“We haven’t worked out the details.” She frowned and he said, “What do you think?”
“I want you to do whatever makes you happy. I’ll support you.”
“So if I turn it down, you’d be satisfied to live at the Circle 2?”
“Yes, Jed. As long as you want me with you, I’ll live anywhere you choose.”
“About that,” he said as he pulled her closer to him, “I don’t have five thousand dollars in my pocket, but I haven’t spent a dime of the money you gave me. Next time I go to town, I’ll get it out of the bank. Would you be willing to take it and extend our time together?”
“For another six months?” She looked at him.
He smiled as he looked into her eyes. “I was thinking more like forever.”
She trembled. “Oh, Jed. Are you sure?”
“I’ve never been more sure of anything. I love you, Amelia. I’ve known all along I was falling in love with you, but was too stubborn to admit it. Yesterday I realized I didn’t want to live without you. I know I’m asking a lot of you to tie yourself to a half-Lakota Indian, but I want us to be together for the rest of our lives. I’m even going to write Aunt Prudence and invite her to visit.”
“Oh, Jed.” She flung her arms around his neck and kissed him hungrily.
Within minutes they were undressed and making love as a cool breeze filtered across their bodies. Amelia knew she’d never love this man more than she did as she surrendered not only her body, but the rest of her life to him.
Their passion spent, she lay in his arms with a contentment she never dreamed she’d feel. There was only one thing she felt she had to do. Running her fingers through the hair on his chest and fingering the scars there, she said, “I need to tell you something, and I’m not sure how you’ll feel about it.”
“What is it, Sweetheart?”
She decided the best way was to be blunt. “I’m pregnant, Jed.”
He chuckled. “I think it’s time you told me.”
She sat up and looked down at him. “How did you know?”
He pulled her closer. “I didn’t know for sure until today.”
She frowned and he went on, saying, “Amelia, we’ve made love enough times that I know every inch of your body. When I held you today, how could I miss the fact that you were getting a little thick in the middle? Not to mention the throwing up. It had made me wonder.”
“Why hadn’t you said anything?”
“I was afraid you didn’t want to have my child.”
She sat up and glared at him. “How could I not want the child of the man I love?”
“A lot of women wouldn’t want to have a child fathered by a man like me. You know this baby will be part Indian.”
“Of course it will and how dare you think I wouldn’t want it.”
He pulled her down on his chest. “I’m happy you want our child, Amelia. I want it, too.”
“You’re not just staying with me because I’m pregnant, are you, Jed?”
“No, Amelia. I love you and I want us to be together always. I’m sorry I ever doubted you’d want our baby.”
“We made this baby together and it’ll be half of each of us.” She kissed his chin. “I hope it’s a boy with beautiful black hair and bronze skin, like his father.”
He smiled and pulled her tighter to him. “A beautiful little girl would be nice, too, but I don’t want her running off at eighteen and marrying a strange man like her mother did.”
“If this stranger turned out to be as wonderful as her father, I wouldn’t mind too much.”
“Whatever it is, let’s hope we can keep it here on the ranch to grow and thrive until he or she is a responsible adult.”
Her forehead wrinkled. “Are you saying we’re going to move to the Double D?”
“If we can work out a few more details. I still have to clear some things with your father and there’re things I have to work out with Curt.”
“As I said, as long as I’m with the man I love, it doesn’t matter to me where we live.”
They lingered in each other’s arms for a while longer, then dressed and headed back to the house, both knowing with the love they shared, they could work through anything.
Epilogue
Rafe Donahue died three weeks after Jed and Amelia moved into the master suite of the huge house. He was pleased to learn he was going to be a grandfather and was content knowing life would go on through this child. Elizabeth spent most of her days sewing baby clothes and making sure Amelia and her man had the best of care. Delores was about as bad. One would have thought she was going to be a grandmother, too.
Amelia’s now large protruding stomach announced to the world it would only be a short time before there was an heir to the former Double D Ranch. It took a while for everyone to accept the ranch was now part of the huge Circle 2 spread. Renaming the ranch was one of the details Jed worked out with Rafe. It wasn’t easy for the older man to give in, but he did and now everyone was beginning to accept the new name. For the present, Jed and Amelia owned three fourths of the ranch, but there were papers drawn up saying Curt would be buying the original Circle 2, where he lived and where Juanita had stayed as his housekeeper. Another agreement that Jed and Rafe had was that both ranches would be combined as one but would carry the names of Jed Wainwright and Curt Allison and their families as owners of the enormous Circle 2. It surprised Jed when Elizabeth had to sign for everything to be legal which she did gladly. He never dreamed she was the one with all the real power in the Donahue family.
Only two of Rafe’s cowhands refused to work for an Indian and left when Jed took over. The others seemed to come to life and were proud of the work they did, now they were out from under Vince Callahan’s demanding ways. Because of his hard work, Ward Kyler was promoted to head foreman and worked between the two sections of the ranch. His assistants were Wayne Rivers at Jed’s place and Darrel Reid at Curt’s.
Jed wrote his Aunt Prudence in Kansas and told her about his marriage and his coming child. It wasn’t long until she wrote back and told him she was thrilled and she’d be visiting as soon as she could pack her bags and buy her ticket.
When her letter reached them, they had two days to get ready for the visit. Delores scurried around and set up a special guest room for her. Elizabeth managed to find out from Jed some of the woman’s favorite foods and plans were made to throw a party to introduce Jed’s aunt to the rest of Settlers Ridge.
The two days slipped by quickly and on the morning Prudence Wainwright was to arrive, Amelia announced at breakfast that Jed should be the one to pick her up. “You haven’t seen her in several years, honey,” Amelia explained. “It would be best if yours was the first face she saw when she got off the stagecoach.”
“But I don’t want to leave you. It’s getting awfully close to the time our baby will be born.”
“I’ll be fine. This baby will come when it decides to come. We can’t make arrange…” She suddenly dropped her fork and her eyes got big as she bent over and grabbed her stomach. “Oh! It hurts,” she screamed.
Jed didn’t wait. He threw down his napkin and grabbed Amelia up in his arms. “I’m putting you to bed. Send Richard for the doctor, Delores.”
“I’ll do it.” Delores set the coffee pot on the table and ran toward the back door.
Elizabeth jumped up and followed Jed up the stairs.
In their room, Jed put his gasping wife on the bed. “Amelia, I love you,” was all he could think of to say.
“I love you, too, Jed, but I want my mother.”
“I’m right here, honey.” She turned to Jed. “Go downstairs and make sure Delores puts on lots of hot water then go get your aunt.”
“I’ll tell Delores, but I’m not leaving. I want to make…”
Amelia let out another scream.
“Then send someone to get Prudence. Now scoot. I’ll get Amelia undressed.”
“I’ll send Ward.” Jed ran to the door.
“He’s exc
ited, isn’t he, Mother?”
“Very excited, dear, but I’ll try to keep him under control.”
Amelia laughed then grimaced and let out a groan.
If he didn’t know better, Jed would’ve sworn the day was a week long. Amelia kept crying out and he wouldn’t leave her side. “I swear I’ll never put you through this again,” he promised her over and over.
When the doctor arrived, he shooed Jed from the room. Since Esther came with him, Elizabeth was able to go downstairs and try to calm her son-in-law. She didn’t have much luck.
Six hours later, tall, sophisticated Aunt Prudence walked through the front door and Jed started forward to welcome her. A baby’s cry stopped him and without speaking to anyone, he turned and took the stairs two at a time.
“Why, land of Goshen, that boy hasn’t changed a whit. He’s still scattered in all directions,” Prudence said.
“Please come in, Miss Wainwright. I’m afraid my son-in-law isn’t quite himself today.”
Before Prudence could answer, Jed appeared at the top of the steps with a big grin on his face. “I have a son, everybody, but they won’t let me see Amelia yet.”
With a smile, Elizabeth said, “Don’t worry, honey. They’ll let you see her soon.”
An hour later, Elizabeth and Prudence entered the bedroom. Amelia looked tired, but beautiful, propped on the feather pillows and Jed looked comfortable sitting in the rocking chair beside the bed with his son in his arms. He was still grinning.
“Our son has his father’s black hair and dark eyes. He’s beautiful, Mother.” Amelia reached for her mother’s hand.
“I knew he would be.” Elizabeth kissed her daughter’s forehead, introduced Prudence then turned to view her grandson.
“Well, young lady, if my nephew here doesn’t treat you and the little one right, you let me know. His Aunt Prudence could always handle him.”
Amelia laughed. “I’ll do that, but so far he’s been a wonderful husband. I know he’ll be a great Daddy.”
“Come see your great-nephew, Aunt Prudence.”
Elizabeth and Prudence cooed over the baby.
“Have you chosen a name?” Prudence asked.
“We have.” Jed looked down at Amelia. “He’s Aaron after my father and Rafe after Amelia’s.”
Tears filled Elizabeth’s eyes. “Thank you.”
Jed stood and held the baby out to his mother-in-law. “Would you like to hold him, Grandmother?”
“Oh yes.” She took the chair and Jed gave her the baby. Prudence came to stand by her shoulder.
After the baby went to sleep, Elizabeth placed it in the crib beside the bed. She and Prudence kissed the happy couple and left the room.
Jed moved to the edge of the bed and took Amelia’s hand. Leaning over to kiss her, he whispered, “Thank you for my wonderful son.”
“Next time I’ll try to give you a daughter.”
“I promised you I wouldn’t put you through this again.”
She laughed. “Give me six months and I’ll change your mind, Jed Wainwright.”
He shook his head. “Who would’ve ever thought that when a tiny blonde knocked on my hotel room door, my six-foot-four frame would become her slave for life?”
“I decided that six-foot-four frame could do anything with me it wanted the minute he dropped the towel, and I saw the first naked man I’d ever seen.”
He grinned. “He better be the only one you ever see.”
“Don’t worry. No other man could ever measure up to you.”
He kissed her. “No woman will ever compare to you either, my love. Not only have you made me a happy man, you’ve given me a chance to love again. You’re my life, Amelia. You always will be.”
Neither needed to say anything else. The love in their eyes said it all.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Agnes Alexander knew she’d one day write western novels when she made her first trip west. Other vacations in the area fueled this flame and her first western novel, Fiona’s Journey, was published in 2012. Since then, she’s had seven other books published and Amelia’s Marriage will be her eighth. When she’s not writing, she loves spending time with her family, making jewelry, playing board games and hanging out with other writers. She lives in her home state of North Carolina and loves hearing from her readers. Contact her at www.Agnesalexander.com
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