Leah awoke far later than she’d intended, but sleeping in a real bed, a comfortable one at that, felt heavenly. Over the past six days she’d snatched catnaps while sitting on the train, since she hadn’t been able to afford a berth in the sleeping car.
Yawning, stretching, she peeled back the quilt and stood. Pulling on her wrapper, she strode to the bedroom door and opened it. The house was quiet.
“Jesse?”
No answer.
Leah padded into the front room to get a good look at Jesse’s craftsmanship. The waning light of her early evening wedding hadn’t given her the opportunity to appreciate the details she now saw in the stone hearth and chimney. And the oak mantle had been polished until it gleamed. Functional and beautiful with its rockers and armchairs, all the room needed was some decorations. She saw none, no artwork, no knickknacks, no photographs. Would Jesse mind if she placed her framed portrait of Mother and herself on one of the side tables?
Across the room, the solid dining table took up most of the space. On it, Leah glimpsed the windflowers in a jar of water, sitting in the middle of the table. Her wedding bouquet. How thoughtful that Jesse preserved it, although she’d rather have no reminders of that disgraceful display called her wedding ceremony.
Leah spotted Jesse’s Bible. Had he been reading it before he left this morning?
She ought to be more grateful. This good man had given her a home and his name, and he’d made no demands on her on their wedding night. What’s more, he’d given her a chance to restore her dignity with a new life.
But would she find happiness here? With him?
Her gaze fell on several rough sketches. Examining them, she realized they were plans to build a room with a bathtub. She perked up. He’d do that for her? Construct an indoor bathroom? No one else had ever done anything of this magnitude for her. Never.
Now she felt even more ashamed over her temper fit last night.
Setting down the sketches, she found Jesse’s note to her. He had some work to finish and had gone to the office. He’d be back in time for supper.
Leah felt put off by his abandonment, although this might be an ideal time to settle in and familiarize herself with her new surroundings after she finished her morning routine.
After visiting the outhouse, a true wilderness experience, Leah returned to the bedroom, where she washed with water from a pitcher Jesse had brought in last night. Then she dressed and pinned up her hair. Catching her reflection in the mirror, she saw that she didn’t appear any different. The same tree-bark brown hair framed her oval face. However, she felt different—and her life was very, very different.
She was married now.
A knock sounded on the front door, followed by a few more raps. Jesse’s hound’s deep bark resounded through the house.
“Hush, Sarge.” Leah gave the door’s handle a yank and found a smiling young mother with wispy blond hair peering back at her. A small girl rested on her jutted-out hip. Sarge ventured out and circled the woman’s wagon and mules as if inspecting them.
“Are you the new Mrs. Waite?”
Leah almost said no, but … yes, she was. She nodded.
“This is for you and Jesse.” She held out a basket of eggs. “Just a little something to wish you both well in your life together.”
“Thank you, Mrs.…”
“Smith. Rebecca Smith. My husband, Eden, and I have a place not too far from you. Eden was at the livery last night and heard Jesse got hisself a wife. I just had to come over and say hello.” She smiled, looking somewhat bashful.
“I’m glad you did. My name is Leah. Please, won’t you come in?”
“Wish I could. Maybe another time.” The woman transferred the child to her other hip, her green skirt rotating slightly. “I have errands and chores to tend to. I was just passing by.”
“Well, thank you again. Perhaps we can get better acquainted at church tomorrow. We meet beneath the cottonwood tree near the river. Everyone’s welcome.”
The woman seemed to think it over. “Maybe we’ll join you. I’ll check with Eden.”
Leah bid Mrs. Smith farewell and watched as the young mother set the child in the back of the wagon, climbed aboard the driver’s bench, and, flicking the reins, drove off.
Would Leah have to learn how to drive a wagon? Gracious, but she knew nothing about it—or the horses or mules. She was accustomed to riding in trolleys on paved streets … and bicycles.
As she set the eggs in the cool pantry, Leah’s gaze fixed on the empty shelves. They’d need some basics. Flour, sugar …
Another knock on the door. A second neighbor stood on the porch, bearing fresh-baked bread. She was followed by another and another. The traffic in and out of the house didn’t stop until noon.
The sun shone high in the sky when Leah collapsed into a chair on the porch. Another wagon pulled up, and Leah grimaced. While she enjoyed meeting other ladies, young and old alike, her body ached with exhaustion and she felt overwhelmed with the task of getting her new home in order.
It’s Nellie. She relaxed, watching her new sister-in-law climb down from the perch. She waved to Leah before lifting baby Henry from the makeshift crib in back of the wagon along with a small carryall.
“I’m glad to see you,” Leah called. “Here, let me help you.” She met Nellie at the edge of the porch and took the tapestry-covered bag.
“I came to deliver a message from Jesse. He and several other men went after some cattle rustlers. Jesse wasn’t sure when he’d get home and said I ought to let you know. He and his men rode out of town at a full gallop. I’m surprised you didn’t hear the commotion.”
She hadn’t. “Jesse went after cattle rustlers?” Leah pushed her hair off her forehead. “But that’s dangerous.”
“That’s his job.”
“Has anybody ever gotten hurt doing a job like this?”
“I can see the concern all over your face.” Nellie started toward the entrance. “But no need to fret. Instead, let’s go inside. Jesse mentioned something else, which prompted me to form a grand plan for the two of us.”
“What is it?”
“I’ll tell you, but first, do you mind if I put Henry down for his nap? He likes the back porch just fine. Jesse made the sweetest nest for him out there.”
“Of course I don’t mind. You’re welcome here anytime.”
Leah set down the soft-sided bag, her mind whirring. She should have thought earlier about the hazards of Jesse’s job—possible danger every day of his life. And all she could do was pray and wait for him to come home unharmed.
“Give me just a few minutes to rock Henry to sleep.”
As if understanding, the baby squawked in protest.
While Nellie rocked and sang the infant to sleep, Leah could hardly sit still in the chair next to her. Every time she tried to make a mental list of all the tasks she needed to do in her new home, her mind raced with imagined scenes of Jesse shot or injured while trying to bring in the rustlers.
“Are you ready?” Nellie held her snoozing son.
Leah hastened to her feet. Anything was better than sitting here, worrying. “I’m ready … I think.”
“Follow me. And please bring my bag with you.” Nellie led her across the back lean-to porch. She stopped by the crafted wooden crib, sheltered from the elements by an overhang, a safe haven for Henry.
The hound ran over to them, sniffed around, then plopped down nearby.
“Sarge lets me know if Henry starts crying. Between the barking and the bawling, they make such a racket that I can hear them in the barn.”
Leah caught Nellie’s smile. Like brother, like sister. Always smiling.
Nellie reached for her carryall and led Leah down a pathway that wound around a half-dozen fruit trees, their apples and pears nearly ready for harvest. At the path’s end, a crystal-clear body of water spread out for at least a quarter of a mile. So this was the pond Jesse mentioned last night.
“Here’s your nature-made
bathtub.”
Leah sighed, wistfully … regrettably. “Nellie, I appreciate your idea. I’d like nothing better than a good soak, but I am not bathing outdoors.” She glanced around. “In the open! What if another neighbor stops by?”
“Your nearest neighbor is half a mile away, and Main Street is equally as far in the other direction. It’s Saturday afternoon. No one is out and about. Men are working and women are home tending to children and homes and preparing supper.” Nellie unbuttoned her dress and pulled it over her head. “Now, strip down to your chemise and your drawers, and let’s have ourselves a bath. I even remembered soap.” She pulled a bar from the carryall and then produced several thick towels. Next she removed her corset before sitting on a nearby rock, pulling off her shoes, and rolling down her stockings.
And she expected Leah to do the same? But how could she undress in the wilds of Montana? Heavens, no!
Clad in only her underwear, Nellie jogged to the water’s edge and splashed as she made her way into the wide, deep pond. Soon she floated on her back. “Come on in, Leah. The water is so refreshing.”
It looked it, and on this hot August afternoon, Leah felt just as wilted and exhausted as when she climbed off the stage yesterday.
“Are you sure no one will come calling and see us?”
“Positive. Besides, everyone around here bathes in one of the nearby rivers or a pond during the summer months. I learned to bathe in my basics so I can wash them when I wash myself. Saves me time and, quite often, embarrassment.”
“I imagine.”
“Jesse’s lucky to have a pond so protected by trees and shrubs, although he keeps them cut back. Growing up, we called this place ‘Hidden Pond,’ and then years ago, Jesse purchased the land and built his homestead.”
Leah’s confidence grew, yet she still hesitated.
“Your only other option for a bath is the boardinghouse, but then you’ll have to listen to Mrs. Rigley’s grousing and Collette Welton’s whining.”
That sounded dreadful.
“Collette has been in a huff since the day she arrived in One Way. Her cousin Luther wants to teach her some responsibility. He not only gave her your teaching position, which Collette thinks she’s too good for, but he also arranged for her to live at the boardinghouse instead of with him and his family in that great big home he owns. He insisted Collette pay rent to Mrs. Rigley.” Nellie’s laugh seemed to rise as high as the towering pines.
“Seems odd.” Leah unbuttoned her shirtwaist and shrugged out of it. “I would have expected Mr. Welton to welcome his cousin into his home.”
“I thought so, too, at first. Now I believe it’s about the wisest thing Luther’s ever done—not giving Collette your job, but everything else. Besides, Luther values peace in his household. Collette is always up to some sort of trickery.”
Leah made a mental note to stay clear of Collette Welton.
She finished undressing down to her “basics,” and within moments she joined her sister-in-law in the pond. The water, at its deepest, came up to their chins, and oh! how delightful it felt against her perspiring skin. If only she could also wash away her growing concern for Jesse’s safety.
She lathered up with the mildly scented soap and washed her hair while Nellie made a quick dash up to the porch to check on Henry—just in case Sarge gave in to instinct and chased a rabbit or wild turkey. She returned with the report that the baby and hound still slept soundly.
“Did Jesse say where they thought the cattle rustlers were headed?” Leah took a turn around the pond, floating on her back, staring at the endless blue Montana sky.
“West of here, I think.”
Leah scanned the western horizon as if she thought she’d see her husband there. What would she do if something happened to him? Even if he was fine today, he’d face life-threatening danger every day of his life—if he won the election.
And who’d have thought she’d care so much about his safety after only one day of marriage?
Nellie interrupted Leah’s thoughts with a splash of water and a grin. “I thought a good soaking might be exactly what you’d enjoy after a long journey.”
“You were right.” And her heavenly Father provided it, using Nellie as His conduit. While this “bath” wasn’t what Leah had planned or expected, it far exceeded all she’d asked.
“Jesse mentioned that he’s buying you a tub and building a room just for it.”
“Yes, I assumed so, when I saw the plans he drew up. I can’t tell you how happy it made me to see them. In Newport, where I come from, everyone has a bathtub, and I’d miss it.”
“My brother wants to make you happy, that’s for sure.”
“I hope to make him happy as well.” But could she accomplish such a feat?
Of course she could … and would. She had plenty of time to become a good wife to Jesse. They had the rest of their lives together.
A shiver ran through her. That is, if he came home today … alive.
Chapter 8
After turning Patriot loose to graze in the pasture behind the barn, Jesse walked back to the house. The soft lamplight glowing from the side window told him Leah had waited up. Even so, he tiptoed through the back door in case she’d fallen asleep.
“Jesse!” She met him as he reached the kitchen. “Thank God, it’s you. I thought a burglar was sneaking into the house.”
He grinned at her big-city terminology. “Not too many burglars around here.” But they did have their share of horse thieves, cattle rustlers, and thugs, like those who ran in Butch Cassidy’s Wild Bunch gang. However, Jesse wasn’t about to tell Leah that.
“You’re all right?” She rushed toward him then stopped short.
Had she been about to embrace him? Jesse smiled. He’d like that. He closed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms. She didn’t resist, and, slowly, her arms came up and she rested her hands at his waist. He closed his eyes. She smelled so sweet, with her silky brown hair falling down her back.
Jesse held her closer. Would she prefer he slept in the barn again tonight? He’d prefer not to.
“I was worried about your safety.”
“I’m just fine,” he whispered near her ear.
To his disappointment, she pulled away. “You must be hungry. I can fix you some eggs.”
Jesse kneaded his whiskered jaw. He was hungry, all right—they’d ridden the range all day without stopping to eat. “Eggs will taste real good.”
“Scrambled?”
“I’m not picky.” But he probably smelled awfully ripe from sitting in the saddle all day beneath the hot sun. “I’ll go wash up, so take your time cooking.”
He strode to the closet containing linens and found it had been rearranged. Nicely rearranged. He pulled out a towel. In the bedroom that looked suddenly very lived-in, he found his clean clothes occupying one side of the wardrobe with Leah’s hung and folded on the other side. It pleased him to see she was settling in.
A change of clothes and a towel tucked beneath one arm and a bar of soap in his hand, Jesse passed Leah, purposely too close and earning him an excuse to put his hand on her waist.
“Oh, pardon me, Jesse. I didn’t mean to get in your way.”
“You’re not in my way.” He would have liked to get a kiss, but what did he expect? They’d known each other for only a day.
Leah sat at the table with Jesse as he ate and told her about the hours they’d spent tracking the thieves.
“You’re a good cook,” he said, changing the subject.
“Scrambling eggs isn’t difficult. And the sweet bread came from a neighbor who stopped by this morning.”
“There’s good folks in One Way.”
“So I’ve learned.” Her fingertips fell on his sketches. “I saw these this morning.” She held up his plans for her bathroom.
“What do you think?”
“I think I’ll be the envy of all the ladies in One Way.” Maybe she already was, having married Jesse Waite. Leah
was sophisticated enough to know she could have fared much worse, considering hers was a marriage of convenience.
But God had a purpose for her, just as He had a purpose for Queen Esther.
“Does it … make you happy?”
Leah smiled. As Nellie told her this afternoon, Jesse wanted to please her. “Yes, it makes me very happy.”
“Whew!” He sat back in his chair. “That’s a relief. I fretted about it all day.”
“But you were hunting down cattle rustlers. I would have thought you’d fret over finding them, not worry about my bathtub and me.”
“You’re more important to me than finding rustlers.”
Touched, she traced a scratch in the tabletop with her forefinger. “Did you find them?”
“Yes, I found several in the store’s catalog. But I figured I’d let you pick out the one you want on Monday morning.”
“No, Jesse, not the bathtub—the cattle rustlers.” She giggled. “Did you find them?”
“Oh … yeah, we found them. Returned the cattle to the Abby Springs ranch, too.”
“All in a day’s work, eh, Sheriff?” Leah couldn’t help teasing him just a bit.
“And without firing a single shot.” He sent her a wink.
She grinned. Perhaps she would enjoy being married to Jesse Waite.
Rather than explore that possibility, she hastened to clear his dishes from the table. “I hope you don’t mind, but I’ll clean up the kitchen tomorrow before we go to church. I’m exhausted.” She made for the bedroom. “Good night.”
“Night, Leah.” His voice sounded soft and full of tenderness. If he felt miffed by her hasty exit, it wasn’t evident in his tone.
Once in the sanctity of the bedroom, she closed the door and leaned against it. Her breaths came in short bursts, as though she’d run up to the house from the pond. How could this be happening to her? She and Jesse had met only yesterday. Oh, but he was so handsome … and so kind.
Could it be?
She pondered the question. Lord, could I befalling in love with my husband?
Listening to Reverend Bigelow deliver an eloquent message beneath the whispering cottonwood, Leah decided Uncle Robert would be so proud. She hoped her aunt and uncle were safe in Glendive. Tomorrow morning they’d board the train for Portland. For all his terseness, Uncle Robert surely loved God. And he clearly loved Auntie, too, taking that long trip, selling his wagon and possessions, seeking help for her failing eyesight—treatments that may not even work. Leah never noticed, never appreciated until now, the subtle way husbands loved their wives as Christ loved the Church.
The Convenient Bride Collection: 9 Romances Grow from Marriage Partnerships Formed Out of Necessity Page 11