Fiery Bride

by Cynthia Woolf

  The months passed in a blur filled with work and doctor appointments. The doctor worried about her because this was her first pregnancy and she was very old for having a baby. Soon it was only a month until the baby was due.

  One late March day, Maggie was sitting at her desk doing the final paperwork for her latest match when the bell above the door sounded. She glanced up and was shocked to see Cassie in the doorway.

  “Maggie!” said Cassie as she ran to her.

  Maggie rose as quickly as her bulk would let her. “Cassie. How are you? What are you doing in New York? Where is Robert?”

  Cassie laughed. “Robert is still at the hotel seeing about the luggage. I couldn’t wait and took a cab to see you. He’ll be along shortly.” She looked Maggie up and down. “I guess you have some news to share. The same kind of news that Robert and I have.”

  “Oh, my, that’s wonderful. When are you expecting the sweet thing to show its face to the world?”

  “In about five months. But from the looks of you, yours will be here much, much sooner than that.”

  Maggie automatically put her hand on her belly. “He’ll be here in about a month, give or take a week or two.”

  “Were you going to tell Caleb?”

  “I was, then I wasn’t, then I was. Oh, Cassie, I haven’t known what to do and now, well, it’s probably best he doesn’t know. He doesn’t love me and I won’t marry or raise a child with someone who doesn’t love me.”

  “Come sit down before you fall over. I have to tell you, you’re huge. I don’t mean that in a bad way, just an observation. I’ve never seen anyone carry their baby so…heavy.”

  Maggie sat down behind her desk again. “I know. The doctor thought I might be carrying twins, but can only find evidence of one baby. I would have asked my mother if she carried us so heavy but I don’t want my parents to know. Ever. I’ll never let my father get his filthy paws on my son.”

  “You keep saying son and he. Do you really believe you’re having a boy?”

  She smiled and rubbed her belly. “I do. I had a dream that I had a little boy in Caleb’s spitting image and since then I’ve been calling him a boy.”

  “So what are you going to do about Caleb?”

  “I don’t know. He doesn’t love me. He said he cares for me but he’ll never love me. Not like I deserve.” She shook her head, resigned. “I can’t live in another loveless marriage.”

  Cassie cocked her head and rolled her eyes in obvious disbelief. “Doesn’t love you? Are you an idiot? He’s crazy for you and since you’ve been gone he’s just been crazy. He’s a bear and hardly anyone can stand to be around him. We do, mostly for Rachel’s sake. She misses you something fierce and so does her daddy.”

  Maggie shook her head. “He said he’d never—”

  “Because he doesn’t know what it is. It’s hard to say you can love someone unless you’ve experienced love to begin with. He hadn’t. Not until you.”

  She looked across the desk at the younger woman. “You’ve matured so well. Marriage seems to agree with you.”

  The bell above the door sounded again and Robert walked in, a big smile on his face when he looked at his wife. Then he looked at Maggie and his face fell.

  “Shit. Caleb’s going to be pissed you didn’t tell him, Maggie. What were you thinking?”

  Maggie started to rise and Robert rushed to her side to help her.

  She waved him off. “I’ve been getting up and down on my own just fine, Robert, though I thank you for the thoughtfulness. As to Caleb. I don’t know what I’ve been thinking. It’s changes on a daily basis. Right now, I think it’s none of his business.”

  “None of his business?? You can’t be serious. Do you expect us to believe that the father is someone other than Caleb?” asked Robert.

  Tears filled her eyes. She was extremely moody and cried at the drop of a hat. The doctor assured her that was normal.

  “Don’t yell at me, Robert. You think I haven’t gone over every scenario in my head? Do you think I really want to raise my child without a father?”

  “Maggie,” said Cassie, “now is not the time to be stubborn. Your baby deserves to know he has a wonderful father, who loves him very much.”

  She sniffled and then dabbed at her eyes with the hanky she kept up her sleeve for such a purpose. “He would love the baby, wouldn’t he? Even if he only cares for me. I’m just so confused right now. Every time I start to write to him, I stop because I don’t know what to say.”

  Robert looked at Cassie with furrowed brow. “What is she talking about?”

  “She believes that Caleb doesn’t love her.”

  “What? That’s nonsense. He’s been the most unhappy man I’ve ever seen. I didn’t see him this broken up after Ruth died.”

  “You both think I’ve made a huge mistake don’t you?”

  “I’m afraid you have,” said Cassie gently. “You never needed to go through this by yourself. You should wire Caleb.”

  “I can’t. Not now. Not after all this time. What if he doesn’t want me? Or us? What if…?” She started bawling. All the tears she’d refused to shed now flowed from her, unchecked.

  Cassie patted Maggie’s back. “Alright. Calm down. You won’t wire him. What are you going to do then?”

  “I’m going to continue with my plans. I’m going to have this baby and raise him the best I can.” She hiccupped. “I’ve been doing extra work and have my nest egg built up so I can take some time off when he comes. I know a western woman would probably have the baby and keep right on working but I’m not a western woman.”

  “What makes you think that?” asked Robert.

  “I’m just assuming they are much stronger than I am.”

  Robert came around the desk. “Maggie, you are one of the strongest women I’ve ever met. Also one of the most stubborn and idiotic. Wire Caleb. Let him know he’s going to be a father again. I guarantee he’ll be thrilled.”

  She shook her head. “I can’t.”

  “Okay, we won’t push you. And I don’t want you crying anymore,” said Cassie. “How about we go out to dinner and catch up on all the gossip from Golden. I’ve been dying to share it with someone.”

  Maggie laughed. “I’d love to hear it and about everyone back at the ranch.”

  “Good. We need to freshen up after the train ride but we’ll be back about six and we’ll take Robert for some Italian food. He’s never had it before.”

  “Oh, you’re in for a treat, Robert.”

  “So, I’ve been told.”

  Maggie shooed them out the door and went upstairs to freshen herself up.

  Once outside, Cassie turned to Robert. “I don’t care what Maggie thinks she wants, Caleb needs to know. Let’s go to the Western Union office and send him a wire. He can be on tomorrow’s train.”

  “Agreed. It’s not going to be pretty when he gets here. He’ll have had a week to stew over it.”

  “Then he needs to come see us first. I want to explain to him why Maggie made the decision she did. Maybe he’ll understand and realize that part of the blame falls on his shoulders,” said Cassie.

  “I doubt he’ll understand. Men like Caleb, really don’t know what love is, so caring is as close as he can come. Let’s go get this done so I can take my beautiful bride back to the room and make love to her before we have to leave for dinner.”

  Cassie turned and smiled up at him. “Yes, sir. Anything you want.”

  * * *

  Pregnant. She was pregnant. Why didn’t she tell him? Didn’t she know he’d take care of her? Marry her. Give the baby a name. It was his child. His son or daughter. He had a right to know. Why wouldn’t she tell him? They’d shared so much. Why would she keep this a secret? These questions went over and over in Caleb’s mind the entire trip from Denver to New York and he still had no answers. She knew he cared for her. Hell, he’d never cared so much for anyone as he did Maggie.

  The train arrived at the station three hours late. They
’d hit a wagon carrying steel pipe and getting the tracks cleared and checking the train to make sure it was on the tracks properly after the accident had taken time. Robert and Cassie were supposed to meet him but with the train’s delay had not stayed, which he could understand. They’d given him explicit instructions to go see them before seeing Maggie, but he couldn’t wait. He had Maggie’s address from their correspondence all those months ago. It seemed like years now with all that had happened.

  He hailed a cab and gave the driver Maggie’s address. What would he say to her now? He had to remember to keep his temper. She had her reasons, though he couldn’t imagine what would make her keep this a secret. She knew how he felt about kids. He wanted lots of them and Rachel wanted brothers and sisters. She mentioned it often. Or at least she had before Maggie left. Now she didn’t mention it at all. Or wanting a mother either.

  He’d been wrong to let her become so close to Maggie who’d made it clear she didn’t intend to stay. Maggie warned him. He’d just been too stubborn to believe it. Always thought he could change her mind. He’d been wrong.

  The cab pulled up in front of Maggie’s building. It was almost 4 pm and he didn’t know if she’d still be open but he knew she lived on the second floor so he’d go there if he had to. She was not going to put him off.

  He went to the door and saw the little open sign. Would it be Maggie inside or Sally, her assistant? His hands were clammy and he wiped them on his pants before he turned the knob.

  The bell over the door sounded.

  “I’ll be with you in just a minute” said the red haired woman with her back to him. He’d recognize that voice anywhere. She was standing on a ladder with a stack of files on her arm. She was filing and standing on a ladder…Caleb thought he might hyperventilate, he was so scared she’d fall. He didn’t say a word but went over to stand at the bottom of the ladder.

  “What do you think you’re doing?”

  Maggie squealed and lost her footing. Files went everywhere as she landed safely in Caleb’s arms.

  “What are you doing here? Put me down.”

  “I don’t think so. You’ll just do something stupid like climb back up on that ladder. Does Sally know you do that?” When she was silent, he said, “I thought so.”

  She’d stiffened in his arms. It was like trying to hold a sack of stone. He carried her safely away from the shelves to her desk and sat down with her in his arms.

  “I said put me down.”

  “You’re down. As down as you’re going to get.”

  She looked up at him, her green eyes full of unshed tears.

  “Ah, hell. Don’t do that, Maggie. There’s no reason to cry.”

  She sniffled and fat tears rolled down her cheeks. “There’s every reason to cry. You’re here because Cassie told you. Don’t deny it. She wired you, must have been that first day for you to be here now. Why did you bother to come?”

  “Because you’re pregnant. Why didn’t you tell me? I’d have taken care of you.”

  “That’s just the point. I don’t want to be taken care of. My baby doesn’t want to be taken care of. Well, he does and I will, but…oh, you know what I mean.”

  “I came because I couldn’t stay away.”

  “You mean because I’m pregnant. Because you haven’t had any problems staying away until now.”

  “No, not because you’re pregnant. That’s a bonus. I mean I couldn’t stay away any longer because of you. It’s been killing me. Every time I go to the barn, I expect to see you milking the cows or I see you in the hay loft with your glorious hair cascading around you after we made love. I can’t go to the line shack without thinking of you. Of us.”

  “What are you saying to me, Caleb? Say it straight out because I don’t want there to be any misunderstandings.”

  He kissed her and to his surprise she let him, didn’t pull away. “Maggie, I care for you more than I ever have anyone. I don’t know if that’s love but I think it could be. I think I love you, Maggie. I know I want to be with you. I want to raise our child…children together. I miss your smile and your laugh. I miss you being mad at me and poking me in the arm when you think I’m wrong. I miss everything about you. I want to wake up beside you for the rest of our lives. I want you to drive me crazy with your matchmaking. I want to be with you. Forever. I don’t want to have to go another day without you.”

  She sobbed. With every word he said she sobbed harder. It was the sweetest, most wonderful declaration of love she’d ever had. He may not have said it outright but he loved her. It was there for the entire world to see in the way he treated her, the way he listened when she talked. In every letter he’d sent her. In the way he laughed at her jokes.

  The baby decided it was time for him to be heard from. He kicked her hard. Hard enough that Caleb felt it, his hand covering her belly.

  He looked up at her, “He wants you to say you’ll marry me Maggie. Not just because we’re good together, which we are, but because we love each other and for me at least, there is no one else. Never will be.”

  She cried and laughed. “You really mean that don’t you?”

  “Of course. I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it. It’s too important to me, to us. I love you, Maggie and I want you to be my wife and the mother to our children.”

  She took his beloved face in her hands and kissed him. “I love you, Caleb Black and I will marry you.”

  “When? I want it to be right away. I want to be married when the baby is born.”

  “That could be any time now. The doctor says I’ve got another few weeks but I think her calculation is wrong. I think I got pregnant the first time we made love.”

  “The first time. Wow. We’re fertile.”

  “Apparently. It was Edgar who couldn’t have children. All these years I’ve blamed myself because he did and now I find out he was wrong. It explains why none of his mistresses had children.”

  “To hell with Edgar. I don’t want to hear the bastard’s name ever again. The only thing I’m grateful to him for is dying. If he hadn’t, you wouldn’t have started your business and I’d never have met you.”

  She smiled and cuddled into his chest…content. “I’m so happy. Let’s go tell Cassie and Robert. They can stand up with us while they’re still here.”

  They went to the hotel where Cassie and Robert were staying. Robert answered the door when Caleb knocked.

  “Well, you two are together, I guess that bodes well. Cassie, look what the cat dragged in,” Robert called to Cassie.

  Cassie squealed. “Oh, Maggie, I just knew you and Caleb would work it out and being that you’re here together I can only assume you did. I’m so happy for you.”

  Cassie and Maggie hugged each other as much as Maggie’s baby belly would let them.

  “Congratulations,” said Robert extending his hand to Caleb.

  “Thanks. It’s about time.” Caleb shook his hand. “I can’t believe it took me this long to realize I love her.”

  “I can’t believe it either. Everyone else knew. You’ve been a bear to live with since she left.”

  Maggie listened with one ear to Cassie and one to the conversation between Caleb and Robert. It make her happy to hear Caleb declare his love for her.

  “Let’s go celebrate. You two aren’t the only ones with something to celebrate. Robert and I are expecting our first baby. That’s why we came to New York. We won’t be able to do it after the baby comes so it was now or never.”

  “I know and it’s such wonderful news. Now our little one will have a playmate, well at least when we see you. I wish you lived closer,” Maggie hugged Cassie again then they both sat on the sofa in the room.

  Robert and Cassie had a small suite. Robert must have paid a fortune to get it. It had a bed, dresser and night stands as well as a sofa, two arm chairs and small table and two dining chairs. It also had a private bath. It was almost as big as Maggie’s apartment.

  The men sat in the arm chairs facing Maggie and Cassie
.

  “So are we going to Luigi’s?” asked Maggie. “The boys haven’t ever had food like Luigi makes. He makes the best Italian food in New York. You’re going to love it.”

  “Yes. Let’s go now and we can beat the rush for dinner,” said Cassie. “I’ve been craving spaghetti for weeks now.”

  “Me, too. When we get back home we’ll have to ask Fran if she knows how to make it. She is Italian after all. Or maybe Maria brought a recipe with her from Italy.”

  “Okay, Caleb, I need help getting up off this sofa. It’s sort of swallowed me.”

  He took her hands and pulled her up from where she’d sunk down into the soft cushions of the divan.

  “It’s not easy getting around with this baby. He’s getting bigger and bigger every day and so am I.”

  “Maybe I should carry you everywhere,” said Caleb scooping her up in his arms.

  “Oh,” laughed Maggie. “Put me down. I’m too heavy for you.”

  “You’re light as a feather.” As if to prove it he spun her around in a circle.

  “Alright you two. Quit fooling around and let’s go eat,” said Robert, taking Cassie’s arm.

  Caleb put Maggie down and the four of them left for dinner.

  * * *

  Later that night Maggie and Caleb laid in bed, wrapped in each other’s arms after making love. Their coupling had been frenzied, each of them unable to get enough of the other or to touch each other fast enough.

  She had her head on his chest and was playing with the light sprinkling of soft hair on his chest. “I want to be home when the baby is born.”

  “Do we have enough time? I don’t want it to be born on the train.”

  “If we leave right away we will. I don’t think he’ll come for another two weeks or so.”

  “What about your business? How are you going to pack everything up that quickly?”