Bride for Calvin

by Amelia C. Adams

  She slid the paper back across the counter. “Thank you. I’ll do a bit of shopping while I’m here.”

  He nodded, then turned to the corner where the telegraph equipment was kept. She could hear him tapping away as she perused the shelves. She hoped it wouldn’t take long for her mother to respond.

  With her basket filled, she approached the counter again and asked that her purchases be put on her account, and then she crossed the snowy ground and entered her cabin once again. She put away the food, checked on the soup, and sat down, utterly bored.

  It sounded like time to go visiting.

  Chapter Five

  When Calvin arrived home that night, it was to find a smiling wife standing next to a stove that held promises of a delicious dinner. He sniffed the air and grinned. “You’ve done it again,” he said. “And these are for you.”

  He held out his hand, and she took the bundle of twigs from him. Each branch held green leaves and some red berries. “Now, I don’t know if those are edible, so I wouldn’t chance tasting them, but I thought they were pretty, and they made me think of you.”

  She studied them, then turned to grab a cup to put them in. “They’re quite pretty. I’m so glad you brought them.” After placing them in the center of the table, she gave the whole thing a once-over. “As long as none of the berries fall in our food, we should be fine.”

  He chuckled and settled in at the table. She seemed happier this evening than she had that morning. “How was your day?”

  “Well, I admit that when I got back from the mercantile, I was a bit bored, so I decided it was time to go visiting. There’s a delightful older lady who lives just a few cabins down, and she has the most amazing book collection. She’s said I can borrow whatever I like, so I brought home three novels. Then I checked in with each of my friends—their cabins are similar to ours, but I have to say, I like ours the best.”

  “I do too,” Calvin replied. He liked seeing the sparkle return to her eyes. Whatever had brought her down last night had obviously receded.

  “They’re each unpacking and making plans for home improvement. I told them about Mrs. Watkins—she’s the lady with the books—and they think they’ll stop by as well. Oh, and I also visited with Mrs. Granger on the other side. She told me this area has had trouble with illegal fur trapping and moonshine.”

  “That’s right. The old commander in charge here was telling us about that before he left.”

  A worried look passed over Faith’s face. “It sounds dangerous, Calvin. Mrs. Granger said these men are ruthless and will shoot anyone to protect their own interests. Will you be safe?”

  “That’s not something I can guarantee,” Calvin replied. He tried to keep his voice mellow, but if he were honest with himself, he’d admit to some nerves of his own. “That’s part of the life of a Mountie. We keep the peace, but sometimes peace needs a little more encouragement.”

  She nodded. “I’m not so naïve as to think that you’ll never be in dangerous situations, but I can keep my fingers crossed, can’t I?”

  He smiled at her concern. “Of course you can. And this soup is delicious, by the way.”

  After dinner, he helped her clear the dishes, and then he wiped the table. He remembered hearing his mother express her appreciation when his father would do things like that, and if he was going to make a study of being a good husband, that seemed like a good place to start.

  She sent him a grateful look, and it was nice to do something kind for her. Perhaps that’s what he needed most—to get outside his head and think more about her well-being than his own. Heaven knew that being on his first assignment was causing him to feel anxious, but taking a few moments to consider her feelings helped ease the tension he felt.

  “And how was your day?” she asked when they were both settled near the fireplace. She pulled out some black yarn and some knitting needles. He wasn’t good at guessing these things, but it looked like she was starting the gloves she’d promised.

  “It was a little more difficult than I expected,” he replied. He’d thought that he would keep things light so as not to worry her, but if he wanted her to trust him with her thoughts and feelings, it would do well for him to exhibit that same sort of trust. “I’m obviously not what the locals expected in their new Mountie. A little too much peach fuzz on the face and not enough beard.”

  She smiled. “Their way of saying you’re young?”

  “Exactly, and I can’t counteract that because it’s true. The only thing that will cure me of it is time, and that’s not something I can hurry along. They seem to be taking to Robert without issue, but he’s a little older, and he has a stronger jawline.” Calvin reached up and fingered his own. “I wonder if there are exercises I could do that would strengthen mine.”

  “Chewing would help, I imagine, and I did make some raisin cookies this afternoon, if that interests you,” she said casually. He saw her glance up to gauge his reaction.

  “Chewing would probably be very helpful,” he replied, sounding thoughtful. “And cookies are an excellent thing to chew on.”

  She got up and walked into the kitchen, returning a moment later with four cookies on a plate. “I mean to send these with you tomorrow, but we should get started on those exercises right away. If your entire career rests on the strength of your jawline, we haven’t a moment to lose.”

  “I agree.” He picked one up and took a bite. “Especially when they’re this delicious.”

  They kept up a mild banter throughout the rest of the evening, and when it came time for bed, he kissed her cheek again. Unlike before, however, he felt a zing that shot between his shoulder blades, a pleasant tingle that brought a smile to his lips. Hmm. Maybe there was a possibility for a little more than a business relationship here after all.

  ***

  Faith cleaned up the breakfast dishes quickly, accepted the kiss Calvin gave her with much less surprise than the day before and even a bit of appreciation, sent him out the door with the rest of the cookies, then settled down into her chair with one of the novels she’d borrowed. It was a definite concoction of someone’s imagination—a thrilling thing about a duchess and pirates and even some sort of crazed lions in the jungle—but it was distracting, and that’s what she most needed.

  Around the time she reached chapter four, a knock sounded on her door, and she rose to answer. The mercantile owner stood on the porch, holding a telegram. “Pardon me for intruding, Mrs. Montrose, but you seemed a bit distraught when you sent your message yesterday, and I thought you might like the reply as soon as it came in.”

  “Oh, thank you,” she said, taking it from him. “I hope I didn’t pull you away from your business.”

  “No, I’ve got someone to mind the place from time to time while I step out.” He touched the brim of his hat and was gone before she’d even thought to offer him something hot to drink.

  She closed the door and looked down at the sheet of paper in her hand. It had been folded for privacy, and she unfolded it with trembling fingers.

  Letter on its way now.

  That’s all it said, but it was enough—her mother would explain what she meant, and then Faith would have a clearer idea of what was going on. Now she just needed to keep herself busy in the meantime.

  Thank goodness there were twelve more chapters of pirates to go.

  ***

  Gemma, Minnie, and Annie entered the little cabin and looked around, nodding. Olivia’s eyes were wide as she peered around her mother’s skirts. “Looks like mine,” Minnie said. “But your curtains are in better shape.”

  “Was yours left clean?” Annie asked. “Mine was all right, but I have had to dust the corners. It’s as if they got the middle, but not the edges.”

  “It was fairly clean,” Faith replied. “I haven’t had any trouble at all settling in.”

  She brought the chairs from the table over closer to the fireplace, and they all made themselves comfortable in the warmth, each holding a mug of tea.

>   “How are you all getting along with your new husbands?” Annie asked. Each of the girls looked down at their mugs as though hiding something, this topic obviously not a common one.

  “I feel as though we’re getting to know each other,” Faith said cautiously. “I imagine it will take some time, though.”

  The other girls nodded. “After all, it’s only been a few short days,” Gemma added. “We can’t know everything about them all at once.”

  “And if we did know everything all at once, we’d find ourselves bored very quickly,” Minnie added. “I’m rather looking forward to discovering things bit by bit.”

  Faith nodded. Minnie, having been married before, had more knowledge in this area than any of the rest of them, and if she felt it was best to get to know each other slowly, Faith imagined there was merit to it. She just wished she had some way of peering into the future and knowing if she would ever feel more for Calvin than friendship. That would give her something to anticipate, at least. Then again, perhaps it was good that she hadn’t developed feelings yet. If she was about to be sent away, it would be easier if she hadn’t let her heart get involved.

  “Have you noticed that silly little fox still hanging around?” Gemma asked. “I swear, every time I come outside, I see him out of the corner of my eye.”

  “I think he wants to learn how to be a sled dog,” Minnie replied. “Can you just see it—a special harness just for him? He has kind of a wistful look about him when he sees the other dogs.”

  “Oh, that’s sad. Do you think he’s lonely?” Annie asked.

  “I don’t know if animals get lonely the same way people do,” Faith replied. “I wish we knew more about how they communicate with each other. Do they have long conversations, or is it just basic? Do the wife foxes nag the husband foxes to do their chores?”

  The brides all laughed, and Faith relaxed into the moment. They’d all come from such different places, but she knew they had enough in common to be good friends. Gemma was perhaps the most withdrawn—she was outwardly friendly, but she seemed to be tucking a part of herself away. Of course, the same could be said for Annie, who didn’t know how beautiful she really was, and for Minnie, who so badly wanted to create a new home for her little family. As for Faith . . . She didn’t want to become too attached in case she’d have to leave again. Saying goodbye would be hard enough, but if she left pieces of herself here, she would be forever living in two different places, and she didn’t think she could bear that.

  The brides stayed for another half hour or so, chatting away until the sound of wind outside startled them.

  “Sounds like the weather is taking a turn for the worse,” Annie said. “We’d best go—thanks for letting us drop in like this.”

  “Now that we’ve gotten our own cabins set to rights, we should plan on visiting each other as often as we can,” Minnie added as she put Olivia’s arms through the sleeves of her coat. “I have a feeling this place will get lonely if we don’t make efforts to reach out.”

  “I plan to go see your new friend with the books as soon as I can.” Annie fastened up the rest of her buttons, and they all headed out, calling their goodbyes over their shoulders.

  Although the air was frigid, Faith stood in the doorway for a moment and looked up at the sky. Clouds had completely covered every bit of blue, making things look gray and gloomy, and snow was just starting to fall. It was absolutely beautiful, but also colder than anything she’d felt before. She closed the door tight against the chill and threw a little more wood on the fire, then turned her attention to the kitchen. Calvin would need something hot when he came in.

  She listened to the wind pick up speed and begin to howl as she made a fresh pot of coffee and put biscuits in the oven. The chicken that had been roasting since just before her visitors came was nice and crispy on the outside, yet juicy on the inside, just how Miss Hazel said it should be, and she was proud of how it had turned out.

  Chapter Six

  Calvin came in just as she was taking the biscuits out, his hat and shoulders covered in snow. “This is going to be a doozy,” he said, nodding back toward the door. “I’m just stepping in to let you know I’m home—I need to get more wood chopped and brought in before I do anything else.”

  Faith nodded. “That makes sense, but at least take this first.” She handed him a cup of coffee, which he downed in a series of gulps.

  “One of these days, I’ll chop enough wood at once to lay in a supply,” he said, handing the cup back to her. “See you in a bit.”

  The wind nearly drowned out the sound of his ax on the wood—it was certainly getting loud out there. She shivered, more at the thought than from the actual cold, and poured herself some coffee as well. If she got nothing else done over the next few days, she’d be finishing those gloves—it wasn’t right that Calvin had to do such biting, bitter work without them.

  When he came in at last, his cheeks and nose were red, but he seemed in good spirits. “Here’s the first load,” he said, setting the logs near the fire. “And I shoved a bit more under the eaves. We need a decent wood box in this place—that’s going on my list of things to do. You know, when we have time.”

  She smiled. “I have a feeling that list is going to be quite long.”

  “Well, not as bad as it could be. The roof seems solid, and that’s a blessing.” He took off his hat and coat and hung them up, then stepped over into the corner and washed his hands and face. Moments later, he joined her at the table wearing a clean shirt and smelling of pine soap. It was a manly scent, and she liked it. Yes, she liked it quite a bit.

  “This looks and smells wonderful,” he said as he lifted a piece of chicken onto his plate.

  “Thank you. Miss Hazel taught us how to split the chicken down the middle and cook it flat so it would brown evenly.” Faith thought it was better to talk about cooking than to think about the scent of pine and how nicely it fit the handsome man sitting across the table from her. And maybe how he seemed to be a little more handsome than he had been that morning, although that was silly—a person couldn’t get better looking over the course of one day, could they?

  “That’s a neat trick,” Calvin said, lifting up the edges of the chicken with his fork. “Yes, I’d say it’s done quite nicely all the way through. She must have been an excellent teacher.”

  “One of the best I’ve ever had.”

  Even though their words were simple and even boring, Faith could feel something in the air, something that seemed to build with every glance and every comment. It was physical, even though it wasn’t tangible. It zipped around like a firefly and made Calvin smile and Faith laugh, and as they ate, they bantered and joked, more relaxed with each other than they’d been since they met. What a relief—she hadn’t known how to break through the wall of politeness they’d built up, and she only had her own self to blame for that. Calvin had certainly been trying, and maybe now she could reciprocate.

  And maybe she shouldn’t hold herself back until she heard from her mother—maybe she should invest herself fully and wholeheartedly and make the most of whatever minutes there might be for her as Calvin’s wife.

  He took his last bite, then reached across the table and picked up her hand. “Thank you,” he said, rubbing his thumb across her knuckles. “That was delicious.”

  “You’ve said that after every meal I’ve made. I might think you were just reciting from memory,” she teased.

  “Well, it’s always true.” He gave her hand a little squeeze, sending a ripple of warmth up her arm, and stood up. “I’ll get the water heating for dishes.”

  She watched him as he filled the basin. His muscled rippled across his back and she averted her eyes, but then she smiled. They were married. It was all right, wasn’t it, if she thought about things like pine soap and muscles?

  Just then, a knock sounded at the door, startling her, and she jumped. She felt a bit guilty, like she’d been caught doing something she shouldn’t have been doing.


  “Who could possibly be out in this mess?” Calvin asked over his shoulder.

  She rose to answer, but he held up his hand. “Let me—we don’t know who it is.”

  When he opened the door, a gust of wind came in, along with a massive blast of snow. A man stood on the porch, clutching his coat to his chest.

  “Thank God,” he gasped.

  Calvin stepped back to let him in. He didn’t seem to have much strength at all and sagged against the table once he’d made it that far into the room. Faith brought a chair behind his knees and he collapsed into it.

  “I didn’t think I’d make it,” the man said, shivering clear down to his toes. “The snow . . . it’s blinding.”

  “Where do you live, sir?” Calvin asked.

  “A cabin on the other side of the woods from here,” the stranger replied. “I was trying to make my way back and got disoriented.”

  Faith noticed that his speech was a bit slurred. He was probably suffering from exposure. She poured him a cup of coffee and was generous with the sugar, feeling that it would help him recover faster. As she stepped closer to hand it to him, she noticed a strong aroma coming from him—some sort of strong whiskey.

  He accepted the mug and wrapped his fingers around it. “Thank you kindly, ma’am,” he said after he’d swallowed half the liquid. “You’re sent by God, you are.”

  After he’d finished the coffee, Calvin helped him out of his wet things and wrapped a blanket around him, placing him in the chair nearest the fire. Then he motioned for Faith to join him in the kitchen.

  “That man’s as drunk as a skunk,” he whispered. “And not with the regular stuff, either. He’s either one of the moonshiners we were told about, or he’s one of their customers. In any case, he’s breaking the law.”

  Faith’s eyes flicked over to their guests and then back to her husband’s anxious face. “What should we do?”