“They’re a handful.”
“They’re a heartful,” she countered.
“So you still want to stick around here?”
“I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life. I wrote a letter to my parents last night, telling them all about Polly and Ginny Mae and what it’s like here.”
“Did you tell them what you said earlier—about it being majestic?”
She nodded. “I told them when I wake up in the morning, this place often makes me think of the verse, ‘Be still, and know that I am God.’ ” She laughed a bit. “Then I told them the day is so full, I don’t do much more thinking until I climb back in bed.”
“We can still buy your passage back to the islands.”
“And cheat me out of the happiness I’ve found here? Gideon, you couldn’t get me to budge from Reliable if you used a crowbar. I love this place, and I love the people even more. Hannah’s daughters are delights.”
They rounded the garden and headed toward the main house. Daniel was kneeling in the dirt, brushing off Ginny’s dress and face. Polly turned and ran toward Miriam. “Ginny fell, Auntie Miri-Em!”
Ginny wiggled away from Daniel and headed for Miriam, too. Tears streaked her grubby little cheeks as she raised her arms to be lifted. “M’um! M’um!”
“Mom!” Accusation thundered in Dan’s voice.
Chapter 14
Gideon tightened his hold around Miriam as his brother stormed toward her. “Daniel—”
“You stay out of this.” Daniel jabbed his forefinger at Miriam. “You taught her that. You had no right. She’s not yours.”
“Paul. Titus.” Gideon did his best to keep his voice level and calm as he summoned his brothers. The last thing he wanted was to have the babies witness this confrontation. Polly’s eyes were huge, and Ginny tugged at Miriam’s skirts and continued to cry, “M’um! Up!”
Both brothers had been nearby. They closed ranks on either side of him and Miriam.
“The girls.” The words barely made it out of his mouth before Paul stooped to sweep the baby and Polly into his arms. “C’mon, girls. Uncle Paul wants to show you a big, fat worm.” He strode away.
Titus paused a moment. His chin tilted upward, and he looked from Dan to Miriam, then looked at Gideon and raised his brow. “Do you want me to take Miriam inside, or do you need me to knock some sense into Dan?”
“It’s none of your affair—neither of you.” Dan bristled. “This is betwixt me and Miriam.”
Titus whistled under his breath, accepted the rifle from Gideon, and headed into his cabin.
The air crackled with tension.
God, give me wisdom. It’s a hard truth I have to tell. “Daniel,” Gideon started.
“I told you to stay out of this,” Daniel roared. “It’s none of your business.”
“I never meant to cause discord.” Miriam reached out to him. “Daniel, please understand—”
“No, you understand, Miriam. You are not their mother. You’ll never be their mother. Hannah was.” He thumped his chest. “My Hannah. She bore and suckled them. You’re their aunt, and that’s all you’ll ever be.”
“That’s more than enough for me,” she replied with quiet dignity.
For weeks, Gideon had prayed and kept quiet. He knew he had to speak now. “Your girls are lucky to have their auntie M’um. That’s right, Dan—M’um. It’s a baby’s way of saying Miriam. If you weren’t so busy wallowing in your self-pity, you would have realized it. We’ve all let you have your temper fits and tried to understand your grief, but you’ve gone far over the line.”
“Fine. Then I’ll take my daughters and leave.”
As quickly as her hand flew to cover her mouth, Miriam still didn’t quite manage to muffle her cry.
“Go? Okay, Dan.” Gideon looked his brother in the eyes and called his bluff, not at all sure it was a bluff. “Let’s think it through: Just where would you go? Who’s going to look after the girls while you work to earn a living?”
“I’d manage.”
“You’re kidding no one but yourself. You resent Miriam lavishing her love on the girls, but who else would ever treat them with such care?”
“They have my love.”
“That they do. They have mine, too, just as they have Paul, Titus, Logan, and Bryce’s love. Taking them away from all of us would be cruel to them, and you know it.”
“You’ve given me no choice. It’s either me or her.” He gave Miriam a malevolent glare.
Gideon rested his hands on Miriam’s shoulders in a silent show of support. “Her name is Miriam, and you’ll use it. Polly and Ginny Mae need Miriam. She’s become part of this family—an important part, and it’s high time you accept that fact.”
“I don’t expect you to understand.”
“All I know is, you’re suffering from grief now, but how much more are your daughters going to suffer if they don’t grow up with a woman’s love? It’s not about you. It’s about Polly and Virginia.” Something flared in Daniel’s eyes, and Gideon paused a moment to let his words sink in. Lord, please help him understand. Don’t let this tear our family apart. Gideon squeezed Miriam, then moved to the side and clamped his hand on Daniel’s shoulder. Quietly he said, “It’s bad enough that you sorrow. How could you deny your daughters what they need?”
A wounded sound rumbled deep in Daniel’s chest. His face contorted with grief as he turned and shuffled away. Minutes later, the sound of an ax rang over and over and over again.
Tears rained down Miriam’s wan cheeks. “What should I do?”
Gideon gathered her to his chest. He bowed his head and whispered into her hair, “Keep doing what you’ve been doing—love the girls and pray, Miriam. Pray a lot.”
When they’d all been together in the one dwelling, the brothers often urged Miriam to read aloud from her Bible as they wound up an evening. Since the day they’d built all of the cottages, it would have been easy for everyone to just drift off, but they hadn’t. Gideon picked up the Bible one night and started reading it aloud. Thereafter, whoever so chose took the honor. By late summer, they’d often go out into the yard, sit together, and hold end-of-the-day devotions.
The resonance in Gideon’s voice made the verses seem more special and personal. Miriam didn’t want to think about that fact, but as she lay in bed one night, she closed her eyes and heard the middle verses of the first chapter of 2 Timothy as he’d read it that night: “Nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.”
Though she’d memorized that passage as a little girl, it felt as if the Lord had wanted her to hear those words again. I’ve committed myself to Thee, Lord. Help me to hold fast to the tasks Thou art entrusting to me. Grant me a loving spirit and a vibrant faith so I can let my light shine in this home. Amen.
Even after she prayed, Miriam felt restless. It would be so nice to simply dump everything into God’s hands and sleep with the innocent trust of a baby. Life wasn’t that easy. Especially since Daniel’s outburst, she’d felt unsettled. Gideon made it clear he felt she belonged here. Titus, Paul, Logan, and Bryce did, too. Polly and Ginny Mae cuddled with her at every opportunity. Her heart told her this was where she wanted and needed to stay, but Daniel’s simmering hostility had turned into a painful, purposeful indifference.
Gideon told Daniel he was acting in his own interest instead of what was best for the girls. Am I fooling myself? Am I staying here not just because I love my nieces but because I’ve let my heart race ahead of my head and ended up falling in love with Gideon?
“Peekyboo!” Ginny Mae went into gales of giggles as Miriam fluffed a shirt from the laundry line over the child, who sat in the big wicker basket.
Gideon leaned agains
t the clothesline and chuckled. “She’s liable to chew on that, you know.”
Miriam plucked the next shirt off the line. “It’s still damp, anyway.”
“Why don’t you leave it up awhile, then?”
“I have the irons heating. It’ll steam dry.”
“The whole time we didn’t have a woman here, we never once ironed a work shirt. You could skip that chore, and it wouldn’t matter one whit.”
Miriam shot him a grin. “Strangers knew you were ranchers because your shirts all looked liked cows chewed on them, huh?”
“The finest cows in the state.” He puffed out his chest. “We took it as a mark of honor.”
He watched as she took a scrap of fabric down from the line and knelt with Polly. Carefully she taught Polly how to wrap up her dolly. Polly’s face lit with delight. “Looky, Unca Giddy—looky at my dolly!”
“That’s just how your mama used to wrap you.” He’d spoken without thinking, but judging from their glowing smiles, Gideon reckoned he’d managed to say the right thing.
Miriam rose and shoved back a damp curl. “Reba said there’s a circuit rider coming through, so we’ll have a real preacher this week.”
“Oh, so we’re going to all have to be in our best Sunday-go-to-meeting duds?” He took one end of the sheet off the line and helped her match the corners and fold it. When they met in the middle, he added, “Folks have been right happy with how we’ve been holding worship on our own.”
She tilted her head to the side. “Do you think it’s the worship or that we have a meal afterward?”
“Does it matter? Whether they come for the sake of their souls or their bellies, the men are being fed. We’re shining light, Miriam.”
Her face brightened. “Yes, we are, aren’t we?”
“Absolutely.” He lifted the laundry basket—Ginny Mae included—and carried it to the main house. “Got word from Chris Roland that he’ll be slaughtering a steer tomorrow. He’ll bring over a hindquarter so the boys can barbecue it for Sunday.”
“That’s a blessing.” Preceding him into the house, she motioned toward the table.
He set down the laundry and watched as she took two loaves of bread from the oven and slipped in another pair. The yeasty fragrance never ceased to please him. “Mmmmmm. Think heaven smells that good?”
Miriam laughed. “Oh, I think heaven smells like the cedar trees past the garden— probably because of the verses about the cedars of Lebanon for the temple.” She lifted Ginny Mae from the depths of the laundry basket. “Polly, honey, it’s nap time.”
“I’m not tired.” Polly’s jaw jutted out.
Gideon knew the look well, and he opened his mouth to scold her, but Miriam’s reaction stopped him short. She simply plucked the rag doll from Polly’s arms and walked away. Her words drifted over her shoulder. “Well, that’s a sad thing. Dolly and sister are going to be lonely, napping without you.”
Polly scrambled into the big, old bedroom. A corner of it now held a little trundle bed and a crib where the girls took their naps. “I want my dolly!”
“Then you need to take off your shoes and get in bed.” Miriam kept the doll out of reach and started changing Ginny’s diaper.
“Unca Giddy, Auntie Miri-Em is mean. Tell her not to be bad to me.”
“Polly, you’re being a naughty girl.” He wagged his finger at her. “A very naughty girl. You’re to mind what Aunt Miriam tells you to do. She loves you and would never be mean to you.”
“But she gots Dolly!”
“She’s being nice. She said if you take off your shoes and get in bed, you may have Dolly back. Sassy as you’ve been, I would have swatted your backside and kept Dolly.”
“But you’re a big growed-up man.” Her lower lip started to quiver. “You don’t need Dolly to cuddle.”
“Miriam made Dolly. That makes Dolly very special, and I’d be happy to mind such a fine toy. Even grown-ups like cuddling.”
Little braids swinging from the vehemence with which she shook her head, Polly said, “Nuh-unh. Hugs and cuddles is for babies and little girls.”
“Snippy little girls get swats, not hugs.” He folded his arms across his chest. “Now get those shoes off and climb into bed.”
Miriam kissed Ginny Mae’s cheek, laid her in the crib, and covered her. “Night-night.”
“Nigh-nigh.”
Polly yanked off her shoes, scrambled onto her bed, and thrust out her hands. “Dolly!” She hurriedly tacked on, “Please!”
Miriam knelt by the bed and carefully tucked Dolly in next to Polly. She dallied for a moment, then cupped Polly’s cheek. “Grown-ups who love each other and get married hug, sweetheart.”
“Did my daddy and mama hug?”
“Yes. They loved each other very, very much. Now you have a nice nap and hold Dolly tight.”
With the girls situated, Miriam and Gideon went back to the main room. Miriam let out a sigh as she checked the sadirons on the stove.
“You’re tired. Why don’t you rest while the girls nap?”
“It’s not that.” Tears filled her pretty green eyes. “Polly’s never going to have the security of seeing Hannah and Daniel embracing.”
“Shh.” He tugged her away from the stove. “Remember? That’s one of the reasons you need to be here for them—to teach them those little things. You’re not just shining God’s light, sweet pea; you’re shining light to keep the girls from growing up ignorant and backward.”
The rest of the day passed, and they all gathered outside for Bible reading. Miriam caught Gideon giving her a baffled look, and her cheeks went hot with guilt. She hadn’t been paying much attention to what Titus read because Gideon’s words kept humming through her mind. He’d not just come to accept her here—he’d admitted she belonged and was fulfilling a special calling.
As they broke up after Paul said a prayer, Bryce said, “Betcha we have us a nice, short, misty rain tonight.”
Miriam headed toward her cottage, but Gideon stopped her short. “You all that tired?”
“Not really. I was going to crochet or sew a bit.”
The left side of his mouth canted upward. “You’ve been sticking close to home. Why don’t we just walk a bit?”
Surprised, she allowed him to lead her along the property toward a stand of cedars. “Smells like heaven to me.”
“Looks like heaven, too.”
Something about his tone made Miriam glance up. Gideon was looking at her— not at the path. I have to stop this. He’s just being a friend. I can’t twist his agreement into a compliment. I can’t moon over him or make a fool of myself and ruin what we’ve started.
“Look to your left,” he murmured.
A doe and fawn ventured from behind a tree.
“Polly would enjoy this. If it weren’t her bedtime, we could have brought her along.” She hoped bringing up the girls would get her mind back where it belonged.
“She’d scare ’em away. She’s so noisy, there isn’t a creature God made that’ll come close to her. Even the dogs keep their distance.”
“And I thought Logan wouldn’t take her fishing because he was afraid she’d drown!”
“There is that,” Gideon agreed. Even in the failing light, she could see the twinkle in his eyes. “Then, too, wherever Polly goes, her baby sister toddles right after. In case it escaped your notice, Ginny Mae seems to enjoy eating the worms instead of leaving them for bait.”
Laughter bubbled out of Miriam. For being such a big, brick wall of a man, Gideon Chance hid a well-honed sense of humor and a wellspring of tenderness.
Their conversation and her laughter sent the deer scampering. Miriam let out a sigh. “I didn’t stay any quieter than Polly would have.”
“I’ve been seeing deer day in and day out for years; ’til you came, I hadn’t heard a woman’s laughter in ages.”
He led her along a bit farther and paused here and there for her to step over a root or to lift her over a stump. His hands were sure and s
trong, and when he finally left her at the door to her cabin, Miriam felt bereft as she slid from the shelter of his hold.
“Good night, Gideon. Thank you for the stroll.”
“We’ll have to do it more often.”
“I’d like that.” She slipped into her cabin and latched the door. Leaning against the closed door, she listened to him walk off. Oh, Gideon, I’d really like that. She thought about getting ready for bed, but the joy of that evening stroll had her wide awake. Sitting on her bed, crocheting, held absolutely no appeal. Miriam decided to slip over into the main house so she could fetch the Farmer’s Almanac. With the climate here so different, she wanted to study when the best planting time was for various garden crops.
As she headed toward the house, Miriam noted lights still shone in the main room, so she blew out her own candle. No use wasting it. The door stood ajar, and Bryce’s hearty chuckle came through. Miriam reached out to push open the door, but she froze when he said, “So she’s takin’ the bait, huh, Gideon? Imagine that. Drawing straws might not have been the best way to figure out who ought to marry up with her—”
Chapter 15
Miriam didn’t wait to overhear another word. Hand pressed to her mouth, she fled back to her cabin.
Eavesdroppers never hear well of themselves. Mama’s oft-times spoken homily taunted Miriam. She hadn’t intended to eavesdrop, but she’d definitely gotten an earful. Even in those few seconds, she’d heard more than enough to keep her miserable for the remainder of her days. These barbaric brothers had drawn straws to see who had to wed her? Who were they, to treat her like chattel? Then again, what was so very wrong with her—what did she lack—that not one of them felt she’d make a suitable mate? They drew straws for her hand—an unwanted bride.
So that’s why Gideon’s been hanging around the house so much more. Well, no one’s going to get stuck with me. I’ll refuse his proposal. I won’t make a fool of myself, mooning over a man who gets saddled with me because he happened to—
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