India couldn’t believe the nerve of this woman. She smiled sweetly at the group, which was fascinated by the interchange between the two women. “I don’t think you understand. This is my project. I am running it with Laura’s help and any other volunteers that wish to get involved. I am not seeking the women’s group’s approval. I am merely informing you all of what we are going to do and letting you know that we’d welcome your involvement in any way, whether it’s donations, or volunteering to pick up food or work a shift in the pantry. Thank you, everyone, for listening. If you’d like to get involved, please see me after the meeting.”
Someone started to clap and India realized in shock that it was Kay, Richard’s mother. India sat down as Kay stood up and addressed the group. “This is the first I’ve heard of this project, but I just have to say how proud I am of India and Laura for wanting to do this. India, from now on, all my leftover rolls will go home with you for the pantry.” India smiled at that. But Kay wasn’t done yet. “And Olivia, I believe we still need to decide how to allocate the funds that we raised the other evening. I’d like to propose that we earmark a third of that money to go towards the pantry. I imagine they could use those funds to stock the shelves with dry goods and other items.” There was another round of applause, indicating unanimous approval for Kay’s suggestion, which India deeply appreciated.
Olivia knew when she was defeated. “Yes, I suppose we could do that,” she agreed meekly and then sat down to drink her coffee.
After the meeting, Kay came up to India and gave her a hug. “I meant what I said in there. This is a wonderful idea, and I couldn’t be more proud of the two of you.” She looked at India and added, “I know I was a little cold to you at first, and I apologize for that. Olivia’s mother is one of my best friends and I think we just both always had this fantasy that one day Richard and Olivia would marry. We never stopped to consider how ill-suited they are for each other. It’s clear to me that the two of you love each other very much, and it warms my heart to see it. All I’ve ever wanted was for my children to be happy and I’m thrilled that he has found that with you.”
“Thank you,” India said. She was stunned at what his mother had said. Could everyone but Richard see that they were in love? And if it was that clear to others, maybe it was time for her to show him that they were meant to be together as husband and wife.
Chapter 22
Richard rubbed a special salve into the scars along his chest and face and then took a long look in the mirror. He was standing in the washroom downstairs and had just taken a bath, dried off and was now half dressed. His scars weren’t as bad as they used to be. They were softer now and as the doctor had said they would, they had faded quite a bit since the fire. He was lean and in good shape otherwise. If he was being truthful, he’d admit that when India saw his scars she had gasped in surprise, but she hadn’t seemed at all repulsed and she hadn’t been afraid to touch him. It was his reaction to her touch that had terrified him. He’d realized finally in that moment that he loved her and the thought had confused and overwhelmed him. It wasn’t rational, but just the possibility that she would reject him was too much to consider, so he rejected her first. And he saw the hurt on her face and the confusion. He also knew that she’d shown her true feelings to him, that it wasn’t just the alcohol or getting caught up in the moment.
He hadn’t slept well since the night of the event and the next morning when he went for a long walk in the fields before church, it was to go see Amy. To sit by her gravestone and talk to her and to seek her blessing that it would be all right to move on. He would love her always and cherish the life that they’d had together, but he wanted to take a big step forward into a new life with India, if she would have him.
He’d planned to talk to her that evening, but when they came home from dinner at his parents’, she hadn’t quite seemed herself. She’d been distant and preoccupied since. He also sensed that she was excited about something that had nothing to do with him and it unnerved him a bit. Was she still thinking about Smith Jones? It didn’t seem likely, but he was so unsure of her state of mind that he decided to hold off on talking to her until the time was right.
Chapter 23
India was stirring a pot of meatballs and rich tomato sauce when Richard walked through the door.
“Something smells really good,” he said with appreciation. He took off his coat and then came into the kitchen to peer into the pot that she was stirring.
“What is that?” he asked.
“It’s my grandmother’s recipe. Spaghetti and meatballs in red sauce with green peppers and onions.”
“I don’t think I’ve had spaghetti before. What is it?” he asked.
“It’s long, skinny pasta, like noodles that are popular in New England. I found a box of dried pasta at the mercantile. One of these days, I’ll make her fresh ravioli recipe, too.”
“What else do I smell? Garlic?” Richard sniffed the air trying to place the smell.
India chuckled. “It’s garlic bread. I crushed garlic with butter, spread it on a loaf of bread and it’s toasting in the oven now. It should be ready in just a few minutes if you want to wash up quickly.”
“I’ll do that. I’m starving.”
Five minutes later, they were all gathered around the kitchen table. The spaghetti and meatballs were a big hit, especially with the children.
“Can you make this again tomorrow?” Sammy asked.
“We’ll have leftovers tomorrow, so the answer is yes,” India said with a smile.
“Oh, I have some news,” Julia said excitedly.
“What is it, honey?” Richard asked.
“You know my friend Tommy Haskell? Well, Santa’s going to come to his house after all.”
“That’s wonderful news,” India said.
“His mother told him that Santa wrote her a note saying there was a mistake and he was going to fix their roof and bring them toys. He already sent someone to fix the roof. Isn’t that great?”
She glanced at Richard who smiled at his daughter and said, “That is the best news.”
India decided to share her news as well, now that it was official.
“I have some happy news to share as well. We’re going to build a food pantry at the church. Pastor Jonathan has donated the basement space and Ray Brannigan and some others are going to donate food. We’ll be open twice a week for a few hours in the afternoon, starting on Monday.”
“So, that’s what you’ve been up to this week?” Richard said with an expression that she couldn’t read. “I thought you seemed preoccupied.”
“I didn’t want to say anything until it was official. I knew that Pastor Jonathan would likely agree, but I wasn’t as sure about Ray Brannigan, though I was hopeful, after what he’d told us at the hotel event.”
“About how he hates throwing all that food away?” Richard asked.
India nodded. “Your mother likes the idea, too. She said she’s going to regularly donate her extra rolls.”
“She did? That’s great. I’m really proud of you.”
“It’s not just me, Laura’s helping, too. Lots of people want to help.”
“I’m proud of the both of you, then.”
“You do plenty as well. You’re one of the most generous people I’ve ever known,” India said proudly.
Richard chuckled. “It’s easy to be generous when you have a lot to give.”
India shot him a stern look. “I bet if I asked your mother she would disagree with that. I suspect you’ve always been one to give even when you didn’t have extra.”
Richard didn’t disagree with that. “Well, you can always give your time,” he said. “That’s something everyone can do, and it’s often more valuable than money. Without volunteers, there would be no one to deliver the food or work the shifts to give it to the people who come in.”
“Can we help, too?” Julia asked.
India thought about that for a moment. “Sure, you both can help if yo
u like. We’ll need people to put things on shelves and help us get organized. I bet you’d both be good at that.”
“Good! I can help, too,” Sammy said, and then asked, “Can I have another meatball?”
Chapter 24
Long after the dishes were done and the children were sound asleep in bed, India and Richard sat in the den by the fire, each with a book in their lap and both waiting for just the right moment to have the most important conversation of their lives.
India finally couldn’t take it any longer. She stood, stretched and tried to gather her courage to speak. But Richard thought she was getting ready to go to bed.
“You’re not going upstairs yet? It’s still early.” He sounded a bit panicked at the idea which wasn’t like him.
“No, not yet. I’m just feeling a bit stiff. I do have a question for you, though.”
“Yes?”
India still didn’t quite have the courage to ask the question that was really on her mind, so she asked something else instead.
“Did you have that roof fixed for Tommy Haskell’s mother?”
Richard looked at her in surprise. “Does it matter if I did or didn’t?”
“Well, no. But it’s such a nice thing to do. You don’t want people to know it was you?”
Richard smiled. “No. It’s not about me. I don’t need the glory for helping. It’s enough to know that I was able to help in some small way.”
A thought occurred to India. “Are you the Secret Santa? The one that has been anonymously helping people out, with firewood and deliveries of shoes and clothing for that family with all the children?”
Richard looked away and then stood and pulled her to him. “It’s given me great joy to help like that. After I lost Amy, I lost myself for a while, too. I didn’t feel as though I was worthy of ever being loved again. Doing those small things, helped to fill a hole in me that was missing—it’s helped me probably even more than it’s helped them. I have no doubt about that.”
He leaned over then and lightly brushed his lips against hers. India instantly melted into him and he deepened the kiss. When they paused for a moment he said, “It was meeting you that ultimately helped me to heal and to believe that it might be possible for me to find love again. At first, I thought I was just lucky and that we’d be good companions. I’ve been so comfortable with you from the start. My favorite time of the day is when we sit here in the evenings and just enjoy each other’s company and talk about our days.”
“It’s mine, too,” India admitted happily.
Richard gently kissed her forehead and then said, “I had that with Amy once and I didn’t expect to ever find it again. But I did, with you. When I started to sense that you might actually have a romantic interest in me, I have to confess, it terrified me.”
“Why?”
“Because I didn’t know if it was real or just a passing fancy, a curiosity given my scars. I had to be sure that your feelings ran deeper than that. I wouldn’t have been able to handle it if you’d changed your mind.”
India smiled and unbuttoned his shirt half-way and pushed it aside. She leaned over and kissed the middle of his chest, where his scars were the ugliest. She felt him shudder at the contact.
She closed his shirt up and then leaned back and looked into his eyes. “I will never change my mind about you. I love you, Richard Blake. Every inch of you and every scar is all mine.”
“I love you, India Blake, until the end of time.”
He kissed her again, and again. And then he led her upstairs.
Epilogue
Three months later…
“So, we’ll be opening in ten minutes. We take people in one at a time and walk around with them, helping them fill their bags. There are guidelines for how much to give, based on the size of their family, such as a dozen eggs for a family of four, half a dozen for smaller families.”
“How will we know if they’re telling the truth?” Olivia asked. It was her first time working a shift at the pantry and India was showing her around.
“We take people at their word. If they show up here and say they need food, we give it to them. None of the guidelines are set in stone. Use your own good judgment. If you feel like giving extra food to people, do it. That’s what we’re here for.”
Laura was working the shift with her as well, and Sammy was helping by stacking jars and boxes of food on the shelves.
They had a steady stream of people coming through the pantry right up until they were ready to close at three o’clock.
“That wasn’t so bad,” Olivia said as she walked out with them.
“You did a good job,” India told her.
“Would you like us to schedule you again?” Laura asked. She kept the schedule for all the volunteers and usually only put people in for one shift a month, since they had plenty of interested volunteers.
“I would. Same time next month would work well for me. See you both at women’s group on Wednesday.”
She walked off and as India and Laura headed toward their buggies, India said, “She’s really not so bad.”
“She has her moments,” Laura said and then agreed. “She does seem to have mellowed some.”
“I heard a rumor that Smith Jones is courting her,” India said mischievously.
“Really? No wonder she seems happier.”
Laura climbed into her buggy and drove off and then Sammy and India did the same, stopping by the school to pick up Julia. They headed home after that and India started getting dinner ready. She was making her favorite meal, which was also one of Richard’s favorites—her chicken potpies.
He recognized the smell when he walked through the door.
“What’s today? Is it a special occasion? You usually make the chicken potpies for holidays or birthdays. Is it someone’s birthday and I’ve forgotten?” he teased.
“Something like that,” India said mysteriously. “Wash up and get ready for dinner. When we sit down to eat, I may have an announcement for everyone.”
Richard shot her a curious look as he headed off to wash his hands. Once everyone was gathered around the dinner table and Richard had said grace, India made her announcement.
“I have some good news to share. Another member of the household may be joining us in about six months’ time.”
The children looked at her in confusion as Richard jumped out of his seat.
“Julia, Sammy, I think what India is trying to say is that you may be having a new brother or sister soon.”
The children didn’t seem nearly as excited as their father.
“That’s nice,” Julia said.
“I hope it’s a boy. I want someone fun to play with,” Sammy said and then turned his attention to his food.
“You’re sure?” Richard asked.
“I saw the doctor this morning. He confirmed my suspicion. I wasn’t sure at first because I haven’t been anywhere near as sick as Sylvia’s mother, but I haven’t felt quite myself, either.
“That’s really wonderful news. I couldn’t be happier,” Richard said.
“I couldn’t wait to tell you. I’m going to write Beth and my mother tonight to give them the good news, too. Next time I see my mother, she might be a grandmother.”
“My mother will be thrilled, too. The whole family will be. You’ve just made me the happiest man in the world.”
“You make me happy every day. I love you, Richard Blake.”
“Here they go again,” Sammy said.
Richard chuckled. “Yes, Sammy, get used to it. You’re going to hear me tell India that I love her for many years to come.” He reached across the table, took her hand and squeezed it.
“I love you, India. Till the end of time.”
~The End~
Author’s Note
This story was a joy to write. I hope that you enjoyed it!
I love Christmas stories, and local food pantries are a cause that is very important to me. Along with several others, I help to run a food pantry h
ere in Plymouth and it’s an honor to serve our clients there.
Also by Ashley Merrick
Emma
Julia
Colleen
Brianna
Ricky
Maeve
Be sure to check out my other book in this series, about India’s sister, Beth.
Beth, Bride of Massachusetts
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Visit http://www.newwesternromance.com to learn more about all of the 50 books in this unprecedented series!
About the Author
Ashley grew up on Cape Cod, MA and now lives in a seaside town halfway between Boston and the Cape. Her first paid writing work was in college when she wrote the obituaries and birth announcements for a local paper. That led to more creative writing--radio commercials and in recent years, some food blogging and writing for a Cape Cod newspaper. She loves all things food related and has always been an avid reader, across many genres, romance, mystery, suspense, paranormal and of course, historical.
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AshleyMerrickAuthor
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Ashley Merrick - India_Bride of Indiana Page 10