Colleen knew instantly what she was referring to. "You're expecting?" Julia looked so excited, that's what it had to be.
"Yes, but from my estimation, only about two months along. We just told his family last week. I wanted to wait another month, just to be safe, but Liam was dying to share the good news."
"I'm so excited for you. How are you feeling?"
"Surprisingly good, so far. I keep expecting it to get much worse, but I've mostly just been very tired."
"Well, maybe it's good timing that I'm here now, then. I can help out around the house and farm, and then also when the baby comes."
"I am so happy that you're here. You made the right decision to come." Julia looked serious then and Colleen appreciated the reassurance.
"Thank you. I think I did, too, but I have to admit, I've been second-guessing myself some this past week. It's a big move, coming here."
"Once you settle in, I think you'll grow to love it as much as I do."
CHAPTER THREE
The time flew as Julia drove them back to her house. Colleen filled her in on what all their friends were up to in Boston and before she knew it, they were pulling up to Julia's front door. It was an impressive home. As Julia had said, it was large and as they went inside, Colleen could also see that it was bright and roomy. It wasn't fancy by any means, but it was clean and welcoming. Julia brought Colleen's bag into a guest room just off the kitchen and immediately started to heat some water for her bath. She also put a small teakettle on the stove, which was ready in just a few minutes and they both sat at the kitchen table to enjoy a cup of tea and scones that Liam had brought home from the pub the night before.
"These are incredible," Colleen said after her first bite. The scone was fragrant with cinnamon and walnuts.
"Mrs. Johnson made them. She's the main cook at the pub and everything she makes is so good."
By the time they finished eating, the other large buckets of water were hot enough to make a nice bath for Colleen. She helped Julia carry them into the bathroom and filled a large, claw-footed tub. Julia added some soap and then brought in fluffy towels and a washcloth.
"Enjoy! And take your time. We have a few hours before dinner. It's just going to be a small crowd—Emma and Ethan and their children, Emily and Jeremy, and Liam's brothers, David and Paul." Julia had a twinkle in her eyes as she said their names and Colleen immediately grew nervous again.
"What if they don't like me?" she wondered out loud.
"Don't be ridiculous. They'll love you! If you don't find them suitable, there are plenty of other men available here. Tons of them, actually."
"Okay. I'll try not to worry too much."
"Don't worry, relax and enjoy your bath. You'll have time for a nap after, too."
The hot water of the bath felt wonderful, and Colleen scrubbed herself well and then sunk lower into the warm water and let it wash over her. She stayed there until the water cooled and her hands started to feel a bit wrinkled and prune-like before she finally got out of the tub. After toweling off, she changed into clean clothes and then her bed looked so inviting that she decided to take Julia's advice and lay her head down for just a minute.
An hour or so later, Colleen woke to the sound of voices coming from the kitchen. She eased herself out of bed and ran a brush through her hair that was still slightly damp underneath. When she walked into the kitchen, Julia was busy cooking while a tall, handsome blond man was leaning against the counter, laughing and chatting with her. He looked up when she drew near.
"This must be the lovely Colleen, then? I'm Liam and it's a pleasure to meet you!"
Colleen found herself pulled into a bear hug from what seemed like the friendliest man she'd ever met. She could see why Julia had been so taken with him.
"It's really great to meet you. Thank you for letting me stay with you both."
"We're happy to have you here. I understand Julia shared our good news with you?" He was beaming and Colleen was so happy for her friend. The two of them were clearly madly in love. Would she ever find anything even close to that?
"She did, congratulations!"
"Thank you. This will actually work out well for Julia, having you here to help."
"I agree, and I told her I'm happy to help in any way possible. I've never worked in a restaurant, but I'd love to learn and do whatever needs doing."
Liam looked thoughtful. "Well, I was more thinking of just helping out around the house as she gets bigger and more tired, but possibly the pub, too. Thank you for thinking of it."
"Did you have a good nap?" Julia asked.
"Yes, I did. And that bath was heavenly."
Julia chuckled. "My first bath when I arrived here was amazing, too. You forget how much you appreciate hot water and soap!"
"Can I do anything to help?" Colleen glanced around the kitchen. Julia had something simmering in a big pot on the stove and a loaf of bread cooling on a rack.
"Everything is mostly done. You could open that box of crackers maybe and put them on that plate, with the cheese."
"Something smells wonderful." Colleen's stomach rumbled. She hadn't eaten well in weeks. The food they'd had to offer on the train had been barely edible.
"It's nothing fancy, just a basic beef stew. Mrs. Johnson taught me how to make it." Colleen was impressed. The Julia she knew hadn't been able to cook at all, except for baking the occasional cake.
"Julia's actually a very good cook now," Liam said proudly.
"Much to my surprise, and thanks to Mrs. Johnson. She explained how to make quite a few things and it's not as difficult as I'd thought it would be."
There was a knock on the door and Liam went to open it. Emma stepped inside, followed by what Colleen assumed was her husband and stepdaughter, Emily, who was about five. Emma was carrying a baby in her arms. Jeremy was about six months or so, Colleen recalled.
"I can't believe you're here!" Emma handed Jeremy to Julia and gave Colleen a big hug. She then introduced her to Ethan, who nodded hello and shook her hand and to Emily, who looked a bit shy and curious at the same time.
"It seems surreal to be here," Colleen admitted.
"We have so much to talk about. You both must come over tomorrow for lunch, and we'll spend the afternoon catching up."
"That sounds wonderful." Colleen glanced at Julia, wondering if it worked for her schedule the next day. She knew Julia often worked at the pub, helping Liam.
"I have tomorrow off, so that's perfect. I was hoping you'd suggest it," Julia said as she put the platter of cheese and crackers on the kitchen table. There was another knock on the door and since Ethan was standing right there, he opened it and two men, who Colleen assumed must be the other brothers, walked in. They were both remarkably handsome, yet total opposites in looks. Both were tall, about six feet or maybe even a little over. One had short, blond hair, bright blue eyes, and an easy smile and actually looked quite a bit like Liam. The other had hair as dark as her own—deep brown that almost looked black and green eyes that were rather startling in contrast. His hair was longer and more ragged around his face, which gave him a rugged and slightly dangerous look.
"Paul and David, come in and meet Colleen." Both men stepped forward and Julia made the introductions. "Colleen, meet Paul," she indicated the blond brother, "and David." They both shook her hand and welcomed her.
The room grew quiet for a moment, and Julia immediately added,
"Okay, everyone, sit down at the table. Dinner is ready. Colleen, you sit here, and Paul and David, I have you both here." She indicated seats on either side of Colleen and they obediently settled into the chairs. Colleen was a little nervous to be seated in the middle of them, but soon relaxed as the food was passed and everyone started to eat. The stew was delicious as was the homemade bread.
Conversation flowed easily around the table, with everyone chiming in and Liam making them all laugh with his stories of crazy customers at the pub. Colleen said little, and just tried to keep up with all the dif
ferent people that were being mentioned. David on her right was quiet as well and hadn't said more than a word or two to her directly since they'd started eating. Paul, on the other hand, was almost as much of a chatterbox as his brother, Liam, and was full of questions. Although David didn't say much, Colleen could see that he was listening intently to her responses.
"So, I hear you're a talented seamstress?" Paul began. "Does this mean we can call on you to mend our pants or possibly make new shirts? You might find yourself in great demand." His eyes were twinkling and Colleen guessed that he was teasing, but she noticed that David was nodding in agreement.
"Really? I hadn't thought of that. It would be wonderful, though. I did enjoy my work at the dress shop."
Julia overheard that and chimed in, "Paul's right, you know. There's no seamstress in town. You might be able to pick up some work, if you were interested."
Colleen was definitely interested. She'd thought she was giving up sewing by moving out west. It would be a blessing to be able to use her skills.
"So, I thought after Church on Sunday, that I could drive you back to my parents’ place and we could get to know each other better. You were planning to come to Sunday dinner, I assume?" Paul waited for her response as Colleen glanced Julia's way. They hadn't discussed any plans beyond going to Emma's for lunch the next day.
"That's a great idea," Julia agreed, and then explained, "Every Sunday, Liam's family has dinner together after church at their parents’ house. That's when you'll meet everyone."
"Great, I'm looking forward to it," Colleen said to both Julia and Paul. Meanwhile, David sat silently on her other side, seemingly focused on his food. Colleen decided to try and engage him in conversation.
"So, David, Julia tells me that you and Paul have adjoining farms and often work together?"
He looked up then, and seemed surprised that she was addressing him.
"That's right, we do." He didn't offer anything further, so Colleen tried again to draw him out.
"What's it like, working together? Is it easier because you're brothers?" She figured an open-ended question might get him to say a bit more. He set his fork down then and looked thoughtful.
"I haven't worked with anyone else, so I can't really compare. But, I think in some ways it must be easier. We know each other, know how the other thinks and how hard to push. We also know when to back down. It's worked out well so far."
"What do you grow?" Farming was completely foreign to her.
"Wheat and potatoes mostly, and we raise cattle, of course." Of course. Colleen had seen hundreds of cattle roaming the hills of the west as the train glided along. She'd stared out the window for hours, watching and dreaming of what lay ahead. Wondering if she'd fit in, and curious what the people would be like.
"Sunday afternoon, after we eat, I'll show you around if you like?"
"Show me around?" She was surprised by the invitation and David looked surprised as well that he'd extended it.
"I'll take you for a ride to my farm and give you a tour."
"I'd love that."
Not long after everyone finished dessert, Ethan mentioned that they all had to be up early the next day and a short time later, after saying goodbye, everyone was gone and the house was quiet again.
"Ladies, I'm going to head to bed myself. Good night." Liam poured himself a glass of milk and then went upstairs while Julia and Colleen finished straightening up the kitchen. When they were done, Colleen yawned and realized how bone-tired she suddenly was. The long trip had caught up to her. She tried to hide it, but wasn't fast enough.
"Why don't you head to bed, too?” Julia said. “You must be exhausted. We can catch up tomorrow when we go to Emma's."
"I think I might. It hit me all of a sudden and that bed is so comfortable."
Colleen went to her room, changed into her pajamas and climbed under the covers. The softness of the mattress was heavenly after sleeping on the train. She stretched and sighed happily. He eyes grew heavy and as she drifted off to sleep, it was with a feeling of peace that she hadn't felt in a long time.
CHAPTER FOUR
Colleen was disoriented when she woke the next morning, not sure at first where she was. It came to her quickly, though, as she stretched and luxuriated in the comfort of the soft bed. She'd made it and was in Montana. As she lay there, she thought about the two men she'd met the night before. She was intrigued by both of Liam's brothers and was looking forward to getting to know them better. Paul was the more outgoing of the two and his personality matched his sunny, blond hair. He was similar to Liam in that regard and she sensed that they would have fun together. David was a bit more of a mystery. He was quieter and often seemed lost in his thoughts. She was curious to find out more about him.
When she heard movement in the kitchen and low voices talking, Colleen eased herself out of bed, dressed and followed the wonderful smell of fresh coffee brewing.
"Morning!" Julia said. "Would you like coffee?"
"Yes, please." Julia handed her a cup as Liam buttoned up his coat and turned to leave.
"I'll see you ladies later this evening. Enjoy your day." Liam shut the door tightly behind him.
"I'm having toast and eggs. Does that sound good to you?" Julia added two eggs to a bowl and waited to see if she should add two more.
"Yes, that sounds good—can I do anything to help?"
"Just have a seat and relax." Colleen did as instructed and watched as Julia melted some butter in a skillet and then poured in the eggs. A few minutes later, she handed her a plate of fluffy scrambled eggs and hot, buttered toast. She set one down for herself as well and then joined her at the table.
"After we eat, I thought I'd show you around the farm so you can see what our typical day is like here. It's quite different from Boston." Julia smiled as she picked up her toast.
A short while later, Julia took Colleen with her as she fed the animals, collected eggs from the chickens and then lastly, showed her how to milk the cows.
"That was one of the first things I learned here. Liam taught me how to do it, and it was quite an experience."
"I'm not sure if the girls will believe me when I write to tell them you taught me how to milk a cow." Colleen chuckled. It hadn't really been that hard, but it was a bit odd to get used to and she was initially a little fearful of the cow as the animals were huge. But they were also very sweet and once she got the hang of holding the udder properly to get the best stream of milk, it went smoothly enough.
After finishing the outdoor chores, they came inside to wash up, and then Julia mixed up a batch of dough for bread and set it in a corner to slowly rise overnight.
"That's another trick I learned from Mrs. Johnson. The longer it rises, the better it tastes. I'll bake it tomorrow morning in a cast iron pan and we can have some at breakfast."
Once that was all set, they set out for Emma's house and arrived about thirty minutes later. Emma must have heard them coming down the drive. She opened the front door to greet them. She was holding baby Jeremy with one arm while Emily stood close by and peered around her skirts to see who was coming.
"I'm so glad you're here. Come on in. I just filled the teakettle and set it on the stove to heat up."
They followed Emma inside and settled themselves at the kitchen table while she put the baby down for his nap. Emma came back into the kitchen just as the teakettle whistled that it was ready. She poured tea for everyone and then joined them.
"I can't believe you're really here," Emma said to Colleen.
"It doesn't quite seem real to me yet, either," Colleen admitted.
"You'll get used to it quickly. It's very different from Boston, but in a good way. Plus, you have friends here. That makes all the difference in the world," Julia added.
"So, what did you think about the brothers, Paul and David?" Emma asked, with a twinkle in her eye.
"They both seem really nice. I'll be lucky if either of them is interested." Colleen hoped that one of them would b
e.
Julia looked thoughtful for a moment before glancing Emma’s way and then saying, "They almost didn't agree to this, you know. I'm only telling you so you'll understand how close they are. Paul and David are just a year apart and have always been inseparable, even though they seem like such opposites. Their farms are next to each other and they work together, along with Ethan, of course."
"They almost didn't agree to meeting me?" Colleen didn't like the sound of that. She was under the impression that both were eager to find a wife.
"Only because they didn't want to be fighting over the same girl. David felt more strongly about that, from what I heard. He tends to be more serious about things and didn't want to risk damaging his relationship with his brother."
"But Paul talked him into it," Julia added. "He pointed out that there was no harm in meeting you and seeing where it went and if you were even interested in either of them."
"I see." Colleen wasn't sure she did, though. What if they were both interested? How would they decide?
"Now I can see that we've worried you." Emma reached out and patted Colleen's hand. "Don't give it another thought. Just get to know them both and see what you think. It will work out the way it's meant to. Have faith."
Colleen smiled at that. At six years old, she'd been older than most of the other girls when she first came to the orphanage, and her memories of her mother were happy ones. She'd been a warm and loving person and Colleen remembered that she'd been a strong believer in fate, and often said 'everything happens for a reason' and on a slightly darker note, 'when your time is up, it's up.'
She'd tried to make light of the fact that she was dying and to make her daughter understand that death was a natural occurrence. But at age six, the only thing that had really registered with Colleen was that her mother went to sleep one night and never woke up. They said it was tuberculosis. Over the years, though, her mother's words had brought her comfort during difficult times—the unwavering belief that things would work out the way that they were meant to. During the long trip out west, she'd thought of her mother often, and felt somehow that she was keeping watch over her.
COLLEEN: A Sweet Western Historical Romance Page 2