by Renee Ryan
Bridget’s heart filled with warmth and affection.
Nora shot a look in her direction, the lift of a single eyebrow indicating that explanations would be in order once they were alone.
Bridget suppressed a sigh, knowing full well she was in for another lecture, one that would surely include a list of the various complications that could arise when a person kept secrets from their older sister.
“Please, ladies, won’t you join us for the service.”
The invitation came from Will. There was a look of urgency in his eyes Bridget had missed earlier. A gasp worked its way up her throat and stalled. Had something happened since they’d last seen one another?
“We’d be delighted to join you,” Nora answered for them both.
There was a moment of jostling and organizing and arguing among the children over who would stand next to Bridget. In the end neither did so. Olivia ended up beside Nora. Caleb settled on Will’s right, while Bridget ended up on his left in the middle of the pew.
Olivia proceeded to pay homage to Grace while Caleb plopped onto the floor with his toy boat in hand. Will opened a hymnal, shifting until Bridget could see the page, as well.
As if on cue, the first strains of organ music wafted through the air. Although Will concentrated on the book in his hand, Bridget could feel his attention solely on her, as if he had something important he needed to say to her. She briefly wondered what had happened and why she wasn’t more uncomfortable standing this close to him. He smelled of soap and pine. She took a deep breath, leaned in closer and promptly began singing the selected hymn.
Peace enveloped her.
The song rolled off Will’s tongue in a clear, perfectly pitched baritone. Bridget’s voice joined with his in flawless harmony, as though they’d been singing together all their lives.
Against her best efforts to stay focused on the song, her thoughts turned fanciful. She imagined her and Will, together, sharing their love of music with their children. Five of them, to be exact. Olivia, Caleb, another set of twins, both of them girls, a smaller boy. They would…they would…
She shook away the image, shocked at the direction of her thoughts. Had she learned nothing in the past year? She needed to guard her heart, to hold a portion of herself back, or she’d risk another heartache.
Out of the corner of her eye she glanced at Will, only to discover he was watching her in the same covert manner. Despite the tension she felt in him, something quite nice passed between them, a feeling that instilled utter contentment.
She swallowed a flash of misgiving and kept singing.
Halfway through the second hymn another person joined them in the pew, a man, his lean, muscular frame sending everyone a few steps to their right. Bridget couldn’t fully see the newcomer around Nora’s hat. But from her sister’s quick intake of air she had a good idea who the man might be.
Sheriff Cameron Long had joined them. Bridget hadn’t pegged him for the churchgoing type. She suspected Nora was the reason for his appearance, and that her sister was secretly pleased by this turn of events. Of course she would never admit to such a thing to Bridget. Maybe not even to herself.
The singing came to an end. There was another round of jostling for position. This time Caleb landed on Bridget’s lap, his little cheek pressed against her shoulder. Olivia climbed over the lot of them until she settled in an identical position in her father’s arms.
Bridget and Will shared a smile over his children’s heads. She had to breathe in hard to gather a proper amount of air in her lungs. Truly, William Black should smile more often.
As the preacher made his way to the pulpit, Will leaned forward and inclined his head toward the additional member of their tiny group. “Cam, nice to see you here this morning.” There was a hint of irony in his voice.
The sheriff grinned. “Never say never.”
There was no more time for conversation before the preacher took his place. He was exactly what Bridget would have expected of an American pastor. Tall, scarecrow-thin, with gray, thinning hair, he was an ordinary-looking fellow with somewhat angular features.
His voice was surprisingly pleasant. Low, soft and compelling. Within moments Bridget found herself riveted by his every word.
When he quoted Hebrews 11:1, she sat up straighter. She’d memorized the verse back in Ireland and had recited it to herself throughout the sea voyage.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, she repeated in her mind.
She listened intently to the rest of the sermon. When making a particular point, the preacher would lower his voice. The entire congregation leaned forward, hungry for whatever bit of wisdom he was about to impart. The whole experience was quite dramatic.
Bridget slipped a quick glance in Will’s direction. He appeared to be listening as intently as everyone else. It comforted her to know he took the sermon seriously.
Olivia, far too young to pay attention, spent the time quietly grooming her doll’s hair. She twisted the strands into a long, messy braid that would surely end up in need of a drastic untangling. Would Will’s mother’s elderly fingers be able to accomplish the task?
Where was his mother, anyway? Was she sitting with friends? Had she come at all? Bridget searched the church, but had no idea what the woman looked like.
Comforted by the preacher’s voice, Caleb grew heavy in her arms. She tightened her hold to keep him from slipping off her lap.
“Where there is no risk, there is no faith,” the preacher said in a low, convicted voice. “Throughout the coming week I want you to consider the one thing that has been weighing heavy on your heart. And then ask yourself this question.” He paused for effect. “What if I trusted this to the Lord?”
Bridget immediately thought about the deed to the house and wondered whether or not it would turn out to be legal. Would worrying make a difference in the final outcome? Of course it wouldn’t.
Her mind turned to the man sitting by her side and his troubling situation. His intended bride was dead. His children were without a mother. Unable to stop herself, she risked a glance in his direction.
He appeared deep in thought. Had the sermon hit him as it had her? With all the talk about faith and trusting the Lord would he be more open to hiring her as his children’s nanny?
Dare she hope?
Oh, Lord, please—
“Let us pray.” The preacher bowed his head.
Bridget closed her eyes. She desperately wanted the courage to trust the Lord in all things, especially the situation with the house and Will and his darling children and—
Organ music broke through her thoughts. Caleb hopped off her lap. Olivia immediately followed. The rest of the congregation stood more slowly and proceeded to sing the closing hymn.
All too quickly the service was over and people began filing out of the church. Several cast looks in Bridget and Nora’s direction, but none stopped to speak to any of them. She supposed that was to be expected.
Once the way was clear, Sheriff Long moved out into the aisle then stepped back and motioned everyone to go on ahead of him.
The children scrambled out first then surrounded Nora and baby Grace once she made her way into the empty aisle, as well. Cameron Long stood slightly apart from the commotion and watched the interaction with a guarded, almost sad look on his face.
Before Bridget could contemplate his strange reaction, Will’s voice washed over her. “Bridget, if you would be so kind, I’d like a word with you in private.”
“Oh?” She spun around to face him. “I… Now?”
He touched her hand and a quiet intensity filled his gaze. “It’s important.”
She angled her head at him, trying desperately to read his expression.
He lowered
his voice. “It concerns what we discussed in the general store yesterday.”
A surge of apprehension raced through her. Was he about to make her another offer of marriage? This time with a bit more romance? If so, would she accept?
No. Of course she wouldn’t. What did it matter how he approached the subject of matrimony? She’d made her wishes very clear when last they’d met, as he had made his. She would not enter a marriage of convenience, no matter what Will said or how he asked.
Surely, he knew all this.
Didn’t he?
Chapter Eight
Seconds ticked by and Bridget wondered why Will wasn’t speaking.
Get on with it, she nearly shouted at him. Perhaps he was waiting until the children were out of earshot. With that in mind, she made eye contact with Nora, gave a meaningful look at the twins and then angled her head in Will’s direction.
Understanding the silent message, Nora steered Olivia and Caleb farther down the aisle, toward Cameron Long. Shoulders tense, lips flattened, he politely gave the twins his undivided attention. The poor man looked slightly uncomfortable, but he was making a gallant effort at hiding his reaction.
With the children occupied, Bridget turned back to Will.
The look of urgency was back in his eyes. “Will?”
“Something has occurred since we spoke yesterday, something that makes it imperative I reopen our previous discussion.”
Not sure what she heard in his tone—worry, apprehension, despair?—she braided her fingers together and told herself not to panic, not to jump to conclusions. Patience was the key in situations such as these.
“You see, my mother, she has…” His words trailed off and for an instant he looked slightly helpless.
Bridget gasped. “Is she hurt? Has she been injured?”
“Nothing like that.”
“Praise God.”
“Yes.” He blinked. “But I’m afraid she is not entirely well, either. I’m no doctor but if I had to give a diagnosis I’d say she’s suffering from a case of exhaustion.”
His concerned expression told Bridget what she’d already determined for herself. This man cared deeply for his family.
“My mother missed church today,” he continued, his eyes filling with world-weariness. “It’s the first time since my father passed.”
“Oh, Will. I am sorry.” Bridget reached out to him, but realizing where they were she dropped her hand before she made contact with his arm. “Has she seen a doctor?”
He shook his head. “Not yet.”
An idea formulated in her mind. “I could ask Flynn to examine your mother. He is very good, very kind. He would know what to do for her.”
His eyes narrowed. “Who is Flynn?”
“Flynn Gallagher,” she said. When the name still didn’t seem to register, she added, “The ship’s doctor you met in Boston. He is my brother-in-law.”
Will looked down at her with a thoughtful expression, as if he were untangling several details in his mind. “The woman who’d accompanied us in the infirmary,” he said. “She is your…sister?”
“Yes, her name is Maeve.”
“Maeve.” He digested this a moment, then nodded. “Right, I remember now.”
Bridget waited for him to continue.
“I…” He shoved a hand through his hair. “My mother is stubborn. She doesn’t want to admit she isn’t well. But if she is not better soon, I will insist she see a doctor.”
Bridget wanted to push the matter, wanted to do whatever she could to help, but she’d interfered enough. This wasn’t her family, or her concern. At least that’s what everyone kept telling her.
Nevertheless she wasn’t one to walk away from anyone in need. And by the look of concern on Will’s face the man was clearly in need.
“If it is agreeable with you,” she began, “I would like to inform Flynn of the situation. Perhaps he could give advice without having to meet your mother.”
Letting out a breath that wasn’t entirely steady, he inclined his head. “Perhaps. In the meantime—” he cleared his throat blinked once, twice “—I find it necessary to do what I can to relieve my mother’s daily burden.”
“That is perfectly understandable,” Bridget agreed.
He cleared his throat again. “Would you reconsider the offer I made to you yesterday?”
Bridget shook her head. “I’m sorry, no.”
He paused, one beat, two. On the third he blew out a slow breath of air then nodded in resignation. Despite his hesitation, her answer didn’t seem to surprise him. “Would you consider becoming—” he grimaced “—my children’s nanny?”
At last. At last, Bridget thought. The man was willing to make a compromise. He was putting aside his own preferences for his mother’s sake. That said a lot about his character, as well as his love for his mother.
Bridget wanted to help him. She wanted to honor this man’s leap of faith with one of her own. They could work out the particulars in time.
Then what was stopping her? Why wasn’t she saying yes?
* * *
Will did not like the look of indecision he saw on Bridget’s face. Nor was he overly fond of the way she continued to hold to her silence long after he’d relented and asked her to become his children’s nanny instead of his wife.
The arrangement had been her idea. Why wasn’t she agreeing on the spot?
Finally, she broke her silence. “I’m not sure I understand. I thought you wanted a more permanent solution.”
“I do. But with my mother’s current health situation I don’t have time to send away for another bride. I see how you are with my children, and they with you.” He swallowed. “They haven’t had much to smile about in the past year. But with you they seem quite…happy.” He had to believe that was a good sign.
“And you’d be willing to risk me leaving them, sometime in the future, whenever that might be?”
What other choice did he have? His mother had looked beyond exhausted this morning, more than usual. At this rate he feared she wouldn’t last the months it would take him to make arrangements for another mail-order bride. If she wasn’t better in a few days he would send for the doctor.
“Yes, Bridget,” he said her name with conviction, knowing he could no longer jeopardize his mother’s health. “I am willing to take that risk.”
She fell silent again, pressing her mouth into a flat line of concentration. Her gaze landed on the twins and a sigh slipped past her tight lips. “I do adore them.”
Although he already knew that, hearing her say the words brought a wave of relief. “Then you will become their nanny?”
“On one condition.”
He would give her whatever she wanted. Money. Gratitude. “Anything.”
“I will accept the position only on a trial basis.”
“A trial basis?” He didn’t like the sound of that.
“Yes.” She nodded her head firmly, as though she’d made up her mind and that was the end of the discussion. “You will allow me to work for you for one full week. At the end of that time we will reevaluate the situation, before the children become overly attached.”
It was a solid enough plan, except for one major flaw. The twins were already half in love with the woman. One week in her company would probably send them over the edge. They would end up devastated if she left them, even after only a week.
The answer to the problem was simple. He would give Bridget no cause to leave them. “Agreed.”
She smiled and his heart picked up speed, making him feel as though he were running a race with no end in sight.
“Can you begin tomorrow?”
She opened her mouth to respond, then shut it just as quickly. “Wait
here a moment.”
He gave her retreating back a nod.
She hurried out of the pew and approached her sister, pulling her slightly away from Cam and the children. The two women whispered together for several moments. Will took the opportunity to study Bridget in greater detail. She’d donned the same dress she’d worn the first day they met, a striking concoction with ruffles and gold ribbon streamers at the elbows. She’d pinned her hair on top of her head and, as always, several long tendrils had already escaped.
Her hair really was quite glorious. It was no wonder Olivia had chosen a doll with the same color.
Unaware of his inspection, Bridget called Cam over next. Her sister returned to the twins. More whispering ensued. Cam nodded a few times, then touched her arm and smiled reassuringly.
Seeing the ease in which the two conversed, something dark and ugly swept through Will. With their heads bent close together, Cam and Bridget looked completely in tune with one another.
An ugly memory surfaced. Will remembered the way Fanny had been with other men, one in particular. He remembered her outrageous flirting, the way she’d—
No. Will stopped his train of thought abruptly. Bridget was not Fanny. Cam was not that other man. All signs pointed to the fact that the pretty Irish immigrant was a woman of integrity. Although, she was rather friendly with Cam. And they were both unattached.
Perhaps a one-week trial was a good idea, after all. Will could use the time to ferret out Bridget’s true intentions. If she turned out to be just like Fanny, he would send her packing.
If she was nothing like his dead wife, then he would…he would…
See what came next.
He narrowed his eyes, wondering what was taking so long. What was she discussing so secretively with Cam?
Bridget eventually stepped away from the other man, spoke to Olivia and Caleb a moment then approached Will once again.
“Yes.” She gave him a winning smile. “I can start tomorrow morning.”
Relief spread through him, the emotion so strong it threw him back a step. He swallowed, hard, and focused on calming his raging pulse before speaking again. “Excellent.” He rattled off his address.
