“A pair of cuff links? Or maybe—” the lady paused “—maybe a ring?”
Another woman spoke up. “I’ve heard that men are wearing wedding rings these days. My sister’s husband has one. Says it keeps the women at arm’s length.”
What would Jake say to that? Alicia wondered, then decided she’d be better off to settle for the cuff links. Although where he would wear them, she had no idea. The man hadn’t darkened a church door in almost three years, and didn’t seem likely to make a habit of it in the future.
“What is he giving you?” one of the ladies asked, her eyes bright with curiosity. Leaning toward Alicia, she seemed almost to be holding her breath.
“Actually,” Alicia said with satisfaction, “he gave me a buggy and a new mare to pull it. He wants to make certain I have transport when I want to go somewhere. He’s kept it at the livery stable up until now, but he’s having a shed built for it right soon.”
“A horse and buggy? He hasn’t gotten you a ring?” another woman asked, disappointment edging the words.
“Yes, he bought me a ring. In fact, he had me make the selection myself. The new jeweler in town came out to Mr. McPherson’s home and offered us a nice selection to choose from.”
“Well, I have a real dandy pearl-handled penknife in this glass cabinet I’ll warrant any fella would like,” Mr. Harris said, pointing at a shallow case where several knives were displayed. He opened the lid and drew forth a specimen that brought a sigh from a young boy who watched from down the counter.
“This’n is made from German silver, with a genuine pearl handle and four blades. You won’t find a better knife anywhere. Any man would be proud to own it.” He leaned closer and the boy, who had pressed his way nearer, edged forward, the better to inspect Mr. Harris’s offering.
“It’s only two dollars,” the storekeeper said, intoning the price with awe, as though his product was of much greater value than that paltry sum.
Two dollars was a lot of money in any man’s language, Alicia thought privately, but if Jake would like the knife, she was willing to raid her bank account for it.
“That’s a dandy,” the young boy said, now standing beside her. “If I ever get married when I get old, I’d like to have one just like it.”
To Alicia’s ears, the boy’s reverence signified approval, and she turned the knife over in her hand, admiring the pearl finish. “Lined with solid brass, too,” Mr. Harris added eagerly.
“I believe I’ll purchase it,” Alicia said. “Does it come with a case?”
“That’s ten cents extra,” he told her. “For another nickle, I’ll put it in a nice box, too, and you can wrap it up when you get it home.”
“That sounds like a deal to me,” she told him, relieved that the decision had been made. Around her the ladies were conferring; one of them spoke up to ask if Alicia would like to join them at a quilting bee the following Tuesday. She offered a regretful smile.
“I’m sorry, but I’m going to have my hands full, just moving my belongings and settling in at Mr. McPherson’s home this week. Perhaps another time, thank you.”
She paid Mr. Harris, then watched as he fit the knife into an appropriate case and searched for a suitable box. Finally, the deed was done and Alicia counted out the money for her purchase. It left her exactly forty cents in her reticule, but since there didn’t seem to be anything else she needed, she was satisfied.
And then she spied the jar of candy sticks. “I believe I’ll take a half dozen of those for Jason,” she said. “Various flavors, please.”
As Alicia left the store, she once again felt all eyes focused on her, and knew the women were bursting with questions, none of which they had the courage to ask.
She was just as glad. Her arrangements with Jake were personal and private, and sharing any of their bargain with an outsider was unthinkable. Her steps were brisk as she marched down the sidewalk and headed for her rooming house. The carpetbag she’d already packed was waiting inside her bedroom and her trunk was open, almost filled to the brim, just a few items left to be added.
With only her wedding dress hung on the wall, the room seemed empty as if she’d already taken her leave. Alicia stood inside the door and leaned against it. She would sleep in that bed tonight for the last time.
She thought of the large room she would have as her own in Jake’s house. There would be a place to put her beloved books, drawers for her small things and a wardrobe in which to organize her dresses and shoes. The larger bed from the other room was yet to be moved in, but Cord had said he would come into town this afternoon and do that for her. He’d promised to pick her up and carry her things to his surrey and transport them.
She would leave behind only a few things for now, all of them a part of her wedding apparel—the dress Rachel had made and the petticoats she’d purchased to wear beneath it. Her best shoes sat near the window and her nightgown lay across the bed. An assortment of personal items sat on the dry sink.
She went to the window as the sound of voices caught her ear and she saw the surrey at the front gate. Cord was speaking with Catherine’s father and then the two men walked toward the house, Cord looking up as though he felt her gaze upon him. He raised his hand in greeting and she waved back, then picked up her carpetbag and placed it outside her room in the hallway.
With a flurry of movement, she tossed her slippers and wrapper into her trunk and closed the lid—then awaited Jake’s brother. He was there in moments, peering in the open door and grinning in her direction. “You all ready?” he asked.
At her nod, he bent and picked up the heavy wooden trunk, placing it on his shoulder and making his way toward the staircase. “I’ll get the carpetbag,” she said, coming behind him, but Catherine’s father was there beside her and beat her to it.
She felt cosseted, a rather pleasant experience, she thought. She was used to fending for herself, as she had for her whole life. Now it seemed she had two gentlemen toting and carrying for her. She followed Catherine’s father down the stairs and out the front door. Cord was already stowing the trunk in the backseat of the surrey and her carpetbag was placed beside it.
“Let’s get going,” he said, offering his hand so she could climb up on the seat. She accepted it readily, and her thoughts immediately flashed to the touch of Jake’s hand on the occasions when it had brushed against her own. There was no flare of heat, no tingle of awareness to be gained from Cord’s callused palm against hers.
It was just a hand…whereas Jake’s strong fingers and wide palm seemed imbued with the ability to make her aware of each muscle and sinew that covered the bones beneath his skin.
Cord picked up the reins, urging his horse to a trot, and headed for the big house just a quarter mile away. The man was strong, tall and capable, but she felt no shivering response to his smile, knew no aching need for his approval. Rachel had been right. Love had entered the picture.
The surrey drew to a halt before the sagging gate and Cord murmured disapproving words under his breath. “I’ve already bought new hinges,” Alicia said, aware of his irritation at the sight.
He shot her a look of surprise. “You’re going to fix it?”
“Jason will help me,” she told him. “We worked on the porch step a while back and Jason has learned some skills over the past weeks.” Then she smiled.
“Jake is going to have a shed and lean-to put up out back so we can keep the horse and buggy he gave me for a wedding gift, handy for me when I want to go out.”
“I heard Jason helped board up the schoolhouse windows with you,” Cord said, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “He bragged to Matthew that he could handle a hammer better than Miss Merriweather.”
She shrugged. “He’s learning. He’ll be helping supervise the shed building.”
The trunk was carried upstairs and Jason lugged the carpetbag, eschewing her offer to take it herself. “Pa says I’m to help you with whatever you need,” he told her earnestly. “He told me I’m old enough
to pitch in with whatever needs doin’.”
“Shall we tackle the gate this afternoon?” she asked in a low voice. “After your uncle Cord leaves, we should have time to work on it before supper.”
The beds were exchanged quickly. Clean sheets that had not seen the light of day in years were in the airing cupboard and smelled of lavender.
“Mama always liked to have her sheets smell nice,” Jason said, sniffing the fabric as he carried them into Alicia’s new bedroom.
“You miss your mama, don’t you?” Alicia asked. She snapped the first sheet and watched as it drifted down to cover the mattress.
“Yeah, I guess. But not so much lately,” he admitted. “It’s nice having you around to do stuff for us.”
“I hope you won’t change your mind about that,” she said, holding the first of her pillows beneath her chin in order to slide the embroidered pillowcase into place.
“Why should I?” Jason asked, rocking in the chair by the window.
“There are some new rules I think we should put in place,” she said quietly. The second sheet went on and was tucked in at the bottom, the corners neatly squared. She tossed a quilt over the top and propped the set of pillows against the counterpane.
Jason had watched her, his eyes narrowed. “What kind of rules?” he asked.
“We’ll work that out one evening next week, I think,” she told him. “Your father will want to be included in the list-making.”
Cord stuck his head in the doorway. “I’m leaving now,” he said. “We’ll be here right after noontime tomorrow for the ceremony. Rachel’s cookin’ up a storm out at the ranch. She said not to worry about the food. She’s handling everything.”
“I feel like I should be doing something,” Alicia protested.
Cord looked around the room and then stepped back, motioning toward the wide staircase. “I’d say you’ve already worked a miracle on this place. That parlor hasn’t looked so spiffy in years. I like the new curtains you hung.” He grinned. “Jake looks better in broad daylight, don’t you think? I thought for sure we’d never get him out of the dark, Alicia.”
His grin faded and he stepped a bit closer. “You’ve been good for him. I hope he’ll give you a decent life here.”
“I’m planning on it,” she said, reaching to tug at a lock of Jason’s hair. “We’re going to be a family.”
“Why don’t you run on down and give my mare a drink from a bucket, Jason?” Cord asked. Jason nodded and clattered down the stairs.
“I want to tell you something, Alicia,” Cord began, his face a bit flushed as if he were embarrassed by the words he would speak. “I wasn’t in favor of this wedding when Jake told me what he was planning, and I know you heard me carrying on in the parlor. But I need to let you know I’ve changed my mind. If ever a man needed a woman to look after him, it’s my brother. I hope he’ll give it his best shot, really try to make you happy here.”
“I’m of the firm belief that we all make our own happiness, Cord,” she said. “I’ve never looked to another person to make my days happy or my life complete. I’m simply hoping Jake and I will get along well and give Jason the sort of home he needs.”
Cord’s voice lowered as he looked intently at her, as if he could read the meaning behind her words. “I hope for more than that. My brother is capable of loving deeply. He’s been hurt, but the man has much to offer, if he’ll just give you room in his life. You’re a woman who deserves to be loved. I’d like to think that Jake will realize that one day.”
“Thank you,” she said. There were no other words to express her appreciation for his good wishes, and for the courage it took to speak so honestly about his brother. “I think I’m going to like having a brother, Cord.” She stepped closer to him and grasped his hand. “Rachel has already named me as her sister. I’d like to think I can be a sister to you, too.”
He reached for her, his arm circling her shoulders, and dipped his head to press a kiss against her cheek. “I’d like that,” She thought his voice sounded deeper, choked up even, and then he cleared his throat. “As a matter of fact, I’m planning on it.”
JAKE SAT ON THE PORCH as Alicia and Jason worked on the gate. Shiny new brass screws held the hinges in place. The gate was heavy and Alicia stood by, holding it at the right height until the boy properly tightened the screws. The job completed, Jason reached out, pushing the gate to and fro as he laughed aloud in triumph.
“Did’ja see what we did, Pa?” he called out to where Jake sat watching. His pride was almost palpable, Alicia thought.
“Why don’t you take care of the tools while I pick up the old hinges and make sure we didn’t leave any screws lying around,” she told Jason.
Agreeably, he did as she asked, then paused to speak to his father for a moment. The boy’s delight was almost enough in itself to make this marriage worthwhile, Alicia thought. Cord might have high expectations from their arrangement, but Alicia would be content to see Jason blossom, would be happy to watch Jake perhaps regain the sort of life he’d once had.
But change would come slowly, she reminded herself. Jake was not a man to be rushed, and he would not think twice about thwarting her plans should he not agree with them. She would be dealing with a man not easily managed.
“Are you going to stay for supper?” Jake called. He watched her as she approached the porch, his gaze touching her from head to toe, a realization that made her uncomfortable in the extreme. Did he see a woman too old, too tall and too plain to find a husband?
“Thank you, I think I might,” she said decisively. “What can I fix? Do you have any ideas?”
“Rachel sent us some fish she canned last summer. How about some fried fish cakes?”
“I can do that,” Alicia said. “I’ll just bone it first. Nothing worse than biting into a piece of fish and finding a bone stabbing you.”
“I believe you’ll come in right handy, ma’am,” Jake said, exaggerating the droll words he spoke. He rolled to the door and opened it wide, allowing her to walk past him into the house. She went directly to the kitchen, where she deposited the old hinges and screws in the trash bin, then washed up at the sink.
He watched her intently as she moved about, his fingers steepled against his mouth, elbows propped on the chair arms. “What?” She stopped abruptly halfway to the pantry and turned to face him. “What on earth do you find so fascinating about me, Jake? I feel like you’re trying to dissect me, piece by piece.”
He shook his head. “Not at all,” he said, denying her claim. “I merely find you graceful in whatever you do. You move so smoothly, especially—” He broke off and frowned, and she completed his sentence for him.
“Especially for such a big woman?” Her smile was strained and she felt discomfort sweep through her at the knowledge that she was not what he would have chosen for a wife, if circumstances had been different.
Jake grinned then. “You are not a petite woman, Alicia. There’s no getting around that. But you are far from plain. What matters is that you make me feel at ease with you. I don’t have to fear that my opinions will offend you. You’re not afraid of me, and I like that.
“Besides, believe me or not, I find you feminine in the extreme.” His gaze moved to her bosom and she felt heat rise to her flesh at the realization that he inspected her so blatantly.
She turned away and he called her name. “Alicia. Please look at me. I want you to know that I admire you for taking on such a task. Facing the future with Jason and me will not be easy for you. I’m not a simple man. You know that already. I’m blunt and I’m sure you’ll think more than once that I’m downright obnoxious.”
She turned her head and nodded. “Well, you’ve got that right.”
“I have no legs, Alicia. That makes me about half a man. If you can accept the fact that your husband is a man who will never walk under his own power, ever again, then I can accept gladly the fact that my wife is a woman of great strength and stamina, a woman with a sense of honor th
at will make me proud to claim her as my wife.
“I won’t mention this again since it makes you uncomfortable, but I think you need to know my feelings. If I wish to look at you and admire the woman you are, please don’t take offense.”
She turned and bustled off to the pantry without a word. Hot tears burned behind her eyelids but she refused to shed them. Not for the world would she make Jake think he’d hurt her feelings, for the opposite was true. He’d made her proud of who she was, made her realize that she had something to offer him that he was pleased to accept.
Hiding in the pantry was not the thing to do, she decided. Locating the jar of fish on the shelf, she returned to the kitchen and placed the Mason jar on the counter. Then she turned to where he waited, his expression anxious, which struck her as unusual for Jake. He was a man who spoke his mind without fear or favor.
“I need to say thank-you, Jake,” she told him, hoping against hope that the tears would not escape. “I think we’ll get along one way or another. I’ll try not to invade your privacy too much, but I expect one thing from you that might not be to your liking.”
He lifted an eyebrow in question.
“I want you to stand behind me when I make attempts to change Jason’s habits. I’m going to set some rules in place and he needs to know that his father will not side against me in this.”
“What sort of rules? Rules of behavior? I told you his manners were atrocious already. I won’t argue with that.”
“I want to sit down with the both of you one evening next week and compile a list. I want your word that you’ll back me in this.”
“May I see your list first?” he asked, and she thought she noted a gleam of leashed anger in his eyes.
Perhaps she’d run roughshod over his pride in his son, she thought. Jake was a good father, but had neglected the boy’s behavior. It was time to call a halt.
“Yes,” she said. “Of course you can. I’ll show it to you before we call Jason in on the discussion.”
Jake nodded. “All right. That sounds fair.” His eyes narrowed a bit and he tapped the arm of his chair with his index finger. “I hope you aren’t planning on coming up with a list for my benefit, Alicia. I’m not sure I’m in the mood for being changed to your way of thinking.”
Redemption Page 10
