by Sarah Banks
“I still can’t believe you’ve never ridden a horse,” Alex said, watching her, his hands buried deep in his pockets.
She shook her head. “No, my life was very different in New York. I spent most of my time at the orphanage and when we did go out, to church or to the park, we walked. We really didn’t venture far outside our little circle.”
“Casey took surprisingly well to the saddle but I suspect that’s from sheer stubbornness more than anything.”
Becca laughed.
“I practically grew up in a saddle,” he told her.
Becca smiled, imagining her husband as a young boy on a horse. Then her thoughts moved to the children they would most certainly have together. Would she give him a son? More than one? A daughter? Would they grow up in the saddle like her husband? Probably so. Her husband had obviously had a good childhood, growing up with two parents and a younger brother, all of whom he clearly loved dearly. Whenever he mentioned the farm back in Ohio, his parents or his childhood, his voice was always filled with fondness. She wanted to give him children, children whom he could pass on the same experiences and memories. She might have grown up without parents and had a less-than-ideal childhood but that didn’t mean her children would have to. That thought filled her with so much joy she wanted to both laugh and cry.
“What are you thinking?” Alex asked her softly.
She was startled, her eyes focusing on him standing only inches away.
“You were far away,” he observed, his eyes running over her face. He brushed his hand gently across her cheek.
She swallowed and looked away. “Nothing much,” she lied. Becca wanted to share her thoughts with him but shyly held back. She just wasn’t ready yet.
Alex accepted her answer, nodding as he stepped away. Becca instantly felt bad. She could tell by the look in his eyes that he was hurt that she hadn’t shared her thoughts with him. And she never wanted to hurt him.
“I was just thinking about our future,” she admitted, her back to him.
They were silent for a few moments before he finally asked her, “Are you happy here Becca?” His voice was low and searching.
She glanced at him, the brush hovering over the horse’s silky coat. “Yes,” she said simply.
“But…”
He was a good read on people, she decided. She studied the bristly brush in her hand for a moment before sweeping it in a wide arc over the horse’s back. She looked over her shoulder at Alex again and said softly, “But, I miss the children.”
∞∞∞
After finishing with the horses, they walked silently back to the house. As they neared the front porch Becca could hear Billy and Casey inside, arguing loudly. She looked at her husband with wide eyes.
Alex sighed and shrugged. “I don’t know what to do about them. Just when I think they’re starting to get along, they find something new to bicker about.” He opened the front door and stepped inside.
“What’s going on in here?” He interrupted loudly.
“He’s making fun of my cooking,” Casey complained, stirring a steaming pot on the stove.
Billy held his hands up in front of him. “All I said was that maybe she should wait until Becca got home so she could make supper instead.”
“Three times,” Casey grumbled. “You said it three times!”
“Did I?” Billy asked innocently.
“And then he smelled the stew and made a gagging sound.”
Billy grinned unapologetically.
Becca covered her small smile with her fingers.
“I’m just reheating leftovers from lunch. But maybe I did scorch it a little,” she admitted.
“Billy,” Alex began, rubbing his forehead. “Perhaps if you have enough energy to cause trouble this early in the evening, I’m not working you hard enough during the day. Now apologize to Casey.”
“Sorry Casey,” he mumbled.
“And if you two don’t find some way to work out your differences, there are going to be some changes around here,” Alex warned.
Billy and Casey looked at each other warily.
Chapter Eighteen
The following Tuesday Billy drove Becca into town again to attend her second quilting bee. She shivered underneath the dark mid-morning sky. It was getting colder and colder with each passing day and yesterday she could have sworn she saw a single snowflake fall from the sky. It wouldn’t be long until they could no longer make frequent trips into town. Alex had told her they hadn’t traveled into town for nearly three whole months last winter.
She tucked her hands deeper into her pockets, buried her chin in the collar of her jacket and smiled. Becca wouldn’t mind spending the winter snowed in at the homestead with her husband along with Casey and Billy. After her morning chores were completed, she would spend her days cooking meals, baking, sewing and reading. She couldn’t remember the last time she had had enough time to read an entire book, not counting reading to the children. She would be sure to keep the fire built up throughout the day and make lots of hearty stews, hot loaves of bread with freshly churned butter and hot coffee for when Alex and Billy came in from the cold.
It looked like Casey would be spending the winter with them and Becca couldn’t be happier. She bit her lip. She would miss Casey terribly when it was time for her to leave. Becca still felt a little lost without all of the girls from the orphanage to care for but having Casey here had helped make the transition to her new life so much easier.
Becca had been thinking more and more about the upcoming spring and she felt like she had finally come to a decision. She would accompany Casey back to New York before returning to Sweet Creek. She wasn’t sure what Alex would have to say about her plan but Becca couldn’t in good conscience put Casey on a train by herself. She needed to make sure that Casey would be safe and make it back to the orphanage. She wouldn’t tell Alex of her decision just yet. Besides, she had a feeling it might spark their very first argument and she wanted to delay that for as long as possible.
After arriving in town, Becca passed along the little bit of money Alex had given her for Billy, so he could have a meal at the restaurant and stay warm while he waited. She made arrangements to meet him when she was finished and hurried into the mercantile.
“Chilly out there, isn’t it?” Mr. Martin greeted her as she entered the mercantile, a small bell ringing softly overhead.
“Yes it is,” she agreed, pulling her hands from her pockets. After the quilting bee she needed to remember to buy gloves for both her and Casey.
“I think it’s going to start snowing here soon and usually when it starts it doesn’t stop, not for a few months at least. Go on upstairs and thaw out. The other ladies are all there and they’ve got a nice fire going. It’s nice and toasty.”
Becca thanked him and went upstairs.
The afternoon passed quickly. After lunch, they resumed their work on the quilt in the hopes that they would be able to complete it that afternoon and staying an extra hour, they did. Once it was finished and folded, Anna tied it with a ribbon, turned and presented it to Becca as a welcoming gift.
“I don’t know what to say,” Becca whispered, taking the quilt from Anna. “I, uh, thank you so much.” She felt her eyes prick with tears. “You’ve all been so wonderfully welcoming. I feel so lucky to count each of you as my dear friends.”
When it was time to say goodbye Becca hugged each of her new friends, thanking them again. She was the last to leave, holding sweet baby Leah for a few minutes before finally going downstairs. There she purchased two pair of gloves and braved the cold to meet Billy. They were in for a freezing ride home. The women hadn’t made any immediate plans to meet again and given the weather, it was probably for the best.
This time on the drive home, she saw several snowflakes but not enough to cover the ground. It was very pretty and she couldn’t wait to see the entire landscape blanketed in snow. She was shivering but happy when they arrived home. Alex was there once again to greet her and
she smiled at him as he lifted her down from the wagon.
Before she could tell him about the quilt he said, “Close your eyes.”
“What?” She asked, caught off guard by his request.
Billy set the brake and jumped down from the wagon with a grin. Casey stood on the porch with a look of excitement on her face. Becca looked up at her questioningly.
“Do you trust me?” Alex asked, drawing her eyes back to his.
Becca immediately closed her eyes. His warm hand took hers and he carefully guided her up the porch steps and into the house. They turned down the short hallway leading to the house addition and she was confused when she heard a door open. Becca fought the urge to open her eyes. Finally Alex stopped. He stood behind her, his hands resting gently on her shoulders.
“Now open your eyes,” he said softly near her ear, his warm breath making her shiver, this time, not from the cold.
Becca opened her eyes and gasped. The bedrooms were finished. The exterior walls and roof had been finished last week. Sometime between then and now the interior walls and floors had been completed. A freshly sawn door now hung from shiny hinges and the window was covered with canvas to keep the cold out.
“Nathan has promised me some glass from his next shipment,” Alex explained from behind her as she walked from the first bedroom to the second and back. Alex stood in the center of the room watching her carefully.
She couldn’t believe how quickly they finished the addition. Alex and Billy had worked on it every morning and sometimes the late afternoons as well for the past two weeks if they could spare the time. She knew they were making progress, but she had no idea it was so close to being done. It was perfect. Now Casey would have her own room for the remainder of her stay. Becca hugged the quilt close. She had planned on putting it on the bed she shared with Alex, but instead decided she would put it on Casey’s new bed and she would spend the winter making another one for their bed.
“It looks wonderful,” she replied softly, her eyes once again scanning the room. It had been modestly furnished with a bed, nightstand and trunk. “Where did you get the furniture?” She asked him, running her fingers along the smooth wood of a bedpost.
“I purchased it in town last week,” he told her. “It was delivered a few hours ago. This will be Casey’s room.”
“Can we afford it?” She hated asking but she knew money was tight and it seemed like they had been making a lot of purchases since her arrival.
“We’ll make it work.”
She nodded.
“But what about Billy?” She asked, thinking of the second bedroom which had been empty of furniture.
Alex shrugged. “Billy said he preferred to keep sleeping in the barn. It stays warm enough in there. Last year there were only a few days he was forced to sleep in the house. He can sleep on the sofa if it gets too cold.”
Becca chewed her lip. She worried about Billy sleeping in the barn in the middle of winter but she trusted Alex’s judgement.
When Alex spoke again, his words drew her eyes back to his. “The extra bedroom will remain empty, that is until we have children. And if we fill up these two bedrooms, we’ll build two more. In the meantime maybe we could work on expanding the main room and the kitchen too,” he said.
It was in that moment that Becca realized that she loved her husband. That she had been slowly but surely falling in love with him over these past few weeks. He was a good man, patient, kind, thoughtful, hardworking and she especially loved his vision for their future. She could see herself being happy here. Of course she wished that Casey could stay indefinitely. And she still missed the girls from the orphanage and her work there. But more and more she was coming to realize that now she belonged here, that she was exactly where she was meant to be.
Becca took a step toward her husband, her eyes holding his. His arms naturally opened and she stepped into them. One arm came around her, the other burying in her hair as she stood on her tiptoes, her lips barely brushing against his before he quickly took command of the kiss. She moaned softly and wrapped her arms around his neck, the quilt falling forgotten to the floor. He echoed her groan as she pressed against him and he held her tightly in his embrace, kissing her deeply.
“Yuck!” Billy declared from behind them.
Alex and Becca sprang apart.
“Billy!” Alex groaned in exasperation. He turned with his hands on his hips.
“Well, how was I supposed to know you two were kissing? This is Casey’s room isn’t it? I mean, it got all quiet in here and I was just wondering what you were doing.”
Becca’s color was high, her heart still beating fast and her lips tingled. She fought the urge to touch them. Alex turned back to her with an apologetic smile but there was still a trace of heat in his eyes. She swallowed carefully.
“I told you not to go in there,” Casey chastised, coming into the room behind Billy.
“Well you didn’t tell me why.”
“I didn’t think I had to,” Casey replied, rolling her eyes.
Billy reached over and tugged on Casey’s braid.
“Ow,” she yelled, rubbing her scalp. “What did you do that for?”
“That’s what brothers are supposed to do,” he said with a laugh, dodging her as she reached out to push him.
“You’re not my brother!” Casey replied hotly. She took a swing at him and missed. She tried a second time. Billy ducked and danced away.
Becca opened her mouth to stop the pair before it got even more out of hand. “Alright, that’s enough you two.”
Alex said at the same time, “Billy, knock it off!”
Billy ran from the room with Casey in quick pursuit. Becca heard the front door fling open, hitting the inside wall and then their raised voices as they ran around the side of the house.
“You’re pretty fast for a girl,” Billy called. “But not fast enough!” He laughed.
Casey growled in response.
Becca heard their voices and steps fade farther away from the house as they ran toward the barn. She looked at her husband with wide eyes.
He shook his head wearily and then smiled. “Think she’ll catch him?”
She smiled. “I don’t know. She just might. She is pretty fast. You know, for a girl.” They laughed. “Should we stop them?” She asked, her eyebrows raised in concern.
“Nah,” he said softly. “I think they’ll work it out…eventually.”
Alex eyes searched hers. He reached for her hand, his thumb brushing over her wedding band. She inhaled quickly. That action always made her think of kissing. He gently tugged her forward until they were standing toe-to-toe.
He reached up and framed her face with his hands, tilting her lips to his. His lips were now a whisper away from her own. “Now where were we?” He murmured before kissing her softly. Her eyes slipped closed and her arms came around him.
When he finally pulled away his eyes were hot on hers and they were both breathing heavily. He held her against him for a few moments, her ear pressed against his chest. She could feel his heart beating as fast as her own. She tilted her head back, looking up at him and gently cleared her throat. His eyes met hers.
“Do you remember what we talked about that first night?” She asked him, her voice shaking slightly.
Becca could tell by the look in his eyes that he knew exactly what she was talking about.
He slowly nodded, his eyes never leaving hers.
“I think I’m ready,” she said softly. “I—”
Alex swept her up in his arms, out of Casey’s new bedroom and into the hall where he made a beeline for the stairs. Becca half-shrieked, half-laughed, as she gently beat upon his shoulder.
“Not now Alex! It’s in the middle of the day! Tonight,” she told him, laughing.
He slowly placed her back on her feet. They stood on the same step, halfway up the stairs, staring at each other. She saw him glance past her up the stairs longingly.
He sighed. “I guess I’d bette
r keep myself busy then,” he said reluctantly before he went back down the stairs.
Becca tried not to smile. “Supper will be ready in about an hour,” she called after him. “If you come across Casey, send her in, I could use her help.”
He nodded, placing his hat back on his head.
“Oh and Alex.” He looked up from the open doorway and she lost her breath. Her husband was truly a handsome man, dark hair, piercing eyes, a strong jaw and full lips. Becca swallowed. “I really love the work you and Billy did on the house. And I’m so glad Casey will have a room for the remaining time she’s here. Thank you,” she said sincerely.
“You’re welcome.”
After Alex went outside, Becca went back into Casey’s room. She took one more look around. It really did look great. Her husband and her brother-in-law were really quite skilled in a lot of different areas she realized. And it had been such a sweet surprise.
She picked up the quilt where she had dropped it on the floor during one of their kisses. Her cheeks still felt hot. She shook the quilt out and placed it on Casey’s new bed. It looked wonderful. She couldn’t wait until the glass came in and the windows were finished. It would brighten up the room even more. She decided she would make curtains for this room first so they would be ready by the time the glass arrived. With one last look around, Becca left the room to make supper and tried not to think about how nervous she was for the upcoming evening.
Chapter Nineteen
Becca stretched languidly and opened her eyes. Alex lay beside her, leaning on his elbow looking down at her. He dropped a kiss on her bare shoulder.
“Good morning,” he greeted her.
“Morning,” she murmured sleepily. Alex’s hair was mussed, his eyes and mouth soft and sleepy. Becca had never seen anyone more handsome than her husband was at this very moment.
He had been so patient and gentle with her last night. And insatiable, she thought with a small smile. They hadn’t gotten much sleep. Her eyes strayed past him to the window. Even though the sky was once again dark and gloomy, it had to be at least a couple hours past sunrise, far past when Alex usually slept.
