by Jill Summers
“Howdy there, Doc!” Clancy the postmaster bounded through the door, taking off his hat. “I saw your horse and buggy outside. Guess you’re running a bit late today? I had planned on coming home for lunch to some good news.”
“Your wife is clearly improving.” Caleb swallowed hard, redirecting his thoughts back to his patient. “Your color is better, Eugenie. You don’t feel feverish.”
“Didn’t I tell you?” She sighed as she lay on the couch, a prisoner to her illness. “Give my daughter the order to release me, and I’ll bake you a batch of my famous cinnamon rolls.”
“Sorry, as much as I love your cinnamon rolls, you need to stay on bed rest until your lungs are clear.” He could tell by her breathing that they weren’t. “Let me have a listen.”
“If you insist.” Eugenie rolled her eyes, clearly not pleased.
He bent to open and reach into his medical bag.
“Sorry to hear about your mail-order bride not working out.” Clancy ambled over, his bushy eyebrows frowning together. “After all those letters you and the girls wrote. Jeb came in to mail them for you. When she came to town, I hoped there would be a wedding.”
Caleb frowned, pulling out his stethoscope. His father. He ought to be angry, and he would be—if the old man weren’t so ill. At a loss, he could only shrug. “At least Clementine will be staying in town.”
Staying, he thought, and that was a good thing. Images flashed into his mind of a possible future to come—of the girls chasing their pony around in the meadow and Clementine standing among the wildflowers, laughing. Of Clementine in his kitchen, with one twin on either side of her as they baked cookies. Of her turning toward him, a wedding ring flashing on her finger and her stomach round with their child—
He was surprised how much he wanted that.
And how much it scared him to be that vulnerable, to open his heart that much.
“Oh, I don’t know about her staying in town.” Clancy eased down into the chair next to the sofa. “She sent off that letter today to a gentleman over in Wyoming. Don’t think I’ve ever seen a woman look that sad, not in recent memory anyhow. Frankly, I was surprised you wanted a wife, but to get cold feet like that and reject her. Well, pardon me for assuming so, but it just doesn’t seem right.”
“No, that’s true. It isn’t right.” His voice was raw and gruff. His hands shook so badly he had to sit down. Clementine had written to another suitor? His pulse thundered through him, his heart beating so hard it hurt.
-Chapter Ten-
“Thanks for the ride, Katherine.” Clementine hopped down from the buggy onto the dusty street. Town was busy with horse-drawn vehicles and shoppers everywhere. She didn’t want to cause a traffic jam, so she waved, calling as she went. “See you tomorrow.”
“You’re a blessing, Clementine,” Katherine called out. “Are you sure you won’t take the job? It would save me hiring someone else.”
“Sorry!” Carrying her reticule and the daisies Caleb had picked for her, she skipped up the steps.
Some impatient driver called out, disgruntled that Katherine was blocking the lane, so the older woman was forced to abandon her argument and move along. She waved on her way by.
Clementine burst into the boardinghouse in a rush, glancing at the Regulator clock on the wall. Five minutes to spare! She rushed up the stairs with just enough time to leave her reticule and grab her apron. Effie was expecting her to help in the kitchen.
A little box sat in front of her door. Had the girls stopped by after school and left her something? She scooped up the box, juggled everything to get her key out of her reticule and unlocked her door.
Sunshine met her, casting cheer into the small corner room like a sign of good things to come. She set the daisies on her nightstand, her reticule on the bureau and plopped down on the edge of the bed to lift the wooden lid off the box.
A jewelry box, she realized, for inside was a gold locket. It shone in the sun’s light, its heart-shaped face etched with rosebuds. When she pried it open, inside were two daguerreotypes, the twins on one side, and Caleb on the other.
Hope rose within her, so strong it drowned out all else. Ribbons of affection wound around her heart. She remembered his touch and what she’d been afraid to see in his eyes—but she believed it now. He was falling, like she was, into love. This was a gift telling her what he wanted, a gift that spoke more than words ever could.
True happiness lifted her up, chasing away every sorrow, every hardship. Her new, precious dream of a life with Caleb and his twins was about to come true.
A rap on her door startled her. Caleb. She knew it was him before she looked up. Her affections gathered, taking flight. Yearning filled her—to see his smile, to look in his eyes and see his newfound affection for her, to find out how it felt to be held in his arms.
She bounded to her feet, practically flying across the room. Her skirts swished around her, her shoes barely touched the ground and she felt as if she were flying.
“Clementine.” His forehead furrowed, staring at the locket she held in her hand. “Where did you get that?”
His words struck like a blow. She froze, shock washing over her like ice. The happiness faded. The joy died. “Y-you didn’t leave this for m-me?”
“No.” He rubbed his forehead, distraught. He said the word kindly, but that didn’t stop the hurt.
She went cold from head to toe. “The girls?”
He nodded. “It was their mother’s.”
“Oh.” Disappointment hit hard. So, he didn’t feel anything for her. He wasn’t considering a future with her. How foolish of her to jump to conclusions and think he had. She steeled her heart, fighting the hard crack of hurt she felt. It took all her willpower to keep her head up. Could she keep her pain from showing? “I’m sorry. I leaped to a conclusion.”
“Anyone would.” The sympathy in his voice—or was it pity?—was hard to bear.
Her vision blurred and stubborn pride kept her blinking to keep the tears at bay. She whirled around so he couldn’t see how much she cared. She stiffened when his footsteps knelled on the wood floor behind her. If she could, she would break through the wall or kick out the window to escape. The last thing she wanted him to know was how desperately wrong she’d been. He wasn’t falling in love with her. He didn’t even care for her in that way. He had no idea how deeply she cared for him—
“You thought this was from me.” He cleared his throat. “And that it meant I wanted to court you.”
Did he have to be so direct? She didn’t dare speak. It was all she could do to keep the tears out of her eyes. Surely they would show in her voice. She whirled around, circling him and moving fast, heading toward the open door. Escape was so close, just steps away, when his hand curled around her elbow stopping her.
“Even after all this, you still thought it.” His tenderness cut her deep. “Is that why you’re crying?”
She was crying. Hot tears wet her cheeks. She sniffed, horrified. Stupid tears. They were giving her away. Humiliating her.
His grip tightened like an iron vise on her arm, as if he knew she was about to bolt. He held her in place, this man who had to know how dumb she’d been. How sad wanting a man to love her, a man who was never going to love her. Shame lodged like a ball in her throat.
“Here. Let me help.” The kindness of a doctor rang in those words, the same caring he probably showed to any one of his patients.
That made it all the worse as she felt the dab of his handkerchief against her cheek, saw the blur of him through her tears. The soft cotton brushed her cheek, drying her tears and catching the ones that kept falling.
“Will you be okay?” Again, that kindness. He probably had no notion how much it was hurting her.
She nodded, anything to get him to let go and get away.
“Did you know the girls have told me what kind of mother they want? They’ve been very specific. Someone who knows how to ride a pony. Someone who knows how to play fort in their tree
house. Someone who can bake cookies. Someone who loves them no matter what. Did you know that you are everything they have ever said they wanted?”
Words that could kill her. She loved those twins, loved them with all her heart. Knowing she would never get to be their mother, never get to help them grow up, never get to see their adorable faces every day was a crushing loss. She’d had too much of that already. “Why are you telling me this? You have to know how much it hurts.”
“Because it’s important for you to know. I appreciate everything you do for my daughters. You’ve made them happy.”
“They’ve made me happy.” She choked out the words, blinking hard against the tears pooled in her eyes. “That’s something I’ll always be grateful for.”
“I see that.” He could look into her and see how much she was hurting. Gentle Clementine with her caring ways and contagious smile. She didn’t deserve this. Clementine who had come to town and won his daughters’ affections, brought sunshine to his father’s life and made his own heart live again.
“I hear you’ve got another prospect dangling on the line.” He brushed the pad of his thumb along her silken cheek, but no other tear fell. “Were you cheating on me? Two timing me with another man?”
“Technically it wasn’t you, it was Jeb. And no.” She swallowed hard, struggling to keep her composure. “As soon as I received that first letter from your father and the girls, there was no one else. You—”
She caught herself before she could say more, but he could see what she stopped herself from saying. Hurt clouded her blue eyes. Fresh grief shadowed her. He read in her heart the truth of her journey here.
She’d fallen in love with him in those letters. She’d come here to love him, not just the girls. The hurt she bore valiantly, fighting so hard to keep it contained, stunned him. It humbled him to see how much she cared.
It was wrong that she didn’t know how he felt, how much she’d changed him. “Will you stay?”
“Oh, Caleb. Why are you asking this?” She gazed up with eyes full of pain. “It’s for the girls, isn’t it?”
“Well, that’s true, but—”
“Please, don’t.” Agony twisted her words, echoed like pain in her voice. Her bottom lip trembled. She looked suddenly too vulnerable, ready to break. “I know why you’re asking. You love your daughters, but I have to leave.”
“Why?”
“If you don’t know, then I really do need to go.” She moved past him down the hall, head down, shoulders slumped. A single sob echoed in the hallway.
The love in his heart welled up like a spring, refreshing, overflowing. Heaven help him, because he had lost all control. His feelings were a flashflood now, impossible to hold back. “Will you do something for me?”
“No, Caleb.” She’d reached the top of the staircase, and gripped the newel post hard. It looked as if it was sheer willpower holding her up. She looked ready to fall. “How will I ever get over you if I don’t let go?”
“C’mon, just this last thing.” He didn’t remember moving, but suddenly he was towering over her. She gazed up at him, sheer beauty, her golden curls shimmering, her face twisted with heartbreak. Her eyes were the most honest blue he’d ever seen. Love shone there, pure and true.
The love in his heart answered. She’d captivated him, she’d changed his life. His father was right—she wasn’t merely his perfect match, but his soul mate. The one woman he was meant to love for the rest of his days. “I want you to write that other suitor of yours and tell him you’re taken.”
“What? What do you mean, taken?” Clementine frowned up at him, her forehead furrowing. “I don’t understand.”
“I’ve decided to come courting.” He wrapped his fingers through hers. He held on tight, so tight. Like he was never going to let go.
“Caleb.” She sighed his name. He was breaking her heart. “Please, I don’t want it this way. You can’t come courting. I won’t let you.”
“Why not? I’ll comb my hair. I’ll bathe before I come calling.” Glimmers of humor snapped in his eyes. His mouth, so kissable, so perfect, tilted up in the corners.
“You know why.” She swallowed hard, trying to find the courage to speak the truth, the unveiled, vulnerable truth. “I came here to love you. Not for a convenient marriage for the girls.”
“Let’s get something straight. This isn’t about convenience. Believe me, the way you make me feel is anything but easy.” He squared his shoulders, and it seemed the shadows around him disappeared. “The way I feel about you is impossible to measure. It’s the way the sun feels at its zenith on the best summer’s day. It’s Christmas morning with the girls squealing with excitement, ripping open their presents from Santa. It’s the first snowfall of the season. It’s a cozy place in front of the fire.”
He moved in, his fingers slipping away from hers to cradle her face. Tenderness was soft in his touch, gentle in his voice. “You deserve to be beaued the right way, with flowers and romance. I’m going to convince you to love me as much as I love you.”
“Oh, Caleb. I already do. So very much.” Joy returned to her heart. “You really love me?”
“More than I ever thought I could. Yes, I love you, Clementine,” he rasped, his tone raw with emotion. “You are the wish I never thought I would have. I want to make you happy every day for the rest of your life. Will you give me that chance? Will you stay?”
“Just try and get me to leave.”
Laughter chased away the tears, and so they were both laughing for their first kiss. It was the sweetest brush of lips, the joining of souls. The sun shining through the window behind them seemed to brighten like a sign.
Sometimes dreams really do come true, Clementine thought as Caleb drew her into his arms and against his heart, where she belonged for the rest of her days.
-Epilogue-
Four months later
The autumn day was perfection. Sun shone through the trees, dappling the shade as Clementine sat on the back seat of Jeb’s buckboard. She brushed her hand over the skirt of her wedding dress, watching the beautiful landscape roll by. This was her wedding day. She was on her way to be married!
“Oops! Sorry!” Gracie fidgeted on the seat next to her and bumped her. “This dress is scratchy.”
“So’s mine.” Hope fidgeted too. “Clementine?”
“What is it, sweetheart?” She leaned forward, looking across the seat to the twin sitting on the end.
“You’re gonna marry Pa.” Hope gave her sleeve cuff a tug.
“Yes, in a matter of minutes,” Clementine agreed, glancing up as the town came into sight. Sweet Creek was a riot of color—russets, yellows and reds. Leaves in a glory of colors spread out against the rolling foothills and granite mountains, with the flawless blue sky as a background. “I can see the church’s steeple above the trees.”
“So that makes you our mother,” Hope said. “Or, about to be our mother.”
“Exactly right.” Clementine smiled at Katherine, who turned around in the front seat to better listen in on the conversation. Even Jeb, who was driving, cocked his head as if eager to hear.
“Me and Gracie have talked,” Hope explained with a shrug.
“Yep,” Gracie agreed. “We don’t wanna call you Clementine anymore.”
“It’s not right,” Hope clarified.
“So, we wanna call you ma.” Gracie leaned in, pressing against Clementine’s side. “Okay?”
“Okay.” She gave a little sigh. Her little girls made her heart skip three beats. “Guess that means I should call you my daughters.”
“Cuz we’re a family,” Hope agreed, as if glad to get that settled.
Jeb drew the horses to a stop. The white church with its steeple cast a shadow over them. There were so many horses and vehicles tied up next to the road. People she’d come to know during her time in Sweet Creek, and they were all gathered here today to witness the marriage of their beloved town doctor to the mail-order bride who had claimed his heart.
>
She was one lucky lady. Clementine helped the girls down, warning them not to get dirty in the two seconds they would be standing next to the buckboard. Jeb came around to help her to the ground.
“Guess I’ll be walking you down the aisle,” he told her, still breathing heavy, his medical condition was a concern, but today he looked proud. Glowing, happy and proud. He offered his arm and she took it.
“It would be my honor, Pa,” she told him.
As she took her first steps up the walk toward the church, not one worry troubled her. She knew Caleb would be waiting for her at the altar in his Sunday best, ready to vow to love and honor her, to cherish her for the rest of their lives together.
Just as she would cherish him.
“Hurry, Hope!” Gracie pushed her way up the steps, across the threshold and into the vestibule.
“Don’t push, Gracie!” Hope elbowed her sister. “Ma, she’s pushing.”
“I just wanna be first,” Gracie explained.
Clementine laughed, she couldn’t help it, even as every pair of eyes in the sanctuary turned toward her. This was her hoped-for future, and it was coming true.
Caleb. Her gaze traveled down the aisle to where he stood, tall and handsome. Every step she took brought her closer to him, to her beloved, to the man who’d made good on his word to court her the way she deserved. It had been a whirlwind of picnics and flowers, of surprises, laughter and tender moments.
Now, he held out his hand, ready to take her as his bride. The moment her palm touched his broader one, the connection between them sparked. Pure, radiant sweetness. Pure love. She smiled up at him, this man of her dreams.
The minister cleared his throat, ready to begin, but she took a moment to go up on tiptoe. Her lips met Caleb’s, quick, brief, to let him know how she felt. His love had changed her life. His love had healed her heart. They were going to have a life with more happiness than they could hold, she just knew it.