There were things he could use to keep her from getting with child, but in his hurry to get married and travel to pick up his daughter, he’d forgotten about it. Something he would have to rectify as soon as they returned.
Another reason he’d been glad to hurry up the wedding was to get her out of the saloon. When Fletcher had told Mac that Julia wouldn’t be returning to work, she’d insisted on “earning her keep” by working at the jail again until they married. Even though it was only a few days, if he had to watch his rotating prisoners ogle her one more time, he would have blackened someone’s eye.
He stared down at her, relaxed in sleep. After Laura, he’d sworn he’d never marry again. But getting Patty Ann back had become very important, and he couldn’t honestly face Catherine with his request to return his daughter without a woman by his side
Apart from that, he liked Julia and found a lot to admire in his bride. She was honest, hard-working, compassionate, and smart. She also questioned everything he said and did. He imagined a lot of feisty encounters in the years to come.
He truly did not want to watch another woman suffer trying to bring a child into the world. His child. He broke into a sweat, remembering the moaning and screaming that had accompanied the event. Even if she survived the ordeal, just thinking about her frail body swelling up and then attempting to push the baby out caused his last meal to rise up to the back of his throat.
Julia was such a pretty little thing. He’d grown so accustomed to her limp that he barely noticed it anymore. He could certainly understand why she’d forgotten to mention it to Johnson when they’d exchanged letters. It was just a part of who she was. Not the best part, and most likely not the worst part. Her stubbornness surely outranked the limp.
“Foxtail Grove, New Jersey. Next stop, Foxtail Grove, New Jersey.” The conductor made his way down the aisle, swinging a lantern in his hand. Fletcher opened his eyes and blinked a few times in the darkness. Pale moonlight shone through the window and fell like a silver wash over the passengers.
He shifted slightly, having found himself resting his cheek on Julia’s soft hair. In her slumber, she’d wrapped her arms around his middle. He smiled and shook her shoulder. “Julia, time to wake up.”
She mumbled something and burrowed herself further into his warmth.
“Honey, we’re here. The next stop is Foxtail Grove.”
“Oh.” She lifted her head and yawned. “That was fast.”
He chuckled. “Time goes by quite a bit faster when you’re sleeping.”
She fussed with her hair. “Goodness, I must be a mess.”
“You look fine.” He reached under the seat to retrieve the food basket and handed it to Julia, who still looked confused. He stood and pulled down their overnight case from the shelf above their heads as the train began to slow, approaching the station.
“What time is it?” Julia stretched and rubbed her eyes with her fists.
Fletcher checked his timepiece. “Just past midnight.”
“I’ve been asleep for hours. I didn’t realize I was that tired.”
He took his seat again, placing the satchel in his lap. “All those wedding preparations.”
Conversation ceased as the train rolled into the station, the brakes screeching loud enough to wake the dead. Steam covered the window, blocking the view. Foxtail Grove was a small town in northern New Jersey, one of the minor stops the train made. Only one other person besides Fletcher and Julia alighted from the train, and no passengers got on.
Once the train pulled out of the station, the only sound left was the wind blowing through the trees, causing the autumn leaves to drift to the ground. Julia shivered and Fletcher drew her closer. “There is a small hotel a short distance from here. Do you think you can walk it?”
Stifling a yawn, Julia said, “Yes, I can walk it. There is nothing wrong with my legs. I need to work out the kinks from all that sitting.” At least that’s what he thought she said. In her tired state, she might have told him she needed to bark the rings from itching.
On the other hand, her terse reply implied she was obviously put out that he suggested she couldn’t walk. He had to remember how sensitive his new wife was about her limp.
Fletcher opened the buttons on his coat to make it easier to reach his gun if need be. Foxtail Grove was a peaceful town, but walking alone with his wife on a dark road made him more cautious than he would normally be.
Julia continued to yawn and shiver. Thankfully, they rounded a bend in the road, and the lights from the hotel came into view. “That’s the hotel. I’ve stayed there before, and it’s nice.”
“I wonder if I can even sleep after that long nap on the train.”
“We have our food from the ladies. We can eat in our room and by then we should be ready to sleep.”
He escorted her through the wooden and glass doors of the Monroe Hotel. The man behind the desk was reading a newspaper and looked up in surprise. “We haven’t had anyone off the train this late in weeks.”
“We’re just grateful you’re still open. I need a room for my wife and myself.” Fletcher placed the food basket on the counter and filled out the card the man passed to him.
The desk clerk looked at the card. “How long you planning on staying?”
“Maybe a day or two. I’m not sure right now.” Fletcher picked up the food basket and took the room key from the man’s hand. “Honey, can you get the satchel?”
Julia yawned once again and picked up the bag. Fletcher checked the key. “Room seven.” He headed up the stairs and stopped in front of the room. “Here we are.”
He turned the key and his wife proceeded him into the room, took about six steps, and came to an abrupt halt, causing him to bump into her. “What’s the matter?”
She turned, her eyes wide. “There’s only one bed.”
Chapter Ten
Julia couldn’t stop staring at the bed. Although of a normal size, in her mind it took up the entire room. Growing up, she’d always shared a bed, usually with two or more of her siblings. But this was different, very different. She cast a quick glance at Fletcher, who watched her with a slight smile on his face.
“Don’t worry, there’s plenty of room for the both of us.”
She raised her chin. “Yes, I’m sure.”
He gently cupped her face. “We won’t be doing anything in that bed except sleeping. I told you there would be no more children, and although there are ways to prevent that, it’s not something I’m prepared to take care of right now.”
“Oh.” As the heat rose to her face, she wasn’t sure if she was relieved or disappointed. You would think with all the children her parents had produced her mother would have talked to her about this whole thing. Although, given their large brood, it was doubtful that they had any idea what to do to prevent pregnancy.
“Why don’t you change behind the screen,” he nodded toward the two section wooden panel in the corner, “and I’ll set out the food.”
Julie rummaged through the satchel until she found her cotton nightgown. Goodness, even if they weren’t going to do anything else in that bed except sleep, she would still be parading around in her nightclothes. Something she’d never done in front of a man. Swallowing her rising panic, she stiffened her shoulders and headed to the screened off area. She could do this. She was a married woman, now, an adult, in a hotel room with her husband.
She broke into a sweat.
When she emerged, holding her clothing in front of her chest like a warrior’s shield, the smell of the food Fletcher had spread on a small table had her stomach growling.
He bowed from the waist “Dinner is served, Mrs. Adams.”
Julia giggled at his levity, glad for the reprieve from the nervousness she felt. “It smells wonderful. I didn’t realize how hungry I was.”
She shook out her clothes and hung them over the screen. Fletcher moved the table to the bed, and Julia sat. “This looks good.”
The ladies had sent cold chicke
n, bread, cheese, fruit, and cookies. Fletcher settled alongside her, and they ate in silence.
“When are we going to fetch Patty Ann?”
“I’d like to go first thing in the morning. I’m hoping the wire to Catherine was delivered.”
Julie licked the chicken grease from her fingers. “You must be excited about bringing your daughter home.”
Fletcher stared at her, seemingly mesmerized by her movements.
“What?”
He shook his head. “Yes, I am excited.”
“Tell me about Patty Ann.” Julia stood and cleared the table, wrapping the garbage in a newspaper the previous guest had left behind.
“As all fathers believe, I think she is the sweetest, smartest, most loving little girl in the world.” He put the leftover cheese, fruit, and cookies back into the basket as he talked. “She looks a lot like Laura. But where Laura was quiet and shy around strangers, Patty Ann has never met anyone who wasn’t a friend within minutes.”
“She sounds like a daughter to be proud of.” With everything tidied up, Julia glanced once again at the bed, realizing two adults would take up a lot more room than three children. It would be impossible to spend the night next to Fletcher’s big body and not have them touch. She shivered.
“I am proud of her.” Fletcher narrowed his eyes. “You’re still shivering. Why don’t you go ahead and climb into bed.”
Julia drew down the blanket. “Yet, you don’t want any more children.”
“It’s not children I object to, Julia. I don’t want to lose another wife to childbirth.”
She stood transfixed as he unbuttoned his shirt and tugged it from his pants. After folding it across the chair, he unfastened his gun belt and laid it carefully on the table. The top of his union suit gaped, giving her a glimpse of dark blond curly hair on his chest. Her heartbeat sped up, and she licked her suddenly dry lips.
When his fingers reached for the buttons on his wool trousers, her eyes flicked up to his. What she saw there scared and thrilled her at the same time. He might say he didn’t want any more children, but her husband was not a man who could live a celibate life.
Before her thoughts could go too far in that direction, she scurried into bed, turning her back to him, and pulling the covers up to her neck. The mattress shifted as he sat, then swung his legs into the space. He tugged on the covers, moved around a bit, then settled down. Her heart beat so loud she was sure he must have heard it.
“Goodnight.”
Lord, he sounded so close.
“Goodnight,” she returned. It took quite a while for her heart to return to normal, but the fidgeting coming from the other side of the bed told her Fletcher was having as hard a time falling asleep as she was.
Fletcher pulled the warm body underneath his arm closer. Still half asleep, his hand drifted up to cup a soft breast. A much fuller breast than Laura’s. His eyes snapped open as he slowly moved his hand down, hoping he hadn’t awoken his new wife.
“Julia?”
“Hmm.” She stirred, and he moved back, not wanting her to feel the proof of his desire for her.
She rolled over onto her back and smiled. He swallowed a groan. Her crystal clear blue eyes were glazed over with sleep, her lips plump, ready to be kissed. The braid she’d fastened the night before had loosened, long and short curls falling around her face like a picture frame. “Good morning.”
Without conscious thought, he leaned down and took her mouth in a soft kiss. Her innocent response stirred him more than any other woman he’d ever been with. She drew back and studied him, her eyes questioning. Before he could get himself into trouble, he rolled over and rose from the bed. “We better get going.”
Once they were both washed and dressed, he escorted her down the stairs. A different man sat at the front desk and greeted them cheerfully.
“Where can we rent a carriage? Or two horses?”
“Where ya headed to?”
“Twelve-eleven Hudson Street.”
The man pointed over his shoulder with his thumb. “I have a carriage out back you can use. You’ll need to hitch up the horses, though.”
“I appreciate that. We won’t be long.” Fletcher turned to Julia. “Wait here, and I’ll bring the carriage around.”
The short walk to the stable and the time it took to brush the horses and fasten their harnesses gave him a while to consider the events of the last few days.
He was a married man again. As happy as he was to be able to take Patty Ann back, he was left with a knot in his stomach about Julia. She was beautiful, and based on his wandering hand this morning, a fine-figured woman. Although she seemed to think he hadn’t wanted to bed her because he’d found her unattractive, he found her extremely desirable. Earlier, her soft, warm body pressed up against his had wreaked havoc with his blood supply, sending it to where it could only get him into trouble.
Although adamant about not wanting to watch Julia suffer and possibly die trying to bring his child into the world, attempting to resist her in the future would prove almost impossible. He wanted her too much, and although she was a virtuous young lady, he saw the underlying passion in her eyes when they’d kissed. As soon as they returned home, he would take care of buying what he needed to protect her.
Tugging on the halter, he led the horses to the carriage and hitched them up. Julia waited for him outside the hotel, and again he was struck by how she affected his senses. He tried distracting himself by concentrating on seeing Patty Ann and bringing her home. Unfortunately, lifting Julia into the carriage, feeling her warmth, and smelling her intoxicating scent brought all his desire for her back once again.
Once they arrived at the business part of town, Fletcher’s rumbling stomach reminded him they hadn’t had breakfast. Checking his timepiece, it showed only eight o’clock, too early to call at Catherine’s house anyway. He directed the horses toward a small restaurant next to the barber shop.
“We’ll have breakfast first.” He jumped from the carriage and wrapped the traces around the hitching post, then walked to the side of the buggy and swung Julia down.
The little restaurant was doing a brisk business. They took the last table available and read the chalkboard above the counter. A slender woman with hair tied back so severely he wondered how she didn’t have a headache poured coffee into the two cups sitting on their table. “What would you folks like?”
They both ordered bowls of oatmeal. “Will we be returning to Wickerton tonight?” Julia wanted to know.
“I hope so. I’m always uncomfortable when I leave the town in Ernest’s hands. He means well but always seems to make things worse, rather than better.”
“Who’s Ernest?”
“He’s the retired sheriff whose place I took. He was a bit too fond of his drink and fell off his horse one night after ‘checking’ the saloons, and broke his arm. It never worked right after that, and since it was his shooting arm, he decided to retire. The town gives him a little stipend each month, and I ask him to help out on occasion.”
The waitress placed two bowls of cereal and a small pitcher of cream on their table. She refilled their coffee cups and left them. Conversation ceased as they ate their breakfast.
“Tell me about Catherine. You said she’s a widow?”
“Yes. She’s Laura’s younger sister. She’s a nice person, and I’m glad she stepped in to take care of Patty Ann when she did, but I got the feeling the last couple of times I visited that she hoped to keep her permanently. I’m not allowing that.”
“No. She belongs with her father.” Julia wiped her mouth with a napkin and placed it alongside her bowl. “Are we ready to go?”
“Yes.” Fletcher threw a few coins on the table and rested his hand on Julia’s lower back as they left the restaurant.
The butterflies in Julia’s stomach did a tango as the buggy came to a rolling stop in front of the small house on Hudson Street. She’d not even gotten used to being married to Fletcher and already she was to be a mot
her to an seven-year-old girl who’d been living with her aunt for months. She wiped her sweaty palms on her coat and smiled as Fletcher helped her down from the carriage.
They walked hand-in-hand to the front door and waited patiently for someone to answer their knock. The door opened, and a slightly plump woman with spectacles and an apron around her middle smiled brightly. “Fletcher! You’re here so soon.”
He bent and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Good morning, Catherine. Yes. I thought my wire mentioned I would be here right away.”
She backed up and allowed them to enter. “Yes, I believe it did. How long can you stay?”
“I’m afraid I can’t stay at all. I have a deputy in my place, and I need to get back.”
The woman’s shoulders slumped. “Oh. Well, you can at least spend the day and stay for dinner, can’t you?” She gave Julia a strange look, then waved them toward a room off the main door. “Take a seat in the parlor, and I’ll tell Patty Ann you’re here. She’s getting dressed. I hadn’t mentioned your visit to her since I thought you would at least stay a couple of days.” She cast him a reproachful glance
“Catherine, you do understand I’m here to bring Patty Ann home with me, don’t you? This is not just a visit.”
Ignoring his question, she led them into the parlor, a medium-sized room to the right of the front door. It was a comfortable space, with homey touches of rag rugs and embroidered pillows. Julia and Fletcher took a seat on the sofa near the fireplace.
“Catherine, I’d like you to meet my wife, Julia.”
“Wife?” The woman looked stunned, and, if Julia guessed correctly, not pleased. She sank into a chair across from them. “When did you get married?”
“Yesterday. It was a small wedding.”
Two bright-red spots appeared on Catherine’s cheeks as she tried very hard not to stare at Julia. “Oh. I thought she might be a babysitter you hired to take care of Patty Ann.”
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