They set up their poles and baited them. Then Felicia showed her how to use a fly rod. It was much different than the rod she was accustomed to, but she felt with time she would get the hang of it. Felicia, who wore special wading boots, journeyed out into the water while she stayed on shore. The two dogs stood watch in the shade of the trees, panting in unison.
It was peaceful watching Felicia’s line loop around in different patterns, reflecting the sunlight. It didn’t take long for her to snag a fish. The girl set the line with ease and reeled in a large rainbow trout. She held it up for her to see and then placed it into her basket. Caroline praised her accomplishment quietly from the shore before casting again.
Over an hour later, she hadn’t even gotten a bite while Felicia had caught four. Still, Caroline soldiered on and continued casting, determined not to return to the homestead empty-handed. She’d almost decided to reel in her line and try a different kind of bait when something tugged and then a large fish flipped out of the water. “Felicia, I have a bite!”
The girl turned with eyes wide as saucers. “You don’t just have a bite. You caught the granddaddy of them all! Reel him in, Quick!” She tried, but the line was jammed. Felicia started wading toward her. “I’m coming. Hold on.”
Caroline tried to meet her halfway, but as soon as the water reached above her calves, she tripped over a rock and fell backwards into the water. As her skirt ballooned up in the frigid water, she couldn’t see a thing, but held onto the pole for all she was worth. “Oh dear. Felicia, help!”
The dogs howled from the shore with concern as the girl made it to her side. Felicia took the pole so Caroline could stand up. Then working together, they reeled in the fish and trudged back to the shore with it, laughing all the way until collapsing on the bank with the dogs wiggling and trying to lick their faces. Caroline’s teeth chattered while holding the flopping fish in her arms. “I think it’s a ten pounder.”
“At least,” Felicia agreed with a wide grin. “It’s quite a catch. Now, let’s go home before we catch a cold, too.”
Chapter Fifteen
“And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.”
Colossians 3:15
Emmett was standing by the barn, brushing one of the horses when he saw Caroline and Felicia returning from their fishing excursion. He smiled while approaching them until seeing how badly Caroline shivered. “Sweetheart, you’re soaked!”
Her teeth chattered while producing a smile. “We caught the granddaddy of all fish, but I fell in the river in the process, I’m afraid.”
Felicia held up their catch while coming up beside her. “Look at this beauty, Uncle Emmett. It was too big to fit in the basket.”
He looked at the fish with wide eyes. “I agree with you. It is a nice one. Now, you two go in and change into some warm clothes. I don’t want you both coming down sick.”
Felicia obeyed, putting the fish aside and going inside, but Caroline delayed a moment and stopped to kiss his cheek. “I’m sorry. I’m afraid I made quite a mess of both of us. I had planned on coming here to teach Felicia how to act like a proper lady and now just look at both of us, coming back soaked and smelling of fish and river water.”
He chuckled and cupped her cheek in his palm. “Did you both have fun?”
She nodded with a wide grin. “Yes, loads of it.”
“Well, good. You’re bonding. I call that a successful day.” He leaned down and gave her a sweet kiss before shooing her inside.
After both girls were out of sight, he chuckled to himself and shook his head. He had a good feeling soon Caroline and Felicia would be like two peas in a pod.
It took a few hours before Caroline managed to stop shivering. After lunch when her fingers felt steady again, she rested in the rocking chair and pulled out her quilt and fabric she had collected along their train ride south. She trimmed and sewed on several patches before Felicia came in from her afternoon chores.
The girl sat on the rug by the fireplace, eyes sparkling in wonder. “That’s beautiful. Did you make it yourself?”
Caroline smiled at Felicia before shifting her gaze back to her stitching. “No, my grandma made it long ago and passed it down to my mother. Then she passed it down to me.” She went on to explain the meaning of some of the old patches and some of the new ones.
“So, since it keeps being passed down, I guess you’ll pass it down to someone one day, too.”
Caroline looked down at her work thoughtfully before meeting Felica’s gaze. “I suppose I’ll pass it down to you. After all, you’re the eldest girl in our family.”
The girl’s eyes started to tear up. “Thank you, Aunt Caroline. I would love to have it someday.” She paused for a moment, still studying the quilt. “My ma used to sew. She made beautiful dresses, hats and shawls. She used to sell them at the general store. Ma even made a few for me, but I was too stubborn to wear them. Now I wish I could go back and try one on so she could see me in it just once.”
“Oh, Felicia, there is no sense wishing to go back. I’m sure your mama was so proud of you, no matter what you wore. Even now that she’s gone, you could still wear them to honor her memory.”
The girl nodded, looking down at her stained boy’s trousers and plaid shirt. “Maybe one day I will.”
They sat in silence for several minutes while Caroline finished sewing on her last trimmed patch. Then she reached for some lavender fabric, the sight of it making her tear up a bit.
“What is that fabric from?” Felica asked from the rug.
“This was the dress I wore when your uncle and I were attacked by the bandits. The front of the dress was badly stained with blood and dirt, so I decided to use the rest of the dress for other purposes.”
“Oh,” Felicia said with a disturbed look in her eyes. “Why would you want to add a memory like that to the quilt?”
Caroline rested the fabric in her lap and thought for a moment before answering. “You know, I could choose to look back at the moment your uncle was shot with regret, wondering if I could have done something differently. Should we have not fought back? Should we have just cowered while they stole our belongings?” Caroline shook her head. “Instead I want to remember the good. Your father told me how to bandage his wound and stayed calm the entire time. God gave me the courage to face the bandits. And the best thing of all, your uncle survived and brought me here to meet my new family. I can’t think of any memory I would rather have on this quilt. God took care of us. That’s what I’ll remember.”
Felicia nodded and then stood to hug her. “Thank you for coming here. I love you, Aunt Caroline.”
Tears pricked her eyes as she hugged the girl back. “I love you, too, sweetheart.”
Emmett spent the late afternoon with Felicia cleaning the fish while Caroline took a nap. Then they brought the filets inside and he pan seared them with butter—using his secret recipe.
By the time his wife woke up, his mother had prepared boiled potatoes with butter and parsley and some corn to go with the fish and set the table.
“This looks and smells delicious,” Caroline said, coming into the country kitchen.
Emmett pulled out a chair for her and kissed her cheek after she sat down. “You and Felicia did all the hard work. I just cooked the fish.”
After everyone else sat down, he looked out the window one more time to see if Thomas was on his way, but there was no sign of him. He sat down and led the family in prayer.
Ma Riley took a bite and her eyes widened. “This is the best fish I’ve ever tasted. You all make quite a team.”
Caroline smiled at Felicia and then Emmett. “We sure do.”
A moment later the door creaked open and Thomas appeared. “Sorry I’m late.”
Emmett smiled as a huge weight lifted off his shoulders. “You’re right on time.” He motioned toward the place next to Felicia. “We saved a place for you.”
Thomas
smiled for the first time in days as he took his place at the table. It was a beautiful thing to behold and an answer to prayer. His family was complete.
Chapter Sixteen
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!”
Psalm 133:1 NKJV
On Sunday morning, Caroline sprang from the bed to beat Ma Riley to the kitchen. She fumbled while trying to light the stove, but after three or four matches she finally had the two front burners going.
She mixed the batter for the flap jacks and started the first one in a hot pan before cracking some eggs into a bowl. She scrambled them and then turned back to the stove, now billowing with smoke.
“Oh dear,” she cried out, trying to fan the smoke with a potholder. It only made matters worse. The crocheted pot holder went up in flames. Caroline screamed and dropped it on the ground before throwing water from the pitcher on top of it to smother the fire.
Emmett came running out of the bedroom with wild eyes and mussed hair. “What’s the matter?”
Caroline stomped her foot and tears pricked her eyes. “I’m so sorry. I’ll never be good at cooking.”
Emmett crossed to the stove and moved the pan off the flames. “It just got too hot is all. The stove was overfilled.”
She covered her face and turned away from him to hide her tears. “What a disaster! I can’t even make my family breakfast.”
Emmett opened the door to air out the house before returning and pulling Caroline into his embrace. “It’s all right, sweetheart. I know these things will take time. I don’t expect you to be perfect.” He paused and kissed the top of her head. “I meant to tell you I had a chat with my mother yesterday. She didn’t realize she was butting in when you wanted to prepare meals for the family.”
She gasped, hearing his words. “Oh, Emmett, you didn’t. I don’t want her to feel unappreciated.”
He shook his head. “She doesn’t feel that way at all. Ma was actually relieved. She’s been tiring easier than usual these days, especially after the children arrived and my trip to Minnesota. It will be a welcome break for her.”
Caroline bit her lip while looking at the charred mess on the stove and kitchen floor. “It doesn’t look very hopeful right now, I’m afraid.”
He smoothed back her blond curls. “Don’t worry about that. I’ll help you make breakfast this morning. Then my mom can help you prepare dinner. She said she’d love to teach you a few recipes if you want to learn.”
Caroline breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the tears from her cheeks. “That would be nice.”
After half an hour, Caroline and Emmett had breakfast set out on the table as Ma Riley came into the kitchen. “Oh, this looks lovely. I’m glad I slept in this morning. You two did a fine job without me underfoot.”
Caroline shook her head and hugged the older woman. “Oh Ma, please never feel like you are underfoot. We appreciate all you do so much. In fact, will you help me tonight? We always had a cook growing up, so I never learned how to prepare meals.”
Ma Riley hugged her even tighter. “I’d love that. I’ll tell you what, we can go over some recipes when we come home from church.”
“That sounds bully.”
A few moments later, after Emmett called for the children to come join them for breakfast, Thomas climbed down from the loft and Felicia walked down the hallway wearing a calico frock.
Caroline took a double take. “Oh, Felicia. That dress looks lovely on you.”
She smiled and attempted a wobbly curtsy. “Thank you, Aunt Caroline.” She turned to Emmett whose eyes misted over at the sight of her. “What do you think, Uncle Emmett?”
He composed himself and crossed the room, placing both hands on her shoulders. “You look like your ma.”
Felica looked down and smoothed the cotton fabric. “Well, Ma did make it for me.”
“She’d be so proud of you. So would your pa.”
She looked up with tears clouding her eyes. “You really think so?”
“Yes, I know they would.” He leaned down to kiss the top of her head. “Now, we better eat before the food gets cold.”
Emmett’s heart filled with joy arriving at the Baptist Church in the buggy surrounded by his family. The congregation greeted them with warm handshakes and hugs, having heard rumors of the young southern wife he’d brought back with him from Minnesota.
After the sermon, he introduced Caroline to Pastor Edwards and his five-year-old daughter, Abigail. Next, the general store owners, Mr. and Mrs. Clark came up and introduced themselves, inviting them to come into town sometime soon to purchase Christmas gifts before the cold weather came in. His assistant, Micah, came up, too, introducing Caroline to his elderly father, Christopher.
Last came Mr. Cooper, the owner of the livery, holding a folded newspaper from Springfield. “Ya’ll are famous now. Did you know that?”
Emmett furrowed his brow. “Famous? What are you talking about?”
After Mr. Cooper handed him the paper, Emmett read the headline, Local Carpenter and Southern Bride Stop Notorious Sanders Gang. He continued reading and then glanced down at Caroline with a chuckle. “It looks like he’s right, sweetheart. We are famous, at least for a little while. It says here, Emmett and Caroline Riley, from Niangua, Missouri, fearlessly aided in apprehending the Sanders Gang as they tried to rob their coach headed to Lebanon.”
Caroline moved closer to read the paper and put her hand over her mouth for a moment. “Wow. A lot of townspeople asked me questions about the ordeal while we were in Lebanon, but I never thought the newspaper would write a story about us.”
Emmett shook his head. “Me either.”
She took the paper from him and continued to read. “Mr. Riley wounded Clem Sanders, the leader of the gang, before being wounded himself. He survived the ordeal and is now being hailed a local hero.” She smiled up at him. “Local Hero. That title suits you well, Emmett.” The gathered members of the congregation gave nods of approval and whispered amongst themselves.
He shook his head “I only did what I felt was needed.” Emmett took the paper back and continued reading where she left off. “After Mr. Riley was injured, Mrs. Riley bravely protected him and faced down two of the remaining bandits, injuring one and distracting one long enough for him to be apprehended. When asked what drove her to face down the would-be-robbers alone, she said God gave her courage.” He gave his wife a proud smile. “I believe you were the true hero of the hour, Caroline.”
She blushed and buried her face into his shirt as the church members clapped. She’d never wanted to be named a hero. She’d only done what she did to protect Emmett and herself. Still, even after leaving the church for home, Caroline felt warmth spread through her heart. The townspeople of Niangua had been so welcoming. She had a feeling they would have been that way even if she didn’t have a story in the paper about her. They were a true community she looked forward to belonging to.
Chapter Seventeen
“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”
Galatians 6:9 NLT
During the last week of October, Caroline, Ma Riley and Felicia teamed up with some ladies at the church to prepare for the annual harvest festival and dance at the farm. They baked up a storm, preparing apple pies, molasses cookies and peach turnovers. They also spent time making crepe paper leaves, pumpkins and apples.
The men went outside to set up the carnival activities for the children. Emmett’s wound had healed enough to take off his sling, so he could help with a few light things. Meanwhile, the women spent the afternoon inside the barn arranging table settings, hanging decorations and setting up the bake sale table.
When people started arriving, Caroline was ready to take a break. She smiled when Emmett came inside the barn. “How does everything look?”
He looked around the barn and nodded in approval. “It looks wonderful, Caroline. Thank you for
jumping in to help with our little town tradition. Every year we have the festival at a different homestead and this year it just happened to fall on ours. I know it was sprung on you at the last moment.”
She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him. “I don’t mind in the least. I’ve enjoyed setting this all up and becoming better acquainted with our neighbors.”
He framed her face in his hands and kissed her one more time. “Have I ever told you how much I love you, Mrs. Riley?”
She chuckled and leaned into his embrace. “Yes, hundreds of times I believe, but I never tire of hearing it.”
As the evening went on, Emmett tried his best to socialize, but kept getting distracted by the beautiful blond helping with the bake sale. She looked stunning in a red ball gown with lace on the sleeves and waist. It amazed him how his new bride managed to fit in with the Niangua townspeople so quickly. She had done a wonderful job planning and setting up the harvest festival spur-of-the-moment.
Finally, when the fiddle player started a slow song, Emmett couldn’t take it anymore and approached the bake sale table, extending his hand. “Would you do me the honor of this dance, Mrs. Caroline Riley? I’m sure the other ladies wouldn’t mind your absence for a few minutes.”
Caroline turned to Mrs. Clark who shooed her away with a grin. Then she took Emmett’s arm, allowing him to lead her to the center of the dance floor.
He held one of her hands and placed the other around her waist, treasuring the way she fit in his arms. “I can’t help thinking of the first time we met. You were wearing a red gown then, too. You are just as beautiful as the first time I saw you.”
She blushed and offered him a shy smile. “I must have looked a sight that day—my hair all windblown and gown wrinkled from the long train ride. Are you sure you remember the right girl?”
He chuckled at her remark. “Yes, I am. It doesn’t matter if your hair is messy, your face powdered, or what clothes you’re wearing. You are lovely as a rose to me, Caroline Rose Riley. You always will be.”
Caroline's Quilt (Brides 0f Pelican Rapids Book 2) Page 8