“You’re not angry?” She felt the relief wash over her at his mild reaction.
He shook his head. “Honestly, I’m surprised you were able to wait as long as you did before you brought one home.” He took her hand in his. “We’ll talk about a salary for Angela after dinner. Where are they anyway?”
She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, kissing him. “Thank you so much! You’re the best husband ever!”
He laughed. “Well, I don’t know about that. I mean, I never came home on time, and practically ignored you the day after we married….”
“All forgiven!” She stood up and grabbed his hand, pulling him up the stairs. “I want you to see him. His name’s Jonathan, but if you don’t like it, I’m sure we could change it.” She practically danced up the stairs with him in tow.
He shook his head, amused by her enthusiasm. “Jonathan is fine.”
She opened the door and saw that Angela was leaning over the baby changing his diaper and talking to him softly. “This is Angela.”
Angela nodded at Patrick, obviously a little nervous. “Hello,” Angela said softly.
He smiled at her before his eyes drifted to the baby lying on his back on the dresser. “This must be Jonathan.”
Angela finished pinning his diaper and handed him to Patrick who held him at arm’s length one hand under each arm. Patrick gave Ellen a look of absolute terror and she giggled softly.
Ellen reached out and took the baby and held him in one arm with practiced ease. “They don’t break.”
Patrick shook his head. “That’s a good thing, because if they did, I’m sure I’d be the one to break him!” He backed to the doorway of the room, smiling as he watched her handling the baby. “I’m really glad he comes with a nurse!”
Angela took the baby from Ellen and carried him down the stairs while she got a bottle for him.
Ellen led Patrick down the stairs. “It’s time for dinner. I was planning on having Angela eat with us, but she may not be able to tonight.” She looked back at Patrick over her shoulder. “Did you know she thinks of Alice as a mother?”
Patrick stopped. “I had no idea! How do they know one another?”
She briefly explained what Angela had told her. “I didn’t know before I asked her to come here, but now I’m really glad I did. I think it’ll be good for both of them.”
He nodded absently. “I wish Alice had said something.” He looked toward the kitchen where Angela had gone with the baby. “So her parents died in a mining accident?”
Ellen nodded. “I think it’s sad her father put money over a happy family.” She shrugged. “We never had much growing up, but I never doubted the love of either of my parents. Of course, I wish my father had been clearer about our money situation, but I’m sure he didn’t expect to die.”
They sat down at the dining room table and waited, knowing that Alice would be there with their meals in a moment.
That night, while they were lying in bed, Ellen said, “I want to thank you again for letting me bring him home with me today.”
“I can see it makes you happy and that’s what matters the most to me.” He looked straight into her eyes as he said, “I love you.”
Ellen felt her heart skip a beat. She’d known she loved him almost from the moment she’d met him, but she’d been careful not to say the words. She felt like meeting someone and immediately loving them was something that only happened in fairy tales, so she was thrilled he returned her feelings. “I’ve loved you from the first.”
He brushed a kiss across her lips, pulling her close to him in the big bed, his hands skimming down her back. “Why didn’t you say anything before now?”
She shrugged. “I didn’t want you to feel as if you had to say the words back to me. I thought maybe it was too soon, or you’d never feel the same way.”
He sighed. “I knew I loved you before we made the trip from Denver. The whole time I was worried I was coveting my brother’s future wife.”
She snuggled up against him happily. “I couldn’t have married your brother after I met you. He deserved a woman who could love him with her whole heart.”
“Is Malinda that woman?”
“She is exactly that woman. I’ve seen her look at him too many times to think any differently.”
“I hope it works out between them.”
“Me, too. They both deserve the kind of happiness I’m feeling right now.”
He smiled as he kissed her forehead. “I’m just glad we have a little boy to protect any girls that may come along. I don’t know what I’d have done if you’d brought home a girl.”
She laughed. “You’d have been fine with it.”
“I would have. But I’d have worried about all the men in this world.”
“Now you can just worry about teaching Jonathan to be a man who other men don’t need to protect their daughters from.”
Patrick frowned. “I’ll get right to work on that!”
Epilogue
June 1886
Ellen lowered herself carefully into the chair behind the desk in Patrick’s office to respond to the letter she’d received that morning. She’d smiled when she saw Harriett’s familiar scrawl. “Dear Harriett, I am blessed. Jonathan is crawling now and getting into everything. I thank God every day for Angela, because without her, I wouldn’t be able to keep up. The baby I’m carrying is weighing heavy on me. The midwife says I only have another couple of weeks to go, but I’m so huge now, I’m not sure if I’ll fit through doorways in another two weeks. Patrick loves being a father. He dotes on little Jonathan and comes home earlier and earlier every night. I really hope the baby I’m carrying is a girl, but Patrick is insistent it needs to be a boy. He thinks we need to have at least a dozen boys before we can have a girl. I hope this letter finds you well and happy. You’ll have to let me know about your own adventures. Write to me when you arrive so I’ll have your new address and can write to you. Thank you so much for everything you’ve done for Malinda and me. I really don’t know what would have happened to us without you. You were truly our guardian angel. All my best, Ellen.”
Ellen folded the letter neatly and set it aside to be mailed out the following day. She rested her hands against her swollen stomach and smiled as Patrick stepped into the room. Glancing at the clock in surprise, she saw it was only four-thirty. “You’re early!”
Patrick crossed the room to drop a kiss on her cheek. “I couldn’t stay away.” He sat down on the desk facing her. “How’re you feeling?”
“Round! I feel very very round!”
He laughed. “It’s almost over.” He glanced over and saw the letter sitting on the corner of his desk. “Writing to Harriett?”
She nodded, excitement dancing in her eyes. “You’ll never believe what she’s decided to do!”
Read about Malinda and Wesley’s story in Mail Order Mistake, coming soon!
Mail Order Mix Up Page 14
