She let out a bloodcurdling scream and backed away in fear as she felt it move to stand beside her, its thick fur brushing against her leg.
Stone came running in, still in his nightshirt. “Help me!” she shouted as she grabbed for a nearby chair to defend herself.
He flung an arm about her waist and pulled her into his arms, lifting her flailing feet off the floor. She hugged his neck tightly, still screaming at the top of her lungs. “Get it out of here!”
“Kentucky, go,” he said as he opened the door and let the would-be monster out into the cool morning air.
“Kentucky?” she repeated, still trembling with fear. “Who is Kentucky? What is Kentucky?”
Andrew wailed from his cradle. Eric tugged at his aunt’s nightgown, his face buried in the folds.
“Everybody quiet down,” Stone shouted above the maddening noise. “It’s only Kentucky, my dog. He’s perfectly harmless.”
Juliette shoved him away from her. “A dog? You let him in the house?”
“Of course,” Stone admitted with a grin that upset her even more. “He always sleeps in the house.”
“Not anymore, he doesn’t!” she stated flatly. “Not as long as I live here.”
“But he’s a good watchdog, and—”
“I don’t care if he packs a gun, he is not sleeping in this house! Nor is he coming in here at any other time. Is that clear, Stone Piper?”
“Yes, Juliette. But a boy should have—”
“A boy should have a dog—outside! Not in the house. Dogs are smelly and unclean, and they shed. I refuse to have dog hair in my food. He’s your dog. Keep him outside with you. I have no reason to get acquainted with him.” With that she whipped around and went to take care of Andrew.
As she moved away, she heard Alice say, “You’d better listen to her, Stone. That woman is the right one for those boys. She’s young, and she’s got spunk and spirit. It’s going to take all of that to mother these two boys—not to mention the patience it’ll require to live with you. Be kind to her.”
Juliette had difficulty getting back to sleep, knowing she’d behaved badly in front of her new family by causing such a scene. I have to apologize, she decided after much tossing and turning. But there is no way I’m going to be able to live here with that big dog running in and out of this house.
❧
For the next several weeks, Juliette added her own personal touches to their home while getting acquainted with Stone’s boys. She saw very little of her husband. He spent most of his time outside, catching up on the tasks he’d neglected during his recovery. Some days, he donned his badge as Clacker County’s deputy to fill in when the sheriff was absent.
Will was warming up a bit more each day. He loved playing with Andrew, and Andrew loved being around both Will and Eric. She found it easy to love Stone’s boys. Their aunt Alice had done a good job raising them in their parents’ absence. Andrew cooed to his new father each time he came into the house. He seemed to be accepting Stone’s presence in his life.
Although Stone came in to have a quick lunch with them most every day, he rarely came into the house in the afternoon. Sometimes, rather than go into her room to nurse Andrew when the boys were upstairs taking their nap, Juliette would sit in Stone’s chair in front of the fireplace, nursing her baby under the blanket, singing a lullaby to him as he suckled.
❧
Stone searched the house for Juliette. Finally noticing her door open, he realized she was probably in her room, putting Andrew down for a nap. He stepped into the room quietly. Then he stood transfixed.
The sight was too beautiful.
Lucy had never nursed their boys. She’d never wanted to. Although he’d wished she would have, he’d never pressed the issue.
He leaned slightly forward, wanting to get closer, to become a part of something so sweet and innocent. In his exuberance, he knocked a cup from the table, and it crashed to the floor, clanging loudly.
Juliette screamed and swept a shawl to cover herself.
Andrew, frightened by his mother’s reaction and the crashing of the cup, began to howl.
Wide-eyed and consumed with guilt, Stone simply stared at her, not knowing what to say.
“You’ve been watching me!” Juliette yelled accusingly, clutching her baby tightly to her as she glared at him.
Eric came running down the stairs. Frightened and crying, he leapt into his father’s arms.
“Now see what you’ve done?” she shrieked at him above her crying baby.
“I’m—I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”
“Whatever were you thinking?”
“I only wanted to—”
“To watch me? To spy on me? Have you forgotten our agreement?”
Stone hugged his son, then moved toward the door. “I won’t let it happen again. Please forgive me. I would never—”
“Never?” She harrumphed. “You just did!”
He moved out the door without another word and quickly closed it behind him.
Soon things were back to normal. She and America worked on curtains for the boys’ rooms, then prepared supper.
But Stone didn’t come in at suppertime.
By bedtime, he still hadn’t come into the house.
Juliette fed Andrew, tucked him in, pulled her cape about her shoulders, and lit a lamp. She was worried that something might have happened to her distraught husband.
She made her way to the barn and found him. He was in Blackie’s stall, brushing the big horse. “Are you all right? I was concerned when you didn’t come in for supper.”
“I’m fine,” he said quietly, keeping his back to her as he continued his brushing. “Don’t fret about me.”
“But I am concerned,” she told him as she laid a hand on his shoulder. “Come on in. I’ll warm up your supper. It’s chilly out here in the barn.”
“I–I figured I’d sleep out here tonight.” He turned toward her. “I didn’t think you’d want me in the house.”
She stared at him. In the dim light of the lamp, she could detect an air of sadness on his wearied face. “This is your home, Stone. Of course I want you in the house.”
“But—I broke my promise.”
She moved a little closer to him. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Not really.”
“The minute I realized you were feeding Andrew, I should have gone back outside. But—but you were so beautiful, nursing your baby and singing to him. Once I’d entered the room and seen—”
“I should have shut my door. I realize that now. You scared me, that’s all. I didn’t know you’d come in the house. If I’d known, I would never have screamed like that.”
“I should have coughed or something, I guess.”
She touched his face with her fingertips. “You’re forgiven. Now, come on in the house and have some supper.”
She reached out her hand, and he took it. Holding the lamp ahead of them, she led him to the house.
❧
The next evening, after Eric and Will had been tucked in for the night, Juliette took Andrew into her room to ready him for bed. Once she’d dressed him and settled herself in the small rocking chair, she covered herself with a blanket and began to feed her baby. She knew Stone was sitting in front of the fireplace. Normally, she would have shut the door, but this night she didn’t.
Adjusting the blanket, she called out loudly enough for him to hear, “Stone, come in here, please.”
He hurried to see what she wanted, but when he reached the door, he turned his head and drew back. “I’ve—I’ve done it again. I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”
She reached a hand out to him. “No, I called you. Come to me.”
Surprised, he walked toward her, his gaze going everywhere but to the blanket.
“I’ve thought a lot about yesterday,” she began as she motioned for him to be seated in the chair across from her. “You are my husband, even though we’ve vowed not to share a marriage bed. There’s no reason you shouldn
’t share in the joy I have in nursing my baby as long as I use a blanket. You can stay if you want to.”
He leaned forward slightly. “Oh, Juliette, do you mean it? It’s really all right if I stay?”
“Of course, I don’t mind. Especially since you told me Lucy never nursed the boys. The two of you missed out on a wonderful experience. I love feeding my baby. It’s a miracle from God that I not only gave him birth but can also give him the nourishment he needs.”
Slowly, Stone leaned back in the chair and began to listen to the little noises coming from under the blanket as the baby nursed. “It is a miracle,” he agreed in awe.
“You’re always welcome in the room, Stone. Whenever I nurse my baby, we’ll share the experience of this miracle together, as husband and wife.”
A tear formed and trailed down his face. “Thank you, Juliette. You’ve made me very happy. I’ve missed out on so much, with my boys living in Missouri.”
From beneath the blanket, Andrew gave a big sigh as he turned loose of his mother’s breast.
“That’s a beautiful sound,” her husband said softly, turning his face away so Juliette had time to remove the blanket from the baby’s face and adjust her clothing. “He’s a lucky boy to have you as his mother.”
“He is lucky. You’ve become the father he lost.”
“I’ll be a good father to him, Juliette. That’s a promise.”
❧
Long after Stone had gone to his room, Juliette lay in her bed, thinking. She had seen a softer, more caring side of this self-sufficient man—one she hadn’t known existed. She liked what she’d seen.
She woke several hours later, stirred by a scraping noise she didn’t recognize. Has Stone let Kentucky in the house again?
But as she listened, she became aware that the noise had a rhythm to it. No dog would make a sound like that, and it was coming from the other side of the wall. From the next room.
The locked room.
She crawled out of bed, pulled her door open quietly, and padded down the hall as the rhythmic sound continued. Careful not to make any noise, she felt the door’s handle in search of the oversized padlock.
It was gone.
She stood there in the darkness, wondering who or what could be in that mysterious room. An intruder, maybe?
Should she awaken Stone?
Deciding that would be the logical thing to do, she moved down the hall to his room. To her surprise, his door stood wide open. In the moonlight that shone through his window, she could see his bed.
His empty bed.
It had to be Stone. But why? What could he be doing in there at this time of night?
She started to call out his name, but remembering how firm he’d been about her staying away from that room, decided against it. Perhaps he’d explain himself in the morning.
She padded back to bed and tried to get back to sleep, but the constant sound seemed to magnify in the darkness.
Eventually, the sound ceased. She heard the door open and close, the sound of the padlock being put back in place, then her husband’s bedroom door being closed.
Why was her husband so adamant about keeping her out of there? What could possibly be of that much importance to him? And why did he go in there long after he thought the rest of the household had bedded down for the night?
Of one thing she was certain. That room held more than storage items. Someday, she told herself, even though I know I told him I’d stay out of there, Stone is going to forget to lock that door. And if he does, I just might have myself a quick peek. After all, what could it hurt? I am his wife now. There shouldn’t be any secrets between us, should there?
❧
Stone being in the room while Juliette nursed Andrew soon became a nightly ritual in the Piper household. It was a precious time for both of them, a time for them to be together, alone, to share in conversation and wonderment. It also had become a ritual for Stone to lean over and kiss the sleeping baby after Juliette placed him in the crib, just before saying good night to her.
For her birthday, Stone gave her a beautiful gelding she named Diamond because of the unusual marking across his nose. She and Stone spent many pleasant hours together, riding through the pasture and down by the river. She enjoyed their many conversations and the way Stone treated her like an intelligent woman as they discussed his ranching business.
Through her tutelage, Eric could now read the simplest of words. She’d been working with Will too, and he had become her shadow. Things were going well in the Piper household.
One afternoon during a hard rain, at his wife’s insistence, Stone decided to take a few hours off and spend them with his family.
“Stone, look into Will’s eyes and, very slowly, with an exaggerated movement of your mouth, say, ‘I love you.’ ”
Stone frowned. “Why?”
“Go head. Do it.”
He pulled the boy onto his lap. “I—love—you.”
A gigantic smile broke across the child’s face. Then, in his strange, high-pitched voice, he answered, “Ah—wuv—ooh, da da.”
Stone began to weep openly. “It’s a miracle!” he shouted as he leapt to his feet and began whirling his son about the room. “You can talk. You can actually talk!”
“It’s a beginning,” Juliette said with pride. “We’re working on it every day. Soon, there’ll be more.”
Tears flowed down his cheeks unashamedly. “I’m sorry to admit it, but at times, Will didn’t seem like a real person to me. He was off in his own dream world, and I couldn’t penetrate it. But you’ve gotten through to him. How did you do it, Juliette? What’s your secret?”
She beamed as he lowered his son to the floor and sat down beside her. “Love. It’s that simple, Stone. That boy needed the love of people who cared for him. Between the two of us, we’re giving it to him.”
Stone slipped an arm about her waist, pulled her close to him, and pressed her head against his chest. “Having you here has changed our lives, Juliette. How can I ever repay you?”
“Seeing my husband and our boys happy and secure is all the payment I’ll ever need. Being your wife has changed my life too.” She offered a slight chuckle. “Oh, I’ll admit I had doubts our arrangement would work, but I’m quite happy living here on Carson Creek Ranch and being Mrs. Stone Piper. You’re a fine husband.”
He tightened his grip and kissed the top of her head before nestling his face in her hair. “I’m glad you’re my wife.”
❧
“Today is a very special day.”
Juliette stopped sweeping and leaned the broom against the wall. “Someone’s birthday?”
Stone shook his head. “Nope. Not a birthday.”
She brushed aside a lock of hair and frowned. “What, then?”
“Woman, it’s our third-month anniversary! Did you forget?”
“Three months? How can that be? How the time has flown!”
“Well,” he began, taking her hand in his and drawing her close, “I didn’t forget. I’ve planned something special.”
Before she could respond, the door opened, and her sister burst in. “Are the boys ready to go? Father is waiting in the buggy.”
Juliette’s brows lifted, and her eyes widened. “The boys ready? What’re you talking about, Caroline? What’s going on here?”
“She’s here to take the boys into town for the afternoon so we can go on a picnic together down by the river. Just the two of us. America is already preparing our basket.”
“Come on, boys,” Caroline instructed Eric and Will as she wrapped Andrew in his blanket. “Grandfather is waiting for us.” She grabbed the bag America had prepared and headed out the door. She called over her shoulder, “We’ll bring them back in a couple of hours. Have fun!”
Minutes later, as the couple walked across the meadow holding hands, laughing, and talking like old married folks, Kentucky ran up behind them and began jumping onto his master’s legs.
“Does Kentucky have to come?”
Juliette came to a halt, her arms crossed over her chest.
“He won’t bother us, he’s—”
“Stone, please! You know how I feel about dogs.”
“Go, Kentucky,” he told the excited dog as the friendly animal circled around him, barking and nipping at his heels. “Go home.”
She stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. “I’m truly happy. Aren’t you?”
“You know I am.” He wrapped his arms about her and gazed into her eyes. “Are you ever sorry you married me?”
She braced her hands against his chest and looked up at him, her expression becoming solemn. “Of course I’m not sorry. I love being married to you. I love your children. But I have to admit—sometimes, when I’m all alone in that empty bed at night, I miss the closeness I had with David. There’s nothing as comforting as cuddling up in bed next to the man you love.”
Quickly donning a smile, she pushed away and ran in the direction of the river. “But I knew that would never happen again when I decided to become Mrs. Stone Piper. I’ve resolved not to let it bother me.”
He hurried to catch up with her, the picnic basket swinging in his hand. By the time he caught her, she’d already reached the river and was sitting on the tattered quilt America sent along. He sat down beside her and watched as she began to pull things from the basket.
“I’m—I’m sorry, Juliette,” he told her, hanging his head. “I know I can never take David’s place. You’re young and so beautiful. You could’ve had your pick of men. Handsome, witty men. Single men, without the burden of children to care for. I should never have forced you into this arrangement.”
“Forced? You think I was forced into it?” she quipped with a mischievous laugh as she pulled the last of the food from the basket. “No one forces me into anything. You, of all people, should know how stubborn I am. You could never have put this ring on my finger, Stone Piper, if I hadn’t been in agreement.”
“But—”
“Look, it’s our anniversary. Let’s forget such foolishness and have some fun. This is our day, and I aim to enjoy it.” She touched her finger to the tip of his nose with a giggle. “Don’t be such an old worrier.”
Lucy's Quilt Page 13
