In a few minutes Jo Ella brought Doc Frazier over and he took Nadine upstairs for the examination.
Nadine hadn't seen him in ages and she was a little shy around him at first.
"Now you just relax. So you think you might be expecting, huh?" He began.
"I'll leave that up to you. You can tell me." Nadine smiled. "You’re the expert."
Meanwhile, Jo Ella and Ma sat quietly in the kitchen waiting for them to come down and setting the table for the meal. Several of her boarders smelled the food and came on the run. When her house was full up, she tried to have a couple of mealtimes during the day.
She offered up a prayer of thanks and they sat down to eat. Jo Ella was the only one of the girls around today so she joined them at the table.
They were clearing the table when the doc came down.
"Well…?" Ma asked when the doc looked stone faced at her.
"She's probably with child. From what she told me, she must have conceived very quickly. If she's not pregnant she'll know it soon, I'm sure." He nodded as he watched her come down the stairs in a happy daze. She had a silly grin on her face.
"Now if you run into any troubles get hold of me or Ma here. She's been a mid-wife in this territory for some time. You'll be fine, you are strong and healthy and there's no reason you can't deliver a healthy baby in about seven months. Unless you have a monthly soon. In that case we are both wrong."
"Seven months…" Nadine repeated.
Jo Ella and Ma did a quick jig in the kitchen.
Nadine sat stunned. Talking about having a baby was one thing, but knowing she was pregnant turned things around for her.
"Why are you stunned now? You came in here thinkin' you were, didn't you?" Jo Ella put her hands on her hips and laughed.
"Yes, but that was just thinkin'." Nadine's eyes widened as she looked at them and took their hands in hers.
"It will be fine child. And we will help any time you need us."
"Will you tell Gabe for me?" She pleaded, searching their faces.
"Nope," they chorused. "That's your job."
"Oh…." Nadine's lower lip pouched out. "I don't think he'll be expecting it so soon."
"They never do. Now, you take this with you. You can't cook and travel too, so I fixed you and Gabe some dinner. You could picnic on the way home if you wanted to." Ma suggested as she handed her a basket of food. "It's mostly finger foods, nothing too messy. But you need to eat."
"Aw you shouldn't have done that." Nadine said but grabbed the food from her. "Ma, you are always so thoughtful. Have I ever thanked you for it?"
Ma laughed. "Not that I recall. But there's no need. You girls are all like family to me. I'm just happy to have all of you around."
After telling them goodbye and that she would visit as often as she could, she headed back to the wagon.
Nadine walked back in a daze. She took her seat on the wagon as Gabe came out and loaded the supplies. He had spotted her and smiled, but he kept on loading.
She should be offering her help, but right now she had to digest her news. She couldn't help but look at her belly, and rub it. There was a baby there.
He glanced up at her finally. "Is everything alright?"
"Huh?"
"I said is everything alright?" He repeated as he looked her over from the back of the wagon.
"Fine, just fine…" She mumbled. She crumpled the handkerchief in her hand remembering how she cried happy tears when the Doc told her he thought she was pregnant.
When Gabe was done, he joined her on the seat and they headed for home. The ride was quiet, birds chirped somewhere in the distance, but Nadine had blanked out everything but the news she received.
"So how was your visit?" He asked his expression mirroring a certain amount of concern.
"Oh…fine…" She was staring straight ahead, not daring to look at him yet. How did she tell him? Would he be happy? Or would the extra burden of a child put strain on their relationship.
No, she decided, he wanted this as much as she did.
"Ma sent us some food, if you want to stop and have a picnic."
Gabe glanced up in the sky and shook his head. "I'd rather get on home, if you don't mind, honey. Someone said it's gonna rain and I don't want us out in it."
She nodded and stared straight ahead. "Okay."
Her sigh was heavy and caused him to glance at her again.
"Good. Everyone alright?" He asked.
"Everyone is fine."
"Want to tell me what's got you so bumfuzzled, then?" He asked.
"Not until we get home."
He shrugged and went a little faster.
He hit a rock in the road and it jolted the wagon, she grabbed her belly defensively.
He saw her action and made a mental note of it, watching her closely.
When they pulled into the yard, he helped her down from the wagon. That's when she met his gaze steadily.
"We're pregnant!" She barely breathed the words.
"What? What did you say?" He leaned closer to hear her.
"I said, we're pregnant." She raised her voice to a cheer.
His look galvanized on her. When she nodded he twirled her around in the air several times before putting her down gently. He was laughing and it was contagiously joyful.
"Pregnant?" His eyes fixated on her for a long moment, as he set her on the porch and began unloading the wagon. He worked quickly as though he had other things to do today.
"Hmm…" She nodded and watched how his muscles bulged from his work. She never tired of looking at her strong husband.
"You sure?" Hew cast her a quick smile over his shoulder.
"Got it straight from Doc Frazier….well, he's pretty sure. He's seen so many cases, he can guess pretty good. He said I'd know for sure in a month or two, but I have all the signs of it. I'm so happy!" She raised her chin.
"When?" He asked still staring at her.
"This morning…." She uttered, her eyes still staring off into space.
"No, I mean when is it coming?"
"Seven months…" She said seeing the look in his eyes.
"My God, I've got to enlarge the house. We'll need some things. I'll make the baby a crib." He smiled brightly as he escorted her inside. His joyful smile told her all she needed to know from him. He was as happy as she was. And her love for him increased two-fold.
"This is gonna take some plannin'. I hadn't figured on it happening so soon, but I'm so happy it did…" He put the basket in the kitchen and turned to look at her.
Before she could put her hat down, he grabbed her and gently tugged her to sit with him in the chair. He held her tightly. His lips made a long happy trail down her neck, and then he turned her ever so slightly so he could kiss her on the lips.
A moan slipped between them. The kiss was passionate and heated, but filled with happiness too.
"You've made me so happy." He cried pillowing his head against her breast. "You are happy about it, aren't you?"
She glanced at him now and saw him for the first time since she got on the wagon. "Oh Gabe, isn't it wonderful."
"It shore is honey…" He said cuddling her to him. "Now we are gonna be a family…"
"I must have gotten pregnant the first time…" she mused, as she put her hand over his on her belly. "I certainly won't be tellin' the other ladies about you though. I don't want them over here trying to make babies with you."
"You are the only woman I want. You're the only woman that is woman enough to hold me…I knew that the first time I looked at you. You had that sassy look on your face that almost dared me to kiss you. And you don't know how bad I needed a kiss about then."
He moved his hand over her belly gently, protectively.
"I thought you hated me…"
"Never. But you sure are a lot of woman, lady."
They hugged and petted on each other for a long while, smiling and rejoicing.
"I don't have a lot of time to get everything ready. I guess I didn't
think about that…"
"Oh Gabe…I love you so much…" she murmured softly as she kissed him with a fire that made him pick her up and carry her through to the bedroom.
He didn't make love to her, he just held her there in his arms, on the bed, cuddling with her, kissing her, loving her.
But Gabe's love-making always made her want more. "We've got to make plans…." He smiled into her face.
"Tell me I’m not dreaming." She pulled him closer. "Tell me I'm not gonna wake up and you will be gone, or I won't be pregnant."
"Nadine honey, it's time you allowed for some real happiness in your life. Things are lookin' up for us. We are doin' fine. Everything is gonna be just fine…And it isn't a dream."
She stared up into his face. "Make love to me…I need you right now…" She whispered as a tear rolled down her cheek. "I want you inside me…"
"Won't it hurt you, or the baby?"
"No…I think even the baby might like it." She giggled.
Without another word he pulled the sheets up over them and proceeded to fulfill her wish.
Chapter Fourteen
It seemed nothing could dispel their happiness together as they began to plan for the baby. Gabe had already started on the crib. He set himself up a workshop in the shed and she could hear him singing all the way to the house. She'd never seen him so happy and content. He worked hard, and he whistled when he wasn't singing. She loved watching him.
Nadine knew she had never looked happier. She'd sing sometimes too.
Gabe never worked harder with less effort. He was full of energy and it looked as though their future was set in stone.
And then it happened. The thing they least expected.
They had gone to a local colored dance on the edge of town and after being toasted by their friends half the night when Gabe told everyone she was pregnant, they rode home. Everyone seemed happy for them. Drinks were passed around, cheering went on and good celebration with friends.
Yet, as they drove home in the wagon, something intangible stirred the air tonight. A hidden danger lurked. A tension grew and made them both aware of some strange impending doom. The closer they got to home, the more they both felt it.
"Gabe, do you feel it, or is it just me?" Nadine glanced at him with foreboding.
"I feel it too honey. But I don't understand it. We had us a fine night. How could anything ruin that?" He smiled at her.
Something wasn't right. The air was heavy with smoke. Nadine looked about, trying to find the source.
When they got closer, they saw. Their home was in a wall of flames. It had been going some time as it was completely destroyed. Both of them just stared for a moment, their mouths open in shock.
The smoke made them cough and Gabe swung into action.
Gabe took charge. He ordered her not to get near it. He went to find his water bucket and started throwing water on the house, dousing here and there, but the flames roared like a furnace being fed. It was too late. He knew it, but he kept trying to put the fire out.
Nadine feared for Gabe. As close as he was getting he could get hurt. Fear gripped Nadine as her fist knotted on the wagon seat. Nadine couldn't stop the tears from falling.
All their hopes and dreams went up in flames now.
What had happened. How had it happened. What could have started it? So many questions, all unanswered.
Gabe frantically scrambled about the yard going first one way, then the other, and suddenly realizing it was too far spread. Hastily he grabbed an old blanket off the clothes line and threw it on the flames of the porch, it smothered the flames at first, but seconds later it burst into flames again. He whirled around and doubled his fist in one hand.
"It's too late."
Nadine jumped from the wagon and ran to his side, placing a hand on his arm. "It's no use Gabe. It's gone!" She shrieked. "All of our dreams are gone…"
"No! Not all, just some. We can rebuild. Fire can destroy, but it is up to us to see that it doesn't destroy us too. But first, I want to find out what happened. A fire doesn't start by itself unless someone was careless or someone set it. I'm gonna look around the barn…" He said trudging to the barn.
Looking frustrated and puzzled he tramped back toward her a few minutes later. "I was checking to see if the kerosene was still there still bottled up, like I left it."
"Was it?"
"Yeah, it's where I left it. Safe. Don't you see, Nadine, someone set this fire. Someone tried to burn us out." Gabe threw his hands up in the air.
"At least we weren't in it." She flinched at the change in his voice, she glared at the ashes. "Oh Gabe…no one would do such a thing." Her voice grieved the circumstance.
"Look around you, honey. It ain't stormin'. We didn't leave no fires burnin' in the house. I checked the stove before we left. I always check it. This was set, Nadine. And I'm gonna find out who done it." Gabe threw the bucket on the ground so hard it broke.
She watched it fall into separate pieces. She stared at the pieces.
"But all our friends were there tonight." She struggled for answers that would abate his raging temper. Nadine stared at the bucket again.
She stared at her normally temperate husband and saw the raw unrestrained anger raging in his hooded glances.
"Gabe…like you said…we can rebuild."
Gabe's intense scowl didn't abate. "Sure, we can rebuild. But until we find out who done it, it could happen again. And how many times do we rebuild, Nadine! You have to stop the force first."
His fists doubled at his side, as the rage inside grew. He wasn't listening to her. His anger replaced good sense. He banged his fist against charred beam that barely stood now where the porch had been.
She saw blood trickle down his arm.
She tore her petticoat and made him a bandage, yet his anger festered inside him and he hardly noticed her action as she bandaged him.
It was the one night they both wanted to forget. Wearily, he made them a lean-to bed and they rested after hours of worrying about it.
Dawn brought reality with it.
The embers burned for days, the smoke was a constant reminder.
Gabe was never idle though. He built a quick lean-to so they could have shelter while he tried to clean up the mess. He put together a pit so she could cook.
Yet it wasn't cleaning up the mess that was on his mind and she knew it.
He wanted answers, and she didn't blame him.
Seeing the seething rage building inside her husband scared her. Not for herself, but for what he might do in anger.
When he refused to let go of the destructive emotions, she finally asked him point blank. "Gabe…what is it you want to do?"
"You know what I want to do, Nadine. I want to find out who did this, and why." He grit his teeth to keep his seething temper at bay.
"Honey," She laid a comforting hand on his arm. "I thought you'd settle down in a day or two. We don't have time to worry about who did this. We have a baby on the way, and no home to put him in. Shouldn't we concentrate on getting that done first?"
His glaring glance scorched her as he sought her attention. "Don't you think I know that. It's the only thing keeping me here right now. I've got to know who did it, and why. But don't worry, I'll rebuild."
She shook her head and stirred her beans on the open pit fire he had built for her. Despite the loss, she saw Gabe piece together nothings for her to make do with. She wondered where he had learned to be so crafty.
"You need time to cool off and think straight. I don't want you going off and doing something that could land you in jail. We still have each other, we still have our love and our baby. They didn't take that away from us." She felt a tear escape down her cheek, then another as she stared at the remains of what was once their home. Gerty's home.
"Maybe it's best that it burned. This house was Gerty's, and although I loved her and her memory, it wasn't just our home. Now I'll rebuild our home. I promise you that. But Nadine, I gotta know. I gotta know
why." Gabe's shook his head, and sat down on the remains of the porch that wasn't scorched.
She tried to kiss him, but he pulled away. "That won't help."
"Sure it will." She tried to cheer him.
He sent her a unwelcome frown. "I'm going to town for some supplies. I'll be back before dark."
"Want me to go with you?"
"No…I'll be back soon."
"Promise…." She pulled his chin around to look him in the eye.
"Promise ," He cracked a smile.
"I love you Gabrielle." She cried aloud.
"I know that. It's what is keeping me together right now. Knowing I still have you and the baby to think about."
"Okay, be careful." She whispered just before she kissed him.
She hadn't meant the kiss to be passionate but it had been days since he had touched her and she ached for him.
He pulled her hard against him, and his lips trailed down her neck. "I love you Nadine. And I love our baby. I won't lose my head. But the rage inside of me has to come out before I explode."
"I know…I can feel it too. I simply don't know what to do about it."
"Neither do I." He whispered kissing her lips once more. "I'll be back before dark. I'm gonna see if I can get Mr. Taylor to loan us some money for the wood we will need to rebuild…" he gestured to the pile of ashes.
"Do you think he will." She straightened and sighed.
"I don't know. We made some money last year on our crop. I was gonna use it to plant this year's crop. I put it in the bank. I don't want to spend it. It's our future." He explained. "But if I use it now, we won't have anything to plant with next year. And they didn't destroy the land, just our house. I guess we need to decide if we want to rebuild now, or save the money and make do until we can rebuild."
"Your my man, and I'll do as you say. I can make do, if that's what you want to do."
Checking his gear he was about to mount when she walked up to him. "Hurry home…" She said and kissed him one last time. "And Gabe…" She called him, he turned to look at her. "If he doesn't, don't get mad. We'll figure something out."
He glanced around with a frown. "If I had a bed right now, I wouldn't be goin'. The one thing that still makes this place worth anything, is you. But so much for if's."
Last Bride, Last Man (Book Three of the Red River Valley Brides Series) Page 13