Finding Nelly
Page 6
Love and happiness at last. And a future together.
Five months later…
“Nelly? You inside?”
Nelly looked out the kitchen window and saw her husband on the porch with flowers in his hand. She grinned, with butterflies in her chest fluttering away. She loved him so much.
“I was just coming back out,” she said as she stepped outside, closing the door behind her.
“For you, my dear.” He put his hand out and she took them, wondering what she did to deserve them. Or…
“Ah. Now what did you and Luther do this time? It took you the whole day to fix the siding last week from your foolishness. What are you guilty for?” she asked playfully.
He smirked at her. “It appears you seem to be forgetting your role in that little skirmish as well.”
She tried to make herself look as innocent as possible. “Why, whatever do you mean?” she asked sweetly.
“You told Simon to do it!” he barked.
She burst out laughing. She couldn’t help herself. “Well, you had gotten the best of him all too often, it was his turn for revenge, don’t you think?”
He swept her up in his arms and held her close, staring into her eyes. “I seem to remember you scolding me after, too.”
“Well, my sweet husband,” she said right back at him. “I also seem to remember we made up for any scolding that night.”
Simon blushed. “Fair enough,” he whispered, smiling.
Nelly pulled back. She hated leaving his arms. “Now, what did you need me for, my husband?”
“You know, we’ve been talking a lot about things, and well, your mother…” A sliver of hope went through her. “And I just thought, if it’s okay with you, well….” He seemed to be waiting to see her reaction. “I sent for her.”
“You found her? She wants to visit?”
“Well…” he said, again looking as if to choose his words carefully. “Not so much visiting as, staying,” he said, raising his eyebrows.
“Staying? How do you mean? Are you asking me if that’s all right?” Her heart was bursting with hope and excitement. Could it be?
“I know you didn’t ask, and we can do whatever you want. But I invited her to live here. With us. We have the room until I finish the cottage I have in mind for her. I mean, family is family, right? And I want her out here with us, and she wants to be here. She’s clean, and if she struggles with anything else, there are great places here to help her. I know I should have asked, but—”
Nelly threw her arms around her husband and squeezed tightly, daring to believe he could be so thoughtful.
“Does this mean it’s okay?” he asked.
“You’ve made me so happy, Simon. We can take care of her, together.”
“And we’re doing well enough to take care of her. I’ve explained it all, and she’s excited to move out here with us. I’m so relieved! I didn’t know how you’d take it!”
Nelly looked at him. His eyes were so full of love for her. And she knew he could see the same in her eyes, too. “You keep surprising me, my love. I couldn’t be happier. But you keep finding ways to prove me wrong.”
“Well,” he said, “the man is always right. As long as we have that understanding.”
She punched him in the arm, not so lightly. “Ouch!” he said, feigning more hurt than she knew he felt.
“Don’t worry,” she said. “We can make it up tonight.”
Simon leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. “Then will you punch me again if that means tomorrow night too?”
Nelly laughed. “Let’s just take it one day at a time.” She looked down at her belly. Nothing was showing. Yet. But hopefully her mother would get there in time for the surprise she had for him. He said he wanted kids. A boy and a girl. She didn’t know which this was, but he would be pleased either way. Luther and Mildred were expecting, too, and he’d mentioned it a few times.
Their family was about to grow even more. And she was happy.
Nelly found enough love to last a lifetime.
The End
A teaser from “To Win his Heart”
On a bright early summer morning in sunny California, Dan Law was getting ready to start another day of hard work on the ranch. After eating breakfast with his mother, Kitty, and his sisters, Catherine, Josephine, and Mary, he made his way into the kitchen for a drink of water before heading out.
“Why don’t you take the day to rest and spend it here with us?” Cathy cheerfully suggested as she washed a dish.
“And do what?” He shrugged. “Sit by the window and read a book? I do that at night anyway.”
“Can’t you imagine a day of leisure, brother?” Josie joined in, subtly winking at Mary who seemed rather concerned.
“Maybe on Sunday,” Dan muttered as he stepped out of the kitchen, before kissing his mother’s forehead and walking out of the house.
Strutting through the pathway that led to the log cabin, the barn and the rest of the ranch, Dan smirked to himself as he remembered his sisters’ repeated pleas for him to “rest a little” and “settle down with a good wife.”
Thinking back to three years before, he recalled the day his father passed away. He had left him the responsibility of taking care of the Law Ranch, and accordingly, the entire family.
At twenty-five years of age, Dan knew everything he needed to know about running the business. The overwhelming sense of duty, however, was what led him to work as hard as he could, day in and day out, to prove to himself that he was worthy of his father’s trust.
A bitter smile drew itself on his lips as he approached the stables, and he shook his head. He knew that his sisters worried about his health and wellbeing, but that was why he had hired some help who would come in weekly and assist.
Clearly, that was not enough to put their troubled minds at ease.
And he did not have the time.
Spending the rest of the day working and exchanging the occasional banter with Michael and Pete—the two men who helped him with the herd and the horses—was how Dan typically spent his days.
By sundown, they were done with their work and Dan looked forward to nothing more than a warm bath and a hot meal before he could retire to his study with some tea and a good book.
Upon his return to the house, visibly sweaty and filthy, he was met with rather unusual excitement.
“Danny? Brother?” Cathy’s childish expression let him know that she was in a good mood.
“Yes, Cat?” Shaking his head, he raised his eyebrows, unamused.
“We would like to speak with you.” She grinned cheerfully and it came out exaggerated, at least to Dan.
He sighed, patience already running low. “Could it possibly wait until, maybe, I bathe?” With two fingers, he pulled the shoulder of his shirt up, pointing to a muddy stain before letting it drape back down.
Embarrassed by her own rush, Cathy blinked a few times, flashing him one of her sweetest smiles. “Of course! I’ll go help with dinner!”
While she gracefully turned around and skipped to the kitchen, Dan glanced at Josie and Mary as they quietly watched from the distance, both smiling. He sighed and made his way up the stairs.
Not looking forward to the impending conversation, Dan took his sweet time thoroughly rubbing himself with the washcloth. The only thing that prompted him to finally dry himself and get dressed was the water eventually getting cold.
At the dinner table, the three ladies and their matriarch patiently waited as Dan slowly treaded each step down the stairs. From the smiles on their faces, he could tell it was one of their many interventions. Knowing how he was going to talk his way out of it, he felt confident enough to initiate.
“The food smells great,” he sat down, “thank you all!” He then pressed his lips into a thin line. “So…” his eyes landed on Cathy’s face and fixed, “spill?”
Glancing quickly at their mother, Cathy cleared her throat. “Dan, we believe the time has come for us to step in and get
you matched to a suitable eligible lady.”
“I thought we talked about this before.” Furrowing his eyebrows, he pretended like he had not seen it coming. “Did we not?” He tilted his head before taking a big bite of bread.
“We have talked about you finding a wife, yes,” Josie’s calm voice joined the conversation. “But this is a new approach—almost poetic.”
Knowing that Mary spoke the least and felt the most, Dan’s eyes darted towards hers, searching for clarification.
Mary took a deep breath, and, without changing the plain expression on her face, she sighed, “We’ve agreed on holding a shindig out in the barn.” Her steady gaze did not falter. “All ladies of eligible age and suitability are invited, along with their families, of course.” Her lips slightly curved into a faint smile. “You should not worry. There won’t be that many.”
“A party?” He turned to Kitty, who settled quietly at the head of the table where her late husband used to sit. “Mother?”
“Quite honestly, Dan,” she slowly moved her head from one side to the other, “I can’t see why it would be a bad idea. Can you?”
“How about I would much rather spend my rest day resting?”
“And you shall!” Cathy’s voice prompted him to quickly turn. “It will be tomorrow night. You will have all Sunday to rest!” Her excitement was impossible to ignore.
“All you need to do is be there and be nice to our guests!” Josie proposed matter-of-factly.
While his eyes moved between the hopeful faces, he assessed their enthusiasm. Cathy, always being the liveliest of them all, was beaming with eagerness. Josie’s expression was one of encouragement and reason, while Mary’s eyes quietly implored him to agree.
When he finally turned back to where Kitty was, she had already started eating her soup. Her face reflected nothing but sheer determination to support her daughters’ idea.
“Understood,” he sighed, “seems like I have already been outvoted.”
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