Gift of Grace

by Shanna Hatfield

  “That sounds wonderful,” Nora said, smiling at the pastor. “May we help with refreshments?”

  “Of course,” the pastor said with a smile. “Mrs. Goodwin is in charge. If you have any questions, please let her know.”

  “I will.” Nora gave J.B. a glance he couldn’t interpret. The conversation turned to Christmas and the beginning of a new year with teasing and joking that left them all in good spirits.

  They were just bundling up to leave when someone began pounding on the door, calling for the doctor.

  Doctor Reed slipped on his coat, grabbed his medical bag, kissed his wife’s cheek and rushed out the door.

  It wasn’t until they were almost out of town that J.B. saw the doctor outside Mrs. Gibson’s shack.

  “I wonder if he needs help,” J.B. said, guiding his horses off the road and over to where the doctor spoke to a woman he didn’t recognize.

  Nora stiffened beside him when the woman turned, staring at them with heavily rouged cheeks and red lips.

  The woman was surely one of the girls who worked at a bawdy house. Even if her made-up face didn’t tell the tale, the low cut of her dress and the hard look in her eyes gave away her profession. J.B. had no idea what a soiled dove would be doing at Mrs. Gibson’s place, but supposed it wasn’t any of his business.

  “Whoa,” he said to the team, pulling back on the reins as the wagon creaked to a stop. “Need any help, Doc?”

  “No. Mrs. Gibson burned her hand quite badly. I bandaged it, but she’ll need a few days of rest if it’s going to heal. Her sister has agreed to help until she can manage things again,” the doctor said, tipping his head toward the woman. “But thank you for stopping.”

  “Well, if there’s anything we can do, please let us know.”

  The woman gave him a sharp nod then hurried inside the shack. Doctor Reed climbed into his sleigh and waved as he headed back into town.

  “That explains quite a lot,” Nora said, glancing back over her shoulder at the pitiful shack.

  “Explains what?” J.B. asked as he guided the team toward home.

  “Mrs. Gibson. If her sister is a… a… woman of ill repute, it stands to reason she may have been one, too. I don’t think she’s fit to raise those children. Why, she hardly paid them any mind at all when we were there and to keep them in such horrid living conditions is appalling.”

  For the first time in his life, J.B. wanted to turn Nora over his knee and paddle her. “I didn’t realize the Almighty had proclaimed you a judge over humanity.”

  Nora stiffened and glared at him. “What a blasphemous thing to say!”

  “Well, you’re sitting there like you are holier than those two women back there. You don’t know their stories. You don’t know what trials they might have endured or what drove them to where they are today. Mrs. Gibson isn’t a bad person, but she’s had a hard life. I’ve heard that husband of hers nearly beat her to death on more than one occasion. She could have taken work in a saloon instead of killing herself doing laundry seven days a week, but she didn’t. Instead, she spends her days with her arms buried in boiling water, washing other people’s dirt out of their clothes.”

  He pinned his wife with a steely stare. She squirmed, but held his gaze. Finally, J.B. looked back at the trail before them that was nothing more than ruts through the snow. “I can’t begin to know what is going through your head and heart, Nora, but don’t let the loss of Grace turn you into a harsh, uncaring, judgmental person who spends her life peering down her nose at others. That’s not who you are. It’s definitely not the sweet, loving girl I married.”

  “Well, maybe that girl had to grow up and is gone forever.”

  J.B. shook his head. “I certainly hope that’s not true. The Nora I fell in love with would have already figured out a way to get Mrs. Gibson into a decent house and made sure those kids had enough to eat for the winter. She wouldn’t stand to the side, condemning that poor woman for doing her best.”

  Nora started to say something then snapped her mouth shut and turned away from him.

  Regrettably, her frigid attitude toward him was something he was growing accustomed to.

  Chapter Nine

  “Why can’t you tell me where you’re going. And why is Einar going with you? When will you be back?” Nora peppered J.B. with questions as he wrapped a heavy wool scarf around his neck, pulled on a pair of gloves, then picked up the lunch he’d asked her to make for him as they ate breakfast.

  “It’s almost Christmas. You should know better than to ask questions.” He gave her a teasing smile, kissed her cheek, then hurried outside as Einar dismounted the horse he’d ridden over to their place. Jim took the horse, leading it toward the barn, while J.B. and Einar climbed up on the wagon seat and settled the buffalo robe over their laps.

  Nora stood at the kitchen door, shivering in the cold, as J.B. snapped the lines to the four mules he’d harnessed to the wagon. He waved once then turned his focus back to driving the animals through the newly fallen snow.

  J.B. and Einar were up to something and it irritated her that her husband wouldn’t say anything other than it was almost Christmas.

  “Ridiculous,” Nora muttered as she slammed the door and walked over to the stove, holding her hands out to warm them. She looked around, trying to think of how she should spend her day. She’d washed and ironed all the laundry yesterday. They had a loaf of bread left from her last baking day, and with J.B. gone all day, she had no need to prepare lunch. She’d planned to cut the leftover roast into chunks for a stew, but it wouldn’t take long to heat it that evening.

  Her house was clean and she’d even set out the few Christmas decorations she’d brought with her from Omaha.

  Despite the pain and loss they’d endured, Pendleton still felt like home to her. Much more so than Omaha. If it wasn’t for her grandmother being there, Nora wouldn’t miss anything from her former life.

  She walked into the spare bedroom and opened the trunk full of Grace’s things. She picked up the tiny pair of shoes and held them, picturing what her beautiful daughter would have looked like as she took her first steps. Unwilling to let her grief overtake her on such a beautiful day, Nora tucked the shoes back inside the trunk and left the room.

  The gifts she’d purchased or made were all wrapped and ready for giving. Most of her holiday baking was complete. The rest she would wait to finish on Christmas Eve. She’d planned out their Christmas Eve and Christmas Day menus and invited the men who worked for them to join them for both meals. The Erickson family would also join them for Christmas Day dinner. Nora could hardly wait to give Erik his gift. She just knew the boy would love the toy ark with all the animals.

  Thoughts of Erik and how much she enjoyed being around him inspired her to change from her heavy winter gown into a pair of woolen pants she hadn’t worn since they were on the trail heading west. She buttoned on a shirtwaist then slipped on a warm sweater. After adding two pairs of socks, she pulled on a pair of worn boots, shrugged into her coat, and wrapped a scarf around her neck and head. Quickly filling a basket with cookies and several pieces of candy, she covered it with a dishtowel, shoved her fingers into a pair of mittens, then hurried outside.

  The sun shone brilliantly overhead, glistening across the snow and making Nora squint as her eyes adjusted to the bright light. She made her way to the barn where Jim was working on repairing a harness while Henry and Lyle cleared snow away from the back doors of the barn.

  “Howdy, Mrs. Nash. What can I do for you?” Jim asked, rising to his feet from the stool where he’d been sitting.

  “I wanted to let you know I’m going over to visit Mrs. Erickson for a while. I’ll be back this afternoon.” Nora offered him a smile she’d used to charm many a young man. “I don’t suppose you know where J.B. went off to today, do you?”

  Jim grinned. “Even if I did, I’m under orders not to say a word. Do you need a ride over to the Erickson place?”

  “No. I’m going to cut through t
he pasture, but thank you for offering.”

  “Enjoy yourself and be careful walking there. The snow drifted over part of the fence the last time the wind blew.”

  Nora nodded then set out with purposeful strides toward the Erickson farm. She climbed over the fence J.B. and the hired men had finished before the weather turned cold and headed due north across what would be one of several pastures next spring. When she reached a second fence, she climbed over it then made her way over a bumpy field of wheat stubble before she walked down a hill to the barn and outbuildings Einar and his hired hands had constructed years ago.

  A cowboy named Dent stepped out of the barn as Nora walked past it.

  “Is that you, Mrs. Nash?” he asked.

  “It is, Dent. How does this day find you?” She stopped and smiled at the man who was the same age as J.B. In fact, the two of them had found kindred spirits the first time they met. A few times, J.B. and Dent had even engaged in a battle of checkers, heckling each other the entire time they played.

  “Can’t complain a lick, Mrs. Nash. Did you walk all the way over here?” he asked, looking around for a horse or wagon.

  “I did. It’s easy enough to cut through the pasture, although the snow is deep in a few places.” She bent down and brushed snow from her pants then looked back at Dent. “Is Mrs. Erickson at home?”

  “She and Erik are in the house. Enjoy your visit.”

  “Thank you,” Nora said, offering him another smile before she hurried across the barnyard and down the walk at the house. She scurried up the porch steps, stamped snow from her boots, then knocked on the door.

  The sound of footsteps racing to the door reached her seconds before the portal swung open and Erik offered her a huge smile.

  “Hi, Mrs. Nash!” He greeted her with a hug around her waist then grabbed her hand and pulled her inside.

  “Hello, Erik. How are you?”

  “I’m great,” he said, opening his mouth and pulling down his bottom lip. “I lost a tooth this morning. See?”

  Nora admired the gap in his smile. She removed her mittens then ruffled his white-blond hair. “I do see. That’s quite exciting, isn’t it?”

  “Yes!” Erik said, hopping off one foot to the other then glancing over his shoulder as Anna hurried into the room, wiping her hands on her apron.

  “I apologize for intruding upon your day, but with Einar and J.B. off doing heaven only knows what today, I thought perhaps you wouldn’t mind a little company.”

  Anna gave her a hug. “I’m so glad you came. I didn’t hear you arrive.”

  “I walked through the pasture. The cold air and snow proved to be quite invigorating,” Nora said, removing her scarf and coat as well as her boots, leaving them by the door.

  She took in the friendly atmosphere of the front room of the Erickson’s home. The windows allowed plenty of light to fill the space. The furniture was comfortable and the keepsakes sitting on the tables and hanging on the walls added warmth. Nora noticed several red and white decorations that added a festive air.

  “It looks like you are ready for Christmas,” Nora said, picking up the basket of treats she’d brought, following Anna to the kitchen.

  “Almost.” Anna smiled at Erik and cupped his chin. “This one can hardly wait for the arrival of Julenisse.”

  “Julenisse?” Nora asked, the foreign word feeling strange on her tongue. She set her basket on the kitchen table and looked at Anna. “What’s that?”

  “The Norwegian version of your American Saint Nicholas.” Anna picked up a spoon and stirred something on the stove.

  “What does Julenisse look like?” Nora asked, sitting down at the table. Erik climbed onto her lap and grinned at her.

  “He has a red stocking cap and a long white beard that goes down to here.” Erik held a hand to his knees. “He has a furry coat, but he’s jolly and happy and brings presents!”

  Nora kept her expression impassive as she looked down at Erik. “Do you know any little boys who like presents?”

  “Me!” Erik shouted then jumped off her lap and ran around the table, whooping excitedly.

  “The closer it gets to Christmas, the more excited he gets,” Anna said, grinning at her son’s antics.

  “With good reason,” Nora said, catching Erik as he ran past her and tickling his sides. The little boy’s giggles filled her with joy. After kissing his cheek, she let him go then walked over to the stove. “Please put me to work, Anna. I need something to keep my head and hands busy today.”

  “I was hoping to make some ornaments today. Perhaps you and Erik could get started on them. The paper is in a basket there on the table with a pattern I saved from last year.” Anna continued stirring bubbling liquid on the stove.

  Nora took out the pattern for a paper heart and studied it. It was two pieces of paper, one red and one white, woven together in such a way it formed a heart. From the basket, she took two sheets of paper and a pair of scissors.

  “You fold the paper in half, then cut strips about two-thirds of the way up. Round the corners of the uncut piece at the top, then you weave the strips together,” Anna instructed from her place at the stove.

  Nora hated to waste a single piece of paper, so she got up and walked over to the stove, looking into a pot of what she’d concluded was pudding. “I’ll stir. You cut and show me how to make one.”

  Anna smiled and handed Nora the spoon. “It’s quite simple, really.”

  Nora stirred with one hand while Anna showed her how to cut the paper. While Anna made the creation of the ornaments appear effortless, Nora concluded they were simple to put together. By the time the pudding thickened and Nora poured it into the bowls lined up on the counter, Anna had made two hearts and was helping Erik complete the one he’d started.

  Quickly setting the pan in the sink to soak, Nora took a seat next to Erik and watched as Anna guided his little fingers in weaving the paper together.

  “You try, Mrs. Nash,” Erik said, pushing a piece of red paper Anna had already cut toward her.

  Using it as a pattern, Nora cut a white piece then began weaving the two together. It took her a few tries to make hers look as good as Anna’s, but she figured it out.

  “We put small treats inside the hearts,” Anna said, deftly fashioning another one. “They might hold a coin or a piece of candy, or a small toy.”

  “What a clever idea,” Nora said, smiling at her friend. “Do you have other traditions from your homeland you’ll observe?”

  “Oh, yes. We’ll have julekake, that’s a sweet bread with candied fruits and cardamom. And we’ll have pork and lamb. Einar bought the nicest lamb roast from that Irish couple south of town who are raising sheep. There will be special cookies and rice pudding, and so many good things to eat.” Anna’s eyes shone with excitement, looking just like her son’s. “I made a hundred tiny candles to place on the tree. It will be beautiful!”

  “You’ll have a tree? Oh, I hope we have one. I hadn’t given a thought to where we’d get one.”

  Anna gave her a sly grin. “Perhaps your husband will surprise you.”

  Nora shook her head, continuing to weave strips of paper together. “I doubt it. He’s not… we’ve been.” She sighed. “It is not a usual holiday for us.”

  When Anna’s hand settled over Nora’s, she stopped weaving and looked up at the older woman. She knew Anna and Einar were both quite a bit older than she and J.B., but she had no idea how much older. In fact, there were many things she didn’t know about someone she considered a dear friend.

  “I’m sorry for your loss, Nora. There is nothing worse than losing a child.” Anna patted Nora’s hand then brushed away a tear.

  “Did you and Einar lose a child?”

  Anna nodded. She kissed Erik’s cheek then smiled at him. “Would you be a good boy and fill the wood box, please?”

  “Okay!” Erik scrambled off the chair and ran to the kitchen door. He pulled on his coat from where it hung on a low hook he could reach and ram
med his arms into the sleeves.

  “Don’t forget your gloves!” Anna called after him as he raced out the door.

  When the door shut behind the little boy, Anna turned back to Nora. “Would you care for a cup of tea?”

  “Yes, please.” Nora quietly finished the ornament she was working on and set it aside with the others they’d finished. She accepted the cup of tea Anna gave her then folded back the cloth on the basket of treats she’d brought. Anna took a molasses cookie while Nora helped herself to a gingersnap.

  Anna took a long sip of her tea before she looked at Nora. “Before Einar and I came to America, we had two little girls. Asta was five and Elin three when a cholera outbreak swept through our village. My sweet babies both died.”

  “Oh, Anna. I’m so sorry,” Nora said, rising from her chair and giving Anna a sympathetic hug. She didn’t realize tears were rolling down her cheeks until she saw one drip onto Anna’s shoulder. “How did you survive the loss?”

  “Faith, mostly. God never gives us more than we can bear, even if it seems like it at the time.” Anna slipped her arm around Nora and hugged her back. “Einar and I learned to lean on each other when we felt too weak to stand on our own. I still think of our girls, every day, but with time the pain lessened and the grief lost its hold.”

  “I don’t think I’ll ever feel like myself again,” Nora said, drawing in a shaky breath. “I’m just so angry and sad, and tired of feeling angry and sad.”

  “It will get better, Nora. I promise.” Anna sniffled, taking a handkerchief from her apron pocket and dabbing at her nose and eyes. “Look at the two of us.”

  Nora wiped her tears and nose, regained her seat, then turned to Anna again. “Is that what made you decide to come to America? Losing your girls?”

  “Partially,” Anna said, taking another sip of tea. “We wanted to give our children something better, something more than could be found in the village where we lived. We sold what we could, packed our things and came to America. That was about fourteen years ago. It took us a while to save enough money to travel west, but we both knew we didn’t want to live in a big city. During those years, we lost three babies before they were ever born.”