Rita tried not to let her disappointment show at how quickly he pushed the matter aside and didn’t even offer to assist her.
“Oh…well, then yes. It would have to be the carpenter.”
“His shop is near the schoolhouse, off of the main street,” he said, his attention already returning to his meal. “Henry’s his name. Good man.”
The conversation came to a firm end as he tucked back into his pie. Rita turned her gaze to the flickering flames in the hearth, not bothering to respond. That was confirmation enough, she supposed, that when it came to the baby, she was on her own.
Chapter 6
“Rita? Rita, are you home?”
Startled by the unexpected sound of her husband’s voice, Rita poked her head out of her bedroom, where she’d been sorting through stockings and socks that needed mending.
“William?” she called.
He suddenly appeared at the end of the short hallway. He was breathing heavily as if he’d hurried to get there. She was confused, as it was well after lunch and she hadn’t anticipated seeing him again until dinnertime.
“Is everything alright?” she asked as she made her way out of her room to stand in front of him, frowning in concern.
His grin caught her off guard. She couldn’t recall seeing him truly smile in the six weeks since their wedding day, and she found herself growing breathless at the sight.
“Everything is excellent,” he declared, his voice laden with uncharacteristic excitement.
She couldn’t help but chuckle at his odd behavior. “What exactly has happened to put you in such high spirits and bring you home so early?”
He spread his arms out and announced, “I was given my promotion today. You’re looking at the new Sheriff of Starry Creek.”
Rita let out a cry of excitement and clapped her hands together. “Oh! That’s wonderful news. Congratulations!”
He looked genuinely happy and he surprised her when he reached forward and took hold of her hands. “I have to thank you for your help in this,” he said. “As well as your support. I know it hasn’t been easy for you, and I know I haven’t been the most present and attentive of husbands.”
She gazed at him with wide-eyes, unsure how she should respond.
“It’s…it’s quite alright,” she stammered at length. “We had an arrangement, and…”
He shook his head. “That may be true, but that’s no excuse for neglecting you. I’ve just been so focused on work and the promotion…I have something for you, though, to express my gratitude.”
William released her hands so he could reach around and into his back pocket. To her shock, he produced a small parcel wrapped in paper. He handed it to her and her gaze darted between it and him as she tried to determine what to do next.
“Open it,” he chuckled as if he could tell she was in distress.
“Of…of course,” she murmured.
She tugged at the small ribbon around the parcel and when it came loose, the paper fell away to reveal a small box. Breath caught in her lungs, she carefully lifted the lid and let out a gasp. “William! It’s…it’s beautiful.”
Inside was a delicate silver brooch in the shape of a sunflower. Its petals looked to be made of glass, and the center was a dark stone that was polished into a mirror-like shine.
“So, you like it?” he asked with a grin.
She beamed up at him and nodded. “It’s lovely. In truth, it’s almost too much. You really didn’t need to…”
He held up his hand and shook his head, cutting her off. “None of that now. I wanted to. You deserve something nice, especially after everything you’ve done for me. I won’t listen to another word about how it’s too much or you shouldn’t accept it, you hear?”
When he put it like that, she really had no choice in the matter.
“Alright, not another word,” she gushed. After a beat of silence, she added, “I need to thank you as well, though.”
He furrowed his brow. “For what? I don’t feel as though I’ve truly done that much for you so far.”
She lifted her shoulders in a shrug and explained, “You’re giving my baby a chance at a normal life. The moment you found out I was pregnant, you could’ve dismissed me from your thoughts, but you didn’t. That’s not a small thing. My baby will grow up with the life I always wanted as a child, with a family and…and parents...”
He furrowed his brow and she feared she’d overstepped, but he surprised her by murmuring, “You were an orphan?”
Blinking, she nodded slowly. “Yes, I was.”
“I see.” He looked away from her and scratched at the back of his neck, and she wondered why he seemed so uncomfortable all of the sudden. He surprised her again, however, when he met her gaze, and his lips curled into a soft smile. “So it’s especially important to you that your child grows up in a loving home.”
“Yes,” she replied. “I want my baby to grow up living a normal life, without the worries and heartaches I endured.”
“Normal isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be,” he murmured, sliding his hands into the front pockets of his pants.
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
Shrugging, he looked to be making an effort to appear nonchalant, but she could see the tension stiffening his shoulders and jaw.
“I grew up with both my mother and father,” he answered at length. “But I wouldn’t wish my childhood on anyone.”
Her stomach twisted at what he wasn’t telling her. She had a strong suspicion she knew, but she hoped she was wrong.
“Why not?” she finally mustered up the courage to ask, hoping he’d continue to be open with her.
At first, she thought he wouldn’t explain, but after several moments of tense silence, he let out a sigh that sounded as though it was coming from deep in his belly.
“My father was a mean drunk,” he said. “Liked to hit things. People mostly, and by people, I mean me. My mother…well, I was a not-so-happy accident she always wished she’d never made. And she told me so every chance she had.”
“That so…awful,” she whispered.
“It was no picnic.” He spoke flippantly, but she could see a flash of pain cross his gaze.
Without thinking, Rita reached out and laid a hand on his shoulder. When he didn’t flinch away, she left it there.
“I promise I will always love my baby, and I will protect it from anyone who would want to do it harm.”
William stared at her for a long time, and she wasn’t sure if she’d said something wrong. Suddenly, he reached out his hand and let it hover above her belly.
“May I?” he softly asked.
She nodded, words escaping her yet again.
He pressed his palm gently over her belly and stared down at it as if in wonder. A small flutter of hope stirred in Rita’s heart.
Maybe she wasn’t so alone in this after all.
Chapter 7
The baby was moving.
It always thrilled Rita to feel the child kick and squirm inside her. It was a constant reminder that the baby was alive and well and coming very soon. At eight months pregnant, Rita was in a state of constant discomfort with her large round belly, swollen feet, and aching back. However, her body’s physical inconveniences did nothing to dim her excitement.
She was sitting, resting in her rocking chair by the fire, and thinking that it was nearly time she started dinner for William. The idea of getting up and being on her feet was exhausting, but he required so little of her, cooking for him was the least she could offer. Things had warmed up between them considerably since he’d received his promotion. He was still working long, hard hours, but he actually tried to come home at a decent time several days out of the week. He made an effort to talk to her about her day and had even started asking her how she was feeling and commenting on her pregnancy.
It still wasn’t a true marriage, and they still didn’t have the love each other that Rita had once had with Robert, but she’d begun to feel a kind of
companionable affection for William and hoped that he felt similarly for her.
I need to get up and get to cooking. The quickest way to bridge the gap between us is by keeping him full and happy.
Chuckling softly to herself, she finally pushed herself up and out of her chair and began padding toward the kitchen. Before she was halfway across the room, however, the front door suddenly opened, and William stepped inside.
She couldn’t spin around as quickly as she’d once been able to, so her surprised whirl to face him was more of a hurried waddle.
“William! What are you doing home so early? I wasn’t expecting you for…”
She trailed off when she saw what he was carrying in his strong arms.
A cradle.
A beautiful wooden cradle with sunflowers carved into the left side.
She stared in disbelief as he moved toward her and carefully placed with little bed on the floor. Standing to his full height once more, he turned to face her with a soft, almost shy smile.
“What do you think?” he asked.
She felt tears prick the corners of her eyes, and she didn’t have words to express how much this meant to her. So, instead, she stepped toward him and slid her arms around his middle. Pressing her face into his chest, she hugged him tightly. He stiffened in her arms, but she didn’t care. She didn’t ever want to let him go and squeezed harder.
At length, she felt his arms wrap around her as he returned her hug, and then he surprised her by leaning down and pressing his lips to her cheek in a sweet kiss. She gasped and blushed, peeking up at him as they continued to hold each other close.
After what seemed like hours, but was in truth only a few minutes, Rita gently dislodged herself from his arms and took a step back. She glanced toward the beautiful little crib.
“Where did you get it?” she asked.
“I had the carpenter make it,” he explained with a grin and shrug. “As I said, can’t get one of these in the general store.”
She giggled. “So, you’d been planning this for a bit then.”
He shrugged. “I suppose you could say that.”
It was perfect. It was everything she could’ve asked for and more. She was so, so happy.
“Would you mind taking it into my room? I want to find the perfect spot for it to sit.”
“Of course,” William said, instantly moving to pick the bed back up. She let him down the hallway and they entered her small but neat and tidy room. They tried several places: under the window, at the foot of the bed, in the corner, but none of them felt right until William set it next to the bed on the side that Rita most often slept. The idea of having her baby right there in reach filled her with a great sense of comfort.
“It’s perfect,” she declared, but then she fought a yawn before continuing, “Now, I will go start dinner and you can relax…”
“Why don’t I make dinner tonight?” he offered.
She raised her brows in surprise. “You want to make dinner?”
The corner of his mouth curled into a crooked half-grin. “No need to sound so shocked. I had to take care of myself before you came along, remember?”
“That’s true, I suppose,” she murmured. “But, really, it’s no trouble. I can do it.”
He shook his head firmly. “I can see in your face how tired you are. You should be the one resting and I’ll whip us up a hash. How’s that sound?”
She couldn’t help but grin. “That sounds lovely. Thank you.”
They made their way back out to the main room and she sat back down in her rocking chair while he continued onto the kitchen. She picked up her knitting work and kept herself occupied as he cooked. Soon, the house was filled with the tantalizing smells of his efforts, and Rita was intrigued to taste what he made for her.
It was less than an hour before he called her to the table and served her a plate of hash with a side of cold biscuits they’d had leftover from lunch. When he encouraged her to dig in, she did so without hesitation. Her eyes widened with shock.
“My goodness…it’s quite… good!”
He chuckled as he sat across from her and dug into his own meal. “Not bad, huh? I told you I had some skill in the kitchen.”
She grinned at him. “I apologize for ever doubting you.”
They shared a smile and then both turned their focus to their food. It was silent as they ate, but it was a comfortable silence that Rita didn’t feel the need to fill up with useless chatter.
When she was halfway through her plate of food, he glanced back up at her.
“If this question is too personal, you don’t have to answer,” he began, catching her attention. “But I’m a bit curious…what was your husband like?”
The question caught her off guard and she stared at him for several long moments. He seemed to take her silence as offense because he quickly apologized.
“It’s none of my business,” he insisted. “You don’t have to tell me anything, I’m sorry for bringing the subject up.”
“No,” she blurted, startling herself. She took a moment to calm her nerves before continuing, “No, it’s quite alright. I don’t mind talking about Robert. I’ve told Virginia quite a bit about him.”
“You have?” William furrowed his brow. “Like what?”
“Well, he was a very kind man. He treated me well, and he worked hard. He didn’t mind working at the mill, and I could always count on him coming home on time every night for dinner. He was reliable like that.” She paused to think of what else she could tell him. “He was a good man. He would’ve given someone the shirt off his back if he thought they needed it.”
“He sounds like quite the fellow,” William replied, his tone soft. “Did you love him?”
“Very much,” Rita admitted. “Dare I say he might have been the love of my life. Of course, as selfless as he was, he’d want me to try and move on and perhaps find love again someday. I don’t know that that’s truly possible, but he at least wouldn’t want me to be lonely for the rest of my life.”
William nodded as if she’d struck some sort of chord he could relate to.
“It’s always interesting to me to hear people describe their love for someone else,” he said at length.
“Why’s that?”
He shrugged. “Never have really believed in love. Certainly have never experienced it before.”
Rita frowned. “Oh…that’s sad.”
He chuckled. “Can’t say that I agree. How can I be sad for something if I have no idea what it’s like? You can’t yearn for something you’ve never had.”
In that, he might have had a point, but Rita had experienced love, and she knew exactly what she was missing. When she thought about never knowing that feeling and connection again, her heart twisted with sorrow. As William returned his attention to his food, she studied him carefully, and couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to be loved by a man like him.
Chapter 8
The sudden knocking on the door wouldn’t have struck Rita as unusual had it not been so late into the evening. It was well past the polite hour for visitors, but she supposed that things were different in the West than they were back home.
It was a freezing night, and William was out back gathering more wood for the fireplace, so Rita put her knitting aside and lumbered to her feet to answer the door herself. When she opened it, she was surprised to find Virginia standing on her porch with pink cheeks and a bright smile.
“Virginia! What are you doing here at this hour? Is everything alright?”
Her friend nodded. “It is, and I apologize for the late call, but our mare Sally is giving birth and I wondered if you wanted to come and watch?”
“Oh, yes! I would like that very much. Let me go and inform William, and then we can go.”
“Dress warm,” her friend advised. “It’s teeth-chattering out here.”
Rita chuckled and quickly turned to hurry to the back door of the house. Just as she was reaching for the handle, it flew open
and she came face to face with William. He was carrying a good-sized pile of wood, which he nearly dropped as he avoided running into her.
“Woah, there,” he declared. “What’s got you in such a hurry?”
“Virginia is here and has invited me to their farm to watch their mare give birth,” she explained.
He arched his brows in clear surprise. “That’s something you’d be interested in seeing?”
She nodded eagerly. “Oh, yes! I think it would be very good for me to see it, actually. I’ve never watched any creature give birth before.”
He appeared thoughtful for a moment before giving a firm nod of his head. “Alright then. We’ll go.”
“We?”
He smirked. “Of course, we. It’s freezing out there. Someone needs to go along to keep an eye on you and make sure you stay bundled up properly.”
Her heart did a strange little flipflop at his generous offer. He hadn’t even hesitated to make it. It was very sweet of him, in truth.
“Alright…well, we shouldn’t keep Virginia waiting,” she murmured, ducking her head so he didn’t see her cheeks heat.
She hurried to find her coat and mittens while he carried the firewood over to its spot by the fireplace. When she returned all bundled up, he gathered her boots from where they sat next to the door and helped her into them. He also fetched a scarf and wrapped it around her neck and then insisted she wear a winter hat as well.
She didn’t know what to do with this doting, attentive William. He was throwing her off balance and making her heart patter in ways it hadn’t done in some time. When they were finally ready and stepped out onto the porch, Virginia was waiting for them in her wagon. William helped Rita up into the seat next to her friend and then climbed into the back for the short ride to the Herrings’ farm.
As they drove down the dirt-packed road, Virginia glanced toward her with a small smile.
“You two seem to be a lot more comfortable with each other now,” she softly said.
The Sheriff's Christmas Miracle Page 4
