by Annie Boone
Kathleen and Audrey looked at each other as they pulled away, but no word passed between them. They were alert to the sights and sounds around them as they pulled onto the streets of Cutter’s Creek.
Soon they were bumping along the cobblestoned surface, which made the journey considerably uncomfortable. Audrey and Kathleen sat holding on to the sides of the carriage, fearing that they would get thrown off their seats under all the jerking. Daisy was safely tucked into the back, though Audrey checked on her often.
Audrey was a little emotional as she saw the pieces that made up the town. This place, this town, was going to be their new home. For all she knew, they would be here for the rest of their lives. She’d miss the busy streets of Boston, but she hoped she’d grow to love this little place, too. It was quaint and fairly quiet. In spite of that, though, it seemed to have much to offer.
They rounded a corner and Caleb pulled to the side of the street and stopped. He turned to Audrey and pointed to a building bearing a sign with his name on it. Jefferson Blacksmith Shop, it read.
“This is my shop,” he said. “I took it over from my father and it’s grown with the town. I’ve built it up and I’m proud of it.”
The huge barn doors on the front were closed, but there was activity all around the building. Audrey imagined that there was even more commotion in the area when the blacksmith shop was open. She figured that he’d had to close for the afternoon to pick them up. She felt a pang of guilt, but it couldn’t be helped.
“It’s an impressive place. You have offices upstairs?” replied Audrey.
“Yes, offices are above the main shop. I also keep a little stock on some of the smaller supplies in a room up there too,” he answered.
“Well, you’ve much to be proud of here, it seems,” added Kathleen. “It’s clear you’ve worked hard to make it what it is.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Riley. I appreciate your kind words,” he said as he tipped his hat to her. “I closed up for the afternoon since you all were coming in. I don’t do all the work anymore, but I gave my men some time off, too. They were mighty happy to have some time to go fishing over at the river on such a nice spring day.”
“What a lovely afternoon for them! And bringing home supper, too!” laughed Audrey.
They all chuckled together until it faded into an awkward silence. “Um, and this is our church across the road,” said Caleb. He needed to fill the silence and it was the first thing that came to mind since they were sitting still in front of the chapel.
He wasn’t about to let on that he hadn’t been a regular attender in some time. That information would come to light soon enough, he supposed.
“The chapel is lovely!” exclaimed Audrey. “I don’t recall ever seeing a red church building before. Then I don’t guess I’ve paid attention to that many of them. We’ve belonged to the same church for some time now.”
“I’m sure you’d remember a red church, though, wouldn’t you?” added Kathleen.
“How many children go to this church?” asked Daisy.
They’d almost forgotten she was with them. She was sitting in the back and quietly taking it all in.
“I don’t rightly know for sure, little missy,” said Caleb. “You can rest assured that my daughter, Beatrice, knows every one, though. She’ll make sure you get a proper introduction very soon.”
Audrey smiled at the way he put Daisy at ease. It was still early, but it seemed like maybe he was at least going to treat her daughter with care and respect. She was thankful for that.
Chapter Ten
“Audrey, Daisy, and Mrs. Riley. I’d like to welcome you all to your new home. Please, come inside,” he said, offering his hand to Kathleen.
They had pulled into a circular driveway in front of a white house with a large front porch. The house was a single story, but it seemed to be spread out. It looked to be a large house compared to what she’d had in Boston. It had a yard and room to move around that Daisy was going to love. She might get used to differences such as this.
They took the bags they could easily handle and followed Caleb up the wide stairs to the front porch. The house was in very good shape and appeared to be very well taken care of. From all appearances so far, Caleb’s business was flourishing well enough for him to afford nice things for his family.
He led them into the house and Audrey was almost speechless when they entered the large main room. It was cozy and large all at the same time. She didn’t think that was possible. There were two seating areas with one of them clearly designated as an area for Beatrice.
“This is the main room. We use it for almost everything. We read and Beatrice does homework here. Sometimes we even have a meal in here,” he smiled.
Daisy laughed and clapped her hands. “I want to eat in here, too!”
Audrey reached over and stroked her daughter’s blonde curls with a smile as the others laughed. “Looks like you’re feeling comfortable here already,” said Audrey.
Daisy nodded enthusiastically as their tour continued.
“I do want you to be comfortable here,” said Caleb, squatting down in front of her to look into her eyes. “This is your home now and I want you to think of it that way. Let’s take a look at your rooms.” He smiled, stood back up, and beckoned for them to follow.
Caleb led them down the hallway to the left. There were several doors lining the corridor that Audrey assumed were all bedrooms. At the first door, he opened it and went inside. They peeped into the room and saw a sweetly decorated room that was obviously set up for a little girl.
“This is your room, Daisy. It will be yours all to yourself. My daughter, Beatrice, has a room right beside this one. You can get to her room through this door if you want,” he said, pointing to a closed door situated in the middle of the wall.
Daisy was captivated by the ruffled curtains and pink blankets on the bed. There were shelves for her toys and a small desk in the corner. A dollhouse stood in the other corner just waiting for someone to play with it. Daisy went to it and drew in a breath. She reached out and touched it, careful not to disturb anything around it. She looked up at her mother and smiled.
“It’s almost like the one I had back at home!” she squealed. Then she looked at Caleb. “Can I play with it any time I want to?”
“You sure can. It’s yours. Beatrice and I picked it out earlier this week as a welcoming gift for you. I hope you like it.”
“Oh, I do! I do! Thank you!”
She ran to him and hugged his waist quickly. Then she was lost to them as she became enthralled with her new toy. She was working to rearrange the furniture when they left the room.
“Thank you, Caleb,” said Audrey, touching his arm lightly. “You’re so sweet to do that for her.”
He looked uncomfortable at her touch, though she only meant it as emphasis for her appreciation. She withdrew her hand and they continued down the hallway.
“This room across the hallway is yours, Mrs. Riley,” he said.
Kathleen entered the room and put her bag down on the floor beside a large dresser. She looked around the room and smiled. “It’s lovely, Caleb. I believe this will be a most comfortable room. If it’s all right with everyone, I’m going to take advantage of the calm feel here and relax for a few minutes.”
“Enjoy a rest, Mrs. Riley. Oh! And the washroom is just outside your door and to the left. We are fortunate to have it indoors. I put it in last year,” said Caleb.
Audrey looked at him with raised eyebrows. “Well, I guess that only leaves me and you to finish the tour. We’ll have to show the other two the rest of the place later.”
He smiled shyly. “And down here is your room. I hope you don’t think I’m being too forward, but I thought you might like to be in my room. It’s the largest and it’s comfortable. I’ll be staying at my sister’s house until the wedding.” He blushed a bright red and so did Audrey.
“That’s fine, Caleb. I appreciate your kindness.”
“I hope you
and your mother won’t mind it if Beatrice stays here with you even though I won’t be here. I could take her with me to my sister’s house, but I really would prefer to not disrupt her routine too much if I don’t have to. Do you mind?” he asked.
“It’s fine with me. In fact, I think it’s the best thing to do. Daisy will be happy to have her here and so will we. She doesn’t need to get kicked out of her house because we showed up.”
He nodded and looked relieved. “Thank you. You’re very kind.” He cleared his throat and started to leave the room. “I almost forgot! I’ve invited my sister and her husband for supper. They’ll be here in a few hours and they’re dying to meet you all.”
“That sounds wonderful. When will we meet Beatrice? I’m very excited to meet her and Daisy is, too,” replied Audrey.
“She’ll be with my sister, Janine. Her husband is Thad and they’re a great couple.”
“I’m looking forward to it.” She turned and looked at the room that would be hers. “I think I’ll take my mother’s lead and take a rest, if you don’t mind.”
“Of course. While you all are resting, I’ll take a trip back up to the station and pick up the rest of your baggage. I know you’ll want to get unpacked and settled.”
He nodded and turned to go. Audrey watched him walk down the hallway and then quietly closed the door.
She stretched out on the bed mainly because she was tired, but she also was relishing a moment alone to do anything she wanted to do. Right now all she wanted was to think a little about her move to Cutter’s Creek. And maybe a little about Caleb.
He was certainly a handsome man, though different than Sam. Her husband had been fair haired with blue eyes and an infectious smile. Caleb had dark wavy hair that was a little longer than she’d expected. He was a blacksmith and she thought he would be a burly, rough sort. He was nothing like that. He was well built and she could see that he had well developed muscles, but he had a polished and refined appearance in spite of his longer hair. When he smiled she was surprised to see that he had dimples.
She was hoping he would loosen up a bit. He was friendly enough, but she could see that he was holding back. It was only their first day, though, so she needed to give him time. For Pete’s sake she needed time herself, didn’t she?
Chapter Eleven
Caleb returned with the rest of their baggage and the new-comers were rested and primped to meet some of Caleb’s family. Audrey was excited to meet more new people and she was hoping they would be friendly and welcoming. She didn’t expect anything different than that, really. Caleb seemed like a nice enough sort and she had to assume that his family was full of good people.
When they heard a carriage pull up, Daisy was almost jumping up and down with excitement. She’d been waiting for Beatrice to arrive for most of the afternoon. “Is she with them, Mama? Can you see her?” she asked.
“I believe so,” replied Audrey. “There’s certainly a young girl with them.”
Caleb had walked out to meet them and Audrey saw him pull the girl in and give her a big hug and a kiss on the top of her head. It was a touching scene and one that she was happy to witness.
He hugged the woman and shook hands with the man as he slapped him on the back. The three were laughing together as they started up the stairs to the porch. Audrey imagined it was a family joke.
For some reason, she longed to know what it was and be part of it. This feeling surprised her. She only got here today. She only knew Caleb through letters. She didn’t want a loving relationship with him. She did realize that a friendship would be nice, though. Maybe they would have that.
The front door opened and Beatrice bounded in the door. “Hello!” she called.
Daisy ran to her when she heard the girl’s greeting. “Hi! I’m Daisy from Boston. Are you Beatrice?”
“I know who you are! My father told me you were coming. He said you’d be here when I got home. I’m pleased to make your acquaintance, Daisy. I’m Beatrice Jefferson.”
Daisy smiled brightly and then so did Beatrice. The same dimples that her father had popped on to her face when she smiled. Caleb would never be able to deny this little girl belonged to him. She looked just like him.
Audrey looked up when the adults entered the house. She smiled at Caleb first and then went to the others. Janine stepped up and hugged her.
“I’m Janine and I’m so happy you’re here!” When she stepped back, she looked at her husband. “This is my husband, Thad. We live just down the road.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Thad,” said Audrey. “And this is my mother, Kathleen. As you can guess, my daughter, Daisy, is otherwise occupied, but I think she’s happy to be here, too.”
The adults looked into the middle of the main room where the girls were sitting on the floor together. They each had a doll and appeared to be telling riveting stories to each other. They were smiling and laughing like they’d known each other since birth.
Caleb and Audrey gave each other a shy glance. She felt like they were off to a good start, though who knew what the future held. He was a little reserved, but there had been times she’d seen him let his guard down just a little in the few hours since she’d arrived.
Supper was a lively event with the little girls sitting together at the table. They laughed over and over at stories Janine and Caleb told about growing up together as twins. Thad and Janine had been together since their teenaged years and he was able to tell a few stories, too.
“We had to leave our children with Gramma Jeff tonight. We’ve got two boys and they never sit still. They’re twins, too. Five years old,” said Janine. “Oh, and Gramma Jeff is my mother.”
“Oh, I’m sorry they’re not here,” said Audrey. “I’m looking forward to meeting them,”
“We figured it might be best to spring them on you later. And it’s much more enjoyable to finish a meal without having to coax Jacob into eating something and fuss at Nathaniel for taking food from his brother’s plate. Meal time is usually a challenge for us,” offered Thad.
Janine rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Parenting is challenging at the moment,” she laughed. “They’re not bad all the time, but when they are it’s terrible.”
“For some reason, my mother is able to make them behave better than anyone else. And those two totally adore her,” said Caleb.
Audrey truly enjoyed the evening learning about the family she was about to join. The jovial atmosphere was a calming respite after the hardship of the move and the journey.
She was dead on her feet, though by the time they finished dessert. It had been a long day and she was weary from the journey. She and Kathleen thanked Janine and Thad for coming to greet them on their first day in town. Kathleen took Daisy and went down the hall to their rooms.
“Caleb, could I speak with you for a moment, please?” Audrey asked.
He nodded and followed her to the sitting room. He stood quietly waiting on her to say what she wanted to say to him. His eyes looked directly into hers briefly, then darted off out the window. She could feel that something troubled him, but she couldn’t tell yet what it was. She hoped that one day she’d be able to read him better. More importantly, she hoped that one day he’d trust her enough to talk about what was bothering him.
“Caleb, I just want to thank you for bringing me here and for accepting my daughter and mother, too. It means so much to me to have them here.”
“I wouldn’t ever expect you to break up your family. I’m happy to have them here, too.”
“Also, thank you for having this little dinner party to help us meet your family in a casual setting. Tonight was fun and I think Janine is going to be a great friend.”
He smiled at that. “Yes, she’s very special. I’m glad you like her. She likes you, too. I can tell.”
“Well then, good night. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She reached out and touched his arm slightly and stepped past him to go to her room.
As she changed into her night dress and
prepared to sleep in a new bed, she reflected on the day. It had gone well. She felt more relaxed than she thought she would. However, she was unprepared for Caleb to be so attractive. She was blindsided that she was attracted to him. She didn’t expect to ever be attracted to another man again. She wasn’t quite sure what to do about it.
She was certain that she’d sleep like the dead tonight, though, and her attraction to Caleb Jefferson would be dealt with another day.
She pulled the covers up to her chin and snuggled down into the bed. She didn’t know another thing until the sun woke her the next morning.
Chapter Twelve
Audrey walked out of her room dressed in a beautiful blue dress with a pale green sash. She was rested and refreshed and ready for the day. She waited for Daisy and Kathleen in the sitting room. They were spending the day with Beatrice. Audrey was looking forward to getting to know the little girl.
Soon the three of them were being led by Beatrice to the back of the house. They came out into the open and found themselves standing on a beautiful portico. There was a small tea table on one side. A large pot of tea sat on it, accompanied by a few biscuits, jams, and fresh fruits. There were plates and cups for four.
“So we’re having a light breakfast out on the back porch. What a lovely idea! Was this your suggestion, Beatrice?” asked Audrey.
“No, it was Auntie Janine’s. I don’t care where we have breakfast. I’m just ready to eat!” she giggled. In seconds, Daisy was giggling with her.
Then, Audrey heard someone behind her. “How are you this morning? I’m Dansby, Mr. Jefferson’s cook and housekeeper. I’ll bring some ham and eggs directly. In the meantime, do you have everything you need?” asked a large woman with her gray hair pulled into a bun at the back of her head. She wore an apron and carried a kitchen towel in one hand.