Cal could tell she needed reassurance, but what did he really know? Babies seemed to have a mind of their own when it came time to be born. He sent up a silent prayer that everything would be all right. But he needed to get the doctor. Now, he thought, as he watched another wave of pain wash over Liddy.
“Girls, you help Mrs. Evans to bed and get her as comfortable as possible. I’ll be back with the doctor soon as I can.”
“Yes, Papa,” they both chimed.
Cal was out the door instantly. All the way into town, he prayed that Doc was in and that Liddy and her baby would be fine. If anything happened to them, he’d be looking for Harper. As far as he was concerned, the blame for Liddy’s baby coming early rested squarely at the unscrupulous banker’s feet.
Cal’s prayers were answered, Doc Miller was in, and by nightfall, Liddy was holding her newborn son. Matthew Richard Evans was a little on the small side, but had a robust set of lungs. Doc said Liddy and the baby would be fine.
Emma had followed them out from town, leaving her café in Ben’s charge. She would stay the night and several days with Liddy, and no amount of arguing from Liddy was going to change her mind.
Cal was relieved. He didn’t want to leave Liddy alone with a newborn baby. He and the girls were allowed in the room after Doc had taken his leave. Liddy was glowing, and although Cal could tell she was exhausted, she looked beautiful with her newborn son in her arms.
“He’s a fine boy, Liddy,” Cal said, watching the baby as he curled a tiny finger around his mother’s larger one. “You would have made Matthew proud.”
“Thank you.” Liddy brushed a kiss over her son’s forehead and looked back at Cal. “Again. I think I’ll be beholden to you for the rest of my life. I’m so glad you were here. I don’t know what I’d have done …”
“I’m glad I was here, too, Liddy. No need to thank me. You’d have managed.”
Liddy chuckled. “Maybe. But Bessie wouldn’t have. Thank you for doing my chores, and …”
Cal held up his hand. “If I was sick, or down for some reason or another, wouldn’t you make sure my girls were taken care of, and my cow milked, and my eggs gathered?”
“Of course I would.”
“Okay, then.” Cal could see that Liddy’s eyes were starting to droop, and he knew she needed sleep. It’d be only in spurts for a while now, if he remembered right. “I’m going to take the girls home and let you get some rest. If you need anything at all, have Emma let me know. Otherwise, we’ll be over tomorrow to check on you all.”
Liddy nodded. She knew it would do no good to argue with the man. She let him get halfway out the door before she called, “Thank you, Cal.”
He turned and found her eyes closed and her breathing steady. She looked beautiful sleeping, with her son cuddled close. He wasn’t even sure she heard his next words. “You’re welcome, Liddy. You did real good. He’s a beautiful boy. Sleep well.”
Looking back on the past week, Liddy didn’t know what she would have done without Emma’s help. But it was Cal’s help that had been invaluable.
Being a new mother was intimidating enough, but between Emma’s admission that she didn’t have a clue what to do, and all the advice given from the wonderful church women bringing food and presents, by the end of the week Liddy had found herself almost in tears.
She’d convinced Emma to go back to her restaurant after five days, thinking she could manage on her own. And she did pretty well until nightfall. Baby Matthew fussed and cried and no amount of rocking, feeding, or changing could quiet him. It was then that she realized the depth of her love for him. Yet, she felt totally inadequate to provide all that he needed. How could she do this alone?
Dear Lord, please help me. I love this child You’ve blessed me with, but there’s so much I don’t know, she prayed as she rocked her son in the early morning light. When she heard the light knock on the door, she quickly brushed at her tears and went to open it.
“Liddy, I came to milk Bessie, and the girls insisted on coming to help you out, but I wanted to make sure it would be all right with you.”
She hoped he couldn’t see she’d been weeping, but her fussing son began to cry in earnest once more, and Liddy couldn’t hold her own tears back. She shook her head. “It appears I can use all the help I can get. Obviously, I don’t know the first thing about being a mother.”
She looked so helpless standing there sobbing, holding her child in her arms, Calvin did the only thing he knew to do. He wrapped his arms around the both of them and led Liddy back to her rocker. He took the baby from her, and went to the door to call his girls in from the wagon.
“Amy, you brew Mrs. Evans a cup of tea like she showed you, and Grace, go find me one of those little soft blankets for the baby, please.”
“No, Cal. You’ve got your own work to see to.” Liddy looked up at him as he held her son so easily. “We’ll be all right. I’m sorry. We just didn’t have a good night—”
“I talked to Emma. She said Matthew hadn’t been letting you sleep much, and she knew you were afraid to leave him in her care … no more than she knows about babies.”
“Oh, dear. Now I’ve hurt her feelings.”
“No, you haven’t. She just wants to make sure it’s not too much, you being here all alone.” Cal took the blanket Grace brought him and laid it out on the settee. Then he laid the baby down and brought the ends around him, wrapping him snugly. He sat back and jiggled him in his arms until the baby’s eyes grew heavy and his lids closed.
Liddy watched closely as she sipped the tea Amy brought her. “How did you do that? Have I been wrapping him too lightly?”
Cal shrugged. “I don’t know if there’s a right or wrong way to wrap them. This is just the way my girls seemed to be happiest at first. Very snugly wrapped, even in warm weather. I guess it made them feel a little more secure. But I think what Matthew sensed was that I’m not afraid of him.”
“And he knows I am?” Liddy couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Well, he probably senses that you are unsure of yourself. But you know what, Liddy? I think God gives these instincts to mothers. And I think you just need to listen to them and trust that they come from Him.”
“You think so?”
“I do.” He brought her sleeping son over to her. “Why don’t the two of you go back to bed? Amy and Grace said they’d like to help you, so I’m going to let them gather eggs and put some dinner on for you, if that’s all right?”
Liddy let him help her up from the rocker and smiled at his daughters. “Thank you, girls. I’d appreciate your help.”
She headed toward her bedroom with the baby. “I don’t think I’ll sleep long. Wake me if you have any questions.”
Cal and his daughters grinned at each other, as Liddy yawned the last sentence.
Liddy slept through the day, rousing only to feed her son when he cried from hunger. She awoke with a start when the setting sun shimmered through her window. The smell of biscuits and stew and the sound of a baby cooing greeted her as she quickly dressed and opened the door. There, sitting in her rocker was Cal, holding Matthew and talking to him as if the baby understood everything he said.
From the way the baby cooed, she wondered if maybe he did.
“It looks like I slept right through lunch. I’m sorry. I—”
“Liddy, you needed the rest. The baby has only been awake for about an hour. We figured you’d be up shortly.”
“I’m sure he must be hungry again,” Liddy said, taking her son from Cal. “I’ll just go feed him.”
Cal nodded. “I’ll go milk Bessie, and by the time you are finished, the girls will have supper on the table.”
Liddy held Matthew close and smiled over at Cal’s girls. “It smells delicious. You must give me your recipe.”
Amy and Grace giggled at her teasing and began to set the table while she headed for her room.
The baby fell asleep as soon as she fed him, full, clean, and content. Evidently, Cal h
ad bathed and changed him earlier. Liddy wrapped him snugly and put him in the cradle that Cal had brought over for her use. He’d made it for his daughters.
Cal was just washing up from bringing in the milk when she came out of her room. The girls insisted she sit down, and they hurriedly dished up the meal. As Cal said the blessing, Liddy added her own silent prayer, thanking the Lord for bringing this family into her life.
That night marked the change in their routine. Cal and the girls started showing up right after lunch each day. Cal worked her land, the girls learned by helping Liddy, and they all shared the evening meal.
Then the girls washed dishes while Cal helped Liddy bathe baby Matthew and get him to bed. Only after Liddy was settled in her rocker, with a cup of tea by her side, did they start for home.
Each night, it became harder and harder to see them leave. Amy and Grace had already claimed a spot in her heart. Now, right or wrong, Liddy was sure she was falling more than a little in love with their father.
And where could that possibly lead? Why would any man let himself fall in love with a widow who was in debt? Not to mention one who’d just become a new mother.
Chapter 8
Cal wondered just how long he could wait to tell Liddy he loved her and ask for her hand in marriage. It was becoming increasingly difficult to leave her and baby Matthew each night.
Yet, how could he even begin to hope that Liddy might return his feelings when the baby must provide daily reminders of the love she and her husband had shared?
No, he’d best bide his time for now. He loved the woman; there was no denying that fact, and he prayed daily for patience. He’d put his trust in the Lord to let him know when to approach Liddy with a proposal of marriage. He just hoped it would be soon.
First cut of the alfalfa was finished, and it lay drying in the field. Cal hadn’t needed any help with the mowing. He’d brought his own horse-drawn mower over the night before, but he had hired several men from town to help rake it into windrows. Tomorrow morning it would be turned, and if the weather held, by that afternoon it would be safely in the barn, out of harm’s way.
He had cut his own fields the week before. Liddy and the girls had gone to his house to prepare the noon meal for the men, and today they had done the same at her home.
Now, as he watched them cleaning up after supper, while he entertained the baby, his love for Liddy deepened even more. She was unfailingly patient with his girls, and her son was thriving from her nurturing. She brought the coffeepot over to refill his cup, and bent to kiss her baby’s cheek.
Cal wished he had the right to turn her face toward him and bring her lips to his. But he didn’t.
“Thank you, Liddy.”
“You’re welcome.” She smiled, and her eyes met his.
He watched a blush steal up her cheeks, and wondered if she’d read his thoughts.
“Thank you, Cal. Two months ago, I never thought I’d see those rows of hay in the field. I was sure I was going to lose all of what Matthew and I had worked so hard for. If he could, I know he would thank you for taking such good care of his family and his land.”
So that’s the way it is. He’d best face the fact that the timing might never be right to ask for Liddy’s hand. Now certainly wasn’t the right time. It seemed that, in Liddy’s eyes, this house he was sitting in, this land he was farming, this child he was holding, and this woman he loved all still belonged to Matthew. Would she always feel that way?
“Liddy, you aren’t the only one who’s being helped by our arrangement. My girls have learned so much from you, not to mention how they are thriving by the attention you give them. And I stand to make a profit from leasing your land. It’s not like I’m doing this all for nothing. The way I see it, we’re helping each other.” Cal knew his voice sounded rough, but he couldn’t help it. He didn’t want her gratitude. He wanted her love.
Liddy watched Cal’s wagon until it was out of sight and sighed deeply. She went inside and bolted the door before easing into her rocker to enjoy her waiting cup of tea. He still made sure she had a fresh-brewed cup before he and the girls left for the night.
Taking a sip of the warm liquid, Liddy leaned back her head and closed her eyes. She’d upset him tonight. She hadn’t meant to; she’d only wanted to thank him. She knew he was uncomfortable when she voiced her gratitude, but Liddy couldn’t just let him think she took his goodness for granted.
She’d known many Christians, but not all of them acted on their beliefs, like Cal had when he saw to her and her son’s needs. He might think he was getting something in return, but Liddy knew who was benefiting the most. And it wasn’t Calvin McAllister.
He’d taken a huge risk in leasing her land. She realized that now. If her crop failed, he would be out the money, not her. With the alfalfa already in the field, she hadn’t even had to buy seed this year. It looked like they were going to have a good crop, but, still, he was doing all the work.
As far as teaching his girls went, that was a pleasure, and they spent most of their day at her house, helping her. Besides, he was giving just as much attention to baby Matthew as she gave to Amy and Grace.
Liddy was sure he went home bone-weary each night, after taking care of both places during the day. Still, he always found time for his girls and to help her with her son. As good a husband as Matthew had been, he hadn’t been as considerate of her, after working in the fields all day, as Cal was.
Liddy’s heart pounded at her realization. She was in love with Calvin McAllister.
Oh, dear Lord. I did love Matthew. You know I did. But it’s Cal I dream about at night. It’s Cal I look forward to seeing each day. What is Your will for us, Father? What am I to do about my feelings for this special man?
Liddy went to bed with no answers, but she trusted the Lord to show her the way.
She was up before dawn, getting her chores out of the way so that she could prepare breakfast for Cal and the men he’d hired to help with the haying. She’d just finished milking Bessie when she heard what sounded like a whip cracking, and her heart fell.
Hurrying outside, she looked up at the sky and saw a flash of lightning. Oh, dear Lord, not now. Please, keep this storm away until we can get the hay out of the field.
She hurried to her house, watching the sky closely. This time of year was known for electrical storms. They didn’t always have rain in them, but the lightning could be truly ferocious. Huge cloud-to-ground flashes began in earnest, and Liddy hurried in to a crying baby, who had been awakened by the loud booms.
Cal, his girls, and the men he’d hired all showed up at the same time. He rushed Amy and Grace in the house, and against Liddy’s protests, he and the men started toward the field to try to save the hay.
Liddy and the children watched from the porch as the storm moved closer. She prayed silently, all the while, for Cal and the men to be safe, as she watched them hurry to load the hay into wagons.
Normally, it would be turned over and allowed to lay in the field until the afternoon. But with the storm approaching, it appeared that Cal had decided to get it into the barn as fast as possible.
Less than half the field’s yield had been moved to the barn, when a huge bolt struck the field. Immediately, a row of hay ignited, the flames shooting down the row and across to the next.
Liddy quickly handed the baby to Amy and ran out to the barn. She gathered all of the burlap bags she could find and rushed to wet them in the watering trough.
Cal met her at the edge of the field and took them from her. “Stay here. I don’t know that we’ll be able to do much, but if it should come close to the house, you’ll need to get what you can and get the children in the wagon.”
Several other ranchers who’d seen the flames had joined in the fight. Some started digging a trench to keep the house and barn safe, while others were filling buckets from the water trough, and everyone was doing all they could to help. But there was no rain with this storm, and Liddy knew saving the crop was a l
osing battle. By the time the men had the fire under control, there wasn’t much left of the crop to save. Their hopes for a good first cut were gone.
Liddy brushed at the tears running down her face as Cal approached, his own face sooty from fighting the fire.
He gathered her in his arms. “I’m sorry, Liddy.”
She shook her head. “There’s no more you could do, Cal. It’s not your fault.”
“I should have cut earlier.”
“You had no way of knowing this was going to happen. It’ll grow again. There’ll be another cut.”
Cal nodded and brushed her still-wet cheek.
“I’ll have some breakfast for everyone shortly,” Liddy said.
“You don’t need to do that, Liddy. No one expects—”
“It’ll keep me busy, Cal.”
He nodded. “Ring the bell when you’re ready.”
Liddy and the girls were cleaning up after feeding the men who’d come to help. The storm had moved out of the vicinity, but someone had mentioned that they’d heard there’d been some hail toward Cal’s place, and he and several of the men went to see if the reports were true.
Matthew was down for a nap and the girls were trying to be quiet. Liddy sent them to gather eggs and check on Bessie.
She prayed there hadn’t been any damage to Cal’s crops and thanked the Lord that, as bad as it seemed at the moment, they had managed to save some of the hay. Most importantly to her, Cal and the other men had been unharmed as they fought the fire.
She hated that he blamed himself. There was no way he could have known the storm would build up. Things like this happened.
Liddy poured herself a cup of tea, but found she couldn’t sit still, and decided to go help Amy and Grace in the barn. But when she opened the door, it was to find Douglas Harper at the bottom of the steps. Her heart plummeted before seeming to stop.
“My dear Liddy, I heard in town about your misfortune and had to come see for myself. I’m so sorry about your crop.”
How dare the man? She’d had about all of his sarcastic lying that she could take. Loan or no loan, she wasn’t taking that kind of attitude from this man anymore.
Love Is Patient Romance Collection Page 49