Sally headed outside and the screen door slammed behind her. She started toward the small building painted in a dark blue, some distance away, hidden among a clump of lilac bushes. As she rounded the corner of the house, she encountered the family milk cow – a white-faced Hereford cross, nasty tempered, threatening, and the size of an elephant in her mind. Bessie had escaped from the pasture, yet again, and stood with her head bent eating grass on the lawn as if she owned the place.
The rest of the family took the bovine’s presence in stride, but the beast’s size alone sent Sally’s heartbeat racing. While chewing on a mouthful of grass, the cow raised her head and a pair of enormous brown eyes stared at her. Sally could visualize the gears turning in the cow’s head while she plotted her attack.
Suddenly, the cow took several steps forward, lumbering toward Sally.
Sally gasped, fearing for her life, and raced back to the house screaming at the top of her lungs. “Bessie’s out of the pasture again! She’s coming after me. Help!”
Sally flew up the back steps, through the porch, and charged into the kitchen. “She’s chasing me!” she shouted, gasping for breath with her heart pounding in her chest.
Jimmy almost fell off the kitchen chair, laughing.
“It’s not funny. You hear me, Jimmy Clark? That beast looked at me funny. She doesn’t like me one bit. She’s just waiting for a chance to harm me.” Sally stood hands on hips, attempting to catch her breath.
Jimmy coughed and thumped his chest.
“I hope you choke on that sandwich. I sincerely do.” Sally patted her own chest in hopes her pounding heart wouldn’t leap out and land in her hand.
Jimmy shook his head, attempting to speak, but it appeared he still couldn’t get a word out for laughing.
“You’re not taking my fears one bloody bit seriously, are you?” She dabbed her sweaty brow with the bottom of her apron.
“I’m sorry I laughed at you.” Jimmy recovered enough to talk but hadn’t attempted to wipe the grin off his face.
“I admit I didn’t know a Bantam from a Hereford when I first arrived, but I’m certain that bedeviled beast intends to do me harm.” Sally wagged her finger at him.
“Come on, Sally, let me introduce you to Bessie. That cow wouldn’t harm a two-year-old.” Jimmy led her back outside to introduce them.
Bessie stood sedately, head bent, intent on mowing the side lawn, one mouthful at a time. Sally purposely placed Jimmy between her and the cow. Although Bessie raised her head and stood quietly at Jimmy’s side, Sally would swear the white-faced beast was smiling. “Look at her. The beggar is laughing at me.”
Jimmy scratched behind the bovine’s large right ear. “Bessie, this is Sally. Now there’ll be no more frightening Robert’s widow. Come here, Sally, and give Bessie a pat.”
“I’d rather not, if it’s all the same to you.”
Jimmy gently reached for her hand and trailed it along the cow’s curly russet-colored hide. “There now, Bessie’s just a big old softie.” He grinned, wickedly. “I should teach you how to milk her, Sally. That would cement the friendship for sure.”
“Not on your life.” Sally yanked her hand out of his grasp and charged toward the gravel path heading for the outhouse. Part way to her destination, she peeked over her shoulder to ensure the cow wasn’t following her.
She spotted Jimmy, glancing back at her over his shoulder as he led Bessie towards the pasture. He turned his back to her, opened the gate in the barbed wire fence, and escorted Bessie inside.
“I wonder how long the beggar will stay in there this time?” muttered Sally, entering the outhouse and slamming the door closed behind her.
***
A couple of weeks later, Sally set Jimmy’s soup and sandwich down on the table and headed toward the kitchen counter to fetch the teapot.
“You’re not eating lunch again today?” asked Jimmy, frowning.
“I’m not hungry, but I’ll share a cup of tea with you.” Sally had warmed to Jimmy almost immediately, despite his enjoyment over her frightening encounters with Bessie.
“You’re so pale. Sally, are you ill?”
Sally glanced away in an attempt to evade his question.
“You look ghastly, if you don’t mind me saying. Are you certain everything is okay?” Jimmy leaned over and placed his hand on her forehead, obviously intending to check for a fever.
Sally jumped at his touch. Despite living under the same roof with this handsome young farmer, she still hadn’t become accustomed to his close proximity. And she’d caught herself daydreaming about him on several occasions which she imagined reddened her face with guilt and embarrassment. Her husband had passed only a few weeks ago, and she was finding his brother altogether too attractive. She constantly scolded herself for her disloyal thoughts, but so far, scolding herself hadn’t proven very effective. Jimmy Clark appeared to be too handsome for her own good.
“Sorry, I wasn’t thinking.” Jimmy jerked his hand back as if he’d touched a hot stove.
“I know you meant well. It’s just that…” Sally’s eyes filled with unshed tears. The time had arrived to confide in someone.
“What is it? Anything you share with me will remain between us.” Jimmy met her eyes, concern evident in his intense gaze.
“I’ve been withholding a secret, Jimmy,” whispered Sally. Mr. and Mrs. Clark and Jimmy had all been so good to her. How could she possibly burden them with her problem? Her knuckles turned white as she clutched the edge of the table for support.
“What have you done?” Jimmy leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, and glared at her. “Are you in trouble with the law?”
“Good heavens, no. I’m not a criminal.” Sally met his gaze, shocked that he would think that of her. Evidently, if he suspected she might be up to no good, he wasn’t the least bit troubled by her presence in his home. “Actually, I’m…I’m going to have a baby,” she whispered.
What should have been a wonderful surprise for her husband had become a major complication in her life. For days, she prayed no one would notice how frequently she dashed to the outhouse. So far, she’d been able to hide her condition. She wasn’t ill, but that depended on your definition of morning sickness, she thought.
Now that the words had flown out of her mouth, the weight of the secret lifted from her shoulders. But how would Jimmy react? Should she have confided her news to him and his parents the moment she arrived? She held her breath.
“Well, thank goodness that’s all it is.” Jimmy’s expression conveyed his relief that he wasn’t facing some scandal that would embarrass his family.
“That’s all it is! Did you not hear me correctly? I’m having Robert’s baby, and I’m scared to death. My circumstances have completely changed. How can I raise a baby on my own? I don’t have a job. I can’t live here forever. What will I do?” Sally dropped her head into her trembling hands.
“It’s not the end of the world.”
Sally’s head whipped up and she met his eyes. “Are you serious? It’s darn close to it.”
“We’re your family now. That’s my niece or nephew we’re talking about. I’ll take care of you.” Jimmy popped the last of his sandwich into his mouth and washed it down with a mouthful of tea.
I’ll take care of you.
Jimmy’s words slipped out of his mouth so easily, Sally almost believed him. “You’d think you were offering to pick up something for me at the general store. But we’re talking about a child, about eighteen years of your life. I can’t expect you to take care of another man’s widow and child.”
“Why not?” Jimmy tilted his head slightly.
“Because…I don’t know…just because,” she stammered.
Every time she met this kind-hearted man’s gray eyes he reminded her so much of Robert her heart ached all the more. Why hadn’t Jimmy died instead of her dear husband? She felt her face flame with the thought, and she sent a prayer of forgiveness heavenward.
“We woul
dn’t be the first. Other widows have married their dead husband’s brother. Sometimes without even having met first. If we married, the baby would have a proper mother and father.”
“But I couldn’t expect you to marry someone you don’t know, that you don’t have feelings for.” Sally twisted her apron strings in her hands.
“Can I share a secret with you now?” Jimmy’s face flushed slightly as he cleared his throat.
Sally nodded and met his eyes.
“I’ve been jealous of Robert since the day he arrived home raving about this new bride of his. And then he died, and you arrived. I’m ashamed to admit to the very improper, disrespectful thoughts that passed through my mind that first day I walked into the kitchen and you were there. You looked so heartbroken that I just wanted to put my arms around you and kiss your pain away.” Jimmy knelt in front of her, wiped away a tear with his thumb, and lovingly stroked her cheek.
“I couldn’t ask you…”
“You didn’t ask. I offered.” Jimmy glanced away for a second, appeared to be fighting to gain control of his emotions, and then met her eyes. “I’ve suffered an insane amount of guilt since my brother’s death. Robert talked incessantly about you, and I hated the fact he’d met such a wonderful gal. I questioned why should he be so lucky and not me? And then he was killed. And you walked into our lives. And I…”
Sally couldn’t believe her ears. While the shameful feelings about Jimmy had crept into the furthest recesses of her mind, defiling her husband’s memory, threatening her sanity, Jimmy had experienced similar thoughts about her? She’d felt destined for an afterlife in purgatory for her deceitful thoughts. Apparently, they would be there together sharing a table.
But now, this wonderful man had offered her a way out of her predicament. No, she told herself, it would never work. He might find her attractive, but he wasn’t in love with her. What if he met someone else he could fall in love with, in a year from now, even six months from now? He would regret tying himself to her, and he’d resent the child he agreed to help her raise.
“What would your parents think of me marrying my late husband’s brother? Robert has been gone such a short time. Can you imagine the gossip?” Sally thought her heart would break, wanting someone she shouldn’t have and didn’t deserve, but coveting his love just the same.
“You’ll think me insane, but I have fallen in love with you, Sally. I’ll be the baby’s father, and I’ll love that child like my own. Mother and Dad will understand the circumstances. As a farmer, I need you to be my wife. But, more importantly, I want you to be my wife, and I pray you’ll fall in love with me one day. Please say you’ll marry me.” Jimmy pulled Sally to her feet, wrapped her in his arms.
Sally thought she’d die from the pleasure of feeling his rock hard chest against her and his strong muscular arms holding her close. And then he kissed her lips and the arrangement was sealed forever. At that moment, everything in the world seemed to fall into place for her, and she suspected the day she fell in love with Jimmy Clark wasn’t that far in the future.
CHAPTER THREE
Wanda could almost see the calculations going on in her granddaughter’s head. Samantha stared, open mouthed, at her grandmother after the completion of the story. “Were you that baby, Grandma?” she whispered, as she sat on the edge of her seat.
“You always got an A in math, my dear. Yes, I was, and my father loved me so much. The day I turned twelve, my parents told me the whole story, but it didn’t matter. That wonderful man was the only father I’d ever known, and I couldn’t have loved him more.” Wanda’s voice cracked with emotion, and she blinked back tears.
“Great grandpa died last year. You must miss him terribly.”
“I think of him every day. Due to a nasty bout with mumps, Dad couldn’t father children, and I was the only child mother ever birthed. They adopted my brother, Jonathan, when I turned three. We were so happy when he turned over the family farm to his son last year, ensuring the homestead remains in the Clark family.”
“I don’t know what to say, Grandma.” Samantha shook her head.
“Darling, can you imagine how frightened my mother must have been? Finding herself a pregnant widow, with no job and no money, living in a foreign country with a family of strangers? I’m just so thankful her life turned out so well.”
Wanda and Samantha jumped at the loud pounding on the back door.
“Hold on. I’m coming,” called Wanda, hauling herself out of the chair and walking to the door.
As soon as she opened it, Gary Wilson charged into the kitchen, tripping over the scatter rug in his haste. His blue eyes were sunken, a substantial growth of whiskers covered his face, and his clothes looked slept in.
“Is Samantha here? She’s not at the apartment, and I’ve looked all over…”
“I can’t believe you’re here.” Samantha leapt out of her chair. “I called and texted you all night. Why didn’t you answer me?”
Gary’s face reddened. “Mrs. Carter, could I speak with Samantha in private, please?”
“Certainly, just step into the living room and you’ll have all the privacy you need.” Wanda pointed to the door.
“Thank you, Mrs. Carter.” Gary called over his shoulder as he led Samantha into the next room.
“Where have you been?” demanded Samantha, as they disappeared from sight.
Wanda dashed over to the door, cracked it open a fraction of an inch and pressed her ear to the edge. She sent a silent prayer heavenward asking forgiveness for shamelessly eavesdropping, and then strained to listen to what the young man had to say for himself.
“I’m sorry, babe. I panicked last night. When I got back to our apartment and you weren’t there, I panicked all over again. I won’t leave you ever, I promise. Whatever you decide, I’ll stick by your side.”
“I’m keeping this baby, Gary.”
“We can make this work, Samantha. I know we can.”
“I was hoping you’d say that,” she whispered, breathing a sigh of relief.
“I can do better.” Gary dug in his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. “I love you more than life itself, Sam. I intended to give this to you on our graduation day, but I can’t wait that long. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, every single day. Will you marry me, Sam?”
“Yes! Oh, Gary, I couldn’t love you more. And the fact you were going to propose even before you learned about the baby...” Samantha burst into tears when Gary slipped the beautiful antique ring onto her finger.
“This was my grandmother’s ring. I inherited it, and I promised Nana I’d give it to a deserving girl. She would have loved you as much as I do, Sam.”
“It’s beautiful. I don’t want to know how valuable it is, or I’ll be afraid to wear it.” Samantha met his eyes.
“Don’t worry. It’s insured.”
“Oh, no! Now I will worry.”
Gary laughed, threw his arms around her and swung her around. He met her eyes and whispered. “Until death us do part, sweetheart. I promise.” And then he bent his head and kissed her.
Wanda silently closed the door after having witnessed Gary’s entire explanation and proposal. She performed a happy dance in the middle of her kitchen that could almost qualify her for the television show, ‘So You Think You Can Dance’.
Samantha dashed into the kitchen, shouting, “I’m engaged, Grandma! We’re getting married and we’re having this baby.”
Wanda beamed. “I’ll be the first great grandmother among my friends, and I’m looking forward to the bragging rights.”
“Look at this ring.” Samantha stuck out her hand, and Gary slid his arm around her waist. She tilted her head back, looked into Gary’s eyes, and whispered, “I’m not scared anymore, Grandma.”
Wanda admired the beautiful antique. “You’re getting married, Samantha. I’m so pleased.”
“I’m happy, too, Grandma.” Samantha laid her head on Gary’s shoulder.
“A wedding! You’ve
just given me a reason to shop for a new dress,” added Wanda, with a wink.
THE END
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brenda Sinclair is a writer of historical American West and contemporary romance, a member of her local chapter of Romance Writers of America, a healthy lifestyle advocate and past leader of her TOPS weight-loss group, a gardening enthusiast and dog lover. She is young at heart, regardless of what her driver’s license says.
Brenda was raised on a farm in southern Manitoba and taught school on a semi-remote reservation in northern Manitoba where, during frequent visits to a nearby town, she met her husband, a Treaty Cree member of the local First Nations band. She worked in the accounting field for over twenty-five years. A few years ago, she retired and traded in numbers for words when she decided to be a writer when she grew up. The latter part of the previous sentence is still up for debate.
Brenda and her husband have been married for forty years, and during that time they managed to raise two sons who are totally normal, productive members of society. She is extremely proud of her three wonderful, fun-loving grandchildren.
She is currently putting the final touches on a contemporary novella project, the “Escape to Alaska Trilogy’ and completing book three of a historical American West trilogy. During writing breaks, Brenda enjoys walking the beautiful Fish Creek Park trails near her home in Calgary, Alberta, Canada with her little dog, Kelly; checking out what Jack Abbott is up to on today’s installment of The Young and The Restless; or snuggling with Kelly on the sofa and enjoying a good book.
Brenda believes life is good, and for days that life isn’t so good, just get over it. There’s always tomorrow.
If you enjoyed War Bride...
Watch for my short story in the FOOL’S GOLD ANTHOLOGY coming April 1, 2012 and A BANDIT CREEK MIRACLE coming May 15, 2012. To learn more about Bandit Creek Books, visit http://www.banditcreekbooks.com.
And also watch for NOT WHAT IT SEEMS, Book One of my ‘Escape to Alaska Trilogy’, being released June 1, 2012.
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