Carrie sucked in a quick breath and slapped a hand over her mouth. Laughter twinkled in her pretty brown eyes.
“For three months straight, Mrs. Langely did as I requested. Her family and friends thought she was a changed woman. Mrs. Langely didn’t visit the hospital as much, and when she did come in, it was to bring us a cake she’d made or flowers that she had picked.”
“Did she ever find out you had lied to her?” Carrie asked in a sweet voice.
“No.” He chuckled softly. “I had quit being a doctor at that point, but before I left to come here, I rode past her, and she was out helping her invalid neighbor.”
Carrie laughed. “I want to tell you how horrible you were for lying to her, but yet, that was probably the best diagnosis that anyone could have given her.”
Cade’s heart lightened from her words. “You think so?”
She nodded. “You made her stop thinking about herself and start thinking of others.”
Cade left the table to find a large pot to put the vegetables in. “I’m glad you approve.”
The chair’s legs scraped the floor right before he heard Carrie’s heeled boots move across the floor, coming toward him. He figured her hands would be full of the vegetables they had peeled, so he turned to take them from her, holding his hands out. Instead, she stepped right into his arms and rested her head against his chest. The suddenness of her actions had him holding his breath to see what she was going to do next.
“Thank you,” she whispered brokenly.
His heart tugged as he wrapped his arms around her. “For what?”
“For thinking of me when I was outside and bringing me warmth from the cold.” She tilted her head and met his gaze. “It’s hard to admit, but I’m not used to a husband who thinks about others in that way.”
Surprise washed over him. Michael was selfish? That concept was difficult to believe, but it made sense as to why Carrie had acted so shocked to see him bringing her the garment.
Cade caressed her cheek. “I’m sorry you’re not used to that. I’ll make sure you won’t have to say that about your current husband.”
She smiled softly. “And I promise that you will never have to say that about your wife, either.”
Her gaze dropped to his mouth. This time, it was his turn to hitch his breath. Those feelings he’d experienced this morning after waking up holding this beautiful woman returned in full force. Did she want to be kissed? Yet, she’d gone through several different emotions today already, and he didn’t think he should introduce his passionate side to her. Not today. They needed more time to get to know each other.
Although... giving her a little kiss would certainly help the process of becoming closer.
Silently, he scolded himself for having such thoughts. Rushing into this relationship was not a good idea.
Thankfully, PJ picked that moment to start fussing. It was all Cade could do not to sigh in relief. He was certain that if the baby hadn’t interrupted them, Cade would have found another reason that kissing his new wife was a good idea.
Carrie stepped out of his arms, giving him a bashful smile before she turned and walked out of the kitchen. Cade released a heavy breath as he pushed his fingers through his hair. Perhaps it was too soon to touch her. However, she didn’t seem to have a problem taking the first initiative to move into his arms.
She’d been through too much for Cade to do something stupid and ruin the growing friendship between them. He would have to take things one day at a time and let her make the first move if she wanted to kiss him.
SEVEN
After three more days, Tilly was finally out of bed and slowly walking around. It did Carrie’s heart good to see the woman acting somewhat normal. Of course, Carrie made sure Tilly followed Cade’s instructions to rest as much as possible. A few times, Tilly sat at the kitchen table and instructed Carrie on preparing a meal. It surprised her how quickly she understood how to cook, and so far, she hadn’t burned anything.
Today was laundry day, and so Tilly watched little PJ so that Carrie could wash clothes. Thankfully, Tilly had instructed her how to do this wifely task and not shrink any clothes. However, as she stood outside, hanging clothes on the line, her new husband distracted her in the worst way.
The weather seemed slightly warmer today – either that or she was over-heated because of watching him work around the yard. He had been repairing fences the past two days, and she found enjoyment in watching the way his shirt practically clung to his muscular chest and arms as he swung the ax to cut the wood. She also found herself peeking at him much too often when he bent over to nail the slabs of wood into the posts, admiring the way his trousers fit snuggly against his legs.
She should be ashamed of herself... but then quickly remembered that he was her husband. She could ogle him all she wanted now without feeling guilty.
From the corner of her eye, a movement from the street caught her attention. Walking toward the house was Miss Rebecca Sterling. The oldest daughter of seven children, Rebecca was now tasked with helping raise her brothers and sisters as her widowed mother had to take over the position at the bank where their father had worked before the freezing blizzard temperatures took his life. The blizzard also claimed Rebecca’s fiancé as well.
Carrie quickly hung the wet garment on the line that was still in her hands before turning to meet Rebecca halfway. The young woman wore dark colors, showing that she was in mourning, but Carrie knew the lighter colors complimented Rebecca’s complexion and brown hair. Hopefully, the young woman would return to her normal life soon.
“Good afternoon,” Carrie greeted when Rebecca drew closer. She could tell by the forlorn expression on her friend’s face that the visit wouldn’t be very cheerful.
“Hello, Carrie.” Rebecca gave Carrie a quick hug and pulled away. “I heard you were married the other day.”
Carrie nodded and motioned toward Cade, who was now in an upright position, looking toward them as he wiped his moist brow.
Rebecca’s smile widened slightly. “He’s a fine man, for sure.” She squeezed Carrie’s hand gently. “I’m so happy you could find someone to help you.”
“Yes, I was lucky to find him.” Carrie glanced toward Cade again. He had turned back to fixing the fence, and her heart skipped a beat. “As fate would have it, Mr. Hamilton and I knew each other when we were children.”
“How remarkable.”
Carrie turned back toward her friend. “How is your mother doing? Is she trying to find a new husband?”
Rebecca’s smile left her face. “No. Ma thinks she’s too old.”
Carrie’s heart broke for Mrs. Sterling. Hooking her arm with Rebecca’s, Carrie proceeded toward the house. “Come inside, and let’s make some hot tea. It’s still rather nippy out here to stand around and chat.”
When they entered the house, Rebecca moved toward PJ, who played with toys on the floor. Tilly sat in the cushioned chair near the hearth, keeping an eye on the boy. She reached down and picked up PJ, hugging him and kissing him on the forehead. Rebecca greeted Tilly, as well.
“Tilly,” Carrie said, stepping toward the kitchen. “I’m going to make some tea. Would you like some?”
“Yes, thank you, dear,” the older woman said before coughing.
Rebecca set PJ back on the floor and then followed Carrie into the kitchen. Carrie placed the kettle of water on the hot stove before finding some teacups.
She joined Rebecca at the table as they waited for the water to boil. “What is your mother going to do?” Carrie frowned. “Pastor Collins is adamant about every widow finding a new husband to help them out on the prairie.”
“Yes, Ma knows. She’s exchanged heated words with the pastor about it, too. Ma realizes we can’t live here any longer, and thankfully, her brother has wired us some money to help us move out west.”
Carrie’s heart dropped. “Move?” Her throat choked with emotion. “Oh, Rebecca, I don’t want you to move.”
Rebecca’s ey
es watered. “I don’t want to go, either, but I cannot stay here by myself. Ma needs my help with my brothers and sisters.”
“Where will you go?”
“Uncle Jack lives in a small place in Montana called Stumptown. He assured Ma that there would be many places to work in this logging town.”
Carrie reached across the table and grasped Rebecca’s hand. The young woman was of age to marry, and staying in Last Chance definitely wouldn’t help her out in that regard. “I pray your uncle is correct. Your family needs to be happy.”
Rebecca nodded. “I’ll miss you greatly.”
“And I, you.”
“Ma mentioned there would be someone coming to run the bank soon, which is a relief. She doesn’t have the money smarts to run a bank, not like Mr. Porter used to do.”
Carrie’s breath froze upon hearing Michael’s name. “Yes, well... it takes someone with a head for business and making more money.”
“Indeed, it does.” Rebecca paused, and then surprise registered on her face. “Oh, I almost forgot. Ma wants you to come to the bank. She found something of Mr. Porter’s that she thinks you’d like to have.”
Carrie’s stomach knotted. “What is it?”
“Ma didn’t tell me what she found, just that I should have you come to the bank at your earliest convenience.”
Although Carrie didn’t want to see what Mrs. Sterling had found, she also wanted to put Michael in the past where he belonged. “I’ll make sure to visit her tomorrow.” She left the table to check on the water. Thankfully, it was almost ready for tea. As she prepared their drinks, her gut twisted with indecision. Was she wrong to judge Michael so harshly? And yet, he was the one who’d lied to her during their marriage. Did he think she would never find out? In ways, she wished she hadn’t. It was easier to live in her dream world without knowing the truth.
She took Tilly her drink before returning to the kitchen and sitting at the table again. “Do you need any help packing?”
“No. I have enough brothers and sisters that can pack.”
Sighing, Carrie lifted her teacup to her mouth and blew on the hot liquid before taking a sip. “Is there anything you need Mr. Hamilton or me to help your family with?”
Rebecca took a small drink and shrugged. “I suppose we need some help getting our wagon repaired enough to take us to the train station.”
“I’ll ask him if he has knowledge of that.” Carrie smiled, figuring she already knew the answer. She was certain Cade knew about fixing wagons.
“We would appreciate it.”
After taking another drink of her tea, Carrie reached across the table and grasped Rebecca’s hand. “Oh, I’m going to miss you so much. You must promise to write letters. I want to know everything that happens in your life. I’m sure you’ll meet the perfect man and fall madly in love.”
Rebecca laughed. “Don’t get your hopes up about that last part, but I promise to write to you.”
The back door opened, and Cade walked inside, holding a bloody arm. Carrie gasped and jumped up to help. “Oh, dear. What happened?” She grabbed a dishcloth and handed it to him.
“I scratched my arm on a nail. It’s nothing to worry about.”
“Sit down.” She pointed to her empty chair. “Let me get some bandages.”
“Carrie, really – it’s no trouble.”
“Cade, sit,” she commanded in a motherly tone. He looked surprised, but he did as she instructed. “If you’ll excuse me,” she told Rebecca, “but I need to tend to my husband.”
“Of course, you do, and I’ll leave you to it. I’ve got to go, but I’ll talk to you when you go to the bank.” She hurried out the door before Carrie could stop her.
But she wasn’t going to stop Rebecca because right now, her husband’s injury came first. She rushed to the supply of bandages she kept in the hall cupboard, and after grabbing a handful, returned to the kitchen. Cade was dabbing the dishcloth to his arm, wiping up the blood.
“Here, let me look at that.” She took hold of his arm and lifted it slightly toward the window to have the sunlight to help her see it better. As she pulled the dishcloth out of his hand, her fingers grazed by his. Invisible sparks of energy grew between them. She held her breath and glanced at his face. His expression was as surprised as she felt. He must have felt it, too. Of course, knowing this made her heartbeat quicken.
She breathed through the sensations running through her chest and concentrated on his injury. Once she had removed the blood, she could see the depth of the cut... which wasn’t deep at all.
Carrie lifted her gaze and met his. She arched an eyebrow. “You lost all that blood from this?”
He laughed. “I tried to tell you it was nothing.”
The panic in her disappeared and was replaced by humor. Laughing, she playfully swatted Cade’s shoulder. “You were bleeding all over. What was I supposed to think?”
He slid his other arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. Suddenly, the light moment turned into sparks again. His green eyes turned darker as his expression relaxed, and his gaze dropped to her mouth.
“Thank you for caring about me and wanting to help me,” he said in a soft voice.
Heavens, why had the rhythm of her heart accelerated? It surprised her how easily Cade affected her. She didn’t want to think it was because she was a lonely widow. But strangely enough, she didn’t think of herself as a widow any longer.
Was it too soon to give in to temptation and become a real wife to her new husband?
EIGHT
Carrie was curious. It was written all over her face. However, the longer Cade waited for her to make the first move, the intense energy between them was fizzling out. They were now entering the awkward moments, and one of them was going to have to pull away. Since she still looked undecided, the task was left up to him.
Clearing his throat, he dropped his arm from around her waist and glanced back at his scratch. Why he’d bled so much, he didn’t know, but it appeared to have stopped. Then again, being a doctor, he also knew that he should keep his arm above his heart for a little while to give the inside of the wound time to heal.
“I didn’t mean to make your friend run off.” He took the dishcloth and finished wiping away the blood around the wound.
Carrie stepped away from him and proceeded to prepare a small bandage for his arm. “You didn’t. She’s a little shy around men, especially when they are so handsome...” She hitched a breath, and her eyes grew wide. Bright spots of red formed on her cheeks.
He chuckled over her blunder. “So, you think I’m handsome, huh?”
Carrie rolled her eyes. “Oh, Mr. Hamilton, I think you know that answer.” She met his gaze. “You’ve always been handsome, and you flaunted it many times in school.”
Cade shrugged. “Can I help it that the girls liked me?”
She shook her head. “If you recall, not all the girls liked you.” She placed the gauze on his scratch and started to bind it with the bandage.
“I think you were the only one who didn’t.”
“That’s because you pulled my pigtails all the time.”
He grinned, remembering those days. “Maybe it’s because I thought you were the prettiest girl in school.”
She laughed harshly. “If you thought that way, you wouldn’t have been torturing me.”
“Torture?”
“Yes.” She stopped and looked at him again. There was no laughter this time in her big brown eyes. “I had a tender head.” She frowned. “I had pleaded with you to stop, but you never did.”
His heart wrenched, seeing the pain of the past in her eyes. He needed to fix it now. “I’m sorry, Carrie. The truth is, I didn’t stop because at least you paid some attention to a farmer’s boy like I was.” He tenderly touched her hand. “You were the rich girl in class, and I was the poor boy.”
Slowly, her frown turned into a smile. “Really? It wasn’t because you hated me?”
He shook his head. “Not at first.
I had wanted your attention, which I’ll admit, I went about it the wrong way. Then, after a while, when I could see it irritated you, I was upset because I didn’t get the kind of reaction I’d wanted.” He gently took hold of her hand and caressed her fingers. “Will you forgive me for being such a foolish dolt?”
She chuckled. “I think we were both foolish at that age, but yes, I forgive you.”
He sighed in relief. At least that was over and done with. “Good, now...” He stood, hoping to get back to repairing the fence soon, but he tripped on the leg of the chair and stumbled into Carrie. She gasped and splayed her hands on his chest as he quickly balanced himself before they both toppled to the floor.
Immediately, his arms wrapped around her – an instinct to keep her from falling, he tried to tell himself. However, he realized he liked her this way. He enjoyed the way his heartbeat quickened and how he became breathless when they were this close.
Once more, the spark between them ignited, and this time, it was hotter than before. Carrie's attention moved to his mouth, and his throat became parched. He tried resisting the urge to kiss her, reminding himself that he wanted her to make the first move, but then a thought struck him upside of the head like a two-by-four wooden board. What if this was her way of making the first move? If that was the case, he couldn’t possibly turn her down.
Slowly, he lowered his mouth. Her eyelids closed as she tilted back her head. This was definitely her making the first move.
He gently brushed his lips over hers, not wanting to startle her in any way. But, as he tried to take the kiss slowly, she rose up and wrapped her arms around his neck. The movement brought them closer, and he’d forgotten all about taking his time with their first passionate kiss.
Cade tightened her in his arms, tilting his head and deepening the kiss. She sucked in a quick breath, mere seconds before she sighed heavily. Her body relaxed against him, and he was sure that if he weren’t holding her this way, she would have fallen to the ground.
In all the times he’d kissed a woman, they had never acted this way – as if kissing him made them melt. Knowing what he must be doing to her caused his own limbs to weaken and his heart to soar. He didn’t want to stop kissing her now.
A Groom for Carrie Page 5