The Widow's Captive

by Lucette Nell

  Jonah's gaze flitted from her face to her protruding belly.

  Impulsively, she took his hand and pressed it against her stomach. His hand was so warm and gentle. Her breath hitched as she glanced at him.

  His eyes widened. Anticipation glowed on his face.

  “Just wait.” She moved his hand over her stomach.

  One corner of his mouth twitched as he waited. He looked adorable.

  She grinned at the kick that followed. “Did you feel it?”

  He beamed at her as if he’d just discovered buried treasure. He kept his hand on her belly, trailing the baby’s movement a moment longer.

  She studied the fine lines at the corners of his eyes, the character lines on his brow. He bore a small white scar on his left cheekbone. Stubble ran along his jaw and throat. She swallowed hard.

  “That was amazing.” His hand was still on her belly, even though the baby had stopped moving seconds ago.

  She caught him glancing at her lips, and heat ravaged her cheeks. She’d never dreamed of letting another man come close to her, much less have him touch her person; yet it wasn't as uncomfortable as she’d expected. “It is, isn’t it?” She took a determined step back.

  ****

  Please Lord, not here. Not tonight.

  Adeline sucked a breath through her teeth, unable to ignore the powerful contractions. She’d experienced birth twice and served as a midwife enough times to know the signs. They were there, screaming to be acknowledged and impossible to ignore. Even if she tried to convince herself otherwise, tonight was the night.

  Her brow puckering, she pressed her forehead against the cool surface of the wall. The pain increased and forced her to her knees. Why? Why now? She squeezed her eyes shut and bit her lip. The contraction ended and she glanced at the sheriff’s sleeping form. Her breathing turned shallow as she spread her fingers over her cramping abdomen. A tremor traveled the length of her body. “Sheriff.” Adeline moaned at the mounting panic and the next contraction overpowered her. Wincing, she rocked back and forth, trying to normalize her breathing. “Jonah.”

  He groaned and pushed up on his elbow. Hair mussed, he twisted. His face went from a confused frown to wide-eyed panic.

  “Adeline? Is it the baby?” He pushed to his feet and scrambled to her side.

  All she could manage was a stiff nod. An unmerciful urge to cry gripped her.

  “What should I do?” He slid his arms beneath her and started to lift her. The contraction had her writhing in pain against him.

  She shook her head against his solid frame. “I can’t move.” All strength had deserted her legs minutes ago.

  “What do you need me to do?”

  She caught a glimpse of his tight jaw, the deep lines etched on his forehead. His eyes widened as his gaze wavered. He was as pale as a ball of cotton.

  Before she could even start with instructions, hot liquid gushed between her legs. She gasped and cradled her belly. Months on the run from her mad brother-in-law had left her worn and frayed. She imagined the worry over the safety of her children had pressed new wrinkles into her brow. A few short days of rest in the cabin hadn’t been enough to revive her broken spirit. She tried to summon the strength she’d need to make it through this birth, but it wouldn’t heed her call.

  ****

  Jonah shrugged out of his duster, snatched his pillow and blanket and bundled everything behind Adeline's back. Strands of brown hair clung to her face. Her lips were white and parched. Agony twisted her face as another contraction claimed her. With the back of his hand, he swiped away the beading perspiration on his forehead.

  Rising terror stampeded through him. His birth took his mother from them. The loss was a blow to his father that he’d never recovered from. If anything should happen…

  She'd managed to give him instructions in bits and pieces along the way, to boil more water, gather the towels, and his confidence mounted.

  He snatched the cool, damp cloth and, sliding behind her, pulled her against him. It was easy to forget formality for the time being. Adeline resisted for a moment before surrendering and pressing fully against him. Dabbing her brow with the cloth, he cleared his throat.

  “Fairest Lord Jesus, ruler of all nature.”

  A moan.

  “O, thou of God and man the Son.”

  Aunt Imogene sang the hymn to him on nights when he’d been afraid as a child. He didn’t know what else to do to bring her some form of comfort. Her fingers dug into his legs until he winced. “Thee will I cherish, Thee will I honor.”

  “Thank you.” She said with a strained and weak voice.

  ****

  Jonah sat back on his haunches in front of the hearth and took a deep breath. The fire crackled as he tossed a piece of oak into the flames.

  Huddled together on the bed, Ethan and Lily spoke in hushed tones to their mother.

  He rubbed his neck and smiled, still caught in the whirlwind experiences of the last twelve hours. Never in a hundred years had he expected this.

  The knowledge that all along God planned to bring them together awed him. After heating more water, he had left to see to the animals while Adeline washed and changed into another plain and serviceable black dress.

  Lily and Ethan seemed infatuated with their little brother. He didn’t blame them. The boy was the most adorable thing he’d ever seen. Adeline brushed her lips against the baby’s dark, downy head, her smile tender, her eyes glimmering.

  As if she sensed his gaze, she looked up at him. The light made her hair glint with golden warmth. That bump against his ribs he’d experienced when he’d first met her returned. He ought to look away. But he couldn’t.

  “Did Mama tell you she’s calling my brother Jonah?” Lily grinned.

  “If it’s all right with you.” Adeline traced the baby’s face with her knuckles.

  “As long as he doesn’t follow the example of Jonah in the Bible, it’s fine by me.”

  Lily frowned. “You were in the Bible?”

  “Not him, silly. His name,” Ethan said. “Jonah got swallowed by a fish.” He glanced at his mother, and she confirmed with a nod.

  Lily picked at her doll’s dress. “Why?”

  “Because he was disobedient to the Lord.” Jonah stood and rolled his head, trying to work out the pain in the back of his neck.

  Lily frowned at her mother. “If I’m disobedient will I get swallowed by a fish too?”

  Struggling against the bubble of laughter, Jonah only just managed to disguise it as a strangled snort.

  “No, honey, Jonah had a very unique situation.” Adeline tapped her daughter’s nose.

  Ethan looked at his mother. “Can I hold him a little?”

  “No. I want to hold him.” Lily pouted and scooted closer.

  “Let him sleep. You both will have plenty of time to hold him. He’s not going anywhere.” She smiled and laid the baby down on the bed.

  “You should rest too.” Jonah fidgeted with the piece of wood in his hands.

  “I’m not tired.”

  The dark circles under her eyes told him otherwise.

  “Still, I think you can do with the extra sleep. You’ve been through a lot.”

  Her cheeks turned pink. “I’m so grateful everything went well.”

  “You were incredible.”

  Her blush deepened. She was beautiful. A lone curl brushed against her cheek.

  “Thank you.”

  He motioned to Lily and Ethan to join him at the table. With the exception of giggles and dropping a utensil or two, Jonah and the siblings put dinner together as quietly as possible.

  8

  Christmas Eve. Adeline sighed, brought the cup to her lips, and breathed in the strong coffee aroma. Relief pulsed through her. After spending two days resting, Jonah finally allowed her out of bed. On the cot, Ethan and Lily were locked in dreamland.

  The door opened and Jonah entered with an armload of firewood. He cocked his eyebrow at her. “Are you all right?”r />
  “I am, just getting frustrated with the storm.”

  He filled the wood box. “I think the worst is over.”

  “You do?”

  He poured coffee into his mug and nodded. “I spotted stars.”

  “Thank God.” Maybe they could reach Hollow Creek before the end of the week. Her excitement vanished. Then what? Ben’s aunt didn’t even know they were on their way. The woman might turn her back on them. Adeline had never met Ben’s aunt. Showing up on her doorstep with three children in tow had been a spur-of-the-moment decision after Ben’s death. One made out of sheer desperation. What had Adeline been thinking?

  Her limbs turned mushy. As much as she tried to deny it, she’d miss Jonah. But she needed to stick to her plan. She’d never marry again. Even though difficulty and providing for her children would be her constant companion, she never again wanted to experience the hollowness that marriage brought. Ben had been kind and a good provider, but his plans and instructions had always taken precedence over her and their children. Never once had Ben bothered to ask how she felt about moving from Pueblo.

  Her expectations had been too high. She let out a long sigh and shoved away thoughts of the past. The hurt and anger lingered a tad longer. Now was the worst time for her to indulge in self-pity.

  “Maybe you should go rest again after you’ve finished your coffee?”

  “I might. Thank you for taking care of me.”

  “You’re an easy patient. I wanted to ask you sooner, but I guess it wasn’t the time.” Jonah put the cup back on the table. “How did your husband die?”

  She tugged at her earlobe. “Shortly after leaving Pueblo, one of our pack horses got spooked. Ben went after it. After a few hours, I got worried and went looking for him.” She drew in a quivering breath. “I found him on the ground. His…” She closed her eyes. “There was so much blood. Ward was there. He said Ben’s horse threw him and that Ben knocked his head against a rock.”

  “I’m sorry, Mrs. Spencer.” He squeezed her hand and heat coursed through her. How had she ever suspected him of working for a man like Ward?

  “Adeline. Please, call me Adeline.”

  “Only if you’ll call me Jonah.”

  “Agreed.” She smiled. It took all her willpower to look away from him.

  “Did you believe Ward?”

  “About the accident? I don’t know.” Adeline took another sip of coffee. “I want to. Then I remember all the things he’s done. Things I never thought he was capable of doing.”

  Silence.

  Adeline glanced at her sleeping children.

  “Were you happy?”

  “Happy?”

  “Your marriage, did you have a happy marriage?”

  “Ben was a wonderful father. I will always love him for that.”

  “But?”

  “His mother deserted them when they were still little. I never could show him that I’m not like that.” She paused and picked at her cuticle. “Sometimes it felt as if he pressed me on purpose, every day, to see how far he could push me before I’d leave him and the children.” Her marriage had been strained and trying for as long as she could remember. She hated thinking about it. “What about you?”

  “My mother died the night I was born. My father moved to Hollow Creek so that his widowed sister could help raise me. He died when I was a teenager, and I stayed on with my aunt at her boardinghouse.”

  “I’m sorry. Your poor aunt must be worried sick.”

  “She’s a praying woman. She wasn’t too happy that I got assigned to the task to deliver Don’s goods, but only because she knew he'd pointed a gun at me the last time I came here.”

  “He pointed a gun at you?”

  “I seem to have bad luck with the dwellers of this cabin.” One corner of his mouth shot up.

  She frowned. “What do you think happened to him?”

  “I don’t know.” Jonah straightened and flung one of his arms over the ladder-back. “As soon as the blizzard settles, I’ll assemble a posse to see if we can find the old coon.” Jonah took a long swig of coffee and wiped his mouth.

  Adeline cradled the empty mug in her hands. “I hope you find him.”

  “Me too.” Jonah gave a firm nod. “When we get to town, I’ll wire the sheriff of Pueblo. I need to inform him about Ward. It’s a good thing you’re moving to Hollow Creek. I’ll be able to keep an eye on you and the children.”

  She faced him, half expecting to find him joking. She’d never felt like a priority for Ben, but the determined set of Jonah’s jaw was impossible to miss. “I don’t want to be a burden.”

  “You’re not a burden. What kind of man would I be if I left you at that lunatic’s mercy?”

  She lowered her eyes. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Of course.”

  “When I told you Ben’s aunt was Mrs. Penman you seemed uncomfortable.”

  Silent seconds ticked by. The light from the flickering fire danced across the angles of his face.

  “Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.”

  He lifted his hand. “No. You’ll hear about it once you move to Hollow Creek. Matthew Penman and I grew up together. We were like brothers. I was two years older than him and kind of always took care of him.” His voice faltered and he cleared his throat. “Last winter a fire burned most of Hollow Creek to the ground. Matthew was trapped in the jailhouse when it collapsed.”

  “How awful.”

  “Mrs. Penman blames me because Matthew went there to rescue me.” He grimaced. “I was at the livery.”

  Her heart ached for him. “I can’t understand how she’s blaming you for it.” When he didn’t speak, Adeline gripped his hand and gave him a reassuring squeeze. No words came.

  ****

  A distinct click startled Adeline awake on Christmas morning. Sitting up straight, she blinked. Beside her, baby Jon slept, his little mouth slack. On his other side, Lily snored. Ethan was still curled up in front of the fire.

  After spending days in the cabin with the wind lashing against the shelter, the quiet was almost unnerving. Her gaze settled on Jonah at the door.

  “It stopped snowing.”

  “Really?” Flinging the covers back, she stuffed her feet in her boots and joined him. He opened the door to reveal a world covered beneath a snow blanket, a winter wonderland that glistened under the glare of the sun. Cold air gnawed her nose and pinched her ears.

  His infectious grin spread across his face. “Merry Christmas, Adeline.”

  “Merry Christmas.” She smiled, warmth zigzagging through her.

  “Let’s wake the kids.”

  Adeline hurried to Lily as Jonah woke Ethan.

  At the news that the blizzard was over, Ethan jumped to his feet and raced to the door. “Last one out is a crippled tortoise.”

  “Put your coat on.” Jonah whipped the coat from the peg and helped Ethan into it while Adeline buttoned Lily’s.

  The trio rushed outside, leaving Adeline to change baby Jon’s diaper. As she nursed him, laughter poured into the cabin. Lily’s glee-filled shrieks followed. When Jon fell asleep, Adeline stepped outside for some fresh air.

  “Mama, we’re making snow angels!” Lily was flat on the snow, sweeping her arms and legs through the snow, at her sides, Jonah and Ethan mirrored her movements. Jonah hopped up and brushed the snow from his clothes. Snow powdered his chest and shoulders and flakes clung to strands of his hair, the aftermath of a snowball fight. He grinned and pulled Lily to her feet. Ethan continued to flap his arms.

  “Is Jon asleep?” Jonah swiped at the clinging snow on Lily’s coat.

  “Yes.” A sharp spasm hit Adeline deep in her stomach, and she hesitated at the door.

  “Come look at my angel, Mama.” Lily waved her over.

  Nodding and gritting her teeth, Adeline crossed the distance to the imprints of angels, her boots sinking into the soft snow. Despite three pairs of socks, her toes burned with numbness almost as much as her muscles protested fro
m giving birth mere days ago.

  “What a beautiful angel, Lily love.”

  “Can we make a snowman?” Ethan jumped to his feet.

  “Yes, can we?” Lily danced around Jonah.

  “Sure.” Jonah crouched and scooped up a handful of snow, adding more and more and then slapping it into a nice solid ball.

  “Want to help, Ma?” Ethan dropped down on his knees and gathered snow to form a lump of his own.

  Adeline shook her head.

  “I want to make the head.” Lily scrunched her forehead. “What will we use for his nose?” She tugged Adeline’s skirt.

  “We’ll think of something.” Adeline pinched Lily’s chin and scanned the area.

  “Come on Lily. We’ll make the biggest snowman ever.” Ethan smacked more snow onto his globe.

  “Are you feeling OK?” Jonah rolled the snowball on the ground, gradually adding snow to it.

  “I’m fine.”

  The concern remained in his eyes. “Do you want me to fetch you a chair?”

  “Don’t be silly. I’ll go inside in a moment.” Adeline hugged herself, welcoming the lightness that blossomed inside her. Since arriving at the cabin, the horror of the past eight months seemed to dim. A snowball hit her on her shoulder.

  “It was him.” Ethan, cheeks pink from the crisp air, pointed at Jonah.

  As if sensing the allegation, Jonah stilled and looked up.

  “Is that so?” Adeline snatched a handful of snow and stuffed it down the back of his shirt.

  “Whoa!” He scrambled to his feet and yanked out his shirttail, reaching up his back to brush away the cold wetness. “That’s cold.”

  Adeline laughed, and her longings for her life in Pueblo faded a little more.

  “You think that’s funny, do you?” Jonah’s eyes flashed glee and he caught her elbow. Soft, wet, and cold snow squished in her face. She squealed, gasped, and then wiggled out of his grip. Scooping snow in her hands and forming it into a firm snowball, she hurled it at him. The clod hit him against the head. Snow caked his hair and face. He writhed as some of the ice found its way onto his skin.

  Lily clapped her hands.