“Do you ever get the things you can use before they bury them?”
Why was she asking him all these questions? Was it because he hadn’t drunk the coffee yet? Was she waiting for him to empty the cup so she could take it back to the house?
To test his theory, he picked up the cup and drank the entire thing.
“Oh, you poor thing,” Allie said in alarm. “I had no idea you were so thirsty. I’ll get you another cup and be right back.”
Before he could answer, she took the empty cup from him, her fingers once again brushing against his and producing that same pleasurable spark he’d experienced before. He was so speechless that he couldn’t stop her from hurrying out of the building.
He almost went to the door and blocked it with something heavy. Almost. But he didn’t.
She’d been concerned about him. He couldn’t recall a time when anyone besides his father showed a genuine concern for him. Allie wasn’t pretending to be interested in him, either. She really was.
The realization should have calmed his nerves. Logically, that was the way things would play out, but knowing she wanted to get to know him only made him much more nervous. If she ignored him or had fun at his expense, it would be something he was familiar with. He’d know how to react to those things. But this concern she had was much too different. And all it did was make him panic.
She returned with a larger cup of coffee and a glass of water. “I thought I’d bring more this time,” she explained. “The other cup was such a small one. I also got water in case you’d rather drink it. I like to alternate between the two myself. I know coffee can help you stay awake, but I find water to be more refreshing.” She placed both on the table.
“Thank…” His voice squeaked. He cleared his throat. “Thank you.”
Her face lit up. “You’re welcome.” He thought she might stay and watch as he continued to work on the crutch, like she had planned to before, but she added, “Ida has a headache, so I need to see to her comfort. I’ll come back here when the stew is done.”
He should have been relieved as she left the building, shutting the door softly behind her. He really should have been relieved, and yet, he wasn’t. He was disappointed. And worse, he didn’t know what to do about it.
Chapter Eleven
Allie pressed a cool cloth on Ida’s forehead. Ida was lying on the couch in the parlor, her injured ankle propped up on a small pillow.
“Do you feel better?” Allie asked.
“Yes,” Ida replied. “Thank you.”
“Think nothing of it. It’s probably for the best you stay here for the night. You need to rest.”
“It seems that ever since my oldest was born, I haven’t had a chance to rest at all. I have ten children.”
“Ten?”
Allie couldn’t imagine having that many. There was barely room in this cottage for two or three.
“All my husband has to do is look at me, and I’m expecting another one,” Ida said.
“You need to tell him to stop looking your way,” she teased.
She chuckled. “I keep telling him that, but he says I’m so pretty he can’t help it.”
“Well, you are an attractive woman.”
“I used to be more so when I was younger, but it is nice he still finds me pleasing to look at even after all the years we’ve been married.”
“It is.”
Ida let out a long sigh. “Maybe I’ve been too hard on him. He works long hours to provide for us. If the worst he does is let me sit in a jail cell, then I have it better than other women.” Her gaze met Allie’s. “Don’t you think it’s awful when a husband is unfaithful to his wife? I mean, she gives him the best of her years, has his children, and cooks and cleans for him. Then how does he thank her? He seeks out another’s bed. It just doesn’t seem right to me.”
“To be fair, I don’t think it’s right if a wife does that to her husband.”
“Oh, I agree. I’m alarmed at how much of this is happening in this town. Carl’s wife—the one that recently died—was with a few men around here.” She patted Allie’s hand. “You have nothing to worry about. Travis wasn’t one of them. My Mike wasn’t one of them, either.”
“Is that why Carl’s wife was murdered?” Allie asked.
“I think so. A lot of people think so, too. She was unfaithful to him from the moment they married. It was no secret the two never loved each other. They only married because his father arranged the match. As far as I can recall, though, Carl was faithful to her.” Ida groaned. “Am I gossiping by telling you this?”
“To be honest, I’m not sure.”
“Until recently, I haven’t taken the time to think over what separates gossip from things people ought to know. Facts are facts. They don’t change, no matter how much someone wants them to.”
“Well, yes, that’s true,” Allie slowly replied, not sure where Ida was going with this.
Ida sat up, the cloth falling from her forehead. She grabbed it then turned toward Allie. “I think there are some things we need to tell others. Take the murder. If I knew who killed Carl’s wife, then I would have an obligation to say who it was. Otherwise, I’d be just as guilty of the crime as the killer.”
Allie nodded. It was hard to argue Ida’s point.
“If that’s the right thing to do, then why is it wrong to tell a wife that her husband is having an affair?” Ida asked. “What makes killing someone different from adultery? Both are wrong.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Allie had to admit. Having testified in court after witnessing a murder, she had to swear to tell the truth. “There are times when we have to speak up.”
“Exactly! That’s what I’ve been trying to tell my husband. I know Jerry’s his brother, but I can’t keep quiet just because of that.” After a moment, she added, “I know it was wrong to spread rumors about Caroline Johnson and your husband. I’ve learned my lesson on those things. I promise I won’t do that kind of thing anymore. But I do feel I have a duty to tell what I know about Jerry. I don’t care if he is my brother-in-law. He’s guilty, and his actions need to come to light. It was wrong for the sheriff to put me in the cell for that one, and my husband should have understood that.”
“Are you absolutely certain Jerry’s guilty?”
“I am. He’d been acting strange for the past six months. I couldn’t figure out why until I saw him with that green dress. Then it all made sense. I don’t care what he says. It wasn’t a gift for his wife for her upcoming birthday. She would never want a dress like that, and he knows it.”
“Did you tell his wife?”
“Of course, I did. That’s how I ended up in jail. Everyone assumes I’m just trying to spread more gossip.”
Allie didn’t know Ida very well, but she couldn’t blame the woman for being upset. Had Ida not had a reputation for gossiping, the others might have taken her seriously. But she chose not to say this. It wouldn’t do any good. Ida seemed to be sincere about changing, so the last thing she needed was for someone to be critical of her.
“Well,” Allie began, “maybe after a good meal and a good night’s sleep, things will look better.”
“Maybe.” She settled back on the couch and pressed the cloth back to her forehead. “I really do appreciate all you’re doing for me.”
Allie gave her a smile to say she was welcome and then went to the kitchen to check on the stew.
***
Travis had just finished the crutch when there was a knock at the door. He didn’t have to look out the window to know it was Allie. His heartbeat had been faster than normal ever since she’d come in here to bring him coffee. No amount of trying to slow it down had worked. He was far too anxious—and excited—by the prospect of seeing her again to relax.
And now that she was here, he found his hands were trembling again. He took a deep breath and picked up the crutch. He almost pulled the hat low over his forehead, but she’d already seen him. She knew what he looked like. There was no sen
se in trying to hide his face anymore.
As he reached the door, she knocked on it again and called his name. He opened it, ready to hand her the crutch. But she was holding a tray with a bowl of steaming stew on it, so he set the crutch aside and took the tray. He’d forgotten all about this particular tray. It was one of the few things he had left of his mother. He’d put it in the kitchen when he’d first moved in but hadn’t ever used it.
Now, as he took the tray, he couldn’t help but note the care Allie had taken in cleaning it. No doubt, it had been covered in dust, just like so many things that had been in the cottage. But he’d spent so much time out here he’d hardly noticed it. Time had passed from one day to another until the years had blurred together.
“Thank you,” he told Allie. The words seemed just as awkward as they had earlier. “The crutch is over there.” He nodded toward the crutch before he carried the tray to the table.
“I’m sure Ida will get good use out of it,” Allie replied.
He fully expected her to leave, so he sat at the table and picked up the spoon. When he saw her close the door behind her and walk over to him, he froze.
“Ida will be staying here for the night,” she said.
Was she asking for his permission, or was she telling him this? Though the sentence had been phrased as a statement, she stared at him expectantly.
He cleared his throat. “Alright.”
“I was thinking it might be best if you slept in the cottage with me.”
Sleep in the cottage? With her? She couldn’t be serious. He was having a hard enough time maintaining eye contact with her. How was he supposed to sleep under the same roof she was?
“I was thinking about it,” she continued, “and it would arouse too many questions if Ida knew you slept out here. I don’t know if she’d come out and ask them, but if she did, it would be awkward.”
Oh, good heavens. She was serious! “Oh, um…” He shifted in the chair. “I don’t think I’ll fit on the couch all that well.”
“I didn’t mean for you to sleep on the couch. I meant that you would sleep in our bedroom.”
His gut tightened. “And you would sleep on the couch?”
“No. I would be in our bedroom, too.”
“But there’s no room for me to sleep on the floor.”
“The bed is big enough for two people.”
She didn’t really intend for him to sleep in the same bed with her. There was no way she wanted them to do that.
“Ida will sleep in the other bedroom,” she went on. “This way, Ida will think we have a normal marriage.”
He winced. Normal marriage. Did she mean to imply that the way they were doing things now wasn’t normal? He glanced over at the makeshift bed he’d been sleeping in. Well, he supposed she was right. It wasn’t normal. Normal was a husband and wife sleeping in the same bed.
“Caroline Johnson warned me that Ida has a tendency to say more than she should,” Allie added. “She seems sincere about not wanting to spread gossip anymore, but I don’t know her well enough to trust her. I was thinking it would be safer if we slept in the same room.”
He wished he could come up with something to prove Ida wouldn’t tell everyone in town they slept apart, but, unfortunately, he was familiar with Ida’s reputation.
If word got out that his own wife wouldn’t sleep in the same room with him… Well, he didn’t think that would bode well for either him or Allie.
Forcing aside his unease, he finally said, “I’ll come to bed after I finish tending to the animals.”
“Thank you,” she replied before she took the crutch and left him alone.
He stared at the stew. He didn’t know how he was supposed to eat it now.
How was he supposed to share the same bed with her? Not only was he repulsive, but he was six-and-a-half-feet tall with a large frame. Though he wasn’t fat, he wasn’t exactly thin. The bed might have fit the couple who used to live in the cottage just fine, but he took up most of the space whenever he slept in it. What if he rolled over and hurt her? She was such a tiny thing. He’d never forgive himself if he hurt her. And if Ida found out, who knew what they’d say in town?
Taking a deep breath, he struggled to relax. It was only for one night. Surely, he could make it through one night. Then he could return to his bed in this building, and things would go back to the way they’d been before. He thought he and Allie had worked out a suitable arrangement this way. At least, it was something he was comfortable with.
One night. I can make it through one night.
Releasing his breath, he picked up the spoon and ate the stew. When he was done, he washed up, figuring if Allie had to endure a night with him, then the least he could do was smell nice. Afterwards, he took care of the horses, hens, and milking cow.
He then checked the traps he’d set, making sure they were hidden well enough so an animal would unknowingly step in it. They were getting low on meat, and he enjoyed the steaks Allie had made for him. She’d even put some of the savory meat into the stew tonight. He didn’t know what her secret was, but she was even better at cooking than Lois—and Lois was an excellent cook.
Once there was nothing else for him to do, he took the tray and carried it to the cottage, his footsteps slowing with every step he took. Why did this have to be so difficult? Why couldn’t he be like everyone else? What other husband would shy away from the opportunity to be with his wife?
From the open window near the door, he could hear Allie laughing at something Ida was telling her. Well, the two were having a good time. He supposed that worked in his favor. Maybe they’d be enjoying themselves enough where they wouldn’t notice him.
“I’m telling you,” Ida said, “he looked just like a monster.”
He paused at the door and frowned. Were they talking about him?
“So I made him wash the mud off his face at once,” Ida continued. “Then I gave him a firm talking to about trying to scare his little sister.”
Travis relaxed. She was talking about her children. Not him.
Allie laughed harder. “Maybe it’s good I was the oldest. I’d hate to think of my brothers playing such pranks on me. That would be horrible.”
“One thing I will say is that life never gets boring with children around. And the more you have, the more interesting life gets. Why, just you wait until you have a couple. One will try to outwit the other, and there will be fights over the silliest things.”
Children? Ida thought he and Allie would have children? His first inclination was to laugh at the absurdity of such a thing. But then, he supposed it was a good thing Ida believed it would happen. It meant she thought enough of him to consider he had the potential to even have them. He could take that as a compliment if he wanted, and maybe, for once, he would take a comment that way.
And this only reinforced why Allie’s suggestion they sleep in the same room was the right thing to do. Ida would think they had a marriage just like everyone else. Then Allie would be saved from any needless gossip.
Steadying his resolve, he opened the door and stepped into the kitchen. From where he stood, he couldn’t see the two women, nor could they see him. But even so, Allie came into the kitchen just as he shut the door.
“I’ll take that,” she told him as she took the tray from him. “Would you like to sit in the parlor?”
He’d come here only to sleep in the bedroom. That was it. He hadn’t come in to talk to Ida.
As if she could read his mind, she gave him an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. You may go on to bed. I’ll be there after I get things ready for Ida for the night.”
He glanced around the doorway and saw Ida sipping from her cup. She was reclined on the couch, her injured ankle propped up.
Allie took the bowl and spoon to the sink and started washing it. With a look in his direction, she asked, “Is there anything you need?”
He shook his head. “No,” he forced out. Ida was going t
o see him as he went to the bedroom. There was no way around it. Lowering his voice so only Allie could hear him, he asked, “What should I tell her as I walk by?”
She finished washing the dish and spoon and set them on a towel to dry. “I’ll take care of that.” She held her hand out to him.
He stared at it.
“It’ll be fine,” she assured him, giving him that smile that seemed to light up everything around her. “I’ll do the talking.”
He hesitated for another moment but then took her hand. Once more, he experienced the same pleasant tingling sensation from touching her. Did she feel it, too? No. Such a thing would be silly. It was all in his mind.
She led him through the parlor and paused when Ida’s gaze went to them. “Travis wanted to tell you that he hopes your ankle will heal soon,” Allie said for him.
“I appreciate that, Travis,” Ida told him. Then, with a tentative smile, she continued, “I’m sorry for all the things I said about you. They weren’t true, and it was wrong for me to do that. I hope you might find it in your heart to forgive me, but if you don’t, I’ll understand.”
He hadn’t expected this. No one had ever apologized to him before. Allie tugged on his hand to lead him to the bedroom, but he remained still so he could tell Ida, “I forgive you.”
Ida seemed relieved, and he relaxed. Well, he relaxed as much as he could, considering he was holding Allie’s hand and would be sharing a bed with her that night.
Allie proceeded to lead him to the bedroom, and he stopped in the doorway. He almost didn’t recognize it. There was new bedding and an assortment of feminine items lined the top of the dresser. She had even put a bouquet of wildflowers in a vase and set it in the middle of her things. Then there were pretty curtains blowing in the breeze as it came into the room.
Yes, this room definitely had her touch to it. And honestly, it looked a lot better than it had when he occupied it. Well, except for one small detail. Allie had even moved the mirror from the other bedroom into this one, and it hung above the dresser. With the room being as small as it was, he couldn’t help but see his reflection. Even though he tried with all his willpower to ignore it, his gaze kept going back to it. He should have smashed the thing like he’d done with the other one. All mirrors did was taunt him. But then, why shouldn’t Allie be able to look at herself? She was beautiful.
The Accidental Mail Order Bride Page 10