Selina finger-combed her hair, pinched her cheeks, and then poured two cups of coffee. She carried them back to the table all the while staring at the back door. Distracted she said, “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.”
Clint hurried back inside. He stomped his boots on the rug just inside the door to remove dirt. Camelia would be beside herself, if he tracked dirt inside. “I’m sorry. One of the men had a question for me that couldn’t wait.” He walked the rest of the way into the kitchen and handed the milk to Laura.
With a wicked grin, he reached around her and snatched one of the hot cookies from its cooling rack. Taking a big bite, he sighed. “These are so good. You’ll have to make them again, soon.”
Not to be outdone, Selina purred, “I’ve set you a place at the table, Mr. Shepard.” She smiled and indicated one of the cups of coffee she’d just poured.
Laura turned away. She’d thought the girl had poured it for her. Did the young girl think Clint was interested in her romantically? Was she hoping to rope herself a rich rancher?
“Thanks.” Clint pulled the chair back, making a scraping sound across the floor. When Laura turned around he grinned.
Laura poured each of the girls a cup of milk and then poured a glass for herself. She walked to the table and set the cups just out of reach of the girls. Hope still needed a lot of help, and Grace needed a little.
“What time do you want to leave, Laura?” Clint asked, around a mouth full of cookie.
She hadn’t expected him to ride over with them. “Um, probably as soon as Hope is done with her snack and I get these cookies boxed up.”
He nodded. “I’ll get the buggy ready.”
Selina looked from one to the other. “Are you going, too?”
Her eyes were fixated on Clint. She batted her eyelashes and smiled boldly.
Laura waited for his answer, trying not to let him see how much Selina’s flirtations bothered her. “No, I’ll ride over later this evening to pick her up. I’m sending one of the men to make sure she gets there safe.” He looked to Laura.
Could he read the disappointment on her face? She tried to conceal it by telling Hope. “You are doing better at holding your cup, good girl.”
Selina purred again, “So I guess that means you’ll be having dinner with us tonight.”
“If I’m not too busy.” He looked to Laura. “You know, it might be better if you left Hope with Selina and Grace while you go to the dance. I’m sure the girls would love to play together, and you’d have a little time to yourself with the other women.”
Selina looked as if she wanted to object but instead smiled sweetly. “I’d love to watch her for you, Mr. Shepard.”
Laura sighed. Why had she thought he’d attend the dance? The thought of dancing with him had filled her mind all day. Disappointment hit her hard and fast. She took a deep breath and told herself that the week couldn’t be over soon enough, and then Selina and Clint could play house all they wanted to. Bitter jealousy ate at her; Laura tried to push it away. She had no claim on Clint Shepard.
* * *
Clint sat on the front porch nursing a cup of hot coffee. Two days had passed since the barn dance. He’d arrived early, hoping to secure a dance with Laura before the night ended. Only, when he’d arrived, so many young farmers had claimed her that he’d not had a chance to dance with her. Not that he’d tried too hard. He’d stood in the shadows and watched her laugh and smile with the other men. Her beauty outshone all the other women there. Laura hadn’t seemed to notice him until the dance was over.
She’d helped clean up and then spent the whole ride home talking about how wonderful barn dances were and how much fun she’d had. Laura had thanked him for letting her leave Hope with Selina and Grace. The little girl had been so happy to spend the afternoon with them that she’d almost forgotten to give Laura a hug goodbye.
Clint knew the coffee would keep him awake all night, but since he figured he’d be up anyway, it didn’t matter. A cool evening breeze couldn’t soothe the ache in his heart.
He loved Laura but still fought the feeling that he should tell her. No matter how hard he tried, fear that she’d die before him kept him from confessing his love. He’d asked her twice to marry him, and each time she’d refused. Now he wished she hadn’t. If she had said yes then, before he’d fallen in love with her, well then, he wouldn’t be hurting now. But as his mama used to say to him, “Son, if wishes were kisses, you’d always be kissed.”
The door made a soft screeching sound. He looked up to see Camelia come out on the porch. She too held a cup of coffee and was dressed in her night robe.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Clint. I didn’t mean to disturb you.” She turned to go back inside.
“Please, stay.” He pointed to the other chair on the porch.
Camelia took the chair and sent it into a gentle rock. “Normally, I would be in the kitchen but I didn’t want to wake up Laura.”
Clint grinned. “Same here.”
A twinkle came into her eyes. “Remember when it was just you, baby Grace and me? Life seemed simpler then,” she teased.
He looked out across the moonlit yard. “Yes.” Clint heard the sorrow in his voice and feared Camelia would detect it, too.
“What’s eating at you, Clint?” Her voice held that comforting tone that she’d used after Martha’s death.
Her use of it now told him that she’d heard it. “Laura will be leaving in a couple of days, and I really don’t want to let her go.” There, he’d said it, confessed he’d miss Laura.
“Then why don’t you tell her?” Camelia didn’t look at him. She sipped her coffee with her head bent down.
As much as he wanted to tell Laura how he felt, Clint confessed. “I can’t.”
“Why not? She’s a bright, beautiful woman with lots of love to give. I’ve seen her with you and the girls.”
Clint sighed. “You know I can’t.”
“Do you love her?” Camelia’s rich Irish accent drifted to him in a soothing manner.
He nodded. “But even so, I can’t tell her.”
Again she asked, “Why not?”
Clint looked across at her. He looked into the depth of his cup and confessed. “I’m not sure I could handle it if Laura died before me. When Martha died, a part of me went with her.”
Sadness filled her accent. “I know that feeling.” Camelia gazed out into the darkness.
He realized that with all the time that Camelia had been here, he really didn’t know much about her. She’d come out to the ranch looking for a housekeeping job right after he and Martha had married. Martha had hired her on the spot, and Clint had never been happier.
Martha was a good wife in the sense that she was kind, loving and tried to do everything a wife was supposed to do. But, he’d soon learned, she couldn’t cook, wasn’t the best house cleaner and hated getting dirty. Camelia had been a blessing.
He studied her profile. “You do?”
Her emotions caught in her throat. “Yes, I’ve loved and lost three husbands to death.” She sipped from her cup, avoiding eye contact with him.
Three? Why would anyone marry three times? She’d said loved and lost. Clint couldn’t imagine loving three women who died. Could his heart take that much abuse?
Camelia put her cup down and turned to face him. “Clint Shepard, if you love that woman—” she paused and held his gaze “—you need to tell her. If you don’t, you will spend your whole life wishing you had.”
“But it hurts so badly when the one you love dies.” He swallowed. Was he a coward?
Camelia sighed. “Yes, it does. But think of all the time you spent with Martha and how wonderful those times had been.”
Clint leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He remembered Martha and wouldn’t take away one moment of being with her, loving her. But she was gone. Had been for
two years. Martha’s image seemed to dissolve, and Laura’s face filled his mind. Her smile and the way she talked filled his emotions. She loved Hope deeply. How much more would she love a child of her own?
His thoughts turned to Grace. Together he and Laura could give the little girl sisters and brothers, friends to grow up with. But, more important, he’d have a companion again. Someone he could share his dreams and plans with. A friend that wouldn’t betray him.
Camelia’s soft voice broke through his thoughts. “See? You need to tell her how you feel. I wouldn’t be surprised if she said she loves you, as well.”
He had seen a look of love in Laura’s eyes. Maybe like him, she was afraid to express those feelings. And when he’d stolen a kiss from her, Laura hadn’t shoved him away or acted as if she never wanted to see him again.
Perhaps, Laura had gone to love him, as well. With that thought in mind, Clint opened his eyes and grinned. “Thank you. I’ll talk to her first thing tomorrow.”
She stood and yawned. “In that case, I’m going to turn in now.”
“Camelia?”
She turned to face him.
“Thank you. And whether she says yes she’ll stay or not, you will always have a home with us.”
Tears moistened her lashes. Camelia seemed to be at a loss for words; she simply nodded, then closed the door softly behind her.
Clint sat on the porch and listened to the locusts in the trees. How was he going to tell Laura that he loved her and wanted her to stay on the ranch? Would she turn him down again if he proposed? He frowned. Well, so much for being content with his decision to confess his love. Now he had a whole slew of new questions barging in and making him feel wide awake.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Laura felt as if she’d worked three days without sleep. As soon as they’d gotten home from the barn dance two days ago, she’d checked on Hope and then hurried off to her room where she’d let her real feelings flow. Her heart still ached, but she had no more tears to shed.
Clint hadn’t come to the dance until the last minute. She’d tried to put on a good front by dancing with everyone who asked her. Laura wasn’t very good at dancing, but her partners didn’t seem to mind. She’d shared laughter with her dance partners and had stepped on every farmer in the county’s toes in the process of learning to dance.
Even as she’d danced, Laura had watched for Clint’s arrival. How many times had she searched the barn doors waiting for him to enter? What had she expected? Him to swoop in and take her in his arms, swing her about the dance floor and tell her how beautiful she looked? That was silliness, and she knew it. But Laura also knew she loved Clint.
Looking for something to occupy her sleepless night, Laura slipped from her bedroom, crossed the dark kitchen and quietly eased down the hall to Selina and the girls’ room. She’d heard Camelia close her door earlier, and then shortly after that, Clint had retired to his room. She felt pretty sure they were both in their rooms and wouldn’t catch her up checking on Hope once more.
The door to Selina’s room was open. Laura tiptoed inside. She didn’t want to wake the young woman, but when she glanced toward her bed, Selina wasn’t there. Laura assumed she’d gone outside for a breath of fresh air or to the outhouse.
Either way, she was glad to find her gone. She walked to the bed where Grace and Hope slept. Expecting the little girls to be curled together like kittens, Laura stood staring down at Grace, only Grace.
Where was Hope? Had Selina taken her to the outhouse or perhaps the kitchen for a last drink of water before going to sleep? Laura hurried to the kitchen, knowing they weren’t there since she’d just passed through on the way to their room. As she expected, the kitchen was dark and empty.
She ran to the outhouse, only to find it empty, as well. Fear crept up her spine and into her heart. Where were they? “Don’t panic. Camelia may have taken Hope to her room,” she whispered as she hurried back to the house and down the hall to Camelia’s room.
At the sound of her knock, a sleepy Camelia opened her door. She blinked sleep-filled eyes at her. “What’s wrong, Laura?”
“Is Hope with you?” Laura blurted, trying to see around the Irishwoman. Please, Lord, let her be safe with Camelia.
Camelia’s eyes opened wide. “No, why would she be in my room?” She pulled her housecoat on over her gown.
Renewed panic caused Laura to squeak. “Because she’s not in her bed and I can’t find Selina.”
“What? How long have they been gone?”
Laura forced herself to calm down and answered, “I don’t know. I went to check on Hope just now. Grace is the only one there. Selina and Hope are not in the room. I looked in the kitchen and the outhouse. They are gone.”
Camelia’s eyes narrowed. “Do you think Selina took her away?”
“I don’t know what to think.” Laura shook her head. “Why would she take Hope and leave Grace?”
Camila pushed past Laura. She hurried to Clint’s room and pounded on the door. Laura followed.
He answered it with his shirt half on. “What’s wrong?” he asked, looking at the women’s frightened faces.
“Hope and Selina are gone,” Laura said, wringing her hands.
Clint ran his hands through his hair. “Maybe they are outside.”
Laura shook her head. “No, I checked.”
He walked back into his room, sat down on the side of the bed and began pulling on his boots. “How long have they been gone, and where is Grace?”
“We don’t know how long, and Grace is asleep in her bed,” Camelia answered.
“I’m sure they are around here somewhere.” He stood and began buttoning up his shirt. “We’ll find them. Maybe Hope was fussy, and Selina thought she needed fresh air to calm her down.”
“If Hope was fussy, why didn’t Selina just bring her to me?” Laura answered. Her cheeks heated up as she realized that she’d been crying in her room. Had Selina heard her and thought it would be better to take Hope somewhere else?
“I think she took that baby and left,” Camelia stated. “You need to get on your horse and get to town. Maybe the sheriff can get a group of men together and go find her.”
Clint patted the frustrated woman’s shoulder. “Don’t go getting yourself all riled up, Camelia. I can’t believe that Selina would steal Hope.”
Laura was sick of hearing how wonderful Selina was from Clint. This was important. Her baby was missing, and she expected him to help find her, not say how Selina wasn’t capable of taking the child.
“I don’t care if you believe it or not, Clint Shepard. My child is missing, and I want her back.” Laura knew she was being unreasonable. Maybe she was wrong.
Clint walked up to her and pulled her close. “I’ll find her, Laura.” He released her and started walking down the hall. “Stay here and take care of Grace. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Laura watched him leave. She didn’t have any intentions of sitting back and waiting for him to find her baby. “Will you watch Grace, Camelia?”
Camelia reached out and touched her arm. “Of course, I will. You go on.”
“Thank you.” Laura hurried to her room and pulled on the trousers that she’d worn once before. Then she hurried to the barn.
Clint had just finished saddling his horse. His eyes narrowed when he saw her. “Did you find them?” he asked.
“No. I wish I had.”
“Then why are you out here?” Clint looked as if he were going to ride out, instead of waiting for her answer. He pulled the horse out of the barn and swung into the saddle.
Frantic to find Hope, Laura shouted, “I’m going with you!” She placed both hands on her hips and continued. “Hope is my baby, Clint. I have the right to go looking for her with you. Camelia is going to stay here and watch after Grace.”
Clint nodded. “You’ll
have to ride double with me.” He kicked his foot out of the stirrup.
She nodded and put her foot into the stirrup he’d just taken his boot out of. He reached down and pulled her up.
Once she was in the saddle, Clint set the horse to trotting out of the yard. “One of the horses is missing from the barn. I’m afraid you were right.”
“I don’t understand. Why would she take Hope? Other than at night, she hardly saw Hope.” Laura laid her cheek on Clint’s strong back.
His voice sounded as stressed as she felt when he said, “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.” Clint sent the horse into a gallop.
She tightened her arms around his waist. Tears pricked her eyes but she refused to let them fall. Laura knew that she had to be strong. She closed her burning eyes and silently prayed, asking God to watch after her baby and to keep her safe from all harm.
They rode in silence. Getting to town was faster by horse than by wagon. The horse’s hooves ate up the ground. Laura realized they were getting close to town when Clint pulled the horse to a walk.
He shrugged his shoulder to get Laura’s attention. “Look.” Clint pointed to something beside the road.
Laura squinted in the semidarkness. From where she sat, it looked like someone had lost a pile of old clothes on the road. She swallowed, when she realized it wasn’t just clothes but a person. She couldn’t tell in the darkness if it were a man or a woman, but Laura could tell that it wasn’t Hope.
Clint pulled her arms from around his waist and slid off the horse. He handed Laura the reins and proceeded to walk toward the slumped figure. Laura and the horse followed. As they drew closer, Laura realized it was a woman.
Clint knelt down and brushed her hair from her face. “It’s Selina. She’s bleeding and unconscious.” He picked her up.
Laura urged the horse to walk faster. Where was Hope? What had Selina done with her? She looked down on the woman who had stolen her baby.
“We’ve got to get her to the doctor,” he said, pushing Selina up on to the horse in front of Laura.
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