Choices of the Heart

by Daniels, Julia

  “More like three. She added to it every now and then. When she sold off chickens. Or them pretty quilts she sewed.”

  “I didn’t expect that.”

  “You got a dowry and didn’t even know it. Pretty good deal.”

  “Chloe was more than enough.”

  “You sure act like a fella in love.” Jacobson slapped him on the back and laughed.

  Reese’s face heated.

  “That obvious, huh?” He laughed to cover his embarrassment. “Go ahead and put it in Chloe’s name. I’ll tell her she’s got an account to work with.”

  “You’ll tell her it’s from her ma?”

  “I will. Just not right now.” He winked at Jacobson.

  Chloe came up to the counter, carrying Charlie and a basket full of merchandise. “I think I have all I need.” Chloe turned her bright smile toward the owner. “Hello, Mr. Jacobson. You’ve expanded your inventory since I was last in.”

  “Well, it’s been too long, Chloe girl.” He laughed. “I hired Linnea Barker to do the ordering. Was she in your class?”

  “Two years older.” Chloe handed Charlie to Reese and set the basket of goods on the counter. “She’s doing a fine job. As nice as any store in Lincoln.”

  “That’s quite a compliment. I’ll pass it along to Linnea. She’ll be thrilled.”

  “There’s money on account for you,” Reese told her. “If you need something in the future, you go right on ahead, and they’ll take good care of you.”

  “Well, thank you Reese.” She smiled up at him. “I think this is all I need today. Just the necessities to fill the pantry and the icebox.” She started removing things from her basket and placing them on the counter. “Well, that and some fabric to make a doll for Rosie. Every girl should have a dolly.”

  After following Chloe around the store like baby ducks, Rosie and Bobby now waited quietly at her side, each holding paper and an eight-count box of Binney & Smith school crayons.

  “Put your supplies up on the counter, children,” Chloe told them. “We don’t want to keep Mr. Jacobson from his other customers.”

  After paying their bill and saying goodbye, they left the store, nearly colliding with Isabelle Mathers, who was on her way inside.

  “Hello, Isabelle,” Reese said.

  “I heard your family had grown since you left town.” She glanced at Chloe with a look of malice and then at Charlie, whom Reese still held, and Rosie, who was sucking on licorice.

  “This is Charlie.” Reese did the introductions. “You know Bobby, and this little girl is Miss Rosie.”

  “You adopted them?” Isabelle asked, incredulous.

  “Yes, we did,” Chloe answered.

  “How charitable of you.” The sneer in Isabelle’s voice was unmistakable.

  “Isabelle, enough. I’m sorry this couldn’t have worked out differently,” Reese told her quietly, pointedly looking around at the people on the street.

  She tipped her nose up and walked off into the store in a huff, without going in to the mercantile or a glance back.

  Chloe slipped her arm through his and took Bobby’s hand. They walked down the few blocks toward where they’d parked their vehicle.

  “I feel so sad about that, Reese. It wasn’t at all fair to her.”

  They paused at the corner and waved to Mrs. Rowen as she drove by.

  “Isabelle cares about you, thought you would marry her.”

  “I would have, had you not come back.” Reese continued walking, glancing over his shoulder, making sure Rosie was still following them. She seemed fascinated by the buildings in the town. They were smaller than what she knew, and she’d said more than once that she was amazed the sky could be so clear.

  “Everything happens for a reason.” Chloe agreed. “I really think Daisy and Ronnie are looking down on us, cheering for our marriage. Helping us grow together so their son has a good life.”

  “I reckon so.”

  She stopped outside the car and faced him, picking invisible pieces of lint off his shirt. She seemed to do that all the time. Touched him, invented reasons to touch him. He liked it, a lot. It reminded him of how they once were, years earlier when just being with her had brought him pleasure.

  “I still feel sad about Isabelle,” Chloe told him. “We should find her another man. Someone to take her mind off you.”

  “You think she’s pining for me?” He smiled. It was flattering to have two women interested in him, even if he had eyes only for Chloe.

  “Reese.” She slapped his chest. “That’s not a good thing. Unless you plan to have an affair.”

  “You know better, honey.” He couldn’t even believe she suggested such a thing. She’d better know better.

  “I suppose I could ask you what you asked me last night.” She looked at him with a coy look in her eyes. “Only I already know the answer.”

  “What’s that?” He furrowed his brows, not understanding what she meant.

  She leaned in and whispered, “I could ask if you slept with her.”

  “If you did, my dear wife,” he said, tweaking her nose, “I would answer exactly the same as you did.” He tipped up her chin. “First, last and only.”

  ~*~

  Life settled into a routine. It took Chloe a good two weeks before she had the children on any sort of schedule and another three days before she had all areas of the house cleaned out, beds made, crib set up and clutter taken to the bin to be burned. September was in full swing, hotter than any in recent memory.

  As far as the housework went, her cooking was turning out better than she’d expected. When her trunks came, her dear friends had included some bridal gifts, including three cookbooks. Her friends had suffered through her cooking for years as she tried to figure out what to do with meat and veggies.

  Charlie laughed a lot now, had completely changed from the sullen little boy they’d brought home. He was also rolling around and trying to sit up by himself. She dreaded the day when he started to crawl. The household was so busy, and keeping track of Bobby and Rosie, who’d decided they were best friends, was hard enough for Chloe. She couldn’t imagine how chaotic things might get with a crawling baby in the mix. Still, all three children were thriving, coming out of their shells and settling in to their new home.

  Reese, however, was more of a challenge. He’d let the children worm their way into his heart. In fact, the love and interest he showed all three of them was incredible. He treated them as if he had actually fathered them.

  With Chloe, he remained remote. He was letting his guard down little by little, but Chloe still sensed a thick wall between the two of them. At night, he’d wrap her in his arms and treat her like the most precious thing. At dawn, he went back to being distant and stiff. He respected her, that she knew, and he cared about her, treated her fine, actually, but would he come to love her as much as she loved him?

  She’d realized only a few days ago, she had never stopped loving him. He was under her skin, a part of her life and always would be. He’d told her that the land was in his blood, that he could never leave the farm. Chloe understood, because she felt the same way about Reese. He made her blood course faster. He made her heart sing. Would he soon forgive her for leaving without him? Would he ever? If he didn’t, could they still be happy?

  She wanted him to say those three little words that every woman longs to hear. She’d cut herself off more than once from admitting to him how she felt. But maybe that was a mistake. Maybe she should tell him. Why not throw all her cards out on the table?

  “Mama, there’s a Ford comin’ up the drive.”

  Rosie banged the door shut behind her as she went back out on the porch, interested in the visitor. Bobby and Charlie were napping, and Reese was somewhere out in the field. They weren’t expecting any visitors, but it wasn’t unusual for people to come for a visit. Since they’d settled in, she’d received more meals and wedding gifts than she could count. The townspeople were far nicer to her than she’d ever expected.
They welcomed her back without criticism or censure, at least to her face. And thankfully, her father hadn’t shown his face at the farm, despite being released from jail.

  Chloe stopped washing dishes and walked out onto the porch, wiping her hands dry on her floral apron. Rosie had been right; there were men visiting. It was Mr. Jacobson with another older gentleman, dressed in a fancy black suit. This didn’t look good. Chloe swallowed and tossed her wet apron on one of the rockers.

  “Hello, gentleman,” she called out from the porch.

  Rosie stood at Chloe’s side, gripping the folds of her dress in one fist, as if she, too, sensed tension in the air.

  “Mrs. Lloyd.” Mr. Jacobson nodded, looking apprehensive.

  Still unused to her new name, it took a minute before Chloe realized he had addressed her. “Mr. Jacobson, how are you?”

  Before he could respond, the back door of the auto opened, and three young boys crawled out. Chloe frowned. Trouble was definitely brewing.

  “Michael!” Rosie bolted down the three stairs and into the arms of the tallest boy.

  Her brothers?

  Chloe sat heavily on the porch step. The man was either there to leave the three boys or take her baby Charlie and Rosie away. Chloe had no idea if Reese would let either happen, but she knew she had to have him here, and now.

  “Mr. Jacobson, would you go on down to the southern-most forty and see if Reese is still out walking the rows?”

  “You bet, Miss Chloe.” He turned to the suited man. “I’ll be back in a flash.” He hopped back into his auto to find Reese.

  The other gentleman, a man of fifty or so, walked forward and extended a hand. “Rudolf Clements, ma’am.”

  “To what do I owe the honor?” Chloe asked, shaking his hand. She didn’t know what to do, whether to stand or stay right where she was planted.

  Rosie was crying, and all four children were hugging each other, smiling, clearly happy to be reunited.

  “Can we speak inside, Mrs. Lloyd?” Mr. Clements asked her.

  “I’m not in the habit of entertaining strange men in my house.” She would wait for Reese to decide how to handle this.

  “Of course not. I appreciate your apprehension.” He backed away. “I’m sorry.”

  “You’re welcome to sit on the porch until my husband arrives. Maybe you and the boys would like some lemonade?”

  “That would be just fine.” He smiled and followed her up the steps to the porch, where the rockers sat empty.

  Chloe looked back at Rosie playing with her brothers. “Are the boys hungry?”

  “I reckon we could all do with a little something.”

  She took another look at the children before walking into the house. From the icebox, she pulled out cold cuts, cheese and bread. She threw the sandwiches together as fast as she could then carried them outside.

  “I’ll be right back with the lemonade,” she said, setting the tray of food on a low table near the rocking chairs.

  Grabbing the lemonade from the icebox, she took the whole pitcher—plus five glasses—outside to her guests.

  As she stepped back onto the porch, she noticed Jacobson’s car speeding up the driveway, with Reese in the passenger seat.

  Reese opened the door before the auto even stopped. He glanced at Chloe as he shut the door and then at each of the boys, who looked at him with hopeful faces. They were so skinny, their clothes hung off their shoulders, and an air of sadness swirled around them.

  “Hello, boys.” He walked up to them and threw his arms wide. “Welcome home.”

  Chloe watched in awe as they slowly exchanged looks with each other and then walked forward and let Reese hug them. Rosie was jumping up and down like a grasshopper, clapping her hands and cheering.

  Chloe felt her jaw drop. How could Reese make a decision like this without at least asking her?

  “Well, I guess that answers my questions.” Mr. Clements sighed. “The eldest boy found their mother dead in her bed,” he said quietly. “Accidental overdose. A mix of alcohol and pills.”

  “What about the other daughter?” Chloe asked. Rosie had told them she had a sister and four brothers.

  “We haven’t found her, ma’am,” he answered. “She was the eldest of the six. I reckon she was near about thirteen.” He sipped his lemonade. “She may very well have ended up on the streets.”

  “Will you look for her?” Chloe pressed.

  “Of course we will,” Mr. Clements answered.

  Unfortunately, Chloe didn’t believe him for a minute.

  Reese left the boys and Rosie and came up on the porch.

  “Excuse us for a moment, Mr. Clements.” Reese placed a hand on Chloe’s back and led her in the back door of the house.

  “It’s what you want to do, isn’t it?” Reese asked her once they were inside.

  “Little late to ask, isn’t it?” She chuckled.

  “Well, when Jacobson said they were here… I can’t explain it, Chloe, I just got so excited, so happy.” His smile reached from ear to ear. “When we left Chicago, I felt as if we were letting them down by leaving them behind with her. It seemed like something was missing here. If you can handle a few more shirts to wash and people to love, I say we keep them.” He rested his hands on her shoulders.

  “Well, I refuse to break their hearts,” Chloe told him through the tears that suddenly clouded her eyes. “Especially since they just lost their mother.”

  “Sorry I didn’t ask you first.” He caressed her cheek, making her smile. “We did talk about it when we left Chicago, though.”

  “Another three children to care for, Reese,” she said. “I don’t know if I am up to it.”

  “But these three are older,” he reminded her. “They can about care for themselves. I would guess they’ve been pretty independent for the past few years. They just need your soft, loving touch, Chloe. Look how Rosie and Bobby and Charlie have already blossomed. They can help in the field, too, help me grow this farm like I always wanted.”

  “You’re right.” Chloe nodded. “They’ll stay. There really wasn’t ever a question but that they would.”

  “It will be fine.” He seemed so confident. “You’ll see, honey.” He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. “Let’s go tell Mr. Clements that we’ll keep them, find out what he needs us to do from here on out.”

  Reese led her outside. Together, they told the social worker of their decision.

  “I can’t tell you how glad I am to hear it.” Mr. Clements reached out and shook Reese’s hand. “Older children are often not adopted. Certainly keeping them together would be about impossible.”

  “How did you know how to find us?” Reese asked.

  “The police found some papers in the kitchen of the boy’s home. Your name and address were on one, papers indicating their mother gave Rosie and Charlie to you on another.” He shrugged. “We figured she saved them just in case. I reckon it was a fine idea too, else we would never have found you.”

  “What about their father?” Chloe asked. Rosie mentioned the man more than once, and the mother said she didn’t know for sure where the man was.

  “For all we know, he’s dead.” Clements spoke quietly, either so the children couldn’t hear or out of respect for those who passed. “He was involved in illegal bootlegging between Chicago and Milwaukee.”

  “Ready, Mr. Clements?” Jacobson called from the running auto. “I gotta get back to the store; someone might be needin’ something.”

  “Here are some legal papers.” Clements handed a large envelope to Reese. “The birth certificates for all of them. I kept the one for Lucille, in case we locate her in the future. I have your address, know how to get a hold of you. I recommend having an attorney set up official documents naming you as their parents.”

  “That’s a fine idea,” Reese said. “Anything else?”

  “Not that I can think of.” He shook his head and handed Reese a card. “Here’s my information if you need anything. I wor
k for the State of Illinois in the child welfare department.” He gave them a lopsided grin. “You wouldn’t want to take any more children would you?”

  “No!” Reese and Chloe said at the same time and then laughed.

  “We’ve been married six weeks and have six children, Mr. Clements. At this rate, we’ll have fifty-two in a year and that is simply too many.” Reese laughed again.

  “Mr. Lloyd, would you help me unload their cases?” Mr. Clements asked.

  “Sure thing.” Reese followed the older man down to the car.

  Once the luggage was on the porch, he said goodbye, and Reese and Chloe, along with four of their new children, watched in silence as the man from Chicago climbed into the vehicle and Wally drove them away.

  “Well, the size of the school has just increased.” Chloe laughed. She didn’t know what else to do, the situation was so fantastic. She’d been worried she wouldn’t be a good enough mother for Bobby, and now she had five other children to care for, as well. Incredible!

  “We’ll need a couple more beds,” Reese said, sitting on a rocker.

  “Mattresses, at least,” Chloe agreed.

  “We’re in for quite a ride, Chloe Anne, quite a ride.”

  “Just like that first horse you had me ride. Lifted me up, smacked the horse’s behind and off we raced.” She smiled at the memory. “Can’t be scarier than that. Just wish I felt more prepared for this parenting thing. I don’t have any good experience from my own family, so I hope your mother is ready to dish out a lot of advice.”

  Bobby came out on the porch, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He crawled onto Chloe’s lap. And when his eyes finally adjusted to the bright sunlight, he caught sight of the new boys.

  “Who are they?” He pointed at them.

  “Your new brothers,” Reese told him.

  “Huh?” He wiggled off Chloe’s lap and ran down to the lawn where the boys and Rosie were playing tag.

  “You and Rosie are sure outnumbered, honey. Six boys, two girls.”

  “Oh, that’s okay,” Chloe said, “I’m sure Rosie and I will be able to handle you men just fine.”