by Sarah Banks
Chapter Seventeen
It was nearly dawn and Jack and Anna hadn’t slept yet. She tilted her head allowing her husband to kiss her neck again. Being tired all day would be worth it, she thought.
Anna turned in his arms. She could see his features in the early morning light. Jack smiled softly at her and dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose. She smiled back and kissed his bristly chin. She wanted to tell him that she loved him but something held her back. Her eyes drifted shut and she dozed for a few minutes in his arms. When she opened them again Jack was watching her.
She blushed. “You aren’t going to try to get some sleep?” She murmured, stretching against him.
“I will, in a few minutes.”
She nodded, turned onto her back and closed her eyes again. He pressed a kiss against her temple and tightened his arms around her. She loved his arms around her but sleep eluded her this time.
She opened her eyes and turned her head to look at her husband. His eyes were closed this time but he opened them sleepily.
“Jack, can I ask you something?” She asked carefully.
He seemed to recognize the seriousness in her tone. “Anything.”
Anna turned on her side again, his arms still around her. “How did your wife die?” She asked softly, their faces inches apart on the pillow they shared.
She felt him stiffen, but he didn’t pull away or mask his expression as he often had in the past. Instead he reached up and brushed the pad of his thumb gently across her cheek. His voice was raspy when he answered, “Her appendix burst.”
She reached for his hand and brushed a kiss across his knuckles before pressing his hand over her heart. He glanced down at her hand and then into her eyes. His expression was one she had never seen on him before, soft and vulnerable. He continued.
“When I left that morning to work in the fields, I knew Deborah hadn’t been feeling well but she insisted she was fine. She promised me that if it got worse she would see a doctor. I had an uneasy feeling all day but I thought it was because we were expecting a big storm and I was worried about the crops. I decided to stop working a couple hours earlier than usual and came home. When I got within earshot of the house I could hear Harry crying hysterically. She was two years old then and I had never heard her cry like that. I knew immediately something was terribly wrong. I ran as fast as I could. When I got to Deborah she was unconscious on the bedroom floor. I have no idea how long she was there for. Harry was there too, in her crib, she was wet and inconsolable so I think it was a long time. When I finally got Deb to the doctor, there wasn’t anything he could do. She didn’t make it through the night.”
“I’m so sorry Jack.” Anna pressed a kiss over his heart.
He pulled her close and held her tightly. They were silent for a long time.
“Can I ask you something?” He asked after a while.
“Of course,” she murmured against his arm.
Jack pulled back until he could see her eyes. She tilted her head curiously.
“Were you planning on leaving me?”
“No! Never!” Anna declared fervently. “What would make you think that?”
He shrugged. “I thought maybe because you went to Lucy’s in such a hurry. Part of me thought you were so unhappy that you might be making arrangements to go home.”
“I had been promising to meet her for lunch. I did decide to go at the last minute. I really needed to talk with someone,” she explained softly. “I’ve only known Lucy a short time but she’s been a wonderful friend to me. I looked for you and Harry, to tell you I was going into town, but I couldn’t find you.” She pulled back. “Where were you guys anyway?”
“Picking apples and strawberries. We put them in the cellar. I’m pretty sure Harry’s going to try to get you to make every possible kind of pie imaginable,” he said with a smile.
Anna laughed. “It’s hard to deny that one when she puts so much effort into it.”
Jack’s laugh turned into a yawn.
“My turn,” Anna said.
“For what?” He mumbled, his eyes slipping closed.
“To ask you a question.”
“Okay.”
“Lucy’s beautiful and sweet. She would have made Harry a wonderful mother. If you thought you were ready to get married again, why didn’t you ask her?” Anna asked uncertainly.
Jack’s eyes sprung open. “Lucy! Her husband Rob was my best friend. Lucy’s like a sister to me!”
“Oh,” Anna said with a giggle.
“Besides, she can’t cook,” he said with a laugh as he dodged her playful swat. “Kidding!”
“You’d better be!” She rested her head on his arm and closed her eyes. “We’re going to be so tired tomorrow,” she said sleepily.
“It’s worth it,” he said.
Anna opened her eyes and grinned, “I think so too.”
“We could take the day off and sleep in,” Jack suggested.
“Sounds decadent. And what else?” She asked.
He got a wicked look in his eyes.
She laughed. “Did you forget we have a daughter? I could make a picnic lunch. Maybe you could show me the rest of the property and we could have a picnic down at the creek.”
“Alright.”
He held her in his arms as they fell asleep. Anna wanted this moment to last forever.
∞∞∞
Anna woke as Harry spoke through the door.
“Anna, I can’t find Papa,” she said in a small worried voice.
Anna sat up, holding the blankets tightly against her chest. She flashed a look of alarm at her husband who lay beside her.
Jack was less concerned. He lay in bed, his arms over his head, blankets barely covering his hips. His eyes dropped down to where the sheet barely covered her breasts. He reached out a hand and she smacked it away. He laughed.
“I’m in here Harry,” he said calmly.
“Jack,” she whispered urgently as the doorknob started to turn. Thank goodness the door still stuck, Anna thought.
“Stay put Harry, I’ll be right out,” he said quickly.
The knob stilled but it was a moment before Anna heard Harry move away from the door. Anna breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Jack with wide eyes.
He grinned and jumped from the bed, buck-naked and reached for his clothes.
She squeaked and averted her gaze to the rough-hewn wall of the cabin, paying particular attention to a knot in the wood. Anna could feel herself blushing from head to toe. It was a lot different seeing someone naked when it was light out. She heard Jack laugh and the sound of him getting dressed.
“Okay, I’m decent,” Jack assured her, his voice teasing.
Anna turned to see him standing in the center of the room with his jeans on, only half-buttoned and he was pulling on his shirt.
She blushed deeper but couldn’t look away, her eyes running over him.
“Keep looking at me like that and I’m not responsible for what happens next,” he warned.
Anna looked down at the quilt.
He tipped her chin up with his finger and pressed a quick, hard kiss against her lips.
“I need to go into town today,” he announced.
“I can be ready in fifteen minutes,” she said, scooting toward the edge of the bed.
“I need to go by myself this time, but I won’t be long. Wait for me?”
She nodded.
“When I get back, we’ll go for our picnic,” he told her. Jack leaned down and kissed her again, caressing her bare leg before leaving the room.
Epilogue
Ten Weeks Later
Jack was whistling as he left the mercantile, a tiny wrapped parcel tucked securely in the front pocket of his shirt. The wedding ring he had special-ordered for Anna over two months ago, the day after they had made love for the first time, had finally arrived. He couldn’t wait to give it to her. He wondered if he should give it to her right away or save it for a special occasion? Her birthday was next m
onth, maybe he would give it to her then, if he could wait that long.
He began to walk back to the post office where he had left his horse. He was glad he had purchased a third horse a few weeks ago. Anna and Harry had taken the wagon and were having lunch with Lucy. They wouldn’t be done until much later so he could head back to the farm and get some more work done before they returned.
Life had changed so much over the past ten weeks. He had never been happier and it was all because of Anna.
Jack would get up at the usual time each morning and do a couple hours of work before returning to the house to eat breakfast with Anna and Harry. Later on they would find him wherever he was working. Anna would spread a blanket on the ground and they would have a picnic lunch. On the hotter days, they would take their lunch down to the creek. After lunch they would swim. Anna took to swimming like a fish to water. Afterwards they would lay in the shade as their clothes dried. Sometimes he would doze, his head on Anna’s lap, Harry pressed against his side. Jack smiled. He couldn’t imagine a more perfect life.
He especially loved their evenings together. Anna always cooked a delicious meal. After dishes, he would read aloud while Anna brushed and braided Harry’s hair and then Anna would work on her sewing. The previous evening she had given him a shirt she had made for him. It had been such a surprise because he had never seen her sewing it.
“It matches your eyes,” she had said, holding the rich blue fabric against him.
He pulled her into a kiss. They had both forgotten about Harry until she giggled. He pulled back, still holding Anna in his arms. They both looked at Harry and laughed when they saw she was covering Jack the dog’s eyes.
After they put Harry to bed, he and Anna would retire to their bedroom behind the kitchen. They would talk about their day, plan the future and make love. Afterwards he would hold her as they fell asleep together. He didn’t think it was possible to love someone so much.
Anna had learned to drive a wagon, shoot a gun and ride a horse over the past few weeks. She was an expert with the wagon once she had gotten over her initial apprehension. They went to town twice a week, shopping on Wednesdays and Jack had even started attending church again on Sundays.
Anna was terrible with a gun but Jack enjoyed teasing her about it. And even though she wasn’t comfortable riding a horse, she had had enough practice where she could ride one if she needed to and he was satisfied with that.
“Hi Papa!”
Jack was pulled from his thoughts as his daughter called down to him. He looked up to see Harry precariously leaning out the window of the second floor of the hotel, looking down at him.
“Harriet Tremaine! Stop hanging out the window this instant before you fall!”
Harry pulled back so just her head peeked over the side. “Sorry. Did you bring Jack with you? You didn’t lock him in the house did you?”
“He’ll be fine for a few hours Harry.”
“Lucy gave me some tea,” she said, making a face. “I had to add a lot of sugar to make it taste good. And she’s making finger sandwiches so we can have a tea party while Anna’s gone.”
“What do you mean gone? Where did she go?”
“She went to the doctor. Her tummy’s been hurting her.”
Jack felt the color drain from his face.
“Harry, go back inside and enjoy your tea party. And I don’t want to see you hanging out of anymore second story windows. You can get hurt and I care about you too much,” he said quickly.
“Okay Papa.”
Jack waited until Harry closed the window before he started walking toward the doctor’s office. Then he started to run.
“Anna!” He yelled bursting into the doctor’s office without knocking. The tiny waiting area was empty. There were two closed doors. Jack didn’t know which one to open first. “Anna!” He called again.
He chose the closest one. It was an office and it was empty. He turned when the second door opened. Doctor Hilliard emerged first, Anna was behind him. Concern was etched on her face.
Jack grabbed her shoulders. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she answered. “Why? What is it? What’s wrong?”
He pulled her into his arms, burying his face in her neck. Her arms came around him, her hands soothingly running up his back.
The doctor quietly excused himself, went into his office and closed the door.
“Jack you’re scaring me.”
He pulled back. His eyes searched hers and he asked, “You’re not sick?”
Anna shook her head. “No. Why would you think that?”
“Harry,” he said softly, staggering back a few steps and collapsing onto the small sofa in the waiting area. Anna followed and stood in front of him. “She told me that your stomach has been hurting you. That you went to the doctor. I thought, I thought—” Jack ran his hands through his hair. He thought maybe he was going to lose her too.
“Oh Jack,” Anna said softly.
His eyes met hers.
“I’m not sick, I’m pregnant,” she said with a small smile. She glanced toward the empty exam room. “I wasn’t sure until just a few minutes ago but the doctor confirmed my suspicions.”
“You’re pregnant?” He repeated, stunned.
Anna nodded.
Jack was glad he was already sitting down. It was the last thing he had expected to hear. He rubbed his hands down his face as he absorbed the news.
“Are you upset?” Anna asked worriedly.
“No,” he whispered. He reached for her hand and dragged her onto his lap.
She laid her head against his chest, his arms coming around her.
“I wasn’t sure,” she said in a small voice. “I mean I know that you know what we’ve been doing can certainly result in a baby.” She blushed. “But we haven’t really discussed having children since we got married and I—”
“Anna, I couldn’t be happier that you are pregnant with my child. Truly. I love you Anna,” he said, his voice thick with emotion.
She straightened so she could look into his eyes. “You love me?”
He nodded and smiled. “Yes, I do. You couldn’t tell?”
“Well, you never said the words,” she said, looking down, tracing her finger over one of the buttons on his shirt.
He smiled and tilted her chin back up. “Neither did you,” he replied.
“I wanted you to say it first,” she said stubbornly.
Jack hugged her tightly against him. “I tried to show you Anna,” he said. “These past few weeks have been the best of my entire life. I want them to last a lifetime.”
Her eyes filled with tears. “I love you too Jack, so very much.”
He cradled her face in his hands. “You taught me that love is worth the risks. Thank you for not giving up on me. I love you Anna. I’ll spend a lifetime showing you how much.”
Tears spilled over her cheeks.
“I was going to save this for a special occasion and I think this might be just the right one,” Jack said, digging into his pocket.
Anna looked at the small paper packet, tied with a string. “What is it?” She asked curiously.
He handed it to her. “Why don’t you open it and find out.”
She took the tiny parcel from him, slowly pulling the string and unfolding the paper. Her hands started to shake when she saw the delicate silver band, etched with flowers. She looked up at him, her eyes wide.
“Marry me again Anna.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and showered his face with kisses.
“Is that a yes? We can grab Harry and Lucy from the hotel and head on over to the church. We’ll probably have to wake Reverend Brown from his afternoon nap but Molly would no doubt love another wedding. Say yes Anna.”
“Yes Jack, always yes to you.”
The End
Also by Sarah Banks
Brides of Sweet Creek
Mail Order Anna
Mail Order Becca
Mail Order Charl
otte
Mail Order Matrimony
His Surprise Bride