by Sarah Banks
He nodded. “Alright, I’ll see you in a little while then,” he said to Becca. “Night Casey.”
“Night Alex. Thanks for letting me stay. I’m sorry I caused so much trouble,” she said apologetically.
Alex gave her an abrupt nod and disappeared out the door.
Becca and Casey took turns using the privy before slowly walking back to the house together.
Casey’s head was tilted upwards, a dreamy smile on her lips. “Have you ever seen so many stars?” She whispered in wonder.
“Never,” Becca breathed in agreement.
They stood outside the door for a few minutes despite the cold, admiring the night sky. That is until they heard an unidentifiable howl in the distance. They knocked into each other trying to rush indoors and once inside, collapsed against each other and laughed, with the door closed tightly behind them.
“That might take some getting used to,” Becca said once she caught her breath, her eyes wide.
Casey nodded vigorously in agreement.
It was still nice and warm inside the house. Becca lit a lamp.
“I’ll see you in the morning,” Becca said from the base of the stairs. She watched as Casey settled on the sofa. “Oh, I almost forgot the blanket, I’ll be right back.”
Becca picked up her bag and slowly went up the stairs. Alex’s bedroom was exactly the same size as the kitchen and living area below it but with less furniture, only a bed and a single nightstand as far as she could see. She just about tripped over a pile of dirty laundry as she went to pull the extra blanket from the end of the hastily made bed. She caught herself and thankfully the lamp she was holding in time. She set it safely on the nightstand before pulling the blanket from the edge of the bed and taking it downstairs.
“Here you go,” she said, handing it to Casey.
“Thanks. What’s it like up there anyway?” Casey asked curiously.
“It’s pretty bare, just a bed and a nightstand,” Becca replied, trying to keep the disappointment from her voice. She tried to put a positive spin on it. If they continued to work hard together for the coming years, perhaps she and Alex would be able to furnish the house better and make it into a home that Becca never dared to dream she might have until now.
Casey kicked her boots under the sofa and lay down, pulling the blanket up to her chin.
“Goodnight Case.”
“Night Becca.”
Back upstairs, Becca explored a little bit more of the shadows beyond the circle of light from the lamp. Besides the bed and nightstand, she only found a single trunk. When she flipped it open, she saw Alex’s clothes, the few that were clean. They weren’t even folded, just stuffed inside, on top of a few personal possessions lying at the bottom.
She folded the clean clothes despite them now being hopelessly wrinkled and placed them back inside the trunk. She closed the lid and sighed. At least she knew that both Alex and Billy would benefit from a woman’s presence. Becca liked to be useful. She looked forward to taking care of her husband, making things easier for him and making a better life together. He seemed very kind and if first impressions were anything to go by, she could see herself being happy with him.
Becca changed into her nightgown and then remade the bed, fluffing both pillows before slipping underneath the covers. The hearth below did a fine job of keeping the room warm but the coolness of the sheets against her skin caused her to shiver.
She reached over and turned the lamp low. She wasn’t sure when Alex would make his way upstairs but she wanted him to be able to see and not trip. That reminded her. She jumped out of bed and gathered up all of the dirty clothes and piled them in the corner, safely out of the path from the stairs to the bed. Becca had never lived with a man before but she imagined that most men were about as tidy as he was. But he was busy she knew, with all of the farm work and caring of the animals.
Becca lay in bed and stared at the shadowed ceiling for quite some time. She didn’t know what time it was but it had to have been at least an hour since Alex had gone outside. She wondered where he was and what he was doing.
Chapter Eleven
“So what do you think of her?” Alex asked, calling up to his brother who was already settled up in the loft.
Alex heard some rustling around and soon Billy’s head peered over the edge of the hayloft.
“I like her.”
“So do I,” Alex agreed.
“Heck I liked her before supper,” Billy said. “Now, after that steak, I think I might love her.”
Alex rolled his eyes. “Quit kidding around.”
Billy was silent for a few moments before asking, “What’s the matter?”
Alex ran his hand through his hair. “I was just thinking about Casey.”
“What about her?”
“I don’t know, I was thinking about maybe having her stay.”
“Really?” Billy asked, his eyebrows raised. “We don’t even know her. She’s not even related to Becca.”
“I know but she’s like family to Becca. What do you think?”
Billy shrugged.
“You like her? Casey I mean.”
“I don’t dislike her,” Billy answered carefully.
“You two just need some time to warm up to each other,” Alex said confidently.
Billy shrugged again. “I do think it’s pretty neat she figured out a way to sneak out of the orphanage and find her way here.” His voice turned solemn. “I’ve been trying to imagine what it must have been like, growing up in a place like that, with no parents. Makes me sad thinking about it. I’m glad they don’t have to be there anymore.”
“Me too.”
They were quiet for a few moments before Billy said, “I’m sorry again about what I said earlier, about you just marrying Becca because you felt sorry for her. I didn’t mean it.”
“I know,” Alex replied. He kicked around the hay scattered at his feet. “The thing with Casey is I fully intended on sending her back the moment I saw her but the more I think about it, I don’t want to send her back to a place like that. And Becca’s seems so fond of her. I know I don’t know Becca all that well yet, but she’s my wife now. The last thing I want to do is hurt her. I want her to be happy here.”
Billy’s chin was resting on his hands as he looked down on his brother listening silently. He nodded in agreement.
“And if Casey proves to be a hard worker, I really think the four of us can make a pretty good go of this farm,” he said looking up at his brother.
Billy smiled and Alex smiled back.
“Well, I guess I’ll think on it a little while longer. I’ll see how the next few days go before making up my mind. Don’t say anything just in case it doesn’t work out, especially to Casey. I don’t want her to get her hopes up.”
“I won’t, I promise,” Billy replied.
Alex glanced toward the house. He could see only the dimmest of light from the upstairs window of the house through the doorway of the barn. He wondered if he had given Becca enough time to get settled upstairs.
“Well, I guess I’d better go. Night little brother,” he said, slowly dragging his feet toward the house. Alex wasn’t exactly sure what was going to happen tonight but he was just about as nervous as he’d ever been in his life. He knew that he shouldn’t expect intimacy on their very first night together. They barely knew each other. He knew that sort of thing would come with time and he considered himself a relatively patient man.
“Night Alex,” Billy sang in a high-pitched voice before making kissing noises.
Alex stopped, picked up an old boot of Billy’s lying next to the barn door and lobbed it at his brother’s head. He missed. One of the cows gave an annoyed moo of protest when the boot crashed back to the ground. Billy ducked back into the loft laughing.
∞∞∞
Becca finally heard her husband on the stairs. She turned onto her side, away from the doorway to give him some privacy to undress. She lay very still as he entered the room.
<
br /> She heard him kick off his boots followed by the rustling of his clothing. She imagined him taking off his shirt and then his pants. Heat flooded her cheeks and she tried to think about something else.
The covers lifted and Becca felt cool air hitting her back. Alex slid into bed, sinking into the mattress, bouncing her a bit before he finally settled down. He reached over and turned off the lamp.
He was quiet for a moment before whispering, “You asleep?”
Becca shook her head and then realized that he couldn’t see her in the dark. It was pitch black in here now that he had put out the lamp. She couldn’t even see her hand in front of her face.
She cleared her throat and responded softly, “No.”
She rolled over to face him. For such a big man and such a modest sized bed, she was surprised that he wasn’t touching her at all. She wondered which way he was facing. Becca slowly reached out her hand before thinking, her fingers encountering his warm skin. She pulled back as if she had been burned, making a noise in the back of her throat, a half-squeak, half-choking sound.
He was facing her, only a couple inches away. Her fingers had brushed against his chest and he wasn’t wearing a shirt.
“Are you naked?” She blurted out, before clapping a hand over her mouth in mortification at her question.
Alex laughed. She could hear his head move against his pillow as he shook his head. “Nah, I’m wearing long john bottoms.”
“Oh.”
“How about you, are you naked?” He asked, his voice filled with humor.
She couldn’t help but smile at his teasing. “No, I’m wearing a nightgown.”
“Too bad,” he said lightly.
Becca’s mouth dropped open. She didn’t know what to say to that. He was still teasing her, wasn’t he? And yet she felt a blush slowly spread across her body. She was glad the light was out so that he couldn’t see how his words affected her.
She was startled when she felt his hand lightly touch her shoulder. He slid his hand down her arm until he held her left hand in his. His thumb brushed across her wedding ring.
“I’m real glad you came all the way out here and married me Becca,” he said softly.
She swallowed.
“You know I was thinking earlier that I didn’t seal our wedding vows with a kiss,” he said softly. “Well, not a real kiss anyway.”
She quickly inhaled. Her thoughts went back to the short ceremony. It had all transpired so quickly and Becca had been so nervous. Truthfully, she could only remember bits and pieces. He definitely had not kissed her, at least not on the lips. She would have remembered that.
Becca of course wanted to kiss her husband but she had never kissed anyone before.
“Is that okay?” He asked softly.
She nodded and once again realized he couldn’t see her in the dark. “Yes,” she whispered.
He squeezed her fingers gently before his hand slowly moved back up her arm before stopping at her shoulder and even though it was dark, she could feel his head leaning closer, his breath mingling with hers. She reached her hand up, her fingers pressing against his lips. He froze.
“That’s not exactly how it works,” he said with a small laugh, his lips moving against her fingers. She could feel his smile against her fingertips.
“I’ve never kissed anyone before,” Becca admitted. “What if I’m terrible at it?”
“I doubt that,” he said seriously.
“Would you tell me if I was?”
“Immediately,” he teased. “And then I would proceed to give you a series of kissing lessons.”
She pulled back her hand and smiled. “You’re terrible, you know that?”
He chuckled. She could still feel him close. He placed his hand back on hers and squeezed it gently, sliding his thumb over her wedding band again. She closed her eyes for a moment, finding the motion soothing.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t tease you,” he said, his voice more serious this time. “I understand your nervousness. But avoiding it won’t abate it any.”
She silently agreed.
“We’re married now. I know we won’t be intimate right away and that’s okay. But we will be sharing a bed and I do want to kiss my wife. As far as the other,” he paused a moment before continuing, “I’ll leave that up to you. Well, unless you make me wait for years, then I don’t know.”
His understanding along with his gentle teasing had eased her nerves somewhat.
“Alright,” she said softly. “I’m ready. And oh, about the other thing, I won’t make you wait years.” She smiled shyly.
He chuckled again. “I’m glad.”
His hand moved back up her arm and she closed her eyes. When she felt him lean close, her lips parted naturally and Alex gave Becca her very first kiss. He cradled her head as his lips pressed against hers, his movements sweet and tender. Butterflies danced inside of her and a warmth started to build that she didn’t fully understand. Finally he pulled away slightly and she could feel his lips curve into a smile against hers. He kissed her one final time before pulling back.
“Perfect,” he whispered.
She blushed.
“Goodnight Becca,” he said, as he lay back down on the bed.
“Goodnight Alex,” she whispered.
Chapter Twelve
The next morning Becca awoke to Casey standing over her.
“Wake up slugabed,” Casey said, her hands on her hips.
It took Becca a moment to realize that she wasn’t in the orphanage and that it was light outside. She always woke before sunrise. She sat bolt upright.
“What time is it?”
“After ten,” Casey replied.
“It is!” Becca pushed the covers back and jumped out of bed. She had never slept so late in her life!
Casey moved out of her way, examining the room as Becca dressed. “I wasn’t supposed to wake you but Alex and Billy have been up for hours and they haven’t had breakfast yet. I guess I could have made them something, but all I know how to make is porridge,” she said, making a face.
“Who said you weren’t supposed to wake me? Alex?” Becca asked over her shoulder as she changed from her nightgown into her dress.
“Uh-huh. He said you must have been exhausted because you barely moved at all last night or this morning. He said he even checked to make sure you were still breathing,” Casey informed her matter-of-factly.
“Well, that’s morbid,” Becca replied as she sat on the edge of the bed to button her boots.
Casey giggled.
After using the privy Becca walked around the opposite end of the house, to the unfinished portion, stopped and stared. She guessed it was supposed to be two more bedrooms. The work didn’t look recent so she figured it had been this way when Alex had purchased the property. She wondered what had happened for the bedrooms to remain half-done. Did they run out of money? Or move away? She swallowed. Or did someone die?
She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered, even though she was wearing her jacket and it wasn’t quite as cold as yesterday in the late morning sunshine. She heard a noise and turned to see Alex approaching. Becca smiled.
“Good morning sleepyhead,” Alex greeted her with a smile of his own. He stopped in front of her, his eyes dropping briefly to her lips. She wondered if he was thinking about the kiss, or kisses rather, they had shared the previous evening. She almost thought that he might kiss her again but he didn’t. His eyes went back to hers. She told herself what she was feeling was not disappointment.
“Good morning Alex. I’m sorry I slept so late. I can’t remember having ever slept so long in my entire life.”
“No need to apologize,” he assured her. “You needed the rest, you’ve been travelling for days.”
She nodded. She didn’t mention that Casey had travelled just as long as she had but still managed to wake early. Her gaze went back to the half-finished addition. His eyes followed hers.
“It was like that when I purchased
the property,” he explained, answering her unasked question. “The house, barn and property, it all belonged to Lucy Spencer and her husband. She runs the Sweet Creek Mail Order Bride Agency. After her husband died suddenly she sold the farm and moved into town. She lives at the hotel, runs her business from there.”
“Oh,” Becca replied quietly. How sad that her husband had died. And how strange that she now made a living finding wives for other men but never again marrying herself.
His eyes ran over the unfinished framing of the two rooms. “They were planning on expanding their family I think,” he said softly and Becca felt a flash of pain for people that she didn’t even know.
“Have you ever thought about finishing it?” She asked, turning to him.
His eyes went to hers and he was quiet for a moment before answering, “Sometimes.”
It would be perfect for Billy and Casey she thought. They would each have their own rooms. Billy wouldn’t have to sleep out in the barn and Casey wouldn’t have to sleep on the sofa, she would have her privacy. But then she remembered that Casey wouldn’t be staying long so she wouldn’t be needing a room. A wave of sadness washed over her. She swallowed.
“We should finish them,” she said.
He looked at her, nodding in agreement. “I think that would be a good idea.”
Becca excused herself, promising him a late breakfast in less than thirty minutes. First she made two dozen biscuits and then she fried a large pile of bacon. She used the same pan to scramble a dozen eggs into a large fluffy pile. It was a lot of food for four people, she realized.
“I collected those eggs just this morning,” Casey told her. “Alex showed me how to do it without getting pecked or clawed. He has more than a dozen hens and he said he usually gets an egg per hen a day. That’s a lot of eggs.”
Becca agreed. She wished they had thought to put in a chicken coop behind the orphanage although she doubted there would have been enough room. Besides, their neighbors probably wouldn’t have appreciated the smell or squawking. But it would have saved them money and they would have had fresh eggs to eat every day. Well, she was glad to have one here.