Charming the Caregiver

by Marianne Spitzer

  Logan shook his head. “No, we can’t. We’re over, Ewa. We’ve been over for quite some time, and I have made a new life here, in Creede.”

  “We’re not over, and we can still make a life together,” she insisted.

  Logan leaned closer and said, “No, we can’t. I’ve met someone, and God willing, she’s going to be my wife.”

  Ewa smirked. “I don’t think so. I’m with child.”

  Logan’s eyes grew wide, and he was at a loss for words. When he finally spoke, he said, “Why would you travel here? You should have stayed in San Francisco where you have friends and support or gone home to St. Louis and stayed with your sister.”

  “I want my child to grow up with his father.”

  “Boris is dead.”

  “You’re his father,” Ewa whispered.

  Anger darkened Logan’s eyes, and he said, “We both know that’s impossible. We never…you’re lying…what do you expect to accomplish?”

  Ewa shrugged. “To get you to marry me.”

  “Never,” Logan spat.

  “I think you will.” Ewa smiled and continued, “The doctor and nurse at the hospital already know I’m with child, and I told them it’s yours. A few days here and the entire town will know. You won’t have a chance.”

  Logan paled at the thought that Ewa might have told Kat she was carrying his child. He dreaded asking, but he had to know. “Which nurse did you tell?”

  “I don’t know. Some young woman with blonde hair. She was kind to me and then became quiet and distant, but she did help me get a ride back to town and suggested I write you the note.”

  Logan stood so quickly he knocked his chair over. He leaned close to Ewa and said, “I would die before I marry you. I refuse to raise Boris’ child under any circumstance. You left me for him. I’m sorry he died and left you a widow, but you will be able to live nicely on the money you say you have. Goodbye, Ewa. Leave me alone.”

  Logan had already walked away when she called out, “But everyone will know, Logan.”

  He drew in a deep breath and continued walking, knowing that every eye in the dining room was on him. Logan saw Leer and hoped his expression conveyed that he needed to speak to him—immediately.

  Logan stepped out of the Hearth and Home’s front door and walked a short way down the boardwalk until he was in the shadows. His anger over the situation threatened to overtake him, and he stopped to bow his head in prayer, asking God for strength and for Ewa to make the right decisions in her life.

  Leer’s voice pulled him away from his prayer. “What happened in there?”

  Logan spun to face his brother. “She claims she’s going to have a child, and she's going to tell everyone it’s mine. She's already told Doc Ash and Kat at the hospital today, and Kat was the one who suggested she send me the note and to tell me about her condition. What am I going to do?”

  “Is there a possibility Ewa is telling you the truth.”

  “Absolutely not,” Logan declared in a clear voice. “But if she tells people it’s mine, I’ll have to leave town, and that would kill me. I want to marry Kat, and Ewa could stop that from happening.”

  Leer thought for a moment before asking, “Did she explain why she’s here?”

  “Yeah, she claims she loves me, and Boris was a mistake. She said she sold his house and found some gambling winnings, and she came here to start a new life with me, but I refuse. I won’t marry her no matter what anyone says.”

  “You’re facing trouble. It will be her word against yours. Not that anyone will force you to marry her, but you’re right, you’ll have to leave town. People will think you’re a cad for taking advantage of her.”

  Logan paced up and down the boardwalk. “I don’t understand this. She’s still wearing her wedding ring. People will know she was married.”

  Leer nodded. “You know as well as I do that Ewa can weave a good tale. If she tells people that she was with you before she married Boris, they’d believe the child is yours.”

  “That’s impossible. We were never together. I wouldn’t do that to her. I thought I wanted to marry her before she threw me over for Boris, and I left San Francisco immediately after I learned they were married.”

  Leer clapped his brother on the back. “We’ll figure this out. Maybe she'll leave town once she realizes she can’t have her way.”

  Chapter 13

  Logan tossed and turned most of the night, trying to understand what Ewa expected from him. She knew the child she carried wasn’t his and that he would never marry her regardless of what she’d try to do, but Logan worried about what she might say. The sun was rising when he finally tossed the blanket back to sit on the edge of his bed.

  Having decided he wouldn't get any more sleep, he put on a pot of coffee. He had promised to pick Kat and Susanna up for church. While waiting for the coffee to boil, he sat back down on his bed and bowed his head in prayer. He asked God to help him find a solution to his pressing problem, for Kat to believe him, and for Ewa to find her way without causing anyone any pain. When he'd finished, Logan felt peace and strength to face his day and whatever problems it might bring.

  Thirty minutes before church services began, Logan hitched the horse to the wagon and drove it to Kat’s cabin. He jumped off the wagon and knocked on the front door. When no one answered, he knocked again. There were no sounds coming from the house, so he looked in the front window. The cabin appeared dark and empty. Logan knocked on the back door and peered through the back window to realize the cabin was, indeed, empty, but where were Kat and Susanna?

  He shrugged, went back to the wagon, and drove to church. Maybe Kat had decided to walk. He couldn’t blame her if she'd heard some of the gossip about him and Ewa, but he was determined to win Kat’s heart.

  Logan pulled the church door open and took a moment to see if Kat and Susanna were in the pews. He spotted them near the front of the church, on the left. Logann took a step toward them and noticed that Ewa was sitting to the right of the aisle. He’d have to pass her to get to Kat. He decided to sit at the back of the church where he hoped Ewa wouldn’t see him.

  He clutched his Bible in his hands and prayed. He listened to Pastor Theodore’s sermon on forgiveness and wondered if he could ever forgive Ewa for what she was doing. Just as Pastor Theodore started his final blessing and the congregation sang the last hymn, Logan slipped silently from his pew and walked out into the bright morning sunshine.

  He climbed into his wagon and debated whether he should leave or wait for Kat. When he saw Delia and Kat emerge from the church with a chatty Ewa at their sides, he decided to take a drive out of town for a few hours of peace and quiet. He needed to think and pray. He'd try to speak with Kat later in the afternoon.

  Logan found a peaceful spot near a copse of Quaking Aspen trees that offered shelter from the bright sunshine.

  He awoke with a start a few hours later. The sun had begun its afternoon decline, and he realized he’d been asleep for nearly three hours. His stomach rumbled, and he was upset that he'd skipped breakfast. It was too late to have a noon meal with Leer and Meg. Logan shook his head and pushed himself off the ground. He climbed aboard the wagon and drove back to town, headed for the café and a meal.

  Logann headed for Kat's cabin after he’d eaten. He needed to know why she'd decided to go to church on her own.

  Kat opened the door when Logan knocked and looked him straight in the eyes. “What can I do for you, Mister O’Leary?”

  Logan frowned and asked, “Why didn’t you wait for me to pick you up for church? I thought we had a date for a picnic after church, too.”

  The look of disbelief crossing Kat’s face confused Logan until she said, “I have no intention of going on a picnic with a man that’s involved with another woman.”

  “What?” Logann said. “I’m not involved with anyone.”

  “Perhaps you should take Missus Palbarch on a picnic. I’m sure she’d go with you even though you left her alone in San Francisco.�
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  “Ewa? What does she have to do with our picnic? And I’m not involved with her. I want to court you.”

  Kat bit her lip, and her eyes grew dewy with tears. “Court me?" she answered. "You can’t court two women at the same time. And since you and Missus Palbarch are obviously an item, that leaves no room for me.”

  She slammed the door and slid the lock into place before he could respond. Frustrated, Logan climbed aboard his wagon and headed for his brother’s house to explain what had happened at Kat’s cabin and how confused he was over the situation.

  Leer called, “Meg, can you come out here a minute?”

  Meg came out of the house, wiping her hands on a towel to greet Logan.

  “Hello, Logan. You’re too late for lunch and too early for supper, but I can make you a sandwich. Would you like a cup of coffee?”

  “No, thank you, I had something to eat.”

  Leer said, “Meg, have you heard anything in town or at the library that would explain why Kat thinks Logan is seeing Missus Palbarch?”

  Meg shook her head and looked at the towel in her hands.

  “C’mon, Meg—I can tell from the look on your face that you’ve heard something. Share it with us,” Leer told his wife.

  “I don’t gossip, and I try hard not to listen, but I can tell you that from what I’ve heard, you left Ewa in San Francisco to find a better job. Once you'd settled here, you’d send for her, but by the time she arrived, you'd changed your mind and began seeing Kat,” Meg explained.

  Leer guffawed. Meg shot him a look. “It’s what I heard. You don’t have to laugh at me.”

  “I’m not. It’s just ludicrous,” Leer said. “If you knew Ewa Palbarch, you’d laugh, too. She’s a bundle of contradictions. Not long ago, she sent me a telegram looking for Logan, and now she’s telling people that he sent for her?”

  “People will talk, you know that well, Leer. I’m not sure what Logan can do,” Meg said before returning to the house.

  Logan dropped into an empty chair on the porch and rubbed his forehead with his fingertips. “This is a mess, Leer. I have no idea what to do. Kat won’t talk to me, and Ewa expects me to marry her. I might as well leave town now and give up. I have a feeling this isn’t going to turn out well.”

  Kat sat outside her cabin watching Susanna play in the grass. She bent to pick a few of the wildflowers growing at the edge of the yard, hoping they would brighten her mood when she heard a familiar voice behind her. “Don’t fret, darlin’," the voice said. "It’s all going to work out.”

  Kat turned to see Miss Josephine sitting on the bench; Kat sat down beside her.

  “Why are you always here when I have a problem?” Kat asked.

  “I told you before, I enjoy comforting people and helping them when I can.”

  “Hmm,” Kat said. “I’ve heard a few strange stories since I've arrived in Creede. I told Meg about seeing you, and she said her husband had a similar experience when he first arrived in Creede.”

  Miss Josephine smiled. Kat took a deep breath before asking a question she wasn’t sure she wanted answered. “Do you know Mister Thistlewaite?”

  “He and I have met. He’s a very kind, old gentleman with manners, unlike many of the men I see walking around today.”

  Kat scrunched her eyebrows and said, “I had a feeling you might say that. Delia told me a similar story about a girl named Mercy. I suppose you know her, too?”

  “I know many people, and Mercy is a sweet child. Why do you ask?”

  Kat shook her head slowly. “I’m not certain why I asked. I had an idea about why you might be here, having followed me from Milwaukee, but I’m not sure I believe what I’m thinking.”

  Miss Josephine answered, “Trust your heart. Believe in what you can see and what you can’t. Know that everything works out in God's time and don’t fret.”

  "Oh, look, Susanna is chasing another butterfly.”

  Kat stood, took two, quick steps forward, and called out to Susanna to come back before she could run into the fields. She hurried back into the yard, and Kat turned to speak to Miss Josephine, but she was gone. Miss Josephine couldn’t possibly have left without Kat knowing, which only solidified the idea in Kat’s mind that Miss Josephine was an angel.

  Chapter 14

  Logan walked down the street with purpose, headed for the general store. In the week Ewa had been in town, he had received several scowls from women as he'd passed them on the street. His sister-in-law, Meg, confided in Leer that although she didn’t approve of gossip, she had heard that Ewa was telling everyone she met that Logan had abandoned her in San Francisco and that she'd come to Creede to find out why.

  He approached the bookstore to see Ewa leaving, carrying a brown paper wrapped package. She glanced his way, smiled, and waved.

  Logan fought back his anger, hoping not to fuel the gossip in town. He tried to pass Ewa without saying anything, but she grabbed his arm to stop him.

  “I have nothing to say to you, Ewa,” Logan growled.

  “But sweetheart, we have so much to talk about. Have you been to the bookstore to meet Mister Redfern and his lovely wife, Louisa? She helped me find a book about having a child. I didn’t tell her it was for me since I thought we could keep this quiet for a bit longer.”

  Logan took a step away from her, and stared her straight in the eyes, and said, “I told you before, we are not getting married, and you know as well as I do that you are not carrying my child.”

  “It won’t matter. Right now, some of the ladies I’ve spoken to think you’re a cad for leaving me. Once they know about the child, you won’t have a choice,” Ewa said.

  Logan shook his head and replied, “I told you, I’ll leave town.”

  Ewa laughed. “Maybe, but what about your brother? His wife is the town's librarian—what will people think of them? You know people always think we are exactly like our siblings. If one brother has bad blood, then the other brother must share it. Poor little Meg will lose her job.”

  Logan said a silent prayer that Ewa was wrong. And even if she wasn't, he couldn’t—wouldn’t—marry her.

  “Nothing to say, Logan? Think about it. I’m going to see Pastor Theodore. A woman needs some counseling when she faces a difficult time. He will understand. I’m sure he’ll tell you to marry me. You will be a father near the end of February, after all. This child needs two parents.” Ewa spun on her heels and headed for the church.

  Logan watched her for a moment. He decided to face the problem head-on, and he pulled the door of the bookstore open. He could talk to Tobias. Maybe if the men knew the truth, it might change their wives’ opinions.

  He saw Louisa Redfern behind the counter. “Good morning," he said. "Is Tobias around?”

  “No, I’m sorry. He had a meeting, and he just left. Could I help you find something?” Louisa asked.

  Logan shook his head and was about to leave when he saw Kat watching him from the back of the bookstore. He smiled at Louisa and said, “I’ll just look around.”

  He went straight up to Kat and said, “We need to talk.”

  Kat bit her lip and shook her head.

  “All right. I’ll talk. I have a question.”

  Kat nodded.

  “You saw Ewa at the hospital. What did Doctor Ash say about her? Is she going to have a child?”

  “You know I can’t answer that. What a patient discusses with a doctor or nurse is private. Does it really matter? You were with her, and she said she’s having your child.” Kat stood with her arms crossed, tapping her foot against the wooden floor.

  Logan drew in a deep breath and answered, “All right. I understand that. Listen to me a moment, please. I don’t claim to know much about these things, but what I do know is that a child takes about nine months before it’s born.”

  “Yes, that’s right. Does it make a difference?” Kat answered, becoming annoyed with the discussion of Ewa’s child.

  “Yes. I saw Ewa outside. She was headed to talk to
Pastor Theodore and said we’d be parents near the end of February. That’s seven months from now. You can at least tell me if that’s what she told you.”

  Kat didn’t speak, but she nodded her head in affirmation.

  Logan thought for a moment and then spoke. “Listen to me, Kat, please. If Ewa’s baby arrives in seven months, then she must be about two months along.”

  Kat threw her hands in the air and said, “I’m tired of listening to you speak about that child as if it shouldn’t matter to you. You’re the child’s father. Do the right thing and marry Ewa.”

  She turned to leave, but Logan said, “I can’t be the father, Kat. I’ve been in Creede for over four months.”

  Kat turned back around to look at Logan. “Four months? I never thought about the time. If you were here, then you couldn’t…”

  Logan nodded. “She’s having Boris’ child. She's panicked, and she wants a father and husband. I can understand that, but she can’t have me. I love you, Kat. Please, help me to convince her to be truthful.”

  “First, you should speak to Pastor Theodore,” Kat suggested.

  Logan held out his hand, and Kat took it. At the front of the bookstore, Kat whispered to Louisa, “Please, don’t believe everything you hear.”

  Louisa smiled and said, “I never do, and I don’t gossip. Anything that I heard in the bookstore this morning goes no further.”

  Kat returned the smile and said, “Thank you, Louisa. Have a lovely day.”

  “I wish you the same.”

  Logan tipped his hat at Louisa and loosened his grip on Kat’s hand for propriety’s sake before they left the bookstore.

  Kat stopped on the boardwalk and asked, “Do you want to speak to Pastor Theodore now?”

  “No. Ewa said she was going to speak to him. I’d like to give her the chance to say what she needs and leave. Let’s have a cup of coffee and give her a little more time before we go to the church.”