Love Inspired Historical November 2015

by Linda Ford

  The tension in his shoulders eased somewhat, and he returned his attention to his task.

  Studying his profile, she placed the clean dish on the quilt behind her. “We can visit her any day this week. I’m free in the mornings.”

  “That’s right. You bake in the afternoons.” Reaching across her, he snagged an extra washcloth for drying. “The townspeople must love that. I often dreamed about your ribbon fruitcake.”

  Their desserts were indeed popular with the locals. She used to take such joy from making Tom his favorite treat. That particular item had been off the menu for quite some time. Too many memories.

  “Any chance I might get to purchase a slice soon?”

  “Right now, we’re taking advantage of the fresh berries for pies and strudels. Perhaps in the fall.”

  “I’ll have to be patient, then.” He moved into her space. “Hold still. You have a stray eyelash.”

  His fingertips lightly stroked the tender skin beneath her eye. He was close enough that she could feel the cool fan of his breath across her nose. Her pulse rate tripled, and her head felt too light. What Jane wanted was to erase the scant inches separating them, wanted his arms around her, his chest beneath her cheek.

  It wasn’t fair that she should possess these feelings for him, suffer these reactions when he wasn’t the least bit affected. She was nothing but a friend to him. Worse, actually. She was the little sister of the woman he’d wanted for his wife.

  “There,” he murmured huskily. “I think I got it.”

  Tom pulled away slightly, confusion tugging his brows together as his gaze roamed her face as if seeing her for the very first time. As if she were a stranger to him. His eyes flared with surprise just before he turned away and resumed washing without a word.

  The creak of wagon wheels had them both twisting to see the new arrival.

  “Josh.” Jane wasn’t surprised to see her cousin. He and Tom had been close friends since childhood.

  A second wagon pulled onto the lane behind it, driven by Josh’s younger brother, Nathan. The blond hair glinting in the light belonged to his pretty spitfire of a wife, Sophie.

  “Looks like an official O’Malley family welcome.” He flashed her a quick smile that struck her as a bit strained. Helping her up, he quickly stepped away.

  “Nathan’s brought you a milk cow.”

  “Yes, I see.”

  Jane wondered at his distant manner. Was he worried her family would hold a grudge because of his lack of correspondence? Was it her? Hanging back while he strode ahead, she surreptitiously sniffed at her blouse, relieved when the lilac-infused washing soap was the only scent she detected. It was a rather humid day, after all, and he’d been very close.

  If it wasn’t an offending odor, was it something she’d said?

  Oh, no. She stopped in her tracks. Had he glimpsed the truth in her eyes? The secret she worked so hard to keep hidden?

  *

  Tom hoped the astonishment ricocheting through his system wasn’t written across his face for all to see. He couldn’t have known a simple eyelash would incite this peculiar reaction to Jane. Jane, of all people. His best friend’s younger cousin. Megan’s baby sister.

  But, oh, her skin had been incredibly soft. Her eyes luminous, the deep, true green of mysterious forests, drawing him in, making him forget who and what they were.

  He’d always fancied himself as a standin big brother. Someone to tease her out of her introverted shell. Protect her from guys with questionable intentions. He’d always seen her as young and innocent. Vulnerable. The little sister he’d never had.

  Seeing her as an alluring, intriguing young woman wasn’t natural.

  “Tom Leighton.” His old friend pulled him into a back-slapping hug. Josh hadn’t aged in the years he’d been gone; he still wore his wheat-colored hair short and had a neat goatee. “Hard to believe you’re here. I’ve missed you, brother.”

  “I should’ve written.” Beyond Josh’s wagon, the middle O’Malley son was swinging his wife to the ground. He’d been surprised to hear Nathan had married the O’Malleys’ neighbor, tomboy Sophie Tanner. She certainly didn’t look like a tomboy anymore. “Only now that I’m here do I realize what a mistake not writing was.”

  Josh’s hand remained on his shoulder. “If I hadn’t known where you were going or why, I would’ve been tempted to come searching for you.”

  Jane gasped. Pivoting, Tom saw the tremor in her hand as she lifted it to her throat. Anguish pinched her features.

  “You knew where he was all this time and didn’t tell me?” Her gaze hit upon Tom’s and skittered away. “N-not just me. The entire family has been worried.”

  Josh shifted his stance. “I’m sorry, Jane.”

  “It’s not his fault,” Tom said. “I discussed my decision to go to Charles’s ranch with Josh. I asked him to keep it quiet.” Not thinking straight after Megan’s refusal—he’d been one big mass of hurt and disappointment—he hadn’t stopped to evaluate the rightness or wrongness of his actions. “I’m the one to blame.”

  He resisted the urge to touch her, something that up until a few minutes ago had been as instinctive as breathing.

  Nathan and Sophie approached. Tom had no choice but to greet them both, noting Jane’s swift departure out of the corner of his eye. Josh trailed her to the cabin, delaying her at the steps. She was upset and, as in the past, all Tom wanted was to hold her until she wasn’t anymore.

  It struck him again that things had changed. She had changed. And maybe so had he.

  Nathan lifted the Jersey cow’s lead rope. “We heard your niece is with you. Thought a milk cow might come in handy. This here’s one of our best producers.” He rubbed between her ears. “Her name’s Belle.”

  “Let me get my wallet and settle up with you.”

  “No need. Consider her a welcome-home present.”

  He hadn’t forgotten the O’Malleys’ generosity or their stubborn natures. Arguing the point was useless. “I appreciate it, Nate. Thank you.”

  “I’ll get her settled in the barn.”

  Tom sighed. He hadn’t cleared out any of the outbuildings yet. Making Clara feel comfortable in her new home had been his top priority, and he hadn’t made much progress on that front. “You won’t reach it without a machete.”

  “So lend me one.” He shrugged.

  “Wouldn’t you rather pass a pleasant Sunday afternoon with your wife?”

  Arm linked with Nathan’s, Sophie smiled. “He’s promised to take me fishing later. For now, I’m going to help Jane. Good to have you home, Tom.” She bussed her husband on the cheek before slipping away.

  Silver eyes sparkling with good humor, the other man drawled, “Don’t be stubborn, Leighton. We’re family, got it? And family helps each other out. Now, point me to the tools.”

  Tom complied. He expected Jane to leave right away. Instead, she and Sophie carted buckets of water to the porch and began scrubbing the windowpanes, conversing in low voices so as not to disturb the still-sleeping Clara. She did avoid looking at him, however. Having kindhearted Jane upset with him was not a pleasant experience.

  With company around, he’d have to wait to try and smooth things over.

  While he, Josh and Nathan attacked the overgrown vegetation around the barn entrance, more O’Malleys arrived—the men’s parents, Sam and Mary, who were like a beloved aunt and uncle to Tom, and the youngest son, Caleb, who brought his wife, young sister-in-law and adorable eighteen-month-old son, Noah. Everyone pitched in. And there, in the midst of the sweaty, backbreaking work, surrounded by these people he considered family, he acknowledged how much he’d missed them all. Missed this town.

  Despite the grief and turmoil that had spurred him home, he was glad to be back.

  Leaning his scythe against the barn wall’s weathered boards, Josh motioned for Tom to follow him to the stream. Resting a knee on the grassy bank, Josh submerged his handkerchief and mopped his face and neck.

  “How
did Jane seem to you yesterday?” Josh said.

  Scooping up water with his hat as he’d done earlier, Tom reveled in the cold shock of it as it slid down his head and beneath his shirt collar.

  “Distressed.”

  He wouldn’t soon forget that encounter. Her breathtaking beauty. The fact she’d come close to fainting in his arms.

  Josh tunneled his fingers through his hair, a disgusted noise gusting out. “The ceremony was a disaster of epic proportions. I’m not surprised she took off.”

  “Who’s the lout she was supposed to marry?” Anger at an unknown stranger bloomed inside. Not many men were worthy of Jane. She deserved someone truly special, someone who’d recognize her true worth and cherish her gentle spirit. Not someone who lied to her, humiliated her in front of the entire town.

  “Newcomer named Roy Crowley.” He stood.

  “You allowed her to get engaged to a man like that?”

  “She didn’t ask my permission. Besides, he struck me as a solid, responsible man. Treated her well. Everyone approved of the union.”

  Her misery fresh in his mind, Tom clenched his fists. “She must be devastated.”

  “Jane’s not one to confide in me, but I got the sense she wasn’t as invested as she ought to be.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, she didn’t have the look of a young woman in love.”

  Turning so that he had a clear view of the cabin, Tom crossed his arms and sagged against the tree base. She wasn’t hard to spot, what with that shining red hair and cool mint-green blouse. At the moment, she and Sophie were emptying the bed mattresses of the old and no doubt moldy corn husks.

  Was Josh’s assumption true? Tom hoped so. If she didn’t love the guy, she wasn’t suffering more than bruised pride. Marrying for convenience’s sake was a practical solution if one was facing financial difficulties or needed a spouse to help with farm chores. But Jane and her family weren’t struggling with either. Why would she agree to such a union?

  Chapter Five

  “Time for bed, birdie.” Tom folded back the freshly washed quilt and patted the mattress. “Hop in.”

  Taking a final sip of her water, Clara plunked the cup on the table and climbed onto the bed pushed up against the main room’s wall. The same one he and his brother had shared when they were young. Here on this farm, the memories were everywhere. Inescapable. At least at the ranch, there hadn’t been anything to remind him of the good times. Nothing to resurrect futile yearning for what used to be.

  Making herself comfortable, his niece clasped her dainty hands together over her chest, big eyes blinking up at him. “I don’t wanna sleep in this bed.”

  Sitting on the mattress’s edge, he flicked a stray piece of hay from his pant leg. “Miss Jane and Miss Sophie cleaned it out today just for you. There’s fresh straw inside to make it comfy.”

  “I want my old bed.” She surveyed the cabin’s interior. “Our other house was bigger. I wanna go home.”

  The plea in her tone punched him square in the chest. “I know this place doesn’t feel like home yet. It’s been empty a long time. No one’s been around to take care of it.” His attention wandered to the empty rocking chair, the basket of knitting needles and yarn near the hearth, and a fresh wave of grief crashed over him. He could use a bit of his ma’s insight right about now. “Did you know that your pa and I were born in this very cabin?”

  Her face reflected astonishment, and she looked so much like Charles that he could hardly catch his breath. “Really?”

  He made do with a nod. Sometimes he despised his brother for not being strong enough to cope with Jenny’s death. For abandoning Clara. He abandoned you, too. Don’t forget that.

  Giving up wasn’t in Tom’s nature. He hadn’t thought it of Charles, either.

  Granted, he didn’t understand what it felt like to lose the love of his life, the mother of his child. But Charles had a daughter who needed him. Going off on a reckless self-pity binge was just plain selfish.

  “Uncle Tom?”

  “Hmm?”

  “When will Pa meet us here?”

  Snapped out of his reverie, Tom worked to conceal his emotion. He covered her folded hands with his own. “I’m not sure, Clara.”

  He hadn’t told her that he had no idea where her pa was. Whether or not he was safe.

  This is how Jane must’ve felt when I bolted, he thought dumbly. All those months of wondering where I’d gone, how I was faring… Knowing her proclivity to imagine the worst, it would’ve been torture for her.

  No wonder she’d been so devastated. She had a right to be angry.

  Like Charles, he’d selfishly disregarded her feelings.

  And the one person who’d known, who could’ve eased her worry, had been sworn to secrecy, thanks to him. Stupid move, Leighton.

  Clara yawned widely and snuggled deeper into the mattress. “Will you tell me a bedtime story?”

  Exhaustion had seeped into his marrow, and he longed for his own bed, but he couldn’t deny her. Tucking the quilt under her chin, he wove a tale of adventure.

  Her lids heavy by the time he’d finished, she mumbled, “Is Miss Jane coming to see us tomorrow?”

  “Jane has her own farm to take care of.”

  She wouldn’t be visiting again soon, he was certain. After overhearing Josh, she’d made sure not to be alone with Tom the remainder of the day, giving him no chance to apologize. Would she change her mind about accompanying him to Megan’s?

  “You like her, don’t you?” he said.

  “She’s nice.”

  “Yeah, she is.”

  Nice wasn’t the only adjective he’d use to describe Jane. Insightful was one. Sensitive. Beautiful. That moment by the water resurfaced, the mental image of her upturned face, eyes closed, pale lashes resting against her cheeks as he brushed away the stray one filling his mind.

  “Amy is, too.” Clara’s voice jarred him. “She played dolls with me.”

  With much effort, Tom refocused on the present. He’d seen Caleb’s young sister-in-law playing with Clara beneath the big maple tree in the yard. In Kansas, Clara had been somewhat isolated from feminine company, surrounded by rowdy, manners-challenged ranch hands. Having the O’Malley women around would benefit her.

  Despite the difficulties, coming home to Gatlinburg would be good for her. He’d make sure of it.

  *

  “I can’t believe you agreed to this.”

  Jane didn’t look up from her journal. Tom and Clara would be arriving any minute to pick her up, and she wanted to finish her entry. Expressing her thoughts and feelings on paper helped her make sense of her world.

  “What excuse could I possibly have given him, Jess?”

  Her twin popped up from the top step and paced the length of the porch, blue paisley skirts swishing with each step. “I don’t know. Chores? Errands? Visiting the sick?”

  With a sigh, Jane shut the clothbound book and slipped it and her pencil into the leather satchel at her feet. She started the rocker moving with the tip of her boot. “He’s concerned how Megan will react if he shows up there alone. As her sister and his friend, I’m the obvious choice to accompany him.”

  “He’s concerned about Megan.” Jessica snorted. “Of course he is.”

  Anguish arrowed through her. “He loved her, Jess. Once you love someone, that never goes away.”

  At least, it hadn’t in her experience. How many times had she yearned for the empty hole in her heart to mend? Or be filled with someone else? She’d thought that, with time, Roy would’ve come to mean more to her. “Besides, Tom hasn’t the slightest idea how I feel. In his mind, this is simply an opportunity for me to visit with my sister.”

  Jessica knelt before her, halting the rocking motion with her hands on the armrests. Looking into her face was like peering into a mirror.

  “I’m worried about you, sis. Not only are you dealing with Roy’s deception, but the return of your infatuation. The hero of your
daydreams. The man you haven’t been able to forget.”

  “Don’t worry. I have a plan.”

  Interest kindled in Jessica’s rounded eyes. “You’re going to confess everything?”

  The mere idea had her heart doing palpitations. “Can you honestly picture me doing that?”

  “Yes, as a matter of fact. If you were to work up your nerve. It’s not a horrible idea.” She snapped her fingers. “I know, I can pretend to be you and do it for you.”

  Jane glowered at her twin. The handful of times they’d switched identities as children had been spectacular failures. And they’d gotten punished for their efforts. “Forget it, Jess.”

  “Okay. How about flirting with him? Giving him subtle hints that you’re open to a relationship?”

  Gently nudging Jessica aside, she pushed to standing and went to the railing. “My plan is to live my life apart from his. After today, I’m going to see to it that our paths rarely cross outside church. I won’t even sit with him during the service.” Not like old times, side by side with Tom and Megan on the wooden pew.

  Jessica joined her, retying the shiny blue ribbon that had come loose about her thick mane. “He’ll be included in all the O’Malley events.”

  “I can handle it.”

  “Has he told you what he’s been up to all this time?”

  “Not exactly.”

  “You do realize he might be married. Or engaged. Not all men wear wedding bands. Anything could’ve happened in two years.”

  Married. The possibility hadn’t occurred to her. Surely he’d been too distraught over Megan to notice other women! Dread and something too much like desperation cut into her. She couldn’t bear the thought, and that frightened her. Because it meant she wasn’t over him. It meant she was right back in the same impossible spot she’d been in when he’d been dreaming of forever with her sister.

  Sucking in a shaky breath, Jane stiffened her spine. “Falling back into the same detrimental cycle is not an option. I refuse to waste any more time mooning after a man who doesn’t want me.”

  “Good for you.” A wide smile blossomed on Jessica’s face. “Because now that I’m with Lee, I have no intention of letting you become a spinster.”