. The thought danced around her head incessantly, never letting up. Like a priest's mantra, it repeated over and over in her mind, a dark cloud seeming to descend upon her mood. He'd convince himself that he couldn't trust her, and all the closeness they had managed to create would be gone like a candle's flame in the wind.
Walking slowly toward the front door, she gently wiped her cheeks with her sleeve. She didn't want to look like a complete mess on the off chance that she ran into someone. Isaac was sitting in the living room with a blanket over his lap, staring at the fireplace while softly humming a song to himself. She didn't recognize the tune, but something about it reminded her of her mother. He saw her as she headed toward the stairs, offering her a smile. “Is everything alright Jessica?”
“I hope so, Mr. Woodworth,” she replied vaguely, her smile feeling forced as she made her way up the stairs. She could only hope she could find a way to patch things up between herself and Gavin.
Chapter 25
That night, Gavin was kept awake by memories from his past. He saw himself kissing Claudia beneath the oak tree that his great-great-grandfather had planted, the two of them having snuck away from the house to be alone.
It was the kind of thing they had always done when Gavin finished his chores, not wanting to impose themselves upon his family while they expressed their affections. He understood better than anyone that they had likely been annoying to listen to at times.
The dream shifted to the first time they'd made love, Gavin turning his gaze away as he heard their sweet whispers to one another. “I love you, Claudia.”
“I love you too, Gavin. I'm so glad that you picked me. You could have any girl you wanted in the world, but you picked me to make me your wife. It's a special kind of happiness that I feel when I'm with you,” Claudia's voice whispered, the scene shifting to the night when he had first caught her in bed with Jude. The feelings of betrayal washed over him, fresh as the day it had first happened.
“How could you?” His voice echoed in a symphony in his mind, the world going black around him as he felt himself falling through space. When he jerked awake in his bed and sat bolt upright, he discovered that his body was covered in a sheen of cold sweat. Why must he be reminded of the painful past?
Tossing his blankets to the side and climbing out of bed, he walked to the kitchen bare-chested, a pair of black trousers the only clothing he wore. As he walked out onto the veranda and gazed up toward the full moon, he took stock of the situation.
I did a terrible thing to Jessica tonight. No matter how annoyed I might have felt about what Claudia said to her, I shouldn't have snapped at her like that. The look of betrayal on her face was too much.
His thoughts trailed off when he caught sight of Jude and Claudia's wagon pulling up next to their cabin. They must have gone on a late-night ride; not that it was any of his business, nor did he care where they'd been.
As he watched Jude help Claudia down from the wagon, he felt a slight pang. That cabin was where he and Claudia were to start their lives and have their own privacy. Instead, he was forced to remain living directly under his father's roof with his wife-to-be while his brother got to enjoy his privacy to his heart’s content. He'd heard them arguing the other night but was too far away to hear what was said.
The sun was just barely beginning to peek over the horizon, and Gavin couldn't help but stifle a groan. It was almost time for him to start the morning milking. There would be no point in trying to go back to sleep, and after the dreams he'd been having, he wasn't sure he was in a hurry for any more dreaming.
And what about Jessica? Something about her seems off. Ever since she got here, she's said things that conflict with what we discussed in our letters. Like the horse-riding thing, that still really bothered him. He knew that in her letters she'd said she loved riding horses, and yet she looked like she had no idea what she was doing out there yesterday. Refresher course? Who needed a refresher course for one of their favorite hobbies?
At the same time, he couldn't be too hard on her. Her love for horses seemed genuine, and it would have been hard to fake the cries of joy he had heard her exclaim while riding Malcolm.
Maybe she loved horses but was too scared to admit she had never ridden a horse before. That doesn't seem too outlandish of a thought. She was probably trying to preserve her pride while still sharing something with him.
Still, if she was willing to lie to him about that, what else would she be willing to keep from him? That nagging little suspicion in the back of his mind was beginning to grow, and he hated that. He would have to talk to her later and try to sort things out.
***
When he returned from doing the chores that day, Gavin found his mother standing alone in the kitchen. She was in the middle of baking small bread bowls, gravy-soaked meat sitting in another pan on the stove. “That smells amazing, Mama. Do you know where Jessica is?”
“Did the two of you have a fight last night?” His mother centered her gaze on him with that knowing look of hers. “Your father told me that she was looking very sad last night when she was headed to bed. He also said that her eyes looked like she had just finished crying. Didn't I raise you better than that?”
“It was a simple misunderstanding, Mama. That’s why I’m trying to find her. I want to apologize,” he said, trying to cut his mother off before she got started on another one of her tirades. “Can you tell me where she is, please?”
“She told me she would be out in the garden. My flowers have finally budded, and I told her she could pick some for herself. She seems to love them very much,” she beamed, looking at Gavin with a wide smile.
Wait, what? But Jessica has hay fever. She said in her letter that flowers cause her to sneeze something terrible from all the pollen.
He found Jessica exactly where his mother said she would be, kneeling in the middle of rows of different wildflowers with a basket sitting beside her.
She was softly humming a song that he recognized as one his mother used to sing, gently picking flowers and raising them one by one to her nose. Gavin watched as she took a deep inhale, smiling widely at the scent of the flower before placing it gently in the basket beside her.
“I'm surprised you can hold them that close to your face,” Gavin said casually, watching as she lifted a blue bonnet to her nose and took a deep inhalation, the powerful scent of the flower reaching him where he stood.
“If I didn't, how could I smell their wonderful scents?” she asked breathlessly, sniffing deeply and letting out a dreamy sigh. “I love the smell of flowers.”
“That must make it all the harder for you with your hay fever,” he said empathetically. “I would hate to have my allergies stand between me and the flowers that I love.”
“Hay fever?” The confusion on Jessica’s face was clear from the way her forehead scrunched, her eyes looking back at him blankly. “Oh, my hay fever!” she exclaimed shortly afterward, laughing awkwardly while scratching the back of her head bashfully.
“How could you forget that you have hay fever?” Gavin asked incredulously, scratching his beard in confusion.
“Well, I haven't been around anything that has set it off in a while,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “I guess it just wasn't on my mind because I wasn't suffering from any symptoms.”
“What kind of flowers exactly cause your hay fever to act up?” Gavin asked, plucking one of the blue bonnets from her hand and sniffing it gently.
“Oh, I couldn't possibly name them all off the top of my head,” she said dismissively, looking down at the flowers around her. “Just believe me when I say that none of these flowers are any of the kind that cause my hay fever to act up. Rest assured, I’ll be fine while picking them,” she said, looking up at him with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
“Is that right?” he asked softly, handing the flower back to her. “That's very interesting.”
“If you’ll excuse me, Gavin, I told your mot
her that I would help finish setting up for dinner, and judging by the smell coming from the house, it’s almost done. We'll talk more later, okay?” she asked, picking up her basket and running off before Gavin had a chance to say another word.
That settles it, something isn't right with Jessica. He knew they had only communicated through letters but he'd thought that he had learned a good amount of details about her. Now that she was here, however, she was almost like a completely different person from the girl who wrote him all those letters.
He narrowed his eyes in suspicion as he gazed toward the house, crossing his arms in front of his chest. What other things is she hiding? Did she only say what she thought he wanted to hear, so he would bring her here? She wouldn't be that underhanded, would she?
He wasn't willing to believe that. Jessica had been incredibly kind to him, and it wasn't fair of him to assume the worst of her without proof.
One thing was for sure; he would need to keep his feelings in check until the truth became known. She'd already convinced his parents to give her their blessing, which meant that his inheritance was secured so long as she stayed. He had hoped that maybe his feelings could be trusted this time around, but he must have been mistaken.
He cleared his throat as he felt tears prick the corners of his eyes. He wiped his sleeve across them brusquely, sternly willing himself to keep calm. That’s just how life is sometimes. Besides, at the very least, Jessica will prove to be enjoyable as a companion. Whether faking it or not, we share a couple of hobbies. They would just have to use those similarities as the glue that kept their marriage together.
He closed his eyes, the memory of the first kiss they had shared coursing through him. The passionate spark he’d felt that night wasn't something he could just ignore. His feelings for her were clouding his reason. He couldn't give his heart to a woman who seemed to be hiding so much about herself from him.
He slowly made his way back towards the house, his rumbling stomach temporarily overriding his desire to avoid Jessica. He needed time to read back through their letters. Once he had refreshed his mind with their contents, he would confront her. Once and for all, the truth was going to come out. Otherwise, there would never be a chance for them to follow the feelings they'd started to share.
“Oh, Gavin, there you are,” his mother said, turning toward him when he entered the kitchen. “I hope that you’re hungry. I tried out a special recipe that my grandmother left in one of her cookbooks for beef tips and gravy. I think I did pretty well with it; it smells just like when she would make it for me as a young girl,” she said dreamily, spooning a portion into each of the bread bowls that sat nearby.
“I thought that it smelled familiar,” he said, making his way over to the cupboard to grab what he would need to set the table. “The bread bowls are a nice touch.”
“They were Jessica's idea. We figured they would help fill everyone up and be flavorful enough to help accompany the meat well. That girl has so many wonderful ideas when it comes to cooking. You would think that she has spent years coming up with meals like this,” she said absently.
Funny you should say that, Mama. He had a feeling that she might very well be right about that. The only question he had was why she would have to do that. Wouldn't she have had a cook at home to prepare food for her? Or was that part of the secret she was keeping?
Chapter 26
“Jessica, dear, I was wondering if you would like to come into town with me today,” Viola said over their breakfast, catching Coralee in the middle of a mouthful of hash browns and eggs. “Some of the ladies and I get together every month or so to share news of what has been happening around town and all. I figured that you wouldn't mind the pleasure of some company aside from ours for a change.”
“That sounds like a great idea,” Gavin said from across the table, having elected to sit next to his father that morning instead of beside Coralee like normal. If anyone at the table had noticed this change or thought anything of it, they did their best to hide it. That didn't stop the shame of it all from causing Coralee's cheeks to burn with a fierce red blush. “I know you told me how much of a socialite you were in your letters.”
“That is a great idea,” Coralee replied, forcing cheerfulness into her tone. “I'd be happy to come along.”
“Excellent,” Viola clapped her hands together in delight. “I’m sure the ladies will love to hear about Boston.”
Coralee did her best to keep her smile on her face, her gaze dropping down to her plate. Her appetite had suddenly diminished, but she didn't want to waste perfectly good food. Excusing herself when only a few spoonfuls of breakfast remained, she went up to her room to find herself something suitable to wear. If these were friends of Viola's, then Coralee wanted to make the best first impression that she could with them. Gavin and Harland had offered to accompany them, since they needed to spend the day in town picking up supplies once more for the ranch.
With the horses saddled to the sizable wagon, Coralee climbed into the back of the wagon next to Viola. Gavin sat far ahead of her in the coachman's seat, the reins of the horses held tightly in his hands. Once Harland had climbed up beside Gavin and the ladies were comfortably seated in the back, he cracked the reins to coax the horses forward. The wagon set off without hesitation, the sight of the Woodworth ranch fading in the distance causing a feeling of unease to course through her.
She was at the point of no return now; whatever reservations she possessed about joining Viola for this teatime gathering would have to be faced in the field. It's probably just a group of middle-aged women gossiping. How bad could it be?
Along the way, Coralee took a moment to appreciate the lush green fields they passed. Occasionally she would see a wild horse or herd of cows being herded along by men on horseback. They reminded her of when she watched Gavin work and how in command he always seemed to be. The way that he managed to know what to do every time life threw him a curve ball was something that she found truly admirable about him.
“Harland and I will be at the general store for a while, so you ladies feel free to chat to your heart’s content. We'll meet back up with you both in roughly four hours, and we'll see how everyone is feeling at that point. Mama, remember not to go too crazy with your savings,” he said, sharing a knowing look with his mother that left Coralee confused.
“Thank you, Gavin. Be sure not to get into any confrontations with that Virgil character while you’re here. I don't want any funny business,” Viola said sternly, casting a glance in Harland's direction shortly afterward. “Keep an eye on him, would you?”
“I'll watch him like a hawk, Mrs. Woodworth. You can count on me,” Harland replied with a smirk, wrapping his arm around Gavin's shoulder and steering him away before he could protest.
“This way, Jessica,” Viola linked her arm through Coralee's gently, guiding her in the direction of a sizable cafe that sat near the entrance to town. It had only just opened a year ago, and already it had attracted a wide array of patrons. Sitting at one of the sizable tables in a sitting room separated from the rest of the establishment was a group of women who were all around Viola's age. “Looks like everyone is here.”
“Viola, you look wonderful,” cried a brunette from across the room, making her way toward them. She was dressed in very fine clothing that must have cost a fortune at the tailor, a fan held loosely in her hand as she waved it back and forth. She had a pearl necklace consisting of pearls that were the size of a baby's fist, and in her ears glinted earrings that contained smaller pearls inserted into golden studs. “You seem to have brought a new face to our humble little gathering as well. Who is your friend here?”
“Ladies, I know that I was a bit vague last time around because I didn't want to spoil the surprise ahead of time. However, I felt that there was no better time for me to let you in on it, since I don't think it will be long now until they decide to officiate the happy occasion. This lovely young woman with me is none other than Jessica Caldwell, who has
come here to Colorado to marry my son, Gavin,” Viola beamed, looking so happy that she might burst.
“Your son's fiancée? Why didn't you say so?” the woman cried, some of the other women turning their heads toward the sound of her raised voice. Within moments, Coralee and Viola were herded toward one of the tables and seated in chairs. Fresh tea was poured into ornate cups and gently placed in front of them. On a tray nearby sat an assortment of small sandwiches and other snack foods. Coralee found herself feeling a bit peckish and helped herself to one of the sandwiches, nibbling on it as she looked around at the many different women.
She was barely paying attention as Viola set about trying to introduce her to everyone. The woman with the pearls was named Wanda, and her husband was the owner of the cafe. He originally had worked in the shipping industry, but decided to sell his stakes and move to Colorado for a less stressful environment. According to Wanda, he had a feeble heart and they were trying to keep him alive as long as possible. It reminded her of Isaac, and that made her sad.
