Nathan shifted so he could free his arm and put it around her shoulders. He hugged her to him and kissed her head as Charlotte snuggled into his body.
“Better now?”
Charlotte let out a contented sigh.
“Much better.”
Nathan smiled and hugged her closer. He wasn’t normally a man who liked having physical contact with other people but with Charlotte, he couldn’t stop touching her. Brushing her hair away from her face, kissing her, putting his arms around her when her back was turned, he did it all. Charlotte didn’t tell him off for any of it; if anything, she enjoyed it just as much as he did.
They reached Canyon without speaking, and Nathan pulled the wagon up in front of the saloon. Alighting first, he turned to help Charlotte down as she slid across the seat and jumped down, he caught her and lowered her to the ground. Charlotte bit her lip and glanced at the saloon.
“Nate, why won’t you let me help out more? I’m feeling better. I think it’s time I did something instead of sitting in bed recuperating. Isn’t that what we agreed on?”
Nathan sighed. They had had this discussion the day before. He had hoped that would be the last time it was brought up; he wasn’t about to let his sick wife work. Evidently, his wife was tenacious.
“We did agree, but that was before I realized you’re not in the best of health. I don’t want to do anything that will result in you being confined to your bed. That could make you worse.”
Charlotte rolled her eyes.
“I’m only confined to my bed because you told me to. I haven’t felt this good in a long time.” She laid her hands on his chest and pouted out her bottom lip. “Please, Nate? I don’t like sitting around like a fat lump of lard doing nothing.”
Nathan laughed and hugged her, kissing her forehead.
“You’re certainly not a fat lump of lard.”
“I will be if this keeps going on,” Charlotte grunted. She sighed, her fingers playing with one of the buttons on his shirt. “Look, I don’t even need to work a full day. That, I admit, might be a bit stupid if I’m recovering, but I want to do something to make myself feel useful. How am I supposed to raise children if you keep smothering me like this? And don’t start saying you’re going to protect me big-time with my pregnancy because I’ll hit you over the head with anything I can get my hands on.”
“I wouldn’t do that.” The thought of Charlotte’s belly swelling with his child both warmed and scared Nathan. Would she be strong enough to carry a child? He focused on his wife in the now. “I’m sorry, Charlotte. I care about you, and I don’t want you to get ill again. You scared me the first time I saw you like that. It’s not something I want to see ever again if I can help it.”
Charlotte sighed and leaned into him, holding onto his coat lapels.
“I know you care and it’s sweet that you do. I really do appreciate it. But it’s frustrating that I’m being restricted in what I can do.” She looked up at him. Nathan saw a glint in her eye and wondered what she was up to. “Look, I can sew. I worked as a seamstress at one time. Maybe I could look for some sewing work for a price. It could bring in some pin money for me, so I don’t keep bothering you for money.” She gripped his lapels tighter. “Please, just let me do something. I’m not just a sickly wife. I am a practical woman, and I don’t intend to stop that now I’m married.”
Nathan wanted to refuse. But then he realized he was being stupid and what Charlotte was asking for was actually quite reasonable. Nathan knew he only wanted to refuse because all he could think of was seeing Charlotte at near collapse at the train station, white as a sheet and struggling to breathe. He didn’t want to witness Charlotte do that again.
But what harm could she get into with sewing? He sighed.
“All right. I know a few people who are wanting some help in that area. We haven’t got a seamstress here; everyone has to go to Frye, and it’s a long way for many people. You could lighten the load a little.”
The expression on Charlotte’s face was worth it. She squealed and flung her arms around his neck, kissing him soundly before hugging him.
“Thank you.”
Nathan hugged her back and smiled. If this was the thanks he got when he allowed her to do something, he was going to need to do it more often.
Chapter 6
The next couple of weeks passed by with speed. Nathan was busy working, and business was always thriving just before Christmas with husbands escaping the festivities being prepared at home. His father, who ran the saloon in Frye, always warned him that Christmas was the busiest time of the year, even before Thanksgiving. He said it every year, and he was always right.
Charlotte was also busy. Once people found out she could sew and was willing to do the work for them, they flocked to the saloon with many items of clothing they needed repairing. They also paid a good price for each piece of work and Charlotte accepted this with glee. She worked quickly and did great work. Nathan would find her sitting in the corner of their bedroom, working furiously on a new item of clothing he hadn’t seen before.
Seeing her work hard like this made him momentarily wonder if her health was going to be all right. Many times, he feared she was working too hard. But then Charlotte would look up with a light in her eyes that he hadn’t seen before and he backed off. Evidently having something to do that she enjoyed wasn’t doing her any harm, so Nathan left her to it.
It did make her exhausted enough that she fell asleep immediately once she had finished for the day but Nathan was often exhausted himself, so it wasn’t much of a bother. They fell asleep cuddling each other, Charlotte snoring away. Nathan would lie awake listening to her, and the sound was enough to help him drift off.
However, Nathan did worry that Charlotte was focusing more on the sewing than on their marriage. They hadn’t been married long and already Nathan was wondering if Charlotte wanted it. She showed affection but as an after-thought. Maybe getting her to back off a little so she remembered that there was someone else in her life that she ought to concentrate on would help.
Nathan was wiping down the bar thinking about surprising Charlotte with a nice romantic meal when Cody Goodridge came in, taking off his Stetson with a relieved sigh.
“Hey, Nate.”
Nathan hadn’t seen Cody since that dinner where Cody suggested to Justin to write off for a wife. Normally the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas was constant full-on work at the ranch and Cody would disappear during this time, resurfacing once it was done. He hardly ever came into the town at this time of year.
“Cody, what are you doing here?” Nathan frowned at his friend. “I thought you were busy this season.”
“I came to get some supplies Frye had run out of.” Cody ran a hand through his blond hair and slumped onto a stool at the bar. “Plus, I needed a break. The baby is teething badly, and we’re not getting much sleep.”
Nathan chuckled. Cody’s daughter was a bundle of joy, but she was also an awkward sleeper. According to Maeve, she would sleep during the day and stay up during the night. Nathan preferred his sleep and couldn’t think how he would react if someone or something disrupted it.
“Makes me glad I don’t have children.”
“It’ll happen soon.” Cody grinned. “Don’t expect to go the next thirty years without having one or two sprogs coming along.”
“I know.” Even Nathan wasn’t expecting to be child-free for so long. He grinned. “But I’m enjoying the quiet for now.”
Cody chuckled.
“Speaking of quiet, how’s Charlotte doing? Is she feeling any better?”
“She is.” Nathan filled a glass with whiskey and slid it across to Cody. “I don’t know what happened when she got here, but she’s perked right up since.”
“That’s good.” Cody sipped at his drink. “Sounds like she was travel-sick from what Maeve told me.”
Nathan grunted. He didn’t need to ask how Maeve knew; news got around very quickly in Canyon and Frye. People talked
a little too much about business that wasn’t theirs, men and women. Nathan’s head hurt from all the private information he had heard in the bar over the years. If he had a nickel for every piece of personal news that had been shared within earshot, he would be able to retire by now.
“I know travel-sick, Cody.” Nathan leaned on the bar. “This was a lot worse. Charlotte told me she’d always had breathing problems when she lived in the city. Apparently, the air isn’t very good. Her family kept saying it was nothing and she should just suck it up. She said the fresh air here is so much better and it’s doing her some good.”
“It must be doing something,” Cody commented. He looked around the bar, focusing on the brand new flowery curtains that were hung up by the windows. “I’ve never seen your bar look so… flowery.”
Nathan chuckled. While it was a little embarrassing to have flowery curtains, he had to admit Charlotte did have a knack for design.
“Charlotte’s been doing a lot of sewing for people and for us. She’s very good.” He frowned. “While I’m proud she’s found something to do, I’m not keen on having the curtains up in here. I told her they weren’t really appropriate, but she ignored me.”
Cody chuckled.
“Good thing she did. They’re good. Probably not the design you would want in here, but they’re still good, they make the place look more homely.”
“There’s always a place for flowers, Cody.”
Nathan jumped and looked around to see Charlotte coming from behind the bar. She looked like she had just finished a bout of sewing, her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes sparkled. Nathan wished he could make her light up like that. Now he was stupidly getting jealous that her time was being taken up by something that wasn’t him.
He was losing out to a pastime.
“There’s no place for flowers in my bar,” he grumbled.
Charlotte rolled her eyes and kissed his cheek, grinning at Cody.
“He’s only joking.”
The expression on Cody’s face said he didn’t believe her but wasn’t going to say anything in case he burst out laughing. Nathan knew he was in for a lot of ribbing later. Cody turned to Charlotte.
“You’re looking much better now, Charlotte,” he said warmly.
“Thanks.” Charlotte hugged Nathan’s arm. “I didn’t realize the move here would do me so much good. So, you were admiring my work, were you?”
“I was.” A light seemed to come on in Cody’s head, and he set the glass down. “Actually, would you like to come up to my place tomorrow? Maeve mentioned earlier that she wouldn’t mind an extra pair of hands with regards to sewing up some of our clothes. Javier, one of my laborer’s, ripped his shirt in several places on some wire and she said she’d patch it up. Then Javier’s wife said she’d do it, but she’s got her hands full with Javier’s children and our child as well. It’s been two weeks now and Javier’s starting to borrow other shirts because his isn’t even done. Well, it’s not just that, to be honest, there are weeks, maybe even months’ worth of repairs that need doing. Would you like to take some work off her hands?”
Nathan watched as the delight passed over Charlotte’s face. It pleased him that she could find so much pleasure in something as simple as helping out a friend, but it also pained him that he hadn’t seen her react like this towards him since he agreed to let her start sewing.
“Would I?” Charlotte almost squealed. She coughed and calmed herself down, still smiling. “I’d love to.”
“She’ll even pay,” Cody offered.
“Then it’s a deal. I’ll come by tomorrow morning.” Charlotte then kissed Nathan’s cheek again and smiled brightly at Cody. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some work to get on with upstairs.”
Nathan watched as his wife disappeared into the back. Then he turned and frowned at Cody, who was looking relieved as if finding someone else to do work for him was a weight off his mind.
“Are you sure about this? She’s still not well.”
Cody barked out a laugh.
“Oh, come off it, Nate. She’s not going to be running on the spot while she sews. You can’t get out of breath sewing.”
“You think?”
“I’m sure.” Cody grinned. “Mind you, I’d love to see someone try to sew while running on the spot. That would be interesting.”
Chapter 7
Nathan was not pleased with Charlotte taking on the extra work. He knew he should have talked to her about it but didn’t know where to start. So instead, he made sure she did nothing but her sewing. It was his way of showing her how much he cared, and he hoped it would bring them closer together.
Only the opposite seemed to happen. Day by day she seemed more distant, and he began to despair. Maybe their marriage would never work. It pained him to feel like this for he knew how much he loved her. How much he wanted to keep her safe. In fact, he would do anything for her and yet she seemed to get angry with him more and more and was pushing him away.
Nathan decided that he would put his foot down. Maybe she was just tired. She was doing too much, and if he made her stop everything, then she would feel better. After all, she was weak and ill, he had to keep her safe; it was his duty. Yes, as he finished off in the bar he decided that he would tell her just that.
“This is a really good idea, Charlotte.” Christine declared, picking up another piece of paper. “I wish I’d thought of it years ago.”
“Nothing’s stopping you now.” Charlotte grinned. She fixed another ring to the chain they were making and laid it in in her lap.
It was a week before Christmas. Charlotte had decided to do her shopping for Nathan that day while Nathan was busy in the bar. She had bought a knife and its sheath with the intention of sewing his initials into the covering. She also got him a few shirts and a new coat. As well as getting a load of supplies to work on Christmas decorations. With those, she had roped in her sister-in-law to help. Christine was more than happy to sit in the middle of Charlotte and Nathan’s bedroom, fixing up paper chains and creating a Christmas wreath for the door.
Charlotte enjoyed this chance to bond with Christine. Her sister-in-law was fun and had a similar sense of humor. She was a lot like Rachel in that respect. And she leaped into the bonding and decorating with vigor.
Christine made a face.
“There is Nate, who’d like to stop the celebration,” she said grumpily. “While he will exchange gifts and eat the Christmas dinner, providing someone other than him is cooking it, he doesn’t like celebrating Christmas. He thinks it’s a waste of time.”
Charlotte had heard Nathan complaining about Christmas Day before but hadn’t realized he didn’t like the day. At twenty-one, Christine was still in the starry-eyed phase about Christmas but was slowly becoming disillusioned. Charlotte intended to turn that around.
“Then he’s going to have to get used to it,” she said, briskly fixing another ring to the chain. “We’ve always celebrated Christmas where I grew up, and it’s always a lot of fun. Even with my family.”
“Does the East Coast always celebrate the holidays in a big way?” Christine asked.
“If they can afford it, then the celebrations are huge. If they couldn’t, they tried to make it the best they could. Simple food and good company makes any day a little better, and of course, we always go to church.”
Charlotte’s whole family fell into the latter category. Even Judith enjoyed it, and Rachel was always more relaxed because she wasn’t being ordered around all the time. It was a pleasant experience, and both Charlotte and Rachel made the most of it. They never knew what the mood of their family would be the next day when things would go back to normal.
“That sounds like heaven.” Christine sounded wistful.
Charlotte chuckled.
“Only if you like being ordered about. Rachel’s mother, my aunt, likes to be in control of everything, even when they’re not her children. But Christmas is the only time she eases off a little, and we all enjoy it.”
<
br /> “Really?” Christine blinked. “Why is she like that?”
“No one knows. We’ve never figured it out. I don’t want to know if I’m honest. It will only make me feel sorry for her.”
Charlotte was a forgiving person but not when it came to her aunt. Everyone else could forgive Judith for her behavior but Charlotte couldn’t. Neither did Rachel. As far as she was aware, Rachel hadn’t received a single letter from her mother. Charlotte’s mother had written to her once a week, excited and pleased for Charlotte’s new life, but Judith refused to acknowledge that Rachel was in the West. She just chose to ignore her only daughter.
Rachel said she wasn’t surprised, but Charlotte knew it did upset her... and Charlotte was upset on her behalf.
She was jerked out of her thoughts when they heard a door slam and footsteps coming up the stairs before Nathan’s voice bellowed up to them.
“Where are you, girls?”
“In your room,” Christine shouted back. “Watch your step.”
The door opened, and Nathan came in. He looked exhausted. Charlotte had been warned that the time before Christmas was the hardest time in terms of work. A lot of the ranches were less busy, and everyone had more time to come in and get drunk. Still, she hadn’t expected to see Nathan this worn out.
Maybe that was why he didn’t like Christmas? He was too tired to enjoy it after he finished his work.
It took stepping on some crushed paper for him to stop and take in the mess across his bedroom floor. He blinked and looked over everything before he focused his look on Charlotte.
“What’s going on?”
“We’re getting decorations ready,” Charlotte said brightly.
She had been working hard and had created as many decorations as she could think of with as little money as she could spend. They were nearly finished and all they had to do, once the paper chain she and Christine were working on was ready, was to put them up.
All that was missing was a tree, but Charlotte knew there weren’t that type of trees in the area so she was okay to forgo that for now.
Christmas Miracles: Mega Mail Order Bride 20-Book Box Set: Multi-Author Box Set Page 23
